Last Post of 2005

Wow, yet another year comes to an end. I've seen quite a few since 1967 turned into 1968, even if I don't remember much about those early New Year's celebrations!

So how am I ringing in the New Year this time around? I'm watching television, playing Sudoku on the PSP and pigging out on food that most definitely isn't on my diet. I can't wait for the gym to re-open this week. I need a good workout. Or two. Or three ... I've ordered an aerobics DVD, but it hasn't arrived yet. Normally I wouldn't bother, but this one sounded really cool: Fit to Strip. It teaches you stripping (yes, as in taking your clothes off) and pole dancing as a form of aerobics. It's a bit late in the day for that kind of career change, but it still sounded like a real laugh.

It'll come in handy when I'm trying to fit myself into the new clothes I've bought the past couple of days ... Treating myself to new clothes (sizes 12 and 14) and then stopping at KFC wasn't the brightest idea I've ever had.

One more day left until I have to really crack down and get my assignments done for university, too. I also need to hand in "Extenuating Circumstances" forms because of my stupid gall bladder. I had a really bad attack two days ago, which freaked Braden out a bit. It was the worst one I've had, and I was in the living room when it hit. It was also the first one that has made me cry. I ended up doing my breathing exercises from when I gave birth to help get through it. Believe it or not, it worked better for gall stones than for contractions. I would have loved some gas and air though.

An ordinary end to a fairly ordinary year, though I have to admit I'm trying to be more than ordinary myself!

Happy New Year everyone!

More Snow!

It started coming down thick and fast while I was talking to my mother in Texas -- who said it was 81 degrees in Dallas yesterday! By the time I hung up the phone, we had snow-ball fighting conditions, and a while later it dumped more on us. It's still coming down now, only very lightly.

Let It Snow!

I woke up to see all of this falling from the sky!





Unfortunately I don't think it's going to be much of a snow storm. We never get more than a short burst of snow, then nothing.

How'd I Do?

On New Year's Day this year, I posted my goals for 2005 on my blog. I thought that, before I post my goals for 2006, I'd have a look at what I was supposed to have done this year because I might need to carry them over for another 365 days!

1. Get on top of debt. Uhhhhhh, no. I did get caught up on some things, but others slid downhill. The important things, like rent, insurance, etc are in good shape though.

2. Make payments on time. Again, not entirely a success. Rent has made a definite improvement. One of my credit cards is in good shape, but the other is, well, not too far behind.

3. Start the ball rolling to buy this house. We decided to wait until I'm finished with uni and working.

4. Make the shop run at a profit. What shop?

5. Stop procrastinating with my studies. Ahhhh! Finally one I can say I've made great progress with! I have several things due in February, and I have set myself a timetable for doing them. I was also well prepared when I took my exams in May, even if I didn't do very well in Criminal Law.

6. Keep in better touch with family and friends. Yes, I can honestly say I've made vast improvements. Shell and I get together regularly (weekly if possible). I re-joined my high school forum on Yahoo. I even tried to keep in touch with Pete, even if he didn't reciprocate. I notice that I originally said, "I used to send him emails every day, and he said he loved reading them just because it showed someone cared." Now I don't think he even bothers reading them. I still send one every now and then, but I rarely hear back from him.

7. Finish decorating in the places I've started. I'd have to give myself 5 out of 10. I can only do so much. I've tried motivating Simon to do his part so I can do mine, but it's not working.

8. Keep the house tidier. Room for improvement, but I've made progress.

9. Have the occasional day off to do something frivilous. I've turned that into taking time out to work out, take Tae Kwon Do, and meet up with Shell or Kate for some relaxing chat. So I'd say I've done pretty well with it.

10. Get back into photography. Yep, I've done a good job with this one! I always take my camera with me when I'm off doing something like walking.

11. Lose weight! Yippee!!!!!!!! I've lost two and a half stone and counting!

12. Have a real holiday. No, I never got there. But we did have a night away in Kent when I went karting, and that was more of a break than Simon and I have ever had on our own!

13. Spend more mother-daughter time with Malorie. Again, a 50/50 success. We're getting there though.

14. Encourage my children to read more. I've bought them all books throughout the year. I try to make Ricky and Jack read before their allowed any computer games. Braden ... well, for a boy who is so clever, he just refuses to read anything if he can avoid it.

So there are a few of these I definitely will be carrying over to my 2006 list, some I can put aside, and a couple I can claim a degree of success.

Twas the Day After Christmas ...

And all over the house, the kids are still hyper.
The dog is chasing a mouse ...

No, I'm not drunk. Just silly.

I would like to thank my gall stones for not putting in an appearance on Christmas Day itself. They waited until the wee hours of Boxing Day to make me suffer, and it was the worst attack I've had by far. I've told Simon that it looks like I'm cancelling my trip to Brussels in February with my university. I don't want to be that far from home in a strange hotel room, or even sitting on a coach or a ferry, and have another attack like that. I seriously doubt the NHS will have it all sorted by then either. I honestly thought that last night I was going to have to wake Simon up to take me to casualty, the pain was that severe.

I've almost fully recovered now from this attack, but I'm still sore. And I'm very disappointed not to be going to Brussels. I had a wonderful time when I went this year. Still, with the money I'm saving, I can pay for tickets for Simon and I to go to the British Grand Prix! Always look on the bright side of life *insert whistling*.

Malorie has spent the morning colouring her hair. Seems she didn't want to be a blond anymore. I consider myself lucky that she wanted a "normal" colour -- it's about the same as mine now -- and not bright pink, blue or yellow.

One of Jack's Christmas presents has already broken. We got the boys digital cameras because they love snapping photos, but now Jack's doesn't work.

And tonight we're going to my in-laws. This should be interesting. But it's still the season of Christmas, and I'm going to put on my happy face and be my normal social self, even if on the inside I sometimes ask myself "Is he/she for real?" I'm trying to extend that Christmas spirit to a friend of mine who sent me an email wishing me a Merry Christmas and giving me details on how to buy his CD, which he has recently recorded. It wouldn't have bothered me, but this was from someone I at least used to consider a good friend, and it was the only contact I had from him for Christmas. It didn't help that the same email was mass mailed to about a hundred other people.

Now I'm off to watch the Christmas episode of "My Family", recorded last night because we had visitors. I need a really good laugh.

Boxing Day

Christmas is over. Boy, is my house a mess, but right now I don't care. The kids all seemed happy with their presents (even though I bought the wrong batteries for two of Jack's main presents and the batteries I did buy for the five new MP3 players were so crap, they only lasted ten minutes!). The turkey was ready on time, and we ate well before the deadline when Daniel's mum was picking him up.

I actually got two of the three presents I listed on my blog a few weeks ago, even though Simon says he never reads my blog. He didn't get me the man punching bag (isn't that a shame, Diana?), but I did get the "Pride and Prejudice" (BBC 1995 version) DVD I wanted. I also got one of the Christian Dior Poison perfumes, but he bought me the red one instead of purple. I'm not complaining though. After smelling it, I prefer it to the purple that I asked for! I also got some digital scales so I can weigh myself instead of spending £5 a week to go spend 30 seconds standing on the scales at Weight Watchers, since I haven't had time to stay for meetings thanks to kids being sick, university, etc.

I'll need the scales, too. I've eaten like a pig. Diet? What diet? Isn't pecan pie good for you? And I keep reading studies that say chocolate is good for you. I'm trying to convince myself to get up and go jogging in the morning since Simon's poo-poohed the idea of walking up Kinder Scout. I haven't given up on doing that before my holidays are over. I might have to do it by myself or take someone else, but that's fine by me.

And the in-laws called in. It was a very nice visit, and we've been invited to their house tomorrow night. That was a bit of a surprise, but it's Christmas and I'm not going to turn down anyone's hospitality. Doz says she'll crack open the bottle of Wolf Blass wine I bought them while I'm there. Sounds good to me. I'd love to give it a try.

So Christmas is over, my diet is temporarily blown, my house is a disaster, and Scrooge is back on his computer in his office after spending the day being un-Scrooge-like. He's even washed all the dishes today!

Family Christmas Photos

Time for Sleep

The turkey is stuffed and in the oven. The kids are nestled all snug in their beds ... Oops, let's not plagiarise. The presents are wrapped and stashed under the tree.

Thank heavens I can get some sleep now ...

Merry Christmas.

Uh-oh ...

I've spent the past two days ignoring my diet and eating like it's going out of style. I'm not giving it up tomorrow, but I'll be heading to the gym the day it re-opens after the holidays, and I'll probably spend the time between Boxing Day and going to the gym jogging and doing lots of walking!

Scrooge Strikes Again

It's still the morning of Christmas Eve, and already my resident Scrooge is trying to make everyone else miserable. "Did you buy cards for my dad and our Donna?" Well, no. I kept asking what he needed from the store every time I went to do the shopping, and he never mentioned getting cards for his family. "Well you were supposed to be making cards for them!"

When the hell do I have time to make cards? I'm a university student. I'm the mother of four kids. I have to do all the shopping, all the wrapping, all the cooking.

The kids won't stop fighting. They're fighting over who goes on the computer, who goes on the X-Box, who changes channels on the telly, who sits where on the couch.

Not even noon on Christmas Eve, and I've already started crying. So much for Merry Christmas.

25 Things I Want to Do in My Lifetime (Updated)

In the past week, I've seen two television programmes where a character had a list of 25 things they wanted to do before they die. One of the characters managed to do it and needed to draw up a new list. One of the characters didn't finish her list.

I've started compiling my own list. I haven't managed to come up with 25 yet, but I've made a start. It's only a draft at the moment.

1. Have dinner at the top of the Eiffel Tower
2. See the Great Pyramids
3. Run a marathon
4. Become a Tae Kwon Do black belt
5. See Def Leppard in concert
6. Drive a single-seat race car
7. Own my own home
8. Walk across the Sydney Harbor Bridge
9. Have a lazy beach holiday
10. Gamble in a casino in Monte Carlo
11. Get my PhD
12. Go to my next high school reunion
13. Have something I’ve written published
14. Go to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro
15. Watch the Dallas Cowboys play the Washington Redskins live
16. Climb Ben Nevis
17. Ride in a gondola in Venice
18. Learn German

I'm going to have this permanently on my blog, and you can follow any progress I make because it'll be on the sidebar.

Christmas Eve Eve (or Jack's Birthday)

Another strange day. I actually had to go wake Jack up to tell him to come downstairs and open his birthday presents because he didn't want to drag himself out of bed. Once he realised what day it was, he was in the living room in the matter of minutes.



Ricky wasn't as impressed because he didn't get to open any presents.



And Malorie dragged herself out of bed because she was afraid of missing something.



I also went to the gym for the last work out of 2006. It closed today and won't re-open until the 2nd or 3rd of January.

On the way there, I had to stop for diesel (otherwise I never would have made it either there or back home), and when I went in to pay for it, some idiot barged his way into the queue in front of me. So, if anyone reading this is that guy, who was at the BP Petrol station in Birley Moor, and you were wearing a light blue hooded jacket and driving a dark blue Peugeot 406, this message is for you: You're a dickhead. I'm not invisible and don't appreciate being treated as such. And your driving sucks. Pulling straight out in front of delivery vans is stupid.

Anyway, the rest of Jack's Birthday, aka Christmas Eve Eve, is going to be spent cleaning the house, cooking his requested dinner of pizza (and yes, I'm going to be eating it too!), and dropping by to see Michelle and my godson. I'm even going to call into McDonald's for an After Eight McFlurry. Tomorrow and Sunday will be chaos, so today I'm not rushing to do anything.

Stupid Quotes from Meaningless Celebs

Paris Hilton
"I am the closest thing to American royalty."


Jennifer Ellison
"If my boyfriend sold a story on me, I'd cut his bloody willy off and stick it in the juicer. And I'd get away with it - the courts forgive that sort of thing."


Rebecca Loos
"I can't really think of any benefits about having a small penis."


Jennifer Lopez
"Being famous, you sacrifice weekends and pleasures - the things everyone else takes for granted."


Eva Longoria
"There is absolutely nothing I don't like about myself."


Peter Andre
"I've got a poem for Darren Day. It goes: Darren Day, go away, these girls can live a better way!"

Source: Sky Showbiz

On Ebay

For those ebay addicts, like me, here's a highly recommended stupid video.

On eBay Watch it now on StupidVideos!

Happy Birthday to My Youngest Baby!

I can't believe that Jack is already eight years old! After he dragged his feet when it was time to come into the world -- I was in labour for nine days -- the time since then certainly has flown by!

He's a cheeky little guy, and I wouldn't be without him!

Christmas Decorating

There's only so much I can do since we aren't finished putting the kitchen back together. The blank spaces on the walls are where the tiles will eventually go, but not until the counter top is replaced as well. Oh, and those cupboards are coming down with new ones going up. But you get the idea.

This is also doubling as Jack's birthday decor.

The Real Face of Scrooge

I can't even get him to smile. What a dork!

Bah Humbug!

Why are there so many Scrooges out there? Obviously there are extra stresses associated with Christmas, especially where shopping is concerned, but some people just seem to turn their nastiness up a notch when it's just not necessary. Like the man behind me in the queue in Morrison's today. Yes, it was a very long queue. All of them were. The queues were so long we were stretched down the frozen food aisle. Once you got to the front of a queue, you were directed to the next available checkout by a pleasant Morrison's employee handing out free chocolate.

The man behind me kept ramming my trolley with his. How that was going to make the queue move faster, I never did figure out. And when you spend a lot of time staring at different food items, sometimes you just get to thinking, "I wouldn't mind giving that a try". That happened to me with the brussel sprouts with chestnuts. Ordinarily I would have passed them by, but the more adventurous side of me decided to go for it and get a bag. The same happened with the buy-one-get-one-free lobster tails. And every time I put an additional item in my trolley, the man behind me got more irritated and rammed my trolley again. This was despite the fact that I only had about 15 items in total to start with, and despite the fact that his wife was off doing the last of her shopping while he stood in the queue. Every few minutes she would reappear and add something else to their overflowing load of shopping.

Finally I was at the front of the queue. The girl directing the flow of traffic smiled and gave me some chocolate. That was a smooth move. Offer me chocolate and I'm anyone's friend. The man behind me wasn't so thrilled though. As soon as he even thought a checkout was close to being available, he would ram my trolley and say "Why don't you go to that one?" I politely said, "I will when I'm directed to go there."

I'll bet this man is the kind who will go home and complain about how horrible all the other shoppers were and how they need a good dose of the Christmas spirit!

Are the Days Getting Longer?

I'm not talking about daylight hours. I'm talking about the amount of time I seem to be rushing around from pillar to post. Yep, it must be Christmas.

I asked Simon for one particular gift for Christmas, and I even was so kind as to let him know how much it costs and where he could find it. Not in a nagging I TOLD him kind of way though. It was in the way he asked and I responded. Unfortunately that also meant that I had to go get it myself.

See, this year Simon has turned into Scrooge. A few days ago, Lynn and Steve came over, and I overheard Simon say, "I hate Christmas". Before that he told me he wasn't looking forward to it this year. Fair enough. I'd never force him to like something even if that were possible.

But I happen to love Christmas. I love preparing for it more than I love the day itself. I love the shopping, the planning meals, the decorating. I even love the crowds in the stores. I don't mind queueing, as long as the other people in the queue aren't horrible nasty people. There was one girl today who got onto the tram with her mother and her baby. It was obviously her baby because her mother was very pregnant -- too pregnant to have given birth in the last three months. They were blocking the doors with their pram, and when some of us wanted to get off at our stop, the girl said, in a loud, rude voice, "Why can't you people use the other doors?" Her mother was horrified. I felt like saying, "Because we're packed in here like sardines and can't get to the other door". But I settled for giving her a nasty look. I didn't want to add to her mother's horror.

But anyway, I spent most of the day carrying around my present. It was a lot heavier than I th0ught it would be, and it only just fit into my gym locker. The stretching exercises in Tae Kwon Do relieved some of my muscle aches, and then I had to carry it home, with one stop at Marks and Spencers for food items I couldn't have bought earlier in the day.

Am I finished with my running and rushing? No chance. Simon is going to make Jack's birthday cake for Friday, and he wants coloured icing for it. It's not something you can just dash into Tesco or Morrison's for. It's specialty cake decorating icing. He did say he'd go to town tomorrow to get it, but only if I went with him. Well, if he's in a Scrooge-mood, he'll be perfectly nasty by the time we find somewhere to park, and he won't use the bus. So I've offered to go by tram to the retail park where Hobbycraft is, then get back on the tram to go to the gym.

The Christmas spirit is just gushing through my veins.

What a Doll!

It was the boys' school's carol service at the parish church this evening. Ricky refused to go, but there was no way Jack was going to miss it. When it was over, Jack insisted that I take a picture of him with one of his best friends. Are they cute, or what?

Okay, I Went

I gave in and went back to the doctor this afternoon. I have a pretty high pain threshold, but even I had to throw my hands up and admit defeat. The medication he gave me a few weeks ago for stomach acid was making no difference.

Instead of stomach acid probs, looks like it could be gall stones. How much fun is this going to be? I have to wait for the hospital to send me an appointment for an ultrasound to find out if that's what it is. If it is, I go on the waiting list for surgery. No telling how long it will take but I won't complain too much. At least I can get it sorted and not have to pay for any of it.

And if it isn't gall stones, well, there's no telling what the hell it is!

And the Survey Says ...

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF - The Survey
Name:	Melinda
Birthday:	February 1967
Birthplace:	Texas
Current Location:	England
Eye Color:	blue
Hair Color:	brown
Height:	short
Right Handed or Left Handed:	right
Your Heritage:	Scottish, Irish, Dutch
The Shoes You Wore Today:	none
Your Weakness:	men
Your Fears:	losing my kids
Your Perfect Pizza:	mushroom with lots and lots of cheese
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year:	walk the Kinder Scout plateau
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger:	LOL
Thoughts First Waking Up:	I hate mornings
Your Best Physical Feature:	eyes
Your Bedtime:	between 11 and midnight
Your Most Missed Memory:	if my memory were missing I wouldn't know what I missed most
Pepsi or Coke:	Pepsi
MacDonalds or Burger King:	Burger King, but McDonalds is closer
Single or Group Dates:	single, but don't tell my husband
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea:	try buying those in England
Chocolate or Vanilla:	Chocolate
Cappuccino or Coffee:	cappuccino
Do you Smoke:	nope
Do you Swear:	when provoked or having a laugh
Do you Sing:	only in the car where no one can hear me
Do you Shower Daily:	of course, you'd notice if I didn't
Have you Been in Love:	too many times, my heart has scars
Do you want to go to College:	what do you think I'm doing now?
Do you want to get Married:	again?????? no, I'll just live in sin rather than do this for a fourth time
Do you believe in yourself:	yep
Do you get Motion Sickness:	nope, unless is a ship in bad seas
Do you think you are Attractive:	sort of
Are you a Health Freak:	I'm turning into one
Do you get along with your Parents:	yes, and I miss them
Do you like Thunderstorms:	I love them!
Do you play an Instrument:	piano
In the past month have you Drank Alcohol:	yep, but not telling how much
In the past month have you Smoked:	nope
In the past month have you been on Drugs:	nope
In the past month have you gone on a Date:	nope
In the past month have you gone to a Mall:	nope
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos:	nope
In the past month have you eaten Sushi:	nope, but I do like sushi
In the past month have you been on Stage:	nope
In the past month have you been Dumped:	in my case that would be called divorced, and no
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping:	it's too cold for that, I'd have frozed my bits off
In the past month have you Stolen Anything:	nope
Ever been Drunk:	yep
Ever been called a Tease:	nope
Ever been Beaten up:	nope
Ever Shoplifted:	nope
How do you want to Die:	peacefully in my sleep at an old age
What do you want to be when you Grow Up:	do I have to grow up?
What country would you most like to Visit:	Australia
In a Boy/Girl..
Favourite Eye Color:	no preference as long as they're expressive eyes
Favourite Hair Color:	no preference as long as it's nice
Short or Long Hair:	longish
Height:	taller than me
Weight:	no preference as long as they're happy in themselves
Best Clothing Style:	whatever suits them best
Number of Drugs I have taken:	ask my doctor for a list of prescriptions
Number of CDs I own:	I'm not in the mood to count
Number of Piercings:	ears twice and belly button
Number of Tattoos:	one
Number of things in my Past I Regret:	too many to count
CREATE YOUR OWN! - or - GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS!

They're At It Again ...

The neighbours from hell have added more lights today. They were out there for ages trying to navigate the step ladder around the multitude of things already in the front garden. Even Simon is shaking his head at them now, where he'd just been ignorning them before.

Now just see how they've "grown" over the past few weeks:

New Discovery

Carolyn has pointed me in the direction of a new band, HIM. I think their music is incredible! So much so, I've put one of their videos on here for my own (and hopefully your) enjoyment.

They're a band from Helsinki, Finland. Maybe they'll play in England before too long!

Edited 22 December 2005: Removed to make way for more on my blog! Video available on HIM's MySpace Page

Oh No It's Back ...

I went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago because I was having some pretty serious abdominal pain. He said it was probably an acid problem and gave me a prescription for some medication to try to sort it out.

But the pain came back yesterday -- with a vengeance.

I've been up most of the night in agony. It seems to be gone now, but I'm going to miss one of the things that has given me the most joy lately, my Tae Kwon Do lesson. I'm worried the pain would come back in the middle of it, and I wouldn't have a very easy time trying to drive the 4x4 back from Sheffield doubled over like that.

Back to the doctor Monday. I don't want this to ruin Christmas.

Rap Music

I've recently started listening to rap music. I know, that's a strange comment for me to make, but if you knew how much I avoided listening to them, you'd probably be surprised. Then again, if you know the topic for my dissertation, you probably won't be surprised.

How my dissertation supervisor steered me towards analysing rap lyrics without my realising he was doing it, I don't think I'll ever know. But there you go. I'm supposed to be reading the lyrics, only that didn't seem to give me the "whole picture", so to speak. I borrowed a couple of CDs, mostly Eminem and 50 Cent, so I could hear some of what I was analysing.

What I didn't expect was to actually like a lot of what I was listening to! I mean, most of the time my MP3 player has Def Leppard, Nickelback, Evanescence, Anastacia and other similar songs. When I was on the tram Wednesday, I was listening to Eminem. One song in particular, "FACK", had me close to hysterical laughter, it was just that stupid. But stupid in a funny, "Dumb and Dumber" kind of way.

So last night when a commercial for "Curtain Call" came on the telly, I told Simon which of the songs I really liked (my favourite is "Lose Yourself"), how many of them are about his daughter, and about this song "FACK". The next thing I knew, Simon was sitting with his headphones on listening to Eminem on his MP3 player! That's even funnier than the idea of me listening to rap because his tastes usually run to MeatLoaf and Savage Garden.

I think I corrupted him.

Walking for Wishes

I like doing things for charity, so I've registered with Walking for Wishes. I wish I'd known about it sooner because it's supposed to take place on the 27th of December. Maybe my Boxing Day walk up to the summit of Kinder Scout will be on the 27th instead.

Regardless, for everyone who registers, Fairy will donate £1 to Walking for Wishes, so please click on the link! And if any of my friends are interested in doing this with me (at least those of you who live close by!), send me an email or text.

Wherever you are in the UK or Ireland, you can join in Walking for Wishes on the 27th December and help raise money for children living with life-threatening illnesses - all you have to do is organise a walk your own. Don't worry, nothing could be simpler - just register right now and we'll send you everything you need to put on a successful walk. Don't forget to let us know how many people you will organise to come Walking for Wishes with you, because Fairy will donate £1 to Make-A-Wish® in the UK or €1.50 in Ireland for every single person who walks*.

Once you've registered, your ‘Walk Pack' should arrive within five or so days. But if you can't wait, you can download many of the ‘Walk Pack' elements directly from this website now.

*Up to a maximum of twenty people per registration.

Your ‘Walk Pack'
When you register to organise your own walk, we'll send you a special ‘Walk Pack' that contains everything you need to help make your walk a success. Inside you'll find a poster you can put up at home or work to advertise your walk, complete with space for the location, time, date and other important information about your walk. You'll also receive a sheet of stickers which can be given out to each member of your group on the day and invites that you can give to those you would like to walk with. But, most importantly, there's a handy leaflet which has all the information you need to successfully organise what will be a fun and rewarding event for everyone.

Get all dressed up and WIN!
Go on, give your walk some festive cheer – do it in fancy dress. If your outfits are judged to be the best, you could win Early Learning Centre vouchers worth £250 . What's more, as it is the season of goodwill, we can't just have one winner - so if your group makes it into the ten runner-up spots you'll receive one of Ainsley Harriott's cook books signed by the man himself. You'll find further details of the competition and an entry form in your 'Walk Pack'.

My Musical Mood

I always come across songs that reflect my mood, and I've decided to start posting some of them when they're relevant. Starting today!

This song is also my current ringtone on my mobile phone:

Savage Garden

Affirmation

I believe the sun should never set upon an argument
I believe we place our happiness in other people's hands
I believe that junk food tastes so good because it's bad for you
I believe your parents did the best job they knew how to do
I believe that beauty magazines promote low self esteem
I believe I'm loved when I'm completely by myself alone

I believe in Karma what you give is what you get returned
I believe you can't appreciate real love until you've been burned
I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side
I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye

I believe you can't control or choose your sexuality
I believe that trust is more important than monogamy
I believe your most attractive features are your heart and soul
I believe that family is worth more than money or gold
I believe the struggle for financial freedom is unfair
I believe the only ones who disagree are millionaires

I believe in Karma what you give is what you get returned
I believe you can't appreciate real love until you've been burned
I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side
I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye

I believe forgiveness is the key to your own happiness
I believe that wedded bliss negates the need to be undressed
I believe that God does not endorse TV evangelists
I believe in love surviving death into eternity

I believe in Karma what you give is what you get returned
I believe you can't appreciate real love until you've been burned
I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side
I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye

Source: Lyrics on Demand

But this Savage Garden song sounds like me as well. It describes how I've been feeling on my planet lately pretty accurately:

Savage Garden
To The Moon And Back

She's taking her time making up the reasons
To justify all the hurt inside
Guess she knows from the smiles and the look in their eyes
Everyone's got a theory about the bitter one
They're saying, "Mama never loved her much"
And, "Daddy never keeps in touch
That's why she shies away from human affection"
But somewhere in a private place
She packs her bags for outer space
And now she's waiting for the right kind of pilot to come
And she'll say to him

I would fly to the moon and back if you'll be...
If you'll be my baby
Got a ticket for a world where we belong
So would you be my baby?

She can't remember a time when she felt needed
If love was red then she was color blind
All her friends they've been tried for treason
And crimes that were never defined
She's saying, "Love is like a barren place,
And reaching out for human faith
Is like a journey I just don't have a map for"
So baby's gonna take a dive and
Push the shift to overdrive
Send a signal that she's hanging
All her hopes on the stars
What a pleasant dream

I would fly to the moon and back if you'll be...
If you'll be my baby
Got a ticket for a world where we belong
So would you be my baby?

Mama never loved her much
And, Daddy never keeps in touch
That's why she shies away from human affection
But somewhere in a private place
She packs her bags for outer space
And now she's waiting for the right kind of pilot to come
And she'll say to him

I would fly to the moon and back if you'll be...
If you'll be my baby
Got a ticket for a world where we belong
So would you be my baby?

I would fly to the moon and back if you'll be...
If you'll be my baby
Got a ticket for a world where we belong
So would you be my baby?

Source: Lyrics on Demand

George Bush's iPod

This video gave me a laugh. George Bush shows a reporter what music he listens to on his iPod.

A Moment of Brotherly Love

Jack was in a foul mood this morning and seemed to want a cuddle from Big Brother Ricky! That is, until I got my camera out!

Boxing Day Plans

Everyone keep their fingers crossed that the weather in Derbyshire is at least clear and dry on Boxing Day. (For those reading who don't know when Boxing Day is, it's the day after Christmas.) Rather than sit at home eating left over turkey and watching rubbish on the telly, I'm hoping to make it to the Peak District for a walk up somewhere ambitious. Kinder Scout is my first choice.

I haven't told Simon my plan yet, and I'm going to try to convince/coerce him into going. Failing that, I'll have to drag Braden with me. I don't think he'll bat an eyelash, seeing as how he's the one who ran up Mam Tor. And if I can't drag Braden, then I'll have to use the timer setting on my camera to prove that I was there.

So What's Up on Melinda's Planet?

I've had my last lecture and my last seminar for 2005! No more until the very end of January or very beginning of February. I have it written down somewhere but can't be bothered to go look just for the purpose of being accurate in this post. I'm still going to go in to Sheffield during my time off. First of all, I actually like Sheffield. I lived there for a few months when I first moved to England -- eight years ago today, as a matter of fact. After moving to Chesterfield, I tried to convince my now ex-husband to move back there, but he didn't want to. Chesterfield isn't a bad place, but I just like Sheffield.

Anyway, I like the restaurants and shopping there. I also want to keep going to the gym as much as possible, seeing as how I've been slacking lately. And I'm not missing my Tae Kwon Do classes. I've moved up from two hours a week to four a week. Today's lesson was hilarious, although I don't think it should have been. During the second hour, we were learning some self-defence techniques. Fortunately Amy was there so I had a female partner to practice with, because at one point she whispered to me, "Is this Tae Kwon Do or the Kama Sutra?" Some of the positions we had to get into ... Saying that, maybe it would have been a lot more fun if we had mixed sex couples practicing together, especially if I got to practice with someone I quite fancy. I don't think Mark Webber would have been available, but maybe ... Nah, I think I better keep my mouth shut, or at least stop typing at this point. People think I'm fruity enough as it is without having every guy I know worried.

After feeling really homesick and down in the dumps yesterday, I am feeling much better today. Still not back to my usual smart-ass self, but not far off. The Tae Kwon Do did help because of laughing so hard, but I also got to take some aggression out on the kick pads. Yesterday someone really pissed me off, and it was good motivation for kicking. Usually my kicks are really wimpy, but today Amy said, "Don't hurt me". I must have improved with this new motivation.

Back to being homesick yesterday. It's just that time of the year when I realise I'm not going to see my family for the holidays. Most people are pretty sympathetic about that. Simon's not very sympathetic. I don't know why. I've found a couple of family pictures that I'm going to post on here.


My mom and dad with Ricky


My mom and dad with my nephew Chase


My dad doing his Hannibal Lecter impression in his workshop