Finally, Halloween is over!

I'm not intending to be a killjoy, I just don't like Halloween!  My reasons now are different to my reasons when I was younger.  Back then it was all about the 'My parents won't let me celebrate Halloween' where as now its a case of 'I never had fun on Halloween when I was little and I'm not going to start now!!' Yeah, I know.  Really bad reason!!!

There is a good side though.  2 and a half hours into NaNoWriMo I already have 1000 words written - I am good!!  Already ahead of schedule and showing no signs of slowing down yet.  If anything I would say that I've been too conservative on projected word counts.  I've allowed 4000 words for this chapter and I've only written the first scene so far - there are at least another 5 to write!  I'm feeling particularly proud of myself right now!

Anyways, I really should go to bed now!

See yous later!!

Hi Guys!!

So, had an awesome weekend at the hub!  Met loads of great people and already have my room sorted for the next one (haven't bought my ticket yet but the room is booked!!).

The weekend started on Friday lunchtime when I picked Harriet up from the station for our road trip.  Within 30 seconds I had terrified the life out of her with tales of my terrible driving and previous accidents I've managed to have at that station!  Regardless of that we managed to get to Birmingham in one piece, check into the hotel and after seeing the queue at the registration desk decided to go for a swim before picking up our registration packs.  Now, I have to say that the Hilton was amazing and the pool (and sauna, and steam room, and jacuzzi) were to die for!  I could easily have spent the whole weekend there if I'd had time (and indeed, I did get up at 7am on the Saturday to go for a swim - I must be mad!)

After we registered, we hung around waiting for James' photoshoots and autographs to go on sale.  We asked and were told it would go on sale at 5.30 so we waited and waited and at 5.25 one of my friends noticed the dreaded sign.  'Due to an accident on set.....'  I have to admit to being disappointed however as with everyone I would far prefer him alive and not at the con than to have put himself in danger by flying.
 
The party on Friday was fab.  I stayed up til the wee hours dancing with the girls before finally admitting defeat and going to bed at about 1am when I realised I was falling asleep sitting on the stage.  Watching Gareth on the mechanical bull (sheep!) was a great laugh - he lasted far longer than I would have done!

All the talks and things are a bit of a blur.  I remember laughing and cheering and general merriment but couldn't tell you what was talked about, at least not making any sense!!

Saturday evening was the biggie!  Having been told that the party would start at 8.30 and there would be a skit performed at 8.45, my friends and I got down to wait outside the hall at 7.30.  We had a great time queuing.  We started off with holding our own panel style Q&A;  I now have a whole new appreciation for the guests in those panels!  Thinking of an intersting answer quickly was bloody hard!!!!  After that we moved on to photos.  If anyone managed to get a pic of the big group outside the hall that night (there must have been at least 20 of us bundeled into those pics) then I would love to see - there were cameras going off left right and centre so I know the pics are out there! 

Finally we got into the hall and were right at the front and what can I say?  SO worth it!  As soon as Gareth started talking about needing a friend and Wales and sheep I started to wonder what the hell he was on about.  By the time he mentioned Hymns and Arias it started to click.  When my eyes were closed and I heard the screaming, it all became clear.  KAI OWEN!!!!  My god I love that man.  He is a legend! I honestly don't remember much about that skit, besides Gareth being far too good at impersonating John and Kai/Gareth snoggage (which I seem to remember was written into the script as 'no one really cares about the plot.  All they want is to see us snog').  By the time that was over I was feeling pretty ill.  I vanished up to my room to find food, nearly passed out, then went back down to the party, only to go off in search of chips instead.  I kind of regret missing the party having heard all the stories about it but I know I wouldn't have managed it.  Next time, I will make sure I eat properly throughout the whole con - I've learnt my lesson I swear!

Sunday was my highlight.  More photos and signings (OMG, Lara Philipart is the sweetest child ever!  She signed my picture then looked at the post it with my name on it and went 'You have lovely handwriting!'  Weird and random compliment?  Well, perhaps!  Totally appreciated?  Hell yes!!  No one has EVER complimented my handwriting before!!!)  Brilliant group photoshoot with Gareth and some silly poses.  But the best was when I went for my photo with Kai.  

I'd bought two photoshoots with Kai.  One for me on my own and one for a group shot with a friendr.  I got in the queue and was supposed to meet my friend but by the time I got to the front of the queue she wasn't there.  As I stepped up to Kai who was holding his hands out for a hug my phone started to vibrate in my pocket.  Totally without thinking I said 'I'm really sorry but my pocket is vibrating' He laughed, pulled me in for the hug anyway then giggled and said 'oooh, so it is!  Don't worry, I like it!'  We giggled lots.  (I think you had to be there - doesn't translate as a story nearly so well!)

Again the talks are blurry.  I have decided I will be disappointed if Gwen and Rhys do not call the baby Duncan.  Highlight of the afternoon was the intimate encounter with Kai.  I had no money this weekend so I resolutely did not bid for any of the intimate encounters. After the giggles with Kai that morning though I decided to splash out on a strip of raffle tickets and I won!  Kai was lovely.  He asked me to throw jellybeans at him which he caught in his mouth.  I think that's the first time I've ever managed to throw anything properly - score!!  He talked about Newcastle and seeing John in La Cage and being a part time florist. 

One last talk and it was all over.  I did get a great idea for my own personal series four from listening to the talks and have subsequently planned it all out.  It's going to be my NaNoWriMo project for this year.  10 episodes averaging 5000 words a piece.  I can't wait for Sunday so I can get writing!!!!!

( Photoshoot Pics under the cut )

So there we have it!  I'm sure more will come back to me.  If I remember anything vital I'll let you know!  See you all in April at Hub4!!

I had a bit of bad news today.  The Father of one of my 11 year olds at GB died yesterday.  It was totally sudden - he was young and fighting fit.; very active in the local community, absolutely adored his kids...  It'll be odd not seeing him around, having him come pick the girls up from GB on a Thursday night.  My heart goes out to those kids!  14, 11 and 9 is far too young to loose a parent!  I've always been a firm believer in everything happening for a reason but at times like this I find myself at a loss to see what reason this could have happened for. 

I'm completely numb.  I wish I knew what to do for the family but I'm totally clueless as to how to help!  Tomorrow I'm taking some of our girls, including the 11 year old from this family, out for the day.  Abi is adamant that she wants to come but I've been asked to forwarn the other girls to be gentle with her.  How on earth do I approach that one?!  To tell a group of 11 and 12 year olds that their friend is going to be a bit out of sorts because her and her Mum found her Dad dead 48 hours ago?  I don't know where to begin! 

So, I've not been round much lately - kinda been neglecting LJ a bit.  Been suffering this past week with a pure evil headache that attacked me first about 10 days ago and hasn't really gone away since.  I spent the first few days doped up on paracetamol (which did not, despite all it promised, kill the pain.  Just sort of dulled it a bit) before I realised that it really wasn't good to take so many pain killers each day and decided to try and wait it out.  I've been swinging back and forth between a dull ache that is just a tad annoying (usually when I sit in one place with my eyes closed but sometimes I can open my eyes too!) and an evil ache that makes the world spin and makes me feel the need to puke (usually when I open my eyes or try to move).  I've always suffered from headaches but this is by far the worst.  Finally seems to be easing of now though so I'm hoping that I'm on the road to recovery.

Works been a little mad this last week - I'm beginning to get fed up of being shouted at by people who don't bother to read the small print or think for themselves.  It is not my job to phone people and say 'hey, this is the last day on which you can cancel your holiday.  Still want to go?' so why on earth do I get the blame when people phone to cancel and are told they can't have a refund???  How difficult is it to look at a calandar and say 'oh dear, it's too late.  we'd best go or accept the loss of our money.'  (And of course, my testiness in this area is not at all influenced by my exploding head while working last week!)

Aside from all this not much else has been going on.  I've slept a lot, eaten a little and had many many houseguests.  Still, my housemate is away for the week this week so I'm looking forward to the peace and quiet of having the house to myself for a bit.  (OK, I admit, I'll be lonely as hell by midweek and be climbing the walls for someone to talk to! If anyone fancies a trip to Didcot (and do think that through carefully!) just say the word!)  I've managed to watch a bit more of Buffy and Angel in the odd lull in pain.  I'm a bit sad that I've now reached season 7 of Buffy and it'll all be over soon.  Just added Firefly and Dollhouse (and also, totally unrelatedly; Supernatural) to my LoveFilm list though so I've got something else to sink my teeth into when I'm done.  Any other suggestions for stuff to add to the list would be gratefully recieved - If I'm paying for this I may aw well use it lots!

Heading off to bed now in the hopes that when I wake up in the morning, the pain will have vanished completely.  If not I think I may finally have to conceed and go to the Doctors.

TTFN

You Are 72% Girly

You're a pretty girly chick, and you're not ashamed to admit it (or wear pink). But you're also practical. You can hang with the guys, as long as they're not too gross!

So the person who deigned this quiz obviously hadn't met me then....

I am very sore.   Spent the day today sleeping in a park in central Oxford, all under the guise of work!  'Man the emergency exit!'' they said.  So I did.  I sat infront of it with a key and fell asleep listening to my iPod.  Woke up at 4pm very sore, very red and very stiff.  Really wasn't a good thing to do - I blame my Mum personally as she was working with me and I did ask her not to let me fall asleep!

Came home and did a bit of gardening and just had a nice long soak in the bath which has taken the edge of the pain.  The stinging is slowly starting to return now though...



(On a random note, is anyone looking for (or do you know anyone who is looking for) a room to share for Hub3 in October?  I've got a twin room booked at the Hilton for the Friday and Saturday nights but really can't afford to have it to myself (had an evil letter from the bank on Friday regarding my overdraft and how much of it I am about to lose!  I am in so much trouble!!!).  If you know of anyone, send them my way!)

Steroids are bad.  Or perhaps steroids mixed with antihistamines.  My world is all fuzzy and I don't like it! 

Thank god I only have 3 more days of this!!

And why are 'dizzy' and 'fuzzy' not LJ moods???

After months of struggling to breathe, waking up in the middle of the night gasping for breath, total lack of energy and extreme wheezy-ness I went to the Doctors this morning. 

20 years after I was first tentatively (and very reluctantly on the Doctors behalf!) diagnosed with 'very mild asthma' I have been told my asthma is (and I quote) 'a lot more severe than anyone thought and completely out of control'.  I've been given a brown inhaler which I have to take 8 times a day, been put on steroids of which I have to take 8 tablets a day with breakfast and have some antihistamines to try and reduce the impact of my triggers.  This means that before I go to work in the morning I have to have some breakfast and  take 9 tablets and have four puffs of the most icky inhaler I've ever tasted then I have my old blue inhaler to use during the day.

No more rolling out of bed at half 8 and leaving the house at 8.35 I fear....

Giant sleepover with 21 kids last night! 

I had no sleep, no peace and have now officially been re-named (where before only a select few were using a certain nickname I have been awarded, now the whole lot of them have been told to call me that by one of the senior officers!).

So, I'm off to bed at 8pm and intending to sleep until morning.  Busy day tomorrow as the parents are due back from Austria.

Now how do I tell them that they've gained a second dog while they've been away?????

Another week is over and what do I have to show for it?  Well, actually significantly more than normal!

The parents have been away this week and so, being the lovely daughters we are, my sis and I have been doing a spot of redecorating.  The bathroom and toilet are no longer hideously bright blue and the hall and the landing are no longer a dirty pink.  The whole lot are now magnolia which *hopefully* will help the parents be able to sell the place.  We're also well on the way to having the place looking tidy and have redone the front garden so it actually looks cared for!

All this has been accomplished while the two of us have also been working full time.  Have I mentioned how much I'm loving having a 9-5.30 job which I can forget about when I get home? 

And on the subject of jobs, i am really loving this one!  I've been asked to work a few days in September over in france - transport and accomodation paid for by the company!  This includes a coach tour of some parts of northern france.  And this is work!  I've been seconded permenantly to another branch of the company now too which I  found out this week means £150 less a month in my pay packet as there are no weekends to work.  Asked my boss about this and mentioned I could do with the extra money.  Her response?  'No problems, we'll just up your wages by a couple of grand a year from next month onwards to make up the difference.'  So that's the JM photoshoot and autograph paid for for October! 

I have also booked my holiday for this year.  It's happening in January.  Ok, not technically this year but my friend and I were wanting to go to Cardiff and spend some time being fangirls (which I am not allowed to do when my sis is with me!) and January was the first time we could coordinate our calandars for.  I'm not complaining because the travelodge sale means our hotel bill for the entire stay only comes to £15 each!

Of course this holiday in Cardiff, coupled with the two trips I already have planned with sis to see JB in panto and the visits we have to make to family over the christmas period means I won't be seeing GDL as Prince Charming.  Fingers crossed for him doing panto next year though!  I've already decided I'm not going to Glasgow to see John so if Gareth is doing panto I'm so there!

My descent into Buffy fandom has greatened this week.  I'm now half way through series four and also halfway through the first series of Angel.  Not liking Angel as much as Buffy although it's watchable enough; it just somehow seems darker and harder to get into.  I've finally given up the fight against spoilers; it's far too difficult to avoid them when no one but me considers them spoilers!  This has been very bad though as I've now got a huge stack of fanfics to read (mainly Spike/Buffy because I watched 'Something Blue' the other day and I'm now totally in love with that pairing!  Angel/Buffy also has a few in there too - 'I Will Remember You' made me cry so much!!!!)  The problem is that people keep finding me things they want me to do and it's all cutting into my Buffy watching time!  At the rate I've slowed down to I'll still be stuck on season four at Christmas!!

I'm sleeping over with my GB posse tomorrow night.  It's the BT Giant Sleepover - we're attempting to break the world record for the largest simultaneous sleepover ever.  Youth groups all over the country are doing it.  It does of course mean though that I have 19 hyper active 5-15 year olds to supervise tomorrow night.  I'm on night watch between 12.30am and 2.30am.  Apparently it's my job to get them all to go to sleep!  Wish me luck!

Speak to you all soon if I survive the sleepover!

1. Do you remember your first ever thing you were fannish about as a wee one?
I'm kinda ashamed to admit this but it was The Bill.  Was pretty majorly fannish over that around 1999/2000 but then the producers went psycho and started killing *everyone* and I kinda went off it. 
2. What fandom was your first (fan fic) reading fandom?
Again it was The Bill although Harry Potter followed very closely behind.  This was back in the days where my parents knew what I was reading on the net and I hadn't discovered slash.  How things have changed!
3. Are you very monofannish or a fickle fannish butterfly?
Bit of both really.  Torchwood is my main fandom but I do flit round a fair few others.  Nothing regular there though.
4. Did you ever feel really fannish and obsessed about a tv show/movie/book, etc. but without having the desire to write/read fan fic?
Only with a couple of fandoms; mainly ones where there is very little fic around (or very little readable fic anyway!)
5. Did you ever have a fandom that was totally ruined for you by canon and/or fandom politics?
I try to stay out of the politics side of things.  I have a system which works for me; if I don't like canon, I pretend it never happened.  At least in my own head anyway.
6. Where were you fannishly in 2003?
I can't even remember where I was physically in 2003!!  I think it would probably have been in the middle of my Harry Potter phase.  Reading and writing fic and that was about it.
7. Where were you fannishly in 2005?
Again, have to remember where I was physically first!  I think I was on a break from fandom at that point.  I spent 18 months at uni with no access to the internet so fandom kinda went on hold.  Would have been watching Doctor Who and writing Harry Potter fic occasionally if I was at a loose end but not really being particularly fannish at the time.

Just back from London and my trip to see Avenue Q with some old friends.  Absolutely fantastic!  Just wish I'd seen it sooner now.  All of the cast were amazing and despite my misgivings about the whole 'puppet thing' it worked really well!  We have already decided to go back in August sometime with some other friends who couldn't make it today!

James Masters is going to be a guest at Hub3!!!!!!!

I am strangely happy and excited about this fact! even if they are charging extra for all autographs and photo ops with him so I'm going to have to spend more money.  It's worth it.  Right??

So I started my new new job on Monday and have now been doing it a whole week.  I'm having a blast with it!  Lots of phone calls and emails being exchanged with people all over Europe, filling up ferries left right and centre and finding out about all the freebies I can now get if I ask my manager.  Free day pass to Disneyland Paris once a year; YES PLEASE!  Couple that with free ferry crossings and me and my sister (who works there too) now have a lovely daytrip planned for August bank holiday!  Also now have the job of trying to find as much free advertising space as possible.  Any ideas??  Only minor problem is that no ones really sure which company is employing me - downside of having one big company owning three slightly smaller companies and being one loan between the three smaller ones.  I told them I don't mind if both the departments I'm involved in want to pay my wages but they didn't seem too keen on that.  I wonder why??

My social life is now officially back on track too!  Went to a local pub quiz with some friends on Wednesday.  We did pretty well really.  Would have been better if someone had thought to tell us that they took all your points away on the first round if you got one wrong answer but we will know next time.  And 27/30 on the music round?  We rocked!  We've agreed to try do it every other week now - it's too much fun not to! (And of course my parents have now been bitten by the bug - as a family we're going to another pub to do their quiz tonight.  Should be fun too!

Now really looking forward to next Saturday and Avenue Q!!!!!!  Really can't wait to see it - counting down the minutes already!  Before then however I'm going to see An Inspector Calls on Wednesday.  I studied it at GCSE in English Lit but I've never seen it performed.  Could be interesting.

Also, I have decided that the department I'm working in at my new job is cursed.  I'm on loan to them because the person who is actually employed by them has been off sick since just after she started.  I started feeling ill on Wednesday and have gotten progressively worse until now.  It's odd.  I feel better than I have in ages but my breathing is tight and weezy and I keep getting random headaches and dizzy spells (and also waking up in the morning with bruises which weren't there when I went to sleep :S).  But still I have loads more energy than usual and am bouncing around from pillar to post like I'm doing a Tigger impersonation.  Ah Well, I'll live I suppose!

Off to the parents now for Sunday dinner. 

TTFN

So, I'm a little happier today than I was last time I posted.  Sorry about that by the way!

Had a good week.  Had both Monday and Tuesday off because of the Bank Holiday and spent the time getting in some relaxation.  Had to dog sit on Tuesday because the rest of the family were back to work but me and Sam had a great day playing in the park, going for walkies and even did a bit of training - he now sits, stays and drops the ball on command!

Also this week, I left my job working for GB!  I handed my notice in last week after being offered a new job the day I started there!  Apparently three weeks is a new record for the shortest time spent working there!  Still, I start my new job next week as a master Travel Booking Agent.  And I'll be working with lil sis so I can annoy her at work as well as at home!

Went to Northampton last night to see TBTD.  Managed to get lost coming out at midnight and end up going the wrong way on the M1 - oops!  Shouldn't have been on the M1 full stop!!

Also, it is now official.  I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I had started watching Buffy from the beginning.  Well, I'm now 3/4 of the way through the second season (just ordered the third from HMV so I shouldn't have to wait 10 days between seasons again this time!) and am definately in love.  I'm being blindsided by ships left right and centre and am enjoying evil! Angel far too much - Angel/Spike/Drusilla is my new OT3!  Xander/Cordelia also has me going awwwwww too!

For some daft reason I've managed to get into BGT this week.  Normally I hate shows like that!  Still I'm now kind of interested to see who wins...

I'm back!

The weekend has been long and hot and tiring and oh so very worth it!

Left home at 10.30 yesterday morning and met sis at the station.  We had seats reserved on the train which was good as it was pretty busy but when we got on and found our seats occupied by two little old ladies neither of us had the heart to evict them.  Result?  We stood up all the way from Didcot to Cardiff!

Arrived in Cardiff at Lunch time and told sis a little white lie.  She was all for a taxi to the hotel but knowing that neither of us could really afford it I told her that I knew exactly where the hotel was and that it was easily walkable and so she followed me.  Of course I had no idea where the hotel was but who was telling her that!  Lucky for me following my nose worked and 10 minutes later we were checking into the ibis which we were pleasantly surprised to find was right opposite the stage door of the CIA.

After dumping our stuff we walked into town for a spot of shopping (read getting the things we forgot!) and a quick lunch.  Depite having promised J chinese we ended up at Pizza Hut.  Didn't hear much complaining though.  Three hours later we headed back to the hotel to get changed ready for the concert before heading over to the arena just in time for them to open the doors.

The CIA itself is a rather odd venue which reminds me very much of the Windsor Hall at the BIC in Bournemouth.  It's large and rattly with a very high stage.  Didn't seem to phase John though and he worked the crowd brilliantly.  The one advantage of a high stage is that even when you have a tall person in front of you, your view isn't too bad.  It does however, also mean that the person on stage seems much further away.

Just before the concert started Scott came out from backstage and stood at the end of my row talking to someone for a while.  In the meantime I was sat watching (along with a fair few other people sitting near me!) while J kept telling me to look away. 

The concert itself was fantastic.  I could sit through that every night and not get bored I'm sure.  IMO there's a good mix of the fast paced dance-y numbers and the slower ballads.  Again, Daniel managed to wow me.  I've fallen in love with Solitaire and have been singing it to myself all day.  (I've also been hit by a vid bunny for the song which I'm so going to do as soon as I have a mp3 of the song that movie maker will let me use!)  I mentioned my concert highlights after Oxford last week and they haven't changed.  I left the arena singing and dancing along with J - so much so that when we got back to the hotel we were stopped at the door by a security bloke who wanted to see proof that we were staying there and demanded to know how much we'd had to drink! (the answer being nothing alcoholic but there was a lethal amount of sugar and e-numbers in those slushies we were drinking at the interval!)

The highlight of the evening was, of course, seeing John performing again however spying David Tennant and Georgia Moffett sitting up in a box at the interval was an added bonus.  Naturally J has now come home and told everyone that John Barrowman introduced us to David Tennant which, while perhaps true on technical terms, looses impact when you point out that he introduced an arena full of people to DT.  Still I'll let her have her moment of satisfaction at seeing the looks on peoples faces when she tells them.

I want to say more about the concert but I have to admit it's all a bit of a blur of music and dancing and singing and screaming.  When I manage to detangle it in my brain I may come back and add more!

So after a good nights sleep we vacated the hotel this morning.  Did three slow laps of the city centre to kill time and then headed for our train home.  Had a lovely journey back on a much quieter train than the one there! And spent the journey discussing our plans for our next weekend in Cardiff which, incidentally, happens to be the weekend of my Birthday!  2 Panto's, Birthday meal out (J promised me the Hard Rock Cafe as a Bday treat!) and off to Reflex after the second panto for dancing.  Then Cardiff bay on the Sunday before the train home late afternoon. 

Is it December yet??

I'm washed, dressed, packed, got the train tickets, hotel confirmation... think I'm good to go!  Cardiff here I come!

See you all late tomorrow evening!


Edit:  And as I clicked post I realised that the concert tickets are still sitting in a drawer at my parents.  One quick call to Mum later and she's going to meet me at the station with them.  Could have been bad though...

So I've been thinking.  I need a new side project now I'm not teaching any more.  My fic writing muse has gone AWOL and I'm actually starting to get bored of reading fic! (I know, it's terrible!


Earlier on I was looking at reports of people who have been to see John in concert and noticed a lot of people commenting on the venues and it really got me thinking.  I've been to lots of theatres (I'm not showing off - it's just true!  I think the current count is around 60 in the UK but it is increasing all the time!).   and have often joked that I could write a book on them.  Now perhaps I don't have the time or energy to write a book but what about a website?  I could make it my pet project to set up a website with an audience members guide to theatres around the UK, add to it when I go to new places and so on.  The idea has got me quite excited!

What do you think?  Is there much call for it?  Could I make it work?