Monday, July 31, 2006

Well that's it......

......the holiday's well and truly over... I started back at work today.

Not just went back to work - but started back at my old job. I had been looking forward to going back, but then I heard on friday that we now have another new Matron/Manager... Jeesh! That's like four since the New Year! This one's actualy the Operations Manager for the whole group, now here as acting manager with us for a few months. It's really unsettling for the staff, and though it doesn't really affect me too much I can see that morale is a bit low and peeps are cheesed off. On a happier note, I got a lovely warm reception from everyone and a huge welcome from the resi's. I've never been hugged so many times in one day!

I hope things settle down now and we can all just get on with our jobs. I need to earn some Dosh!!!

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Ruben does Disney!!

Had a call from Jazzabelle this morning! They're back in the UK at last!
Of course, they still have the last leg of their journey to do which is Gatwick to Arrecife, but at least we can talk to them now - even though it's a bummer knowing they are in England but we can't see them....


They'll be knackered by the time they get home, as they left the USA at lunchtime yesterday, and won't land in Lanzarote until 8pm tonight.... an awful long time with a toddler under two, but apparently he's been a star, and was telling me on the phone all the characters he's met...
Mickey! Minnie! Goofy! Ploo-bo! :-) hee hee....
Can't wait to see the picture's! Erks had to invest in several extra mem cards, and they're panicking coz the camcorder packed up towards the end so they're not sure what they've lost..... BUT, a good time was had by all, and that's what it's all about.

The state of play.

Thank heavens I've managed to do the scrapping work I promised before I went away, and also to finish the write up. Just need to pack it up in a mo, and will post tomorrow. My neighbour came round yesterday with a lovely box of DT stash from Caroline. Apparently, the postie had shoved it through my gate, and luckily the man next door had spotted it just as it started to rain! He managed to fish it out and rescue it bless him.... he said it would have been ruined for sure if he hadn't grabbed it when he did.

I've still got one article to work on and some DT stuff, but I'm really hoping to get a bit of time to scrap some holiday pics, even though I can only afford to get half of them developed, and only then coz it was free P&P.... It's been a long time since I've been this skint, and it's no fun at all. I absolutely hate being poor.


Carl finishes his last day on the 10th Aug, and already has work lined up, and although he's not at all worried about how we'll cope, I am. In fact, I'm in a right tizzy. I don't do change well, and uncertainty not at all.



Swapping and changing my jobs like I have recently has completely buggered me up tax wise too, because the last job wouldn't accept my resignation.... So the new one had me on emergency tax for weeks and they really hammered me there... and then in the end I DID decide to go back to my old employers... So... I've made a complete mess of everything for nothing. I guess I'll find a way to claim the tax back eventually... but in the meantime, it's crippled me, no two ways about it.

Saturday, July 29, 2006

HOME AT LAST

Well!

Finally home and got a five minute breather... We actually got back couple of days ago, but had mega problems on Thursday - not a day I'd ever like to go through again - and yesterday was Vinnie's birthday, so was pretty much tied up with that :-)

However, I did manage to squeeze in time to make my contribution to the Speshal dare - no 13 already! and though it was - and unfortunatley does look - a bit rushed, at least I made it. It wasn't even quite finished when I uploaded, but we were rushing out for Vin's birthday treat so really had no time to spare. Perhaps Clare will re-post for me, now it's completed... I'll have to ask.



PIRATES!!!

We went to into Luton to see Pirates of the Caribbean 2, and we were NOT disappointed - One word will do - Brilliant! We went for a meal first. Just Vin, me, Carl, Donna and Jon, and then trooped into the cinema feeling quite excited because we've been dying to see it since it came out but had saved it for Vin's birthday. Had a great night - we always have a good laugh with the guys, and of course inevitably Jon lost the car, and we all got lost on different floors of the multi-story trying to find it..... but we finally got home about 12ish, and Vin said he'd had a brilliant birthday and loved all his things, and we fell into bed exhausted.

Couldn't sleep though - FAR TOO HOT!!!!! At least in Lanza we had fans....


Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Heaven's - I've been up half the night!

Even had a quick streak through my fave forum at 4 o'clock this morning... seeing as no one was about ;-0
Lol Lol Lol!!

Got so much to do today... last minute jobs, packing, shopping etc etc . Looking forward to a bit of sun though, and seeing My Guys and MeeMee.

Yay! Our fave lunch in the San Miguel Bar tomorrow in the HOT Canarian Sunshine.... Great company, A pot of fresh mussels in wine and garlic, chippies and crusty bread.... um... and a litre or 2 of Sangria, no doubt!




Oh.... Happy Days!! :-)

Monday, July 10, 2006

Hold that deadline!!! Hee hee!

Blimey ! WHAT a rush!

Just when I thought I was done and dusted - something else pops up!

Couldn't resist it though... Call it serendipity if you like, but I came across a photo - purely by accident while looking for something else, showed it to someone - and that was it. I was back on the treadmill.... Roflol!!

Anyway, tis nearly done now, well the creative part is anyhow....

The writing up...? Well, as I say - just hold that deadline please..........!

FIESTA!!


Yay!!

It appears there's a fiesta when we are away!

From the Lanzarote Gazette:

Nuestra S̩nora del Carmen: This is the traditional fiesta in honour of the Virgin who gave the town its name. Dances and open air concerts will mark the event Рin Puerto Del Carmen on July 16 Рwhich will climax in a solemn parade where flowers and clothes are thrown into the sea.... And there's always fireworks and fun in the Old Town later - so guaranteed a few photo opps there I should think :-)

Saturday, July 08, 2006

nothing Speshal about it this week apparently! Lol!

This is the layout I did for the Speshal challenge this week:




I actually love it, and doubt I would have made it if I hadn't been given the title as a challenge, but from the dirth of comments on SP it appears no one else does.... Lol! I wonder why it is that the ones we love are never the ones other people like that much? Not that it matters, of course... merely making an observation!

The trouble with school...

The proof is in the pudding, as they say....


Yesterday Vinnie got hauled out of class. The head of year came and called him, two of his mates and a girl they know, and marched them across the grounds and up the block to the music room, snarling and growling at them all the way. They cacked it... wondering what on earth they'd done. They thought they were in trouble, big time.

When they got there the teacher flung open the door and bustled them in.... to a PARTY!

They, and a few others - about 20 of them altogether, were being rewarded for being the best behaved year 9's all year! The head of year and their individual form tutors had arranged the little do for a treat to show their appreciation. They had music, food and drinks, and missed a couple of lessons while the other kids got on with creating mayhem in the classrooms below.

It was a total surprise, and Vin was well impressed at escaping Geography and English :-) He thought it was so funny that Sir had tricked them... he really had thought they were getting done for something!

Personally, I think it was a lovely gesture. This was not our first choice school. Vin was denied a place at the school our 3 girls went to after they scrapped the criteria that granted siblings an automatic place, on the grounds that it discriminated against immigrants. This school, in our catchment area is very large, with a less than savoury reputation, and Vin was heartbroken when he learned he'd have to go there. However, it turned out all our fears were unfounded, because actually, he's happier here than he's ever been anywhere! Yes, there are a lot of hooligans, and classes are disrupted daily. Chaos rules the classroom but somehow he manages to survive it all and came out of his Sats with 5's and 6's and is well liked by all his teachers.

In his first year at this place he's lost 2 form tutors - both driven out of their posts by awful uncontrollable children, but thankfully, there are obviously still a few there who think it's worth hanging on for the ones who want to learn and do well, despite their appalling surroundings.

Friday, July 07, 2006

Look at me!!

Well, how chuffed with myself am I?

I'd asked Clare to help me with some stuff for my blog, but I know she's kinda busy right now... ;-) so I guessed I'd have a little wait til she could fit me in.

What I wanted, was a slide of my layouts like I've seen on others blogs, and also a nice banner. Then I decided I hated my Pink colour scheme and wished I could have that changed.

Anyway, me being the impatient bugger that I am, I thought I'd have a go at the slide jobby. Yay!!! I managed to make one! Ok, I know it's dead easy, but when you know nothing, it's a big thing. Next I thought I'd try and change the colour... well, that took some doing, I tell ya, but after a traumatic few hours (!!) I finally made it. Nearly got the slide going myself too, but kept moving things into the wrong place and finally had to let Clare talk me through getting it up across the top... Lol!!

I did manage to get my links back though - and then - to make and add a badge of some great piccies I took at a fun family day the other week!!

So....if you walk past me now and I don't say hello don't be alarmed..... I got my head so far up my own jacksy, I can't see a thing!

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Lots of small things

1. Portugal lost - wish I knew how to put a BIG smiley blinkie on here! Loved todays headline's.... "you're not winking anymore....!" hee hee! I guess he's not, eh?

*Just had a comment fom someone who's happy that England went out... Save it for someone who's interested please* :-)

2. Busy busy busy! Still haven't packed, still haven't done all my scrapping work, but decided to basically take October off as I'm never going to make my deadlines and felt a huge sense of relief and gratitude, once that was settled. I hate rushing work and hope to come back from my hols well refreshed and raring to go :-)

3. I'm going back to my old job. There are things I like about this place, but sadly, they are outweighed by things I'm never going to be able accept - and never want to. Really need to think about the whistle blowing issue - but my conscience is clear in that I have made my feelings well known to the manager, and will speak to HO if they ask. The place is far too institutionalized, and i want no part of that.



4. Got Vin The Green Mile. He's doing it in RE at school and wants to watch it uninterrupted by idiots.... He's also reading The Talisman, and has just finished Different Seasons. I can remember being knocked out by Steven King's earlier stuff too. He's getting so grown up, and was thrilled to be picked for one to one guitar tuition on a program run by Bedfordshire Music. Wish we could afford private lessons, but there's just no way right now.

5. Donna's just text me to say they are delayed at Arrecife airport and won't be getting out of there for hours.... Should have flown early eve, then told 9.30 pm, then 11pm, and now... that they are diverted to Birmingham! So after many hrs in the stifling heat of Lanza aerporto, they have a 4+ hr flight, then a coach down from B'ham to Luton, then a drive here to Dunstable - Jeeesh!! Probably looking at 7 am tomorrow morning. She said can I can imagine her face? Lol!! Poor little mare, 6 months pregnant, two tiny kiddies, a set of in laws, Jon, and his Grandma..... my guess is she won't be the happiest of bunnies tonight. Or any of them for that matter.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

sadness in the house.

One of Vinnie's fish died today. He called me to say one of them didn't look too good, and sure enough, I found that he was a gonna.... We wanted to give him a proper burial, but sadly that was out of the question with the cat, so he had to have an internment of a different kind. Poor little fella.

His name was Rooney....

coz when we got him he was blue.. but sort of turned red.

He now follows Owen to the great Goldfish bowl in the sky... He'll be missed.

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Oh dear, I really lost it yesterday. I'm never very good when England get beaten, but yesterday was my darling little Mum's birthday, so I was already emotionally very fragile and my disappointment over the way our game went just tipped me over the edge.

Ok, we haven't played that well so far, but yesterday was the day to change all that, and I honestly feel it would have happened for us had the Portuguese not dived and cheated and robbed us of our chance. Rooney's an idiot. No doubt about it, and I've said many times that he's always going to be a liability as long as he gives way to his temper, but in fairness, they went out to get him and that wink and shusshing motion from Ronaldo will stay with me forever.

I thought I hated the guy before - can't stand his arrogance and smirking, smarmy face... but now I truly despise him.

What he did was shocking. So unsporting, and very very wrong.




On a happier note, we tried to put it behind us and carried on the tradition of making Moshie a barbi for her birthday. In Cornwall San and Daave raised a glass to her in their newly completed landscaped garden, and the girls - all together in Lanza, dined out and toasted their much loved Nanny... 'all under the same stars' as we do every year, wherever we are.


Happy Birthday to you in Heaven Ma.
We'll never forget our Posh Mosh, our 'very best friend' xx

Saturday, July 01, 2006

COME ON ENGLAND!!

Please Please pull it out of the bag today!



Come on boys - we need you to do it

getting there slowly...

I've had a lot to do. Lots of DT stuff, mag stuff and whatnot. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, but now I work 5 mornings instead of four, it's been hard finding the time to fit it all in. I was given something to do this week which I was bricking it over... but it's nearly done and I actually love it. It's not like it was anything hard and any of the team could and probably would have made it with their eyes shut but I guess it's because it's the first, and so it scared the hell out of me!

Mwahahah!!!!!

Just have to hope it ends up alright and is received well at the other end!

I'm so excited about all the stuff going on right now. It's good to be back in the saddle, and I'm really enjoying getting to know my teamies. Some I know anyway and consider my best buds, but we've got a great little atmosphere going on, and I think that's going to be what makes the difference. It's a helluva group, I cannot wait to see the results....I just feel so proud to be among them.

I was there

This weeks Speshal dare : I was there.
Another round of fantastic entries.

These girls, my friends, never fail to amaze me with the incredible layouts they come up with. I think my fave this week has to be Ali's - just love the deep rich colour and really like her placement and the white words. My own entry is very typically me, from the style of the LO to the fact I'm wearing in silly clothes! Carl was recently joking about my dressing up, saying any excuse to get donned in fancy dress, as if it was a new thing..... this pic proves the reverse! :-) I will admit, I do like to go the whole hog and have photo's of us all dressed in all sorts of daft stuff over the years. This was a little pic I scanned in and had printed by snapfish. The original was quite small and discoloured. There are so many photos I need to get printed again. but that would be a job for when I have lots of time spare. Which certainly isn't now!
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