"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved."
Helen Keller
Friday, January 16, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Silence is...
Lisa being sick *sniff sniff snort...splutter* and spending time with her beloved *blissful sigh*, flat hunting *urgh* and well just not having time to spend on the computer, well at home anyway. I am at work all day, on a computer and sometimes all night, well at least till 8pm. I don't have proper internet access at work so basically with blogs, yahoo and facebook out of sight, its out of mind and I forget.
So what is new....well I am flat hunting, in Kentish Town and around that area, which is proving a pain in the arse. However, its like most painful things, you forget the pain till the next time it happens, so I had forgotten the pain of searching, interviewing (I flat shared last time), packing, moving, lugging boxes, unpacking and disapointments. Crap flats abound no end....its wiser always be prepared to be disapointed and pee your pants with excitment when you find something remotely delightful. Oh well despite all that I am excited to have my own place again, thus there is a lovely light at the end of the grungy, grotty, property hell tunnel.
The weather is finally warmed up (no really don't laugh). Its been in the minuses and its HORRIBLE... So so cold, hands in gloves, but still need to be shoved in pockets up to the elbows, face and ears frozen, cannot feel them kind of cold. We went for a wander around Camden last Saturday and all I could think of was "its cold, I cannot feel my fingers and can we eat now, somewhere warm". It was about 10 today, so that is practically balmy, no gloves required. I am hoping the cold comes back just for a couple of days so that we get fog, as I have some great photo ideas for fog, that I need fog for!
Work is fine, contract got extended, so more holidays here I come. I am going to start ice skating lessons soon, it was that or dancing and I have done that before (awaiting a place to be available). I will begin socialising again soon, flat hunting as I mentioned takes priority when you need to be available to view properties in the evenings.
Other news...thats not mine, but super important.
My best friend Laura and her hubby Graham have a new bouncy baby boy - Mitchell Ashley, who arrived safte and sound on 5th Janurary, Tim & Jacqui had a lovely wee girl Holly late last year, my friends Dix and Szu-Yuen got engaged over the weekend and I do have another wedding to go to in May for Anais and Ahmed, despite the fact that I miss one in March for Katy and Ben this year, because its in New Zealand (beyond the budget am afraid).
However, most excitingly is that my sister is going to have another baby in June this year, so I will be an Auntie all over again. How lovely.
So what is new....well I am flat hunting, in Kentish Town and around that area, which is proving a pain in the arse. However, its like most painful things, you forget the pain till the next time it happens, so I had forgotten the pain of searching, interviewing (I flat shared last time), packing, moving, lugging boxes, unpacking and disapointments. Crap flats abound no end....its wiser always be prepared to be disapointed and pee your pants with excitment when you find something remotely delightful. Oh well despite all that I am excited to have my own place again, thus there is a lovely light at the end of the grungy, grotty, property hell tunnel.
The weather is finally warmed up (no really don't laugh). Its been in the minuses and its HORRIBLE... So so cold, hands in gloves, but still need to be shoved in pockets up to the elbows, face and ears frozen, cannot feel them kind of cold. We went for a wander around Camden last Saturday and all I could think of was "its cold, I cannot feel my fingers and can we eat now, somewhere warm". It was about 10 today, so that is practically balmy, no gloves required. I am hoping the cold comes back just for a couple of days so that we get fog, as I have some great photo ideas for fog, that I need fog for!
Work is fine, contract got extended, so more holidays here I come. I am going to start ice skating lessons soon, it was that or dancing and I have done that before (awaiting a place to be available). I will begin socialising again soon, flat hunting as I mentioned takes priority when you need to be available to view properties in the evenings.
Other news...thats not mine, but super important.
My best friend Laura and her hubby Graham have a new bouncy baby boy - Mitchell Ashley, who arrived safte and sound on 5th Janurary, Tim & Jacqui had a lovely wee girl Holly late last year, my friends Dix and Szu-Yuen got engaged over the weekend and I do have another wedding to go to in May for Anais and Ahmed, despite the fact that I miss one in March for Katy and Ben this year, because its in New Zealand (beyond the budget am afraid).
However, most excitingly is that my sister is going to have another baby in June this year, so I will be an Auntie all over again. How lovely.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
New Years Resolutions! 2009
So what are my plans for 2009, what are my New Years Resolutions…? Well first lets have a look at last year and see how that went….seems I did very well under reading, sleeping, seeing friends, travelling and seeing shows – oh well maybe better luck next year for the rest of it.
1.Exercise
a. Start running again (nope…but joined a gym)
b. Pilate's for Monday mornings with Kate at 7am (nope)
c. Maintain current ideal weight (got fatter…just…a tiny bit...and then some)
2.Food
a. Proper meals at home 3 nights a week (ha)
b. Actually go food shopping once a week, proper food – fruit/veg/meat (ha)
c. Eat breakfast everyday – fruit/yogurt or muesli (muffins Fridays only) (eat porridge yum)
d. No chocolate at work (try….)
e. 1 x coffee a day and no tea at least 3 hours prior to sleeping (dislike coffee…and only have tea at work)
f. Eat out properly once a week (ate out lots)
g. DO NOT go out drinking more than 3 nights a week and in moderation (so over that anyway)
3.Well being
a. Take up French lessons again (nope…but want to do photography lessons)
b. Go to history events (i.e. Hampton court) (nope, pass)
c. Read more books, at least 1 a month YES
d. Join a volunteer group (nope)
e. Get a massage every 2 months (hummm…nope)
f. Get at least 7 hours sleep a night YES
g. STOP Procrastinating!.... (nope, never, I don't think that will ever happen)
4.Organisation
a. Schedule friend catch ups in diary YES
b. Email friends and ring home more often (sorry guys…nope)
c. See at least 1 ballet, 1 opera, 2 shows & 2 bands (before Jun-08)…(yes Ballet, no Opera but went to Summer Proms at Royal Albert Hall, shows 6 (French & Saunders, Grease, Dirty Dancing, Woman in Black, Rainman and La Cage Aux Folle) by end Dec-08, and 3 bands by end 2008 (Lenny Kravitz, Kaiser Chiefs & Razorlight), though had booked for 5 – I missed Ash and Ting Tings)
d. Organise holidays/breaks in advance - plans for Polo lesson (done), Belfast (done), Val d'sere (ski) (Italy, but done), Cinque Terre (Italy) (nope), Champagne (nope), Korcula (done, and Split too), New York (done), Eastern Europe (Contiki) (nope…but went to Bratislava in Slovakia), Prague (done), Paris (again) (nope..but nearly, just went to Edinburgh again instead), Egypt (no but moved to list for 2009) and I am sure I could figure out more! (then add….Madrid, Manchester , Peaks District and Maidstone, along with the usual trips to both Brighton and Worthing, as well as Australia for 3 months too)
5.Money
a. Get budget back up and running – and actually be responsible for spending! YES
b. Buy a flat in London (hhhahahah very funny…nope)
6.Work
a. Get a permanent job! (nope….contracting pays better)
b. Do more work related study. (nope…well kind of as did lots of in-house training)
c. Stay focused and organised! (diary for 2009 is ready to go!)
7.Random
a. Go to a concert on own or even a music festival (hummm…nope)
b. Update blog weekly (sometimes twice a week)
So this year…. dum da dum..................
Go to the gym 3 times a week at work
Move to Kentish Town
Travel to Egypt , Portugal , Denmark , country France (inc Burgundy & Champagne ), ski trip (somewhere….maybe France ), Cinque Terre and more of Italy , Finland (Fjords, possibly via Contiki), more Eastern Europe (Contiki), Greek Islands again, Inverness ( Scotland ), Vienna and Salzburg , Alicante ( Spain ), Cornwall and well I really do want to go to Paris again. Other options…but are if cans not musts are to go to Croatia and Turkey again, as I love them both.
Entertain at home and learn to cook a mean Sunday Roast
Eat more fruit
Photography lessons, though this also means to by a new DSLR
Take Dad to Cornwall , to Paris and to Wimbledon
Keep working at my current contract….cause I like it.
Keep a permanent to do list
Email friends once a month and ring home more often
Stop buying books, stupid but I have no room!!
Take a wine course
Buy a Mulberry handbag – had to add this as I have coveted one for about 3 years and did not buy one single new bag in 2008 as a compromise.
See lots of shows (Billy Elliot, We Will rock you, Pantomime (Snow White), The 39 Steps, Manon (ballet), an opera)
Bands (Snow Patrol, Sneaky Sound System, Killers, Oasis, Lily Allen, Gabriella Cilimi and Rock Werchter Music Festival)
I think that is all for now, I think I did ok last year, so I might be ok.
How it might work…… for travel....though Jan is already looking slightly unlikely....
Portugal (Jan)
Ski (Feb)
Vienna & Salzburg (Mar)
Alicante/Cinque Terre (May)
Cornwall & Paris (June)
Werchter Music Festival ( Belgium ) & Greek Island holiday (July)
Scandinavia, inc Finland (Aug)
France (Sep)
Denmark (Oct)
Egypt (Nov)
Inverness (Dec for Xmas)
That’s All folks…wish me luck! x
1.Exercise
a. Start running again (nope…but joined a gym)
b. Pilate's for Monday mornings with Kate at 7am (nope)
c. Maintain current ideal weight (got fatter…just…a tiny bit...and then some)
2.Food
a. Proper meals at home 3 nights a week (ha)
b. Actually go food shopping once a week, proper food – fruit/veg/meat (ha)
c. Eat breakfast everyday – fruit/yogurt or muesli (muffins Fridays only) (eat porridge yum)
d. No chocolate at work (try….)
e. 1 x coffee a day and no tea at least 3 hours prior to sleeping (dislike coffee…and only have tea at work)
f. Eat out properly once a week (ate out lots)
g. DO NOT go out drinking more than 3 nights a week and in moderation (so over that anyway)
3.Well being
a. Take up French lessons again (nope…but want to do photography lessons)
b. Go to history events (i.e. Hampton court) (nope, pass)
c. Read more books, at least 1 a month YES
d. Join a volunteer group (nope)
e. Get a massage every 2 months (hummm…nope)
f. Get at least 7 hours sleep a night YES
g. STOP Procrastinating!.... (nope, never, I don't think that will ever happen)
4.Organisation
a. Schedule friend catch ups in diary YES
b. Email friends and ring home more often (sorry guys…nope)
c. See at least 1 ballet, 1 opera, 2 shows & 2 bands (before Jun-08)…(yes Ballet, no Opera but went to Summer Proms at Royal Albert Hall, shows 6 (French & Saunders, Grease, Dirty Dancing, Woman in Black, Rainman and La Cage Aux Folle) by end Dec-08, and 3 bands by end 2008 (Lenny Kravitz, Kaiser Chiefs & Razorlight), though had booked for 5 – I missed Ash and Ting Tings)
d. Organise holidays/breaks in advance - plans for Polo lesson (done), Belfast (done), Val d'sere (ski) (Italy, but done), Cinque Terre (Italy) (nope), Champagne (nope), Korcula (done, and Split too), New York (done), Eastern Europe (Contiki) (nope…but went to Bratislava in Slovakia), Prague (done), Paris (again) (nope..but nearly, just went to Edinburgh again instead), Egypt (no but moved to list for 2009) and I am sure I could figure out more! (then add….Madrid, Manchester , Peaks District and Maidstone, along with the usual trips to both Brighton and Worthing, as well as Australia for 3 months too)
5.Money
a. Get budget back up and running – and actually be responsible for spending! YES
b. Buy a flat in London (hhhahahah very funny…nope)
6.Work
a. Get a permanent job! (nope….contracting pays better)
b. Do more work related study. (nope…well kind of as did lots of in-house training)
c. Stay focused and organised! (diary for 2009 is ready to go!)
7.Random
a. Go to a concert on own or even a music festival (hummm…nope)
b. Update blog weekly (sometimes twice a week)
So this year…. dum da dum..................
Go to the gym 3 times a week at work
Move to Kentish Town
Travel to Egypt , Portugal , Denmark , country France (inc Burgundy & Champagne ), ski trip (somewhere….maybe France ), Cinque Terre and more of Italy , Finland (Fjords, possibly via Contiki), more Eastern Europe (Contiki), Greek Islands again, Inverness ( Scotland ), Vienna and Salzburg , Alicante ( Spain ), Cornwall and well I really do want to go to Paris again. Other options…but are if cans not musts are to go to Croatia and Turkey again, as I love them both.
Entertain at home and learn to cook a mean Sunday Roast
Eat more fruit
Photography lessons, though this also means to by a new DSLR
Take Dad to Cornwall , to Paris and to Wimbledon
Keep working at my current contract….cause I like it.
Keep a permanent to do list
Email friends once a month and ring home more often
Stop buying books, stupid but I have no room!!
Take a wine course
Buy a Mulberry handbag – had to add this as I have coveted one for about 3 years and did not buy one single new bag in 2008 as a compromise.
See lots of shows (Billy Elliot, We Will rock you, Pantomime (Snow White), The 39 Steps, Manon (ballet), an opera)
Bands (Snow Patrol, Sneaky Sound System, Killers, Oasis, Lily Allen, Gabriella Cilimi and Rock Werchter Music Festival)
I think that is all for now, I think I did ok last year, so I might be ok.
How it might work…… for travel....though Jan is already looking slightly unlikely....
Portugal (Jan)
Ski (Feb)
Vienna & Salzburg (Mar)
Alicante/Cinque Terre (May)
Cornwall & Paris (June)
Werchter Music Festival ( Belgium ) & Greek Island holiday (July)
Scandinavia, inc Finland (Aug)
France (Sep)
Denmark (Oct)
Egypt (Nov)
Inverness (Dec for Xmas)
That’s All folks…wish me luck! x
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Where in the world am i?
Well, its cold, its in Eastern Europe, its Xmas time, its the Romantic city of the East - where am I, in Prague....stay tuned for more...
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
MOJ Christmas Lunch
At my work, which is the very large Ministry of Justice (where I work for the HMCS (Her Majestys Court Service) Change Management Access to Justice Finance Team....whew, what a mouthful, we have a very small team of just 8 people.
Four of us are Australian (one each from Canberra, Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide)...hmmmm, do I detect a trend...hummm, consider my previous jobs...consider if all the Aussies, Saffa's and Kiwi's left the UK tomorrow, there would be a lot of businesses going well belly up! There would be no one left the run the show!
Anyways...so our small team of country running peoples, had a Xmas Lunch at Zizzi's (I had pizza) and exhanged a few goodies for a Kris Kringle. It was short lived and back to work we had to go after a timed, the restaurant had us all scheduled in for 1 hour and a 1/2 only, dining slot.
My Pizza....yummy!
Amanda and Amy
Matt, my Boss (note the Essenden Supporters jumper)
Rachael (formerly was Pam who has now gone back to Melbourne), Syed, Brien & Lucy
Four of us are Australian (one each from Canberra, Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide)...hmmmm, do I detect a trend...hummm, consider my previous jobs...consider if all the Aussies, Saffa's and Kiwi's left the UK tomorrow, there would be a lot of businesses going well belly up! There would be no one left the run the show!
Anyways...so our small team of country running peoples, had a Xmas Lunch at Zizzi's (I had pizza) and exhanged a few goodies for a Kris Kringle. It was short lived and back to work we had to go after a timed, the restaurant had us all scheduled in for 1 hour and a 1/2 only, dining slot.
My Pizza....yummy!
Amanda and Amy
Matt, my Boss (note the Essenden Supporters jumper)
Rachael (formerly was Pam who has now gone back to Melbourne), Syed, Brien & Lucy
La Cage Aux Folle - The BirdCage
You may remember this one from the hilarious film that stared Robin Williams, it - La Cage Aux Folle - was a very successful French play and movie before they made the English movie version - The Bird Cage. 
I was long overdue a catch up with my friend Julie and rather than just have a dinner we caught a show too. This one I had been eyeing off to see for a while, so this was the perfect opportunity.
The show itself is about a gay couple who own a cabaret nightclub in the South of France, in Nice, where Georges is the ever suffering "man" and MD of the show and Albin is the "girl" slash drag queen/transvestite/companion/lover, who is the long time, now aging star of the show "Zsa Zsa".
It starts to get silly when Georges son turns up announcing that he is to marry Anne, whose mother and father they are to meet. However, Anne's father, a prominent politician and staunch supporter of a morality and family party, who well don't see "gays" fondly.
Albin is supposed to disappear for a night and Jean-Michele's real mother is supposed to visit and play happy families with Georges...only catch is she doesn't actually show up.
So Albin, miffed at having been dismissed as "not Jean-Michele's real mother", decides to steal the show and play mummy rather than Uncle. This has hilarious results and ends up with Anne's mother and father being smuggled out of the cabaret in Nice, by having to play transvestite dancers in the show...Hilarious.
Both Julie and I loved it and are considering seeing it again, next time with Graham Norton, who is a very popular and funny English television comedian!
I was long overdue a catch up with my friend Julie and rather than just have a dinner we caught a show too. This one I had been eyeing off to see for a while, so this was the perfect opportunity.
The show itself is about a gay couple who own a cabaret nightclub in the South of France, in Nice, where Georges is the ever suffering "man" and MD of the show and Albin is the "girl" slash drag queen/transvestite/companion/lover, who is the long time, now aging star of the show "Zsa Zsa".
It starts to get silly when Georges son turns up announcing that he is to marry Anne, whose mother and father they are to meet. However, Anne's father, a prominent politician and staunch supporter of a morality and family party, who well don't see "gays" fondly. 
Albin is supposed to disappear for a night and Jean-Michele's real mother is supposed to visit and play happy families with Georges...only catch is she doesn't actually show up.
So Albin, miffed at having been dismissed as "not Jean-Michele's real mother", decides to steal the show and play mummy rather than Uncle. This has hilarious results and ends up with Anne's mother and father being smuggled out of the cabaret in Nice, by having to play transvestite dancers in the show...Hilarious.
Both Julie and I loved it and are considering seeing it again, next time with Graham Norton, who is a very popular and funny English television comedian!
Quote me...
"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."
Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Sophies Steakhouse - Fulham
I finally managed go go out to dinner at Sophie's Steakhouse in Fulham with Sophie and Maddy (3rd time lucky) and it was great food.
Check out my massive 27oz steak, thought I could tough through it, and I did almost. Was nearly gonna have the wussy 8oz when the waiter advised that Kate Hudson had it the week before and managed and I quote "she's tiny". Think he might have been suggesting that I am not tiny...humhp!
Well here tis'
MY STEAK
Check out my massive 27oz steak, thought I could tough through it, and I did almost. Was nearly gonna have the wussy 8oz when the waiter advised that Kate Hudson had it the week before and managed and I quote "she's tiny". Think he might have been suggesting that I am not tiny...humhp!
Well here tis'
MY STEAK Ps compare to Sophies on the place next to mine....see BIG!
Monday, December 15, 2008
What is the Deal....with Deal
My friend Nicki and I had a bit of a girly weekend together, so after a girly night in with pasta, crumble and custard and the DVD of Sex and the City (which I have now seen 3 times, cause its just that good!) we headed off to Dover Castle.
Me & NickiWell we got there and it was closed due to the weather, it was rainy and windy, but what else is new. So we thought to try Deal Castle, rang the tourist board and the ever so helpful lady on the other end told, us pretty much everything was closed due to the hideous weather.
Nicki and I decided that Kent was officially closed due to bad weather, the whole of it and found a nice little cosy cafe called the Black Douglas opposite the Deal pier and had a long lunch instead. Lovely, with lots of fresh local produce and a very hot pot of tea...mmm.
Icky weather outside the cafe.....
Cake....
The quaint interior....
Well it was good.....so we didn't leave you any!
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