Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Well...

I think the lack of blogging over the last month pretty much sums up how busy I've been.

I'm glad to say work is settling and I feel like I'm finally making progress and finding my feet which has been a huge help to feeling more stable in general.

My weekends have been jam packed for the last few weeks which is brilliant but exhausting and I still feel like I need some downtime! I'll get round to it soon...

So three weekends ago I stayed in Nottingham to Mrs P's birthday celebrations.  It was great to meet up with the old gang in some of our old haunts though it's safe to say Rock City isn't at all what it once was... and even then it was average!

The following weekend was my first ever trip to the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix. Scratch that... my first ever GP! Becko and I had a fantastic time in Brussels and despite the dodgy weather which included torrential downpours AND sunburn, even Becko was converted into a newbie motorsport fan. I took lots of photo's with both camera phone and my trusty old digital SLR so it was nice to get a good blend of both in Brussels and our day trip to Brugge.  I wish I'd blogged nearer my return home to regale readers with the funny little stories, jazzed up with photographs but it seems so long ago now it seems a bit redundant!! Needless to say it was a brilliant trip and I was so glad to share it with one of my very best friends. :-)

Last weekend was spent throwing what turned out to be a slightly smaller scale party than we initially anticipated- however we went all out on the Hawaiian Theme decorations and a good night was had by all.  On the following day I finally got to look around the new library in Brum which I have to say is a beautifully constructed and designed building. It's definitely something for Brum folk to feel proud of. My trip was interjected with a visit to my favourite café Mount Fuji where my favourite bento box hit the spot as usual.

Yesterday I had my hair chopped off and spent an absolute fortune on baby shower and 60th birthday gifts for a friend and my Mum.. which is what I have planned for the upcoming weekend.

Today I've been to Rockingham Motor Speedway to watch British Touring Car Championship with my sister and her bloke.  It was the first one we've been to this year which didn't require raincoats and umbrella's at some point... amazingly it was fine and dry and even more amazingly I haven't got sunburned!!!! :-D MEGA bonus! Again, I have more piccies and have eaten my weight in sarnies, picnic food and the obligatory motor racing delicacy - Tea and doughnuts! Perrfect.

Things are good... busy and good.  Upcoming I have dates to arrange, a Halloween party to plan, Mum's 60th, attending my first ever baby shower (not comfortable with this) and in a few weeks time... Silverstone for my final BTCC event of the year! I also want to squeeze in a sedgway rally and another hill walk too at some point. :-)

YOWZER.

Slumps.

I seem to lumber from one mound of stress to another these days!  I seem to have just come out of my last slump which I think I put mainly down to being ill for about two weeks.  I just felt rubbish... low, ugly, not confident, not myself, ill, tired, achey, tired of being ill and fed up of feeling lonely and inadequate and generally all round shit.  I like the warmer weather but I hate the insecurities it brings with my figure and ghostly white skin. However I'm starting to feel better despite pretty sad and anxious at leaving my lovely team in a weeks time and starting my new job. 

It's just speeding round now.  I'm gutted, genuinely gutted, to be leaving my team.  No more banter or crying from laughter... exchanging it for an hour long, traffic ridden commute and a serious albeit important and challenging job.  I'll embrace it, but I still incredibly sad and nervous about the whole situation.  Things are changing though in my current department and as such it will help that the office I'm leaving behind won't remain the same for long.  It won't be the office I know and love anyway, so that's something.

My sculpty commissions have been continuing to roll in.  I've completed two this month and have just started a third.  I have another two lined up after that to keep me occupied for another month. :)

I don't think I have much more in the way of news until I start my new job.  I'll have to make my leaving drinks pretty special and I might just buy myself a new dress for it. :)

Autosport Show 2014

So, I was having a really lovely weekend - having lovely catch up drinks with B on Friday and a further catch up with SB on Saturday after a DESPERATELY needed car wash for Franko and some household chores... when my dear N offered me a ticket to the AUTOSPORT Show on Sunday! Happy Days!

And what a day at that! The main thing I enjoyed was getting back to grips with my digital SLR.  I've missed it.  The feel of it, the weight of it in my hands; having to compose and think about the subject and final image before taking the shot; the familiar bleep of the focus, and satisfying click of the shutter. I loved being back behind the camera.  I missed the instant sharing as I've become accustomed to through social networking to but this was outweighed by the excitement of getting home, downloading all the images from my camera and unveiling each one- most triumphant little compositions, others being cast out like an editor making cuts from a film reel.

Seeing so many racing cars under one roof has really given me the motorsport bug for the impending season and the live action arena was equally brilliant.  We were treated to drifting, moto cross, stock cars, vintage racing cars, stunt driving, smart car racing and even some double bonneted cars which could race in both directions and even split apart!

Another little highlight was artist Ian Cook posing for a photograph for me while he worked on his latest piece in front of a fascinated crowd.  Sadly, I took this one on my phone so that I could share it on twitter and as a result it came out a little blurry which I was gutted about seeing as he'd been so kind as to pose for me!

I did a small bit of autograph hunting too, gaining signatures from Matt Neal, Gordon Sheddon, Andrew Jordan, Alan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Rob Austin in my Paddock Pass lanyard book. I also managed to get an autograph for my sister from Rob Austin as she's sponsoring his drive this year via his Roof Share scheme.

And at the end of it all, I've had time to post all my photographs, update my blog and soak it all in all over again. Happy Slink tonight thanks to a truly awesome weekend.  Here's to more of these!

:-)

Christmas Eve Eve; 2013 Reflections

I'm sitting in my slippers, watching A Christmas Carol on TV.  It's Christmas Eve Eve and I finished work today for the rest of the week. 

It's normally this time of the year when I'm doing a review of the year and compiling some New Years Resolutions, but I'm feeling a distinct lack of energy to do either. Plus, I'm not sure summarising my year will be all that eventful this time!

However... now I think back...

Things I have lost: 

Some friends. Not in a physical sense, they're alive and well.  People change, people move on and some people you realise really aren't worth your time and energy. Those who mean a lot to me, remain, however. Even if I don't see them as much as I would like. Thank you for your continued friendship to Mrs P, Markuus, and my dear N who I will always love with all my heart.

Money- a lot has been thrown away on copious drinking, nights out and shoes... but all in all I have some memories of happy times such as motor racing with N and many a post-working-week-debriefing drinks down the local.

My twenties- A heart felt goodbye to my twenties; bittersweet as I lay to rest many fun and happy memories of my youth interspersed with the anxiety, insecurity, angst and heartache that goes along with it.

Things I have gained:

New friends. 
New flat. 
My independence back. 
Strength and Tone from my gym workouts.
Perspective.
A whole new decade ahead of me as I entered my thirties.
New gig experiences- Deftones, Bastille and the amazing Nine Inch Nails... memories of the latter I will treasure forever. Two more ticks off on my "Bands to See Before I Die" list. 

A review of my 2013 Resolutions:

Resolution 1: Be more active.
Achieved. I'm still going to the gym about twice a week and generally feeling better for it; although I certainly notice the difference when I don't go.

Resolution 2: Be less angry.
Semi- Achieved. I'm not sure this has happened... if it has it's more by the ever-so-slightly decreased invasion of the Government impacting on my job and colleagues. I think this year has been more stressful than angry so I'm saying this is semi-achieved.

Resolution 3: Laugh more.
Achieved. I have certainly laughed a lot this year.  I have a graffiti'd piggy bank on my desk at work which says "Just Keep Larfin" thanks to my colleague Daz who decorated it for me and says I say the word Laugh posh.  He's from the Black Country.

Resolution 4: Be Inspired.
Semi- Achieved.  I've been to the cinema, seen films at home and been to gigs this year which have all been inspiring to me. However I need to get out more next year and see more places.  I've spend too much time in the office this year... I need inspiration from nature and new cities next year (money permitting).

Resolution 5: Be more creative.
Semi-Achieved. I failed to get my new tattoo thanks to money issues, however I have one planned for my birthday in 2014.  I've done more sculpture commissions this year and have two lined up for the beginning of next year.  To be continued. 

Resolution 6: Blog more.
Achieved. This has definitely been achieved.

Resolution 7: Feel settled.
Not achieved. Work in progress.  I think I know what I need to be happy- companionship.  At the moment I'm at a loss as to where to find this.


2014 Resolutions to be posted soon. 

Blow Out.

Bank holiday Monday has been and gone; the last one of the year until Christmas!

Despite being worried about getting approval from my client for the commission I managed to complete- I had a lovely bank holiday, whiling away a few hours with Markuuuus by the canal in Hopwas. 

I can barely believe my six days off work have been and gone! Here they are in bullet form:

Wed- Flight over to Belfast, EasyJet, annoying child on plane and a very angry, huffing-puffing butch lady.

Wed night- Nine Inch Nails gig in Charter House Square. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

Thur- Titanic museum and flight back home.

Fri- Work on commission- it does NOT go well and I swear a lot.

Fri night- traditional Friday night drinks with H; scarily quiet for a bank holiday weekend. Cocktails are consumed. I pretend not to have noticed the incompetence of the barman as he spills half a daiquiri onto the bar in front of me. He looks mortified. I watch the TV above him to save him further embarrassment.

Sat- Work on commission. It goes better. Less swearing.  Good gym session despite nearly fainting at one point due to the heat.

Sun- Commission is completed. Email sent for approval. Nervous wait so car is washed, tea is eaten and a big session at the gym is undertaken.  I am buzzing... so much so that I return home and eat a bag of doritos and a slice of cheese cake.

Mon- Still hungry from the gym and fuelled by nerves from the lack of contact from my client, I meet Markuus for bank holiday drinks in Hopwas.  Beautiful day for it.  Sun, wasps, half a roast chicken with chips and an eton mess for dessert interspersed with drinks and a hot choc.  Bliss. Approval comes in the form of a lovely email from client. So once home, commission is baked, finished and boxed up for delivery.

Tue- Back to work to find no handover after 6 days, a chocka email account thanks to the bank holiday, a four hour meeting to prepare for and complete minutes for, hardly any staff, my colleague off work so I have to take on her work load also.  Stress.  Stress. Stress. 

That's it.  In a nutshell. It's just flown by! I fully expect that by the end of the week my head's going to explode. And its only my first day back.  :-(

Another Busy Weekend...

It's been a very busy couple of weeks at work.  Things are building up again and my days can be long and draining.  Booking leave is getting tricky lately too, I've had some refused recently and had to get my Inspector to intervene and let me use up all the hours that I work over my contracted time.  When I do get a day off, I make plans to meet people I haven't seen in a while or cheer up lunches for people having a much worse time than myself so even my days away from work fly be without me noticing. I'm even struggling to fit the gym in recently. 

I get tired.  I could do with a lazy weekend watching films and slobbing out in PJ's for a while.  But alas, my next few weekends are all booked up and I somehow have to fit in a new cake topper commission into all this.  Fortunately I think the bank holiday weekend is going to have to be allocated to some serious sculpting time.

This weekend, I've been on a mini road trip up to the mysterious and strange lands of The North.  My friend L from Uni was celebrating her 30th birthday so N, Markuus and another uni chum Adam travelled up to sunny Hull to celebrate with her.  Aside from my taxi rage ( having to wait nearly two hours for a taxi is NOT, I repeat NOT, good for Slinks stress levels) it was good to have a good catch up with friends over a LOT of cocktails. 

My traditional weekly Friday work-de-brief drinks with H will be instigated again this week after a two week hiatus.  However, we're having to divert from our local due to an unwelcome invasion so we're heading a bit further north for our night out.  Gutted, as it's my local pub and it's become a regular feature of my post-working-week drinks over the last few years, but hey ho, I'm not going to let a particular nasty individual affect my night.  I shall party on elsewhere.  :-)

Time is steadily ticking by and it will be TWO weeks on Wednesday until I'll be flying over to Ireland to see Nine Inch Nails.  Oh my god.  My heart skips a beat every time I think about it.  I simply cannot wait and am counting down the days.  It's going to be so immense. 

A Film in the Sunshine.

Last night my friend H and I went to Brum to catch an outdoor film showing of Breakfast At Tiffany's. It was a free event in the lovely Brindley Place and the organisers handed out bean bags, free popcorn and blankets to the crowd.  It was a different way to spend the evening, sitting on the steps in the shade watching a film, especially one I haven't seen in years!

I have another fairly busy weekend coming up with my Boss's leaving do on Friday and some drinks in Brum with H on Saturday, starting off at Marco Pierre Whites for some cocktails.

I've also finally been back to the gym this week after a few weeks off due to my inner ear problems which thankfully seem to have cleared up.  Good times! :-)

Exclusive: Slink Captured on Film in Natural Habitat.

The awesome KTP has put together a fab little video of my birthday celebrations at my favourite rock club, Eddies, back in March.  It just makes me smile and I wanted to share it here too:

I can't stop grinning after watching it.  I love that there is a cluster of songs that will ALWAYS always be etched on my soul and bind me with some absolutely amazing friends and some equally amazing times at Uni.  Despite these moments getting further and further into the past, the effect these songs has on each one of us will always spark memories of happy times.  I love it.  It's priceless.  :-)

I'm still waiting to be given the all clear so I can return to work.  I have an appointment tomorrow where I'm hoping to be booked back fit. If not, I'll have to wait until my sick note runs out on Friday.  I just want to get back to the normal drudgery of work now, I miss it!

What A Week.

What a week.  Allow me to recap:

On Wednesday I had my third meal out with three work colleagues, one of whom was also celebrating a birthday this week.  We started out at Bar Epernay in the Mailbox, moving on to Cote Brasserie for a lovely meal.  We drank fizzy wine drinks and chatted away, then after our meal we went up to Marco Pierre Whites for champagne cocktails.  It's a lovely place to go at night as it's located on top of a building called The Cube, where you are surrounded by full length glass windows and able to admire all the twinkly lights of Birmingham City.  It's probably a much nicer view at night than during the day, where sunlight will reveal the greyness of the city and surrounding roads. Following this, we opted for a quick stop at Malmaison for a final drink before getting the last train home. 

On Thursday I popped back into Brum to attempt to find an outfit for Saturday night.  I had ZERO luck and was starting to panic considerably at having nothing to wear.  I got back in time for a few quick drinks with my friend Hannah at our favourite local Sutton pub.

Friday saw a final, now desperate, attempt at outfit shopping in nearby Tamworth- again with no such luck.  Though  I did manage to find a nice shirt/top to wear for the evening which I was really looking forward to: A meal at Jamie's Italian, followed by a trip to The Electric Cinema to see Danny Boyle's new film Trance.  Jamie's Italian was a nice dining experience- with a nice relaxed atmosphere inside- not too stuffy or pretentious.  I had bread and oil to start along with some cured meats and fresh baby mozzarella, followed by a beautiful crab risotto and side salad. It was delicious- but as most risotto's are, it was very filling and I couldn't manage a dessert too.  Gutted, as this is usually the best part of any meal! I would opt for the introduction of a dessert starter so I can get the best of both worlds! 
The cinema is the UK's oldest working cinema and has a truly nostalgic feel complete with old style tickets.  I had booked a sofa, called Keaton, which came with  a text waiter service.  It was lovely to be able to watch  a film from the comfort of a sofa.  The whole cinema felt homely and familiar, warm and friendly with it's deep red walls and cosy sofa's.  It is a MUST if you're in Birmingham and there's a decent film showing you want to catch. 

And so to Saturday, the morning of which I spent trying on clothes for my night out.  I had booked a small side room in Bacchus in Birmingham for my pre-club drinks to celebrate my birthday.  Getting there early to order food, my family and I were closely joined by colleagues and most of my closest friends.  We whiled away a few hours here, laughing and drinking, with a few compliments on my chosen outfit on the way. :-)  It was lovely having everyone I cared about in one room, and whilst I was disappointed with a few cancellations and no-shows, it became clear that the people who really mattered to me were all in one room.  It was heart warming.  At about 11pm a few people peeled off to go home or to other venues, while a small hardcore crowd of us headed to my favourite rock club in Brum.  It was heaving when we arrived- good to see it so busy as the last few times we've been, albeit a few months ago, it's been fairly quiet.  The dance floor was packed for most of the night, with some perfect song choices for our Uni Rock night reunion.  It was such  a good night.  The club was still in full swing when we left at about 3.15am, they were obviously staying open an hour later than usual due to the clocks going forward.  We sleepily arrived home between 4.30 and 5 am at our prospective homes and lodgings. 

This brings me onto today which has been spent feeling incredibly sleepy and nursing our sore dancing feet. I noticed a small spikey-shoe-related injury to my left foot where I've obviously spiked myself at some point.  Despite our wrecked bodies, we opted for a bracing walk into Lichfield for a mid-afternoon coffee or hot chocolate, before heading home to say our goodbyes.  

It's been a truly awesome week off work, much-needed and welcomed.  I've been spoiled, treated and blessed with some wonderful nights out with truly awesome people.  I have one more day off tomorrow before I return back to the daily grind.  Tomorrow I'll be off to Nottingham to see family and relax a bit before the working week begins again.  I'm sad it's all over to be honest- but at least I really made the most of it.  And my bank balance proves it. :-)

Crawl!

My neice has finally started crawling! Here she is showing off her skills- both forwards AND backwards! She is now 9 months and absorbing so much, copying actions like clapping, exploring surfaces and textures.  It looks like she's really pleased with her newly acomplished mobility.  She always puts a smile on my face. :-)

I have just finished a particularly manic week at work.  The weeks just seem to get busier and busier, and the nature of it can be stressful at times.  I realised today that I've not taken any big chunks of annual leave for about a year- choosing to have odd days here and there rather than a week at a time; I think I've suffered for it.  Whilst it's been important for me to be at work while my home life has been unstable, I wouldn't be surprised if my lack of leave has been one of the reasons for my general fatigue and many illnesses over the last few months.  To quote Bilbo Baggins " I feel thin... sort of stretched... like butter scraped over too much bread".  I always loved that quote; Tolkien was a master of similies and I think thats the only way you can use language properly to describe.  Words don't fit many things, but a similie or metaphor will paint the perfect picture.  Anyway, I digress.  I now have FOUR days off work.  Count 'em, Fri, Sat, Sun and Mon.. that's FOUR whole days.  FOUR.  Four days not having to get up at six o'clock.  FOUR days. I will sleep.

Tomorrow I plan to spend the afternoon catching up with my good mate Markuuuus as it was his birthday today- Happy Birthday Dude! We will chat and laugh, have a good grumble, eat food and have a few bevvies in a bar in Brum. The perfect way to spend a day off! Saturday I will be going to see Bastille (omgomgomg can't wait) and then Sunday is Mothers Day so I'll be off to Nottingham to see family.  Happy times!

Did I mention I have FOUR WHOLE DAYS OFF!!!!

One.

“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.”
Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey


And at least now I know those who are worth it, and those that aren't. :-)

Posts are like buses, you wait ages for one...

The wonderful Mrs P, whose amazing wedding I attended just a few weeks ago, has put up a blog post which is still making me smile a good hour after reading it.

See post here-   Wedding Wednesday: Top of the Cake Toppers

Needless to say, the whole little project, in which I was entrusted with the privilige of seeing outfits BEFORE the wedding!!!, was an absolute pleasure and all I hoped was that I captured the wonderful personalities of this lovely and perfect couple.

London Weekend.

Last Friday evening N and I drove down to London to see Ktp and her fiance Adam. My throat was still sore and I was feeling pretty rough from this nasty cough and cold I can't seem to shake- but still, we travelled down dressed to the nines in our rock gear for our first night out in Camden.

After a quick tour round chez P, we head out to Sin City where, judging by the hilarious photo's, a good night out was had by all. I miss rock nights. The following day we strolled, some of us nursing pretty hefty hangovers and gippy tummy's headed out to Kings Cross. We stopped by Platform 9 3/4's on the way for a quick photo, and then enjoyed a fairy-lit stroll through Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland. It felt so christmassy despite how busy it was and the mild evening weather. We'd planned to spend the evening at Drink, Make and Do which is a bar/cafe where you can do crafty activities. The planned activity was a Micheal Jackson theme Clay night... but unfortunately we hadn't been told that we had to book so we were unable to stay for anything more than a tasty hot choc and cocktail. Plan B was initiated, which was three pizza's and some chillaxing back at chez P's watching Flight of The Conchords. Think we all needed the rest after the previous night.

Sunday morning was spent having a look see round the mahoosive RAF museum not far from Ktp's house. Plane's aren't my thing, but it was good to walk round and feel so small amongst the huge machines. We couldn't get round all of the hangers because of the sheer size and having to drive back home but it was a nice relaxing way to while away a few hours.

All in all, a fab weekend... I'm left feeling like I miss my friends, I miss rock night's and need to make a much bigger effort to actually ENJOY my weekends and make the most of them. Hopefully we can return the favour to the P's to be, in the new year with an equally awesome eddies night.