back on track

I just came back from a weekend at The Boy's. From being in a horrible horrible place last week, both him and us have come a long way. I'm really proud of him. He is being a legend for his family, and really pragmatic and practical towards other parts of his life. Its really interesting, and really attractive. He's taking responsibility for a lot of things, which is great to see. We had a lovely weekend, although we didn't really talk about anything too serious, but it was good. I think we really purely enjoyed each other's company, in a very simple, uncomplicated way, which is what both of us need right now.

The Diary of a Wage Slave continues, but in a good way. I have not had a day off since I started being a call monkey, 3 long months ago. But now, for some strange reason, I seem to have a day off at least every week until April, when I quite. Well, I'm sure not complaining about that.

I've realised that I'm getting rather lonely. I seem to be missing out on my friends' lives right now, and its distressing me a great deal. Much as I love Lil Sis and The Boy, they do not an active social life make. Its weird; I used to be turning down invites left right and centre, and now I'm crying out for one.

Oh, I've another thought. I'm thinking of setting up a PayPal donate thing on here, and anyone who donates is guaranteed a postcard from my travels. I'm just not sure how well that would wash. It's a bit cheeky, isn't it?

john peel

This morning was the first morning that I have (a) ever had any time for Chris Moyles, and (b) ever heard him humbled and speechless. Of course, this was due to the death of John Peel, something that I am very upset about as well. He was just amazing. My own John Peel story is him playing Ash whilst I was on my way to my first ever Ash gig on the day before New Year's Eve.

strange, but true

I must have itchy feet. I am currently searching the Royal Mail webiste for jobs being a postie - at least it would be good training for Everest! Maybe not such good call monkey benefits though. I think I would quite like it as a part time thing though.

ring a ding ding

Too much call monkeying!! I've developed a strange ringing in my ears, which I am sure is due to the random abuse I've been getting today. Obviously, not much more than the usual abuse, but the first day of a shift change always seems to drag. I just counted; only 8 more working days til I head to Miami - woo-hoo!!! I cannot cannot cannot wait. I don't think I've worked this long without a break ever.

My mum's nosy obsession continues. She is stalking me at the moment I think in the hope of gleaning information as to where I am going and what I am doing whilst I go travelling.

Talking of that, last night I was joking around with my Dad telling him that Big Bro and Wifey were going to come to Nepal trekking with me, and poor wee Mammy had a fit that she was going to lose us all at once. 10 minutes later, the phone rang, and it was Big Bro asking my permission to sign up for the Base Camp Everest trek I'm doing. Hilarious. He doesn't know for sure if he can do it; it all depends on wifey's exams, but it would be so much fun if the two of them came. Total blast.

go walking!

That's what I did today. After a gloriously long, cosy lie-in, dad and I headed down to the Mournes to test out my new gear. It was windy and misty, and therefore not at all perfect for climbing anything, so we went on about a 7mile round trip to a lake. It was up and down a little bit, and with the mist, and the boggy, granitey landscape, it was very banshee-like. When we got to the lake, we couldn't even see the other side or anything - incredibly eerie.

I got a cool last minute invite last night. The Belfast Festival is currently on, which is a mixture of music, film, classes, and lectures. A friend of mine called me at 6 last night asking if I had plans. Like the true loser that I am, I said I didn't, and so she said she had a spare ticket to a lecture entitled "The Adventurers". The adventurers included Dawson Stelfox, who was the first Irish man to climb Everest, a very English BBC chap who had biked from Algiers to Cape Town, a girl who went caving, a guy who sailed around the Arctic, and a very pushy girl who had raced to the North Pole. Everyone was awesome - funny, encouraging, yet humble, apart from the North Pole girl, who spoke completely in management powerspeak that we couldn't take her seriously. Still, everyone else spoke so wonderfully and with such enthusiasm, that it was definitely a fun night. There was some Q&A (we heard a BBC chick using the lingo, so we decided to pick it up) at the end, and all the questions were funny, so I didn't feel like asking my serious, vaguely cynical question about whether issues of political stability providing more contentious issues than that of environmental ones. Oh well.

nick and jessica?

Now, everyone must know how much I love Nick and Jessica, and I've just been told by my lovely lil sis that they have split! Surely not. I can't really find anything on the web to say aye or nay, but this is traumatising - they were my ideal couple!

I just spent a vast amount on a North Face jacket in the hope that it keeps me warm on Everest - I love it, but its not exactly stylish. And I was hoping Dad would dip into his pocket for it - nae chance!! Still the guys in Surf Mountain were v helpful. Lil Sis booked her Galapagos trip today as well, so she is learning all about the joys of outdoor gear, because she is doing a Machu Picchu trek as well. It seems she doesn't even own a fleece - how has she been a part of our family??

some daughters do have 'em

First off, everyone is using blogexplosion, I swear. Every site I went to last night had a link to it. Its a lot of fun; I definitely recommend it.

Next, back to my mother. The poor wee pet has been getting a lot of stick these days, all of it deserved I might add. My dad and I have always said that we don't get enough privacy, and that my mum just does not have the right to open our mail or take our stuff. She, however, takes a rather alternative approach to privacy and property rights. It all started on Friday when I came home to find that she had opened my box from amazon, and destroyed the evidence. The books were sitting right on the table, but the invoicing letter and the package had disappeared. Her logic to opening my box was that she had paid for it, but, in fact, she hadn't. I would agree, I can be rather liberal in my usage of her credit card for my amazon purchases, but on this one, I had actually stepped up to the challenge and paid myself. Either way, there is no way she could have guessed that from the package. She later admitted that she was bored and the idea of a package was exciting, so she just opened it. I had just about forgiven her for her flagrant breach of my rights as a daughter, when she informed me that I had a few days off next week when I could get my injections. "how do you know that?" I asked, because I have no real idea when my next days off are, and she airily told me that my diary had been lying open on the table. But her cover was blown when she told me about the week after that as well- aha! She had to be looking through. At this point I was almost feeling sorry for her, because she just kept getting caught!

And then this morning, I found my bank statement opened. We are going to have words.

they've done it again

Just when I thought they couldn't get any worse, my lovely employers have managed to mess things up for me again. Its like they are determined to ruin any chances of me ever seeing my boy again. They have swapped our shifts around, changed all the times, and essentially broken their contract with me about informing us as to when and what we're working. I am so mad at them. They now owe me about 5days of holiday, which I know I won't be able to book now, and it looks like I can see The Boy about once between now and xmas. What the hell am I to do? I'm seriously thinking about quitting, because they have been pissing me off so much. They just cannot get their act together as to what they want us to work, and its like they just screw us right over everytime. I guess I'm not very flexible in regards to my plans right now, but what else can I do? I don't work all the time, I have other things in my life, most notably a boy in England who I never get to see. And yes, it is partly my own fault because I am spending a week in Florida in November, but honestly, it shouldn't be that hard to go and see him.

As you can see, I'm not happy.

And I've got a headache from my yellow fever vaccination. Bring on the muscle aches.

advert of the day!

Normally I don't link to adverts, mainly because they usually don't amuse me as much as they do some peopel, but the new one fromHonda is just fantastic - psychadelic, happy, fun. Love it. Always puts a smile on my face. Plus, extolling the positivity of hate. Wunderbar.

dear oh dear

I think I might have worms. I seem to be permanently hungry. Now, this would not be strange, apart from I don't think that I am eating less, or taking more exercise. I walk to work everyday and back - that's about 3 or 4 miles total, but really, for the rest of my day I just sit on my bum and don't really get to wander at all. And yet, I am always starving.

I'm also about to inject myself with a series of toxins. I ordered my vaccines from my doctor today. I actually had to plead with the health centre, because I tried to do it before, and was redialling for about a half hour before I gave up, so when I got through today, I had actually missed the cut off time for ordering, but they said they would try and put it through already. And then I get to stick needles in me, or rather, pay someone else to stick needles in me. I've got to get so many.

I went to see my Grandpa yesterday; the first time since my granny died. I thought it was going to be sad and weird, but, stranger still, it wasn't at all. It makes me wonder if I'm just a really cold evil person. I can't be, but I still don't feel hideously sad about my Granny dying. I do remember feeling hideously sad the week before she died, whenever she was in tears when I went to see her. So I can't be completely evil. But still, its strange to feel nothing. I'll work on it.

back to the grind

Today was the ultimate in boring boring days at the Halifax. Nothing interesting, no one cursing me, just usual usual ness. And the realisation that I need to do scary amounts of overtime to get dinero together. My boss is just so lovely and so fun though - I really want her to get her promotion; I feel like she is just so try-hard and dedicated, but in such a nice, nice, not sold her soul way. Total hardworking sweetie.

BOOKED!!!!

In less than 48hrs from FMN1 dropping out of our travel plans, I have a surprisingly large proportion of it BOOKED!!! God bless Andy from STA in Belfast, he spent well over an hour getting flights to come in at under 29,000 miles to get me a cheaper flight. We had me originally going via Easter Island and Tahiti, but got those taken out in an effort to bring down my miles. I was so impressed with him. He even got round the two big stumbling blocks - Auckland Lima, and everything to do with Kathmandu. But its done. And it looks like this:

London to somewhere in the Middle East to Kathmandu.
Base Camp Everest Trek. In order for me to be fit enough to do this, I am going to have to spend all of my free time at the gym walking up hill. I'll just get on the treadmill and walk up hill for hours at a time. I'll be known as the strange girl who just goes up hill!!
Kathmandu to Bangkok.
Teaching English somewhere in Thailand for 8wks.
Bumming around Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam for another 2mths.
Bali for 2wks.
Fly to Perth.
Fly to Sydney.
Fly to Christchurch.
Fly to Auckland.
Fly to Santiago or Lima.
Fly to Santiago or Lima. (Whatever one I am not in)
Fly to Madrid and then home.

The whole thing is going to be hideously expensive, but I'm only going to do it once, so whatever dude. It'll be cool. My mum just called to let me know that my inheritance will be through in 6mths from my granny, so that'll be just in time. Thank goodness. I really needed those funds! The whole thing will take me around 8 or 9mths. I am very excited, and a little bit nervous. But its so exciting that I am finally booked. Yeh me!!!!!!

yummy

I have just had the most gourmet, hand-crafted french toast ever, as created by my own dear father. He is a great cook anyway, and decided it was time to make me dinner, which no one has done in over a week, which has been causing some feelings of guilt. Not that I mind; I have been spending the last four years making my own dinner, but apparently, if I live at home, instead of being a freeloader, I should be catered for. Well, I'm not going to complain. Anyway, his loving creation included using icing sugar, Greek mountain honey, and blueberries as toppings - soooo delicious. I now feel totally stuffed. And I've just realised that all I have eaten today is carbs. Atkins would not be happy.

I have been spending all afternoon (apart from the O.C) planning my travels, which is very exciting. I've got most things worked out - trekking in Nepal, teaching in Thailand. No time in China, I'm a bit upset about that, but I only have so much £££, and time as well. Bum around S-E Asia, go to Bali, Oz, NZ, Peru, Chile, Argentina, home. 8mths ish. Calling people tomorrow to try and get it all confirmed. Go me!! Like, really go.

could my week get any worse

Probably not. Honestly, I must have a hex on me or something. FMN1 dropped out of travelling with me last night. It was one of those things that I kind of knew was going to happen, but still sucks. I'm not at all mad at her, she has other things going on, but I still would have preferred if she was coming. It just means I have to organise a whole host of stuff myself. I'm thinking conservation or community in Mexico, then go to Argentina, then NZ, Oz, and then travel round SE Asia before doing a teaching project there for a while, and then come home. Bit vague, but I'm going to talk to people about it tomorrow, and try and get something organised. I'm quite lucky, I have some money in the bank to get started, and an inheritance coming my way, so I have funds, but still. Its a big blow.

Plus, things with The Boy are sticky. We seem to be fighting a lot. Maybe both of us is losing sympathy with the other's cause? He says I don't tell him any of my problems any more, and maybe I don't, but I just don't feel like talking about them. I have no idea what's going on. Things seem pretty cloudy on that front too.

have been so tired

I can't even think when the last time I wrote here was. Sometime at the beginning of the week maybe, but I couldn't say for sure. I don't even know what I wrote. Things have been very busy since then. My granny's funeral was Tuesday, and we had a big lunch in our house afterwards. I still haven't felt any real mourning or anything else about it; I don't think that I will until I go and see my Grandpa and she isn't there. It won't hit home until then. He's been amazing about it; very stoical. He also has kept her seat in his room so that he can keep talking to her - I think that's lovely.

The funeral as lovely actually. Its funny, you find out things that you never knew in life, like the fact that my great grandfather was a minister. No wonder my mum pretends that she's vaguely religious. The service was good, and delivered by a lovely minister who quite simply had the worst teeth I have ever seen. I think the technical term might be tombstone teeth. Gosh. Awful. But he spoke well.

FMN1 came over, and it was fantastic fun, and a complete relief from all the family. We giggled, we drank, we chatted. We went to the Limelight, which is a grim, smoky, dirty, grubby, indie club that lots of kids who think they are cool go. We just went cos they play Dire Straits and The Strokes. Anyway, I was being a complete drunken ass, playing air guitar, when I get grabbed by a guy I barely recognise, who I suddenly realise was an ex boyf who I was completely besotted with at the time. No longer - I hadn't even noticed him! Anyway, that was suitably embarrasing. Belfast is just too small.

Have to go, got to get showered for work. More updates tonight. And hi to Katie.

pink pee

I ate beetroot yesterday and I completely forgot to check if I peed pink!!! How could I do such a thing. I never get to eat beetroot, and to totally forget about novelty pee is just wrong.

I've been playing with my digital camera a bit more. I think I might be getting the hang of it. I printed out a 130page guide that came with it so I can learn all the button combos. Yeh, like its going to happen. And then I'll have to take arty shots of my surroundings to get it document my life man. Awesome.

I was watching Michael Palin's Himalaya today, and strangely, it just didn't grab me, and I'm not even entirely sure why. I'm a bit upset about it. But I'll still tune in next week. As for my own Himalayan ideas, I've just found out I can train as a jackaroo in Australia - hell yeh!

where have I been?

Ok, sorry for not posting in a while. Things have been busy. Basically, my grandmother finally died on Thursday, and then I went to see The Boy, and then I didn't buy a surfboard, and basically, I've just been doing other things that have needed my attention more than this blog unfortunately. I'm back home, back at work, and helping my mum prepare the house for an onslaught of relatives. Its part good, part bad. Of course its sad, but better this way than her continuing to be sick.

FMN1 comes to visit on Tuesday which should be excellent light relief. Plus, we'll start to plan travelling and everything, so I'm excited about that. My grandfather has put aside some money for me to spend on my journeys, so I'm thinking about doing some sort of community project, since I don't believe in teaching English (for some reason, I think its quite colonial to go into a country and try and teach them english - why should they have to learn? At the same time, I'm aware I'm being super naive about it, and it doesn't matter about the why or the why not; the fact of the matter is that people every where speak English, and its advantageous to do so, whether or not its right or wrong. So I'll leave the English teaching to someone else, thanks very much!), or some sort of expeditiony thing.

I didn't buy my surfboard. The guy I was going to buy it from disappeared off teh face of the earth. Bloody typical. Never mind. Que sera sera. And since I've just bought a Pentax Optio, I'm a little broke anyway.