Reach for the stars...

MrsMoo2U

Thought about you today Nic, I called into the charity shop whilst at the bank and I found the most gorgeous blue top (french connection). It was small and only £3.99. I wasnt sure what size you were but I would have bought it and sent it up. It was just the colour that you have been looking for but it was quite tailored and sleeveless with a high neckline (kind of along the lines of a shift dress top but more tailored). It was divine but, as I say, very small. Now I know that you are small but wasnt sure how small. Anyway, my prattling is saying that if you think it might fit (remember French Connection small) I dont mind getting it if it is still there and sending it up to you.
Hope work isnt too busy.

Jesthar

Cheers, Nicca. I have to say it does give one a whole different perspective on things. Looking back the whole thing had be gradually brewing way for a couple of years, and I don't know how I managed to keep it going for so long. I remember coming downstairs so many times in the morning muttering how I was so tired/stressed/depressed, then immediately trying to tell myself no I wasn't, so come on girl! And you only realise how daft that was when you finally realise you need out for a while and start to get things in perspective...

However, it needed to happen before things got even worse, and it picked the right time weather wise! It also meant I had more time to handle things when the lady I was helping organise the childrens tent at a big local fair was knocked off her bike and hospitalised, and I had to take over running the tent - eek! :eek: Anyone who knows me knows I'm very happy to be a second in command, but I find being in charge of something a scary prospect indeed! Still, it went well, and it's been very good experience, so maybe I might not be so daunted next time I'm asked to lead something...

Favourite moment of the day was a rather ninja moment with a gazebo pole - wish I'd had a camera! And I always love doing facepainting

I did try packing raspberries for e-mail transmittal, but they got rather squished so I had to eat them instead, sorry...

Oh, I also updated my Mortgage Free Wanaabee thread finally... thats, what, four times in the last two years? Oops!

niccatw

Cheri, that's is a lovely thought, thank you so much. I'm touched . And the top does indeed sound divine and right up my street! But I couldn't let you do that, the gesture is more than enough for me.

I have a male friend who did feel the need to point out to me that, when I lose weight, I lose it from my chest and that I no longer had a cleavage! Harrumph! Whilst he might be right, it's nice to know he liked me for my intelligence all these years!!!!! Boys! *shaking head smiley*

I was really tired after covering second job shift last night, so I've had a little cat nap and am about to eat a bucket of fruit. No raspberries I'm afraid as Jes's couldn't post them throught the computer :rotfl:. But strawberries and cherries will suffice. I must find out where I can go pick some around here (I know I can near the airport, but I'm a bit dubious about eating raspberries and strawberries showered with aviation fuel .)

Then I need to get out into the day. I should go to the library but it's a lovely day and now I'm in the mood to pick fruit! So we shall see.

Butti

niccatw wrote: »

Cheri, that's is a lovely thought, thank you so much. I'm touched . And the top does indeed sound divine and right up my street! But I couldn't let you do that, the gesture is more than enough for me.

I have a male friend who did feel the need to point out to me that, when I lose weight, I lose it from my chest and that I no longer had a cleavage! Harrumph! Whilst he might be right, it's nice to know he liked me for my intelligence all these years!!!!! Boys! *shaking head smiley*

Don't you think it's nice that he's noticed you're a woman but doesn't talk to your chest the whole time.

B

niccatw

Only because he can't find it. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

This morning I have mostly been procrastinating by playing on the Authentic Happiness website which I found out about when reading up on Mindfulness. All of which is confirming to me what we already know; I'm doing way too much right now and I need to make some life changes!

It started with a questionairre on your character strengths... and then I just kept doing more and more of their questionairres! My top character strength is kindness and generosity. Then humour.:rotfl:. I'm sure wisdom came up in there too .

So wise I haven't yet completed my course work which is now soooo overdue I am scared to call the prof. Even though we all know how lovely he has been with me. Sometimes I wonder just how slow a learner I really am!

Anyway, NSDs are not going well so far this month! Yesterday I picked up my art prints from the framers. I am loving the frame around the red landscape - so much nicer (and much more affordable) than the one the artist had. And I won the white jeans. Can't complain at .99! Though I know how frustrating it must be for the seller; £50 jeans with tags selling at .99. :eek:

Today I am heading to the library. But I will also be nipping round to the pub closeby for a birthday lunch with my friend. I was about to type obviously I won't be drinking... but perhaps that might just help the flow of my assignment! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: I dread to think what I might say about services for people with dementia if I've had a few drinks in me!!!

So that's quite a few spendy days in a row and Monday will be one too as I never made it to the post office in time last week. Must remember it closes at 5.30 and that's not compatible with working until 6!

However, I did an impromptu extra shift at second job so will have a bit more money coming through than anticipated next week. Need to relook at budget as I think that it won't be earmarked for debt but for the festival at the end of the month.

Right... library... (I wasn't very mindful at the library yesterday. My thoughts kept wandering and I found it very difficult to concentrate. I know I'll regret it if I walk away from the course but I really need to find my motivation for it!)

Jesthar

You aren't a slow learner, hon - but we don't learn at our best when under pressure and stressed. Mainly becuase we're so distracted we forget that learning new things is fun, even when we enjoy the topic!

Ask yourself why you wanted to do the course in the first place. When you find the answer to that question, you'll hopefully refind your motivation.

Oh, and can I recommend a book called "The Art Of being Brilliant"? I was given it by a friend when I was signed off, and it is marvellous! It's practical positive psychology - i.e. positive psychology not from the hyped angle of 'you can be anything you dream of!!!' (as there are only so many racing drivers, astronauts and ballerinas a world needs ), but from the stance of being the best possible you at whatever you are currently doing. I found it really helpful The authors website is here: www.artofbrilliance.co.uk - I really want to get myself the CD sets, I have to confess, 'Tiggernometry' sounds fantastic!

Definitely save the extra money for the festival - you were wondering how you were going to afford to have fun, yes? Well, there's your answer!

Right, bed time. Work in the morning...

niccatw

Jes, I think the reasons I did take on the course in the first place are all linked to how I feel about my job and it's highly likely I was depressed at the time I applied; I just didn't know it. So the reason's for doing the course aren't necessarily valid ones. Or at any rate, not the reasons to keep me motivated!

I have a list of reasons to want to do it now; I do actually enjoy what I am learning; it will be inavluable for any future direction my career takes, especially at this uncertain time; it will definitely be invaluable in any VSO type work I do and on return to the UK (if I don't stay wherever I end up ) given I am highly likely to be coming back to either an unstable NHS/profession or wanting to change the direction of my career entirely. I also know I will regret it if I walk away now.

However, none of that is working to pull me out of the mental block I have of sitting down to do the assignement. And it is the assignment as the other assessmsnets aren't bogging me down in the same way. Being in the library usually helps but even then I can find myself staring into space and wondering why I'm not concentrating when I have so much work to do. That, I know, is the stress. And that is the bit where people keep saying just sit down and do it.

I would have already done so if I found it that easy. Believe me, it frustrates me as much as it must be frustrating those wondering why I haven't just got my finger out. Again, I think that might be part of the presentation of stress.

Hence my trying to do mindufulness. And I will definitely look at the website you mentioned. Problem is I keep thinking I'm too stressed to do this now, I'll do it when I've more time! *Shaking head smiley* Yes; I know how ironic that is!

However, I know that I'm slowly working my way through it. And I'm a [STRIKE]stubborn mule [/STRIKE] self-determined that way, so I absolutely know I'll get there.

Some people, i.e. my boss (to a lesser extent mostly - apart from when her stress is blinding her) and my supervisor (to an "I-might-string-her-alive" extent) think I should have got there way before now. C'est la vie.

Today's apoplectic vein moment was the sign on the filing cabinets saying "One file per sling (unless very thin!)" Big enough for all the office to see. No "thank you" to our assistant who spent two days re-arranging them as supervisor wanted (without any consultation with me) or any thought/care to just how patronising that sign [STRIKE]might be[/STRIKE] is!

I realised when I saw it I was very much like my Dad! All I wanted to do was put as many files in each sling as I could possibly fit (which realistically is two "unless very thin" but I was aiming for at least 5 ).

I'm sure I've told the story of my Dad opening all the cupboard doors in the kitchen after mum had a hissy fit that he could never close a cupboard door after himself. It could have gone either way; luckily mum saw he was making a point and saw the funny side. :rotfl: My supervisor would not.

Anyhoo, rant over! :rotfl: Thought I better pop back over here to do it as it was in danger of hijacking Cheri's diary!

Back to business....

In a kind of back-to-front confused way as usual... checked bank accounts:

£25.06 transferred from bills account to RBS loan. Then I checked account the credit card comes out off... it didn't have enough in it to cover it as there's a couple of days difference between that date and pay from second job this month.

So went back to bills account and transferred money over. Once second pay goes in, I can transfer the difference back. And I transferred another £8.00 to RBS loan to round down.

So £33.06 on way to RBS loan and now enough money in "spending account" to cover credit card without charges. Just a bit of a convoluted way of doing it this month!

On a more fun note, I have a rare Saturday night off! Also convoluted! It was supposed to be my working weekend, but I was chancing my arm at second job and asked to get the night off to go to my friend's parents 30th wedding anniversary BBQ with her. To be honest I was expecting a no given the notice, but they pulled out all the stops to get it covered and some-one who never works nights and gets really stressed about them (she's elderly, but loves working with the person we work with. And we love her too as she does all the ironing and keeps up the stock of biscuits!) is wroking it for me because it's me and because, they said, I'm always very good at covering last minute shifts for others.

(I didn't think it was the time to tell them it wasn't all selfless. I have a plan. And a debt I am wrestling into the ground! ) So I might be a wee bit tipsy this Saturday night . (It'll only take a sniff of alcohol to be fair! :rotfl:)

I think I should turn the TV over... do not watch Crimewatch when you are home alone!

MrsMoo2U

Hijack my thread all you like, you talk lots of sense. Now with the last thread I was reading it and thinking that this sounds VERY familar. I have never done a Uni course of any kind but I am fast learning via this site that the one thing guaranteed to bring on procrastination, stress, avoidance techniques, displacement activity you name it, is a Uni assignment/Phd/Thesis or whatever they are called.
Take a look over at Cheery's and Pippis threads. You will see that they both went through what you are going through so it is just normal as far as I can tell.I have recently been doing the same with some work reports. I put that down to boredom for me. I always stress when I am bored with stuff.

Great news on the Saturday off but I am a bit confused, are you going to a BBQ or queuing at a bank to pay off a debt?

niccatw

:rotfl: I'm a multi-tasker... I can do both. Just as long as there is no assignment involved! :rotfl:

MatyMoo

niccatw wrote: »

I have a list of reasons to want to do it now; I do actually enjoy what I am learning; it will be inavluable for any future direction my career takes, especially at this uncertain time; it will definitely be invaluable in any VSO type work I do and on return to the UK (if I don't stay wherever I end up ) given I am highly likely to be coming back to either an unstable NHS/profession or wanting to change the direction of my career entirely. I also know I will regret it if I walk away now.

:j:T:j This is GREAT NEWS :j:T:j
It is the first time I have heard you say that you WANT to do this course

niccatw wrote: »

However, none of that is working to pull me out of the mental block I have of sitting down to do the assignement. And it is the assignment as the other assessmsnets aren't bogging me down in the same way. Being in the library usually helps but even then I can find myself staring into space and wondering why I'm not concentrating when I have so much work to do. That, I know, is the stress. And that is the bit where people keep saying just sit down and do it.

I would have already done so if I found it that easy. Believe me, it frustrates me as much as it must be frustrating those wondering why I haven't just got my finger out. Again, I think that might be part of the presentation of stress.

This isn't such good news Wish I knew the answer. BUT you do always seem to manage once you are down to the wire so are you secretly like me and work better under pressure? Fake pressure isn't good, I can't give myself a deadline. It has to be the final moment that something needs doing and I will achieve it..... just!

niccatw wrote: »

On a more fun note, I have a rare Saturday night off! Also convoluted! It was supposed to be my working weekend, but I was chancing my arm at second job and asked to get the night off to go to my friend's parents 30th wedding anniversary BBQ with her. To be honest I was expecting a no given the notice, but they pulled out all the stops to get it covered and some-one who never works nights and gets really stressed about them (she's elderly, but loves working with the person we work with. And we love her too as she does all the ironing and keeps up the stock of biscuits!) is wroking it for me because it's me and because, they said, I'm always very good at covering last minute shifts for others.

(I didn't think it was the time to tell them it wasn't all selfless. I have a plan. And a debt I am wrestling into the ground! ) So I might be a wee bit tipsy this Saturday night . (It'll only take a sniff of alcohol to be fair! :rotfl:)

Yay to a Saturday night off :T What a lovely comment from the lady covering too. She must love you as much as we do

niccatw wrote: »

I think I should turn the TV over... do not watch Crimewatch when you are home alone!

I never watch it any more, far too depressing. I hate to be reminded that there are such horrid people in this world. Strangely I do watch the Crimewatch Solved programmes though as I love to know how they do that.

cherisong wrote: »

Hijack my thread all you like, you talk lots of sense. Now with the last thread I was reading it and thinking that this sounds VERY familar. I have never done a Uni course of any kind but I am fast learning via this site that the one thing guaranteed to bring on procrastination, stress, avoidance techniques, displacement activity you name it, is a Uni assignment/Phd/Thesis or whatever they are called.
Take a look over at Cheery's and Pippis threads. You will see that they both went through what you are going through so it is just normal as far as I can tell.I have recently been doing the same with some work reports. I put that down to boredom for me. I always stress when I am bored with stuff.

Great news on the Saturday off but I am a bit confused, are you going to a BBQ or queuing at a bank to pay off a debt?

Nic does talk a lot of sense Cheri, but so do you