and...

my flat is still clean. That's 3 days of a clean flat. A clean flat with no dirty dishes. A made bed every day. No clutter. It feels odd.
AND I've done 2 loads of laundry! What's wrong with me.

Ricky Geervias

Last night I met a friend in the city and we went to see Ricky Gervais's* act/gig/show.

The warm up act was ok. A bit forgettable, but a few good jokes. Saying that the thing I can recall the most is in the middle of the working out how old his father was when he was born. Not so good that my mind wander as he was n stage. Oh well.

Ricky was pretty darn funny. Some of his stuff sounded pretty scripted - but who cares - it was still funny!

As I walked to the platform checking my phone messages (not paying attention to where I was going, I ran into a co-worker - literally. I had just decided that I would stop walking and wait for the tube where I was when I ran into her. I've never met anyone in London unexpectedly. Of all the people there and the thunders standing on the tube platform - I stood next to her. Pretty freaky.

*He's a comedian. I believe he created The Office and Extras

It's still clean

You'll* be happy to know that my flat managed a whole day of me living there and it's still clean. I made food - and washed the dishes I used. I even did another load of washing. I made my bed this morning - I never make my bed! When I was a child and my mother made me make my bed - I slept on top of the bed covers and used a blanket to keep warm. In the morning I through tht eblanket in my closet - hey presto my bed was made.

*Well my mom will at least!

Canal boating pictures

These are the pictures from a fortnight ago. I went canal boating with my friends Jim and Jo from Derby. A few months ago Jim got a job outside Peterborough (look it up on a map - it's about 2 hours southeast of Derby) and bought a canal boat as his accommodation. During the week he lives on the boat and weekends he goes up to derby to their house. They have just bought their first house in Peterborough. Jo got a job in Peterborough and will be moving down next week. Where am I going to sleep when I visit Derby?! How rude of them not to consider this when they decided to move! :) Good luck with the new job and house Jo!

This is Jo and Jim (from ages ago) so you know who I'm on about.
After our supply trip (food, drink and disposable BBQ) Saturday after, it was off to canals of Britain. At a massive 3-5 mph

I was so tempted to do a "I'm the King of the World" scene at the front of the boat, but I resisted. I did however hang my feet to the front of the boat.

Jim and Jo driving the boat as I enjoyed the front to myself. (You can just make them out)

There were quite a few hot air balloons taking off as we got moving down the canal - how cool!

I liked this picture of Jim coming out of the hatch at the back of the boat. We moored* the boat opposite a massively huge stack of hay. It was easily 2 stories high. ...and had a BBQ. It's a good job we didn't light the BBQ on the boat - we'd have burned the boat down! The next morning as I was clearing up the rubbish I saw the BBQ had completely burned through the wood under it. It's pretty amazing we didn't set the field on fire.
Sunday afternoon after lunch we set off, "back home". Jim 'drove'....
...while Jo slept. It was Sunday afternoon to be fair. Not much better than a Sunday afternoon nap!

I kept Jim company.

In the middle of the boat there's this cool window that opens right up - a foot above the water. It's pretty neat to watch the canal go past through this window. On Sunday we passed a load of these fort things. They were pretty cool. Jim said they were forts from the war. You can see the 'gun holes' in the sides. Jim almost ran the boat into the bank so I could get this shot!

And that's your lot. I had a really good time. Thanks Jim and Jo for sharing your boat with me!

A note to my mother - you best be loving all these pictures. I can hear Cheryl in my head going on about how I'm like my mother taking pictures of everything :)

I DID THE DISHES!!!!

Proof - Clean kitchenThe dishes you see are clean and drying

...and more!!! The whole flat is clean - including fresh linen on the beds!


Now don't get too excited. I had to do the dishes and clean the flat. Someone is coming around to look at the flat this afternoon after work. In true Karen style, I waited until Sunday to clean the flat.* I finished sometime around 3 this morning and took a shower as I was sweaty and horrible - cleaning is hard work! This meant I didn't get to sleep until 4am and I was back up for work at 7:30. I'm sleep deprived to say the least. Do your muscles ever ache when you're over tired? My muscles ache like I worked out hard at the gym yesterday. I know it's just out of sleep deprivation, as it happens occasionally, I was just wondering if anyone else had similar experiences.

I also changed the layout of the lounge. I don't have any photos, I'll have to take a few before it becomes cluttered. I'm not sure if I like the new layout, but the couch wasn't in an accessible** position, so I've tried something new. I'll keep you posted - the new layout might not last.

*In my defense, if I cleaned the flat before Sunday it would have gotten messy again and I would have had to clean it twice!
**you couldn't see the tv, thus no one sat on it.

Thanks Mom

My mom is lovely. Even with her quirks and faults, she's a brilliant mom. A few years ago in one of the packages she sent me she copied out a quote from Ralph Marston, and I had highlighted the following bit of it:

The things that truly matter are the things you cannot lose. No person or
circumstance can take away your love, your faith, your integrity, passion,
determination or wisdom

Yesterday and today have been hard going at work for me. I have the above quote tacked to my bulletin board at work and today I noticed it. Reading this lifted my spirits - put my problems into perspective a bit. I'm still bothered about work, but do feel better.

Thank you Mom. Thank you for taking the time to write down quotes that you find. Thank you for taking the time to find quotes. Thank you for spending the money to send them to me. Thank you for thinking of me :)
I love you. And think about you often. I wish I lived closer to you so I could see you more.

Hopelessness

It's not often that I feel hopeless. I occasionally am mad, angry, upset, irritated, frustrated and the like - but I'm a "find the silver lining" type person. Sometimes the only silver lining I can find is that I know others have it worse off. But today I have hit a pretty low low.

Hopeless. Lost. Scared. Anxious. Frustrated. That's currently me.

And it's all over work. Work shouldn't run my life and / or emotions. I shouldn't live to work. I should work to live!!!

So the work thing - i don't know why they're going wrong.

There's this one problem that isn't a problem for 1 person down stairs but it is for 2 others. why? who knows. my fault - not in the slightest. seen to be because of something i did. absolutely
Some of the staff made some changes to student information last week - the changes are no longer there. my fault - how could it be? seen to be because of something i did. absolutely.

Do you see the pattern?
Understand my sense of hopelessness?

You get why I fancy crying? Or running away to Siberia?

Do I know anyone I can live with in Siberia?

PS. It's been a stressful day. I'm afraid I have to confess I'm now back to day 1.

Back to work

I dragged myself out of bed and managed to get to work today. Several people came to say hello, and quickly left my office. It was obvious I was germ infested. --sniff sniff--
Having a week off work during the second week of school - not such a good idea. Note to self - don't get sick next year.
Any other news .. not really. I have begun mission clean up kitchen. arg. I still can't be bothered by such things so I'm doing it slowly. I wash up my dishes I used that day* at least and usually a few more. My mountain of dirty dishes is more like a large hill now. I miss my dishwasher!

*crud. I didn't do the dishes from today.

Flu time

This week I've been suffering with the flu. I'm a big moaning, whinging baby when I'm not well. I hate it. To make it worse there's no one here to moan at or to make me soup or to wash up the dishes from the soup - I have to take care of myself! Man being a grown up sucks sometimes!

Camping .. on the water

I went canal boating with my friends Jo and Jim last weekend. It was quite fun. It was a bit like camping - caravan style ... only floating on water. We set out Saturday afternoon and moored up opposite a giant stack of hay. The other side of us was a potato field. Jo told me about a fun game of potato harvesting they (Jo and Jim) had played the last few times they'd been out. Basically at dusk they go out on the potato field and dig for a few potatoes. This seemed not so fun, but I participated and it ended up quite an experience. We came back with 7 potatoes each - no winner. I was disappointed - I'm quite competitive. Jo then asked if I was not feeling guilty - as I had 'stolen' the potatoes. At that point I did, and I still do.
Sunday I made a potato and cheese bake for lunch. The fresh potatoes sure were good. After lunch we headed back. Jo slept while Jim 'drove'. I stayed away from the driving as I didn't want to be blamed for anything that might have happened... although it would have been a bit difficult to wreck the boat as it only goes about 3 mph.
Pictures to come.

The devil makes easy work for idle hands

Kitchen and Bob ... or Bob's kitchen?

This week.............................Last week

I think it's getting worse. I really must do dishes! On a positive, you can tell my stacking abilities are pretty good. I have worked my way through all my forks. I have one spoon left. All my pots are dirty ... so last night I boiled spaghetti in a baking tray - I'm very resourceful.

Bob's a prisoner again.

I wanted a bit of company .. and I needed to use up the cat food I bought 5 months ago. Ok, MAYBE I was feeling a bit lonely and sad so I forced her company on me. Here's some pictures of her making herself at home the first night see came.

Need sleep....very badly

I was barely functioning yesterday, struggling to just stay awake. That was until about 9. I refused to let myself take a kip after work cause I wanted to go to bed at a reasonable hour. 9pm came, and went. 10pm came, and went. 11pm came, and went. The last time I looked at the clock was around midnight. I laid still in the pitch black for some time after that. Curses!

It seemed like a good idea at the time

Yesterday was the first day the teachers came back to school. It was good to see everyone and at the end of the school day I really fancied going to the pub and visiting with everyone.... as I left just after 11pm I thought to myself maybe it wasn't so good of an idea. When I got home - wide awake from all the pint of coke I drank, I was pretty sure it wasn't a good idea. This morning after my 2 different alarm clocks tried to wake me up, I knew it wasn't a good idea. What the hey - I can sleep when I'm dead right?

Bob's back .. for now

Bob decided to pay me a visit late last night. I was sitting in bed last night around 1:30am when a noise outside startled me (I'm a big scaredy cat). It turned out to be Bob jumping into the garden and prancing inside. She quickly let me know that she was hungry and wanted feeding. The nerve! Of course I jumped out of bed and went upstairs and fed her. It was good to see her - it's been over 2 months since I last saw her. She's currently trapped inside at home; I'm sure as soon as I get home she'll be ready to go on her next 2 month gallivant.


This is Bob running up the stairs to get her food .. and eating her food. I was SO used! :)

First day of school

I thought the first day of school was reserved for school aged children. I was wrong. Tomorrow school starts. It's an inset day, but it still means the end of summer is here. Gone are the days of relaxing work done in my own pace with no disturbances. **sigh** Ah well, at least I have the memories :)

Woe is me

Those who know me probably know that I don't do 'sick' very well. Those who have lived with me know how miserable and whingey I am when I'm sick. Yesterday morning I woke up and I was fine. around 11am I was on the phone and all the sudden I needed to be sick and it was downhill from there all day. I felt properly miserable all day. I even called my mother to spread the misery so she would make me feel better. She didn't make me feel better, but she did tolerate my moaning.

This morning I'm still a bit delicate, but nothing like I was yesterday.