i'm soon to be off...

on a surprise mini holiday with miss h. she's taking me to Brighton this weekend (okay so it's not much of a surprise but you get the gist) I can't wait as I really need to get out of the city and just unwind for a bit. Dang I forgot my camera!

Just got back from having lunch in the pub down the road with Madame jo jo. She's looking well all suited and booted in her new shoreditch hair style! God I really can't stand the smell of smoke anymore... I sit here at my desk and the fumes are just trapped in every fibre of my clothing!

Sean informs me that he's got a lead on my black monochrome allstars in Ottawa... how exciting is that? oh, very very!

I've been to the gym 3 times this week in the morning

what a change... going early really gives me a new spark into being there...and I consequently always end up at work on time :) The only downfall to this is the horrible catty women that are there in the morning.... they are all so prissy and spend so much time in front of the mirrors pruning and prissing... I skipped the drying hair thing this morning to avoid them all... I've never seen so many creams, hair products and instruments, makeup and accessories in my life...

it was snowing this morning! goodness what is the world coming to? Just last week It was 18 degrees and warm...

Lisa sent me the cutest pictures of her baby today, she's getting so big so quickly!

well the sun is out now and the mountain of work that's due for tomorrow is still just that... a mountain.

I on the other hand am wanting to be a river.

one year ago...

to this day my daddy passed away... now I say daddy like a child so does my sister... He was almost always daddy but sometimes dad or father if we were really cross with him. It was quick and imprevue... It still hurts so much sometimes... Solace if found in finding light in life... this morning in my body pump class I gazed out the widow into the beautiful blue sky, and thought... man... if he's out there somewhere I hope he's having a good time.

I'm trying very hard not to cry while I write this... my co-workers already think me mad... but I know I have to jot this down in an effort to bring some sort of catharsis to this part of my life.

Anyone with a dad still here... give them a big hug or a call today... for me, please?

Love is in the air doo dah dum doo dah...

from some subtle rumbling over the Atlantic... me thinks me knows someone having a blogromance.... go get 'em tiger!

April pre-Easter holiday is by no surprise... cancelled due to lack of funding... *sighs* ah well there is plenty of work to do so no matter.

the sun has returned and is here to stay for the weekend. My friend Jacqueline is arriving from Vancouver Island on Sunday. Staying only a day on her way over to India. She's such a doll. I haven't seen her in over 5 years. It's so strange when you meet up with people who live so far away whom you used to be close to... sheer immense trans -Atlantic distance spanning all the way across Canada to the mouth of the Pacific to be exact.

it's Friday and thank god... too much drama this week has made me almost go insane...

however, on a more positive note I'm sporting my new hightop black (sadly not monchrome) trainers...with my black fishnets and long black skirt with sanscript print on the front... I'm well chuffed...

why are grape-nuts called that when there are absolutely no grapes involved? Has anyone else ever noticed that the raspberry on the front of the package is doing a physically impossible milk splash? I mean who could have possibly art directed that... it's totally unbelievable... and just who is that lowest denominator person they say will be enticed by this faux portrayal of this raspberry's descent on to the spoon full of grape nuts? God, I seriously must get a life.

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

Miss H on landing a fab new job!

I'm so happy for you!

I simply didn't want to blog today

but like a child having a tantrum I am forcing myself to get over it and just write god damn it.

The grey day has cleared and brought sunshine to us last in the day. It's great that It's still light when I leave the gym at night. I was home just as the sky turned my favorite colour of deep dusk blue. I love it when night is falling.

Work has been mental, I'm getting a lot of work done but It's strenuous... Although I speak fluent French it's been a long time since I've used it so much at work. I'm training and organizing a French team in Paris including troubleshooting and task management..... it's a tall order in any language but it's good to feel like I'm using my brain. The only downfall is spending donkey's years adding in all the freaking accents into my correspondence alt 130, alt 133, alt 138... god every three seconds I have to pause to add in the freaking accents... at least when I write to my French friends I can omit all the accents and pleas laziness... ah well It's all good.

Sent KJ the picture of the Flamenco painting I bought her and she was just thrilled. I'm well chuffed about that!

I finally bit the bullet and got my new bus pass... I was avoiding buying a new pass as the hurt of my last one being nicked was too fresh... I got a really dodgy picture done in one of those booths after it was stolen... Today at lunch I had the bright idea of getting another one done that was less grim so that my pass would be cheery... I'm a dolt... I must have turned off my brain as without choosing an option I ended up in the booth with the instructions be dictated to me in Italian... being smug that I could understand I didn't re-adjust... The picture was taken and I waited outside the machine... Little did I realize... that my cockiness had also produced the pictures in the wrong format... I didn't get the four wallet sized ones... oh no... I got the 16 miniature ones in black and white... god knows what one would use them for. DAMN IT! so I had to resolve to use the dodgy ones I had in the first place... the ones where one eye is squinted and the other not... I look like I have a facial deformity... no really it's bad... the bad part is... that I really think I do have one eye that is bigger than the other! Am I the only person who didn't know this? Have my friends and family always known and just assumed that I did too and never mentioned it? This is a BIG question... not at all an important one but careful revision of old photos show striking evidence.... just when I thought I couldn't get any more self absorbed... I never cease to amaze myself.

the stray sunbeams...

certainly did leave their marks on a lot of people around the office. There are quite a few rosy faces and brown ones too. It was a lovely weekend. The kind that feels just long enough. Rare indeed, appreciated, oh yes!

Saturday pre-gym I picked up this groovy hand painted original canvas for KJ... almost like the one she fancied in the shop near Kings Cross when she was here. The painting is of a flamenco dancer in a traditional red dress. It's quite lovely although the frame is terrible... It was a veritable bargain at 15£ compared to the 650£ print that she wanted. I have once again redeemed my bargain shopping abilities. She will be so proud. Now she's just got to return to London to visit me to collect it!

Post gym I got a dodgy hair cut.... that turned my mood foul... whatever... I know I can never win in the hair dept. I'm far too picky... but anyone in their right mind who comes near me with a razor to thin my already uber thin locks is freaking mad. Then to add insult to injury she did the standard 'i'm a hairdresser and I'm going to give you a bouffon hair do' even after I directly asked her to flatten it out and that I never wear my hair like that and that I was visibly upset by it... grrr. Had a great chat with Jackie on the phone Saturday night. I'm so excited about her stopping in London for a day on her way to India. It's been over 5 years since I last saw her in person!

Sunday morning /afternoon miss H and I ventured off to the Zoo... The 12£ is extortionate but it was so lovely outside that we didn't mind... Small but nice... not too many animals at all, seemed over populated with birds... not really my thing but the monkeys were cute especially the tiny ones (God I'm such a dolt I can't even remember what they're called) Seeing them made it worth it. Regent's park is so nice... I can't imagine what it would be like to have enough money to buy a flat near there! wow. It's fun to dream sometimes.

It's a week before my holidays but I think I'm going to pass and not take them after all... as travel is terribly dear during Easter and I could get something really nice and within budget if I wait till may to take the time off.... I do need a break but could perhaps hold off another few weeks.

I think I'm going to save to buy a bike... there are so many lovely outdoor spaces in this city that would be amazing on a bike... especially Hampstead... and a lot of the overland trains let you bring your bikes on board so that's handy! Wouldn't hit the main roads... too scary... but who knows...

Sexy Beast was on tele last night. Ben Kingsley is amazing. He really should have won an award for his performance in that film.

trainer tragedy continues

all I want is black monochrome all stars... apparently unavailable in London... guess i'm going to just have to settle for the black and white pair. I've been through this all before, first with the black Velcro pumas... then with the black nike rifts... all so elusive... all discontinued or not available... It could be a lot worse *zips lips*

Had a nice Italian supper last night with Miss H. Dating is fun!

I'm probably not the only person in town excited by the fact that I get paid at midnight! woo woo. God love employers who pay you on the 28th and not the last day of the month.

Wrote the longest e-mail I've written in a long time to my friend Mark in Toronto. It's been just ages since I last spoke with him... If this entry is short it is simply because I've drained it all out in the email to him.

I need, a mirror for my room, film for my dad's camera that I've not used yet... fuse for my lamp... frame for my beautiful poster from Mark... all things I will do this weekend *god willing*

I think I've lost an inch off my belly from all my gymming and endless crunches with the medicine ball. Yea me! I can wear this skirt KJ and mum bought me a year ago... god it used to look simply awful! now all I need to do is maintain this physique until it comes back into style again! d'oh!

May everyone catch their very own ray of sunshine today.

les evenements du weekend (ou la manque de...)

I had a quiet weekend to myself. Marr the loud neighbours of course... I chatted with them on Friday night to try and find a level of music that we were both comfortable with but it's elusive. They like it loud and see that compromise involves us putting up with their music at all times at a level that is just barely tolerable. I Keep saying to myself that if it was my parents living in my flat that the noise would not be tolerated at all. Ah well, we'll see how the compromise goes but I am beginning to appreciate the values of silence.

Being in the flat all alone spawned a cleaning frenzy. I missed the beautiful day on Sunday it was 18 degrees! Ah well, Cleaning does strangely make me agoraphobic. I wonder why?

I had a terrible fright on Sunday while watching a news bulletin... A Finnish student wit the same name as Hazel's ex living in the same area of town was murdered on her way home at 18h last week. My heart stopped. I was going to faint... I rang up Hazel in a flurry and sputtered out what I had just seen on the news. After a few anxious minutes it was determined that it wasn't her as this girl who was murdered was only 23. The poor girl. Her mum was on the phone with her when it happened! Oh the terror. Such depressing news of late... On top of this war malarkey.

Any happy positive news would be greatly appreciated :)

As the saying goes...

Everything happens for a reason. I was finding it impossible to get home last night after leaving the gym. There were no busses. People were getting aggravated. I pulled away from the 38 bus stops and walked down Tottenham court road. I finally caught a 73 that took me as far as Kings Cross (it wasn't going any further?) There I stood. I had taken me double the time of my normal journey to get half way home. Ho hum, such is life. I stood and waited... Tap tap on my shoulder and who was it? The lovely miss Hannah. I hadn't seen her in ages! See sometimes bad journeys can take you to meeting good people.

We chat chat chatted and caught up on the goings on her life over the past couple of months... her continual job search and such. Then she told me a story that shook me to the core. A co-worker of her's just went through and unimaginable tragedy. It's coming close to the time when my dad passed away last year so I'm particularly sensitive to stories that involve death. This one could not be worse. It involved an unexpected divorce of a couple who were together for over 25 years with 2 children in their 20's one of them being Hannah's friend. The mother had and affair and left the father. The father had a nervous breakdown and killed himself and his wife. I shook with horror when she told me. I can't imagine what her poor friend is going through... all this is compounded by the fact that it was a 'normal' upper middle class family. Such things don't discriminate as most people think they do. It doesn't make it any more palatable. It's a tragedy and no doubtable the beginnings of an unimaginably difficult re-build of life for H's friend and the other child that are left behind. Heavy stuff. Provides some harsh perspective to when people say their lives are tough.

am I ?

the only one mildly alarmed at this site It was mentioned by those lovely folks at popbitch over in farringdon. Is it for real? God, who would have thought that the American beef people would be targeting young girls trying to steer them clear from the terrible evils of vegetarianism? Why is this only female oriented? Why? God, this is clearly one site that I will never understand. Oh wait, it's American... *runs away*

as no doubt most people whom blog will be mentioning the fact that it's beautiful and warm here today in London. I'm wearing my denim jacket and was surprisingly too warm! I shall run and play today at lunch... I will I will... I've only been saying that all week so far.

My hair is growing like weeds. Don't think the recent lapse of any new imagery is an oversight... At times like hair growing times... a lady needs some privacy. It's dire let me tell you!

Finished my good book this morning. I almost cried on the bus... that would have been tragic. Now go, go and read it

Circus school

I've been reading Faustus' blog for quite some time now and keeping abreast of his cheerleading adventures. My curiosity was peaked the other day when I read that he was doing tumbling classes. Last night I was speaking to my flatmate about the fun she had learning trapeze....

This morning I found this site I am very excited. What a great place what a fun thing to do! Oh oh I can hardly contain myself. I know I'm no longer a spring chicken but I just adored doing gymnastics when I was younger.

As my mum and sister can attest, I spent literally hundreds of hours on the front lawn practising front and back flips and trying to master the ever elusive ariel cartwheel. I did in the end, what fun! I do believe I am still able to do all these flips that I once could, though I know they evoke great deals of pain from angry muscles that have been neglected over the passing years. But hey... I'll always remember my next door neighbours whom are approx 10 years younger than me, coming over to our house and knocking on the front door... asking if I could come outside and do an ariel for them. I was 21 at the time. I laughed heartily then preformed one. It hurt, oh yes did it ever... once completed, I reminded them that when they reached 21 I would ring their doorbell and demand that they perform a similar trick... and then and only then would they appreciate just how hard it was for me to pull off. Can I still do it at 27? probably. I think I'll save my pennies and go to circus school in hoxton. They also do corporate things too... how fun would that be? Erm... boss, can we take the team to circus school?

today...

I've chosen a white mug with blue vertical stripes. In it is my morning cup of tea, one scoop of sugar, short of builders tea.

I had a nice b'day. The people at work bought me chocolate cake... met Hazel for a pint after work... the girls made me a lovely supper at home. My mum rang too to wish me well. Very nice indeed!

Turns out that KJ didn't just get bumped to business class on her flight back home, she got bumped again to 1st class and scored herself one of those snazzy sleepers! She said she felt like pretty woman. She also reports that it does make all the difference and that she feels no jet lag at all. I'm so pleased for her, what a treat. She so deserved a boost like that!

I've booked a holiday for the week before Easter. Strangely no one here booked it off. I'm taking 4 work days but end up with 10 days off straight! I'm not sure what's on the cards yet somewhere warm hopefully!

I'm reading a very brilliant book right now. The type of book that really moulds well with some issues and questions I have in my life right now. A simply brilliant author. She makes me want to seriously take up the craft of writing. The book is called 'unless' and it's by Carol Shields. I'm only half way through, but it's the type of read that has you anxious to get out of bed in the morning so that you can read more. Perhaps the fact that it's a Canadian author and that she writes in English and French and that it's based near my home town, adds to it's charm....

It's my second day now as a twenty seven year old... I wonder what new tricks I will learn today?

so yea, it's official...

I made it to 27. I had a wonderful breakfast in bed c/o miss H, opened the fab presents brought to me by my mum and seestor. It's sunny and lovely out and Tasha my co-worker just launched a bag of mini eggs for my b'day to much on throughout the day!

It did take me 2 times to fire up my ol' PC this morning but I'm okay with that as perhaps it's aging like me and needs that tiny bit more time to get going in the morning.

I had a nice weekend with my sister and saw her off at the Paddington on Sunday morning. Lucky thing got an upgrade to business class! On our day out on Saturday I got pick pocketed at kings cross and they nicked my bus pass. That will teach me not to buy a monthly pass. I could get it replace but the 10£ charge that would go along with it would make my refund come in at approximately 1£. Wooo weee wyclef! Well on an up note, at least they didn't get my wallet.

Trekked down to Dearbhla's party yesterday afternoon for her St. Patrick's day party. The Irish sure know how to celebrate, they also know how to prepare for a night of drunkenness. Dearbhla prepared a feast of lovely potatoes products from mash, to chips to tatoes crisps and potatoes soup! It was very yummy and works wonders for preventing a hangover. She was the hostess with the mostess!

Sad to be back at work and Kaffin back in ccccold Canadia... but a visit is a visit and I knew that she had to leave at some point. I am very fortunate to have a great sis like her and a super fab mum that sent her over to me to play.

Oh yea, and Mark, the final episode ever of cold feet aired last night and holy moly was it ever sad! I shan't spoil it for you but man o man...

ode to all things crunchy

there is nothing in the world like all things crunchy: baguettes, crisps, nuts, pieces of toast, popcorn... you can see where I'm going here. I've isolated my adoration for all that is crunchy.

on a completely different note... this week as mentioned in my last posting is just flying by. Managed to squeeze and afternoon off to spend with my sister yesterday... we did the prescribed shopping that sisters do... Bought KJ this really cool necklace from her favourite shop. It's white and has a tiny battery at the back and it glows softly. Very neat! Didn't find anything to tickle my fancy... makes me feel kind of good as I'm skint and would be so sad if I saw a million things I wanted.

T minus 2 days till my birthday. I can't believe I'm going to be 27! That just sounds so old... 30 sounds younger... I know it's mad but I just can't explain. I think it's too late to do the 27 things to do before you're 27... don't even have a list... suggestions anyone?

Sally got her visa yesterday and is thrilled that she isn't going to be deported, good thing really! Hazel is still job hunting away like a trooper, she's just returned from an interview with an agency that has her in line for some really good positions. Things are looking up for the job searching peeps.

My mum is the best! Having my sister here for the week is the best present ever!

this week is just flying by

-kj arrived sunday!!!!!!!!!!1
-party next door lasted 41h and almost made me and everyone in my house mentally unstable. Incessant pounding bass for that long is enough to make the most sound person go mental. No sleep is freaking terrible. Cops can't do anything as they've no authority and the political body that did... is bankrupt in my counsel. God help us... landlord says they get evicted on their next offence... I think this is the beginning of a nightmare.
-went to spittalfields and then drank pints outside the vibe bar on Sunday aft in the sun
-sleep for hazel Sarah and kj at 7pm Sunday... slept right through till Monday morning
-kj's been shopping up a storm but seems to have lost her shop o' holic mojo (we think it's because she has so much time and isn't rushed like usual)
-work is mental i'm so swamped but we're all getting lots done. Just hoping i squeeze a few hours off so I can at least spend a few daylight hours with my sister while she's here. It's criminal that she's only here for a week and I can't even get a day off with her!
-my birthday is approaching quickly. I don't' think anything is on the cards this year however.... Dearbhla's invited me to her st. paddy's day party at her's on Sunday!!!!!!! Monday birthdays are no fun! Dearbhla's party should be a blast!
-KJ is off getting her hair done and this fancy salon... I hope she's having fun.
-life is proving very stressful and challenging.
-is it time for a holiday yet?
-off to the Alphabet bar this evening with the lovely miss Dearbhla and Kaffin. Not been there before so shall report if it's worth the time...

I officially need re-programming...

my lexicon has been brainwash to produce nonsense marketing speak. I just hung up from a call with a co-worker but before I did I managed to pull this one out of the had "hmm well if it's just a corporate opinion on the alignment of the banner then we're going to fight them on it as we're in charge of look... so i'm going to get this stirred back round the pot again and see if we can't win this battle."

I need serious help.

Have I a customer service curse upon me?

lately I've been questioning weather my stars are ill-aligned or if it's just a case of me over re-acting, or if I'm just down right unlucky... In the past 3 months I've
had a flurry of annoying customer service problems that have left me exhausted.

1- aeoroplan not issuing my points for my purchases and flights taken (and offering no solution...ie. their fuck up= my loss)
2- my gym fucking up my direct debit and only me noticing (now how often do you have to beg your gym to let you pay them)
3- my visitor's tax refund being rejected as my future shop receipt came up in my deceased father's name (I wrote them back telling them that I swear that it was I and not him purchasing goods in January at the future shop... Now they tell me it takes 6-8 weeks to process and then another 2 weeks for a refund to be issued if they deem you deserve one doubt it)
4- our continual leaky pipes in the flat ( the landlord will not return our calls unless harassed daily... it's taken 3 repairs in the past 3 weeks to fix one problem.. and no re-plastering of our ceiling as promised by them post the first leek)
5- my dental claim going missing in action (It's taken more than a month for my claim to be processed... can't wait to see what comes of that one)
6- my personal loan application being rejected via e-mail with promise of written clarification as to why I was turned down... has never arrived (I know it's probably because I've not lived here for 3 years yet but still... some sort of explanation would be appreciated!!!)
7- my recruitment company completely ignoring an e-mail I sent to two of their staff members inquiring about a position they had posted that sounded perfect ( I mean like a simple nahh it's not right for you would have sufficed)

Could it be that everything I touch gets sent to customer service hell or am I just trying too hard and expecting too much?

Some one sedate me please!

I woke up this morning...

but just before I did I remember dreaming about scraping out the insides of a large pumpkin... I could recall the smell and the sticky feeling... very odd. I really wonder what it could mean?

The weekend was nice a restful. Miss Hazel finally had a well needed haircut and is looking tres dapper! We went for drinks Saturday night with Sally and her friend who was visiting from Dublin. Good fun. The wooziness is finally subsiding and I'm going to make an attempt to return to the gym this evening... I just hope I don't spill off the treadmill in some terrible re-lapse.

I'm convinced that the Aero plan division of Air Canada is pure evil. They have the WORST customer service humanly possible. They try and charge you for everything and are very inaccurate with their crediting system. In the past 3 months I've flown with them and one of their star alliance partners... made purchases at the future shop from them (when I was home in January) and not one of those transactions have been credited to my account. The best part is, that they aren't in the least bit helpful! They tell you that you must contact the shop within 30 days if there are any air miles not credited... if it's after that, then too damn bad. And if you have a flight for which they have not credited you, you must provide them with your boarding cards for the flight in order to be credited. Like as if I keep my boarding cards FFS! How it's the consumer's fault that their system doesn't work properly, is totally beyond me... I lobby a boycott from aero plan! They stink.

the troubles with porn...

can be sometimes highly amusing...while tossing about solutions today as how to address the problem we're having with our content management system and scheduling... we came to the conclusion to keep the soft porn ads up all weekend long... My contact who had then just avoided having to get up at god's hour and pull down the banners wrote to me... with the most classic line ever....

'Fantastic. We all win...I can sleep in, commercial make more money and Dutch children get to see animated legs ;-)'

god, that was funny!