Tomorrow morning a couple of removal vans will arrive, pack up all our stuff and move us across the country. For some odd reason it feels as if it isn't really happening, as if I'm making it up and nothing will change. It'll seem real by Thursday that's for sure.
By this time next week there will be no hills on the horizon - literally not figurativley! - I wonder if I will be able to get used to those big skies with out the feeling that I have now that I'm falling off the edge of the world!
Won't have reliable internet until next Friday so see you then!
Cluster Map
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Thick and Thin
Well if ever a reason was needed NOT to be Victoria Beckham then today's papers have it.
As VB on the plus side you'd have shit load of money and regular sex with golden balls.
On the debit though - No FOOD! (eep , if you've seen me I'm a girl who likes her food - the dieting traumas of this blog bears witness to that!) and dear God her thighs! - it looks like a shark has taken a large bit out of one of them. I'd rather have my slightly chunky with a bit of cellulite on the side ones than that! Nothing she wears could ever make her look intelligent now everyone knows she did that to herself! (it's lipo gone wrong apparently! - like she ever needed lipo where is the adipose tissue to suck for heaven's sake! And not having enough of the right nutrients in her diet to maintain her skin tone - yuk!)
As VB on the plus side you'd have shit load of money and regular sex with golden balls.
On the debit though - No FOOD! (eep , if you've seen me I'm a girl who likes her food - the dieting traumas of this blog bears witness to that!) and dear God her thighs! - it looks like a shark has taken a large bit out of one of them. I'd rather have my slightly chunky with a bit of cellulite on the side ones than that! Nothing she wears could ever make her look intelligent now everyone knows she did that to herself! (it's lipo gone wrong apparently! - like she ever needed lipo where is the adipose tissue to suck for heaven's sake! And not having enough of the right nutrients in her diet to maintain her skin tone - yuk!)
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Me and JK Rowling
On Friday I had serious doubts as to whether I was going to be able to transport 2 children and 1 husband to Lonodn in safety..all morning people had been ringing me with flooding horror stories, Liverpool St Station under 2 inches of water, phones not working due to flooding etc.
But we had to go - driving down the M6 was seriously wet and a bit scary, why do people drive that fast when they can't see past the end of the car? We got to Rugby and collected the nephew and then changed to the train. All the station announcements were telling people "please do not travel today there is serious distruption throughout the rail network" - but magically (?) our train was running and was on time.
I had booked taxi's in advance ( fantastically expensive but worth it!) so after the children had a nap, we left for the Natural History Museum at midnight, our tickets were timed for 1am. The museum looks gorgeous flood lit, very Hogwarts in a paler more glamorous outfit really. The queue was very jolly! We were let into the museum on the dot of 1am, but then hit a hitch, JK was well behind schedule. So we took our goodie bags (including the free book) and headed for the cafe. All plans to NEVER read the signed copy went out of the window as we had a two hour wait!! So we read, ate crisps and chocolate brownies and read!
JK was lovely, very very pretty with great taste in shoes, really nice to the kids and not looking even slightly tired.
The TB is swanking as he says she signed his copy with a kiss - it's a squiggle man are you blind?
And there was something fab about coming home on the train with everyone reading the same book!
But we had to go - driving down the M6 was seriously wet and a bit scary, why do people drive that fast when they can't see past the end of the car? We got to Rugby and collected the nephew and then changed to the train. All the station announcements were telling people "please do not travel today there is serious distruption throughout the rail network" - but magically (?) our train was running and was on time.
I had booked taxi's in advance ( fantastically expensive but worth it!) so after the children had a nap, we left for the Natural History Museum at midnight, our tickets were timed for 1am. The museum looks gorgeous flood lit, very Hogwarts in a paler more glamorous outfit really. The queue was very jolly! We were let into the museum on the dot of 1am, but then hit a hitch, JK was well behind schedule. So we took our goodie bags (including the free book) and headed for the cafe. All plans to NEVER read the signed copy went out of the window as we had a two hour wait!! So we read, ate crisps and chocolate brownies and read!
JK was lovely, very very pretty with great taste in shoes, really nice to the kids and not looking even slightly tired.
The TB is swanking as he says she signed his copy with a kiss - it's a squiggle man are you blind?
And there was something fab about coming home on the train with everyone reading the same book!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Tired
So F*****g tired in fact that writing this may be a very bad plan.
Too much work and too much going on , in summary! - had two days in London again this week, with one hour meetings that turned into 3 hours meetings , which is great for the fees and terrible for the schedule.
Never mind - do some bills and cheer up!
Back to London tomorrow to meet JK - so excited! - and the Natural History Museum at midnight has got to be a cracker in itself. And in better news a ticket turned up for the Toy Boy too - so I'm no longer the lone adult (well ish) on the trip!
Too much work and too much going on , in summary! - had two days in London again this week, with one hour meetings that turned into 3 hours meetings , which is great for the fees and terrible for the schedule.
Never mind - do some bills and cheer up!
Back to London tomorrow to meet JK - so excited! - and the Natural History Museum at midnight has got to be a cracker in itself. And in better news a ticket turned up for the Toy Boy too - so I'm no longer the lone adult (well ish) on the trip!
Sunday, July 15, 2007
I have a bad head! ( and I deserve it)
Sorry for absence - been busy, work is arriving and I don't seem to be doing it fast enough. My mind is strangley unfocused and my work days have a worrying absence of "flow"
So today's projects are being undertaken with a searing hangover to see if that helps at all - purely in the interests of research you understand....In a begnin twist of fate, we had the only dry evening for months for our leaving party last night . I have to say in the interests of country kitsch that the back garden bore more than a passing resemblence to a village fete last night, we had a marquee, we had bunting and we had a bouncy castle. Luckily given the proximity of drunks to said bouncy castle there were no broken bones. The AB had the once in a lifetime experience of being on a bouncy castle with her mother, grandmother and aunt! - way cool!
Now it's raining again......
So today's projects are being undertaken with a searing hangover to see if that helps at all - purely in the interests of research you understand....In a begnin twist of fate, we had the only dry evening for months for our leaving party last night . I have to say in the interests of country kitsch that the back garden bore more than a passing resemblence to a village fete last night, we had a marquee, we had bunting and we had a bouncy castle. Luckily given the proximity of drunks to said bouncy castle there were no broken bones. The AB had the once in a lifetime experience of being on a bouncy castle with her mother, grandmother and aunt! - way cool!
Now it's raining again......
Monday, July 09, 2007
The Sabbath Walks
By 1785 Ironbridge was the firebreathing epicentre of the industrial revolution - Dante's inner circles of hell made manifest some said, coal mines, iron foundries, the Bedlam Furnaces all belching out smoke and worse.
The Ironmasters were generally Quakers - barred from the great universities and the professions because of their religion they seem to have taken to commerce like ducks to water. Kays (shoes), Clarkes (also shoes) Cadbury (chocolate) Abraham Darby (the first iron bridge!) all Quakers.
So down in the gorge the iron masters took a paternal view of their workers, providing decent housing on the whole and to try to slow the death rate and keep drinking gambling and whoring in check one of them set out and made public the Sabbath Walks - paths through the surrounding woodland and countryside that would keep you fit and out of temptation if you walked them on a Sunday.
Yesterday was Sunday - so we walked through Jackfield and Coalport along some of the Sabbath paths and the old railway - and the gorge is so beautiful now, probably at it's most beautiful as none of the trees are so very old. We ended up walking 7 miles rather than 5 because we missed Jackfield Bridge - how can anyone miss Jackfield Bridge it's huge!
By 1785 Ironbridge was the firebreathing epicentre of the industrial revolution - Dante's inner circles of hell made manifest some said, coal mines, iron foundries, the Bedlam Furnaces all belching out smoke and worse.
The Ironmasters were generally Quakers - barred from the great universities and the professions because of their religion they seem to have taken to commerce like ducks to water. Kays (shoes), Clarkes (also shoes) Cadbury (chocolate) Abraham Darby (the first iron bridge!) all Quakers.
So down in the gorge the iron masters took a paternal view of their workers, providing decent housing on the whole and to try to slow the death rate and keep drinking gambling and whoring in check one of them set out and made public the Sabbath Walks - paths through the surrounding woodland and countryside that would keep you fit and out of temptation if you walked them on a Sunday.
Yesterday was Sunday - so we walked through Jackfield and Coalport along some of the Sabbath paths and the old railway - and the gorge is so beautiful now, probably at it's most beautiful as none of the trees are so very old. We ended up walking 7 miles rather than 5 because we missed Jackfield Bridge - how can anyone miss Jackfield Bridge it's huge!
Saturday, July 07, 2007
"The Proper Care and Feeding of Middle Aged Women!"
I'm going to moan again so look away now !
When you are 45 like me your physical "bounce back" ability and your "zone of eating shit and looking OK" both decrease very markedly year by year. I have comfort eaten for two weeks and so I have put on 5lbs and look like pooh! - I have exercised don't get me wrong, just haven't exercised enough. I also have zits and bags under my eyes like cargo trunks - SO this week, no drinking, no eating shit, going to bed at 10pm and at least two lots of 30 mins exercise a day! You heard it here first - and to start off on the right foot I'm drinking water in the office at 7 on a Sunday morning while I finish working on this evidence and then I'm going for a walk up a hill!
I'm going to moan again so look away now !
When you are 45 like me your physical "bounce back" ability and your "zone of eating shit and looking OK" both decrease very markedly year by year. I have comfort eaten for two weeks and so I have put on 5lbs and look like pooh! - I have exercised don't get me wrong, just haven't exercised enough. I also have zits and bags under my eyes like cargo trunks - SO this week, no drinking, no eating shit, going to bed at 10pm and at least two lots of 30 mins exercise a day! You heard it here first - and to start off on the right foot I'm drinking water in the office at 7 on a Sunday morning while I finish working on this evidence and then I'm going for a walk up a hill!
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Out of the Comfort Zone!
I surely am out of the comfort zone, a way out on a limb somewhere and swaying about in the wind. While I am waiting for some other people to do stuff I have the opportunity to "review" the way I work and so I am.
In particular trying to make an initial research paper more comprehensive and user friendly so that it's content can be moved across into other documents later to save drafting them from scratch..
But reviewing takes time and is of itself a procedure that creates uncertainty- will this method turn out to be better or worse? Am I being sensible in trying to plan more or just pithering about and wasting time?
In particular trying to make an initial research paper more comprehensive and user friendly so that it's content can be moved across into other documents later to save drafting them from scratch..
But reviewing takes time and is of itself a procedure that creates uncertainty- will this method turn out to be better or worse? Am I being sensible in trying to plan more or just pithering about and wasting time?
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
New life???
I have been self employed for two and a half days and I am fast becoming nocturnal! Daylight hours are insuficient for the amount of stuff that needs doing between the house, the child and the job.
It would be vile if I wasn't enjoying myself but - panic stricken hysteria apart - this is great fun. It's my schedule, my pace, the jobs I want to do.............
I like it!
It would be vile if I wasn't enjoying myself but - panic stricken hysteria apart - this is great fun. It's my schedule, my pace, the jobs I want to do.............
I like it!
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Does this mean we have to stay sober?
It did occur to me on Friday night as I walked down Chancery Lane only to be turned back by a police man, that the time you are most likely to run into a terrorist attack is when you have had a drink, or two or three.
Friday my mate H had FINALLY passed the insolvency exam. The important point being that we had spent the better part of the afternoon in a marquee in Gray's Inn drinking industrial quantities of Pimms'. So we set off in search of supper, not too much the worse for wear but a bit only to be sent on a detour around Linclon's Inn Fields and the Aldwych. Not too much of a problem, having had that much of a stroll we carried on to the Eye. Now the Eye was surprisingly quiet, maybe due to hightened level of terror alert? So we decided to go for a sundown flight, which was stunning and I do reccomend it.
Some poor sap in the next capsule was doing the whole, get engaged on a champagne flight thing! Don't do it unless you want the rest of the population clapping and taking photos! - not subtle and what if she had said no? - I digress.
Back to Joe Allen's for supper then walked back to the Bonnington - didn't encounter any more bombs or anything looking like a bomb on the way but that was more good luck than good judgement...still can't let a terror threat ruin your evening can you?
Friday my mate H had FINALLY passed the insolvency exam. The important point being that we had spent the better part of the afternoon in a marquee in Gray's Inn drinking industrial quantities of Pimms'. So we set off in search of supper, not too much the worse for wear but a bit only to be sent on a detour around Linclon's Inn Fields and the Aldwych. Not too much of a problem, having had that much of a stroll we carried on to the Eye. Now the Eye was surprisingly quiet, maybe due to hightened level of terror alert? So we decided to go for a sundown flight, which was stunning and I do reccomend it.
Some poor sap in the next capsule was doing the whole, get engaged on a champagne flight thing! Don't do it unless you want the rest of the population clapping and taking photos! - not subtle and what if she had said no? - I digress.
Back to Joe Allen's for supper then walked back to the Bonnington - didn't encounter any more bombs or anything looking like a bomb on the way but that was more good luck than good judgement...still can't let a terror threat ruin your evening can you?
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Random Fact Generator
1. Each player must post these rules first.2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
8 Random Facts About me;
1. I wasn't always a lawyer - my first job after leaving college was teaching agriculture in a boys boarding school in Western Australia. I've also milked cows for a living, been a shepherd, cleaned toilets in a psychiatric hospital and been a maths tutor.
2. I can touch type at 36 wpm
3. I have a thing about food being better home cooked and home grown. When first married and in the first flush of domestic bliss I even made home made faggots - this involved mincing up sheeps lungs and has never been repeated even though they did taste good.
4. I have my best friend's parents ashes in my office - waiting for her to come back from Melbourne to scatter them.
5. I am the only female member of my family who isn't blonde - this has left deep mental scarring!
6. I once repossessed a jumbo jet at Manchester Airport - this was quite exciting and involved driving down a runway in one of those cars with the light on top. Then we stuck writs all over the cockpit of the plane and took the battery out of the engine!
7. I am lousy at sport - I'd love to be good at it, but I am undeniably rubbish. Hence forced into tap dancing and yoga as the only keep fit options for which I have any vauge aptitude.
8. It really annoys me that my husband is a brillant horseman and can't be bothered to keep and ride a horse....he's way better than me with out trying even slightly.
I tag....Frobisher, Pink Drama, Beast, Hey Lady,Tickers, Alice, (I don't know 8 Peopel will 6 do???)
.
8 Random Facts About me;
1. I wasn't always a lawyer - my first job after leaving college was teaching agriculture in a boys boarding school in Western Australia. I've also milked cows for a living, been a shepherd, cleaned toilets in a psychiatric hospital and been a maths tutor.
2. I can touch type at 36 wpm
3. I have a thing about food being better home cooked and home grown. When first married and in the first flush of domestic bliss I even made home made faggots - this involved mincing up sheeps lungs and has never been repeated even though they did taste good.
4. I have my best friend's parents ashes in my office - waiting for her to come back from Melbourne to scatter them.
5. I am the only female member of my family who isn't blonde - this has left deep mental scarring!
6. I once repossessed a jumbo jet at Manchester Airport - this was quite exciting and involved driving down a runway in one of those cars with the light on top. Then we stuck writs all over the cockpit of the plane and took the battery out of the engine!
7. I am lousy at sport - I'd love to be good at it, but I am undeniably rubbish. Hence forced into tap dancing and yoga as the only keep fit options for which I have any vauge aptitude.
8. It really annoys me that my husband is a brillant horseman and can't be bothered to keep and ride a horse....he's way better than me with out trying even slightly.
I tag....Frobisher, Pink Drama, Beast, Hey Lady,Tickers, Alice, (I don't know 8 Peopel will 6 do???)
.
Stuff to do
My bargin, second hand laser printer won't work - tried downloading the installation softwear, tried getting a mate to forward me installation softwear but apparently said softwear has no "signature" and so windows doesn't like it....arggh. I have stuff to do which requires to be printed out, if all else fails I am going to give my friend my headed notepaper and email my letters to her office! Heath Robinson cry your eyes out!
In other news tis my leaving lunch today - at the all you can eat Chinese Buffet, the very height of sophistication! I am hoping for pressies and not for speeches. I declined requests from my male colleagues to reprise my "scary spice" get up , as seen on Red Nose Day...they will just have to live on their memories!
In other news tis my leaving lunch today - at the all you can eat Chinese Buffet, the very height of sophistication! I am hoping for pressies and not for speeches. I declined requests from my male colleagues to reprise my "scary spice" get up , as seen on Red Nose Day...they will just have to live on their memories!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
All work and no play!
Oh Lord - the perils of freelancing!
All work and no play is about to make Lippy a very dull girl. I can't go to my very good mate's hen weekend because of work - and it's Barca! NOOOOOOO. Even more annoying the weeks' either side of the dates they have arranged for the hen I have no work booked at the moment.
If anyone else says, "Barcelona's not that great really," I will kill them.
It's also going to feel like I'm working for nothing at least until Christmas because I need to pay back both the freelance business set up costs and school fees..............On the bright side, no office politics, no one else's livelihood to worry about all that good freelance stuff.
All work and no play is about to make Lippy a very dull girl. I can't go to my very good mate's hen weekend because of work - and it's Barca! NOOOOOOO. Even more annoying the weeks' either side of the dates they have arranged for the hen I have no work booked at the moment.
If anyone else says, "Barcelona's not that great really," I will kill them.
It's also going to feel like I'm working for nothing at least until Christmas because I need to pay back both the freelance business set up costs and school fees..............On the bright side, no office politics, no one else's livelihood to worry about all that good freelance stuff.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Submerged
It's going to rain again in a minute and actually that's quite a scary thought.
There was a tornado here yesterday- it's on the front page of today's Times if you don't beleive me and driving home through the village last night was like driving along the bed of river. The water was up to the top of the car wheels and moving really fast, there were rocks being swept along with it and I really thought that the water might actually pick the car up....horrid!
So working last 3 days of my notice -it's odd really, have lots to do and therefore should get on and do it but motivation is at an absolute all time low! I daren't touch any of my new work as I'm not insured as yet - eep!
There was a tornado here yesterday- it's on the front page of today's Times if you don't beleive me and driving home through the village last night was like driving along the bed of river. The water was up to the top of the car wheels and moving really fast, there were rocks being swept along with it and I really thought that the water might actually pick the car up....horrid!
So working last 3 days of my notice -it's odd really, have lots to do and therefore should get on and do it but motivation is at an absolute all time low! I daren't touch any of my new work as I'm not insured as yet - eep!
Friday, June 22, 2007
Coolest Mum Ever
That's me - we have tickets for JK Rowlings midnight signing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at the Natural History Museum! - hurrah!
I'm a pretty good Aunty to as I remembered to get the nephew a ticket as well!
I'm a pretty good Aunty to as I remembered to get the nephew a ticket as well!
Coolest Mum Ever
That's me - we have tickets for JK Rowlings midnight signing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at the Natural History Museum! - hurrah!
I'm a pretty good Aunty to as I remembered to get the nephew a ticket as well!
I'm a pretty good Aunty to as I remembered to get the nephew a ticket as well!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
OMG!
On Graham Norton's show last night there was a whole thing about "sploshing" - people covering each other in food for sexual gratification. Some poor sap from the audience got covered in cold baked beans by girls in bikinis.
Most shockingly I'm certain that the lady in the PVC catsuit who was explaining "cake sitting" to a bemused nation used to be my yoga teacher.................?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Most shockingly I'm certain that the lady in the PVC catsuit who was explaining "cake sitting" to a bemused nation used to be my yoga teacher.................?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Smile for the Camera!
It's a shoot day today, and as I've been up working on an evidence submission since quarter to five this morning, I'm sure that the black circles under my eyes are going to look just fabulous!
Tonight I'm going to get back to the hotel early,have a swim and a sauna, order a room service hamburger and eat it in bed - so there!
Tonight I'm going to get back to the hotel early,have a swim and a sauna, order a room service hamburger and eat it in bed - so there!
Lippy's Random Guide to London Restaurants -yet again
The Great Eastern Dining Room, Great Eastern St, Shoreditch
OK lets be honest here it's not cheap ; but the food is amazing, completely different from anything anywhere else. Who knew that a "son in law egg" is soft boiled and then deep fried ? well I know now, still don't quite understand why it came with bbq pork but there it is.
The service was charming and strangley East European - never had a Polish lady serving me dim sum before but all part of life's rich pattern.
The company was great, I didn't get run over on Gt Eastern st despite trying very hard to - thank you for the great swerve man in BMW and I have a very sore head this morning (I'm old and lightweight!)
OK lets be honest here it's not cheap ; but the food is amazing, completely different from anything anywhere else. Who knew that a "son in law egg" is soft boiled and then deep fried ? well I know now, still don't quite understand why it came with bbq pork but there it is.
The service was charming and strangley East European - never had a Polish lady serving me dim sum before but all part of life's rich pattern.
The company was great, I didn't get run over on Gt Eastern st despite trying very hard to - thank you for the great swerve man in BMW and I have a very sore head this morning (I'm old and lightweight!)
Saturday, June 16, 2007
MUSIC!
I'm resigning myself to a gig less summer due to lack of time and funds..(has hissy fit and stamps feet). I would KILL (so don't tempt me) to go to the Scissor Scisters gig at the O2 in July, and the thought of heading down there in a Thames Clipper is just so cool. Other gig desires relate to Gogol Bordello, the Stones (although feeling a bit bin there done that got the t-shirt about that one) and Mika. I'd quite like to see Lily Allen after her short set at V last year but I'm not sure how she'd go on with an hour to fill, I think she probably wouldn't in which case I'll keep my ticket money in my purse thanks.
I am sorely tempted to spend money I don't have on downloading the new Fountains of Wayne album - their old songs still remind me so clearly of a mad weekend break in New York about 6 years ago. Perhaps Paul McCartney's new effort as well which everyone seems to be raving about.
In the meantime I have a bit pile of Waterboys CD's to load on here and give back to my sister.
I am sorely tempted to spend money I don't have on downloading the new Fountains of Wayne album - their old songs still remind me so clearly of a mad weekend break in New York about 6 years ago. Perhaps Paul McCartney's new effort as well which everyone seems to be raving about.
In the meantime I have a bit pile of Waterboys CD's to load on here and give back to my sister.
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