What's Next?

Well, the last few months have wandered by fairly uneventfully.

I did turn 31, though. It was Easter Saturday, and I had arrived in Australia the night before, so I had all my family around me. My Ma cooked her usual lamb roast (god, my mouth waters just thinking about it), and my older sister baked me a cake. Hooray! She didn't put icing on it, and she already cut it before she threw it in front of me. Hehehe. It was a nice thought, though.

So I had two weeks in Oz, soaking up the sun and enjoying the Easter festivities. For anyone wondering what to do for Easter, go to Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. The Easter parade on the Monday is famous for having the longest chinese dragon in the world. Its enoooormous!

The reason for my trip to Oz was to see my little sister have a baby! I was only in Oz for two weeks, so it was a bit of a gamble that she'd have it while I was there.

But she did!

On the Monday of the second week she started having minor pains for a while, and by Thursday morning (after a full day and night in hard labour - damn its hard to watch someone in that much pain!) she had a little baby girl.

Little Mina weighed 6lb 11oz, and everything went very smoothly. I was on video camera duty, so I saw the whole thing and had the best view. I tell ya, it was pretty damn amazing!

Everything has kinda slumped back into 'same old same old' now. I'm back in the UK, back at work, back in my little flat. I get to chat to my family on the computer every now and again, but its not the same as being there. But my sister says its 'same old same old' there too, so its an anticlimax all around. Little Mina eats, sleeps and shits... so I guess I'm not missing much.

Writing has taken a back seat again. How uninterestingly predictable. I do think about it constantly, though.

I'll get there one day.

Anyway, here's a pic of me holding the new bub, or is she holding me?

New Life To Fleeting Life

So, the snow has been very helpful. Apart from giving me time off work - coz I have to catch two trains to get to work and both the Southeastern and the Southern lines were having a teeny bit of trouble with the snowflakes - its giving me time to write.

And write I did.

I'm getting back into my NaNoWriMo novel which, although completed with over 50,000 words, it wasn't completed completed. I finished Nano, but I cant actually say I have a completed novel on my hands. A lot of it was rough, and the storyline was a bit gappy. I need to add in a whole 'nother character, plus I'm thinking of adding in a twist to the plot aka Twilight style. (Gee, can ya guess what I'm talking about?).

I've never really been into the whole vamp novel thing, but 2009 seems like a good year to start afresh, so I'm going to see what I can do. Fleeting Life isn't going to be a vamp novel per se, but it will lead to one. Fleeting Life is actually a ghost novel. Well, sort of. Well, kinda sorta, but, umm... oh never mind. I dunno what it is. And I think its best I dont try to define it.

So, how's it going? Good, I think. I re-hashed the first chapter with a heart-thumping new section in it where the hero and heroine meet. I think its a must if I'm aiming for the younger market. I think the novel lacked a bit of heart and emotion anyway. Hopefully the snow will continue so I can take more time off to write more, but I'm happy with the new ideas I'm coming up with.

Hey, and I'm blogging again. What a long break its been. Its been an iffy start to the year, but hopefully I can find some semblance of an ordered life and start getting back on track.

Come on, SNOW goddamit!

Testing

Just testing a sidebar blogger buddy thingy

Have A Happy New Year - I Dare You!

What a crappy start to the New Year.

I woke New Years Day with the beginnings of a three-day migraine! I only had three drinks the night before, so I dunno what brought that on!

Then as I was cleaning up my sister buzzed me on the computer and told me that one of her friends couldn't handle moving into 2009 and had hanged herself. Shame. She was awesome, and I'll miss her loads.

Then I had to go to work on Friday coz I was too stupid to book it off as holiday, and I think at some point between leaving my house and getting home I lost my wallet. All my bank cards and stuff. Gone. And its soooo frustrating!!!

To add to that after making loads of phone calls trying to find my wallet, and canceling all my cards, my phone battery went dead and my phone charger refuses to work.

It has been kind of liberating though. I've spent the last month or two accumulating possessions for my new flat, so I suppose it was things trying to balance out. I wandered around town with my friend who is staying with me and I felt oddly liberated not having my phone or wallet on me. My watch band broke a week ago, so I also didn't have a watch on. I was timeless and free. It was actually pretty cool (except for the sad sad news of my sister's friend weighing on my mind).

Santa was good to me, though. Amongst some lovely gifts I received Stephanie Meyer's 'Twilight'. Its out at the cinema at the moment, but I've got to read it first. The first chapter had me completely hooked and I'm now trying to slow down and enjoy it. Its looking good so far. I haven't read for a while now and I feel like I'm putting my feet back on the ground.

So, there it is. Happy New Year. It can only get better. My wardrobes, bookcases, and microwave are being delivered on Wednesday, and I hear its supposed to snow.

OH - almost forgot the most important news of all. The NEW Doctor! The 11th Doctor! Matt Smith eh? I was a little taken aback by his somewhat odd looks, but he interviewed well and I'm thinking he could be a good edition to the Doctor Who clan. I await Spring 2010 eagerly! (But I will always love David Tennant as the Doctor!)

Electricity in the Air

I can feel it. The buzz.

I've moved into my own flat and I'm slowly gathering my things to me. I'm nesting and burrowing, gathering and collecting. I'm carving out my own space and it feels fabulous!

I find myself occasionally thinking about my flat and I smile. Its a secret smile all to myself, and when I realise that it just makes me smile all the more.

2009 is going to be my year.

The buzz is buzzing, and its relentless. No matter what gets thrown at me (ie a job that is getting so stressful that I think my head is going to explode, an ex-husband who loves door-handle arguments etc) I still find myself smiling because I know I have my own space and I have my own future to carve out. Its deliciously selfish, and I'm gratuitiously writhing around in it and I'm not giving any apologies.

So, when is the writing going to come? Soon. I feel it bubbling. I'm not such an inexperienced little girl that I'm going to push a great weight of expectation of my new situation onto my writing, I'm just going to carefully carve out a channel to properly direct myself towards success.

Twilight is out at the cinema, and I remember reading about it on the Pubrants blog, so I feel the push of competition and inspiration upon me.

I cant wait. Bedamned with Christmas, and 2008 be over with! The new year is mine. I cant wait!

My Poor Neglected Blog

I've been so lazy on the blog/writing front. No excuses.

I've at least got a new job - Web Administrator for Southern Railway (www.southernrailway.com), which is great. I get to mess around with website.. well, within very strict guidelines.

Ummm, so, yeah. I've got no excuses. I'm just lazy and haven't logged on to Blogger in ages. I really miss reading everyones updates, but its kinda tricky to be reading blogs while I'm at work coz my boss sits right behind me and I cant hear it when he swivels his chair around. He's always catching me out on Hotmail, so I'd better not push it.

I'm still here, though. Still thinking of everyone. Still thinking of writing. Still plotting away. Just had quite a busy personal life and have had quite a few changes, but I'm sure once I'm more settled I'll get back into it.

I'm reading 'A Game of Thrones' by George R.R. Martin at the moment. Its fcking excellent!

Fast Times

So, I haven't been working for a few weeks coz my temp job came to an end, which is soooo annoying financially, so I thought I'd fast for a few days. Ten days to be exact... and today is the last day.

Its been a very strange week. It feels so odd to wake up and not have to plan meals all day (or all week), and its pretty boring. The first two or three days were a bit agonising in that I had to watch hubs eat delicious food right in front of me!! But, at least he got off his fat arse and cooked for himself, which is one of the surprise side effects of this 'diet' (for lack of a better word).

This 'diet' is actually called the Master Cleanse, and is sometimes also called the Lemonade Diet. Basically all you have is home made lemonade to drink (made from real lemons, no sugar!) and its supposed to clean you out etc. I've developed a bit of a cough but I would say thats understandable if I'm detoxing.

I've been counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds all week, and this morning I had a small handful of berries. I stupidly ate them just after I brushed my teeth so they tasted pretty grose with the toothpaste taste in my mouth, but besides the taste it was a pretty uneventful breakfast. I'm not usually very hungry in the mornings, so its not a huge deal. I daresay by this evening I shall be quite rampant - especially since hubs is having burritos. But I'm not going to be stupid and jump into eating cooked meat for some days yet. I'm starting slow. Fruit first. Then raw veg. Then steamed veg. Then add some fish. Then add other healthy cooked food, and gradually build up to a balanced diet.

I've lost a stone in ten days, but I'd say thats pretty superficial. I dont expect my weight to keep plummeting once I start eating solid food again, but I'm going to keep the portions strictly small and the food strictly healthy so it at least keeps heading in the right direction no matter how slow.

I've got a wedding to go to in less than a month, and the dress I want to wear doesn't fit me. I'm determined to fit into it! I must!!!

On the writing front things have not only taken a back seat, they've pretty much been left by the roadside. I haven't read a blog in about three weeks (and haven't posted), and I haven't even read a book in that time also let alone written anything. But there is a reason... I've got a test coming up.

Its called the 'Life In The UK' test and its for fucking immigrants. I have to pass this stupid bollocks test before I renew my visa in July. So, I've got a half-inch thick book to study and its fucken shite!! I spent six years at university loathing exams and now I've got to do another one! Goddammit!! I vowed never to do another damn exam ever again. I think its multiple choice, though, so that at least is something.

Anyway, must get on with my day and plan my meals for the next few days very carefully, before sticking my nose in the stupid book and learning all the statistics and intricacies of British Life. (Surely Aussies should be exempt! I mean, I worked in a pub when I came over here - isn't that enough?????)

Stupidity at 30

If happiness is buying 10 new books guilt free (for my birthday) then stupidity is that 3 out of those 10 books I already own - so I've had to return them. But that doesn't mean I'm settling at 7 new books - oh no - it just means I can choose 3 other books!

Hooray.

My folks are in town this week (they're Aussies but they live in NY), which is nice. Mummy dearest has bought me a sewing machine so I can now finish hemming my curtains!

I am quite the domestic goddess!