Rethinks

Ok it's been a long time since I posted anything of merit - and not saying that this post is going to be either; BUT I figured I should say something....or at least erase all evidence that this blog ever existed!

So rethinks. I've been a bit blue as of late - it happens. I sometimes think I'm a bit manic in that I can exist just fine and then Whomp...I'm feeling down. But hey ho, that's just the way it is. When I lived in Saskatchewan I blamed it on SAD, but now I'm not sure what to blame it on - life, manic, whatever.

So rethinks. I've realized I've lived in Leeds almost as long as I've lived in DC, and I still don't get the love, nor have I met nearing enough amazing and fabulous people. I'm not sure if it's me or Leeds - but I'm hoping it's me. This is because I'm in Leeds for the next few years (who ever though investing in a house would lose a girl money). So I've decided that things in Leeds have to change - I need to get out and meet people and hang out and do things...but I don't know how one does this...somehow in the past I've just fallen into friends - or not...Plus we all need one or two people who open doors for you (not literally of course but people in the know)....

So rethinks. How does one meet people that they might have something in common with. I've done the whole join a gym, take a sports class (bellydance is filled with freaks), take a night class (fun but non), join a book club (ok, I didn't join a book club but I did join a conversation circle) don't say no to invitations, etc etc etfc. But how do I meet the people who like music/politics/prada/brunch - I don't randomly go up to people at gigs - never have, never will...nor am I going to meet people clubbing because that seems to always be about pulling and I'm not in that position anymore.

So I suppose what I'm asking is - good people - how do you meet people...people like yourselves, who I have things in common with, that I'd want to hang out with, go to brunch with, go to gigs, etc?

I await your humble advice...if you are still out there...

Just because

It's been a while since I last blogged, and I feel a bit guilty about it, so I thought I'd do up a random post of what's what and who's who...or something like that anyways.

Over the last month I have:

1) had a birthday...which means I'm now older than I was a month ago...of course this holds true for any month/day/second but only once a year do you actually 'change your age'....and officially age...which I did last month.

2) attempted to throw a housewarming-cum-hallowe'en party. While I had fun, the palty amount of guests was a bit damaging to my frail ego...I have vowed that I will not throw a party again.

3) the failed party attempt led to some bitterness towards Leeds -which remains elusive to crack...Liverpool was also difficult to crack, which leads me to think it might be a general problem I have with this country, or that I am not a crack person...much like Whitney (Crack is whack!). But the bitterness has faded away along with the bruised ego...I'm back on top of the world being amazing as always.

4) I have become an allotment holder, which means there's a little plot of land in a communal garden space which is mine to sow with seeds. I'm pretty stoked about this although it is a fair amount of work...but nothing that a girl from SK can't handle...I remind readers of the wicked zuchinni I grew in the summer of 2006...of which there is picture on this site somewhere.

5) have become increasingly excited about my Christmas visit...a month off work, favourite restaurants to visit, loads of tele to watch, drinks with friends, BRUNCH, NYE in the mountains, shopping, the outlook bar, le sigh. Very excited and can't wait to see people - hopefully people will be about for visiting, etc. I will be bringing some mushy peas and hob nobs if that will entice people to see me...and the boy.

6) have become well entrenched with season 2 of prison break on dvd....yummy michael schofied...le sigh....

So there we have it...an update of my last month. Four weeks today I'll be landing at heathrow for the second of a three flight journey home...Yay! Yay! Yay!

A year on...

Musings:

Musing One:

So it's been a year since I've started this job and just over a year of me being in the country. Strange how quickly it has gone! However, and I've known this from past experience, being away from home for over a year is just toooooo long. I really miss my family and friends, and sometimes you just need to sleep in a familiar bed! I think the missing also comes from the fact that on days like today, when you know everyone else is celebrating a Canadian holiday and having to do the whole 'family supper' thing, you really miss having the holidays to share with people. I can attempt to recreate the holiday here, but no-one really gets it - which is difficult...I suppose try as I might I don't 'get' British holidays, but I do try (I think 'fireworks day' is a great holiday)! When I tell people I'm making pumpkin pie, all they do is call me strange...le sigh

Musing Two:
FALL is an excellent season, and being out in the sticks/suburbs/back country/boonies/etc lets me appreciate it more (bonus to the back and beyond)! I went on an ace walk exploring our new neighbourhood yesterday and it was the most beautiful weather with some amazing colours. Right now a lot of the ivy on the houses are turning into a brilliant red colour and they look soooo pretty. I should have taken pictures of it all but at the time I just wanted to enjoy it. Plus at one point I wandered into a rough-as-f**k council estate and thought that just being there was a hazard to my health, let alone if I was advertising cheap electronic goods.

Musing Three:
Royal Mail has gone on strike again (they've been on and off strike all summer - resulting in waiting in line to post packages for over half an hour). They went on strike on Thursday to Saturday PM, and are back on strike today till Wednesday. This means we won't get mail delivered for almost a week and as it is, they have said that delivering mail is of the lower priority (isn't that their job) for when they do return to work. Now everyone who knows me knows that I LOVE getting the mail (call me grandma). Not getting the mail is not pleasing to me. Not getting it for an indefinate period of time is also not very pleasing...nor is knowing that I paid the post office a nice chunk of change for re-delivery and that I'm not getting my total number of days worth is upsetting me - and will be expanded on in a nice letter, which I'll attempt to post, but probably won't get anywhere because they will have gone on strike and refused to deliver the letter.

I'll get back to work now - saving further musings for another day.

What is this anxiety I feel?

For a very long time now (at least 4 years) I have had credit card debt. Before that time, I used to be quite good at paying my credit cardS off on time, or at least within a month or two. However, living in the fast lane with concert tickets to purchase and trips to england/canada to pay for, I soon found myself in quite a lot of debt to Uncle Mastercard, Aunt Visa and Cousin AmEx.

And during this time I have always prolonged the whole 'saving for a future' bit, as I had to pay off these high rate cards. And thus, my goals remained unchallenged...get out of debt first, then save.

Well for the past year I have been somewhat diligent about paying off these cards. This has been on top of starting up at two new apartments, moving overseas, etc. However, this past week, I finally did it. I paid off my remaining balances, and voila...I am credit card debt free. And no, I have not cancelled my cards yet. They have been a life source to me in the past and I'm sure that they will play important roles in the future.

However now that they are paid off I'm in a bit of a panic. M does not understand this panic. He thinks I should be happy, but I can' t be...I'm anxious about how much I should be saving now and even more so, I'm terrified of using my cards again, even for things I know I can pay off within the next month. I want to buy a dresser for my clothes at the Ikea sale (which at this moment involves using a card till I get paid in a week) but should I? Or should I save that money? I want to book a holiday for march but can I? or should I not...

Oh the trivial matters in life -- don't worry dear reader, I'm completely still in masses of student debt. I'm not rolling in cash, I just don't have a minimum monthly payment to make next month, and I don't know how to handle that. Oh well.

So I begin the new year a bit more anxious than before...anyone have similar unexplained anxieties?