pixeldiva

More bits & bobs

I have the concentration span of a hyperactive gnat at the moment, so stringing coherent sentences together is proving problematic for me, and so, some little snippets.

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A couple of days ago I arrived at work and had to wade through an inch or so of rushing water to get to the building. Not far away was a small fountain - not so unusual, except this was in the middle of the road.

It was a burst water main.

No big deal - water board were notified and showed up within the hour to fix it.

Which they did, or at least, started to do, until they burst the gas main nearby.

The gas board then showed up sharpish to get it fixed, we were requested not to light cigarettes when leaving the building, and because the water was going to be off for longer than expected, not to flush the toilets.

300 people in a building, and we can't flush the toilets and smokers' corner was out of commission.

You can just imagine the morale level in the building, can't you?

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Big thanks to Mark for this handy cut-out-and-keep guide, perfectly timed to remind me, in the event that I've forgotten, how to survive that post-date coffee thing (assuming, of course, that I ever get back on that particular horse)... and also for making me laugh out loud in the office, further convincing my colleagues that I'm on the verge of hysteria.

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The Dreamers is a very, very strange film.

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I just don't understand the current fashion for wearing a knitted (or crocheted - if that's how you spell it)tea-cosy on your head.

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I'm doing a presentation this afternoon to the whole department on how to use Microsoft Outlook's tasks feature, meeting requests and how to organise your inbox using categories. I'm more nervous than I thought I might be about it. In fact, now that I've mentioned it, and realised it begins in less than an hour, the reason it's taken me so long to make this post is that my hands have started to shake uncontrollably.

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Are two packets of biscuits enough for 15 people?

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Update:

Yay. Hg is back.

Fishnets and School Uniforms

As I alighted from one bus this morning, on my way to another, I noticed a schoolgirl walking ahead of me. Nothing particularly unusual about that, except that under her standard issue, hideously unflattering tartan pleated below the knee skirt, she was wearing faux-fishnet pop socks.

Not faux-fishnet tights.

Not ordinary knee-high socks.

Pop socks.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not exactly in line to be the next Trinny or Susannah, but even I know that below the age of 40, pop socks are just wrong.

Especially if they're on view.

They're only marginally acceptable when wearing trousers, and only then if you're not planning to get naked in company any time soon (those elastic band marks under the knee are just such a dead give-away).

I only just managed not to take her to one side and explain that it's all or nothing when it comes to nylon.

Half measures just don't do it.

Soar

When they push, when they pull, tell me can you hold on?
When they say you should change can you lift your head high and stay strong?
Will you give up, give in, when your heart's crying out that it's wrong?
Will you love you for you at the end of it all?

In life, there's gonna be times when you're feeling low
and in your mind insecurity seems to take control.
We start to look outside ourselves for acceptance and approval.
We keep forgettin' that the one thing we should know is

Don't be scared to fly alone, find a path that is your own
Love will open every door - it's in your hands, the world is yours
Don't hold back and always know, all the answers will unfold
What are you waiting for, spread your wings and soar

The boy who wonders is he good enough for them
Keeps tryin' to please 'em all but he just never seems to fit in
Then there's the girl who thinks she'll never ever be good enough for him
Keeps tryin' to change and that's a game she'll never win

In the mirror is where she comes face to face with her fears
Her own reflection, now foreign to her after all these years
All of her life she has tried to be something besides herself
Now time has passed and she's ended up someone else with regret

What is it in us that makes us feel the need to keep pretending
Gotta let ourselves be

Don't be scared to fly alone, find a path that is your own
Love will open every door it's in your hands, the world is yours
Don't hold back and always know, all the answers will unfold
What are you waiting for, spread your wings and soar

Soar - Christina Aguilera

Sometimes good advice and inspiration come from the strangest places.

metasnow

In the snowglobe of my life, it appears to be snowing.

In London.

In February. The end of February no less.

When the frogs come, I'm hibernating.

I swear.

Announcement

D and I have decided to separate.

It's an amicable arrangement and there is no shouting, screaming or throwing things involved.

We intend to remain friends, and hope that you all understand that we might not necessarily want to talk about it.

Thanks for your support and understanding.

Lostprophets

S and I were due to go to see Lostprophets at Brixton Academy on Sunday night.

Unfortunately, she can't get away from work early enough for us to go, so I've got two standing tickets which are going spare.

I'd rather that they weren't wasted and as the standing tickets for the gig are now sold out I thought I'd offer them for sale.

They cost me £27 plus booking fees, but I'd be happy to let them go for £25.

Email or comment if you're interested, and I can probably meet you at some point before the gig to hand over the tickets.

Classified Ad

For sale:

One black cloud.

Single person size (approx 2' diameter).

Very friendly and loving. Likes to stay very close.

Tends to just hover and do it's best to look threatening, but can, on occasion, burst into heavy downpour and/or thunder storm.

Not worn out at all. Owner merely wishes to exchange it for a "light and fluffy" cloud.

Price low for quick sale. Any reasonable offer accepted.

Apply within.

Bits & Bobs

Sandwich shop conversation

Me: Can I have a soft roll with egg mayonnaise please?
Her: eh?
Me: Can I have a soft roll with egg mayonnaise please?
Her: egg mayonnaise?
Me: yes.
Her: Would you like that on a soft or crusty roll?
Me: ...

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There was a man wearing a santa hat on my bus the other morning.

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I have a long skirt which I love to wear. It's longer than ankle length and very flared and floaty. It makes me feel all victorian and elegant, swishing as I walk along.

Except when I tread on it, which I do with frightening frequency.

It's almost lethal when ascending or descending bus staircases, but I still like to wear it anyway, even though it has at least three fairly large holes in it, near the hem from previous occasions where I trod on it.

At least three people have today complimented me on my skirt. It's cheered me up considerably.

Also, I feel like the wicked witch of the west today, with my black and white stripey socks on under the skirt.

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My favourite barman from the fabled "pub-across-the-road-from-work" no longer works there. This is a disaster. I will now have to go through the exhaustive process of training another barman to remember what I drink, even if I haven't been in there for weeks.

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Jaffa cake muffins rock.

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The Battlestar Galactica two-part film thing that's been on Sky Movies the last couple of nights was actually pretty good as far as space geek tv goes. It reminds me of a cross between Babylon 5 and Space: Above and Beyond.

In other tv news, Jake 2.0 was entertaining despite the unrealistic psuedo-science twaddle and obvious stereotypical characters. 24 will no doubt continue to infuriate me and cause me to want to throw things at the TV, but at least it's on Sky now so no deeply shite Pure 24 follow-up proggy to drive me bonkers.

Brain full. Abort, retry, fail?

I read somewhere that even the most highly effective people can only remember 9 things at one time.

Any more than that, and something's got to give.

I also read somewhere that the definition of madness is repeating the same actions and expecting a different result.

I've been thinking about these two things a lot lately.

My brain is full.

It's full to bursting with things I have to remember. Things I have to take into account. Things I have to do.

The things I have to do require me to take things into account.

There are multiple dependencies, multiple uncertainties.

I find myself wondering at which point it beccomes ok to say "actually, this is too much".

Change is coming, but at present there is limbo.

I suppose I should welcome it as the calm before the storm, but I don't. I've never been very good at being patient, at waiting to see what happens.

I wonder if I'm being over-dramatic - if it's just lack of sleep and a bad spell at work.

I really don't know.

Parcel Force II: The Photographic Evidence