5 hours on a coach - harrumph; I can think of better ways to spend 5 hours, but we've already been on the road for an hour and that seems to have gone quite quickly, so maybe the next 4 won't be too bad. We should actually have been 20 minutes further down the road by now by rights, but we left lat AGAIN because we were waiting for the same people (who have been persistently late on this trip. I'm being fairly chilled about it so far (ie. grumbling has been in my "inside voice" or at least with a select group of people), but it's really starting to p**** me off now.
I can't abide people who are persistently late, it shows lack of respect to everyone else that made it on time and frankly in this case I believe it is nothing more than attention seeking. Everyone has been provided with the same schedule and there is even a notice board in the foyer of each hotel which clearly says when the coach is leaving, but it seems that the announced bus departure time is being treated like some sort of dinner invitation - "0800 for 0830" ...
So, every bloody time, the rest of us organise ourselves so that we're on the coach BEFORE the announce departure time and then sit an wait while a couple of people put on a tedious performance of being ditzy and giggly and turning up repeatedly a minimum of 5 / 10 minutes late. I have no idea why an intelligent adult would want to appear stupid, but that is the act that gets played out each time to an increasingly hostile audience. I'm afraid I think they should be left behind - we'd soon see how organised they could be once they have to get to the next hotel under their own steam and out of their own pocket. And I'm afraid that excuses that they were up late and are tired (giggle, giggle) just don't wash. If you can't handle drinking 'til 3am in the morning and still be on time for the bus, DON'T DO IT!
I mean, for goodness sake, we have to think about precious little on these highly organised trips, so surely doing colleagues and the concert management, who are working hard to get us where we need to be etc, the courtesy of being on time isn't too much to ask ....
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Friday, January 13, 2006
A day off!
So, you get a day off and what do you do? Well, being the sort of person who feels guilty if she’s not ‘doing’ something, I’d planned to head of somewhere like Heidelberg for the day. Whilst I’ve been there many times before, it is lovely and a good old stomp up to the Schloss is always good for blowing out the cobwebs and a welcome antidote to being cramped up on trains and coaches for hours on end.
However, they do say (well Eddie Izzard does anyway - Definite Article tour?) “the plans of mice and men oft gan agley” (no idea how to spell that!) and my ‘gannin’ agley’ was as a result of the fact that I was suffering from a severe case of swollen Jools. I have traced it back to the fact that I stupidly, yet unwittingly managed to eat some sage and onion stuffing on the plane on the way over, and the swelling has gradually been getting work during the past 5 days.
Initially, I put the puffiness down to the flight (I always puff up a bit, but it only lasts a day), and a fundamental lack of water - its been the devil’s own job getting hold of water on this trip for some reason; and I put the feeling of general lethargy down to the mad working hours catching up with me now I’ve given myself the chance to unwind and a couple of late nights (by the way, while the nights have been late my alcohol consumption has been very light - trying to be sensible in my advancing years!) However, I abandoned these assessments when really bad swelling kicked-in in Köln, and when on the morning following 10 hours sleep I recognised that old feeling (ie. the one I always used to have before I cut out wheat) of just wanting to curl up in a corner and sleep, sleep, sleep ...
It all came to a climax when we arrived in Mannheim. We walked to the hotel from the station and each step was more painful than the last. When we eventually reached our attic room I took my boots off and was shocked to be unable to see my ankle bones. There wasn’t much time before we had to get on a coach to Frankfurt (a further 90 minutes travel) so I spent it sourcing a picnic and lots of water in an attempt to re-hydrate and maybe make my legs less painful. After the concert (number 5 - not one of the best, but well received), my legs had swelled up so much that I could only get the zip up halfway ...
So my day off was spent having an uncomfortable yet effective lymphatic drainage massage, after which I lay on my bed with my feet up on some pillows watching a pay for view film. By the end of the film, while I was still puffy, the Yorkshire pudding ankles had subsided slightly and I was at least reacquainted with my ankle bones! All this inaction kind of went against the grain to be honest, but was actually the best thing to have done and meant that I was nicely rested and raring to go to round the day off by doing my hair (straight Jools went bouncy), getting dressed up and going out for a lovely meal - first proper meal in days - followed by a good old natter in the bar until the wee small hours ...
However, they do say (well Eddie Izzard does anyway - Definite Article tour?) “the plans of mice and men oft gan agley” (no idea how to spell that!) and my ‘gannin’ agley’ was as a result of the fact that I was suffering from a severe case of swollen Jools. I have traced it back to the fact that I stupidly, yet unwittingly managed to eat some sage and onion stuffing on the plane on the way over, and the swelling has gradually been getting work during the past 5 days.
Initially, I put the puffiness down to the flight (I always puff up a bit, but it only lasts a day), and a fundamental lack of water - its been the devil’s own job getting hold of water on this trip for some reason; and I put the feeling of general lethargy down to the mad working hours catching up with me now I’ve given myself the chance to unwind and a couple of late nights (by the way, while the nights have been late my alcohol consumption has been very light - trying to be sensible in my advancing years!) However, I abandoned these assessments when really bad swelling kicked-in in Köln, and when on the morning following 10 hours sleep I recognised that old feeling (ie. the one I always used to have before I cut out wheat) of just wanting to curl up in a corner and sleep, sleep, sleep ...
It all came to a climax when we arrived in Mannheim. We walked to the hotel from the station and each step was more painful than the last. When we eventually reached our attic room I took my boots off and was shocked to be unable to see my ankle bones. There wasn’t much time before we had to get on a coach to Frankfurt (a further 90 minutes travel) so I spent it sourcing a picnic and lots of water in an attempt to re-hydrate and maybe make my legs less painful. After the concert (number 5 - not one of the best, but well received), my legs had swelled up so much that I could only get the zip up halfway ...
So my day off was spent having an uncomfortable yet effective lymphatic drainage massage, after which I lay on my bed with my feet up on some pillows watching a pay for view film. By the end of the film, while I was still puffy, the Yorkshire pudding ankles had subsided slightly and I was at least reacquainted with my ankle bones! All this inaction kind of went against the grain to be honest, but was actually the best thing to have done and meant that I was nicely rested and raring to go to round the day off by doing my hair (straight Jools went bouncy), getting dressed up and going out for a lovely meal - first proper meal in days - followed by a good old natter in the bar until the wee small hours ...
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Berlin to Mannheim
Another day, another ICE; 5 hours traveling this time, passing through some pretty bits of snow clad Bavaria and ending up a grey old Mannheim where the luxury of having 3 nights in one hotel was slightly tempered by a tiny room up in the attic and to which the lift doesn’t go! It goes as far a level 5 and we’re on level 6 ...
Fortunately this train was much more comfortable than the last one, and the addition of managing to grab a private compartment with some like minded fellow chorus members meant, unusually for me, that I managed to get an hour or two of sleep on public transport to compensate for the paltry 3 hours I’d had following concert 4 in the Berlin Konzerthaus. I really must make sure that the time I go to be tonight has a 1 in it ...
We arrived in Berlin round about 1400 and had just 2 hours free before we had to head out again for the rehearsal. The Spartan / hospital like hotel was abandoned in favour of a stomp over to the Brandenburg Gate. It was a careful stomp however, as the pavements were caked in icy compacted snow. Its a great kind of cold though - crisp and dry - and as I watched my breath curling before me, took in the frozen river and spotted the sign which announced a temperature of -4 degrees, I was very glad of my thermal vest, jumper, fleece and cosy coat with furry hood which I had up over my new chocolate brown corduroy cap!
The concert was another good on, in spite of coming after a long and tiring day of traveling. In particular, the audience was really lovely and gave us our best reception yet. We came off stage and had to head immediately back to the coaches to be transported to the British Embassy for a reception. Getting into the Embassy was all a bit shambolic really; it is all far too boring to relate, but was faff nonetheless! Hey ho, once we got into the reception it was very pleasant; everyone was very friendly; champagne, wine and beer was flowing amply and the floating nibbles went down a treat with the ravenous musos and chorus. Coaches arrived an hour later to take us back to the hotel so we could re-pack our cases and load them onto the bus again for overnight transport to Mannheim. As you might expect, the route to and from the coach took us right past the hotel bar ... Well it would have been rude not to have had a quick nightcap with the orchestra before bed. I think I may need to work on my definition of ‘a quick nightcap’ because before I knew it, it was 0345! Ah well, we get a day off soon ...
Fortunately this train was much more comfortable than the last one, and the addition of managing to grab a private compartment with some like minded fellow chorus members meant, unusually for me, that I managed to get an hour or two of sleep on public transport to compensate for the paltry 3 hours I’d had following concert 4 in the Berlin Konzerthaus. I really must make sure that the time I go to be tonight has a 1 in it ...
We arrived in Berlin round about 1400 and had just 2 hours free before we had to head out again for the rehearsal. The Spartan / hospital like hotel was abandoned in favour of a stomp over to the Brandenburg Gate. It was a careful stomp however, as the pavements were caked in icy compacted snow. Its a great kind of cold though - crisp and dry - and as I watched my breath curling before me, took in the frozen river and spotted the sign which announced a temperature of -4 degrees, I was very glad of my thermal vest, jumper, fleece and cosy coat with furry hood which I had up over my new chocolate brown corduroy cap!
The concert was another good on, in spite of coming after a long and tiring day of traveling. In particular, the audience was really lovely and gave us our best reception yet. We came off stage and had to head immediately back to the coaches to be transported to the British Embassy for a reception. Getting into the Embassy was all a bit shambolic really; it is all far too boring to relate, but was faff nonetheless! Hey ho, once we got into the reception it was very pleasant; everyone was very friendly; champagne, wine and beer was flowing amply and the floating nibbles went down a treat with the ravenous musos and chorus. Coaches arrived an hour later to take us back to the hotel so we could re-pack our cases and load them onto the bus again for overnight transport to Mannheim. As you might expect, the route to and from the coach took us right past the hotel bar ... Well it would have been rude not to have had a quick nightcap with the orchestra before bed. I think I may need to work on my definition of ‘a quick nightcap’ because before I knew it, it was 0345! Ah well, we get a day off soon ...
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
The 0645 conversation ...
Bloominjools: “What time did we get to bed?”
Shaz: I haven’t a flippin’ clue ...
Bloominjools: I know it had a 3 in it ...
Shaz: I haven’t a flippin’ clue ...
Bloominjools: I know it had a 3 in it ...
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Köln to Berlin
I’m on the ICE 555 to Berlin. It’s a long old haul and involved an 0800 hotel departure. this was quite a feat bearing in mind that even though I made a huge effort to have an early night it was still 0200 before I put the light out, and being of the opinion that breakfast at the Crowne Plaza was a particularly good time investment, the alarm went off a 0645 in order to make breakfast at 0700 - can’t keep the egg chef waiting! Before you say anything, 0200 was early!
The promoter of concert 3 (another good one, but with no dramas this time) threw a party for us afterwards which meant that by the time we’d got back to Köln on the bus, packed our cases and taken them out to the bust for overnight transport to Berlin, it was already 0100, and tired as I was its always necessary to wind down in the hotel bar before going to bed, so 0200 it was!
I’ve got my picnic - found a lovely deli / sarni place in Köln yesterday - and am looking forward to having my marinated artichoke hearts, aubergine stuffed with basil and feta, red peppers stuffed with cream cheese and mozzarella rolled round Parma ham and pesto - yum! I forgot to buy a bottle of wine to have with it, but we’ve got an embassy do tonight’s, so I expect wine might figure in the proceedings at some point! Shame the seats are really uncomfortable again, but it gives me an excuse to get up and nosey to see what everyone else is up to. Sleep doesn’t look like its going to be an option, thought I could really do with a long nap - but maybe I can muscle in on a game of Pass the Pig or Scrabble somewhere further down the carriage ...
The promoter of concert 3 (another good one, but with no dramas this time) threw a party for us afterwards which meant that by the time we’d got back to Köln on the bus, packed our cases and taken them out to the bust for overnight transport to Berlin, it was already 0100, and tired as I was its always necessary to wind down in the hotel bar before going to bed, so 0200 it was!
I’ve got my picnic - found a lovely deli / sarni place in Köln yesterday - and am looking forward to having my marinated artichoke hearts, aubergine stuffed with basil and feta, red peppers stuffed with cream cheese and mozzarella rolled round Parma ham and pesto - yum! I forgot to buy a bottle of wine to have with it, but we’ve got an embassy do tonight’s, so I expect wine might figure in the proceedings at some point! Shame the seats are really uncomfortable again, but it gives me an excuse to get up and nosey to see what everyone else is up to. Sleep doesn’t look like its going to be an option, thought I could really do with a long nap - but maybe I can muscle in on a game of Pass the Pig or Scrabble somewhere further down the carriage ...
Monday, January 09, 2006
Köln to Dusseldorf
So, I’m on the bus again; this time heading off to Düsseldorf from the fantastic hotel in Köln for concert number 3. Concert 2 was a cracker, and the reception we got from the 3,000 strong audience in the Kölner Philharmonie was very pleasing; its always nice when an audience bothers to stand and clap louder when the choir are brought to their feet for their applause :)
It was also fairly eventful as performances of requiems go in that a lady had a heart attack in the middle of the piece - unfortunately right in my eye line. Being the good girl that I am, I always have Neville firmly locked in my sight, trouble was that in the same field of view I could see the poor old woman being manhandled (dragged, dropped, dragged) into the aisle and then up the stairs and out of the auditorium, all while I was trying to concentrate on the Lachrymosa. Five minutes later she was wheeled back through the auditorium on a trolley ... I was sure she must have passed away, but happily we learned following the concert that she was in hospital, but doing well. It was all a bit distracting really, but I guess if she hadn’t have pulled through, ‘going’ during the Mozart Requiem would have been as good a way to go as any ...
Today was spent in a leisurely walk in the direction of the Cathedral. Well, that was where we were heading, but the fact that we had all ‘done’ the cathedral twice before on previous trips, combined with the ‘minefield’ of designer boutiques we had to walk through in order to get there conspired to mean that we never made it and came back to the hotel considerably more financially challenged than we had been 3 hours before. Sigh ... Justifications for the Issey Miyake skirt as follows: 1. cheaper than home because of the Euro exchange rate; 2. I’m not in London therefore I’m not spending money living; and 3. I’m getting money to be here which more than amply covers the cost of my food and a few sherries of an evening ...
Whatever ... Its gorgeous!
It was also fairly eventful as performances of requiems go in that a lady had a heart attack in the middle of the piece - unfortunately right in my eye line. Being the good girl that I am, I always have Neville firmly locked in my sight, trouble was that in the same field of view I could see the poor old woman being manhandled (dragged, dropped, dragged) into the aisle and then up the stairs and out of the auditorium, all while I was trying to concentrate on the Lachrymosa. Five minutes later she was wheeled back through the auditorium on a trolley ... I was sure she must have passed away, but happily we learned following the concert that she was in hospital, but doing well. It was all a bit distracting really, but I guess if she hadn’t have pulled through, ‘going’ during the Mozart Requiem would have been as good a way to go as any ...
Today was spent in a leisurely walk in the direction of the Cathedral. Well, that was where we were heading, but the fact that we had all ‘done’ the cathedral twice before on previous trips, combined with the ‘minefield’ of designer boutiques we had to walk through in order to get there conspired to mean that we never made it and came back to the hotel considerably more financially challenged than we had been 3 hours before. Sigh ... Justifications for the Issey Miyake skirt as follows: 1. cheaper than home because of the Euro exchange rate; 2. I’m not in London therefore I’m not spending money living; and 3. I’m getting money to be here which more than amply covers the cost of my food and a few sherries of an evening ...
Whatever ... Its gorgeous!
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Hannover to Köln
I’m writing this while sitting on a coach traveling from Hannover to Köln. We’ve been on the road for about 1.5 hours - only another 3 to go ... It’s pretty damn uncomfortable as it goes, but I did at least manage a wee bit of a snooze before I realised subconsciously that I couldn’t feel my left leg!
I’m now plugged into my MP3 player and am feeling quite contented, enjoying my own company for a while. I’m feeling strangely disengaged, but then I guess that’s what being on tour is like - totally disengaged from real life. I have a schedule which means I don’t have to think about anything. It tells me where to go and when I need to be there; the only decisions to make are what to eat and what to wear, and with my suitcase already being in the state that it is, the latter decision amounts to simply wearing whatever is on the top and hoping that the colours don’t clash! Not that you’d be able to tell by looking at yourself in the mirror in the hotel room mind you; it’s too dark to see! What is it with these people that design these rooms? They’re all the same: light in the hallway, lamp by the bed and a lamp on the dressing table and none of them can be more than 10 Watts. Why do they not want their guests to be able to see themselves, or indeed the contents of their cases? Very odd.
I’m hoping to get more of a nap on the bus later as I only managed to get 5 hours sleep last night. They actually threw us out of the bar, muttering something about wanting to go home ... but there’s not going to be enough time when we get to Köln as it’ll be mad dash to get frocks hung up, feather pillows swapped for synthetic (vital unless I want to join the bass section!) and find something to eat before getting back on the bus to the concert hall for rehearsal and concert number 2.
Concert number 1 went well. Full house, and apart from a couple of dodgy moments, pretty good. I was in quite good voice personally, courtesy of 9.5 hours sleep the night before! Amazing how much better the instrument works when it’s relaxed and rested ... Ah well, the coach is just pulling into one of those very precise looking German service stations. Time for a loo break and with any luck it’ll be one of those that flushes automatically when you stand up and then revolves the seat to clean it. It’s always entertaining to listen to people in adjoining cubicles experiencing them for the first time!
I’m now plugged into my MP3 player and am feeling quite contented, enjoying my own company for a while. I’m feeling strangely disengaged, but then I guess that’s what being on tour is like - totally disengaged from real life. I have a schedule which means I don’t have to think about anything. It tells me where to go and when I need to be there; the only decisions to make are what to eat and what to wear, and with my suitcase already being in the state that it is, the latter decision amounts to simply wearing whatever is on the top and hoping that the colours don’t clash! Not that you’d be able to tell by looking at yourself in the mirror in the hotel room mind you; it’s too dark to see! What is it with these people that design these rooms? They’re all the same: light in the hallway, lamp by the bed and a lamp on the dressing table and none of them can be more than 10 Watts. Why do they not want their guests to be able to see themselves, or indeed the contents of their cases? Very odd.
I’m hoping to get more of a nap on the bus later as I only managed to get 5 hours sleep last night. They actually threw us out of the bar, muttering something about wanting to go home ... but there’s not going to be enough time when we get to Köln as it’ll be mad dash to get frocks hung up, feather pillows swapped for synthetic (vital unless I want to join the bass section!) and find something to eat before getting back on the bus to the concert hall for rehearsal and concert number 2.
Concert number 1 went well. Full house, and apart from a couple of dodgy moments, pretty good. I was in quite good voice personally, courtesy of 9.5 hours sleep the night before! Amazing how much better the instrument works when it’s relaxed and rested ... Ah well, the coach is just pulling into one of those very precise looking German service stations. Time for a loo break and with any luck it’ll be one of those that flushes automatically when you stand up and then revolves the seat to clean it. It’s always entertaining to listen to people in adjoining cubicles experiencing them for the first time!
Saturday, January 07, 2006
London to Hannover
It doesn’t matter how much I try, I always lose my nerve and over pack when I go on tour. The forecast is for very cold weather in Germany, yet I know from previous trips that shops, hotels, coaches, trains and concert halls are always heated to a ridiculous temperature so in spite of packing vests, T-shirts, jumpers and fleeces I usually end up wearing T shirts alone and carting a load of stuff around Germany that I don’t actually end up wearing. So, what did I do? I listened to people saying “Oh no, you should take jumpers and thermals, its REALLY cold and you know how you hate to be cold ...”
So, the suitcase was dutifully slid down several flights of stairs and heaved into the back of the car; its almost too heavy to lift, what with all those flippin’ jumpers and vests in it; though the 3 concert dresses (new JC included), 2 pairs of concert shoes, 3 pairs of boots and hairdryer probably contributed ...; flat keys were dropped off with Lou, the car was driven to home for safe keeping, and I set off for the airport with the help of a lift to East Croydon station courtesy of TH who also helped me get my case onto the train and then waved me off; all of which combined to make me feel curiously melancholy ...
I arrived in plenty of time to get checked in (my case may have been the largest, but at least it wasn’t the heaviest!) and had a lovely glass of fizz with the gang to celebrate the kick off of the tour - 2 weeks of glorious Mozart, good mates, late nights, early starts, 1,000s of miles (no idea how many, but its lots!) on planes, coaches and trains, and most importantly the first opportunity in a good 6 months to truly empty my head and be me. Boy, am I looking forward to it!
The rest of the journey was pretty pleasant. Well, as pleasant as traveling can be bearing in mind that it always feels to me like one long queue! Well, the queues are now over and we’ve arrived, so I’m off for dinner, a few sherries, dancing in the hotel bar (depending on how I’m feeling) and then bed - all ready for a spot of shopping, rehearsals and concert number 1 tomorrow.
So, the suitcase was dutifully slid down several flights of stairs and heaved into the back of the car; its almost too heavy to lift, what with all those flippin’ jumpers and vests in it; though the 3 concert dresses (new JC included), 2 pairs of concert shoes, 3 pairs of boots and hairdryer probably contributed ...; flat keys were dropped off with Lou, the car was driven to home for safe keeping, and I set off for the airport with the help of a lift to East Croydon station courtesy of TH who also helped me get my case onto the train and then waved me off; all of which combined to make me feel curiously melancholy ...
I arrived in plenty of time to get checked in (my case may have been the largest, but at least it wasn’t the heaviest!) and had a lovely glass of fizz with the gang to celebrate the kick off of the tour - 2 weeks of glorious Mozart, good mates, late nights, early starts, 1,000s of miles (no idea how many, but its lots!) on planes, coaches and trains, and most importantly the first opportunity in a good 6 months to truly empty my head and be me. Boy, am I looking forward to it!
The rest of the journey was pretty pleasant. Well, as pleasant as traveling can be bearing in mind that it always feels to me like one long queue! Well, the queues are now over and we’ve arrived, so I’m off for dinner, a few sherries, dancing in the hotel bar (depending on how I’m feeling) and then bed - all ready for a spot of shopping, rehearsals and concert number 1 tomorrow.
Monday, January 02, 2006
Four Things
A. Four jobs you’ve had in your life
1. Sales assistant in shoe shop (dream job!)
2. Screen printer in a traditional wooden toy factory
3. Events manager (guess that’s what you’d call it)
4. IT support (the most frequent cause of IT problems is the UTS error …)
B. Four movies you could watch over and over
1. Lord of the Rings Trilogy
2. The Railway Children
3. Amelie
4. Some Like it Hot
C. Four cities you’ve lived in
1. London
2. London
3. London
4. London ….
D. Four TV & Radio shows you love to watch (don’t watch much TV …)
1. Strictly Come Dancing
2. Lost
3. I’m Sorry I haven’t a Clue
4. Terry Wogan – I’m a Tog for the duration of my drive to work …
E. Four favourite places you’ve been on holiday
1. Blue Mountains, Australia
2. Big Pine Key
3. Orlando (specifically the 3 days of mad roller coasters)
4. Lake District
F. Four websites you visit daily
1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/
2. http://www.googlemaps.co.uk/
3. http://www.dictionary.com/
4. http://www.tfl.gov.uk
G. Four of your all-time favourite restaurants
1. Lorenzos, Crystal Palace
2. Volcano, Melborne (think that’s what it was called)
3. HITW (Chips and mayo)
4. Chez Jools …
H. Four of your favourite foods
1. Tomato, mozarella and basil salad
2. Smoked salmon and cream cheese
3. Home made wheat-free tiramisu
4. Roasted meditteranean vegetables and parmesan shavings
I. Four places you’d rather be right now
1. Happy
2. Where
3. I
4. Am
J. Four things you find yourself saying
1. hmmm, interesting …
2. Outside voice: “Another sale – that’s really good news”. Inside voice: “Aaarghhh”.
3. Large glass of Pinot Grigio please
4. What do you mean I’ve got enough boots?
K. Four favourite items of footware
1. My pink suede boots
2. My long black boots
3. My bedsocks
4. My red patent leather court shoes
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Yes, I'm alive ...
I’ve just been working, Christmasing, working, writing lists, working, actioning lists, working, writing more lists … I had an email at work from the shark who suggested the following list:
jools to do list.
jools to do list.
- go home
- blog
- make a list
- go to bed
This is what I actually did:
- Finished up the project plan I was working on
I’m hoping that at some point I’m going to start liking my job … I hope the reason that I don’t is just because it doesn’t take care of itself yet in the way that my previous jobs did. If I concentrate hard on being fair to myself I guess I’ve only been doing it 6 months and I did join a company which is in the middle of changing direction so trying to establish any kind of order is a bit like building on quicksand. However, added to that, there has unfortunately been a whole hell of a lot else going on in my life which has meant that, unusually for me, I’ve not had my eye full on the work ball. There’s still no let up in my “life” so I guess liking the job may have to follow on at some point. In the meantime, I have to admit that I’m just “not bothered”, so staying late to catch up is something I have to do but it’s a real chore. - Wrote a shopping list
Always a tedious yet strangely satisfying job. - Did shopping on the way home
Honestly, you’d think that the shops were never going to open again … I got the last bag of carrots. They were organic – I tend to buy organic as much as I can anyway, but I knew that there were no ordinary carrots because when I was walking past where they should have been I heard a bloke inform his wife bleakly that there were no carrots left. I nonchalantly sauntered to the end of the aisle and then picked up my pace in the direction of the organic section. I could hear quickening steps behind me, so speeded up myself; the footsteps also quickened. I didn’t quite break into a run (standards!), but fortunately managed to keep ahead of the “wife” and calmly grabbed the last bag of organic carrots from the shelf – phew! At least I know that I’m now assured of good eye sight in the New Year … - Drove ‘home’
The drive was fine, it was the arriving ‘home’ and getting the shopping, work laptop, bag of tupperware (which had accumulated at work - including the pot that I took the Vodka Tomatoes in – gotta get the new company addicted to the idea of Vodka Tomatoes!) up into the flat. Note to self: when I get my next place it must either be at ground level or at the very highest 1st floor. Life is too short for doing multiple trips up the stairs with shopping (and I’m fit for goodness sake) and I just don’t have time in my life to do multiple shops during the week – it costs more (I always spot something not on my list and buy it, so if the shop only happens once a week then its less costly) and is such a waste of time … - Poured myself a glass of wine, put the radio on, and unpacked the shopping
- Looked at the state of the flat and tidied it!
- Poured myself another glass of wine
- Wrote a list of stuff that I need to do before bed:
- Sort out jewellery
For some reason it was all over the place and jumbled. (I’ve still got that single earring … Either someone hasn’t done a tidy up, or it really is lost. I’m going to hang onto it still though.
DONE THIS MORNING - Sort out make up
Because I’ve been visiting recently and this was scattered between several different overnight bags.
DONE LAST NIGHT BEFORE BED - Sort out paperwork
I’ve been meaning to do this for months.
DONE THIS MORNING. I now have a big bag of recycling. - What is all that stuff in my handbag?
DONE THIS MORNING - Washing
DONE LAST NIGHT and is now all dry and put away. - Make lunches for next week
I know this sounds a bit anal, but I’ve got rehearsals every night next week (in preparation for our German tour) and if I don’t plan ahead and have food in the freezer that I can defrost and take with me to eat I just don’t eat … And I am acutely aware that despite my protestations to the contrary (I am a contrary bird sometimes) I have lost weight over the last 3 or 4 months.
DONE THIS MORNING - Dust and hoover flat
DONE THIS MORNING - Clean bathroom and kitchen
Have I mentioned my disturbingly pink bathroom?
Well – its now very clean as well as being very pink …
DONE THIS MORNING - Blog!
As you can see, I have done this. All from the comfort of my pink recliner … - Have a good old soak in the bath
I’m just off to do that now but have many thoughts to get into order on the whole subject of baths (pink or otherwise)!
Well, I guess that’s all for now, off for a soak with Mr Frog – it’s always good to bathe with a friend!
HAPPY NEW YEAR BLOGGERS!!
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Monday, December 12, 2005
Happy Sunday
I went to Kew again yesterday afternoon. I enjoyed it as much as the first time but the main difference for me was that now I have my new toy (my new work phone), I have an almost reasonable camera with which to try and capture my favourite bits. There are a few of them below, but I will pre-excuse them by saying that a) the camera is still not that great and b) I’m really rubbish at taking pictures!
The other part of the plan was to try out the ice rink, but it was really crowded and we decided that the pair of us flailing around like windmills in such close proximity to other people was maybe not such a good idea so we chickened out and enjoyed a picnic instead. By then time we’d had our picnic we were frozen to the core, so we retired to a genteel public house for several glasses of Baileys before heading back to the relative normality of Chiswick.
The other part of the plan was to try out the ice rink, but it was really crowded and we decided that the pair of us flailing around like windmills in such close proximity to other people was maybe not such a good idea so we chickened out and enjoyed a picnic instead. By then time we’d had our picnic we were frozen to the core, so we retired to a genteel public house for several glasses of Baileys before heading back to the relative normality of Chiswick.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Exploring pastures new
So, I’ve found my local – The Raven. Not a bad wee pub as it goes. Very nice wine list and interesting menu (partook of wine but not of food on this occasion). It has an eclectic mix of furniture which includes a nice leather sofa over by the open fire which is perfect for sitting and reading the paper to the background sounds of James Brown before heading off into Chiswick High Road to check out the fab butcher and plentiful green grocer stalls.
Oh, and did I mention the “Nearly New” shop? I am now the proud owner of a Jasper Conran black velvet dress which fits like it was made to measure; it’s an absolute classic style, and is “just what I need” to take on tour to Germany next month. The best bit is that it only set me back £69!! However, try as I might I can’t shoe horn the lime green Vivien Westwood evening dress into the “just what I need” category, though it too fits like a glove and is only £79 … I think I’m going to like Chiswick – shame I can’t afford to stay here! Goodness knows how anyone affords to stay here to be honest, but it’s nice while it’s lasting.
Oh, and did I mention the “Nearly New” shop? I am now the proud owner of a Jasper Conran black velvet dress which fits like it was made to measure; it’s an absolute classic style, and is “just what I need” to take on tour to Germany next month. The best bit is that it only set me back £69!! However, try as I might I can’t shoe horn the lime green Vivien Westwood evening dress into the “just what I need” category, though it too fits like a glove and is only £79 … I think I’m going to like Chiswick – shame I can’t afford to stay here! Goodness knows how anyone affords to stay here to be honest, but it’s nice while it’s lasting.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
In memoriam Violet Bruce (29.2.1920 - 26.11.2005)
- Her infectiously, wicked cackle of a laugh
- A cracking meat pie and pease pudding
- Fantastic baking
- A voracious and skilled knitter
- Sequence dancing with grandad down at The Comrades – they did an amazing quickstep.
- The image of her falling through a deckchair in our back garden in the late 70s! We shouldn’t have laughed but it was very funny – she was stuck for some time …
- Getting worryingly over excited at the wrestling on a Saturday afternoon TV!
- Lots of singing together – daft songs, proper songs and Cushie Butterfield on a regular basis.
- The time she reprimanded my mum for letting me watch "Wuthering Heights" because it had upset me so much I cried. Bear in mind that I used to cry every week at Little House on the Prairie!
- Knowing that I was & always would be her bonny lass.
My Gran. Forever alive in my memories.
Cushie Butterfield ...
I'm a broken hearted keelman, an' I'm o'er head in love,
With a young lass from Gateshead, an' I caal her me dove.
Her name is Cushie Butterfield, an' she sells yella clay,
An' her cousin is a muckman, an' they caal him Tom Gray.
CHORUS:-
She's a big lass, she's a bonny lass, an' she likes hor beer,
An' they caal her Cushie Butterfield, an' I wish she was here.
Her eyes are like two holes in a blanket pulled through,
An' her breath in the mornin' would scare a young coo.
An' when a hear 'er shoutin' - willya buy any clay?
Like a candyman's trumpet - steals me young heart away.
CHORUS
Ye'll see her doon Sandgate when the fresh herring comes in,
She's like a bag full o' sawdust tied roond with a string.
She wears big galoshes, and 'er stockings was once white,
An' her bedgoon it's lilac, an' her hat's nivvor strite.
CHORUS
When I asked her to marry uz, she started to laugh,
"Noo, nyen o' yer monkey tricks, for ah like nee sic chaff".
Then she started a bubblin an' roared like a bull,
An' the chaps on the keel sez aa'm nowt but a fyeul.
CHORUS
She said "the chap that gets uz will have te work ivvery day,
An' when he comes hyem at neet, he'll have te gan an' seek clay.
An' when he's away seekin it, aall myek baalls an' sing,
O weel make the keel row that my laddie's in".
CHORUS
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
So, I'm in then ...
I didn't get much sleep the night before I moved, those last bits of packing were quite emotional really. As I was looking for “nick nacks” to take to personalise my temporary flat I came across photos and stuff and the inevitable thoughts of "where did it all go wrong?" were upon me. Regardless of whether what is happening is the best thing or not, I couldn't help the wave of sadness that came over me and stayed with me pretty much until Sunday lunchtime.
The car was packed to the gills - the duvet and pillows that I'd carefully packed into one of those vacuum bags - you know the ones you fill with squishy, yet bulky stuff and the attach the hoover to it and suck the air out so said bulky item miraculously halves in size - dutifully broke its seal and doubled in size again during the course of the journey rendering any vision via the rear view mirror impossible!
I got to Chiswick just in time to catch my window of opportunity to exchange keys with Lou. (I allowed 2 hrs to travel ? miles and it took 2 ½ - the delightful A205 on a Saturday ...) Fortunately that window of opportunity extended to Rupert being a gentleman and helping me carry all my stuff up to the attic flat! Thank goodness he was there to carry my big case - I could manage everything else (PPT would have been proud of me!) but if Ru hadn't have been there I reckon I would have had to unpack that particular case on the street and carry the contents up separately ... Its amazing how heavy, bedding and towels are - don't suppose the 5 books I stuck in there before I closed it helped though!
Anyway, there was in depth familiarisation session with Lou on which key to use in which door (!), a quick trip to Acton to see where I might be able to stash my car when I can’t park outside the flat (the joys of residents parking permits), and then there I was unpacking my stuff into this little cosy haven of mine.
Sunday dawned to the news from my mum that my gran had died the previous night. How weird is that? She’d not been well for a long time, and I guess it was only a matter of time, but the fact that all the “stuff” going on in my life meant I hadn’t been able to get up and visit her mid November as I had planned, made me selfishly sad that I had not managed to see her one more time before she went.
With that news taken on board, I must confess to having had a lovely day to myself. I did my food shopping, completed my unpacking made myself food and had a soak in my ridiculously pink bath with many candles. Content is the word I would use. I swing between that and terribly sad, but I guess it’ll get easier as time goes on.
The car was packed to the gills - the duvet and pillows that I'd carefully packed into one of those vacuum bags - you know the ones you fill with squishy, yet bulky stuff and the attach the hoover to it and suck the air out so said bulky item miraculously halves in size - dutifully broke its seal and doubled in size again during the course of the journey rendering any vision via the rear view mirror impossible!
I got to Chiswick just in time to catch my window of opportunity to exchange keys with Lou. (I allowed 2 hrs to travel ? miles and it took 2 ½ - the delightful A205 on a Saturday ...) Fortunately that window of opportunity extended to Rupert being a gentleman and helping me carry all my stuff up to the attic flat! Thank goodness he was there to carry my big case - I could manage everything else (PPT would have been proud of me!) but if Ru hadn't have been there I reckon I would have had to unpack that particular case on the street and carry the contents up separately ... Its amazing how heavy, bedding and towels are - don't suppose the 5 books I stuck in there before I closed it helped though!
Anyway, there was in depth familiarisation session with Lou on which key to use in which door (!), a quick trip to Acton to see where I might be able to stash my car when I can’t park outside the flat (the joys of residents parking permits), and then there I was unpacking my stuff into this little cosy haven of mine.
Sunday dawned to the news from my mum that my gran had died the previous night. How weird is that? She’d not been well for a long time, and I guess it was only a matter of time, but the fact that all the “stuff” going on in my life meant I hadn’t been able to get up and visit her mid November as I had planned, made me selfishly sad that I had not managed to see her one more time before she went.
With that news taken on board, I must confess to having had a lovely day to myself. I did my food shopping, completed my unpacking made myself food and had a soak in my ridiculously pink bath with many candles. Content is the word I would use. I swing between that and terribly sad, but I guess it’ll get easier as time goes on.
Friday, November 25, 2005
Don't you love a list?
So, I'm all packed then, in spite of the mother of all headaches for the last 2 days – serious interrupted vision in the left eye, accompanied by numbness on the same side of the face and a serious case of slurring of the words. You could tell it was bad because I haven’t had a drink in days and I didn’t even manage to get excited about my new work phone – a new toy to play with for goodness sake! Anyway, here comes the list:
I’m also up and running on Skype now – I’ve had it for ages but didn’t know anyone else who was on it so haven’t ever used it … I’ve got 3 contacts now, but as I mentioned above, no broadband anymore! Damn. I’ll be able to talk before 0900 and after 1730 UK time, so I’ll keep an eye out for my contacts and if you keep an eye out for me, we might be able to squeeze in a natter before I start work or before I wend my way home.
Any road up, tomorrow is a new day and a big big change. Watch this space and keep in touch.
- A bag of boots, well the ones I wear regularly anyway, actually that's pretty much all of them if I think about it (!);
- a case of clothes;
- a case of stuff like towels, bath mats etc;
- a box of items for the kitchen - I do love to cook, so it would be disastrous if I didn't have my favourite knife or vegetable peeler with me for example;
- a Jools start-up general cleaning bag;
- bag of toiletries and make-up bits;
- my laptop - be warned, I have no broadband connection, so any AIM will be via dial-up I'm afraid (How will I cope? Does is work on dial-up?). Whatever I guess, it’s there for watching DVDs or indeed just noodling on the computer;
- a big bag of books :)
- and some ornamental bits from a creating a comfort zone perspective.
I’m also up and running on Skype now – I’ve had it for ages but didn’t know anyone else who was on it so haven’t ever used it … I’ve got 3 contacts now, but as I mentioned above, no broadband anymore! Damn. I’ll be able to talk before 0900 and after 1730 UK time, so I’ll keep an eye out for my contacts and if you keep an eye out for me, we might be able to squeeze in a natter before I start work or before I wend my way home.
Any road up, tomorrow is a new day and a big big change. Watch this space and keep in touch.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Small pleasures …
I’ve just sewn 2 buttons back onto my “Trinity” coat. One dropped off last week so was easy to find – I had carefully stowed it in my pocket – but the other one dropped off way back last winter … When I considered the job yesterday I was a bit glum about it because I knew I wouldn’t be doing a full job – 2 missing buttons and I was only going to be sewing on 1. However, to be fair I was fairly glum all day yesterday!
It’s been an emotional and tiring few weeks through which I’ve helped by the kindness of friends – curries, drinks, phone calls, emails, AIM, hugs, texts, overnight hospitality, use of washing machines, lovely day at Kew Gardens taking in the Gardens of Glass etc etc. I’ve been very lucky. So thank you all – you know who you are.
Anyway, much was resolved on Friday night and even though I felt that I shouldn’t really be ‘going out’ I decided to go and see Kurt Elling at the QEH. Jazzshark had said that it would be a good thing to do, so I followed her advice and she was so right. I met up with Catster and the Pringles and thoroughly enjoyed the show. I love his voice anyway but it was great to hear it live; smooth, lyrical and all delivered with an air of effortlessness. It was a perfect end to a less than perfect day.
Saturday dawned with an overwhelming numbness which was replaced by a definite attack of the glums. Strictly Come Dancing lifted me for an hour but numbness returned fairly quickly afterwards.
Today, however, dawned more promisingly. I’ve had a thoroughly productive day and am happily back to “list writing Jools” – it’s always a bad sign when I can’t even raise myself to write a list! So, the list was collated thus:
As I say, small pleasures …
It’s been an emotional and tiring few weeks through which I’ve helped by the kindness of friends – curries, drinks, phone calls, emails, AIM, hugs, texts, overnight hospitality, use of washing machines, lovely day at Kew Gardens taking in the Gardens of Glass etc etc. I’ve been very lucky. So thank you all – you know who you are.
Anyway, much was resolved on Friday night and even though I felt that I shouldn’t really be ‘going out’ I decided to go and see Kurt Elling at the QEH. Jazzshark had said that it would be a good thing to do, so I followed her advice and she was so right. I met up with Catster and the Pringles and thoroughly enjoyed the show. I love his voice anyway but it was great to hear it live; smooth, lyrical and all delivered with an air of effortlessness. It was a perfect end to a less than perfect day.
Saturday dawned with an overwhelming numbness which was replaced by a definite attack of the glums. Strictly Come Dancing lifted me for an hour but numbness returned fairly quickly afterwards.
Today, however, dawned more promisingly. I’ve had a thoroughly productive day and am happily back to “list writing Jools” – it’s always a bad sign when I can’t even raise myself to write a list! So, the list was collated thus:
- brunch with the Hausfrau and Catster
- a good old sort through my tax returns and papers delivered to the accountant for cross checking
- shopping
- washing
- ironing
- re-jig of my mobile calling plan (scary last bill at last got me to re-assess my the plan I was on)
- the beginnings of a list of things I need to pack to move into my sister’s flat next Saturday (I love it when the need to write another list appears on a list); and finally
- that job of sewing that single button back onto my coat …
As I say, small pleasures …
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
And then there were three
So first it was the washer.
Then it was the toaster.
And now the iron.
3 broken bits of domestic equipment. Is it a sign of something do you think?
Then it was the toaster.
And now the iron.
3 broken bits of domestic equipment. Is it a sign of something do you think?
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