Still busy...

After my 'Too Busy To Blog' Blog explanation, life has continued apace.... I went to my annual regional two day conference at Madingley Hall, Cambridge (pictured) and it is always special, meeting up with work colleagues from around the region, good food, good company, a quiz - my team won: the prize? Chocolates!!!!! And we were accused of taking it too seriously!!!!!

Good training, and above all, the most beautiful surroundings, formal gardens, a walk, a pond, a lake, and we were blessed with the most stunning weather, blue skies and sun. The only complaint is that 2 days was not enough.

Back to work to get on with Annual report, getting the accounts done, which involved a few evening meetings with my Chair, and lots of hard work in the office....my staff have had lots of tea and cake to keep them going...


Then, on Tuesday, a special night out..to celebrate my first born's 30th birthday.....oh how I feel old, but hey...that's life..it was a celebration..he is lovely... he is now in New York having a birthday holiday - for 12 days! - with his new lady.....I hope he is very happy....

Now today, is My AGM, speech almost written, reports printed, sandwiches ordered,,hope people turn up..then after, after a pretty stressful two weeks, I can come home, pack, and head up to Peterborough for the weekend, and relax and spend it with dear, dear friends. Can't wait! Here's hoping I am in the hotel pool by 6.30pm!!!!

Time to get up and do some ironing and see if there is anything I can fit into....
And can I say, as if all that wasn't enough excitement, what with the wedding, I am so excited about the card I have made for the bride and groom! So excited! Don't tell them! Then...then..after a relaxing Sunday, on Monday........(an urgent funding bid to write at work, ugh) but..guess what? Jill and I are going to Wembley to see Will Young!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back by popular demand.....

So some of you have missed me...I caught up with the comments on my last blog, and am now receiving texts from people about to start work on my obituary..but to use a well worn cliche, the rumours of my death are much exaggerated.....

Thank you to those of you who have been concerned about my health - indeed in recent times, my lack of blogging has indicated a downturn in my mental health...this is true. But the reason for my blogging silence of late is...I have been having a life!!!! Hard to believe I know....after coming back from Sugar Hill and having a quick shower and change, I headed off to a fund raising garden party, pics of which I shall post shortly..we raised almost £2,000 for the charity, which is fab...after clearing up I arrived home at 7pm and collapsed..then went upstairs to unpack my bag from my three nights at the festival, and repack for a trip up north next day!

I was on a 7.27am train out of St Albans, which I thought was pretty impressive, and had two days training for my new job in...training! I had a fab two days, the weather was brill and the company was fun and friendly..and welcoming...

After a couple of days back at work, we were away for the weekend at a cousin's 70th surprise birthday party! We had a room at the hotel, and a nice four poster bed....shame we weren't in it for longer...

Then I have had..trips to the theatre in London, evening meetings re the forthcoming AGM, I have joined a tap dancing class with Laura!!! Been swimming with Rosemarie - last Friday i did 26 lengths!!!!! Had a girly morning at a spa, also with Laa, we had a back massage - heaven - and toe and finegr nails files and polished so we are real tarts now...don't make any comment....

And Saturday was good too....

Saturday morning at Sugar Hill Festival - I had been asked by Sue if the caravan could double as a box office for the weekend - I happily agreed but then realised i couldn't have a lie in, or I would be sitting up in bed selling wristbands out the window in my nightie..a fact which sent poor John W into quite a turn....so I got up extra early, cleared the bedding away, made the caravan look respectable, in time for Sue to appear and say as there were next to no punters, they didn't need a box office after all.......

Still, I was in time for breakfast again in John's caravan, which was the social hub of our little group - various people popped in for food, tea and coffee, and once again I just lvoed being a part of such a friendly, laid back, social gathering - especially with the stunning countryside around us and the sun shining in a clear blue sky, yet again.

David and I were on compere duties, so we decided to split the job, with him doing mainstage and me doing the beer tent. Hardly an onerous task, introducing bands and bringing them off again, mostly with about 6 people in the venue....the job became jointly compere, venue manager and stage manager..and in between I could go out and sit in the sunshine, and even catch an act on mainstage, with the other 20 people......

Slightly bum moment when I went onstage to introduce a band and forgot their name..they were very nice about it, it gave me the giggles and also the 4 people in the venue..two being Matt and Beki who could be heard laughing for a long time after. Bless them, they came in the venue at my request to bump up the numbers when a great acoustic blues duo came on and they were only playing to the bar staff...

High point of the day was bringing the headline act, Dr Feelgood, into the beer tent to play, instead of mainstage, because of the lack of numbers. After negotiating with the band before them to shorten their act slightly, and getting Dr Feelgood to go on slightly later, we were on for 10.15 - 11.30pm act. DC came backstage to make sure I was comfortable introducing them, and I chatted to the lead singer to get ideas as to what to say.He was talking to me when he suddenly stopped and looked at me and said, 'You've got beautiful eyes.....' I said thank you, he appeared to lose track of what he was saying for a minute, then carried on. I went on stage and introduced them..and smiled all evening at getting such a compliment at my age!!!!!!

They played a rocking set..and who should be getting it on down at the front, dancing like mad people, but the farmer and his wife..by now we were best friends, so I dived in and danced with them..and had a blast with John W who was partying like no tomorrow....

What a night. I went on stage and got the band to come back and do an encore. We danced. We had fun. We went to bed....and in the morning......Sally had to get up early and drive back to St Albans, missing Day 2 of the gig, tearfully leaving all her friends, as duty called at another event...

Still, it wasn't all bad..got a kiss from the farmer.....

Fabulous Friday....

Woke up in the caravan on Friday morning to look out on the surrounding hills, blue sky and sunshine, and thought, I love this camping lark! Given that I spend GB shut up in a box, to be on the field with everyone else was lovely. Especially when, having got up and showered, there was a knock on the caravan door and the lvoely John W asking, 'Would you like breakfast?' Would I?
So we trot obediently to John's caravan, all of 20 yards away, to find cereal, toast, cooked breakfast, tea and coffee all awaiting us. We have a leisurely breakfast, and greet occasional members of site crew wandering past, and I decide I just lvoe this way of life.....

The day is spent getting the site ready, all 4 tents...one mainstage, one beer tent with stage 2, a Family activity tent, and a Merchandising tent...oh and there is the stewards' tent, and medics...one familiar medic, S, is all smiles and envelopes me in a huge hug. He's lvoely too. What a community! I help to build the stage in the beer tent, and still have the bruises across my thighs from carrying the staging. DC and I drive round in Pete's little bug with the trailer on the back, full of chairs and tables, and deliver them to the various venues. One or two site crew members ride on the trailer, to help with the task, and Pete took me to one side and asked me to tell David off, as he was breaking the rules....why me???

We managed a tea break in the caravan during the afternoon, inviting visitors in for tea and cake. So civilised. Just as I was wondering what else I could do, Pete came up with the job of helping the band get ready to play for the night's private party in the beer tent..the farmer's own band was playing, but due to a lack of communication somewhere, the sound man denied knowing a band was playing that night....so the late hour and lack of kit meant everything was behind..three of us hit the stage and began 'wiring up', putting up mike stands, mikes, cables, plugging up...we worked for an hour in a whirl of activity, me DC and young BP who was a star, and we had the band ready to go by 9.15pm..only an hour or so late..the beer tent was packed with 300 plus family and friends, the band rocked, and we had a good time, especially when we thought we had missed out on the hog roast, and the lvoely George had kept some back for us...

We kept working, keeping an eye on the venue, challenging young girls on under age drinking: well, she turned out to be a boy, much to my embarrassment and the parents' annoyance..but they did eventually apologise for buying him alcohol..he was only 13....then when I had to challenge drunken people who were dancing on the tables, and ask them to get down..one of them was the farmer's wife..she owns the land!!! But as Doggit said encouragingly, 'she doesn't own the table,' and she did get down and looked suitable chastened. The farmer apologised to me for his wife in the morning..anyway..some more photos of Friday's set up.....

building mainstage..... and how many people does it take to move some one tonne hay bales into the Family tent? Answer, after we have all put our backs out trying to move them manually, you get Pete's landrover on the other end of a metal rope..then then the farmer turns up and offers his fork lift...why didn't he say that an hour ago?????

Work, Scones and a festival...

Yes, that was Wednesday evening..I had promised to make 100 scones for our large Fundraising Tea Party on Sunday afternoon..I had been meaning to make them for weeks, but something always seemed to get in the way..on Tuesday evening the problem had been a lack of flour, and the little I had was crawling with small brown creatures...I know they would have added protein..but I didn't want to poison everyone....so here I was in the kitchen on Wednesday evening with just one evening to make all 100 scones (leave things until the last minute?? Not me!)

I think I have mentioned the PMT earlier..I know it's a bit of a joke, but I was all over the place, disjointed, dyspraxic, messy, untidy, and the piece de resistance was knocking the flour all over the floor after 50 scones, so any more were out of the question.....

So after a stressful morning's work with loads and loads to do, I left early, bought flour, and had the most manic afternoon, given that I wanted to leave the house by 4pm.....if I had videoed it, I could have sold it.....I was making and baking scones in the kitchen, in batches of 15, about every 15 minutes..I was in the bathroom applying dye to my hair, which had various timings to be adhered to...and I was ironing in the dining room..all three activities were taking place simultaneously, with me rushing to the appropriate room depending on the time....another 50 scones were made and not burned, my hair turned dark brown, ironing and packing were done, and I left at 4.30pm. Not bad. Did I have everything??? I hoped so.....

When I arrived at the site of the Sugar Hill Blues Festival, at 6.15pm, the sun was shining, the caravan was waiting, and John W had the barbecue going..what more could I ask for? These were some of the views awaiting me..... Sugar Hill...by day...and night...

More details...

Oh dear, why do I start this...

Chapter 5. In which Sally Travels to her Interview.

So, I made friends with this nice Scottish guy who had change of a £5 note so I could buy a ticket and go catch my train. I bought a train ticket from a machine and it gave me two bits, one ticket, one card receipt. They look identical. I put the tickets in my purse and went to the kiosk to buy a bottle of water. I then went to go through the barrier. I took the ticket out of my purse and put it in the slot and nothing happened. Tried again. Nothing. 'Come through the gate,' the man said. As I went through he took my ticket. 'Ah, this is the receipt, that's why. hang on, this is dated 17th July. A bit out of date!' Now, why would a ticket almost two months old be first out of my purse????

So, having found the right ticket, which of course was hiding in a small corner of my purse, I was allowed on the platform. I should tell you know, the one thing I did right was to Allow Plenty of Time. So these small delays did not upset me. I meant to read the document on the train, but was feeling so lousy (see earlier PMT reference) that I slept all the way to Farringdon. Oh well. Got out in Plenty of Time, so decided to sit and have a coffee outside a little coffee shop to chill, check the map and NOT spill coffee on my clean beige skirt.....which actually, being linen, was starting to look a little crumpled.....

I walked confidently in the direction of the offices, still with Plenty of Time. I got to the bit where on the map they should have been, but they weren't. I asked people. No-one had heard of the address. I walked around, checking all office blocks, asking people..and by now, dear reader, given that it was a strangely hot and humid day in London, the sweat began to pour off me, because I am wearing a Smart Jacket.

It becomes like the scene from a scary film. At one point I am in a square, and on the other side I see a postman. Aha! A postie will know. I call out, 'Excuse me!' and hurry towards him but he appears not to have heard, and as I get near he suddenly vanishes up an alley hidden between two buildings. I run to the alley..look up...he is nowhere to be seen. Scary.

I still have Plenty of Time, but not as much as I did, so when the next building and man are no help, I get out my mobile phone and ring Nikki. (There are no contact phone nos. on the interview letter, and just the name of the office building, no street name. It is not just that I am useless.....)

I ask Nikki (assertively) to ring the London office and find out exactly where they are and ring straight back. She says yes and is gone a minute or two and rings back with the information that I am on the Wrong Side of High Holborn. My internet map is wrong. I get there, cross the road and look for an entrance to a huge block that has the right name on. Hurrah!

I still have time..but my shoes are rubbing, my feel are killing me, and I am soaked through with sweat..humidity is rising..I find a man at a door in the side street and ask if he can let me in. No, he says, the main entrance is on the main road. But I looked.....

I go back to the main road and walkalongg the shops. It is an old Elizabethan block, and there, between two shops is a small wooden arch, leading to a cobbled courtyard. I walk under the arch and around the courtyard are lots of old houses, each one with its own front door leading to hundreds of small offices. On account of my bad eyesight I have to go up to each front door and peer at the plaques. At the third door I am lucky...third floor..I push the door..put it doesn't open. I work out which bell to push and push. Three minutes to go. Plenty of Time. No-one answers. I push again. This time a voiced answers and invites me in. I push the door. Nothing. I wait. Push. Ring again. I can't get in, I explain. Oh, it's very stiff, you have to push hard. Thanks.

I get in and find a small staircase and climb what I am sure is three floors. No office, but a loo, so I go in and attempt to wash in cold water, use paper towels to dry off, and brush my wet hair and fringe from off my sweaty face,andn climb another staircase and arrive at the office. Hello, you made it, they say, and sit me in a small, airless, warm roomwith aa cup of iced water. is it and sip and breathe. 1 minute to go. I am so not in the mood for this interview....

M comes in and greets me and I am pleased to see her face is all damp and sweaty and she apologises for thehumidityy but we are on the fourth floor and she can't open a window. I sit in the interview room with sweatpouringg down my face and back and smile, and attempt to look relaxed.

They ask me a couple of questions, including what doIi think of the new guidelines..well, hard to read, too long,repetitivee, needs editing..but good apart from that, I remember to say....the time for the presentation. I stand up, look at the flip chart, grab a pen and breathe. I feel a mess. What did I sat when I practised it with MA? I take a deep breath, turn to my audience and smile......

After I have talked for 5 minutes, I stop, sit down and think,..oih dear....then I hear M say quietly..'Spot on.' Oh my goodness.... After one more question and pleasantries, I am out the door, and within 20 minutes,,yes just 20 minutes! I am back in the loo mopping myself up..as I do so I turn on my phone to hear a voice message of pan pipe playing buskers in Altrincham, cos Stuart and Karen heard them and thought of me....

There are hundreds of things I could have done in London, but all I could think about was getting home, (on the way out I found a sad soul I recognised stuck at the Front Door trying to get in for an interview, so I let her in and wishes her well....) so I limped to the station (smart shoes, bad blisters) and slept on the train all the way back to St Albans. Arrived in the office and collapsed.

Two hours later I get the phone call offering me the job.'You were brilliant,' says M, 'The only person to do their presentation without using notes, you just looked at us and talked clearly and confidently. You had obviously read the document thoroughly and understood it well. Welcome to the Training Team.'

Well, B***er me. What the F*** were the others like then?????

And here are the details....

Chapter 4. In which Sally Prepares for an Interview.

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin.

I was offered the interview the day before I came to GB. So I left it until my return to read the 43 page document on Child Protection, on which Questions Would be Asked. As you can imagine, having existed on about 8 hours sleep altogether the previous week, every time I sat down to read it I went to sleep. Instantly. Like a brick. I tried on the sofa, at the table, in bed. Zzzzzzzzzzzz. A long, dry document which did not make exciting reading. But I got through it. Once. By Sunday.

Monday evening, as you know, was not a happy one and I retired to bed cross and stressed, wrote a long e-mail to DC to try and apologise (sort of, cos it's never my fault, and he was cross and stressy too, and we had a domestic over msn with steve and liz as bewildered referees, but more of that another time...) and I was upset that we had a miserable evening, and I had a headache..and I sat up in bed to read the document again.. at least three pages before falling asleep.

At 7am I tried again, and this time highlighted particular words with a highlighter pen, to show willing. I ironed my clothes, dressed and arrived in the office to do a bit of work. It occurred to me I ought to practice the 5 min training bit I had to do, which was just an idea in my head. I had written nothing down. So my secretary willingly sat in front of a flip chart while I wrote some headings and spoke enthusiastically for 5 mins on lines of responsibility and accountability. OK? OK. Not exciting, but she understood..and what is more important, I understood, although I was aware that the PMT and lack of sleep meant my brain wasn't supplying the right words to my mouth as quickly as I would like....well, I would busk it anyway, I usually do....

So I bid MA farewell and jumped in the car and headed for the station and the car park. For which you need money. The right money.....

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got the job! Training Support Worker in Child Protection for the Eastern Region of the National Organisation! Means I do my current job but do this other role at least six days a year. Off up North to be trained myself Monday and Tuesday. Celebration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I sat in the loo after my interview and listened to a recording of a pan-pipe playing busker in Altricham. I do so lvoe my friends!!!!

What is it with me?

How can I be so happy (ish) content (ish) stable, dealing with life, basking in the joy of friendships and just knowing I am loved by lots of people. Then, suddenly, without warning, I change. Mess up. become bad tempered, petulant, demanding, tearful...push away people who lvoe me. Ruin a perfectly good evening. Go to bed sad. Wake up sad. And I have a job interview today on 6 hours sleep.

Did I hear anyone mention the word PMT????

A good, chilled day...

Reasonable lie in, good music, space to potter, do washing, sort out all the Front Deskboxes on the lounge floor, play loud music, have Jackie pop in for coffee and a chat..her dad is really not well, and won't get better, time for me to be here for a shoulder to cry on, listening ear, as she has been a rock for me for the past couple of years....

More washing, more sorting, four boxes bagged and labelled and now back up in the loft..a small sleep as tiredness was setting in..a few packets of M&Ms cos, goodness, found a box which had genuinely been missed at the festival..left for me to look after..oh nearly time for a little something...

Actually I have made another discovery of mouthwatering, delicious food which i could eat and eat...as you would expect, it's probably not that healthy, and fattening, but handcooked vegetable crisps....mmmmmmmmmm.the keyboard is getting a bit greasy now....

Don't seem to have started my Annual Report which I brought home to do as I didn't get far on Thursday or Friday (I wonder why..) Jackie bought me a present, a little candle in a painted ceramic pot: she saw it and thought of me! On the top it says Sally, meaning princess in hebrew, and on the side is written as follows:



















Well, you all knew that, didn't you????

Found some pics...

Forgot I took some pcis on my phone at GB06... Friends..Daniel Bedingfield (who?) and the Ukele Orchestra.....wonderful times...

Oh, not as thin as I was!!!

The first few days of GB I was running around and hardly eating, and lost more weight....as the festival wore on, I was still running around, but I ate more, an what I did eat wasn't necessarily healthy!! fish and chips, toasty sandwich, pie, waffles and ice cream...and lots of lvoely cappucinos from the very lvoely real coffee stand near Front Desk.....all very lvoely but hardly a vegetable in sight! So I have put on a little...But I'm sure I'll lose it if I stick to healthy things....I didn't eat any pasta at GB and really missed it, so have been making up for that...

Other GB highlights....going to see Andy Thornton, whose songs I love..didn't cry at the first one, which usually sets me off, but made it until the fourth song which he wrote when his wife died....that did it..but then there was a song written when he met his new girlfriend,..all his songs are so full of emotion so beautifully expressed....it has made me get out the CDs and listen all over again!

Of course the real, real highlight has to be when I discovered, through chance conversation on the last night, that members of my front desk team liked folk music and singing, and played the guitar..I had brought my guitar, planning to sing at the folk club, but it just didn't happen, and so it laid unplayed under my desk...when the team heard there was a guitar, they insisted it came out, along with my songbooks which enabled everyone to join in..so on the last night, when others were thinking the party was at the organic beer tent, it was really with the crowd at Front Desk, singing their hearts out (not even a noise complaint from production could still our enthusiasm..)

Shaun made a capacity notice for the door (max 5) and George managed the queue. Chris, my newest, youngest and most gorgeous member of the team (ok, ok, I know he is only 22, far too young..) requested Streets of London, saying he lvoed that song, and when I realized he was actually serious, and not taking the mick, we all sang it, yes Streets of London, and I had to stop myself from climbing over the desk and having his babies there and then.....