30 Years…..

I had a birthday party last night to celebrate my 30th Birthday. I didn’t have one for my 18th or 21st birthdays, so I felt the time to celebrate had come!

I hired a lovely venue with a bar and a DJ, and invited friends and colleagues from everywhere I know. About 50 people came, and we caught up on the news, chatted, drank and did a bit of dancing. People who would never normally have got together met one another and had a good time. It was fab.

I’m not 30 until Thursday, but that’s ok. I’m going to have a second celebration then!

In honour of my 30 years, I thought I’d share 30 things about me:

1) I have always loved peanut butter. Only now do I appreciate how bad it is for me!

2) I’m not a great fan of TV programmes which happen over several episodes. I can never guarantee to be there for the subsequent shows, so I lose interest.

3) In my first job I was a Christmas Temp at Our Price Video. I heard the film Sister Act about 25 times before I actually watched it because it was on loop play over that Christmas (1992).

4) I don’t own any brown shoes, nor would I really want to. In fact, every pair of shoes I own are black. I have a pair of blue trainers, but that’s it!

5) I’m allergic to lemon squash. (Among a list of other things).

6) I’ve never actually packed up belongings into a removal van to move house in my entire life.

7) I have a Batchelor of Science Honours Degree in Psychology.

8 ) My middle name is Elizabeth, since I was born in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Year (1977).

9) I am a quarter German. (Not physically – my maternal Grandmother was German).

10) I used to play squash reasonably well, but gave up in my teens because I didn’t fit in with the people who played squash at the local club.

11) My tolerance for alcohol is very poor! Especially wine. 3 glasses and my bones melt….

12) I’m not ticklish.

13) I’m not superstitious. Its incredibly liberating!

14) I don’t own a T shirt with a brand-name written on it.

15) I love The Muppets and own series 1 on DVD.

16) I once worked for Tesco on the checkouts, but I hated it.

17) I’m prone to motion-sickness and vertigo, and get incredibly ill on boats.

18) I don’t like oranges or anything related to an orange (such as grapefruits, apricots, mandarins, tangerines, etc) nor anything orange-flavoured. The exception to this is chocolate orange. For some reason I can tolerate the flavour of that!

19) I really enjoyed Shakespeare plays at school, and chose to read three extra ones for my extended essay coursework in A Level English Language.

20) I love Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, and have read every one that has been released in paperback. I’m slowly replacing my collection of the books after losing my originals in the divorce.

21) I can play the recorder, and own a descant and a tenor. (Not instruments that are ever in demand!)

22) I’m an HR Manager by profession.

23) I’m a casualty make-up and simulation artist, and provide and brief casualties (actors) for first aid competitions and exams and other related events.

24) I like cooking, and would always do more of it if I had the time to – but I have never worked in catering, and would absolutely hate it if I did.   

25) I’m omnivorous. Nothing in life is worth sacrificing a bacon sandwich for.

26) I believe there is such a thing as a platonic friendship that works.

27) I can’t use a hammer to knock a nail into anything. I don’t know what it is, but I always get it wrong.

28) I don’t wear very much make-up. Not because I’m stunningly beautiful, but because it hides who you really are. Oh, and I’m too lazy to waste my lay-in in the morning to have a full beauty-routine.

29) I strongly object to people trying to sell me things when I’m not in a shop. Don’t stop me in the street with your catalogues, nor ring me at home from your call centre!!! I’m not bloody interested!!!

30) Like most English people, fake sincerity really gets my goat. If you tell me to have a nice day, mean it. If you don’t want to know how I’m really feeling, don’t ask me. Smile when you’re happy, and at no other time. I can tell when you’re faking…..

Spaniel xx

Cakewatch Week 22

Following Easter weekend where I was ill with D & V and lost 3lb (mainly in water, methinks), I successfully put that back on by the end of week 21 as I’d hoped.

Now, a week later, I’ve shifted 2lbs through proper eating, and I’m feeling rather pleased.

I’m 28% to my target weight, and people are now starting to comment that I look slimmer….. All going well. I hope to have lost around 3 stone by the time 12 months is up, (Nov 07), which will just leave 1 stone 10lbs to go and then I’ll be at my target. Its all looking good for around May 08!!

Throughout this weight-loss programme I have not felt miserable, deprived or downhearted once – no matter what has happened. Being positive is definitely the secret to success!

 ;o) 

Gift Horses

Its not every day that someone emails you out of the blue and offers you a job for more money and less stress than you’ve got now, is it?

Well that’s what happened to me today.

I’m asking a lot of questions about the role, but I have to admit I haven’t managed to find one good reason not to take it. Not one.

Quite telling about an organisation, really. In spite of all the good work I’ve been doing, all the excellent results I’ve given them, the good reputation I have which has boosted the department’s reputation, I can’t find a reason to stay.

I was quite shocked by this.

Dear MSN

Dear MSN,

I have just checked my email on your popular website, and have been faced with a number of headlines that were no doubt supposed to tempt me to linger on your homepage, and explore the hundreds of articles and videos you’d like me to read while I can be bombarded with advertising.  Some of the headlines designed to tempt me were: 

 ”Has Britney Spears had Liposuction?”

“Has J-Lo joined John Travolta’s Cult?”

“Actress Admits she was too skinny”

Guess what, MSN, I resisted. It wasn’t difficult, because I have absolutely no interest in any of these stories. I can’t recognise a celeb from the lady wrapping my sandwiches in the deli, I’m too busy doing important work which requires common sense, intelligence and good problem-solving abilities. 

Frankly I feel insulted that you consider that someone like myself could give a rat’s arse about what Britney Spears is doing right now.  And don’t get me started on Katie Price and Peter Andre.  I caught a trailer on one of the TV channels that was trying to tempt me to watch some bloody awful programme all about them, but they were wasting their money.

Anyway, MSN, I appreciate your perseverance, but you just aren’t going to make me care about any of these people. Sorry about that.

I’m off to do a SuDoku puzzle now.

Spaniel xx  

Week from Hell

This has been a truly awful week.

Following the weekend being really ill, the rest of this week didn’t pan out to be any better. On Tuesday I felt like death warmed up, and had to spend much of the day sitting down so that I didn’t fall down. Out of four members of staff, I just had two temps all week- and while they’ve been wonderful, they do need constant attention.

I’ve had to spend a lot of the week saying ‘that will have to wait’, or ‘when I get round to it’, and actually its been quite refreshing. My ‘buffer’ file of stuff that needs doing has just grown in size, and its been hard psychologically to allow for that. I like to be able to get a handle on all the pending stuff, and have it there in the back of my mind, but I’ve found my memory doesn’t have the capacity for it all, while my folder does.

I had lots of pain in my neck (RSI) and a headache late Wednesday through all of Thursday (Including during some interviews I was doing!!), and finally this morning I actually feel better.   

Somehow, I’ve remained relatively chipper throughout, and I just can’t work out how I manage to do that. This afternoon I feel great. Tired, but great. I went shopping and bought some lovely tops to wear, one for going out and four for work. But the best thing about the trip was – my tops were two sizes smaller than usual. Hooray!!

Roll on the weekend.

xx

Feeling Better

Following my stomach bug, I am feeling better – though still a bit fragile.

I got on the scales today and discovered I’ve lost 3lbs over the past week. I would guess half of that is due to being ill for two days and not eating very much. As I said – not a good way to be losing weight.

If I’ve crept back up a little, or simply remain the same this week, I won’t mind at all.

At least I’m on the mend.

Simple Pleasures

I’ve had a stomach bug since early Saturday morning. I shan’t go into too many horrid details, but lets just say that you feel very close to death when your system is trying to purge itself.  I had a fever over the last 24 hours, too, and generally felt weak and poorly.

Today I’m beginning to feel a bit better, though I’ve eaten nothing in about 26 hours.

What always strikes me, when I’ve been ill like this, is how the simplest things in life can make you feel so good. Like washing your hair, or brushing your teeth.

This morning I dragged myself out of bed, having slept for about 11 hours, ran a bath (I would probably have fainted if I’d got in the shower), and soaked for 10 minutes. It was fabulous. I now have clean hair and soft skin and feel reborn.  

I’m sure these things happen so that we can get some perspective on life.

Its certainly made me realise that I’m not going to be staying at work late for a couple of weeks. I need some rest-time.

Oh, and this is definitley NOT a good way to be losing weight.

Cakewatch – week 19 and a bit

Today I am officially 25% of the way to my weight-loss goal.

I have lost 16.6 pounds, or 7.5 Kgs.

If I manage to lose weight at the same rate throughout, it will take me about another year to reach my goal weight – and 18 months in total. I’m already looking and feeling better for losing this last stone (although my trousers are rather baggy at the moment!), so I’m still determined to reach my target.

There will be precious little chocolate in the house over Easter, so I’m on for another good week!