Introducing to the world- the bean!!

Here is the bean as s/he appeared in the scan last week I swear that the first thing I saw of them is that they waved! You could also see the tiny heart beating, and the mouth sort of sucking. It is a wriggeler!

This was one of the strangest moments of my life, but on reflection, (being nervous) one of the most important. I am just glad that they are growing as they should be and everything is ok.

I am a bad blogger!

Yes I have been very quiet, but so much has been happening I wanted to havr time to reflect on the lovely christmas we have had before rishing to consign it to the bogging annals.

Lets get one thing out of the way first, david and I had our first scan for the bean, and everything was ok. In fact it was better than ok, I will get the picture of this blog, but you could see everything. I am sure i saw the bean wave, and you could see him/her opening thier mouth, wiggeling about and all the limbs. the spine was very prominant, and you could even see the tiny heart and stomach. this totally blew me away, as it seems so odd that my body can grow this little thing, which is just such a perfect tiny being. im not a religious person, but its hard to deny that some sort of planning didnt go into the way that the bean can grow inside and be safe until they are ready to come out.

i will get the picture sorted, which leads me to the other nice thing, christmas! David and i had a lovely time. He got me a digital camara, and i have taken zillions of pictures.... of cats, the tree, us, the pressies, the food, everything that woidl stay still long ebough. once i work out the connection from the camara to the computer, i will get some of these up here for all to see.

on christmas eve we drove to davids mamas in london, and had a ncei festive time with him mob. they put up the decorations, ate a lot of nice food and were generally spoilt, it was lovely to see them and we got back in quick time as there was no traffic at all. we then hit away at home on xmas day, ate A LOT of potatoes and bread sauce and snuggled up to watch tv really meant for children. we were both consciouess that next year will be very different, so we really made the most of it being just us. bliss. then on boxing day, we went to my mamas, and were very amused that my dad is obcessed with the game bopit. this is as addictive as crack cocaine ( i guess) but i am rubbish at it, boys seem to feind it strangely alluring. we also ate a lto fo food there, and played happy family baord games.

all in all it was lovely, i hope you christmas was as nice....

festiveness part two

(after i published the last lot by acident)

I am especially pleased with the btis I have gotten david. It was quitye funny last night we swapped xmas cards, and we have both written in them "this is out last year without a screaming child" or somthing to that affect. Which I thought was an insight into somthing which is looming large in our minds at the moment. Hummmm

Today ia the history "drinks" w3hich means wine by 12, and me the only sober one in all the department... plus... rather random festive nibbles. should be fun!

in case you are interested

i am going to make mince pies today... now. does anyone know of a way to enure fab pastry? mine is always a bit on the verge of being dust post oven.

same ole days

so this is what my life is like it goes:
marking
eating oranges
yoga
worry about not doing enough phd
festiveness (include wrapping pressies and writing cards)
getting huffy


thats it. this is why i am writing less, i am doing nothing of interest!

last night my friend sarah came round. (this is a different sarah to the ones who is queen of wrapping) and she has a lot of problems that i cant help with, so we tried to make it better with food and wine. i think she had a ncie evening, and it took her mind off it for a bit.

i also put the wreath on the door. I am now going to see how long it takes before it gets nicked!

heartbeat!

apologies for the long silence, but as I am convinced I am talking to myself, I dont think it matters so much! I have been nusy, faffing about with christmas stuff, (got the ttree up and it is BEAUTIFUL) or at least it was wehn i left the house before the kitten got a hold of it, also been marking.... and bringing in mince pies for ingrateful students.

the big news is that i had a midwife appointment yesterday and althought they got the scan date mixed up, we did get to hear the beans heart beat!!!!! It didnt go BA BOMM BA BOMM, it went NUH NUH NUH NUH NUH NUH NUH NUH NUH about twice as fast. It was without a doubt the strangest thing to ever happen to me, and it makes me all happy even though i feel like an extra from one of the aliens films.the scans is a week on friday, so pictures to follow!

the knitting has also been kicked in starting by the nearness of my firend debbies baby, and i have started a set in "snuggly bubbbly" yarn sorty of blue and white effect with pompoms.... very cute and ahhhhhish.

post 102!

and still no one reads this! haha

today is the littlecats opperation. his balls are inside rather than out, and today he is for the (expensive) chop. I am really worried about him, he has never missed breakfast before, and at the moment it is looking like seriuously damaging our relationship!

happy birthday david!

Your Birthdate: December 8

Watch out Donald Trump! You've got a head for business and money. You'll make it rich some day, even if you haven't figured out how yet. A supreme individualist, you shouldn't get stuck in a corporate job. Instead, make your own way - so that you can be the boss. Your strength: Your undying determination Your weakness: You require an opulent lifestyle Your power color: Plum Your power symbol: Dollar sign Your power month: August

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

what breed of dog am i?

What Breed of Dog Are You?

Rachel, you're a Cocker Spaniel! No bones about it, you're a perky, loving Cocker Spaniel. (Think Lady from Lady and the Tramp.) Playful and energetic, you're a real people person — er, dog. People can't help but fall hook, line, and sinker for your friendly, well-rounded personality and natural charm. It's a subtle thing, though — being outgoing and flirtatious, not showy, is the name of your game. Friends, co-workers, and potential dates can't help liking you. How could they not? Your winning-yet-humble ways make you popular, admired, and a joy to be around. Woof!

What Breed of Dog Are You?
http://web.tickle.com/invite?test=1000&type=t

tired all the time

is this normal? I know that i am normally pretty knackered by the end of the year, but i am aspleep every day by 9pm. it is not normal i am sure!

yesterday at work a lovely leonie gave me some really cute baby knitting patterns to look at. there is a really sweet little jacket, and i am thinking of making that my next project. ahhhh.

today i am going to work on davids birthday supprise (tease tease) and go in to work. yuck. then i am at the doctors for another blood preasure test, then home to try and be productive. so not all that much planned really. nice and quiet

baby news

yesterday david and i got our scan date! we are going on monday, and i am so excited. it will be odd to meet the person who has been making me sick for so long! I am also really newvous, and anxious that everything will be ok. i kniw it probably is ok, but it doesnt stop my imagination worrying about all the things that could be wrong. this is a new found capacity for me, worrying about non work related issues, but it is good and normal (i think)

i am in work early (before the building opened!) today to sort out the admit from marking essays. Temporary tutors really are treated like dirt, we arnt paid for marking or any of the admin, yet it is expected that we do it. God know when I am supposed to actually work on my phd. mybe in that illusiev 8th day of the week which I am sure to discover at this rate.

it is david bday this thursday, all the pressies are wrapped and the evening out is booked.... now all i would like is for us both to be able to relax and have a nice day. plus i have a special supprise planned!

hormones

i have lots of them, in fact, io am being a stroppy bitch. in fact, im, not sure how im holding it togther to be nice to people at work..... so if i am being horrid, i apologise. please ignore me. i promise you mince pie before xmas.

the weekend was knackering. we did ALL you ALL of our festive shopping, and food shopping..... then my parents came round for sunday lunch.... all in all got a lot done.

back to the grind...... until i have somthing interesting to say!

weekend yay

this weekend we are going to get all festive jiggy and go xmas shopping. granted we dont have a lot of money to do this, but i am hoping to be able to find somthing cheep and lovely for everyone, well, those who i have not knitted a scarf for! haha. this weekend willbe a quite easy one, as at the moment i am shattered all the time. i am blamnig the bean, last night i even fell asleep beofre the end of littel britain. (again)

today is supposed to be my observation take 2, we can be see if the lecturer in question actually remembers this time. i am not so nervous either. i guess, this is becuase there is only so much worrying i can do about one thing before i go all sort of numb.

i have just realised that i will also have to get my butt in gear with writing xmas cards- david, if you are reading this, you are so helping me this year!

same ole days

this is my day, it is the same as any other day, it goes:

(in no spesific order)

eating mash potatoe
marking esays where i write "you need more analysis"
annoying the cats
teaching students who havnt done enought reading
feeling a bit sick
thinking, "shouldnt i be doing phd?" and then not having time because of the avalanch of marking

on the up side again, i have now finished all my xmas knitting, and i am thinking of giving the baby pattern sent my sp6 a gl for my friend who is due in january. i also am haivng to be really good, and not buy baby things, as it is too early. but damn there is some nice stuff out there!

david is also ok, i noticed i havnt written about him for a while.... he is okeydokey. and his birthday very good, so i have got him so really cool pressies, which i cant tell you as he reads this! but i am looking forward too it. all being well, the plan is to go out for dinner, that is if i am not feeling icky, but i cant decide where.. has to be not costing the earth, any ideas?

so after birthday, it is offically xmas and i can start making mince pies and inflicting them on everyone at work. this is a ploy, first to cheer people up, and secondly to divert them from giving me looks! hahaha. yay mince pies, the majic way of making everything better

horrible asthma

yesterday i had to get an emergency appoinbtment at the doctors as i was on the verge of having an asthma attack all night. in the end, i had a nebuliser thingy and it seemed to be the trick, but it was a bit scary.

news of the bean (bump, this is what i call it) has spread like wild fire at work, and now people are either being unsually nice to me, sort of edging away like it might be infectious, or ignoring it! haha. quite an interesting study in human behaviour. i have to say, on the whole everyhone has been really nice, and I am feeling all warm and fuzzy. this is a definate change from gray and sicky, so i think it must be good.

i am only teaching an hr today, and then back home to sit in the warm and mark essays...... i think there is a chance i have trained myself to so this in my sleep- if only this was the sort of transerable skill that might get me a full time job!

thank you sp6! (again!)

I am so spoilt again! For the final reveal package, my SP6 (alison, whose website I am hoping she will send me a link too) posted me: an advent callander. (chocolcate is exempt from morngin sickness) a photo album, (added incentive to fix my camera!) a yummt lipgloss the kitten has been chasing about the house, and a cute CUTE little pattern for a baby shrug, which even david went ahhh at. so thank you very much alison, you have been a fab knitting friend, I was lucky to have you!

i am now going out to work with a smile on my face and on the whole feeling all loved an happy. this will last, more or less, until I get to Southampton, and I am forced to deal witht he reality of late essays, hysterical students and a canteen that only seems to make one lunchtime veggie selcetion. BUT I am sure i will live!

Thanks again alison, knitting and friend superstar!

dinner last night

I was invited to dinner in a beautiful house in hambledon, a cutsey little village, and i managed the soup before having to rush out and sit in the reception room while everyone else ate the main.. i thought morning sickness finished at 12 weeks!!

today i am marking th elast of the depressing assignment, and then next week i am moing on to the more interesting ones...... planning to wrap up and blankets and relax, so should be nice.

the hospital visit yesterday went very well, i have decided that chi looks like the nicest place to "pop one out" and so that is where i will ask to be refered too....

it is davids bday soon, any ideas? i have a few things, but you will have to email me as he reads this!

knitting and babies

today i am determined to finish two of my knitting scarfs with are destined to become xmas pressies, they are a k5, p5, k5 pattern that makes little squares. I am using the chunky denim yarn, so they are nice and snofty soft. so that the knittting taken care off.

i am also marking, coming to the end of one batch and starting the next. the good thing is i quite enjoying making the second ones as the titles give the student more chance to express their own interests and i normally get some pretty funky essays.

my friedn janet is down (in the bath at eh mo) to come to see the maternity hospital with me. Although I live in Portsmouth, i HATE the hospital here it is horrible and just reminds me of when I have my lung embolism when I was 17. |The nice doctor said i could instead go to chichester, and so I am off to there to have a look today.

I am a lucky girl as I have the choice, but dave is away earning xmas pressie so jaet (super hero) has stepped into the panic and is coming with me.... we will also be going to my friend's kids bday party. freya may is 4 today! HAppy birthday freya!

you may want to sit down....

because I have some big news! I am pregnant! In fact, i am three months pregnant! ARGH!!! David and I are so excited, and happy that so far everything seems to be going well. I has taken lots of blogger strenght not to write about this earlier, but I didnt want to be too preemptive. This will mean slowing off a bit on the PhD, but I am just so happy that we are going to have a child that it doesnt seem to matter.

The midwife came yesterday and soarted off all the tests and I have found I out that I have terrible peeing aim! Oh well. I am a biut disapponted that becuase of my lung embolism when I was 17 I will have to have a hospital birth, but it still doesnt take the shine of the fact the in 6 months, there will be someone who looks like me, which is important to an adopted person such as myself.

The spare room will become a nursery, and now I am accepting that this christmas and birthday willbe th elast time I get so spoilt! I have been feeling ICK, a fair amont of the time, but the nurse told me that is "good" as it shows the baby is growing, not so good for me as I have now perfected my exorcist impression. (nice)

Out local area wont tell us if its a boy or a girl, but we have a girls name, Mia, but are not so sure for a boy. Any ideas? This is so exciting!

new shoes

i got new shoes, they are flat and bright purple and have sparkely bits on them, but they make my feet bleed. i am hoping this will stop soonish as they are too nice not to wear.

still knitting xmas stuff, and now i am in the land of marking hell. urgh

nice weekend

can you believe after all the panic the "professional" lecturer forgot to turn up to my observation. it doesnt just mean that i was put out, but that i have to do all the prep again for her to come next week. grrrr

anyway, david and i had a great weekend. On saturday his parent came down from london to see our new house, and his dad helped him dig up some of the dreaded concrete in the garden.... his mama and i went shopping and had a nice day, where his sisters wedding (their sole topic of conversation) was only mentioned about 100 times, which is about 100000000000 times less than i thought it might be, it was really nice.

then yesterday david best man barnaby came down from london and helped lug some of the concrete to the tip. bliss! i have been trying to relax, but i am living in fear that now it is *gasp* ESSAY MARKING SEASON! and that will be taking up a load of my spare time. mind,i have reasoned that at least this is somthing i can do indoors with the heating on. woohoo

panic

observation is today, and even though i have confidence in my ability, i am still feeling panicy. yuck.

pnoing noinoing

i thought i would continue the trend on naming posts after silly noises- this is the noise off the eminem song. not that im a big fan, i just like the noise. (as in its make his pee pee go...)

today i have no headache, it is still a bit of a ghost that could come back to haunt me- but I am pushing on with work today when yesterday i had to ring ni sick, which i NEVER do, which goes to show how trully crappy i was feeling.

so yesterday i played with the kitties, and work on my friends alison xmas perssie, which everyone who has seen it said has great is was! ( i am a big present tease) but now i really want to keep it for myself and my expereince some festive seperation anxiety when i come to wrapping this baby up!

today the builder is also coming to fix the leak in our toilet, which is good news all round. and some more good news id my xmas cactus, which had this strage mould on it, has burst into sexy loevly pink flower and work! the lady i share an office with (which is really nice) gave it some water and not the mould is going away! i am a bad cactus owner, and i feel guilty now for not watering it more.

urgh

i have the worst headache ever, had it since yesterday and it survived the night. i am going to lie down and wait for the brain to fall out.

ggrrAAARRRGGGGGHHH

it just took me over 1.30 to drive from portsmouth to uni in southampton, it is MORALLY WRONG how much trasffirc there was and 2 accidents! I can moan as no one was killed and it just casued a massive huge delay. grrrrrrrrrrrrr. i may not have to grump about for a bit until the anteen opens and i can buy some processed potatoe products.

yesterday janet brought me and dave some lovely pretty handmade and painted mugs frmo devon as a housewarming girft, which was so ncie of her, esoecaily considering how busy she is... thank you janet!

problems with feeling

one of my students just emailed me to say that their dad died on Monday, and they may not be able to make the class on tuesday! I told them not to come in anyway (unless they want to) but I have realised how young she is to be losing her parents, and how much this will effect her. No dad to walk down the ailse with, she wont have him there when she graduates. this is really sad, and I suppose that at the moment all this wont have sunk in for her. as her lecturer, i guess i can only be there is she needs to chat, and try to be supportive. poor thing, it puts my minor issues in perspective and is a bit of a reality check all round.

lovely day

i think everyone i know is on a making rachel relaxed bender. my mama arrived this mornign and wisked me away to have our hair done. she went short (ROCK ON!) and i went normal with wee curly bits. nice.

then i came honw to see david has been diggin gup the lamo 70s concrete in the garden, whcih is a job i had been dreading, so he is happy doing that, and i am happy to let him. then we went with my firend vonne to a ncie country pub, then pottered around a garden centre lusting after the things to put in the garden once it is green and lovely. nice.

i then took dave home for more digging, (!) and we went for a smoothie and health food shopping getting home before daek to find david collapsed in front of the tv watching football and making noises like this "urghh- mmmphhh" "bollockas!" you get the idea

tgi friday

actually, i am for once, quite glad it is the end fo the week. I have to go back to the docs todaqy, which is making me nervous. i dont want them to tell me anything else bad, and i think instead of going, i would prefere going "la la la" instead.

however, i have to go, and i will not be fobbed off! then i am off to teach, and then my very lovely and VERY pregnant friend debbie is comming over to see the new house and go for lunch, which will be lovely. i have been cleaning the floors and sink so it at least looks superficially clean for her arrival.

the kitties are both ok- they have taken to using the bed like a trampline in the early hours of the mornign, which is just great. it you try and shove them off the bed, they think you are playing and pounce on your hand! little buggers.

knitting is now totally in aid of xmas pressies..... i am mostly making chunky scarfs, but for my friend alison i am doing somthing extra special and nice from the book given to me my Sp6! anyway, yoga tonight as well, so surly between all this knitting and forward bending i should be able to relax!

teaching observation

next friday i am being observed by a senior member of staff doing teaching. i dont mind this, in fact, they have alwyas been pretty posative, but they are coming to the worst class! it starts at 9am, which seems to be too much for the majority of the students. they are also not as engaged, and i am worried that this will reflect on me. i have a powerpoint, a dvd and they should be bringing pictures of their fav buildings (if they remember) as well as questions to do that relate to the reading. i have been thinking about it, and i dont see any other way of getting them to talk.

i am starting the relaxing offensive today. i am going to listen to my hippy tape, and go for a swim. my friend kev is then taking me to look at fish in the pet shop, as apparently this is relaxing. (i do have my own fish at home, but apparently they arnt relaxing enough!) hahaha.

doctors

i have to go to the doctors today for you -know-what and i have "sky high" blood pressure. They said, "any unusual stress of late" and I said, "moving house, new job" they told me off! any ideas on how to lower blood pressure?

You Are Not Scary

Everyone loves you. Isn't that sweet?

How Scary Are You?

You appear to be a Knitting Apprentice.
You've got the basics down pat and you might just
be falling in love with this hobby. Big
needles, funky yarns and simple shapes are the
name of the game, but it doesn't mean you don't
experiment a bit, here and there. As an
apprentice, you probably fall back on other
people to get you through those rough spots,
and if you don't know anyone who knits, you
probably have a few books or online sources to
tap.
http://marniemaclean.com


What Kind of Knitter Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

not being childish

tonight i am going to go to knitting and stop being childish. i think it is silly of me to spolit somthing that i enjoyed becuase i tend to over react. i have a stinking cold, so i may spred the germs and the love at the smae time! hahaha

other than that, i am at work- giving a funking seminar on film and memory, which should be really really fun. i am erally enjoying teachign my own course, the students erspond to having a lot of input and attention, and i love talking over the issues which actually inspired me ni the first place. each week they do little presentations, and i have been really proud of what they have achieved. dontcha just feel all wrm and fuzzy./

world record knitting

in world record time, (contact guiness book of records) i finished the chunky scarf, i have decided it will be a great xmas pressie for my friends sophie. i am also contemplating making one like it every weekend and hading them out as pressies. i wouldnt normally go for doing scars, but the stitch pattern makes them quite interesting and pretty.

i also have a STINKING cold, and i am a pile of yuck, so i am going to spend today ingesting as may vitamins in oj as possible to try and get better. i have to be better as this week is the big push to reorganise the friendly fire chapter. i have some editing on it to do today, before the big cat and paste effort later this week. that is, if i dont die of having a cold first.

knitting plans

in progress: legwarmers. (harder to knit in black than i thought!)

frogged: shawl, i have an idea to make the one in my new rowan knitting book with some of the kidsilk spangely new yarn, with two strands held together.... yum.

new: in the denim chunky i have opted for a scarf with little squares on it made from k 5, p 5, k 5 for 5 rowes, then p 5, k 5, p 5 for fives rowes repeated. well, that is the idea, i think in theory it will make squares. right?

plus, when we got back from buying a tree (called neville! says so on the label) i found the cats have broken into my wool cubboard, and found a ball of moasic wendy brown stuff, taken it to the sofa in the next room, and snuggled up with it. odd

thank you sp6!

Yes, yet again my secret knitting friend has made my day! They sent me: lovely scrummy soft chunky demin wool. (think it may become a wee clutch bag), a marilyn monroe card (one of my all time favourite actresses!) some hot chocolate drinks, (is this woman psychic?!) and a rowan funky pub knitting book, which has more ways i can fritter my wages that you could shake a large stick at! she also has taken to spoiling david, and sent him an earnest hemmingway book in recongition of his heroic marathon running deeds. we are both dead chuffed, and it has certainly taken the edge of doing broing house things that will occupy the rest of the day like:
putting up fire alarms
going to the tip
putting up pictures.
you get the idea, when did i become my mother?
one particualr triumph though has been in my poloyfillering the massive hole made in the wall when miving in the sofa, it looks quite good, perhaps i was a plaster in a previous life? anyway, thank you sp6!

end of the week

thank god it is friday, now i love my job, but another day would kill me dead. i keep waking up at funny times of the night, worrying about abstraqct things like "did i book the dvd player for my film class" and "did i rememebr to email so and so about organising conference catering?" i think my brain is having problems switching off.

to combat this i have started a new knitting project. i am making, wait for it, leg warmers! (FAME!) a la jane fonda. i will wear them only not at work, so no one can moan at me about being embarassing. plus anyway, i actually do think they are quite cute.

yesterday, i spent some tmie when i should have been making thesis corrections, looking a friends reunited. i cant remember some of the people on my juniour school (sorry) but some of the carears of my secondary mob seem very unlikly. for example, i cant believe out of a whole year, at least 95% got a degree. its not that i dont think them cleaver, maybe i just cant imagine them anywhere else but at school.

plan for today II

today i am going to christen the kitchen by making a mess in it. i am going to make pumpkin soup, and choc chip scones. i also have to go and do some teaching, and i was thinking of maybe squashing aswim in as well.

i am also going to have to ring round the gas/electric companies and give them the readings, so i am preparing to be put on hold for hours with the bloody spice girls playing down my ear. how do they pick the music? it used to be green sleaves all round, but maybe that wasnt enough torture...

i am also going to pick a new knitting project. yvonne isnt arounmd to show me how to use my new double pointed needles (thanks sp6!) so i might just start somthing really easy and see how it goes. i also have a load of paper work to file, which i am dreading, but really needs doing as i cant find anything at all in the house!

yesterday i saw my friend sarah, who is very nice, and we went on a reckie to tesco. i think i ought to take out shares in that place the amount of money i spend in there! still, there is lots of nice food in now, which i can use to mess up the kitchen.

today

i am mostly feeling sick and run down. yesterday was manic, i gave 2 seminar classes, a massive lecture and a paper. today i am finished at 1.30 and then i am going homw to recover. and then maybe to the supermarket. what an excitnig life i lead! all i can say is roll on next week.

knitting group is tongiht, but im not going as no one has bothered to invite me. i think they have decided im not wanted ni the group, and so they jst doint text me to invite anymore. i suppose knitting is gone back to being a solo activity.

new house

so we are finally in the new house! the cats are settled and laying about as normal, and after 2 days of intensive unpacking, things are starting to egt back to normal.

the garden is a disaster area, but the rest is really nice, and i feel very at home there. i have been having a bit of a stressy weekend, as i dont like disorder, and so this whole disaster area home was a bit of a grrrrr. but now it is all done i am feeling a lot better.

i have also been SO SO busy today. i did a seminar in portsmouth, then a lecture to 220 people at southampton, tehn a lunchtime paper to 6 (!) people on my research then i am also teachgin this afternoon. what i erally want is to crawl home and die on the sofa, but i am going to yoga tongiht, so sleep will have to be posponed until after.

got the keys!

and soent 2 hours there this morning cleaning. it is supprising that althuogh the builders have jsut left, them seem to have left a lot of dusty frubby dirt for us! still, it all looks nice now.

i am having a day where little things seem to be winding me up:

my parents: faffing over house. well meaning but annoying after a while
work: still have no idea who is supposde to be in some of my groups.
phd: supervisors have suggested i "reframe" the last chaper which is a ncie way of saying rewrite.
pg forum: not everyone has gotten backto me so I can sort the time table or call for papers.
cats: feeling abondoned
husband: grotty and tired
old house:site of wmd hit
garden: lokos like the somme
hair: bad.
knitting: packed some where!

gulf war

today i am teaching for a bit, then traipsing up to ringwood (with i think is near bournemouth) to interview a gulf war veteran for my phd. this chap was in the raf and I am really looking forward to hearing from him.

then, wait for it, I AM PICKING UP THE KEYS to the new abode! woohoo. i am so glad that everything has gone ok. the lady buying our rented house has apparently pulled out, so the land lady is stuck with it. who says karma doesnt exist?

plan for saturday

davids brother and work/school amigo lloyd are comming in the van at some ungodly hour to start loading up. We are going to try and secure a space on teh road by parking our cars there friday night.....
the cats are going to a spa. well, almost, the are going to my friend sophie, who will spoil them rotton and thus avoid moving trauma.
all the STUFF (loads and loads of it) is piled up in the dining room, to be movde without trapsing up and down stairs.
rachel is going to new house with her friend alison. (who is a super star) to unpack, make tea and generally look pretty.

things yet to do:
pack the kitchen
clean whole damn house
check myself into nearest mental ward!

PS- if you are my SP6, make sure you dont send anything to the old house as of now!

packing

this is my life for at least a week. whilst i am the queen on unpacking, I actually hate putting the stuff away in boxes. it makes the whole house seem so bare and empty. so if i dont blog much, it is becuase i am failing to wrap up plates in newspaper, and acidentially taping up boxes with cats in!

pressies!

yesterday my latest pressie from my secret knitting friend arrived. I am so lucky, I got: some special SELF PATTERNING sock yarn, snazzy sock pattern, some coloured pen (great for dyslexic old me) a cute cute camper van key ring, some double pointed needles.... i am so spoilt! my frien yvonne has promised to show me how to use the needles, so this is a whole new type of knitting for me! exciting.

i have spent today merging two draft chapters into one uber chapter on visuality and the gulf war, at least the phd is progressing. also, i did some teaching today, and that went great, so it looks like the time spent preparing is paying off.

on the downside, there was a fatal accident on the road into portsmouth and the whole city was gridlocked. i dont mind the traffic (cycling lecturer comming through!) but it is a sobering thought that someone who left for work today will never get home. I didnt know them, but I hope they didnt suffer. I am having a day that puts my minor stresses into perspective.

exchange is today!

woopdie doo! so at least the house thing is moving on enough that we will have somewhere to live come the move next week.... now all we have to do is pack!

work iswell at the moment, dont get me wrong, it still feels like enough work to drop a donkey, but all my teachign is going like i thought it would with no major panics or disasters, and the students seem to be responding.

all is not so good for poor david, who has man flu.. . that is, he has a big stinking cold and had to have a day off to make friends with the duvet. as i understand it he was avalanced with grateful cats who are normally left to their own devices in the day, and were glad of company with hands for cuddles. mind, despite his yunkness, he still cooked dinner and made me a packed lunch, so i feel looked after.

secret knitter

yes, i am excited as today I am posting my package for the SP6! I read her blog when ever I can, and she seems lovely!

other than that, I am teaching all the time this week, so dont be offended if i dont write, i am up to my metaphorocal eyebrows in stuff people want doing!

new project

yesterday i began my new project, it is so pretty! wanna see? mind, i am not sure mine will look as nice as this as this is a first attempt knitting with kidsilk haze rather than just stroking it like it is an expensive silver tribble!

how hard can it be?

very hard! i have had 50 ish emails from new students who cant find my office. this is not good news, as it is apparently beyon them to look on the 3rd floor when the other offices are on the second! bless, they all got 3 a's for a levels, so at least they had the brains to ask. i was so never that cute.

house

i went to see the house today, and it is looking great! the floor is down, and the decorating is nearly done, in fact it is looking almost finished.

bit of a shock at the vets yesterday, the kitten has no balls! yet he is still a boy! this supprised the vet, and she is going to have to do an operation to try and find them in side him. poor thing, apparently if you leave them, he would get cancer. kitty crisis!

no exchange today

no, in fact, no exchange on the house until next week, so we can do it when all the work is one an not put a retention on the realease of the mortgage. (them be grown up words!)

i went to work in chichester today, i spent 3 hours getting little 6 yr old kids to interview wwii veterans, they all seemed to have a great time, and for once my acaemic education wasnt in vain!

last night was the agm of the PG forum at uni, and I get to be president this year! SO i will now only reply if you call me la presidenta.....

apart from that things are good, the smitten kitten has to go and have his bits checked today pre to having them chipped n' snipped, but he seems ok.... (becuase he doesnt know, he will yowl like mad once in the box)

the plan is to finish my brother wrist warmers tonight, then start knitting a top for moi in kidsilk haze and another wool held together. sexy.

teaching

imaging the scene:

you spent all summer writing the handbook and sweating over questions
you wrote a powerpoint presentation
you lugged the handbooks and carefully selected handouts half way across campus

and only four of the little buggers turn up. forget knitting, i will need valium soon!

total lock of knitting

yes, this week hjas had a TOTAL lack of knitting. I have been working hrad on my article and egtting the teaching ready, and when i come home i have been falling asleep on the sofa. although, yesterday i was woken up by david with beautiful bunch of roses and lilles, which was so nice to nearly made me cry! i think the work pressure has turned me into a total soppy rachel.

i am starting the teaching on my new unit today, and although it is totally full with eager little historians, I am please with the amount of planning i have done and i think it is ready to be seen by someone other than me! so, i will let you know how it goes.

i did go and sign the papers for the house yesterday, but the actualy exchange isnt until friday, and then we can relax as we wiull have somewhere to live at the end of the month! got to go now and get on with work.... i hope you are enjoying your job as much as i enjoy mine

monday

or more like monay, as the D on my keyboard is broken... so the spelling which I know can be crap, may be worse toay.

i am starting my job today, the one i didnt get.... i have a few teaching hours this morning so I am going in nice and early to get organised, and find registers and course books etc.

then i have to rish back, go to the bank, pay bills, then drive to the soliciters. then i have the doctors in the afternoon, basically, it is really really busy. really. but, the sun is shining, and I feel really relaxed and great after the weekend.

hurray for the weekend.

Yes, I am doing NO work at all this weekend. (except watching films for teaching, which doesnt count) I have instead been bumming around with my lovely supportive husband, doing grown up things, like, BUYING a washing machine and a fridge! This is exciting, as this Monday I have to go to the solicitiers to sign the papers for the house!!woopie dooo. I think our lives are changing in so many ways, this has to be a good thing. Moving on!

I have also been to see my mama, and she is well. Adam has a stinking hangover from a boat party, but says he has learnt a life lessson: beer, wine and vodka will do you no good.

David is running in the Great South Run today, so 10 m in uner 1.30 to more or less beat last year...... I am going to watch, an was thinking of taking my this-week-deserted knitting, the writst warmers for the bro.

some issues again

ok, so first thing, i didnt get the job, but, actually its ok. i think they gave it to someone they knew who is a nice guy. plus i have been offered a few hours teaching here and there so i can quit teaching a-level. i am feeling very calm about the whole thing, so all the pre interview hysteria was for nothing and probably just made me more stresed.

i am going to spend the weekend editing my article, and watching dave do the great south run! how amazing is my boy!

still not heard about job

woll type more when i do

interview day

and i feel AWFUL really nervous and my stomach is doing its own crazsy circus thang. urgh. write more when I find out.

tuesday

is turing out to be a good day. my good friend janet stayed over last night, and has been converted to the joys of having cats. she said "they said on my feet and made a noise like a car." sahhhhhh. is is always nice to bring someon into the joys of having a fur-some friend.

we also went to italian place for dinner and ate A LOT of pizza. yum. david weas very kind to drive, and i am still feel bad for laughing at his parking!

today, I am doing the ocrrections on my Friendly Fire chapter, and amazing my supervisors by actually handing some work in! I will them be xdriving to teach a-levels. ouch.

job interview tomorrow, so wish me luck.

some issues

office: I am now moved and more or less sorted.

party last night: very nice, especially the puddings.

phd: no work being done on that as I forgot to email the more recent chapter draft to myself. doh!

interview: a crushing fear come across me when i say the word. i met one of the other people being interviewd mast night and she is 1- blond 2-chatty and bubbley 3-obviously loved and adored by all those lecturers present. i have no chance.

cats: happy as far as I know. loving that the bed more blankets on it.

david: the finger nail is now falling off from when he shut it in the door and he is training for the Great South run on Sunday. (i am very proud)

teaching: all up in the air

moving house: also all up in teh air and i found out today i cant have the sink i really love. gutted.

computer: office one CAUGHT FIRE this morning!

other work: plodding allong nicely

PG Forum drinks: all organised but I am dreading it!

knitting: red wrist warmers for my brave account lckly brother

Dinner: out tongit to celebrate the brain of my amiga Janet, was has dammit, finished her Thesis! Girl you rock!

one party down

and one to go.... last night wasnt so fun, so i am sure the one tonight will make up for it.! we are making orange collete (chocolate niblies) to take, so they should go down well. i dunno again what to wear, but i might stick with the same knitty lace cardi and see what the looks like. unless any one has any inspirration?

parties

unusally for me, i have two parties to go to this weekend. i am not a big fan of them in general, especially with the mob of people who i dont know and they are all doing salsa which i am too clumsey to do, means i usually end of sitting all hufty and feeling fat and incompetant. however, the party tonight is likely to be like that, but david wont be there to hide behind (he is going to london to see the parental units) so i will have to try and relaz. howeber, the party tomorrow, is at the lecturers house where all the staff will be from the uni i am hoping to get a job at..... i am going to read the papers to try and appear vagly intelligent and hav something of interest to say. maybe this might involve football, and maybe not, but i am quite nervous. the biggest thing, as ever, is i dont know what to wear. i am an unsure of what to wer kind of girl, espcially as my boobs tend to be fighting for a ttention the whole time. hummm. any ideas?

apologies for earlier post

i was in a bad mood, i am not normally so bitchy. honest.

i am making fennel soup, and the whole house smells on fennel soup, i love the small of fennel soup. mmmmmm fennel soup.

good news

adam has been let of out the grim meca of concrete that is southampton general hospital. he srill has some pain but apparently not enough for an operation. he has to keep an eye on it (metaphorically) and go back if it hurts more.

i am starting to wonder if i am a difficult person to deal with. i have two cases.

case 1: kning group met on sunday this week, an no one bothered to txt me to invite me. i got upset, and asked one of the members if they had had one. she lied and said they hadnt when i know they did...... so they either couldnt be bothered to invite me, or dont like me. not sure that either quaility is some thing i look for in a friend.

case 2: having been lumbered with organising the graduate welcome drinks, i have now found out that the pg coordinator wants to change the time, and expects me to do all the re-arranging. i told him in the nicest possible way to do it himself.

see. these are cases where i think i am being reasonable? do you agree? i dount want to sound pariniod. and in fact, some one has suggested that i got "upset becasue i am under a lto of pressure." iu think that even if there was no pressed i would still be pissed off! anyway, last night i had the type og nightmare that carries on even if you wake up a few times in the night. i was about zombies, and the little girl who is in the tv show the 4400. (which i have never seen so that shows the power of adverts!) i must have been rubbing my eye in my sleep, and now it is all swolen and puffed up and i look like the night of the living dead myself. damn.

poor my baby brother

ok, he 21 and not a baby, but to me he will always be someone i look after, and he has been admitted into hospital with suspected apendacidus. (spelt wrong) i am going to see him today, so this is only a short post. i will leave you with the thought that life is always one step ahead of you, we can only try and keep up.

moving office

today i lugged all my stuff (5 trolly loads of books and folders) to my new temporary office. this may not seem great to you, but it is really nice to be away from the PG rooms and into a real staff office. Not that I dont love the PG rooms, they are great as are the people, I jsut feel that now I am thought of as a min-member of staff, which is a sort of reward for working like a dog for them for three years. i am sharing this room with a lady i dont know yet, but i am looking forward to meeting her and saying howdy.

alart from that, i have been busy organisnig the welcome events for the PG Forum. Altough in theory there is a committe of people to help me do this, I always seem to end up doing it on my own, and getting v wound up. grrr. never mind, it is all done now, and maybve at some point someone will say thank you for all the effort. (or actually maybe not, thats just the sort of place this is)

it is times like this i wish i had a web cam. i normally think they are only for perverts, but i am sat here in my fab new rowan hat, and i thinlk i look like a lama farmer! and also maybe like a mental patient out for a walk...... my firends who still have a sense of style will be horrified. still, as far as crimes against humanity go, a bad hat isnt too big a deal. not compared to the bigger things, like some git eating all th vege food for lunch. (double grrr)

i want everyone who reads this to send out good vibes to my friend janet- she is finishing her thesis and needs posative thoughts. Go Janet!

productive day

yesterday i have the kind of productive day that makes me look like an organising machine. i got up at an ungodly hour, and drove to a primary school that was described as being "outside chichester" and was infact very near bognor regis! i then taught for three hours on how to interview wwii vets, bt easy when your audience is 6 years old! i then drove to fareham, and taught an AS class on risorgimento and the civil wars of the 1820s and 30s, I then taught A2 on the casus of wwii. and it all went without hitch, and i am amazed, perhpas I should be liek this mroe often!

i have also been asked by the ever fabulous janet to give the opening paper for the history seminar series, i will do it on friendly fire- so any ideas for a picture i can put on the post let me know. i have also been alocated a PROPER office on the history dept, rather than my crappy PG space, this is GREAT news, although I dont know the people i am sharing with. HUmmmm.

more ill but less bruised

now my ickly sniffle has turned into a full blown stinking cold, alosi with the added extra that if i "do too much" like go out for the day i drop into a coma on the sofa when i get in as i am so tired. i have snot, and sneezes and the whole nine yards. yuck.

on the up side, i have finished my scarf. i have to admit, the patten said to use two balls of the rowan big wool to get the stripes, but the scarf just didnt look long enough. so when i finished them i did half of two other balls and now the scarf is long enough to be for doctor who! it rocks. now i must crack on with the hat, as i have taken a comission for my brother for nice gloves.

the plan for today is: go to the docs, hoover, finish my war and memory unit once and for all, work on my phd abstract, get better so i can go to yoga tonight, and maybe go to m & s to buy THE nicest suit for my interview.

also look what i got on ebay! is this the most cool and so bad it is good thing you have ever ever seen!

ill and bruised and fed up

so, like the title i look like poo, feel like poo and generally cant image ever being a productive member of society again. i have a sore throat and am all sleep deprived. i was so bored not being able to sleep i was watching the x-files at 3am, which you know is not good.
i should have done more scarf, then i would have it to wrap around my croaky sore throat.damn it. and i didnt go to knitting group yesterday becuase i was in a bad mood after work. (non of which i am paid for and if you know me you know what i am refering too.)
so today goes: moan, type, moan go for lunch with dave andress, moan and type.

ps- hi joan!

Knitting pressie!!!

Yesterday in the post I recieved my first pressie from my secreat knitting friend. In it there was a butterfly bookmark, a nice chunky ball of back wool, a 2006 diary (which is snazzy and shiny) an oldeworlde postcard, and breast cancer awareness pinkie rings, a patterns for a mini-disk snuggler, and the most amazing wibbley wobbely scarf made of noro wool which she (he) had knitted for me. i feel very very spoilt and loved. I haope my spoliee is feeling as loved!

on the down side, my arms look like night of the living dead from the fall, and my introducation to my thesis is total and utter crap!

the wall

no- i havnt become a pink floyd fan, i am refering the wall in my garden. no normal wall, in fact it is a big f-off 8 ft high wall, which i have the pleaseure of falling off on monday. this has led to some serious bruising, scrapes and bleeding and even more serious (for david) moaning on and on about the agony.

i basically got locked out, and my lovely neighbour let me into her garden and i climbed the wall with a ladder. it was when i was sitting a-top of the monster structure i realised i was wearing heels, and couldnt jump becuase i would probably break my ankle. so instead i tried to lover myself down facing the wall. it turns out this was a DUMB ASS idea becuase i just slipped doen the length of the wall, (which ised to be an air raid shelter and is full of rusty nails) and now i look like i need self-harming therepy or the police to save me from a wife-beating husband.

also, the students at college thought this was really funny, and they were amazed to find out i was sober when this little adventure took place. the staff were no better, regard conversation with simon (boss):

Me: Look at my poor arm, I fell of a wall. (pull mock sad face)
Simon: What do you want, a certificate or somthing? (real laughing)

tell me why i dont like mondays

actually, i dont mind them, i just am having a bum one otday as i have so damn much to do! firstly i had to hang around at the hospital to get a blood test done for over an hour. (hospitals are great places for feeling ill- everyone looks so damn miseable) now i am at uni, and i have just today to sort out my unit for the first year on war and memory. i have had some good feedback on it so far, and i have a few things to change. I really want to maske a success of this to show anyone who cares that i am a good teacher and i can handle this level of responsibility.

anyway, i also have some legal mortgage type forms to fill out, and they confuse me and make me feel a bit think and infuriated at the same time. example: one of the searches done by the soliciter showed that there was a "clinical contanimant risk" near the house. i panic, and it turns out the be the very hospital i was sat in today, which i dont consider a risk at all! so i think they just di it to confuse me.

anyway, i had a ncie evening in the pub with sarch, i didnt drink hardly anything and yet i still managed to fall upstaris and split open my knee, which has now bleed all over my favouriste jeans! damn high heels, still on the up side i am two rows off finishing my mittens. i have to say they are a bit chunky but i am sure they will be very warm.

lots to talk about

so its just as well david has gone to london today to see his mum and dad- menas i get a chance to get some quality blogging done, and maybe even some work! god forbit, i might actually make a dent on editing the intro section.....

today lots of nice things are happening. i am packing the box with all the bits i have assembled for my secret knitting friend. i have got her some mohair is her favourite color, some self patterning argil yarn for socks, a how to chrchet book, a wedding related tea light holder and some relaxing nice smelly spray stuff. it is all good, i am so so so excited that she will love it to bits! at least, i hope so. i am realy getting into this planning to spoil someone, and i am looking forward to being spoilt myself.

and today i am meeting a new knitting friend, who got in contact with the knitting group i am in through my lys. she is called sarach and seems really really nice, so it will be a pleasure to have her round for a cup of tea and some knitting chat.

speaking of which, i have finished * and pressed * and sewn up* the shrug! woohooo. even david has comented it didnt look like a batman style cape any more, and he said it "made me look pretty." mind, he would say that about anything, i think his mum trained him. still, i am glad to have it out of the way and now i can work on my new hat, scarf and mittend from rowan! the yarn alone cost me over 30 quid! so these will be lovely as they are merino yarn and very soft. (see pictures)

then this afternoon i am pooteling over to see my parents who have been on holiday in france for a fortnight, and then out for drinks with sarach who has been in ibiza. (why dont i get more holidays? oh yeah- tuition fees) i have been on a no caffine and no alchol thing for 2 weeks, so one glass of wine will probably floor me!

secret knitting pal questions

Secret Pal 6
I have done this survey so many times before, but the answers seem to change at times.
1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?

I like almost all yarn, but not the weird scratch acrylic stuff.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

Neither yet, but I would love to learn!

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)

Smoke yuk. Everything else ok!

4. How long have you been knitting?

8 months ish.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

No. (too much temptation)

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)

Flowers, cookies, fresh washing.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?

Unfortunately! :)

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?

I keep a scrap book of things my husband and I have done, and I am learning to sew.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s?

Mps yes! I like all sorts- the manics, coldplay, franz ferdinand, um, nirvana, kaiser cheifs, the killers....

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?

Love all colours- supprise me!

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

Married with 1 cat, one kitten and some fish.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)

Be happy, finish the PHD, get a proper job, and have children.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?

I love soft yarn- i have been toying with kidsilk haze. mmmmmm.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

none really.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?Making things for my nephews

Ever ongoing shrug! Being brave enough to try and proper jumpoer or cardi..

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Quick things and BIG bad ass yarn.

17. What are you knitting right now?

shrug and baby cardigan.

18. What do you think about ponchos?


Love them

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

Depends on the project

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Bamboo

21. Are you a sock knitter?

Not yet.

22. How did you learn to knit?

My friend yvonne taught me.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?

6 months?

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?

dont really have one.

25. What is your favorite holiday?

My birthday?! Or Christmas.

26. Is there anything that you collect?

Yarn!! And yoga magazines. and plants.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I always buy the Rowan books.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on? LOts! will have to think about that.

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another??

Not at the mo.

30. What are your foot measurements, and what kind of socks do you like?

Size 5ish and I love all socks!!

day of the end of the shrug

i think that title is a little over blown- but yay, I am on the last 2 inches of the on-going shrug! so woopdie doo. i will, i promised, borrow a camera to get a picture. it has turned out great, and now i am on the hunt for a new project. i think it is cold enough to warrent making the winter hat, scarf and mittens combo, and i have opted for a rowan big wool threesome- mmmm, sexy soft rowan.... now i only have to sell my kidey and i can afford it.

at uni

i decided to go into uni today to try and organise the PG forum funding. Get this: The Student union have given us 100 quid to spend on the freshers fayre and welcome drinks. BUT we dont get the money as such, we have to claim it back- which means spending it first, and i dont have it!

any ideas?

day of the diy

i dont know when i happened but i am turnign into one of those middle aged people who potter round b and q. in fact today (this is shameful) i went 3 times!
once for varnish
once because i forgot the new handles for my writing buero
and one because the sodding handles were the wrong size and the varnish ran out.

damn.

so the result of this was that i managed to get the handles to fit. they and spanking lovely silver round ones- yummy. i also painted the white bench for the garden, and upholstered the seat in the blue cheque, and i managed to guilt david into varnishing the outside furniture, which had gone all peely and sad from being in the rain.

so lots done today, and tomorrow back to packing my books. what a life!

inspiration for knitting!!!

the new knitty is out! got to knitty.com and prepared to be blown away! damn i love that site, and I live how the code the patterns, so even a dumb ass like me can have a go at them! woohoo.

yesterday, the new rowan book arived in the post, and that is also full of lovely things- in particualr, there is a shawl using kidsilk haze, which i think might be an easier alternative to the beech pattern which was all the rage a few months ago- i am feeling brave and it is now on my list of things-to-knit.

in the mean time, is was knitting group last nite, and the catering was fab- it was all home baked by tom, and he even made ginger bread men, one of which had a lucky butt crack, the proud finder of this one got a prize!!! (wasnt me though : ( ) I do like knitting group, but I think it would be cool to expand as at the moment there is quite a central core of people who know each other from one place, and i want a bigger mix of people. Not that the ones now arent lovely, just i dont want to end up too clique-ish. so if your in portsmouth and you knit then get in contact!

putting it together

i am in a strange lull before work starts, when i have no actual phd on the go.... a strange land, when the temptation is to knit all day and visit friends. (which I did yesterday- HI Marcia!) So instead I am going to focus on putting together my unit for uni on war and memory. I managed to find the draft outline in the end- and so today after cycling to get some blood taken, i am going to pad it out and make it a kick ass unit! the sort that has pictures, and cool film references and isnt dry and crispy. i think that the chance to share some of my research is such an amazing opportunity, and i am glad that i get the change to teach it- so it is worth all the extra effect to make the unit sexy.

and it is knitting group tonight, i am not hostessing (THANK GOD) but i still have to back summat to take over to toms house.... i feeeeeelll that I might have to get the cooking with chocolate book out! will let you know how it goes.

not back at work

yesterday there was a "mix up," and college in fact hasnt started back yet, i have until thursday. bare in mind that i rang in to check the days, and can ill afford the petrol to drive miles for a nin existant class and i think you are getting close to how grumpy i was yesterday. so i decided to make the most of already not feeling like typing, and went into uni instead for a bit. i had a meeting to go over some teaching stuff, and then i tried to sneak photocopy some knitting patterns when no one is looking. FACT- it is supprisingly difficult to make rowan look like something more academic.

i am still waiting to hear back from the other job application at the more local uni- but it has only been 3 days since the last day for application- so i dont think there is any need to panic yet.

regarding knitting, i am still plodding on with the shrug. i didnt get any done last nite as the new series of csi needed my full attention, but it is def looking longer and more like a garment, although my ever lovely husband asked me "if i was making a cape." thanks dave!

starting back at work

yes, today i have to leave behind the days of type-type-knit-read and go back to telling people stuff about things that they are not interested in. its not that i dont love teaching, just its not often anyone seems to notice how bloody hard it is, or that you are trying to make the whole thing more enjoyable.

on an up note try this for brekkie: one orange peeled, an apple but not the middle bit, two bannanas, some stawberries and a glug of oj- then bled the whole lot till it looks like baby food and drink. mmmmmmmm. now thats fibre! yum, and (i think) you daily allowance of fruit!)

anxiety

i am feeling a bit blurgh today- not ill of anything like that, just a sort of disquiet and i cant settle to anything. I think it may be due to the on going not having a proper job situation sorted out, and i am worrying that having now told everyone i have applied for a job, i may not get it. and then i will be stuck doing somthing more demanding and difficult all year. pls the weather sucks and i am feeling for the people in america stuck with nothing. damn, i hate george bush as much as the next student, but i would never have thought the government would have left so many people in such desperate need.
and the knitting is going nowhere! and i dont even feel motivated to go to yoga.....maybe i should eat ice creame, or worms.....

so

knitting group went GREAT! everyone ate all the foot, no one knocked much over and i felt an over wealming feeling of kinship with the lovely people! i am still plugging away at the top- i recond i am about a 3rd of the way through, so at least another two weeks to go.

i am having a great weekend- my friend patricia is comming to stay and we have been eating italian food- drinking wine- and bitching about everything! very cathartic.

and the other good news is my sexy new chair came today, which i love. see picture and drool.....

hostess anxiety

tonight it is my turn to hoast the knitting group. I live more on the outskirts of twon, and as yet have been traveling in to the centre to other peoples houses. so this is a big deal to me, as they all have to make the journey. In order to make it worth their while, i have been worrying about what nibbles and food to serve. We have a tradition of home backing for the other members, which means i cant just open packets. so i have to bake, and cook and knit and look like it ois effortless and i hdavnt been fretting about it for days!
david is going out to play pool during this invasion (who can blame him?) and I am going to be sat in double fretting about getting drinks and playing good hostess. Im not sure what it is, but this sort of thing really draws out the 1950s housewife in me. so, no cheating- a whole full on day of getting stuff ready and trying to type the conclusion to my chapter!

ho- hum

i am in a spot of indecision- i am applying for a job which means i will have to leave my other two teachign commitments. The problem is that the new job is more money, and a good step on the academic ladder- but i feel guilty about leaving the other two jobs, even though they were both nice and very understanding about the reasons i might have to leave. still, it has left me with an uneasy feeling.

i went to yoga this morning, and left early to come into work- but even that didnt make me feel much better and i have a day of meetings about the sodding desks and typing to look forward too.

on the up side wto of my favourite people in the workd are comming for dinner tonight- so i get to do "glory cooking" as i love the fuss i get for cooking for other people.

back holiday weekend

1st- big news- DAVID PASSED HIS DRIVING TEST! yay- go team Jones! so proud of him, i thought we were going to be paying for lessons forever.

to give you an idea of where i am at with my shrug top, i meansured it- so far 10 inches! yay- but i have found that by switching to bamboo needles, the traction stops the wool falling off the tips quite so fast- result is less dropped stitches. woooohooooo.

i am in the process of getting the knitting groups listed on knitchicks.com and s n b- so will get a link up here when they turn out.

david went to reading music festival- and at the grand old age of 24 was about the oldest there! hahaha. it was a boys day out, with his brother and mate, so i stayed home and tidies shoe mountain with the help of my friend yvonne. this is good therepy tidying, i got rid of 3 pairs of ugle black shoes, and in giving them to the charity shop get to feel all warm and fuzzy! then yvonne made me dinner, and i packed off home to watch csi in my jammies. fell asleep before david came home, what a great wife i am!

today we are spending the day packing- woohoo, and trying to use beeswax to polish up an old writing buero i bought on friday for the new house. then in the evening- off to the bandstand for the final live free gig of the year- an abba tribute! sounds naff, but we are goging to take a picnic and just relax with each other as the sun goes down.

radio silence

sorry for being quiet the last few days, i have been v busy, and havnt even looked at my emails which is strange for me.

i have been buying things for the new house, i spent over 100 quid in b & q, which i didnt even think was possible! but i got some very beautiful lightfittings, and the much wanted wall paper. i then got the tiles for the bathroom and kitchen- so things are sorted on that front.

i have also had a cyst in my eye and have been looking like the non too distant cousin of the walking dead, i wish herion chic was fashionable, then i could do the fat version!

knitting club this week was great, again, i am amazed by how nice people i hardly know can be. it was held at phillipas house, and she has finished her scarf and started on a ribbed hat. kim is still scarf striped tastic, tom is making squares, and glad has made a fab furry thing. i am still making the shrug, and expect i still will be for a few weeks yet!

i have ordered the new stitch n'bitch design journal, and will give you the verdict when it turns up!

what harry potter house would i be?

GRYFFINDOR!You scored 20% Slytherin, 16% Ravenclaw, 64% Gryffindor, and 40% Hufflepuff!

You might belong in Gryffindor,Where dwell the brave at heart,Their daring, nerve, and chivalrySet Gryffindors apart.Gryffindors are known for their courage, audacity, and devotion to what is good and honest.

Link: The Sorting Hat Test written by leeannslytherin on Ok Cupid

ok, so its only kiddy fun- but im glad i wasnt in the mean house!

haha

packing

afternoon. i am covered in all sorts of dust and grime and crap from trying to sort out when i need to trake with me when I move. i have discovered that packing is too stages,

1- sort out all the rubbish
2- jam it in boxes.

i am still at stage one- and i am having a good time stuffing things in bags for the charity shop beofre i am plagued with doubt and end up reclaiming it. so if you live in the portsmouth area and wounder why the charity shops are so naff, its becuase all the stuff is still at my house!

regarding the Friendly Fire chapter I ahve done 9000 words now (yippeee) so that is on target and should get finsihed around the end of august. I also have a shed load of teaching to plan for next term, alculding my OWN UNIT on war and memory. this may not sound like much to you, but being asked to teaching you own thing is a big deal and it has made me smile all weekend.

if you get bored try these two, they are my fav blogs: www.pretendingsanity.com & www.glampyre.com

typing

i have to say, i know i am lucky as i dont have to sell ice creames, wipe bums or be a waitress for a living, but somtimes I get fed up with sitting indoors typing. it has been really getting to my this last week, and Im not sure if I am running out of steam OR if the topic (the friendly fire in the 1991 Gulf War) is a bit depressing. maybe, it could be a bit of both.

yesterday was a-level results day for the students I teach, and I have to say that only two of them did themselves justice. they are all such bright nice kids, but dont do exams so well- we will have to work on it for their A2 year!

In addition to that, it is raining a lot, and i have a whole back room full of boxes to move with, although it is too early to pack yet!

Knitting group

Last night was so much fun! (but I have realised I am a knitting nerd and there is no way back!) There 5 of us in total. A lady called Glad, who was amking a fuzzy fun fur type scarf, Tom who is queen of knitting, making strange red squares, Kim making her chunky scarf, Phillipa marking a demin style scarf and me!

I am still doing the shrug, but I had a disaster when I bugger up a row, had to frog it and then went all wrong. BUT TOM came to the rescue, and put it back on the needles so it wasnt a total disaster.

He also tried to teach me how to crochet- which I suspect is harder than it looks. Still not a bad start to the group.

I think next week we are going to do posters and have it in a public place so more people can come.....

shrug and a newbie

i have done about 2 inches of the shrug, and I have to say I am very pleased with how it is going- the ribbing looks great becasue the colours of the wool are changing and the whole thing is great! i hope i still like it as much whan I am finished.

i was working on it yesterday at my new firend Kims house, and teaching her how to knit at the same time. in one afternoon she learnt, cast on, cast off, knit, decreases and increases! what a star! and she is making a stripy scarf for her house mate (shhhhh.... a supprise bday pressie!)

this is the girl that started the stitch and bitch and is a real star! so i will let you know how that meeting goes tonight, i am hoping to met lots of nice people and get lots of nice inspiration!

in the mean time, cast you ever over badgerbadgerbadger.com and find the LOTR one, so so so funny.

knitting

wohooo- my friend kim has started a mini stitch n bitch at her house, we meet for the 1st time on Wednesday, so I have started a new project in honour of the event.
I am making the Sirdar "wash n wear," with the blueish mexican wave double knit wool. I love this stuff- it sort of changes colour as you go, and has shades of pink and green. plus, it is really soft, so will aviod ichy summer knitting issues.
What i really like about this pattern, is that you knit up a ribbed square, then the sewing makes it into a top! it is so pretty.

bought a house!

Yay! David and I have actually managed to buy a house! it is a two bed in Portsmouth will a nice garden and a tree!! I am v excited, only now we will have to spend some dosh on an oven and so on!

So that is a weight off......

I have also done about 4000 words on my last draft chapter, which is great as it means I should be finished by the end of August before teachign starts again. I am glad to be getting the drafts finsihed but I hate editing like mad- so the next year will be tough.

Also, my friend Kim is hosting Portsmouth 1st ever Stitch and Bitch- so if you are in the area drop me a line and I will give you the address, which I am hoping will take my mind of my lack of funding for the PhD again next year. I got the letter from the AHRC on Saturday, saying that my project wasnt within thier remit. Bastards! So if anyone is feeling benevolant and wants to give me some free money then please go ahead!

state of play

we are hopefully putting in an offer on a house tomorrow that is being done by a builder, so we get to choose what we would like in the house.

I like this kitchen: http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/category/category.jsp?tb=&CATID=8400003

and this wallpaper:http://www.focusdiy.co.uk/stry/hc040901&bklist=scat,3,,colour

(although the one i like has pink lillies on it) dont worry folks- this will be on one wall only.

in the spare room i am also thiknking of building some square storgae space to put my wool on. kinda like this one: craftster.org/blog/ index.php?m=200501

am going to 2 birthday parties this weekend, and will blag a camera from my friend so will have lots of photos!!!!

plan for today

I am a lucky girl! Here is my plan for today which is like most other days.


Get up and have a bubble bath.
Eat some bix and feed animals.
Do a bit of tidying up.
Type chapter 5 for about 3 hours.
Have some lunch.
Type again until my brain goes squish.
Sit in the sun and knit.
Potter about and maybe read or play with cats.
Think about cooking dinner
Cook dinner
David get home and spend rest of evening annoying him.

I really get to work writing at my own pace and although it is lonely, I do love getting the words down. I also like being able to look like a totaly slob and still really be working. yay my job.

caption game.......

house stuff again

the less and less yoga and knitting i do to try and keep up with house buying, i am noticing the more and more mental i get.

is this the lack or om knitknit, or just the process of buying a house?

Anyway, I am going in this morning to put an offer on the one I like. David liked it loads until my dad came to see it and pointed out ist "needed a lot of work." Like, new rendering, a new front and back door, a new stair case, the bathroom wall moving, new coving, a window replaced, a new kitchen, new carpets and the usual decorating.

I know it needs all this but dont seem to worried. i am just looking forward to having a non rental place that we can paint!

and dont even ask about the garden!

Angel

There is a painting by Klee called Angelus Novus. It shows an angel who seems about to move away from something he stares at. His eyes are wide, his mouth is open, his wings are spread. This is how the angel of history must look. His face is turned toward the past. Where a chain of events appears before us, he sees on single catastrophe, which keeps piling wreckage upon wreckage and hurls it at his feet. The angel would like to stay, awaken the dead, and make whole what has been smashed. But a storm is blowing from Paradise and has got caught in his wings; it is so strong that the angel can no longer close them. This storm drives him irresistibly into the future to which his back is turned, while the pile of debris before him grows toward the sky. What we call progress is this storm.

House hunting

So yesterday I was am emotional wreck! I went to see 4 houses and HATED 3 and LOVED 1, which is a bummer as it was a teensy bit too expensive.

I am distracting myself today with the on-going office situation, and then will knit and not go to yoga as we are looking at houses!

I am also trying to organise events fot og Post Grad forum, so any, any ideas kids let me know......

less about knitting and more about moving

We spent most of yesterday sat in the hypermarket cafe with my parents having the financial stuff about mortgages explained to us..... ouch.

now i am going to spend most of today not at the gym so-i-get-thin but in fact looking at houses, so we can make sure ours is a fair price and there is nothin better out there.

I am still knitting my free form black thing- and on firday when I get my spanking new camera (hint david) I am planning a whole post of knitting fest pictures!

WOOOOHOOOO!

Trying to stay sane

Is taking on a whole new meaning! I have found out that the meanies are taking away all PG office space at the university- so instead we have to "hot desk" and who ever gets in first gets a desk.

AND where am I supposed to out my books?
AND where am I supposed to see students?
AND how will I ever get any bloody work done????

I do understand there is a crush on space- but we all pay at LEAST £1000 a year to do our courses and we are treated like dirt! I think the least they could manage is to find us a dart and damn corner to call our own.

GRRRRRRRR

Cats

How funny is this?!
Can anyone think of a caption?

Cleaning

So, the estate agents are coming to day to vie the house. I am tempted not to clean, so they might make it cheeper. Would that work? The other side of me wants to make it really really clean to show what a proper grown up I am.

Hummm.

CSI was on the other night, and without giving it away, someone got killed! (one of the main people I mean- not one of the usual dead ones!) DAMN I just dont know if Ginge can manage on his own!

I also have to go to the bank today to "discuss" my student loans. It seems like today I am doing all the yuck stuff. So I guess I may as well clean!

Do you remember the first time?

So this is what it feels like to get my act together and start a blog! I have been meaning to do this for a while, although I'm not too sure where this drive to share my world comes from, I suppose I will have to see if anyone is out there.

I'm a 24 year old PhD student at the University of Southampton. This is my academic site:

http://www.history.soton.ac.uk/jones.htm

When I'm not thinking about the Gulf war I am generally found annoying my husband by buying way too much wool, or teasing my two cats. David and I have been married for two years- he works in IT for BT, and is always supprised at my ability to refuse to ever leave uni! The cats which make up the rest of my small family are called Broc, who is a rescue cat, and a kitten called small cat. (who isn't small anymore) We also have fish- but they're job is just to look pretty.

I teach the undergrads at uni and the 18 year olds at college- this is all in the fantastic and absorbing subject of history, which I love!

I also love: yoga, csi TV show, buying buttons, reading other peoples blogs, gardening, bitching about having to type, photographs and my friends. AND wool, (or yarn as I am told I should call it) I am also dyslexia and dyspraxic, so if you find a spelling mistake- please don't tell me, I know I cant spell already!

I am in tumoil this week as our landlady is selling our house, and we are looking into buying it..... Scary! Will let you know how it proceeds.

Let me know if there is anyone out there.