Work has been hellish just lately, but occasionally all the stress and hard work pays off just right.
I have spent a considerable amount of time over the last few weeks arranging a conference day for more than 80 attendees from several different agencies around sexual exploitation in young people, and the fact that our county has no dedicated service at all, other than that which my organisation commissions (only 15hrs a week for a whole county in case you're wondering!).
Despite all the stress of organising, not to mention the fact that yesterday I had 90 delegate hand out packs (each containing 10 seperate items, 6 of which are different colours) to make up with both photocopiers in the building playing up, the big day loomed ominously quickly, and I'm pleased to report it went fantastically well. It may even lead to the 'powers that be' actually getting off their arses and commissioning a proper service!
However, after all that, with such a major piece of work now finished, my to do list doesnt seem to be any smaller....!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Stars for the week ahead
Here comes an excellent week. You will like the way things turn out. Venus and Jupiter are forming a conjunction. That's a deeply reassuring sign of an improvement in your outlook. Now, I suppose I should inject a note of caution here. You are, after all, a Sagittarian. If we give you so much as an inch, you could end up taking up the entire distance from here to the moon. A positive astrological alignment does not automatically equate with a lottery win and a life of passion with your favourite film star. It may be a more modest attainment you enjoy. There is, though, no doubt that something will put a smile on your face soon.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Spreading the love
Seeing as there isn't much to see here, why not head over to here and spread a little bit of good kharma!
Bristol...
...city centre is a pain in the bloody arse!
Let's just say, the next time someone asks me to present at a conference nearly 150 miles away I'll insist I dont have to add an extra hour to my journey trying to find the bloody hotel!
Let's just say, the next time someone asks me to present at a conference nearly 150 miles away I'll insist I dont have to add an extra hour to my journey trying to find the bloody hotel!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Stars for the week ahead
In some parts of the world, they leave their buildings deliberately unfinished. Even if the entire structure is an intricate work of art they keep one little section incomplete. This is to acknowledging the fact, that here on the earth there's always room for improvement! Nothing is ever as good as it can get. When we claim to have it all or pretend that we have solved all our problems, we are kidding ourselves. To be human is to wrestle with incompatible urges and to struggle with factors that are less than ideal. You don't really need a solution to your problem this week, you just need to see it as less of a problem!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Stars for the week ahead
With power, comes responsibility. With responsibility, comes pressure. With pressure, comes a reduction in concentration. With distraction, comes loss of power. All of which is just as well really. Otherwise, we'd never have to keep on doing anything. We could just achieve what we wanted to once and forever. And then sit there becoming bored, frustrated and stale. Be glad of the fact that you are not all-powerful now and don't feel obliged to use what little power you do have too sparingly. You may have less responsibility in a certain situation than you imagine. You may also find that you've got far less of a problem than you think.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Inclination
I have several posts half written, but no inclination to blog at the moment. All is well though.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Mire
Buying a house is a nightmare I am sure, but it seems buying a shared ownership house is even more fucking maddening!!
When I approached my mortgage broker (recommended by reputable site moneysavingexpert.com) I initially wanted a promise of a mortgage, as at that point, there was no guarantee that I would be offered the house, but I needed to prove for my application that I could get a mortgage if I was offered the house.
They assured me this would be fine, and due to the fact this is a shared ownership property and that my credit rating is not what it should be, recommended a particular company. They sent me some costings based on my application etc, and their communications with the lender. However, that seems to not be enough, as I have not had any direct communication or confirmation from the lender themselves to say I would be approved for a mortgage if offered the house.
As it happens, the housing association selling have already informed me verbally that I am going to be offered the house, although I have not yet received an offer letter as they are still working out figures for the rent part. This should be, at this point, incidental for the mortgage company as I only want an okay that I will be accepted for a mortgage (subject to the house meeting the relevant cost criteria of course). However, the lender my mortgage broker has recommended is already insisting that a valuation be done by a surveyor, even though the house is currently only at dry-wall stage, before being able to approve my mortgage.
Still with me? Trust me, I'm only just there! As a result, I cannot get my mortgage confirmed until the survey has been done, although the housing association are saying they are not happy with a survey being done as a) they havent taken ownership of the house yet, b) they haven't officially offered me the house yet!
Talk about going round in circles!!!
So, I have the housing association telling me that it isn't usual for them to have surveys done at this stage, or to fill in the form requested by the lender, and my broker telling me that it is usual, to ensure the plot exists, mortgage value is correct etc. And somewhere in the middle of all this is me, with no bloody clue as to what to do or when!
I am currently very tempted to approach a different lender independently, and see whether I can source what I originally wanted - an agreement to lend - without all this seemingly premature hassle from the mortgage company I'm currently applying to, as I'm just getting sick of it. That and a steady drip feed of documents to supply, which I could have done all in one go when I sent in my initial application form if I had been asked!! I understand the need to provide evidence, and get surveys, and all of that, but I don't really understand why it all has to be done now! Before I've even recieved an offical offer! The problem is that I may decide to do this myself and then just end up having to repeat the whole process entirely - not to mention the fact that I have already sent off a cheque for £190 valuation fee as requested.
Bloody house buying!!
When I approached my mortgage broker (recommended by reputable site moneysavingexpert.com) I initially wanted a promise of a mortgage, as at that point, there was no guarantee that I would be offered the house, but I needed to prove for my application that I could get a mortgage if I was offered the house.
They assured me this would be fine, and due to the fact this is a shared ownership property and that my credit rating is not what it should be, recommended a particular company. They sent me some costings based on my application etc, and their communications with the lender. However, that seems to not be enough, as I have not had any direct communication or confirmation from the lender themselves to say I would be approved for a mortgage if offered the house.
As it happens, the housing association selling have already informed me verbally that I am going to be offered the house, although I have not yet received an offer letter as they are still working out figures for the rent part. This should be, at this point, incidental for the mortgage company as I only want an okay that I will be accepted for a mortgage (subject to the house meeting the relevant cost criteria of course). However, the lender my mortgage broker has recommended is already insisting that a valuation be done by a surveyor, even though the house is currently only at dry-wall stage, before being able to approve my mortgage.
Still with me? Trust me, I'm only just there! As a result, I cannot get my mortgage confirmed until the survey has been done, although the housing association are saying they are not happy with a survey being done as a) they havent taken ownership of the house yet, b) they haven't officially offered me the house yet!
Talk about going round in circles!!!
So, I have the housing association telling me that it isn't usual for them to have surveys done at this stage, or to fill in the form requested by the lender, and my broker telling me that it is usual, to ensure the plot exists, mortgage value is correct etc. And somewhere in the middle of all this is me, with no bloody clue as to what to do or when!
I am currently very tempted to approach a different lender independently, and see whether I can source what I originally wanted - an agreement to lend - without all this seemingly premature hassle from the mortgage company I'm currently applying to, as I'm just getting sick of it. That and a steady drip feed of documents to supply, which I could have done all in one go when I sent in my initial application form if I had been asked!! I understand the need to provide evidence, and get surveys, and all of that, but I don't really understand why it all has to be done now! Before I've even recieved an offical offer! The problem is that I may decide to do this myself and then just end up having to repeat the whole process entirely - not to mention the fact that I have already sent off a cheque for £190 valuation fee as requested.
Bloody house buying!!
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Stars for the month ahead
'Come on, baby, let the good times roll.' Sometimes, it seems as though the good times are rolling right in without encouragement. Yet there are other times when it feels as if the wheels have stuck and no amount of pushing will ever get them rolling again. It is then that we face our fears, clear up our confusions and resolve our conflicts. Rarely do we have much of a good time when we are doing so. There may come a point, as you enter 2008, when you begin to fear that that the good times are not just failing to roll in, but are rolling away from you! But that's just because you are fixing the line down which those good times will eventually roll again. Be ready for your chances and your challenges in 2008!
Projects
Had a phone call from good friend Fran (another UKer departed to New Zealand) tonight, which was great. We just chatted generally, as you do when you've been friends for years, and caught up on the latest going ons in each others lives, and inevitably the conversation turned to men, or, in my case, the lack of.
I'm really not bothered about men at the moment. Really! I wouldn't say no if Mr Right (or even Mr Right Now) turned up on the doorstep, but I'm completely not bothered if that doesn't happen for a while, even a long while, and Fran said something that really got me thinking... "Well, in the past, you have gone out with a fair number of blokes more as kind of projects than because you met them, liked them, met them again, and so on".
Since the phone call ended I've been thinking about this, and I have to concede she does have a point! In the past, my "relationships" (and they have been many and varied) have been a lot about meeting blokes and getting them "hooked" I suppose, although not as mercenary or as consciously as this sounds here. More about getting myself caught up in that cycle unconsciously (more often than not, though not always), and then ending with an inevitable boredom once I realise they are where I want them.
They haven't all ended like that, of course, and it's interesting that in the main, the memorable ones are the ones that "didn't play the game", or rather that didn't let themselves become CG devotees! I think I might need to consider this, and the implications of this on any future relationships a little more. It's not a pattern I particularly want to continue, but it's really the only pattern I know.
I guess for now, both myself and the local blokes should be glad I have a house project to focus on instead!
I'm really not bothered about men at the moment. Really! I wouldn't say no if Mr Right (or even Mr Right Now) turned up on the doorstep, but I'm completely not bothered if that doesn't happen for a while, even a long while, and Fran said something that really got me thinking... "Well, in the past, you have gone out with a fair number of blokes more as kind of projects than because you met them, liked them, met them again, and so on".
Since the phone call ended I've been thinking about this, and I have to concede she does have a point! In the past, my "relationships" (and they have been many and varied) have been a lot about meeting blokes and getting them "hooked" I suppose, although not as mercenary or as consciously as this sounds here. More about getting myself caught up in that cycle unconsciously (more often than not, though not always), and then ending with an inevitable boredom once I realise they are where I want them.
They haven't all ended like that, of course, and it's interesting that in the main, the memorable ones are the ones that "didn't play the game", or rather that didn't let themselves become CG devotees! I think I might need to consider this, and the implications of this on any future relationships a little more. It's not a pattern I particularly want to continue, but it's really the only pattern I know.
I guess for now, both myself and the local blokes should be glad I have a house project to focus on instead!
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Seasonal shenanigans
So, I've been away for a while, time to catch up on the festive period I guess!
Christmas Day started with an early morning call from X at around 5.30am, which was (just about) delayed until 8am when I fuinally succumbed to getting out of bed! We have a Christmas Day rule in our house that nobody is allowed downstairs until everybody is up and dressed, and no presents are opened (excepting their stockings and the present on their bed from Father Christmas) until after we have all had breakfast. As such, we managed to make present opening last until about 11am, and then set off to collect my littlest little brother from worktown, before setting off to spend the rest of the day at my little sister's in Oxford, along with biggest little brother, mum and her partner. The journey there was pretty uneventful, and much teasing of the encountered RAF boys on the base ensued, before getting to my sister's, whose small house was positively brimming with unopened presents, opened presents and the debris from the latter!
I had a pretty good haul this year, including; new hair straighteners, cool Ug type boots, several new CD's, a bottle of Advocaat, Robbie Williams calender, some nice smellies, new cordless house phones, and a lovely bracelet from Y, which is an Argos copy of the Links of London sweetie bracelet I wanted. Bless him!
The rest of the day was fabulously festive, and Christmas dinner was positively scrummy! I haven't seen biggest little brother for 2 years, so it was great to catch up with him as well as the rest of the family crowd, and it felt like a real family Christmas this year, including the obligatory teasing, provoking and loudness from us all together. Both X and Y were well behaved, and apart from an hour being lost at 11pm at night after leaving, the day was great.
Boxing Day was a more local, and quieter affair, with a slower start to the morning and then a short trip to my growing up town, to spend the day with my dad, his partner, her grandson and littlest little brother again. Much quieter, (with some lovely boiled ham and cheese sauce on the menu), but a nice relaxed day nonetheless.
More travelling on Thursday, as we set off to mate Mick's, in Manchester. We didn't set off until late afternoon, as he was working, but the traffic was just dreadful. Finally arrived about 6pm, and cajoled him into ordering pizza in as we hadn't managed to stop off on the way to eat. After being shown round his new home, settled the kids to bed and then settled down for an evening of wine, chatting and more chatting. Suddenly found it was 2.30am and I had drunk nearly a whole bottle of wine, without feeling slightly pissed (a miracle for me!), and then made the mistake of finishing the bottle and feeling bladdered! Finally staggered up to to bed around 3.30am!
Friday was spent mooching in the morning before heading off for the Trafford Centre, where more mooching occurred before a really rubbish meal in an 'American Diner', and then more mooching! Headed out of there around 5pm and sat for literally 45mins in the car park without even moving an inch!! Fortunately, X and Y managed to amuse themselves by guessing the flavour of Jelly Beans in the back seat and after a decision to exit the other way, followed by an illegal U-turn we finally managed to escape the car park around 6pm! More putting the world to rights in the evening, with less wine but a box of chocolates, and a much more reasonable bedtime! Mick was working again Saturday, so we set off home again pretty early and managed to get back in good time. It was lovely to see him, as I haven't seen him since he came up for a wedding in August, but I was glad to be home and be able to relax properly for the next few days.
And relax we did! Sunday and Monday were spent at home doing pretty much nothing! Managed to chat to JTRC for rather longer than her phone bill would like, but other than that I didn't do very much at all.
So New Years Eve had rolled around, and we were lucky enough to all be invited to Lily's for an evening of food, friends and copious amounts of Nintendo Wii playing, christened by ourselves as New Years Wiive! Lily had made some fabulous chilli, and other yummy delights and Mr Lily had set up the conservatory with the Wii projected onto the wall, so there was lots of room for kids (and adults!) to compete! Not the craziest of evenings, but really good nonetheless, and considering the number of children (and the fact mine were there!) there was no squabbling or upset at all. All managed to stay awake for NY countdown, (including X - just about!) and we finally got home at 1.30am.
Another year is here I guess...
Christmas Day started with an early morning call from X at around 5.30am, which was (just about) delayed until 8am when I fuinally succumbed to getting out of bed! We have a Christmas Day rule in our house that nobody is allowed downstairs until everybody is up and dressed, and no presents are opened (excepting their stockings and the present on their bed from Father Christmas) until after we have all had breakfast. As such, we managed to make present opening last until about 11am, and then set off to collect my littlest little brother from worktown, before setting off to spend the rest of the day at my little sister's in Oxford, along with biggest little brother, mum and her partner. The journey there was pretty uneventful, and much teasing of the encountered RAF boys on the base ensued, before getting to my sister's, whose small house was positively brimming with unopened presents, opened presents and the debris from the latter!
I had a pretty good haul this year, including; new hair straighteners, cool Ug type boots, several new CD's, a bottle of Advocaat, Robbie Williams calender, some nice smellies, new cordless house phones, and a lovely bracelet from Y, which is an Argos copy of the Links of London sweetie bracelet I wanted. Bless him!
The rest of the day was fabulously festive, and Christmas dinner was positively scrummy! I haven't seen biggest little brother for 2 years, so it was great to catch up with him as well as the rest of the family crowd, and it felt like a real family Christmas this year, including the obligatory teasing, provoking and loudness from us all together. Both X and Y were well behaved, and apart from an hour being lost at 11pm at night after leaving, the day was great.
Boxing Day was a more local, and quieter affair, with a slower start to the morning and then a short trip to my growing up town, to spend the day with my dad, his partner, her grandson and littlest little brother again. Much quieter, (with some lovely boiled ham and cheese sauce on the menu), but a nice relaxed day nonetheless.
More travelling on Thursday, as we set off to mate Mick's, in Manchester. We didn't set off until late afternoon, as he was working, but the traffic was just dreadful. Finally arrived about 6pm, and cajoled him into ordering pizza in as we hadn't managed to stop off on the way to eat. After being shown round his new home, settled the kids to bed and then settled down for an evening of wine, chatting and more chatting. Suddenly found it was 2.30am and I had drunk nearly a whole bottle of wine, without feeling slightly pissed (a miracle for me!), and then made the mistake of finishing the bottle and feeling bladdered! Finally staggered up to to bed around 3.30am!
Friday was spent mooching in the morning before heading off for the Trafford Centre, where more mooching occurred before a really rubbish meal in an 'American Diner', and then more mooching! Headed out of there around 5pm and sat for literally 45mins in the car park without even moving an inch!! Fortunately, X and Y managed to amuse themselves by guessing the flavour of Jelly Beans in the back seat and after a decision to exit the other way, followed by an illegal U-turn we finally managed to escape the car park around 6pm! More putting the world to rights in the evening, with less wine but a box of chocolates, and a much more reasonable bedtime! Mick was working again Saturday, so we set off home again pretty early and managed to get back in good time. It was lovely to see him, as I haven't seen him since he came up for a wedding in August, but I was glad to be home and be able to relax properly for the next few days.
And relax we did! Sunday and Monday were spent at home doing pretty much nothing! Managed to chat to JTRC for rather longer than her phone bill would like, but other than that I didn't do very much at all.
So New Years Eve had rolled around, and we were lucky enough to all be invited to Lily's for an evening of food, friends and copious amounts of Nintendo Wii playing, christened by ourselves as New Years Wiive! Lily had made some fabulous chilli, and other yummy delights and Mr Lily had set up the conservatory with the Wii projected onto the wall, so there was lots of room for kids (and adults!) to compete! Not the craziest of evenings, but really good nonetheless, and considering the number of children (and the fact mine were there!) there was no squabbling or upset at all. All managed to stay awake for NY countdown, (including X - just about!) and we finally got home at 1.30am.
Another year is here I guess...
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