Iola

Saw this (eurogamer conference) and thought of many of you
see working hard, clearing my work email and still you are all in my mind.

Saturday night for me was a camping trip to Malham for a hen night. I arrived and started to put up my tent, as you do, somewhat distracted by the antics of the head hen and her minders. I discovered that the rain "hat" for my tent was missing, bit of a shock as I've never failed to have a properly packed tent before. However, maybe due to the cat singing that was occuring, maybe due to the astonishment that I'd put a tent up and no alcohol had arrived as I did so* I randomly decided that the cat must have been nesting in the tent back at some point and removed some of the contents for it's own comfort.

I have one of them there instant errection tents so it's extremely easy to put up and plonk down. Many's the time I've found I've put it on things when I can't spot them.

There followed a somewhat damp night as the heavens opened enthusiastically about 9.30....

There was indeed a neatly foldered rain cap under the tent when I took it down the next day.

* I used to go to a lot of bike rallies - it's why I own a tent. I would arrive and rather than risk drunken tent errection I'd suggest the boyfriend of the day go to the bar and he would return with beer to find I had put the tent up. Its a good foundation for a relationship - it's the nearest to home maker I've ever been. 

Ooops....
Ever been to a job interview when you really weren't on the same page as the panel and the questions ...
I don't recommend it - not the most successful hour of my life.
On the plus side I won't be waiting hopefully for the phone to ring, I now will be spending some time working out exactly why I'm being so irrational about my current situation and being a bit more constructive.

This weekend was an action packed 2 weekends in one - trip to London ostensibly for a hen night but Friday was spent with family at my Uncles. Cousin + Brother +Cousin-with-stage-night-next-day. Much frivolity was had, micky taking of Uncle (think drunk old toff by the fire in "the fast show") - talk of requiring passports for stag do etc. Of course since brother has stag do planned in a fortnight it's unlikely that he's going to be party to too much carnage but I've not seen anything to suggest any of them actually survived the event yet. Will be unfortunate if that's the case since I'm aware they have been working rather hard on the wedding planning and there will be a lot of disappointed souls if they have to cancel either wedding due to lack of groom.

Day two/three was a hen do with many LJ users and real people for Ms Fox. Huge consumption of food was undertaken and social frivolity of a different variety. The stunning heat levels in London discouraged some of the more energetic activities such as perusing shops. (huge as in different posh eateries - rather than enormous portions of bog standard fare)

British rail clearly only have 1 "weather related" announcement - as we awaited our train in Kings Cross on sunday the "inclement weather" causing "slippery floor surfaces" was referred to many times.

An interesting conversation with the Pharmacist this morning amounting to "yes you clearly have very swollen lymph glands but without any other symptoms I haven't a clue". and by implication "how can you have no other symptoms with a lymph gland that size?" At least I now know where they are so being alive has been educational. And I never want to get fat enough to have no line between my jaw and neck on a day to day basis, it's not a look that suits me.

It's not a good sign when you just compared your current project to the Poll tax... as in "they implemented it in scotland, demonstrated it spectacularly failed but went on and implemented it in england anyway". The teething problems from the equivalent of the Scotland test are not fixed yet we are going ahead and implementing it RIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD. Intriguingly one of the leaders of the whole movement of change nationally has resigned his post and there's no explaination why on their website.   Clearly I'm not alone in thinking this gift horse has gnarly teeth...

I had a dream involving Ross Kemp and references to "Ang" from Eastenders last night. My parents were in it too. I haven't watched eastenders since i was 9 so I hope I was doing some REALLY out of date mental filing as the alternative is a need for therapy. Having identifyable people in my dream has quite confused me for the day because that happens so rarely.

So the post holiday blues hit with a vengence last night, still persuaded myself to go to the supermarket but too late for Morrisons so Asda at Pudsey it was. Turns out either Asda is going bust, they are closing that store or it is being dismantled because there was lots of empty and/or closed off areas, no veg worth talking about and no cat fud and it was shutting early. failing to complete the list exacerbated the gloom mood.

Cleared a bunch of emails, did chores list for rest of week and nearly found all the wedding present lists though so tonight i can do the appropriate shopping. Almost. Irritatingly shops only open the lists 6 weeks before each wedding, it would be so much easier if you could get invite, reply and purchase present all at the same time, reducing the worry you will forget and be left with either the teaspoon or the washing machine to purchase the night before the wedding. Looks like little bro is getting a bunch of teaspoons....

thought this consultation about peer to peer file sharing might interest some of you http://www.berr.gov.uk/consultations/page51696.html along with this report about internet content http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications/6211.aspx
haven't read them myself but at least I've done something with the content of my emails today.

Oh and there's a big sign on the leeds ring road pointing down to where the railway pub is (by the canal in Rodley)saying "pick your own strawberry's 12 - 7pm daily" which the taxi driver pointed out to me yesterday...

quick SQUWEEE more for the benefit of grannieannie than anyone else (who very patiently talked me through looking EVERYWHERE for these at least 7 times last month) but I just found my prescription sun glasses - in the car in the "glove compartment"  a month after giving up hope and deciding they fell out my rucksack on a walk one day.  And after failing to get to the optician in time to get new ones before going to foreign (did buy non-prescription ones wih the intention of wearing contacts more, but have failed to practice that too)
so Whoot yippee and yehah - my slackness has saved me an additional £150 on the credit card bill.

So I purchased a nice little frock for the hen dos in July and stretched the boundaries into something nearly trendy and it has colour on it as my brothers bird's lot will be like that.  i have just had a message to say "please wear black..."

Having failed to think about novel needs, cash needs and the like I will have an interesting time sorting that out in the time left.  However have found the door code for the flat we are going to so alls well.  Has anyone else noticed how completing a whimsical job application makes ones current job seems less worth bothering about?  
Have however recovered my positivity after Monday's bleak despair.

I'm trying very hard not to give up hope on people but they make it very difficult don't they?  62% decided that they were happy to go along with whatever those who could be bothered to vote brings us to this.  Even allowing for the X% who made foolish errors and lost their vote accidentally (looks at F-list with forgiveness) that's still 61%. 

I guess the telegraph and the other anti-europe papers will be over the moon this morning, their non-reporting campaign has worked.

In a what can I do vein though - I feel more emailing of MEPs in my future - and targeting all 6 rather than the 2 (now1) that I used to make requests to. 

3.5 days total emersion in personal development stuff coming up from 7pm tonight - really rather excited.  really rather scared.  Have become mrs super negative recently and so am expecting a bit of a roller coaster ride.   I do appear to have joined the "we're all going to hell in a hand basket" brigade.

I looked at my goals from my first verson of this and achieved the big one  - which was a permanent job - but the "be specific" element was where i fell down "permanent job that doesn't give me ethical dilemnas" would have been more appropriate.   Damn that work ethic!

so I was walking the streets of bramley from 9-1pm this morning - my pedometer indicated it took me at least 2.5 hours of walking to rack up 10,000 steps.  I find it scary to think that I should be spending 2.5 hours a day walking.  Should I actually assume my pedometer is overly cushioned and not recording a full measure of paces?  Cant work out if my new walking boots require slightly more or slightly less sock than I was wearing as my toenails hurt now too.   

At what point does ventilation system become unpleasant draft?
At what point does red become ginger or ginger become orange?
At what point does discomfort become pain?

is this an indicator of a move to the right in my head:  I just misread "worklessness" as "worthlessness".
I was described as a bit of a lefty at the weekend.  this surprises me, I always think I'm pretty middle of the road, but I do think equality is a good idea.

have purchased walking boots (of joy and leathery loveliness)
have found a window cleaner - cleaning next doors windows this morning so mine will be next on the list.
this constitutes a successful day - can i go home now?

Have had an exciting lunchtime trip to "go outdoors". I may have flexed my discount card so am now a little more skint but have all my walking stuff for the Alps and beyond (I get a good wear to cost ratio out of things like waterproof trousers), bar the new boots.  I do now have the most expensive tshirt ever. 
So if anyone wonders why I don't have a posh frock in my brothers wedding pictures I think I know where to point the finger of blame at...

Sinister and anonymous comments on a journal entry always brighten an evening... NOT
Why do people decide what something is required for and then get stroppy rather than doing what they are asked?  Am however on the up again in perspective on life thankfully as I was bored of the blues.