2006 - The Year That Was

Okay so Christmas is over. The mince pies are all gone, the Quality Street is almost empty (apart from the boring toffee penny ones), the comb, moustache, fake plastic nail-through-finger and spinning top from the crackers are over the dining table along with the salt and pepper and other stuff we couldn't be bothered to put away after christmas dinner. We've had a sleep and played a quiz and now it's time to turn our attention to the fact that in four days time 2006 will be over and consigned to the history books as the year that was.

And how better to reflect upon 2006 than with a cheesy quiz that someone emailed to me...

1) Where did you begin 2006? In Cathy's flat drinking pints of vodka and diet coke, eating chinese and playing music DVD quizes!

2) What was your status by Valentine's Day? Single. Someone later told me they wanted to send me a card but had no idea how to get it to me!

3) Were you in school (anytime this year)? Nope. I've worked all year. In the same job!

5) Did you have to go to the hospital? Not for treatment

6) Did you have any encounters with the police? Only through work. Not cos I'd done anything naughty! I'm a good girl!

7) Where did you go on holiday? Rhodes, with my sister. Also went to Albi (France) for a rugby game and on a rugby torunament in Reading.

8) What did you purchase that was over £500? Other than my holiday, nothing. My season ticket was just over £300

9) Did you know anybody who got married? Yep, Camilla and Chris got married. And Dave and Vicky (but I didn't go to that one)

10) Did you know anybody who passed away? Yes. Sadly.

11) Have you run into anybody you left high school with? Yes. Not that I really remembered him!

12) Did you move anywhere? Nope

13) What sporting events did you go to?Well I went to the odd Warriors match. Also went to the Guinness Premiership Final (which was good) and the Middlesex Sevens (Not so good!)

14) What was the best concert/show did you go to? I don't think I went to one. That seems quite sad. I wanted to go see Paulo Nutini but couldn't because of work.

15) Are you registered to vote? Yes

16) Who did you want to win Big Brother? Pete - He was cool.

17) Where do you live now? Worcester

18) Describe your birthday. I didn't really do anything on my actual birthday. Went out for a nice meal with parents. Couple of days later was the first pre-season at the rugby so I celebrated with my friends at that.

19) What's the one thing you thought you would never do but did in 2006? Help get rid of my boss!

20.) What has been your favourite moment? Probably the Albi trip a couple of weekends ago. There was probably about an hour in the entire weekend when I wasn't having a brilliant time. Holiday with my sister was cool too. Oh and the London Marathon and the 18 hours in the white van to and from the Great North Run.

21.) What's something you learned about yourself? People think a lot more of me than I tend to believe.

23.) What was your best month/months? April and May

24.) What music will you remember 2006 by? Paulo Nutini

25) Who has been your best drinking buddy? Marie. Considering about 18 months ago I thought she hated my guts, she's become quite a good friend!!

26) Made new friends? Yes - Sophie's someone I feel like I've known forever.

27) New best friend? No. But some good friends have become very good friends.

28) Favourite Night out? End of Season dinner. Bloody brilliant night.

29) Any regrets? One or two but lets not dwell on them!

So, Sunday evening is New Year's Eve. The one night of the year I utterly despise! New Year's Eve comes with far too much pressure.

Firstly, you have to decide who you want to spend New Years Eve with. If you have several different groups of friends this can be particularly difficult. This can be made even worse if you have a boyfriend/girlfriend who also has several different groups of friends and often in different cities.

Once you've decided on who you're spending it with, you've then got to decide where. Invariably there are two basic options. Both come with pros and cons. Option 1: House party. Option 2: Pub/Bar/Club

Option 1: House party

Pros:
* Free to get in
* Take your own alcohol so relatively cheap
* No closing time
* Don't have to dress up or deal with annoying bouncers

Cons:
* You're stuck with the same people all night with absolutely no chance of 'running into' another group of friends. It's also highly unlikely you'll meet anyone new.
* They're usually in the middle of nowhere which means you either have to sleep uncomfortably on someone's floor which means you start the new year, not only with a hangover but with the backpain from hell or you catch one of the most expensive taxis ever back to your own bed.
* People tend to drink far too much at house parties and someone ends up throwing up in the toilet which means if you actually need to use the toilet for reasons it was intended you have a long wait.
* Even worse someone throws up not in the toilet
* When the 'volatile' couple amongst your friends has their fight, everyone knows about it and it puts everyone in a bad mood.
* After you've tuned the telly into BBC to watch Big Ben's bongs then it's all a bit of a let down.
* You spend the entire night wondering if you'd have had more fun if you'd gone into town with your other group of friends.

Option 2: Pub/Bar/Club

Pros:
* Constant supply of music, usually quite fun and cheesy. Usually quite varied rather than the music nazi's choice from the house party.
* If you get bored with the people you're with, you can make some new friends!
* Everyone is in the party atmosphere, if there is anyone in a bad mood, they'll go home rather than hanging round like a rainy day!
* You can go to another bar if the one you're in is a bit crap

Cons:
* You have to pay to get in almost everywhere
* Drinks tend to magically go up in price
* Everywhere is packed so you queue for hours to get a drink
* At midnight some sleezy drunken vile excuse for a man seems to think its alright to invade your personal space and try to stick his tongue down your throat claiming it's a 'New Year Kiss'.
* You HAVE to have fun and can't get bored, tired and go home early!
* You spend the entire night wondering if you'd have had more fun if you'd gone to the house party with your other group of friends.

So, yes. I hate New Year's Eve. Last year was an exception. Last year I went round to Cathy's flat. We bought some snacks from Tescos and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on DVD. We then went to 'Wok'n'Roll' for a chinese, we were in our PJs by 8:30 and spent the evening watching films, playing DVD games, watching the crap New Year's Eve telly and eating ourselves silly. At midnight, we leaned out of her window and watched the fireworks over the city.

Hopefully something similar will be happening this year but with Marie and Jon. Then on New Year's Day we'll all pile into my car and drive up to Northampton to watch some shite excuse for a rugby match...but that's another blog for another day.


Happy New Year !!!

The Good Life

Last weekend I went to Albi to watch Worcester Warriors take on Albi in the European Challenge Cup.

I went with Darren and Tracy, friends from the rugby club, but met up with several other people we know. There was a group of around 15 of us who spent most of the weekend together.

The majority of this group are known as 'The Giraffes'. They're a group of men who are a variety of ages who enjoy rugby, enjoy drinking, enjoy singing and enjoy each others company. They're a lot of fun. In normal lives they're managing directors of companies, they're accountants, they're salesmen, they're team leaders but when it comes to the weekend and the rugby, none of that matters. It doesn't matter who does what for a living or how much money they earn or any kind of social status. The only agenda for weekends like this is to have fun.

And we did.

We started drinking about 7am at Gatwick airport where some poor kid was standing outside duty free giving away Baileys. He fast became my best friend and didn't have the heart to tell me to piss off! We then flew to Tolouse and went to a bar called 'Le Winger' where the alcoholic owner with very limited English bought us pints of Heineken and kissed us goodbye in a very continental way. After arriving in Albi and getting sorted in our hotel we went to O'Sullivans, an Irish bar just round the corner from our hotel. It's the pub in the picture and the outside had been made to look like Santas Grotto. Very cool. I don't know why when we go to foreign countries we look for Irish/British bars but we found it, it was nice. We then sat there all night and drank and sang and stood on chairs.

This set the tone for the weekend where more drinking, singing and standing on chairs ensued.

There was a rugby match at one point too!! It almost seemed a bonus in a weekend of fun and winning was the icing on the cake. The Albi supporters were very hospitable, I was invited to serve behind the bar and then got given free beer! All good!!

I've never laughed so much in one weekend. Every single minute of it was fun. It made me realise that as much as I get worked up over work or friends or men or life or anything else, at the end of the day, it is possible just to have fun.

If only all of life could be like that although I don't know if my liver could cope!

If car technology had kept up with computer technology...

At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated, "If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."

In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release stating: If General Motors had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics:

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.

2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.

3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue.For some reason you would simply accept this.

4. Occasionally, executing a manoeuvre such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.

5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads.

6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation" warning light.

7. The airbag system would ask "Are you sure?" before deploying.

8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive all overagain because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.

10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.

Dear Alcohol...

Dear Alcohol:

First & foremost, let me tell you that I'm a huge fan of yours. My friend, you always seem to be there when needed. The perfect post-work cocktail, a beer at the game, and you're even around at Christmas hidden inside chocolates as you warm us when we're stuck in the midst of endless family gatherings.

However, lately I've been wondering about your intentions. While I want to believe that you have my best interests at heart, I feel that your influence has led to some unwise consequences:

1. Phone calls: While I agree with you that communication is important, I question the suggestion that any conversation of substance or necessity takes place after 2 a.m.Why would you make me call those ex-boyfriends when I know for a fact they do not want to hear from me during the day, let alone all hours of the night?

2. Eating: Now, you know I love a good meal, but why do you suggest that I eat a kebab with chili sauce, along with a big Italian meatball and some stale chips (washed down with WINE & topped off with a Kit Kat after a few nachos and biscuits)? I'm an eclectic eater, but I think you went too far this time.

3. Clumsiness: Unless you're subtly trying to tell me that I need to do more yoga to improve my balance, I see NO need to hammer the issue home by causing me to fall down. It's completely unnecessary, and the black & blue marks that appear on my body mysteriously the next day are beyond me.

Similarly, it should never take me more than 45 seconds to get the front door key into the lock.

4. Furthermore: The hangovers have GOT to stop. This is getting ridiculous. I know a little penance for our previous evening's debauchery may be in order, but the 3pm hangover immobility is completely unacceptable! My entire day is shot. I ask that, if the proper precautions are taken (water, vitamin B, bread products, aspirin) prior to going to sleep/passing out face down on the kitchen floor with a bag of popcorn, the hangover should be minimal & in no way interfere with my daily activities.

Alcohol, I have enjoyed our friendship for some years now & would like to ensure that we remain on good terms. You've been the invoker of great stories, the provocation for much laughter, and the needed companion when I just don't know what to do with the extra money in my pockets.

In order to continue this friendship, I ask that you carefully review my grievances above & address them immediately. I will look for an answer no later than Thursday 3pm (pre-happy hour) on your possible solutions & hopefully we can continue this fruitful partnership.

Thank you,

Your biggest fan

P.S. THINGS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO SAY WHEN DRUNK:
1. Innovative
2. Preliminary
3. Proliferation
4. Cinnamon

THINGS THAT ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY WHEN DRUNK:
1. Specificity
2. British Constitution
3. Passive-aggressive disorder

THINGS THAT ARE DOWNRIGHT IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WHEN DRUNK:
1. Nope, no more beer for me.
2. Good evening, officer. Isn't it lovely outtonight?
3. Oh, I couldn't. No one wants to hear me sing.

Last Friday was World Aids Day.

I sat reading The Independent as I ate my breakfast and found myself getting more and more enraged as I read it.

I don't like the Independent as a paper. It never seems to have much news in it any,ore. It is some commentary on whichever issue appears to be in Vogue that day, informs us in big letters across the front page of just how horrific this issue is, spends several pages getting on it's pappery high horse about how the government is doing nothing to fix whatever problem they've decided is the most important for that particular day.

So, on Friday the front cover read ' WORLD AIDS DAY'. Across the top of the page it said that a percentage of the money made from the sales of the paper that day would go towards fighting AIDS in Africa. At the bottom of the page there was the (red) symbol: a campaign related to the Make Poverty History campaign where huge corporate companies pretend that they're not completely soul's and are trying to help put the world to right but only because this is the new trendy way to do it.

The next few pages of the paper had several articles about the AIDS epidemic in Africa. About how horrific it was that so many people in Africa were suffering and how it was a huge problem and wasn't it time we did something about it. Each article was complete with photo of generic African orphan or group of women. Every single page was talking about how more needed to be done to fight AIDS in Africa and put a stop to it.

Friday 1st December is WORLD AIDS day. Not AFRICAN AIDS Day.

Why fight AIDS in Africa? Why not fight AIDS EVERYWHERE? It is a global problem. People in every single country in the world are suffering from HIV and AIDS. I appreciate that it is a huge problem in Africa but it is not confined to one continent.

When I as at University I did some work with a local AIDS charity called Positive Action Southwest. I met the people who worked there and the people they helped. I met and talked to several people who were suffering with HIV and AIDS.

Why, suddenly, is their suffering any less important than someone living in Africa? Yes, there are a lot more drugs available in the UK but that doesn't make the mental and emotional side of things any easier to deal with. The side effects of some of these drugs are horrific. Drugs don't always make things better. Drugs don't make them any less important.

45% of people in Britain think that there is a cure for AIDS. There isn't. It is still a death sentence wherever you live in the world.

I wore my red ribbon on Friday. I showed my awareness but somehow I feel like World AIDS Day has taken a step backwards.

Dogs

What is it about dog walkers that makes them automatically think that every other person in the world likes dogs?

I think in life you are either a dog person or a cat person. I am a cat person. I have always had cats. I like cats. I respect cats.

I do not like dogs. At all. The occasional one is alright but they are generally horrible and smelly.
This afternoon I decided to go for a walk on the Old Hills. As we apparently live in the 'countryside' I decided to forget about my £50 a month gym membership and get back to the great outdoors.

And I was enjoying it. Striding along over the hills, admiring the views and enjoying the time to myself when out of nowhere bounds this great stinking beast of a dog completely ruining my Wordsworthian experience.

Despite a sharp entending of my foot in its direction, it leaped and barked around my feet for a while before its owners finally appeared.

"He likes you" they said. I wanted to reply with "Well I don't like it. Now remove it from my leg before I send it into orbit with one swift movement'.

I decided, however, that a sarcastic smile was probably more fitting to the occasion and let it run off back to where it belongs, hopefully via a particularly muddy puddle that'll ruin the inside of their Range Rover.

"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work... I want to achieve through not dying."

The quote is from Woody Allen although it's interesting how people view their work.

I apologise now for the ramblings which are about to ensue on this posting. My head is in a mess and if I can't try to sort things out on my blog, where can I, eh?

First and foremost, I love my job. My first post in my blog was about that and how I really do enjoy what I do. I know that I'm lucky in that respect. I have done crap jobs and hated going into work and spent every second wishing I was somewhere else. Not now though. Generally, I can't seem to spend enough time at work! I work through lunch, work late, work weekends. Even now, on a Sunday evening, I'm looking at our website and seeing what needs to be changed on it. I can't wait to get to work in the morning and sort things out and get on with things.

However, firstly, I can feel my stress levels rising. I'm not sleeping properly, my whole body aches, I'm constantly tired, I have a headache and I can never seem to relax or switch off. I do try. Maybe not hard enough but I do try. It's difficult. On Friday I will have worked 19 days with 1 day off. I long for a day off but at the same time, don't want to take one because I enjoy being at work. Plus I worry that if I take a day off, I'll come back to even more work that's been plonked on my desk without me knowing what the hell it is!!

Then there's the other issue at work and this is what is hurting my head.

In July my manager left in not very nice conditions. I won't go into details but it was a very difficult and unpleasent time. My colleague and I carried on running the department with the help of a temp and all was good. The PR manager also left because she found a better job and is saving for a wedding and stuff. Then my colleague changed departments to PR and a part time member of fundraising was brought in.

The 'Powers that Be' then decided that we'd have a joint fundraising and PR manager. They also said that we'd all be involved in the process because it was important that we got on with the person and also that when the position was sorted out, members of staff would be invited to apply for it if they wanted to although this was a new role, not just a replacement for the manager(s) that left.

I do not have the qualifications or experience that they are looking for for this position. I cannot do what they are asking of this person. To be honest, I didn't believe that the person they were looking for actually existed, certainly not in the local area. I am the only member of the fundraising team that was there 4 months ago and I'm the only full time member of staff in the department. The Powers that Be have just expected me to carry on with everything regardless and for four months, I have. Not only that but I've been building on things and developing them. The longer I've been doing the job the more I've believed that actually, maybe, with a bit of training, I could be fundraising manager. Not this fundraising and PR dream manager that they're looking for but I could do a lot more than I have been doing or have been given the opportunity to do.

On Friday morning, 4 women came for interviews for the managers position.

We weren't told it was going to happen. We weren't warned. Last we knew was that they were 'still looking'. So when these women turn up to be interviewed, I was shocked, angry and hurt. What's more is that the HR manager then booked a date and rooms for a second interview, again without talking to us, which means that we're not going to be involved. At all.

On Wednesday night I went to an event and was chatting to other charities and a major national charity offered me a job. In fact, they were begging me to join them. And if they hadn't been based in central London then I'd probably be considering it.

Where I work has a huge turn over of staff and it's not at all suprising if this is how they treat them.

I'm worried that they'll employ one of these women just to have someone in position rather than actually finding the right person. Meanwhile I'm working every hour under the sun to keep the department afloat with no extra show of appreciation either financial or even verbal. They haven't asked us what we think, what we would do. The trustees sit in musty rooms gathering dust and deciding what's best for the charity and what direction we should go in. They produce bits of paper depicting our future without having the faintest idea what goes on in the day-to-day running of the place.

I think it's a case of playing it by ear. Whatever happens, I'll stay until April until after the London Marathon because I adore that event. It has been one of the most enjoyable things I have ever been involved with and I want to do it again next year.

But after that...Well. After that I'll reassess the whole situation and see if anything has changed.

So close...

On Friday night Worcester Warriors took on Gloucester Rugby in a local derby. We've never beaten Gloucester and there's quite a bit of friendly rivalry.

We (Worcester) were winning for most of the game but about 20 minutes from the end, Gloucester game through to win. It's a shame we didn't win and certainly a shame we didn't even manage to scrape a bonus point out of it.

HOWEVER, at 61 minutes one of the best moments of rugby history took place:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwHa3bthMaI

Peter Richards is one of the cockiest bastards in english rugby so to see him thrown about like a rag doll was a joy to behold!!

Gavin Quinnell is a regular rugby god!

I am a Domestic Goddess

Yesterday afternoon I suprised myself. I did something which I never thought I would do.

Yesterday afternoon, instead of retreating to my bed to nurse my hangover by eating bacon sandwiches, chocolate and drinking vats of tea, I made soup.

That's right. Soup.

I never really understood the point of soup. The bizarre hybrid of drink and food always facinated yet confused me. I thought soup was what old people ate or sick people. It never quite seemed enough.

I have been proved wrong.

I made Spicy Carrot soup. It's a Weight Watchers recipe so it only has one point in it and it's REALLY nice.

I've just had it for lunch with a nice crusty roll and some low-fat crisps and I am now sitting at my desk feeling particularly smug. None of this package sandwich from Tescos or even some limp breaded product passing off as a homemade version wrapped in cling film for me. I am now a domestic culinery goddess with my homemade soup and crusty roll! Ooh, maybe I should learn how to make crusty rolls and then there'll be no stopping me.

Slap a pinny on me and call me Delia. Nigella Lawson can kiss my big fat left one!

Pictures from the Weekend

Here's some pictures from the charity village at the BUPA Great North Run

BUPA Great North Run

Yesterday was the BUPA Great North Run. I went up there because I work for a charity. We had about 70 runners taking part raising money for us so we hired a marquee in the 'charity village'. This is an area by the finish line which is full of marque's hired by charity and everyone decorates them and you have food and drinks and massage for your runners. It's a brilliant atmosphere and a great day.

We travelled up on the Saturday in our white van. Sarah and I shared the driving and had great fun dancing along, chatting, waving and beeping at other drivers. Two young women in the front of a white van get some funny looks!!

We stayed overnight and got very little sleep due to nightmares about my ex-manager (long story!) and the couple in the room nextdoor waking not only us up but also the people in the room next to us! We then got up at 4:30am to leave the hotel at 5:30 to make sure we were at the village, unloaded and offsite by 8:00am. We think we slightly overestimated the traffic as we were sitting in our tent, fully unloaded and parked offsite at 6:45!

Whilst our sports therapists and volunteer slept in the van, Sarah and I started making interesting displays with bottles of water, cans, packets of crisps and balloons. We got some unsuspecting young guy to bang things into the ground for us and we were pretty much ready to go by 9am.

As we stood eating cereal out of metal curry tins using tiny plastic spoons, I realised just how much I love my job!

The charity I work for provides care and support to anyone whose lives have been affected by leukaemia, lymphoma and the other allied blood disorders. Our services are available not only to patients but to family members and carers as well. I work in the fundraising department so whilst I don't see that much of the 'care' side, occasionally I understand how worthwhile my job is that I can help raise the money that lets us do this.

Once the runners started to come in thing got underway. Each one was greeted with a round of applause and a hug (I've never hugged so many sweaty men in my life!). We chatted with them and heard stories from around the race. I met people with truely amazing stories and reasons for running for us. The friends and family of our runners were there too. One of our runner's wives was there and she suffers from AML. She just kept saying thank you and how much our charity meant to her and her family.

It was a grat day. I laughed and chatted. I love meeting our fundraisers. They are all such great people.

We packed the van and got on the road at about 6:00pm. The problem with the Great North Run is that it involves about 75,000 leaving Newcastle at the same time. It was due to this that it took us about 7 hours to drive back to Worcester. I drove all the way as I was more awake. Got back into Worcester about 1:15 and was still in work for 9am!

That's what I call hardcore!!