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September 21st, 2009

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November 11th, 2007

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April 5th, 2007

08:31 pm - In rut... ...no...not the good kind of rut, but the boring monotonous kind. I haven't been able to get near the home computer - two teenagers hogging it for homework and play means I'm allowed 15 minutes on alternate Saturdays when there's no R in the month and I'm fed up!! I can't post to LJ from work, and have to try to keep up with the fic on the QT at luchtimes and quiet times and that's another bone of contention at work - I'm bored, bored, bored. I was seriously thinking of looking for another job, but the hubby pointed out that I'm very well paid, and my part-time hours give me sufficient flexibility that I'm usually home for the kids coming home from school, and none of them object to home cooked meals being placed on the table at 6.00pm precisely each evening. It's comfortable, convenient and BORING! Both kids are out, and I've parked my bum at the computer and I'm staying here for at least two hours, and if darling hubby comes in and asks me to look up a site "because I'm on anyway" I'll use his stapler on him. I've been keeping a low profile from SGA and SG1 fic because I'm still gutted at losing the finales of both series - frakking SkyOne and Virgin falling out. However, one of my colleagues doesn't watch TV - he downloads every show he's interested in and the darling boy has burned discs for me for the remainder of the series of my favourite 70s remake - bliss - I can at least follow the adventures of Apollo and Starbuck - bless you Mark! I've noticed that there's seriously good fic from some of my favourite authors on their sites- Miss Porcupine and Kodiak Bear. I'm determined to read them over the Easter Weekend and Comment - that's why I got this bloody LJ in the first place, and I still haven't learned basic LJ stuff because I can't get on the computer. Wow - that was a rant. I feel so much better. Current Location: At home Current Mood: bitchy Current Music: Kansas mix by my daughter

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March 4th, 2007

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February 25th, 2007

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November 19th, 2006

07:25 pm - on family outings We went out en famille last night. The consensus was to go for a pizza followed by the movies. Deciding on the restaurant was fine, but there was a sharp division of opinion re the film. Son favoured the new James Bond flick, while daughter favoured anything other than Casino Royale. I put my foot down (and got my way), by booking in advance for The Prestige. Daughter was immediately mollified by the presence of Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, whilst son enjoyed the rivalry between the two magicians. Husband declared it "alright", but then he enjoys the type of film which is painfully slow, albeit beautifully shot - the type that bores me to death, during which I have been known to fall fast asleep within 20 minutes. Very embarassing in the cinema. Frankly, if I want to look at beautiful pictures, I'll visit an art gallery. I really enjoyed the film - full of misdirection, duplicity (in all senses) and illusion, and thought the principal actors, plus Michael Caine, were excellent. Scarlett Johansson was a bit of a letdown, her English accent wobbled quite a bit, but I guess she's young and will learn. All in all a very successful family event. Plus, we've agreed to go see Casino Royale next month, so the peace has been kept, and we're all in harmony with each other. This is so rare, I'll savour ir until the next blow-up. Current Location: Sitting on a cushion, because I sat on a nail Current Mood: calm Current Music: Enya - Book of Days

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November 12th, 2006

08:59 pm - Life...but not as we know it I've just about finished my final assignment for my college course, and, as it's the type of assignment where you can't really fail , I'm anticipationg being asked to continue the course. As I found this one a struggle - working, running the family home, interacting with husband, daughter and son, and trying to keep up with friends - I'm going to have to say no. But, really big but...I enjoyed it. I have a degree and a number of postgraduate diplomas and qualifications, but I really enjoyed working in a field that really interests me, as I haven't done it for so long and it's really nice to know that the brain is firing on all neurons, and age (and maturity , yes that's the word maturity!)is opening out new interests. Still avoiding SG1 and SGA, and now BSG spoilers, so I've been immersing myself in Smallville fiction - the trouble is that now I'll want to buy the DVDs so that I can watch the episodes that inspire the storis. But - huge "but"...fanfiction explores all those areas that the episodes can't and the actual series can be such a disappointment...except for the pretty. Tom Welling is an exceptionally lovely man, but realistically I could be his mother. If you know, I was a teenage slut, and thankfully I wasn't. I've been working my way through Jenn's stories - God :"Somewhere I have never travelled" is outstanding, and I have no words yet for Landscape - I'll have to let it settle and think for a while. It's one of those stories that you realise that you're thinking about for days. she is just such a fantastic writer, irrespective of fandom. Current Location: the toadstool Current Mood: satisfied Current Music: Alison Krause & Union Station

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November 9th, 2006

10:17 pm - Fashion Show Just got home from the Oxfam Fashion Show at the Rugby Club, where daughter was (reluctantly but delightedly) one of the models. The great thing about these shows is that the models are all volunteers, plus some hubbies, boyfriends and a few stray rugby players who didn't realise their danger. I had my eye on some beautiful costume jewellery but someone nipped in ahead of me and nabbed it. I wasn't given the opportunity to browse as my daughter was starving, as she hadn't had time to get anything to eat before the show so I had to take her home and feed her. Her best friend was a revelation - she had the runway walk to pefection - all that intensive research watching "America's Next Top Model" paid off in spades. Have now discovered that the Smallville fandom has some excellent writers - I had previoulsy avoided it like the plague as a few peeks at fanfiction.net had me running away for some John/Rodney interaction to bleach out the horrors of Mary Sues galore and OOC characters, but I'm being highly entertained whilst avoiding SGA and SG1 spoilers. Current Location: on my posterior Current Mood: amused Current Music: Linkin Park (pinched from son)

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November 5th, 2006

09:06 pm - I'm an idiot I have my final assessment due in days, and I'm still frantically scribbling. I've been avoiding LJ because I don't want to be tempted to read spoilers and SGA and SG1 have only just started again on cable. Work has been busy - but... very big but... it looks that our universities will support us in a new institute and I've been asked to stay on if it goes ahread. Yea!! I've decided to apply to do some HTML courses over the next year, because it would be great if I could operate and maintain a website for our new Institute, as it'll be a valuable marketing tool, and we'll have to attract as much business as we can. In other words, life has been busy - infinitely preferable state of existence. Had to attend a concert yesterday, at which my daughter was singing - the piano pieces were fine, the solo singers good (except for that peculiar woman who doesn't open her mouth to sing) but the violins - oh, dear god, the violins were awful. I used to play the violin although I haven't picked one up for over twenty years, but I remenmber that before you play in a duo or trio, you have to make sure that you're in tune with each other !!! Otherwise, it's stepped on cats! We went to the rugby club for the annual fireworks display - noisy, busy and great fun. Felt like a teenager again as hubby and I shared a hip flask full of malt whisky - quietly, as it's now illegal in Glasgow to drink alcohol in public places - cue for lecture from daughter about the evils of the demon drink, and pleas from son "just for a taste". Have to go to hospital for a follow-up appointment tomorrow - but the op appears to have been entirely successful. Current Mood: cold Current Music: LOTR -FOTR playing in the background

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September 5th, 2006

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May 31st, 2006

10:17 pm - So...where did May go? I just realised that I haven't posted anything for over a month - why did I get a paid account again? Still, this past month has been insane - panics at work over our grant money running out in less than 18 months, and nothing on the horizon to replace it. This isn't such a problem for me, because my husband is the main breadwinner, and although losing my salary would hurt (especially if my daughter goes to university in two years) we can continue without too many problems, but this isn't the case for most of my colleagues, whose steady salary is the mainstay of their finances. My bosses are working incredibly hard to attract funding, but it's the case that there is a smaller pot of research funding available, with more people chasing it. I've done my best to put my kids off becoming research scientists, because there's just no career structure in the Universities, and now daughter tells me she wants to study law, and son is seriously thinking of joining the police force - what have I done!!! Daughter finishes her exams tomorrow - she's coped really well, with only a few episodes of shrieking hysterics. However, she's a tad annoyed that I'm picking her up straight after her final exam to take her for an orthodontic appointment - I know, lousy timing, but I couldn't get another appointment. Will make it up to her - her hints about an ipod have not fallen on deaf ears (despite all appearances to the contrary). Son has been having a hard time at school this month too. His best friend had to relocate because his mum threw him out to live with his dad - whole new town, whole new school - son is missing him like crazy. Also, he's been picked on, no bullied, by one of his teachers, who actually gave him a punishment exercise for being late to class, because he was in detention! He also gave him two other punnies, which resulted in a referral to the guidance counsellor, and a reprimand. We noticed that a lot of manufactured ailments were appearing, so I took the bull by the horns and phoned the school, as the fact that he was actively trying to avoid school had to be addressed and resolved. The two teachers I spoke to, including the counsellor, agreed that the reported behaviour was totally atypical for my son, and there was some sort of personality conflict. A solution was offered and son only has two more periods with the bully before he leaves him behind - thank god. Ohhh - that's where May went. Current Location: At home Current Mood: tired Current Music: I Walk the Line soundtrack

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April 23rd, 2006

07:35 pm - Late Spring Hubby and I just got back from a walk in our local park. Winter was cold and the trend has continued in the Spring, and everything is late. The bulk of the daffodils only bloomed in the last 7-10 days and the trees, which usually have a haze of green at this time, are still bare with the buds only now starting to open. I haven't realised how profoundly depressed that made me until this pefect Spring evening - warm but with a cool freshness to everything. Now, after seeing Spring bulbs and squirrels (although not unfortunately our native red squirrels) and even a couple of rabbits, I'm feeling lot more cheerful - a situation which has prevailed even although we walked back into the houseand into WW3 between the sprogs. They'll grow out of it (won't they?) Current Location: Home Current Mood: content Current Music: just late evening birdsong

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April 1st, 2006

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March 26th, 2006

09:20 pm - the revengeof the gods... On Thursday, I received a phone call from my son's school to come and collect him as he was being sick. I, a concerned and dutiful mother, took some of my accumulated time off to collect him and take him home and fuss over him for the next 48 hours, but I have to confess that I didn't regard the situation as very serious. Omigod - I now have what he had and I want to to be sick so badly but I'm just not there yet! My son is a saint - he didn't complain much at all, and I want to whimper and cry for my mummy. Why am I doing this to myself - I can't even look at the screen properly! Current Mood: sick Current Music: youn are joking - I'm much too delicate...

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March 25th, 2006

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January 7th, 2006

09:54 pm - Square eyes Well, I've just finished perusing the TV listings magazine for the next week, and it's that wonderful time of Winter when UK TV stations proudly display their American TV programme purchases. I honestly don't know when I'm going to have time to do anything except watch TV - SGA and SG1 resume, the 2nd season of Battlestar Galactica kicks off, NCIS returns (oh Kate - I'll miss you) Smallville recommences, the new series called Invasion and Surface look intriguing and that nice David Boreanaz has a new series in Bones which looks interesting. That's not even counting ER and the second season of Desperate Housewives. I'll just have to stop speaking to my family, except during advert breaks, housework will suffer and I'll have to reschedule my yoga class. Ooh and the new Doctor Who and its spinoff Torchwood will be starting in the Spring. My mother always warned me I would end up with square eyes if I watched too much television - all, I can say is, it's a nice way to go. Suddenly realised that my daughter will scream very loudly if I don't finish Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell soon. She's been waiting her turn to read it for weeks, but it is very long, and very dense and intricate, the type of book that you really need to give your full attention, even the footnotes make a wonderful read. If I'm watching too much TV and only reading a chapter before I go to sleep it'll be another month before she gets it. I can see me being very unpopular. Current Mood: excited Current Music: The Best of Crowded House

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January 4th, 2006

05:12 pm - Of sales and raising money Well - all viruses have held off for a few days, with the exception of the 2am wake up last night to stroke Stewart's brow when he was feeling nauseous - personally, I suspect that it was the two pieces of carrot cake, the chunk of cheddar, and the last of MY belgian choccies in the space of fifty minutes- but no, he swears that it was the gastroenteritis - poor soul, and as I'm not going back to work until next week, I'll just agree. I just had a phone call from the manager of the local Oxfam shop, where my daughter has been volunteering for the last few months, hoping that Lorna can come in tomorrow and Friday as she's desperately short handed and there are some bigwigs coming in on Friday to visit the shop, as it raised over £10,000 in the run up to Christmas - an incredible amount of money. I've found that this branch of Oxfam is terrific as it seems to have specialised in books above all else, and I've managed to pick up some gems over the past few months, including the wonderful Anne Bishop, whom I first heard of through tielan (damn it - I've spent 15 minutes trying to insert an lj name - I am seriously going to have to devote some time to learning to utilise proper lj usage and protocols. I can't believe that I work in a Lab full of computer experts (= geeks) and none of them have an lj account - what's wrong with them! I need them to hold my hand and teach me!) Liz, the manager, has nothing but nice things to say about all of her teenage assistants and wants them to share in the glory, which I think is lovely. Spent a lot of money that I don't have in the sales - mostly clothes, but so what, it's only money (hides Visa statement from Stephen) Current Mood: bouncy Current Music: James bloody Blunt - I have seriously gone off him Tags: oxfam

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December 28th, 2005

09:48 pm - It got me Well, I didn't collapse on Boxing Day, but the day after - or rather I threw myself at my new best friend, the toilet, to commune in misery. Given how close Stewart had been sticking to me, it's almost inevitable that I caught his Winter Vomiting Virus, but I think that the fact I had to clear up after my poor father-in-law succumbed on Christmas day at the Christmas table had more to do with it. My husband, Stephen, has a total phobia concerning being sick, and he slept on the sofa last night and has announced that he intends to do so tonight also, so his chances of contracting the bug are diminished. My feet will be cold. Because of all the various ailments, I haven't been able to get near the computer - I haven't even wanted to because my head has been pounding. Fortunately, I have a high resilience to all types of gastroenteritis and am nearly back to normal. Both kids are recovered, and thoroughly enjoyed Christmas, and tomorrow we'll all hit the sales to use all of the gift vouchers and tokens that we received. Current Mood: nauseated Current Music: The Best of Blondie Tags: virus

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December 21st, 2005

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December 15th, 2005

10:19 pm - Growing older Oh the joy of growing older with a body that's had children. The frantic dash for the loo, the realisation that running, even for the bus, will have soggy consequences and the cutting out of hard workouts, because nobody believes that you produce THAT much sweat. It's called stress urinary incontinence, and ladies, if you have it - go straight to your GP, as you don't have to live with it, you can get help. Mind you, I'm not looking forward to the help - my visit to the Southern General yesterday revealed a very nice Specialist Registrar who intends to operate in the near future, with me undergoing a TOT procedure - basically a tape is inserted in between my pelvic bones to act as a support for the urethra. It's a one day operation, but I won't be able to bounce back immediately, but the whole family is insisting that they'll do the housework, and my husband will drive me around for a couple of weeks. He's not too happy about the no sex for 6-8 weeks though. I'm also joining a research study to evaluate the success of the operation - in my line of work, I can hardly refuse! So, all in all, I'm feeling very positive - I may even be able to get back to running eventually. Current Mood: chipper Current Music: None - my daughter pinched my new CD

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