Bank Holiday Monday

I was still awake just after 4am.  I tried to get back to sleep but gave up just after 6 and got up.

By 7am I had the first load of washing in and had finished my planting.  I now have cauliflower, broccoli, runner beans, french beans and string beans, along with my rhubarb.  

I did 4 loads of washing and got it all dry, it's bliss to not have damp washing all over the house. Not sure if my washing machine knew what had hit it.  I am sure I heard it sigh when I switched it off.

I have made a start on my pre-holiday to-do list, well I have got some clothes out ready to pack anyway.  Still haven't got around to checking in for my flight yet, or printing any documents off, or taking a bic to my legs.

I have found time to have a nap though.

I have also made a much more successful attempt at a rhubarb sponge with the rhubarb I picked this morning.

I am only at work 3 days this week, hopefully when I get into the office tomorrow my purse will be waiting for me on, under or in my desk!

Sunday Night Mash Up

This week I have been mostly at college.

I have had four days of Tax revision, a day at work and then two days of Audit & Assurance revision.  On Friday (my one day at work) I managed to leave my purse at work, I did not discover this until Saturday morning when I was heading off to catch the bus and train to Birmingham.

At least I hope it is at work, if it's not then I am stuck!

This is the view that I have had all weekend.

Not the most inspiring it has to be said, but at least we got to see a bit of the sky, the room we are normally in just looks out at a brick wall.

After I escaped this afternoon, I took a few photos out and about in Birmingham, it is unusual to see the sun so I thought I would record it for posterity.

Now I know I am female (I am, I checked) but I do not understand some of my gender.  All through the never-ending winter and bad weather some were wearing tiny skirts and tops only just big enough to hide next week's washing, but as soon as the sun comes out and the temperature goes up they all start wearing floor length maxi dresses.  Can someone explain this to me?

Did anyone see last night's Doctor Who? Or should that be Carry On Doctor Bournville?  I am going to have to watch it again as I really am not sure what was going on, I think I started playing Candy Crush Saga partway through.  I had forgotten it was on and missed the first 5 minutes anyway.  Next week's episode appears to be sponsored by Merlin Entertainment and the Doctor seems to be being assimilated into the Borg.

Tomorrow I really need to start getting ready for the holiday, I still have absolutely no idea what to take!

Today I was compared to Miranda. Rude.

Actually, it wasn't rude as I have compared myself to Miranda many times in the past.

And actually it was my blog they were referring to, saying it reads as a cross between Miranda and Bridget Jones (I do have the pants).

For those who have no idea who I am talking about, here is a clip.

I am not quite as clumsy as Miranda, never having had my trousers fall down in public, but I do struggle to wear a heel.  Such fun!

As I was elbowing my way out of the train station earlier.

I had a thought.

How many miles do we walk in a year, in a lifetime, because other people get in our way.  I know I am a bit of a geek, but I would love to know how long my regular journeys would take if I was able to walk at my own speed following the optimum route, without all the little detours caused by people suddenly stopping, or deciding to have a group chat just outside or inside an entrance.

I know everyone walks at different speeds, and I am not having a go at people who, for whatever reason, genuinely walk slower than I do.  My beef is with people who suddenly stop to look at something, or get something out of their bag, or look at their phones whilst in the middle of the main flow of footfall.  If you need to take stock of where you are, or need to look at or for something, move to the side and out of the way.  Certainly don't get off the escalator and just stop.

With this current 'me, me, me' trend people seem to have stopped being aware of what is going on around them with everyone believing that they, and their journey, are obviously far more important than anyone else's could possibly be.  This is made obvious by the people who sit on buses with their mobile phones belting out 'music' for all to hear instead of using earphones.

This morning, for instance, I was queueing to get on to the escalator after I had left the train, I could see an older man in a suit inching closer and obviously trying to get in front of me.  He soon learnt that he was trying to push in front of the wrong person.  I do feel bad that having to stand one step behind me was going to make him so much later to wherever he was going than standing one step in front of me would have done, but thems the breaks.

In happier news, I have won a £10 voucher for Costa Coffee from Freederm.  It is supposed to be used to treat the winner and a friend to coffee and cake, but it will do me twice.

I also have my first Bloglovin' follower, so thank you, you know who you are! :)

It just hit me in the shower.

In 9 days time I will be sat in my extra leg room seat on a Monarch plane on the way to Spain for a week.  AND I AM NOT READY!

The accommodation, flights and transfers are paid.  The insurance is arranged.  Spending money has been saved.  But otherwise, mentally and materially, I am not ready.

I need to get my money changed to euros, I need my eyebrows transforming back into two separate entities. I have nothing to wear at night should I leave my room, I have been running through what is in my wardrobe and nothing seems suitable.  I don't even know what sort of thing I would want to wear at night.

I will be wearing the same shorts and tshirts that I have been wearing for the last 4 or 5 years.

Last time I went to Spain by myself I had a wasted week.  I left the room during the day only long enough for the maid to service it, I would go for a couple of drinks after dinner and then be back in the room by 8pm.  By Wednesday I was not going out after dinner, by Thursday I was not even going down to dinner.

I said at the time that I would not go away again by myself.  I only made the decision to go this time as my friend was coming with me, now that they have cancelled I really do not want to go. But I don't want to lose the money I have paid out.

I will be taking my ACCA books with me, if I am going to be stuck in my room alone for a week I may as well make use of it.

Any suggestions as to what I should wear at night would be gratefully received.

Birmingham Birds.

Day 3 of this week's 6 training days in Birmingham today.

Rushing back to the new New Street Station I passed the remains of the Farmers Market.  There was a covered area with birds of prey in it, they were collecting money for the Central England Bird of Prey Sanctuary (link here CERR)

I wasn't able to stop and have a proper look as we were a little later out from the classroom than usual and I was hurrying to catch my train but I managed to get a few photos.

Not brilliant quality as they were taken on my phone.

These people do wonderful work so if you see them about, stick a couple of coins in their collecting tin.

Another bad night's sleep.

I feel like I am in a vicious circle.  I fall asleep by 8pm at the latest either on the settee or in bed.  

I wake up around 2am with a bursting bladder and feeling so hungry I feel sick.  I deal with one issue in the usual manner and the other by drinking a glass of water (I refuse to start eating in the middle of the night).  I don't know why this is happening, I never go to bed hungry and the bathroom is the last place I visit before I hit the sack.

I am awake for a couple of hours usually falling asleep just as my bladder starts shouting at me again.

When I eventually do get back to sleep I go deep, really deep.  At 5am my alarm goes off and I wake up fast feeling like I have had no sleep at all.  All I want to do is go back to sleep but I can't and I feel drained all day.  I am then so tired by the time I get home and have eaten that I am falling asleep again.  If I do force myself to stay awake later than my body tells me (and by later I mean till 9 or 10pm) it just means that I struggle to get to sleep, sometimes still being awake at midnight.  I will still wake up in the early hours with a full bladder and hungry sick feeling so all I have done is deprive myself of even more sleep.

Yesterday I almost fell asleep in class and I am enjoying Tax, Heaven help me at the weekend when I have two days of Audit & Assurance zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........

I know the doctor said that the tiredness would be the hardest thing to correct, but it seems to be getting worse not better, I can't seem to see an end to it.

I am becoming more forgetful too, I can remember words to 80s songs that I have not heard for 30 years, ask me who borrowed £150 off me twenty-something years ago and never paid me back and I can tell you, ask me to recite all the lies someone has told me and you will beg me to stop.  But ask me why I have walked into the kitchen from the living room and I would not be able to tell you. I am finding it harder to remember to take my tablets and surely that should be getting easier as it becomes a routine.

There was dementia and Parkinsons in the family and I am worried that this is the start of it.  It probably isn't but worrying does not help the sleeplessness.