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jacquelinebThere was a flurry of activity two weeks back, mostly because housemate S and I were interviewing for prospective new housemates as P left for his own recently bought apartment. Three on Monday night, followed by another two on Tuesday (in between which I was dashing out the door to get to a teaching class), before Wednesday night when work colleague and friend of S's, F, says he will take the room. Massive relief for us though the come down from the stress meant I wasn't quite so able to enjoy St Patrick's Day night out as much as I would have liked. Still, it was good to go out, and it being something of a celebration as being the night I met people who've become good friends while being here.
Things are still in a state of flux, though; sorting out bills, a new contract to sign, F to actually move in soon, etc. But the rest is really details.
I'm snuffling through yet another cold, probably about the fourth for 2010 already. It's getting kind of boring and wearing, these repetitive illnesses. The only thing I can say is I need to keep myself together a bit better to avoid them - back in Australia, I could let my eating habits go a bit and still be fine, but I've noticed a definite tendency that periods of stress tended to be coupled with poor eating are almost inevitably followed by a cold...anyway, the cold months are slowly retreating, so hopefully this will be my last for a while?
Have just come back from the third weekend for 2010 of the dancing exam course in Hemel Hempstead. It felt a bit like an endurance test with the sore throat (only after blossomed into a cold) but as one of the important RSCDS people was there, it was worth it as she really knows her stuff both about teaching skills and dancing. A few things to improve on with my technique, and there's always work to be done with my teaching!
The timing of being sick couldn't have been worse, for before I was over in Hemel, I had a small jaunt up to Newcastle for a Ceilidh. This was part of Spring Fling, an event for Scottish Country Dancers aged between 16-35. M, who is also doing the course with me, suggested I come up as well for the night to head back down the next day for the course. All a bit tiring, involving early mornings and rushing for planes, made not so pleasant by the throat, but it was a good trip all in all. I'm certainly keen to go back for Spring Fling next year.
Considering I was going quite a way, I decided that I'd head up to Newcastle bright and early and make a day of it. Took a very early flight, and just happened to run into three girls who were also going up for Spring Fling. We got to the Youth Hostel at 9am and spent the morning together wandering through the city centre, going into St Nicholas Cathedral and the Castle Keep. Spied the bridges over the Tyne, one of which has an eerie resemblance to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I left them around lunch time to meet with M and her friend A to wander around the coast near Tynemouth. I realised I hadn't seen the sea properly since leaving Australia, which made it rather special. Of course, it is hard to compare any other coast to the Mid North Coast of home, but I have to say it was rather nice (tries not to sound patronising as she says that...)
Trundled back after a great lunch in a lovely pub called the Priory, leaving M and A to catch the ferry across the river, feeling a little worse for wear, but a few moments of relaxing at the hostel and dinner raised me up enough for the Ceilidh that evening, though not quite enough to stay up and mingle with the others. Besides, a 4.30 wake up awaited me...
In other news, I'm very happy to see the daffodils up at last; they make me very happy. See new icon for the ones that have sprung up in our barrel in the back garden, and these two pictures under the cut:
My orchid has also completely blossomed now, and I love it to pieces (probably the purple colour, but also the fact that following my horticulturist neighbours advice has worked!)
And also, if you ever wonder what happens to potatoes if you leave them in the cupboard for ages...
That was an interesting thing to pull out of the pantry today!
--
In terms of blogging stuff, I'm itching to do an update of what turned out to be a busy first three months of 2010, which I may do after I've eaten dinner which is in the oven right now. Have happily though as a result of this post deleted a few drafts I've made as a result of attempting to blog. Makes the whole journal feel a bit 'cleaner' if you will.
At any rate, I'd like to do this before heading off to Madrid to see my sister for Easter. She has the net over there so I'll hopefully update on being there whilst I'm there, though from 8-12 April I'll be visiting a friend, K, in the French Alps, where he tells me the net is rather sparse. But I think I can cope without it for a little while. ;)
Things are still in a state of flux, though; sorting out bills, a new contract to sign, F to actually move in soon, etc. But the rest is really details.
I'm snuffling through yet another cold, probably about the fourth for 2010 already. It's getting kind of boring and wearing, these repetitive illnesses. The only thing I can say is I need to keep myself together a bit better to avoid them - back in Australia, I could let my eating habits go a bit and still be fine, but I've noticed a definite tendency that periods of stress tended to be coupled with poor eating are almost inevitably followed by a cold...anyway, the cold months are slowly retreating, so hopefully this will be my last for a while?
Have just come back from the third weekend for 2010 of the dancing exam course in Hemel Hempstead. It felt a bit like an endurance test with the sore throat (only after blossomed into a cold) but as one of the important RSCDS people was there, it was worth it as she really knows her stuff both about teaching skills and dancing. A few things to improve on with my technique, and there's always work to be done with my teaching!
The timing of being sick couldn't have been worse, for before I was over in Hemel, I had a small jaunt up to Newcastle for a Ceilidh. This was part of Spring Fling, an event for Scottish Country Dancers aged between 16-35. M, who is also doing the course with me, suggested I come up as well for the night to head back down the next day for the course. All a bit tiring, involving early mornings and rushing for planes, made not so pleasant by the throat, but it was a good trip all in all. I'm certainly keen to go back for Spring Fling next year.
Considering I was going quite a way, I decided that I'd head up to Newcastle bright and early and make a day of it. Took a very early flight, and just happened to run into three girls who were also going up for Spring Fling. We got to the Youth Hostel at 9am and spent the morning together wandering through the city centre, going into St Nicholas Cathedral and the Castle Keep. Spied the bridges over the Tyne, one of which has an eerie resemblance to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I left them around lunch time to meet with M and her friend A to wander around the coast near Tynemouth. I realised I hadn't seen the sea properly since leaving Australia, which made it rather special. Of course, it is hard to compare any other coast to the Mid North Coast of home, but I have to say it was rather nice (tries not to sound patronising as she says that...)
Trundled back after a great lunch in a lovely pub called the Priory, leaving M and A to catch the ferry across the river, feeling a little worse for wear, but a few moments of relaxing at the hostel and dinner raised me up enough for the Ceilidh that evening, though not quite enough to stay up and mingle with the others. Besides, a 4.30 wake up awaited me...
In other news, I'm very happy to see the daffodils up at last; they make me very happy. See new icon for the ones that have sprung up in our barrel in the back garden, and these two pictures under the cut:
My orchid has also completely blossomed now, and I love it to pieces (probably the purple colour, but also the fact that following my horticulturist neighbours advice has worked!)
And also, if you ever wonder what happens to potatoes if you leave them in the cupboard for ages...
That was an interesting thing to pull out of the pantry today!
--
In terms of blogging stuff, I'm itching to do an update of what turned out to be a busy first three months of 2010, which I may do after I've eaten dinner which is in the oven right now. Have happily though as a result of this post deleted a few drafts I've made as a result of attempting to blog. Makes the whole journal feel a bit 'cleaner' if you will.
At any rate, I'd like to do this before heading off to Madrid to see my sister for Easter. She has the net over there so I'll hopefully update on being there whilst I'm there, though from 8-12 April I'll be visiting a friend, K, in the French Alps, where he tells me the net is rather sparse. But I think I can cope without it for a little while. ;)
