Rock Doggy

I've spent the last three days on mobile forums, desperately trying to decide what to buy as I'm bored of my second hand nokia 6230. Nothing really wrong with it, other than the dirty great scratch I managed to get on it this morning, but I've never had a new phone of my own, and as you all know I am a major gadget freak.

So, these forums. Now there are alot of smart people on them, many who actually work in the telecoms industry. However I have been utterly driven to distraction by these absolute morons and their 'text speak'. Jesus give me strength. You know what I'm talking about - 'Dat fone is gr8, i wnt dat fone, i no al abt it.'I cannot abide this. I will not use it in text messages - with predictive text it's just as easy to type the whole bloody word. I have two friends, naturally a lot younger than I, that insist on using this when they text me. I am going to start telling them to resend their messages in English as it takes me so long to decipher them. Using this messaging lingo on a forum is just awful. To all you hip young thangs out there that insist on using it let me present you with a simple fact: it makes you sound like you have the IQ of a dead hamster. Stop it. If you are paying 12p for your texts, I can understand why you would be willing to sacrifice your perceived intelligence to save money, but on the internet there is no excuse. None at all. So stop it!

Ooh, Mark and I are getting very adventurous in our old age. We're seeing the Foo's three times next year, twice in Brisbane, and then again at Wembley stadium, and I've just bought tickets to see Ace Frehley at the Astoria in London in April. Woot! I'm soooooo excited! I really never thought I would get a chance to see him play live, so this very well may be the last opportunity we get. Very, very excited. :-D

Reading back a few entires made me realise I've neglected to follow up on some of our news items. So in typical Hill Street Blues style, let us begin...

Item 1, infertility. We had another hospital appointment a couple of weeks ago. Mostly a pointless excercise, but Mark's test for Cystic Fibrosis seems to be clear. My blood tests were not so great, so we seem to have more problems. Why does this not surprise me? It would also appear that the weight goal posts are being moved, she wasn't specific, but no doubt I will get more details in June when we see them again. Yeah, June...

Item 2, weight loss. This has actually been going ok. As of this morning I was 15st 5lbs, thats a total of 1st and 11lbs lost this year. Not bad I reckon, but like everything else of late the gym just has not been happening. I was supposed to go tonight but got in such a tizz about the Christmas tree, and the fact that half my lights don't work, that I wasn't up for it. Tomorrow, I promise.

Item 3, kittehs. They are currently fast asleep on the sofa beside me. They've slept alot tonight, and have had no dinner. They were at the vet on Saturday for shots, and were very good boys. Yes, George is definately a little boy! They are just beautiful, and a great source of joy for me at the moment.

Item 3, Foo Fighters. We have tickets to see them twice in April because they have been wonderful boys and decided to visit Australia at the same time as us! Woot! So we'll be seeing them in Brisbane. My lovely brother in law Nigel has purchased my tickets for me for Christmas and Birthday pressies. How nice is that? I was trying to convince Mark to see them in Sydney too, but he's not going for it.

Erm, I think thats everything for now.

What was your major or field of study in college? Did you wind up working in that field or using that degree? If not, what field have you wound up in? 
Submitted by sneuf. 

Well, this is a thorn in my side, I have to say. My degree is in Documentary Photography, and no, I have never used it. The closest I got was working in a camera store for nearly six years, like so many other photography graduates. For a few years I photographed a lot of unsigned bands, pretty much all live shows, but a lack of confidence killed that for me. Not being very good generally is not a reason to not make it in photography anymore. There are so many unskilled and untalented photographers making a good living, particularly working for rock magazines. A good digital camera, huge balls and a an even bigger mouth are all thats needed. I only have one out of the three. I'll leave you to decide which one...

So now I work in the industry that most graduates fall into, retail. It sucks, I hate it, but as I'm not skilled in anything else, I don't have much choice.

Well, despite my little mini rant, this post is all about my Christmas present. Mark bought it for me yesterday, and because it came from my store I had to know about it so that we could claim my discount. Behold, the beauty of the Pure Evoke -1XT Marshall Edition. Woot!

Marshall Radio

I also have the extra speaker to make it stereo. It comes with Planet Rock Radio already programmed in, and I spent a couple of minutes putting in Virgin Classic Rock and The Arrow in too. So I have a really rockin' radio now. Sound quality is brilliant, and it is so easy to use. Best feature? Well, you can't see it on that picture, but the volume goes up to 11. I am not shitting you. Best. Feature. Ever.

I'm sure that is possibly a tad blasphemous, but I don't mean it to be (I am a Catholic girl, after all). I have no Christmas spirit this year, and I know the blame for this can be laid at the foot of one demon - Retail. If you work in a shop Christmas doesn't start until 6pm on Christmas Eve, when you finally get to leave and enjoy Christmas like all the other joes.

For the last two Christmas's we've had the tree up on the requisite twelfth day before (and it always down on the twelfth day after), but then we had guests and visitors and what not, so it seemed like the right thing to do. This year I just can't motivate myself to do it. I can't motivate myself to buy presents or cards, and even though mum gave me a box of cards I can't motivate myself to write them. The flat looks like a bomb has hit it, and I'm trying to convince myself to tidy it and then I can put the tree up. But that's almost a reason not to... And to say I'm broke this year is a massive understatement. Since we moved into this flat I have never been free of my overdraft. I get paid on Friday and I will still be three figures overdrawn when I do.

So if you know me and didn't get a card or present this year, please, do not despair. You are in hallowed company, and it's nothing personal. I promise when I no longer work in retail I will make it up to all of you with the most sickening Christmas's known to mankind. You'll wish I was still working in a shop.

The kittehs are still amazing. They had their first trip to the vet yesterday, and they are a-ok. She agreed about their age, so they are 6 weeks old. This is a worry as from tomorrow we are both back at work and they will be left for most of the day. My heart is already broken. Luckily their grandparents are going to visit every day to give them their lunch and have a play, and generally spend some time with them. I hope they will be ok... We are still no surer about Georgie's sex, vet thinks she is a he but won't know for sure for a few weeks. She wormed them, and they go back in two weeks for their first vaccination. Their eyes seem to be turning a grey green colour. I was hoping they would keep the blue, it looked so beautiful, but Rory's were green and they were gorgeous.

So, here is your gratuitous kitteh shot for the day. Enjoy. :D

Ha Ha Ha!

Nap Time

Alfie

So far, so good. Both the little tykes are eating now, we've finally found something that seems to work for them. They're both using the tray, though still need gentle reminders from time to time. They are stalking each other like crazy, which is fun to watch. We spent over £100 in the pet shop yesterday, and bought them a nice large scratching post which, so far, they have completely ignored. I'm hoping that they eventually warm to it!

11pm on a Sunday night, so that's clearly party time for the twats upstairs. What with them and the people next door... they are absolutely driving us to distraction. If it's coming from upstairs, and I think it is as they like to listen to awful dance music, then that means there won't be a bedroom where I can get any rest. At least when it's the twats next door I can take the spare room. Just have to pray they stop by midnight, because I'm back at work tomorrow and I'm on lates. I'll already be cranky, don't really need their help.

Anyhoo, have put a little bit of Alfie and Georgie in action up on You Tube - here they are! Excuse the wierd footage at the end - I haven't worked out how to edit yet. It's a left over from a ghost walk I did on the Isle of Wight. :)

We were going to wait a week or so before taking the kittehs to the vet, however they are now going on Monday. We were suspicious of their age - we were told when they were born, the exact day actually, and had worked out when they would have been 8 weeks old. So it was a surprise when Mum called on Friday to say that she had to collect them or they would be thrown out or given to the first people to take them. They told mum that the kittens were 7 1/2 weeks. Ah, na. They are tiny, teeny tiny little things, and they are constantly crying for mummy. They are not using their litter box, and the little one, Alfie, is not eating (though both are drinking). Georgie has thrown his dinner up today. I've just had a look at two vids on You Tube, one of 5 week old kittens (going from their date of birth they are 5 and a half weeks old) and one of 7 week old kittens. Mine are clearly closer to 5 weeks. I don't mind, if the guy had to get rid of them, thats cool, but don't lie about it! Just tell me, I would have taken them straight round to the vets yesterday. Sigh. I just wish I could find a way of getting them to eat. Going to try some of their dry food mixed with kitten milk and warmed slightly, I've read that alot online. Fingers crossed it works!

UPDATE: Alfie has eaten! YAY! And Georgie has had a wee in his litter box. I is a happy mummy. :)

Anyway, here's some more piccies, taken today.

kittens7

kittens8

kittens14

Ok, what do you prefer - Georgie and Alfie or Jasper and Indiana? Or Jake and Elwood? These kids need names people! Help me! :-D