The secret life of me...

Today is another gorgeous day here in the land of holidays and good things...

Have been fairly lazy this morning - done quite a lot of lying around and had swim in attempt to ward off the heat of the day
Final remaining family-holiday-mates went home early this morning, so now it's just little old me.

Had horrible realisation that I have to go to work tomorrow for my mid-holiday-working-period
I only have to go in for three days to do month-end, but could still be a bit of a shock to the system...
In order to minimise impact, I shall be going straight from here tomorrow morning and coming straight back after work on Wednesday night (to begin Holiday: Act 2) - hopefully I should barely notice

Not sure what to do this afternoon (after lunch, which I'm having now)...

Perhaps will go for small sail...
Or maybe row...?

Hard to say which is best.

Ah - decisions, decisions....

... I drove back to Suffolk (went home last night to visit LBF, go cinema and have tasty free pizza), then sailed up the river to the town at the top in this (it's not actually me in the picture - I think it's my mum and my cousin - but you get the general idea):

(and a little bit past there) where I illegally parked (on a jetty which, misleadingly, has a big sign that says 'Visiting Yachtsmen Welcome' - misleading because, on odd occasions, an irate little man has come and ranted at us about it being private - v confusling) for a little bit, while I ran into town to purchase some tasty lunch strawberries and an icecream
Then I sailed around until I found a nice place to have read my book, sailed home, got sunburned, had swim and spent remainder of day slobbing...
Has been v good

Ooh - and I think I might know what to get my dad for Christmas - though, in fact, he's one of the easiest people to buy things for...
LBF's birthday, on the other hand, is a whole different matter

Am off to apply aftersun now

Hope everyone else is having a nice weekend!

Today is the sunniest day EVAH!!!

I may be a trifle burned

To help with the trauma of the packering...
Though I can only suspect you must have put him there in the first place - how many other people have this kind of hamster?

.... M'on holiday

Am blogging from my tent and about to have tasty porridge based breakfast

Yesterday, I drove down here, sat around in garden and had initial swim in river.

All things are good

... Prague is a v nice place (I'd like to go back for longer so I could see the insides of all the places I saw the outsides of...), but hen nights are not a nice thing.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_a7jkcMVp5Vg/SLE-P6IaILI/AAAAAAAAFy4/ljj9TlNeCiU/s1600-h/heels.jpg

This seemed a bit dull when I saw it first, but I've quite enjoyed reading other people's ones (oooh - such a voyeur ) so thought I'd do it too - apologies if is boring or if you already know all this about me...
Or both...
Most likely both

1. Are you married or single?
Neither - I'm happily ensconced with my LBF (even if I haven't seen him for ages )

2. Do you have brothers and sisters?
Yes - one of each.

3. * Are they older or younger than you?
Yes - both younger.

4. Have you ever met a famous person?
I once went in a lift with Lionel Bart - pretty sure I've said this before

5. What countries have you visited?
Hmm...
Wales and Scotland, definitely...
France Belgium, Germany...
Ummm..... Sweden (Sweden gave me diabetes ), Poland, Switzerland...
Wow - I'm much better travelled than I thought!

6. What do you do on Sundays?
Lovely domestic things - preferably followed by BBQ...

7. What kind of people do you not like?
People who are ignorant and bigoted.

8. Who has had the most influence in your life?
Hard to say really - my parents, my friends, my LBF - lots of people... I like to think I'm my own person, but I think we're probably more influenced by people than we realise.

9. Would you like to be famous?
Perhaps - but 'd like to be famous for what I do, not who I am.

10. How many different towns or cities have you lived in?
Just two - London and Edinburgh.

11. Which do you prefer, sunrises or sunsets?
I like both - they can both be v pretty

12. What was the last book you read?
I just reread Oscar and Lucinda

13. What's your favorite food?
OOh - hard one - so many things...
Berries I think
NOM!

14. Do you live in a house or an apartment/flat or other?
A flat - I love it, but wish we had a garden.

15. How tall are you?
Properly average - about 5'5"

16. What are your hobbies?
Singing.
Oh yes - and singing

17. What's something you do well?
Bake

18. Which sports do you like to watch/play?
None particularly - or whatever happens to be on...

19. Are you a 'morning' or 'night' person?
Neither really - I'm more the 'midday' type

20. What is your motto?
I don't think I have a motto - I must have been on the wrong line when they were handing them out, I guess.

Hello everyone...

Hope you're all ok.

Am not feeling very happy today - am very tired and suffering from realisation that there is no time to do anything and that the dreaded Prague trip draws ominously closer...

I went to Suffolk on Monday night, to see some lovely fireworks - I had a really great time, but it was pretty hard to come back to work and real life yesterday...
I'm going back tomorrow evening for the theatre in the forest, which is usually really fun, though will necessitate me getting up earlier than I'd like on Friday in order to get back to London in time for work...

We're supposed to be going out to someone's house for dinner tonight, but I'm worried that I'm going to have to cry off and I feel terrible for giving such short notice...
I wanted to go so that I could have some time where I actually get to see LBF (it's been ages since we did anything more than just pass each other in the flat, and, because I'm on holiday for the next couple of weeks and he doesn't want to come and do the things I plan to do, it's likely to be ages more ) but because I'm in Suffolk on Thursday and I have to catch plane on Saturday afternoon (which, of course, means leaving by 9 in the morning - stupid airports), I will need to do some washing and things some time (so as to have some clothes to wear) and Friday is really too late...

Think probably, none of this stuff is actually particularly traumatic, but am very tired today and, to be honest, the whole thing is just making me want to cry...
Which is unlike me...

I wish it was next week already, and I could be in Suffolk having happy holiday time.
Though, of course, LBF won't be there and so I will be a little bit miserable because I miss him

Think perhaps I need a can of diet coke.
And maybe some chocolate - though that might induce more guilt and discomfort than I can deal with right now...

Hope everyone else is ok - maybe tell me some happy things?

.... and I'm inexplicably watching Hollyoaks and making cookies...
They are chocolate chip and walnut and look v tasty

I have also hung out the washing and brushed my teeth, so is not all bad, but have so far failed to have bath/shower/breakfast or get dressed.

Am wondering about blueberry muffins next

Tomorrow, I have to go to work in the morning, but in the afternoon, am going to catch a train to Ipswich and join my family for the fireworks at the end of the Aldeburgh Carnival - I'm not that interested in the carnival itself, which, I believe, has been going on all week, but the firework display is always really spectacular - they let them off right on the seafront and they always have totally great things... I love fireworks

We'll probably have lovely picnic on the beach first (ooh - I can take the cookies and muffins - is like fate - feel vindicated), and maybe nice swim in the sea if weather is good - will be like small practice holiday

Not sure what to do with my life today - am boycotting the farmers' market because I always spend so much money there and am mildly penniless right now until payday next week, and LBF is still in St Albans (or somewhere outside St Albans, very possibly lost in a field) where he went for a party last night...

LBF's brother and his girlfriend gave me an unexpected late birthday present last night - is set of blank Russian dolls (which are utterly fabulous - there are loads - the smallest one is tiny) and some lovely paints - am v excited about them - perhaps can start painting them today - not sure what to do yet - suggestions are most welcome

Ooh - and for those of you who are at the V festival (I think there might be one or two ) - I just found out that my brother is playing there this year - go see the Pogues - he's the hairy one with the Saxophone

OK - have officially run out of things to say now - can't put it off any longer - had better make myself clean and less naked

Hope everyone has a lovely day

I just wrote this post and it disappeared
Will try to recreate.
That is first meh...

Other as follows:

Have just seen this...

Is a little ominous I think.

Am supposed to be going to Prague over bank holiday for (ugh) hen-night-weekend-thingummy.

Whilst the whole hen-night concept makes me cringe/cry (she's not even getting married for 6 months, FFS!), I would probably quite like to go to Prague.
Have vague (quite likely vain) hope that I could escape the hennish activities for a while and go be touristy sightseer

However, I'm flying out (courtesy of EasyJet) on Saturday afternoon and then back (to Gatwick) on bank holiday Monday.
Do you think that the strike will make them cancel my flight?
I can only think that there are likely to be delays at the very least...

It wouldn't matter too much if all I had to do on Tuesday was come into work, but, in fact, I am off to Suffolk (my happy place ) for the rest of the week for sunny, sandy, boaty holiday goodness, and I'd be reluctant to jeopardise too much of that

Am currently thinking that if the strikes go ahead, I should maybe just cut my losses (cost of flight and hotel) and not go...

Opinions please!

1. Have you ever kissed someone of the same sex?
Yes, though not for a long time...

2. How often do you wank?
Rarely, if ever...

3. Where do you wish you were right now?
Anywhere but here

4. Were you in love with the first person you slept with?
At the time, I think I was - looking back now, it's quite hard to imagine...

5. Do you have any guilt inside of you?
Of course - doesn't everyone?

6. Have you ever wished anyone dead, however brief?
I don't think so...
Although I do remember a few years back, we had a family friend living with us (about to go into a home) who had had a stroke - we heard about another chap we knew, who had also had had a stroke, though his killed him. I remember her saying that he was lucky... I don't think I'd have wished her dead - but I could definitely sympathise.

7. Assuming you HAD to be, would you rather be a colour, smell or sound?
Sound - a nice singy one

8. How and when do you imagine you are going to die?
When I was younger, I used to think that I was going to die when I was 39, so as not to have to be 40... Now that I'm a bit closer, I'm not so sure that's a good plan

9. Do you think love is forever?
Of course - but I think it probably doesn't stay the same forever, but evolves and changes...

10. What is your worst fear for your future?
Not achieving the things I have the potential to achieve - being unfulfilled.

11. Do you LOVE anything about yourself? If so, what is it?
Probably.

12. Would you lie if you KNEW you could never get caught?
Perhaps - depends what about.
I'm not a very good liar - the truth tends to come exploding out of me at inopportune moments
Am v bad secret keeper for the same reason...

13. Could you have sex knowing someone could hear you?
Sometimes on purpose

14. What, if anything, do you do to make people do what you want?
Depends who and what... I think that the most successful approach is generally to persuade them that it's also what they want - or make them think it was their idea if possible

15. How many times, if any, have you lied answering these questions?
None - not on purpose, anyway...

.... we're sitting in the living room watching a pretty rainbow

And waiting for my parents to arrive so we can eat the tasty racks of lamb that I just cooked...

...at what I found!!!!

....we went here for lunch.

I really enjoyed it - the food was utterly delicious (I had fake cheese made from cashews in three flavours with hemp crackers to start and then 'lasagne', which was like a beauuuuuuuoooootiful pile of vegetables and pestos and things) and we also had multiple cocktails, which were fabulous

Not done a great deal since then, other than watching the special features from Season 2 Heroes.

Oooh - have made the most delicious little wee citrus and blueberry muffins - tasty and also v low fat

Hope everyone else is having a lovely day!

Always relaxing to answer some silly questions on a Saturday morning

1. Who was the last person to call you?

One of my traders yesterday at work, I think...

2. Where was your default picture taken?

You mean my profile picture? Was taken when I was big purple jelly-baby...

3. What's your middle name?

I don't have one
I used to be a bit miffed about this sometimes, but now it makes me a bit special

4. Your current relationship status?

Living in Sin with my LBF

5. Does your crush like you back?

I think so - he lives with me....

6. What is your current mood?

Cautiously optimistic.

7. What are you doing this weekend?

Lunch, maybe cinema, maybe free pizza, farmers' market, maybe wine tasting - nothing v firmly planned yet!

8. What color shirt are you wearing?

No shirt - am still betowelled.

9. Ever been in love?

Yes - I still am

10. If you could go back in time and change something, would you?

I don't think so.

11. Have a crazy side?

A bit silly perhaps... Not sure how crazy.

12. Ever had a near death experience?

Not one that I know about .
I went to hospital a couple of years ago when I was ill and they said I might have died if we'd left it much longer, but don't think was really that near.

13. Something you do a lot?

Sing

14. Angry at anyone?

I can't think of anyone.

15. Who can you tell anything to?

My LBF - though I don't really have lots of secrets or anything

16. Name someone with the same birthday as you?

My friend Daniel, my sister's best friend from primary school and my great granny (who died a few years ago) - I have a v popular birthday!

17. When was the last time you cried?

In Wall-E I think

18. Who would you do anything for?

My LBF and my kitties

19. If you could have one super power what would it be?

Don't know - I think it might be better to be unsuper...
Perhaps something innocuous like the power to make tasty blueberry pies or similar?

20. What's the first thing you notice about the opposite/same sex?

I want to say voice or intelligence, but I guess that can't really be the first thing.... Dunno really.

21. What do you usually order from Starbucks?

I don't usually go to Starbucks.

22. What's your biggest secret?

I don't think I really have one.

23. Favorite colour?

This is a truly silly question - I will say blue today, as I plan to wear blue...

24. Favorite TV show?

I'm easily seduced by Come Dine with Me at the moment....

25. Do you still watch kiddy movies or tv shows?

Of course!

26. What are you eating or drinking at the moment?

Nothing, but am contemplating breakfast - though have run out of porridge and am a bit at a loss as to the best approach given the circumstances...

27. Do you speak any other language?

No - I wish I did.
I can sing in Italian, German and French and have an A-Level in Classical Greek

28. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

Hard to say, but hopefully I will be having a good time there

29. Describe your life in one word, what would it be?

OK

30. Have you ever kissed in the rain?

Almost certainly.

31. Ever kissed on the beach?

Yes - I love the beach

32. What are you thinking about right now?

These questions - and what to have for breakfast.

33. What should you be doing?

Nothing really - is the weekend!
(Though possibly should get dressed)

34. What was the last film you saw?

BATMAN!!!!

35. What are you listening to?

Bad TV

36. Do you like working in the garden?

So much - I really wish I had a garden - the next place we live in, it is the most important criteria...

37. Are you on facebook or myspace?

Yes - Facebook

38. Do you act differently around the person you like?

I think I'm probably nicer to people I like?

39.What is your natural hair color?

Boring old brown...

40. Who was the last person you kissed?

My LBF - or possibly a kitteh.

Inexplicably tired

HAs been weirdly long week...

Off to bed now, for lovely sleeps and kitty snuggles.

G'night everyone - sleep tight

... it will be my holiday

Even sooner, it will be the weekend...
To celebrate, I have booked a table at Saf for lunch on Saturday (am wilfully ignoring spending ban) - am looking forward to it - there may even be cocktails

... I came in at 8am (early for me - not for some, I know) for a silly meeting.
Aside from the fact that, depressingly, that means that I was only away from the office for a total of 12 hours, I was all ready for something totally traumatic.
In fact, it only took about 10 mins though - was great
Have to follow up tomorrow morning, but am pretty much off the hook for now!

Hope everyone else is having nice day...

Better do some works now!

Good news!

I love broccoli

NOM!

There are STILL a whole load of doughnuts here...

Is all highly distressing!

I'm going to have to walk home or something tonight, to burn off the calories I've absorbed by looking at them all day

(Filched from NotBob...)

Here's now it works:
1. Open your music library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button.

Here we go. Format here is:
Item: Title (Artist)
--> Comments
This format may not work very well for me, given the type of things that are on my iPod, but I'll do my best!

Opening Credits: Where Did You Sleep Last Night? (Nirvana)
--> Hmm... Think this may not paint me in a v good light - am good girl

Waking Up: I'm a Fool to Want You (Dexter Gordon)
--> Quite wake-uppy, I guess?

First Day At School: Everybody Hurts (REM)
--> Actually, I pretty much had a great time at school - maybe I didn't realise it on the first day.

Falling In Love: O Isis und Osiris - Masonic Choris from Magic Flute (Mozart)
--> Weird - this is like a hymn to the masonic gods - not very loveish really, though quite nice and relaxing, and there's something pretty sexy about all those lovely male voices.

Fight Song: Dear Jane (The Dear Janes)
--> Probably would have been more appropriate for the next question - this is a song about a Dear John (or Jane, here) letter...

Breaking Up: The Boys are Back in Town (Think Lizzy)
--> And maybe I'm that girl down at Jonnie's place? Or the chick that used to dance a lot?

Prom: Scene 5 from Tristan und Isolde (Wagner)
--> This is a bit like lots of operatic scenes - they have a big argument, then fall in love. I didn't have a prom (we didn't used to go in for them here), but, if I had, I would like to think it would have gone similarly

Life's OK: Round Midnight (Sonny Rollins)
--> V good - laid back and coooooooooool...

Mental Breakdown: Kyrie from Requiem (Mozart)
--> I guess the fugue is a bit crazy

Driving: Them There Eyes (Bille Holiday)
--> A nice song - probably all you need for driving...

Flashback: In a Sentimental Mood (John Coltrane)
--> Hey look - one that actually fits the question!

Getting Back Together: Suicide Aria from Pique Dame (Tchaikovsky)
--> Hmmm... Weird... Though in the opera, this song is actually not part of the plot - she just sings it to cheer up her friend Russians, eh?

Wedding: Pie Song from Sweeney Todd (Sondheim)
--> WoooooHoooooooooooooooooo!

Birth of Child: Oh Mother from Amahl and the Night Visitors (Menotti)
--> Another good one - v cute - sung by small boy...

Final Battle: Scene from Lulu (Berg)
--> Lulu is all pretty insane and violent!

Death Scene: 10mg Girl (The Dear Janes)
--> And from this, we get some idea of how I die perhaps?

Funeral Song: O Don Fatale from Don Carlo (Verdi)
--> If this is getting played at my funeral - I want to sing it myself!

End Credits: Dukes of Hazzard Theme (Waylon Jennings)
--> But she don't understand they keep a showin my hands and not my face on TV

... and am feeling a bit fuzzy today...

Not in a way that is bad, just in a way where I'm a bit disconnected from reality - a bit like being wrapped in a cosy layer of cotton wool

I had a pretty nice, if uneventful, weekend.

I BBQed things twice, which was nice, though contributary towards my having eaten waaaaaaay too much over last few days and opted out of SingStar between 2 and 6 on Sunday morning (a decision which I am v pleased with, even now)...
I made some cakes (so what's new??), bought tasty vegetables/rhubarb from market (at great expense - is no wonder I have no moneys), had singing lesson and drank wines (though not gin and tonics - also a good decision, and, to a large extent, related to the previous one)

I sang Sweeney Todd in my sleep all night last night (hmm.... wonder who could be to blame for that ) which may or may not be contributing to fuzzitude - have realised that ambition to be Mrs Lovett is delightfully compatible with current job as Queen of Pies though - is obviously fate.

Today I have made lots of lovely month-end spreadsheets, failed to get an answer from a man in legal department and eaten many many strawberries.

My office (specifically the area immediately in front of my desk) has, once again, been transformed into a veritable ocean of cake and chocolate - am exercising extreme act of will power (actually, not that extreme, as am still recovering from aforementioned bbqs and strawberries) and abstaining - I wish people would put them somewhere else though - the smell of Krispy Kremes is a bit all-pervasive and weirdly unappetising - I can feel my arteries clogging just from proximity

Hope everyone else is having nice day (or as nice as a grey Monday can be...)

... way past bedtime yet again...

Sleep tight everyone...

G'night

It's 2am!

Why am I not sleeeeeeeping?

Is way past bedtime for Jennies

Must be jumbly and happy tomorrow morning for farmers' market...

Sleep tight everyone - g'night.

(ooh - and cakes are totally great - marshmallowy and delicious - will make picture in morning if there are any left)

Today, I have made 48 little tiny chocolate cakes with marshmallow toppings (actually, they look a bit like walnut whips, but without the walnuts - is pleasing, as I now know how to make marshmallow...), had (really pretty good) singing lesson and, just in the last few hours had lovely barbecue (on Son on Hibachi) and drunk lots of wines
And a gin martini

Am losing will to socialise now, but have had pretty nice day

Hope everyone else is having good weekend...