Reflections

Honestly, the way the whole of the UK is going on about Britain's Got Talent, you would have thought the world was going to end. Now, I'm contributing to the whole idiocy of it by writing about it, which one could say makes me a hypocrit.

I just don't see the entertainment value of it at all. Does that make me an alien or something? Because I feel that I'm the only one who finds the whole thing cringe making. As far as I can see only a fair few of them really do have talent and I never agree with the judges. Yes, I have tried watching it before I critisise it and all I can do is pick holes in it and make snide comments, which just totally annoys my brother, who likes watching it. If all I can do is say "he's crap, she can't sing to save her life" or "what the Hell was that I just wasted my life watching?" then there is really no point in me watching it. I just can't get any kind of enjoyment out of watching these wannabe celebrities make fools of themselves on national television.

I really like the Royal Variety Performance because they sometimes have a commedian on I might like and I enjoy watching the musical performances that might appear. I must admit I prefer it if a dancer or dance group wins it because I enjoy watching people dance. That is the only good thing I can say about Britain's got Talent. I just hate watching people trying to sing. Ok, so the rest of Britain might think that Susan Boyle has a good voice, but it wasn't to my taste. From the little I saw of this year I really liked the saxaphone player and the dance groups.

Another problem I have with Britain's Got Talent is the question of whether children should be allowed on the show or not. I heard that a little girl broke down under the pressure of the semi final (although I didn't actually see this). Is it fair for parents to put their children under this kind of pressure? But on the other side of the coin as Simon Cowell said "why should we deny children who do have the talent and confidence such an opportunity?" It's certainly a question open for debate. We all have our differences I suppose, I just happen to be in the minority when it comes to liking Britain's Got Talent.

I can't decide whether I actually enjoy Summer. It tends to be more problematic for me than the Winter. The good thing I like about it is that one doesn't have to wear so many clothes or carry coats arround. However, for me there are quite a few negative things about Summer.

Firstly, spiders. I had a rather big one come in through the window last night. Scared me half to death and could not sleep after I got someone to put it in a glass and back out the window for me. Had to sleep with the window closed for fear of more spiders coming in. Room was stuffy and struggled to get comfortable. I really need to get over my fear before I drive my family and myself insane! I might try hypnotherapy. I don't like the other insects Summer brings out like moths, flies, flying ants etc... but I can just about put up with that. Spiders I can't put up with.

Secondly, my feet and ankles swell up like balloons in the hot weather. I really struggle to find shoes to fit me and sometimes it gets so bad I can hardly walk. The doctor says it's water retention and there is nothing that can be done about it. Unfortunately for me it's a genetic disorder. My Nan had it and my Mum also suffers from it. My blood pressure is fine and all they do is prescribe me with special stockings that I have to wear with suspenders. What in this weather? They must be joking. That's out of the question, so I just have to put up with the discomfort.

Thirdly, I tend to get more irritable and frustrated in hot weather than in the Winter especially if i'm travelling on the London Underground or on trains, both of which are unbareable in the Summer.

Oh well, one will just have to get on with it I suppose. One especially good thing about Summer is the concerts I've got booked so that's something to look forward to. My friend and I were saying that we both want to see the same films and there's quite a lot of good ones coming out this year. So we will most likely spend most of the Summer in the cinemas!!!

I'm starting my new job tomorrow, so I'm a bit nervous about that as well. I'm quite glad that it's fairly local so I don't have to travel far. It should be a good experience.

I went into this film without any idea what it was about, which is probably the best way to see it. Those who are fans of the book, will probably not enjoy it as much as people who have not read it. I admittedly have not got round to reading the book yet. I have started it, but I'm a terrible reader. I don't read a book from start to finish in several sittings like most readers. I start a book, get bored, then start another one, then go back to the one I was originally reading. It takes me ages to get through one book from start to finish!

So, with that in mind I found the film really enjoyable and thrilling. It's as much of a thriller as it is a mystery. However, I could tell from the short amount of the book I've already read that the film was going to be different in comparrison in many ways. It was much faster paced than the Da Vinci Code and in a way filmed rather crudely probably to get accross a dark and disturbing storyline, which I found quite refreshing. It was nice to see a film without too many special effects, whereby all the actors did all the running around and hard work that they're paid to do. As I've said before, I tend to ignore film critics and I'm glad I ignored them about this film. I admit I was tempted to not see it at all, but it is a film worth seeing just to get one's own oppinion on it and you never know, you might end up enjoying it at the same time!

I have come to the conclusion today that I really hate fashion. I live mostly in jeans and a top. Today I went shopping for a pair of plain black trainers. Could I find a pair of plain black trainers? No. They were all black with pink or gold glitter on them, or silvery bits, or patent bits. The design of trainers has really gone downhill. They only seem to cater for the 'chav' market. I am not a chav. I am an ordinary woman who wants a pair of comfortable trainers to wear for sports (in my case the gym), which is what they are supposed to be used for. Trainers are a sports item, not a fashion trend and it's not just trainers that have gone downhill. Fashion iteslf it just aweful. I hate the current 'retro' look that seems to be around. I have really struggled to find any tops I like that suit my shape. I am a slim hour glass shape and prefer fitted tops. I've noticed that all the tops have gone baggy or are a loose fit and flowing, which tends to make me appear bigger than I am. I also don't like bright colours and big patterns and both styles are 'in'. I have also noticed that the kind of tops I like are either too cheap and don't look nice or too expensive for what it is. There doesn't seem to be a medium. I don't know maybe I'm just really fussy. I'm not a goth or anything but I know that dark colours suit me and I struggle to find anything I like in the high street shops at the moment. It's just a little bit frustrating!

I'm not going to spoil anything about the film and I'm not going to write the kind of critical review that explores the film at all angles. To be honest, I can't be bothered to write all that! All I'm going to say is that it is a film definately worth seeing whether you are a Trekkie or not. I grew up watching the older series with Captian Kirk and Spock etc... because my parents always had it on at dinner time. I remember I hated it (mainly because I didn't understand what was going on and the sci-fi jargan most of the time) so it was a bit of a bore to me. Then as I got older, the Next Generation and Voyger series came along, which I started to get into. I think I liked the characters better than in the early ones and I always thought Patrick Stewart was a great actor.

Going into the movie last night, I had no idea what to expect. I hadn't seen any trailers or read anything about the story line. I think that's the best way to watch a film anyway so that your judgement isn't impared by other people's oppinions (mostly film critics, I tend to ignore what they say about films as I like to see for myself and form my own oppinion).

Anyway, from what I remembered in the early series, I thought the characterisation was spot on for all the characters, particularly Spock and Kirk. The special effects was just out of this world. I came out of the theatre feeling a little dizzy and was glad I didn't go to see it at the IMax! The re-generation of the set was a little bit clinical for my liking and maybe the odd bright flashing light bulb wouldn't go amiss, but that's my only little niggle. Entertainment wise, I was gripped from the very start right through to the end. It was an exciting film and to finish off the only other thing I can say is I came out wanting to go through the whole thing again!

Ok, I admit it; I am interested in how the UK does in Eurovision. However, no matter how hard we tried, this was once again not our year, but at least we got more than nil poi! In fact we came fifth overall, which is good for us! Norway ran away with it. I think the voting has changed slightly and the political barriers have been taken down about half way, but there are some neighbouring countries who insist on voting for one another. Mainly the Scandinavian countries, which really annoys me. When at first I heard that Graham Norton was taking over from Terry Wogan (a legend of Eurovision commentary!) I thought that it would be a disaster. On the contrary, he wasn't all that bad, but actually quite funny. He got away with saying just as outrageous things as Wogan. When they were giving out the points, one country (I forget which one) wanted to have a minute's silence because they were having trouble or something. Graham says something on the lines of "you've got to be joking; it's two in the morning here!" There was also a bit of a protesting moan in the stadium as well. I'm not sure whether he was allowed to do that or not, but he managed at least a 30 seconds silence because there was too much protest. The main reason I used to watch Eurovision was because of Terry Wogan's comments, which were hilarious. Otherwise even I admit it's a tacky show, but just a bit of a laugh at the end of the day! I don't quite know why people take it so seriously.

Today I went into London to meet some old colleagues from the picture library I used to work for. It was an ex-colleague's birthday and we've remained in contact (mostly through Facebook). We meet up for birthdays and I also get invited to the company's events. It was nice to see them all again as we had a lot to catch up with. It had been over a year since I last saw some of them. It was good for my morale to go out and be sociable as well, which is something I haven't done much lately being out of work and not able to afford it. Blogging has been a great, cheap social outlet for me, so thanks for putting up with me guys!

I have a new job! Well it's another temping job, but at least it's something and it's ongoing, which means it should last a good few months. It's with my local council in the local Civic Centre just doing admin stuff and it's not great pay. But one can't be picky these days. It's only about half an hour's drive away and I can get to the gym easily after work. It was all a bit of a mad rush though. I got a phone call from my recruitment agency on Friday at 3pm saying that I'm going to hate them but could I go and meet someone at the Civic Centre as they have a job for me. What happened was their current temp was leaving them that day without giving any notice, leaving them in the lurch with unfinished projects and they asked if I could take over. Well I had plans and at first refused, but once I heard more about the job and mulled it over I reluctantly agreed. I cancelled my plans and rushed over to the Civic Centre in my car as I had to be there for 4pm. Panicked a bit as I got stuck in school chucking out time traffic, but made it just in time. I was only in jeans and a top with no make-up as the agency said I could go as I was. The lady I met at the Civic Centre was very appreciative, showed me around and the temp who was leaving showed me what I would be doing. They then asked if I could start next week on the 26th and I agreed. I think at first they wanted me to start straight away, but the guy who needed to train me was on holiday till next Tuesday, so they then thought it best I start when he gets back. I thought "why the Hell not, who knows what this experience could lead to?" I suppose recruitment agencies aren't as bad as I thought they were. Things really are looking up!

Last night I had one of my unusual fits again. I call it a fit, because I have no other way of describing it. It only seems to happen when I'm sleeping on my back. I get the sense that I can't move and I'm struggling to breathe. I then sub-consciously try to wake myself up. Eventually I do wake up feeling breathless and sweating. If I'm dreaming, I never remember what I was dreaming about. Another explanation my friend told me (as she experiences it too) was that it is the sensation one feels when ghosts are trying to enter your body while you sleep. Sounds too far fetched to me. Then my Mum came up with the most logical explanation of my sleeping fits which is health relate. I'm not stressed, so it's definitely not that. But she said she had read somewhere that for some people, the blood doesn't pump round the body well enough to reach the brain while you’re sleeping on your back, which results in a lack of oxygen getting to the brain. Apparently it is common in pregnant women, who are often warned by doctors not to sleep on their backs because the weight of the baby crushes vital blood vessels that pump the blood round the body. For me (as I'm not pregnant) I could be sleeping in a position whereby occasionally my spine crushes the blood vessels. It's weird I know, but as you've probably already guessed I'm quite a weird person!

Anyway, I experienced one of those fits again last night and woke up feeling breathless as usual. However, I suddenly had the feeling I wasn't alone in my room and felt compelled to look in the far corner of my bed room. I couldn't believe what I was seeing at first and my heart pounded. Standing there in the corner beside my chest of drawers was what looked like the ghostly outline of a man. I sat on the edge of my bed blinking and shaking my head to make sure I wasn't dreaming. But there he was. Just standing side-on to me staring melancholically at the wall. I found my voice and said "please go away". He turned his head and stared straight at me. He then turned back and continued to stare sadly at the wall. For about a minute I just stared at him and he stared at the wall. I then mustered up the courage to move over close to him, and flicked on my light switch. He then disappeared. I can even describe him, that's how clear it was. He was tall, slender; wearing what looked like a grey blazer. His face had a kind of chiselled look and age wise probably in his 60's or 70's. He was all transparent apart from his whitish outline.

I was quite terrified by my first ghostly encounter. I've had the feeling for a while now that there was something weird about that corner of my room. But this was the first time I’ve actually seen a ghost and up till now I’ve been a half believer and half skeptic. I think I’m still a little skeptic about what I saw though. Unless it happens again, my skepticism will probably dominate my beliefs. In fact I was so terrified that I turned on all the upstairs lights and stayed in the bathroom with the light on for about half an hour before I had the courage to return to my room. I ended up drifting into an uneasy sleep with the television on! If it happens often, I suppose I will just have to get used to it. After all he doesn't seem to be malicious in any way. Just Melancholic.

I've felt a bit down lately, but now at last I feel revitalised! I'm doing a day's work tomorrow back at the school I worked for before (I know I said I may not go back, but I need the money and it's only for one day... so far!) Went to get my hair cut today at nice hairdressers. It's not often I go to a high street hairdressers as I have a friend of the family who is a qualified hairdresser and who comes round my parent's house to cut all our hair at almost half the price as on the high street. I guess I’m quite lucky in that sense, but there are downsides. You have to clean the room you had your hair cut in from top to bottom afterwards as the hair gets everywhere. Plus, you don't have the luxury of having someone wash your hair for you and give you a nice soothing head massage! It's expensive I know, but I couldn't book my usual hairdresser and I was so desperate for a change to help boost my moral. And it worked. I came out of the hairdressers feeling elated! I had one of those bobs cut with a subtle inversion at the back. Before I had longish shoulder length hair, which was beginning to look straggly and unkempt. I had to constantly brush it to keep it looking nice. I can't be arsed with all that! Now I hardly have to brush it and it's going to be so much easier to look after. If anyone is feeling down and depressed at the moment, go and get a hair cut! A drastic change. It really makes you feel better about yourself. However, I'm not feeling quite brave enough to post a photo. Tell you what, If I get a lot of comments, then I will promise to post a before and after photo!!!

Once again as you can see, I've re-designed my blog again! This time I went for something bright, clean- cut and contemporary to match my mood. And I was naughty and bought a huge bag of Cadbury's Giant Chocolate Buttons, which I'm munching on right now!!!

I've been in really snappy moods lately and I feel like having a good old Jack Dee style moan! Been very indecisive, this is unlike me. Been changing my mind a lot about stuff. Just been in one of those moods whereby I don't know what I feel like doing. I haven't felt like blogging for a week or however long it's been since my last post. Haven't felt like watching anything on TV. Not felt like reading or playing my guitar either. The only thing I seem to like doing at the moment is listening to my Metal music. Iron Maiden mostly. The same songs over and over again. I need to get a life! My gym buddy said I need to get another hobby. After seeing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (for the second time) I've had an urge to research UFO's and Aliens. So lately I’ve been sitting at my computer looking at any websites I can find on Roswell and UFO sightings. I was thinking of starting a research based blog about my new found passion. A place where I can collate thoughts and interesting facts (I use the word 'facts' loosely here) on the subject. Another thing I’d like to take up is knitting. I might just for the Hell of it get some wall and knitting needles and give it a go. Then again, that sounds like a cry for 'help!'

Another thing that’s really annoying me is all this fuss about Swine Flu. The symptoms people have been getting in the UK are described as ‘Mild’. Yes, it could get worse in the Autumn and Winter months and yes, it is sad that people are dying from it. But what do they expect us to do? We can’t all stay in our homes and never set foot out of the front door in fear we might catch Swine Flu. Perhaps they could put each of us in huge protective individual bubbles. I can foresee that having hilarious consequences! It would help if people were more polite when they sneeze or cough. Just simple things like putting your hand over your mouth or making sure you always have a pack of tissues with you can help. It’s just common sense and courteous. Don’t find much of that these days though.

Moving on, I love the look of the new Pixar film Up. Here’s a link to a good quality preview!

http://www.itsartmag.com/features/upfocus/

It’s going to become the first animated film to open the Cannes Film Festival. I read in a Times supplement that they wanted to open the festival with something more light-hearted and humorous to brighten things up during the current down turn. I’m looking forward to seeing it for sure.

Ok, I’ve had my little moment and I hope the next post will be a bit more light-hearted! It’s funny, I feel a bit better already. It’s surprising what a little moan can do!

I just love this. My Dad played the whole Snow Goose album once as background music when I was younger one evening and I just loved it. My parents still joke about me being born in the wrong era as I love a lot of 70s and 80s music. I just grew up with my parents playing this sort of stuff all the time and I used to love listening to my Dad's record collection on the old turntable. Anyway, the Snow Goose was one of my favourite albums and when I saw this on YouTube I just had to blog it! It's from Old Grey Whistle Test in 1975. The songs they play from The Snow Goose are "Friendship" and "Rhayader Goes To Town. It's just such a shame they don't have programmes like this anymore that shows great music and the unknown bands that don't get the recognition they deserve. With the exception of Jools Holland of course! All i'm saying is there should be more music programmes like that that are different to the typical music channels that show pop videos where bands can have the option to play live on TV!"

Heaven And Hell have reformed from current and former members of Black Sabbath including Tony Iommi, Ronnie James Dio, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice! You can hear about it on last Friday's Bruce Dickinson's Rock Show!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/bruce_dickinson/

Being a Dio and Sabbath fan, I'm excited about this!

If you could take control over a classic rock station for an hour, which 12 songs would you choose to play? They must be the songs that you could not live without!

This is what I've thought about so far:

1. Aces High - Iron Maiden (must have Maiden in there somewhere!)
2. I'm Eighteen - Alice Cooper (simply my fave Alice song and not played on air often as it's always School's Out usually played)
3. Roundabout - Yes (a classic!)
4. War Pigs - Black Sabbath (Some heavy stuff in there!)
5. Child In Time - Deep Purple (something different to Smoke On The Water!)
6. Rock 'n Roll Children - Dio (my fave Dio song!)
7. Layla - Derek And The Dominoes (again, a classic!)
8. Ramble On - Led Zeppelin (love the rhythm guitar!)
9. Freebird - Lynyrd Skynyrd (an epic song!)
10. Green Grass And High Tides - The Outlaws (catchy!)
11. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd (best guitar solo ever!)
12. Who Wants To Live Forever - Queen (beautiful song & great vocals by Freddy)

The radio station in question is Planet Rock, one of my favourite radio stations. I was thinking of sending in a Rockblock, but I want to make it interesting enough for them to play it. Any suggestions would be helpful from you music lovers out there!

Had a bit of a rude awakening this morning. Was enjoying my first lie-in for ages. Unfortunately I'm back on the dole, having finished my previous reception job and I'm in the process of constantly contacting my recruitment agencies to get more work. I was in such a deep sleep and having a really nice dream (can't remember what it was about now) when the phone rang. I jumpped out of bed and in my haste banged my little toe on the corner of a stool I keep at the end of my bed! I must have sounded really groggy (not to mention in pain) over the phone to the woman on the other end. She was from another recruitment agency who had seen my CV on a website called CV Library. It's been a good website so far and my CV seems to have attracted a lot of attention. Before I knew it, I was emailing her my details and arranging to register on Tuesday (having forgotten it was bank holiday Monday)! When you're unemployed, you don't think about bank holidays, or I don't at least! I'm hoping that I won't be on the dole for long though since I'm getting a lot of phone calls. I'm going to have to get up earlier so I can sound a little brighter on the phone from now on!

It was such a beautiful day today and I can't believe I had to spend it indoors doing cleaning and laundry. But I suppose these household tasks have to be done. I don't mind doing it really, I find it quite theraputic. I just had Foo Fighters on as loud as possible with all the doors and windows open and yes, I do sing and dance around with a mop in my hand!!!

Went to see Asia live last night and it was a great show. It was the original line-up as well; Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, John Wetton and Carl Palmer. For me seeing Steve Howe play live was a real treat. I think he has a most unusual sharp technique. His manorisms while playing are very amusing. While looking more like a mad professor who belongs in a science lab than a guitarist, he just stands there and plays, occasionally shaking his head, looking up at the audience, then down at his guitar and extremely occasionally letting himself go by giving a little kick! John Wetton is an average basist, but much better vocalist and was on top form vocally. Geoff Downes on keyboards put on a flamboyant performance, surrounded by at least 8 keyboards and finally who can forget ELP's Carl Palmer? Possibly one of the most entertaining drummers i've ever seen. Not only did they play old and new Asia songs, but they also threw in Court of the Crimson King, ELP's Fanfare for the Common Man and even the original version of Roundabout by Yes. I couldn't believe what great value for money the show was. They guys really seemed to enjoy themselves up there and they were on stage for a good 2 hours. The tickets only cost £25 and that's cheap for a gig these days! Mind you it was only at the Forum in Kentish Town, which was a small venue anyway. It was definately a night to remember and I really hope to see Howe play with Yes when singer Jon Anderson is well enough to rejoin the band. I will only see them with him singing and no-one else. I'd also rather see them with Rick Wakeman at the keyboards, but it definately isn't Yes without Anderson's vocals.

I've been too tired lately to write this review, but finally here it is. I went to see it straight from work with a fellow Maiden fan (or rather I converted her to Maiden)! First thing I noticed was that everyone in the cinema was wearing a Maiden t-shirt (including me)! The atmosphere was almost like the atmosphere of a live concert. Once the Maiden fans were seated in the cinema and before the film was about to start, everyone was chanting "Maiden, Maiden, Maiden!"

The film itself was much better than I expected. I was expecting it to be like the History DVD's, but it was more than just a documentary. They showed many live songs being played in various places all around the world, but it was the reaction of the Maiden fans from around the world that made the film. It was filmed in a way that showed the fan's reactions from the band's point of view, which is what we really wanted to see. This film was a real insight into what it was like to be part of the Maiden team over a period of several days while they embarked on this crazy world tour in a converted plane piloted by Bruce Dickinson himself. The most crazy fans were the South American's. One priest had 162 Maiden tatoos covering his body and preached the word of God through Iron Maiden lyrics!

Nicko, of course, provided the comedy constantly joking around in front of the camera. The most moving scene was when a South American guy caught one of Nicko's drum sticks and just sobbed uncontrollably for ages. It just goes to show what it means to these people when Maiden became one of the few Rock/ Metal bands to make the effort to play to their fans in far out of reach countries. That's what makes Maiden stand out. They are a bunch of guys who love what they do and at the end of the day, it's all about the music.

What a catch this video is! I found it on YouTube and it isn't the official video of the Fall Out Boy song, What A Catch (Donnie), but a video someone has created themselves to the song. I loved the work and thought the editing was really cleaver.

 Here's a link to the creator's YouTube page. I thought it was quite arty and I was rather impressed!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDgvS2K6YfA 

Goodness, it's hard to keep up with a blog when one is busy. I've mostly been concentrating on re-writing my CV for about the 100th time! I'm never staisfied with the layout or font. I've been brousing foreums and CV writing websites for tips, but there doesn't seem to be a right or wrong answer to writing a CV. What seems to be one of the most important things is to make it stand out from the thousands of other CVs that companies and recruitment agencies recieve each day. So i've tried to design mine with that in mind, while at the same time keeping it uncomplicated and legible. It's actually quite a hard and time consuming task. I'd be interested to hear what you guys think about fonts that can be used to write a CV. Some websites have advised to use Times New Roman, which is one font I can't stand and is very outdated. I was told once by my design tutor at uni to never use Times New Roman in design or when writing letters, which is something that I really adhered to. I quite like Ariel and Verdana, which is also highly recommended. I currently have my CV in Ariel point 11. Not too big, not too small. Even though they suggest using point 12, I actually find that too large, overbearing and takes up too much space. My CV already takes up just over one and a half pages. I don't put references on my CV, just that they are 'available on request' unless it is specifically reqested in the job advertisement. I'm going to print my CV and I hope that it will look professional enough to keep as it is. But I will probably get bored of that layout and re-do it in a few months time! I suppose it depends on how many interviews this new layout will get me. It's all trial and error at the end of the day. Anyway, the Word document will just show the layout I have chosen.

I did enjoy the latest Red Dwarf episodes in the end, I can't really write a proper review without giving away the ending, which I don't want to do as some people can't get Dave and haven't seen them. There were some really funny bits, but it still lacked a certain atmosphere due to there being no audience. However, after watching 'The Making Of' episode, I realised that it would have been impossible to record such a complex series of epsiodes before a live audience. I liked what they did with the skutter and the re-vamp of the dormatory, which they had kept very similar to the original, but with a modern touch to it. Dave Lister's character seemed to pick up a little more as the episodes moved on. At first it seemed Craig Charles wasn't as up for it as the others were, but he got better as Lister by the second episode. It will be interesting to see if they make any more.

Just watched the first episode of the new Red Dwarf on Dave. It wasn't as funny as I was expecting. I think it was a mistake for them to not record these new episodes in front of a live audience, which is probably why it lacked a certain atmosphere. I also felt that Craig Charles who plays Dave Lister, was playing his role rather half heartedly, but the others were brilliant as always. I'm sorry, but that's just the impression I got from watching the first episode. I wasn't expecting anything really wowing in the first place, but I'm still looking forward to the next episode. It is nice to see all the original characters back after all, except for Holly, I hope they bring the half wit of a ship's computer back!

Oh dear, went shopping with my best friend and her sister to Bluewater in Kent today and spent way too much money on clothes. To rationalise, yes I need these clothes. Plus, I'm not the sort of person who goes out every Friday and Saturday night. I may go out once a week, but I don't like alcohol much and not a big drinker. I find I can have fun without getting absolutely pissed out of my brains! So, this grants me the warrent to spend the money on clothes and other things! I'm generally very careful with my spending, but I really went to town today! Well, who can blame me? I've not been able to afford to buy any new clothes for almost a year and I'm getting sick of wearing the same thing over and over again! I'm like my mum when I shop though. I buy stuff I think I like, then have second thoughts when I get home and end up taking most of it back. I'm an hour glass shape and really find it difficult to find clothes that don't make me look frumpy, like those flimsy tea dresses that seem to be everywhere at the moment. I bought one today and I'm going to try it on again, but I bet it will end up back in the shop! Oh well, it was a fun day anyway and that's the main thing!

Urgh, I have a cold and feel absolutely crap, so sorry to start this post on a negative point. I've just lost half of my biscuit in my tea after dipping it in for too long! Work's still going well and I managed to finally meet the head teacher properly today. He's great with the students and I've heard so much about him, everyone loves him. Unfortunately he is leaving and everyone is worried about who is going to replace him. I've seen him walking through the office, but he has always been so busy. He was really nice when he shook my hand and asked me if I was enjoying it. It felt as though I was meeting some celebrity! He's a cool guy and I really hope they find someone just as good to replace him.

Went to a pub quiz last night and I was feeling rough then, but tried to enjoy it anyway. There was a huge group of us (about 12 showed up in the end) and we decided to split into two teams and have boys vs girls! Damn it the boys won the whole thing. Didn't win much though, just their quiz entry money, which was only a pound! To be fair, the main reason the girls lost was because there was too many of us in the group and we were all arguing about the answers. They do say too many cooks spoil the broth, which was definately the case here. It was a laugh though.

I'm looking forward to catching up properly with my best friend tomorrow and Wednesday. We're planning a girly pampering session tomorrow then going shopping Wednesday as I now need new work clothes! My best friend is a teacher and i'm lucky if I see her a couple of times a month when she's working, so we like to make the most of the holdiay times. We've been mates for 18 years and she got me through some tough times at school as I was bullied a lot. But that's all in the past and we're still together, although I don't know how she puts up with me now!

I graduated with just a 2:2 in Graphic Design and as some of you may know, I used to work in a stock photographic library, which sells photographic images online on behalf of photographers. I used to do all the keywording, which is similar to tagging on this site. I would add keywords to an image so that customers using the search engine would find the image they want. I also wrote the captions underneath and titles. A lot of research often went into the captions, especially for horticultural and zoological images which required both common and Latin names. Plants also needed cultivar names etc... All very scientific! Unfortunately, after two years there, they stopped my contract because there wasn't enough work coming in and I have been unemployed for the last year.

Now, as you can tell from my last few posts, I've kick started a possible career in reception and admin. It's not what I really want to do as my dream job would be to work in an art gallery or museum. But, I need something to keep me going until I get that dream job and this temp job is a good start for me. I hope to stay there at least a few months so that I can get the experience I need to apply for a permanent reception position, preferably for a design or media company in Central London. I'm definately missing working in London. I would be able to meet my friends for drinks after work, go to concerts more easily and have more of a social life. But hey, one can't have everything and for the moment, I will just keep my head down in this job and hope it lasts.

I have never felt so tired. It's been a long time since I did any kind of proper paid work. It has also been a long time since I've seen the early morn. It was still dark when I rose at six, but I was surprised at how qucikly it grew light. The train journey was fine, got me in just in time so that was lucky. When I got to Nunhead Station, it became a bit confusing and I had to ask some people for directions, therefore my walk to the school took a little longer than I expected. The school itself is a bit like a sixth form college allowing 16-18 year olds to study A-levels or even do language and music courses. It's more of a higher education type of school. The students were very nice and one of them even welcomed me, noticing I was new. I spent most of the day on the phone, transferring calls to the right people in the building and dealing with student enquiries. It was a very busy day with queues of students to take care of and the phones ringing of the hook. Just a typical busy office. I'm quite excited now about the prospects of taking on this job and what it could lead to in the future. It was so nice to get back into work and I just loved the challenge of learning everything from scratch in just a few hours, which is what temps are pretty much expected to do. It was also nice to come home at a reasonable time. My shift started at 8.15 and I left at 4.15. Got home by 5.30, which is great for me. For my previous job, I used to work in West London and had to get the Hammersmith and City line, which any Londoner will know is the slowest train ever! The entire journey would take around 2 hours and I wasn't home till between 7 and 8 in the evening. It was also nice to avoid the rush hour. On my way home I called the recruitment agency who said that they already had positive feedback from the school about my performance, which I was a bit worried about as I did make a couple of mistakes. I'm hoping tomorrow will be a bit quieter, but I doubt it!

Oh, I meant to say before thanks for all your messages of support, even though I can't answer all of them in this busy time! Things will be back to normal after the weekend as the college breaks up for Easter hols!

I recieved a phone call out of the blue from one of my recruitment agencies asking me if I can do some temp work at a school. Of course I jumped at the chance, this could be the big break I've been waiting for. The only downside is the location. It's a bit of a bugger to get there. It's only half an hour train journey, but I have to change once. The other slight downside to it is it's in Nunhead (Southwark), not a particularly nice area, although I could be wrong after all, they are supposed to be bringing these areas of South East London up to date. Unfortunately I can't drive or get the bus there as the road works are appalling in that area at the moment. So the only other option is by train. The early mornings are going to be tough as well because I've got to be there by 8.15! It's only for three days this week starting tomorrow with the possibility of it turning into an onging position. Anyway, at least it will be something to put on my CV and will hopefully provide a little more experience to help me find a more permanent job. I'll probably blog about it more during the weekend, but right now i'm looking forward to a new challenge even if it does only last three days!

I can't wait till Iron Maiden day on 21st April and of course the release of their movie Flight 666. I'm looking forward to hopefully writing a review saying how brilliant it was! I'm not expecting anything out of this world by all means. In fact, I already know what to expect. I have a feeling that the movie is going to be similar to other documentaries the band have released on DVD such as their History DVD's. We will probably see a lot of back stage banter and live performances of at least eight songs. I heard this while listening to Nicky Horne's show on Planet Rock when they did a report on the Premiere night a couple of weeks ago. Still, for Iron Maiden fans it's going to be a historic day. When I write the review, I will try to write it from the point of view of an ordinary viewer and not as a Maiden fan, which will be difficult!

I've spent the day in London with two of my friends today. We like going to markets and did plan to go to Borough Market and Portobello Road Antiques Market. However, the weather kind of prevented us from doing the latter part of the plan. But Borough Market near London Bridge was fun and mostly under cover. It was a bitterly cold, wet and windy day especially by the river, but we were determind to make the best of it rather than cancel.

Borough Market had a fantastic buzzing atmosphere. Despite the weather, people were out in force. Everywhere we went the stall holders were offering samples of their tasty food. We mooched around first as it was the first time we'd been there. Then we returned to the stalls we liked best. I bought some chocolate covered brazil nuts and these yummy chocolate covered honeycombe crunchy bites. I also bought a delicious chocolate brownie, some vanilla fudge and cheese. The first piece of cheese I bought (cos I love my cheese!) was a nice French one. There was also a Sweedish cheese stall and a little further along a stall which was entitled 'Drunk Cheese'. I had to do a double take on this. I called my friend over and she couldn't believe it either. We spoke to the lady at the stall who gave us some samples to try. She said it was cheese that had been soaked in red wine! When I tasted it, the cheese was so nice that I had to buy some! So, yes I have a piece of 'Drunk Cheese' in my fridge! I tell you that made my day, I thought it was fantastic! It tastes really nice and creamy and the red wine gives it a slight sweetness.

We had noodles for lunch and then took a little walk to St. Paul's Cathedral. We walked around there for a bit before ducking into a nearby Starbucks and chatted for an hour over hot chocolates. Then we decided to walk back over the Millenium Bridge and spend the rest of the afternoon in Tate Modern where it was warm and dry. You know, when I was studying my Graphic Design course, I used to appreciate modern art and understand it. But I think i've become more cynical as i've got older. I thought to myself "You call that art? I could do that blind folded" as I stood looking at a tiny drawing that looked more like a child's scribble. I like some Salvador Dali, but I seem to prefer traditional fine art like Monet and portraits now. Weird. Maybe it's because it's like been there, done that, got the t-shirt and I just got bored of it. Nothing seems to shock me anymore.

Anyway, it's nice to be home in the warm and dry now. I might have a Drunk Cheese sandwich in a minute! You gotta love the Drunk Cheese! I tell you being bashed about by that wind has completely knackered me out though . I'm going to put my feet up and watch a film now I think!

The new Red Dwarf episodes are to be aired on Dave during the Easter weekend! I can't wait to see how they finally end it.

To celebrate this is one of my favourite episodes Bodyswap from series 3, in my opinion the best series!

I am astounded that the Department of work and pensions has closed down my local Jobcentre. Especially when they are supposed to be expanding and unemployment in my area of Bromley in South East Kent is rising. The number of people on the dole in Bromley has increased at a rate of more than 46 people a week over the past year, according to new employment statistics. A spokesman for the DWP has stated; "We are confident we will still provide our customers with a first class service". They moved everything from the Orpington Jobcentre to the Bromley office, which means I have to either drive, or take a bus or train to sign on. Whereas in Orpington I could walk there in less than ten minutes. It's not just the inconvienience of the closure, but the Bromley Jobcentre has become absolute chaos! The place is bursting at the seems, very disorganised. I've been messed around with my sign on times, which have changed twice in two weeks! So far I haven't seen any evidence of that so called "first class service". The DWP makes the excuse that the decision of the Orpington Jobcentre closure was made last year before the recession became evident. However, surely they could have overturned it. I can't believe they went ahead with it. In a way i'm quite glad I didn't get the job there, there isn't even enough desks to go around, DWP workers are actually sharing desks! I think closing down Jobcentres is a bad idea at this time, and I bet they seriously regret closing down the Orpington one! Doesn't make sense to me!

I just can't seem to stop listening to The Alan Parsons Project at the moment. They are just really catchy songs and I think Old and Wise is a beautiful song, so i'm posting the vid on here.