Feeling Better...

Trying to actually get back into blogging again, I do enjoy it, but struggle to find interesting[ish] stuff to talk about, so don't want to bore.

I have been feeling a lot better recently though, which I think will help my blogging inspiration etc. 

I've started to lose weight, which although shouldn't be the be all and end all of my life (it's not, I promise) it is making me feel better about myself and love my body a little more. Also, having a health condition where excess weight strains my body AND one that causes me to put weight on really easily, it's hard to try and get things balanced. Also, with the upcoming surgery the fitter and healthier I am, the quicker I recover and since it's planned for slap bang in the middle of Summer, I really want to be recovering quickly. As an official 'short-arse' at 5' tall, I also don't think it's good for me to be carrying the weight I have been for the past 6 months or so, in comparison to my height.

To help with the weight loss, I've given up all sorts of things for lent such as Chocolate, Sweets, Ice Cream, Cake, Biscuits, Desserts etc. I do go to church and would count myself as religious, but I tend to let my religion help my health when it comes to lent and go on a bit of a sugar detox before my upcoming birthday (always within a couple of weeks of the end of lent, sometimes IN lent) and the approach of Summer. This year though, it will extend well into Summer, up to my op date, to try and be nice and healthy in time. 

I'm finding it hard but also rewarding as my clothes get looser and I manage to buy things a size smaller. 

As well as that, I'm starting to take care of my skin more, especially my face. I always kept my skin washed, but often didn't moisturise or cleanse and I was SO BAD at remembering to take make up off in the evening. I've made a real effort now, with the help of receiving various facial related smellies for Christmas, which has been nice as I'm able to try stuff I'd be dubious about buying, namely things from the No.7 range at boots. Always been a bit dubious about slightly higher prices and how well it would work compared to anything I'd normally buy, but turns out it's great stuff. I now have a nice combination of Simple and No.7 products both morning and night and I'm really starting to see the effects, it's lovely!

I have been feeling better about being at work again because now we're back up to full staff, I can start to get back into the routine I was getting used to before Christmas, we've also got at least 6 weeks now of just standard school groups, which we haven't always had lately and much as it's nice to have a change, it does make it harder as nothing is the same as usual. I really do function better in a routine and with structure, not so much when it's all up in the air.

It is nice to be feeling better and more positive about things. It's still hard being down here on my own, but I know I don't have much longer to stick it out and that it will all be worth it at the end of the year and that I really have gained some valuable experience down here. 

So long for now, I'll probably catch up with you lovely lot at the weekend.

Winter blues.

Dear Summer, please hurry up. 

I'm truly fed up of the winter blues now. Although it's getting dark later and more birds are singing each morning, it's still bitterly cold and often wet, which is getting a bit tedious. We had a couple of days of warmer weather at the beginning of last week, and I got hopeful, only for it to go colder and damper again over the weekend.

I also want Summer to hurry up because that's when I tend to get out and do more. My main hobbies of riding and battle re-enactment have more of a front seat in the summer, and having only had one riding lesson since the summer and not having gone to a battle since October, I miss it all.

I also miss my friends, especially from the battles. One of my favourite things to do is to sit round a fire in good company with a bottle of port and some good music/ songs to sing. Not done that in what seems like forever, but luckily, on Friday, I will only have to wait 4 weeks to do so again.

Shortly after the first battle, it'll be my birthday! As you've probably already gathered, I'm very excited for this and hope that the 'Spring Garden Party' theme will at least go some way to making it feel like Summer is on it's way.

To be quite honest, I don't know why I'm so eager for this Summer, since I will be having my operation in July and most of my Summer will be spent not doing a great deal. For at least the firt 6 weeks after the operation, I'm not even allowed to drive, and for 3 months I can't lift anything heavier than a telephone directory (although have the hospital seen the size of the most recent Thompson Local, they're a lot smaller than they were). 

Ho hum, hopefully fun stuff will worm its way into my schedule and the weather will start to turn for the better.

All in all, I don't have a great deal going on, so take care one and all!

Why the boyband/twitter phenomenon should be put to a stop.

Usually this blog is just about my boring life, but this time I have a pet hate to discuss, and who knows what hatred this could lead to...

It's basically the whole boy band/social networking phenomenon. It should be banned, immediately.

I like to follow bands and artists on twitter, I follow a lot of them. I have a wide taste in music and it's a big part of my life. I also love being on twitter. But I like following bands and artists on twitter to keep up to date with stuff like album releases, gig announcements/dates and general stuff that they tweet about. What I hate with a passion is seeing them retweet stuff from followers saying 'Please follow me I love you with all my heart' and 'Please retweet this as it would make my life'. I also hate fans retweeting other fans to try and get peoples attention. Sorry guys but the 'One Directioners' are the worst for this by far. 

Please, girls (and you boys, you're not exempt from this, just less common) you're making yourself out to be a fool with very little between your ears. If the only thing that will 'make your life' is a member of a boy band tweeting you, I really think you need to reassess your priorities in your life. I have a few things in my mind that would 'make my life' and they involve things like travelling to interesting places and getting a good job and lifestyle because I've worked hard for it. Not being tweeted by a boy band. 

Also, jumping to their defense when they've had a negative tweet? Seriously? Do you think they really care that a bunch of teenagers have their back, yes they probably feel that it's nice that their fans are there for them, but really, what are you going to do? Jake Bugg said that One Direction were terrible and there were children tweeting that this was 'Jake Bugg's warning' and that 'next time there would be trouble' oh please, what are you going to do, swear at him across a virtual medium? That's hardly threatening and you can't exactly go and hunt him down, you'd have to ask your parents to drive you.

Also, no matter who you try and convince you aren't 'Mrs Styles' and 'Nathan loves me' isn't likely either. I'm not saying don't dream, but twitter doesn't need to know about your mad crush on a member of One Direction or The Wanted.

Also, seeing 14 year olds tweeting that they want to sleep with boy band members is 1) worrying and 2) delusional, you may as well stop that now. I know that Twitter is for everyone and you can tweet what you like, but it's cringeworthy and I can only imagine what they'll think of themselves in 10 years time. It's a matter of self respect too, you don't need to convince yourself that you have to sleep with a boy band member to get anywhere in life and obsessing over a boyband doesn't exactly portray you in the best light as far as looking shallow is concerned.

Also, finally, purposely tweeting things over and over again just to make something about your favourite band trend. Seriously, what the hell are you doing with your life? Go out and do something worthwhile! Also, saying what date and time you met JLS isn't important either.

I do like the occasional boyband hit, but I don't feel the need to obsess over them and nor do so about the bands and artists that I like the music of best. Frank Turner doesn't need to sleep with me to make my life complete, but he's a very talented artist. I don't try to convince Twitter that I'm married to him either.

People wonder why the nation is going to the dogs yet we let children take to twitter to talk about how a member of a boyband loves them and let them sit there for hours on fan sites and forums to talk about said boybands and their plans of getting them to sleep with them. Letting them believe that they too can be famous because they 'sing' (I use the term loosly) on the X Factor and that it is the best way to get the lifestyle that you want. The Olympics was a godsend because children were actually looking up to real idols, people who've worked hard to be where they are today and people who have done the country proud, for reasons we can actually be proud of. Then we mucked it all up again by convincing Louis Smith and Tom Daley to join part of our horrific 'celebrity' status culture, but at least they had more of a reason to be there to start with. If only children would look up to people who are doing well and working hard at something more worthwhile... 

Trundling on, winter is boring.

Yet again I have neglected this, but that's mainly due to the winter months in my life being far far more boring than the summer ones.

Not much has happened since October, although that can't be said for singing. I joined The Tuesdays in the beginning of October and never looked back. We did a show in November (4 weeks after I started) and had a wonderful time, I even sung as part of a small group, which was lovely. 3 of us younger girlies singing Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend (The Boyf was there, he didn't agree). After that show we did a Carol Concert in mid-December and the Annual Snow Ball. This was cracking and I sung solo for the first time ever. 4 days before the show the people who run the choir decided I was going to be the first person to perform. With a small amount of dutch courage it all went swimmingly and I sung I Believe In Father Christmas by Greg Lake (and now me!).  

For our efforts at the show in November, which was a charity event, a couple of weeks ago Cheryl Baker (you know, her from Bucks Fizz!) came to present us a certificate for raising so much money, as she is the new patron of the charity. The charity is Abigail's Footsteps, and is a wonderful charity working with families affected by stillbirth. You can check it out here. 

Next week we are actually recording a Charity Single! How exciting is that?! All the money raised is going to Abigail's Footsteps. I will post details of how you can purchase a copy in a couple of weeks. It's a beautiful, brand new song written by one of the men that sings in the choir, the first song he's written in 20 years.

More has happened with the advances towards having my heart surgery, but all of this is detailed in my other blog here.

Apart from a lovely break at home over Christmas and New Year, not much has happened really. The Bird Watching weekend I ran at work took place at the beginning of this month and was a success all round, so I'm hoping that someone else will be able to run another one next year when I've left working here.

Hopefully all the exciting summery things such as battles and music and stuff will start to kick off soon and I can write about more interesting things. 

In the mean time I'm going to carry on planning my 21st Birthday Party and carry on at work (although coming home for 4 days next week, so might have interesting stuff to blog about).

Take care, one and all