The Bright photoshoot

Well I work in PR, as you know, (not that you can tell by my writing ability) and the agency I work for is forever marketing itself to get new business accounts, or to apply for award nominations. We're all very excited because in February we're going to the PRIDE awards (Public Relations industry awards) and we have around 9 nominations I think. But of course none of the projects nominated were anything to do with me so I'll get a fun night with none of the pressure and all of the celebrations!

Last year they won 8 awards apparently and this year they keep winning new business so it seems to be doing the trick. This means that every so often the company goes and gets its photo taken and this year there were so many of us that it had to be done in two groups then digitally put together to make one photo.

Can you spot me?!

Pues, mi trabajo es en Relaciones Publicas, o publicidad, y por esta razon mi compania siempre se esta presentando para mas negocio u premios. Entretanto hay que organizar una foto de la compania, y esta vez ha crecido tanto que fue necesario coordinar dos visitas a la fotografa Sallie y unir las dos fotos para hacer una de grande.

Me ves?!

hurrah!

It's a triumph; lovely computer shop in Kings norton where we bought the computer wer able to fix the computer and save all our files! Lovely man didn't just save our pictures as he promised he saved all our work!!! so thank you Techwork Computer Services - a bit of free advertising for you!
OK,Pads is here over-seeing my typing, she's watching for spelling mistakes so if I make any it's her fault!

My week so far:
I've been going to the gym every Monday, I usually do Legs Bums and Tums - so called because every bit of those parts aches by the time you stagger out - the aquaerobics in the pool, but today the swimming pool was closed. Then I come home for a lovely home cooked meal by alex and a shower and lots of aches!

Tuesdays - sometimes Alex has a football league meeting, now he's secretary of his team he gets dragged along to meetings every so often. Tomorrow he's got one. I'm meeting up with people from church to find out more about their PR needs for the restauration of Saracens Head.
The elizabethan building won the BBC's Restoration programme which means it will receive
£8 million to return it to its glory. I am lucky enough to belong to the church congregation and hopefully it'll be a great learning opportunity as well as reap some good results - wish me luck!www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/restoration/


The rest of the week:
Wednesdays I attend candlelit church. It gives me an hour of peace and quiet inside the hecticness of life, and a chance to sing to my heart's content under the spire - such beautiful acoustics!

Thursday and Friday are hopefully going to be quiet evenings - please God!

Saturday we need to clear out the garage and go to the tip, Sunday Al plays football and I've got church...

Then we start over again!!!

Fue un milagro... despues de muchos consejos que nuestro ordenador estaba gastada y que habriamos perdido todo la tienda magnifica donde lo compramos have 6 meses nos devolvio las fotos, el trabajo; todo! Te voy a describir un poco se una semana normal, con el ayudo de Pads. Esta vigilando mi ortografia, asi que si hago errores puedes culpar a ella!

Despues de terminar trabajo cada lunes me gusta ir a classes de CAP (culo, abdomen y piernas - gracia Lau por la traduccion!) Generalmente me gusta ir a la piscina tambien para un clase de Aquaaerobica y despues me queda muerto en casa comiendo mi cena (cocinado por el guapo Alex - chicos, que tomeis nota!!!)

Martes - esta semana tuve la primera reunion de Historic Friends of Kings Norton, la organizacion que maneja la restauracion de una casa antigua (del siglo XV). Me presento voluntariamente para ayudar con la publicidad - ya que ahora esto es mi tema - y lo encontro super interestante. Aunque tengo que decir que la reunion ocurrio dentro de la casa y fue tan frio!!!!!!!!!! Hubo un fuego de gas pero era tan frio que aun con el fuego encendido podia ver mi respiracion! Despues de dos horas sin comer y sin calefaccion estaba muerta pero fue muy interesante. Te lo explicare como se desarolla.

Miercoles - Normalmente me voy a la iglesia cada miercoles. Se llama 'iglesia de velas' esta noche porque solamente se enciendan velas para luz. Cuando llegas enciendes una vela y te sientas y pasas media hora pensando mas que en el resto de la semana. Rezas, piensas, respiras, meditas... es como terapia! Despues Rob nuestro cura de vez en cuando llega y se pone a cantar, a veces solo, o yo y Jess unimos a cantar con el. Hace un par de semanas que sonabamos como un coro - eramos 6! Cantamos en aleman, africano, latin, espanol y hebreo y casi siempre es una cancion que no nos conocemos asi que es un buen descargo.

Jueves - descanso! Esta semana tuve una reunion en Erdington (South Birmingham) y otro en Warwick asi que estaba cansada cuando llegue a casa.

Y Viernes - gracias a dios acqui estamos!

Tragedy

It's a tragedy, our computer is bust and I'm all a-fluster in case we've lost everything. It doesn't even switch on properly so I can't save things and have we backed things up? Like hell have we..!

So fingers crossed all of you and hopefully I'll have it back in a week or so.

On the plus side I left for work this morning and it was slightly light - I only had to put my dimmed lights on as I drove instead of the full beam ones. So we may be heading towards spring - oh I know it's months away but there's a glimmer of hope at least!

A side note

This blog isn't just written by me, I have some help: Pads! She likes to come and watch me tapping on the keyboard, and she walks all over the keyboards too, and ends up typing all sorts in her cat language! Then she sits on the printer and sets that off and she likes to check that it''s all working properly and event gets into the nooks and crannies... She's a mini walking, purring disaster zone!











As well as causing mayhem with my blog, here are a few pictures of her in her finer moments - 'helping' us finish up a bit of chinese take-away (momentarily left on the kitchen surface) and playing with her favourite toy, string! Believe it or not she got a Christmas card and a bag of presents (not from us either) and a new toy, the mouse, is a strong contendor for favourite toy. But I think string is too much of an old classic, she'll do anything for a bit of string! Easily pleased...

Finally, I'd just like to add this Jack Vettriano print to my blog because I'm quite keen on him, I've discovered. It's called Billy Boys.
















PS:- Alex is playing football and it sounds like they stand a chance of winning this game. I will post the scores but not the defeats as who wants a record of that?! And up until now this season there's been scant little for the Moseley Town FC supporter to rave about...! xx

Lisa and Danielle's birthday

Well Hannah and Rossa brought Jack over to see us and it was fab. He entertained himself by racing after the cat, which after one of his delighted screams decided that the small jumpy, squealy human was not to be trusted and hid herself for the next 3 hours. That was Monday, the last day of the holidays and suddenly it was the nasty 7am alarm clock time and work began again. Four days nearly killed me but I'm hoping I'll be more in the swing of it next week!

Lisa and Danielle's birthdays are both in the first week of January, so last night (Saturday) I found myself dressed as Frenchie from Grease for a night on the town! Lisa loves fancy dress and she and her friends were cowgirls while me and Danielle were Pink Ladies!!!
Spot the difference!!!:





























So we had a night dancing in Risa on Broad St and despite the fact that normally I can't stand Broad St it was a cool night. Sorry I didn't get any photos of Lisa but it was very dark and I couldn't get a good one of her.

Last day of holidays

Happy 2006! We had a pleasant night, but from the sounds of the phonecall to my mum's mobile in Spain theirs was probably madder! Alex coooked Canneloni, I made the bechamel sauce, and he did roasted mediterranean vegetables and caesar salad. It was goregeous. We had Nathan Laura and Emma over and Nathan's sister Laura and daughter Leah. Then we walked to Nathan and Laura's house for cocktails (Singapore slings). It was a real struggle walking back home but we were glad to be home to give the cat a cuddle and wish her a happy 2006!














I can't believe it but tomorrow I go back to work! We've had a lovely holiday, we went to a surprise birthday party, had friends over and visited people, spent time relaxing and recovering as well as doing a bit of shopping and cooking; it was a lovely 10 days. But now the scary time has come and tomorrow I go back to work...

Alex faces a busy period, January is his next busiest month to the summer because of the January exams. If you wonder what he does, just imagine how many thousands of people take exams every year, and how many people are needed to mark each script, check each paper, moderate coursework, train teachers, and set the papers in the first place. Lots. He makes sure that within his subject area schools can rely on a good service, which means working 6 days a week this month. What a welcome back!

Hemos pasado unas vacaciones estupendos, hemos celebrado con fiestas, relajamiento, cocinar y comprar. Para noche vieja Alex cocino Caneloni con ensalada y vegetales asados. Despues todos fuimos a la otra casa para beber cocteles y terminamos la noche, Alex y yo, deseando un feliz 2006 a la gatita! Eramos Laura Nathan y su bebe Emma, y la hermana de Nathan Laura y su hija Leah.

No lo puedo creer que manana regreso a la oficina. Va a ser frantico y no lo anticipo con muchas ganas, la verdad. Y Alex tambien regrese a su epoca mas ocupado, ya que habran empezado los examenes de enero en todos los clases secondarias de inglaterra. Si aun no entiendes que es lo que hace Alex, imaginate quanto hay que hacer para asegurar que papeles de examenes viajen a los examinadores apropriados, que examinadores existen en suficientes numeros y de altura de calidad y tal, pues Alex asegura que escuelas ganen del servicio dentro de la tema, que en su caso es estudios sociales. Este mes tendra que trabajar seis dias a la semana - que buen regreso al trabajo!