nora

Leaving and beginning again

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:41:35 GMT

Today is my last day at .

Tomorrow is a new day and a fresh start.

I have worked here for 5 years and 5 months. I have been presented with my flowers, collected my P45, handed back my iPhone 4S and will shortly leave my office and HP laptop behind me.

Where I will be going there will only be Blackberry's... and a different HP laptop.

Thank goodness I have a personal iPhone! I might have cracked if I didnt.

I start my new job 2nd of April. I will be working for a major pharma company and earn more money! Woo!

I will be living an hour and a half away from Dan, Ruth, JTA and Paul which is a lot closer than I currently am! I will also be living closer to Suz, Alec and only 40 minutes away from Bryn if Google maps is to be believed! Woo!

I will be leaving Simon and the cats behind me. Noooooo!!!!! Simon will be continuing his studies in Computer Game Design and we will be making a decision on future steps once his course is completed (in 2 years, 4 months and counting)

I will be moving in with a Footballers wife. What???! Yep, you heard me.

Hhehehehe.

If you want to know how I'm getting on I would really appreciate a call. I miss you all so much.

Liz
xxxx

We have a third cat

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 16:46:04 GMT

Before we got Oliver, our third cat, I was pretty confident that I knew as much as I needed to understand to look after a cat, even a problematic cat.

In my lifetime I have known and helped look after 7 cats (excluding Oliver). Each has its own personality and I've usually had multiple cats at home.

I'm ashamed to admit that I'm struggling with Oliver. He is a very dominant 5 month old male Bengal. I dont mind his demanding shouts or how often he scratches me/ the wallpaper/ Simon (although Simon has admitted to being a bit scared of him in the mornings and gets very cross when Oliver knocks over the red wine on the carpet). No, the thing that keeps me awake at night worrying, is the continued tension between him and one of my established cats Boots who is a meak and mild quiet girl who hides whenever he is near.

Oliver has been with us for a month and although Boots no longer has little panics when he approaches, she is still quite scared and will run away from him, which only excites him to give chase. He currently doesnt seem to be responding to hisses/ fake cat bites and so we will now try water sprays.

I'm determined to train him. I just had a little moment of defeatism last night when he ran over my face as I lay on the setee and after driving a claw into my eye lid my face became quite bloodied. I now have a slight black eye.

It will be fine.

L
x

Details of Troma Night New Years for those not on Facebook

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:50:50 GMT

As increasingly many of my friends are moving away from Facebook, from choice or otherwise (Dan) and I had originally placed all the details of the event within Facebook Events, I should really include them somewhere that most people have access to without any issues.

Here are the details for those wishing to come who are not on Facebook.

I wont be sharing my mobile number or address here for obvious reasons. If anyone wants my address please text me and if you dont have my number please contact Simon or Dan Q or Bryn who definitely do, and are coming.

Everyone is invited.

Saturday, December 31, 2011 at 4:00pm until Sunday, January 1, 2012 at 10:00am.

Films are:

1. Toxic Avenger Directors cut part 1
2. Cannibal! The musical
3. Guest film!!! Chosen by a special guest

I've checked and Domino's Pizza is open to 11.00 that night so we will order from there and I have got a sponge ready!!!

Please can everyone try and bring a pillow and sleeping bag. We have a couple of spares and a couple of mattresses which people can use (2 doubles and a single) which will be on a first come first served basis. Please respond to this message if you want to reserve one!

xxx

Eating out of cans

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:22:21 GMT

I'm eating soup out of a polystrene container. Soup in one hand a coke can in the other. I am living life in the fast lane.

Sometimes it feels like there is not enough time in the day to eat properly and so everything I seem to eat at work comes from packets.

I try and make up for this in the evenings by cooking up a storm. Last night was rump steak (medium) cooked in Corbiere red wine (syrah and grenache), red onion, mushrooms, lemon tyme and yellow pepper served with baby new potatoes. I like cooking alot and i'm already thinking about how mashing up the sweet potatoes from a local farmer I bought over the weekend, to serve with the last of the steak tonight.

I also really like the feeling you get when a room is decorated. Simon and I have been working on and off on the living room since Febuary this year. It is now in it's final stages. We have had a wall plastered, a new archway erected, a new fireplace put in and a window replaced. Simon has fashioned some new sideboards and everything has been painted so we are now papering the walls. After that it is just the carpet to go in. Fingers crossed this will all be completed by the end of next week so that it will all be ready for our new years party!

Hope to see you all there! And if not in person, maybe we will skype you in for a new years hello if you are available.

Love and hugs and see you soon!

x

Wedding blog part 2

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 20:52:38 GMT

Yesterday I got married and I had a great time.

After having a leisurely breakfast with Bryn, Matt p and claire N (friend from work) joined us to walk around coventry's bombed out cathedral. Bryn took some photos and then we wandered around looking at the architecture in the cathedral quarter. We had a run through at the venue at 1pm to make sure the flower girl knew what to do and also to make sure dad and I knew what we were doing. Then we went back to the hotel we were all staying at to get ready. Claire and I drank champagne while Bryn and Matt kept us up to date with peoples arrival times. Kellie, the flower girl was getting dressed in my room while dan, Ruth and jta arrived. My mum later arrived with my dress and I was changed just in time for Bryn to come in and have a look.

I walked up the cobbled hill with my dad to the venue to be welcomed by our photographers. They took pictures as we walked the last few steps into the guildhall courtyard. Kellie's shout of 'lizzie's here' warned people of my arrival. Kellie did a great job throwing petals and loved all the attention as well as the dress my mum made for her.

After the ceremony, simon and I walked through a long tunnel of guests throwing confetti.

Wedding day blog (part 1)

Sat, 13 Aug 2011 06:40:06 GMT

Last night I dreamed about working while on holiday. In my dream my line manager kept telling to stop working and have fun.
Well I'm not going to do any work today. Despite bryn's threats though, I'm not letting him confiscate my work phone.

I'm getting married at 3pm today. I had a nightmare day yesterday trying to get the very last things sorted; simon's dad crashed his car into the back of ours while we were taking the flowers and cake to the venue and the hotel complained of a power shortage and decided to move loads of my guests to another hotel the other side of the city without notifying anyone. My wonderful dad sorted that by throwing money at the situation, and making sure no-one from the wedding was moved.

I'm hoping today will be a better day.

The plan so far is to do some mat exercise, have a bath and then go for breakfast with my parents. I still haven't seen the finished dress, which my mum fished making yesterday, so I'll try that on (i have a back up dress just in case) with my French bridal cap, then try on my party dress for the evening. I have a hair apt at 12 but I'm not sure I will bother- I'll just have my hair down. I have a run through with the flower girl at 1pm and then I'll be on the champagne and getting ready. I'm planning on walking over to the venue at 2.50pm with my dad and some friends unless it rains. I'm hoping for a fun, and relaxing day.

Xxxx

Update

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 12:46:31 GMT

Hi,

What have I been up to? Well I went on holiday last week. I spent my holiday based in a B&B, in beautiful and sunny Warwickshire. The lady who ran the B&B made us fresh bread each morning and offered us home made jam and marmalade. My wedding diet suffered as a result but I enjoyed every mouthful.

We went to the Stratford fringe festival and caught a one man version of Midsummers Night Dream (1 man, 17 parts, tap dancing, singing and juggling) which was spectacular. As you can imagine, he was pracitsing right up to the point the curtain went up. He must have been so nervous with every member of the audience outside the room waiting to be let in while her rehearsed.

We also saw many of Simons friends and family while we were down in the midlands.

We are now back in Macclesfield and looking forward to our next holiday which will be our honeymoon.

In other news, Simon might be starting a night course in computer games design. I guess I will soon be a computer games widow.

xxx

Fri, 20 May 2011 12:13:43 GMT

Hi everyone!

While sat at my desk having my lunch/ dinner (depending on where you are from) of veg soup and a roll, I thought why not update everyone on what I am doing at the moment. Then I wondered whether there was anything which would be of interest. I decided not, but I would write something down anyway.

I am exercising loads. I mean loads.

Every work day I cycle 3 miles into work then go to the gym for 30 minutes. I always cycle home but when I havent had to work late I will go to the gym in the evening too. On a Monday I go to a canoing class between 7pm and 9pm and on a Thursday morning I have a personal training session from 7.45am - 8.15am. This week I have been to the gym 7 times and also been canoeing.

I am frustrated that I havent seen any physical results in the mirror, however I have lost a couple of inches from around my waist and bum. Unfortunately I have also lost an inch from around my chest.

My mum kindly mentioned to me a couple of weeks ago that she needs to use a larger pattern for the arms of my wedding dress and a smaller pattern for the bodice. How wonderful Mum. Thanks for further damaging my body image.

As I am now exercising my arms overtime in the gym I hope that will make my arms thinner, however knowing my luck i'll probably just grow massive muscles there.

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend planned and I'll look forward to seeing you all soon. Dont forget the new years party at ours. All Abnibers welcome.

Plus if you havent recieved an invite to the wedding and think you should have done - my apologies. Let me know and I'll tell you the address/ ask someone else. Basically just turn up, but not for the meal as I dont have enough seats left.

Liz
x

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:14:57 GMT

I stand corrected - Here is the facebook page for Origin Chocolate (based in Wilmslow)
http://www.facebook.com/search.php?q=Pure+Origin+Chocolate+Wilmslow&type=all&init=srp#!/pages/Pure-Origin-Chocolate/174249089269587?v=info

Random crap

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:06:09 GMT

Hi Everyone!

I went down to Oxford yesterday to do some fieldwork. While I was there I stayed the night at Ruth, Paul, Dan & JTA's (no particular order). It was great to see them but I got a huge telling off for not blogging more so here are some random things that have happened recently.

I have the decorating bug:

After decorating the two bedrooms last year, Simon and I took a break from decorating and now we are up and running again. We started the study in January and after we install the radiator and shutters that room will be complete!! It may however turn into our new livingroom as we have moved everything in there to make room to start decorating the previous holder of that title. We have stripped the wallpaper off in the old living room so far. We hope to make more progress in the coming weeks, however first we need to decide on what we are going to replace the fireplace with.

Matt moves in:

Matt moved in a week ago while he looks for a place of his own. I will leave him to blog about that more, I just wanted to say that so far it is working really well. Matt and simon have alot in common, both having studied International Politics at Aber, and both having worked for the public sector. They even dress the same which has raised a few comments about the 'twins' when we are out.

Farmers Market (Local Produce for Local People):

On the first Sunday in every month The Dophin Inn pub on Black Road in Macclesfield is transformed into a farmers and local traders market. Meats, Cheeses, pies, Local Ales from Knutsford, Marmalades, Chocolates from Wilmslow.

I bought a 21 day hung rump steak bigger than my head for less than £10 there at the weekend. It will easily feed all 3 of us, as long as I can find something big enough to cook it in.

I also bought Chocolate from a man with a waxed moutashe and a top hat who described himself as an artisan. He offered me chocolate tasters made made from beans from all over the world. While tasting he told me about the flavours in the chocolate. There were no added flavourings I hasten to add. I bought 2 bars of Milk chocolate for £7 which have a Morello cherry and vanilla aftertaste (all natural). I'm already planning on getting a couple of bars of 85% made from the most expensive beans in the world. The chocolate has no bitter aftertaste. It is as creamy as the milk chocolate.

If you can find him look out for Origin Chocolates. Apparently he is on facebook but I can't seem to find him.

Kind regards,

Liz
xxx

Christmas joy

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 08:57:29 GMT

Merry Christmas everyone!

It will be my last day in office today before we shut for Christmas, and we will be celebrating with a half day and bacon baps from the boss.

I hope everyone has a happy Christmas ahead and has plans for new years all sorted. I'm not sure what si and I will be doing yet, but I'm sure it will be fun. We will probably end up going round to my parents as they have a house party each year with their neighbours and friends. They let off huge amounts of fireworks while drunk and light chinese lanturns with blow torches (that's my dad's trick).

We are going to be starting the celebrations tonight by going to a panto in Manchester!!!

Liz
xxx

I've fallen off my bike

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:29:29 GMT

I recently spent my first ever night in hospital after falling off my bike and injuring somewhere very delicate...

Why is it the nurses in A&E are lovely to you, then when you are enticed onto the ward they turn into your mother when you were 3 years old? They toss and turn you around, wake you up at 3am and open the curtains when you are only half dressed while screaming 'have you gone to the toilet yet?'

Ahhh! Should I have? Why is that important? When can I go home?

Anyway - I managed to escape, I should all be healed in 3-4 weeks and it no longer hurts to sit down so that's good.

me
xxx

Where are you now?

Fri, 08 Oct 2010 07:43:44 GMT

It's the first week back in work for me after the holidays and I'm on the come down. I want to try and hold on to the holiday feeling for as long as possible but it's already ebbing away too quickly.

I'm between offices at work while the builders are in extending our area into the next door space. It makes for a loud and disjointed day as I try to work out where I left my 'stuff'.

Next week I'll be down in London quite a bit with work and hopefully I'll get to see Bryn on Thurssday night to see a film at the trafford centre.

That's it.

Liz
xxx

Holiday

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 23:25:22 GMT

Simon and I have just come back from a week in Fueteventura (Canary Islands).

We decided to go for a package holiday for ease, self catering for choice and a resort for guilty relaxation.

We were actually quite full of guilt for the whole of the holiday. There were no real opportunities to soak up the culture in a tiny self contained universe of essentially English and German ex pats selling cheap meaningless Spanish mementos alongside your burger and fries.

We eagerly seized the first opportunity to ring a number on a flyer advertising a trip around the island on quad bikes.

The rest of the time we lazed in the sun, went sea canoeing, played on paddle boards or tried to pass the time by sleeping. It was actually quite boring and we'd had enough by the 3rd day.

We didnt learn enough about Canarian culture, but we did learn:

1. Quite a surprising % of Fueteventura is covered by sand blown over from the Sahara desert
2. Many of the 'roads' through the desert are going to be closed next year for the preservation of a chicken like bird
2. Quad bikes in the desert = dusty fun
3. Paddle boards (where you stand up on a surf board/ canoe and paddle with a long stick) are difficult to control but fun!!
4. NEVER AGAIN to go to a beach resort - they are boring

We are seriously thinking of going to Nottingham's center parcs/Dachau for our honeymoon.

Since we have been home Simon has spent alot of time playing Halo on the Xbox and I've been digging up the Garden.

We have just come back from watching Scott Pilgrim and I got really excited about the Smashing Pumpkins T-Shirts he was wearing! When I was going out with Tom he gave me MP3's of all the Smashing Pumpkins albums I didnt already own, but my iTunes refuses to play most of them so I'm currently downloading loads from the iTunes store.

If you like Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan decided that there was no money in CD's anymore and so you can now download their new songs from their website - http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/

I think the tracks will be put into albums after so many.

Anyway - enough rambling.

Love to you all!

xxx

Company policies to social networking and blogs

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:40:36 GMT

Just been implemented at our place - glad this is all anonymous

RE: Troma 300

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 16:36:53 GMT

I'm afriad I won't be able to bring a single date to Troma this week.

I'm walking a marathon this evening in Manchester in aid of Cancer Research UK.

However, I have had a thought. As I walk, I can try and meet some new people and talk to them about the joys of Troma films AND never see them again.

I hope that suits?

I'll let you know how I get on and whether people are receptive to the ideas of troma. The ever lasting love of Tromeo and his Juliet etc etc etc.

Please wish me well in my efforts tonight. The walk starts at 10pm and I'm hoping to finish by 6.30am - although realistically after my trial walk of 20 miles the other day I think it will be more like 7am

xxx

hyper

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 17:06:02 GMT

I've done something silly and eaton too many sweets at work. i'm now wandering around ridiculously hyer and unable to concentrate!! Whats worse is that my back wants a good crack - is that me getting old?

Please sugar - go away, come again another day (preferably at the weekend when I can enjoy you to your suggary, blissful fullness)

If you are anything like me...

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:25:56 GMT

...then you love a good bit of gossip and love reading people's blogs (not the ones about IT though ;P xxx)

Well we have been looking at wedding venues for next year and I hope you will all approve of the organic farm that we have picked. Sausages and cheese are made on the farm itself so the menue will consist of food made in the next barn.

We are hoping (pending a visit) to have both the ceremony and shin dig there to save on driving anywhere else.

Otherwise, I am still at work and working on a report i'm writing about how World Class Commissioning (buzz word of today) is influencing the role of the oncology pharmacist (well that is what I've changed the report into because it is more interesting than - so, what does an oncology pharmacist do then?).

on a completely random note, I walked 18 miles the other day in training for the Shine Cancer Research marathon walk next month. I now officially dislike walking - it takes all day and it makes my legs feel floppy.

xxx

Update

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:08:10 GMT

Hey!!!

I'm a little merry as a I write so please excuse any poor grammer or spelling.

:)

The party was excellent and thank you so much to all those who were able to come so far. I ws thinking as we were walking down the hill to Pizza Express how amazing our friendship group is that it would be willing to travel so far for a party but I think that is what makes everyone so special. I was also thinking that I hoped Paul didnt feel that he wasnt invited - I invited everyone via facebook which Paul isnt on (I might be wrong there - Paul?).

I hope you all know that there is an open invitation here at all times.

Otherwise, I've been in xxxxxxx for the past few days talking to people about the substance misuse services there. I'm hoping to talk set up group discussions with the users of those services later this month to understand the impact these services have to their hectic everyday lives.

Next week I'm down south to talk about a new Type 2 Diabetes drug and non small lung cancer therapies.

xxx

Wedding

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:41:25 GMT

By the way, this is the kind of dancing we will be doing at the party after the wedding. You will love it and I think Ruth will be able to lead the way.

My Grandma teaches this kind of dancing and my Dad plays in a country music band so it was the obvious choice. hope you dont think we are nuts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lghNoyVe-2o

Otherwise, I was promoted. I am now a research manager.

xxx

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:24:24 GMT

Hey guys!

Recently alot seems to have happened.

In November Simon and I bought and moved into a terraced house near Manchester. Then, at the beginning of January he proposed and so we are now hopefully going to be getting marreid next September.

We are currently doing the house up and trying not to think about what we should do for the wedding because I'm a first rate skin flint who hates spending money on anything other than toothpaste (which is very important) while Simon wants a huge family wedding and that is not really compatable. I tihnk he wants to give me a heart attack before we actually tie the knot.

While I type away at this blog I'm putting off the time I have to start tihnking bout my job review which is after lunch. Oh well, I'll run off any frustrations at the gym tonight and then eat loads of cake tonight. Sounds like a plan.

xxx

Moving soon

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:56:00 GMT

We're moving into our new house on Friday (20th November) - Sunday. Therefore I wont be coming down to Aber that weekend with Bryn although I would have really loved too.

Will come to Aber soon though - maybe a couple of weeks after we move to see everyone.

Bryn - I'm sorry I wont be able to join you.

Houses

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 07:05:28 GMT

I'm desperately trying to buy a house AGAIN and failing miserably.

We are looking for a house that is within a mile of the train station (Simon commutes), but not so close that we hear the trains going by. We would like somewhere with 2 bedrooms so people can come over and stay, a garden and preferably somewhere to park. Is that so much to ask? You wouldnt think so with the amount of virtual money we have to spend (thanks mostly to my parents who are saints).

The house we were moving forward with, on Black Road, had most of the above: Semi-detached, garden, 2 bed, 0.4 miles from the station. Unfortunately, the vendor died and her niece has taken it off the market so that she can move in. We have lost almost a grand of our savings as a result.

So far, this time, we have found a 3 story, 3 bed old weavers cottage without parking and with a communal garden. Maybe not exactly perfect but we are still looking.

P.s. When did we all get old? Did it happen when I wasnt looking?

Houses

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 10:12:22 GMT

Si and I have seen a house in Macclesfield that we want to put an offer on. If we do manage to get it you will laugh your socks off - it's like something from the 50's with a coal cellar and a massive loft. Cracks all over the ceiling and one worrying one in the main bedroom that we hope the survey will explain. It has been completely gutted and will take years to fix up. It's a project!!!

Good luck in Pisa Claire!!! It looked spacious on the video and hopefully you'll have fun and get a bit of personal time there.

xxx

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:09:10 GMT

15 people working in the offices upstairs were made redundant today.

People I have worked with are gone.

I'm selfishly glad it wasnt me, but I guess next time it might be.