Get a Grip Girl!

It has now been almost 8 weeks since I became redundant and unemployed. Three of those weeks were spent relaxing in the Floridian sunshine relishing the fact that I wasn't going to have that 'first day back at work' feeling.

Three weeks have passed. Three weeks of school runs, housework, applying for jobs and generally pottering about. Despite all of this I dont feel like I've achieved anything and I'm getting very bored.

Even the two days for four weeks teaching I was asked to do isn't helping much. It's a couple of days out where I feel useful to some extent but without the responsibility. I turn up, teach and then go home. The organisation and stress belongs to someone else now. I never realised how much I enjoyed the stress of work.

I have a genetic flaw which makes me eat when bored, stressed or unwell. I have developed boredom belly. Not ideal having just put on half a stone in Florida. I haven't a hope in hell chance of wearing my smart trouser suit should I be offered an interview, but the way things are going, that isn't going to be anytime soon. I can't afford new clothes, I'm scrounging off the state - or rather my husband as he keeps reminding me!

I have little or no structure in my life now. It's killing me. I'm a list maker, bottle straightener, everything in its place and squared off person. I dont do 'laid back' or 'when I get around to it'. I do things as soon as they need doing.

There are three boxes of plants to put into the garden I bought a week ago. There are still sticky fingerprints on the patio doors and my new Wii Fit Plus hasn't been out the box yet.

I need to get a grip. Kick myself up the backside. Start making lists again.

Tomorrow is day one. I have a plan. Im going to make myself a timetable.

With or without a job I'm going to be busy doing something useful.

Shoe Tossing

This is something I've been meaning to blog about for some time but since most of my memory seems to have gone on vacation these days I kept forgetting.

On my travels when I was one of those people with something to do all day, I often drove past this tree somewhere between Bellingham and Belsay. I think its near Cornhills Farm? Unfortunately its on a bit of a tricky bend so I never got close enough to count the pairs of footwear hanging from its branches.

I have tried online to discover the reason there is a tree with shoes and boots hanging from it at that particular place but can only find information on the more famous ones in places like Armstrong Park in Newcastle. Here and the reason for them is that students (many of whom live in that part of the city) would throw their shoes into the ree to celebrate passing exams.

Wiki has lots of suggestions of why shoes are hung in trees or on power lines, and also other parts of the world where this happens. Shoe Tossing they call it! If anyone can add to this information Id love to read your comments

I do remember seeing a pair of 'Clackers' hanging from the power lines over my primary school but I think that was purely the fact that someone got a little excited while playing and swung them into the heavens maybe to avoid severe bruising to the wrists rather than some celebration or fertility ritual.

Oh no - its the window cleaner!

In the past I have been out at work when the window cleaners come to do their five minutes and six pounds worth of squeegee-ing. I just come home to a tiny scrap of white paper with ' WINDOWS CLEANED TODAY' which I leave lying on top of the cabinet with all the dog leads and paraphernalia until the one who collects the money calls round.

Today I was sitting with my iPad, looking at employment agency websites and sneaking a few minutes on Virtual Families (because I'm obsessed with it at the moment) when I heard a clatter outside. The side gate being opened and ladders being placed up against the side of the house.

"oh no, the bedroom,". I leapt up, flung my precious gadget to one side and raced upstairs as fast as I could hoping to beat them to the top of the ladder.

Bugger, Big Dudes door was locked, pass code required (this is to prevent Little Dude stealing all his 16+ xbox games and starting WW3!). Then I clambered through the obstacle course of clothes, electrical leads, bits of er 'things' and dirty plates, mugs and glasses in order to reach the window.

Luckily they were doing the back first and I knew those rooms were reasonably tidy, well tidy enough for window cleaners, who I'm sure see some sights on the rounds. But I was not having strangers seeing what my son lives in.

I had to position the blinds just enough so that they hid the room but didn't looked like I'd closed them on purpose. ( could someone please explain this irrational thought process of mine), I have no idea why I needed to do that, but that's all I thought about.

I then played hide from the window cleaner while they went from room to room. I have this thing about watching workers do jobs in my house. I don't want them to think I'm checking on them so keep out of their way. I know, but it isn't as bad as insisting washing is hung up with matching pegs. Now that IS odd!

Of course, now I feel guilty because the inside windows are obviously hacky and I need to remember to clean them tomorrow. Or maybe I'll just buy some nice nets!

Bracing!

One of the downsides of only having an iPhone 3GS is that the photos are pretty rubbish by modern standards, but they will have to suffice.

This evening it was suggested by Little Dude that we take him to the skatepark at Whitley Bay rather than Cramlington which was where Big Dude happened to be with his mates. No idea why he wanted to go there but it served our purpose as we are considering buying a trailer in which to stow all our camping gear next year. Actually its so we can have the luxury of things like a real fridge and a walk in wardrobe! But thats a whole new post!

Anyway, there happens to be a trailer for sale on eBay at the moment in Whitley Bay for a very good price, so by going to the skatepark it meant we could detour and have a look at this trailer too. Which we did and hubby is on a mission to get it at the lowest possible bid tomorrow morning.

Now the skatepark at WB is right by the sea, like a stone skim distance, and thus tends to be prone to sea breezes. Added to which, there is very little shelter for poor parents forced to stand and Twitter for hours on end. Even on sunny days, its chilly.

This photo is of the sea this evening, one might call it a bit choppy!

as well as being choppy, there was also a bit of sea fret as you can see from this picture of Tynemouth, a little further along the coast.

Can anyone spot the lighthouse? If you can, that is St Mary's lighthouse and is great fun when the tide is out as you can walk across the causeway and see all the crabs and creatures in the rock pools along the way.

Ah, the skatepark and the sea. Little Dude is in amongst that lot somewhere. I tried to avoid shots of teenage backsides clad in jersey boxers overspilling from leg clinging jeans. But sorry if any snuck in. And yes I know its a skatepark and most of those in the photo are on BMX's but there were skateboarders there too!

This is the view of the skatepark from the esplanade. I like the artwork, I like graffiti at skateparks too. I like to think its the artistic side of me sneaking out and appreciating the colour and textures.

It looks a lot warmer than it actually was, even snuggled up in last winters duvet jacket! I was forced to send hubby along to the little cafe (with the chairs and tables that have been there since hubby went as a toddler in the 1960's with his Grandma for crumpets on a Saturday afternoon!) to get me a polystyrene cup of coffee that warmed me up a little.

Secretly I enjoy spending time watching them do their tricks, but prefer the sheltered circle of neat wooden benches at Cramlington park to the bracing sea breeze here.

Where Does it Go?

Until the end of July I was a busy mum working full time and doing the usual taxi driving duties most evenings. Understandably I was often overheard saying " Where did the time go?"

and then a strange thing happened.

As of 1st August, I was unemployed and suddenly had all the time in the world. I could clean the house properly, walk the dogs for miles, have nice bike rides, go to the gym, make cards and scrapbooks again and blog and tweet for as long as I liked.

Woohoo!!!

So what happened?

I get up only 15 minutes later than I used to, take Little Dude to school, tidy up, do some laundry, check the agency websites and send off a few CV's if required, pick up Little Dude and then its tea time! (Er and incase you think I'm neglecting them, I can't walk the dogs at the moment because of my broken toe!)

I used to do all of this and more except the school run before or after work!! So what has happened to all the free time? Do I slip into the Twilight Zone between 9.30 and 2.30? Ok so the house is a little tidier, but I still dont have a job, do crafts or any of the other things intended.

I'm now thinking that my life is more enjoyable when I was juggling a million things at once.

Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Here is the link to a slideshow of the photos we took at Universal Islands of Adventure. It was very busy and it isn't that big so sorry if the photos look a little crowded!
There are also three rides that we didnt take photos of for some reason. The Forbidden Journey takes you into Hogwarts, through the halls with moving paintings and many of the items from the books and films and ends with a pretty good ride but hold on to your flip flops!

Hope you enjoy them. It was a pretty amazing place and I really enjoyed the Butterbeer!

Wizarding World of Harry Potter

A History Lesson and Rabbits

Tonight I was watching a programme on antique restoration and was reminded of my childhood as someone brought in a pair of PenDelfin bookends. Unfortunately my PenDelfin collection consisted of a few rabbits tucked up in cosy beds, much like others in the UK who had been given them in the 60's & 70's.

It also reminded me of the moment, only a few years ago when I discovered that PenDelfin rabbits and other collectables were actually made near Pendle Hill a stones throw from where I grew up. Yes I know, the fact that the names are pretty similar should have been a bit of a clue but for over 40 years I remained ignorant.

This is a picture of Pendle Hill pretty much as I saw it every day from my bedroom window in a small village called West Bradford. It is pretty impressive as it rises as a huge ridge from the ground, tapering off to mingle with other less significant hills at the other end.

It's funny how something like this becomes something pretty ordinary when you look at it every day. I could tell what the weather was going to be like from looking at it, was it dull and damp or bright and colourful. If I couldn't see the top for mist or cloud it was going to rain. If the 'white snow witch' was visible on the side (you can see the crevice to the right) in the side of the hill there was more snow to come.

But despite this, I thought little of living in the shadow of Pendle.

There is a lot more to know about this ancient landscape. You may have heard of the Pendle Witches. A group of women from local villages accused of casting spells and murdering people who were marched to Lancaster for trial and later hanged. It is buzzing with activity on Halloween when the masses arrive to experience the pitch blackness and ghost stories.

It also featured on 'Most Haunted' on Halloween 2004 and got a lot of press for being one of the most scary episodes. I know many people think MH is a load of tosh, but Pendle Hill is definately an eerie place, even driving in daylight over the 'Nick' of Pendle makes you wonder what went on up there. I certainly wouldnt want to be up there at night.

There is also a small spring still called 'George Fox's Well' where the founder of the Quaker movement was supposed to have rested and drank after his vision from God from the top of Pendle.

A Bronze Age burial site was also uncovered at the summit of the hill and local villages were featured in the film 'Whistle Down the Wind' with Hayley Mills. My best friend's uncle was one of the child 'extra's ' in that film too!

I now have the urge to take a trip back to Lancashire and Pendle Hill, take photos and make notes to add to my life story before I'm too old to do it. I wish someone had tried to make me realise the importance of what was around me when I was young. I doubt I would have done anything about it but maybe I would have collected a few postcards or photos along the way.

Bloody Stupid Bed Leg

This is my poor sorely little toe. Yes I know it could also be a deformed thumb if you squint a bit.



This is what happened when the bed leg hid under the corner of the duvet, out of sight, waiting for the moment I sleepily staggered past in bare feet this morning.





Did it know I was jet lagged so took advantage of my lack of judgement? It wasn't the first time. I had adjusted my path from bed to door, to avoid the stupidly angled leg that pretends it's vertical but isn't. Cunningly disguised as soft duck down duvet, it sits and waits.....


Maybe it's broken, maybe just bruised. It bloody knacks though. At the moment (13 hours later) the bruise resembles an oddly shaped 'Africa', wonder what it will be tomorrow?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

How Long Until Next Time?

I'm sitting on the balcony of the Holiday Inn Express looking out at the night time skyline of Lake Buena Vista on the last night of our three week holiday. Will I see it again? I'll put my mortgage on that, but when that will be who knows.

We have always enjoyed Florida, that's why we return every year even after saying we won't. Its like being in a home from home, we know where to go and what to avoid. We don't stress over theme park opening hours or stand in line for hours for rides. We do what we feel like when we get up in the morning.

We have both agreed that we need to try something new next year though. It needs to be something that keeps Alexander entertained. He is a very active boy and needs to be doing physical things. My thought is to bung him in a kids holiday camp for a week while we do something else nearby. I'm sure he would love it, and would give us a chance to have to some time to relax as a couple.

Jordan says he wants to go snowboarding with his mates....best he gets himself a job then!

I'm sure the next few weeks will find us both looking back at Florida with fondness, and I know one of us will suggest we look at booking up again as soon as we see an advert for Disneyland. In fact we just got an email offering us a 4o% discount and free dining plan if we book up a Disney Resort for next year.

If anyone can guarantee a hot and sunny fortnight sometime in August next year I would definitely consider a campsite in the UK. I'm not sure two weeks in wellies and a mud bath would convince me that a UK holiday is better than Florida somehow.



Oh well, the bags are packed, kind of. Tomorrow will be a shuffling feet, staying out of the sun, wasting time day. It's a late flight (8.35pm) but when you have to checkout at 11am, it's difficult finding things to do that doesn't involve getting hot and sticky, spending money we don't have or re-packing bags.

Next blog will be from the comfort of my own home and wireless on tap. I will have my dogs by my feet, hopefully alive, happy fish and a newt who probably doesn't even know he went away on his holidays too. The kids will be happy as pigs in their own sty and tranquility will once more settle on us all - for about an hour if I'm lucky.

Au Revoir.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Wizards and Wands

Went to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Islands of Adventure yesterday and have to say it was very impressive. We took a lot of photos but it was very busy and difficult to get decent shots so we are going back early morning to try and get better ones which will be edited and posted in a later blog when I get home.


Here is one picture of the main street of Hogsmead. The attention to detail is amazing.




Here is the Hogwarts Express with the conductor. All the staff are English more or less, making it more realistic.

Little Dude bought a wand at considerable cost but it's kept him busy casting spells over everyone.




The shop assistants wear these cute little hats. A little odd on a six foot teenager maybe?....





... Or maybe not! Here is big Dude trying to spoil my photo again.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad