Murder in the Scout Camp
30 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in All about me
So after just writing and scheduling a fairly sad 30 days post – look forward to that one guys -I couldn’t face writing another, so one should go up tomorrow, and one on Saturday, and then probably a break for a few days.
I’ve been ill, I think with food poisoning for the last few days, and it totally wiped me out, but I went back to work today. One of my volunteers told me that I looked ‘remarkably healthy’, to which I responded that I now feel remarkable healthy, it was just the last two days that were awful! That led onto a chat about sick days, and how they’re no fun if you’re actually sick.
I’d agree with that, after spending two days feeling like death warmed up, it was a strange relief to get back to work, to the manic preparation for a weekend of residential training – there may be twitter SOS messages requesting shipments of wine and chocolate… 2 and a half days of training, I’m going to be completely exhausted by Sunday evening and am looking forward to collapsing in my own bed after a few nights in a scout hut. Though I’m maybe looking forward to the following Saturday even more!
I’ve organised a Murder Mystery party as an ice breaker for tomorrow night as the students don’t all know each other very well. I’m a bit worried about how it’ll go, as people keep dropping out and I’m not sure we’ll have enough characters, but fingers crossed it’ll be fun and we’ll have a laugh doing it. I’m scheduled to be the victim and die after my opening speech, so I’ve got to get my acting skills ready to keel over, not sure I’m the dramatic type, but we’ll see!
At this same training last year I was one of 4 staff leading it, now there’s just me… Wish me luck!
30 things in approximately, maybe 30 days…
29 Sep 2010 1 Comment
So I found this meme via miss smidge, but it actually came from Girl Vaughn, and I think Miss America is doing it too. 30 things in 30 days, in previous attempts at these things I’ve not been very good, I get to about day seven and give up, so instead, this is just going to be a 30 things, in maybe around 30 days, or maybe a lot longer. By not having a timescale I hope I’ll actually complete it!
So the list of 30 things:
Day 01 → Something you hate about yourself.
Day 02 → Something you love about yourself.
Day 03 → Something you have to forgive yourself for.
Day 04 → Something you have to forgive someone for.
Day 05 → Something you hope to do in your life.
Day 06 → Something you hope you never have to do.
Day 07 → Someone who has made your life worth living for.
Day 08 → Someone who made your life hell, or treated you like shit.
Day 09 → Someone you didn’t want to let go, but just drifted.
Day 10 → Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn’t know.
Day 11 → Something people seem to compliment you the most on.
Day 12 → Something you never get compliments on.
Day 13 → A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough ass days. (write a letter.)
Day 14 → A hero that has let you down. (letter)
Day 15 → Something or someone you couldn’t live without, because you’ve tried living without it.
Day 16 → Someone or something you definitely could live without.
Day 17 → A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.
Day 18 → Your views on gay marriage.
Day 19 → What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?
Day 20 → Your views on drugs and alcohol.
Day 21 → (scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you two got into a fight an hour before. What do you do?
Day 22 → Something you wish you hadn’t done in your life.
Day 23 → Something you wish you had done in your life.
Day 24 → Make a playlist to someone, and explain why you chose all the songs. (Just post the titles and artists and letter)
Day 25 → The reason you believe you’re still alive today.
Day 26 → Have you ever thought about giving up on life? If so, when and why?
Day 27 → What’s the best thing going for you right now?
Day 28 → What if you were pregnant or got someone pregnant, what would you do?
Day 29 → Something you hope to change about yourself. And why.
Day 30 → A letter to yourself, tell yourself EVERYTHING you love about yourself
Wish me luck!
A weekend in my life
20 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
A long weekend at home, I really do enjoy it. Anytime I have more than my usual two days at the weekend off I’m straight on the train and heading North. Four hours from leaving Edinburgh and I’m at home, sitting by the fire with a cat on my knee.
Here’s how my weekend goes:
Thursday 4pm – Leave work early (sometimes there are perks to having no staff or managers, I make my own hours) and get the bus home. Once back in the flat I go back through everything I packed the night before and pack all my make up and things like that that I couldn’t pack the night before.
Thursday 5:15pm – Leave the flat laden down with bags, hope that a bus will be going past that I can jump on for the two or three stops to Haymarket. This time I’m in luck, and as lazy as it makes me feel, it’s easier than walking through people with all my bags! (I say all my bags, I have a handbag, a laptop backpack and my overnight bag).
Thursday 5:25pm – Go into Starbucks to get some coffee to sustain me through my trip. This time it’s a Soy Caramel Latte.
Thursday 5:30pm – Go into Haymatket and wait for ages for the train to appear on the announcement board. I’m always too wary to just go to the platform, just incase it’s changed for some reason – like the papal visit!
Thursday 5:45pm – A rickety old SPT train pulls up to the platform. The sort of train that usually goes from Glasgow to Paisley. I’m completely confused, this is definitely not what I was expecting. However after discussion with other confused passengers, I get on the train and hope for the best. No seat reservations, but thankfully plenty of seats available – I would not have been amused otherwise!! Turns out all the good trains were being used to get people between Edinburgh – Glasgow for the papal visit, so we were left with the rubbish train.
Unusually, and a little disappointingly, the train journey goes without incident and I don’t have any strange travelling companions! My book of choice for this journey is The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Aherne.
Thursday 9pm – Get into Inverness, where it is absolutely freezing and I’m definitely not wearing the right clothes for it! Picked up at the train station by my mum and little sister, run through the rain to the car and start the 45 minute drive home.
Thursday 9:45pm – Arrive home, say hello to the dogs before they knock me over with their excitement, and then sit in front of the fire with a cup of tea and some slices of warm, home-made bread.
Thursday 10pm – Watch a re-run of Footballers Wives with my mum and find myself surprised by how many of the characters and storylines I remember from 10 years ago!
Thursday 11pm – Go to bed and wrap up warmly against the cold wind. It’s definitely wintery here!
Friday 8am – An early wake up call so I can fight for the bathroom with my little sister before she goes to school. Shower, tea and cereal and I feel more like a human being again. Then to raid my mum’s room to borrow her hair-dryer and straighteners and I’m good to face the day.
Friday 9:15am – Leave the house and walk to the bus stop to catch the bus to Tain. This is the bus stop I used to catch my school bus from and it hasn’t changed, all the graffiti from 10-15 years ago is still there, it’s very strange.
Friday 9:25am – Get on the bus, and I’m easily the youngest on it by about 40 years. I recognise all the faces though and try to avoid small talk.
Friday 9:35am – Arrive in Tain and make my way to the hairdressers, even with dawdling and going to the newsagent and bank I’m still really, really early.
Friday 9:50am – Sit in the hairdressers with a cup of tea, chatting to them while waiting for the client before me to arrive and get the dye on her hair before they can start on me.
Friday 10:10am – Decide what colour my hair is going, unsurprisingly, just the same as always, just want rid of my roots! Get my book out my bag and attempt to read, while filling my hairdresser in on the horrific-ness that was Dick n Dom during freshers week. I’m sure people think my job is glamorous, when really it’s anything but!
It’s my hairdressers 21st the next day, so we discuss fake tanning, venue decorations and dresses. I reminisce about my 21st and my beautiful dress that I know I’ll never fit in again. – Though not sure I’d want to be a size 6 again!!
Friday 12:00pm Hair is finished, no roots and sitting in a way I know I’ll never be able to recreate on my own!
My mum has finished work and comes to meet me for lunch. We go to the cafe via the papershop where we meet a busybody from the village. My little sister is on the front page of the paper, so my mum shows it off. The busybody then looks at it and tells me I look lovely in the picture. Thank you… My sister is 9!
Into the Sunflowers Cafe, also full of people I know, so lots of small talk. The owner of the cafe was the manager of the cafe in the supermarket I worked in in my school days. Had a chat with her and it seems she also thought I was my sister and was ‘looking awful grown up now’. Again thanks, but I’m not 9 years old! Seriously! I know I’m short, but really?!
Friday 1pm – Drive home via the new Tesco site, it’s due to open in 6 weeks time and it’s still just a metal frame. Think they’re maybe being a bit optimistic. The whole town is talking about it, no one really wants a Tesco, everyone wants Asda.
Friday 3pm – Drive up to the school to pick up my little sister. It’s the school I went to (and my mum) and it’s barely changed. It’s a tiny wee school, only 15 pupils.
Friday 3:15pm – The usual weekday afterschool routine. My mum and I go to visit my mum’s friend for a cup of tea and to get all the gossip. I tell you, for such a small village there’s always something going on!
Friday 4pm – Back home to start cooking the dinner. Spaghetti bolognaise, yummy!
My little sister takes this opportunity to practises her violin. She is getting better, but it’s still painful! I’m sure I was the same once though.
Friday 5:30pm – Mum’s partner gets home, and so it’s dinner time. Spaghetti bolognaise; garlic bread and lots of wine. Wine features every dinner time at home, a tradition which I fully approve of!
Friday 7:30pm – Settle down for the night to watch the soaps and other random tv shows.
Friday 9pm – Finally persuade my little sister to go to bed and have some more wine while watching rubbish tv.
Friday 11:30pm – Decide that the country life is too tiring for me, so go to bed and read more of my book.
Saturday 9am – My hopes of sleeping late are dashed, when I’m woken by my sister saying “Denise, wake up, what do you want for breakfast?” me “mrgle meh…” sister “you need to tell me now!” me “I’ll be through in a minute”. I go through to the kitchen expecting to find a cooked breakfast on the go, but no they’ve already eaten and my sister just wanted me to get up! Nevertheless they made me a sausage and egg sandwich, so I wasn’t really complaining.
Saturday 10:30am – My mum asks if I want to go to Dornoch to the butchers with them. I decide I might as well, so head to shower and dress.
Saturday 11:30am – Drive to Dornoch, after a fight with my sister over whether she still needs to use her booster seat.
In Dornoch we go to the hardware shop and the pet shop for a look about before we make it to the Butchers. 3 steaks and one chicken fillet later we head home.
Saturday 1pm – Once home I get my laptop out and start to tackle my googlereader. Think I had about 200 unread items, so I happily sat by the fire, with a cup of tea and made my way through them.
Saturday 3pm – My little sister is getting her room redecorated, so I’d said I would help and come prepared with old clothes. Off I went to get changed and went upstairs to move furniture, strip walls and put more paper up. The paper she has is beautiful, to be honest I’m thoroughly jealous, it’s black and white and will be stunning when it’s finished.
Saturday 5pm – Dinners ready, so we sit down to steak with all the trimmings. including haggis! I love our Saturday night dinners. And obviously, lots of wine too. Then followed by some amazing Mackies ice-cream.
Saturday 7pm – Go through to the livingroom to watch x-factor and other related things.
Saturday 10:30pm – Everyone else has gone to bed, so I get control of the tv remote, I discover Cupcake Wars and that keeps me occupied for the next wee while. – It seems I watch a lot of tv. but I don’t have a tv in Edinburgh, so I guess it balances out.
Saturday 12pm – Time for bed.
Sunday 10:30am – I wake up, happy to finally have got a proper late morning, and not to be woken up by my sister, or the dogs, or the hoover…
Sunday 11:00am – Decide that we’re going to go up to the Falls of Shin for a while, so I need to go and shower, make myself presentable and decide what I should wear.
Sunday 12:00pm – Get in the car and head to Shin Falls as a family. I enjoy the drive up there with my mum pointing out which houses have been sold, who lives where and all the changes. Going to Shin Falls always makes me feel like I’m really in the countryside again.
Sunday 12:30pm – Arrive at Shin Falls and browse round the shop. The shop was owned by Harrods until very recently, so all the Harrods stock was in the sale.
Sunday 1pm – Tea time! The restaurant at the Shin Falls is lovely, and we all have tea and cake. I had a cream scone and it was amazing!
Sunday 2pm – We head out in the slight drizzle to go down to the waterfall. The waterfall is beautiful, but it’s also one of the best places in Scotland to see salmon leap up a waterfall. We stay there for about 10 minutes watching them, but unfortunately didn’t get any photos of them jumping.
Sunday 2:45pm – Get home and my little sister goes out to play. The rest of us take the opportunity to go up into the loft to clear it out, it’s so full of junk! We threw lots out, and found stuff belonging to my grandparents still up there. We found a handbag of my grans, I remember it from when I was a little girl, I always loved it. The result is now I own it. It’s a beautiful tan leather bag that she got on a trip to Yugoslavia in the 70s or 80s. I’m so happy to have it!
Sunday 5pm – Sunday dinner time! Roast pork with all the trimmings. I love Sunday roasts, but it’s not something I ever cook for myself. It was really really good!
Sunday 6:30pm – My little sister gets out her violin to practise, it’s a long performance but she is getting better.
Sunday 7pm – I fall asleep on the sofa for a few hours while the family watch x factor.
Sunday 10pm – I wake up all groggy and feeling a bit fluey, so head to my bed and watch True Blood on 4od.
Monday 9:30am – Get up when my mum goes to work, let the dogs out, the cats in, feed the cats, light the fire, make my breakfast, make my coffee, let the dogs in, and eventually sit back down to enjoy my coffee and watch some tv.
Monday 10:00am – I find a fabulous new tv channel called Blighty and spend the morning watching documentaries about Saville Row in London, they’re fascinating. I like documentaries about things like that, it’s the retail student in me…
Monday 12:30 – My mum gets home from work and I make cheese sandwiches for us for lunch, and several cups of tea too.
Monday 3pm – We drive up to the school to collect my sister, then head back home where I pack my bags and make sure I’ve got all my things – I’m terrible for leaving things behind.
Monday 3:30pm – We all head into Tain to take my sister to her orchestra practice. While she’s in the orchestra we go down the street and browse the local shops.
Monday 4:30pm – We pick my sister up from orchestra and head for Inverness.
Monday 5:30pm – Arrive in Inverness and faff about a bit swapping cars to put one in for a service and collecting the other one from the lorry yard where my mum’s partner works.
Monday 5:45pm – Lots of time to spare, so we go to B&Q to return some wallpaper. Then we browse the aisles, I do quite like DIY shops, even though I have no aptitude for DIY at all!
Monday 6:30pm – Go to the station and I get on the train, find my seat and get settled for the next few hours.
Monday 10:20pm – Arrive back in Edinburgh and walk home. My flatmates are baking, so there’s fresh chocolate brownies awaiting me on my return.
All in all, a lovely, very typical weekend at home for me.
Freshers the full time perspective
14 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
Ah Freshers Week. Marking the end of the long, long quiet Summer and the start of term madness.
I worked 12 days in a row, doing silly hours, before coming down with freshers flu which had me collapsed in bed for 2 days solid. How much was flu and how much was exhaustion I’m not sure, either way I’m glad it’s all over for another year. I’ve pretty much not been online in the last two weeks, think my google-reader is sitting at around 200, which is just crazy!
I enjoy freshers week, the buzz of new students on campus, seeing all the volunteers back after the Summer, hearing the funny stories of what the freshers (and volunteers) get up to, but I think my favourite part is all the staff pitching together, doing tasks way outside our job descripton (helping students move into halls?!), but just all getting on with it and getting through the week. It’s been a great teambuilder for our new small team, and it’s made a huge difference to the general feeling in the office.
Now that Freshers is over, the real work begins, apparently semester is the stressful time for the students, but it’s stressful for us too. It’s just go go go from now untill Christmas, when I’ll get to collapse in a heap again. It was just a few weeks into semester 1 that I came down with stress related shingles last year, and I’m not having any of that nonsense again! Quarantine is no fun, and I don’t have time for it this year.
Just a quick wee blog tonight, as I’m about to go and make the most of my first early night in weeks and go to my bed and sleep for hours.
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