Long time no blog

Wow. Didn't realise it'd been quite so long since I'd blogged here. 'Real life' has been busy in itself, and I spose I spend a lot of my online time lurking over at LJ at the moment. However, I am still planning that redesign and server move that I mentioned aaaages ago, and I want to use this blog for a sort of combined study and knitting log. Which may sound a bit odd, but makes sense to me *g*.

Talking of studying, I'm really enjoying my course, though I have ended up getting a bit behind because of not being well. But I'm catching up again, and hopefully I'll be back on top of things soon. Fingers crossed! Knitting is also going well - I'm doing lots of it, and I've sold a couple of things, which helps, since I'm ever so broke!

Anyway, I should probably go and try to rest now. Sleep patterns are, as ever, completely farked. Some things don't change....

The friday five

The friday five:

What was...

1. ...your first grade teacher's name?
Mrs H.... H..... H-something! Damn. Hutchinson, maybe? My Mum remembers, I know. I remember what she looked like, the name is just escaping me.

2. ...your favorite Saturday morning cartoon?
Don't remember if it was on Saturday morning, but I liked She-Ra! And Visionaries. On a Saturday morning I used to watch the Multicoloured Swap Shop, and later Going Live, and so on. Which had cartoons included, but I don't remember what was when.

3. ...the name of your very first best friend?
Victoria. We were best friends from when we started infant school, til her family moved away to Pevensey when we were 6 or 7, I think. And then I was best friends with Maria til we went to senior school.

4. ...your favorite breakfast cereal?
Um. Weetabix, I think. It still is!

5. ...your favorite thing to do after school?
Read. I was such a bookworm! *g* I'd squeeze in reading wherever I possibly could, and even when I wasn't sposed to (ie. during Maths class.... *g*). I still do read a lot, but ye olde internet takes up a lot of what used to be reading time. Heh :-) I did also used to go out to play in the summer though, and go to Brownies / Guides and so on, so I didn't have my nose in a book my entire childhood.

The friday five

The friday five:

When was the last time you...

1. ...went to the doctor?
Thursday, to see the consultant. And now I have to go back to my own GP, and blah blah blah.... *yawn* I'm always at the bloody doctor.

2. ...went to the dentist?
Ahem. Oh dear. When I lived in London. 1998, '99? Ooops. Really must find one up here and make an appointment.

3. ...filled your gas petrol tank?
Not since just after I got back from staying with the parents at Xmas / New Year. First week of January? I luuurve my economical car. Obviously I haven't done a huge amount of driving, but it's been a couple of hundred miles and I still have a quarter tank left. Still, I'm going to Leeds tomorrow, so I shall fill her up again before I leave.

4. ...got enough sleep?
Mmmm. I probably got more than enough today - had another one of my totally-zonked oversleeping things. And now I'm back off to bed again, so I can get up early enough in the morning.

5. ...backed up your computer?
Not since the last time I reformatted, actually. Which was after I got my CD burner, definitely. Er. That might be as much as six months ago. Maybe more. I should probably do it again soon, shouldn't I? I've got the ZIP as well at the CD-RW, so I have no excuse, really.

Plans of all sorts

Hmm. I think I want to redesign this site. However, I also rather want to move it... I have my eye on a rather nice reseller hosting package that would allow me to host all my domains (and some for other people, possibly) for no more than I'm paying for my collected various hosting accounts at the mo. However, I'd rather pay the yearly fee upfront, so I need to make sure I have enough for that *and* to pay my bills and buy food (tcha, responsibility, how tedious *g*). So, the redesign might wait until the move. Especially because I'm thinking of changing this to use Movable Type. Hmmmm. The rest of the site will be getting a bit of reorganisation too, I think, to reflect some of the stuff I've been up to recently.

And what have I been up to recently? Well, I've been preparing for the Open University course that I'm taking this year.... and I've been knitting. Yes, me, knitting. *g* Being a bit broke, I decided to re-learn how (I'd been taught at school when I was about six if I remember rightly) and make Christmas pressies for people. So I did, and I did, and they were very well received! Pictures will be forthcoming.... :-) Anyway, I've got really quite into it, so I'm carrying on, trying my hand at a few different little projects and finding some amazing bargains on new yarn in charity shops. Hee!

As for the OU course, I'm doing "Understanding Music: Elements, Techniques and Styles". I'm intending to carry on and take another music course next year, which will then give me a Diploma in Music. From there, as I think I've said before, if I'm doing alright at it all, I want to see if I can get my full degree. But for now, I'm concentrating on the one I'm doing this year! The first couple of units should be very straightforward for me, as I've studied all this stuff before, but I believe the learning curve is pretty steep - I'm really looking forward to it! :-D I've been looking at the online student forums, and it'll definitely be good to get to know the others in the course that way. Plus, I believe the summer school is in Durham. Eeeeeexcellent! I can't wait!

Not dead.

Am not dead. Happy New Year!

Yeah...

Must post more often!

I reeeeally have to remember to post here a bit more often! Heh. Although, I don't think anyone's exactly keeping an anxious eye out for my posts or anything! *g*

Christmas is coming, as it does (once a year or so). I'm off to visit the parents for the period, but this time I have a new and shiny way of getting there: I shall be driving down. In my own, brand new, rather spiffy, car! Woohoooo! I'm dead chuffed - I shall be collecting it tomorrow, and setting off for 'down south' on Tuesday. Would have had it sooner, but there have been a few hitches along the way, so it's a bit of a miricle I'm getting it at all, I think. I've actually had my driving licence for more than ten years, so it's about time I had my own car, don't you think? Hee!

The one thing I'm not looking forward to about the Christmas period, of course, is that my Xandermoggy has to go to the cattery while I'm away. I hate that bit. :-( But I can't take him with me, cos Phoebe (queen of Mum and Dad's house) would not be impressed. And he is quite content in the cattery - he settles down really quickly and everything. He's such a good boy. Awww.

Still thinking about the comments system thing. Maybe I'll just change from Blogger altogether, and install Moveable Type instead. Hmm. Guess I'll keep pondering on it.

Now I'd better get back to work - I'm making most of my Christmas pressies this year, and I'm not quite done yet. It's a new thing that I've learned to do for this, so I shall quite possibly post pics of what I produced. After Christmas, obviously, or that'll give the surprises away. Off I go, then.

Happy Christmas (or relevant seasonal holiday that you celebrate) Everyone! :-D

Mum and Dad are here

Mum and Dad are here for a visit - tomorrow we're off to Blackpool to visit Mary, Ray and Wendy (my aunt, cousin and cousin's partner) for Mary's annual pre-Christmas bash thing. Where we will all have to wear santa hats and tinsel, and stuff. Heheh.

Took my CV into a couple of temp agencies today, and they were gratifyingly impressed with my ph33rsome typing skillz (59 wpm copytyping, bit faster for audio) and all, so I should hopefully get some work soon.

I think I need to change the commenting dowhatsit that I use here. dotComments doesn't seem to like the new Blogger post numbering system, or something, and won't do the comment counts any more. Anyone got any good suggestions? Or know how to fix dotComments, for that matter? Help?

Back from Germany.

Hello!! I got back from two weeks in Germany yesterday, visiting Noxy and Luna. Had a most excellent time - there was much silliness and laughter, watching of movies, appreciation of the pretty, reading and reccing of fic, and of course, going to Ring*Con. It was absolutely brilliant to see the two of them, and it was also kind of spooky how normal it felt to be all hanging out together... and it completely sucks that we're not near enough to be able to nip round to see each other at weekends or anything. Humph. But we've pledged that we're going to visit at least once a year if not more often, and made a weekly chat date. *sigh* It's brilliant that we were able to meet each other through the net and all, but it's at times like this that I really wish that distance and travel weren't so much of an issue!! Heh.

I don't think I've actually mentioned it here yet, but I've been made redundant from my old tech support job. Which I'm looking at as a positive thing, because I'm now going to take the opportunity to move back into the music world, and start teaching again - hopefully full time, this time. Voice, Clarinet, Recorders, Theory, and beginner Piano. I'm also going to be completing my Teaching DipABRSM, and I've signed up for the first course towards a DipMus at the Open University because I fancy a few more letters after my name ;-) Hopefully, I'll continue on to actually finish my degree in the long run. Shock!! Anyhow, I'm feeling pretty happy about doing this - music really is my Thing, you know? (Eloquently put, hmm?) But much as I love messing around on the computer, and playing with websites and technology and all that, music is what's in my gut, my soul, the thing that makes me feel (corny as it sounds) whole and real when I'm doing it. And I always really enjoyed teaching - as much, in a different way, as performing and writing.

So there we go, that's what I'm going to be up to in future, all going well! I'm pretty much set up to start teaching from home, and I have a couple of other possibilities to look into as well. I do, however, really need a car. Urgh. Help? ;-) I'm going to have to do some temping to keep myself going financially, I think, so I'll hopefully be able to save some money towards getting mobile. It's either that, or see about getting a loan. Don't really want more debt, but.... I do need a car!! Damn.

And to change the subject again, here's last week's friday five:

1. List five things you'd like to accomplish by the end of the year.
(Does this mean 2003 or 2004? Hmmm.... let's say it's this year.)
- To have started up teaching music pupils.
- To have a definite car-getting plan!
- Get a washing machine (does that count as an accomplishment?)
- Be back doing some kind of actual work!
- Get off these damn meds.

2. List five people you've lost contact with that you'd like to hear from again.
- Christina
- James
- Ian (Bernard!)
- W (what am I like?)
- Eddie

3. List five things you'd like to learn how to do.
- Play the guitar.
- Car maintainance stuff.
- Ride a motorbike.
- Fly (as in, a plane)
- (Can I save this one for later?)

4. List five things you'd do if you won the lottery (no limit).
- Buy houses / cars / presents for my family.
- Get a car, a motorbike, a boat, a plane.
- Go on a massive world trip to visit all my friends.
- Technology. I would go completely mad with the lovely lovely technology. Mmmmmm.
- Find a damn big house / estate / building and make it into a fabulous fandom house or apartment complex or something, with permanent accommodation for a group of us, plus rooms for people to come to stay... and a big cinema, a library, a highspeed network / net connection, and an octagonal music room with all the instruments and schtuff I / we could ever want.... *vbg*

5. List five things you do that help you relax.
- Read.
- Sing / play music.
- Breathing exercises.
- Walk.
- Spend time with friends, vegging :-)

Blah, test, blah.

Blah, test, blah. And stuff.

Belatedly, here's the friday five

Belatedly, here's the friday five from my birthday (last Fri, 17th):

1. Name five things in your refrigerator.
Skimmed milk, cans of Pepsi, Flora (margarine), salad stuff, and some liver that I must remember to cook today.

2. Name five things in your freezer.
Ready meals (am lazy), frozen veg, Haagen Dazs Pralines & Cream ice-cream, six small blue penguins, and ... er ... a frozen pancake. (I know there's much more in there than that, but I can't think, offhand. Could go look. Can't be arsed.)

3. Name five things under your kitchen sink.
A blue bucket, disinfectant, pegs, polish, bin bags. (And tons of other crap)

4. Name five things around your computer.
Pile of notebooks, rack of music CDs, handcream, aniseed balls, Baby Wombat.

5. Name five things in your medicine cabinet.
Drugs (painkillers), more drugs (Effexor), still more drugs (sore throat stuff), plasters, antiseptic wipes. Also, vitamins and antacid tablets.

That was relatively easy! *g*

I seem to be tired for no particularly good reason. Zzzzzz. I think it's probably because I've put the heating on since it's so damn cold and yucky out, and now the nice cosy warmth is making me sleepy. D'oh!

Anyhow, I'd better go and get on with things now - I'm busy sorting stuff out for my "new job"... which is neither especially new, nor exactly a job. Er. Or something like that.

Test!

This is just a little test post thingy.... I'm experimenting with the blog-send do-whatsit, where you can specify an email address to have your blog posts mailed to each time you make an update. I'm thinking of using it for the news log thingy on the Spike site, you see.

Is it a bird, is it a plane...

Is it a bird, or plane? No, it's Angle Grinder Man!! Hah. Well, it amused me, anyway.

As for me, I'm still a bit fuzzy in the head, and sleepier than normal, but much better than I was! It's definitely improving, and hopefully I'll be right back to normal soon. Mum and Dad have been up to stay for the last two weeks, and I think it helped having them around, even if they did nag me to death! ;-)

While I'm here, I think I'll do the Friday Five (a bit late, obviously):

1. Is the name you have now the same name that's on your birth certificate? If not, what's changed?
It's exactly the same: Louise Anne

2. If you could change your name (first, middle and/or last), what would it be?
I quite like my name, so nope, no changes. Although, I've been vaguely musing for some years on adding "Margaretta" before the Anne, purely because it's a family name ("Margaretta Anne") that's been in every generation for ages. But hey, maybe I'll inflict it on the next generation, somehow. Mwahahah!

3. Why were you named what you were? (Is there a story behind it? Who specifically was responsible for naming you?)
Mum and Dad chose it between them... and it was mainly because they liked the name and agreed on it. And that's pretty much it! Both my grandmothers have the middle name "Louisa", but that's more a happy co-incidence than a deciding factor.
There's more of an odd story behind what I'm *not* called - my parents liked the name Claire, and were going to call me that until they realised that it really doesn't work with our surname (which also begins with Cl). But the strange thing is, whenever someone gets my name wrong, they call me Claire - it's happened it many, unconnected places, to the point where I've even answered to it sometimes. Very odd indeed!

4. Are there any names you really hate or love? What are they and why?
There are names that have certain associations for me, but I think those are impressions I've picked up when I was young. For example, the name "Wayne" makes me think of a snivelly whinger, and I'm positive that's because of a kid I was at infant school with! Also, in the stories that I've written when I was younger (15 and below), there are always characters called Jo, Charlotte, and/or Caroline. I don't know why I had an affinity for those names... I knew several Joannes and a couple of Carolines, but I didn't associate the characters with them. I dunno. I just liket them. Names I like now are often due to having friends with those names, or favourite book characters. But I can't think of any in particular that stand right out for me, at the mo.

5. Is the analysis of your name at kabalarians.com / triggur.org / astroexpert accurate? How or how isn't it?
Heh. Some of the things on kabalarians were fairly accurate, but then again, it's a very general thing, so... eh.... *shrug* As for triggur.org:
LOUISE
========
From the Italian root meaning "Complete Bastard"
========
Expression: Louise is a stinking kleptomaniac.
Personality: Louise would not be a good candidate to babysit your children.
Natural: Louise has no native instincts for survival.
Emotional: Louise uses and abuses friendships.
Character: Louise will turn on you in an instant.
Physical: Louise could use major dental surgery.
Mental: Louise can be apathetic to a fault.
Motivation: Louise hates dealing with the details.

Well, a couple of those are actually kind of accurate ;-) I'll let you decide which. Hehehehe :-)

Brrrr, cold!

I can't believe this weather. It's cooooooooolllllllllld!!! And chucking it down, too. Just when I'm starting to feel with-it enough to think about weeding my poor horribly overgrown garden, and all. Pfeh.

On the bright side of things, I'm awake in the daytime today, which is nice. Since my meds have been reduced, the oversleeping thing is gradually improving, which is a huge relief. On the days when I've woken up OK during the daytime, I'm still getting very tired by early evening, but it's still much better than just sleeping all day and all night long! Heheh. So with a bit of luck, I'll be back to relatively-normal (*g*) fairly soon. Mum and Dad are coming up to visit next week, so hopefully that'll help too, having other people around. I know I've been stuck in the house on my own for too long. I've been making an effort to leave the house each day this week - how far I've been has depended on the time I've managed to wake up, but I think going for fresh air has done me good. Hoorah!

And here's another friday five:

1. Are you going to school this year?
Nope. Or at least, not as such. I'm thinking about taking an Open University course or so, depending on what happens with my health, and work. So I might be in education, if not at a school or college.

2. If yes, where are you going (high school, college, etc.)? If no, when did you graduate?
I finished school in 1994, and uni/college in 1998.

3. What are/were your favorite school subjects?
English, Music, and History. Which is why I did those for A levels. *g* I liked Computer Studies and languages, too.

4. What are/were your least favorite school subjects?
PE (was so not-sporty), Geography, and stuff like CDT and HE (all of which I dropped in the third year). Oh, and I wasn't too keen on Biology, Chemistry and Physics (although I was quite good at them).

5. Have you ever had a favorite teacher? Why was he/she a favorite?
Mr Wookey! Oh, Mr Wookey was wonderful - a really lovely man, and a great teacher. He was just such fun, and so enthusiastic about music that you couldn't help but adore him. Thinking of him always makes me smile, but makes me sad at the same time, since he became ill and died just a few years after I left school... I think he was only in his 50's. He was a friend and a mentor as well as a teacher, and he did a lot for me and really encouraged me to pursue music. Bless you, Mr Wook :-)

The friday five

The friday five:

1. How much time do you spend online each day?
At the moment, just a couple of hours a day, since I'm asleep pretty much the rest of the time. But normally it'd be between 4 and 16 hours a day, depending on whether it's a work day or not (or on whether you count being logged on at work as being online, I spose).

2. What is your browser homepage set to?
http://my.yahoo.com - nothing amazingly exciting, but it works for me. I've got it set up to include news headlines, a list of handy bookmarks, and a few other things that are useful.

3. Do you use any instant messaging programs? If so, which one(s)?
I'm registered for all the main ones - AIM, ICQ, Yahoo and MSN, and I use Trillian so I can be on as many or few of those at once as I like. I mainly log onto AIM, though, as most of my friends use that.

4. Where was your first webpage located?
Hee, my very first webpage! Bless. It was at Geocities, and I made it back in 1995 when I was at uni. It was, literally, one page, and it was grey - made with the site building utility thing they had, since I didn't learn HTML until a few years later. Awww :-)

5. How long have you had your current website?
If we're talking about *this* website, then it's about 2½ years. The longest running website I've got at the mo is S&S, which has been going for just over four years now.

Channel surfing disovery

Due to channel surfing, I ended up watching That'll Teach 'Em on Ch.4 last night. And it was pretty interesting. 30 teenagers who've just sat GCSEs, being put into a 1950's boarding school environment for 4 weeks, and having to survive it. Mwahahah.

In other news, I'm still sleeping too much, and it's very hot! Am not a hot weather person. Roll on autumn.... ;-)

Friday Five...

Since I'm here, I think I'll have a go at the friday five. Because this week's topic is, er, sort of topical for me. Yes.

1. What time do you wake up on weekday mornings?
Ahahahahahahahahahaha. At the moment, I'm waking up on average between 12pm and 6pm. Yes, really. When 'normal', assuming it's a work day, it would be 6am - 7am.

2. Do you sleep in on the weekends? How late?
Again, when 'normal' it'd be maybe 10am, depending. At the moment? Eh. Half the time I don't know what day it is anyway, so weekends don't really factor into things.

3. Aside from waking up, what is the first thing you do in the morning?
Give the cat a cuddle, then go downstairs and give him his meds and breakfast, then get something for myself.

4. How long does it take to get ready for your day?
*shrug* I spose if I have something to do / go out for, then half an hour to an hour. Depends.

5. When possible, what is your favorite place to go for breakfast?
I don't think I've ever actually been out for breakfast, as such. I either eat it at home, or take something with me to work. But when I've been away from home, I always enjoy getting a nice cooked breakfast if I'm in a B&B or something. Yum :-)

Will. not. go. back. to. bed. yet!

Zzzzzzzz....

Sleeeeeeeeeeeping!

Well, obviously, no, I'm not sleeping now. But I did sleep. And sleep, and sleep. I conked out at about 6pm on Sunday, after having some food and faffing around the house a bit, after the 'thon ended. When I woke up, it was 12:30pm on Monday. I wish my body wouldn't keep doing that. Very disorientating. Bleh. Plus, it worries the parents, since they'd been ringing me and I'd slept through - usually the phone ringing will wake me, but not when I have these periods of really heavy, long sleep. Do hope it can get sorted out soon. But anyway. Blogathon! Completed! Woohoo! Am pleased :-)

Blogathon!

Today is Blogathon day, so you want to be right over here.

Go on. Shooo! :-)

I have signed up for

I have signed up for the Blogathon - if that day ends up an insomniac one, I'm sorted. Heh. Anyhow, I set up a little sub-blog thingy to do it on, which can be found here.

I'm going to be blogging in aid of the Association for International Cancer Research, since I've had several family members and friends affected by the disease. I'm in need of sponsors - either by the hour or a lump sum, even small sums help. To sponsor me (please!) click here.

Wow, I'm tired.

Well. Hum. I've gone a

Well. Hum. I've gone a bit wonky again, so I don't know how much I'll be posting over the next few weeks. Still, I'm trying to get myself back into gear, so you never know. I think I'll have a go at the Friday Five though:

1. What were your favorite childhood stories?
I was a big Enid Blyton fan, and collected many many of her books - the Famous Five, Secret Seven, Mystery, Secret of, and school series ones... might have forgotten some there, too. That was between the ages of 6 and 9 or 10, I think. I read an awful lot in general, mind you.

2. What books from your childhood would you like to share with [your] children?
Hmmm... I guess the Blyton books - they aren't remotely up-to-date, but they were entertaining in their way. I'd mainly encourage kids to read as much as they want, and whatever they want, and get to know the local librarians - my teachers and librarians suggested books to me that I wouldn't have thought to read otherwise.

3. Have you re-read any of those childhood stories and been surprised by anything?
I've re-read books that I read in my early teens, and got different things from them, but I wasn't really surprised by that since I know I've got a different perspective on things now that I'm older. One that did surprise me, I suppose, was David Eddings' Belgariad series: I originally read that when I was 10 or 11, and while I quite enjoyed it, I later discovered on re-reading it (aged 22) that I'd missed a lot, and hadn't really "got" it in some ways, I think. I enjoyed it much more the second time round.

4. How old were you when you first learned to read?
I knew how to read / write my own name, and maybe a few other words, when I went to school (aged four, but just a month off of my fifth birthday), but I didn't learn to read "properly" til I was at school. I didn't consider myself a very good reader until I discovered that I could read much much better and faster to myself, rather than out loud, as you had to at school to the teacher.

5. Do you remember the first 'grown-up' book you read? How old were you?
I'm not 100% sure, since I raided the parents' bookshelves, and joined the adult library from a fairly young age. But I think it was Where Eagles Dare by Alastair McLean, when I was 10 or so.

That took longer than I thought. Shall take myself back off to bed now. See if I can actually get some sleep. Oh, and speaking of which, since I'm not sleeping anyway, I think I'll sign up for this year's Blogathon. If I fall apart a bit more and can't manage it, then that's what happens. But it gives me something to aim for, rather than floating in fuzzy vagueness the whole time.