Journal Entries
reading
Posted Mar 28, 2007
i joined a challenge comm on lj, to try to get back into the habit of reading actual books. You're supposed to read fifty over the year. i used to get through five or six books every week. But so far this year i've only read thirteen new books and re-read another dozen. I guess i'm feeling a little guilty for not reading as much as i used to, i know that it's partly because i don't dedicate the time to it, but it's also because i've become a little more discriminating, i'm not willing to just struggle through mediocre novels any more.
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Latest reply: Mar 28, 2007
whiney rant
Posted Feb 28, 2007
It's been a horrible day here, all wind, rain and cold. So when i got home this afternoon, i thought i'd cheer myself up by lighting a fire. So i'm tucked up on the sofa, with a mug of chocolate and my laptop, just realaxing and enjoying the pretty flames. Next thing the old bat (dear) from next door is hammering on my door. Saying that she can see smoke coming out of my roof, i took a quick look, and yes, smoke was curling up from between the tiles. At which point panic set in, for one awful moment i thought i had a chimney fire, but luckily it wasn't that.
Got the fire put out, and checked the attic, no smoke inside the house,thank god, but there had to be a problem. Got a builder to come out, and after the usual chin scratching and procrastination, he tells me the whole chimney's shot. The mortar's so rotten, the only thing keeping it upright is willpower. It could have toppled over and brained someone at any time.
So now the whole side of my house is covered in scaffolding, and the builders are going to have to tear down the damn chimney and rebuild it. Of course they're also going to have to take up part of the roof, which means i've got to empty the sodding attic, so that nothing gets damaged. Now i've just got to find somewhere to store 34 years of accumalated junk.
I had some money saved, because i was going to replace my crappy old windows this year, well that job'll have to wait, because this is going to cost me an arm and a leg.
Why oh why did i buy this crumbling wreck. I could have had a nice modern, new build, but No i wanted olde worlde charm. Thick stone walls and oak beams are all very well, but this damn cottage eats money as fast as i earn it.
I'm starting to miss my old london flat, it may have been tiny and noisy, but it was never this much trouble. Downsizing to the country was a nice idea, but i'm starting to think i should move back. A stress free life, this ain't.
It's amazing how threaputic ranting to your journal can be. It always makes me feel better. Now i just need to track down the moronic surveyor that told me this place was structurally sound.
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Latest reply: Feb 28, 2007
tech whine
Posted Jan 23, 2007
So i got my new broadband up and running finally. The old one switched off on monday and the new one was supposed to take over, no such luck, it finally showed up on thursday. Then when i got the new modem set up and configured all the new software, it asked "do you want to import your bookmarks and contacts?" that sounded like a good idea, so i clicked yes, only to watch as they all disappeared into the ether.
I got to spend most of friday hanging on the phone with the tech line, after much whining and begging on my part we finally got it fixed and i got all my bookmarks back. And i do mean all, including some i haven't seen for years; from fandoms i don't play in any more.
Now i just have to reorganise all my files and try to catch up on everything i missed whilst i was offline
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Latest reply: Jan 23, 2007
argh
Posted Jan 9, 2007
What is it about being in my doctor's office that turns me into a total incompetent?
I went in yesterday to see about my knees again, they're totally shot, i sound like a couple of creaky hinges every time i walk upstairs, they've been getting progressively worse for a few years. So i go in with a list of things i want to say and i'm determined not to get fobbed off again. Next thing i know i'm leaving with a prescription for steriods and pain killers yet again. I hate steroids, they don't work and they make me bloated and lethargic, and the pain killers are codeine based which i didn't figure out 'til i got to the chemist, i don't take codeine, it's right there in my sodding notes it makes me nauseous, you'd think he might have noticed that. Something about sitting in my doctors office turns me from a reasonably intelligent 34 year old woman who's quite capable of running her own life into somne sort of retarded four year old, who can't speak for herself. I wanted an appopintment to see a consultant, instead it's the same old crap and come back next month. Makes me want to scream.
Then i finally figure out why my yahell lists were a bit quiet last week, ruddy msn were bouncing the digests.
And my new upgraded 8meg broadband which was supposed to be online before christmas, will now apparently be showing up next week, sometime, possibly, maybe, they can't quite guarantee it. 
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Latest reply: Jan 9, 2007
happy new year
Posted Jan 1, 2007
They had to cancel the big do in our village 'cos the high winds made the marque a bit dodgy, so we all piled down the local, where for reasons known only to himself, the landlord had decided to screen rocky horror. So me and the rest of the village made total arses of ourselves timewarping in the new year, we managed to fire off a few fireworks 'round midnight, then everyone trotted off home to bed. All in all a pretty good night.
Trouble is i'm way to wired to sleep, so i thought i'd pop in here and see if anyone was around
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Latest reply: Jan 1, 2007
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