A good note to finish the night on...not

I've just drove home from a friends house, it's late, about 11:45pm and the streets are dark and rainy. I pull into my drive and just before I turn the engine off I see something out of the corner of my eye. I turn my head, a drunken chav is standing by my car window, looking in at me. My heart starts to race. He mouths something at me, but there is no way I'm opening my car window. My laptop is in the front seat with me along with my mobile and my cash cards in my bag, and my town is known for its' scally, inbred inhabitants who cause trouble for kicks. He speaks again and steps closer to the car. At a loss for what to do, I shrug. He straightens up, nods at me as if to say, "ok then" and staggers off down the street after some other drunken blokes. I wait until they are further down the street before I grab my stuff and cautiously head into the house, my heart still pounding and my hands shaking.

That brings me up to now, I'm safe and sitting in my warm bedroom. I'm eating Lindt chocolates to ward off my shakiness (it's just what the doctor ordered). And above all I feel a bit of a prat because after going into complete "flight or flight" mode the drunken chav seemed to only want directions. Still you can't be too careful I suppose...

Belly's gonna get ya!

The unthinkable has happened, I'm actually fat!

I have a tendency to retain water during certain times of the month, and then look all svelte afterwards. Well it's not longer that time of the month and my bras don't fit and I actually broke into a sweat getting into my tight jeans. In fairness, these jeans were actually tight when I bought them, but now they are cutting off my circulation.

My lazy lifestyle has come after me with avengence, the belly has finally got me...

Meh-ness

I feel trapped on this blog, I don't have the freedom of being completely anonymous to talk about certain subjects. I feel like that today, If I was anonymous I would blog about it, if only to get it out of my system. People who know me, god love them, would know what and who I mean though, and that would almost be like me betraying a confidence. So for now I feel grouchy, listless, and oddly for me, not hungry. I may have to resort to old fashioned pen and paper, and then the shredder for this one.

A grumble

I have one reason and one reason only to stay home on a Saturday night. That reason ladies and gentlemen, is the latest episode of Doctor Who. This Saturday, due to cooking dinner for my lot I missed Doctor Who. No matter I thought, since I can catch the repeat on BBC 3. This would be a great plan, except we don't have BBC 3 anymore. The world is conspiring against me, to stop me watching yummy David Tennant-ness.

On a side note, sometime today the cafe had it's 3000th visitor, I hope they enjoyed what they saw here, and that they stuck around for a bit.

I've been tagged

Actually I was tagged a while ago but I've been unobservant. Sorry Merys. I'm getting my act back together so here it is, The 8 Things Meme;

8 Things you never wished to know about Miss Cherry Cola

1) I am constantly burning myself, my current "war wound" is on my lower arm, and was caused by a disagreement with a hot grill.

2) I fluctuate between being really vain, and hating how I look. Some days I put on my clothes and think "wow, I'm a right fitty" and others I'm constantly changing clothes because I look too fat/ugly/scruffy etc.

3) I can shop for England. If I had the means to do so there are so many things I would buy. Money isn't the keys to Lola's happiness but it does help a tad.

4) I'm getting broody, but not for children. I am suffering from "house broodiness". I'm finding myself watching property tv shows, wishing I could afford a house, wanting to go shopping for kitchen utensils, bathroom suites, sofas etc. The downside to this is that I'll never be able to afford a house until I graduate, again...

5) I feel very green-fingered at the moment, my peas are really coming on as are the courgettes, and plus I have managed to grow some rosemary seedlings from seed (I've been told that it's fairly difficult for a complete beginner to do)

6)I am in no way photogenic, as judged by my old and new work ID card...

7) I often wish I could have a pole in my room for random pole dancing practice

8) I'm getting the traveling bug, there's so many places I want to go and see, the downside is that a) I'm meant to be saving for Uni and b) I have no one to go with :-(

Well that's me done for now. I'd like to tag; The Thinker, Sara, Mrhunnybun, Karen, Dory, Kindablue, The Domestic Minx (although I am aware you did a similar one recently, so feel free to ignore the meme) and JR's Thumbprints. Have fun guys.

Same place same time

Well here I am again exactly one week later, at the end of my first working week at the new place. I miss my old working colleagues and I'm noticing a nasty habit of mine to refer to them in the present, i.e. my colleagues, my team, etc. I suppose it's fair enough for the first week, but I'm going to have to keep that in check.

I've been training all week, so I can't comment on the work, although I've been told that once we're trained up we will be busy. Which I'm not looking forward to. We can't take mobile phones on site, and I'm really missing sending sneaky texts during a toilet break. The place smells due to the manufacturing of the drugs they make, it's sort of a cross between gone-off yoghurt, bread dough and manky cheese. Did I mention that I miss my old colleagues?

I think I have a downer on this place before I've even begun, but for more money in the bank, I'll get over it. It's only until September...

Back from the Depths

Apologies for not posting for a while, things have been hectic to say the least. I needed some time away from my beloved cafe.

For this weekend I am unemployed. I've left my first proper job since leaving Uni, and I start a new job on Tuesday. This job is closer to home, and pays a lot more than my now previous job. There's flexi-time too.

Still, I have a bad case of the new job jitters and I've been really sad to leave the other job. I haven't been there long, I only started last August and changed departments in December, but I will miss my colleagues a lot. I could be myself with them, take the piss, and have the piss taken out of me (I'm not a plastic Scouser!). The exchanging of joking insults made the time go so much quicker, and they were always ready to help when things (invariably) went wrong with a test.

At this new job I will have to be on my best behaviour, to be polite and never rude, even jokingly so. Work time is a long part of the day, and I don't like the idea of having to go back to suppressing my natural tendancies.

At least it won't be for long, I've just received my term date start through from Uni. On the 17th September I shall be a student again. Hurray for student life and boo to lack of money.

Enjoying the wonders of Spring

Well, just call me Lola Greenfingers. I've seduced by the lovely Spring weather, and have been bitten by the gardening bug. I've not been out redesigning the garden groundforce-style (or even tidying it up to be honest) but I've started to grow some veg.

I bought a mini plastic greenhouse, some seeds, compost and tools, and last Sunday morning I was up with the birds and out in the back garden planting rocket, lettuce, spinach, peas, spring onions and courgettes (bra-less too, I think my inner minx is emerging).

Today while giving the plants (or pots of dirt as my sister calls them) the once over after work, I was ecstatic to see some greenery. The mangetout has started to pop up, and the salad has made a move too. Unfortunately I forgot to mark out what was where in my container and so I don't know which is lettuce, rocket or spinach, but I'm sure it'll taste good whatever it is. I've also been growing basil on my windowsill for a few weeks now, and as I used the whole packet when sowing them I now have a startling amount of herbs. Anyone fancy some basil plants...?

More wine dear

I can't remember the first sip of wine I ever had, however I do remember being given a small glass of white wine at Christmas. The wine was to celebrate the season, and cleanse my palate between bites of Christmas turkey, gravy and stuffing. I may not have realised that at that young age, but this single glass of wine each Christmas day helped shape my ideas about alcohol.

I know that a glass of wine is best enjoyed with a good meal. I do not drink alcohol purely to get drunk, and in my teens I never hung around street corners swigging from a bottle of cheap cider, or stood outside the off-license begging the over-18's to buy some alco-pops. I have had my moments, mainly in University when I've gone over the top, but I can count those times on the fingers of one hand. On the whole I have a relaxed, well-adjusted, sensible attitude to drinking.

So when I heard about this story about banning parents from letting their children under 15 years old consume alcohol, even with a meal, I'll admit my hackles got a little raised. I understand that binge drinking among the younger population is becoming more and more common, but isn't that a sign that we need to change their way of thinking? Teen, and pre-teen pregnancies are rising at an alarming rate despite the legal age of consent being 16, so what makes people think that a blanket ban of alcohol for under 15's will work? How will it be policed? Why can't (sensible) parents make an informed decision about their own children?

In my opinion this idea will not work. To beat binge drinking, attitudes about alcohol must change. If parents want to they should be allowed to introduce the child to alcohol, as I was, at a young age. In this way we can teach how alcohol should be treated with respect. I often think that under 15's are so desperate to start drinking because they see it as a grown up thing to do. If they're used to having a glass of wine every now and again, is it such a grown-up thing to do anymore? Education about alcohol will be more successful than bans will ever hope to be, just look at 1920's prohibition in America and you'll see what I mean.

The best chat up line ever

I promised MB in my comments about my Grand National post that I would reveal the best chat up line I have ever heard.

Unfortunately this isn't a chat up line that was directed at me, a dear friend of mine (and old housemate) had the pleasure of this line. She was sitting down in the University courtyard waiting for a friend when this guy shows up and begins chatting to her. He starts of with the general uni chit chat, and their conversation goes something like this.

"What course are you doing?" he asks.
"Mathematical physics."
"What? With tits like that?"

For some reason this guy believed that intelligent women couldn't have a fantastic pair. How wrong he was.

As for chat up lines directed at me, I don't tend to get any unless I'm in uniform and drunk people are about.

999 Ambulance Lottery

No doubt those of you living in the UK will have heard about this story. A rather one-sided look at ambulances, paramedics and technicians. For those of you over the pond, basically the program is criticising the lack of paramedics on ambulances, and implying that the use of ambulance technicians is putting lives at risk, a very one-sided, sensationalist piece of journalism (Sir Trevor, I'm very disappointed with you!). Ambulance technicians are not unskilled, as you claim. They are not bumbling side-kicks waiting for "Super Paramedic" to come and save them from themselves. There are a few rare situations when a paramedic would be able to administer a drug to better treat the patient, but these situations are not the norm. I would rant on more about this, but Reynolds has already said it a lot better than I could, so here are his words on the topic.

Finally, I just like to say a few words of condolence to those caught up in the tragedy at Virginia Tech, and their families. My thoughts are with them all.

Grand National 2007

Well, the big day of the Grand National arrived, and I blew the dust off my high vis jacket and went along to do some first aid.

Over the course of the day I got hit on seven times, only one of these people was sober. I'm not sure whether that boosts my self esteem or not yet. The chat up lines weren't the most original this year, just the usual "oh I feel faint" or "I need some mouth to mouth". Lads, although Lola isn't really one for chat up lines, a good original one will have her chuckling for days.

I got rather worried when a fight broke out right next to us, we scarpered to a safer spot, although we couldn't actually get out of the enclosure the fight was in. Luckily security contained it quite quickly, leaving us to deal with the first aid related aftermath.

The most pointless job of the day was being called upstairs by control to a lady with a cut foot. As control had sent us, as a response team, we imagined there would be a fair bit of blood. We got there after a bit of directing by stewards, to find a lady who smiled at us and said, "My foot's fine, I just need a plaster." Why she couldn't have gone down to the first aid post and gotten one herself was a bit beyond me.

Despite being an aed and medical gases team, we didn't get called to anything that would require those skills, thank goodness. The weather was lovely, although I found it quite difficult to cope in the heat. Just imagine that the past three grand nationals I have spent freezing cold, in the rain in some years and this year is lovely and I still complain. There's no hope for me.

One of my horses came in second, the problem being that I bet on 4 of them. Ah well, Bewleys Berry was in the lead when it fell, again I'm not sure if that's more annoying than it is anything else. It just goes to show the evils of gambling, I'm sure it won't stop me doing the same thing next year.

Finally on the way home, a couple of gents gave up their seats for us on the train so we could sit down as we had been on our feet all day. Yes, the gents were steaming drunk and sang to us for most of the train journey, but they were nice drunks, and it brightened my day.

Oh Lola, your geekiness is showing

I'm finding myself getting more and more obsessed with Doctor Who. It's a little worrying as obsessions of mine have been known to take over a large part of my life. Previous obsessions have led to me almost constantly thinking about the subject of the obsession, getting fangirl-ish (I can range from crazy to sane fangirl), and the ultimate sign of being obsessed with something, writing fanfiction (yes my fanfiction is online, no I'm not posting the link).

So as you can imagine, I'm trying to keep my cool about Doctor Who (it helps that Mum tells me how sad I am for watching it...). Of course this new interest in the show has nothing to do with David Tennant, or his quirkiness, or his attractiveness, or how good his legs look when he's in drag ahem.

You're not buying any of this are you?

New Blog

I've set up a new blog for UK restaurant reviews, and I've been getting to grips with Wordpress for the set up of it. I like blogger, but if I'd used my blogger account to create it, then people I know in real life whom I wouldn't really want in my little cafe would have been able to find it easily. As I've said before, I'm only semi-anonymous. Anyone I know who finds this blog knows it's mine instantly (a few people I know have already found it through various internet searches). So call me paranoid, but I don't want to link my real name with this blog.

I'm actually quite impressed with Wordpress, but at the same time I really don't have a clue about it. I think I'm safer sticking with blogger for this one.

For anyone who's interested the link is http://goodrestaurantfood.wordpress.com

I'll be linking to it on my page here, but no mention of the cafe will appear on there if that makes sense.

Next post: Is Lola really becoming a Doctor Who geek?

Lonely, I'm so Lonely

Well, virtually lonely that is. Out here in the real world I'm not lonely, but on this little computer screen I am.

Back in the day, well maybe around 4/5 years ago, I had tons of internet friends. People whom I'd met through various internet sites I was on, or through friends. People from all over the world. Now, I don't have so many internet friends. There are a few who are still with me, but the vast majority I have lost touch with.

So, I'm feeling a little lonely right now.

Glorified Cleaner

My dog went for the hat trick yesterday. I came downstairs first thing monday morning only to find a nice pile of dog poo right by the kitchen door. I was late to work as you'd imagine.

When I returned from work, I wasn't long in the kitchen when I realised the dog had peed all over the floor, another lengthy clean up by yours truly.

This morning Dad went downstairs and he found that the dog had been sick. At least I didn't have to clean it up.

Let's hope this isn't a sign of things to come in the dog senility world.

Values are genetic

People generally get their basic views and values from their parents. What brought this home to me more than ever this week was two incidents.

The first was a colleague at work describing how he thought no one should buy things such as furniture unless they already had the cash. He is the sort of person who is deathly afraid to get into debt, and he mentioned his parents were the same. This got me thinking about myself and how I see things.

I have a difficult time accepting things from people. When I first atarted Uni I wouldn't let anyone buy me a drink even (although people who know me now, know that's not the case anymore), and I nearly had a fit when a dear friend of mine spent what I deemed to be far too much on my birthday present.

This brings me to the second incident, this same friend mentioned buying a bottle of champagne at some point and showed me a rather expensive bottle. I said it would have to be for a special occasion and he just laughed at me, asking me if I wasn't used to being spoilt. The truth is that I am rather spoilt, by my parents at least, but when it comes to other people it's a different matter. From a young age my parents encouraged me and my sister to be thankful for any gifts we may get but to never seek them out. Also to say things like, "you shouldn't have" and so on. This lead to utter confusion for my friend who thinks I should just let myself be spoilt.

Maybe I'll loosen up in the future, but for the mean time at least I'm a cheap date!

Lola's Guide to Pooing in Work

1) Pick a time when the loo is at it's most secluded.

2) Get your business *ahem* done in there as quickly as possible.

3) Flush straight after, but before wiping. This is commonly known as a courtesy flush, and is a lifesaver if your poo would horrify (not Dr) Gillian McKeith.

4) Wipe and flush again.

5) Remember the loo brush is your friend, no one wants to see your skid marks.

6) Hopefully by following these steps then there should be no one around, and the toilet shouldn't smell (much). So take your time washing your hands, and head back to work.


Yes, as neurotic as I am I managed to poo in work (well I was desperate). I don't think I'll be making a habit of it, but it is kind of funny to think that while you're on the toilet you're still getting paid. The only thing that could be better is an overtime toilet trip. I sure hope my employers aren't reading this...

Where does the weekend go?

Well here I am, the night before I have to go back to work for another week, wondering what black hole steals my weekend away from me? It all goes so quickly.

I haven't heard anything about an interview for that job I sent my CV to, so I feel a little unemployable (despite the fact that I'm currently employed). I'm going to go back to the drawing board on this CV of mine, initially it got me some nice results, but now it doesn't seem to be working at all. There is the fact that it's four pages long and the recommended length is 2 pages. I want to delete some of my past employment, seeing as it is irrelevant to the jobs I'm looking for.

On a lighter note after my last post I'm glad to say that people in work do seem to be using the toilet brush now. I've definitely won the battle on this one. Next up I plan to tackle women who just walk out of the toilet without washing their hands, yuck.

Let's talk about poo

Warning: this post contains a lot of talk about poo.

I'll admit that whenever I'm in work, I spend a fair bit of time in the loo (toilet). This is mainly because I seem to have a tiny bladder, and whenever I try to drink water I need to go almost constantly. On a somewhat sneakier note though, we're not allowed to use our mobiles in work, and the toilet trips do provide an opportunity to check my messages, and maybe send a particularly important text. I'm sure everyone does it.

Anyway, that's not really my point. This week it seems, I've been going into the toilets after someone has had a poo (purely coincidentally, I'm not some sort of poo fetishist). Now, I realise not everyone is as neurotic as me (I refuse to go for a number two in work) and fair play to them if they need to do this and can. I don't mind the smell too much, in fact a few people open the window too so that's quite nice of them. What I do mind is walking into a toilet cubicle and seeing poo smeared around the toilet bowl. Have these people never heard of a toilet brush? There is in fact one sitting right next to the toilet and it wouldn't take much to use it. All I'm asking for is a little consideration, it isn't nice cleaning up someone elses mess.

And I thought women were meant to be the clean and tidy ones...

New Job?

I had a phonecall today about a job. It's closer to home, so it could mean no more travelling an hour to get to work. It pays more money, which is money in the bank for fees for my next degree. It appears to be a similar type of work to what I'm doing now, and much more than that, it's permanent. I should be excited and looking forward to applying, but I'm not. I'm actually happy in my new department. I like the people I work with, and I feel part of a team, with goals to work towards. The work may be dull at times but the people definitely make up for it. I will apply for this job, don't get me wrong, but I'm not completely happy about it.

PS. It's pancake day! Go on, have a pancake, you know you want to. My personal recommendation is a bog standard pancake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and maple syrup. Mmmmmm.

The real pick of the fornight

As per my last post here is my blurb about a blog. I've decided on a fortnight because I think I'd be too lazy to do it once a week.

Very recently I discovered a rather unusual blog. I've put it in my links under "personal blogs" but this blog is different from the normal bog-standard personal blog.

L'undone is a blog detailing a specific time in the blog writers' (Lolas') life. It's a rather unusual episode which she has decided to focus on, and although it mustn't have been entertaining to live through, this blog certainly leaves you needing to know how the whole thing ends. I wont give anything away as to the details of this incident, because there's no way that I could write it anywhere near as good as Lola has already done. She's an excellent writer, which makes me a tad jealous. So go and check it out and see how it all began.

If you're not already convinced then I will leave you with some of Lola's own words about her story; "Here is a tale of high-weirdness, big love, cyber-crime and the mutual insane obsession of two people that never even met. This blog is the true story of how it happened."

Pick of the [insert time limit here]

Recently I'm finding myself browsing a lot more blogs than I ever have done before and occasionally I come across some really fantastic blogs. Now, while I do add these to my links at the side of this blog, I thought it may be fun to write a little blurb about some of them, as other than the categories I've put them in there is no real way to work out what they're about other than going and seeing for yourself.

So as a bit of inspiration for me (for when my life is so dull I couldn't possibly blog about it) I thought I'd take a pick of some good blogs and write about them in a post. I'll probably start with some of the blogs in my links, but if anyone wants to recommend a good blog to read, then I'm all ears.

I found me

I found me, or rather I found my blog on a review site. Here is the review if you fancy a read. I agree with the comments made and hopefully shall take some of them on board in the near future.

I'm quite pleased now.

The Biscuit Theory

While working in my new department at work I've developed a little theory. Take today for example, we had a workshop day over at our training building. Being at the training building invariably means tea (or coffee, for the weird ones among us) and biscuits are laid on in abundance for our breaks there.

So on to the theory. I feel that the optimum number of biscuits per cup of tea is three, making the cup of tea to biscuit ratio 1:3, plus or minus 2 biscuits, depending upon circumstances such as amount of biscuits on the tray in the first place. There were three opportunities during this day to have a cup of tea and biscuits, so taking the optimum number of biscuits this would equal nine biscuits consumed for the day (with a possible range of 3 biscuits to 15 biscuits).

My conclusion from this theory is that I'll never lose weight if I keep working here...

Just a quickie...

Please vote for Merys (I'm not a drain on society) in the love to lead competition for a brand spanking new laptop. As she is a poor student, she is currently in great need of one of these, so please get voting for her!

That friday feeling

Yesterday afternoon at about 15:45 (for those not in the know, that's when my working week finally comes to an end) I found myself wishing that my life could be a musical. Now, I'm not thinking that someone should make a musical of my life, because to be fair, that would be pretty dull, maybe apart from the poledancing bits...

No, what I mean when I say musical, is that I wish that songs would randomly play when I'm doing certain things. This friday I found myself walking down a corridor at work, on my way out of the building. The song I had stuck in my head was The Nolans, I'm in the Mood for Dancing. I couldn't help but think how cool it would be if people would start popping out of their offices to sing "do do do do do de de do do"

Well, share that friday feeling with me (despite it being Saturday) and have a listen to the song!



By the by, I'm hoping to get a new computer (not that there's anything wrong with my old one apart from it running Windows 98) but I'd like a new computer. Can anyone who knows a bit about computers recommend something? I've been looking at www.pcworld.co.uk, and I'm looking for something with 1gb of RAM, at least a 160 gb hard drive, costing around 500 quid give or take a few pounds. I've seen a few and can't make up my mind between them. Also I haven't a clue if I should get Vista or not, because I remember all the security flaws that were discovered when XP first went live. Help!

Zombie-fied

I am so knackered right now. It's been a long day. I've just finished putting together a powerpoint for a teaching session I'm doing tomorrow, which I agreed to do at last minute (i.e. today), so it probably makes very little sense right now. I'll have to check it again when I'm more alive.

Also I passed my AED requal, depsite forgetting to call for an ambulance, but suffice to say that if (god forbid) I ever had to use the defib in real life, I would be pooing myself so much that the first thing on my mind would be calling in the professionals.

I'm too tired to write more, so night night.

PS. I just had a thought, the entire country is braced for snow tomorrow, wouldn't it be funny if it didnt happen, hehehehe.

Bah

My hopes of winning the lottery have again been dashed, and this time I had actually bought a ticket...

Ah well maybe next year

Well it's been an up and down week. Best not to ask anyway.

As for the 2007 Bloggies, I wasn't on the shortlist, which didn't come as a surprise to me. But what did come as a surpise to me was that several of my favourite blogs didn't make it in either. Well, barr the amazing Girl with a One Track Mind.

Anyhow, I'm using this as a reason to find more funky blogs to read, so please do as I do and have a read of the nominated blogs and vote.

I'm off out now, yay I have a social life!

A typical night out

This is what happens when Lola gets tipsy and there are poles about. We should try to not let this happen in future as it leaves very painful bruises and aching muscles.

Hello all

This will be the last time I post as a 21 year old. In half an hours time it will be my 22nd birthday, now hands up who thinks I'm old *puts hand up*.

Anyway tomorrow I'm off to London with my family for a birthday weekend to remember. Shopping, theatre and drinking. You can't beat it with a bouncer.

Finally there's still a tiny bit of time left to vote for your favourite blogs in the 2007 Blog Awards vote for me, it's my birthday! I'm kidding, vote for your favourites while there's still a chance to.

Right all, enjoy your weekend, I shall be enjoying mine, even if I will be 22.

Bloggies

Just came across this: 2007 Weblog Awards. So vote for your favourite blogs as I know I will be.

As for how I'm doing right now, I had a bit of an upsetting night last night. Nothing I can't handle in the cold light of day, I just get on with it and put my brave face back on. But suffice to say I don't think discussing it further would help any. That includes the people who know me outside of the world wide web, I don't want to talk about it.

Anyhow, before the night turned bad I managed to learn a few new poledancing moves. I actually went upside down (with the help of a poledancing randomer), it didn't look good but it'll improve in time... Here's someone who's a lot better at me at poledancing, although I just learnt how to do the move she does at about 1 min 3 seconds, enjoy.

Happy New Year!

Well it's now 2007 and I'm still left wondering where the heck 2006 went. So I decided to find out where the year disappeared by thinking over what were the highlights for 2006 for me, the best times, the worst times and the plain odd times. Carmelo inspired me to write this after I saw his post on the topic sorry for robbing off with your idea, Carmelo!

This day one year ago started off with me at a friends house celebrating the beginning of 2006. By about 2am I had managed to fall asleep on the floor using my best friends leg as a pillow, I don't think he minded too much. I didn't sleep for long and soon headed back to my house.
Note: This is a strange parallel of this year, where I stayed at home, fell asleep on the sofa in the early hours and woke up and went to bed at 6am.

As I'm a january baby the next highlight for me was my birthday. I was 21 years old and for the first time ever I had an exam on my birthday! I survived evil exams but only just, and made a resolution to study harder for my next exams (which I did). The fun came roughly two weeks after my birthday, when exams were over and a group of my friends and I painted the town red. It was the first time I'd ever been into Reflex, and although I didn't swing round the pole on this occasion, I did pose on it, leading to a rather infamous picture... Later in the year I would play on the pole and it would lead to bruises and an incomprehensible urge to play some more.

In 2006 I was chairperson for Links (up until the summer anyway) and therefore had all the stress associated with running a division, plus that of being in my last year at University. My hair was slowly coming out in rather worrying clumps in the shower. However 2006 was the year I managed to get it together, and not only did the unit survive me running it, but I managed to cope with my last exams and dissertation reasonably well.

In Jan 2006 my Dad started the job of decorating the hallway and dining room, and I'm pleased to report it was finally finished in October/November 2006. Only several months behind schedule.

I attended the Grand National, one of the biggest horse racing events in the world. I went with St John, as there was no way I'd be able to afford a ticket. The first day of it I was paired with a friend of mine by the parade circle. Highlights include us standing still too long in the cold and then being unable to move our legs, getting a cuppa while a race was on and having to gulp it down as we had to get back to our post before they cordoned off the area for the horses to come back in, getting soaked in the torrential rain while talking to some police officers (they were wondering why they were doing this, but at least they were getting paid, damn them), and returning to the first aid post after aforementioned drenching, looking a bit frostbitten and getting a nice sit down and a cup of tea in there. Good stuff.

The second day I was on the other end of the grounds and was with the now current chair of Links (my vice chair at the time), we were given an AED and when we got called to a something where we would have to use it, I was nearly pooing myself. We couldn't find the casualty and we were running like hell while I tried to get a more definite location from control over our radio. We ran into my best friend (a paramedic) and then we found the casualty, the ambulance service were already working on him, and we got stood down, thank goodness for that. My mate was laughing at me later on saying he'd never seen me move so fast in his life. This was also the day when I "got arrested". We were walking a casualty back to the first aid post when all of a sudden I felt something stop me, I looked behind me to find that the strap of my first aid kit had somehow brushed against the handcuffs of a policeman and the handcuffs had snapped shut on the strap. The policeman seemed as embarrassed as I was, and handed the handcuffs to his female colleague while he searched for the key. Other St John members who passed by stopped to take pictures... (excuse the edited picture, I just thought it would not be a good idea to post a pic on the web of the police officer). The final day wasn't as eventful, which is surprising considering the actual race is on that day. Alas I had forgotten to put a bet on as usual. The winner was Numbersixvalverde, which to be honest I don't think I would have bet on anyhow.

The Links weekend away was a good time, we went to county Durham, and as usual, had a little walk, drank a fair bit, and did activities. This years activities were archery (I rocked) and a tree-top rope course which scared the hell out of me at first and then led to me and a friend of mine referring to ourselves as "tree whores" as we were straddling every tree going. I also amused myself by hanging upside down on a wire suspended high above the ground. No pictures of that unfortunately. Other higlights include having to put on a play for the rest of the group, using a bag of props we got handed. This led to some bad chinese food puns, Scooby Doo, partial nudity and a monkey called Bubbles, that's all I'm going to say.

I got ill, for one of the first times ever. I had flu just as my dissertation was due in. I got a doctors note and an extention, and as a result I've now got a dissertation that makes sense.

I got offers from all of the schools of pharmacy I applied to, and chose Manchester as my first choice. I deferred entry until 2007.

I again survived exams, but the difference this time was that I knew what I was talking about on them.

I started my brief job as a lab technician at a college. The job held such highlights of getting hopelessly lost on my first day (my sat nav took me to the right road but in the wrong area), getting to make fake blood, microwaving hearts and denting my car.

As you can see my now linking to blog posts, this is when I first started my blog. I've chatted to some fabulous people through it, and as you can see from my first post, I never imagined that anyone other than my friends would read it. So thanks to everyone who's either read or commented on any of my entries on this blog (and thanks to anyone who's reading this doozy of a post, it is a bit long). I'm looking forwards to reading more blogs in this new year.

I graduated with a 2.1. It was my first degree and I loved doing it, even though I played harder than I worked for the first two years. I think in the last year I made up for it. I'm slowly losing my ability to remember all the drugs I learnt about, but hopefully my books, notes and vague memory of this degree should stand me in good stead for the next degree. I sometimes think that it would have been easier if I'd have applied for pharmacy in the first place, but although it would have saved me time and money I wouldn't be where I am now in terms of my emotional development. I wouldn't have met some of my best friends ever. So although it has taken me longer to do what I want to do I wouldn't change it.

I went on holiday to Turkey for the fourth year running. I wont say much here except it was an enjoyable holiday.

I had an interview for the pharmaceutical company I now work at. I thought I'd blown it with my jet lag related nattering, but for some unknown reason I was taken to work in the QC department.

I attended Creamfields as a member of St John, and I can't really say more than what I already posted here.

I went on the course I did to become a first aid trainer. It was hard work but fun, with lots of staying up late and drinking wine while planning our teaching sessions.

I placed third in the "So you think you can blog competition" on the blog Theory of Thought. Many thanks to Thethinker.

I went to London to see Wicked, and The Last Five Years.

I had fun dressing up for Halloween.

I got really bad tonsilitis and moaned a lot about it.

A friend of my sisters passed away.

I discovered baileys irish cream brownies, and ate way too many.

I had a good Christmas. I laughed at my sisters expression when she opened what she thought was a 25 quid bottle of champagne and turned out to be a bottle of bucks fizz. I then later got to see her face when she opened the real bottle of 25 quid champagne. I got dvds a-plenty, ate a huge meal and partied in the evening.

I got taken to a casino for the first time, didnt spend a single thing all night, and made 35 quid from a tenner, not bad for a first timer. We also had a meal in china town afterwards at about 2am with salty rice, yuck.

Then we come to New Years Eve. We had a chinese so big that I had to open my top jeans button. Then we saw in the new year at home and watched most of "2006 most annoying celebrities".

2006 has been a fast year, but eventful. I've done plenty of firsts. I've been hurt, and hurt others. I lost my temper on occasion. This was the first year I became a redhead, and right now the red is here to stay. I've partied hard, worked hard, and also been incredibly lazy. I have grown into a more mature, slightly sassy girl, who can be sensible when she tries, but most of the time she doesn't want to try.

Happy new year everyone, I hope 2007 will be a good year for all.

(Thanks to all who have read this far, why not post a comment just to say hi!)

Twas the night before xmas

Well, it's about 1/2 hour to go til Christmas and so I'm posting this now, rather than tomorrow, as I doubt even I would be sad enough to post on Christmas day. Mum has chased me upstairs so she can wrap up my presents, thus ruining the idea that Santa is bringing the gifts. Then again, I am 21...

Anyhow, merry Christmas to you all, may your tipple glass of choice never be empty. Have a good time!

The girl I mentioned in a previous post passed away today. We were told she went peacefully, and she was in no pain. My thoughts are with her, her family and her friends. Rest in peace.

Gooey chocolate irish cream goodness

Ooh I honestly don't know why I've never baked Baileys Irish Cream brownies before, they're delicious and so addictive. I have the strangest feeling that I'm going to be waddling through Xmas if I eat any more of these gorgeous treats.

For anyone who wants to recreate the pleasure of eating these in their own home, I shall post the recipe. Be warned these are fudgy gooey type brownies, if you want more cake-like brownies either add more flour or only put in 4 eggs rather than 5.

Baileys Irish Cream Brownies

6 tbsp Baileys
5 large eggs
8 tbsp granulated sugar
250 g butter
150 g dark chocolate
60 g plain flour (this is a bit of an estimation, so you may need to pop a bit more/less in if you think it warrants it)
Chocolate chips (as many as you like me dears)

Icing (optional - but very tasty)

4 tbsp Baileys (or a little more if you're feeling merry)
3 tbsp butter
Icing sugar (as much as it takes to get to the consistency you want)

Method (I feel like I'm writing a scientific report here)

Melt the dark chocolate and butter together (I use a bowl over a pan of boiling water because I tend to burn the chocolate in the microwave, but if you are microwave-competant go for it), and allow to cool (sitting the bowl in a pan of cold water works great if you're impatient like me)

Break the eggs into a bowl and add the sugar, beat together, then add 3 tbsp Baileys and the cooled chocolate mixture. Mix and slowly add the flour, mixing well. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Line a baking tray with grease-proof paper, smear with butter and dust with flour if you like. Pour in the brownie mixture and allow to cook for about 20 mins at 200 °C. Test to see if they're done by sticking a cocktail stick into the middle. If it comes out with crumbs attached to it, it's done, if not give it another 5/10 minutes, and so on.

Once it's cooked pop it out the oven and let it cool. This bit is torture for me, as all I want to do is eat the warm brownies. But show some self-restraint and all will be well. Once cooled poke it with a fork a few times, randomly across the brownie surface, and drizzle the other 3 tbsp of baileys onto it.

Now for the fun frosting, melt the butter slightly in the microwave and mix with the 4 or more tbsp of baileys. Add icing sugar and mix until you reach the consistency you want. Then whack it on top of the brownies and voila, there you have it. All you have to do now is eat them, and trust me it wont take long.

Happy eating, I'm off to get another brownie.

Meh

I wish this drug really did exist, I need it.

Tonight I had some bad news. A girl my sister knows, who has cancer, is seriously ill in hospital. I've never personally met this girl, my sister has only met her a few times. I watched a documentary she was in, about her illness and how she was organising a fundraiser for her local hospital unit. In the documentary it was said that her cancer was terminal. At the moment she is estimated to live maybe another three weeks, it will be her last Christmas if she makes it that long.

She's 19 years old. It isn't fair is it?

My first rti...kinda

Yesterday, despite being in my last recovery phase from my tonsilitis I decided to go out on duty to a Dickensian Day. This is a little event where people dress up in Victorian Era clothes and run stalls etc. I did have fun, I loved the costumes. My particular favourite was an old fashioned PC strolling around, complete with a cape.

I was technically down as third person (observer) on the ambulance there, but did nothing really for most of the day. I'd decided it was cold and stayed in the vehicle for the first part of the day. I did wander round for a bit, and become a bit more sociable later on. Myself and a few other members got a "hog roast" sandwich, they actually had a whole pig on a spit. On the way back to the vehicle I left my lunch with my paramedic mate and dashed into a coffee place for some hot drinks. When I returned, everyone (the I had gone for food with) and the vehicle had disappeared. Apparently while I'd been queueing for coffee they'd gotten a casualty and had gone to attend to them. I was a bit gutted that my lunch appeared to have gone awol too, and that I was stuck holding two hot drinks that were rapidly getting colder. It's always typical that the casulaties surface just as you get your lunch. Luckily my lunch hadn't been in the vehicle, and my paramedic friend soon returned and pointed me in the direction of my lunch. I gave him his latte. Vile drink.

When the vehicle got back I had been standing in the rain and had since mostly dried off but was a little cold, especially my feet which I couldnt feel. So I hopped in the back, and dozed off on the stretcher. My problem is that when I recovering from being ill, I jump back into things feet first and do daft things like stand around in the cold and wet weather, and do more than I should be doing. Then the tiredness usually hits me, so I sleep for a bit. When I wake up, it's more or less the end of the duty, so we say our goodbyes etc, and head back.

While on the way back to county, we came across an rti. Being in a big white ambulance we are somewhat implied to stop and see if all is ok. I was again asleep in the back, so got woken up by my paramedic friend shouting at me to wake up, and by my other friend flipping the lights in the back on and off to rouse me. No one was hurt but the accident was on a corner and had blocked off one lane of the road, so to avoid another accident two of us directed traffic. After the paramedic had made sure everyone was ok, he took over from me directing traffic and told me to sit in the ambulance and get warm. Good job really, as I could feel my throat starting to hurt again. The police showed up fairly quickly, and the tow truck a little while later, then once all was cleared they thanked us for our help and we all trundled off back to CHQ.

I personally was so tired that I fell asleep in my computer chair a while after I got back home...

My getting better post

Well I'm recovering, slowly but surely. I have come the conclusion that it must have just been really bad tonsilitis. The only symptom I have left at the minute is my really swollen glands, and massive tonsils (they were apparently seeping pus at one point, which was a bit gross). On the bright side, no more fever, no more massive achiness, no more hurting ears, and even my dizzy spells are down to a minimum. I've had the past two days off work, which would probably make people suspect that I'd be blogging more, but realistically how much can you write about aimlessly surfing the net, having regular naps, and watching daytime tv all without getting out of my pjs?

I did go out yesterday on a trip to a ASDA, because there were some things that I couldn't get through the day without. This was my worst illness day, due to my fever, etc. So I waited for my co-codamol to kick in (it lowers my temperature, clears my head and helps with my aches and pains, although unfortunately couldn't do anything for the pain in my throat), wrapped up warm, and set out for the walk there. Yes, I had to walk, as Dad had kindly sodded off in the car to go work in. The walk there wasn't too much of a challenge, although I got paranoid with people staring at me on the way there. I have a few theories on this; a) I no longer look backward enough for this little town so people see fit to point and stare at the "outsider", b) I'm just so bloody attractive they can't help but stare (I'm thinking this is a fairly unlikely theory...), or c) I looked so wretched that they felt the need to stare at this tonsilitis-ridden zombie hag. I'm hoping it's a) but have a sad feeling it could be c).

Once in ASDA I'll admit I impulse shopped, which wasn't good as when I'm ill I don't have all my marbles about me. I bought a small tub of clotted cream which had been reduced, due to it going off today. The thing about clotted cream is, I tend to eat it on scones, and the thing about my current affliction is, I can't eat solid food as it hurts too much to chew and swallow. So I bought clotted cream that will go to waste because I don't fancy eating it gone the expiry date.

The walk back home nearly killed me, it's all uphill. I got in, had my food and then had a lie down on the floor as dragging myself to the sofa required too much effort. After that I disappeared upstairs for a three hour long nap.

A lovely mate of mine, who I adore, bought me some oraldene. I gave him the clotted cream to say thank you. He also gave me a muffin, which is currently torturing me as I can't eat solids yet. Grrr.

I'm back in work tomorrow for my last day in this department, so I'm going to put on a surgical mask and gloves and make them some crispie cakes.

The evilness that is tonsilitis

Yes, I'm fairly certain that I've got tonsilitis. I thought I'd gotten over that stage in my life but apparently not. My throat is swollen, it hurts to swallow and it's even affecting my ears. Where are a nice packet or three of strepsils when you need them? I eat them almost like sweets when I've been like this in the past, and yes I am aware that that is technically an OD but it hasn't done me any damage so far.

I'm only moaning on here because if I moaned to a particular mate of mine, he'd make me try some of the foul smelling cough syrup he has. It appears to be Russian in origin and looks like a bottle of cough syrup, but the fun begins once you look at the ingredients list. The list begins with some nasty sounding chemicals, I can't recall their names off-hand but trust me, they don't sound edible. We then move on the ingredients that worried me in particular; chloroform is in there, something that people will probably recall as a film noir method of incapacitating someone (or as an old anaesthetic), but is also a toxic substance. A nice little sentence on Wikipedia states "Chloroform once appeared in toothpastes, cough syrups, ointments, and other pharmaceuticals, but it has been banned in consumer products in the United States since 1976." Anaesthetic ether is also listed amongst the ingredients, another anaesthetic. I do remember using this stuff in a lab practical, for knocking out fruit flies.

None of these ingredients make me want to get near to the stuff, although I did ask him what he thought about it and apparently one gulp of the stuff is enough to stop you coughing for hours. Somehow I'm not surprised.

Edit: After a night of tossing and turning with a fever, I'd gladly take the health hazard cough syrup just so long as I got to sleep peacefully (no doubt I would with the chloroform).

I did sleep well in the end but only after a dose of co-codamol and only for two hours. Now I have the hours drive to work...

Edit Edit: Scratch what I said earlier, I don't have tonsilitis, I have the flu. Owww, I'm so achy! Well I hope it's the flu because if not it could be meningitis. Mum is standing with her trusty, freezing cold glass at the ready in case I get a rash.

Things to do before I die

I've been thinking again, of the list of things I want to do before I die. I dug up my old list from an old blog posting of mine (not on here) and have been browsing through it to see what I've completed, the answer is not a lot really...

* See the pyramids Yes, I still want to do this at some point in my life. When I was younger I was semi-obsessed with Egyptian mythology, and still have Egyptian art work on my walls. Seeing the pyramids would be an almost spiritual trip for me

* Go to Italy (Venice, Florence, etc) Again, another one I'd still like to do, but havent gotten around to going. I'd like to go Venice for my birthday weekend, but as I'm a winter baby my mum is slowly turning me off the idea, even though I wouldn't be going for the weather

* (Re)Learn French Tut, tut, I always say I shall do this one, and I never do, well apart from today when I decided that I should think with a french accent. Don't judge me, work was dull and it amused me for about half an hour

* Learn another language, maybe Italian or Turkish If you look back on this blog then you'll see a post in which I aimed to be conversational in Turkish by next summer. Have I started learning Turkish? No, would be the quick answer. I think I'm too lazy for this list

* Learn to pole dance properly (with all the tricks like going upside down etc) This one I am closer to doing, I've found a school, I'm rounding up a few friends to come along, and I plan to book a doctors appointment to check that my back won't disagree with this form of exercise

* Go all the way to the top of the Eiffel TowerI haven't even been to France since making this list, I have been up the Eiffel tower before, just not all the way to the top

* Ski down a black slope (the most advanced I've been on was a red one a few years back) Again, I haven't even been skiing since writing this list

* Drive to either Scotland or down south (anywhere that takes around 4 or more hours to get to) Yay, something I've finally done! I drove down to Hertfordshire for my trainers course.

* Own a motorbike Can't afford a motorbike...

* Visit New York Can't afford a trip to New York...

* Stay up all night to see the sunrise Meh, I work now, I see the sunrise when I'm driving to work of a morning

* See a total eclipse of the sun (I was abroad for the one in England, how gutting?) Don't think there has been another since I wrote this list

* Travel first class I nearly got the chance to when I went down to London shopping, but I decided to go for the dirt cheap tickets instead, yay for being tight with money

* Learn to play piano properly Well the keyboard isnt set up at the moment, it's in a cupboard

* Go on holiday with a very large group of friends Can't afford to go away with a large group of friends... I'm sensing a pattern

* Learn how to do a somersault off a wall This has been one of my ambitions for a while, but I'm old and decrepid and have a bad back now

* Be a cool old person with most of their marbles I like to think I've already achieved that one *winks*

* Make the most of my life Not really one I can achieve fully until I croak

* Live in another country for a period of time

* Buy a house I'm not sick of my family, no, not at all...

* To never lose my loveliness

* To see Rent at the cinema several times with different people That one didn't quite work out as only one cinema near us was showing it, and that was about an hour away and only for a couple of weeks. As it worked out didn't get to see it at the cinema at all

* Write something original I don't think I have anything original to write

* See all the films I keep meaning to see This one came about because I have never seen Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Godfather, etc etc

* Become a trainer I'm halfway done, just a few more things to sort out before I'm fully qualified

* Say something really profound for my last words Knowing my luck it'll be something really daft instead

* Go to the 2012 Olympics to see the gymnastics That I really want to do

* Reach 88 mph in my car (all you Back to Future fans should realise why) I've done that, it was a bit of an anti-climax really, no sparks, no travelling back in time, damn flux capacitor must be broken

* Organise a Murder Mystery Event I actually have a boxset for this, but again haven't bothered my bottom to do anything about it

* Graduate from University I managed it with a 2.1

* Learn sign language It would be a good thing to learn but again I haven't bothered

* Learn how to make numerous cocktails and even invent a few of my own Mmmm, cocktails

* Organise a big fundraising event for St John Ambulance I don't think I can be bothered with that one

Anyway, that was my list. No doubt it shall be chopped and changed before long. What got me on this topic again was the book I've recently read. It didnt have much to do with doing things before you die, but it was more like setting a task and seeing what came of it. A comedian Carey Marx attempted to find a wife in under six months, this led him on an entertaining and amusing journey as portrayed in the book, "Marry Me". It's a good read, and I'd certainly recommend it. I read it in two days, and most of it was read in tea and lunch breaks at work.

Random job stuff

Remember back in July, when I first got the job I have now, and said it was a four month contract? Well it should come as no surprise that my contract is due to finish at the end of this month. However my lovely team leader knew this and upon overhearing that another department on site was looking for a temp, he suggested me for the role. It's only to Jan 31st but anything right now is better than nothing. To cut a long story short, today I found out that I have this new contract for definite. It is in analytic technology, and is more so involved with drugs that the company is developing.

Along with this change of scenery comes a better job title. From the 4th of December I shall no longer be an Analyst, but a Scientist. I feel quite excited, I may have to change this blog to Lola's Cherry Cola Laboratory, although it doesnt quite have the same ring. I'm excited about this move, but at the same time, absolutely petrified. I think I'll be expected to know things that I don't really know. All this previous job has taught me is how to follow a method step by step, and sometimes I couldn't even manage that... We'll just have to wait and see how it goes.

Speaking of work, the other day I heard something that surprised me, and then made me titter. The company I work for is apparently still producing aerosols with CFCs, although this is the last year they will be produced. It surprised me as the company is otherwise very engaged with trying to be an eco-warrior, persuading us not to print out unnecessary things, to print two pages to a sheet where appropriate, to turn off lights, equipment and computers when we are not using them, and starting off a big recycling quest. One of my co-workers said that apparently when it was first discovered that CFCs were harmful to the environment our company stock-piled a hell of a lot of CFC propellant, so they could keep using it long after it had to be stopped being produced. That was what made me titter, I could just imagine the board room conversation...

Underling: Have you heard about our CFC propellant damaging the environment?
Managers: No. Quick, lets buy some more before it runs out!

Oh dear.

As for today, work didn't like me. I made stupid mistakes and then a sample set was playing up so I can't process my results until monday. But coming out of the carpark I saw my first robin for the winter, and he cheered me up. Yes I'm easily pleased, but then again if I wasn't I'd be walking around in a foul mood constantly. Be happy that I'm easily pleased.

Lest we forget

Remembrance day was today and I spent the majority of it at services. As a member of St John Ambulance I helped to cover the main service in the town centre. The service was moving and a pleasure to watch over. The one thing that slightly spoilt the day for me was during the two minute silence, when a family strolled over, stood in front of us and started having a conversation. You'd think that with everybody else being quiet, they would have gotten at least a hint that they shouldn't be speaking, but no, they seemed to be fairly oblivious. Now I dont have a problem with people who personally don't want to observe the two minute silence, but they should have the decency to go elsewhere and conduct their conversation there, rather than distracting those who are trying to pay their respects for those who died in battle. Just my two pence worth.

The second service we attended was a spur of the moment thing for me, as a friend of mine who was giving me a lift mentioned he was going, so why not. I got there and was horrified to find that first aid cover was technically not needed there, and that we all had to march in the parade. St John Ambulance has a military side to it, which involves drill practice etc. Having joined at University I had not been exposed to that side of it (and dont think i'd have lasted very long in the organisation if I had). So this led to things being said like "Right dress" and me standing around wondering what the hell it meant. I don't seem to know my right from my left, and the girl in front of me, bless her, could not swing her opposite arm to opposite leg, so I had to concentrate on someone else to keep step as she was confusing me. Finally I had my fmb's on and they really hurt me when we had to stay still for long periods of time. Never again.

I wasn't impressed with the sermon at the service either, it was patronising. Yes I did agree with many of the points, but I disagreed with others. War is something I am strongly against, many people lose their lives, and the thought of it makes me feel ill. I think Captain Hawkeye Pierce put it best when he said that war was worse than hell, because "In hell, there are no innocent bystanders, war is full of them." I recognise the sacrifice these men and women made, and I respect them deeply, but I have no respect for the reason why they died. I understand that there can be "just" wars, but a lot of wars aren't always "just".

Anyway, before this turns into another rant I'd just like to remember the men and women who have died in any war, the war veterans, and the families who have lost loved ons in combat. May we never forget their sacrifice.

A summary of my week

(A repost as Bloggr has somehow managed to delete it before, good job I had it saved in a file already)

I forgot to mention in an earlier post that we had a visit from the big cheese at work, the site director. I managed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time by stumbling into our teams lab while he and my team leader were in there. I immediately went all quiet, what with being near an important person who probably could fire me on the spot if he wanted. My team leader introduced me, and although I answered any questions, I hadn't been that monosyllabic since the heart incident. It was cringe-worthy, and I quickly made my escape to another lab. Here's hoping I don't accidently run into the next set of auditors that come around.

I did promise a picture of myself in costume, however I'm a little shy about it now. One of my mates was teasing me by saying that pic was close to pornography. Although in saying that I think I'll have to post it now just to reassure you all that it wasn't at all that bad. Grrr, now blogger isnt letting me post it. It is seriously just a normal picture, I'm fully dressed, it isn't bad. You'll have to trust me for now. (Actually here it is as now while re-posting blogger has decided to play)


Today I'm planning a nice little shopping trip into Liverpool, I shall get myself a nice hat, gloves and scarf set seeing as the weather recently is definitely not agreeing with me. I'm not used to the cold! And I think a delicious minted lamb baguette is in order. The best thing is, I can definitely say to my mum that I'm not going into Liverpool just for a minted lamb baguette, that's just a highlight.

Finally I've found pharmacist blogs! I knew they had to be there somewhere and they are. I shall post a few for your viewing pleasure.

The Angry Pharmacist: A fabulous read, and an interesting insight into the profession. Also fun to read the rants about different types of customers that frequent the pharmacy.

Your Pharmacist may hate you: Another great read. Amusing and entertaining. Again from a pharmacist in a retail environment. Many rants about idiotic people.

I'll be lucky if those two don't put me off my future career...

Jim Plagakis: Interesting situations and moral decisions that can affect pharmacists.

There are a few more I've found but I'll let you browse over these if you get a chance.

I apologise for the dry posts from me recently, it seems my life is devoid for humour for now, maybe I can pick some up in Liverpool today.

Toodles

All Hallows Eve, amongst other things

Well the water was safe for human consumption from monday onwards, which brought an end to the "dying for a cuppa syndrome". Apparently the culprit was a corroded pipe, although how that would turn the water blue is beyond me.

Yesterday as we all know was Halloween, and to celebrate I went out on monday for a halloween social. Ended up at Popworld and swung around every single pole in the place. Yes I'm aching again. I'm seriously looking into this poledancing as exercise now, because I can very well believe it! I was also dressed as a cat, so apparently my tail looked very cute swinging about while I played on the pole. I wish I could have a real tail...

So a fun time was had by all, and now I really need to sleep. I may post a picture of my costume when I'm less sleepy.

The day the water turned blue...

Well allegedly turned blue anyhow. And also it wasn't today, it was friday. We got told not to use the water at work, and no we couldnt boil it to drink either. So I was obviously gasping for a drink after they told me that. Odd how I don't usually want something until I'm told I can't have it. Some people had already gotten something to drink, and turned a nice shade of white when we told them the water was contaminated.

Don't worry, we didn't die of thirst (and those who had already drunk the water didn't die either, which was nice). Some bright spark suggested going to buy bottles of water, so no one missed out on their morning cuppa. It was mid-afternoon by the time someone mentioned that someone from another lab had concentrated the water and it was a strange bright blue colour. This may have just been random hearsay, but I'm glad I didnt drink the stuff.

Hope things are all back to normal tomorrow otherwise we wont be able to do any testing!

And people say my hometown smells...

I'm a little calmer today. The last post was a good way to vent off steam because I was so upset. No, I'm being serious. I've met the lead singer of the Uncoventionals, Drew, several times when he was performing in Taboo and he is a sweetheart (see pictures here and here). So I felt gutted for them, and I hope they continue to try to prove themselves as a group, as every one of them are top notch singers.

Now on to a different topic, today I finally regained my sense of smell (well I could breathe through my nose as the cold I've had is wearing off) and soon enough wished that I hadn't. Some foul stench surrounded my workplace today, a very "agricultural stench" as one of my collegues put it. I was literally dry heaving while I walked to my car it was that bad. It wasn't the first time today that I'd been heaving either, my dog had been sick again this morning, and yours truly ended up cleaning it up. Although to look on the bright side, at least I didn't walk right through it again.

I must say there's been a lot of comments to the last post I did, where are all you people coming from? Not that I'm not pleased that people are reading my blog, please come in, have a cherry coke, or whatever tickles your fancy. It's just that I can't remember being out and about "blog whoring" recently. Oh come on, we've all done it at least once...

Tw*t of the week

I don't usually do this, but tonight, the british public, you get a tw*t of the week award for sending home The Unconventionals from Xfactor, while keeping in people who really didn't deserve to be there. Hope you're pleased with yourselves.

I have a life (and yes I still lied)

Yes, still no post about embarrassing crushes, I'm starting to lose hope. Anyhow, I'm going out tonight, so I'm not in work until monday now. Yay!

I've just had my hair done, so it is now bright red again, I may post a pic when I get one. I also have a firnge which I'm not sure if I like. The last time I had a fringe wa about 14 years ago, so it'll take some getting used to.

As a sidenote, the job is still getting me down a little bit. But I amuse myself. I have recently discovered that my access pass works under my labcoat. This is great because I dont have to go rooting around in a dodgy area to pull out the pass only to tuck it back in once I'm through the door. All I have to do now is stand on my tiptoes and thrust my boobs towards the electronic thingy. This is not only fun to do but also allows me to imagine I have magic boobs that will allow me access to the labs (although to be fair it wouldn't be the first time my boobs had gotten me somewhere).

Anyways, thats all for now, me and my magic boobs are going to get prepared for tonight. Cya.

I lied...

I know I promised you all a post about inappropriate crushes next and that post is in the working, but for now I have a semi-scientific post. Yes, I've been reading my New Scientist magazine again. Well, to be honest the post isn't completely scientific, just a little bit of news.

Apparently more and more employers are "spying" on their employees online. This mainly goes for work computers, which to be honest I think they have a right to see what goes on on. Nothing wrong with making sure your employees aren't slacking. However, did you know that if you go for an interview, the interviewing company has probably "googled" your name, and looked to see if you have a profile on websites such as myspace? It's a scary thought isnt it?

I personally have a Myspace account. I don't think anything too incriminating is on there, but you never know what exactly potential employers may find off-putting. Then there is this blog. I think most bloggers do realise that there is a small chance of being disciplined/fired/never getting a job if their blog is discovered (of course if you're just posting pictures of your cat then I doubt you have anything to worry about).

As I'm not posting pictures of my cat, this has led to a slight mini panic attack from me attempting to find my blog by googling my real name, luckily enough I don't think I can find it that way. Don't get me wrong, a blog can be something desirable to a company. Certain companies like employing bloggers as they know we can string a few sentences together. At the same time though, you could bet that the company is watching the blog making sure nothinng derogatory or sensitive about the company was posted.

Hmm, another thing for me to worry about now.

I got tagged

Well, for a bit of a change I got tagged by Secret Sara. So for a bit of fun I thought I'd give it a whirl.

1. The last movie you saw in a theatre, and current-release movie you still want to see.

Well, since I'm not a big movie buff, the last film I saw at the cinema was Keeping Mum (last winter). And I actually have two movies I want to currently see, Hoodwinked, and The Black Dahlia

2. The last movie you rented/purchased for home viewing.

Rent, a fantastic film which was sodding well not advertised over here at all, and disappeared from the cinema screens before I had the chance to see it there.

3. A movie that made you laugh out loud.

Um, plenty have. The most recent one I saw that amused me was Scary Movie 4

4. A movie that made you cry.

If I want a movie that will make me cry there is one that will do it every time, and that is Steel Magnolias. I sob at that film. Rent has a similar effect but I havent seen it as many times as Steel Magnolias. If I want a tv show that will make me cry then it will be in season 5 of Angel, the episode known as A Hole in the World. Angel fans will know what I'm talking about.

5. A movie that was a darling of the critics, but you didn't think lived up to the hype.

Lost in Translation. Yes I enjoyed it, but I don't think it was as good as the critics were making out.

6. A movie that you thought was better than the critics.

I can't recall a film the critics have slated, but favourite underrated films of mine include Basil the Great Mouse Detective, Death to Smoochy, and Rent

7. Favorite animated movie

Basil the Great Mouse Detective, a brilliant Disney film which has somehow being overshadowed by others from the same time period. It was the first Disney film to use CGI animation and it starred Vincent Price as the nefarious villain, Ratigan. It was a play on Sherlock Holmes which is probably part of the reason I started reading Sherlock Holmes. Is it sad that at the age of 21 I can still reel off dialogue from this film perfectly?

I also adore Ice Age, Diego rocks!

8. Favorite Disney Villain.

Well after reading my favourite animated film how can my favourite villain be anyone but Ratigan? I mean come on, Vincent Price is a legend!
Scariest villain was probably Ursula once she went all big and tried to kill everyone.

9. Favorite movie musical.

Rent, but I also adore Little Shop of Horrors. Rick Moranis is a legend. Moulin Rouge is another favourite.

10. Favorite movies of all-time (up to 5).

1. Back to the Future; my all time favourite film. I want a time travelling delorian, preferably with a young Michael J Fox.
I cant really list the rest in an order so its all the films I've mentioned so far, plus a few others.

Apparently now I'm supposed to tag other people to do this, so I'll mention a few and if you fancy something to do, then do it. I pick Carmelo, The Natural Blue, Karen, The Thinker and Richard (you can do it on your Myspace, I know you read this, there's no escape, mwhahaha). Anyway normal blogging shall resume shortly, hopefully with an amusing post about inappropriate crushes.

It's introspective and I want to introspect

I had an epiphany today. Well not exactly, but it hit me as to why I'm taking the path I'm taking in life.

In the past people have asked me why I want to go back to University to do a Pharmacy degree and my reply has been something along the lines of "Drugs are interesting and do you know how much pharmacists can earn?!". In a shallow way that was a fairly accurate reason for my career choice. Hey, it's going to cost me over 12 grand, but I'll make it back fairly quickly, I reasoned.

Well, back to the present epiphanied Lola. I was in work today and for a change I ended up spring cleaning the lab in preparation for the audit we have coming up. From the last post most people could guess that I resent work, and those people would be absolutely right, but today I wasn't at all peeved at being demoted to a cleaner. In fact I was quite pleased to go and get on with it, scrubbing the surfaces, cleaning dust from corners and equipment etc. No, I haven't discovered my calling as a cleaner, in fact my parents could tell you I'm usually as lazy as sin when it comes to housekeeping. The reason why I liked this task was the complete randomness of it.

Picture this, you work at a pharmaceutical company, you do test after test in a lab, with only a brief reprise for a write up before you have to go and do another test. The tests are, in themselves different but it's all lab work. Pipettes and volumetric flasks dance before your eyes on a day to day basis (not literally) and it becomes mundane. So when the chance to do something different comes along, like spring cleaning a lab for example it's a novelty, and escape from the routine. It provides variety to a job, and that I now know, is what I crave.

I must admit it's very unusual for a capricorn to crave variety rather than set down routines, but now that I understand that is what I need, everything else about my choice of career has clicked into place. Pharmacy, despite popular belief is such a varied career. On a typical day in the life of a hospital pharmacist one can meet different patients, consult with other healthcare professionals and deal with problems on an individual basis. Of course there is the aspect of making up the prescriptions, which cannot have too much variety for the patients sake, but the other parts more than make up for it. And if I become bored of the hospital, well there is always community pharmacy. If I want to reduce my workload, hello to locum work. If I fancy something radically different there's always academia, or working in a pharmaceutical company (although NOT as an analyst!). And if I tire of them, I can go back into practise again. It is such a flexible career, and that is a big part of the reason I am drawn to it. This is the career I want and I think I'm going to work hard to get it.

If you read this far you deserve a prize, go buy yourself a cookie.

Bonus points for anyone who knows where the quote in my post title is from.

Autumn blues

Hello all,

I know it's been a while, my world seems to revolve around work at the moment, and despite realising that it's really good experience and a moneymaker, I resent it for taking up most of my day. Grr. Maybe I should organise a day trip and take a day off for it. Plus my glands are swollen and it's starting to hurt when I swallow (not in a filthy way, you dirty minded people). I hope I'm not coming down with tonsilitis again. I used to get it all the time when I was younger. At one point it was a regular thing, once every two or three months I'd be croaking and once I was rushed to the doctors surgery because Mum thought I had lockjaw.

Anyway, I can't really think of anything to blog about today, so I'm going to recommend some of my favourite blogs for you to go away and have a read of;

Musings from the Mind of Karen: This is the blog of a friend of mine, she's currently a student teacher preparing to teach RE to young minds. A witty and entertaining blog with some thought provoking posts.

Carmelo Alongi: A student paramedic in London. Great insight into the trials and tribulations of student life, and gives you a good idea what it's like learning to be a paramedic.


Twenty-three and Counting: A great blog with a different theme each week.

The Company Bitch: Absolutely hilarious, need I say more?

Nee Naw: The blog of an Emergency Medical Dispatcher in the LAS. Good stuff

Ok, it's getting close to the time where I should be getting ready for work rather than sitting here blogging, so for the moment if you want to know which other blogs I read, check out my links at the side of the page and happy reading!

Grrr, work.

Poledancing baaaaaaaad

Hello all.

I'm still recovering from a night out on saturday. My arms are stiff and aching, and I have somewhat hard to explain bruises on my inner thighs. All because the place we were in had poles. So fun to swing around at the time, but hurts like hell later on. I seriously need to get fit! Owww.

Bookworm

I apologise for slighty neglecting this blog, part of the reason is that I'm getting back into my reading. When I was younger I was never seen without a book in my hand, Mum used to constantly tell me off for reading a book while I was walking. I honestly can't recall the number of lamposts she had to drag me out of the way of as I was along with my nose buried deeply in my book.

This behaviour has slowly tailed off over the years what with my active social life (I wish!), but when I was on holiday I managed to get through 7 books in a space of 14 days, and these weren't thin books either. So about a month ago I went to my local library and acquired a brand spanking new library card (and a funky keyring fob) as I'd lost my old one, and got out a bunch of books. Anyhow I finished them a little while ago, and so this week I returned them and got out a whole new bunch of books to read.

I felt like a bit of an intellectual as I checked out books which included; Catch 22 and Nineteen-eighty-four by George Orwell, however I can't help but think this image was ruined by the "rude and politically incorrect jokes" book I also checked out...

Now I get roughly to the point of this post, I want to read lots but I don't know which books to go for usually. If anyone reads this and has a particular favourite book to recommend I'd be ever so grateful. Now, back to the task at hand, sitting in bed with "Dress your family in corduroy and denim". This is the life.

A theatre review

This weekend I was in the capital for a little culture. I apologise for not telling you all before I went, but I don't think you missed me anyhow, heh.

Anyway, while I was there I managed to see two shows, Wicked and The Last Five Years. Both fantastic musicals which I shall go into in a little more detail later.

This weekend was a bit of a bonding experience for me, my sister (Peggy) and my mum. We headed down via train where I managed to embarrass my dear sister by forgetting that my mp3 speakers were left on (it doesnt necessarily need headphones) and not realising that Roy Orbison was blaring out into the whole carriage because I had my headphones on. We managed to negotiate the tube system and only got on the wrong train once, and we dumped our bags in the travelodge we were staying in and marvelled at our beautiful view...

Yes, a brick wall, isn't it lovely?

Once that was done it was back into the centre for Wicked. For those who haven't heard of this musical, it was a big hit on Broadway. It is basically the story of the wizard of oz, except turned on its' head. In this musical the wicked witch of the West is the good one. Wicked follows the story of Elphaba, the wicked witch of the west, from her birth til her demise at the hands of a young farm girl. Fantastic set, score and performances from all involved in this. The entire cast are extremely talented, a fact which asserts itself when I was struck dumb by some of the emsembles' voices. Special mentions go to James Gillan, who is talented and an utter sweetheart. He plays Boq, a charming Scottish munchkin with a massive crush on Galinda. Other mentions go to Idina Menzel who plays Elphaba, what a voice, and Katie Rowley Jones who plays Nessarose, again another gorgeous voice. My prediction is that Wicked will be a fixture in the West End for quite some time.

After the show a trip to the stage door was necessary as I am in fact a closet stage door fan. We got a fair few people to sign our program. Miriam Margolyes who plays Madam Morrible is a legend, so lovely and happy to sign programs. We also ran into a few fans we knew from another musical not so long ago (Taboo). We all seemed quite pleased to see each other, and me and Peggy were quite amused to see them dressed up as characters from Wicked. They are part of a Rocky Horror performing group called Less Vulnerable. Hence their penchant for costumes. After getting all the autographs we wanted and also nearly getting run over by a big red bus we headed back to sleep.

Bright and not really that early that next day we headed to camden market for shopping, I'd never been before so I do recommend it, there's some pretty stuff out there. The we went over to Vinopolis to use my dads birthday present of a wine tasting tour (I did feel bad about taking up his ticket, but it isn't my fault is he decided not to come and use it himself). We enjoyed the tour so much we came out slightly tipsy, got lost, had to ask directions from a bunch of Swiss Americans (they said they were from Switzerland but they sounded American) and had to leg it to the theatre so we wouldn't miss the matinee. There's nothing more sobering than having to run across London roads without hurting yourself.

The Last Five Years focuses on a five year long relationship with each of the couple starting at different points in the relationship. Jamie starts at the beginning, Cathy starts at the end and they work their way to when the meet in the middle at their wedding, then they split off again as Jamie works his way towards the end and Cathy moves towards the beginning. They end on a song where both of them are saying goodbye, Cathy after the first date, and Jamie for good at the end of the relationship. In my opinion after the initial confusion, this was a very moving piece of theatre, and a novel way of showing it. There wasn't a single song I didn't like and the two members of the casts' voices were brilliant. I'd definitely recommend seeing this.

Finally we had dinner in the Great Nepalese restaurant, which was lovely, and caught our train home. The lovely end to a lovely weekend.

Trainer Lola

Well I passed the course and all I have to do now is teach an actual training session with real students, under supervision to be officially known as a trainer. Yay me.

I'll admit I've been back two days but I've been too tired to blog, I considered saying I was too tired to go to work too, but I didn't think that would have gone down well, so I dragged myself into work. When I did get back on monday night I had the fantastic surprise of finding this in an email;

"Congratulations on placing third in this week's So You Think You Can Blog contest!"

Yes, I'm very proud, and I shall display my award for all to see



It's a great competition to do and does get the creative juices flowing, keep an eye out at Theory of Thought for the dates of the next So You Think You Can Blog competition.

Since I've been zombie-fied for the past few days I don't have much to say except, when you're faced with a "casualty" having a heart attack, never say,

"It's ok, you're just having a heart attack."

And that's Miss Cherry Cola's advice for today.