Rolled into the coach station at 6:15 this morning. Dropped my bags off at the flat then went straight onto work so getting through today was bloody hard work. I was helped by a caramel machiatto in the morning and a late lunch/shopping trip/hot chocolate and catch-up with a friend who works nearby.
I'm completely dazed at the moment so have no idea is this makes any sense. I've been dozing all evening and got nothing done so I think I should just go to sleep now and wake up earlier than usual to wash & tidy flat. I wouldn't bother with the flat but my New Year's Even plans involved going to the cinema with a friend and then back to mine to watch DVDs/surf the net probably. It's going to be too cold to go out tomorrow night so why not ring in the New Year in comfort and cosy dressing-gown style.
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Monday, 29 December 2008
Sick Again!
After a restless night of sleep I finally got up and made friends with the toilet bowl. I had a couple of hours sleep then got up to change my bus ticket back to London then went back to bed and that's where I stayed until 6:30 this evening. And I'm still exhausted. And annoyed that I'm ill once again. Just as the nasty cough was beginning to subside I now have what feels like a tummy bug. Gah! When I'm back in London I will definitely get back to the yoga and running. I also need to eat better too. Once I'm feeling better I can begin to put the "Change Life In 2009 - Positivity & Zen!" plan into action.
I have to call in sick to work tomorrow morning. I hate doing that.
I have to call in sick to work tomorrow morning. I hate doing that.
Thursday, 25 December 2008
2008 Survey (Almost completed)
Taken from Citz. It's only half completed because I don't have enough brain energy to think to hard about some of the questions. Check back for more.
1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
I ran/walked the London Marathon and completed it.
2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I can't remember what they were but one was probably to lose weight. Which I did and put on, and lost again etc.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My sister did so I'm an auntie now.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No one close.
5. What countries/cities did you visit?
Dublin for the Prince concert that never was and Edinburgh to work at the Fringe Festival.
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Money. Loads more fun. More travel.
7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
April 13th for the marathon, August 23rd for being admitted to hospital. July 3rd for my neice being born. Oooooh, all 3's.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Completing the marathon.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Getting ill.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yup. Half a dozen bouts of cold, flu and/or cough. Oh and the bacterial ulcer on my cornea. Sucky year.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My friends being there for me after all my marathon/work/eyes dramas.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
My friend's soon to be ex-wife spreading rumours and making life difficult for the both of them when it wasn't necessary.
14. Where did most of your money go?
I don't have a clue. I did get much this year to actually spend on things anyway.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Dalliances with boys. Doing my shows.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
17. Compared to this time last year, are you…
i. happier or sadder?
Sadder
ii. thinner or fatter?
About the same
iii. richer or poorer?
Poorer. Definitely poorer
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Stressed less .
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I'm spending it now. Back home, with the family. As usual.
21. How will you be spending New Years?
Haven't a clue. No plans yet.
22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Nope.
23. How many one night stands?
Kinda had one but we didn't go all the way so that probably doesn't count.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
X-Factor, Harry Hill's TV Burp, Doctor Who
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No. I hate not.
26. What was the best book you read?
I think it was this year. The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Haven't been able to do too much reading since August because it's too much effort for my good eye.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The song "Good Love" by Prince.
28. What did you want and get?
29. What did you want and not get?
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
I don't think I had a favourite I enjoyed Sex & The City - The Movie, Madagascar 2 and The Secret Life of Bees.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 26. It was my third day up in Edinburgh and the cast & crew of our show all sang Happy Birthday to me in them middle of the theatre bar... and everyone turned to look.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not getting hospitalised and ending up with a scar over my cornea screwing up my vision. And the usual. Money. Stimulating job.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Nothing special.
34. What kept you sane?
I honestly don't know. Maybe the hope that things might/will get better.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Probably the US election
37. Who did you miss?
38. Who was the best new person you met?
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
I should have appreciated my sight more.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
41. Was 2008 a good year for you?
It had it's good moments but I'd say the bad moments void all those.
42. What were your favourite moments of the year?
Meeting my week old neice and also seeing her become a much more interesting 5 month old. Staying up to 4am watching the Olympics while in Edinburgh. The first night we all moved into decent accommodation (a great big house) and most of the cast & crew ended up in in my room, all drunk and talking shite and laughing lots.
43. What was your least favourite moment of the year?
Being hospitalised. The awful pain in my eye. The discovery of the scar once the infection cleared. Some recurring eye problems.
44. What was your favourite month of 2008?
August 1st - 21st. We saw "Wicked" again, I had my birthday dinner in London then went to Edinburgh for the Fringe Festival and had a crazy time.
45. What was your favourite song from 2008?
46. What was your favourite record from 2008?
47. How many concerts did you see in 2008?
Alicia Keys (2), Stevie Wonder. Roachford.
48. Did you have a favourite concert in 2008?
Stevie was good. A living legend etc. Roachford was good too. A small venue so we had a great view.
49. Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2008?
A lot for me actually. The odd half-glass of champagne and a couple of vodka-alcopops in Edinburgh
50. Did you do a lot of drugs in 2008?
No.
51. Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
No.
52. What was the worst lie someone told you in 2008?
Don't know. If they lied, I haven't found out yet.
53. Did you treat somebody badly in 2008?
Don't think I did. I hope I didn't. I was probably ruder than necessary than I had to be to a call centre person. And I did gossip and bitch a bit at times.
54. Did somebody treat you badly in 2008?
Could have been less of a jerk but meh.
55. How much money did you spend in 2008?
I spent a bit at the start of the year on marathon/running gear but not much from April onwards.
56. What was your proudest moment of 2008?
Completing the marathon, getting through the worst of my eye problems.
57. If you could go back in time to any moment of 2008 and change something, what would it be? I would have taken better care of my health and contact lenses in August so I wouldn't have got ill and fucked up my eye. I'd also have started looking for a new job contract before the marathon instead of afterwards.
58. What are your plans for 2009?
Move out of flat and into flat/houseshare
Sort out finances
Do more acting/performing stuff
Buy more Fat Face stuff.
Run the half-marathon in March
Be bridesmaid at sister's wedding.
Get my eye fixed. Either it heals up by itself or I have a graft. Time will tell.
1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
I ran/walked the London Marathon and completed it.
2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I can't remember what they were but one was probably to lose weight. Which I did and put on, and lost again etc.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My sister did so I'm an auntie now.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No one close.
5. What countries/cities did you visit?
Dublin for the Prince concert that never was and Edinburgh to work at the Fringe Festival.
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Money. Loads more fun. More travel.
7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
April 13th for the marathon, August 23rd for being admitted to hospital. July 3rd for my neice being born. Oooooh, all 3's.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Completing the marathon.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Getting ill.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yup. Half a dozen bouts of cold, flu and/or cough. Oh and the bacterial ulcer on my cornea. Sucky year.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My friends being there for me after all my marathon/work/eyes dramas.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
My friend's soon to be ex-wife spreading rumours and making life difficult for the both of them when it wasn't necessary.
14. Where did most of your money go?
I don't have a clue. I did get much this year to actually spend on things anyway.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Dalliances with boys. Doing my shows.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
17. Compared to this time last year, are you…
i. happier or sadder?
Sadder
ii. thinner or fatter?
About the same
iii. richer or poorer?
Poorer. Definitely poorer
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Stressed less .
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I'm spending it now. Back home, with the family. As usual.
21. How will you be spending New Years?
Haven't a clue. No plans yet.
22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Nope.
23. How many one night stands?
Kinda had one but we didn't go all the way so that probably doesn't count.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
X-Factor, Harry Hill's TV Burp, Doctor Who
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No. I hate not.
26. What was the best book you read?
I think it was this year. The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Haven't been able to do too much reading since August because it's too much effort for my good eye.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The song "Good Love" by Prince.
28. What did you want and get?
29. What did you want and not get?
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
I don't think I had a favourite I enjoyed Sex & The City - The Movie, Madagascar 2 and The Secret Life of Bees.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 26. It was my third day up in Edinburgh and the cast & crew of our show all sang Happy Birthday to me in them middle of the theatre bar... and everyone turned to look.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not getting hospitalised and ending up with a scar over my cornea screwing up my vision. And the usual. Money. Stimulating job.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Nothing special.
34. What kept you sane?
I honestly don't know. Maybe the hope that things might/will get better.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Probably the US election
37. Who did you miss?
38. Who was the best new person you met?
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
I should have appreciated my sight more.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
41. Was 2008 a good year for you?
It had it's good moments but I'd say the bad moments void all those.
42. What were your favourite moments of the year?
Meeting my week old neice and also seeing her become a much more interesting 5 month old. Staying up to 4am watching the Olympics while in Edinburgh. The first night we all moved into decent accommodation (a great big house) and most of the cast & crew ended up in in my room, all drunk and talking shite and laughing lots.
43. What was your least favourite moment of the year?
Being hospitalised. The awful pain in my eye. The discovery of the scar once the infection cleared. Some recurring eye problems.
44. What was your favourite month of 2008?
August 1st - 21st. We saw "Wicked" again, I had my birthday dinner in London then went to Edinburgh for the Fringe Festival and had a crazy time.
45. What was your favourite song from 2008?
46. What was your favourite record from 2008?
47. How many concerts did you see in 2008?
Alicia Keys (2), Stevie Wonder. Roachford.
48. Did you have a favourite concert in 2008?
Stevie was good. A living legend etc. Roachford was good too. A small venue so we had a great view.
49. Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2008?
A lot for me actually. The odd half-glass of champagne and a couple of vodka-alcopops in Edinburgh
50. Did you do a lot of drugs in 2008?
No.
51. Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
No.
52. What was the worst lie someone told you in 2008?
Don't know. If they lied, I haven't found out yet.
53. Did you treat somebody badly in 2008?
Don't think I did. I hope I didn't. I was probably ruder than necessary than I had to be to a call centre person. And I did gossip and bitch a bit at times.
54. Did somebody treat you badly in 2008?
Could have been less of a jerk but meh.
55. How much money did you spend in 2008?
I spent a bit at the start of the year on marathon/running gear but not much from April onwards.
56. What was your proudest moment of 2008?
Completing the marathon, getting through the worst of my eye problems.
57. If you could go back in time to any moment of 2008 and change something, what would it be? I would have taken better care of my health and contact lenses in August so I wouldn't have got ill and fucked up my eye. I'd also have started looking for a new job contract before the marathon instead of afterwards.
58. What are your plans for 2009?
Move out of flat and into flat/houseshare
Sort out finances
Do more acting/performing stuff
Buy more Fat Face stuff.
Run the half-marathon in March
Be bridesmaid at sister's wedding.
Get my eye fixed. Either it heals up by itself or I have a graft. Time will tell.
Saturday, 20 December 2008
Home For Christmas
I'm still being stalked by a nasty, rattling cough but beginning to feel better elsewhere which is good. I'm leaving soon for the 11 hour bus journey to Scotland (then getting the ferry across the Irish Sea) so this is it until I come back next weekend. could update at home when there's a quiet moment but that's rare with my huge, crazy family.
Ahhhh... food, sleep and more food. Despite the crazies at home, I can't wait to get back for this.
Ahhhh... food, sleep and more food. Despite the crazies at home, I can't wait to get back for this.
Thursday, 18 December 2008
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Out Of It
I've been really ill since Saturday and have barely ate anything since then. Went to bed at 2am hoping to sleep off a bit of tension that had set in my forehead but woke to an awful headache which made me feel sick everything I moved. I was feeling a bit better last night but after a nice of extreme dreaming and crazy sleep, I now feel quite peculiar. Part of me feels like how I did when I was on the co-codemol during my hospital stay. Drowsy is probably the best word for it. I'm physically & mentally drowsy.
Despite feeling awful on Saturday I still had one more show to do and I managed to pull myself together for that with the help of a toasted muffin and cup of tea at the venue. However as soon as I spoke my first line my voice began to go. As the play progressed I got hoarser and hoarser and I spent the aftershow party asleep on the sofa. Sunday and Monday was split between lying down and/or sleeping and not much else.
Hopefully tonight I'll have enough energy to give the flat a tidy, wash some clothes ( and myself) and begin to pack. I'm going back home (via bus) this weekend to spend Xmas with the family. Haven't decided on a date yet but it'll probably be a Saturday. Hopefully the lunatics back home will control themselves for a little while so I can get a proper rest. Will be good to see my neice again. I saw her last when she was two months old, she's five months old now and is probably completely different!
PS: Got word back from the woman about the Marathon places. I wasn't elligible for one as the places were only allocated for people at her company. Probably for the best, to ill to begin training now. Might go for the half-marathon in March instead.
Despite feeling awful on Saturday I still had one more show to do and I managed to pull myself together for that with the help of a toasted muffin and cup of tea at the venue. However as soon as I spoke my first line my voice began to go. As the play progressed I got hoarser and hoarser and I spent the aftershow party asleep on the sofa. Sunday and Monday was split between lying down and/or sleeping and not much else.
Hopefully tonight I'll have enough energy to give the flat a tidy, wash some clothes ( and myself) and begin to pack. I'm going back home (via bus) this weekend to spend Xmas with the family. Haven't decided on a date yet but it'll probably be a Saturday. Hopefully the lunatics back home will control themselves for a little while so I can get a proper rest. Will be good to see my neice again. I saw her last when she was two months old, she's five months old now and is probably completely different!
PS: Got word back from the woman about the Marathon places. I wasn't elligible for one as the places were only allocated for people at her company. Probably for the best, to ill to begin training now. Might go for the half-marathon in March instead.
Thursday, 11 December 2008
London Marathon 2009?
Oh... there may be an opportunity for me to run in the London Marathon in April 2009. Waiting to find out if I am eligible for a place. Then I have to decide if I want to commit to it. I have to give this a lot of thought. I've got all that training to fit into my life somehow, plus I haven't ran or exercised much in recent months due to all my health/eye issues so would need to start from scratch again. So lots to take into consideration.
Time will tell....
Time will tell....
Back To Work!
The performing kind, not the office kind. After a much needed and deserved 3 evenings off, we were back at the theatre yesterday for the second run of our play. As the shows at our theatre only run for 4 or 5 days over one week, it felt so odd to be walking back in to prepare for another run of shows when we knew we'd already completed a run. I think I even said at one point "Oh, I can't be bothered doing this again" and a couple of people agreed with me but that all changed when the show began and we got back into the ol' routine and thrill of entertaining an audience. I'm now looking forward to tonight's show and not just because I want to leave (office) work.
We also had a great audience last night who joined in with the "panto" elements of the show and some of my lines got good laughs from them. I think this week will be fun. We had a couple of diffult nights last week when we had a small audience in, which changes the atmosphere, but tickets sales are looking quick healthy for the rest of the nights so hopefully we'll have more shows and audiences like yesterday.
It will be sad when the show finally ends as the cast have got on so well with each other and new friendships have been formed, old friendships strengthed. I think the intensive (and disorganised) rehearsal schedule really made us bond. Time will tell if it lasts but right now they are a great group of people to hang around with and during quiet moments in the shows (and in the pub afterwards) we have the chance to amuse and counsel one another.
Ahhh... Peace & Love & Zen. You can definitely tell it's a Thursday and not a Monday in 'Meldaland.
We also had a great audience last night who joined in with the "panto" elements of the show and some of my lines got good laughs from them. I think this week will be fun. We had a couple of diffult nights last week when we had a small audience in, which changes the atmosphere, but tickets sales are looking quick healthy for the rest of the nights so hopefully we'll have more shows and audiences like yesterday.
It will be sad when the show finally ends as the cast have got on so well with each other and new friendships have been formed, old friendships strengthed. I think the intensive (and disorganised) rehearsal schedule really made us bond. Time will tell if it lasts but right now they are a great group of people to hang around with and during quiet moments in the shows (and in the pub afterwards) we have the chance to amuse and counsel one another.
Ahhh... Peace & Love & Zen. You can definitely tell it's a Thursday and not a Monday in 'Meldaland.
Monday, 8 December 2008
Om My God
I got a pressie!
I found a nice little package at my door and in it was something I've wanted for a long time... and a couple of other unexpected goodies.
I always drooled over (new mum) Boho Girl's jewellery but missed my chance to get my hands on some when she stopped making jewellery to concentrate on her photography (gorge pics, I'd loved to be snapped by her. If only she/I lived closer!). Then I was contacted by the lovely Daniele from France who, with Boho's blessing, made a very nice gesture and offered to make me the necklace I wanted for such a long time. Et voila! It arrived this morning in a little brown box along with some French mint sweeties, fancy soap and a handwritten note in a card with my favourite colours on it (how did you know?).
Thank you Daniele. It was all totally unexpected and I'm wearing it right now as I type. I wish you all the best with your jewellery and online boutique.
I found a nice little package at my door and in it was something I've wanted for a long time... and a couple of other unexpected goodies.
I always drooled over (new mum) Boho Girl's jewellery but missed my chance to get my hands on some when she stopped making jewellery to concentrate on her photography (gorge pics, I'd loved to be snapped by her. If only she/I lived closer!). Then I was contacted by the lovely Daniele from France who, with Boho's blessing, made a very nice gesture and offered to make me the necklace I wanted for such a long time. Et voila! It arrived this morning in a little brown box along with some French mint sweeties, fancy soap and a handwritten note in a card with my favourite colours on it (how did you know?).
Thank you Daniele. It was all totally unexpected and I'm wearing it right now as I type. I wish you all the best with your jewellery and online boutique.
Sunday, 7 December 2008
This Time Last Year...
I didn't know it then but I was happy. I had settled into my new accommodation and I was shape. I was acting in a play with a large cast so made many acquaintances and new friends. I also had a crush on someone then, which was fun. ;-)
I'm having some good moments now and having a lot of fun with the people in my current play but a lot has happened this year and that takes some sorting out. When I think about this time last year I realise how less complicated life was. And I had two working eyes back them too.
This film and this song takes me back to that time. Love them both.
I'm having some good moments now and having a lot of fun with the people in my current play but a lot has happened this year and that takes some sorting out. When I think about this time last year I realise how less complicated life was. And I had two working eyes back them too.
This film and this song takes me back to that time. Love them both.
Friday, 5 December 2008
Food & Sleep
What more could a Mel want?
Not long back from the theatre after our second show and I'm sitting here with a big bowl of pasta and a cuppa tea. Niiiiice. Trying to ignore the fact that I've got a 9am conference call to Singapore in the morn and wondering if I'll get in trouble with my manager tomorrow for not making it stupidly obvious to someone to save a report as .xls and not .csv.
I'm so glad to be performing the show even though I'm completely knackered and have no time to do anything. The rehearsals were soul destroying, we had to replace one cast member as he's currently stranded in Italy and not allowed back into the UK due to visa issues and another cast member pulled out on Sunday. With such short notice the only way to get around that is to have his character played, via one cast member, by a hand puppet and voiced by another cast member. Crazy! Despite everything, we're having fun doing the show for real. Even when there's more cast members than audience as was the case tonight. We got through it as best we could. We've got six more shows to do so hopefully we'll get larger audiences (opening night was good). We've got the weekend shows coming up so people will be happier to stay out late in the knowledge that they won't have to get up for work.
Speaking of which, time I hit the sack. I've been getting no more than five hours sleep every night this week so I'm going to try for six tonight. I love sleep. And sleep loves me!
Not long back from the theatre after our second show and I'm sitting here with a big bowl of pasta and a cuppa tea. Niiiiice. Trying to ignore the fact that I've got a 9am conference call to Singapore in the morn and wondering if I'll get in trouble with my manager tomorrow for not making it stupidly obvious to someone to save a report as .xls and not .csv.
I'm so glad to be performing the show even though I'm completely knackered and have no time to do anything. The rehearsals were soul destroying, we had to replace one cast member as he's currently stranded in Italy and not allowed back into the UK due to visa issues and another cast member pulled out on Sunday. With such short notice the only way to get around that is to have his character played, via one cast member, by a hand puppet and voiced by another cast member. Crazy! Despite everything, we're having fun doing the show for real. Even when there's more cast members than audience as was the case tonight. We got through it as best we could. We've got six more shows to do so hopefully we'll get larger audiences (opening night was good). We've got the weekend shows coming up so people will be happier to stay out late in the knowledge that they won't have to get up for work.
Speaking of which, time I hit the sack. I've been getting no more than five hours sleep every night this week so I'm going to try for six tonight. I love sleep. And sleep loves me!
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