Well Pauline very kindly sent me this picture which made me laugh, of the day I raced round as a dogsbody for Endemol and I thought you might like to see!
Monday, May 21, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
A secret and stuff
More or less I have been quite busy, so much so I wondered how I used to fit in working! I got made redundant on the Thursday and on the Saturday I'd planned to go wedding dress shopping with mum and Lisa. At first I considered ditching this plan and wallowing. But then I thought that with Alex at work maybe a day on my own wallowing might not be the best way forward! So I met Lisa and mum at Pollyanna's bridal shop in Warwick. It was really lovely to get out of Birmingham, almost like a mini day trip/holiday! We spent a while in the shop I tried on 3 dresses and eventually put down a deposit on one I'd fallen in love with the first time me and mum visited. I'm not letting slip any details, just that it's gorgeous and I felt very special in in!
To celebrate the three of us went for lunch, choosing a 1930's style tea room. It was very quaint and we had cute little sandwiches and pots of tea and cake for afters. It was all very high tea/Enid Blyton. I love finding little treasures like that!
I don't want people thinking that I haven't been trying to find a job though. I've had 4 interviews and been fielding calls and searching the internet like a trooper. I'll keep you updated as soon as I have some good news. It's so hard though because I've come to really appreciate the quality of life I had at BioCare. I was able to get home in 4 minutes if I drove, or 15 if I walked! I could go to the gym and still be home before six if I was on an early shift. And I've come to recognise the importance of this in retaining what's left of my sanity. This search for a job is an awkward balancing act between money and lifestyle. Even while I appreciate I'll not find anything as convenient as BioCare I don't want to lose what I've learned over the last 18 months...
To celebrate the three of us went for lunch, choosing a 1930's style tea room. It was very quaint and we had cute little sandwiches and pots of tea and cake for afters. It was all very high tea/Enid Blyton. I love finding little treasures like that!
I don't want people thinking that I haven't been trying to find a job though. I've had 4 interviews and been fielding calls and searching the internet like a trooper. I'll keep you updated as soon as I have some good news. It's so hard though because I've come to really appreciate the quality of life I had at BioCare. I was able to get home in 4 minutes if I drove, or 15 if I walked! I could go to the gym and still be home before six if I was on an early shift. And I've come to recognise the importance of this in retaining what's left of my sanity. This search for a job is an awkward balancing act between money and lifestyle. Even while I appreciate I'll not find anything as convenient as BioCare I don't want to lose what I've learned over the last 18 months...
Restoration
One good thing about being redundant is you get to take up opportunities that you'd normally have to turn down because you were at work.
Last week Pauline, the project director of the Restoration of Kings Norton asked me if I was free to look after a cameraman from Endemol who would be filming what was going on in order to create a pilot for the BBC. With any luck it could mean the BBC come back to film things properly, either for a one-off programme or even a mini-series!
So I met our boy, a producer sorry not cameraman; he just happened to be carrying a camera!
He was very interested in everyone and everything - and everyone was chuffed to bits that someone was there, filming. The thing is, for everyone involved, we all understand the importance of this renovation and restoration for the community and for ourselves, and many in the group can't understand why other people aren't as excited as we are.
But not everyone is as excited as we are, quite simply because they don't see what it's got to do with them. Just because people are neighbours doesn't make them a community, even when certain kind, thoughtful, wise leaders of that community believe it does.
So Andy the producer got heaps of enthusiastic help from everyone, but bless him, that's not necessarily the makings of an exciting programme so it still all hangs in the balance. We await to see how good a job of editing it all he makes! He got well over 6 hours of footage, God only knows what bits he'll keep!
I didn't get interviewed, I just helped carry things mainly and kept him to schedule as much as possible. I got to run around in a high visibility vest and a hard hat - FUN!
I watched them uncover a medieval chimney block by block while holding the camera's battery as Andy filmed and got shown these 15th century tiles they'd recently uncovered still in the exact place on the floor, unchanged in five centuries. Pretty cool.
I took my camera with me that day, I'm just sorry I didn't get a shot of me in my hard hat, I looked quite a picture!
I thought this picture of one of the builders eating his packed lunch on a tomb stone was funny. It sort of encapsulates what that whole area feels like at the moment, it's usually so peaceful but now there's scaffolding and builders and mud. At the same time they're a part of its character.
In fact one builder, Damian, was once in the childrens home we were trying to raise money for, on Herons Way in Selly Oak. At that time he was a cub scout at the Saracens head. 
All those years ago he probably never dreamed he'd be helping to rebuild the same building! I also have to say the builders all seem lovely - cheeky chancers some of them but a cracking lot!
Last week Pauline, the project director of the Restoration of Kings Norton asked me if I was free to look after a cameraman from Endemol who would be filming what was going on in order to create a pilot for the BBC. With any luck it could mean the BBC come back to film things properly, either for a one-off programme or even a mini-series!
So I met our boy, a producer sorry not cameraman; he just happened to be carrying a camera!He was very interested in everyone and everything - and everyone was chuffed to bits that someone was there, filming. The thing is, for everyone involved, we all understand the importance of this renovation and restoration for the community and for ourselves, and many in the group can't understand why other people aren't as excited as we are.
But not everyone is as excited as we are, quite simply because they don't see what it's got to do with them. Just because people are neighbours doesn't make them a community, even when certain kind, thoughtful, wise leaders of that community believe it does.
So Andy the producer got heaps of enthusiastic help from everyone, but bless him, that's not necessarily the makings of an exciting programme so it still all hangs in the balance. We await to see how good a job of editing it all he makes! He got well over 6 hours of footage, God only knows what bits he'll keep!
I didn't get interviewed, I just helped carry things mainly and kept him to schedule as much as possible. I got to run around in a high visibility vest and a hard hat - FUN!
I watched them uncover a medieval chimney block by block while holding the camera's battery as Andy filmed and got shown these 15th century tiles they'd recently uncovered still in the exact place on the floor, unchanged in five centuries. Pretty cool.
I took my camera with me that day, I'm just sorry I didn't get a shot of me in my hard hat, I looked quite a picture!I thought this picture of one of the builders eating his packed lunch on a tomb stone was funny. It sort of encapsulates what that whole area feels like at the moment, it's usually so peaceful but now there's scaffolding and builders and mud. At the same time they're a part of its character.
In fact one builder, Damian, was once in the childrens home we were trying to raise money for, on Herons Way in Selly Oak. At that time he was a cub scout at the Saracens head. 
All those years ago he probably never dreamed he'd be helping to rebuild the same building! I also have to say the builders all seem lovely - cheeky chancers some of them but a cracking lot!
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
the surprise
I usually like surprises, but this one was (to say the least) unsettling.
I had my appraisal and some training at work on monday, both went well. I had an away day with the Restoration project on tuesday. Then on wednesday I had product training and to be honest I felt pretty damn good about all of it.
Then, like a bolt from the blue at 4pm I got a letter requesting my presence at a meeting next day at 11am. And at 11am I got made redundant.
Wam, bam, thank you biocare.
I'm good at projects however, and there's no better incentivised project than the 'finding employment project', as I've experienced in the past few years! So off I go, pursuing the dream of a well paid job where people don't take the mickey, or sack you.
Wish me luck!
Los ultimos dias has sido un poco estranos porque me he encontrado de repente sin un contrato de empleo. Otra vez. Deberia estar mas enfadada de lo que estoy pero estoy basicamente enfocada en encontrar algo nuevo.
Deseame suerte!
I had my appraisal and some training at work on monday, both went well. I had an away day with the Restoration project on tuesday. Then on wednesday I had product training and to be honest I felt pretty damn good about all of it.
Then, like a bolt from the blue at 4pm I got a letter requesting my presence at a meeting next day at 11am. And at 11am I got made redundant.
Wam, bam, thank you biocare.
I'm good at projects however, and there's no better incentivised project than the 'finding employment project', as I've experienced in the past few years! So off I go, pursuing the dream of a well paid job where people don't take the mickey, or sack you.
Wish me luck!
Los ultimos dias has sido un poco estranos porque me he encontrado de repente sin un contrato de empleo. Otra vez. Deberia estar mas enfadada de lo que estoy pero estoy basicamente enfocada en encontrar algo nuevo.
Deseame suerte!
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
My Birthday!
The weekend before last was fab, mainly because it was my birthday!
Highlights:
Jess' bithday afternoon tea, me and Alex went and she served MANY homemade cakes and bucks fizz; entirely civilized and rather lovely.
My birthday party, when Lisa Danielle, Hannah Rossa Jack Oscar and Nathan and Laura all came over for nibbles and drinks. We'd even been given TWO of Jess' cakes! Alex did a toast and I felt very special!
Church where they all sang the Happy Birthday song at the end of the service - I'd been waiting for that all year!
Lunch with parents on sunday, despite the restaurant we'd chosen being closed it was still very nice.
Monday me and alex booked our days off and slobbed about the house. Then in the evening Linda and Laura, Emma and Nathan arrived for a drink and bless them, they even brought through a cake with a lit candle! Yey!
Thank you to everyone who made my day so special, all my presents and cards, it was lovely!
Gracias a todos los que recordasteis de mi en mi cumpleanos. Por haber enviado targetas y regalitos, fue maravilloso!
xxx
Highlights:
Jess' bithday afternoon tea, me and Alex went and she served MANY homemade cakes and bucks fizz; entirely civilized and rather lovely.
My birthday party, when Lisa Danielle, Hannah Rossa Jack Oscar and Nathan and Laura all came over for nibbles and drinks. We'd even been given TWO of Jess' cakes! Alex did a toast and I felt very special!
Church where they all sang the Happy Birthday song at the end of the service - I'd been waiting for that all year!
Lunch with parents on sunday, despite the restaurant we'd chosen being closed it was still very nice.
Monday me and alex booked our days off and slobbed about the house. Then in the evening Linda and Laura, Emma and Nathan arrived for a drink and bless them, they even brought through a cake with a lit candle! Yey!
Thank you to everyone who made my day so special, all my presents and cards, it was lovely!
Gracias a todos los que recordasteis de mi en mi cumpleanos. Por haber enviado targetas y regalitos, fue maravilloso!
xxx
Spring/Summertime
It seems like ages since I last updated this. Sorry folks...
My last post was a bit of a rant so I suppose I haven't filled you in on anything since the last few exbibitions.
After I last left an update the weather suddenly got really nice. Over the last month I've been trying to squeeze in some gardening, indulging the cat in spending lots of time out of doors and generally trying not to look so white! One lovely saturday Hannah came over with Jack and Oscar and we went over to see Nathan Laura and Emma. Emma will be my bridesmaid and Jack my page boy so it's a great excuse for them to get to know each other, and Hannah and Laura have always got on well.
The baby Ozzy (Oscar)
The cutie Emma
The cheekyboy Jack
Me holding Ozzy - he's grown loads and he's a right lump now!
It was a lovely day, folled by a picnic in the Nath and Laura's garden, which had been turned into a Wacky Warehouse with ball pools and more toys than you can imagine!
The third picture shows what the exhibition looked like from above.
After 3 days we managed to just about fill the van - can you believe how full it is?!
My last post was a bit of a rant so I suppose I haven't filled you in on anything since the last few exbibitions.
After I last left an update the weather suddenly got really nice. Over the last month I've been trying to squeeze in some gardening, indulging the cat in spending lots of time out of doors and generally trying not to look so white! One lovely saturday Hannah came over with Jack and Oscar and we went over to see Nathan Laura and Emma. Emma will be my bridesmaid and Jack my page boy so it's a great excuse for them to get to know each other, and Hannah and Laura have always got on well.
The baby Ozzy (Oscar)
The cutie Emma
The cheekyboy Jack
Me holding Ozzy - he's grown loads and he's a right lump now!
It was a lovely day, folled by a picnic in the Nath and Laura's garden, which had been turned into a Wacky Warehouse with ball pools and more toys than you can imagine!
After Natural Trade Show Brighton and Vitality in London I had a couple of weeks and then another one. I was so exhausted by the friday before that I felt like crying, and that is not an exaggeration!
Me Jack and Chris met the next morning (Sat 14th April) at 8am in the car park and set off. Jack plugged in his MP3 and we listened to music all the way to London. It was kind of fun, travelling in the van with my two favourite boys from BioCare. Both are young fathers, both very kind and honest, Chris has the dryest sense of humour and Jack is just plain cheeky. We all got on great.
We set up the stand, with Katie from Nomadic's help, god love her. She turned up and got our stand put up, showing us all the bits and helping us get round a few problems. We got the stand up as you can see! First picture is Jack and Chris, second is of me and Chris in the opening seconds waiting for the crowds to get round.
The third picture shows what the exhibition looked like from above.
After 3 days we managed to just about fill the van - can you believe how full it is?!
As Jack said - there wasn't room in there for a fag packet after we'd finished!
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