much ado about nowt

2007-11-23T20:36:00.000Z

from kateblob

1. I haven't spoke to you in AGES, so tell me your usual daily schedule with highlights and lowlights.
* i wake up at 6am (lowlight), have a coffee and a fag, and get into my lovely little polo car about quarter to 7
* i drive an hour to work, cursing the two lane motorway, meaning i get stuck behind very slow lorries overtaking even slower lorries (worst lowlight)
* i start work at 8ish, after we've finished chatting about randomness. work till 10, then it's more coffee and fag (highlight)
* back to work, lunch at half 12 (highlight - food and coffee and fag), then finish the day at 4.
* back in ralf the wonder polo and the hour trip back home. this is a highlight, as i am awake enough to listen to music on the way back, and i can't be late.
* time for another coffee and a nice hot shower. then it's ratty time! (big highlight)
* i chill on the internet for a bit, watch some telly, eat ma dinner, have copious cuppas and fags, then at some point in the evening i head off to adam's (biggest highlight of the day)
* chill with adam, play playstation, more tea and fags
* sleep (highlight)

and that's my week. other than breaks, there's no usual daily schedule for work - doing something different every day, which is so much better than my last job where it was the same thing over and over.
friday nights is boys night so i stay in my flat and get drunk with friends. the weekends are usually spent just resting with adam or finding fun places to visit.

2. What book or film was the last best thing you read/watched & why?
'tuesdays with morrie' though i haven't finished reading it yet. you know me, not one for many words, so simply it makes you think so much. when it comes down to it, everything western culture holds dear is nothing and meaningless. live in the moment and don't worry about what tomorrow brings - you can spend so long working hard for the future to be better, then get to the end and find you didn't have time to enjoy it.

3. What hairstyle do you have right now?
this one:

but a bit redder and without baby

4. If you could stop ONE, and only one, problem in the world immediately and without any memory of it, what would it be and why?
my laptop being broke because it pisses me off.
no, seriously, have thought lots about this question and can't pick one thing. how can you place one problem over another as more important to stop, when there's so many bad ones. at a push i would say sexual abuse, because i've have many good friends whose lives have been runined by it. i wouldn't want the world to forget about it though - they might start it up again.

5. Do you think that human nature is in any way perfectable?
yeah, get rid of all the chavs.
no, there's so much diversity in human nature that there's no way to get it perfect. and anyway, who gets to define what the perfect state of human nature is?

well, that's it folks. will interview anyone who wants it x

2007-07-08T13:00:00.001Z

so, i'm going to steal kate's idea to get me blogging again.

ask me five questions each and i shall answer

*nods*

ahem

2007-04-25T11:32:00.000Z

sorry for lack of blogging.

have no tinternet at the mo. should hopefully get some next week.

woot!

2007-04-03T14:50:00.000Z

I am a bad girl. i haven’t updated in ages. didn’t realise it had been so long!

even my rats update their blog more than me. (they are quite upset they don’t seem to have any readers)

the big news down my end is that we’re moving again. the downstairs neighbours are a nightmare, things are wrong with the flat and the landlord is useless (but lovely).
the new flat is much nicer and only £50 more a month. (sara - tis on the tettenhall road). is right next to a bus stop and opposite a garage with cash machine, pharmacy, corner shop and about three off-licences!
and actually has a proper kitchen. can’t wait for a decent cooker again! and a proper sized freezer! and a washing machine! and a shower!!! just little things, but things that make life soooo much better.
we are signing the contracts after i’ve finished work today, get the keys on sat, then move in the weekend after.

i hate hate hate my job. it’s horrible. there’s never enough work to do, and i feel guilty for faffing on the internet allday. i know some people would be grateful for that, but i don’t work like that. i like to keep busy and feel like i’ve actually earned my money.

hopefully there is a change of prospects soon. i still plan to work for the national trust, and april is the month they annouce where the careerships are this year. i am praying they announce it soon and i’m praying that there’s at least one local(ish) one. i want it so bad!
if not i will cry and will have to find a different gardening job to support another two years at college. either way, i want out of here as soon as possible.
(this is how bored i am - i have just spent 5 mins cleaning my mouse, and wondering what i can clean now. and i do actually have work to do, but a) it’s as boring as hell and b) if i do it now i won’t have anything to do tomorrow.)

kate bloberty blob - i have the fabled photo of the magic chalkboard. will find it tonight and scan it in.
i remember the first thing written on there (when we were actually going to use it as a shopping list) was ‘phallic shaped fruit + veg’.
i know kev’s mate asked for a belt without realising kev had already got him one for christmas
i asked for wolves to be promoted
sara (i think) asked for simon to exceed martin on the sleaze factor, and she also wanted douglas coupland’s love child (do we have definite proof that quiche is not his?!)
we all wanted money and some of us wanted fags (can’t possibly think who!)

time for another fag break methinks...then it’s only one hour left (for today)

had fag.
spilt coffee.
productive afternoon huh?

bah

girl i'm gonna dunk ya like a biscuit!

2007-02-17T03:44:00.001Z

hee hee hee hee hee heeeeeeee!!

two pints is the best programme ever ever ever. and this episode is the best ever ever ever

a tail of rattas

2007-02-01T13:05:00.000Z

proper introduction to my girls and boys...
*pictures to come later*

Bellis (black hooded)
so named because the markings on her right shoulder look like a flower, (bellis is the latin for daisy). she’s somehow ended up with the nickname ‘Belly’. appropriate seeing as she is getting a bit of belly, and definitely likes her food. she is so much like Gytha it’s unbelievable. even in the way she looks at me sometimes, and her whole personality. if I was buddhist i’d say she is the re-incarnation of gytha. she has this look she gives me when she wants to come out - i think it’s her pleading look - where her ears are pushed as far down the side as her head as possible, like she’s trying to be a dumbo rat. it works every time. i think mainly because it reminds me so much of her sister, Lil Lottie, who died at 6 weeks old.

Lyra (black berkshire)
very very shy. i’ve spent hours and hours with these girls and Lyra is still shy and wriggle and anti-human. think that’s just her personality though. i try not to take it personally. i notice glimpses of her trying though. like last, i was playing with Bellis in the cage, and she was hanging out very close, perching on my hand at one point. but when i moved my hand to stroke her she ran off. i am determined to crack it with her.
and i’m determined to make her like the others. the 4 girls are still living apart, and it’s mainly due to Lyra. even with a slice out her ear for her troubles she’s still not giving up the fight.
she has a gorgeous berkshire belly, with the white bit spliting and going up to each forearm.

Pantalaimon (black self)
so named because she’s black like Lyra and i had grand hopes of them becoming best friends. she’s a delicate little girly. i’m starting to wonder if she was the runt of litter because she’s so little. loves her mummy, totally. i open the door and she’s on me in less than 5 seconds. during intros with the Belly and Lyra she’s more interested in trying to get to me, when i’m cleaning her cage out she wants to be with me. she just loves me for some reason. and i’m not complaining. it’s great to have so much attention off a rat!
has an annoying habit of trying to clean my teeth for me. i’ve never had any rat do this and now i have three (the boys as well). but my little Pansy is the master of it - she even goes for the wisdom teeth, until i get scared i’m going to choke on her. and i have no choice - if i refuse to open my mouth for her she pulls them open with her paws, and she has VERY sharp nails!
currently sporting the permanently surprised look, because of mites. the only part of her affected was above her eyes, and now she has two little bald spots.

Lily (silver fawn hooded)
the start of my (and nat’s) GMR problems (GMR = get more rats). i saw an post on the ratty forum i go one for 2 little sisters that needed a home: Lily and Poppy. me and the original girls (Bellis and Lyra) were still pretty upset from Lottie dying, and i thought we could all do with some more playmates. i fell in love with them because of their colour - i’d never had ‘ginga’ rats before. turns out Poppy was going to keep a lone rat company, but Lily now had 3 little black friends to play with. so I had Lily and Pan and nat took the other two. (nat then went on to get another 4, including a disabled ratta!)
she is an adorable cheeky little minx. she vibrates when she comes out after the boys. she is very licky, but doesn’t like smuggling me much - prefers to go off exploring. but when she’s had enough of that, she’ll come and curl up down my jumper. the mites got her two, and worse than pan - had a big bald patch on her side for while which is growing back nicely now. she was very good about me putting the cream on her. in fact, when she saw me putting the glove on (i don’t need the steroids!) she would come running over and wait patiently for me to adminster it. she’s also good at playing bowling on the wii with uncle john.

Vimes (pale silver fawn/champagne hoodie)
my big squishy boy :D the fault of GMR and a little bit of me telling adam how squishy boys are supposed to be and him wanting to see for himself. Vimes stole my heart on their rehoming post - he was about 10 weeks old and looking like the most adorable little white rat i had ever seen. out of his 7 other brothers i chose Modo as well. Vimesy boy had his baby moult and turns out he wasn’t white after all and actually a gorgeous greyish hoodie.
he can be a bit of a grumpy sod when he wants to be - bit me twice while was out the other night - but i have threatened him with cutting his (disproportionally huge) ratty balls off and he has behaved ever since. he is another teeth licker/jumper sitter. these boys have finally discovered the joys of hammocks and now i can’t get them to shift out of them.

Modo (silver fawn berkshire)
ssh!! Adam’s favourite. named after the gardener in the unseen university in the discworld books (and Vimes his the head of the nightwatch). small than Vimesy but even squisher. he’s very gentle and loving, but when he’s out he never sits still. he’s also cheeky - stole half my toastie the other night!
he really does have the cutest little face. i think he has picked up on the fact he’s daddy’s favourite and boy does he milk it! he made a good first impression on my mum as he widdled on her! he likes chicken soup (and toasties).

howdee

2007-01-13T16:50:00.000Z

so my rats update more than me. what is the world coming to? in my defence there's 6 of them and one of me! they bully me!! they look at me with their cute pleading little eyes and beg for the computer.

so what's new with me?
* my laptop's broken. screen has gone like it did on the old one. not amused. gonna save up and get me a mac book... might take a bit, i've not got much money.

* this is because i've moved out and in with julie. adam's moving in soon. means all my money goes on rent. *sigh*
this is my house, we have all of the top floor - 2 bedrooms, a rat-bedroom, a living room, kitchen and bathroom. tis nice:

* my flat is cold cold cold. the gas card isn't working. grr. we're changing to bills soon, and i can't wait. meanwhile we have to keep topping up the gas card, but yesterday it decided to stop working.

* i'm getting all excited about various weddings and babies happening this year. yah! (and also an engagement that i have been told will happen this year!)

* i cooked gorgeous veggie food for adam, in preparation for when he moves in and turns veggie:

* for new year's we went to the local pub, and every one got a little too drunk:

(this is fluff off julie's feather boa)

2006-12-12T19:22:00.000Z

i've updated to the new blogger beta - and everything's going wrong!

*sulks*

update your blogs people!

tell me news!!

give me pictures!!

here, have some pictures:

i aen't ded

2006-10-21T10:25:00.000Z

well it's a saturday morning. the folks have just gone away for the weekend. adam's not coming till 2. have the house to myself and it it bliss.

of course i have loads of things i should be doing, but i refuse! i'm only going to do what i want to do. so there. *nods*

i've have been ordered on several occasions to post about my holiday. it was fantastic. did loads of walking (but nothing too strenuous), quite a bit of drinking, very good eatting, and urm...yeah, just generally had a wickedy time.

the beer was goooood :D i'm sure you all know how i like my czech beer, and being in slovakia is the next best thing!

i still need to sort my photos out onto flickr as there's far too many to post here, but here's a few to keep you going:

and if you want photos of my gorgeous ratty girls - go read their blog!

it will be updated again in a few days when their new friends arrive (tomorrow :D)

2006-10-18T18:27:00.000Z

at what point should i tell my parents there will soon be 4 rats in the household instead of 2?

gorgeous little rescue girlies...

2006-09-26T23:24:00.000Z

i will update soon.

i will! i will!

even my rattas have updated before me...

2006-09-05T09:36:00.000Z

i am going on holiday today. hurrah!

it will be fun.

and foreign.

and for a week.

and...urm...yeah

:D

2006-09-02T09:01:00.000Z

why oh why does it always rain when i want to do something? no fair!!

today, am crawling up the M6 and spending the day in manchester. why drive instead of train? because my gorgeissimo hates trains *sighs*

actually...i'm looking forward to it - haven't had a good long drive in ages. gone are the days of crawling up the M6 to liverpool. especially on deadline day...

i always had the illusion that if i went home for the last week i would get my work done quicker than if i stayed in liverpool...with there obviously being far too many distractions in the land of the scouse. that therory never worked though, and it was always a mad dash up the motorway to get to the school office before 4.

hmmm, guess i better get up and have a shower, and hope i can find some clothes. am going on my happy happy holidays on tuesday, so i've banned myself from wearing the clothes i want to take in case i get them dirty. *laughs at self*

and then there were two...

2006-08-31T08:11:00.000Z

lil lottie died :(

*cries and cries and cries*

poorly ratta

2006-08-24T01:11:00.000Z

lil lottie is not well :( i don't know if she'll survive the night. *cries uncontrollably*

she's only little. she's far to young to die :(

but she is very letharic, and has blood in her urine. i don't think the emergency vet knew what she was talking about. plus she prescribed baytril which i didn't think you were supposed to give to rattas under 3 months :/

:( :( :( :(

2006-08-23T14:39:00.000Z

news no.1: i have a job :D am nicking my friend julie's job when she leaves in september. working for the local rag - express and star. not a fancy journalist job - just typing up the letters and few other bits and bobs - but i can pretend!!

news no.2: the girlies have taken over my laptop - they have their own blog now :O
visit it here:rattas

introducing...

2006-08-21T15:15:00.000Z

lyra (who is very shy at the moment)

bellis (who i swear is a re-incarnation of gytha)

lil lottie (who is the cutest rat in the entire history of the world)

aren't they so cute? :D
they're still not that sure of me. at least they don't run away anymore, but won't let me pick them up yet. they all keep trying to eat me :O

today lil lottie tried to bury my hand with their bedding. not sure if she wanted me to go away, or if she wanted my hand to be a permanent fixture.

2006-08-15T19:45:00.000Z

i'm boooorrrrreeedddd!

bored bored bored.

this is what happens when i go away - my life seems so dull once i get back.

only half an hour to kill now till adamo comes. what can i dooooooo?!

parents are off tomorrow for 2 whole weeks. am planning lots of nice cooking things for me and adamo.

and the possibilty of more rats at the weekend.... :D

2006-08-11T18:43:00.000Z

chilling out at the buffy/chicken roost. is muchos fun!

getting smuggles off their rats - when they're not running away from me!!

having fun with sara's macbook. lookee! lookee!

anyway, so go be socialable...and roll a cigarette...

2006-08-10T12:35:00.000Z

what is it about me and terror attacks/attempts and going to london the next day?!

just hope the train isn't packed

it's not a good week to be a rat

2006-08-10T00:05:00.000Z

i'm now completly ratless

:_(

she made it through the op, and was recovering well. they rang and said pick her up at 5. then rang at 4 to say they'd just checked on her and she was gone. *wails*

it pays to have a dog

2006-08-08T16:49:00.000Z

this is jade. she's my sister's dog.

my sister is moving house today, so we're looking after her.

after getting out of walking her this morning, by escaping to sainsbury's with my mum, i was roped into doing it this afternoon. i said yes because i realised i could sneak in a fag :D

so off to the park we went. it started off uneventful - avoiding other dogs and electric wheelchairs.

then i see this man jogging towards me. he's quite tall, and skinny and has bright red hair. now, while i realise this could be any random person, the only person i could think of to fit this description is mil millington - writer extraordinaire.

and indeed, mil millington it was. *squeals*

this might not seem very exciting to anyone else, but you have to understand i live in wolverhampton. we don't 'do' celebrities. or if we do it's old dudes from a novelty 70's band. or a weird dude from a novelty 90's one-hit wonder.

also, you have to understand that i LOVE mil millington. i think he is a genius.

i knew he lived here somewhere. i knew his kids go to my old primary school. everywhere i went i took an interest in men with bright red hair - just in case it was him. does that sound stalkerish?

anyway. i've very happy. and currently loving jade.

(and also ashamed i haven't bought his new book yet which came out a few months ago. is now top of my list of things to do)

pass the yoghurt raisins...

2006-08-07T23:07:00.000Z

mmm...this post started off as a comment on mark's blog. but then i realised it was gonna go on a bit, so thought it deserved a space all of it's own. (plus then, it's not infringing on syd - who i hope now has an endless supply of choccy drops.)

gytha took a trip today. she likes car journeys - this became evident on the journeys to-and-from liverpool. so today, she was all excited to be out and about. till she realised i'd taken her to see a big smelly man who squished and prodded her. she piddled and pooped on him.

(incidently - the v.e.t we saw today reminded me a hellva lot of my doctor. i like my dr, but didn't really like this guy. stange huh?)

so anyway, after swearing to myself before we went that i wouldn't agree to it, she's having an op on wed to get rid of one particular lump. she's had one for months, but it hasn't grown. and i'm sure she's got more under all those rolls of fat. but the one for removal is a new one, and came from no where. friday she was fine, today she's limping because it's getting in the way.

i really don't know if i've made the right choice. she's an old rat - 2 years to be exact. but she's still gytha. she hasn't showed any signs of stopping. boy, can that rat still run!! but then there's the whole op thing - increased risks because she's old and overweight. (or in the words of the v.e.t: "gosh, she's a bit fat isn't she?" mmm...maybe that's why i don't like him.)

to be honest, she's put on a lot of weight recently. mum thinks it's because i'm giving her enough food for 2 rats. but i've noticed she isn't really eating what i give her. she'll eat all her treats and stuff, then just pick through the food bowl. makes me think something is majorily wrong inside.

so is it really worth putting her through the op? especially seeing as it's not cheap...

oh. i don't know.

here's some ratta pictures to cheer us all up:

baby gythaidge!!!
baby esme

chilling in the hammock...
"i wanna grow old with you"
gytha gives mummy a kiss :D

diary of a hairstyle

2006-08-07T18:20:00.000Z

so, inspired by sara-blob's musings on hair, here's a little story of how my hair came to be...

once upon a time, in a far away land, i had long hair:

it had it's advantages. with a LOT of hairspray, and quite a bit of hope, it could look like this for about half an evening:

i have very thin hair though, so in general any style falls out, and it spent most of it's time looking limp and crappy. i did not like this. so i wore lots of hats:

one day, i went a bit shorter. it looked ok now without really having to do much to it:

and it could still be mussed-up good and punky when i was in the mood:

though one day i was feeling bored. and hot. so my mate came round and chopped it off and stuck stuff in it:

volia! red hair! short hair! spikeyness could commence! and it has stayed:

until last friday, when on needing to top up my colour, i was convinced to pick up purple instead of red:

hurrah! the end? very doubtful. i've never really liked my hair much. i guess that's why i change it so much, in hope i'll be happy with it one day. in fact - it drives me insane whatever length it is. hurrah for hats!

and here is the wonderful girl who inspired the tale:
no matter what she says about her hair, i always wanted it!

oh, and here, have some monkeys:

2006-08-05T12:17:00.000Z

so after all the excitement of watching england in the world cup *ahem* it's now wolves' turn.

brand new manager, no money, and about 16 players. should be fun...