The clocks have changed
The birds are singing and plumping their chest in pursuit of love (or lust?)
The dafs are sunny & bright
Spring has sprung
What happened this month?
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Monthly Archives: March 2010
spring has sprung
Posted in Living in London
Tagged australia, life, london, spring, spring in london, travel
tights
Yet another pair of tights bites the dust!
I seem to have industrial strength toenails, even though I keep them short they seem to be able to tear through the most determined nylon weave!
I have tried the famous, unladderable Wolfords (they laddered in two wears), M&S’s unladderable super reinforced toe,
So I guess at this point it will be either opaque tights forever or accept that I will only ever get one wear from a pair of tights.S’s
new family members
Today I became an Aunty, this time to two little girls (my brother likes to double up these things – last time it was two but a girl and a boy). It is a bit of a funny sensation. I am thrilled that everyone is safe and I think that they are. I am pleased that there will be two new people to get to know in my family.
But to be honest, while most of the time I marvel at the wonders of technology – I love the fact that I can speak to my friends no matter where they are, and often we can see each others faces. However, in this situation the speed, the simplicity of text and email actually takes away from the special nature of such an event. To hear such great and exciting news via text, or an email means you know immediately (good when you live on the other side of the world) but also is just a little bit sad. You can’t hear the emotion in their voice, you can’t guess whether people are happy, sad or worried. In the 6 words that you receive you can’t get the detail that enables you to feel part of the event no matter where you are in the world.
This is not the first time this has happened. It is part of not being in someones immediate or 3km radius. So in someway it is part of the price you pay for not being there. However, knowing this doesn’t stop you feeling a little left out. At least everyone else can drop in and say hi if the mood strikes them.
All of this being said I am thrilled people are safe and I am looking forward to seeing these two new little girls who I am sure I will adore.
..”where everybody knows your name”..
Do you remember Cheers? It was that program set in a bar in Boston with a ton of likable but unlikely characters. And it had the memorable tune that included the line “where everyone knows your name”. It would seem that there is at least a whole town that lives up to the tune.
I popped down to Cambridge to catch up with people I hadn’t seen in a bit. And bumped into untold numbers who knew my name – so maybe that is an exaggeration - but I bumped into at least 3 people in the street.
And compared to the busy and impersonal streets of big bad London it was a delight.
Posted in Living in London
Tagged judge business school, life, Living in Cambridge, london
strike winner, one of the few?
Well I may be the only person who is benefiting from the strike action. BA as always is going to be on strike the weekend 19-21 March – just before Easter and the mad crush that is the 1/2 term school holidays. But due to my earlier whoops I appear to be able to rebook my flight from Barcelona to London for free!! How good is that! I suspect I may be one of the only people who is rejoicing at the inconvenience of the strike action.
So the wonderful news is that I am off to Barcelona for a glorious weekend in June! Yippee. 
free running
I was down by the river yesterday – pretending that 10 degrees was really 20 and that the patches of sun were more than they were – and I came across a group of probably 16-20 old year olds.
Normally this age group is either loitering about with what can only be supposed to be cheeky intent (yep I definitely becoming a fuddy duddy), or are skate boarding.
But these guys were flipping, flopping and somersaulting off just about ever object imaginable! Running full pelt at a tree, and then flick flacki, feet over head and landing back on their feet. another quick somersault, saunter back to the other fellas. 
Quite something to see.
I believe that they were training for free running. I have to confess to not having seen people free run – I sort of imagine them leaping gaps between buildings or sliding along rails on their feet. I expect that it is possibly quite hair raising. As the practice that goes on is quite incredible. Just like the circus without a safety net and a lovely slab of concrete to break your fall.
I guess such activities come with the increasingly urbanised environment we live in and I guess some would feel these guys would be better enjoying a rousing game of football (any code acceptable I sure). However, I have to say it was intriguing and certainly gasp worthy watching these guys. Even at my most limber I was never able to do a backward roll with any grace so I am suitably unlikely to take it up as a sport. However, will now be looking up to see someone “leap a tall building in a single bound”!
just a little friday eve rant
Just back from the Supermarket. Certainly not the destination of choice at 6pm on a Friday. But it is better to get milk for coffee in the morning, than have to do dash bright and early! So there I was in the Supermarket queue. Which is fairly extensive at the best of time. And thinking I would save a smidgen of time I jumped into the self service line….. Well!
What is with people!
It is a simple process – scan object, place DIRECTLY into bag. The bags are hanging there waiting to be used, and if you wish to use your own then that is also fine. You just need to put them over the top. So all seems pretty clear, easy…… you would think! 
But for whatever mysterious reason, I can’t even beyond to consider what this reason would be…. people do not place the item in the bag. They prefer to make a nice neat stack of items, just to the side of the bags.
And then once they have paid, and all is looking hopeful for those in the queue they then put their purchased items into the bags!
They take a quick process and make it tricky!
Hurrumph!
Posted in Living in London
Tagged checking out, life, self service supermarket, shopping, supermarket
planning not to plan sucks
I have been trying so hard not to plan, I mean really really reeeealllllly hard.
Not planning, or not having some sort of plan is absolutely, positively not my natural state. I do like to think that even in a whirl of planning, I am not that bothered if it doesn’t come off. However, I like the decision making process, the notion that I can shape what happens.
So the theory was to try and not have quite so much control, just in case life had some sort of mystery there that I was leaping over. Or something like that!
Well, my reflection is this. It is okay to make decisions, to chose something – because not doing so means you never go anywhere! You are not more or less spontaneous, you don’t discover adventure at every turn. You pretty much get paralysed, worried that if you choose something, you might miss the big thing! And then there is the confounder – I like to know what my choices are and then I life to choose!
So in fact planning not to plan is harder than not planning. 
It is now March and I am going to revert back to my natural state…..
out of office
This will give you an idea of how intensely exciting my job is at the moment. The one shining light, the thing that made me laugh today was one of those out of office email bounce backs.
Normally this is irritating – you have sent an email wanting info, trying to move something forward and moments after pushing send an ‘out of office’ email bounces into your inbox. Then it is all about scurrying about to find the person who is about in that department who can help you, or worse yet you have to remember to email or call in a week or so.
Groan! 
But today the owner of the out of office had a sense of humour.
“I am out of the office today, being both bored to tears but undoubtedly educated in some way……” There was more but I can’t remember it.
And it was one of the absolute highlights of my day.
Sad
