Boring Blog Blues

Sitting at Melanie's using her laptop is just reminding me of how frustrated I am that I can't tinker away at my blog at home (which is actually when most of my inspired thoughts come, but by the time I get to work the next day I am generally too swamped with work to blog). I'm so annoyed that all of the money I had carefully saved to get a laptop (and was almost there) had to go on car repairs and how I earn crap money at a job that has been really quite frustrating lately, and how if I did the amount of work I do, was undervalued as much as I feel most of the time now and take on the extra work that needs to be done because we are constantly short staffed, in a corporate environment I would have demanded about three pay rises by now. Yes, yes, I know, be thankful for what you have...etc, etc, etc. And I am...but today I just need to rant.

And I can't figure out how to make my side-bar thingies on my blog single spaced instead of double, and I can't figure out how to post pretty pictures of books that I'm reading and argh!!!!!!!!!!!! And while I'm at it, despite spending several hours trying, I can't figure out how to tune my telly to my VCR and I managed to buy the wrong-sized screws to hang a shelf in my room and if my car were to get a flat tire on the way home from Bristol I wouldn't know how to fix it, and I'm running a 10K next weekend that I'm not trained up well enough for and I'm almost 30 and still single, and...and...and...it's raining today.

WWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Although Melanie and I just decided to have bacon butties for breakfast, watch more Pride and Prejudice and I'm going to turn off this stupid Leahy CD (my opinion of it has steadily declined since my last post) because it's annoying me. Those are positive things. But why do we always feel so guilty for having our cranky pants on? Shouldn't there be occasions where we can proudly march around and say "I am cranky! Look at me whiiiiiiinge and whiiiiiine and mooaaaaan" Arghity, argh, argh, argh! Well, I feel a bit better now!

OK. Off to make my buttie. Yay butties. And I will run tonight and that will feel good too!

Sprog Poppin'

Each month I receive an e- newsletter from my summer camp alma mater, Glen Mhor Camp. I almost deleted it, but then decided to read it, adn discovered that my friend Hallah (a regular supporter of Three Feet From a Rat) is going to pop another sprog! The first one is so freakin' adorable that another one will certainly be very exciting! In other sprog poppin' news, Jersey is going to have her second too. Again, adorable first...and I can hardly wait to see what the second (temporarily named Pepe) will be like! Oh, this is all so exciting! Jersey and I are planning to spend a day at the Toronto Zoo when I go back in december. I am propery excited!

In other news, I am in Bristol this weekend visiting Melanie. In typical Joanna style, I have not yet seen the centre of Brisol, but instead have been discovering that both the BBC version and the 2005 Keira Knightly versions of Pride and Prejudice are equally as good on televisions in Bristol as anywhere else in the world!

Melanie (being Canadian as well) has Leahy's Lakefield in her collection, so I am listening to that and feeling reminded of baking cookies at my parents' place. Ahhhhhhhh... Although, I have to confess I'd prefer that Leahy not sing as much...just fiddle. Except I guess in a family with 9 musical children everyone needs a role.

I am eagerly awaiting for Dan to let me know he's safe after booking himself into a seedy Manhattan hotel... Oh...the things my friends get up to!

Oh, one last thing. Patrik (bless him) discovered that an anagram for my name is "her shed on Japan". Funny boy!

What are YOU doing today

First of all, Dantastic ran the Toronto half marathon. Good for him! I got a message from him (although the quality sounded like he was phoning from the moon, rather than Toronto) but he seems to have done it in 1:59. Good for him!

Today the BBC announced the National Trust is doing a massive blog thing so that in 200 years people can marvel at how we lived.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6048392.stm

http://www.historymatters.org.uk/output/Page1.asp

I totally plan to contribute. My entry for today will be:

4:00 am, woke up in panic about life
4:05 am thought since I was awake panicking I might as well try to return Dantastic's call from earlier in the day (his phone was off)
4:06 Thought about phoning another TO friend, but then thought 11:06 might actually be too late
4:07 returned to panicking
4:15 decided panicking wouldn't help anything, so read a book
4:37 glanced at the clock, thought "I'm tired"
7:30 woke up, thought "I guess I fell asleep", got up, had quick shower so I could get to work to email Courtnay (who I've long been neglecting, but bless her for being such an amazing friend)
8:50 Had a cup of tea at work
9:05 At work - time to start working...

I am doomed!

Apparently I'm not a very good Christian....

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/10/god_blog/

And to think, you've all been victims of my blathering, thinking my opinion counts and "blurt[ing] things out, without considering the contents or consequences."

They quote the following:
"This, we learn conflicts with the advise given in Proverbs 17:27-28, which tells us:
He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of calm spirit.
Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive."

So, clearly, I will shut my lips and be perceptive.

Until tomorrow.

Or this afternoon even.

Stupid *&%$ **^&%$* %*** $%%£* anti-bloggers (Hmmm...clearly I didn't think about the contents or consequences of that last sentence...)

Danni's new career

Last night I had a dream that a group of us told my friend Danni (of 12/08/2005 "Strength of a Bear" and 22/02/2005 "Let it Snow" - bottom picture posts) that if she wanted to give up her current job she'd be a great Black Cab driver because she's a really good driver, knows London very well and is very sociable and would be pleasant for people to speak to.

So...what do people think? Should Danni switch careers? I think it might actually be a fun thing to be - and you'd never have to pay the congestion charge (or would you...?)

Brilliant Site and flatmate saving humanity

My friend Lisa pointed me to this great flickr site - Stickmen in Peril...it's great!
http://www.flickr.com/groups/stickfiguresinperil/pool/

Also, I am very proud of my flatmate for doing a fundraising swim on a chilly Saturday morningn and Hyde Park. Because I know she'd be horrified that I put this up, I am enclosing a group shot whereby she will be hard to identify and a distance picture...

The wrap around nose-pick finger stick...

Ever have a day when you wish you could do this? :)

And She's Off...

Ashley flew back to Canada today to resume her life there.

I am sad and will miss her a-plenty!