The latest updates on the London Underground Tube Strikes:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11083153
What is it with people who work with the public, that have a union representative, thinking it's ok to milk their boss for everything they can get and hold the public to ransom if they don't get their own way?
Hello - have you not heard that we are still in the middle of a recession? What makes you think that you are so special you get to have your cake and eat it whilst everyone else has to suffer and soldier on, trying to make the best of a bad situation?
I think just about every company out there is making cut backs, be it freezing pay rises, asking staff to work less hours, issuing redundancies and stopping overtime - yet suggest this to a union representative and they act like you are asking something of them which is total and utter madness!
If I was to go in to a meeting with my boss and say he was being totally unreasonable by stopping my overtime and freezing my pay, he would laugh quite loudly in my face and tell me the home truths of why it is we are in this situation.
Maybe it is about time someone gave these people a culture shock by making them wake-up and smell the coffee - there are plenty of people out there who would do anything to have the jobs these people are moaning about - at the end of the day if you don't like it, look for something else and stop making thousands of other people miserable in the process.
Wednesday 25 August 2010
Tuesday 24 August 2010
Fashionistas
It does make me laugh when I overhear conversations from other people proclaiming to have a love for fashion, saying how they are up on all the latest trends - but I can't help but look at them and think in 10 years time when you are looking back over your old photos, you will be laughing out loud thinking 'my god what was I thinking?'
I overheard two girls talking on the train this morning about the clobber they was wearing and acting like they were uber cool - one of them was wearing stone-washed elasticated jeans with a slouch t-shirt and the other what can only be described as a Pat Evans cast-off - and I was looking at the first one knowing that I had some old photos buried at my parents house, with me dressed in stone-wash denim back in the 80's, that I like to claim no longer exist (along with the cult classic photos of me in the luminous pink shell bottoms).
It does make me wonder whether it is actually possible to 'create' your own image, as there have been so many different trends over the decades that surely it can't be possible to invent something completely different that hasn't already been worn at some point or other by someone else.
Take where I used to work in Shoreditch as a classic example. It's deemed a trendy area full of hip, funky, original individuals - you wouldn't be out of place wearing over-sized Ray Bans, with multi-coloured skinny-jeans, vintage t-shirts and back-combed or afro hairstyles. But when you wander around the area every single person is wearing these clothes to look like an 'individual' resulting in them looking as un-original as possible and instead looking like clones of each other.
When I was out at dinner the other week with a friend I was told I should be more adventurous and 'funky' with my clothes choices - but at the end of the day I am comfortable with what I wear, I can wear it for as long as I want without worrying about them being out-of-season clothes - and most importantly I can look back at myself in 10 years time and be quietly happy in the knowledge that I don't look like a complete and utter twat thinking 'oh my gosh........!'
I overheard two girls talking on the train this morning about the clobber they was wearing and acting like they were uber cool - one of them was wearing stone-washed elasticated jeans with a slouch t-shirt and the other what can only be described as a Pat Evans cast-off - and I was looking at the first one knowing that I had some old photos buried at my parents house, with me dressed in stone-wash denim back in the 80's, that I like to claim no longer exist (along with the cult classic photos of me in the luminous pink shell bottoms).
It does make me wonder whether it is actually possible to 'create' your own image, as there have been so many different trends over the decades that surely it can't be possible to invent something completely different that hasn't already been worn at some point or other by someone else.
Take where I used to work in Shoreditch as a classic example. It's deemed a trendy area full of hip, funky, original individuals - you wouldn't be out of place wearing over-sized Ray Bans, with multi-coloured skinny-jeans, vintage t-shirts and back-combed or afro hairstyles. But when you wander around the area every single person is wearing these clothes to look like an 'individual' resulting in them looking as un-original as possible and instead looking like clones of each other.
When I was out at dinner the other week with a friend I was told I should be more adventurous and 'funky' with my clothes choices - but at the end of the day I am comfortable with what I wear, I can wear it for as long as I want without worrying about them being out-of-season clothes - and most importantly I can look back at myself in 10 years time and be quietly happy in the knowledge that I don't look like a complete and utter twat thinking 'oh my gosh........!'
Sunday 15 August 2010
Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat....
When I moved into my house I realised that winters would be a problem as I have an allotment behind my garden and the mice like to come knocking when the cold spells are here, looking for a warm place to lay their heads.
I decided to get a cat like all my other neighbours to keep these pesky mice at bay - and felt even better when I got a rescue cat who was only 5 weeks old and was going to be put down as he had been abandoned by his mum. He was a scruffy little might who had a big personality, a spring in his step and was into everything...... how could I resist? Fast forward three years to today and I am sitting here looking at the cat world's version of Jekyll and Hyde....
Today is the first Sunday in a long time where I actually haven't had anything planned and could relish in a Sunday morning lay-in without feeling guilty. About 7ish I woke and stuck on the radio, dozing on and off when my little fur ball came sauntering into the bedroom and snuggled up against my neck purring away happily.
This bliss lasted about 45 minutes until Tigger's belly started rumbling - then out came Mr Hyde. The first port of call was my hair, pulling at it with his paws, when this didn't work I got a few nibbles on the shoulder - when I tried to bat him away he then decided to latch onto my arm like a leech, using the full force of his claws whilst sinking his front teeth into the soft fleshy part on my hand next to my thumb. This in turn resulted in a string of explenatives from myself and a loud guffawing from my flatmate in the room next door.
When I managed to get Tigger detached from my hand he shot of the bed, up the blinds and out of the bedroom window - managing to break one of the blind slats in the process. Git!
Considering I was well and truly awake by this point, I decided I may as well arise into the land of living. I had only been up for 10 minutes when I heard the cat flap going and saw Tigger standing in my kitchen - with a mouse tail dangling out of his mouth (he still hasn't figured out the concept of keeping mice out of the house!) I'm sure I've read somewhere that cat's see this as a type of peace offering, but it really doesn't feel like that at 8 in the morning when you're still half asleep, with puncture marks in your hand.
As much as I want to be mad at him I can't help laughing at this situation I've found myself in, chasing a baby field mouse around my kitchen and taking it back out into the garden to live another day. Although he drives me round the bend, I couldn't imagine it any other way, especially when I know he will be curled up on my lap later the picture of innocence.....
I decided to get a cat like all my other neighbours to keep these pesky mice at bay - and felt even better when I got a rescue cat who was only 5 weeks old and was going to be put down as he had been abandoned by his mum. He was a scruffy little might who had a big personality, a spring in his step and was into everything...... how could I resist? Fast forward three years to today and I am sitting here looking at the cat world's version of Jekyll and Hyde....
This bliss lasted about 45 minutes until Tigger's belly started rumbling - then out came Mr Hyde. The first port of call was my hair, pulling at it with his paws, when this didn't work I got a few nibbles on the shoulder - when I tried to bat him away he then decided to latch onto my arm like a leech, using the full force of his claws whilst sinking his front teeth into the soft fleshy part on my hand next to my thumb. This in turn resulted in a string of explenatives from myself and a loud guffawing from my flatmate in the room next door.
When I managed to get Tigger detached from my hand he shot of the bed, up the blinds and out of the bedroom window - managing to break one of the blind slats in the process. Git!
Considering I was well and truly awake by this point, I decided I may as well arise into the land of living. I had only been up for 10 minutes when I heard the cat flap going and saw Tigger standing in my kitchen - with a mouse tail dangling out of his mouth (he still hasn't figured out the concept of keeping mice out of the house!) I'm sure I've read somewhere that cat's see this as a type of peace offering, but it really doesn't feel like that at 8 in the morning when you're still half asleep, with puncture marks in your hand.
As much as I want to be mad at him I can't help laughing at this situation I've found myself in, chasing a baby field mouse around my kitchen and taking it back out into the garden to live another day. Although he drives me round the bend, I couldn't imagine it any other way, especially when I know he will be curled up on my lap later the picture of innocence.....
Friday 13 August 2010
Living life in the fast line.....
It's Friday and I am thinking to myself I have made it through another week - yay! The worst thing about having a Monday - Friday job is that you do end up wishing your life away.
You start the week on Monday thinking I can't believe how fast the weekend went and dreading the fact you have another week ahead of you. Tuesday rolls around with slight more optimism, knowing you have Monday out of the way but also knowing you are not yet at the half-way mark. Wednesday is the sun braking through the clouds day, when you know after lunch you will be over the hump and speeding towards the next weekend. Thursday is like a neither-here-nor-there-day where you know you're only one day away but can't quite reach the finish line just yet. Then Friday is here and you're full of the joys of summer knowing you can literally count down the hours until you are free to roam the lands for two whole days. Then before you know it, it is Monday again....
I have been trying to become more adventurous by arranging activities mid-week, in the vain hope that I can break up the monotonous routine that has become my life. In doing this I hope to become more of an interesting person with a brighter outlook on life, rather than someone who counts down the hours from her desk waiting for the weekend to land.
I met up with a newly single friend of mine at the beginning of the week who is still savouring the awe of becoming her own free person again, who quite rightly told me I should be out every night living the high life of a singleton. After much deliberation over a few G&T's I decided that I would give it a go.
Rather than trying to break my week in gently I thought I would take my life by the scruff of the neck and go full speed in fifth gear, enjoying being a singleton every night this week - and now Friday is here I feel......well..... absolutely knackered! The thought of going out tonight makes me feel weak in the knees and I still have a full weekend ahead of me.
I think next week I will opt for the middle lane instead on cruise control and will leave living life in the fast lane to one of my younger peers......
You start the week on Monday thinking I can't believe how fast the weekend went and dreading the fact you have another week ahead of you. Tuesday rolls around with slight more optimism, knowing you have Monday out of the way but also knowing you are not yet at the half-way mark. Wednesday is the sun braking through the clouds day, when you know after lunch you will be over the hump and speeding towards the next weekend. Thursday is like a neither-here-nor-there-day where you know you're only one day away but can't quite reach the finish line just yet. Then Friday is here and you're full of the joys of summer knowing you can literally count down the hours until you are free to roam the lands for two whole days. Then before you know it, it is Monday again....
I have been trying to become more adventurous by arranging activities mid-week, in the vain hope that I can break up the monotonous routine that has become my life. In doing this I hope to become more of an interesting person with a brighter outlook on life, rather than someone who counts down the hours from her desk waiting for the weekend to land.
I met up with a newly single friend of mine at the beginning of the week who is still savouring the awe of becoming her own free person again, who quite rightly told me I should be out every night living the high life of a singleton. After much deliberation over a few G&T's I decided that I would give it a go.
Rather than trying to break my week in gently I thought I would take my life by the scruff of the neck and go full speed in fifth gear, enjoying being a singleton every night this week - and now Friday is here I feel......well..... absolutely knackered! The thought of going out tonight makes me feel weak in the knees and I still have a full weekend ahead of me.
I think next week I will opt for the middle lane instead on cruise control and will leave living life in the fast lane to one of my younger peers......
Wednesday 11 August 2010
Another 5 Minutes.......
I'm laying in bed curled on my side, duvet pulled up around my ears and the cat taking a nap by my feet, when my early morning dreams are rudely awakened by the drruu,drruu,druuu.......drruu,drruu,drruu of my alarm clock.
I roll over take one look at the time and make a mental note of 'what was I thinking?' before hitting the snooze and saying 5 more minutes.... The reason why I'm making a mental note of what time it is, is because I have set the alarm an hour earlier for 5:30am to be able to get up and go out for a jog before getting ready for work. The only problem is my 5 more minutes normally ends up as 50 more minutes whilst continually hitting the snooze button and grumbling something along the lines of 'aaruughhh tooooooo earrrrlyyyyyyyy' into my pillow.
This is the routine I have found myself in over the last 5 weeks as I continue to wrestle with my consciense over what I should be doing and what I can actually be bothered to do. Now last year I had got into the habit of going jogging 3 times a week and kept it up religiously until it started getting extremly cold as winter set in, followed by the snow, then a bout of swine flu. By the time I recovered and spring started rolling around my body had got far too used to the extra hour lay-in and refused to be roused at an un-sightly hour.
I find that I have now come to a crossroads where I can either admit defeat and embrace my bodies demand for that extra hour of sleep it so obviously is craving, or do I continue to live in denial that one of these days I am actually going to get up when the alarm comes calling and put on my trainers to pound the street.
I have come to realise that I will never be of the fitness level to compete in the London Marathan but I also like to think that I am not that lazy that I am in danger of becoming a real life Waynetta Slob. I was quite proud of the fact that I did a 10 mile hike on Sunday, most of which was uphill, even though I had to literally drag myself home from the station at the end of the day and am still suffering from it three days later - the shame!
I have got into the mind-set of thinking I'll do it tomorrow, although at the rate I'm going my tomorrow will end up being in 2011. I guess there is only one thing for it - to pre-set the alarm that little bit earlier so I can actually have my 5 more minutes..........
I roll over take one look at the time and make a mental note of 'what was I thinking?' before hitting the snooze and saying 5 more minutes.... The reason why I'm making a mental note of what time it is, is because I have set the alarm an hour earlier for 5:30am to be able to get up and go out for a jog before getting ready for work. The only problem is my 5 more minutes normally ends up as 50 more minutes whilst continually hitting the snooze button and grumbling something along the lines of 'aaruughhh tooooooo earrrrlyyyyyyyy' into my pillow.
This is the routine I have found myself in over the last 5 weeks as I continue to wrestle with my consciense over what I should be doing and what I can actually be bothered to do. Now last year I had got into the habit of going jogging 3 times a week and kept it up religiously until it started getting extremly cold as winter set in, followed by the snow, then a bout of swine flu. By the time I recovered and spring started rolling around my body had got far too used to the extra hour lay-in and refused to be roused at an un-sightly hour.
I find that I have now come to a crossroads where I can either admit defeat and embrace my bodies demand for that extra hour of sleep it so obviously is craving, or do I continue to live in denial that one of these days I am actually going to get up when the alarm comes calling and put on my trainers to pound the street.
I have come to realise that I will never be of the fitness level to compete in the London Marathan but I also like to think that I am not that lazy that I am in danger of becoming a real life Waynetta Slob. I was quite proud of the fact that I did a 10 mile hike on Sunday, most of which was uphill, even though I had to literally drag myself home from the station at the end of the day and am still suffering from it three days later - the shame!
I have got into the mind-set of thinking I'll do it tomorrow, although at the rate I'm going my tomorrow will end up being in 2011. I guess there is only one thing for it - to pre-set the alarm that little bit earlier so I can actually have my 5 more minutes..........
Tuesday 10 August 2010
Life's Tribulations: A Womans Decision
Life's Tribulations: A Womans Decision: "Why is it that the average Joe Blog seems to think they can push the boundaries of freedom of speech to the limit by constantly asking singl..."
A Womans Decision
Why is it that the average Joe Blog seems to think they can push the boundaries of freedom of speech to the limit by constantly asking single people 'why are you single? don't you want to get married? what do you mean you're not sure if want kids?' then comes the usual response 'Don't worry that'll change, you just haven't met the right person yet'
I have felt very isolated over the years and had come to the assumption that I must have been dropped on my head as a baby myself, which knocked out the brain cells that make women go all gooey eyed at the thought of starting a family and marching down the isle in a larger than life dress.
But I am starting to realise the older I get, that I am not of an alien species and I am not actually alone with my inner feelings. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against relationships or children in general, in fact I would love to meet someone who I could share 'life's experiences' with and I am not of the mind that I never want kids. I just don't see why I should have to settle for someone because it's the done thing and start popping out a mini harlem of children to add to the ever growing Essex population.
I guess it is the flip side of the coin - are women put here on earth for the mere fact that they are to reproduce mankind and shouldn't really be doing anything more than our predessesors by stopping at home, doing the house work, keeping the husband fed and raising the kids in a respectable manner (in the vain hope they won't become asbos when they grow up). Or is it really acceptable for women to embrace the modern life by having a career, a social life and the freedom of movement to pretty much do whatever they please.
There really isn't a right path to choose and I do believe that it is different strokes for different folks, but it would be so nice the next time I say to someone that I'm just enjoying life the way it is that they could say with a bit of oomph 'you go girl and enjoy whatever life brings your way!'
I have felt very isolated over the years and had come to the assumption that I must have been dropped on my head as a baby myself, which knocked out the brain cells that make women go all gooey eyed at the thought of starting a family and marching down the isle in a larger than life dress.
But I am starting to realise the older I get, that I am not of an alien species and I am not actually alone with my inner feelings. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against relationships or children in general, in fact I would love to meet someone who I could share 'life's experiences' with and I am not of the mind that I never want kids. I just don't see why I should have to settle for someone because it's the done thing and start popping out a mini harlem of children to add to the ever growing Essex population.
I guess it is the flip side of the coin - are women put here on earth for the mere fact that they are to reproduce mankind and shouldn't really be doing anything more than our predessesors by stopping at home, doing the house work, keeping the husband fed and raising the kids in a respectable manner (in the vain hope they won't become asbos when they grow up). Or is it really acceptable for women to embrace the modern life by having a career, a social life and the freedom of movement to pretty much do whatever they please.
There really isn't a right path to choose and I do believe that it is different strokes for different folks, but it would be so nice the next time I say to someone that I'm just enjoying life the way it is that they could say with a bit of oomph 'you go girl and enjoy whatever life brings your way!'
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