We didn't make it to Somerset House. We both have full blown flu for the first time in years. Been in bed all day and feeling awful
Happy new year!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Festivities
We are still enjoying our Christmas break. Alex isn't back at work until Wednesday and I'm relishing every moment with him before our hard work begins.
So far we have had a wonderful time. Lots of laughs with family and friends, plenty of lovely gifts (both of us were spoiled) and we have eaten too much. We seem to be in a funny routine, getting up late and going to bed late, which is very unusual for us. We are trying to get back to old habits as it'll be shock to the system otherwise. Sadly we both seem to be ill today and the dreaded winter cold (or even flu) seems to be making its way through our bodies. We have a session of ice skating booked tomorrow at Somerset House in London, so I hope we are up to it!
We have been eagerly reading our horoscopes for next year. This isn't something that we do regularly but we couldn't resist looking at what 2008 might hold. It's an unsettling year for us, with me starting a new chapter in many ways. We will probably move to Kent and I will be starting a new career. Scary times.
So far we have had a wonderful time. Lots of laughs with family and friends, plenty of lovely gifts (both of us were spoiled) and we have eaten too much. We seem to be in a funny routine, getting up late and going to bed late, which is very unusual for us. We are trying to get back to old habits as it'll be shock to the system otherwise. Sadly we both seem to be ill today and the dreaded winter cold (or even flu) seems to be making its way through our bodies. We have a session of ice skating booked tomorrow at Somerset House in London, so I hope we are up to it!
We have been eagerly reading our horoscopes for next year. This isn't something that we do regularly but we couldn't resist looking at what 2008 might hold. It's an unsettling year for us, with me starting a new chapter in many ways. We will probably move to Kent and I will be starting a new career. Scary times.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Pooooo!
What a wonderful Christmas break we are having! More on that in a later blog...
We have been for a few walks and I must have a moan. Dog owners- please clear up your dog shit and don't let them do it on the paths! We walked along the seafront and it was ruined by inconsiderate dog owners. There was filth everywhere and Alex nearly got knocked into the sea by a rogue dog, off it's lead which charged at him and knocked him off his feet!
We have been for a few walks and I must have a moan. Dog owners- please clear up your dog shit and don't let them do it on the paths! We walked along the seafront and it was ruined by inconsiderate dog owners. There was filth everywhere and Alex nearly got knocked into the sea by a rogue dog, off it's lead which charged at him and knocked him off his feet!
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Silence! I'll kill you!!
Off to the Comedy Club shortly and in the spirit of joviality, here is an hilarious clip of Achmed the Terrorist. Very funny and un-pc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y-waHLz-TU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y-waHLz-TU
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Strictly Final
this blog is too serious!
I must say that I am very excited about the Strictly Come Dancing final! I want Alesha to win, she is fantastic and so hilarious. I remember reading in one of my showbiz magazines that her ex-husband (Harvey from So Solid Crew) was caught having an affair with Javine - best known for PopStars on ITV. They are now together and having a baby. All this week they have prostituted themselves, saying how they are supporting Alesha in SCD in various low market tabloids. Get a life and stop living through her, you losers! I'm sure that it means so much to Alesha that the scrubber who slept with and eventually stole her husband supports her. Get your own career - oh sorry, I forgot you haven't got one!
Having an affair is the lowest thing you can ever do to another person. It's a none negotiable. If Alex even kissed another woman, that would be it for me. It goes both ways, in 10 years I have never even been tempted to stray. Even if our marriage went down the toilet, I would respect him enough to end it first rather than cheating.
So I want Alesha to win, because she has acted with dignity and grace. That's more than her sorry excuse for an ex can say. And as for Javine, as her ex said at the time "Harvey has traded a Bentley for a Skoda"!
I must say that I am very excited about the Strictly Come Dancing final! I want Alesha to win, she is fantastic and so hilarious. I remember reading in one of my showbiz magazines that her ex-husband (Harvey from So Solid Crew) was caught having an affair with Javine - best known for PopStars on ITV. They are now together and having a baby. All this week they have prostituted themselves, saying how they are supporting Alesha in SCD in various low market tabloids. Get a life and stop living through her, you losers! I'm sure that it means so much to Alesha that the scrubber who slept with and eventually stole her husband supports her. Get your own career - oh sorry, I forgot you haven't got one!
Having an affair is the lowest thing you can ever do to another person. It's a none negotiable. If Alex even kissed another woman, that would be it for me. It goes both ways, in 10 years I have never even been tempted to stray. Even if our marriage went down the toilet, I would respect him enough to end it first rather than cheating.
So I want Alesha to win, because she has acted with dignity and grace. That's more than her sorry excuse for an ex can say. And as for Javine, as her ex said at the time "Harvey has traded a Bentley for a Skoda"!
Reflections....
Today and tomorrow I'm pressing on with writing up my thesis, so that I can relax. That's hard to do but I've had a successful morning so far. It's hard to fully escape the thesis over Christmas as it is literally all over our flat. I get guilt trips about chapters I could be reading and writing etc. But I'm going to enjoy the precious time I have with Alex.
So now is a time for reflection. This time last year we had just moved to this flat. Aside from the bottom-rung feeders downstairs who made summer hellish, it has been okay and I have found it to be an adequate working environment. In about 6 months we'll be moving on which is a great feeling! I have had many spells of feeling down, largely because of my work and finding it hard going. But it has been a revelation to realise that I don't want to be an academic. I am not going to apply for jobs at Universities when I complete my PhD. I have done it for 10 years now (BA -MA-MA - PhD) and it is not for me. I don't like the isolation, I don't like the funding issues and bureaucracy and I don't like the fact that teaching is not valued as much as research. I also don't enjoy writing anymore, it has become a chore rather than the release that it used to be. So I'm going to throw myself into the big world of policy and charideeee! I think I can be of use to the many organisations that I have met during the course of my research. Cheesy as it might sound, I want to do something worthwhile and make a difference to the lives of victims of hate crime - rather than just talking about them.
That makes me content.
So now is a time for reflection. This time last year we had just moved to this flat. Aside from the bottom-rung feeders downstairs who made summer hellish, it has been okay and I have found it to be an adequate working environment. In about 6 months we'll be moving on which is a great feeling! I have had many spells of feeling down, largely because of my work and finding it hard going. But it has been a revelation to realise that I don't want to be an academic. I am not going to apply for jobs at Universities when I complete my PhD. I have done it for 10 years now (BA -MA-MA - PhD) and it is not for me. I don't like the isolation, I don't like the funding issues and bureaucracy and I don't like the fact that teaching is not valued as much as research. I also don't enjoy writing anymore, it has become a chore rather than the release that it used to be. So I'm going to throw myself into the big world of policy and charideeee! I think I can be of use to the many organisations that I have met during the course of my research. Cheesy as it might sound, I want to do something worthwhile and make a difference to the lives of victims of hate crime - rather than just talking about them.
That makes me content.
Friday, December 21, 2007
My last Christmas
Christmas should be fun, especially this year as Alex has 10 days off. That is great, although I'll feel guilty taking that much time of myself. As any regular readers will know, I'm at the end of my PhD and will probably submit in the Summer. It's a scary time as I never envisaged life beyond the PhD, it has been my life for so long. For the last few weeks and months I have been depressed about it and felt a sense of loathing everytime someone mentioned it. I still feel like that, but I think it is partly the fear of finishing. I just cannot believe that this will be my last Christmas as a student. It's a frightening time.
I saw this quote by Lewis Carroll and it is so appropriate for me.
"But it's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then."
I often wish that I had never embarked on this journey. At times I think it has taken the best of me - my 20's, my love of reading and writing, my spirit. But I wonder what I would be doing if I hadn't done it? What would I be like now? Would I really be happier? In the end, regrets are pointless because you cannot change the past. Instead, I must focus on finishing and moving on to the next chapter in my life. Whatever that may be!
I saw this quote by Lewis Carroll and it is so appropriate for me.
"But it's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then."
I often wish that I had never embarked on this journey. At times I think it has taken the best of me - my 20's, my love of reading and writing, my spirit. But I wonder what I would be doing if I hadn't done it? What would I be like now? Would I really be happier? In the end, regrets are pointless because you cannot change the past. Instead, I must focus on finishing and moving on to the next chapter in my life. Whatever that may be!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Get off the phone!
I have been half listening to the radio this morning, where the subject of talking on a mobile while driving has reared its head again.
As usual, people are calling in to quote their "I'm a good driver" credentials before justifying why they talk on the phone. In my view, talking on the phone -handsfree or not - while driving is stupid and irresponsible. Here, let me give some rebuttal to the excuses given by other drivers.
1) I have to or I'll lose my job.
That is not an adequate excuse. You could say "I have to get to work in 5 mins" to justify speeding. We managed perfectly well before mobile phones.
2) There are worse drivers on the road.
Of course there are, you can always find examples of worse people. But again, that's like saying "I can beat someone up because there are murderers out there". Behaviour should not be relative.
3) Talking to a passenger is the same thing.
It's not and I'll tell you why. When I go somewhere, I may have a passenger in the car. But the purpose of them being there is not to have a conversation. Yes, we might have a chat but normally the talk is punctuated with stops and starts, as you concentrate on the road. When someone calls you, they are doing so because they have something to ask you or tell you, something that you must concentrate on and it requires focus. Scientific tests have shown no difference between people talking handsfree or with a hand held phone. That's because the problem is not in being one handed, it's about the focus of your attention. People will also argue that having kids in the back of a car can be distracting. That is also true, but I still don't buy the argument that because something is distracting then talking on the phone should be allowed. That is bizarre.
Fundamentally, it comes down to the fact that most drivers are selfish. Many people think they should be able to do what they want in their cars - drive faster than the speed limit (because they know better), talk on their phones (because they are good drivers and have important issues to discuss) and run red lights (because they are in a rush). Driving is extremely dangerous and there are many irresponsible drivers who make bad judgments. Talking on the phone is one of them. Just observe the type of people that do it - they often are doing other silly things like tailgating. I see it everyday. And you know what, it's often people with children in their cars and those dreaded "baby on board" stickers. The irony!
As usual, people are calling in to quote their "I'm a good driver" credentials before justifying why they talk on the phone. In my view, talking on the phone -handsfree or not - while driving is stupid and irresponsible. Here, let me give some rebuttal to the excuses given by other drivers.
1) I have to or I'll lose my job.
That is not an adequate excuse. You could say "I have to get to work in 5 mins" to justify speeding. We managed perfectly well before mobile phones.
2) There are worse drivers on the road.
Of course there are, you can always find examples of worse people. But again, that's like saying "I can beat someone up because there are murderers out there". Behaviour should not be relative.
3) Talking to a passenger is the same thing.
It's not and I'll tell you why. When I go somewhere, I may have a passenger in the car. But the purpose of them being there is not to have a conversation. Yes, we might have a chat but normally the talk is punctuated with stops and starts, as you concentrate on the road. When someone calls you, they are doing so because they have something to ask you or tell you, something that you must concentrate on and it requires focus. Scientific tests have shown no difference between people talking handsfree or with a hand held phone. That's because the problem is not in being one handed, it's about the focus of your attention. People will also argue that having kids in the back of a car can be distracting. That is also true, but I still don't buy the argument that because something is distracting then talking on the phone should be allowed. That is bizarre.
Fundamentally, it comes down to the fact that most drivers are selfish. Many people think they should be able to do what they want in their cars - drive faster than the speed limit (because they know better), talk on their phones (because they are good drivers and have important issues to discuss) and run red lights (because they are in a rush). Driving is extremely dangerous and there are many irresponsible drivers who make bad judgments. Talking on the phone is one of them. Just observe the type of people that do it - they often are doing other silly things like tailgating. I see it everyday. And you know what, it's often people with children in their cars and those dreaded "baby on board" stickers. The irony!
Welcome!
Welcome to my new blog!
I have been with Windows Live Spaces for over a year, but have had such trouble updating lately that I am switching to this new address. The old blog is still there but I won't bother updating anymore. I might also transfer the archive over (if that's possible)
The old blog is at www.rosiebish.spaces.live.com
I have been with Windows Live Spaces for over a year, but have had such trouble updating lately that I am switching to this new address. The old blog is still there but I won't bother updating anymore. I might also transfer the archive over (if that's possible)
The old blog is at www.rosiebish.spaces.live.com
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