Crunch!

Today, not far from my house down near UCL, I was waiting at the traffic lights to turn right. It was lightly raining and very grey. An enthusiastic jogger approached across the road he was to the right of me on a diagonal. He was jogging on the spot as the traffic whizzed passed – waiting for the light to change… Then all of a sudden, I don’t know why but he just stepped out in the road about a quarter of an inch still jogging up and down as joggers do to keep the momentum. Then at that exact moment a mini van whizzed buy and shmucked him! Right there in front of me. I was almost sick instantly. It was pretty horrific. Luckily he did not get pulled under the van but I can tell you that the sound of his bones breaking was probably the worst sound I’ve ever heard. The driver screeched to a stop and leapt out. The rest of the traffic kept going by as the lights had not yet changed… So there I was with another cyclist right next to me in total shock to what we had just witnessed. People ran to his assistance as I think both his legs were broken and possibly his arm too… the pulled him onto the curb as we helplessly looked on and the traffic continued to flow through the intersection.

By the time the lights changed there were about 10 people around him ringing for an ambulance and such so I did not stop for fear of adding to the chaos. I was quite freaked out but knew if I stopped cycling that I would not have made it to work. Not a nice way to start the day. I hope he’s okay.

Friday afternoon...

Was our company’s summer party, we went to Holland park to play baseball. It was a glorious day, hot sunny and clear. I’ve not played baseball in years! Well I guess it wasn’t so much baseball as it was cricket with a splash of rounders and a soupcon of baseball rules thrown in for good measure. Some of my favourite rules were as follows:

- 5 outs per inning
- If the pitcher thew a ball outside of the batters range it was called a ‘no ball’
- If the batter strikes out, then they are able to make a run to first base. If they out run the ball then they get on base
- If a batter strikes out then they are no longer able to bat during that inning
- You did not need to touch the bases as you ran them
- There were only 2 innings
- Average scores per inning were something like 16 runs each side

What a fun day. My team ended up winning… will put up some photos J

Friday night

Post baseball people went to a nice little pub near to the park where we had a few drinks on the company’s tab and then I headed towards the tube while chatting with the lovely Siobhan. Jetted back to mine on the central line and got ready to meet miss Duffy. We headed to Canteloupe to meet up with Susie B from work where she was celebrating her b’day. Hot doesn’t even begin to describe the temperature in the bar… We skuttered along across the road to the medicine bar where we were joined by Sally and Phil and then a bit later on Nick from work and Alex came along too. The place was dead but we danced like wankers… it was a good laugh

Saturday morning

Made my way down to Gatwick to collect the flying Dutchman… aboard the train teaming with people heading down to Brighton Pride. Some scary ladies on board let me tell you…. Collected the goods and headed back to London. 2h later and loads of faffing we headed out to Regents park for a picnic. We spent the day lounging in the sun enjoying a feast of champagne and other yummy titbits. Ah ça faisait du bien! Headed home and washed off all the park grime and got ready for miss Andrea’s arrival. With her she brought TVR boi who was most lovely. We drank champers in the garden and finally got some use out of the outdoor candles Dan and I bought so many moons ago. We skipped along to Sante Fe as no warm evening is complete without a few yummy cocktails… We then headed to the jazz bar back in the old hood and listened to some nice tunes and chatted until it was time to go.

Sunday morning

Was very hot. If you ask my blond neighbour… she’ll concur. *giggles*

Sunday night

Met up with Jojo woo tim sally and phil at the northgate for a light supper. Then finally retired home for some well deserved rest.

Monday morning

Came too quickly… where is the rewind button? I want to do the weekend over again.

since i last wrote...

I've mostly:
- met two beautiful pugs in the street... (one all black one caramel and black)
- been ill (cough cough)
- not gone to the gym once
- only cycled to work once
- done proper grocery shopping
- had two really nice bottles of champers
- met up with old work peeps for a catch up
- met up with Hon and Naoko
- had a very manic weekend (which probably caused the illness)
- written too many statements of work
- missed the tube as i was too busy txting to notice the train had arrived
- accidently went to bed without putting rattus back in his cage (he's fine Dan I promise!)
- caught a lift with a mate down upper street on the cross bar of his bike in a skirt (precarious doesn't even begin to explain it)
- Met a French bloke who wore a watch worth more than all my worldy posessions put together
- done arts and crafts with my flowerpots in the sitting room
- not eaten nearly enough... not even junk food is inticing
- gone to counsel estate in new cross
- gone to clapham
- not written to my mother


Things on the agenda for the next 48h
- afternoon in the sun (work sports day - jolly- jolly)
- post sports day trip to the pub
- meeting up with denise (who's back in town for job interviews)
- meeting up with miss woo
- meeting up with susy b in shoreditch
- travelling to collect a flying dutchman
- cocktails with andrea
- supper with jo jo, Tim, Woo and Sally and Phil in bricklane


and the rest i can happily say that I've not planned... who needs a holiday? Every day is an adventure...

I stopped in at the bike shop...
 
on my way in this morning… to try and fix my wonky saddle problem once and for all… the guy fixed it up good and proper but now that it’s fixed it just feels strange… was so abnormal for so long it began to feel normal… needless to say things like that often happen in my life…

Summer decided to make a return to London town today. It’s a blissful 29 degrees here… outside meeting this morning was fab! Now that the afternoon is spinning and spinning, it’s becoming a wee bit uncomfortable… mind you I don’t mind too much it’s better than blasted air con!

Just found out that Andrea and I are living in a different planet as the Big chill festival is this weekend and we’re going to miss it. I really wanted to see Andy’s gig on Friday night… but alas it’s now too late and it’s all sold out!

Someone forgot to wind the clocks today I’m so certain. Time is passing unbearably slowly… maybe it’s the heat?

miss woo - just unearthed this lovely pic of her taken back in feb. up in Leeds 

Taco of doom...

I need not say more... andrea is so bloody funny!

 
Along with the beautiful cows

The weekend was good fun... Leaving from city airport on a Friday night is quite funny… as you can imagine it was all suits and just little old me I didn’t look out of place at all I swear... The flight was super fast and I think the best part about it was being able to see the sun set! It was so lovely… seeing the sun set is one of the things that I miss the most about living in London… you just never see it.

Mr. S collected me and we dropped my stuff off at his place and headed out to meet up with some of his mates. A few vodkas and laughs later with a bit of dancing thrown in for good measure… it was time to call it a night. Saturday morning we recovered while S fed me full of watermelon and strawberry and grape smoothies, Yum! Squeezed in some shopping and procured some ever precious chocolate sprinkles to bring with me back to London… got some for miss Andrea too! Ate the best Italian sandwich I’ve ever had and then went for a nice long walk where we visited the baby cows pictured below. Champagne and lots of chatter and such later the night turned into day and one quick bowl of vla later - and I was whisked back to the airport by my gracious host and off to Birmingham to meet my seestor.

I arrived literally 10 minutes before her and her crew did. Perfect timing! Once checked into the hotel we ventured out the strip joint laden and chilly streets of the city to find somewhere to have lunch. After eating we headed straight back to Seestors hotel as she was feeling ill… We chilled out until 19h when I headed out towards the coach station to catch a bus back to London… What a production… in true Sarah ‘weird things only happen to me style’ I ended up sitting with the bus driver right up front… I mean like right next to him in the seat normally used by the tour guide (wasn’t a regular coach) it was so funny. Why is it that things like that only happen to me? It meant no sleeping like I had originally planned; I had little choice but to chat with the coach driver for the entire journey!

I find whenever I travel my mind bubbles up with millions of thoughts and observations and strangeness… It’s quite exhausting… guess it’s a side effect of having time away from the normal spin that is my life and once I’m out… my brain goes on the spin cycle in an attempt to quickly remove all traces of damp that my life usually sports… crazy! Even in my sleep things are manic and strange… I must bring my laptop the next time I travel and try and write some of it down…

Had dinner with the lovely miss Andrea at her place last night and got home just after midnight… getting out of bed this morning was slow!!!! Can I just say that girl hormones suck a lot…? Yea thanks.

I would have so loved to see this gig! Imagine? 

Meeting up with miss woo tonight to give her all the pictures she took on my camera for the nude painting she was commissioned to do… such a funny thing to have a camera filled with pictures of naked men!  Her and Jo jo moving again this weekend… back again with Faye just like old times!

Dan is off on her eastern holiday extravaganza soon… I will then be left to rat sit… Think rattus and I might just get a bit rock and roll while his mum is away! *chocolate for supper!*

Beautiful cows in Amsterdam! 

 
Damn you,

haribo… I’m now becoming addicted to Tangfastics and starmix minis…. At only 10p a pack you just can’t go wrong… better than a mars bar I suppose.

Bought a lovely necklace from Isabel Marant at lunch ...  it’s sooooooooooooo pretty (but not on the website)… I wanted to buy the Isabel Marant bronze star but it wasn't so much in tune wit the new top I bought... but dang I should as in the shop near my work It's only 17,50£ rather than the original 50£ something pounds!

The day is just dragging on... mostly because I'm so anxious to get out of here and get the weekend started... I've got to get to city airport from my office here in west London... hello 1h tube journey... wish me luck.

It’s still up in the air...
 
But we’re planning this photo shoot for next week here at work. I mentioned earlier in the week how great it was when you meet people who love what they do… well I rang up my friend Chris who’ve I’ve worked with before and asked him to come in to meet our creative team leader… well as long as the shoot is a go then he’s getting the work! He is one of those amazingly brilliant people who adores what he does… It makes me so happy to hopefully have given him some work. Better him then MIA boi in Spain… jaysus am I still bitter about that?
 
The other day when I was cycling to work I saw this Muslim woman with some pretty funky head dress… she had her head covered of course but instead of a veil to cover her nose and mouth and forehead she had this mad mask-esq thing that was made out of some metal… it covered her eyebrows and down the bridge of her nose and mouth… it was so strange… but looked really cool. I wish I could understand that custom… I wonder what they think of me cycling by in my ¾ length shorts and bike helmet… wonder if they gasp at my indecency or look and ponder the same thing … that they wished they could understand my custom…
 
Tomorrow I’m off at 5 from work to go to Amsterdam till Sunday when I’ll fly to Birmingham to see the seestor who will be there for the day. Then on the train back down to London. I’ll spend more travelling than anything… but should be good fun. Off home shortly to pack and get ready for some fun!

This changes everything….
 
I now NEED a pugapoo  feck the labradoodle trend… how cute are they????

There are a few honest people left...
 
 
here in London… there are also some really thick people… me being that person in this occasion. I somehow managed to abandon my minidisk player at the gym after my workout on Monday or Tuesday last week. Saturday morning when I was hunting around the flat for my minidisk I realised that it was indeed MIA. I pitched up at the gym and sure enough, some kind person had turned it in.
 
Andy’s gig on Saturday night was brilliant. He’s looking really well. Clearly leaving chello was a very good decision for him. I can’t express enough how happy it makes me to see people enjoying what they love most it’s such a buzz. I can only hope that one day I’ll find something that I adore doing…bring it on.
 
Caught up with the lovely miss Hannah on Friday night and Miss Dearbhla on Sunday. I even managed to do some baking on Sunday afternoon. Was quite a pleasant weekend all around.
 
Some sad news from the chello front… they’ve announced that the PC team is being re-located to a’dam. So everyone I used to work with is more or less being made redundant. It’s a real shite thing…. But they’re all fab so no double they’ll find work in no time.  I am such a jammy bitch… The last 3 jobs I’ve had have done the same thing not long after I’d left… maybe I’m like the death knoll for companies! I’m so clever I can make both jobs and boys disappear…. Oh yea… cherry cheesecakes too, but who’s counting?

Okay so it’s like a hundred years after the fact but...

I’ve just discovered Andrea Parker and she’s brilliant!!!! So I’m mostly listening to her while actually getting some constructive work done!


The sun is kind of thinking of coming out it’s been bloody ages… summer just doesn’t want to arrive here this year…

Dan and I have both agreed that this year has been one of the worst by far in ages… just when you think nothing else can go wrong… something new pops up… I can’t write about it online but man oh man… someone we know has been very very naughty… not me or Dan of course… cause we’re little angels…

I can’t believe it’s almost the weekend yet again… time is just evaporating these days… too bad my waistline isn’t!

Crime stopper

Last night the ever resourceful miss Andrea took a bite out of crime. While leaving the office at 9pm she noticed a man with a van pull up next to a bike rack. He was merrily cutting his way through someone’s D Lock with some metal cutting instrument that was powered via his cigarette lighter. She rang the local police not on 999 of course but the local station and handed them the description of the culprit as well as his number plate!” Yea Andrea!

Now, there are three things about this event that shock me… one, being that it was in Chelsea not the ghetto of Dalston… two, is that not a single person beyond her seemed to pay any notice to the crime being committed… and three, that oh my god this is like so what happened to my bike when it got nicked!

My evening was much less eventful. I didn’t arrive home from work until 8 at which point I dragged my raggedy arse to the gym… much to my surprise it was still heaving with people! Had a good workout then trekked home for some very late night dining.

Today I am mostly wearing my new jeans purchased this weekend at Selfridges… summer sale was good to me… Only two more weekends till I get to see seestor! Then there will be even more shopping!

Life isn’t all doom and gloom in London… not like the uplifting cheerful postings that I’ve been writing as of late would have led you to believe anything to the contrary…. No no… that would simply not be true.

So yea

I’m getting there…

God It really does take a while to heal after something falls apart… I know it wasn’t much to begin with but still when you’re working with a concept you can’t help but make it feel perfect as there are no confines… so yea it’s a total dream world… as I try and move on and keep busy and not dwell on it too much I surprise myself just how much of an effort this has been. I think I’ve figured out why… I think I was looking for an escape from London… a good branch to help me make the leap to Spain that I’ve been wanting to do for a while… a relief from the grind of big city living… so I guess it’s not so much him that I’m grieving over… more so the lost of this quick bridge over to one of my life goals… ever a fantasy it was that I would achieve this change via a relationship. In the end I know it’s a good thing, as it’s very unlike me to try and lean on someone else to achieve something… guess this just proved that the minute I try and lean… I fall right out of the branch. I’m better off doing it on my own… less regrets, and more certainty.

Still, I find it kind of sad that I was fooled by what I thought was love… how wrong I was… so yea… maybe it’s that, that’s making it so rotten.

Jo says it karma

And as I’ve written before… karma is sweet… except for when it’s the bitter pill you’ve got to swallow.

Me Brendan and Denise last weekend! 

Goodness me it’s been ages

It’s almost like I’ve been in a coma… but no, it’s not the case… it’s simply work work work work. However adding to my feeling that I’ve been in a coma is the recent freak immergence of a poncho-demic! As if by magic and almost over night, London has become a wash of ponchos! Every woman in town is sporting one… trendy new ones and even old ones that have been sequestered away in peoples lofts for the past 20 years (them ones are da brown ones)… Where was I while this was happening? *shakes head*

Tumbling down off the peak that was the last few months of my life… I’m mostly consumed in using the 3 milli seconds I have to myself at work, into finding a ringtone of a cow mooing that doesn’t cost a fiver!!!! This woman I work with has one and it’s just brilliant! I’m so sick of the old phone ring… plus everyone in my office has the same damn phone so you never know when yours is ringing… but then again, no one ever calls me anymore… the only call I get is from the consierge at our old building telling me that I should stop by and collect the post….

The picture below is of my lovely friend Andy who was presented with a lovely princess crown at his leaving do last Friday. They got him this as his famous line at work was always ‘but I’m not a princess’ and whenever he said that we made him wear a crown… now he’s got his very own! Most becoming if you ask me!

I am not a princess! 

You can’t argue with slience...

Only problem with that, is that I’m crap at keeping my mouth shut. I’ve managed to not even go there in the past 3 days… If I can make it through today then I’m well on my way to getting over this… but just for the record… I think it’s safe to chalk this up as boy disappearance number 4. Clearly it’s me. I think I’ll just resign to spinsterhood as I’m unable to court anyone who is even remotely suitable!

On a brighter note… after nearly four weeks I’ve finally got a cash card again. My MasterCard will be very grumpy with me when it realises that I’ll not be using it again for a long long time. Life has been terribly difficult without a cash card. I don’t recommend it.

Denise is in town this weekend for her little brother’s graduation from the Royal College of Art. Her whole family will be here. Will be good fun to see them as I’ve not seen her parents since 1996!

This weekend was filled with even more listening to Fiona apple and the following:

- Drinks with work folks at the V&A on Friday night for architecture week
- Staying in Saturday night alone….painting… lots of painting… did a whole one in 5h (desperate attempt at doing some mental irrigation)
- Watching ‘so I married an axe murderer’ on Saturday late night and chatting with seestor who surprised me with a call.
- Sunday morning- reading of the paper in the garden in bikini
- Sunday afternoon kite flying in Richmond park with Andrea and mostly being rubbish at it! (and craftfuly missing the rain)
- Tapas in Camden with Andrea Sunday night
- In bed and asleep by 10pm Sunday night

I’m learning how to be a bit less rock and roll… because lets face it… I know I’m only killing it on most weekends to try and avoid feeling so blue about le boi… why is it that I’m so sensitive? I need thicker skin… and a harder heart. Think I could find some on ebay?

my painting - done this weekend 

I’ve just come back from the brink…

Of unconsciousness caused mostly by my daily carbohydrate coma scare… My goodness it was touch and go there for a minute but I managed to wrestle free from the grasps of wobbly consciousness that would have no doubt seen me dribbling as my head nodded up and down in sharp bursts like a faulty nodding dog that you keep on your dash board.

Today’s rescue has been brought to you by my friendly mug of lemsip. With cooperation of course from the kettle and the tap who aided the rescue mission with the donation of water and heat.

Lets see if they can coast me through for the remaining 45 mins I’ve got left here

God’s Speed Sarah!

When there’s trust
They’ll be treats
When we funk we’ll hear beats
Come overcome now

Moi et Dearbhla @ her b'day party a few weeks back 

Sooo...

The Chilli Peppers concert was fun on Sunday but a bit of a waste of 35£ seeing as you couldn’t see a bleeding thing!

The whole head in the sand thing does keep the skin well exfoliated but does nothing for the heart… even though my head has known for a long time that things wouldn’t really work out with le boi… it’s too bad really but it takes a lot of effort to make something long distance work, and to be fair… he’s just not chipped in a pinch in the last month… and that my dear is just not good enough. Because as my sister would insist… that I repeat the mantra ‘I am a good piece of ass’ and a lot more too but you get the picture. I will be accepting hugs and reassurance that I’m doing the right thing…so please bring it on. And feel free to introduce me to any single hotties!

On to some good news! Miss Duffy Denise is moving to London! And sooner than anticipated! Will be so great to have another good friend in the big black smoke! Now all she’s got to do is find a job… shouldn’t be hard cuz she’s fab and there are loads of marcom jobs of sorts about.

Work is still helter skelter but I’m beginning to realise that it won’t ever be any different so I must just adapt… or win the lotto… I like the idea of the latter much better… *runs off to buy ticket*

This weekend…

I will mostly be resting… getting my bike serviced and going to see the RHCP! I’m really hoping that the Pixies are indeed opening for them as I heard way back when… even if they don’t will still be good. If you know me, you know I have an unnatural admiration for Anthony Keidis… I’m just hoping that it doesn’t rain… after a week of lovely 30 degree sunshine we’re due to have an overcast Sunday with a high of only 16 degrees!

This whole long distance romance thing is quite a challenge… Obviously I’ve gained a lot more perspective on the situation in the past few weeks… I’m staying cautiously optimistic… plus I’m guessing it’s a pretty good idea for me to have some time to myself… I’ve been known to date people too soon after breakups, so this is good… 40 days however is a long long time to not see someone… but such is life when work and distance prevail. Next week will bring change one way or another… I simply have to force myself to draw a line in the sand… because it’s a fine line between drawing one and burying one’s head in it.

It’s been yonks!

But I’ve realized a few things… one, being that the work load here will never ease up… and two, that I’m really really stressed…

However there is a plus side to this… We were just told today that on top of moving to a new office in October, we are getting 2 days extra holiday every year. Now that’s not something that happens every day!

Over the past few weeks I’ve been making amends with miss Woo and smoothing things back over after the bumpy time of our breakup. It’s nice to think that we may just manage to keep our friendship. Early days yet and a lot of hurdles to pass still but If I can only manage to hold my tongue quite literally in many ways… then it may just work. Hard to be around someone that you still really fancy… but you know that you just don’t fancy enough. Sigh… I’m really hope that we can be friends in the long run as she’s so bloody cool! We’ve even discussed still doing that trip to NYC together that was put on hold a few months back…. I would have never thought!

The weather here has finally cooled off a bit but it was really lovely to have some proper summer weather here… 30 degrees is fab… even if we don’t have air con in this office.

Off home now before the footie ends and the roads are swamped with football supporters.

My god can you believe that I’m leaving the office at 18h!??!?!?!? stranger things have happened!

A snapshot of things I learned this weekend…

- that you can seriously damage your feet if you try and wear 3 inch stiletto sandals for over 6 hours… I still have no feeling in my toes on my left foot… this can not be good!
- That if you wear the cranberry body lotion from the body shop (the one with the sparkles) that even a day later after you’ve washed it off, it doesn’t wash off! However on an up note… it did however prove as a very unexpected sunscreen. Everyone I was out with got pink in the 30degree sunshine of Sunday… whereas I was not in the least affected… how strange… if ever you are without sunscreen… go for the glitter baby!
- That working at this new job is driving me absolutely insane… I’m about an inch away from throwing it all in and finding work in a shop in Spain and just chilling out and learning the language for the next 6 months…. There is very very little that is stopping me…

Working...

for 14h in one day is just never a good idea… part and parcel really with this industry but still never a pleasant thing… getting up the following morning at 6h30 to do it all again is quite another… my eyes are tiny small slats… noon will feel like midnight I’m sure…

Yesterday during a the work a thon I consumed… a peanut butter sandwich, half a bag of pretzels 10 pringles a tin of vanilla diet coke and a tin of Carlsberg Export… oh yea and like 4 chocolate chip biscuits… no wonder I feel woozy!

Well it’s noon now… and it’s taken me since 8am to finish this posting as we’re still trying to de-bug this bleeding microsite. But it will be worth it in the end… it’s quite sweet….

not so fluffy fiona 

jo jo and suresh 

andrea and terrance and philip outside the Maple Leaf! 

I had quite an...

Emotionally tumultuous weekend… there were laughs there were lots of tears… and too much booze… there were anxiety dreams that included worrying about the pasta that I’ve left in the fridge in the office for the past week… but most of all there was the realisation that I’ve got some really great friends. Friends who put up with me being glum and did everything they could to cheer me up and keep me busy so that I didn’t stress… THANK YOU!

Now it’s a very strange place to be in when you realise that you’ve opened up your heart to someone enough to get hurt… and not just a little hurt… but enough to make you feel that horrible sinking ominous feeling… like the kind you get when you know you’ve not left enough time to cram before an exam… I don’t know what is worse… I don’t know if the situation that caused me to be upset will be resolved… but there is a chance that it may be… but it’s quite a scary place that I’ve been and goodness knows I don’t want to go back there… but if you don’t risk, you don’ live… and if you don’t follow your heart on occasion… you end up only having logical relationships… and then you end up feeling non fulfilled… it’s a catch 22… and it’s a deep hook.

It’s not that...

I’ve been too busy… it’s just that really, I have. Between my phone not ringing… and working my arse off there just isn’t much time left in the day to blog. Hey ho such is life.

I’ve got a few questions…

- Is it wrong to sing while you cycle?

- Does it annoy the hell out of anyone else when people eat crisps by tilting the bag directly into their mouths instead of eating them individually? I mean the whole bag not just the crumbs at the end… even if it were just the crumbs… it’s still bloody annoying no?

- What should I get Dearbhla for her birthday?

- How soon is now?

moi sur velo en route au travail... 

Lukie Me and Dan at my b'day party 

Funniest banter overheard in the office today…

Was between two account manager… one can only be described as Sebastian from cruel intentions (with posh accent and dimples) the other being a low-fi chyk… She was ribbing him as she normally does…

Went something like this..

Low fi AM - “I bet you throw like a girl and all”
Sebastian-esq AM –“yes, yes I do”
Low fi AM - “ I bet you even catch like a girl too”
Sebastian-esq AM- “ no, no, darling that’s where you’re wrong… I had people to catch for me”

Why we are not all comedy script writers instead of paper pushers and flesh pressers… I’ll never know

le seestor 

le boi 

A couple of months or so ago I packed this all in...


Gave up the blog and was whisked about to and fro by the whirlwind stuff going down in my life. I think it was a really good idea as it was just so silly that it would of no doubt translated into some horrible drama if I would have attempted to log it. It’s all settled down remarkably now… and with the inclusion of my new ability to add photos on this blog… seems like I can squeeze a little bit more change out of things… so yes, stand by for photos… faces to names baby, faces to names!

Dan giggles at me as I very unsuccessfully tried to de-genderise the person that I’m currently seeing… But to be honest, just can’t be arsed to tip toe around the issue anymore.

I met someone with whom I have fabulous chemistry and makes me very happy. One of many challenges in this equation… is the fact that we’re mostly living in separate countries… and things still being very early days… I mostly didn’t want to write about it because I didn’t want to jinx it… I’m quite superstitious when it comes to things like that… mainly so as I’ve had so many an unsuccessful relationships with blokes… (Consult my ‘how I make people disapear’ posting)… But, yea… I’m hoping something nice comes out of it… nothing ventured nothing gained… if anything it’s been a good exercise in taking things slowly… and really having a chance to evaluate what I want and don’t want in a relationship… it’s put a lot of things into perspective for me. Don’t get me wrong it’s not like I’ve met some guy and he’s given me the answer to all things I’ve ever pondered… far from it.

Good things come from change… good things come from change

Lather

Rince

Repeat

This is the wash cycle of life… it’s all organic

c'est moi en Barcelone 

Today

It’s oh so very exciting! Our new house will be mostly being cleaned by our wonderful new cleaning lady… now before this comes across as really elitist I must plead my case…

She’s come highly recommended… She’s Caribbean and just the most full of love for life person I’ve met in a very long time! She bounded into the flat on Satuday afternoon and there was just no doubting the fact that she Loved her job and was going to be brilliant at doing it… I mean this woman pointed out dust in places I didn’t even know existed!!! The house is a Georgian town house and is a bit tired… so it does need all the help it can get to make it liveable… But I think beyond her personality and enthusiasm, I’m quite impressed with her entrepreneurial spirit… she employs a team of people whom if need be, she enlists them to do the work she doesn’t like (namely ironing)… The best bit of this is that she will sort out anything for you that you like, weather it’s a plumber or someone to de-weed your garden… she’s even offered to unpack Dan’s room for her (mind you it’s not so necessary anymore as Dan made some impressive unpacking progress yesterday)… If you put this together with a cost of 30£ for a clean house top to bottom… you just can’t go wrong!

It was a gorgeous weekend here full of lots of sun and relaxing… did manage to see miss woo for the first time in two months since we split up… wasn’t the smoothest of meetings but it could have been a lot worse. Time will heal… clearly I think we both need a little more time… Beyond that, I mostly did some work in the Garden (office work not actual garden work) which resulted in a bit of a sun burn… then I cycled off to read the paper in Regent’s park… then gymmed it… then stayed up till 1am trying to organize my ever growing list of project for work… Not a good idea to spend more than 7h on your weekend doing office work… bad bad!!!!!

Plans are in the works to see A this weekend… depends on a lot of variables as per usual… but it would be great to hook up… it will have been 3 weeks since we were last together... but we’re both being really optimistic about things… It’s a continual challenge for me as I’m much more of a ‘want and do right away’ person … guess my job and my lifestyle afford that behaviour… He works freelance all over the gaff and is much much more limited in making definite plans… we’re kind of dreaming about laying down some context and foundation and such… but no rush really… as this cautious heart is in no hurry to be broken again … or cause anyone else’s to be… But when we're together it all just seems to work really well... and that's fun and scary and exciting all wrapped up on one...

*crosses fingers and toes*

Brrr

It’s so cold here in the studio today… the nice weather we had at the beginning of the week has been replaced with a chilly 15 degrees… I was playing the cardigans and Fiona Apple earlier but as I write… we’re Micheal Jacksoning out… Thriller always reminds me of Vincent Price at the end… Vincent Price reminds me of being 16 and hanging out with Jenn Dobbin… Teaching her how to smoke… taking acid (while carefully trying to plan to drop at the right time so that we could be remotely normal before we had to return home for our curfews) and oh yes… Dr. Goldfoot movies … that’s where the Vincent Price comes in… What a laugh.

Needless to say, all those naughty activities of my youth have been replaced by far more deviant behaviour… and sadly a lot less Dr. Goldfoot… Ho hum

Did I mention how fab it is, that next weekend is another bank holiday? I am mostly being impressed with this fact.

Ginger Joeys and beastie staples

I was in a meeting this morning in town with our big parent advertising agency and in the meeting with the English version of Joey from Friends… only difference being, was that he was slightly ginger… mad me giggle.

The sun is just belting it down here today, not a cloud in the sky. I spent 15 mins outside at lunch and caught loads of red!

Took the flatmate out for supper last night to celebrate her day of birthing… was so late and we were both so hungry we literally inhaled our meals and a bottle of bolle in a matter of 45 mins! It was nice. Getting up this morning… a bit less nice as I had to be in town for 9h10… a bit earlier than I’m accustomed to.

I so so so totally have the coolest mini stapler (yes I have an unnatural affinity for all that is stationary…) it’s called a ‘beastie’ and it’s ickle and green with yellow mouth and tail… it makes a very distinctive ‘arggh arghh’ noise when you use it. (okay that’s just me making the sound effect… but no joke, I’m unable to use it without making the sound to go along with it. Everyone should own one.

So I figured…

That since everything in my life has changed lately I may as well give the old blog a bit of a facelift too! The most exciting thing about applying the new template is that you can now jump into the way back when machine and read all the very first entries that I made… Reading them is so surreal for me, as it seems like an absolute lifetime ago!

We’re having a bit of a preview of summer here in London… It was 25 yesterday and lovely… today it’s pretty much the same thing. I’m hoping that this sets the tune for the summer… cause with this new job I know there won’t be much room for time off… or travel so, the nicer it is here, the better!

Ah yes, today marks the 29th birthday of my lovely flatmate! HAPPY B’DAY miss B!

You know how sometimes history repeats itself?

Well in my life I’ve got this history… back when I used to date boys… they had the tendency to disappear. Now a few of my friends joke with me and allude to me burying them in the garden under the deck… but seriously… there is no exaggerating here…

First occurrence - > 2nd year uni… was dating this guy named graydon… went home for the summer after uni finished for the year… went down on the train to visit him in his hometown just before heading off on a holiday in Europe with my sister… Upon my return everything was still kosher… and I then headed back down to Ottawa to find a flat with one of my mates… On the way back we stopped in at the bloke’s house for a visit and a quick catch up before heading back on the road to Toronto… Again all was good. However that was the last time I ever heard from said bloke… He Stopped ringing didn’t return my calls… and then ultimately didn’t return to Uni that fall…MIA!!!!

Second occurrence: 3rd year uni… was living in Lyon in France. Met this lovely guy that I fancied the pants off of (literally) His name was Sylvain. We started seeing each other casually for about 2 weeks… then there was a bit of drama as this guy I knew from home pitched up and of threw a spanner in the works… we got past that… then he promptly fell off the radar.
But the real disappearance thing was that even his friends hadn’t heard from him… he didn’t return anyone’s calls and didn’t have any contact with anyone anymore… months passed and all of a sudden he re-surfaced! Almost like he had never been away… Of course I was well weary of him as I was beginning to think that I had this talent in making people disappear… We hung out a bit more and wouldn’t you know it… not but a few weeks later in some sort of panic relating to military service, he was gone again…. This time it was forever… okay well at least until I left the city… I know that the story leans towards him falling off the radar because of the other guy situation but truly it was quite a non issue…

I have never managed to figure out what happened in either situation… no warning… no clues… I mean even their mates had no idea what happened to them! Am I so horrible? Nahh… I don’t think so, I just think it’s funny that it’s happened to me so often… perhaps I’m a bit reinvent of this all since I’m sort of starting off a new relationship… brings up old paranoias… perhaps the fact that the person in question as of late is a bit less than local… and a bit more male than the last few people I’ve dated… I tell you… there are a lot of new things going on in my life… I don’t know quite how to write it all down… or even if I should… ahhh feck it. You only live once right?

this is so cute... http://www.animalsontheunderground.com/

Day four and the pace is quickening and work is piling up… mildly reminiscent of my first few days at frameworks but with a lot more organization.

I’ve got my leaving drinks tonight with the chello crew. I know it’s only been a week since I’ve seen them but it feels like a lifetime!

Cycling here seems to be taking me an hour each way as I’ve yet to navigate the most efficient route… don’t get me wrong it’s not too hard but I’m simply taking my time to familiarise myself with the wilds of west London. (that’s the story I’m sticking to) but the cardio is good good good!

There is a large ball of fire in the sky today… the likes of which I’ve only ever recently seen when I was in Spain…. I am most perplexed.

I just started my new job today

And I thought perhaps maybe I would return to the wilds of blogging for a while…

I just got back from getting lunch with one of my new co-workers. While at Sainsbury’s I had the strongest deja-vu’s I’ve had in a very long time. Someone once told me that when you have a deja-vu, that it means that, you’re in the right place at the right time. Here’s to hoping so.

Had a great weekend away in Barcelona... It was a last minute spur of the moment kind of thing... left Friday night and came back Sunday afternoon. The weather was lovely and I really had a chance to chill out and catch with A (this is a new character in my life) I just love that city...

The flat-move happened last Friday and things are slowly settling… It does take a while to adjust when this many things are changing all at once. It s indeed nice to have a garden again…

Best get back to it really… not so good to slack on the first day!

caught a lite sneeze
caught a lite breeze
caught a lightweight lightningseed
catch me if you can

first and last

since no one volunteered to guest blog... this will be the first thing new in ages.

Seestor and I had a fab time in Barcelona. The Apt. we stayed at that I wrote about before I left was FANTASTIC and I recommend it to anyone who finds themselves in Barcelona.

We ate and shopped and drank and drank... beer for breakfast and cava for lunch... the second day we were there we managed to spend 4h at a café sipping beer and wine and having food and the grand total bill was 30euros... sweet!

The shopping was good but best so on our last day... as this bloke that I work with suggested... 'you spend the first day shopping to find what you want and then the next 3 trying to find the best price'

I did a lot of thinking during my time off and gosh was it ever rewarding to NOT be working for once... guess that's what having a holiday is all about...

One of the things I think is most positive for me at least, is my decision to take a hiatus from blogging for a while. It's been nearly 3 years since I've been at this and it's got to the point where I am unable to write down a lot of things that are going on in my head... perhaps time for a change of venue or perhaps a bit of a nip and tuck? Who knows.

You can however, always catch me here.

This morning

I went to have a blood test... I'd been putting it off for more than two weeks as it involves me missing work in the morning... So anyways I go this morning and it took nearly no time at all, which is a giant surprise since it's dealing with the NHS. The nice nurse who was taking my blood was asking me my date of birth to confirm that I was whom the slip of paper I had from my GP said... She noted that my birthday was next week and that I was to be 28. She remarked that I was still so young but that 28 was an age where you were nearly a full fledged adult... I laughed and agreed. She then asked me if I had a husband, to which I of course replied no. What happened next was the part that got me thinking... She asked why not? At this point in what I can only say was an effort not to shock the poor woman, I said no no I've a career. To which she responded... 'but you are only young once and you can't go back and time and find a husband before you're too old'.... Now why I was unable to simply state the truth in that I'll never have a husband nor particularly want one is what troubles me... I am probably the least rainbow flag ra ra gay person around... but just why I was unable to express myself freely and tell her that it wasn't that my career that was keeping me from having a husband, was pretty sad. I'm thinking that I'm part of the problem that surrounds the gay community... If, in an effort to avoid this woman's shock or disapproval I chose not to speak the truth then what does that say about me? That I'm ashamed of who I am?

This is not the first time that this has happened... but I guess having now written this all down I can perhaps start processing the issues that put me in these situations in the first place....

Heavy stuff yea yea, but on a lighter one... this will be my last blog for a while now as I'll be away to Barcelona with Kaffin who arrives tomorrow!

Perhaps I'll attempt to procure a guest blogger... Any takers?

Tee hee

my flat is on the internet... (no. 13)

thanks to a certain co-worker... I spent the night watching this series... it's like crack I can't stop watching it... I've only 5 or 6 more discs to watch... perhaps may even have to interrupt paradise hotel viewing to watch... oh yea, I was talking to miss woo on the phone last night who also confessed to watching it on Monday night, and loving it! Ha we're in it together!

Only 3 more sleeps until my seestor arrives!

Happy happy, joy, joy!

dales and birthdays

I returned from up north on Sunday evening... it was a great relaxing weekend. My poor belly didn't know what hit it, never in my life have I consumed so much food! I'm still not quite right... But fun was had by all... and on the train on the way home we were in the same carriage as this actor that you might know from such films as snatch and other English gangster films... Much shorter in person... it's always the way isn't it?

JoJo's b'day dinner was last night... quite the civilized event. Was nice to see all her peeps in one place! Woo and I got her this lovely leather bound notebook with which we hope she will fill with her fancy stories and such! She's 25 now! My god, in a week I'll be 28!!!!!!!! *runs and hides*

I accidentally ended up watching the first episode of this horrific American program that they were showing on channel 5 called paradise hotel. Never in my life have I ever seen anything more horrific... but yet like the scene of an acciendent I couldn't help but watch it! Today I feel shame and regret. *runs off to set VCR for Wednesday night's episode*

However if you missed the first run of the series you simply must watch the program called 'shameless' on channel 4 it's brilliant!

I'm off!

not of my rocker... but to Leeds with woo! I've never been there before and I think we're going to have a great time. Originally we were supposed to be going to Cornwall but that is not going to happen.... was going to be too expensive... oh well the ticket were only 20£ so nothing much lost there... Woo's dad bought us the train tickets to come up and visit and get this they're 1st class... how exciting!

Also it's not long now till Kaffin arrives! The apt. is all booked for Barcelona, now we've just got to sort out where to stay the first night and all will be grand!

I think we've witness the worlds longest meeting ever just come to a close... we've got people in from Japan and they were sequestered away into the meeting room near my desk since yesterday... when I left last night they were still in there and they only have seem to have immerged within the last few minutes... *runs off to call the Guinness book of records*

my recommendations continue...

I'm always appreciative of smart ad campaigns especially ones that make you go to the company's website for more information... job well done I say...

this is by far the most interesting that I've seen in a long time...

now this is what I call quite good

woo bought this CD yesterday and I copied it to my mini disc last night... and it's the best album I've heard in a really long time!

Imagine my surprise when I found out that The Stills were my fellow countrymen. Wow, Canada can acually produce something other than Alanis and Céline. And From MTL too... sweet.

Now stop reading and go out and buy!

I have just been re-named

by my flatmate... may I introduce myself as ... missy jarriot


*insert giggles here*

I had a lovely date last night with miss woo... we went to est est est in angel and it wasn't bad at all... two meals and a bottle of wine for 24£ not bad at all... It had been almost a whole week since I last saw her... I hate it when working like a mad woman gets in the way!

I've been sniffing about for places to stay in Barcelona when my sister and I are there in mid march. I found a groovy loft apartment that I think we may get... they even have a deal going for the week we're staying... stay three nights and only pay for two! sweet, you know how I love a bargain... There is just so much to do in Barcelona it will be hard to control ourselves as shopping in Spain means shopping for SHOES! Lord help us! Anyone have any other fun suggestions of things to do while in Barcelona?

how to save 20 quid...

I had a nice meal out with my co-workers who were in town from Austria and the Netherlands. We had a few pints at the posh pub near my work and then a nice meal at the French Brassiere just across the road from our office. I am such a lightweight when it comes to drinking I think I managed about 2.5 pints throughout the entire night... I fought off the temptation to take a taxi home with the money I didn't spend (as they expensed it) I took the tube home instead....

I was standing on the platform waiting anxiously for the train to arrive. 2 mins was what it said on the indicator... it was the longest 2 minutes... London underground clearly lies!

While I was waiting I spotted the cutest tiniest mouse I've ever seen in my life. It was no bigger than half the size of my pinkie finger. Just so ickle and cute. A few other people waiting spotted it too as it nervously flittered across the platform. The screams and agitation it caused were most fantastic... they were all sat on the benches with their legs curled up squealing... I can't stress just how tiny this little thing was.

The panic subsided a bit and a few more people walked onto the platform... it was kind of cool as this bloke walked by and spotted the tiny mouse peeking out from it's little hole... he looked at me and without words I knew he was trying to ask me if I saw what he did... I nodded and said yes, it's so cute isn't it? He agreed.

It's not often you have a quick friendly banter with someone on public transport in this city. but when it does happen, it's a nice thing.

So the moral of the story is... I saved 20£ and had a positive London moment!

eye spy...


last night when I was leaving work my boss and I spotted this lady ... at first we thought it was Iman but after some internet searching it was confirmed that it was indeed Grace Jones! I guess the spring thaw is bringing out all the celebs. It's been ages since we last saw anyone... this is south Kensington dharling!

i'm still in pain from my gym session the other day with luke... it was so funny, I was doing bench press in the 'boy area' but I could only manage to press the bar with nothing on it... mind you it did weigh 20 kilos without any weights on it... god how I laughed...

I'm thinking of opening my official pay pal support Sarah's bike repurchasing account ... now how cheeky is that? Feel free to be one of the first people to donate 50p... In no time I shall have a brand new tricycle... and my tube travelling days will be numbered. Join the revolution!

congrats

to Johnny Depp on his award for Pirates of the Caribbean. I'm not a big fan of big budget American films but I ended up watching the film at my cousin's place over the xmas holidays. Johnny was simply brilliant! The film lost me when it got to the whole undead crew business but that aside, it was all about JD!

The weekend was rather quiet as woo and I recovered from our colds...

I did however have an altercation with some drunk bloke at soblo near old street on Friday night... him and his friend felt the need to come barging up to woo and I and ask if he could join in our private snog... For some reason I thought that I would be able to reason with him and instead of telling him to F*off, politely explain to him why his behaviour was so out of order... so I say to him...

" hey there just wait two sec... what would you say if some bloke barraged up to you and asked you if he could join in while you were snogging your girlfriend? We're people and not objects for you to gawk at and barge in and join in with..."

The guy looked genuinely puzzled and pushed his friend away and told him to leave us alone... He reflected a few seconds and then said to me

"I'm sorry man but I've just never seen to birds snog in real life before"

I smiled and replied

"well the next time you do, you'll know what NOT to do, right?"

He then apologised profusely before leaning in and giving Woo a big kiss on the cheek and before I knew it he did the same to me... cheeky bugger... guess he didn't learn a thing...

*sighs* guess I can't change the world, one ignorant bloke at a time after all...

I'm back!

well sort of... I've been in bed with a nasty cold and cough and thus have been missing work and daily access to my computer and the information super highway! Too many sudafeds and day time television are enough to drive anyone to the brink!

The strange emails have stopped but I'm still convinced that it was Christie... oh what fun!

My mum has returned from her trip to visit her sister in Mexico... she reports that she had a nice time, I'm so happy she took some time out... and then to top off her time off she went to see Rod Steward in Toronto with her other sister... she reports that his voice is not the same as it used to be but he still knows how to strut his stuff! My mum is the coolest! It's quite amazing the change that we've seen in her since my dad died... she's a brand new woman!

My insurance company are now claiming that they are not covering my stolen bike. So I've no choice but to buy a new one... with what money? Ha. This year has just been a disaster thus far... first the tyre then the whole bike... then having to move just after I get back from NYC... I've had enough to be quite honest.

I'll get my coat

I've written before about...

this site that I used to enjoy writing at...

I've not been there for a while as I find some of the stuff people write is just so painful to read. I think that speed writing microficion is a very fun thing... If you're not familiar with it then the jist is... each day they give you a random word... and then 30 seconds to write something about it/ including it... the word of the day only shows up on your screen as the timer starts....


While reading my blog's visitor logs the other day, I noticed that someone visited my blog via my writing that I did for the word pendant:

I need a little something. a little piece of harmony for the soul... like a delicate pendant on a necklace... oh so barely there. Hanging around, having a purpose.
June 25, 2003 07:05 AM

Thank you to them for doing that... I had forgotten that I had written that, and I find it quite pretty.

well it was a close one a few weeks back...

but this week... they got it. the baddies got my bike... Double locked to a massive steel pole outside the pub 5 minutes from my house... my baby was snatched. Must have been pros as there was no trace of it... no broken locks no nothing it just vanished. *sigh*

It's now with my insurance people to hopefully sort out. What a pain... I wonder if hallmark makes a card for this sort of incident... 'we're sorry for the loss of your bike' ?

Perhaps it happened for a reason... perhaps I would have been shmucked on my way in today if I had of rode... who knows... I leave it to the fates... perhaps they were on my side after all

no more news from my mad emailer... I'm thinking It could be my friend Christie... but who knows... I know they come from a Canadian ISP as I can trace that back... Thanks to Jeffie for helping me do some detective work

what a strange week this has been... strange emails... death... stolen bikes... oh yea I forgot to write about how my uncle died ... I never knew him... he lived up in Lancashire... I hope he's chilling with my dad now... Too bad the news came so late or I would have gone up for the funeral...

this only happens in bad Hollywood movies

but no no, it's happening to me... I'm sure it's just a joke but it's got me quite amused...

yesterday I received an email in my hotmail account... the subject line was " ?" and the text in the message read " I'll never tell "

attached was a picture of me and some of my friends taken about 3 years ago at a Halloween party back in my house in Ottawa. We're all dressed up, but it's a good pic. But that's all besides the point...

Now I don't recognise the email address...nor can think of any of my friends that would do something like this... I responded with a *laughs* that's funny, who are you?...

Today I get into work and there is another message... it read "it means nothing"... and something like "the picture simply made them piss themselves".... attached this time were two audio files... one called 'who I really am' which plays a distorted voice that says 'I'll never tell' and then the second is an MP3 of a cover version of Bonnie Tyler's 'total eclipse of the heart'

I am at a loss for words...

I think I could write a screen play... but I hope it doesn't turn really freaky-like...

yea so the techie me is thinking... god, who has that photo? Do I have it posted somewhere online? So I ran off and checked everywhere and found it nowhere...

the saga continues...

could it be one of my 3 faithful readers playing a joke?

for some strange reason...
my diet coke tastes like grapefruit

it's summer here today... 18 degrees! what's that about? It's great, don't get me wrong... but wow, what a surprise!

At lunch I popped around to a few of the posh shops around my office with my boss... we helped a posh girl buy a skirt in Joseph while the snarky French shop assistants just snickered at her... we hated them and left...

Then we went across the street and braved the Gaultier shop!

The shop assistants in there wer lovely, friendly and down to earth. I tried on a pair of jeans that were on sale for 50£ bargain... too bad they didn't make it over my thighs :) However... I must let you know that they have the funniest fitting rooms in the world... I now know where to go the next time I'm stressed out at work -> out of the office, round the corner to the Gaultier fitting room... They're padded and white and squooshy... much like a fabled mad house... when you shut the door it makes this air tight swooshing noise... I prodded the walls and everything... you could go mad in there and bounce off the walls and no one would know. I love it! I think perhaps the high street retailers should take note and follow suit... may make for a more stress free shopping trip! I mean I could have thrown a proper fit about the jeans not fitting... get it out of my system- then return to the shop floor as sane as before...

well after a lot of work and many a worry lines...

i finally launched the music on demand site that I've been producing since the begining of time. It's far from over yet as this is only the soft launch and there are some residual issues with IP filtering and such but... for the most part, it's done!

it's so warm here in London today I was sweating do death while cycling this morning! Now if we could only sort out some sunshine and we'd be well on our way to summer.

tuesday nights bring excitement to all homes... well okay maybe just to my home but it's the property ladder with sarah beeny... we just love her... nice voice sugar! mmmm but her hair has varying degrees of niceness... but hey... she's just about the smartest chyk around... now if I could only muster up a few pennies and buy a house... wonder if I could get her to come round?

*giggles*

tonight I'm going to see

gene! gene are one of my favourite bands of the mid nineties. I never had a chance to see them as they were an ocean away. Tonight is the night I get to regress 8 years and see them live. I really wish I could tell my mate Fabien Cavana from France or my friend from Uni Kyle Garreau, god I miss those guys. Time can sometime be so cruel to contact.

Tonight as I sing along to 'we could be kings' or 'haunted by you' I be thinking of you guys.

Nobody realizes...

Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal. -Albert Camus

this morning

i took the tube to work

i sat next to a man who wore a monacle. a honest to goodness real old school monacle.

truly these things still exist beyond the pages of sherlock holmes... Only in London.

It came faster than I thought...

I had to do it

there was nearly no time left

today was the last day to book flights for miss woo and i to go to nyc for her b'day...

so it's done!

and from the 15th-19th of April... we will mostly be in manhattan! ( and forest hills as that where miss Yvonne lives!)

Just when I intend to do any work between now and then and all the other mad travelling I've got planned... the answer would be I just don't know.

I had a vivid dream last night that i had 5 numbers in the lotto and woke up, checked my ticket and

i had 4 numbers

2 in each row

ah well...

we're all off to spitz tomorrow night to see andy's gig. should be good fun!

yipee

I'm going to Belgium to visit sio!!! I'm going so soon! On a train under the English Channel... I best pack my snorkel! Not long after that I'm going to Cornwall! Then when my seestor arrives on the 13th of March, I'm going to Barcelona! Poverty jet set baby poverty!

but first I'm mostly having my performance review today eek!

I've been so bad at updating lately, I can blame work... but it's all too true you would never believe me!

I heard back from the channel4 people who informed me that they're looking for someone with 2 years asst. producer experience for the internship and that (it paid really well) nice... ahh well, I've been a pc producer for yonks but they don't find it relevant... I may just try anyways and do my darndest to convince them... nothing ventured nothing gained.

My sad bike is back in action and I'm thoroughly enjoying cycling too and from work even when it's damp as the weather is warming up and it's around 11 degrees :) The tulips are starting to sprout in the park! We're far from summer but spring may just come a bit early this year...

updates a plenty

well I'm very happy to report that Sean hasn't fallen off the face of the earth and he is alive and well! *phew*

KJ's boy interest is finally back in town and has rang her so that's all good!

I've got like a million things I need to do at lunch today but only one hour in which to do it all!?!?! what's a girl to do? I locked my bike up outside my gym just down the road and feel quite nervous about it... I've got the fear since my tyre getting knicked... *deep breaths*

Heading to the art fair at the design centre tonight with woo... will report back on that demain

So I'm wondering how mad it would be for me to apply to do an internship as a producer/commissioner with channel 4... I mean clearly it would mean a HUGE pay cut (and one would assume even that the training would be unpaid) but I saw the ad in the guardian on Monday and have felt tempted ever since... would I be mad to venture that far out of my sandbox?

I just hate it sometimes when I get a bee in my bonnet about something... I just can't seem to shake it!

so...

I've packed my bags and i'm ready to move... everything is on my G drive and it's just a matter of time before I'm out of this stupid little box... new computer to arrive soon! But it's got me wondering weather or not I would somehow manage to compress my life and store it all on the G drive too in preparation for a move.

Things are a brewing in my mind and I know change is a coming! I'm not sure how when or where yet, but gaud dang it's going to be soon. If you put your ear really close to the screen you can almost hear me whispering it to you. (write me and let me know what you hear)

I'll accept any ideas or cash donations towards the cause as my lotto number just did not come up last night damn it!

abs a plenty

I've been mostly getting over my anger towards the stupid little chav kids who nicked my front tyre when I locked up my bike outside of budgens on my way home on Monday night... I ALWAYS lock it but of course thinking that I would only be 3 secs I did not... and they stole it. little feckers! The pub owner across the road saw them do it but he was busy chucking out an unwanted patron so he couldn't help... He pointed up the road towards my flat. 'they legged it that way' he said. So I'm dragging my bike home feeling rather furious... and at the top of the road, who do I see? The kids! To add insult to injury they taunted me asking me where my tyre was. I wanted to rip their heads off. Sometimes I wish I was a 6ft tall bloke... as I would have caused some serious harm. *deep breaths*

well nothing I can do about it... just comes at a super bad time as the month after xmas is never a good time... like the last thing I can afford right now is a new tyre... and to top it off it was Luke's not mine... so I have to replace it for him! Thankfully my nice flatmates have offered to lend me their disused bikes until I can afford to replace the wheel :)

so gymming has been on the agenda a lot and I think it's not possible for my abs to hurt anymore than they already do. I did this mad 1/2h ab session last night, man oh man... but it's good to be back in the swing of things.

on another note, should I mention the Dan taping down the tongue of her trainers? nahh... would be too funny...

KJ has booked her march break trip over to see me! She's arriving on the 13th! Will be good fun. And I've got the entire week booked off already!

Still no sign of Sean McCann... I think he's truly missing in action this time... If you see him can you tell him he's got a pressie waiting for him at my mum's place in TO!!!

speaking of mums... I think I hear her calling... see ya.

it would just be far too much...

for me to even attempt to write down all my xmas exploits.

I will however summarize by saying that it was simply lovely to be home and spend such quality time with my family... even though my sister gave me what I enjoyed calling SARS... I was swiftly informed that it was not appropriate to joke about the disease like that... oh well, there's me the queen of the inappropriate!

I did however while on holidays... meet the cutest but most anti social Chihuahua named mya...

I also managed to lose my favorite black hat in my sister's school. Last year when I went I lost my fav black scarf... I'm now convinced that there is a bizarre curse with that place. I'm not impressed let me add!

I managed to see all my relations and even managed to spend a night in TO with Karm and then got to have a quick coffee with the lovely Mark. I even got to see Andy, Mark's son :)

Back here in London it was great to see miss woo again. NYE was V low fi as we just had supper at la porchetta near my house and then just stopped by Filthy's (local pub) on the way home. The neighbours from downstairs joined us which was fun.

Being back at work is decidedly evil. I'm not sure how much more I can cope with before I just chuck it all in and get a job in a completely un-related field... I'm just itching to do so but rational and logical thinking keeps pulling me back down to earth and convincing me that I would be mad to give up good money for an uncertain future....

anyone want to buy me a lotto ticket?

farewell

my blogubines!

I shall mostly be in the great white north for the next 10 days...

that will be me, there... right behind the polar bear and next to the penguin... if you need to find me I'll be at my mum's house it's the igloo on the corner.

goodbye jolly ol' England...

I shall see you again soon

happy holidays all!

well

some clever chappy tookphotos at our xmas party last night... and sadly, but more so surprisingly I'm not in any of them... but they're a good laugh anyways...

i had 5 or 6 glassed of champers... and one vodka

didn't make a fool of myself!!!

the only excitement was, that some drunk waaanker tried to snog me on the train home... he managed to lick my ear. ewwwwwwwwwwwwww! then had the audacity to ask me if i was taking him home with me? I mean is this normal behaviour? Hello, total stranger on train... let me stick my tongue in her ear that'll win her over! *shudders*

but i'm all good

off to social tonight for carlolyn's b'day...

need lard

*shuffles off*

so

it all didn't end in vodka it was more like tequila... but with the weekend all settled and my bank account still plummeting into the red it's still all good baby!

I think perhaps it's the sunshine that's been beaming over London town for the past two days that's put a spring in my step. Or perhaps it's the fact that I've got 3 more sleeps till I go home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've put up some fairy lights in the flat (although most of them have had a mind of their own and decided to fall down) as well as some around my bed. Looks kind of like it's floating.... fit!

The office xmas party is tonight. I wonder if I will manage to keep myself from making an ass of myself... there's always a first time for everything. My oh so not carefully chosen outfit is quite hilarious... all black of course... with 3/4 length pencil skirt black button down shirt and black belt with brushed silver buckle... fishnets on legs and alternating footware... high top black leather converse for walking and black boots with heels for the party... some would say tragic... I simply prefer to see it as comfort first... and yea... I look funny... but I don't care... I swear...okay yea maybe I do since I find it necessary to write about...

I'll get my coat

i'm back

well I have been for a few days now.

Paris was lovely and the hotel really nice (free upgrade to boot!) We did loads of museums and lots of art bookshops.. sipped coffee, drank wine and had really nice meals. I highly recommend a 2 day break to Paris! At 130£ you can't go wrong really. The only down side is actually coming back. Don't get me wrong I love London but the Parisians are just much more refined in the way they live... cleaner metros a slower pace of life... great appreciation for the arts. I could go one... but I shan't.

work has been so busy since my return I've greatly neglected my poor blog. So much so that this morning I was dreaming about writing an entry. Of course the entry was full of wit and intrigue... sadly I fear that's been lost in the time between waking and arriving at work.

I'm hopped up on gourmet jelly beans and multiple chocolate miniatures... lord knows where I'm going to fit the team lunch in... we're heading down to a pub in Chelsea (just down the road)... the big xmas party is on the 16th at another poncy place near to the office... wonder how much champers I can scarf this year... when will I ever learn?

Xmas shopping is dragging behind me like a gimp leg... I keep thinking I'm almost done (or that's what my bank account is insisting) but alas 1 day of shopping hardly crossed off all the items on my list... someone please give me strength... me of all people, losing the will to shop? well I never thought the day would come!

My kingdom for anyone who's got a tip on where to find a pair of white addidas rod laver trainers in size 5.

it'll all end in vodka....

how class is that? i read that line in a mail out today for some club that we went to that one night for that popbitch party... I think that will be my weekend's motto...

I'm still recovering from the shock of having visited the Y are we here bar last night... I didn't think it possible for it to get any worse... *shudders* However miss Jo jo was looking fab with her new shorter locks... no more feather like whisps on top any more... she is the eternal beacon of change!

oh yea... by the way i'm now convinced that CAVA makes me retarded... I sense a trend here...

*runs away*

ah oui... je ne serais pas ici au début de la semaine prochiane, je serai a Paris! woo woo!!!!!!!!! a + tout le monde

today's numbers


dirty little stop out still dressed in xmas party dress spotted doing the walk of shame this morning 1

groggy half awake co-workers 5

co-worker firing Styrofoam gun at me while I threatened to send him to Poland to train a new employee 1

number of numbers I got in last night's lotto 2

days left of work until next year 8

more figures will be distributed as they become available

brilliant!


Furniture kits for divorced men


now i think i should drop this guy a line as he could have a niche market in lesbian breakups too... wonder if he wants a new business partener?

Canterbury tails...

ha ha had to misspell it for fear of getting inundated by school kids researching for their English papers!

we had a great time.

- chatting with mad Italian blokes and sipping champers on the train down

- enjoying 1£ double vodkas at a local... and felling very old compared to most of the clientele

- wiping of a lipstick bindi applied by the mad owner who is apparently an evil little boy fiddler (at this club we went to)

- missing the snake charmers that were apparently brought up on stage as part of the Asian inspired theme

- chatting with locals who for some reason were really impressed that we lived in London... as if it were a far off untouchable place!

-chatting with a wee French bloke in drag who was Very brave to go out in frock in the middle of chav* land.

-catching chips from the front window from some random bloke who was walking by and willing to share his food... still a mystery how he managed to throw them to me 3 stories up... and how i managed to catch 2 out of 3 of them! yummy! *laugh*

- all piling into Tim's bed as Sally held court and ordered people around to fetch her fags and water

-watching finding nemo on video

-having a brilliant veggie kiev as part of a Sunday lunch that only cost 50£ for 7 people including drinks!

t'was good fun! My grandmother would love the town. I must bring her down there for the day the next time she's on this side of the ocean

scary thought for the day... it's only 14h45 an already the sun is weary and getting ready to set!

* chav = argos jewellery wearing, ring on every finger, hair scraped back into tight pony tail, big hoop earrings, shell suit, Reebok trainer wearing, pram pushing, teenage pregnancy -esq people

i'm guessing ...

that this detox thing is working as beyond feeling a bit light headed I think my body is enjoying the break from all the bad things I put into it. It's quite amazing how quickly you realize much crap you do eat when you're forced to think about it... however in retrospect... I would not recommend such an activity so close to xmas and so close to Tasha's and Andrea's Birthdays! No chocolate cake for me *poo*

And yes, if you're wondering which I'm sure you are... it is possible to catch a chill on your ankles while cycling... I discovered that little chestnut on my way in this morning... brrrr...

so the plan is to do xmas shopping for CDN peeps today at lunch. I'm going to buy peeps here xmas pressies from home as it seems like more fun to receive exotic gifts... yea well, not too sure about Toronto being exotic but we'll just pretend.

After making a botched 20£ donation to Ryan air... I am the biggest ditz in the world... Siobhan is not coming this weekend as initially planned. Too bad really as I wanted to see her! But in all things sad there is something glad... I'm going to head down to Canterbury this weekend instead!

Prior to leaving, the girls and I are hitting the shops to attempt to decorate our sadly un furnished flat... It will be really nice to finally make it into a home... the last two places I've lived have always been a stop gap and I've never settled or decorated.

It's a gloriously sunny day which makes me well happy. They had announced rain all week. I just love it when they're wrong!

you know

i'm definitely not the first person nor the last to ponder upon the capacities of human emotions...

sometimes when i'm not experiencing any major high or low I wonder to myself how I could have let certain things in my past upset me so much... it just seems impossible... I cite it as just a simple chemical fluxes in my system... It's kind of fascinating how that emotions are purely chemical.

"Time heals" and all that jazz- I do wonder if it is possible to have an infinite amount of love to give? When you've been hurt or you've hurt yourself you think you'll never ever be able to open yourself up to such pain ever again... but nothing ventured nothing gained... and as time passes you meet someone new, and things re-develop.

So I come back to that nagging question... Is if it is possible to have an endless supply of emotion to share with each new person in your life, or do the marks of time eventually start to show? I feel slightly worn down in this capacity, but don't get me wrong I am most definitely happy in my new relationship (albeit cautiously)... now, is that cautiousness a mark of me being worn down or is it just a defence mechanism? It's all part of the process... or else i guess it's just true that it takes a lot of love, to keep the heart from breaking....

i'm detoxing

for the first time ever... it's a five day plan. the only hard part is having no dairy and no diet coke! If you know me you're probably thinking what on earth is that girl going to eat as she practically lives on dairy products... lets just say it ain't much. Lord knows how any one ever manages to diet! It's so hard to think before you eat!!! Oh yea, and it's just never the right time to not be able to eat chocolate cake... what was I thinking!? next time I will have to plan before I attempt to cleanse my body of all the abuse that I've subjected it to of late

16 working days left (not including weekends of course and not including the time I'm taking off to go to Paris with miss W at the beginning of next month. If I said that I was counting down the minutes it wouldn't be too far from the truth.

apples are so filling

I had...

a very vivid but strange and gross dream last night

I was on a subway of sorts with my sister... when a bunch of lads piled on and dropped their friend in the seat next to me. He was extremely drunk and not at all in a good state... I was really agitated as there was a fare collector that made my sister and I pay 19£ for a one way journey... citing some stupid reason that I couldn't get my head around... then before you know it the horrible man next to me was sick all over me... pretty vivid and disgusting... what in god's name does that mean?

on a brighter note... happiness is:

finding out you've got 3 more day of holiday on top of the 7 days I'm taking off at xmas!
coming home to an uber clean flat (thank you lovely cleaning lady!)
owning fab orange boots purchased in NYC
being booked in to fall into a vat of gin with the lovely dearbhla
not getting schmucked by a taxi (which I so nearly did on my way home last night)

this morning...

on my way into work I cycled past hotel near to UCL and saw a man entering a black cab wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist... he was also wearing blue socks and a fleece jumper...? So i'm thinking... that I can't even begin to come up with a story that could explain what I saw... do you think the bird he was with just up and left taking all his clothes with her? Hmm?

then as I cycled through Hyde park I was getting rather warm as it's quite mild here today... so I un buttoned my ever so chic bright yellow rain coat and then unzipped my blue jumper a tiny bit... then this middle age Scottish man shouted at me as I rode by something to the likes of 'cover your chest up lass!'

If I didn't know better I would think it was nearing a full moon

busy busy busy

weekend... but was good fun!

went to the nice organic pub in angel. The food was nothing spectacular but the wine was nice and the company really pleasant. Miss W's da and Margaret were lovely!

Sunday morning we all shuffled off to the Tate Modern and it was really something to see! I've got some nice pictures that I took on the camera built into my phone... think they are cooler than the ones on the Tate site.. Guess because they're more grainy. I wonder if I could convince santa claus to buy me a new digital camera for xmas? Ha I'm such a brat!

Catching up with a bunch of people this week I can't wait! Looks like Hon is going to be getting married! Very exciting news for him... Micha is off on her 6 month adventure starting in Thailand soon... and miss D is working like a trooper drowning- not waving... poor thing... but in her sound words she says 'lets meet up, I need to fall into a vat of gin' she's so funny!

Went to the gym at lunch today... was strange to come back to work afterwards... my poor brain was all confused as it only ever associates gym time with it being almost time to go home.

28 days till I fly home!!!!!!!!!

New York...

was a blast!

sadly, since I've been back there have been 12 h work days and enough work related stress to erase almost all my witty stories I was going to write down. Lets see if I can't rustle up some yankee doodle dandies

Yvonne and Benoit own the two fluffiest cats in the world... great to cuddle with, but no so great when I was skirting respiratory arrest due to my god forsaken allergies to cats... I think my wheezing was louder than their purring! Y&B were both looking great and their flat in Forest Hills is lovely!

Shopping was mostly on the cards on Friday and we shopped and shopped and ran into the cutest black 3 month old pug dog in this shoe shop near Broadway... the ugliest creature in the world but soooooooooooo cute at the same time! Lunched at balthazar t'was swell indeed, even if the only veggie thing on the menu for me was a salad.

I learned one important lesson... martini's in Manhattan make me retarded... clearly I can't keep up with the strength of their concoctions! I vaguely remember being at some bizarre place in St. Marks after having dinner with miss Y and the girls at gobo then kj and I were lost *pronounced with a lisp* as we took the wrong subway exit... I guess the 2h walked that ensued was most beneficial to my scullied state

Got all dolled up and got a manicure and pedicure in Queens with my sister on Saturday morning. It was the most hilarious salon in the world... right out of a sitcom let me tell you... the lady's accents were so unreal! Very cultural foray indeed. Then to add to the beauty I got a makeover at MAC at bloomies from the most lovely lady... she gave me the most large and luscious lips one could ever imagine... I've got pics to prove it. Angelina watch out sister!

The charity fund raiser at the waldorf was a good laugh. Rosie cancelled but she was there instead ... it goes without saying that she had the most spectacular bosom in the world! It was a very fun night watching rich people give away their yankee doodle dollars to a good cause... still, why the table of diabetic children were eating burgers with ketchup was beyond us... Our meals were fantastic! Then we ended up a pravda... strangely enough, my co worker who was in New York at the same time as me, ended up in the same place! Don't quite know how we managed to miss each other as we we most definately in the same place... what a riot!

Sunday morning KJ left and jetted back to TO leaving behind the very few purchases she made... I spent the day with Yvonne catching up and strolling through her neighbourhood. Then she took me to veg city diner! wow I almost cried from excitement... just made me think how limited the options are in ol' London town :(

One thing I can attest is that New York is a buzz with the cutest puppies in the whole world... I felt like I was becoming obsessed as every corner there was a new little squidgy face! I've already mentioned the pug... then there was the shitzu puppy at the charity auction (nuzzling into Lorraine's chest!) then the cute little bulldog puppy in Soho.... awww

Thanks for American airlines for bumping me off the flight home... the 500$ in travel vouchers is real swell!

god bless America *cough*

oh yea... just write me if you want to see pics

I shall go to the ball!

how exciting is this??!?!?!?! I'm going to the ball... The 31st Annual Promise Ball - International Chair: Mary Tyler Moore. Emcee: Chuck Scarborough. Auctioneer: Rosie O'Donnell. Entertainment: The Hank Lane Orchestra. Grand Ballroom, the Waldorf-Astoria. 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.: Reception. 8:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.: Dinner and dancing. Black Tie. Tickets: $1,000. (but free thanks to miss Y's work)

Well done miss Yvonne! I feel mildly jet set!

Mark- you could almost fake that my poverty jet set days are over--- almost (okay so i'm flying economy) I won't tell if you don't!

It's been a manic past few days. There is just no time between trying to get projects wrapped up and handed over and actually doing anything else before I leave tomorrow.

On an aside note... did you know that when you eat asparagus... even your tears smell funny (I discovered this on Sunday night...after laughing so hard I cried)

Miss W has sold a painting within 10 minutes of the start of the exhibition that opened last Thursday... the fastest 1k ever! Then the clever little minx got commissioned to paint another one for the same buyer... Go check it out! It's on at the crypt gallery (st. Mary's church) Islington open Thurs&Sat. Congrats to her!!!!!!!!!

Overheard at Starbucks on Monday at 11am from a table filled with ladies of leisure.... with posh accent and condescending tone " Yes, darling but you know... he's middle class"... *shakes head*
erm... any one have a fancy party dress for me?