it's been an interesting week. last weekend was BBQ-ville, then on the monday I was still officially "off sick". I had previously planned to work at home as I had blokes coming to install new door and windows. They did this, and I sat in the sun, read books, made tea and tried not to talk much. Unfortunately I also burned one of my shoulders which got me some stick when I went back to work on the Tuesday! My new doors and windows lok fab, and the cats have finally got the hang of the new cat flap. it's not exactly rocket science, just a few inches to the right of the old one... bless em. Work was ok, my boss was a bit cool at the start of the week but got better by the end. It's a nice time when you're in your notice period cos people are nice to you. still working on the shorter notice period, it will be good to get some clarity as I would love to have a couple of days off but hopefully next week will get a final answer.

this weekend was paul's mums birthday so we went to meet the family at Coughton Court which was very nice and the sun was beating down, then a BBQ back at his brothers - very relaxed...
back home this evening I noticed that a blackbird had made a next on the top of my bird table, which has been enveloped by a large unpruned bush at the back of my garden. the mother was sat on the eggs and then later on there were some babies in there. Three hungry little souls. So my cats are now very disgruntled as I won't let them out into the back garden. lets just hope they make it to be strong enough learn to fly and keep out of Jess and Millies reach...

yes I know I'm blogging lots but I'm so bored. i can't talk to anyone, I've read a whole book in one morning, I've watched more house-move/property programmes than you can shake a stick at and all I have left for company is my cats and a computer.

I'm hoping to go to the cinema tonight to see Mission impossible III, mainly becuae it doens't involve having to talk, but it halps that Tom Cruise is in it.... still a fan. I was watching the trailers for films on the TV and pissing myself at the disclaimer thingys they have to give now - how ridiculous can you get -
Poseidon - "Contains sustained threat and images of death that may disturb.", Da Vinci Code "Contains flagellation and other moderate violence"

What is the world coming too - they never used to do that did they?
Ghostbusters "contains sustained threat and scary 100ft marshmallow man"
Titanic "contains imminent danger and lots of drowned people"

Other news...

On top of telling my boss I'm signed off I also told him I'm leaving. Yes I know, I know, it's a bit of a habit of mine and that, even for me, 14 months in a job is particularly paltry (or is that poultry?) but this one just didn't really work out. what with the change of ownership it made the whole job completely different from what I was originally taken on for and it was really a bit of a backwards step. Plus the travelling was ridiculous.

I'd come to this decision a while back but was waiting until the right time to look about for a new role - especially being conscious of the small amount of time I'd been there. but in fact I didn't need to look and I got approached by an old HR Director within my current company who had moved on and was looking for an HR Manager in her new company (don't really want to say who the new company is as I don't think it would be a good idea to broadcast my blogging to old or new employer). Suffice to say the move sound good, - a real challenge, new environment and different type of HR issues, involvement in stuff outside HR possibly and local! - now I just need to negotiate an early leave as I was on 3 months notice.... looking hopeful though..

It could be out of the frying pan into the fire, but hey, at least it's a well paid, local fire!.

Now if only I could yell "woohoo".....

it's oh so quiet

and the dr wants me to lay off work for a week. oo i've never been signed off before... shame it's not entirely practical to slob all week, unfortunately the world of HR continues to turn, if a little more silently than before...

ramblings

As I lard on the sofa - before I move my lardy arse to sit it on sarah's sofa for a bit of variety, I was reading some of my old blog entries, and noticed exactly 2 years ago I'd lost my voice too. ooo isn't life wierd.

today I will be mostly sneezing, croaking and feeling weak and feeble. :-(

the sound of silence

The silence continues, with the occasional croak or squeak from me. curse my tonsils... or whatever it is that always makes me lose my voice when I get a cold. I don't feel too bad now, much better than earlier this weekend, but I still sound horrendous so have decided to try and take things easy and work from home tomorrow, at least until the evening when I have to drive up to Chorley. No point overdoing it even more.

that said I haven't exactly lain on the sofa in recovery today. after lying on the sofa all day yesterday (once we got home from Repton), I decided that today's medecine was fresh air (as opposed to saturday's attempt at self-healing by "drinking through the pain"...).

So Emma, Paul and I chose to partake in a local cultural activity - namely watching mad locals throw themselves down a very steep muddy slope in the hope of winning an 8lb piece of cheese. Nutters. As Paul sensibly pointed out, what's the point of trying to catch up with a cheese which, by the very laws of physics, is always going to be faster that a person? Now I'm no physics expert as my dad will support, but even I can see the logic of that statement. Anyway, I'm all for the entertainment factor if not the common sense argument, so along we went.

The car park was closed due to the muddiness so we drove to a nearby spot - with a few diversions due to my inability to read maps - yes I am that typical woman - (and yes it's only 10 mins away from my house...but we were trying to avoid the traffic). We then trooped past the reservoir and up the muddy hill to join thousands (literally) of others who had also swarmed there from miles around. the sun was out, the cheese was rolling, there were mad people throwing themselves down and mad people trying to race up the slope. all was going well. there was even one lass in union jack vest and pants (which got a large cheer and 2 blokes hanging on for dear life to the top of a tree to get a good view. There were St John's ambulance people stretchering someone off the slope - not sure if it was a participant or a poor unsuspecting spectator hit by a cheese. They got the biggest cheer when they got their patient to the bottom.

Then it started to rain!
Then it started to hail!
Big Time!

But that just added to the fun. We left and slid our way back to the car, and the sun returned.

Afterwards Emma and I went to a local street fair to meet some friends. It was really nice, with little stalls and a band playing and the sun shining. we stood outside the pub having a drink, and then the rain came back, but in true British style everyone just put up their brollies or hid under awnings and carried on drinking till the shower passed.

So - a good day, with 2 pairs of trousers in the wash and the fresh air requirement fulfilled. back to that sofa.