Brownie Camp

Hello,

Well the first thing I haven't told you about was Brownie camp.  It was great!  We had sunshine all weekend - not a drop of rain.  That's a rarity round these parts.

On Friday night we arrived, did safety stuff, set up bedding (tents had been put up Thurs night by Guiders), had soup and roll, made pretty bags for crockery & cutlery (wish I had a photo) then wound down for bed.

They did not sleep.

On Sat we had a fun day with loads of Brownies, which I was co-ordinating, so I had some work to do for that.  I went to the tent at around 1am.  They were not sleeping but didn't spend too long making noise.  Then at 3am they got cold.  They hadn't brought the kit they were told to bring, so they were cold. 

Now what I didn't know was that there were blankets in the Guide hut.  It seems this was mentioned by other Guiders but I think it must have been when I was having a meeting in Brownie House.

Oh well.  I just donated out all my kit and then shivered outside as I was sleeping in the porch.

Saturday - gave up trying to sleep at 6am.  Found another Guider setting up the shop in the Guide huts so popped round for a chat.  Went back to tents around 7.30am and left Brownies sleeping til they started to make noise of their own accord....at a fairly late 8am.

Had breakfast, tent inspections, then fun day.  Was great - deserves it's own post!

After the fun day we had rest hour.  I tried to get them to rest, as we had a campfire that night.  They did not.

Campfire came and our girls were knackered.  Gave them minor lecture about gratitude for efforts Guiders running campfire had put in.... oops.  Wasn't feeling sympathetic as they'd not slept and had had opportunity to!!

Sat night they went down MUCH more easily, though our Unit Helper who was trying to have an early night was still not impressed with the getting to sleep routine.  Both nights they had a story but night 2 I did it, and sat there til noise stopped (after making them repeat Brownie Promise and Law and pointing out that they had to sleep to keep that promise & law.  Swear you can make it fit ANY situation!!).

Sunday - I woke up feeling midges biting my face.  We were up, dressed, breakfassed and then down to Loch Lomond for some fishing before we returned, made some kites (REALLY good) then packed up properly and left them to play while we cleaned out our solid shelter before HOME time (not a moment too soon).

They had a great time.  We had one minor incident of home-sickness (which was from the youngest Brownie only) and no incidents of sickness sickness.

One girl told me it was her best camp EVER.  I stupidly asked how many camps she had attended... This was her first.  Still it was really nice to hear them saying they'd all had fun.

Forgot...

I have been mega-busy but that's not really why I went quiet here. 

I forgot to blog.

I clicked off my blog many times without really registering what website I was leaving.

Doh.

Updates to follow.

Scottish Annual Event

This weekend I played Girlguiding's Centenary Fanfare at the Scottish Annual Event.

It was a beautiful setting - I'll post a photo, though I didn't take many.  They made me pose for a whole load though, so I expect there'll be an official one somewhere.

Anyway it was a lovely day.  I felt a bit bad claiming expenses, but with a 150mile round trip I couldn't afford not to really.  They were getting my playing for free, and I arranged for the composer to write GG the fanfare... think I just talked myself out of feeling bad here! Ha.

Why I went back to volunteering.

Simply - I missed it.

When I graduated college and had free time that wasn't in the pub I missed doing something for fun... for someone else... for free. 

I played the last post one remembrance sunday and they had Brownies in their parade.  I got chatting to their Brown Owl and she took my phone number to pass on.  I then contacted Girlguiding through their website, but it was 2 years before anyone actually contacted me and I was put in touch with Guiders in my locality.  I hope they have improved this part of the recruitment of adults since then!

That was around 2004/5 I think.  .

I had looked around at other options too. I considered helping with old people - there's a charity in Glasgow that organises monthly tea parties for the elderly. They look for volunteers to host a party and volunteers to transport the elderly to and from the parties, as well as talk to them of course.  I quite like this idea.

So now I run a thriving Brownie unit in Glasgow.  This year we had a few issues as we were too big for our small hall, and we didn't have enough VOLUNTEERS to run a lot of the activities we would have liked to.

Don't imagine that we didn't still have a fun year.  We did... and we have achieved a lot this year despite these limitations.

However I have sent out an SOS asking for regular unit helpers.  Worth a try, right?  I also plan to speak to my Brownie boss to ask for more help.  

I know in our division there are several units who still run with just 1 Guider so they'll get priority though whenever the next new leader happens along. 

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!

I am organising a fun day on the 19th June for our division.

The only thing I am not responsible for is the buses and the numbers.  I am keeping out of it - I've provided my numbers to the people who volunteered to co-ordinate this bit.

However I have received about 400 emails over the last few days from the fundraising committee, chasing numbers and worrying about the numbers going.

Now I have no idea whether the concerns are justified.  I have 18 kids signed up, which I think is pretty good out of what is now a unit of 23. 

However our DC has now called an emergency meeting next Weds night at 8pm.  I am working from 8-10pm and don't see why I should try to get out of work... surely they can be flexible with the meeting.

Usually I would let it go and send apologies, but I am co-ordinating this bloody thing... so SURELY I should be there??

Volunteering

This week is national volunteer week.

This morning they have highlighted the problems recruiting volunteers, and I thought I would just post a few reasons why I think it's important to volunteer, and how I benefit from my volunteering. 

Why I started volunteering:
I first volunteered because it was a clause required to complete my Duke of Edinburgh awards.  I went through my Bronze, Silver and Gold awards at high school.

The first experience I had was helping at a local Mencap centre at their monthly youth club.  I was around 14 years old, and it was great!  I could see how much the adults appreciated the help of me and my friends which was rewarding and the service we were asked to do was just to play with the youth club members who were people of all ages with mental disabilities.  We played table tennis, made jigsaws, listened to jokes, talked to people... how easy is that?!  So easy to make other people happy.

I then volunteered with Brownies, which I LOVED.  Little girls enjoy crafts, games/sports, singing, cooking.  I enjoy crafts, games/sports, singing and cooking!  Win win win win win.  I completed my Young Leader Certificate and passed my YL Camp License to take guides on camp to cover the clauses of the award.

After this I stuck with Brownies until I left home to go to music college.

Putting Together A Proposal

Hello - do any of you know how to go about putting a formal proposal together? It'd be for educational workshops.

Comedy Night

Last night I went out to celebrate my friend's impending marriage. We went to the comedy club, The Stand, where hen nights are banned on Saturdays so we had to be on a 'work night out'.

It started a bit ropey but actually ended up being very funny! I now want to know who I saw and if I can find out I will update this later.

OK - I have found one. It's really difficult to find the comedians names - nothing on google. I have had to look for things I remember about them and click on links to recognise photos. I do really have better things... well more important things... to be getting on with. Like practising a bit for the gig this afternoon. Or doing the Brownie accounts.

But this is niggling so I'm gonna keep investigating for a bit.

This was the easiest person to find as he looked familiar and as he had my full attention during his set I remember him well. Michael Smiley - VERY funny. He was last on, and I liked him very much. This had nothing to do with the 2 pints of cider and Crabbies ginger beer I'd consumed by the time he came on.

http://www.chortle.co.uk/comics/m/129/michael_smiley/comments/

Found them all! Carol Tobin - we just kept waiting for her to get funny. We all wanted to laugh, but we never quite found the punchline.

http://www.comicbook.ie/artists/carol-tobin/

Bob Graham - funny. Was he really that pissed? At one point he appeared to take a swig of beer and dribble so it's possible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJbMuF0iUxs

John Gillick - also funny. http://www.standoutcomedy.com/comedians/JohnGillick.aspx


If I were to put them in order of funny it would pretty much be as they were billed on the night.
Carol, Bob, John, Michael.

sunshine!

The sun's out again!! 4 days in a row in Glasgow - wonderful!

Today

Last night we had a barbecue with some friends.

We made burgers & sausages of course, but also marinated a lamb joint in mint and yoghurt with some brown sugar and roasted it outside. YUM (I heard... there wasn't enough as there were 8 people and it was a little lamb joint).

We brought some cocktail mixes from New Orleans and had already had one at a party a few weeks ago, but we took this opportunity to make up some more.

Crushing ice was fun without any suitable equipment, but with all the usual funny(?) antics that occur when pissed people get hold of ice.

Mixing them up was fun.

Drinking the second round was most fun as my pal had put the ice (in a glass bowl) that was left over back in the freezer and it had set solid.....

So we had no option but to pour the whole lot into the bowl and dig out straws to guzzle it lying on our stomachs on the grass. 4 people played the game (don't think about the backwash from the straws please!).

Today I cleared up and tidied because I had people coming round this evening.

I did some revision for camp.

I arranged What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor and Skye Boat Song for trumpet groups I teach.

I practised a bit on my new old new trumpet (was new, discarded as didn't like it so is now old but am using it again as my other trumpet is gubbed).

I did some ironing, then went outside and sat (dozed) in the sun for the best part of an hour.

Love the sunshine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Camp Menu

If you click on the pictures the menu should come up nice and big.

camp

Ok I know this could well be boring to a reader, but it's my blog of things I want to remember.

So: Our first crafts on camp are going to be welly pegs and bags for their plastic plate, cup, bowl.

I found these bags online for under £1 each.


And these packs of fabric crayons for £2.50 each.


To test out the crayons I gave decorating the bags a shot.


They work really well! I bought 18 bags, 12 kids, 2 YL, 4 leaders.

Newspaper Night

Tonight at Brownies we had a Newspaper Night.

After a very quick game of dodgeball to make use of the big hall we had tonight (which is usually used by the Guides), we began making plant pots from newspaper, then planting seeds.

They had a choice of pansy seeds, marigold seeds and tomato seeds. I think they all chose flowers, which is worth remembering for next time.

We then played games (run by my YL) using newspaper.

In the first game my YL made up a story about a shopping trip. The girls (split into four teams) had to find what she wanted to buy in their newspaper pages... it could be words or pictures. The first example was 'make-up', which stumped them. Not one of them thought of ripping out the words 'make' and 'up'!

They enjoyed it.

The next game was a shapes game. YL called out shapes she wanted ripped out of the newspaper with a time limit. They then had to bring their best shapes up and she judged a winner with an overall team winner at the end.

At the end of the evening, four girls forgot their flowers, so I have some gardening to do this week to get the seeds germinating for them.

Incidentally - we have also done our garden veg plot tonight - I will photograph it as I think it'll be lovely when it grows. We'll have a 'before' and 'after' shot if I take one now.

My boyfriend is weird

He brought me flowers... and a giant cardboard bunny.

politics facebook and opinion

I have seen a whole load of status messages on facebook commenting about how much they disliked the hung parliament, and now the coallition which has been formed between lib dem and conservatives.

I am on the bus just now and can't remember the stats, but conservartives got by far the most votes. Labour were second, but a labour conservative alliance was never an option. Liberal Democrats received around a quarter of the votes leaving them able to join another party to form government.


However strange it may be that they chose Conservatives, they were voted by us to run our country - so we should let them get on with doing it.

So when I see whiney facebook status messages from people who told me they couldn't be bothered to vote.... Well I think they should just bite their tongues and think about what THEY did.

Chilling out

I am trying not to stress as much this term.
I have made a to do list, and am starting to tick the big things off: reports are done. Magician (actually balloon modeller in the end) booked.

Fingers crossed this should prevent me getting as tired and cranky as last term!

Making stuff

I have made a toy.



And here is the model.

The Gig

The main event: Jamie Cullum.

I wasn't sure at first. We were in the Royal Concert Hall, a classical seated venue - which is not somewhere I would choose to hold a rock gig although jazz... perhaps ok. Having seen the gig there I would definitely not choose it. I like standing - so I can move about. Seated gigs aren't my thing.

Jamie opened with Don't Stop The Music and the fun started. He was lively and enthusiastic. You felt what he felt about the songs - his excitement was inspiring.

The set was varied, and he chatted to the crowd. He coped well with the Weegie (friendly) heckling and came across as cool, funny, intelligent.

He played for 2 hours without a break, and I was not bored for a minute. There was such contrast - in mood,style, genre.

Some moments were poignant, some were pretty, some were driven, some were sheer fun. We bopped to the lively numbers, and hung on every word of the melancholy love songs.

The tour is timed alongside the release of his latest album, and I am definitely planning to buy it.

This was a concert I will never forget.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUN_ZrvU9EM





The Support Act - Eliza Doolittle
The gig tonight began with a singer called Eliza Doolittle - daft name - an English girl who seemed to have forgotten her trousers.

She has a light summery style - a little reminiscent of Corinne Bailey-Rae but a bit rougher with more contrasts (better!).

Some of her songs were great - some clever writing lyrically and musically. Some of her songs I didn't like - in particular there was one which had a weird repeated note in the chorus that annoyed me every time I heard it.

She did really well - nothing I can critisise about her performance. I didn't love the music though... sorry. http://www.elizadoolittle.com/
___________________________________________________

oops

oh yeah - I was pissed.

Jamie Cullum

I am pissed, but FYI tomorrow we are going to see Jamie Cullum and are very excited about it.

Today we vote for PM... and it's a bit of a farce..... still I will let you know whwat happens in the end x x x

Election

I have done the deed and cast my vote.

Last night I google searched the policy comparisons of our major parties. It turns out that I still prefer the policies of the party I liked best as a student.

journey

OK. Well the journey home wasn't much fun, to be honest.

We were beset by problems - the ash cloud, illness... I want to tell you the ins and outs, but I have relayed the story so many times already today (had to rearrange all pupils and every parent has asked about it) that I have lost any desire to share.

New Orleans was amazing - completely unique. It's laid back, shabby even - with food to die for, drink available all the time all over the place and lovely people - such diverse people - nothing comparable.

Chicago was nice - but less amazing. It is a big American city - neon lights, skyscrapers, very nice people, nice drink. Cosmopolitan.

I will elaborate.. but not today.

home

yey! Thanks Dad.

I will be back to tell you about it later on.

the new plan

Today we fly to Dallas then to Heathrow. Tomorrow my Dad drives top Heathrow and picks us up, to return us to Glasgow. Fingers crossed!!

stuck in the USA

Well we had a fun 48hrs trying to get home!

We left New Orleans on weds at 1pm and flew to Philadelphia.

We boarded a flight at 9pm to Dublin and then at midnight were told our flight was returning to Philly.

On our way to New Orleans we had found Philly airport awful and had said to each other 'let's not visit this town!'.
Imagine our delight when we found the airline could get us to London the next day but told us to wait to try at the airport the next day to get to Glasgow.

We waited around a lot. We travelled from terminal to terminal dealing with unhelpful staff throughout, however by 8am we had printed tickets to heathrow via Chicago.

And that's as far as we got. Chicago.

To add to the list

Hot boiled crawfish

We have seen:
Bone Tone Brass Band
Liberty Hall Stompers
Irene Sage
Ensemble Fatien
Billy Iuso & the Restless Natives
Higher Heights Reggae Band
Shamarr Allen & the Underdawgs

Crawfish-eating contest (BORING)
J. J. Caillier and the Zydeco Knockouts (not my cup of tea - country)
Canal Creepers (Sweeden)
Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers
Lars Edegran's New Orleans Jazz band
The Fritzel's New Orleans Jazz Band
Ovi G & The Froggies
The Tin Men (amazing sousaphone!)
Irvin Mayfield & the NOJO All Stars
Bonerama
Rebirth Brass Band

We are all shattered with sore feet and sore legs. I have sunburn on my head and face (also now have a hat as sunscreen clearly isn't enough for me!) but we are very happy!

NEW ORLEANS!

Well! We have been here for 48hrs now.

So far we have (between us!) eaten:
hotdog
pizza
po-boy (shrimp & crawfish)
bbq rib
Fried chicken and fish
Fries
Hamburger
Ice cream
steak
Grilled chicken
crawfish egg roll
fish taco
beef taco
breakfast (eggs, pancakes, sausages)
.... I can't even remember the rest!

We have seen: John Malkovich, Santa a parade and MANY bands plus the Hornets basketball team.

We have tripped over the sidewalk at least 2 times each.
We have drunk beer and cocktails... and a LOT of water.

I have a US army frisbee and some purple shiny beads, flip flops and clip-on shades (which look REALLY rubbish but will be handy for my work commute).

We are all pink from day1 but have learnt our lesson and now have factor 50 sunscreen!

The boys are in the bar - I must join them... Loving New Orleans!

High Society

Since we booked this holiday to New Orleans I am finding links all over the place.

The night after we booked it, we went out to our fave pub and opposite was a huge sign selling New Orleans chicken.

We have seen New Orleans cocktails... quite honestly it has mostly been food and drink. Which bodes well I feel.

Anyway - we now have High Society on telly - Louis Armstrong and all.

I must now go to buy some pants and socks for my fella to take away. I also have to take the cat to the cattery and get some dollars.

Am I excited? Not at all....

Happy Birthday Doris!

Today we watched Lullaby of Broadway - Doris Day. Then we IMDB'd the film and found it is Doris Day's birthday today.

So Happy Birthday Doris - we loved the movie.

a-ma-zing!

We get to see a genuine American eating contest in New Orleans!

Holidays approaching!

It is only a week now til I go away on my exciting trip to New Orleans (that I have pestered all people I meet day to day about for a month but have kept relatively quiet about online).

I am excited!

We are having a BBQ party (which seems even more optimistic than before as we are in snow again today) just after we get home, and my pal suggested we pick up some real New Orleans BBQ sauces while we are there. I think this is an excellent idea.

Post Costco Cooking

Well, after my Costco experience I attempted yesterday to make dinner from as many of my purchases as possible.

In retrospect this was a mistake.

Our dinner of linguini with tomatoes, artichokes, wild mushrooms and smoked trout was just a bit weird. I ate it... but I won't ever make it again. Leaving out the fish would have improved the meal immensely.

glasgow is ace

Yesterday was lovely. Today we went to Costco for the first (and last for a good while) time. It was an experience!

I spent a ton of money on things like artichoke hearts, pickled peppers, spicy sauce. It was fun, but I couldn't go too often.

FUN

Our plan for today:

Get up (I have done this bit)
Have breakfast
Get bus to Kelvingrove Art Gallery/Museum
Walk along river to shops
Buy cheese and fish (stinky I know)
Go to Peckhams and get cake and wine
Go home
Make and eat fish pie
Drink wine
Go out for some drinks
Boyf will go to comedy gig while my friend and I will drink and explore
Meet up again after gig for drink
Go home

Tired!

Today I have done 2 shows and taught at 2 schools.

However I only have 2 days left of the busy bit, and I'm a bit sad. While it's tiring rushing around so much, playing the trumpet is really good fun.

People annoy me

Life would be very easy I think, if it weren't for other people.

I like my job!

Especially when it takes me to the seaside.

update on me gob

I have a virus. Nothing can be done about it. Brilliant.

mouth hurts

I have had a really sore mouth for days. Finally I have booked a docs appointment... Find out tomorrow why. The roof of my mouth is puffy in places - and my gums are receded. I floss and brush and mouthwash as directed by my dentist. Methinks infection. Pah.

Fantastic day.

Today began early. 6.30am I left for work having scrabbled around last minute for some clean clothes.

I found a pair of trousers in my room and thought to myself "I love these trousers. Why have I stopped wearing them?". On finding no obvious flaws I donned the troos and headed off to school.

Before teaching I nipped in for a toilet break... and realised that I had stopped wearing the trousers because the zip was duff.

So I then grabbed a needle and cotton from my bag (as all good Girlguides know, one should always 'be prepared'!) and sewed the fly up.

I then got on with the day.

As I went to put petrol into the car I opened the boot, locked the car, placed my keys on the parcel shelf and took my wallet out of the boot. I then closed the boot. With the keys inside.

If you take a look at my 'example week' below (which may in fact be this week), I don't have much time between school and my rehearsal some distance away.

So I duly called the RAC, and the man came. He was great - tried 5 different ways to break into a car and managed to break in eventually. It is quite comforting to know that it is actually very difficult to break into a Hyundai Getz!

Anyway - loooong day over and I got home 1hr early, so it's not all been bad.

working week.

I thought I'd give you an example of my working week to explain how I get confused.

Monday:
6.30am - leave for work.
9.00am - teach at SchoolA (52 miles from home)
10.20am - teach at SchoolB
1.00pm - teach at SchoolA
4pm - rehearsal (70 miles away from SchoolA)
7.30pm - dress rehearsal
11.00pm - home.

Tuesday:
7.30am - leave for work
9.30am - teach at SchoolA
3pm - finish & head home
7.30pm - gig (20 miles from home)

Wednesday:
9am - leave for work (takes 40mins less after rush hour!)
10.20am - teach in SchoolB
2.45pm - play piano for a pupil's music exam (nr home)
7.30pm - gig

Thursday:
9am - office job
7.30pm - gig

Friday:
9am - office job
7.30pm - gig

Saturday:
2pm - rehearsal (86 miles from home)
7.30pm - gig
Stay with friend who lives nearby.

Sunday:
2pm - rehearsal (53 miles from gig on prev day)
6pm - home
9pm - pub quiz.

Total 555miles. 55hrs not incl. commute.

should've done more practise!

Today I tried the whole piece I was practising (half-heartedly) very late last night. It's got some tricky bits! Oh well... just have to do it all night today instead.

work work work

I have so much work on that nights in are the most exciting thing to me just now!

Tonight we are having a night in. I finished work just before 8pm, and then made dinner. It was delicious. I wish I'd taken a photo... but it didn't look as good as it tasted.

Very simple: Salmon baked with lemongrass, ginger, lime, red peppers and leek, served with plain rice.

I want to eat it again. (The stumbling blocks here are that we don't have any more, and I am full.)

After this I have made banana loaf - which is cooking for tomorrow.

I should be practising. I may start now (with a practise mute of course, at this time of night!).

excited

This is the most excited I have ever been about a holiday. I can't wait! And I have had trouble getting to sleep on the last two nights because my brain has been racing around.

I have also woken up all week feeling hungover, without having drunk any alcohol. Might as well have gone out and had some fun!

Last night we had Brownies. I didn't want to go... but of course had ideas for the night organised anyway. Anyway - I had been a bit fed up with Guiding. On Thinking Day only 1 of the 9 kids who had returned permission slips actually turned up. That really annoyed me, although I wasn't there for long as I just got back from Cardiff that afternoon.

Then last weekend's residential training was cancelled at the last minute (due to the weather which isn't anyone's fault) but I had rearranged work at a fair cost... annoyed again.

SO I was seriously fed up.

But the week I was off, the kids started making adverts for tv about 'growing guiding'. They didn't have time to film them, so we practised them again this week for filming next week (the other Guider was off - she owns the video camera). Anyway - they had all come up with something different but the number of 'I love Brownies because....' sentences really perked me up.

Thankfully.

So tonight we go round to a friend's for dinner. As ALWAYS I can't really be bothered, but I know when I go I'll have a great time with some lovely food and ace company.

Look where we are going!

busy

doing guys & dolls this week... so not in much to update.

annoying

so many things annoy me.

Generally I'm very happy - mostly I'll look on the bright side - but this week I'm irritable and grumpy.

I go on holiday tomorrow, though. Phew!

Results

We did well - raised £120 which is good as very few of our Brownies turned up after all their efforts making things to sell. We had 6 I think - out of around 26...

After the sale, there was a Guiders meeting (prep for Thinking Day). I emailed all the Guiders to say if they were early we were holding the sale to raise money for Haiti - they'd be welcome. Nobody was early.

The woman who suggested the sale (mother of 2 Brownies) had a tummy bug and didn't come... which I am not very sympathetic about. I would NEVER have texted to say I couldn't come if there was any way I could make it (immodium??). I don't know this woman well enough to judge - so perhaps she really was very ill.

Our Assistant Guider & YL are very reliable and are a great help, and a mum came bringing her daugher and daughter's friend... and they worked very hard to get as much money as possible.

Hearts for Haiti sale - scroll down for previews of the goodies we'll be selling.

On the actual poster it tells you where it is as well...

cake

lemon drizzle cake


chocolate cake


coffee cake (with chocolate icing)

brooches

cards

bleurgh

Going out was great... I met my friends and they cheered me up no end.

Today I am tired and don't want to go to work. I think I might have to face up to my age - I can't get up at 6am, work all day, stay out LATE then get up bright eyed and bushy tailed the next day any more.

Moody Blues

I have had a day teaching in 2 schools followed by parents' evening.

I am really grumpy now... going out will surely cheer me up though!

re-upholstry... the TC way

OK - to set the scene. TC is not a skinny girl. She needed to change a lightbulb. She picked the least solid item of furniture in the room then stood on the central point.

The piano-stool did not make it through the ordeal.

Saddened by the casualty TC embarked on a mission to resurrect the seat.

This is the result.

Hats for Haiti....

What do you think of my prototype. It's to sell - I'm not planning to send it there.

not much happening

I have been keeping my head down for the last week or so. I have organised a whole lot that needed doing, I have done my tax return, I have made some things to sell at our Brownie sale.

I have not been out much and I have not done anything very funny.

Hence the reduction in blogging.

I will give you an example. Yesterday:

7am was wake-up time (later than usual).
I arrived in school 9.30am to find that the admin assistant had typed up my timetable wrong, and the boys had all been given incorrect times for lessons.
I spent much of the day practising trumpet in my unattended slots.
I left school 1.15pm and drove home, stopping at the pound shop to look for glass tea-light holders for Brownies and toilet roll. I got the toilet roll but not the tea-light holders.
I drove home and taught again (3.30pm).
I went to pick my boyfriend up from the train station (around 8pm), then stopped off on the way home for a take-away.
I typed a letter about the Haiti fundraiser for the parents of the Brownies & printed 30 copies (9pm).
I printed off Thinking Day letters for the girls who missed the 1st week when I handed them out.
I printed an attendance sheet and noted last weeks attendance and £ on my computer.
I went to bed (11.30pm).

Today:
I got up, showered, turned on the laptop to print off more Brownie stuff I had forgotten about.
In 10 mins we leave for work. My boyfriend is coming to Edinbro too but he has a day off.

John & Edward

They are just so funny.

They talk so much!

For my across the pond friends I will try to find a clip tomorrow to show you what I mean.

Inimitable.

jumped the gun

it's ok - it's brown again. A brief moment in the dying process sent me carrot orange. It has darkened though now. My first time using this 10min dye.

oops - ginger

I dyed my hair this morning. I have accidentally gone ginger. It's not great.

Brownies

It has been a very busy week. I have been covering teaching for a friend, as well as starting Brownies back after xmas (we had to cancel in the snow).

We have planned our Centenary Camp.

I have planned our term out after speaking to the Brownies.

I have also spoken to my assistant, helper and the DC about putting on a Haiti fundraiser with the girls in February... which looks like it's going ahead on Valentines Day.

So: I now need ideas for quick, cheap, effective crafts or baking or sweet-making that people will want to buy.

This week I need to ask for the census fee. It pays for insurance etc, and some units don't charge it (taking it out of funds). We have always taken it separately, but this year I have changed it since Christmas. However this means we'll be short so I have to ask for a tenner. I also have to ask for some cash for camp (a BARGAIN price for all the cool stuff they'll do, mind)... so I feel there's enough info going home this week already - I'll tell them about the sale next week.

Reply to Mrs S

I am temporarily off knitting right now, as I want to make a slouchy hat but haven't time to search for the circular needle I need. I do have an ongoing project though, which we calculated in the pub last night will take 12 years at the rate I'm going to complete. This is it.

I need to go to work now.

This has been wk1 of term - so my first week back at school, band, and 2nd in the office.

Shock news.... It is tiring having to work all day. Also - this is tax weekend so I'll be staying offline til it's done.

Look what I got!

It's such a beautiful sewing machine. And my grandma kept all the parts - it has the oil, the rubber mat, the knee thing, all the feet and needles... It is amazing.

I am so proud!

My boyfriend has done our bath - we were making sides out of tongue and groove.

It looks great! I will find the cable for the phone tomorrow and will put a pic up as it is very good and soooooooo much better than it was.

diy

This weekend we hope to takle some DIY. I also have to do my tax return. Does this sound like fun to you?

Sherlock Holmes

I have been to see Sherlock Holmes today (the film starring Jude Law and Hot McHottie Robert Downey Jnr). It was good - we all enjoyed it - but I did not go away thinking about it really and I won't remember it this time next year.

Having said this - if I had a free ticket to see it again I would certainly do so.

awwww

I am such a sap! I'm feeling sentimental while watching the Hairy Bikers programme which is real people bringing their family recipes in and telling the stories behind them. It's sweet! I can't think of any family recipes we have.... Tuna fish gunge: Tin of tuna, macaroni, tin of condensed mushroom sauce. Mix. That's probably the favourite one from when we were kids. Mum was never really one for cooking.

And I am warm! Ha. The boiler repair man came today. It took him a long time to fix it but it cost us NOTHING. I love our home care insurance thing.

Occurrences

It just occurred to me that although I popped in to say Happy New Year, I neglected to mention anything that's really going on here.

I am cold.

My feet are cold despite my socks.

I could probably solve this a little by putting my jeans on rather than PJ bottoms. I will do that now.....

Better.

Before Xmas (literally JUST before xmas) the boiler leaked. I called out an engineer. He couldn't find anything wrong and said it may have been condensation but that he had tightened everything up just in case.

We arrived home after 10 days away to find water all over the kitchen and a boiler with no pressure. We had a fab xmas at home where we were able to see our whole families including our little baby nephew, then we spent a wonderfully relaxing week away by the sea.

Now we have no heating or hot water until tomorrow.

On the up-side we are already 3 out of 4 days into the chilly patch and washing with water from saucepans/kettles is actually not so bad... hair was trickier as I have a lot of it. Still - hopefully tomorrow we will have a mended boiler and can have a lovely hot shower.

New Year 2010

Over New Year we went on holiday to the seaside with some friends. We hired out a beautiful house and had a very restful few days.

I would love to share the photos promised before xmas, as well as some holiday pics, but I have lost the cable that connects the phone to the laptop.

Oh well...........

Happy New Year to my friends and anyone else passing through!

Merry Xmas!

Hope all is well with you and you are having a fine xmas wherever you are!

Crafty

I am making a present for my nephew.

It will be funky... and will be finished shortly.

I will post a photo once done!

What do you call a sheep with a machine gun?

Lambo.

It does say bad jokes.

Lazy days and hazy days

I have had a reeeeeeeeeeeally lazy day. I have done some washing up and wrapped a gift or two and that is LITERALLY all I have done.

It has been great.

Now I plan to turn it a little hazy with some sparkly wine.

XMAS!

Tonight I went shopping again - and I enjoyed it! I went a week or so ago and had a horrible time aimlessly wandering about in very busy shops.

Today I knew who I was shopping for as I had managed to buy gifts for the majority on my last trip.

This meant the shopping was fun!

And I'm on the home stretch now. The craziness of the pre-Christmas concert season is over, and school has finished for the most part. This will leave me with 2 days a week free and several evenings off until I make the long drive home for a fleeting visit to my folks.

Hopefully this Sunday I'll get organised with cards and presents for people who live far away, who I won't see over the holidays.

I realise my blogging has slipped of late, but I find that I think of it more favourably these days which I hope is a sign that the bug is creeping back. We'll see in the New Year!

Jingle Bell Rock Rocks!

My little trumpet kids ROCKED Jingle Bell Rock - they were ace!

(school concert)

Mornings

I used to be a morning person. I would wake up fairly early - and was ready to get on with my day immediately.

For a time at uni I breakfast waitressed, and loved it! I adored being up before most of the city. I loved getting the bus into town almost alone. I liked the crisp air that tasted different - cleaner perhaps.

I feel nostalgia for that love of mornings on days such as this, where I am up at 6am to get into my car, to drive to Edinburgh to work. I want to love these mornings too, but somehow the magic has gone, perhaps because of the mundane details. I am up at 6am to put petrol in the car as it's empty. I have to drive for a couple of hours to work. Work is real work earning money to pay my mortgage.

My boyfriend has caught the bus at 6.10am to get to work as I have the car. I hope he likes it a little.

busy and tired but having fun

It's gone mental here. I've been working my day jobs and night jobs, afternoon jobs, weekend jobs for a month.

Today I work 12 hrs with teaching, rehearsal and 2 gigs...

And I'm loving it (though my ears hurt and I have a sore throat).

So - apologies for my lack of visiting - I am barely in to log on.

stinking!

Last night I played a double gig - one at 5pm, then another at 8.30pm. I knew this would make my lip hurt.

To cool my lip and to relax it after the late gig I went to the pub.

I then (at about 1.30am) went to a chinese that opens til 2.30am where I had salt and pepper squid, soft shell crab and noodles.

This morning all I can taste is garlic and wine. My teeth felt gross but I remember cleaning them til they bled and my make-up is almost intact.

Gross.

It took a while but the laptop is fixed

Apparently it is easier to replace keys from your laptop when you are sober.

catwoman

watching it now - it is on til 2am ish. I am not tired. I want to do something... catwoman watching sounds ok. Incidentally I have just broken my laptop by removing the i and o keys.

ebay

I just bought a trumpet. Wait and see how that turns out!

It was a spot.... Phew!

spots

I have spent the entire evening obsessing about the spot/coldsore I can feel emerging on my bottom lip.

Is it a spot or a coldsore?

Aagh. It better just be a spot or I'm in TROUBLE as the stuff I have to play is too hard to coast along.

so much to do so little time!

Time off this week:

Now.. only I have to use it rearranging my work for next week to fit it all in. So that doesn't really count...

This afternoon I work and this evening I teach.

Tomorrow until 3.30.

This morning we have been out for breakfast with a friend to the supermarket. Sounds a bit sad but it was good fun!

If my boyfriend helps me I can totally do all my usual work PLUS the extra 28hrs work. I know he would rather climb a mountain but I think I'm gonna have to twist his arm otherwise I don't see how I can fit it all in.

incidentally - I am working today... rehearsal doesn't start til 4pm.

work continued

Having told you I like to work... today I have sat for the last 2 hours in my dressin gown not working one bit.

Oh dear.

I would like to make some cookies for work (tomorrow/Weds/Thurs) and I would like to find a knitting project to inspire me.

I would like to make hair for the rag doll I started a week ago.

Not sure which to do first. At the moment I'm googling cookie recipes and knitting patterns. I also need some wool but finances dictate that I use some wool I have already. Not so inspiring.

Cookies: these sound nice

Knitting: I quite like the idea of mittens. I hate double pointed needles and fiddly things I find dull. I like quick results!

work ethic

My parents DEFINITELY brought me up with a good work ethic.

I like to work. I have worked at all sorts of jobs, with my least favourite being work in a mailroom - which really just involved stuffing envelopes for 3 months. However this is still preferable to not working at all.

Since I became self-employed work has a new importance - it's not just something I have to do every day. Each day is different. But I have to make sure that I'm doing what I need to to ensure I HAVE work every day.

Every bit of work I'm offered matters. And when I can't take work because I'm already working it's good... but still I HATE having to say I'm busy. Especially when the work would pay significantly more than the work I'm doing already.

Still, ethically I know it's better to stick with what I had arranged than to mess about swapping and looking for people to cover my work so I can take on someone elses.

I'll just feel good about my morals... they'll soothe the pain.

Xmas tunes

Tomorrow I get to test out an arrangement on my Primary 7 pupils. I gave them the music last week so hopefully this week it will begin to make more sense. It's a xmas tune so by 25 December I will hate it thoroughly!

We went down to see our new nephew this weekend. He's pretty cool, and after meeting him I got to see my folks and hang about with them for the evening. We went to a concert to see Great Horwood Silver Band on Saturday evening - which was very enjoyable.

Otherwise it's just work work work.

I NEED YOUR HELP!

http://onegeeksview.blogspot.com/

Please go and visit this games blog and if you can think of one - leave a comment. As computer-game-geekily as you can!

It would be very useful for the author.

SOBER TC!

sadly.

I was going to meet pals tonight but they didn't text and I couldn't really be bothered to go after last night...

Incidentally - thanks to those who commented on my now un-published posts. Because my parents read this sometimes I've deleted them... don't want them getting their hopes up. But I do appreciate what you said - and it has helped me to decide to forget about it for now.

This weekend we meet our brand new nephew! And get to see the Olds.

yey!

Improvements. The itchiness is still here but the angry red has faded and the big greyish hollow that used to be the bag under my eye is at least back to grey and flat instead of pink and puffed right out.

I'm happy with that.

No way to work out what I'm allergic to by the way. Didn't do anything particularly unual. Didn't put anything deliberately on my face.

frustrating - not fixed yet

I have given in. Today I will phone in sick so I can go to the docs.

I was hoping it would improve but today the puffiness is worse and my face is as itchy and sore as yesterday, so I think I have to give in and go to get it sorted out by a professional.

I have been really tempted to post a picture, but I don't actually want the only picture showing my face on my blog to be a picture of my face all puffed up, red and blotchy!

rashy

I stupidly said to my friends on holiday that I had realised recently that I have never been to my new school (started in Sept) 100% well - as in healthy.

This should be my first week....

The allergic rash to something undiagnosed has emerged and instead of dying down as I had hoped it would have, it has made my left lower eyelid swell up so I can only see out of half my eye.

Therefore I now look really bizarre - one half-closed eye and red spots all over my nose and cheeks. BEAUTIFUL!

yey! Home!! Had fun..

Went to Oktoberfest in Mainz and this was the first thing we saw..


2 giant beers later and I couldn't have cared less which leather-clad German was feeling up which. There was quite a lot of touching amongst the townsfolk of Mainz.






And then onto Koln... images below.





OK OK - so I failed entirely to take holiday snaps and instead only took photos of me and my pals behaving like idiots. This is the closest I can come to normal scenic holiday pics.

It's nice to be home. Just started to watch The Last King of Scotland after Sunday dinner. Mmmm.

Planning and organising

I used to be pretty terrible at organising myself. I AM improving but I need to organise so much more now I think it is necessity that has made the change in me.

I have homework to do these days and I don't like it! At the moment there is a Christmas arrangement hanging over me that I just need to knuckle down and get on with.

And tonight is my first Christmas gig of 2009. On the 8th October... seriously. Santa hats and carols. Ha ha ha ha ha... oh well!

holidays a comin

I am going on holiday soon and am very excited.

My first holiday is a trip to Germany. 2 nights in Mainz then 3 nights in Cologne.

We had a few problems with finding cheap enough accommodation so have ended up with 3 adults in a family room in Mainz then 3 adults in a 4 bed youth hostel dorm in Cologne but I really don't care. I'm going on holiday to have fun and sleeping is NOT in the plan.

The second holiday is a trip to Anstruther, Fife to stay for New Year. Yey! Excited? Moi?

Anyway - tonight we are making our own pizza - we have salami, olives, red onion... yum!

Trumpet playing with a chesty cough

Tomorrow I have my first gig since I got the flu. I can play the fast high stuff no bother but the sustained lyrical lines are a struggle as I still have a little lingering gunk in my lungs.

Delightful, eh?!

Tonight for tea we're having chilli which I should really go and start. Unless I make it spag bol instead. Decisions, decisions.

Maybe I'll leave it to the boyf. Though I know he'd always choose chilli so maybe not.

I really don't want to go to work.

The photos of the girls aren't on the web - but they were great! Here's the article anyway.


http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/features/display.var.2531333.0.guiding_lit_the_way_for_girls.php