Posh Food!

Since the Festive Fair (I would link you but they’ve taken the page down *sob*), I’ve really wanted to be able to afford all sorts of amazing specialised food!! Here are just some of the things I wish I could buy.

Munchy Seeds – their pumpkin and sunflower oil was simply divine!

Supreme Sausages – loved their tasters (and the guy selling them!) but just have not got space in the freezer for six packs of sausages. Cannot WAIT to have a place of my own.

Lymn Bank – cheese of gorgeousness! This one would be doable except I cannot justify their postage costs for something that I shouldn’t be eating as it is. Mmmmm mango cheese…

The Chocolate Cafe – not something that was at the Festive Fair, but something I came across today (a Facebook ad of all things) and joy of joys, there’s one in Manchester! One I will have to investigate as their chocolate pizzas look MMMMtasty.

The Festive Fair was amazing; all sorts of crafts, food, gifts and decorations. I went with mother dear and the sis, and it was just a lovely girly day! I really hope to go every year now. It must become a thing. I may drag Rob next year <3

http://www.chocolate-cafe.co.uk/cafe/

Music Makes The World Go Round pt2

Looking at all the great songs on my laptop right now, I can’t believe how many people have influenced my musical knowledge and tastes. There’s the obvious one; my dad, who’s HUGE knowledge and opinions have had a great impact on what I like, tolerate and hate!
My sister has also had an influence. There’s artists and songs that I love that I’d have never even heard if it wasn’t for her!
Tom (who probably never reads this!) rekindled my love for some classic artists and lesser known songs for which I am hugely grateful. I know some beautiful things because of him.
Alex introduced me to Slipknot, Sam brought me into Trivium (Like Light To The Flies is still a personal favourite of mine, and Rob kept me there!
Switching from Kerrang! to Radio1 a year or so ago has opened me up to a much wider variety of music, especially if I listen late at night.
I learned much from people who have made me mix CDs over the years. Two from the top of my head are Katili, and Jojo, both original Cockettes

I wouldn’t have the musical knowledge I have today without these people, and probably more. I thank you all!

Could it stick?

After Easter, and not even down to chocolate, I tipped into the next stone up again. I was not impressed! Because the weather is nice enough that the bus journey to the gym doesn’t fill me with dread again (waiting for twenty minutes, frozen, twice in one journey was enough to put me off for the winter) I’ve started going again. I always enjoy it but it just wasn’t worth it when it was cold especially with Wii Fit at home, but WF just didn’t have the same effect and my weight loss slowed right down. I’m hoping to get in something resembling “shape” for the summer; I’m going on holiday with my family, my boyfriend and my sister’s boyfriend, and would like to look okay in a swimsuit.

I can do it!!

Trepidated…

I’m moving to a new branch tomorrow. I’m leaving a branch where the people are amazing and my job is stalemate (even though I enjoy it more nowadays), to a branch where the people are middle-aged but I have a lot of space to grow and develop, and more chance for promotion. Obviously my career should come first and it’s not as if I’ll lose touch with my friends at Solihull. I don’t want to move though!

Snow, glorious snow!

I can’t believe my eyes. Not only has snow fallen, it’s fallen all day and there’s inches and inches of it. It never happens here, and apparently it’s going to be like this all week. It’s incredible.

Bento delight!

I have recently (as in yesterday) discovered the wonderful world of Bento. For those who don’t know, Bento boxes are the packed lunches of Japan, stuffed with sushi, meats, veggies and all sorts of wonderful delights. Whilst mine aren’t quite as stylish (well, I’m CERTAINLY not getting up early to make them and I’m tired in the evenings), they do have the variety of a Bento box and are much healthier than the food I buy for lunch normally, which costs a fortune and consists of lots of salt and fat.

Today (for tomorrow), I have two hot cross buns, some green beans and sugar snap peas, two fromage frais, three squares of chocolate, a Babybel and some cubes of cheddar and some rice with ginger and garlic. It’s going to be yummy! I am really looking forward to making these lunches every day.

Just Bento – a Bento blog

Corporate Cockups

I’m glad I didn’t blog about this before!

Thursday past, I had the final interview stage for a management course I applied for. Tuesday, I was told I was successful. Today, I came into work to have my manager say to me that there had been a mistake. Apparently, I was never eligible for the programme because my performance grade and my experience didn’t match up. I’d read the performance grade for someone who’d been in the bank more than six months, which I met, but I didn’t meet the grade for someone who had been in the bank less than, which is where I was when I applied. Consequently, I didn’t qualify but they let me get the whole way through the process, AND be accepted, AND tell my whole family and a few friends, before telling me that I wasn’t allowed!! I’m so angry about that.

I’ve got over the not-getting-on part because at least I know I can stay in my branch with my colleagues, all of whom I get on with. My manager has been so nice about the whole thing that I’ve warmed to her more now, and she’s making it a mission to make sure I’m accepted next time (in six months). Today’s been good for work relationships.

Music makes the world go round.

I’d forgotten the simple joys of sitting and listening to music. I love picking out lyrics, learning them. I’ve had a book where I’ve written poignant and brilliant lyrics for a couple of years now, but it’s not been updated for pretty much half that. So I’m starting now, listening to new music and old music to find lyrics that I can relate to. It’s good fun and really relaxing, not boring. I’m looking forward to a good few nights of it.

Double standards.

If I drank this much (6-7 BIG glasses of wine every night) it’d be binge drinking and I’d be in a newspaper somewhere. If she drinks that much, why is it okay and no one says anything? It’s horrible and she’s horrible when she’s drunk. Which is every night, it seems. People aren’t alcoholics until it starts to affect their day-to-day life and as long as that’s fine, everything’s fine. What happens if she loses her job? Will it start then?

I loves it and hates it.

Whenever I go to Manchester, it feels better somewhat than Rob coming here. When he comes here, it feels normal, usual, like he’s come home again, and when he then proceeds to leave it feels like I’ve been tricked. But visiting Manchester to see him feels exciting, because I get to take a train up there and sleep somewhere different (this time we chose a hotel because I refuse to sleep on the floor again).

Because this is the first year I’ve had money to buy more than my ticket up there for his birthday, I treated him to a thorough restocking of his fridge. He’s had barely any money this semester due to a slightly self-imposed error on his part meaning that he’s paying more rent this term than he had originally intended. I loved seeing the smile on his face when I was able to buy him treats that he’s missed out on…and an advent calender

His mum came up on Saturday and after she gave him his birthday present we trekked over to the Trafford Centre for mini golf. I’d never played before and I was fairly shocking but I still managed two holes in one, with Rob getting three. We were interested to see how Rob’s somewhat excessive practise on the course matched up to Dave’s (his step-dad’s) actual golf skill. They were fairly well matched but I believe the scores went Rob, Dave, Kim (Rob’s mum) and me languishing behind. I wish I had somewhere to practise, once I got over constantly sucking it was really enjoyable.

I miss him a lot when he’s not here, but now that I can see the end (May!) it’s getting that tiny bit easier, because every time I say goodbye I actually get the feeling “that’s one less time now” rather than before when it seemed like forever. I’m very impatient to start the living-together life now though, there’s lots of things that I want to do that we couldn’t quite do living with his parents. For instance, I want to decorate! Living in a flat owned by his family means that we can decorate it how we like once we’ve run it past them first, and since it’s fairly old-fashioned this shouldn’t be an issue with them. I want to set up joint bills, I want a bills account, I want to get the Sunday papers. I’m such a romantic really!

Roll on May.