My Amsterdam trip is back on. There has been so much fannying around with the bloody hen night for Sam and the dates have changed so often that I have decided to get on with my life and if I am free I will go - even then its going to cost a fortune so I might give it a miss. The flights to the secret destination are going to be £100 apparently and the hotel is another £200 which is before we've spent any money. It won't be a major upset to me if I can't go - be nice to get to know the other girls but that's quite a price to pay - spose it would be funny for the groom's sister to be there too but we'll see cos at the moment I'm really not made of money.
So I've booked 3 days off work for a weekend in May and we are going to stop over in Brussels too - which I am really pleased about cos it was really great when me and Sharon went - I think I liked Brussels best out of everywhere we went. It was very relaxed and I like practising speaking French and I can understand most of what people say to me which is always a bonus. As for Amsterdam I know no Dutch but will be getting a little phrasebook so I can at least say please, thankyou and learn some numbers. They all speak English anyway - which isn't me being arrogant, the Dutch like to use English at any given opportunity in my past experience. It'll nice to go away and not have to sit outside a venue all day!
I have a really awful feeling that I have lost my diary somewhere in London! I am hoping that some nice person will find it and send it back to the address listed at the front - I would but then not everyone in London is as nice as me... Fingers crossed. I'm totally lost without it and it has all my numbers and addresses in it as well as things I am supposed to be doing for the rest of the year and which leave my mind as soon as I write them down. I think I am more upset about losing my diary than I was when I lost my phone for a weekend last year.
I forgot to mention about how I was rudely awakened last Saturday morning at 7am by a really really loud buzzing coming from behind my curtains. Given how hung over I was I really wasn't in the state to deal with a bee the size of a conker. Nonetheless I got up and opened my bedroom window and patiently waited for the bee to make its way out but every time it got near the window it went back the other way again - grr. I went downstairs to get a glass to trap the bee and when I got back I couldn't see it or hear it so I presumed it had gone and went back to sleep. I finally woke up properly at around 10am after the NTL man had been and gone (long story) and I heard the buzzing again - the stupid bloody thing was still there. I managed to trap him in the glass and slip some card through and throw him out the window (the bee, not the NTL man) and finally the bee saga was over. The NTL man came because when cable was fitted in my room it had to come through the front of the house, through the back of my mum's wardrobe and then through the wall into my room. But as the original NTL man did this he accidentally threaded the wire through the handle of one of my mum's precious handbags, so she called them out to free the handbag 1.
I had a very strange dream last night about getting off the bus too early and I know exactly where it came from. I'm not even going to bother going into it cos its far too boring for anyone to care. I had weird dreams on Friday night too when I was inebriated. Again I know where they stem from - they are far from boring but the contents aren't for this blog.
It is such a lovely day today. I am feeling much better from staying in on Monday despite going round to Mark & Jason's last night with Pops and not getting home til gone 12.30am. I was really cold waiting for the bus but thankfully am not feeling any worse. Still have a residual cough and tiredness but who cares - Book Club tonight - rock on!!
Monday, March 21, 2005
Feeling slightly fluey today. Tiny bit shivery and achy and have a really dry sore throat. Seb is feeling pretty similar too which isn't good news. I felt my throat going last night and then on the walk to the station this morning it was quite sunny and warm but I felt a bit shivery with my t-shirt on but would have been too hot with my jacket... uh-oh.
I woke up in a blind panic, hungover and wishing I wouldn't text people when I'm drunk (not that I normally do but I was feeling really bloody drunk on the last train home). On Friday I packaged up all the Boosh CDs from the website orders and took as many down to the post box but had to leave about 100 in the office. I woke up and realised that the cleaners might mistake them for rubbish - thereby costing me £800 to replace and also meaning I was totally screwed and would never be able to afford to move out. Thankfully when I got in this morning they were still here. I kind of thought there was a high chance that the cleaners couldn't possibly be stupid enough to throw away a full bag of jiffy bags with addresses and stamps which hadn't been franked - and thankfully they weren't. And so I can still think about moving out.
Found a really good website listing flat shares etc and I posted a wanted ad too and have had a fair response - I need to amend it slightly to put a price limit and also add Zone 1 into the equation. So all I need to do now is wait for my egg card to arrive, transfer half of my credit cards onto it, pay off the other half and properly look at my budget again - oh and maybe I'll get a payrise cos I've been at work for a year on Thurs which is just ridiculous. How quickly has the past year gone?! But then it has been brilliant.
This is no way to start the week. My throat is getting worse and I am getting a tiny bit sniffly but thankfully don't have a blocked nose. I feel like I have a chest infection cos that's where the pain is centred around. Its probably bird flu. I'd feel bad having a sick day this week as well as last week but then it would still only be my second. Supposed to be going to the Monday Club tonight which looks ace and it's on a boat *and* it's moored at Embankment which is 2 mins away from Charing Cross. There couldn't possibly be a more perfectly situated comedy night for me to get home from. Certainly no danger of me missing the train home. I am tempted to pop along and see how I feel but it might just be a much better idea to go straight home and talk to my parents about moving out and whether they intend to help me with a deposit - given that they gave my loaded brother a grand to buy stuff when he bought his own house. Last time I spoke to them they had wavered slightly from only giving me a grand when I bought my own house after I told them there was no way in the world I would ever be able to afford to buy a house ever in my life unless I win the lottery.
I am almost fully booked this week now. Tomorrow I am going to Mark and Jason's with Pops to talk about going to Stockholm/Oslo, Wednesday is the Book Club, Thursday is my 1 year in my job anniversary, Kerry's birthday and Ealing Live, Friday I am seeing a certain Irish comedian whose name rhymes with 'prawn' - Saturday or Sunday I am planning to drive to Nottingham to see a heavily pregnant Kate Ketchup. So this and next week are four day weeks - nice. Next week is completely booked up now too. Gosh, I am popular. This happened around December time last year as I remember, too many people to see and not enough days in the week. Be good when I move out and finally have weekends where I can be bothered to go into town cos it won't be a 35 minute train ride. I've had my life on hold waiting for other people to make decisions about their lives before making decisions about mine but no longer!! I am moving out certainly before the festival - Paul will owe me 5 pints if I manage it so that's insentive enough.
The closer its gets to the end of the day the less likely I think it is that I am going to go to the Monday Club. I should go home, watch 8pm Eastenders, 8.30pm Coronation Street, 9pm Comedy Heroes/Extraordinary Families/Separating Twins, 10pm recording of Shirley Ghostman from last week, 10.35pm Comedy Connections, 11pm I'm With Stupid and then go to sleep. A nice few hours of watching telly and just laying about. That does sound nicer than going to a smoky comedy club watching people I've seen before (but do really find funny) and then having hardly any sleep... we'll see. Kez might be going cos her brother is on.
It's just gone 5pm - I am 99% sure I'm going straight home. My throat is so dry despite drinking at least 6 cups of peppermint tea.
I woke up in a blind panic, hungover and wishing I wouldn't text people when I'm drunk (not that I normally do but I was feeling really bloody drunk on the last train home). On Friday I packaged up all the Boosh CDs from the website orders and took as many down to the post box but had to leave about 100 in the office. I woke up and realised that the cleaners might mistake them for rubbish - thereby costing me £800 to replace and also meaning I was totally screwed and would never be able to afford to move out. Thankfully when I got in this morning they were still here. I kind of thought there was a high chance that the cleaners couldn't possibly be stupid enough to throw away a full bag of jiffy bags with addresses and stamps which hadn't been franked - and thankfully they weren't. And so I can still think about moving out.
Found a really good website listing flat shares etc and I posted a wanted ad too and have had a fair response - I need to amend it slightly to put a price limit and also add Zone 1 into the equation. So all I need to do now is wait for my egg card to arrive, transfer half of my credit cards onto it, pay off the other half and properly look at my budget again - oh and maybe I'll get a payrise cos I've been at work for a year on Thurs which is just ridiculous. How quickly has the past year gone?! But then it has been brilliant.
This is no way to start the week. My throat is getting worse and I am getting a tiny bit sniffly but thankfully don't have a blocked nose. I feel like I have a chest infection cos that's where the pain is centred around. Its probably bird flu. I'd feel bad having a sick day this week as well as last week but then it would still only be my second. Supposed to be going to the Monday Club tonight which looks ace and it's on a boat *and* it's moored at Embankment which is 2 mins away from Charing Cross. There couldn't possibly be a more perfectly situated comedy night for me to get home from. Certainly no danger of me missing the train home. I am tempted to pop along and see how I feel but it might just be a much better idea to go straight home and talk to my parents about moving out and whether they intend to help me with a deposit - given that they gave my loaded brother a grand to buy stuff when he bought his own house. Last time I spoke to them they had wavered slightly from only giving me a grand when I bought my own house after I told them there was no way in the world I would ever be able to afford to buy a house ever in my life unless I win the lottery.
I am almost fully booked this week now. Tomorrow I am going to Mark and Jason's with Pops to talk about going to Stockholm/Oslo, Wednesday is the Book Club, Thursday is my 1 year in my job anniversary, Kerry's birthday and Ealing Live, Friday I am seeing a certain Irish comedian whose name rhymes with 'prawn' - Saturday or Sunday I am planning to drive to Nottingham to see a heavily pregnant Kate Ketchup. So this and next week are four day weeks - nice. Next week is completely booked up now too. Gosh, I am popular. This happened around December time last year as I remember, too many people to see and not enough days in the week. Be good when I move out and finally have weekends where I can be bothered to go into town cos it won't be a 35 minute train ride. I've had my life on hold waiting for other people to make decisions about their lives before making decisions about mine but no longer!! I am moving out certainly before the festival - Paul will owe me 5 pints if I manage it so that's insentive enough.
The closer its gets to the end of the day the less likely I think it is that I am going to go to the Monday Club. I should go home, watch 8pm Eastenders, 8.30pm Coronation Street, 9pm Comedy Heroes/Extraordinary Families/Separating Twins, 10pm recording of Shirley Ghostman from last week, 10.35pm Comedy Connections, 11pm I'm With Stupid and then go to sleep. A nice few hours of watching telly and just laying about. That does sound nicer than going to a smoky comedy club watching people I've seen before (but do really find funny) and then having hardly any sleep... we'll see. Kez might be going cos her brother is on.
It's just gone 5pm - I am 99% sure I'm going straight home. My throat is so dry despite drinking at least 6 cups of peppermint tea.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
We were all at work really early today which was very impressive. When I say early, I mean we were all here at about 9.30 am which is early for us. Its such a nice sunny day it is really making me pine for the summer. Not that I am big on sunbathing but it makes everyone happier and obviously its nice to be outside. It reminds me of last summer when I had been at work for a few months or so, so it was great. This summer is going to be even better though, definitely. Have had to postpone my trip to Amsterdam with Kathryn cos Sam's hen weekend is going to be then. Me, Pops, Mark & Jason are getting together next week to talk about going to Stockholm or Oslo for the weekend so that's exciting. And Kerry and I are still talking about going to Alicante, which I'm not entirely sure will actually pan out, but its a nice thought! David (who I work with but lives in Glasgow) and I are thinking of going to Prague for a weekend, early summer which would be really cool. I am in need of a holiday though - not quite as desperate as I was towards the end of the last production but I would like one sooner rather than later. My bosses are off for a few weeks until mid-April so maybe I could slope off somewhere at the end of April. Me and Pops are on for a nice relaxing holiday somewhere hot but that depends on her next contract and what she'll be doing and where she'll be doing it.
It so sunny today, it's lovely. I wish I had my sunglasses with me. I am wearing a bright pink vest top to reflect my mood. I intend to have a brilliant day today and I am just about to run out to get some lunch and then I am going to come back and blitz my work. Met up with Poppy and John FD after work last night cos they were still out drinking after I met them for lunch - I had a feeling they would be. They were in the Soho Hotel bar which was very swanky indeed. Slightly over-rated but they got me a watermelon cocktail which was absolutely delicious. Then me and Pops jumped in a cab to Angel to meet Mark and Jason but I sensibly left at 10pm to get the train home and as luck would have it, I caught the second half of Desperate Housewives on E4 and then when it was over, switched onto E4+1 to see the first half. I love that programme - the characters are a bit samey and predictable but its really easy to watch and I like all the twists. I can sympathise with the "Susan" character too.
It is so sunny, I hope it stays like this for the weekend - or at least tomorrow. Meeting Waen and Katy and whoever else cares to join us for a beer tomorrow after work. I am planning on wearing a green top tomorrow. Check me out with all my colours. Right - I am popping out or lunch and to buy cream cakes for the important person we have coming in for a meeting this afternoon.
It so sunny today, it's lovely. I wish I had my sunglasses with me. I am wearing a bright pink vest top to reflect my mood. I intend to have a brilliant day today and I am just about to run out to get some lunch and then I am going to come back and blitz my work. Met up with Poppy and John FD after work last night cos they were still out drinking after I met them for lunch - I had a feeling they would be. They were in the Soho Hotel bar which was very swanky indeed. Slightly over-rated but they got me a watermelon cocktail which was absolutely delicious. Then me and Pops jumped in a cab to Angel to meet Mark and Jason but I sensibly left at 10pm to get the train home and as luck would have it, I caught the second half of Desperate Housewives on E4 and then when it was over, switched onto E4+1 to see the first half. I love that programme - the characters are a bit samey and predictable but its really easy to watch and I like all the twists. I can sympathise with the "Susan" character too.
It is so sunny, I hope it stays like this for the weekend - or at least tomorrow. Meeting Waen and Katy and whoever else cares to join us for a beer tomorrow after work. I am planning on wearing a green top tomorrow. Check me out with all my colours. Right - I am popping out or lunch and to buy cream cakes for the important person we have coming in for a meeting this afternoon.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
I had lunch with Poppy and the one and only Mr FD today. We nipped across the road to Strada and a natter. Finally managed to give Pops her camera back after about 9 months... she is going to make a horror film which sounds hilarious. She'll make a great telly/film producer one day. I've had a really slow day today. It's been one of those days where I realise just how much work I have to do which kind of slows down my rate of ploughing through it cos it seems a bit never ending. Plus the fact that my boss wants me to go to Glasgow for the day on Tuesday so I can pick up the reins of the programme up there. I don't really see the need but it'd be nice to have a day out of this office even though that means a day where I essentially get no work done. And I don't fancy going up and back in a day. I'd have to insist on staying the night - possibly the monday night so I can utilise the whole of the Tuesday. Oh I don't know - is it a good idea? I don't want to fly up on my own but I think I hate the idea of sitting on a train for almost 6 hours a lot more.
The annoying lady behind me is singing - I am going to take a few pops at her chops if she doesn't shut the hell up. I am going to stick the Boosh on itunes really loudly when she's on the phone and see how she likes that. I have been trying my best to be nice to her but she's just so materialistic and money-grabbing that I can't be arsed anymore.
The annoying lady behind me is singing - I am going to take a few pops at her chops if she doesn't shut the hell up. I am going to stick the Boosh on itunes really loudly when she's on the phone and see how she likes that. I have been trying my best to be nice to her but she's just so materialistic and money-grabbing that I can't be arsed anymore.
Monday, March 14, 2005
I had a very disjointed night's sleep last night. In fact I got very little sleep at all. At one point I woke up and felt a sharp pain in my finger and then realised I had somehow, in my soft warm bed which has no sharp objects in or near it, cut the join of my left index finger. I have absolutely no idea how. On Sunday at Suzanne's I woke up covered in tiny bruises looking like a battered wife.
On Saturday I tidied up a bit, successfully applied for an egg card and then drove round to Suzanne's house. We had three options of what to do that night - comedy, comedy or dancing. We opted for dancing in the same club as usual but it was absolutely rubbish on a Saturday. There were no even half decent men and the ratio of good music to shite was about 1:10 which was a disappointment. At one point we went to demand that the DJ play the Smiths and as we wandered over I thought I wacked my arm on the corner of a shelf but decided I couldn't have cos I couldn't feel anything. A few seconds later I began to feel very sick, felt a sharp pain just above my elbow and felt as if I was going to faint. I am such a baby. I have a nice little lump on my arm by way of rememberance.
Every week I seem to pick out a new Smiths song to listen to repeatedly. This week it is The Queen Is Dead. I think the opening 18 seconds used to make me not be bothered to listen to it before but now I've ploughed on through it is added to my favourites list. These lyrics from another Smiths song have also had resonance over the past few days..."And I want the one I can't have, and it's driving me mad...It's all over, all over my face."
On Saturday I tidied up a bit, successfully applied for an egg card and then drove round to Suzanne's house. We had three options of what to do that night - comedy, comedy or dancing. We opted for dancing in the same club as usual but it was absolutely rubbish on a Saturday. There were no even half decent men and the ratio of good music to shite was about 1:10 which was a disappointment. At one point we went to demand that the DJ play the Smiths and as we wandered over I thought I wacked my arm on the corner of a shelf but decided I couldn't have cos I couldn't feel anything. A few seconds later I began to feel very sick, felt a sharp pain just above my elbow and felt as if I was going to faint. I am such a baby. I have a nice little lump on my arm by way of rememberance.
Every week I seem to pick out a new Smiths song to listen to repeatedly. This week it is The Queen Is Dead. I think the opening 18 seconds used to make me not be bothered to listen to it before but now I've ploughed on through it is added to my favourites list. These lyrics from another Smiths song have also had resonance over the past few days..."And I want the one I can't have, and it's driving me mad...It's all over, all over my face."
Friday, March 11, 2005
I am feeling really quite rough now. Only another 45 mins of work and then Pops is coming to meet me from work for a quick glass of vino and then we're having a *quiet* drink somewhere so we can catch up properly. Its amazing what an effect just one large glass of red wine can have on me. I think it is important that I wean myself onto it, I knew I'd have to one day so I think the time has come. The gland on the right hand side of my neck has come up which is a sign that I didn't get much sleep last night. Kerry snored a tiny bit but her flat gets quite hot and I had a duvet over me. And I was slightly tipsy so I didn't get much sleep at all. Kept waking up to drink more water.
I might have to go up to Glasgow for a day the week after next. I really really hope I don't have to cos it'll mean flying on my own and being knackered and spending another day out of the office whereby I make no dent in my work whatsoever. I really don't think there's any need for me to go up. Plus I'll probably have to get the 8am flight again and if I have to get up at 5am again it'll write off the entire week. Although if I am starting off at home there is no train that is going to get me into London from WW in time to get the stansted express. So that's something. Basically what I am saying is that I am going to try my hardest to get out of going.
Also been looking at the state of my finances and according to my liberal calculations I should be able to pay off my credit cards by the end of this year, but it'll be even longer when I move out. Whenever I move out it'll double the amount of time it would have taken me to pay them off. Slowly but surely. I am also thinking of asking for a personal laptop/mac instead of getting paid my bonus in with my salary. That would be ace. I really need a new computer and macs are just lovely.
Yesterday I ordered an itrip for my ipod and it arrived today. I am so excited I cannot wait to go home and use it. It's basically a much more beautiful FM transmitter than the nasty one my brother so cruelly took away from me just before my birthday. God I love it - how materialistic of me. It means I can finally listen to my songs on Jack on my stereo. But bad news... and this is why I really really need a computer of my own which I can use itunes and download stuff... my brothers computer had to be rebuilt and he lost all the songs on itunes - AAARGH!!! I have also ordered a belkin voice recorder which is also terribly exciting. It means I can record interviews/meetings/comedy straight onto my ipod. God I love my ipod. How the hell did I ever live without it? Next stop - new computer. So there goes all hope of paying off my credit card. For God's sake I'm 28, when am I ever going to be not in the red and be able to start saving!! Answer - never. I do have a twisted way of thinking about the whole mortgage/house situation but that is something for another time.
I might have to go up to Glasgow for a day the week after next. I really really hope I don't have to cos it'll mean flying on my own and being knackered and spending another day out of the office whereby I make no dent in my work whatsoever. I really don't think there's any need for me to go up. Plus I'll probably have to get the 8am flight again and if I have to get up at 5am again it'll write off the entire week. Although if I am starting off at home there is no train that is going to get me into London from WW in time to get the stansted express. So that's something. Basically what I am saying is that I am going to try my hardest to get out of going.
Also been looking at the state of my finances and according to my liberal calculations I should be able to pay off my credit cards by the end of this year, but it'll be even longer when I move out. Whenever I move out it'll double the amount of time it would have taken me to pay them off. Slowly but surely. I am also thinking of asking for a personal laptop/mac instead of getting paid my bonus in with my salary. That would be ace. I really need a new computer and macs are just lovely.
Yesterday I ordered an itrip for my ipod and it arrived today. I am so excited I cannot wait to go home and use it. It's basically a much more beautiful FM transmitter than the nasty one my brother so cruelly took away from me just before my birthday. God I love it - how materialistic of me. It means I can finally listen to my songs on Jack on my stereo. But bad news... and this is why I really really need a computer of my own which I can use itunes and download stuff... my brothers computer had to be rebuilt and he lost all the songs on itunes - AAARGH!!! I have also ordered a belkin voice recorder which is also terribly exciting. It means I can record interviews/meetings/comedy straight onto my ipod. God I love my ipod. How the hell did I ever live without it? Next stop - new computer. So there goes all hope of paying off my credit card. For God's sake I'm 28, when am I ever going to be not in the red and be able to start saving!! Answer - never. I do have a twisted way of thinking about the whole mortgage/house situation but that is something for another time.
Stayed at Kerry's last night, hence the early start. And once again the fringe caused a stir! I could get to like the attention except whenever anyone said they liked my hair, a certain young friend of mine would jump in and ask whether she looks nice too! Probably just as well though cos I'm not very good with too much attention. It was funny when James and Katy couldn't quite put their finger on what had changed about my hair. I think I am getting used to seeing myself in the mirror in the morning with a fringe. I did wonder how long it would take me to get used to it and the answer seems to be about a week. Club le Strange was brilliant. When we got to the Albany who did we bump into but Mr. Dan Clark of Electric Eel fame along with Oli who was on fine form last night. Kerry was rather embarrassed for reasons that I am not at liberty to discuss but it was nice to see them both. Katy made us all sit together at the front in the middle near Dave, another Gary fan from up north who has very lovely hair and stubble to match. I still insist that I know more words to Gary's songs than he does. Everyone on the bill was great and Gary sang a new song, "music for television" which was hilarious. As you'd expect. When the comedy was over Kerry decided it would be a good idea for us to have a large glass of wine each so I left her to go to the bar and when I turned back a few minutes later she handed me a glass of red wine. I have never drunk more than one sip of red wine in my entire life but it would have been rude not to so I managed to get it down by the time we had to leave. Hardly managed to speak to Waen and Katy all night.
*******
Just had a little doze on the sofas waiting for anyone else to show up to work and disguised it as reading a script. I read the first 12 pages and then realised how tired I am and how comfy the sofa is. I sprang into action when I heard the key in the door. I've made myself really tired again as a result. My boss said I could go and reposition myself on the sofa but I said I was getting a bit too comfy and would probably end up lying there all day. God that sounds nice. I am looking forward to this weekend. Pops asked me to go round tonight for a night of catching up in front of the telly but I'm not sure I'd be any fun at all and I just want to lay in my own bed. Seeing Suz in some capacity tomorrow - we were going to go dancing but I'm not sure I have it in me at the moment. Having said that I am sure I could drag myself along to the Roxy for a while - its been a relatively long time since I went last. We might end up just going local round Tufnell Park and then going back to Suz's. In fact, I might drive over, not drink and then drive home. My room at home is a complete tip but I've literally just been going home to sleep so haven't tackled the problem at all this week. Every time I see Paul he asks me if I've moved out yet so we've decided to lay 5 pints on me moving out before the festival. I will be very disappointed if I haven't moved out by then. Its so pointless me going out, dragging my arse back home just to sleep and then get up in the morning and drag myself back into work only to repeat the cycle until the weekend. I have always said that I'd start looking at the end of March so after my year anniversary at work and Kerry's birthday I will get on to it.
It is now 10am and I am officially at work.
*******
Just had a little doze on the sofas waiting for anyone else to show up to work and disguised it as reading a script. I read the first 12 pages and then realised how tired I am and how comfy the sofa is. I sprang into action when I heard the key in the door. I've made myself really tired again as a result. My boss said I could go and reposition myself on the sofa but I said I was getting a bit too comfy and would probably end up lying there all day. God that sounds nice. I am looking forward to this weekend. Pops asked me to go round tonight for a night of catching up in front of the telly but I'm not sure I'd be any fun at all and I just want to lay in my own bed. Seeing Suz in some capacity tomorrow - we were going to go dancing but I'm not sure I have it in me at the moment. Having said that I am sure I could drag myself along to the Roxy for a while - its been a relatively long time since I went last. We might end up just going local round Tufnell Park and then going back to Suz's. In fact, I might drive over, not drink and then drive home. My room at home is a complete tip but I've literally just been going home to sleep so haven't tackled the problem at all this week. Every time I see Paul he asks me if I've moved out yet so we've decided to lay 5 pints on me moving out before the festival. I will be very disappointed if I haven't moved out by then. Its so pointless me going out, dragging my arse back home just to sleep and then get up in the morning and drag myself back into work only to repeat the cycle until the weekend. I have always said that I'd start looking at the end of March so after my year anniversary at work and Kerry's birthday I will get on to it.
It is now 10am and I am officially at work.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Fringe benefits (do you see what i did there..?)
Damn, why didn't I get this fringe cut in years ago?! Another man told me I looked sexy with my new hair style last night. I seem to remember trying to get a fringe cut a few years after uni but I don't think I got it cut short enough cos I ended up just pushing it to the side and pretending it wasn't there. I think it might have been everyone at work teasing me about looking like a teenager. It does make me look younger still. My other boss who works from home came in this morning and stared at me for a few seconds trying to work out why I looked different and then it clicked. My other boss who sees me all the time still couldn't put his finger on what had changed until I pointed out that it was a new fringe and showed him how it used to look. Honestly... men! Someone else told me I look like Chrissy Hynde which I am taking as an insult because she must be in her 50s by now. It might have been along with the turn ups on my jeans and the fact that I am looking a little bit punky today. She is a cool lady but I don't look 50. I don't think I took the comment in the spirit in which it was intended.
I am looking forward to Club le Strange tonight and Katy tells me that Gary has a new song which I am very excited about. I am still desperate to hear the completed version of my favourite new Gary song which was on the CD that Waen & Katy gave me for my birthday. Of the four unfinished tracks its the one that I constantly bug him to finish, I can't wait to be able to sing along. I can't tell you any more than that though cos its top secret.
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I've just got back from the sandwich shop downstairs and the man didn't recognise me! I am quite enjoying people actually noticing that I look different - makes a change from having to point out that my hair is 3 inches shorter than it used to be! Makes a change being noticed, hanging round with Kez so much I don't really get all that much attention. Best get on and do some work. Determined to get to the bottom of this pile before the end of March just in case it unexpectedly kicks off again.
H is putting me forward for something exciting and I really hope it comes through. I wish there was more I could do in return but I am keeping my eyes and ears peeled. God knows she deserves a break, not just for being a super friend but for being a top comedy guru. Shit, must get on.
I am looking forward to Club le Strange tonight and Katy tells me that Gary has a new song which I am very excited about. I am still desperate to hear the completed version of my favourite new Gary song which was on the CD that Waen & Katy gave me for my birthday. Of the four unfinished tracks its the one that I constantly bug him to finish, I can't wait to be able to sing along. I can't tell you any more than that though cos its top secret.
********
I've just got back from the sandwich shop downstairs and the man didn't recognise me! I am quite enjoying people actually noticing that I look different - makes a change from having to point out that my hair is 3 inches shorter than it used to be! Makes a change being noticed, hanging round with Kez so much I don't really get all that much attention. Best get on and do some work. Determined to get to the bottom of this pile before the end of March just in case it unexpectedly kicks off again.
H is putting me forward for something exciting and I really hope it comes through. I wish there was more I could do in return but I am keeping my eyes and ears peeled. God knows she deserves a break, not just for being a super friend but for being a top comedy guru. Shit, must get on.
Monday, March 07, 2005
I've had a packed few days since I last wrote. Flew up to Glasgow and back, then had my hair cut, went to a party and saw Embrace last night. Had a nice quiet evening with Poppy on Wednesday in anticipation of having to get up super early to get to Stansted airport. We decided we wanted to go on a last minute holiday but with me having to take the reins of the production in Scotland and tie up a lot of loose ends from the documentary down here I'm not sure when I'll get to take a holiday and by the time I can take a holiday, Poppy will have got a new contract. Suzanne has a week off in a few weeks time so I am going to work on her and see if I can persuade her to come away for a cheap relaxing week in the sun - if there is any at this time of year.
When I got to the platform to get the first Victoria line train from Kings Cross to Tottenham Hale at 5.45am there was an announcement to say that the Victoria line was running with no delays - which didn't really impress me all that much seeings it hadn't even started running yet. As the time came for the train to come I was amazed when it arrived and then totally dismayed when we all got on and the driver announced that due to something or other the train was terminating here. This was very bad news cos I needed to catch the Stansted Express at 6.11am. I ran out of the station and flapped around outside Kings Cross panicking and asking cabs how much it would cost to get to Tottenham Hale. I eventually called Seb and he said I could get a bus which would take about 20 mins - so quite how the cab driver reckoned it was going to take 45 minutes in his taxi was beyond me. As luck would have it a bus turned up just as I plonked myself down at the bus stop and although I missed the train I wanted to catch, I got the next one. This would get me to the airport with 15 minutes to check in.
I panicked all the way and ran up the ramps to the check in area (as luck would have it, the escalators were out of use) and when I found Seb the flight didn't even have a check in desk. Typical. The gates opened at the time it was supposed to close and we eventually packed onto the plane and got the last two seats which were together. Seb spent the whole flight trying to scare me and put me off but I think it worked against him. I looked out of the window and spotted what I worked out to be Liverpool (it was near the sea and I could see some land in the distance) and when the Captain told us we were flying east of Liverpool, I was well chuffed and Seb was suitably impressed. By the time we came into land I was absolutely bloody exhausted and my eyes were starting to burn. We jumped in a cab and went straight to the meeting room for our AGM (after a brief stop to get a cup of coffee and a bacon roll). It was a really great day, very motivational and very exciting. I seem to have accidentally fallen into not only a job I love but a career where I am going to be valued and trained and have lots of fun and soon have people to delegate work to and boss around.
We broke for lunch and wandered round to our Glasgow office where I met the team who were making the Scottish doc who I normally speak to on the phone and then we went to a really groovy little cafe for lunch. The second half of the afternoon resumed and then we talked right the way through to about 6pm. We headed to the hotel to dump our stuff and get ready for the evening and then set off for drinks. We ended up in a really cool restaurant called the Red Onion and the food was delicious. It was really nice to all go out together and it wasn't so much five work colleagues on a night out but more five friends. Everyone I work with is really great. I may not get paid very much but I think the perks make up for it. Back to the bar where we were joined by some other telly people who John knew and as everyone else went on, we sloped back to the hotel at about midnight.
Got to the office the next day for 10am where we had a few meetings, watched the rough cut of the new doc and did as much of our normal work as we could. I couldn't really do much of mine cos all of my stuff was down here but I still managed to keep myself busy. The Glasgow office is really lovely and hopefully my bosses are going to buy a flat we can stay in rather than having to fork out for hotel rooms but also that means that if any of us want to spend the weekend there then we can. We left to get a cab to the airport in time for our flight at 7.20pm and sat around until we were called. I have decided that the only part of flying which I *really* don't like is just after the inital take off where it starts turning while its still climbing and sends my head into total confusion. It totally freaks me out and makes my legs turn to jelly and I get a bit short of breath. I absolutely love the bit when the plane taxies to the runway, stops and then you can hear the engines roar and all of a sudden you are accelerating up to 500mph. I don't mind the landing either now that I know what that loud roar of engines is. In fact I find that noise quite comforting. I find it terrifying that my friend Kat is a pilot for BA. Now that is a job and a half.
It was such a relief to get home on Friday night, I was so so tired still from the previous morning's early start. I slept til about midday on Saturday and prised myself out of bed to go and get my hair cut at 3pm. I'd decided that I wanted to get some kind of fringe cut in cos I was getting bored of my hair, but not one of those straight across ones. The girl who cuts my hair is so lovely, we were giggling at an old transvestite man who was having his hair cut too cos the girl doing his hair was giving him a real old ladies hair style. To cut a long story short, I ended up getting one of those straight across fringes but I think it looks quite cool. It is beginning to do my head in cos I can constantly see it in my vision but I can always push it aside or get an alice band for real emergencies. I'm still quite conscious of the fact that I look very different - so different that a couple of my friends didn't recognise me at the party I went to that night. Suzanne and Nalini threw a fundraising party for their marathon run and loads of people turned up. I didn't know all that many to start with but then Tim, Corrie and Paul turned up and then the party really started.
One of my friends, who shall remain nameless, told me that I looked great but then asked if he could say something out of order. I caught him looking down at my new boots and thought he was going to say that he really likes my hair, but my boots were hideous. It turned out that he said with my new boots, my new belt, my green jumper and my new hair I looked really sexy. It really made me laugh and then made me think that possibly no-one had ever told me I look sexy before. Maybe one person a few years ago but not a person who I found sexy back. As my friend plunged into further drunkenness he told me that in fact, looking as I did, he'd really like to have sex with me. The rest of us killed ourselves laughing at this statement but it did make me feel quite good. Not that I wanted to sleep with him but after being dumped on two consecutive occasions, it made me feel a bit more confident. Another one of my friends tried it on with me but he was sober so he didn't really try very hard. I think he knew deep down that he was only doing it cos he was desperate - not that I think he'd have to be desperate to try and snog me, but we've been friends for about 10 years and he hasn't tried it on with me once in that time. He's not used to being without a girfriend but I managed to fob him off quite easily. He ended up dropping me home which was great of him and saved me another unwanted night bus journey.
I dreamt about someone I went out with on Saturday night which took me by surprise. Seems I still hold a bit of a torch for someone... I think maybe I need to go on another practice date. Kerry keeps on at me to go speed dating so maybe we should just sit down, find one and book it.
Cooked lunch for my mum yesterday then had a nap and then went to Brixton to see Embrace. They are quite good... I like a few of their songs but I'm not quite sure why we decided to go. Its not the best idea to see a band when you have none of their albums and only know a few songs and in general you find them boring. This is another lesson learnt and at least I finally got to see H. I was allowed a lie in this morning due to the early start last week so we got in for 12. That's the way to start a Monday, with a nice long sleep. Still knackered and snowed with work, I really should get back on with it but I thought I'd blog before I get drowned in paperwork and phonecalls. My email is buggered today - I can receive them but I can't seem to send any. It's beginning to drive me mad but then at least I don't have any more work arriving in my inbox.
I am going to get on with this mountain of work now.
When I got to the platform to get the first Victoria line train from Kings Cross to Tottenham Hale at 5.45am there was an announcement to say that the Victoria line was running with no delays - which didn't really impress me all that much seeings it hadn't even started running yet. As the time came for the train to come I was amazed when it arrived and then totally dismayed when we all got on and the driver announced that due to something or other the train was terminating here. This was very bad news cos I needed to catch the Stansted Express at 6.11am. I ran out of the station and flapped around outside Kings Cross panicking and asking cabs how much it would cost to get to Tottenham Hale. I eventually called Seb and he said I could get a bus which would take about 20 mins - so quite how the cab driver reckoned it was going to take 45 minutes in his taxi was beyond me. As luck would have it a bus turned up just as I plonked myself down at the bus stop and although I missed the train I wanted to catch, I got the next one. This would get me to the airport with 15 minutes to check in.
I panicked all the way and ran up the ramps to the check in area (as luck would have it, the escalators were out of use) and when I found Seb the flight didn't even have a check in desk. Typical. The gates opened at the time it was supposed to close and we eventually packed onto the plane and got the last two seats which were together. Seb spent the whole flight trying to scare me and put me off but I think it worked against him. I looked out of the window and spotted what I worked out to be Liverpool (it was near the sea and I could see some land in the distance) and when the Captain told us we were flying east of Liverpool, I was well chuffed and Seb was suitably impressed. By the time we came into land I was absolutely bloody exhausted and my eyes were starting to burn. We jumped in a cab and went straight to the meeting room for our AGM (after a brief stop to get a cup of coffee and a bacon roll). It was a really great day, very motivational and very exciting. I seem to have accidentally fallen into not only a job I love but a career where I am going to be valued and trained and have lots of fun and soon have people to delegate work to and boss around.
We broke for lunch and wandered round to our Glasgow office where I met the team who were making the Scottish doc who I normally speak to on the phone and then we went to a really groovy little cafe for lunch. The second half of the afternoon resumed and then we talked right the way through to about 6pm. We headed to the hotel to dump our stuff and get ready for the evening and then set off for drinks. We ended up in a really cool restaurant called the Red Onion and the food was delicious. It was really nice to all go out together and it wasn't so much five work colleagues on a night out but more five friends. Everyone I work with is really great. I may not get paid very much but I think the perks make up for it. Back to the bar where we were joined by some other telly people who John knew and as everyone else went on, we sloped back to the hotel at about midnight.
Got to the office the next day for 10am where we had a few meetings, watched the rough cut of the new doc and did as much of our normal work as we could. I couldn't really do much of mine cos all of my stuff was down here but I still managed to keep myself busy. The Glasgow office is really lovely and hopefully my bosses are going to buy a flat we can stay in rather than having to fork out for hotel rooms but also that means that if any of us want to spend the weekend there then we can. We left to get a cab to the airport in time for our flight at 7.20pm and sat around until we were called. I have decided that the only part of flying which I *really* don't like is just after the inital take off where it starts turning while its still climbing and sends my head into total confusion. It totally freaks me out and makes my legs turn to jelly and I get a bit short of breath. I absolutely love the bit when the plane taxies to the runway, stops and then you can hear the engines roar and all of a sudden you are accelerating up to 500mph. I don't mind the landing either now that I know what that loud roar of engines is. In fact I find that noise quite comforting. I find it terrifying that my friend Kat is a pilot for BA. Now that is a job and a half.
It was such a relief to get home on Friday night, I was so so tired still from the previous morning's early start. I slept til about midday on Saturday and prised myself out of bed to go and get my hair cut at 3pm. I'd decided that I wanted to get some kind of fringe cut in cos I was getting bored of my hair, but not one of those straight across ones. The girl who cuts my hair is so lovely, we were giggling at an old transvestite man who was having his hair cut too cos the girl doing his hair was giving him a real old ladies hair style. To cut a long story short, I ended up getting one of those straight across fringes but I think it looks quite cool. It is beginning to do my head in cos I can constantly see it in my vision but I can always push it aside or get an alice band for real emergencies. I'm still quite conscious of the fact that I look very different - so different that a couple of my friends didn't recognise me at the party I went to that night. Suzanne and Nalini threw a fundraising party for their marathon run and loads of people turned up. I didn't know all that many to start with but then Tim, Corrie and Paul turned up and then the party really started.
One of my friends, who shall remain nameless, told me that I looked great but then asked if he could say something out of order. I caught him looking down at my new boots and thought he was going to say that he really likes my hair, but my boots were hideous. It turned out that he said with my new boots, my new belt, my green jumper and my new hair I looked really sexy. It really made me laugh and then made me think that possibly no-one had ever told me I look sexy before. Maybe one person a few years ago but not a person who I found sexy back. As my friend plunged into further drunkenness he told me that in fact, looking as I did, he'd really like to have sex with me. The rest of us killed ourselves laughing at this statement but it did make me feel quite good. Not that I wanted to sleep with him but after being dumped on two consecutive occasions, it made me feel a bit more confident. Another one of my friends tried it on with me but he was sober so he didn't really try very hard. I think he knew deep down that he was only doing it cos he was desperate - not that I think he'd have to be desperate to try and snog me, but we've been friends for about 10 years and he hasn't tried it on with me once in that time. He's not used to being without a girfriend but I managed to fob him off quite easily. He ended up dropping me home which was great of him and saved me another unwanted night bus journey.
I dreamt about someone I went out with on Saturday night which took me by surprise. Seems I still hold a bit of a torch for someone... I think maybe I need to go on another practice date. Kerry keeps on at me to go speed dating so maybe we should just sit down, find one and book it.
Cooked lunch for my mum yesterday then had a nap and then went to Brixton to see Embrace. They are quite good... I like a few of their songs but I'm not quite sure why we decided to go. Its not the best idea to see a band when you have none of their albums and only know a few songs and in general you find them boring. This is another lesson learnt and at least I finally got to see H. I was allowed a lie in this morning due to the early start last week so we got in for 12. That's the way to start a Monday, with a nice long sleep. Still knackered and snowed with work, I really should get back on with it but I thought I'd blog before I get drowned in paperwork and phonecalls. My email is buggered today - I can receive them but I can't seem to send any. It's beginning to drive me mad but then at least I don't have any more work arriving in my inbox.
I am going to get on with this mountain of work now.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
I am going to Poppy's after work tonight to catch up cos we haven't seen each other in months. Luckily she asked me to stay over because tomorrow morning I have to be at Stansted airport by 7am in order to catch the 8.05am flight to Glasgow for our away day. So today I have to prepare two presentations. One about the production side of my work and another about the development side. I am kind of looking forward to it. I don't think I've ever given a presentation where I've actually known what I've been on about. I remember giving one at uni with Jo & Diane about some mathematical formula and I remember that being awful cos I did not have a clue. I went on a course with 4 other people yesterday and at the beginning we had to introduce ourselves and talk about why we wanted to learn about archive clips on TV and if we'd had any experience before. I was third to go and was absolutely bricking it. It got to me and I panicked, garbled and must have come across like a complete twat. I am getting far far more assertive so now I just need to work on confidence and public speaking so I am going to see if there is a course I can subject myself to. Kerry thinks acting classes might sort me out but I'm not too sure.
So I am going to have to get up at 5am tomorrow. AAAAAAAARGH. I've already started reading my Flying Book this morning. I am trying to sort out a trip to Amsterdam with Kathryn, a trip to Oslo with Pops, Jason & Mark and a trip to Madrid with Kerry. I do need a relaxing holiday too though. I want to take some time off and go to some museums too... so much to do, so little time. There are a couple of interviews which have been agreed but I just need to get round to sorting out too. There's just not enough time in the day. Maybe once I move out... but again, I have no time to look for somewhere to live. So we have a little conference room tomorrow which should be hilarious. It's like a little annual business meeting and I am really looking forward to it. Get to have a hotel room all to myself too, which is very exciting. Hopefully we'll go out for dinner tomorrow night and I shouldn't have to spend too much of my own hard earned cash. I don't know where all of February's pay went... well, I do, it was frittered away in Nottingham but still...
-----
I am such a fucking idiot. I just spilt half a kettle full of boiling water over my wrist. The kettle was falling off the top of the fridge so I managed to catch it and push it back on but then a load of boiling water flew out and landed on my wrist. Thanks to my lightning reactions, I just spun round and speedily turned on the cold water tap and left my wrist under for a few seconds but now its really starting to feel quite painful and it's going a bit red and blotchy. I am such a clutz.
I have been listening to this song on repeat for the last day and a half.
A dreaded sunny day
so I meet you at the cemetery gates
Keats and Yeats are on your side
A dreaded sunny day
so I meet you at the cemetery gates
Keats and Yeats are on your side
while Wilde is on mine
So we go inside and we gravely read the stones
all those people all those lives
where are they now?
with the loves and hates
and passions just like mine
they were born
and then they lived and then they died
seems so unfair
and I want to cry
You say: "ere thrice the sun done salutation to the dawn"
and you claim these words as your own
but I've read well, and I've heard them said
a hundred times, maybe less, maybe more
If you must write prose and poems
the words you use should be your own
don't plagiarise or take "on loans"
there's always someone, somewhere
with a big nose, who knows
and who trips you up and laughs
when you fall
who'll trip you up and laugh
when you fall
You say: "ere long done do does did"
words which could only be your own
and then you then produce the text
from whence was ripped some dizzy whore, 1804
A dreaded sunny day
so let's go where we're happy
and I meet you at the cemetery gates
Oh Keats and Yeats are on your side
A dreaded sunny day
so let's go where we're wanted
and I meet you at the cemetery gates
Keats and Yeats are on your side
but you lose because Wilde is on mine
My wrist feels like it's on fire, I am such a twat. I have put E45 cream on it but I am going to run and stick it under the tap for a few more minutes. Its a bit better now but probably only because I've numbed it. Right, I'm popping out for food and then I am going to come back and work some more on my presentation and get rid of some of the crap on my desk.
So I am going to have to get up at 5am tomorrow. AAAAAAAARGH. I've already started reading my Flying Book this morning. I am trying to sort out a trip to Amsterdam with Kathryn, a trip to Oslo with Pops, Jason & Mark and a trip to Madrid with Kerry. I do need a relaxing holiday too though. I want to take some time off and go to some museums too... so much to do, so little time. There are a couple of interviews which have been agreed but I just need to get round to sorting out too. There's just not enough time in the day. Maybe once I move out... but again, I have no time to look for somewhere to live. So we have a little conference room tomorrow which should be hilarious. It's like a little annual business meeting and I am really looking forward to it. Get to have a hotel room all to myself too, which is very exciting. Hopefully we'll go out for dinner tomorrow night and I shouldn't have to spend too much of my own hard earned cash. I don't know where all of February's pay went... well, I do, it was frittered away in Nottingham but still...
-----
I am such a fucking idiot. I just spilt half a kettle full of boiling water over my wrist. The kettle was falling off the top of the fridge so I managed to catch it and push it back on but then a load of boiling water flew out and landed on my wrist. Thanks to my lightning reactions, I just spun round and speedily turned on the cold water tap and left my wrist under for a few seconds but now its really starting to feel quite painful and it's going a bit red and blotchy. I am such a clutz.
I have been listening to this song on repeat for the last day and a half.
A dreaded sunny day
so I meet you at the cemetery gates
Keats and Yeats are on your side
A dreaded sunny day
so I meet you at the cemetery gates
Keats and Yeats are on your side
while Wilde is on mine
So we go inside and we gravely read the stones
all those people all those lives
where are they now?
with the loves and hates
and passions just like mine
they were born
and then they lived and then they died
seems so unfair
and I want to cry
You say: "ere thrice the sun done salutation to the dawn"
and you claim these words as your own
but I've read well, and I've heard them said
a hundred times, maybe less, maybe more
If you must write prose and poems
the words you use should be your own
don't plagiarise or take "on loans"
there's always someone, somewhere
with a big nose, who knows
and who trips you up and laughs
when you fall
who'll trip you up and laugh
when you fall
You say: "ere long done do does did"
words which could only be your own
and then you then produce the text
from whence was ripped some dizzy whore, 1804
A dreaded sunny day
so let's go where we're happy
and I meet you at the cemetery gates
Oh Keats and Yeats are on your side
A dreaded sunny day
so let's go where we're wanted
and I meet you at the cemetery gates
Keats and Yeats are on your side
but you lose because Wilde is on mine
My wrist feels like it's on fire, I am such a twat. I have put E45 cream on it but I am going to run and stick it under the tap for a few more minutes. Its a bit better now but probably only because I've numbed it. Right, I'm popping out for food and then I am going to come back and work some more on my presentation and get rid of some of the crap on my desk.