Tis I the Fluff

My birthday was low key and lovely just the way I wanted it. Woke up had a nummy brekkie (hot cross buns with *real* butter) then off to Mam's grave with a friend. We talked a little about how I felt about visiting (long story short I like going up there to clear my mind but I don't nessercerily feel like *she* is there) and then home and into town to meet best friend for a day of shopping in this new huge shopping mall. It was so much fun just to spend time with her without any interruptions. I picked up a few things (new trainers, waistcoat and puuuurdy black bra) and then we had lunch in TGI's, where friend only slightly begrudged me a ultimate sized cocktail (she was driving :-)). More shopping then home to go to line dancing.

Except traffic was terrible. I rang both the friends I was going line dancing with to say I would probably be delayed and to go in without me that I would be there. One friend is fine about it the other a wee bit stressed (she had never met my other friend before plus she has a bit of anxiety about going new places/trying new things by herself). I reassured her and asked friend number 1 to look out for her. They meet and ring me to tell me the place where the line dancing is supposed to be on is in darkness and was I sure it was on. I was assured by one of the girls in my weightwatchers class last week that it was on, they tried all the doors to the hall and the place was in complete darkness so I guess she was wrong.

I apologised profusely to them both but they both seemed fine. I met up with friend number two when I got home and we watched dvd's and played some wii fit (where according to the poxy thing I had put on 0.7kg and wanted to know why. "Kiss my obese ass its my birthday" was not an option strangely) and chilled out. Friend went home, I watched some more dvd's and finally went to bed. Bliss.

"That lady over there should be able to help you". "So 27 year old woman...yes next Monday is fine". Lady, Woman. I guess I really am grown up now. Those are two comments made about me in the past week. I'm reminded of the shiteous Britney song "not a girl, not yet a woman". I don't consider myself a girl but isn't woman someone you think of as in their late twenties? Oh riiiiiiiight....... In summary I don't feel my age and my skin is certainly under the impression it is a sulky teenager :-/. However next tuesday is my birthday pushing me even further into the later twenties mark. I've taken the day off (I think your birthday should automatically begiven to you as a free vacation day). I don't really know what to do with myself though. Sitting at home all day seems rather anti climatic. I know I'll be going up to Mam's grave but thats about it. What would you most like to do on you birthday? All ideas gratefully received :)


Barry O and his missus looked so pretty at the ball. The 1st american family. Mind you according to the press over in these parts he's one step away from breaking out the lapel shamrocks and learning how to recite our national anthem (in as gaelige no less). It annoys me that whenever a popular public figure is in the spotlight people begin scrambling to look for the irish connection. For Dubya you never heard of any irish ancestry yet for Obama people in Offaly where hanging out American and Irish flags and wondering if he would pay them a visit. C'mon people its something like his 4th grandfather was born in Ireland and emigrated to the states in the 1800's. He's not irish! Mind you it seems his irish cousins would like to meet him :eyeroll: I think people are determined to compare them to the last truely glamouros 1st family the kennedys hence the irish chat. In relation to any irish comedians making jokes about him there hasn't been anything of note so far. People simply like him too much. Even my beloved Daily Show seems to be grasping at straws (let the wheelchair cheney jokes go I beg of you) although my beloved Jon Stewart is doing his best. In summary I think once he fucks up comedians will leap on it (and fox news too). For now golden boy can do no wrong (biden on the other hand needs to not make impromptu jokes).

Last semester of college started tonight, the two subjects this term are introduction to business law and accounting 2. Law was really interesting, it was just an overview tonight (barristers v solicitors etc) but it kept my attention and I even managed to ask some semi relevant questions. Accounting I have always found difficult but the lecturer is loooovely, same guy we had last term for accounting 1. He explains the most basic obvious things without making you feel stupid. We are going to try covering the curriculum while bringing relevant balance sheets, analysis etc into it (in irish financial news one of our main banks has been taken over by the goverment after the ceo hid 100mil in loans which prompted the financial regulator to resign)to keep it interesting.

I am trying to think more long term on the college thing too as in do I want to go on and do the degree. I'm finding it tough at the moment only doing one evening a week but the degree is two evenings a week plus saturdays. For three to four years. On the plus side I'll probably have saved loads as I'll be too exhausted to have a social life. Sigh. Aside from the financial burden this degree will bring (work pay for the course only if I pass the exam and per semester so I have to pony up the money first which will mean taking out a loan)I'm not entirely sure I even want to stay in this line of work. I've been feeling pretty unsatisfied for a while now and while I don't dislike my job I am feeling very meh about it. However in this dwindling craptastic recession heading economy it seems like a really stupid idea to leave the job and the security it brings.

Sigh what to do what to do :/

It came out of the blue. A former co-worker of mine who I look up to enormously and had a bit of a girl crush on when we worked together sent me an email. She asked about my christmas my new year and how my Dad was doing. Then she dropped the bombshell "I had a bit of a dry one cos guess what, I'm preggers!" My jaw dropped and I spent a good minute or so staring at the screen before I replied. You see she was always the one I looked up to as a singleton. Even when she got with her boyfriend and moved in with him she always retained that streak of independance, that hey why don't we try this salsa club it starts tonight at 8 in an email sent at 5 type of thing. I'm afraid she'll lose that and like so many of my friends who have met the one and/or have a baby have less and less time for her friends aka me. Sigh it's selfish I know the baby and their spouse should of course be their main priority. However it's tough out there as a singleton and my friendships really matter to me perhaps they are not reciprocated as I would hope but I am trying to understand and accept this.

What a lovely xmas. Nothing too crazy or sociable but good food and catching up with dad were the high points of the day. Xmas presents were on the whole pretty good, some randoms (hello cutlery set?) but all in all just lovely. On the food front my ham once again turned out gorgeous. Boiled until cooked then glazed in the oven using my time honoured (3 xmasess old) glaze. We are finishing up the last of it today.

Today is my last day off and truth be told I'm really not looking forward to going back to work. I can't remember the last time I felt this rested. I haven't bothered with an alarm clock and am coming to the conclusion my natural sleep cycle is 12 hours give or take 20 mins. In the real world this won't work. I only get in at 6.30pm and would need to be in bed by 7. Still though maybe I could manage it one or two nights a week? The house is sparkling clean and I even bought a new hoover. Xmas seems to be the only time its really spring cleaned so I am basking in the prettyness while it lasts. I really shouldn't be moaning about time off, I'm in the next two days then have thursday and friday off. Like I said I could get used to having this time off :-)

I had some friends over last night. Myself C, E and her boyf J. After it was over I asked C "is it just me or have they become incredibly stingey?". Which she answered that yes they have. They said to us they were going to treat me an C to take out as our xmas present. Cool. So we decided what to get then they started hmming and hawing over money. C and I offered to pay but we were turned down. The bill came to 47.50 and they gave the delivery dude exactly 47.50. No tip. This is most definitely not cool in my book. I've had friends who have done the delivery boy thing and the wage is minimum. The tips they make go towards petrol seeing as the takeaway places won't subsidise them round here. I called the guy back and gave him 4 euro (10%ish right?) E and J got sniffy about this saying it was against their principles. Oooohkay. Dinner was eaten in silence. The mood picked up later but I felt like I was in the wrong even though I don't think I did anything wrong!

( Rant )

Maybe I am being over sensitive and cranky about this I don't know. I do know if I was broke I would just say so and bring something non alcoholic if I couldn't afford vino etc. I most definitely wouldn't go scabbing off my friends constantly. I don't mind sharing a bottle of wine with friends because I know when I go to their houses the favour is always returned. With E and J though it never is. Ever. A lot of our friends have recognised this and almost all will be there on NYE so I hope E and J don't make it awkward if they "forget" to bring anything.


Rant over now to decide what to do as a starter for C's dinner. I'm thinking antipasto platter?

So Friday was hang out at C's drinking fat frogs (mmmm) and get into a rather heated debate on politics(which I hate because everyone gets shouty and talks across each other grr). Manchild also came up in conversation. Manchild is an employee of C's husband who only lives down the road from them. I first met him when C's husband had a poker night and I was at my sarky best. Needless to say he got the impression I didn't like him. I was losing and I am a bad loser so I was sarky. Fast forward a few weeks and C's husbands work was having a wine tasting night for charidee. I was drunk, he was drunk and he blurted out that he thought I hated him. I slurrred noooo I jhust a bad looooser gave him a hug and wobbled off in the direction of the bar. We all ended up going back to C's house for more alkiehol until C called it a night. There was chit chat of the drunken kind with him and a lot of my friends all night. At the end of the night after saying my goodbyes I tottered towards the gate with manchild following close on hand. I went to say good night to him and he asked would I like him to get me a taxi. I said no that I only lived down the road. He then asked to walk me home. I said no thanks and proceeded to wobble off home. I was mulling over the way he said the words and his body language, (open, smiley, lots of eye contact, shifting from one foot to another, slightly too much in my personal space) and half wondered if that whole walking me home thing was a come on. I am out of practise at reading between the lines, in fact I wonder was I ever in practise?

( Read )

Grrrrrr can't view the SNL skits on NBC anymore because "the clip you selected isn't available from your location. Please select another clip". Sometimes it sucks living on the other side of the pond....

I caved and bought the t-tapping dvd on amazon today, I must say I am quite addicted to it, it's relatively painless (after the first few times) and gives results. If only I didn't combine those results with chocolate :/. I also found a few cheapo 10-15 minute workout dvd's for fat blasting and dancing. Can't hurt and at home workout dvd's are great for me as I have no excuse not to do them. It amused me when I read the recommendations, they have me sussed!

Aparently I am all about

1. Star trek (enterprise, TOS and TNG only please none of that DS9 rubbish)
2. Rosemary Conley fitness dvd's and cookbooks
3. Dr Atkins (a short lived phase)
4. Grief, overcoming grief, coping with the loss of a parent etc
5. Erotic short stories (ooh la la, but a girl has needs :))


In other news I posted this on the OS but I deleted friendboy from my bookface page and MSN due to some rather hurtful comment he made last night. I have too much crap in my life that makes me feel bad anyways without adding yet more to it, so a few clicks and thats that. He has my number if he wants to get in touch but I doubt he will. He's one of these people who believe they are the rightest of the right and I doubt he would ever begin to fathom as to how to go about making an apology.

I called in sick today as the glands in my neck have swollen. I look like a frog. My throat isn't sore as such but it hurts to turn my head and I'm just so so tired. I did some studying over the weekend but not a whole lot and am kinda freaking out but its behind a haze of neurofen and hot tea. I'll try for an afternoon/evening nap and see how I feel when I wake up. Mmmmm sleep and tea...

So what say yee on re-gifting? Going through the pit that is my bedroom I found two gift sets of smelly body stuff and two bottles of perfume still in their plastic packaging. The perfume I'm pretty sure will be a hit but if the body stuff is from last christmas (I gave you my heeeeeart) will it still be ummmm fresh? I looked on the boxes but couldn't find any use by date? Last thing I want to do is give someone an allergic reaction by my cheapness!

Operation cheap gifts is progressing smoothly. With grim determination I scoured my favourite cheap clothes shop last night until I found four sets of pyjamas for under a tenner. For my four close girlfriends I have set limits of 20 quid. The last is at 60, she always makes an effort to get me something I like and when I asked her what she wanted was very practical in her response. Bravo.

We went shopping in the department store her aunt works in last night where there was a 20 percent sell on. With her presence we were also able to get a staff discount of 35%. Huzzah. I scoured two body gift sets, some makeup, a real leather bag and one of those thick black leather belts with three buckles on it all for under 70 euro. Score! Am quite liking this bargain shopping and her aunt said she is going to be in the shop on Sunday if I wanted to go along for more bargain hunting. We shall see how the cheap shopping goes this afternoon after my cheap haircut :)

x-posted from the other site. Would anyone have any ideas on the below? Pretty please?

Help! I would love to make my Dad a cake my Mam used to make him for his birthday on Monday. Only problem is she never acutally wrote it down. It was an upside down strawberry jam sponge cake she used to cook in the microwave in a plastic xmas pudding bowl. I've done afew searches online and all I can find is the recipe for a pineapple upside down cake. I've also asked my Mams sisters with no luck. My baking skillz aren't great so any and all help is very much appreciated!

I didn't realise how stressed I've been until I handed my last report in on Monday. I got the best nights sleep last night and slept through my alarm this morning. I got through the day without the lightheaded tiredness thats been an all too regular occurence. The pain in my stomach has subsided somewhat. My skin has been the most evident in the stressness, it's breakout stingy senstitive and just all round ouchy. Hello cysty acne. Strong measures have been taken including a light coating of tea tree oil on my work phone and scraping my hair back from my face when at home. I can't quite bring myself to leave it scraped back at work since I can hide a lot of it with my fringe. So this week will be operations "Get to sleep at a decent hour so you don't feel like shite", "Make Yummy veggie soup" and "Clean skin=clear skin". Although my exams start on the 10th plan on taking the rest of the week off college work. Work have been quite generous about study leave which I will take around my exams but for now its all about getting myself back on an even keel.

Complete change of subject but what say yee on t-tapping? I'm intrigued by it and did a few excercises on the website, it looks deceptively easy. It isn't. However I'm impressed by the website and with the reviews I've read. I've been doing it for about a week now and while I'm still jiggly I feel stronger. Plus its a bonus that it takes up so little space. I'm contemplating buying the book and dvd...