The Forty Days of Lent!

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this in any previous blogs - I know I ramble on a bit at times - but I'm on lent at the moment - no sweets or chocolate from pancake day to Easter Sunday, its hell!

Now I don't do it for religious reasons, its not to repent for my sins or to feel deprived - its purely because I have a serious Haribo and Malteser problem!

Actually I've done lent since I was a little girl, probably since I was 6 or 7. It was a tradition I did with my Grandma and have continued it in her absense ever since, keep the memory alive and do it for her. I've never cheated, I have been tempted many a time but have always managed to put the lid back on the sweetie jar and walk away!

By this time though I start to find it hard, less than 2 weeks to go and the Easter Eggs are everywhere, I can practically smell them the minute I walk into the supermarket and don't even get me started on the pick n mix in Woolworths - I dream about it most nights - Brad Pitt move over, I'm thinking cola bottles and liquorice allsorts, fruit pastilles and wine gums, chocolate fudge cake and box after box of Celebrations!!!! The adverts on the telly are pretty bad too - I've started to avoid the adverts just before and after Corrie - you know the really annoying ones with 'Trudy'?!? I don't even like dark chocolate but when she bites into that Dark Flake I find myself salivating just a little! Its a good job I live alone!!!

The worst thing is people think they can make you cheat - they sit and eat a Mars Bar in front of you and do the;

"Hmmmmmm, this is lovely............would you like a bite....go on, you know you want to.....just a little bite...no one will know"

Its just not funny - why would you want to encourage someone to fail? I'm stronger than them anyway, I can guarantee I won't break - I have that dream to look forward to every night - and come Easter Sunday that dream will be reality- that chocolate egg is going to taste like the best egg ever. All my friends and family will see for a whole day is me surrounded by sweet wrappers with chocolate round my mouth - like a big kid.

13 days and counting...................

Payday Blues!!!!

God how awful is the last week before payday?!

My fridge is empty and my evening meals are getting more and more boring with the remains of whats left - ham and houmous sandwich last night (think the houmous was a little past its best too but never mind) and I think alphabet spaghetti this evening - left over from a somewhat jovial shopping trip - probably on my way back from the pub!!!!

I, like so many, live for payday - life seems easier, my mood is brighter and I feel more positive! I don't like to budget at the best of times but when your skint and waiting to get paid its even more depressing having to plan what you have left - which means no fun stuff - no nipping to the supermarket on the way home after a bad day to buy a posh tea and your favourite bottle of vino - no treating yourself to those fabulous shoes you saw last week to cheer yourself up - and no long evenings in the pub drinking a nice Merlot - its half a lager and lime that tastes like its been poured straight from the drip tray and a packet of dry roasted - if I'm lucky!

Now I have very little self control at the best of times so when my lovely friend asked if I fancied going for a cheeky glass of wine and a spot of lunch today (even though we do it ever Friday lunch as well), I just found I couldn't resist. After a long and boring morning at work, some lunch, wine and girlie conversation was just what i needed - and although I knew I couldn't afford it I thought 'what the hell' - and what a lovely lunch it was too. So I walked (and stumbled a little - hiccup) back to the office feeling a bit guilty - it dawned on me that if I wasn't so quick to spend all my money as soon as I got paid I'd have enough to see me through the month and wouldn't have that last week of payday blues! Seems so simple but I know next month I'll do exactly the same.

But my friends are in the same position - we're all as bad as each other - in fact when one of the girls realised she'd ran out of gin last night and she'd had a bad day, she opted for opening that bottle of babycham that had been in her fridge for god knows how long - you see, payday desperation!

So this weekend will be interesting, if I get desperate there's always the half bottle of cooking wine left over from a casserole, a bottle of tequila I've had for about 9 years, or the Cherry Lambrini I bought last summer - must have been the week before payday!

Party at mine anyone?

The Internet Generation!

I've decided to join the realms of Internet users out there and get installed at home.

I know its hard to believe I don't already have it what with my blog, myspace, facebook, etc but its something I've never got round to - but it getting difficult fitting everything into my lunch hour (OK, well maybe I play sometimes when I should be working but we'll keep that between ourselves OK!).

Now I think I'm a fairly intelligent young woman. I can programme my video and set the timer on my boiler all by myself so I'm pretty technologically minded!!! I've always been pretty good with computers so I thought getting something as simple as broadband fitted would be a piece of cake - wrong!

So I contacted my mate who owns a computer business and asked for his advice. The conversation went like this;

Polly:
"I want the Internet at home but I've not got a phone line installed - can I do it without one? Can I get one of those wireless thingy-me-jobbies"?

Ted:
"Of course you can have the Internet without a phone line, just ask a fairy to sprinkle some magic dust over your computer and you'll be set up. In other words Polly, GET A FRIKIN PHONE LINE"

That told me then! Looking back I didn't really think my question through did I?

So I started ringing round to get a phone line installed - BT seemed the first choice but as I was halfway through the conversation the phone line died and I was cut off - pretty poor to say I was talking to one of the UKs largest telecoms providers! Might go elsewhere! Then there's the actual Internet itself - its all 'mega bites this' and 'gigabytes that' and download speeds and usage and blah, blah, blah! I just want to write my blog and talk to my friends online - is that too much to ask???

So in the meantime my computer is sat looking lonely in the spare room with me giving it daily reassurance that one day soon I will at least switch it on!

I better go and ring BT again................it could take me all day to get through............and then get cut off again!

Don't you just love technology? We've come along way since the invention of the wheel!!!!

I Love my Mum!!!

Oh dear, have just realised its been nearly 2 weeks since my last post - I'd like to say its because I've been crazy busy and simply haven't had time but in fact, I just kept forgetting!!!!!

Anyway, I'm back now so that's the main thing!

So, did you all spoil your Mums yesterday? I hope so! I cooked an excellent roast dinner - if I do say so myself - and a good time seemed to be had by all. As usual I cooked for about 8 people when in fact there were just the 4 of us and I did what I've been telling my mum off for doing for years

"..Is every ones warm enough.."

"....Can I get anyone more gravy...carrots....yorkshire puddings...."

"oh I apologise if the potatoes are a bit crispy, I left them in the oven for 10 minutes too long..."

You know the kind of thing - fussing!!!!

I have to say, although I'm not a great cook, I'm certainly getting better and more confident the more I try and those who have eaten in my kitchen have lived to tell the tale so that's always a good sign!

My Mum seemed to enjoy herself - I wanted to make sure she was pampered and didn't have to lift a finger - and of course the half bottle of rose she had certainly helped too!!!! My sister had driven up from Banbury to surprise her which was lovely and we all enjoyed spending some time together, all 4 of us - it doesn't happen very often!

So, as the night drew on, me and my dad did our usual trick of drinking every drop of red wine in sight so now, once again, I'm feeling a little hungover. I dread to think how my mum is - she only has to sniff a shandy and she's bedridden for the day!

But on a sentimental note, we should be pampering our Mums (and Dads) everyday, not just wait for a silly commercialised day to say thank you and let them know they're appreciated. My Mum, over the years, has gone from being the person I used to fight with like cat and dog, to my friend. The relationship between Mother and daughter is a very special one and I'm lucky to have such a wonderful woman as my Mum. We enjoy shopping trips together, we enjoy going to the theatre, we go out for nice lunches and I can't let many days pass without at least speaking to her on the phone. She's there for me when I need her and is always a shoulder to cry on, or even give me a reality check when I'm being ridiculous or my 'drama queen' status gets out of hand.

So remember, parents are for life....not just there to buy you presents at Christmas!!!

A Killer Evening!

So I have to tell you about Sunday evening. I went to see The Killers and I was lucky enough to watch them from one of the private boxes at the Arena. It was amazing!!!!!

Now I've discussed previously about my 'disadvantage' when I normally go to see bands, I'm only 5'4 so I spend the whole time on tip toes or jumping up and down just so I can catch a glimpse of the band. This time it was totally different, we had a perfect view of the stage, we could sit down, we could stand up - we even had a fridge in the corner packed full of beer - which we took full advantage of!!!

The Killers were amazing, definitely one of the best concerts I've been to, and I've been to a lot over the years!!!! We sung our hearts out, we danced - I screamed a lot and was informed by my mate that I definitely need to work on my 'whoop'. Its too girly, needs to be brought down an octave or two apparently!!!!

Seeing a band from a box is totally different, whereas I appreciate the atmosphere is amazing when your in the thick of it at the front, my crowd surfing days are well and truly over and I enjoyed being able to relax and enjoy the show rather than being pushed all over the place and getting soaked. God I sound old!!!!

So Monday at work was pretty much a write off - I spent most of the day with my head down the loo with a hangover and had lost my voice due to singing all night. Even a bacon and sausage sandwich couldn't sort me out so I knew I must have been bad!

Very rock n roll!!!!! I can't wait for the next time!

..............he doesn't look a thing like jesus...........!!!!