tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75890812012-01-18T20:54:22.896ZIncompetent boobery, rantings, ramblings, bitchings, moanings, musings and talking shiteAunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.comBlogger9751100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-1276221923157245652011-11-01T15:05:00.000Z2011-11-01T15:37:09.407Z

October was a bit of a wash because I decided to move house... I decided that it wouldn't be stressful and that I would double rent for a month and take it at my leisure.... what the hell was I thinking?? So it was stressful... probably not helped by the two weeks of dogminding in the middle which meant that my belongings were stretched over 3 locations, which meant I had even less idea of where

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-64826535445510340232011-09-27T12:23:00.001+01:002011-09-27T12:23:07.551+01:00

I've been caking a bit lately and thought you could do with an update of some of the more recent creations. One is a friend's birthday cake, one is my nephew's birthday cake and one is a wedding cake - can you guess which one is which?

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-44343355115783222102011-09-23T13:03:00.002+01:002011-09-23T13:22:36.690+01:00

I'm very excited about the wedding of Julio tomorrow... or would be if I wasn't hungover to fuck after the dinner we all went to last night. Lately I've been feeling a bit unsettled about things. My sensitive nature has taken a few hits in the last while and anxiety seems to have crept back into my life - just a little bit, and I found myself wishing, as I do from time to time, that I didn't feel

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-69762507875906331732011-09-12T17:02:00.003+01:002011-09-12T17:14:36.840+01:00

I failed my driving test this morning. It was my first one, so I kind of expected to fail, just because of the sheer nerves. Anyway it seems I was going pretty well. I had a few minor faults - you're allowed 8 I think, and then I just read a road marking wrong at a junction I was unfamiliar with, which led to me technically being on the wrong side of the road (I wasn't actually on the wrong side

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-82591406899732243892011-09-12T16:25:00.002+01:002011-09-12T16:34:15.599+01:00

well not all of them, just the ones that made my dress. So the dress arrived 2 weeks after ordering with a great deal more ease than I had antipated. Overall the verdict was positive. In all except one aspect the dress fit perfectly, much better than my bridesmaid dress of less year even after it was altered by a tailor while I stood wearing it. The quality was far superior too. The only problem

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-32984852013984387852011-08-24T16:08:00.003+01:002011-08-24T16:22:27.981+01:00

So like I said I'm procrastinating this afternoon, and I did something I haven't done in a long while which is click the next blog button. In the past this has usually resulted in many sham blogs selling me something, blogs in unfamiliar languages and characters and a smattering of somewhat interesting personal blogs... this time... well there seem to be a lot of jesus people blogging about their

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-33364916721401218072011-08-24T14:14:00.002+01:002011-08-24T14:18:35.334+01:00

I've loads of work to do, particularly after being absent yesterday afternoon (more about that some other time.... possibly), so obviously I'm procrastinating... a thing blogging is particularly suitable for... and I'm sure I'm about to lose another hour of my life to Awkward Family Photos... go on click the link... you won't be able to look away

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-21703921160498889502011-08-22T11:13:00.003+01:002011-08-22T11:30:21.182+01:00

So I have a few events coming up in September - starts with my graduation and end's with J's wedding. I got an outfit for graduation although I'm currently not sure whether my family can organise themselves and decide whether they are all going to join me for a group photo or not. Who knows what will happen on that front, but I've long given up on trying to organise these people! I also shopped

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-78198757788646738862011-06-26T23:02:00.002+01:002011-06-26T23:15:27.746+01:00

So after telling Hoozle last week "I think I might be done with blogging" of course I've come back to blogging... (Look I'm the kind of person who can have the same sandwich for lunch every day for 6 months, but I couldn't tell you what I'll have tomorrow for lunch)Anywho hello! Mother of jaysus I haven't done this in an age. I'm still alive... I went to Turkey on holidays which was brilliant.

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-61827204579685877772011-03-06T01:40:00.003Z2011-03-06T01:56:55.324Z

Just went to see the Adjustment Bureau this evening, and it really it was essentially a pile of shit. I feel a bit cheated because I really had an open mind going to the film, and I had no idea what it was supposed to be about. And actually the actors are pretty alright, it just leaves you wondering what the hell was the point of all that.Firstly this film is not, as it would appear from the

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-25737259869513509982011-02-21T12:08:00.002Z2011-02-21T12:33:40.903Z

I just got back from a weekend away with two of my mates. We went to the wilds of Wexford to a random farmhouse. The trip there was a bit mental - never trust satnav! For once I wasn't navigating and to be honest I don't really know where we were or how I'd ever get there again if necessary!Normally in Ireland nowadays you generally find yourself taking a dual carrageway or motoway to very close

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-19673889968531706532011-02-11T15:21:00.002Z2011-02-11T15:39:45.975Z

Still in that post viva delerium... getting weirded out by people calling me Dr! Anywho I've been at the parents all week as they're away and I'm dogminding. Big dog is now old dog and suffering a bit from incontinence - last night was a record breaking night where I had to get up three times to let her out... poor old thing. Small dog is reacting well to the new behaviour training scheme she's

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-60114313324721765692011-02-05T19:58:00.003Z2011-02-05T20:27:19.398Z

As per last post I officially passed all that was necessary for my PhD this week. Since then there's been a bit of work - but mostly celebrating going on. I'm tired of celebrating now and would like everything to go back to normal. On saying that being in receipt of several bouquets of fresh flowers rocks and I'd like to have that every week.So due to scheduling clashes with my extern I finally

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-18735494230166164402011-02-02T01:53:00.002Z2011-02-02T01:59:09.475Z

So I had that thing I was not freaking out about today - it was my PhD viva, and it all went well, so now I'm unofficially officially a doctor. I also got "no corrections" which I was completely stunned by. So stunned that when they told I couldn't really speak, got slightly tearful and may have hugged my supervisor against her will!! Since then I've had a very posh dinner and a fair amount of

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-5628328813795328562011-01-27T23:29:00.002Z2011-01-27T23:37:48.253Z

The important thing to note right now is that I am not freaking out... as long as I keep telling myself this I will not freak out! I am calm, collected with just a slight inclination to stress eat. More on this topic next week.In other news I have discovered the joys of electric blankets. There were several days there were I was considering offering a hobo the opportunity of shaking up with me

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-4888875824024721962011-01-17T15:50:00.003Z2011-01-17T15:55:12.552Z

Sometimes there's a communal crossword activity at lunchtime where I work. Today it went to new lengths as we tried to work out the crossword calling out the clues and the spaces. Then our boss decided we needed to visualise it, so she went and retrieved the a flipchart from a meeting room. It was the most bizarre scene as we all sat around in reception eating lunch looking at this flipchart.

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-56794245772449201572011-01-05T15:51:00.005Z2011-01-05T16:01:49.686Z

My present from Santa was a boxset of Yes, Minister/ Yes, Primeminister, which is a BBC comedy from the 1980s. I remember seeing it as a child, but obviously didn't get it. it's great to have the chance to watch it again, because it's very funny. It juxtaposes the popularity hungry politician with the inertia hungry civil servant. The two leads are superb, particularly Nigel Hawthorne's Sir

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-28745496082179890682011-01-04T00:04:00.003Z2011-01-04T13:54:56.707Z

Well this year I spent new years in Belfast with my mates and it was rather nice. I've become quite fond of Belfast in recent years although it does require an adjustment in some things. Attitudes in Belfast tend to be a bit different to those on the rest of the island, and often things belie the troubled past. Actually certain things mark it as quite different from other european cities. For a

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-26562820997529879612010-12-23T18:28:00.003Z2010-12-23T18:46:46.259Z

In my lifetime there have only been four deaths in my dad's really quite large family, and every single one of them has taken place at Christmas*. In fact we had a family funeral at Christmas last year and the year before, and this morning my grandmother died. We weren't close so I'm not too emotional about it. My grandmother was quite old and had been very sick the last few months, although

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-80911212088708854882010-12-19T13:25:00.001Z2010-12-19T13:27:27.370Z

This is the current craze sweeping the Irish nation... It'll probably be Christmas number one... I personally find it hilarious, and it's been stuck in my head for the last few days.

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-65632884575315051262010-12-18T23:42:00.004Z2010-12-19T00:01:31.840Z

bloody hell... after three nights of Christmas drinks in the last week and a half I'm ready to stop, but I've got at least two more scheduled and that's before the big eat-drink fest that is Christmas itself. I'm trying to use the downtime between to recover and drink lots of water. That said I've had some great nights. We had the work Christmas do on Thursday and it was such good craic. About a

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-27424118511890326042010-12-02T18:08:00.004Z2010-12-02T18:19:48.430Z

Well its been snowing all week. Which I wouldn't mind if it didn't make things so difficult. In the last two days I've spent 4 hours waiting for buses. Lots of them have been diverted. My work has closed down which is nice to be off, but as I'm not currently on contract I don't get paid unless I work, so that's a bit shit. I had to go to the city centre to do a work seminar today anyway, made it

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-63750738064312790752010-11-28T13:43:00.001Z2010-11-28T13:45:32.462Z

Oh you thought you had me by bringing the snow in November, November- what the fuck are you at winter?? But I had you foxed... ha! I got my boots weeks before the snow came... so there will be no repeat of last year's slippy-slidey! Now let's not be keeping the snow until february... off you go!

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-22171530399551855012010-11-22T15:06:00.001Z2010-11-22T15:08:20.452Z

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-68239345726003204752010-11-22T09:55:00.004Z2011-01-05T16:02:39.277Z

So right the government finally admitted they were negotiating with the IMF.... which they frankly had to do after many members of the IMF were pictured in Dublin on the cover of the newspapers. So that whole bank guarantee and NAMA shite didnt' work. I was watching a current affairs programme last night and one analyst suggested we look on the bright side because buildings weren't destroyed and

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-70930135385830956622010-11-19T16:54:00.002Z2010-11-19T17:05:28.045Z

I am aware that my country is likely to financially implode over the next few days.... trying to just get on with things!

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-42995990775144876452010-11-19T16:19:00.002Z2010-11-19T16:33:22.841Z

Look at me blogging twice in the once day and fixing the template and all - Amn't I only marvellous... next task is to update the blogroll to make it vaguely current.Anyway yes the thing I was going to tell you about was how I've actually become quite grumpy about my birthday since turning thirty. Thirty was a great birthday, all about feeling the love, and I don't know whether it's to do with

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-51828745783819498622010-11-19T10:46:00.004Z2010-11-19T11:07:55.805Z

In an effort to reintegrate into society and rediscover my love of books I've joined two bookclubs. I like the idea of reading good books that I wouldn't have picked up myself.The first is with a group of people connected by a website, and the suggested book was Room by Emma Donoghue, which it turns out was less harrowing than I expected. The story is from the point of view of a child who's

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-66620612026307433362010-11-18T15:45:00.002Z2010-11-18T15:46:01.357Z

It gets better... I have two boots... one for each foot!

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-52080043949598567192010-11-14T23:46:00.002Z2010-11-14T23:48:59.639Z

yes... it's happened... I've fallen in love... with my new boots. They're just perfect in every way. Comfortable, cute and funky... and with a fur trim... I'm thinking of marrying them.But, I hear you remind me, didn't I marry my mac a few years ago? Yes, you're right. So I'm just going to have a torrid affair with the boots, just for the winter... I'll tire of them when my feet get sweaty next

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-3618632044371744412010-11-05T09:56:00.006Z2010-11-09T18:07:13.979Z

Last night I got the sheer pleasure of attending a lecture by Trinity College's newest Professor - Sir Terry Pratchett - who just so happens to be my favourite author and one of the biggest influences in my word-related life.Unfortunately Terry has a form of Alzeimers that means that he cannot give a traditional lecture, so he opted for having his PA read out the inspirational talk he had written

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-23451030259205639132010-11-02T10:39:00.003Z2010-11-02T11:26:40.111Z

This is a hard habit to get back into... I meant to tell you about the epic battle I had with my laundry two weeks ago, or perhaps the staycation I had at the weekend. It remains to be seen whether I'll exert myself enough to tell you about any of those things.One of the things that has changed in my post-phd world is that I've started to read again... ok I was reading all along but it was for a

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-74007876455557663462010-10-18T20:35:00.003+01:002010-10-18T20:43:52.565+01:00

jaysus it's just hard to get back into the habit of this!I gave a paper on Friday which seemed to go down well, and apparently I seemed really enthusiastic - I did not feel at all enthusiastic in preparing for it, and told Bendy I'd tsk loudly if anyone asked a question... I managed to hold it in anyhow!Went to see the Social Network at the weekend which I really enjoyed. I think I might read the

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-80146697585834433032010-10-07T15:37:00.002+01:002010-10-07T16:38:36.211+01:00

As I come to the end of my PhD journey I feel I must pass on my sagelike advice, or at least reflect a little on my experience to the possible benefit of others.... this might be very subjective but here's what I think:Social networkOne of the things that is often typical of the PhD experience is isolation. Lone researchers doing lonely research. I feel very fortunate over the course of my PhD to

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-91026933168145007472010-10-07T09:26:00.003+01:002010-10-07T09:42:39.131+01:00

So I feel like I'm in a post-submission slump! Life continues but the tiredness is still there. Sometimes I manage to get to bed early and then I'm fine, but I reckon I need one of those two week holidays where you spend a lot of time napping. Work is a bit up in the air at the moment so I can't really take a holiday. I'm in between contracts and getting paid for the hours I work but there's a

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-35117469378966139722010-10-04T14:30:00.005+01:002010-10-04T15:06:38.030+01:00

I'm still alive - better than alive, I have submitted my PhD thesis!It was two weeks ago now and I still haven't totally adjusted. My immediate reaction after submission was panic, but the week continued busy because of my friends' wedding and necessity of making a three tier cake and having my bridesmaid dress fitted in the days after submission. I was so used to early mornings, long days and

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-20374357958749499042010-08-31T15:13:00.002+01:002010-08-31T15:25:09.415+01:00

Last Friday I got mistaken for being in my early 20s twice! Twice! By two separate people!Firstly I was at a make-up counter getting new foundation and discussing what lipcolour would work with my bridesmaid dress and the girl at the counter was trying to convince me of a shade of colour popular in the 90s. Despite her insistence that it looked great I remained unconvinced and tried to explain it

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-28531896355499900832010-08-27T15:29:00.002+01:002010-08-27T15:33:16.650+01:00

So a few days ago I had to go back to the start and consider how the whole thing should start... Introductions are all about figuring out what you'd need to know if you didn't know all the things you do now, and how you would interest you about the topic if you weren't already interests in the topic... confused? At this point I don't remember what not being confused is like...Anyway here are some

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-18349714080818382472010-08-27T14:33:00.003+01:002010-08-27T14:39:10.547+01:00

Well things are pretty crap today because I'm missing a deadline.... oh well.. it's not a fees deadline but nonetheless it's a pain. I'm in the editing phase and I think it might be worse than the writing thing. Either way it's all awful... Anyway last night I decided to attempt a practice cake for the upcoming wedding. I had hoped to be well finished the thesis by now and to have lots of time to

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-85318913309409646402010-08-14T12:22:00.002+01:002010-08-14T12:26:36.202+01:00

I've run out of TV series to watch - this is important because I use it as a reward system for myself for writing/editing and sitting in an office for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week with no human contact needs rewards. Anyone got any suggestions? I prefer something a bit light hearted but it doesn't have to be - and preferably something that's been on at least a year so it has a back

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-60924661562589607032010-08-04T16:59:00.003+01:002010-08-04T17:05:51.891+01:00

jeesey chreesey, the nervous energy is getting to me. Hardly any sleep last night and I just ran around my office in circles for 10 minutes - its not a very big office - so the circles were small enough. Just as well no one else is coming in these days - my office mates should not have to tolerate me in this state. I wish I could apply this energy to something, but its just making the work harder

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-6972441270437969242010-07-30T12:24:00.002+01:002010-07-30T12:36:48.841+01:00

You know I'm very fond of silence... but I can't seem to get any of it these days.I don't know whether it's this phase I'm in or if I am normally this noise sensitive but there's a whole heap of noise going on all the time.Universities are supposed to be quiet in the Summer, right? wrong! This building is full of teenagers, unsupervised teenagers, who are supposed to be learning English. A crowd

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-81579739846607030342010-07-24T11:38:00.002+01:002010-07-24T11:53:00.742+01:00

In the last couple of years I seem to have abandoned my culture - I almost stopped drinking entirely. I suppose the hangovers were getting really bad and I could no longer afford to spend the days after the nights out drinking lying around and getting nothing done. Mostly I don't drink unless I'm perfectly happy, which is weird I know but that's how it is. Some years ago I did also develop a

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-49874446097007919912010-07-11T18:59:00.003+01:002010-07-11T19:07:11.689+01:00

You know how coming to the end of something you get the energy to sprint up to the line, like cramming for those end of year exams, or when you spend 5 years of your life working on something and there's just a few crucial weeks left you really kick it up a notch and get it done in a way that vastly improves on what has gone before? no? Me neither!And I keep expecting it to happen. I keep

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-85678420859704807472010-07-09T21:34:00.002+01:002010-07-09T21:43:52.837+01:00

in a few hours this blog will be 6 years old... I find it quite hard to believe. It's been a bad year for blogging. Apart from the Big T eating all my brain, last August I got a writing job for another website which lasted for a couple of month. Since then I've still been active on that site - possibly incentivised by them giving me free stuff... Any my little bloggie has suffered from a bit of

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-45044811110240797792010-07-06T20:20:00.001+01:002010-07-06T20:23:08.703+01:00

So I had a cuppa in Marks and Spencer cafe and instead of the usual biscotti they gave me a mini gingerbreadman with my tea... is it just me or is his face a mask of terror as I dip him into the hot tea?

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-41617015119631543552010-07-06T15:27:00.001+01:002010-07-06T15:28:23.339+01:00

It's like so many of my rants, but so much more eloquent!STEPHEN FRY: WHAT I WISH I'D KNOWN WHEN I WAS 18 from Peter Samuelson on Vimeo.

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-30602025436946809642010-07-05T19:47:00.002+01:002010-07-05T19:51:02.700+01:00

The wedding stuff for my friends' wedding progresses. Bridesmaid dresses were successfully purchased last weekend. ... well ordered and we get them in three months or something. They're purple and very nice... surprisingly enough all bridesmaids converged on the same dress.We've made a few decisions about the cake. So I'll get to test baking and test icing next month - expect photos... when

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-87640010969198905332010-07-05T16:48:00.002+01:002010-07-05T16:52:06.832+01:00

could someone else finish this thesis... please? please?There's probably a level of hell where you're made read the stuff you wrote over and over again so the crapness keeps being emphasised and how to fix it slips further and further from your mind.How is it July already? Who's in charge of timekeeping around here?... and yet a month ago I was still on holidays - that feels like about 6 months

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-18052649824939524042010-06-23T17:28:00.002+01:002010-06-23T17:40:51.190+01:00

Meant to post on Monday about the longest day. I didn't have much to say really except that normally the very little darkness we get at this time of year plays havoc with my sleep pattern. This year, however, I find I'm enjoying it. I don't feel so put upon leaving college at 10pm when there's still some light.That was all I was going to say on Monday but the day went a bit awry. I got slightly

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-8754821133662843832010-06-19T17:06:00.002+01:002010-06-19T17:18:34.714+01:00

Dear Universe*,Please could you arrange it for me to have a brain upgrade so that for the next 6 weeks I could remember all the things I've read in the last 5 years. It would make finishing this thing so much easier if, instead of a vague notion that I once read something that would back up my point here, I could actually remember what it was I read, what the point was, and the correct

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-37807036772355938242010-06-13T16:42:00.003+01:002010-06-13T16:56:48.108+01:00

yep it's been awhile... thesis still not yet submitted, but my viva is scheduled so I'm locked into a timeframe. I just had my final (hopefully) panel meeting so it's just get the head down and get it done time!What else?Yeah went to france for 2 weeks - had toothache the whole time, had root canal last week - it wasn't as traumatic as I thought it would be. I'm not done yet, I've got to go back

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-66823445438859928092010-05-06T15:30:00.002+01:002010-05-06T15:35:23.631+01:00

I had to draw a line in work today.... I refused to impersonate a (male) colleague over the phone so that he wouldn't have to talk to his credit card company.I don't really know why he wanted to avoid it, or if he thought I'd actually agree to it... bizarre!

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-70767533087844166782010-04-24T16:12:00.000+01:002010-04-24T16:13:02.034+01:00

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-16059712163902120712010-04-18T14:56:00.003+01:002010-04-18T15:10:28.498+01:00

So yeah... volcanic ash.... all the airports are shut with little chance of change over the next few days... poor Beaker is stick somewhere in Eastern Europe... she was due to do a bit of travelling and come back later in the week, but it seems like the knock-on effect of all the flight cancellations will screw everything up... she's possibly making her way to a ferry port now I'm not going

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-14288120495242234172010-04-04T19:23:00.004+01:002010-04-18T14:55:35.907+01:00

a new haircut - my usually unruly hair has become even more unrulier of late!swimming togs for my holidaysa pratchett referencing T-shirt from here.some new DVDs for hols and a new CD (the cheesey music from Glee - it would be great for the car)some new books to readan engagement present for J and her fiancea few nice pints for the first night out I was supposed to have in a long timedinner - not

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-36543949731039627852010-03-15T17:53:00.004Z2010-03-15T18:31:03.798Z

Like a note from your mother which allows you to skip PE, I think I need to have a note from my supervisor allowing me to be excused from forgetting things.It's like this: I spent last Wed/Thur/Fri trying to sort out the plans for the weekend away for S's 30th that had been booked months before, but was cancelled by the hotel at the last minute on Wednesday (also significant portions of Thursday

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-31316828896761706982010-03-11T17:39:00.003Z2010-03-11T17:54:52.357Z

Yeah yeah in the crap storm of my life here's what I can't decide right now:OK I was invited out to a ball thingy tonight, but entry is supercheap. I can't decide whether to go or not:Beaker will be there and she has promised to introduce me to some single males of her acquaintance... on saying that she has told me to lower any expectations of hotness! She won't get there til 9.30 at the earliest

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-66302950354204115772010-03-02T11:13:00.003Z2010-03-02T14:34:09.146Z

Yes I'm alive... I've taken to saying "surviving" when people ask me how I am lately... it's less ominous that it sounds... I think I'm faring better than most at the moment, which isn't as it should be... especially since I've given up the idea of the divide between my college life and my home life. I used to come home at 9.30 or 10pm and say this next hour before I have to go to bed is my time.

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-60674346608334026912010-02-15T14:59:00.002Z2010-02-15T15:11:22.035Z

Due to a conversation with Terra and the frequent mentions and attempts at Risk I ended up looking for an online game and found it here - it's my latest procrastination obsession.At the weekend I watched District 9 and it occurred to me how weird it was that the last two films I've seen have both been set in South Africa. District 9 is very good and apart from the action and political questions

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-47377038756500636812010-02-12T08:19:00.003Z2010-02-12T08:54:49.053Z

I went to see Invictus last night and quite enjoyed it, despite the Rugby! While obviously it got me thinking about South Africa, it also got me thinking about reviewing our lifetime in terms of politics - which is something of a mental tick with me. Anyway it struck me again how full of changes the 90s were in particular. Old power models shifted all over the world. Things sprung up in the 90s

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-61084512768381779102010-02-08T08:33:00.003Z2010-02-08T08:49:41.029Z

Well I'm feeling more chipper on this Monday morning than I was last Friday when I posted last (yeah that is weird)... got a section sent off to my supervisor on Saturday and spent the rest of the weekend variously socialising and cleaning. My apartment is still fairly messy, but I no longer feel that I could so easily get a several-page spread in Bad Housekeeping Magazine*. I finally took the

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-8748762213783708912010-02-05T17:51:00.002Z2010-02-05T18:02:56.052Z

Well it's been a bit of a crazy week... sorry for the absence... my typing related RSI has flared up, which is a bit of a pain in the arse when I'm supposed to be finishing this damn thesis! Also means I probably shouldn't be blogging, should be saving limited typing ability for thesis work only... oh well.Last Saturday was a very busy day that I meant to blog about all week... in the morning I

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-8341735503190268502010-01-27T14:40:00.002Z2010-01-27T15:01:25.211Z

You see I'm a fairly competent person when it comes to most things, and I offers of help don't often come my way, presumably because I usually look like I'm handling the situation. But when it comes to the car I'm at sea for the most part. I'm dreading taking it to the garage to get it fixed because I won't know what to ask for, what it should cost, and as it happens I've enlisted the presence of

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-26815804835029500282010-01-22T14:44:00.002Z2010-01-22T15:48:28.646Z

I was talking to my mother last week about something, and happened to illustrate something by mentioning how much money I had to make it through until the end of the month - It's January and I think everyone's like this - its made worse by the fact that you get your end of december pay before Christmas, and then it's really hard to keep a reign on your spending, which I mostly did, but then I

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-22882360176703254842010-01-18T14:45:00.002Z2010-01-18T15:09:08.192Z

Water continues to flow in my apartment - much to my delight! But I actually had a conversation with my next door neighbours about it - there's isn't working properly probably because of an air bubble. Considering I've been in the apartment almost two years it's a bit weird that I haven't had a conversation with any of the neighbours. These guys are newly moved in and asked me if I thought they

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-41740879669345962742010-01-15T16:25:00.002Z2010-01-15T16:33:18.543Z

I have water again! Hooray... probably more of a relief for the people who work near me than me! I had a shower last night... and washed some clothes. We're still low on water so I'm still trying to conserve, but it is a relief to have some water again.We also have a break from the cold. It was a balmy 7 degrees C this morning... and there was no ice on my car. Very exciting. it was the first day

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-73136110670883057502010-01-14T16:49:00.002Z2010-01-14T16:51:53.519Z

... today my supervisor mentioned a possible book series to publish my thesis in book form (when I finish it that is)... the thought of my thesis in book form nearly caused me to faint!I will now try to visualise my thesis in book form as a motivational tool to get me to finish!

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-15012795384381453512010-01-13T12:29:00.001Z2010-01-13T12:31:01.788Z

Beaker gave me this album and from the first listen I was struck by how beautiful this song was. Emiliana Torrini's 'Beggar's Prayer'

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-15822913590037790972010-01-12T09:17:00.002Z2010-01-12T09:45:12.954Z

Well it seems the Big Freeze* is at an end - at least in this part of the country. I drove on actual roads to work this morning - I mean roads, rather than layers of ice and snow. We're not out of the woods yet though. The two current worries are low water supply and flooding. I know, I know everyone has to point out the irony of these two things going together. Also whenever we run out of water

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-13266275334913613972010-01-11T12:54:00.002Z2010-01-11T13:29:00.834Z

Yes another week gone by and the weather has been even worse. We've had heavy snowfalls, which at least meant you could walk - traction being easier to get on fresh snow than ice. However on roads the snow became compacted - turning to ice underneath all the traffic.After last Tuesday's absence of electricity I arrived to work on Wednesday with no heating. The maintenance people managed to get it

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-77276290728096058952010-01-05T11:33:00.003Z2010-01-05T12:10:34.368Z

OK mostly two weeks without the internet was fine. For about a week of it I was with family or friends, mostly happy to be conducting an actual life instead of a virtual life. The last few days have been harder as it's mostly just been me and a pile of exam scripts and I've longed for the distractions of the interweb. This has probably not been helped by the really cold weather we've had. I mean

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-56216862393323992812009-12-21T14:35:00.003Z2009-12-21T14:45:48.072Z

Yes it's been a bad year for blogging... I may not even hit 100 posts this year - an all time low. It's not that I don't love bloggie any more, it's just that the thesis is being difficult and has sapped all my time and if I blogged more it would just be moaning. So here's a little review of this year in blogging for me.Jan 2009: sick, first solo car journey and a bomb scareFeb: Snow, finally

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-42169442211751241332009-12-14T18:01:00.000Z2009-12-14T18:02:03.288Z

Don't think I like facebook anymore.

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-40220697579132009782009-12-07T18:13:00.002Z2009-12-07T18:29:02.588Z

Yeah I think I feel a bit better after last week's downer... A clear indication of being back to old self is that I undid all my own tree-decorating and redid them yesterday. I did a slap-dash job when I put it up first because I was so tired of putting up trees! But it slowly got on my nerves until I decided to redo the whole thing. My apartment is a Christmassy vision now.I think I achieved a

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-57326949417179951212009-12-03T15:25:00.003Z2009-12-03T15:39:58.646Z

I'm outrageously knackered from being woken up during the night repeatedly (stupid dogs) and I've just washed all the floors for the return of my parents. It's so wet that the dogs track mud all over the house - in fairness I did as well, particularly after my epic trek to the shed to get the Christmas trees. Anyway it's all clean... except the floors in my own apartment which could really do

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-14353987901474626432009-11-23T13:45:00.005Z2009-11-23T14:05:39.102Z

..... Chocolate chocolate chocolate chocolate oooh minty aero!Anyway now that I've got that out of the way, how are you? I just had a fatabulous weekend. Firstly and most importantly I flagrantly avoided marking any essays... which is why I have such an enormous stack to get through today.Saturday night was very special. I went to see Bill Bailey's guide to the orchestra with GW and J. An ad for

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-26366129800460571572009-11-19T17:33:00.003Z2009-11-19T17:37:28.972Z

Happy International Men's Day... Tom Dunne celebrated the day quite well... I particularly enjoyed the segment on blokes and sheds... I'm all for international men you see!So I ask you.... who's your favourite man?* It's only fair... mostly I just give them abuse...

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-39769434261635789292009-11-18T14:53:00.002Z2009-11-18T15:13:54.655Z

So I got my first car last weekend. It was actually a gift from a friend. She had it sitting idle for awhile and so gave it to me. This is my second free car offer... which just goes to show how a post-grad life leads you to be the charity case who takes all the handmedowns... similarly I've never bought a TV...Anyway a free car is great but cars incur expense. It being my first car the insurance

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-80536010716117700522009-11-12T18:10:00.003Z2009-11-12T18:25:33.297Z

Obviously if I'm blogging I must be procrastinating... how unusual! I hear you all cry. Well I've been high up on the blog neglect lately due to severe time constraints and operation finish the damn thesis... however now that I have a stack of essays to mark it's procrastination all over the place. Obviously what I should do is take a big run at them and get them out of the way... obviously... ok

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-30306187533879494282009-11-09T13:37:00.002Z2009-11-09T15:05:28.933Z

Bah Bah Bah... no I haven't turned into a sheep but I am extremely annoyed at Simon Cowell... as are a lot of other people... if you don't care about X factor don't bother reading this.OK you know I'm not the target X factor audience... like I'd never buy their Christmas single or anything and I know that it's a money-making scheme, so that's not a shock or anything, but there really is a fine

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-22621010831943924632009-10-30T14:28:00.004Z2009-10-30T14:36:08.454Z

I'm now extremely excited about tomorrow night. A big gang of us (or actually two gangs which slightly merge in the middle) are going out to this huge costume party. My costume is ready and I think it's pretty impressive. There's a big cash prize for the best costume so I think we'll see lots of great efforts, which I think is one of the best things about being out on Hallowe'en. Two years ago I

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-64492295819829429142009-10-28T15:12:00.002Z2009-10-28T15:40:23.945Z

OK I'm in two minds as to whether to recap the things that happened in September/October that made me too busy to blog, or whether I should just go forward. Perhaps a little summary:New Job:I've been in the new job for awhile and its fine. I would go as far as great except that it's so fricking busy. It turns out it used to be a full time job, and now I'm doing it in about half the hours. Mostly

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-77350959256214314042009-10-22T13:48:00.002+01:002009-10-22T13:50:13.756+01:00

Miss World!

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-1448899644437975342009-10-15T17:37:00.001+01:002009-10-15T17:38:25.852+01:00

Wig: checkGlow in the dark stars and planets: checkSash: checkStill required: TiaraHalloween is coming.... can you guess what it is yet?

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-22217212904614521932009-09-02T18:02:00.003+01:002009-09-02T18:20:03.160+01:00

I feel like I've been through a wringer for the last few weeks, but things are finally sorted and I shall start a new job in two days. I interviewed for this job almost two weeks ago. I really liked it and really hoped I'd get it, then when they didn't call with an offer the next day I knew it was a rejection. This was confirmed the day after with an email. I was really down in the dumps because

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-9112940545772436892009-08-26T12:57:00.003+01:002009-08-26T13:14:40.143+01:00

Yes I've been neglecting the blog, and not just because of the new internet writing job (but partly), mostly because I'm so topsy turvy at the moment. So here are some things:1. Writing job going fine, would even be enjoyable if I wasn't concerned about the targets2. someone shouted a review of a Chinese takeaway I was about to enter out of a car window last night!3. Hello my name is Aunty

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-87236453222632586962009-08-19T13:46:00.002+01:002009-08-19T13:55:41.740+01:00

Well the month long drudgery of looking for a job at a time of global recession finally threw up something. I'm not sorted or anything but I just got a short term, part-time contract to do some writing for a website. It'll just help me get through the next month, but obviously there's the longer term issue still there. More than anything else this helps to buoy my mood. As I'm sure you know

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-91960470288484354382009-08-17T20:00:00.001+01:002009-08-17T20:01:15.963+01:00

I'm fast beginning to think August is the worst month of the year despite all the signs that it should be a good month... every August for the last three years I've been super-stressed, and yet I always forget....damn you sneaky August!

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-16647187859312733022009-08-13T13:42:00.002+01:002009-08-13T13:45:06.061+01:00

"Luck? I don't need luck!""But you're going to a casino""Oh right... blimey... fingers crossed then"

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-17507003549977437092009-08-10T11:50:00.005+01:002009-08-18T13:51:47.207+01:00

Sorry, I've been a bit preoccupied in the last week, so I haven't been around much. I thought I'd fill you in further on the science of happiness survey. The idea behind this is that doing small acts of kindness for other people is supposed to make you happier and for the duration of the survey you are supposed to do one of these a day:"So, once a day try complimenting someone, giving a friend or

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-68216316620064937842009-07-31T17:22:00.001+01:002009-07-31T17:24:19.676+01:00

The science of happiness...A survey to see the contagiousness of good moods and not just bad ones... join and try to be happier!

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-84473608200210854972009-07-31T10:50:00.002+01:002009-07-31T11:18:57.719+01:00

I got it off the kids at the birthday party last week. You see swine flu is now on campus... they'd been putting up warning signs for the last while but since we're out of term I didn't think much of it. It's hard to imagine somewhere less crowded than campus out of term, except of course for the summer language students who have classes here, eat in the restaurant and live on campus. My contact

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-5157555413149223392009-07-28T12:34:00.002+01:002009-07-28T12:51:58.952+01:00

Ladies, we all have these menstrual cycles and when they're generally a bit of an inconvenience, to a greater or lesser extent depending on the person. I'm generally quite lucky for that most part in that I usually don't suffer too badly with the pain or the mood swings, unless I'm stressed. And for me that's just normal. Everything is more difficult when you're stressed - it just speaks to the

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-45997987109573726412009-07-26T15:31:00.002+01:002009-07-26T15:46:26.789+01:00

Well jaysus I'm knackered... I'm really not up to having a social life! On Friday night S&G had their engagement party which was great fun, and nice to have people celebrate them, as they're very undemanding people, and often when you're undemanding people forget to pay proper attention! So it was a lovely night. I had it in mind that I should pace myself boozewise - not only because of lack of

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-17374816103949943222009-07-21T15:31:00.002+01:002009-07-21T15:45:50.747+01:00

Well my weekend wasn't all Harry Potter related rants - I got lovely news on Saturday: my friends S&G got engaged. Now they've been together for like 13 years or something and they bought a house together awhile back so it's not exactly entirely unexpected, but it's lovely all the same. I'm really good friends with them both (they're two of my three best friends) and I've known S my whole life.

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-54383069349212976282009-07-21T14:48:00.002+01:002009-07-21T15:30:35.977+01:00

WARNING WARNING this will contain PLOT SPOILERSRight so I toddled along to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - it being the first of the films I will have seen after reading the books. Indeed I decided to re-read the book before going to the movie. The film itself - even without reference to the book - is overlong and quite boring in parts. In relation to the book its a bleeding

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-91622859952118735642009-07-17T14:37:00.002+01:002009-07-17T14:43:02.046+01:00

From some albums new to me anyway. This is from Julie Feeney's album PagesAnd this one from Emiliana TorriniBoth albums have beautiful artwork and lovely looking cases! They have the happy sound that coincides nicely with the day I get an invitation to a certain almost 1 year old's birthday party!

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-7094426783885783782009-07-15T16:05:00.003+01:002009-07-15T16:30:35.812+01:00

I was rudely awoken this morning by my doorbell - when I say rudely, it wasn't really rude. It was just someone doing their job but I was asleep so... you know what I mean. I was surprised get a delivery so early (8.15) especially when I just got the dispatch email yesterday afternoon. I tried to be chipper with the delivery guy, but he was grumpier than even me - perhaps he was shocked at having

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7589081.post-58269239332941319402009-07-09T17:23:00.003+01:002009-07-09T17:28:37.045+01:00

Yes, this blog will be 5 years old tomorrow - for once I remembered it close to the day.What you can now expect from it is that it will constantly tell you that it is 5, sometimes pronouncing the word five with two syllables: "I'm fi-uve"... and then scorning all connection with younger blogs describing them all with scorn as 'babies'.We'll be starting 'big school' any day now!Holy crap! Five

Aunty Helpful Dictatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06110865608550754101noreply@blogger.com5