2009 in review
A quiet year on the blog front. Another year of transition, takes it toll on my 'mental space'"
Jan: Quit job in London. Quit life in London. Interviewed for new job in Brighton. Got new job. Flew to Trinidad & Tobago for the first time in 27 years. A 'once in a lifetime' holiday alone with my parents and a fascinating journey down yesteryear. Painful, nasty knee problem emerges.
Feb: Right engine shut down on return flight over the mid-Atlantic. We weren't told about it for 6 hrs - then 1hr of terror as we limped towards the Azores. Knee MRI taken.
Mar: Bought a car, my first ever in the UK. Not bad, given it was 20 years after I started learning with my Dad on the disused air-strip in the Cortina, in North Norfolk! Started new job - promised 'the world' (well, a fast and deserved promotion up the NHS ladder).
Apr: No offence to the North Africans, but an appalling and completely overpriced package holiday to Hammamet, Tunisia. To cap it off, the weather was atrocious, all week. Has some lovely bespoke shelving fitted. Nessssssssssssssssssting! Knee NAD (nothing abnormal detected). 2nd opinion suggested.
May: Yet another fault with my mobile phone (SE C905). Great camera (8.1mp) - appalling build quality. Man Utd stumbled out of the Champions League Final without a whimper, in a campaign that promised so much. Divorce proceedings begin in earnest. Ashamed to admit we started to pay for a cleaner. A firefight won by Martha! Bookcase arrived. Speaker stands arrived. Painted a wall. Ordered a desk. Bought a family tent. Nessssssssssssssssssting!
Jun: Adult weekend in Whitstable. Lovely place. Overpriced tho. Became evident that the promise of a quickie promotion, was an empty one designed to lure at interview - denied later. Realisation that now 'stuck' indefinitely as Band 5 as no promotion opps within current team, and not keen to return to hospital work during this year of transition. Gadzooks, Batman! Enjoying my first summer by the sea.
Jul: Started Riverford organic food delivery boxes again, after 2 year hiatus from previous life. A Firefight won by Nick! Desk arrives 2 months late. Decree Nisi requested. LoveFilm cancelled due to total utter unreliability/ low quality of DVD discs delivered - they always freeze. Ordered Car TV screens for next months big drive to the S.France. Knee MRI reveals nothing.
Aug: Auntie Maria came to visit F. Pride a complete wash out. 2 blissful weeks in the S.France at M's parents place in Roussillon, near the French/ Spanish Mediterranean border. Camped near Barca, on the Costa del Sol, with Carlos and Carolina. Decree Nisi issued (almost there!). Beachdown festival cancelled at last minute, at a cost of over £1,100 to myself and my party. Knee 2nd opinion final appointment finally takes places, after waiting 4 months (God bless the NHS). Work rotation from an care home, into the community (visiting patients houses).
Sep: Happy Anniversary N & M! Decree Absolute comes through. I am now officially divorced - after a 2 year + separation. Yani's 10th/ Dad's 71st/ Nina's 40th Birthday parties in Manchester. A trip to jewellery shop in Manchester 'unleashes hell'. N & M decide to get married!
Oct: The highlight this month was having Mum down to stay in Brighton, and jooining us at the Theatre to see the Spaghetti Western Orchestra - a motley, comedic crew of very talented musicians and sound technicians, from Sydney Australia. If they ever turn up in your neighbourhood, you are guaranteed 2hrs of great fun and virtuouso musical endeavour. Decided on a 'tongue-in-chek' sci-fi themed wedding invitation to acknowledge the fact that this is going to be 'Strike 2' for both of us, and while we are both deadly serious/ confident that we've got it right this time, the party should not be too solemn. Chose a wedding venue in Norwich, North Norfolk. In a most unceremonious and unprofessional fashion (by their admission later), my work decides to transfer me with immediate effect into a different post, to cover a colleague who has departed for a new challenge in Kent.
Nov: A quiet month on the whole, apart from shelling out large dollups of cash towards the wedding. a fleeting trip up to Manchester for my Birthday weekend, which was spent mostly driving between the North and the South. 38 years old and rising!
Dec: Another Christmas, another Christmas week knocked sideways by illness. My third Christmas in a row. The must be a psychosomatic element to this, no? Emotional expectations around Christmas too great? For further discussion ... Had a great SHAG in London. Don't panic. Not airing my dirty linen; or bragging. Am talking about the joint Hen/ Stag party we organised in London for weekend of Dec 12/13. As we announced and planned our wedding in 4 short months, there was no opportunity to organise a proper Stag. In any event had a very chilled out day, starting with a 5hr lunch stint at Levant, an excellent if pricey Middle Eastern restaurant between Marylebone and Oxford Circus, London. Followed by drinks, karaoke, more drinks and a very nasty hangover the next day on the train back to Brighton! Stayed in the shockingly overpriced and very poor value hotel, The Cumberland, opposite Marble Arch. Looks great on the website, but avoid it like the plague. Contact me if you care to know more about our 'experience' here. One of my very few Christmases ever away from my family - who made the annual pilgramage to Marloes Sands. This was our first family christmas of our own, with F in our 'new' house. A really good day, considering how much I missed my own side of the family. The year ended in illness with my now seemingly annual festive chest infection; was pretty much out cold from Boxing day right through to New Year's Eve. And missed my first two days of work in 2009. Darn! Almost kept a clean shirt.
Summary: A second year of transition. Unlike 2008 however, a year of more 'positive' transition. Left London after years of dreaming about it. Tied up the loose ends of an old relationship and firmly committed myself to a new one. Had some great family holidays, and managed to, just about, to eke out some quality adult time together with M .. but not nearly enough. I am going to have to get used to that. But less is definitely not more, in this department. Some people thrive on change/ transition but even though I now have plenty of experience in this area, it leaves me thoroughly exhausted, mentally. My hope for 2010 and beyond is stability. I guess, I will be able to elaborate on the specifics, to anyone that cares in future posts. Adios i Hasta Pronto. Don't be a stranger.
My New Year's Resolution? More quality time with the people I love and care about.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Christmas wouldnt be christmas without my old friend from christmas' past - mr chest infection. Particularly impressed with this particular lung deposit, removed via olbas inhalation. Seen a lot lot worse in my work as a respiratory physio, but apologise to the faint hearted as i realise not everyone takes purulent sputum in their stride. My only sick day of 2009. Almost kept a clean sheet ...
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Happy Birthday!!!
'Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday TO you. Happy
Biiiiiiiiiiiirthday dear broootherrr HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!' Happy
Birthday Miles. Have a great day!
Biiiiiiiiiiiirthday dear broootherrr HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!' Happy
Birthday Miles. Have a great day!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Walking along, singing my song ...
... woke up to a Winter Wonderland here in Brighton, on Friday morning! This doesn't happen very often. It fell long, and it fell deep. Car stranded in the ice, so had to walk about 3 miles to the Nursing home where I am currently based. Only therapist there that day.
On a separate note, and right on cue - my 'stunning' 8.1mp camera phone (my prinicipal camera) has keeled over and died just in time for the festive season! For a change, the phone functions beautifully and it's the camera that has gone tits up. If this video looks a little blurry, it could be the blizzard blowing past the screen, but is just as likely to be the fact that the camera no longer focuses beyond about 3 inches in front of the camera. Luckily, my much sturdier (and never bettered in terms of durability) previous phone is still around and back in use. Only 3.2mp camera however it did a great job on the World Cup 2006 pictures.
If you didn't get to see any snow, yourselves. Enjoy! N x
... woke up to a Winter Wonderland here in Brighton, on Friday morning! This doesn't happen very often. It fell long, and it fell deep. Car stranded in the ice, so had to walk about 3 miles to the Nursing home where I am currently based. Only therapist there that day.
On a separate note, and right on cue - my 'stunning' 8.1mp camera phone (my prinicipal camera) has keeled over and died just in time for the festive season! For a change, the phone functions beautifully and it's the camera that has gone tits up. If this video looks a little blurry, it could be the blizzard blowing past the screen, but is just as likely to be the fact that the camera no longer focuses beyond about 3 inches in front of the camera. Luckily, my much sturdier (and never bettered in terms of durability) previous phone is still around and back in use. Only 3.2mp camera however it did a great job on the World Cup 2006 pictures.
If you didn't get to see any snow, yourselves. Enjoy! N x
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Merry Christmas!
And/ or happy holidays if u dont celebrate 'Crimbo'. The lights may need a bit of adjusting/ balancing out but on the whole, happy with this year's effort - the inaugural christmas in 'new family' home with wonder boy present. Carnage expected in d minus 14 xxx
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
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