Barcelona

So we are on our way for a whistlestop visit to Barcelona. We drove to
East Midlands airport this morning and are now on the plane somewhere
over France (though obv this won't be posted until after we land).

We are going to see Manchester City play Barcelona at The Nou Camp.
The Boy has wanted to see a game there for ages and we were thinking
about trying tocome over and see one of their less popular home games
but to see our team play them is great. Almost makes up for not going
to NYC for his 40th (almost) so we have 24 hrs in beautiful Barca -
just enough time for some tapas, cava, dancing and The Boy finding
some exclusive trainer shop he found on line.

I am still full of cold but dosed up - if has meant though that my
ears have suffered during this flight; hopefully that will sort itself
out shen we land.

Listening to a great podcast from Daptone Jukebox.

Ooh preparing for landing time to belt up and turn off. Will post more
later.

Sent from my iPhone

cough cough splutter splutter

throw in a few aitchoo's, sniffle, watery eye, hacking cough achy limbs and general lethargy and what do you get - well you get a not too impressed Pontecarlo Shoegal and her very attractive red nose.

Gah

The world of work

So I am back in the world of work. Back in an anomymous hotel room
with a blocked up nose and too hot feet. The people I am working with
seem really nice, the project interesting and it's great to be earning
again but I'm out of practice at this getting up and ready lark.

So jn the shower & down to breakfast for me - then off to see what the
day brings.

From feminist to domestic goddess

So this weekend was interesting - I started with my bog questioning whether or not I was a feminist and ended by spending hours at my new sewing machine making a dress.

I got an original 1940s pattern from Ebay and some lovely purple linen from a shop in Leeds and set about it. Well it is by no means perfect (some of the seams are a bit dodgy thats for sure) and sewed my first ever zip (straight enough). To top it all it fits (blimey) and doesn't look too bad - not going to win any prizes but for the first thing I have sewn for more years than I care to remember I am really please. I will take and post some photo's at some point. Bought some more patterns on line today so will get some more material the next week or so and keep making - eventually I may make something I would be prepared to wear in public.

Today with the left over material I made a book bag - not sure it will take much weight but it looks great. I have also made a Chocolate Fudge Cake and started to knit a shrug-cum-poncho......I am not sure what has happened or who I am but my house smells lovely.

Might even have a cup of coffee and a slice of cake.

Am I a Feminist?

To be honest I'm not really sure. You see I'm not book smart or particularly well read, I didn't go to University. I am not an activist, don't belong to any groups (other than the online community) am married in a 3 bed semi in a suburban market town with my estate car and surrounded by shoes.

But am I a feminist? Well it really depends on what you consider the credentials to be? Do I believe that men and women should be equal, treated equally and respect each other? Of course I do. If I see misogyny does it rile me and annoy me? Of course it does. Do I believe that a woman can do everything a man can do in the work place and should be paid equally? Yes yes yes. When I read an article like this by Tanya Gold does it make me spit feathers and nod my head in agreement? Without hesitation.

However, and here's the rub, does the fact that I cook all my husbands meals, do his ironing, do the bulk of the cleaning around the house make me less of a feminist? Does the fact that I own over 100 pairs of shoes, lots of lovely makeup and beautiful dresses make me less of a feminist? Does the fact that I care what my husband thinks I look like and will (occasionally) choose to wear something I know he likes make me less of a feminist?

You know what I don't think so.

So when I read this article by Janice Turner after being pointed to it by India Knight on Twitter it made me think. I am liberated and I am grateful for the women who over the years have fought for that liberations. I support Harriet Harman and the new equality bill and I believe that my friends daughters will have it even better than I have - but the 'fight' is not won. Women are still under-represented in senior positions of influence (the army, judiciary, police force, City, parliament) and those that have made it often get a hard time; women are still not paid equally. So we (yes all of us) must continue to fight for equality, educate the younger generation.

SoI guess at the end of it all - yes I am a Feminist, and you know what I'm proud to be one.

Marathon Cleaning Session in Planning

So a few weeks ago my Mum phoned to tell me that as she didn't know when I was going to next go over to see them she was coming to see me. She would arrive on the 12th and be here until the 15th. No discussion, no questions - a statement. I have since found out that she has booked in with her hairdresser on the Friday, lucky coincidence or all part of the bog plan.

But here we are the weekend before they come over for the visit and this weekend will involve some major deep cleaning. I'm going to have the day off today, going to the gym, collecting my specs from the opticians and meeting The Boy for lunch, stocking up on tights (back to work next week) and buying something nice for supper (wonder if M&S are doing the £10 meal deal). Think I will get some new wool as well as I have just finished my last knitting project,time to move on from Scarves, perhaps a shrug?

I'm really looking forward to seeing M&D, we went over in May and speak all the time but it's not the same as seeing them (they used to live 6 miles away). Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on perspective) I start work after a 2.5 month hiatus the day after they arrive so won't be spending as much time with them as I had hoped (I also have to be away overnight on the Thursday night) but will still see them. My Brother's are off to Paris today and M&D are getting the TGV up tomorrow to meet them - I was really jealous but now I know that they are coming to see me next week I'm just jealous of Paris.

this has become a ramble.......

RIP John Hughes

I'm sad - John Hughes the director has died, he was only 59.

I love his films, along with all sorts of music he was there during my formative years.

The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Some Kind Of Wonderful, Weird Science & Ferris Bueller's Day Off made me believe it was okay to be me. Home Alone, Uncle Buck, Planes Trains & Automobiles, She's Having a Baby ....there's more .

RIP John Hughes - life moves pretty fast; you don't stop and look around one in a while, you coul miss it.

I hope you took the time to look around.

Back to the world or work

Huzzah - it's only a short term contract 8 weeks ish but I start work on the 13th, hurray hurray hurray!

Sometimes I'm a little bit dumb

So I got a call this morning (shortly after writing the blog below) saying that the job I thought I might have got a month ago I definitely got and that they want me to start on the 13th. Great news - you'd thunk so huh.....well silly me I said that's great new but I need to be upfront my husband has arranged for us to go to Barcelona for 2 days on 19th & 20th, hope that this will be okay.

I quickly backtracked and explained that if it was a problem I just wouldn't go to Barca as I wanted the job but the agent didn't seem very positive about it all. So I have now been waiting all day to hear back that all is good. I have been to the gym, eaten healthily, bought the other bits and bobs I needed to get from B&Q - but am now sat here waiting.

The sensible side of me knows that this is not a problem, obviously I would love to go to Barca with The Boy but I need to work so if I can't go then so be it. However, I wish I had kept my trap shut!

Ah well, I am not going to let it mess my day up. It won't be a problem. Worse case I won't get to go to Barca, best case I will. Either way I believe that I will be back in the world of work on 13th August (just as M&D arrive for a short visit but hey) for at least 8 weeks. Huzzah!

Just that little voice inside, wait until I get it in writing & until I get the call back saying that it's not a problem.

Ah well, onwards.

Choosing My Attitude

So despite still not having a job, having only lost a few lbs and not sticking very well to my move more eat less diet, fabulously described by MTFF here I am feeling very positive.

So I am back to choosing my attitude. It's simple really, I can be a grump, one woman pity party or I can choose to be positive & optimistic.

So instead of burying myself in a packet of dark chocolate digestive biscuits when I get another rejection (though this time at least they didn't say that I was the wrong fit- rather than they are going to resource it in house initially and may come back to me if they need help and that they liked me) I am going to be optimistic that there will be a job out there for me soon - that I have had the benefit of two months off now, two months of being quite lazy and selfish and recharging my batteries. I am now ready to take on the world.

So I have sorted out the shit-tip that is now back to being my functioning office, tidied the spare room so that people can actually come and stay in a pleasant clean room without having to climb over assorted boxes, shoes & clothes. My kitchen is clean (even the oven), my shoes are sorted (all those lovely shoes I forgot about to be worn again), clothes are dry cleaned, mended and all hanging or folded as appropriate.

My fridge is full of lovely fresh food (had the most fabulous broad bean, pea & asparagus salad last nigh with herbs from the garden) and I am actually looking forward to the gym in an hour.

So today I am choosing Optimism, Joy and to love and be loved. Today is a good day.

Things I believed

So when I was younger I was told that you couldn't lick the top/lid of the yoghurt pot (fudge Mr Men yoghurt if I remember correctly) unless you had a license. I believed this for years - and to this day have trouble licking the top/lid of pots.

Silly PCB - so what did you believe?