Wednesday, November 04th, 2009 | Author:
Julia
It always helps to bear in mind the very basics of planning a trip in advance of departure. In some ways I feel happy that I have done this. A decision has been made that we will do a 3 week road trip of the US. I have checked out motels and lodges, perused local restaurant menus, checked out the latest Vegas thrill rides and decided which books to take with me. What I did fail to do however was check that my passport was still valid. It’s not. It expires tomorrow. And we leave in circa 2 weeks. When I opened the back page to take a peep I did a comedy double take – surely that should be November 2010 expiry – not November 2009? A printing error? Trick of the light? Someone had changed the date without telling me? But no – the full horror was there to see. So, now I have an appointment at the Passport Office in London at 12.45 to ‘walk through’ a same day passport renewal application. Not good news. Especially not in terms of cost. But there’s worse to come – the rules for passport photos have changed to become much more stringent resulting in the shocking image I produced in the photo booth in Millbrook Tesco’s this morning:
In the meantime, I’ve been scribbling away with the feeling that there is light at the end of the tunnel – almost finished the first draft! I have got it into my head that it needs to be 100 000 words which, with editing next year, will be trimmed down to circa 80 000. I’ve adopted a new approach in that I am writing a few extra chapters in isolation which fit with the book but need to be linked in properly – a job for 2010. In reality I have just 3 weeks left as we will be away for 3 weeks on our trip and the last week of December is taken up with Christmas. I have to get that pen burning!!! And I have to say the pressure of a tough deadline really helps. I HAVE to finish it by 31st December 2009!
And thinking back on this year Ive discovered that it has been the voluntary work which has left the most lasting impact and really touched my heart. I am determined to carry on with visiting once I am back at work – it’s just not the sort of thing you can turn your back on. I’ve met and got to know some wonderful people who, maybe without realising it, have taught me a lot. They have really enriched my life. A big thank you to them all.
Friday, September 25th, 2009 | Author:
Julia
I realised this morning that I hadn’t blogged for nearly two weeks which is quite unheard of in Blog Land so now feel the need to get writing to my cyber readers. Please therefore forgive this rather long and random post!
Well I see that my last post concerned reading so I shall continue in the same vein having just finished Dan Brown’s latest epic ‘The Lost Symbol.’ As ever, this was a heady mix of short, tightly written chapters packed with cliff hangers, unanswered questions and his trademark twists and turns. I thoroughly enjoyed it despite the bad grammar, spelling mistakes and obviously rushed proof reading. However, without giving too much away, I felt he could have ended the book sooner, ditching the last fifty pages which became far-fetched and pedestrian. Having said that – well worth the read and no doubt we will be seeing another appalling adaptation at the cinema in the near future.
Last week end saw us visiting Laura and her family in Twickenham and in the words of Mr P – ‘ that was one of the best week-ends I’ve had this year!’ On the Saturday Laura, Julia and I drove into Kensington to have coffee and cake and visit Linley Sanbourne House which was wonderful. A beautifully preserved late-Victorian town house which reminded me of an old fashioned doll’s house in life size scale. While we walked around this intriguing time capsule, the boys played golf re-joining us for Laura’s roast pork! On the Sunday I watched Julia having a horse riding lesson in Richmond Park with the afternoon set aside for a walk along the river and a trip to York House in Richmond which had been opened to the public as part of the annual London ‘Open House Week-End.’ This week-end in September allows the public to access buildings in London which are usually closed to the public. A couple of years ago I dragged Ian up to Woolwich to visit Crossness Pumping Station which had been opened as part of said event. Absolutely amazing. I still long to visit one of the disused Tube Stations for which there is an inordinate waiting list!
Wednesday saw me joining a Company Y team event which I won’t write about as my policy is never to write about work on this blog. However I will say it was a good day and I was able to catch up with all the news in readiness for my return in the New Year.
And what of Baby Hughes you ask ? Well, had a good day with Mrs Q and Baby Hughes on Hayling Island. Both are doing well and it was nice to see that Mrs Q had shed some baby pounds and also some of those elasticated waist monstrosities. A lovely lunch – her speciality – two slices of dry bread with some ham and cheese slapped in the middle. No relish. No chutney. No taste. But let’s get real – Mrs Q’s priorities are understandably in a much more important place these days. Like texting me pictures of c-list celebs on reality shows with the caption ‘ Fat Slag.’ Well done Mrs Q – you are a credit to yourself as always.
The voluntary work continues and I still get a great deal of satisfaction out of this – I’m really hoping I can continue in some form after I return to work.
So what of the week end? Well, Mr P left this morning for a long week end in Leeds with his friends. And what a wife I was. Brought him breakfast in bed – ironed him a number of outfits to take with him – helped him pack – and then drove him and his friend to the station with a promise to pick them up on Sunday evening. Why was this you ask? Am I just a model wife ? Why no ! I intend to use this as ammunition in a future argument to demonstrate just how wonderful I am and how terrible Mr P is. Why else would I go to such lengths ? We women plan ahead…
Thursday, September 03rd, 2009 | Author:
Julia
Well, I’m fully recovered now post-op and the cold has shifted. Ian suprisingly pulled through his cold although we did have a few dicey moments when he felt a relapse was a possibility but thankfully no issues there.
The car was retrieved successfully from the hospital car park ( see last post ) although I felt Ian’s opening line when he returned home of ‘what on earth have you done to the car this time? It’s got NHS blue paint down both sides and it was parked between two pillars painted NHS blue. Don’t say you know nothing about it’ was uncalled for. It did have a smidge of blue on both sides of the chassis and the blue was a perfect match to that painted on the car park pillars. And it wasn’t there before I parked the car. But – does that really mean we have to put 2 and 2 together and deduce that I’d parked badly and scratched both sides of the car? No we don’t.
Still, come uppance was at the ready as the following morning I dragged out a full bin bag from the kitchen to put in the wheelie bin. Just as I approached said bin the bag split and the entire contents spewed over the driveway. Now I can’t stand things like this so reacted in the obvious way by screeching ‘Oh my God NO! No! No! I can’t believe it – IAN! Help! Eventually Ian appeared and after explaining that I had obviously a) carried the bag inefficiently b) been rushing around as always c) been clumsy as usual, he actually put on a pair of lemon marigolds ( Tesco Basics Brand ) and proceeded to clear up the mess. Now that’s what I call a good husband. Eating the remains of an old takeaway he found was a bit unusual though.
Mrs Q continues to nurture baby Samuel Reuben, introducing him to our mad crazy world. He is doing very well and changing by the day. Mr Q returns to work next week so she will be home alone with baby SR for the first time. I know she will be fine and will not take him to her local Weatherspoons and sit outside with him smoking a fag and drinking a pint. At least I don’t think she will. On the plus side she has stopped wearing that Britney Spears trailer trash skirt.
The volunteering work continues and I am really enjoying the befriending scheme through Communicare. As it is confidential I won’t write any details here suffice to say it is a fantastic programme which helps to bring the community closer together.
In terms of the book, I have now finished my first character’s story end to end. I have now started to write the story of my second character which interweaves with that of the first. I am finding this much more difficult as I had got so under the skin of No 1 that trying to get into the second is proving harder than I expected. Still, I plod on…What I have decided however is that I will now spend the year finishing the book and will stop the other work as I want to complete the first draft by the end of December.
As for the other day to day stuff, Ian and I are at opposite ends of the weight loss scale. Ian is trying to lose and I am trying to gain! So while I am making sure I eat enough calories and more – Ian is on a strict regime of control, control, control. I’m unsure where his spicy chicken burger, onion rings and chips which he had last night fits into this.
So, all in all a pretty average week. Can’t belive it is now September and the start of the Autumn. It’s pouring with rain and blowing a gale as I sit writing in our dining room overlooking the garden. Come back Summer!!!
Friday, June 26th, 2009 | Author:
Julia
I’m frankly dithering now. I have a piece of work which I need to complete this week-end but have found a million other things to do instead. Like writing on my blog. I have to say that despite my desire for distraction, the iron, hoover and floor mop have not been calling although with Mr.P’s arrival home tomorrow night I do have an element of industrial deep cleaning to undertake.
All in all it’s been quite a busy week in all sorts of ways. I’m continuing with New Evergreens and Communicare and finding that this is broadening my horizons and helping me look at the world in a different way. For example, just by chance, I met one of ‘my ladies’ in the High Street yesterday. Despite having had nine significant operations, had her cataracts operated on last week and due to celebrate her 88th birthday next month, she was cheerful, spirited and great fun. ‘I’m happy with what I have,’ she said, ‘I don’t need any more. No need to be greedy.’ She is wonderful and altogether gutsy. Good on her. Drove another lovely gentleman to his medical appointment Monday afternoon – full of talk, genuininely funny and called me ‘girl.’
In conjunction with my ‘co-ed’ the Taunton’s writers’ anthology was completed on Wednesday and will be printed and distributed for sale next week. Hope I haven’t spelt any names incorrectly. It’s a great collection with a really good breadth of work from poetry to prose to short stories, extracts from novels and non-fiction articles: thoroughly professional and a credit to the group. I’ve paid up for next term but I’m also considering another course. Ideally I’d like to find somewhere that teaches Arabic or Farsi but I’ve hunted for ages now and there doesn’t seem to be anywhere in the local area. My fall-back is Tai Chi in a bid to minimise my negative energies and open my Chakras.
In terms of writing I have to come clean and say that I’ve done little creative work but I know that the week-long Winchester Conference next week will kick start me again – I’ve certainly got the desire to write – just struggling to find the time. I’ve come to a standstill on the book at 50 000 words unable to move a particular scene on. Advice from other writers has been to stop – move on to a later point in the story and then come back and fill in the gap or maybe cut the scene altogether – perhaps it isn’t needed. So my chav novel continues to breathe life – just needs a bit of a gentle shove. It’s advice like this which is so valuable and comes from getting together with other literary like-minded souls aka Penny Legg’s wonderful Writing Buddies. Being a ‘newbie’ I have the perfect opportunity to soak up advice from others and learn.
This week-end I have the Saturday morning Blue Room ( ooh er missus ) group and then out for dinner in the evening, dropping by the station at the end of the night to pick up Mr.P. I haven’t completed all tasks set such as planting the vegetable seeds ( soul destroying ), weeding ( boring ) or dead-heading ( if it’s flowers and not people I’m just not interested ). But I will make a lovely lentil and butterbean sambal for Sunday lunch. Lucky ol’ Mr.P.
Thursday, June 11th, 2009 | Author:
Julia
After much deliberation I have decided to update this blog with the voluntary work I have started doing. Now I say deliberate. I was very concerned that publishing this might make me appear rather ’showy’ and give the impression that I am using the blog for self-promotion. Well that’s certainly not the case. What I do want to do however is to ensure that the blog continues to record my life especially over this career break year. So, here goes…
I have started helping with New Evergreens which is a wonderful afternoon club run by St James Church for senior members of the community who enjoy the opportunity to get together, have a chat and maybe some lunch, and perhaps enjoy some entertainment. Meetings are held 3 Wednesday afternoons every month for approximately 2 hours each. The ladies ( and gentleman ) are all absolutely lovely and delightful to talk to. The routine is: first Wednesday: tea/cakes and guest speaker or presenter: Second Wednesday: Luncheon club and bingo: Third Wednesday: Whist drive and tea/cakes. It’s a wonderful initiative and provides additional social interaction and a gossip where needed.
I’m also now offically CRB ( Criminal Records Bureau ) accredited and am commencing work for Communicare – another organisation which reaches out to the community to help those in need. I have my first visit next week so more on this later. Communicare is part of Shirley Baptist Church. What has been striking however is the fact that both organisations have been very happy for me to ‘join up’ even though I am not a church-goer. I have been quite frank about this but there has been no problem and I have been overwhelmed by their welcoming approach. No-one has tried to convert me – no-one has asked me to go to church. The ethos seems to be that working with the community does not require a faith which has been very reassuring.
As for writing, I have re-hashed Shopping For One and sent to Fiction Feast – fingers crossed. I have to say I haven’t felt very inspired creatively but hope this will return. I am learning that I cannot switch on the right-hand side of my brain at will – it will light up when it chooses to!
And to finish on a high note – Mrs Q will be very pleased to hear that I ate two Krispy Kreme do-nuts in the car before I had left the Tesco carpark yesterday. They were Chocolate Custard Creme and Strawberry Iced. I then went home and ate half a packet of chocolate-chip Maryland cookies. I am disgusting. I am an animal. I revolt myself. But they were nice and thank goodness no-one saw me slumped down in the front seat of the Clio filling my face…
