Rachey’s Ramblings

I have 7 selves. We rarely agree.

Away

August 20th, 2010

Just on occasion, work can be a good distraction.

I tend to avoid it where possible. But yesterday, what with Mark departing to China for the next 2 and a half weeks and me being in ‘boo-hoo-hoo-I’m-gonna-miss-him-too-much’ mode, doing a bit of work actually helped. Who would have thought?! Boffin emoticon As did a good run today:The first time I’ve mustered more than 8 miles since the marathon. Jog emoticon Let’s see how much I keep it up in America now; I’m guessing the average portion size perhaps isn’t going to help. Blob emoticon If I seem a bit unenthusiastic about the whole visiting the U.S thing, it’s only because I’m still pining over the whole Mark’s-not-coming-with-me-and-he’s-on-the-other-side-of-the-world thing. Byebye emoticon But I am looking forward to it really because I’ll be seeing friends I haven’t seen for ages and sights I’ve not ever seen at all. Outside emoticon From Chicago, via the Rockies and onto San Francisco, it should be a great trip. Twirl emoticon Of course, I’ll be taking some journal articles with me for the journey, on account of the fact that my 7,500 word report is due shortly after my return. They like a trip out. And it’ll distract me from how much I’m missing the boyfriend won’t it?! Miss you emoticon Updates from the other side of the pond might be somewhat sporadic. With all that reading I’ll be doing and all. Wink emoticon But no doubt there’ll be a lot of stories to tell when I’m back. One of them being how delighted I am to be reunited with Mark. Return emoticon I know. I’m a soppy cow. But you’d be worried if I wasn’t wouldn’t you?!

Current Mood: Pining Mood Icon

The man with wings

August 17th, 2010

Everyone needs a wing man.

My selves have been a bit totally out if it lately. Dazed emoticon We’ve been moody and grumpy and tearful and stressed. We were beginning to wonder if we could cope. With anything. Drowning emoticon A PhD, it turns out, is quite stressful. Especially that statistics stuff. Confused emoticon In fact, life aged very-nearly-30, it turns out, is quite stressful. Glum emoticon But because I have this amazing, fannytastic, supportive, angel of a boyfriend, I’ve come out smiling. Rain emoticon And today I feel like I’m finally on top of my work (for the next 12 hours at least), back on it with the running, and we’re pretty much happy again. All 7 of us. We couldn’t have done it without him. Snog emoticon On the subject of which, it’s his birthday tomorrow and I’m thinking the man deserves a great one. Maybe I should have bought him a halo eh?! Awed emoticon

Current Mood: Grateful Mood Icon

Protected: Money well spent

August 10th, 2010

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Protected: Blurgh

August 4th, 2010

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Marching On…

August 2nd, 2010

It’s good to try something new now and again.

So I attended my first football match this weekend. Fear emoticon Leeds v Wolves at Elland Road (That’s the Leeds ground, to anyone as football-ignorant as me!). And it wasn’t quite as boring/scary/confusing as I’d expected it to be. Relieved emoticon Clearly, because I was there with my lucky shell, Leeds won. So that was good as it meant the boyfriend was able to speak to me for the rest of the day. Haha emoticon And I was so well behaved that I didn’t even play The Question Game. Much. Giggle emoticon I wouldn’t exactly say I’m converted to the cause. I’d rather spend my money on cocktails and chocolate. And if someone invites me out to do something fun on a Saturday you will not hear me reply ‘No thank you, I’m staying home to check the football scores’. Uhuh emoticon But it was lovely to do something with Mark that he loves and I did enjoy myself and would probably go again. If I’m allowed. Being a Southerner and all. I suppose it all depends on what he thought of my Leeds salute… Ashamed emoticon
It was then over to York yesterday morning to do the 10k together. Veg emoticon I say ‘together’. There was no way I was keeping up with Mark now he’s back on it. So, so, so proud of him. Shy kiss emoticon I was a little bit pleased with myselfves for beating my Leeds 10k time and even more impressed with them when I saw this morning that I came 99th out of the 1,218 women in my category. Clap emoticonAnd that was with my iPod croaking on me hence no music and almost fainting/throwing up over the finish line. A bit like being back at Warwick. Just minus the alcohol. Dance emoticon
So that was our weekend anyway: Lots of new things and fun things and accomplishments. All because of, and shared with, my boyfriend. Snuggle emoticon The way it should be really isn’t it?!

Current Mood: Jumping Mood Icon

Protected: Mid-week slump

July 30th, 2010

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Last week was another long week. Bedtime emoticon Which is why, by approximately 18:20 on Friday evening, I was on my 2nd cocktail and had well and truly switched off my brain. Cocktail emoticon I’ve not switched it back on yet. Dazed emoticon So that was how the weekend started and yesterday it continued with much fun as the parents (straight from their holiday in Sorrento and ridiculously tanned) came to visit and we had a big ol’ family day out. Family emoticon ‘Family’ including Mark, of course. Who actually, missed a football match (albeit a friendly and he would only have been able to listen to it online anyway but still) to come with us. Lovely, lovely boyfriend, that man. Kiss emoticon We spent the day at Alnwick Gardens, behaving generally like children (all of us) playing in the water features. Mark particularly wanted a go on the diggers but he was just slightly too big. Sandpit emoticon I, on the other hand, was more excited by (and wouldn’t shut up about) the possibility of having a wedding there. Each to their own eh?! Although Wonky informs me that it isn’t possible to bully a boyfriend into wanting to become your husband and has suggested that I rein it in a bit. Weird girl. Clearly she knows nothing, married as she is. Hmmm. Doh emoticon We finished the day at a very posh restaurant: Fantastic food and amazing company. What more could I want eh? Well, actually, an over-priced champagne cocktail at the end of the night but, as I got that as well, I think it could be classed as a pretty much perfect day. Group hug emoticon

After all those fun and games, today was catch-up day so nothing exciting to report. Yawn emoticon Went for a 5 mile run with hangover in tow. Not very fun. Went to Tesco. Tidied up a bit. Thrilling stuff. Whoop emoticon But tonight we’re off to the wedding reception of a friend of Mark’s. Where it’s very possible I might be having a cocktail. And where, surely, wedding talk is acceptable. Talk emoticon So that’ll be another lovely weekend in the bag then…

Current Mood: Cuddly Mood Icon

Promotion

July 22nd, 2010

Make an effort to keep in touch with far-away friends.

And that way, when you want to visit these far-away friends, you will be able to stay on their sofas for free. Wink emoticon Which is why, given my trip to the U.S in August and the cost of hotels in San Francisco, I thought I’d be ultra-nice to Mister Kostas and give him a free plug for his latest geek invention. Nerd emoticon Which, credit where it’s due, looks really rather good. So Digg if you will please. Thumbsup emoticon And this time I’m not just saying that for a Tiffany ring (I’m saying it for a free sofa Haha emoticon). Really though, all jokes aside, I am glad that, after all that shittiness last summer, Kostas and I have worked out what might just about be classified as a friendship. Deal emoticon But I’m even more delighted by the fact that I figured out how to close that chapter book and now I’ve got a new boyfriend victim to nag about Tiffany rings haven’t I?! Passion emoticon A boyfriend who I’m so crazy about that, actually, I’m beginning to not much care about whether I get the damn Tiffany ring or not. Shocked emoticon So long as I have him. Blush blush. Awed emoticon And hopefully the next trip I take, we’ll be trying to blag a free double sofa…

Current Mood: Cuddly Mood Icon

Who needs Tiffanys when…

July 20th, 2010

Romantic gestures don’t have to involve Tiffany rings.

Yeas. I did just say that. Disbelief emoticon You see, there I was last night, on the Tiffany website, dropping all manner of hints requests to poor Mark about how I need a Tiffany ring when my gorgeous, wonderful, adorable boyfriend had flowers hidden away, waiting to present them to me come bedtime. Flowers emoticon And when he did give them to me, my little heart melted and 6 of my 7 selves decided that was just as sweet and romantic and tear-jerking as being presented with a Tiffany ring. Lovehearts emoticon Especially when we read what he’d written on the card. Happy sigh. Awed emoticon Okay, so the 7th self is going to take a little more persuasion. She’s kinda stuck on the idea of that ring on her finger. But the others will talk her round. Maybe. Blush emoticon

Other things that have had me smiling in the last 24 hours have included a burst of productivity that’s seen me (finally and almost) get on top of my workload. Boffin emoticonA very wet but de-stressing run yesterday evening. And my purchase of the Coast dress that I’ve been wanting for months (okay then, weeks, but it’s felt like months) at the ‘bargainous’ sale price of {insert incoherent mumble here}. Ahem. Shop emoticon Oh, come on. Every girl needs a Clara Mae silver silk dress in a silk/cotton/organza mix, which makes the perfect contrast to the beautiful and bright appliqued silk flowers at the hemline and has a detachable purple sash that can be fastened front or back. Right?! Fall Angel emoticon Oh shut up. It matches my beautiful flowers anyway… Yippee emoticon

Current Mood: Grateful Mood Icon

Too much

July 18th, 2010

This week has been fraught. Frazzled emoticon Busy, busy, busy in schools doing my data collection, interspersed with trying to prepare myself for my first presentation of said ‘data’ on Friday. All I saw were blank faces. Dunce emoticon Which was probably all they saw when they started asking me questions. Confused emoticon Still, my supervisor said it was good so it perhaps wasn’t the carnage it is in my head eh?! Needless to say, after that week, this weekend has been a flop weekend. Tired emoticon And that’s about all I have to say…

Current Mood:Sleepy Mood Icon