August IComLeavWe
IComLeavWe has rolled around again, so hi to anyone who drops by from that :-) I’m going to be a little late in starting this month, because I’m going to be out for most of tomorrow (technically today already, eek), and I might be sleeeeeepy when I get home. In fact, I should be in bed and sleeping now, so I’d better get going. I may get a chance to jump online when I get in tomorrow, but if not, it’ll have to wait until Sunday. I can do double then.
IComLeavWe: Join the Conversation
Days of summer
Wow, and there goes another month – I did so well blogging all through June, started out in July…. and then Real Life took over! What a shock to the system that’s been ;-) Seriously though, it really has been a pretty good summer. The “busy day” to come that I mentioned about two posts / six weeks ago way back on 5th July was the day that I had an interview for a volunteering “job”, and I’ve been doing that ever since. Not every day, I mean. Just once a week. I’m really enjoying it! (I’d better not go into specifics just yet. I’ll check with them first if they mind me blogging about it a bit. I’ve been almost-burned with that before, when a manager at my job up north told me I should remove all references to work. And none of that was specific stuff about the company at all, if I remember rightly, and certainly didn’t name anything or anyone. Just occasional anecdotes about colleagues and work life. So, double-check first, blog later!)
Other than that, I’ve been going to the Bipolar Course, which is nearly over now. That’s also been really good. I hadn’t been going to choir for a while because I’d been ill, but I’ll be going again when rehearsals start back up in September so I’m looking forward to that. And I’ve also taken up Geocaching! What-y What-ing? Well, in case you haven’t heard of it, it’s a sort of a cross between orienteering and treasure hunting, done with GPS. In my case, I use the GPS thingy in my phone rather than a dedicated device, and it’s been spot on every time so far. It’s getting me out and about and giving me a reason to go for walks, and it was surprising the first few times how much glee and satisfaction I felt when I found the caches.
Right, I must be getting on. I’ll try to remember to blog more about geocaching, update my knitting and spinning stuff… um…. oh, and talk about Pirate Day, Promming, and how much I liked the BBC’s new “Sherlock” adaptation! I think that’s about it. Probably.
Productive day
I did lots today, and even managed to get in a nap this afternoon. Well, I’d worn myself out! Of course, when I say “lots”, that’s “lots for me”, but still. I’ve been to see the Flower Festival at Mum’s church with her. Technically it’s over, but she has the church keys and all the displays are still there. Then I went to the dentist (everything fine; see you in 6 months), did tiny a bit of shopping, came home and cleaned up a storm. Whew! And since I’ve also got some spinning and knitting done, I’m feeling quite accomplished.
Tomorrow is another busy day, so I’m off to bed now. I’m expecting to sleep well!
V is for Volunteering
I’ll be starting some voluntary work at a local library soon, helping people on the computers and internet. I’ve got to go in for a sort of induction day and an interview, but as I understand it, they’re trialling a tutorial programme to help people who aren’t used to computers, and my role would be to support them using that, and then provide refresher info and help afterwards. Sounds like fun! (No, I’m not being sarcastic, it does.) I’m looking forward to it, and it’ll be good to have something else regular in my schedule.
This evening I’ve been working on my Clapotis [Ravlink] while watching the Glastonbury coverage, and I’ve now tinked back so that I have one repeat of the straight section less, and therefore hopefully enough yarn left now to finish the project. I’d better have, because I’ve started on the decrease section again! Actually, I haven’t got very far into that… maybe I should pop a lifeline in just in case? Better safe than sorry.
T is for Tan (or lack thereof)
I spent most of today on the beach, which was marvellous – the weather is warm and sunny, but with enough of a breeze to keep it comfortable. I sat and knitted, listened to music for some of the time, the sounds of the seaside for the rest of it, and generally enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine. I went and got one of those folding chairs that come in the carry bags, but I actually only ended up using it (still in the bag!) as a lower back rest.
On the beach, Hastings, 23-06-2010
It was really nice being down there. I really must go more often while the weather is good. I don’t have a garden, but with the beach only 5-10 mins away… well. Silly not to go.
I was working on my Clapotis [Ravlink] and got very near to the end… when I realised that I wasn’t going to have enough yarn after all. Argh! So I’ve ripped back again and I’ll start the decrease rows one repeat earlier. That is, I’ll have one repeat less of the “straight” section. It’ll still be a good length. I should still have it finished this week, too, since the decrease section obviously gets faster as you go.
One thing that had completely passed me by until I got into town and heard all the people in the pubs was that it was the England v (er, someone) World Cup match. We won, didn’t get sent home, and there was much rejoicing. Including a group of blokes parading along the seafront singing the national anthem and then other assorted songs (Mysterious Girl? What?).
Oh, and although I was in the sun all day long, I’m still not tanned at all. Or not enough to notice. Being v pale, I slapped on the Factor 25 – I forgot once last year and got really bad sunburn, so I’m not going there again. Still, if I keep going out to the beach, and the weather obliges, I expect I’ll gain some colour before the end of summer. Even if it will only be noticeable by comparison with my watch mark!
K is for Knitting in Public
So, today was World Wide Knit in Public Day (or at least, the start of WWKIP week) for 2010. We had a little meet up and knit in Princes Park in Eastbourne to mark the event – there were just four of us there in the end, but we had a good time. Or I did, anyway. I hope everyone else did!
We were there from 11am to 3pm, and as well as getting on with knitting and crochet of our own, the heel section of BigSock was cast on! A mere 500 stitches at its narrowest point, should be a doddle. Hah!
Of course, I didn’t get any of my jumper done… and what I did get knitted of my clapotis is probably going to have to be ripped back because I seem to have gained (or lost) a stitch somewhere! I’m out one, anyway. Oh well.
F is for Friends, Family, and Food
Which three things sum up my day fairly well, really. My whole weekend, in fact. Like I said, we went to see Ally and family yesterday and out into the park where I saw several people I’d been at school with and their kids. I think I must be the only one who has no offspring! It was a lovely sunny day for it, and today was lovely as well although there was lots of rain and thunder last night.
Charlotte has gone now, but we went over to my brother and sister-in-law’s place for Sunday dinner today. Mmm, Sunday roast! I’m feeling pretty wiped out (but full!) so I can’t think of much else to blog about, so I’ll go and check out the prompts for some inspiration:
What’s the first thing that pops into your head when you think of your father?
His smile; a feeling of safety; and woolly bobble hats! Dad liked to keep his head warm, and embarrassed me horribly (as parents will!) when I was in my mid-teens by taking my into town still wearing his slippers (moccasins, so I’m sure no-one knew but me) and a woolly hat. Later on, of course, it became a lovable eccentricity, and when I learned to knit, one of the very first things I made was a hat for Dad:
E is for Elementary…
… my dear Watson. Which basically means that Charlotte is here and we’re watching movies! Sherlock Holmes, some of Return of the King, and… whatever else will depend on what time we have. We’ve watched Doctor Who as well, of course. Earlier today we went and saw Ally, and went over to the park where they were having some kind of… something. With music and some stalls set up and all that. It was fun, which is what matters!
Now it’s back to the movie watching. Robert Downey Jnr, yay!
Crimble Shopping
Yesterday, I went Christmas shopping with the family in Canterbury. I had some kind of idea in my head that I’d blitz through and buy presents for everyone. Uh, no. I managed to buy cards, wrapping paper… and a new dressing gown and slippers for myself, since my old ones had pretty much died. However, I think I do now know what I’m going to get for everyone. I’m just going to buy it online!
We did see some reindeer, though, in a pen outside BHS. Okey-dokey! They seemed quite happy with all the attention, though, and two of them kept pushing their noses though the fence and getting their heads rubbed by the people who’d come to see them (anti-septic hand gel was provided to use afterwards, probably because of that thing with kids catching E.coli after stroking farm animals). I just took a couple of photos:
Reindeer in Canterbury
Aww, look at the baby one!
Battle Bonfire
Hopefully I’ll be off to Battle Bonfire tonight with the family – I have to ring my Mum and brother to confirm if they’re all going, but at least according to the Beeb Weather, it’s going to be a clear night for it. I was a bit worried yesterday, but so far November seems to be alternating rainy and bright days.
I wish I’d got those gloves finished (I have one!) but I am working on them again now at least. Maybe I’ll actually get them done in time before spring this year. I think second glove syndrome is even worse than second sock syndrome, even if it isn’t as nicely alliterative. I do have some nice thick armwarmers / fingerless mitts to wear for tonight, anyhow, and I’ll be warmly wrapped up otherwise. Um, is it weird that one of my favourite things about bonfire night is being out in the cold but all wrapped up warm against it? Well, that and the procession and effigy exploding. Ahem.
Gunpowder, Treason and Plot
Happy Guy Fawkes Night, everyone! There are fireworks exploding all over tonight, and the Xandermog has the hump with me because I won’t let him out. Silly beast.
I’m still a bit under the weather, but getting better, so yay! I’ve been out today, over to C. House for lunch and catching up with friends. I signed up as being interested in a creative writing course while I was there, too. Also, note to self: there’s a walking group on Wednesday afternoons. After I’d been there I went down to the shops to top up my gas and electricity keys, and bumped into my neighbour, so we walked back up together and had a bit of a catch up. It’s been just like a normal day! Heh.
I’m hoping now that I’ll be feeling fine for Saturday, which is when Battle Bonfire is on – last I heard, there are plans for going with the family. I imagine it partly depends on whether Mum is verger-ing on Sunday morning. I must remember to ask her tomorrow.
I’m back!
I did say I was going, didn’t I? I’ve been off in Manchester at the TRA Meet-Up 2007, which was the best con evah. Seriously. Actually, it was more like a pilgrimage than a convention – it wasn’t the kind where several hundred fans are packed into a hotel for a weekend and queued past actors. Which, hey, I’ve been to plenty of and enjoyed very much! But somehow this was better: there were just 50 or so of us, and we visited various filming locations, “met” the Camberwick Green puppet of Sam, and got to sit in the Cortina! So yes. Pretty much the best Life on Mars geekfest possible. There was even a party with fab 70′s style buffet food (and a pub quiz) on the Saturday night. The girls who organised it really went all out and made it a seriously memorable weekend for everyone, plus I met some lovely lovely people. Whee!
I got back down from Manchester on Wednesday evening at…. late-ish. I had to hang around in London for a while to avoid the rush hour – I did think about braving it, but I didn’t really fancy possibly standing all the way to Hastings with my backpack on. I was wiped out when I got home, so I kind of fed the cat and fell into bed at that point. Since then I’ve been (a) recovering and (b) working. Or is it the other way around? Nah, maybe not. ;-) I’m just in the process of ploughing through my email, so if you’re expecting to hear from me… I may be gone some time! Oh alright, I’m being over-dramatic. Hopefully I won’t take very long – at a quick glance I see I have mail from my SP to answer *waves*.
In knitting stuff, I did get a fair bit done on the train journeys, which was nice. I made my second Fetching, and a good start on my first Hedara sock. More about those later when I have photos to prettify the post. Listened to plenty of knitting podcasts, too, which enlivened the whole travelling thing. Hoorah!
I got my Yarn Yard club parcel yesterday, too. :-D I don’t think I mentioned last month’s, which I loved as well. This one is scrummy – I won’t describe it just yet in case there’s anyone reading (is there anyone reading? At all? *g*) who’s in the club and hasn’t had theirs. But it’s bright and delicious, and there were sweets in the package as well! Yum!! I think I definitely do want to use the accent quarter skein for toes and heels this time. I’m just not sure whether to make plain stst socks or do something with a little bit of a pattern / texture. I’ll think on it. And post photos in a couple of days when I’ve taken them.
Right now, though? Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
Must post more often!
I reeeeally have to remember to post here a bit more often! Heh. Although, I don’t think anyone’s exactly keeping an anxious eye out for my posts or anything! *g*
Christmas is coming, as it does (once a year or so). I’m off to visit the parents for the period, but this time I have a new and shiny way of getting there: I shall be driving down. In my own, brand new, rather spiffy, car! Woohoooo! I’m dead chuffed – I shall be collecting it tomorrow, and setting off for ‘down south’ on Tuesday. Would have had it sooner, but there have been a few hitches along the way, so it’s a bit of a miricle I’m getting it at all, I think. I’ve actually had my driving licence for more than ten years, so it’s about time I had my own car, don’t you think? Hee!
The one thing I’m not looking forward to about the Christmas period, of course, is that my Xandermoggy has to go to the cattery while I’m away. I hate that bit. :-( But I can’t take him with me, cos Phoebe (queen of Mum and Dad’s house) would not be impressed. And he is quite content in the cattery – he settles down really quickly and everything. He’s such a good boy. Awww.
Still thinking about the comments system thing. Maybe I’ll just change from Blogger altogether, and install Moveable Type instead. Hmm. Guess I’ll keep pondering on it.
Now I’d better get back to work – I’m making most of my Christmas pressies this year, and I’m not quite done yet. It’s a new thing that I’ve learned to do for this, so I shall quite possibly post pics of what I produced. After Christmas, obviously, or that’ll give the surprises away. Off I go, then.
Happy Christmas (or relevant seasonal holiday that you celebrate) Everyone! :-D
Mum and Dad are here
Mum and Dad are here for a visit – tomorrow we’re off to Blackpool to visit Mary, Ray and Wendy (my aunt, cousin and cousin’s partner) for Mary’s annual pre-Christmas bash thing. Where we will all have to wear santa hats and tinsel, and stuff. Heheh.
Took my CV into a couple of temp agencies today, and they were gratifyingly impressed with my ph33rsome typing skillz (59 wpm copytyping, bit faster for audio) and all, so I should hopefully get some work soon.
I think I need to change the commenting dowhatsit that I use here. dotComments doesn’t seem to like the new Blogger post numbering system, or something, and won’t do the comment counts any more. Anyone got any good suggestions? Or know how to fix dotComments, for that matter? Help?
Back from Germany.
Hello!! I got back from two weeks in Germany yesterday, visiting Noxy and Luna. Had a most excellent time – there was much silliness and laughter, watching of movies, appreciation of the pretty, reading and reccing of fic, and of course, going to Ring*Con. It was absolutely brilliant to see the two of them, and it was also kind of spooky how normal it felt to be all hanging out together… and it completely sucks that we’re not near enough to be able to nip round to see each other at weekends or anything. Humph. But we’ve pledged that we’re going to visit at least once a year if not more often, and made a weekly chat date. *sigh* It’s brilliant that we were able to meet each other through the net and all, but it’s at times like this that I really wish that distance and travel weren’t so much of an issue!! Heh.
I don’t think I’ve actually mentioned it here yet, but I’ve been made redundant from my old tech support job. Which I’m looking at as a positive thing, because I’m now going to take the opportunity to move back into the music world, and start teaching again – hopefully full time, this time. Voice, Clarinet, Recorders, Theory, and beginner Piano. I’m also going to be completing my Teaching DipABRSM, and I’ve signed up for the first course towards a DipMus at the Open University because I fancy a few more letters after my name ;-) Hopefully, I’ll continue on to actually finish my degree in the long run. Shock!! Anyhow, I’m feeling pretty happy about doing this – music really is my Thing, you know? (Eloquently put, hmm?) But much as I love messing around on the computer, and playing with websites and technology and all that, music is what’s in my gut, my soul, the thing that makes me feel (corny as it sounds) whole and real when I’m doing it. And I always really enjoyed teaching – as much, in a different way, as performing and writing.
So there we go, that’s what I’m going to be up to in future, all going well! I’m pretty much set up to start teaching from home, and I have a couple of other possibilities to look into as well. I do, however, really need a car. Urgh. Help? ;-) I’m going to have to do some temping to keep myself going financially, I think, so I’ll hopefully be able to save some money towards getting mobile. It’s either that, or see about getting a loan. Don’t really want more debt, but…. I do need a car!! Damn.
And to change the subject again, here’s last week’s friday five:
1. List five things you’d like to accomplish by the end of the year.
(Does this mean 2003 or 2004? Hmmm…. let’s say it’s this year.)
- To have started up teaching music pupils.
- To have a definite car-getting plan!
- Get a washing machine (does that count as an accomplishment?)
- Be back doing some kind of actual work!
- Get off these damn meds.
2. List five people you’ve lost contact with that you’d like to hear from again.
- Christina
- James
- Ian (Bernard!)
- W (what am I like?)
- Eddie
3. List five things you’d like to learn how to do.
- Play the guitar.
- Car maintainance stuff.
- Ride a motorbike.
- Fly (as in, a plane)
- (Can I save this one for later?)
4. List five things you’d do if you won the lottery (no limit).
- Buy houses / cars / presents for my family.
- Get a car, a motorbike, a boat, a plane.
- Go on a massive world trip to visit all my friends.
- Technology. I would go completely mad with the lovely lovely technology. Mmmmmm.
- Find a damn big house / estate / building and make it into a fabulous fandom house or apartment complex or something, with permanent accommodation for a group of us, plus rooms for people to come to stay… and a big cinema, a library, a highspeed network / net connection, and an octagonal music room with all the instruments and schtuff I / we could ever want…. *vbg*
5. List five things you do that help you relax.
- Read.
- Sing / play music.
- Breathing exercises.
- Walk.
- Spend time with friends, vegging :-)
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