Hurrah I finally have internet access at home! Yippee!!
But now I don't have much to say. Oh dear. Well, since my last post, I've had an unsuccessful job interview, learnt how to knit in the round to make Mum's mittens, and sorted out catering for the wedding. And this week I have the joy of working in a private nursery for 3 days. Must try to restrain myself from throttling the kids, I hate nursery work!
09 January 2006
31 December 2005
Oh, and PS ...
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
May everyone who reads this have a happy new year, with much joy and blessings.
xxx
May everyone who reads this have a happy new year, with much joy and blessings.
xxx
Knit happens ...
Well, some of you will know that I started learning to knit this summer, once my exams were out of the way. Since then I have knitted two scarves - one with garter stitch, the other one much funkier with garter, stocking and reverse stocking stitch, and tassels!
I'm now very excited because for Christmas my Mum bought me two knitting manuals - 'How to Knit' by Debbie Bliss, which is very informative and clear, and 'Stitch 'n' Bitch', which is not so clear but has better projects. So here are all the things I want to have made by this time next year:
Mittens (I have some leftover wool from the funky scarf, which I gave to Mum, so I'll be making her matching mittens)
A bag
A sweater
A blanket
A kerchief (to put in my hair)
A hat
A hot water bottle cover
Over the last few days I've learnt how to increase, decrease, cast on extra stitches mid-piece and bind off some stitches mid-piece too, make buttonholes (although that needs practise!) and how to do single rib, double rib and moss stitch.
I'll try to keep my progress posted on here, with pics of my projects. Maybe I'll inspire somebody else to knit! (Soosh, if you read this, go on, you know you want to!!)
I'm now very excited because for Christmas my Mum bought me two knitting manuals - 'How to Knit' by Debbie Bliss, which is very informative and clear, and 'Stitch 'n' Bitch', which is not so clear but has better projects. So here are all the things I want to have made by this time next year:
Mittens (I have some leftover wool from the funky scarf, which I gave to Mum, so I'll be making her matching mittens)
A bag
A sweater
A blanket
A kerchief (to put in my hair)
A hat
A hot water bottle cover
Over the last few days I've learnt how to increase, decrease, cast on extra stitches mid-piece and bind off some stitches mid-piece too, make buttonholes (although that needs practise!) and how to do single rib, double rib and moss stitch.
I'll try to keep my progress posted on here, with pics of my projects. Maybe I'll inspire somebody else to knit! (Soosh, if you read this, go on, you know you want to!!)
30 November 2005
The Feeding of the 100
Jesus fed 5000 people with five loaves and two fish. I have calculated that, if he were the caterer for our wedding, all he’d need is one tenth of a loaf and just 1/25th of a fish. The rate we’re going, we may need to call on his assistance.
Let me recount to you the caterer saga so far. We start looking at least 18 months in advance, and find a good and reasonably priced company, which for legal reasons I shall call Wembertons. We met the head of the company, who promised to send us more details, but it was ages before we finally got the up-to-date menus in July. And guess what? The prices had gone up, but the food was no better – if anything, it sounded more boring. It was like ‘101 things to do with a chicken’.
So, I posted on a wedding planning messageboard asking if anyone knew of a decent caterer in or around Lincoln, who wouldn’t rip us off. Somebody suggested a company that I shall Cimply Satering. These people don’t have glossy leaflets because they promise to create an individual menu using the ideas of the couple. So we met with the manager (by the way, each time we met a caterer they had to come to the village hall, which meant trying to find a time when it was free and that the secretary could give us the keys). He was very nice, plenty of jokes, slagged off other caterers saying that they shouldn’t charge extra for serving wine you buy yourself, making fun of their ludicrous prices, saying they didn’t adapt to what the customer wanted. We went away excited – until we got further details. Not only had he almost entirely ignored our menu ideas, not even providing a vegetarian main course even though I’d stressed that I am a vegetarian myself, and expected us to pay around £4000. No chance.
With around nine months to go before the wedding, cutting it very fine, we started our search again. This time we got somewhere. Now I can name this company, because I won’t be slagging it off – Jossals. They’re everything we were looking for - lovely food at a very reasonable price, local, and very accommodating to our situation (us being in Leeds and everything). With less than seven months to go, we have all their details, and are ready to book, except for one little hiccup – they might not be able to provide hot food, as the kitchen is too small. We’re currently in negotiations with the hall over the possibility of hiring ovens and putting them in the side room, but we don’t know if we’ll be allowed to do this until nearly Christmas.
If you’re reading this and you’re coming to the wedding, bear this in mind – if you say one bad thing about the food, even if it is bread and fish, I will cry. And you don’t want to be the horrible person who makes the bride cry, do you?
Let me recount to you the caterer saga so far. We start looking at least 18 months in advance, and find a good and reasonably priced company, which for legal reasons I shall call Wembertons. We met the head of the company, who promised to send us more details, but it was ages before we finally got the up-to-date menus in July. And guess what? The prices had gone up, but the food was no better – if anything, it sounded more boring. It was like ‘101 things to do with a chicken’.
So, I posted on a wedding planning messageboard asking if anyone knew of a decent caterer in or around Lincoln, who wouldn’t rip us off. Somebody suggested a company that I shall Cimply Satering. These people don’t have glossy leaflets because they promise to create an individual menu using the ideas of the couple. So we met with the manager (by the way, each time we met a caterer they had to come to the village hall, which meant trying to find a time when it was free and that the secretary could give us the keys). He was very nice, plenty of jokes, slagged off other caterers saying that they shouldn’t charge extra for serving wine you buy yourself, making fun of their ludicrous prices, saying they didn’t adapt to what the customer wanted. We went away excited – until we got further details. Not only had he almost entirely ignored our menu ideas, not even providing a vegetarian main course even though I’d stressed that I am a vegetarian myself, and expected us to pay around £4000. No chance.
With around nine months to go before the wedding, cutting it very fine, we started our search again. This time we got somewhere. Now I can name this company, because I won’t be slagging it off – Jossals. They’re everything we were looking for - lovely food at a very reasonable price, local, and very accommodating to our situation (us being in Leeds and everything). With less than seven months to go, we have all their details, and are ready to book, except for one little hiccup – they might not be able to provide hot food, as the kitchen is too small. We’re currently in negotiations with the hall over the possibility of hiring ovens and putting them in the side room, but we don’t know if we’ll be allowed to do this until nearly Christmas.
If you’re reading this and you’re coming to the wedding, bear this in mind – if you say one bad thing about the food, even if it is bread and fish, I will cry. And you don’t want to be the horrible person who makes the bride cry, do you?
25 September 2005
Our house, in the middle of our street …
Well, no photos as yet because my camera’s playing up a bit, but just so you all know what sort of place I’m living in these days, I’m going to give you a description of the house I’m living in for the next 9 and a bit months.
It’s a little back-to-back terrace, near the end of a row of other little terraces, in the nice end of Beeston. There’s a chippy nearby, and a cheap hairdressers, and plenty of fast food places, so I’m happy. It’s also very near a huge park, so if there’s any more sun while I’m living here I’ll have to explore it.
Our front garden is currently a little messy. It’s very small, mainly paved, with the unfortunate reminder that the former owner had rabbits to one side. Climb up a few steps and come through the front door (which I’ve just about got the knack of locking) and you’ll find yourself in a very pretty living room, in a pale green and cream décor, currently furnished with a two-seater cream sofa and a rocking chair. We’ll be getting another sofa soon, as the current sofa is really only big enough for one and a half people, so if Chris visits someone invariably has to sit on the floor. Anyway, on with the tour. To the left of the front door is the doorway into what I’ve labelled the ‘oojamaflip’ room – quite small, currently used as a storage room but will eventually become an office. Go through this room and down some stairs and you’ll get to the spacious kitchen, with a mahoosive oven that makes me feel bad for only ever cooking pasta and sauce. The kitchen still needs some work, but is in a pretty good state.
Back up, through the living room and up some more stairs, and you’re faced with a choice of three doors. Take the one in front of you and you’ll find Emma’s room, still a work in progress but she has a lovely bedspread. Take the one to your right and you’ll be in the bathroom – the less said about that the better. The other door will lead you to yet more stairs, at the top of which is my room. Spare a thought for my tortured legs. Simply decorated in white paint, with a cream double bed (currently with lilac linen but that will change). Bauble fairy lights are hung around the room, which makes me feel like a six-year-old. A spare mattress is set up to one side for Chris, although the mattress isn’t great so I’ll have to inflate the trusty airbed someday. Other work to be done is the need to hang the beautiful mirror Chris bought me as a housewarming present, and to get rid of the broken TV which the former owner kindly left for us (along with a wide array of other crap, apparently).
So that’s where I’m living for now. If you want to visit, let me know, I’d be very grateful to see some friendly faces. Think of it as a leg-toning weekend!
It’s a little back-to-back terrace, near the end of a row of other little terraces, in the nice end of Beeston. There’s a chippy nearby, and a cheap hairdressers, and plenty of fast food places, so I’m happy. It’s also very near a huge park, so if there’s any more sun while I’m living here I’ll have to explore it.
Our front garden is currently a little messy. It’s very small, mainly paved, with the unfortunate reminder that the former owner had rabbits to one side. Climb up a few steps and come through the front door (which I’ve just about got the knack of locking) and you’ll find yourself in a very pretty living room, in a pale green and cream décor, currently furnished with a two-seater cream sofa and a rocking chair. We’ll be getting another sofa soon, as the current sofa is really only big enough for one and a half people, so if Chris visits someone invariably has to sit on the floor. Anyway, on with the tour. To the left of the front door is the doorway into what I’ve labelled the ‘oojamaflip’ room – quite small, currently used as a storage room but will eventually become an office. Go through this room and down some stairs and you’ll get to the spacious kitchen, with a mahoosive oven that makes me feel bad for only ever cooking pasta and sauce. The kitchen still needs some work, but is in a pretty good state.
Back up, through the living room and up some more stairs, and you’re faced with a choice of three doors. Take the one in front of you and you’ll find Emma’s room, still a work in progress but she has a lovely bedspread. Take the one to your right and you’ll be in the bathroom – the less said about that the better. The other door will lead you to yet more stairs, at the top of which is my room. Spare a thought for my tortured legs. Simply decorated in white paint, with a cream double bed (currently with lilac linen but that will change). Bauble fairy lights are hung around the room, which makes me feel like a six-year-old. A spare mattress is set up to one side for Chris, although the mattress isn’t great so I’ll have to inflate the trusty airbed someday. Other work to be done is the need to hang the beautiful mirror Chris bought me as a housewarming present, and to get rid of the broken TV which the former owner kindly left for us (along with a wide array of other crap, apparently).
So that’s where I’m living for now. If you want to visit, let me know, I’d be very grateful to see some friendly faces. Think of it as a leg-toning weekend!
17 September 2005
Things that annoy me about jobhunting ...
1. Application forms that tell you to refer to the employee specification when you haven't been sent one.
2. 'Please send an SAE' - please let me save my money, not pay out for three envelopes and first class stamps!
3. People who don't even call to let you know you were unsuccessful. Manners cost nothing.
4. People who invite you for an immediate interview then treat you rudely because you're not the 'ideal candidate'. If you're that picky, why didn't you give me a form to fill in first??!
5. The ArtsJobs mailing list - useful at times, but why don't the people mailing out vacancies state where it is? The amount of times I've worked it out from telephone area codes ...
6. Not getting anything through, so making other plans, then getting a call from your recruitment agency saying 'There's a full-time job starting tomorrow ...'
7. Five words. "So what do you do?" Well, I watch This Morning then Neighbours, then stare into space until my housemate gets back from work.
8. The fact that you have to wear a suit to interview. When you're unemployed you don't want to spend money on clothes you'll only ever wear for interviews!
9. Buying the local paper to discover there are barely any good jobs and you've just wasted 35p.
10. As above, but swap the local paper with the Big Issue, and swap 35p with £1.20.
11. Feeling guilty for buying sweets. Or cheese. Or peanut butter.
Any other suggestions, post a comment!!
2. 'Please send an SAE' - please let me save my money, not pay out for three envelopes and first class stamps!
3. People who don't even call to let you know you were unsuccessful. Manners cost nothing.
4. People who invite you for an immediate interview then treat you rudely because you're not the 'ideal candidate'. If you're that picky, why didn't you give me a form to fill in first??!
5. The ArtsJobs mailing list - useful at times, but why don't the people mailing out vacancies state where it is? The amount of times I've worked it out from telephone area codes ...
6. Not getting anything through, so making other plans, then getting a call from your recruitment agency saying 'There's a full-time job starting tomorrow ...'
7. Five words. "So what do you do?" Well, I watch This Morning then Neighbours, then stare into space until my housemate gets back from work.
8. The fact that you have to wear a suit to interview. When you're unemployed you don't want to spend money on clothes you'll only ever wear for interviews!
9. Buying the local paper to discover there are barely any good jobs and you've just wasted 35p.
10. As above, but swap the local paper with the Big Issue, and swap 35p with £1.20.
11. Feeling guilty for buying sweets. Or cheese. Or peanut butter.
Any other suggestions, post a comment!!
04 September 2005
I'm not dead ...
... I'm just in Leeds. Sorry it's all gone quiet, I've moved into my new home for the next 10 months, and have no internet. So whenever I want to use the net I have to nick Chris's PC.
I'll give you a more detailed run-through of the joys/perils of moving up north when I've settled and have some pics of my new place. For now I'll let you know what I've been up to since my last post:
- Finished knitting a scarf
- Seen my best friends Beth and Soosh for the last time in months (boohoo)
- Moved house (obviously)
- Pretended I'd be happy with a data entry job to a bloke in a recruitment agency
- Watched 'The Karen Carpenter Story'
- Painted a wall
- Eaten a whole bag of Swedish Fish
- Made cauliflower cheese
And many other things ... watch this space ...
I'll give you a more detailed run-through of the joys/perils of moving up north when I've settled and have some pics of my new place. For now I'll let you know what I've been up to since my last post:
- Finished knitting a scarf
- Seen my best friends Beth and Soosh for the last time in months (boohoo)
- Moved house (obviously)
- Pretended I'd be happy with a data entry job to a bloke in a recruitment agency
- Watched 'The Karen Carpenter Story'
- Painted a wall
- Eaten a whole bag of Swedish Fish
- Made cauliflower cheese
And many other things ... watch this space ...
24 August 2005
I like big butts and I cannot lie ...
Yesterday was a day of mixed blessings. On the good side, I got rid of a load of old stuff to charity shops and second-hand shops, so that's one more job done that I had to do before moving. And I saw my friend Beth, and it's always fab to see her cos she never fails to make me laugh! But on the down side, I'm getting a cold (in August! Unfair!) and, when crouching down to check the answering machine, I split my trousers in an unfortunate place. Mum tried to convince me tat it was because the trousers were fairly old, but this is the second pair I've split recently. There's only one possible cause: first name Hugh, surname Jass.
Of course, I reacted to this revelation with suitable horror, what girl wouldn't? But the ironic thing is, I'm actually quite pleased about it. I'm happy with my figure as it is, as I'm blessed with a slim figure, but to tell you the truth, I'm starting to hanker after some curves. Cut my head off right now and I'll look like a boy. Even if you put me in a dress, I'd look like a boy with a penchant for cross-dressing.
The question is, is this just a personal decision to do with my own sense of femininity, or is an ample posterior the new fashion must-have? It seems to work for J-Lo, and I heard recently that Nike are going to use curvy women in their adverts from now on. Is the reign of the skinny supermodel soon to end?
Well, whether or not this true is pretty irrelevant. Women have curves, it's how we're designed. What's wrong with that? Why do we want to look like boys anyway?!! I say we women should all stick pics of Marilyn Monroe on our walls and say to ourselves 'I love my wobbly bits!'
To finish, I once again quote what is fast becoming my anthem. Baby got back, one more time from the top ...
Of course, I reacted to this revelation with suitable horror, what girl wouldn't? But the ironic thing is, I'm actually quite pleased about it. I'm happy with my figure as it is, as I'm blessed with a slim figure, but to tell you the truth, I'm starting to hanker after some curves. Cut my head off right now and I'll look like a boy. Even if you put me in a dress, I'd look like a boy with a penchant for cross-dressing.
The question is, is this just a personal decision to do with my own sense of femininity, or is an ample posterior the new fashion must-have? It seems to work for J-Lo, and I heard recently that Nike are going to use curvy women in their adverts from now on. Is the reign of the skinny supermodel soon to end?
Well, whether or not this true is pretty irrelevant. Women have curves, it's how we're designed. What's wrong with that? Why do we want to look like boys anyway?!! I say we women should all stick pics of Marilyn Monroe on our walls and say to ourselves 'I love my wobbly bits!'
To finish, I once again quote what is fast becoming my anthem. Baby got back, one more time from the top ...
17 August 2005
Ambitions II
I have 4 sparkly new ambitions to add to the list! Yippee!!
1. Go to India
2. Shave my head for charity
3. Do VSO
4. Own a house
There we are, that's it for now, nothing new to report.
1. Go to India
2. Shave my head for charity
3. Do VSO
4. Own a house
There we are, that's it for now, nothing new to report.
05 August 2005
If you're sick of jobhunting clap your hands *clap clap*
If I were to count up the number of job applications I've filled out, they probably wouldn't amount too that much. I think they're in the region of 10-15 at the moment. But it feels as though I've been jobhunting forever. It's not just the applications themselves, it's the trawling through e-mails, websites and newspapers in the desperate hope of finding a job worth applying for. It's the dreaded question 'so what are your plans now?' It's facing up to the fact that I won't be getting the perfect job for a while yet.
The thing is, I know I'm never going to get the perfect job. I started uni wanting to be an actor. I would probably have still pursued that had I not met Chris and realised that, if was going to be with him, I'd need to have a more stable job. So I compromised, and eventually decided that drama work with young people is probably the better option. But now I've left uni I've discovered that, actually, even that is too hard to get into. So I'm compromising on a compromise - I'm looking for anything relating to drama, education or young people. Recently I've applied for admin jobs at a college and a Young Offenders Institute, a learning support assistant job at a high school, even a visitor assistant at Kirkstall Abbey because it's vaguely related to the arts. None of which are exactly what I want to do, but they're jobs at the end of the day.
I'm fed up especially today because I got an application pack through for an admin assistant for a youth theatre company - as close to perfect as I'm likely to get, so what's the problem? They want 1 years office experience. AAAARGH!
Any employers who happen to read this, take heed - graduates, by nature, have little to no experience. How are we meant to get that experience when you all ask for experience?? Have pity on us, we've run up debts of £10,000 only to discover that we can't get jobs as we should've spent the last three years working.
I'm tempted to set up my own theatre company. If I do, I will insist on having plenty of graduates in it. We may be lacking in experience, but we make up for it in enthusiasm and drive, I promise!
The thing is, I know I'm never going to get the perfect job. I started uni wanting to be an actor. I would probably have still pursued that had I not met Chris and realised that, if was going to be with him, I'd need to have a more stable job. So I compromised, and eventually decided that drama work with young people is probably the better option. But now I've left uni I've discovered that, actually, even that is too hard to get into. So I'm compromising on a compromise - I'm looking for anything relating to drama, education or young people. Recently I've applied for admin jobs at a college and a Young Offenders Institute, a learning support assistant job at a high school, even a visitor assistant at Kirkstall Abbey because it's vaguely related to the arts. None of which are exactly what I want to do, but they're jobs at the end of the day.
I'm fed up especially today because I got an application pack through for an admin assistant for a youth theatre company - as close to perfect as I'm likely to get, so what's the problem? They want 1 years office experience. AAAARGH!
Any employers who happen to read this, take heed - graduates, by nature, have little to no experience. How are we meant to get that experience when you all ask for experience?? Have pity on us, we've run up debts of £10,000 only to discover that we can't get jobs as we should've spent the last three years working.
I'm tempted to set up my own theatre company. If I do, I will insist on having plenty of graduates in it. We may be lacking in experience, but we make up for it in enthusiasm and drive, I promise!
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