h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Liz

Hope you're and enjoying the rest from work

Well, I survived ye olde axe murderer of Southend ... actually we had a really nice afternoon - met on the south end of the Millennium Bridge and had a swift half in a nearby pub then walked up to St Katherine's dock, grabbed a pizza, walked up to Trafalgar Square then to the tube and home. He's a genuinly nice bloke I think, we had a laugh and he was easy to chat to so we've said we'll do something similar soon - no spark tho if you know what I mean, but could turn into a good mate.

YOur story about your friend's lad made me smile - we have similar situations at this end when youngest can't wait to drop eldest in it and vice versa .... you have to make sure everybody is singing from the same hymn sheet if you want to pull a fast one in this house

I know what you mean too about RL friends .... great in principal but I think we've said before, not too reliable for company. I guess we were the same in another life .... things are busy but when you're suddenly on your own and looking for some company, things look a little different. I think we all need a single friend who's in much the same boat who is up for the odd night out or day out cos weekends can be pretty long if you're on your own. That's where my 'friend' is a bonus (and I think he feels the same about me ) ... we were both at a loose end yesterday and ended up just going for a walk and a during the afternoon and it's nice because there are no strings and no expectations these days. Chris sounds like a good option for your Jack Dee trip to me .... might be a nice way to reach a bit of a truce as well

Well, back to work tomorrow ... I could quite get used to sitting around drinking .

How has your weekend been? I hope you've had a good one, at least the weather's been nice which is always a bonus.

I'll stop now .... have a good week and I look forward to hearing your news

Karen

Hi Karen,

I'm glad you enjoyed your trip to London. My weekend was long and, if I'm honest, rather lonely. The fact that I had my period didn't help - that tends to make me tearful anyway. So I spent a lot of time feeling sorry for myself and the weather wasn't nearly as nice as the forecast had led me to believe. It was very warm, but mostly very cloudy. Monday was the best day here weatherwise, but even Monday wasn't consistently sunny enough to sit out in the garden

Still, I was reminded this evening of how there are always people worse off. I have a friend who lives up in Scotland who e-mailed me about three weeks ago with the rather shocking news that her seventeen-year-old son had got testicular cancer. He had an operation to remove the lump, which seemed to go well. My own experience of cancer was that surgery was all I needed but my friend's son has not been so fortunate. They were told this morning that the cancer has already spread to his stomach, kidney and lungs and he now has four months of heavy duty chemo therapy to look forward to. I'm stunned by this latest news. His mother e-mails me to tell me how unfair this all is and she's f*****g right too! Life is verily a bitch!

I have just sent a, frankly rather inadequate, e-mail back to my friend to try and offer sympathy and support. While at the PC, I've also e-mailed another friend (the one I went to Kersey with) to ask if she wants to go and see Jack Dee with me. I'm still not sure about asking Chris - somehow it does rather look like an admission of failure. However, if my friend doesn't want to (or can't) come, then Chris will be next on my list.

And that will have to do for this evening - I shouldn't be on the PC this late as it tends to mess with my ability to sleep.

Chat again soon.
Liz
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Hi Liz

Well, you sound as if you had a fairly dismal weekend all in all - your friend is right, life stinks sometimes, how unfair that a lad of that age should have to go through all that - I didn't realise that you had also suffered cancer - it must be terrifying to have it diagnosed ... I hope that you're clear now and will continue to be

How has this week been? Have your spirits lifted a bit? Sometimes being at works helps tho it grieves me to admit it .... less time to think I've been a bit down this weekend for no particular reason other than I've had a lot of time on my hands I think ... the girls were with me but off doing their own thing and I had a million and one jobs I should be doing but couldn't get motivated to do any of them, so I ended up just sitting around feeling lonely and pathetic ... I should have just bitten the bullet and got on with something. I've been quite depressed this last 6 months or so and I should really do something about it, but I just keep hoping things'll improve - which they don't really. Still, as you so rightly said - there are so many people with Real Problems that it brings you up short sometimes doesn't it.

Well, enough of that - the week ahead is pretty busy with the usual domestic stuff. Got Thursday and Friday off work so that's something to look forward to .... not doing anything special, I've got a carpenter coming to hang some doors for me, but it has to be better than being at work

Hope your friend has come up trumps with the Jack Dee trip - you shouldn't feel it's an admission of failure if you ask Chris .... look on it as being very adult and laid back about the whole thing it seems a whole lot better from that angle

I'm off now to make a cuppa ... trying to lay off the a bit but frankly just isn't the same lol. Hope you have a good week Liz - maybe we'll see some sunshine this week to cheerus both up!!

Take care m'dear
Karen

Hello Karen,

I had a better weekend this weekend, although I don't know why particularly - I didn't do much different to the previous week and yet I felt pretty contented. You may have seen my journal, 'Managing Change' about how things are changing for me at work. I was pretty upset on Thursday, but it's all turned into something of an anti-climax as Mrs Boss wont let me take my computer to my new department, so I can't move there permanently until they get me a new PC (seems ridiculous considering the one I have now is new but there we are). I went over to T-Block (where I will eventually be located) this morning for some induction training which took all of ten minutes. I'm going down to FE Enrolments tomorrow morning for some training down there. In theory, I will continue to do the job I do now to some degree, but in the long term I can see that falling by the wayside, despite Mrs Boss's objections.

My experience with cancer was a bit half-arsed really. I had an operation to remove a lump from my nose, which the doctors thought was an unusually large nasal polyp (nasal polyps are very common, nasal cancer is very unusual). It was not until nearly two weeks after the tumour was removed that I was told it was cancer - so by the time I knew what it was, it had already gone. The doctors made noises about going back in and removing the whole of my septum "just to be on the safe side" - but I refused this option - I didn't fancy being disfigured at the age of 34 "just in case". Anyway, my ability to heal is a little too good and my scar tissue completely sealed off my right nostril at one point, so I had to go back into hospital to have that cut away (they initially tried to do it under a local anastheatic, but I made too much fuss, so they had to knock me out). While they were in there cutting away the scar tissue, they took a further biopsy and that all came back clear. I still go back for check-ups every six months but I am hopeful of being discharged completely in autumn 2006.

I'm sorry you were depressed over the weekend - it's weired how it just sort of hits you sometimes. I find my lowest moments tend to coincide with my period (that was certainly the case over the Bank Holiday). I read somewhere the other day that chronic fatigue is a symptom of depression. I am often excessively tired - it was one of Chris's complaints that I was often too tired to do anything - and I was thinking about going to the doctors (even though they failed to find anything wrong with me the last time I went, about 10 years ago). However, I've gone off the idea now that I think it might not be a physical problem. I think I just need to get myself a life - but I'm not sure how I do that.

You mentioned - speaking for myself, if I am feeling a bit low the one thing guaranteed to make me feel even worse is booze, so I'd suggest sticking to and .

I still haven't heard back from my friend about going to see Jack Dee. I knew this would happen, she's not exactly what you would call reliable. She is staying with friends at the moment, so it's hard to contact her, but I think I might have a mobile number somewhere so I will try and call her tonight.

Anyway, that's enough from me for now. I hope you are having a good week. I've got Friday and Monday off solely to use up two days leave that I carried forward from last year. After my miserable bank holiday, I was dreading another long weekend, but I feel better about it now.

Chat again soon.

Liz
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Hi Liz

Glad things at work are working out better than expected .... I read your Journal Entry and it sounds as if it's the usual case of the employee being the last to hear about things - no-one ever seems to consider that we may have an opinion on these things do they? Shame it sounds as if your new Department (whenever you eventually get there) won't be as lively as your present one .... not the sort of change you need right now I imagine

Well, my weeks been cr*ppy .... can't shake of this case of the blues ... had Thursday and Friday off because I had some carpenters coming to hang some doors for me - they finished unexpectedly on Thursday so Friday I took the girls to school and came home, went back to bed and finally surfaced around midday. My sleep patterns are all over the place at the moment which I guess isn't helping - I seriously need to get something sorted out. I went for a long run last night which helped enormously ... there's something very therapeutic about exercise but I've found I've even lost the motivation for that recently - made myself go yesterday and felt so much better afterwards ....

I've got a free weekend this weekend, the girls are at their Dad's and the peace is just grand . I've been pottering in the garden but the wind is a bit keen so I've come in and now really should do some ironing then get on with a bit of decorating. That lot should keep me busy if nothing else You're in the middle of your long weekend at the mo aren't you .... hope you've found something nice to do, but whatever it's pretty good not to have to rush around isn't it ...

Well, I can hear that ironing calling to me so best get on - have a good weekend and we'll chat again soon

Karen

Hi Karen,

I hope you are enjoying your peace and quiet. And ironing. I did all my ironing this morning, so I can sit here and feel smug.

Sorry to hear that your still feeling a bit low. I wish I could suggest a solution. My own moods are very up-and-down, so I do sympathise.

I had a really nice day yesterday. I went to Sainsbury's in the morning (not very exciting, I know) and stocked up on tinned stuff to justify coming home by taxi. The driver was a pleasant, friendly sort, which is always nice. Then in the afternoon I went out again, this time to the cinema to see the Hitchhikers Guide movie. I really enjoyed it. I was a bit apprehensive about going to the cinema alone, which is why I wanted to go to a daytime showing. I think that on a weekend it would have been full of teenage chavs, but on a Friday afternoon there were only about 20 of us in and it was really nice. I walked home again afterwards, and spent some time on here and also did some reading - so it was a nice full day. Keeping busy seems to be the trick for me at the moment.

My sleep is a bit up and down too. I think it's probably a symptom of being a bit depressed. I either wake up really early, or I sleep so late that half the damn day is gone, which annoys me. I've taken to setting an 8:30 alarm at the weekend because I don't think laying in bed all day is good for me at the moment.

My Mum phoned up last night and somehow I find myself in a situation where she and Dad are supposed to be coming down tomorrow and staying overnight. So today I have been busy doing a whole weekends housework in one day. I have found time to read a couple of chapters of a book as well. I was having a pleasant enough day until about 5 o'clock when a group of boys decided to spend 15 minutes revving up their mopeds right outside my house. They have gone now, but I still feel really stressed. It is fairly quiet down my street for most of the time, but I get about one evening a week when there seems to be a lot of noise. Now that I'm back to living on my own, I think I'm more aware of disturbances outside than I was when Chris was here.

I find that I like being at home much better on a weekday than at the weekend. I have always been something of a homebody, but the big downside of living in a large town is that it is often noisy and I don't always feel as comfortable at home as I would like. It's probably a good thing to spend time in this room (which is at the back of the house) rather than sit in the lounge watching the world outside my window.

It seems that I am moving to my new office when I go back to work on Tuesday. The girls over there seem very nice so I think it will be OK, although I doubt if it will be as relaxed and informal as the department that I'm used to. The big problem I have with work at the moment is that I could really do with earning a bit more money. I can manage on my salary, but there isn't much surplus. I've got a hairdressers appointment next Saturday, which will set me back £27 and I expect to spend at least £10 when I go out on Saturday evening and given that I only have £50 to last me from now until payday, I can see that I will have to raid my savings in order to have a nice life until the end of the month. I am already on the top point of my salary scale, so I would have to apply for a job as a PA or an Admin Officer in order to move up to the next pay scale, but even if I could do that, I would go in at point 1 of scale 4, which is only about £500 more than I currently earn, and frankly that's not enough. In the longer term, I will probably have to look for something that pays a bit more - although what I could do that would give me the sort of salary increase I need, I have no idea. It's either that or do a second job. I did do a second job for a while about 10 years ago and I wouldn't mind doing so again as long as it was only a short term thing.

It's a shame about this windy weather, isn't it? If that wind would drop it would be really warm outside. I don't know about you, but I expect to be able to put my winter coat away before May!

Chat soon.
Liz
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Hi Liz

How's thing in the new department going? Hope you're finding it and nice and friendly. Oh, and the visit from your parents - did that go well too? Mine came for a after work on Tuesday and, boy, that was enough for me .... I love 'em to bits but I think I'd go up the wall if they stayed for a couple of days!!


I'm feeling a bit better this week ... I find the moods go in cycles I don't know if you're the same. I tend to go from the depths of despair to a kind of *oh s*d the lot of 'em* attitude fairly quickly - that's where I am at the mo It wasn't helped yesterday afternoon when I got a letter from eldest daughter's school. We've had to write in and complain about one of the teachers there and a letter arrived from them yesterday basically waving 2 fingers at me and telling me they didn't care. Oh, bad move this week!! They got another letter in the post this morning, no holds barred this time. So, now we'll see I never complain about anything but this is something I couldn't overlook, and their attitude just stinks!!

I was glad to hear you enjoyed the film - it's something I want to go and see and it's good to hear some opinions from others. Might go over the weekend if I get time although I've got the girls with me this week so not always so easy.

I know what you mean about the cash situation as well! We're always broke ... counting down til payday I don't know how we'd manage without the maintenance money my ex pays us ... that'll stop in a few years and I don't like to think what'll happen then - Hopefully before then I'll be able to work fulltime as the youngest gets a bit older and like you, I'll probably have to consider taking a second job .... but we'll worry about that when the time comes.

Well, other than the usual domestic stuff I haven't really done much this week - I did get some decorating done at the weekend which was a plus - I painted one wall of the new extension bright poppy red and it looks just great - that's another plus of living on your own .... you get to chose your own colourschemes

What plans have you got for the coming weekend? I really should get on with some chores around the house - I've got a load of furniture which needs coating with woodstain and now some doors to do aswell and the garden needs tidying up if only the weather would stay fine, so I guess that's me kinda sorted I hope you've got something nice to look forward to this week - did you hear back from you friend about the Jack Dee trip??

Well, best get on with some more work I spose so I'll say ttfn and catch up with you again soon

Karen

Hello Karen The parental visit was OK really. My Mum and Dad live nearly 100 miles away, so I can't really expect my Dad to drive here and back in one day anymore (he used to when he was younger and fitter). Dad was hard work in that he is talking a lot (a symptom of a depressive illness he has had since I was a baby). He talks very loudly about the same old stuff he's been saying over and over again for years and it's pretty exhausting after a while. However, the weather cheered up on Sunday so we went for a really nice walk and then on Monday we went to Felixstowe and managed a nice walk on the prom and a pub lunch before the rain came. I'm glad to hear you are feeling a bit more cheerful. My moods seem to go up and down with my hormones. I was a bit tearful when I went to bed on Tuesday night, but other than that I've been fine. Good luck with kicking butt at your daughter's school. So far, my 'new' job seems to be pretty much the same old crap just in a different place and with a lot of running backwards and forwards to my other office. Not impressed. My new colleagues are very nice, although a couple of them are a good bit younger than me and somewhat immature. My line manager has naffed off on holiday until the end of the month, so it doesn't look like I'm going to get much 'new' work until she gets back, so I wonder what was the big panic to get me over there? I've had a nice day today really, despite a trip to the dentist this morning. I went out to lunch with my work colleagues from my old office in honour of the fact that tomorrow is my birthday. We also had lots of cake and chocolate. My 'old' team got me some gift vouchers and there was a card from my new department as well, which was a nice surprise. However, the biggest surprise was a telephone call from my friend in France! My other friend is definitely coming with me to see Jack Dee tomorrow night and we are going out for a chinese first. I am going to the hairdressers in the morning (bad planning on my part - I hate getting my hair done). I spent the last of my cash at lunch time, so the building society will have to be raided to pay for my haircut and also my outing tomorrow. Roll on payday! I approve of your colourscheme My bedroom is painted red. It's a nice warm shade, which I think is called English Fire and is almost like those heritage colours. Have you seen the message about H2G2 being on pre-moderation on Monday due to the BBC strike? http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/F77636?thread=646245&skip=0&show=20. I wont bother coming logging in on Monday - I can't see the point of trying to post when no one will be able to see the messages for 24 hours. However, I shall probably be on again at some point over the weekend. Chat again soon. Liz ~

Hi Liz

This is just a quick note to say Happy Birthday for tomorrow ... I guessed you'd be busy tomorrow and probably wouldn't have time to get here so ....
hope you have a really great day and enjoy Jack Dee - I'm glad your friend came up trumps after all

I have seen the thread about Monday .... I don't quite know what I'll do without my hootoo *fix* in the evening but I'm sure I'll find something

anyway - as I said, just a quick one tonight ... enjoy the day tomorrow and I'll catch up with you again after the weekend

Karen

I had a nice birthday - I even enjoyed my trip to the hairdressers.

I got lots of cards, including one from Chris. There was a letter in it in which he asked if I'd like to meet him for lunch one day this week.

My friend was in celebratory mood as she's had an offer accepted on a house yesterday morning. Our Chinese meal was lovely and Jack Dee was hilarious

On the slightly less good news front, I have found out that my parents have cancelled their holiday. Dad told my brother that he didn't think he'd be well enough to go but he told my Mum he doesn't want to go. My Mum has wanted to go to Canada since she was a little girl and this is not the first time a holiday has cancelled because my Dad 'didn't feel up to it'. The last time they went abroad he spoiled it for Mum with his endless moaning. However, all is not lost. Mum still has her insurance money to spend and is suggesting that she and I could go to Canada next spring I think we shall and Mr misery guts can stew at home on his own!

Liz
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Hi Liz

Glad you had a good birthday. Did you meet up with Chris yet? How did it go??

Good and bad news on the trip to Canada then ... I bet your mum was disappointed but it'll be nice if you can both go next year - you might find it'll work out better for everyone ... you get a nice holiday, your mum gets to spend her break with someone who will actually enjoy it and your dad? well I guess he gets to feel sorry for himself, which is maybe what he likes ?

I've had a really strange week this week - but I'm feeling pretty good today The weekend was quiet, had the girls here and really couldn't be ar*ed to do much at all which I think is where things started to go down hill. Monday I was in depths of despair again , Tuesday I had Far Too Much , not enought sleep, woke up with a hangover but strangely things have been on the up ever since. Really there isn't any logic to things at the moment. The girls are both in good spirits despite the fact that the eldest has started her GCSEs this week, the weather is warm and all's well with the World

Hope your week has been a goodun' - how are things at work this week? Is all going well in the new Dept??

Well, what plans for the Bank Hols?? The girls are at their Dad's this weekend and as they both have birthdays at the end of June, I'm going to do some birthday present shopping on Saturday then I'm planning a drive up to Ikea Saturday afternoon to get the last of my new sitting room furniture ... Sunday I'll be down the gym then maybe out for a walk somewhere with a friend if the weather stays fine. Then the girls are back but I don't have to go back to work til Thursday .... actually that may explain why I'm feeling pretty good

Rumour has it we have another strike coming next week - 2 days this time I've heard ... I must say I missed the whole hootoo thing on Monday so 2 days will be a toughie Are you still planning to go to the London meet in July?

Well the buzzer's buzzing so I guess I'd better go and do something constructive with the tea .... hope you're ok m'dear ... have a good weekend and we'll chat again soon

Karen

Hi Karen,

I hope you're enjoying your (very) long weekend. I'm glad you've been feeling more cheerful.

I rang Chris on Monday and we nattered away on the phone for an hour-and-a-half! It was just general catching up sort of conversation. We arranged to meet for lunch on Friday and I was late thanks to the person I have to cover with at lunch time coming back late from her break. Anyway, we had a nice lunch (he paid) and chatted a bit more. He looks a little better than when I last saw him and he does seem a bit happier and more settled. He still looks awfully thin though. His face looks really haggard and old, which is partly the result of him having lost so much weight so quickly, but might also be connected to the physical discomfort he is still in. He goes to hospital again tomorrow, so I am hoping he will let me know how he gets on. I intend to send him a text message later on.

My Mum says that my Dad seems quite happy with the idea of the two of us going away together next year. I have no doubt that some terrible ailment will afflict him just before we are due to go, but I don't care if he's on life support - we're going! I'm excited already

Work is dull. I'm not very enamoured with my new office. The people are pleasant enough but it does feel a bit like working with a load of children most of the time. A temporary person (to cover someones maternity leave) starts tomorrow and will be the only bloke in the office. A bloke in the office will be a good thing in my opinion - all that oestrogen needs watering down a bit! Miss New Boss is back from her holiday tomorrow, so maybe I might get some better idea of just what the I'm supposed to be doing (other than answering every one else's damn phone!)

I've enjoyed my long weekend. I spent a large part of Saturday sitting reading in my back garden (the joys of being single, I can devour a novel every single weekend!) I also took a walk up to the big Sainsbury's and got lucky with the buses and was home less than half and hour after I finished my shopping. Result I treated myself to an Indian Take-away on Saturday evening and opend some . I walked into town yesterday (despite having slept in very late - how is it possible to still be tired after nine hours sleep?) to try and spend my birthday money. I only managed to buy one tee-shirt and I had planned to go back again today, but the weather has been very showery, so I have mostly been doing housework. My brother and his girlfriend might be coming to stay next weekend, so I have given my spare bedroom a really thorough clean.

So, back to work tomorrow. Boo! I've got a hospital check-up on 15 June and I find myself looking forward to that because it means I have to spend a bit less time at work that day I have started looking around for a different job - my life is quite unsatisfactory enough without being miserable at work. I've got a week off towards the end of June and it is going to be hard not to spend the intervening weeks just wishing my life away.

I'm not sure about the London meet - my name is still on the list, but my attendance will depend a bit on who else is going (eg, PSG & Unconformity) and what they plan to do during the day. The day-time part of the event is looking like it will be a bit fractured. I think some of them are going to the Hitchhikers exhibition at the Science museum and I'm not sure if the picnic is happening at all now. I'd quite like to go to the exhibition, but it means booking in advance so I may have already missed the slot. Quite a few people seem to favour the idea of going straight to the pub, but I'm blowed if I'm going all the way to London just to sit in a pub. So, I've gone off the idea a bit but I will decide a bit nearer the time. Also, I'm going racing at Newmarket the week before, so I'm not sure that I can afford to do both. You've got your kids that weekend, haven't you?

I think that the next BBC strike has been called off, so hopefully your hootooing wont be curtailed too much this week. I should be getting my broadband connection this week, so I shall be able to hootoo a bit faster and more often

Enjoy the rest of your break.

Chat again soon.
Liz
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Hi Liz

Thanks for your message ... sounds like you've had a good weekend/week. Glad that Chris seems to be perking up a bit, I think it's still hard to see them suffering no matter how self-inflicted it may be!! Maybe there's still hope for you 2 to end up friends in the future, wadya think??

I can quite understand why you'd be excited about the holiday - who wouldn't!! I'm sure your mum will look forward to it as well knowing that your Dad won't be putting a spanner in the works at the last minute. Will he be alright if you go without him??

You're right ... I have got my girls the weekend of the London meet. I was mulling over the idea of coming up just for the afternoon but I don't particularly want to go to the exhibition and I'm a little bit hesitatant about leaving them on their own when I'm an hour away. They stay quite happily but usually I'm a phonecall and a 10 minute drive away at most if there are problems .... all the way into London is different. Never mind, maybe I'll come to the next one

We had a nice girly shopping day in Milton Keynes on Tuesday. The eldest is nearly 16 and she has her school prom at the end of June. We already had her dress but she needed the shoes and the whole accessory thing to go with it. Got the lot - a pair of evening shoes to die for (not that I'd ever wear them - I couldn't walk in the heels!), a little diamante alice band and matching necklace and bracelet I'm so glad I had girls ... it certainly beats the hell out of spending your Saturday mornings freezing to death on the touchline

Sounds to me like you're doing the right thing with your job ... if you can find something a bit livelier which also pays a bit more it'd be a real result No point in staying somewhere which is boring you to tears. My job has it's moments but generally I'm quite happy here and the quantity of work has picked up a bit over the last few weeks which stops me sitting around twiddling my thumbs and thinking too much (definitely a mistake ). We spend such a lot of hours at work it's a shame not to enjoy it (well at least some of the time)

Well, having said that I ought to press on with some more work! I've been writing this while I drink a but now I've got a few bits to tie up before I hit the road at 3. Got the girls this weekend so I'll do some domestic things and leave the sex drugs and rock 'n' roll to another time

Hope you have another good weekend Liz - try to spend some of that birthday money if you get the chance

I'll catch you again soon, take care
Karen

oooh, just noticed your change of name

with the Broadband!!!

Hi Karen,

I’ve been having a few teething problems with the broadband, so I haven’t been on much this week. My suspicion at the moment is that one of my ASDL filters is duff. I’ve got the phone with the suspect filter unplugged at the moment and all seems to be well.

I've had my brother and his girlfriend to stay this weekend and we've had such a nice time. The only spoiler was that my brother has a really bad cold, poor thing. They arrived Friday night and I made jambalaya for supper. Yesterday we went to Aldeburgh and walked on the beach before having a light lunch in a pub. We then spent most of the afternoon dodging showers, and ended up at a place called Snape Maltings. My brother’s girlfriend found some plates and dishes that she liked in the posh house wares shop at Snape, so she was really chuffed. We went out for a particularly nice meal in a French restaurant on Saturday evening. T'other Liz teaches French, so she had a fine old time chatting up all the waiters and the owner seemed really pleased when she discovered that our comments card had been completed in French

They decided to go home this morning, thereby depriving me of the opportunity to make them a huge Sunday lunch, but never mind. I have spent most of today tidying up, reading a book and at one point I fell asleep on the sofa. No stamina me!

I spoke to Chris again on Wednesday. He had a hospital appointment on Tuesday and sent me a text in the middle of the night about it. When I got the text next day, I sent him a message that said “you sound really low – you know where I am if you want to chat” and to my astonishment he rang up to chat! So, yeah, at the moment we do seem to be friends.

At present, Dad seems to be going along with the idea of me and Mum going away together next year. My brother has expressed some surprise at this and I fully expect a change of heart nearer the time. However, my brother has said that if necessary he will go and ‘Dad sit’ while we are away

I see that the sign up thread for the London meet is picking up a bit now, so I’m still keeping an open mind. I suppose there is no reason why you and I shouldn’t have our own ‘mini-meet’ one day given that we can both get to London fairly easily.

So you like shopping with your kids? I hate shopping altogether. I have spent some of my birthday money, but unfortunately it was on a new lawn mower! I shall check out some shops again this week and I might look for some shoes one lunch time. School proms sound rather fun - better than the cheesy school disco's that I remember, anyway.

I had a slightly better week at work, although I did seem to spend a lot of it stuffing things into envelopes. I was surprised how tired I was at the end of a day of this monotonous work. I had a bottle of open and I’ve had to drink some of it most evenings in order to restore my sanity. This arrangement of having all the course administrators in one room is not at all popular – someone else handed her notice in last week. In the office where I now sit, out of eight staff there are only two who have worked at the college for longer than me and one of them, like myself, has come from another department. I suppose I can only hope that at some point the management will realise that administrators would rather work in their own curriculum centres rather than in this central office and move us all back again. Some hope!

Hope all is well with you.

Liz
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Hi Liz

thanks for your last message ... sorry I haven't replied sooner - I just don't know where the time has disappeared to this week. I haven't done much out of the ordinary but it's slipped by at a rate of knotts!!

Did go out for a pizza on Monday evening with an old schoolfriend .... we also shared a flat together for a year or 2 in our 20's. We do see each other periodically at the gym and probably twice a year we'll have an evening out so there's always lots to catch up on. She is such a laugh that the time passed so quickly ... she had me in stitches with her stories of a Saga cruise which her mum had kindly treated her to .... a week on board ship with a load of old biddies but she said they were all so lively and funny that she really enjoyed herself.

The rest of the week has just been the usual domestic stuff ... eldest has nearly finished her exams now and the youngest seems to spend most of her time at the park with her mates so they are both happy. I love the light evenings, it gives them both a bit more freedom to get out and about. They both have birthdays in a couple of weeks time so I spent this afternoon wrapping pressies and storing them away as this is really the last opportunity I'll have when they're not around.

Just got diverted there for a few minutes .... heard some strange squeeking coming from the dining room and found that the cats had bought a mouse in and were tossing it around in there Honestly, we used to have a lot of this at our old house because it was on the edge of a watermeadow but we don't get it so much now ... the cats are 13 and not as lively as they were ... all I can say is this mouse must have laid down and surrendered Still, I managed to catch it and put it out again so lets just hope it has the sense to run off before the cats get back out there.

I'm having a lazy weekend this week .. I fully intended to do some gardening but it's been so chilly out there today that I've been indoors most of the day. My parents came for a cuppa this morning with some elderely relies and I popped out this afternoon to borrow a video but that's about it. It's been lovely to just sit and read and do nothing in particular.

Glad to hear that you and Chris are still chatting ... I think it's much nicer to be friends if you can. Hope his hospital appointment went well ...

You sound pretty cheesed off with your job at the mo ... I hope something turns up either there or maybe a change if that's what you'd prefer. There's nothing worse than being in a job that bores you to tears. I'm supposed to be getting a new Assistant at work as the lady who worked with me has just 'retired' at 47 ... lucky thing. The new lady is transferring from a different department and when I got back in at the beginning of the week found an e-mail from her saying she's just disocovered shes expecting !! Ithink it was a bit of a shock as she's nearly 40 with 4 kids already and her partner lives in Reading!! But full marks to them both, they've hastily organised the wedding for 24th June and she is fully determined that she's going to take the minimum of time off with the baby .... as she said, her youngest at the mo is 12 and she's just beginning to get a bit of independence back which she is loath to give up again .... I think she's a brave lady, I'm not sure I would be that cool calm and collected!!

Well m'dear ... sorry for rambling tonight .... I thought I didn'[t have that much to write this time but once I start the verbal diarrohea just kicks in

Hope you're well and enjoying life,
catch up again soon
Karen

Evenin'

I know what you mean about time slipping by - I don't seem to have much time to myself during the past week. However, I've made up for that a bit over the weekend.

I don't know what I'm doing on here at the moment - I'm supposed to be filling in a job application form but I can't think of anything to put under ‘special knowledge, abilities and skills’. I think it might be time to put it away and think some more later. I downloaded it off the internet, but I'm loathe to print it out at the moment anyway because my printer is out of blue ink and when I printed my CV just now, my e-mail address came out pink! I don't think that looks too professional, so I had better buy a new cartridge tomorrow

I've had another nice weekend. I decided not to do too much as I am going away next weekend and that will involve quite a bit of rushing around, so I thought I would chill while I had the chance. I didn't get up until 10 am yesterday. I did go and get some groceries, which involved a half hour walk there and two buses back, but that was about all I did yesterday. I know what you mean about the chilly weather - I had to have a bath yesterday evening just to get warm! Then I went out for a meal with a friend that I used to work with. We had a nice evening, chatting and eating curry. The only downer was that I bashed myself in the leg when I opened the door of her car and I now have a corking bruise.

I can't believe that I've been out to eat two Saturday's in a row - I seem to have acquired a life!

I had a couple of drinks last night and the consequence of that was I didn't sleep very well. Mind you, the fact that it was so cold didn't help me sleep! This morning I walked all the way into town just to buy one tee-shirt. I came home after only an hour or so because I was hungry. After lunch I finished reading 'The Catcher in the Rye' (verdict - pish) and I had a little nap and then did some very basic housework. Then I've been sat here trying to complete this job application form for about the last hour-and-a-half. My hearts just not in it. I got an application pack for another job that I was more interested in, but they want previous experience that I don't have and also a level 4 qualification. I'm only educated to level 3 (A levels). I will have to look into doing a professional qualification when the HE brochure comes out at work, which should be soon. If I stay at the college, I can do their courses for free so that is something I will be persuing.

I wont laugh at the lady expecting at 40. The manager I had in my last job had two children aged 16 and 18 from her first marriage and fell pregnant allegedly by accident (not sure I believe her, actually) with her second husband and had a baby about three years ago and I believe she has had another once since. She was adamant that she would come back to work, and then didn't. Sometimes I regret that I haven't had any children, but I'm not sure I'd want to start a family now, even if I had someone to start one with - first child in late 30's equals kids still living at home when you retire!

Work didn't pee me off quite so much last week, but I still think the time may be right to move on - assuming I can find something suitable to move on to. As I am a bit long in the tooth for having kids and I don't have anyone to have them with now, I feel I ought to try and find a more fulfilling job otherwise life has the potential to be a bit grim in the long term. My friend who I was out with last night would like to retrain to do something like nursing or radiography, but as her husband is older than her and out of work at present, she is supporting her whole family on an office clerks wage and is in no position to take time out to study and retrain. She hasn't even got any A levels, so she would have to do an access course and a foundation course before she could even start any medical training, so she's stuffed at the moment. I think we both need a lotto win, which reminds me, I haven't checked my numbers this weekend.

Chat again soon.
Liz
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Hi Liz

I thought I'd just pop in briefly today in the hope that I'd catch you before you head off for the weekend ... have a great time .... where are you off to?? You've certainly picked a goodun' - they're forecasting weather up in the 80s. At Last summer's here

I just love this warm weather ... there are people I work with here believe it or not who are already moaning about the heat (!!) ... honestly, I can't believe it ... we have about 9 months of miserable weather and the first nice warm day and they're all moaning and groaning about it. No hope.

I've got a really exciting weekend lined up this week .... I've gotta clear out my shed and storeroom and take all the rubbish down to the local dump then move the freezer into the store to make some room in the kitchen. Now, I bet you wish you had that much excitement in your life don't you . It's a job I've been putting off since last summer cos the dump's always soooooooo busy but now I've ordered some new flooring for the kitchen and I really should do it and move the freezer before that arrives ... and if the weather's going to be good this weekend at least I can put everything out on the grass and sort it out from there it kinda makes sense but not sure I'm Actually looking forward to it. No doubt there'll be a nice warm glow of achievement when it's done tho

Good luck with the job btw - I trust you got that application finished.

Well, this week is the week of the dreaded School Prom (Thursday) so eldest is in a state of high excitement especially as she had her last GCSE yesterday (well, except for a French Aural on Monday) ... can't wait to see her in all her finery - it'll bring a tear to my eye I'm sure ... I'll let you know how it goes !!

Right, going to make myself a nice and pretend to do some more work so you have a great weekend m'dear and I'll catch you again next week

Karen

Hello Karen,

I finished the application form I had been working on and sent it off. Then the very next day I found out that I'm getting a pay rise from 1 July (had to read about that in the paper - nice!), so the salary information on the application form I filled in is already out of date. I didn't bother to complete the form for the job at the council (the one I wasn't qualified for) and a good job too as I received a letter last Wednesday to say that post has been withdrawn.

I went to visit my parents at the weekend. I picked up my hire car on Saturday morning and took a leisurely drive up to Lincolnshire. I quite liked the little car (a Corsa 1.2) - particularly as it had a CD player! I had lunch with my parents and then went to visit a friend in the afternoon. On Sunday, as it was Father's Day, I suffered an outing with the parents. We went to a steam exhibition first (at Stapleford Park in Liecestershire) and then spent the later part of the afternoon at Rutland Water. As it was so hot, we all put on lots of sticky sun tan lotion, so the soot from the miniature steam train we had a ride on stuck to us very nicely - you should have seen the tide mark I left in the bath on Sunday night. We had our tea in a pub, although it was only about three miles from where my parents live. We passed loads of places on the way back from Rutland, but they were either shut or didn't serve food on Sundays! I've lived in a big town for so long, I forget how different things are in rural areas.

I paid a brief visit to my Grandma yesterday morning before driving home. The journey home took much longer than it should, mainly due to heavy traffic. I had just enough time to do a huge shop at Sainsbury's (which cost me more than the car hire did!) before I had to take the car back to the depot. I felt almost sad to be parted from it

So, the weather has been fab. It was a bit too hot for me over the weekend, but today has been lovely. Still warm, but not oppresively hot. I'm quite pale skinned and burn easily and I also have a problem that my hands and feet swell up when it's really hot. I do love the summer, but I don't like it so much when the temperature starts to get above 24 celsius.

I had lunch with Chris today. He is looking much better and seems a little more contented than he has been. He gave me a lift home and I then went and sat in the garden with a book. And then fell asleep. I hope to sit out some more tomorrow morning, but I'm not sure that we will get much sun. It is warm here, but very cloudy. I'm not sure what I shall do tomorrow if it's not nice enough to sit outside - I may have to tackle some housework. All I really feel like doing is just lazing about day dreaming, but that seems like a waste of my annual leave.

I'm not sure what I think of the idea of School Proms - I'm never keen on anything that appears to have been imported from America. I overheard some girls in town today talking about what they will wear to their prom, so it seems to be all the rage everywhere now.

Anyway, I think that is all my news for now. No doubt I shall be back on here later in the week. The trouble with annual leave is that I do start to get a bit lonely by the end of the week. It would have suited me better to have seen Chris later in the week really, but this was the only day that he was properly free (the joys of shift work).

Chat again soon.
Liz
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Hi Liz

This is just a really quick note to apologise for not being in touch ... life here has suddenly got a tad busy - only domestic stuff nothing too exciting but it's been taking up my time and when I am free I usually slump mindlessly in front of the tele trying to catch my breath

I just need to get this week over with then hopefully things should get back to something like normal ... so I'll write more over the weekend when I have some time

Hope everything your end is ... catch up soon

Karen