Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Can Anyone help?

I need some help Blogrolling - I have been to their site, set up my account, added nine links to it, got my code from the site and pasted it into my blog template in the sidebar section.

And nothing.

I am probably doing something very wrong, can anyone assist?

Stolen from a more interesting blog..

Acknowledgements to the lovely kara (she stole it from someone too!)

Real name: Zoe
Birth date: 11.11.71 - it is Remeberance Day. Birthplace: Liverpool
Current Location: Sale, Cheshire - really a suburb of Manchester
Eye Color: hazel
Hair Color: very dark brown
Righty or Lefty: righty
Zodiac Sign: scorpio, but I don't really buy any of that stuff


LAYER TWO: On The Inside

Your heritage: Irish on all sides, although my husband is Welsh/Scotch
Shoes you wore today: black ankle boots with a three inch heel
Your weakness: cold dry white wine
Your fears: dying young, inadequacy
Your perfect pizza: very thin crust, lots of cheese and veggies

LAYER THREE: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Your most overused phrase: quite frankly
Your thoughts first waking up: what's that noise?
Your best physical feature: I have good skin and great boobs
Your bedtime: can be 10pm on a weeknight, or midnight on a weekend
Your most missed memory:

LAYER FOUR: Your Pick

Iced Tea or Soft Drink: soft drink
Soup or Salad: salad
Single or group dates: single
Slip-ons or Lace-ups: both
Fruity or Herbal: fruity
Jell-O or Pudding: pudding
Coffee or Hot Chocolate: coffee

LAYER FIVE: Do You?

Smoke: no. Well, very very occasionally when I am very drink, and I always regret it
Cuss: yes, sometimes.
Sing: I do.Lots.
Take a shower everyday: yes. Except actually today, I haven't!
Still talk to your first love: Every day - I married him (awwwwwww!)
Like your job: I love it
Like(d) high school: It was ok
Get motion sickness: only if I read in the car, especially if I am in the back.
Think you're attractive: I'm not bad
Think you're obsessive-compulsive about anything: no.
Get along with your parents: Yes.
Like thunderstorms: Not being caught in one, I quite like being in the house when there is one going on, and I watched a terrific one from the deck of a cruise liner in the Med
Play an instrument: Guitar and clarinet, in fact I have just started playing the guitar at school again after a 15 year hiatus.

LAYER SIX: In the past month have you...

Spent more than $100 on a single item that wasn't an obligatory thing (bills, etc): No, not £100 or £75 (which is $100 in real money)
Had a verbal argument where you screamed at someone: No, it takes a lot for me to scream, although I have cried
Purchased Cottage Cheese: No,but I have bought Quark and Philadelphia
Surprised someone for a special event: no
Purchased a new CD: Not for me, but I bought The Jam boxed set and something else for Mike
Gone to the mall: Quite a few times
Purchased an MP3: I am the last person in the known universe to not have an MP3 player or an iPod. I did listen to You Are The Quarry by Morrissey on a CD Walkman today
Sent your resume out for a new job: no
Been on stage: no
Moved: no
Had lunch with a group of ten or more: There are usually ten people in the staffroom at lunchtime, if that counts
Had a cold: no, but one has threatened
Changed your hairstyle: I had my haircut, but the style stayed the same
Taken a vacation: had a weekend at Centreparks and am now on holiday from work,although not actually on holiday away from home.

LAYER SEVEN: Ever...

Played a game that required removal of clothing: yes
Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: lots of times
Been caught in a lie: yes
Been called a tease: yes
Caused a car wreck: no
Shoplifted: no

LAYER EIGHT: Getting Older

Age where you believe your life really began (if not yet, give a guess): Hmmm. I enjoyed my life more from 18 onwards. But, I really enjoyed my 30s more than my 20s. And what went before wasn't a bad time, so I think, from birth.
Do you have children, if so, how many and what are their ages: The love of my life, the divine Alfie, aged three years, six months, nine days and three hours (at time of writing)
What do you really want to be when you grow up: I am what I want to be, but I would quite like to be a deputy head teacher
Where would you like to retire to: here
One fear about getting older: terminal cancer

LAYER NINE: The Opposite Sex

Eye color: nothing wishy washy
Hair color: never, ever fancied a blonde
Short or long hair: not really keen on hair past the shoulder length, too Lemmy from Motorhead
Height: about 5'10" and above (I'm 5'8")
Best first date location: Restaurant Bar and Grill

LAYER TEN: In The Numbers...

Number of jobs I've had in my life: 7
Number of people I could trust with my life: 8
Number of CDs that I own: between us it's in the thousands
Number of piercings: 4, although I think my two extra in my ears have healed
Number of tattoos: none, I think they are ugly and that people will regret them
Number of times my name has appeared in the Newspaper? a few times when I was in amateur dramatics
Number of scars: 2 major (leg operation and caesarian section) and about 4 minor
Number of things in my past that I regret: I'm a firm believer in what doesn't kill you making you stronger, but I would not have gone back to work after having Alfie, and I would have sowed my wild oats in my youth.

Holidays

are really quite the most wonderful thing. I am having a wonderfully relaxing time, I have done some housework, a bit of shopping, some TV watching - and I still have a week and a half left.

I have been trying really hard with my diet since Monday - Sunday at Mum's was a dietary disaster with a roast dinner - Mum's veggies are always cooked in yummy butter/olive oil spread - and wine as well as the obligatory (although not even vaguely as much as other years) chocolate. I have walked to collect Alfie the last two days and cut back on the Points a little. Hoping for a stay the same. Totally trying to get back on complete track now.

Had a wardrobe re-evaluation yesterday as well, so sorted out my clothes and tried a few combinations of outfits on, and sorted out some of the stuff that is too big.

My life is so boring at the moment - I'm not surprised no one is reading this blog!

Friday, March 25, 2005

One helluva week

It's been a long week. The end of term is a trying time as there is a focus to getting things finished and so on, and Easter, like Christmas means that lots is going on in the school as we are Catholic, so the routine is up the spout. Then added to that, the Head (who has been a good friend of mine for years, before I taught) is leaving and there has been a big she-bang to do with that, inlcuding a night out last night.

I have been really surprised at how bitchy some of the staff at the school are - for example, there was a parent "do" on Wednesday and the parents presented Tony's mum with a bunch of flowers and one of them (who is also a friend of Tony) made a, well a bit gushing for my taste, speech. Three of them were having a good bitch about it when I got in the next day, which I found distasteful anyway, but even worse, in the staffroom at break, one of them said "I thought that it was really lovely what they did for your Mum last night..." !!! What the..? I just can't understand the mentality of that -by all means have your opinion, bitch if you like, but to be so two faced??? I hope I am not like that, I will try to make sure I never am in the future.

One quite exciting thing that happened to me last night is something that I shouldn't be pleased about but am - I got felt up in a nightclub. Now I've written that down I can see how tacky it looks, but this NEVER happens to me. I never get chatted up, approached, whatever, so someone feeling the need to stroke my bottom is a big thing for me. Sorry all feminists.

I have two lovely weeks off now, which I am overjoyed about! My intentions are:
  • to eat well - cook everything from scratch
  • to do some exercise
  • to rest
  • to spring clean one room in the house each day
  • to read
  • to get ready for next term

and that would do nicely.

Sunday, March 20, 2005

Easy like Sunday Morning...

Is there a better place to be in this world on a Sunday morning than in your nice tidy house with your beautiful son watching television and chatting together? No, I don't think so!

Had a really nice day yesterday, Mike let me have a lovely lie in which I really needed as after my post about parents' night, I barely slept and then Mike and I had "words" at 6am on Friday, I felt like I'd been hit by a bus all day. Mike and I quickly made it up and didn't go to work on a row, but I was just so drained from it all. Didn't go to book club as I was shattered, which is a shame. Anyway, we all got stuck in cleaning the house, it was a lovely sunny day so we had all the windows open and it felt like spring is here! A bit greyer this morning, but I've hopes for later on in the day.

We took Alfie to (another) party - this one at the soft play place at the Trafford Centre and it was much more successful as it was a nicer place and he enjoyed it - I wonder if Mike being there was a help as well? After that we went over to Dad's and went for an early meal with them at Est Est Est which was nice, Alfie enjoyed it and it was nice to spend some time with Dad although as always too much wine was consumed!

Unbeleivably I had lost 4lb on Friday taking me to 50lb loss with WW and 70lb altogether from my highest weight. It just goes to show how arbitrary all of this is, as I didn't deserve that loss, but it balances out gains that have unfairly happened. Plus I got my period yesterday morning so even more bizarre really. Watch now as I have a good week and put 3lb on ...

Some of my new clothes came and they are nice, although quite different from things that I have worn before, I have to get used to a change in style I suppose.

Friday, March 18, 2005

Food and its complexities

Anyone seen those M and S food adverts? It’s just gastronomic pornography, with 0898 type voices describing fantastic food including the most divine looking chocolate pudding oozing melted chocolate out of the middle and decorated with thick cream. I saw it and I knew that I haven’t really changed…I could eat all of that twice and it probably not touch the sides. I’ve not changed one bit, and the 5 stone heavier girl is still there somewhere and she might come back and I can hardly bear the thought.

I worry. I worry that I can feel that I might go back to the 17 year old me with those terrible hang ups and methods of dealing with weight gain. I’ve worked so hard the last 15 years to enjoy being me and not to get hung up about stuff, be comfortable in my own skin and in a bizarre way, achieving what I have done is making me feel almost less confident in my body. Sometimes I feel like I look worse.

"fat" woman is really thin shocker

Desperate Housewives last night. I noticed that on the “Missing” flyers for Mrs Huber her alleged weight was 120 pounds, or in real money, 8 stone 8 pounds. Well I’m sorry, but my sister doesn’t weigh that (even before her pregnancy) and what really makes me laugh is that she is the “token” fat woman (and clearly evil, unpleasant and manipulative – hey, but of course that’s what fat people are – when they’re not being hilariously funny and wearing inappropriately bright colours). I really love Desperate Housewives but that’s something that pisses me off.

Thursday, March 17, 2005

Why is it that things have to be so difficult sometimes? Clearly, difficult is all relative – I don’t have a difficult life compared to say, someone serving in Iraq, or someone with a life threatening illness or something, but allow me to indulge myself.

This next two weeks are going to be unbelievably busy. This week we have had the two Parents’ Evenings, and this evening I have been at school until 9pm, talking in great depth with lots of parents about their children. My husband has been in London with work – which means I have had to move heaven and earth to be a mother and do my job. Today, I have been on tenterhooks wondering if he would make it home in time to sort Alfie out – with my Dad and step-Mum on stand by to cover if need be. 4.15 tonight – no word. Ring his mobile. No answer. Just on a whim, I rang home. He was there. He had been there since 1pm. Did he think to ring me and let me know? Text me? No. No, he is not well, hasn’t been for the last two days, poor him. After eating fried rice that I told him not to eat, but oh no he knows better. He’s been in bed asleep and I have woken him. Poor him.

So, I get home tonight and the house is in darkness, he is in bed and the room is in darkness. So, empty house (might as well be) no one to talk to, no one to give me a cuddle, sometimes I think I may as well be single. I do really love him and I know that he loves me but stuff like this really pisses me off.

Oh, and I can’t get the Internet to work, so I’m writing this in Word to cut and paste when it’s back up – this is the second time in three days and I’ve tried everything that I can think of.

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Where did that appear from?

I will never understand computers if I live to be 1000...

Read the Life Update not the other one - it's marginally better!

Okay let's try again

I had the first of two parents' meetings tonight, during which:
  • I agreed two programmes behaviour/attitude improvement
  • A mother burst into tears because she had just found out that her husband had been taken into hospital with recurrent suspected coeliac disease
  • A mother reduced me and herself to tears by telling me that her daughter's great progress and increased confidence was down to me
  • The parent who really needed to come didn't bother to arrive

Been having a downer on myself lately and have dealt with it in a mature adult manner by ordering some new "going out clothes" from Next, as I realised this weekend that I don't really have any, most of my replacement clothing have been for work and casual.

Mike is in London and I am enjoying having Alfie to myself.

Fricken Fracken Internet

Just lost a whole entry that had taken me ages to post and I'm really pissed off.

Life update

Had my first of two parents' nights this afternoon. Blimey, we had it all!

First, one mother burst into tears because she had just heard that her husband had been taken into hospital with recurrent suspected coeliac disease.

Then another mother moved me and herself to tears by telling me that her daughter's wonderful progress and development and self confidence was all down to me. God I love my job.

Next, there was an admission of bed wetting from a parent (about thier child, not them) and it was the very last child I would have expected.

I have agreed two separate behaviour/work/incentive/sanction programmes with two groups of parents.

And the parent of my most needy child (unsurprisingly) didn't show. And that make me effing mad, because I needed to see that mother to discuss that child's IEP, and the possibility of referring her to the school nurse for an ADHD assessment. This is a mother who never pays for anything: charity contributions when we have a mufti day;music lessons; school trips; anything. The child doesn't get heard to read or helped to learn spellings. Quite Frankly, this woman does not deserve a child. And this is not some poverty stricken woman, she has a decent job with a car firm and drives a 4x4. She cannot be A***d. It makes me sad because this child has no future, and there is so little that we can do for her, although we will try very hard.

Mike is in London, so I am experiencing the joys of singleparenthood. If truth is to be told, I am enjoying having him to myself. Last night he said to me "Is Daddy coming home tomorrow" I said, "no, sweetie, not tomorrow". Then he said " he is coming home soon though?" and I said "of course, not tomorrow, but the next day" and he broke into a beautiful smile and said"oh good, because I was starting to feel a little bit sad".

I really do have the most fabulous child in the known universe.

Having a downer on myself, so have dealt with it in the most mature and relevant way possible - ordering some stuff from the Next Directory - I realised this weekend that I haven't really got many "going out clothes", so I have ordered some. I am a clothes buying maniac.

I have spent some time today planning the enormous clearout and reorganisation that I am going to do over the Easter Hols - I cannot WAIT for them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, March 10, 2005

My son is so clever - he explained the life cycle of the caterpillar and the butterfly to me this morning in the car, including use of the word “cocoon”. I think I have a child genius on my hands.

Well, things with the job are okay, it is available and I have everyone on the Senior Management Team telling me that they want me to get it, except that it turns out that someone else at school has unexpectedly put herself forward for it – and this person (although 25) is the Head of Juniors at the school and will be Acting Deputy Head next term, so I am now needless to say, slightly concerned that my chances are none and a dog’s. In fact, I am tempted to withdraw my interest in the name of saving face. Do I really want to go through an interview and the stress of it all? Sure everyone was keen for me to do it before, but nobody even thought that she would be interested. Personally I think that she’s got rather a lot on her plate anyway, but Hey, I’m biased.

Things are tense at school anyway, there is a load of politics going on, and it’s tiring. None of it is anything to do with me, but it’s wearing

Monday, March 07, 2005

In a vague attempt to brighten up this blog...

As I am fed up to the nth degree I have decided to jazz up my blog by explaining my Desert Island Discs - the eight records that I would take to a desert island with me. This is based on a popular radio programme in the UK

Late In The Evening - Paul Simon. I think it's that chugga chugga introduction that takes me right back to my childhood. So much music is emotive of my childhood - all I remember as a child is listening to tapes in the car going places (where were we always going??) Consequently I know all the words to all the songs on Revolver, Rubber Bullet, Kraftwerk albums, Queen albums, Pipes of Peace, Tug of War (Paul McCartney) Carole King's Tapestry, Diamonds and Rust by Joan Baez etc etc... and Paul Simon. I actually prefer Paul Simon to Simon and Garfunkel, and this is really my absolute favourite.

Wonderwall - Oasis. Mike and I chose this song for the register signing part of our wedding, mainly because the words " and all the roads we have to walk are winding/and all the lights that lead us there are blinding/there are many things that I would like to say to you but I don't know how." And it kind of follows us around; last week it was our wedding anniversary, and suddenly as we were flicking through the music channels the video was on VH1, and then while we were away at the weekend, it was played out on a tannoy as we were out walking.

Unfinished Sympathy - Massive Attack. I could quite simply listen to this song all day long for the rest of my life. It's the words again - "I know that I've imagined love before/And how it could be with you" - it's about unrequited love, and dear reader I have been there, oh yes. And this song came into my awareness at about the time that I was having this experience (and about four years after it was released).

Little Star - Madonna. I played this at Alfie's baptism, because I think that it is the most wonderful song about being a parent - apparently it is about Lourdes - I listened to it all the way through my pregnancy, and I adore the line "God gave a present to me" - cos he did.

William It Was Really Nothing - the Smiths - Ooooooh those jangly guitars!!! I could dance round the room a la Mozzer for the rest of my days to this...

Where the Streets Have No Name - U2 - it was either this or One, which is a bit cliched (and also has some bitter sweet memories for me), anyway, I love the build up to this, moving into The Edge's guitar, just gorgeous

River - Joni Mitchell. No words.

Now the last one gets a bit hard - the above never really change (at least there's always one Smiths or U2, if not necessarily those ones), but the last one fluctuates depending upon my mood and the direction of the wind, quite frankly... anyway one of:
Groovejet - Spiller
Yes - McAlmont and Butler
or maybe
Crazy in Love - Beyonce (sometimes you need to jiggle!)
No Regrets - Robbie Williams
Friday's Child - Will Young
Diamonds and Rust - Joan Baez

They may have to do an extended programme when I get on it.

This has taken me nearly an hour to do!!!!

In a vague attempt to brighten up this blog...

As I am fed up to the nth degree I have decided to jazz up my blog by explaining my Desert Island Discs - the eight records that I would take to a desert island with me. This is based on a popular radio programme in the UK

Late In The Evening - Paul Simon. I think it's that chugga chugga introduction that takes me right back to my childhood. So much music is emotive of my childhood - all I remember as a child is listening to tapes in the car going places (where were we always going??) Consequently I know all the words to all the songs on Revolver, Rubber Bullet, Kraftwerk albums, Queen albums, Pipes of Peace, Tug of War (Paul McCartney) Carole King's Tapestry, Diamonds and Rust by Joan Baez etc etc... and Paul Simon. I actually prefer Paul Simon to Simon and Garfunkel, and this is really my absolute favourite.

Wonderwall - Oasis. Mike and I chose this song for the register signing part of our wedding, mainly because the words " and all the roads we have to walk are winding/and all the lights that lead us there are blinding/there are many things that I would like to say to you but I don't know how." And it kind of follows us around; last week it was our wedding anniversary, and suddenly as we were flicking through the music channels the video was on VH1, and then while we were away at the weekend, it was played out on a tannoy as we were out walking.

Unfinished Sympathy - Massive Attack. I could quite simply listen to this song all day long for the rest of my life. It's the words again - "I know that I've imagined love before/And how it could be with you" - it's about unrequited love, and dear reader I have been there, oh yes. And this song came into my awareness at about the time that I was having this experience (and about four years after it was released).

Little Star - Madonna. I played this at Alfie's baptism, because I think that it is the most wonderful song about being a parent - apparently it is about Lourdes - I listened to it all the way through my pregnancy, and I adore the line "God gave a present to me" - cos he did.

William It Was Really Nothing - the Smiths - Ooooooh those jangly guitars!!! I could dance round the room a la Mozzer for the rest of my days to this...

Where the Streets Have No Name - U2 - it was either this or One, which is a bit cliched (and also has some bitter sweet memories for me), anyway, I love the build up to this, moving into The Edge's guitar, just gorgeous

River - Joni Mitchell. No words.

Now the last one gets a bit hard - the above never really change (at least there's always one Smiths or U2, if not necessarily those ones), but the last one fluctuates depending upon my mood and the direction of the wind, quite frankly... anyway one of:
Groovejet - Spiller
Yes - McAlmont and Butler
or maybe
Crazy in Love - Beyonce (sometimes you need to jiggle!)
No Regrets - Robbie Williams
Friday's Child - Will Young
Diamonds and Rust - Joan Baez

They may have to do an extended programme when I get on it.

This has taken me nearly an hour to do!!!!

Sunday, March 06, 2005

Sunday night feeling

Back from Centreparcs - we had a lovely time! We got there quite late on Friday so really only had time to have a quick bite and fall into bed. Yesterday was freezing and grey and the pool part was packed - I didn't enjoy it as much as last time, and then was so cold ended up under a blanket on the sofa for most of the afternoon, so was in danger of not having a good time, but had a bath and gave myself a good talking to - felt much better!

Anyway, today was lovely, the three of us had a fantastic time at the watercentre, sliding, swimming and jumping into the pool (the last one, Alfie only!) and then went for lunch at a pub and then chilled for the rest of the afternoon.

So it was really nice to spend the weekend together as a family, we need to do it more often. Need to eat and go to bed now, night night!

Thursday, March 03, 2005

Tired girl

Well. You were kind of right Beege - I had the most enormous and gorgeous bouquet delivered to school yesterday afternoon - but he admitted that it was because he had ordered it that morning. Oh well!

Yesterday was absolutely exhausting - my class Mass was first thing in the morning - this means that my children lead the Mass, we do the readings the opening prayers, the bidding prayers and the offetory. Which is fine except when you teach five and six year olds and you need 84,000 rehearsals. I actually physically shake with nerves during the Mass,mainly because all the parents are there and obviosuly this means that I am "on show". Anyway, it went really, really well, and the children completely pulled it out of the bag. I had made some particularly risky decisions as some of my rather wallflowery children who were reluctant to speak had been persuaded by me, to take part, so it could have gone wrong, but luckily they were great!

Wednesday is my playground duty day, so I didn't get a break all day, there was infant meeting at lunchtime when I was making a presentation, and a staff meeting at 3.30. So I came home last night never less feeling like being romantic and celebrating our anniversary...

Anyway, promotion news. I have been offered a place on our management team at school, co-ordinating the education of the children with Special Educational Needs, which is a pretty massive thing, especially at this stage in my career. I am excited and apprehensive at the same time, but I can't let this opportunity pass.

Centreparks this weekend - me and Mike and Alfie having a lovely weekend away in a log cabin and having lots of fun, I am really looking forward to it especially as we are not taking loads of food and things but eating out and there won't need to be so much organisation.

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

I am just having one of those times at work when you just think " why is there so much to do?" It is my class mass tomorrow, there is still a lot of curriculum and not that much time and sometimes I just feel like screaming.

Still going well with the back to basics WW.

Sorry, just how dull am I?

I know something interesting - it is my wedding anniversary tomorrow and I know for a fact that my husband has not got me anything. A bunch of flowers wouldn't have hurt. We are going to Centreparcs for the weekend (all three of us) and I know that he loves me and is one of the finest men in the world, but a bunch of flowers would NOT have hurt.

Nine years, wow, it's a long time!