Frances' random ponderings
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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in the "Frances" journal:[<< Previous 20 entries]
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01:17 am
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Ways to kill your in laws' dog.
Current favourite: a really big anvil that drops from the ceiling in comedy cartoon style.
Other suggestions - they could bloody buy a bark collar like they agreed to do over 6 months ago when her problem barking (due to boredom and beign generally understimulated) began to get really annoying.
Or I could just murder them and set her to guard the bodies.
Grumpy? Moi?
Current Mood: Bloody barking driving me nuts
Current Music: Bloody dog
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10:23 am
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Stupid proto-human germs
*sniffles*
I has germs again. Am consoling myself with the fact that you only get each individual cold virus once (and are thereafter immune to that one) so WOO I am making progress towards having the UberImmuneSystem. Sadly at the moment it feels like I just have a manky cold AGAIN.
In other news, I am making progress to losing my backlog of knitting/sewing/crochet/general craft projects. Behold the list of main projects:
Pink cardigan, blue cardigan(each started over two years ago): both of these I looked at again in August and realised had gone terribly horribly awfully wrong. They have now been ripped and the yarn returned to the stash.
Uncle Bill's jumper: I finally did the making up last night (Emmy knitted the damn thing, so all i actually had to do was sew it up and darn in ends. For Christmas 2008. Because I suck.) Going to darn in ends this afternoon then post it.
Jessica's rug: i have less than a quarter left to do. This shall be done this afternoon while watching many many episodes of neighbours on five online (I am trying to catch up - currently i am still in the first week of march) This should have been finished for her birth.
Jessicas's birth announcement cross stitch: progressing. I hope to have it done by easter. Again I planned to do it in time for her birth.
My Lord's Prayer Cross stitch: This was an 18th birthday present from Emmy. I made a mess of the first bit and it has been sitting in a drawer ever since. Now I have given in and bought more fabric to start again. Which seems like going backwards, but i am now feeling positive about it, which is a start.
Emmy's Dino dress (cream): finished other than sleeve hems.
My flowery dress: finished.
Pink skirt: maybe half an hour needed on this.
Mending pile: is down to about two hours solid work, on about five garments in total. YAY!
Emmy's Dino bunting: finished.
YAY for craft activities!
Other stuff:
Holiday at centre parks was great, apart from my mum deciding that everyone has to do exactly what she wants at any given time or she will sulk. We went for letting her sulk. I had blanked this memory out of my childhood holidays *sigh*. Still, it was very lovely and fun and we had a great time.
Car: is still smished after its unfortunate meeting with the rear end of a different car. The insurers are coming to collect it tomorrow afternoon. Mum has kindly lent me her micra until it is fixed.
Cats: are fine. Thinking of turning them into a nice pair of slippers if they don't get a bit less clingy.
Current Mood:  cold
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12:44 pm
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Writer's Block: If Animals Could Talk
I had to do this one, even though I normally ignore these.
"Why oh why oh why the need to empty the sock drawer?"
Tags: pets, writer's block
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10:22 am
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SNOW DAY!!!!
*does the snow day dance!*
Woo! We have over 6 inches of snow and there are no buses or trains and it is kinda cool! Snow still falling, apparently in Sutton this morning it was up to my gran's neighbour's knees!
We are both on Snow Days so the plan is thus - Play WOW until 11, do a bit of clearing up then sewing and generalised craft. Possibly watch walking with Dinysors later on.
YAY! *ahem* /smug bouncing
Current Mood:  SOW DAY
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09:22 am
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Holiday!
We got back from holiday last night :)
Much fun was had! The highlights (see face book for photos when i get my bottom in gear and make it work) were:
The two supermarket chains in the Canaries are called "Hamster Mart" and "Hiper Dino". You can probably imagine the squealing done by Emmy on finding a branch of HiperDino...
Yummy Paella and Sangria only we ordered too much sangria and so i got a "little" tipsied.
THERE IS SUNLIGHT THERE. and it isnt dark and cold and horrid. This was a FABULOUS thing.
Walking on the beaches - Lanzarote is volcanic so the sand is kinda black in places and there are loads of chunks of igneous rock, which is SO COOL and makes it look like the MOOOOOOOOOOOOOON.
Today is unpacking and doing laundry day, followed by joining up for swimming membership at the gym: the day before we left i got my new shiny WATERPROOF MP3 PLAYER. Thus swimming will be a mighty fitness regime and I will shrink AND be less exhausted by toddlers.
Tomorrow I am back to work. Love and snuggles and HOLIDAY vibes.
Current Location: Home
Current Mood:  cheerful
Current Music: The Kitties are Drilling furiously
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09:26 pm
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OOOH nervous....
Tomorrow is my three month review at work. I am slightly bothered that I am nervous even thoguh i KNOW i work hard and do what I am asked and i am fairly sure i am good at my job. It is still kinda intimidating.....
But anyway....
Tomorrow is Packing for Holiday day, then Vanessa is coming round in the evening for knitting and chatting. Tuesday is clearing up and making things nice day, then on wednesday we go to my mum's after work then HOLIDAY TIME STARTS... wooooooooooooooo!
Current weather in Lanzarote: sunny, 20 degrees C. mmmmmmmmmmm....snuggly! that would be a whole 14 degrees warmer than here, i think!
Yesterday we went to whipsnade, which was LOVELY, but very very very cold. It was really going for it with the snow, and the animals were reacting in fab ways: reindeer say "snow is good". Antelope say "not sure abotu this", cheetah looked incredibly grumpy and walked round menacingly. mara (little rodent like a giant guinea pig - it is about the size of a very small dog. they let them roam free round most of the park) were huddled up in the warmest places they could find, and one had snuck into the rhino enclosure and was sleeping in the rhino's hay. It looked quite smug.
Now... snuggly bath time followed by nervous fits of "i can't sleep what if they think i suck"
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07:42 am
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The Land of Frances, 2009 edition!
Just a quick update while i procrastinate about going outside in the COLD.
Work is going well ,we started back after Christmas this week. I have moved my many boxes of craft materials into the garage so that i can Not Kill The Planet with my fuel consumption (they were in my car). I am quite scared by the difference it makes not having my boots full of work things.
Brownies planning meeting tonight, then that starts up again next week. I enjoy Brownies :)
I have managed to contact Ms Bryony, and will be SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEING her on Friday (wooooooooooooot). Your FACE, wig! Actually, not your face, as it sucks that we failed to organise a meetup with all of us... *sniffle*
Sarah and Ivan are back from holiday so we are no longer looking after a dog - YAY for not having to go walkies at stupidoclock in the coldanddarkandcold.
Our holiday is next thursday: yay *does the holiday dance*
And now I really must go and find my bix box 'o' paints as I have a new kid in today and think painting is a ncie safe activity for him to get used to me with.
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12:00 am
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oh go on then...
because everyone likes to pretend someone will read it...
[1.] What did you do in 2008 that you have never done before?
GRADUATED
[2.] Did you keep all of last years resolutions?
Yes. I was more flatulent and was grumpy at least once per week. What? sarcastic reseolutions? moi?
[3.] Have you any resolutions for next year?
Hmmm... I have had the flatulence one for two years now so maybe it is time for a new one... suggestions? I wonder about "I will drink more tea"?
[4.] What countries did you visit?
I went to Dinoland in my mind.. does that count?
[5.] What would you like to have in 2009 that you didn't have in 2008?
A time machine. Or possibly a teleportation device. Emmy says I want a dinysor: i think she may be projecting....
[6.] What date in 2008 will remain etched in your memory?
3rd august, when I became an AUNTIE to gorgeous little Jessica
[7.] What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Graduating, and getting a job
[8.] What was your biggest failure?
I once again failed to invent a working teleporter. *sigh*
[9.] Did you suffer any illness or injury?
I have had EVERY BUG GOING since i started work. Grump grump.
[10.] What was the best thing you bought?
The clothes fold-y device ranks quite highly. ARGh of course. Emmy just pointed at the cats! Technically we bought them from the RSPCA, so it was definitely my Girls, Venus and Artemis.
[11.] Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Appalled AND depressed you say. hmm.... Emmy says the nasty useless people what voted for prop 8 in the US. I am adding in all the various dickwads who abused the women I work with. There is No Excuse for mistreating your partner.
[12.] Where did most of your money go?
Cat food. And various car repair bills.
[13.] What did you get really really really excited about?
JESSICA!!!!! graduating! and getting a Real Job. and my Girls. and getting my uni place for next year.
[14.] What songs will always remind you of 2008?
the awful stalker song about lying around in your sleeping bag smelling bad incase your girlfriend decides she loved you after all (by some irish band i think). It makes me laugh because they think they are being really soppy but actually the sentiment is jsut a Bit Odd.
The Take That song from the Stardust soundtrack.
[15.] Compared to this time last year are you :
[A] Fatter or thinner? I dont care. Probably thinner.
[B] Happier or sadder? :)
[C] Richer or poorer? Must be richer, i think.
[16.] What do you wish you'd done more of?
Sewing? baking. Emmy says "buying dinysors for Emmy".
[17.] What do you wish you'd done less of?
being ill.
[18.] How will you be spending Christmas?
I went to midnight mass. then drive to my parents in the morning and spent the day trying to stop my gran sulking, then stayed over and on boxing day emmy and the other grandparents came round. Lots of food was eaten, and fun was had.
[19.] Which LJ users did you meet for the first time?
why would i do that?*confused*
[20.] Did you fall in love in 2008?
i already had my EMMY at the start of 2008 I'm afraid.
[21.] How many one night stands?
None. I'm boring like that. I did get a new sleeping companion though: Artemis now shares my pillow every night. We have bought her her own pillow and put it next to mine but she won't move over.
[22] What was your favourite TV show?
The Big Bang Theory, and also Outnumbered, which I have jsut discovered. Oh and House, I can't remember when I discovered that.
[23.] Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No. I am TRYING not to hate people and everything. (see how nice i am. honest)
[24.] What was/were the best books you read?
Well... Emmy jsut got a HUGE dinosaur book, which rocks. I read many many Falco books by Lindsay Davis, which are FAB. Gene Robinson's autobiography was amazing. I read some good books for uni but can't think which ones now... I read "the well of loneliness" as well - Brilliant but utterly miserable!
[25.] What was your greatest musical discovery?
That I didnt really hate the beatles music, just some of it? DUFFYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! she rocks becasue she wants to be DUSTY.
[26.] What did you want and get?
A degree. A niece. Cuddles. The Girls.
[27.] What did you want and not get?
A first in my degree.
[28.] What was your favourite film this year?
The Dark Knight was BRILLIANT, but terrifying and scary and scary and terrifying. Stardust was very very good and funny.
[29.] What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
I was 22. I went for a meal with Emmy and her family and had PUDDING.
[30.] What one thing would have made your year more satisfying?
Seeing more of Claire and Jess.
[31.] How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Pink.
[32.] What kept you sane?
Peanut Butter and Jam sandwiches. and Venlafaxine.
[33.] Which celebrity did you fancy the most?
*considers* Probably Anjelina Jolie, because I am predicatable.
[34.] Which political issue stirred you the most?
Proposition 8 makes me grumpy. I got very happy when Boris Johnson banned alchohol on london public transport! YAY for no more strange drunk men with lager on the tube.
[35.] Who did you miss?
People I didnt see neough of! What a silly question!
[36.] Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year?
Fifty types of tea is probably enough for one person at one time.
[37.] Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
There once was a pony... a pony wony.. a snuggle wuggle pony wony thing...
Do you feel enlightened? good. then i will go to bed.
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07:11 am
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Stuff.
It has been a while since i posted: so... The Land Of Us.
Emmy has new job, which is a fien thing for it results in her Not Having To Work With Her Old Crazy Boss. It also means she has HER OWN OFFICE!!!! *is jealous*
Last friday was our children's party at work, which resulted in me stomping round shouting things like "i hate my job" on friday evening and saturday. I now no longer hate my job (though mostly as i have remembered i am on a one year contract and hence never have to do that again). The problem was not the children, it was a handful of rude mothers/women who used to be in refuge (the kids all get invited back if they left in the past year) who insisted on making life tricky and beign very rude to me. This was stressful and induced anxiety.
Happy now as I Never Have To See Those Three Again. *does a dance of sheer joy at this thought*
*also thinks lots of rather rude words to describe them in her head, because she is still quite grumpy*
Today i have two hours of taking apart Santa's Grotto, then we are on HOLIDAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY until the 5th of Jan.(actually everyone works a short shift proportional to their normal working hours over the next fortnight: so 15 hours per week goes to 2 hours over Christmas).
Em and I have booked our January mini-holiday :) We are going to lanzarote for four days (thurs to sunday) in mid january. YAY! This will hopefully help em to top up her light levels a bit, and give us both a brief relax time.
I made mince pies last night and they were yummy - Christmas is definitely Baking Time in the Land of Frances. My parents/Granny+grandpa on dad's side and Claire and Jess will be coming here between new year and the 5th, and I am planning to make a Green and Black's Chocolate torte with gold dusting. It is in my epic chocolate recipe book, and it looks SCRUMMY!
I hve started drivelling so will wander off now *does*
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08:23 am
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WOOOOOOOOOO Holiday!
We have booked our winter holiday (planned because Emmy+no light=snoozle time). we are going to lanzarote on the 15th jan for three nights. VERY excited!
Hopefully this will help emmy through the rest of the really dark bit of winter (we are coming up to the shortest day now). She has done very well this year - only seeming to get badly affected by the lack of light in the past few days *cheers*. But holiday to sunny place will be SHINY for it will be LIGHT there and that will be happy!
Work is going well:) I love my job, i love the kiddies. This week is the Christmas party, so it is likely to be chaotic: we have about 50 kids coming (all the ones who are in or have been in refuge with us over the past year), and they get about 6 little presents from Santa each - Which adds up to a LOT of wrapping. As far as I know, not much of the wrapping has been done thus far *shudders*
In other news, we have a new Big Shiny Happy tv because sarah and Ivan were getting a flatscreen one and were going to throw theirs out aso we have RECYCLED it by putting ti in our living room - this will hopefully result in actually being able to see if i play on the PS2.
Now i should go and have ready brek before work - this morning i have a rather nervous little boy who last week turned round near the end of the session and said to me "Can you go away now please?".
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04:56 pm
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WOOOOOO
I have a place at South Bank for teacher training for next year
YAY
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09:02 pm
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not so springy spring cleaning
although, i do feel actually that this isa better time to do epic cleaning - in an about to be Advent, preparing your house for the comign of the King type way.
Epic cleaning is occuring - today we tackled the kitchen corner of our room: this is now looking very shiny. tomorrow hopefully there will be time to do a bit more before Dylans baptism.
but now- ~World of Warcraft time!
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11:55 am
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update time
well, i DID come down with the poxy virus from Claire and the baby.
Cancelled Brownies for last night on weds evening(since i was supposed to be guider in charge, and could not make it over, AND would have been still infectious to give it to them). Just as well as I really have not been able to leave bed since wednesday night: i did a very quick run to the supermarket to buy Things That Dont Take Any Effort To Cook, but it nearly killed me (hyperbole is alive and well, obviously...)
This mornign i slept in until half past eleven. Feeling a bit better now thoguh, but still no sign of a rash so cannot see anyone yet. *sigh*
On the plus side, i am reading PG Wodehouse and it is GOOD and this is happy.
Love and huggles
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04:53 pm
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interview over
today was truly horrid. South bank interview - had to do written response to article on educational issue (not too bad, certainly not as bad as i expected, thoguh the room was FREEZING COLD so my hand went odd with the writing and the cold.) then presentation pre-prepared as if teaching aspect of national curriculum to group of students. This was okay,though room so cold we were all shivering, but was glad to have it over with. Then told to come back at quarter to one to be told who was going home before the afternoon interviews. At quarter past one, when we had all been sitting stewing for about 40 mins (having got back nice and early to be polite etc), they finally come in. Then names are called and taken off to a room, where we sit down and only after a couple of minutes discussion with other staff are we finally told that we are the group who are going through. seriously stressful! They cut us down from abotu 30-32 people in the morning to 18 in the afternoon then did group interviews, again in a freezing cold room. The interviewers seemed to think we were all there for january intake, even though the person who introduced us at the start of the day knew it was about half and half for january and september intakes. BAAAAAAAAAAAAAD bad bad day.
I should hear in 7-10 days (fine for me, but the people who are jan intake have to go back next weds for a CRB check to be done, which logically means they could have to be back for that BEFORE being told that they have a place... *rolls eyes*).
Now to have a snoozle then maybe a hot bath. i feel crappy, and worry i may have come down with the thingy claire has
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09:26 pm
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EEEEEEEP interview
interview prep=scary. hence it is time to post on LJ so as to avoid anything useful being done by me.
I am currently preparing a presentation on year three maths things, and panicking about how much stuff I know about educational issues (and indeed how much i do not know!)
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09:54 pm
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I HAVE AN ITERVIEW!!!WOOOO
I have an interview at South Bank!
I need to get one day of observation experience in a primary class - if anyone has a friend/relative/spouse/significant other who teaches and would be prepared to let me sit in for one day before the 25th of November, they can have a stack of ice cream/ice notcream and all the hugs they can shake a stick at.
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08:36 am
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introducing my new arch-nemesis...
A sofa. *grumps*
Matt and Liz have moved house, so I was helping put together the furniture. The bookcase was EASY, then i stared on the sofa.
Despite checking the instructions carefully before each piece, and the fact that i normally have quite good spatial awareness, i managed to put four different pieces on the wrong way round, then had to take them off and stick them back on again. Then it came to the base part. This is a sofa bed, so it had two slatter base type bits which are sprung together. ~I opened this, thought i got it far enough to be safe, reached in to get the paper i had droppped.... and WHAM OUCH EEEEEEEEEEP.
And my arm has not had the decency to bruise up properly, despite my cradling it all night with a bag of frozen quorn bits on it, and the fact it makes me yelp when i move it. Grump Grump. Luckily i am off to the doctor anyway this morning so will get them to check it when i am there.
The rest of the sofa putting together was also hellish - the large bookcase with doors took about 40 mins, the sofa (which ought by rights to be easier, since it comes in fewer bits) took nearly 1 1/2 hours. grumble grump.
In other news, work is good but tiring, Cats are fluffly and demanding, all else is shiny, no news yet on teacher training application
Current Mood:  sore
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09:45 am
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Teacher Training Application
Here we go again.
The school I did a placement with last year are once again being seriously unhelpful about sending a letter to the Institute of Education to confirm I went there.
This time I have given up while there may still be places left somewhere, and my appplication is now at London South Bank (I withdrew it from the Institute).
Any thoughts? Am I a blithering idiot or right that is it not worth the stress and endless tension headaches simply for the sake of a little extra prestige on my future CV?
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08:08 am
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NaNoWriMo day three, and other things
WOOOOO for November and NaNoWriMo. For those who don't know, this is a challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. Not a good one, mind, jsut one with 50,000 words in. I am curently behind schedule, as I was helping Matt and Liz with their house move yesterday so did not do any writing. current word count - 2754. By the end of today, I need 5001 to be on target to finish by the end of the month.
The cats have now decided that posh pouches of food are not good enough for them and will only eat the posh tray food instead. Picky little so and sos. Venus is currently giving me the big eye "But I wanted yummy thingsd and you gave me this rubbish" face.And then she turned her back and sat sulking. AAAAAAAAAAAARGH.
Work is going well, though quite hectic - everything changes so quickly there that planning becomes pointless so everything and everyone is a bit chaotic and so it gets worse......
Jess is still gorgeous and still a baby.
I should go and shower ready for work. Love and fluffy things
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09:46 am
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and then emmy also got the Evil Bug of Doom
ad there was much joint wailing and gnashing of teeth.
i have been ill since last tuesday afternoon, on the up now but still feeling yucky (luckily i have today off because i worked too many hours last monday... wooooo!hopefully will be back up to strength for the wee beasties tomorrow). I had to take thursday and friday sick, because i could barely get out of bed, let alone successfully supervise small people. (one advantage of office owrk may be that if you drop filing it does not get horribly injured, whereas 8 month old boys tend not to bounce*).
Now emmy is illed too and this SUCKS.
The cats are clingy, and i likes pudding - so all else is normal and boring. i will go away now.
* disclaimer - NO i have NOT dropped any of them, but i suspect from my physics and biology memories that bouncing is not something they would do.
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