Monday, July 31, 2006

Bubbles….. My bubbles

I forgot bubble baths - I really like those. I also like blowing bubbles, it cheers one up so.

Factoids

I like bacon sandwiches, drinks with bubbles (even though they are bad for me), boys, bad movies, and the colour blue. Not an exhaustive list but I have work to crack on with.

Today’s blog has been brought to you by the letter b.

All dressed up and.. well yes I have somewhere to go.

So it was much to my chagrin that I learned that makeup goes off. Now I have known this for some time but this wedding I am going to soon (where I will wear makeup, a skirt AND heels - an almost never seen occurence, it may make the tabloids, but no one will believe it) made me assess my own collection. Those that know me will realise I don’t wear makeup on a very regular basis. I would say never but that would be a lie - I may have worn some last Christmas, but I could not swear it. Anyway I realised that quite a few of the items lurking in my makeup bag were 8, yes read it and weep ladies, EIGHT years old. I was alarmed, more at the fact it was 8 years since I was in high school as opposed to that some of my makeup was that old. I was very good and threw it all away - I would like to claim sentimental attachment to some items, 8 years is a big chunk of my life to share with anything (even stuff I never use).

Buying new makeup was stressful - too much choice, and decisions just are not my thing. The nice over-perfumed lady at the counter thought I was quite potty. She seemed to be bosom buddies with Revlon, Maybelline and Almay though - and they were quite some bosoms so I bet they were quite some buddies. She gave me lots of advice and I would have needed a private jet to fly my supplies to England had I bought everything she suggested. Minimalist was not her thing. But I bought a few items, now on to the next challenge - how do I wear this stuff without it looking like I let a small child armed with crayons loose on my face?

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Drowning in data

I am most upset - it is not my social conscience talking today (I think I appeased it yesterday) but my general self. I have to work this weekend, and I am talking full 8 hour days both Saturday and Sunday and ‘I object!’. Alas this is what comes of a week of procrastinating so I brought it all on myself. I am currently surrounded by towers of data CDs and DVDs which all need to go on an external hard drive, and I have my suspicions that the hard drive may not be quite big enough. Quite frankly I have data oozing from every orifice - there is just no way to handle it. I am not a good enough disciplinarian - my data appears to do what it wants and I feel powerless to stop it. I swear it is climbing out of the window at night and making free with other data, producing little datalets, which are only adding to the confusion.

As a result of my data issues my to do list is slightly out of control. Now I love lists.

But yesterday as I was probing I decided to compile one for my weekend - just so I could have the joy of crossing tasks off as they were completed… ahh I love that feeling. Anyway I soon realised that this was no ordinary list - it needed subcategories. I ended up with two lists - one for work and one for non-work related stuff and then these were divided into daily tasks (using lots of funky pen colours of course). Despite the joy I gleaned from the creation of these masterpieces I am not entirely thankful for their existence today - I shall be here sometime trying to finish all the tasks they contain.

I feel my posting is somewhat muddled today, my brain is a little scattered - it exploded over all the data and I have yet to reassemble it back together. Perhaps I shall have better luck tomorrow. It was nice knowing you all.

Friday, July 28, 2006

Catching me unawares

So this morning I confess to feeling uninspired. I was really hoping it would be one of those awareness days today - so I could rattle on about how we are supposed to be thinking about how important some random type of … let’s say tree… is to our civilisation, and not to mention how thoroughly crap we all are as a race for endangering it. Alas in my search it appears that today we do not have to be aware of anything. This got me thinking of how, quite selfishly, there is a lot going on in today’s world that perhaps I would rather be unaware of. I would rather be unaware of the crisis in the Middle East, that people seem more prepared to use God as an excuse for war instead of peace, that in Niger famine is rearing its ugly head again, and that in some places in the world women are killed by their families for loving the wrong person. The fact is though that we get nowhere by being unaware, no progress is ever made. So somehow what was going to be a post making light hearted fun at some silly day sort of came out the other way. Let’s save that tree chaps, because then when all is said and done we can say we actually did something.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Something for the weekend madam?

I am on the probe today (and tomorrow). It is a good survivial training tool - you have to remember plenty of caffeinated drinks to keep your mind alert despite the sensory deprivation and boredom, and warm clothes because it may be sweaty outside but it is arctic in the lab. I am thankful that my foot is regaining its more normal shape because it meant I could wear shoes today - last time I attempted sandals in here toes were nearly lost on account of the frost bite.

This week has been one of those where I have managed to achieve nothing. I have been at work for 8 hours a day yet my to do list mocks me at the end of each of them. This sadly means that I will have to spend some quality time with my data over the weekend. I have just over a week till I leave for Zurich, at which point I should have a nice presentation ready to go - I think I have so far managed to save a blank powerpoint file. That is not a good thing. PAH!!! On the plus side I will be in Zurich in just over a week and then back in Blighty so things are most definitely looking up.

Now for something completely different… went out last night and since the antibiotics kept me away from the alcohol I decided to go for a decadent dessert instead. Anyway I was reminded how much I LOVE cheesecake… and now this morning I am reminded how much it does not like me.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

The things I do

SHOCK HORROR I thought today I would write a blog about what I have been up to and just give some general information out to the general populus about me. Not that I don’t have random things I wish to discuss with myself (and whoever will listen) but there are so many days for that… oh the days.

1. I bought a new digital camera this week. I am very excited. I should explain that the last one died a death at my expense. It was eating batteries like a big battery eating thing (we are talking one or two pictures for FOUR AA’s here) and it was an old thing and I got a tad frustrated at it. Well we won’t go into the gory details in case young people are present, but needless to say it ended up in several pieces that will never again be one. It was quite theraputic, I have never purposely destroyed anything like that before. Just feel I should write here that I have been saving for the new camera so I did wait for the young to replace the old here. Oh and of course I must not forget to thank my fantastic parents for helping me with my new purchase. I have an appointment with the instruction manual (not being a boy I plan to actually read some of it)
2. Booked a holiday - going to Whistler snowboarding in January. Should say that the wonderful M actually booked it (does this make him more wonderful?). My dad claims taking me snowboarding is ‘like giving a loaded gun to a manic depressive’. Not very politically correct of him but I do have a history of accidents. However, I tend to prefer more unusual injuries, such as ant allergies, so the consensus is I am more likely to scald myself with hot chocolate at the hotel than break a leg snowboarding (everyone knock on wood NOW). I am very excited. Even got a snowboard from a mystery source (well I know who it was - big clue for you - he’s wonderful, but I won’t mention that again - today anyway).
3. I am actually missing the gym at the moment. Had finally got into an almost daily routine and the foot comes from nowhere! Well to be fair the foot has been there as long as me - the swelling is the recent thing. I was coming close to actually enjoying the gym, although not the stationary bike - I may use it but it is the height of all things dull. Oh well I am allowed to use the aforementioned bike for a bit even with the foot so maybe tomorrow I shall venture to the sweat pit anyway. Feel a bit daft walking into the gym on crutches, well OK hobbling. Need to take advantage of the time I have left before I go on my travels for a bit.
4. My foot itches
5. Ooh I need advice - how does one send a hat across the pond? I seem to require an unreasonably large box and feel there should be a better solution. Can one buy a hat box from the USPS? The best way would be for the wedding, to which I am wearing the hat, to be on the same continent. Alas it is not.

Well I feel that is plenty for today. Got the writing bug now… maybe I will go write some snail mail.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Genealogy, but not in the strictest sense of the word.

So while indulging in one of my early morning skype chats with the wonderful M today (although we don’t tell him to his face he is wonderful, but early in the morning not much is in my opinion) I used the expression ‘daft as a brush’ (I was referring to him and I stand by my description). We are both remarkable good at going off on tangents and, instead of continuing our previous topic, pondered the origins of this phrase. I mean brushes aren’t daft, they are functional and bristly. Of course I turned to google as I often do in these situations. Here are my findings… (I feel I need some dramatic music in here to set the mood)

Those of us that hail from ol’ Blighty, and maybe some that don’t, know that in Victorian times little kids were used as chimney sweeps as they could climb up into the chimney and sweep out all the dirt. Apparently this was quite a skill (I know it was easy to get lost and stuff in the big flues) and the apprentices were not trusted to climb up but were instead dropped down the chimney head first, interesting training technique indeed. At this point I should say I feel the whole thing becomes a little unlikely but it came from several sources and I found no better explanation of the phrase’s origin so I shall soldier on. This ’sky dive’ apparently resulted in head trama (who would have thought it?) and let’s face it some mental and behavioural issues as a result. The brushes went daft. Voila! I do wonder why when we call them chimney sweeps we say daft as a brush not daft as a sweep but that is something for another day.

What pleases me about this whole thing though is that is explains something else to me - Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins (aka the worst attempt at a cockney accent ever). I am quite willing to accept his performance was a result of being dropped on his head too many times as a child.

Observations..

There are ants everywhere. I am beginning to think they are following me. I am sensing a conspiracy, if ants are capable of conspiracies. I don’t want to underestimate their capabilities.

Monday, July 24, 2006

Felled by… an ant?

So this weekend (well from crack o’dawn Thursday through Sunday) saw me off to Florida (St Pete’s) to visit the parentals who are renting a condo out there. Thought it would be a splendid way to relax from the stress of the summer semester…. mistake, oh what a mistake. Thursday afternoon we are leaving the beach and it turns out it is feeding time at the zoo. Alas the fodder on hand appeared to be my foot and the animals were some ants. Guess what? I am allergic to ants! Who knew? Not me that’s for sure, although my foot swelling up and going slightly purple.. and dare I say it pus-like (yuck) was a fairly large clue.

One steroid shot in the derriere and many tablets later I am still hobbling about on crutches, impressing people with the rainbow colours my foot has to offer. The current favourite appears to be pink, with a purple rim and black centre. Quite creative I feel - very expressive. Dad took pictures but he has yet to reach the digital age, although is planning to very soon (don’t wish to sell him short), so maybe at some point in the future I can disgust a much wider audience by posting them!

Advice to those travelling while impaired and unprepared -DON’T - and that’s all I have to say about that.

Promises, promises…

Been away for a long weekend, will blog soon I promise, it was very eventful. But for now it is bed…. wonderful bed.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Demystifying a visit to Coventry…

OK so apparently ’sending someone to Coventry’ is not a universal phrase. I appear to have confused a few people, which was never my intention. It means to ostracise someone - normally by not talking to them. When I first heard this phrase, which was when I was around 6-7 years old, I genuinely thought that my friends wanted to send the poor girl to Coventry (as in the place). I was very confused, but obviously I got the gist eventually. Now we are all on the same page. Group Hug!

Now I fear that I may be inviting the question "Where is Coventry?" Let me preempt that with - HAVE YOU NEVER HEARD OF GOOGLE?

Probing thoughts about the weather

So this week the weather is just plain silly, yes chaps (and those who are not chaps) you heard me: SILLY! It is far too hot where I am and the humidity is at a level where I am eating my air not breathing it - and personally I am all for breathing. In fact let us take a brief interlude here and say a quick thanks for breathing, a little hurrah for respirating….

Are we done? Excellent, I shall continue. Anyhoo (as a very close friend is often heard to say) yesterday I was on the probe. It’s an electron microprobe - but let’s face it probe is easier. It analyses mineral chemistries (in case anyone cared), and me being a geology nerd, well that is what I like to do. So I was on the probe…. you all have an image of me in your head on the probe now I hope, well not literally on the probe - I tend to sit next to it on a chair, not on top of it. I learnt that for the third night my data had not been collected as, and I kid you not, the slave had died (it means there was a communication error but I like the death of a servant better). It then proceeded to kill off several more that morning (surprised we are not in a slave shortage), making even calibration an impossibility. What, you might say, does this have to do with the aforementioned silly weather my dear? Good question! Well the slave hates the humidity. So it dies, leaving me destined to never collect my data, and therefore never graduate… ever.

Why is the weather trying to keep me from graduating? Quite frankly I think it is just plain mean and plan to send it to Coventry - well since I rarely talk to the weather that is a difficult feat to attain BUT people talk about the weather so I thought maybe I would stop that. Think about it everyone talks about the weather all the time… you know what has happened? The weather has too big an ego and now thinks it can stop me from graduating. I say we boycott all weather talk so I can get out of here. Just realised my whole blog has been about the weather, thereby increasing its self importance - bother (for want of a less polite word that I don’t wish to put into cyberspace)!

In the words of someone else: "I think I’ll get me coat"

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Learning Curve

Right… so….. I guess I have a blog now. I am going to have to try and make my life sound interesting enough that other people want to read about it. Oops that makes me sound like my life is somewhat dull - not a good start. Fear not I can always resort to the excessive use of adjectives to make my day to day existence seem more colourful. I do like adjectives, and adverbs, and commas. I always use too many commas - and it is out of sheer laziness because I do know when to use a comma and when not too, but it saves any thought process. If anyone reading this is really anal enough to correct my grammar (and it does seem like on some blogs that is all the commenters do, well that and spelling) then I am afraid your life is the kind of life I don’t want mine to end up sounding like in my blog. Did that last sentence even make sense? You know what - I don’t even care if it didn’t.

Q: How can a rabbit type a blog?

A: Rabbits don’t type, they get friends to do it for them. As for the typist’s relationship with aforementioned rabbit, well if you don’t know by now, and have still reached the age you are without feeling your life is incomplete, then you probably don’t need to.

I should probably add that, despite much evidence to the contrary, this is not George’s blog it is mine. Who am I? Well that’s why people read blogs - to find out things… so read on I guess.