Pebble Dash

Divert..

2010-10-09T04:37:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to get blogging a little/a lot more I have moved my blog over too here.

Wordpress allows me to blog from my Blackberry, therefore limiting my excuses as to my disgusting lack of posts..

(p.s. I haven't transferred all my posts over there, quite frankly because the majority of them don't deserve the right to be reposted..)

Please come visit though :-)

Mothers

2010-10-07T04:36:00.000-07:00

Growing up I created my own memories. It is only as I have grown and matured (slightly..) that I have become increasingly aware that I did this.

My first true memory is of sitting in my lounge and having the

'Mummy and Daddy don't love each other anymore'

conversation followed by the

'but we both still love you very, very much' one.

Before that? I guess I have a few very vague memories,

Our only family holiday abroad, watching this magnificent sand sculpture being formed from what began as a messy lump on the beach,
Opening a Walkman on Christmas Day and calling my Grandparents to announce that Santa had bought me an Allotment for Christmas..

and

Falling asleep on the sofa whilst Mum worked nights and Dad let me stay up past bedtime..

This near enough sums it up. These are all I can remember. Well, truely remember anyway.

About 3 weeks ago Mum went to stay with her parents, when she returned she did not come alone. In her case were around 1000 photos of my childhood. 1000 memories I had completely forgotten I had. Not only were there memories in this box I had forgotten but there was proof in this box of the faulcity of the memories I had created.

Seeing these photos has confirmed to me what an incredible woman my Mother is.

(All of this is pretty gobledegook I know, basically, without getting all emotional and all that jazz in my head I had created this childhood of being 'Daddy's little girl' I had come to believe that him and I had this very special closeness, which don't get me wrong, I am sure we did (which incidently, we lost for a very long time, being why I think I created this memory - wow, this is deep!)

Suddenly I was jolted back to remember the way things actually were, you see, Mum and Dad had me when they were very young, younger than I am now. They had no money and with debts and bills and a child to care for, this left them struggling.

When my Mother and Father decided to divorce my Mum went to University, she got her degree, graduated and moved me to one of the most beautiful places in the UK.

I have gone from living in a 2 bed, terrace house on a main road in a busy city to living in a 4 bed detatched house with a swimming pool and magnificent views.

I am not writting this to be boastful, I am writting this to proud. Proud of the achievments my Mother has made with a bit of determination and love.

My Mother proves to me everyday that anything is possible.

And she is right, anything really is possible.

Inspiration

2010-10-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I have been completely rubbish at this whole blogging thing, so here's what I'm gonna do.

I have read back over my previous posts (boy oh boy how things have changed!!) and thought I would use those as a bit of a starting point to get myself back up and running again.

I have to be honest and start with saying that it is Skywaitresses' series on dreams that has got me wanting to blog again.

Reading the numerous posts from blogger's everywhere has inspired me to crack on and welcome myself back into such a loving family of people.

At the same time as this, however, it has made me acutely aware of my lack of writing skills, practice makes perfect though hey..

So, where to start?

What's changed?

J - He's out. Thank God.

The whole smoking thing? Yep, I'm back on it.

The job - Have a fab new job working for a large company, great job, great people.

The house - I am currently living back at Mothers, I am however moving next week into a fabulous little flat with my best friend Ryn, he's awesome. Like seriously.

I think that near enough brings us up to date.

Here's to keeping up with it.

It's Official..

2010-06-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

..'My assignment has come to an end'

Just to confirm, although this statment may imply I am a 007 agent, I am not.

However, I have been laid off due to 'changes in the Company'

Hello Job Center.

Young, Free and Unemployed

2010-06-14T05:59:00.001-07:00

Well, not quite.

For starters I'm not free (As James just so accurately pointed out..)

BUT

My 'Employment Status' is being chosen for me in approximately one hour.

Wish me luck.

I.O.W Cont..

2010-06-03T15:45:00.000-07:00

So, considering the aforementioned family issues I had in store to face this weekend, all in all it went very well :-)

Friday evening Mother picked me up from work, unfortunately she had a pretty bad sickness bug so we were subject to frequent stops along the way, however, a car journey, a sick bucket and a ferry ride later, we appeared on my Childhood Haven.. The Isle Of Wight.

I am going to keep this post short and sweet as the Island holds so many memories I am likely to dribble on slightly but to sum things up, seeing my Nana was incredible, catching up with my (not-so) baby brother and sister was indescribable and spending some quality time with my Mum was irreplaceable.

Unfortunatley I didn't get a chance to take many pictures whilst I was over there as I was far to busy catching up on lots of missed time with my family however you can gather lots of information about the Island and see lots of pictures here.

I.O.W

2010-05-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend I am going to visit the Isle of Wight with my Mummy.

Sounds lovely right?

Well, yes, it is.

Weird, but lovely.

'Weird? Why is this weird?' I hear you screaming at your screens..

Well.. Let me tell you..

My Great Nana lives on the I.O.W, that being my DADS Grandmother.

So when I was younger, my Mum, Dad and I used to visit the Island on a fairly regular basis.

They split in 1997.

Anyway my Nana and Mum stayed very close, although they haven't seen each other since my parents divorced they have stayed in touch and my Mum has been there for my Nana through some pretty hard times.

So Nana is getting on a little and I know it would mean a lot for her to see my Mum so we agreed to go visit.

So far so good, UNTIL, Father decides to move to the I.O.W..

Good one Dad.

So now, Mum and I are going to visit not only my Nana but also my Dad, his Wife and their 5 children.

Just a little bizarre don't you think?

Reunion

2010-05-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

I can't help but think how sad it is to look back over the past 22 years of my life and think of the people that have entered it and subsequently exited again.

There are people that I have grown up with that I am no longer in contact with.

People that have stopped in for a few years and then gone our seperate ways and then there are the people that just fly in and out and are forgotten pretty swiftly.

Today I met up with a friend I haven't caught up with properly in over a year.

We live 20 minutes away from each other and work practically in the same street.

Thats the distance excuse out the window.

There was a time that we would see each other AT LEAST every other day and talk on the phone AT LEAST once a day.

We went to school together and went on to work together in our first proper jobs.

As I said above, today was the first time I have properly caught up with her in over a year.

What an incredible amount of memories to go through together :-)

2 Days, 9 Hours and 56 Minutes

2010-05-19T11:55:00.000-07:00

That is how long it has been since my last cigarette.

Now I am not going to lie and say it has been easy because it hasn't.

Infact, non smokers have been BEGGING me to smoke.

BUT I have resisted any temptation that has come my way and got through unharmed.

Anyway on a more smoke-free note I am trying to get back into going to the gym, I went yesterday after work and again today. I figured that going to the gym little and often is better than not at all.

Hell

2010-05-18T12:50:00.001-07:00

Giving up smoking is my definition of hell.

Actually I take that back.

ME giving up smoking is JAYS definition of hell.

J doesn't smoke nor has ever smoked. He has spent the past 6 months hating me smoking (I have always said, make it official and i'll quit..)

SO being true to my word I have.

We are almost over.

I Want..

2010-05-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

.. To start a new blog.

Not a new blog and ditch this one but a new blog with J.

I know it might sound lame and geeky but I am happy with that.

I just feel we have worked so hard to get to the point that we are at now that I want the world to know about it.

J being a typical bloke wants to do it too. Just not yet.

Watch this space!!

Nightmare On Elm Street

2010-05-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

J and I went to the pictures last night to see Nightmare On Elm Street, another of his very welcomed surprises :-)

Seriously, I am so happy at the moment its unbelievable.

As you know Ineke my luck with men over the past year or so has not been great and some may say that it still wasn't fantastic when J and I first started.. However things have completely turned around, I feel excited about EVERYTHING. Not just the big, extravagent things but the little things. Curling up on the sofa and watching the football, making coffee in the mornings, taking showers and holding each other. I am turning into a complete Sap, seriously.

I just feel happy. Like proper happy. Happy and content and excited.

So anyway, this post was supposed to be about the film.

Frig it.

Men are funny little things aren't they?

2010-05-10T11:25:00.001-07:00

'You Blog? - Geek'

The famous words of my wonderful man.

You'll find his freshly made blog in my sidebar - Now who's the Geek?

Something to Blog about :-)

2010-05-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

Finally Ladies and Gents I have something to Blog about..

I am not sure if I have mentions J in my previous posts as things have been very uncertain between us and I didn't want to be bombarded with questions about the new man in my life (from all the hundreds of you that read Pebble Dash ;-) ) until, he was infact, in my life.

So a bit of background info I hear you asking for..

J is in a more executive position to myself in our Office, hence why we haven't been able to have a 'relationship' This has been going on for the past 7 or 8 months, seeing each other outside of work but not actually feeling as if it is going anywhere, me being kept a secret from his family and just generally not doing 'couply' things.

ANYWAY

Last week he rocked my world, turned it upside down and gave it a bit of a shake.

We are now 'in a relationship', doing couply things and building ourselves up to 'meet the family' I am SOOOO excited.

Like seriously, butterflies and everything, the full shibang.

I am very much looking forward to updating my blog on (hopfully) a more regular basis,

Chao for now!!

Jack

2010-03-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

Those of you who read Practically Dutch will be more than aware of the role that Jack played in my life.

I spoke to him today for the first time in over a year.

How times change :'-(

Dilemma

2010-03-08T13:47:00.000-08:00

So I have a dilemma.

It seems that both my Great Nana and my Nannie both chose to have children in the month of March thus resulting into copious amounts of confusion for Moi.

Every year it gets to this time and every year I ask myself the same question: Who goes first?

Now I know that One is on the 9th and the other the 16th (or is it the 19th?!) but I am just not sure which.

Anyway. It is the 8th today so too freaking late now I guess.

Cards in the post.. Honest..

Long Time, No See

2010-03-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

Well, It has been a while, I must say.

I thought I would stop by and let you all (when I say 'all', I namely mean 'you' as I am pretty sure the people that read this are of a minority..) know that I am still alive and well.

So, here I am, alive and kicking and wondering what on earth I should write next.

The past few weeks/months have been a bit of a rollercoaster. I have moved house (as my previous post states) and been a whirlwind of emotions in regards to my job.

When I first started it was where I wanted to be, where I saw myself staying, loving and progressing however recently things seemed to have changed. I am no longer enjoying getting up and going into the office in the mornings, I am not having the patience with the customers as I should let alone the staff.

I guess I am just used to working in a busy, public place. I have always worked in bars and restaurants and been faced with new people every day, it is what I am good at. I guess I am just struggling a little with seeing the same faces day in and day out and like most offices the people that occupy them are not necessarily the people you would usually chose to spend your time with. Anyway, time can only tell what will happen with that one!

Less of the moan.

I thought I would change my template, it is a little hectic and crazy but I figured for that reason, it represents my life pretty damn well.

Hopefully my next post may even include a little humor.

Now wouldn't that just be lovely.

Heaven

2010-01-17T03:41:00.000-08:00

So, quick update.

I have moved house!!

I am now living literally across the road from the office, along with the gym, every kind of eatery you can think of, top clothes shops, a chemist and a tanning studio.

My idea of heaven :-)

Oh the possibilities..

2010-01-15T15:03:00.000-08:00

The fact that I have posted in a while leaves a lot to the imagination.

Think of the possibilities.. I could have moved abroad, travelled the world, been fired, eaten too much and therefore got stuck in my chair, fallen off the side of a boat, been eaten by a shark, experienced the wrath of the snow, slipped on the ice, found out I'm a man, had a baby, been promoted, swam the ocean, taken a skydive or...

None of the above.

I'm not pregnant but..

2009-12-30T14:50:00.001-08:00

..I am having serious cravings for coke (a cola, before you ask) at the moment even though I rarely drink fizzy pop (as my Nan calls it..)

However as some sort of intercourse needs to take place to reproduce, pregnancy is out of the question.

Things that p*ss me off..

2009-12-30T11:26:00.000-08:00

.. because there is nothing better at Christmas time than a scrooge.

1. People who can eat and eat and eat and still look like if there metabolism was any faster they would be flying.
2. The fact that everywhere I go mess seems to follow me.
3. That, yet again, even though I am no longer a 'Bar Person' I have still somehow managed to end up working on New Years Eve.
4. The fact that calling a 'Bar Person' anything other than a 'Bar Person' is not politically correct. Your a Bar Maid, I was a Bar Maid, get over it.
5. That for some reason, even though I don't speak to you all year, you still expect me to personally call you and wish you a Merry Christmas.
6. No matter how much money I pay out a week I never seem to kiss goodbye to my phone bill.
7. When I go shopping with no money and see everything I like, yet when I go out with a wad of it I find nothing.
8. The dumb ass customer that calls in and doesn't seem to understand that when you go into Tesco's and say 'Right, I want this can of beans but I don't want to pay for it, is that ok?' is exactly the same as making a freaking phone call and refusing to hand over the money.
9. The fact that some of my closest friends live a million miles away.
10. The old lady that walks through the door you so kindly held open for her and doesn't say thank you. Bitch.

I feel it is my duty..

2009-12-27T14:10:00.000-08:00

As I haven't posted in a while I felt it was only right that I stopped by to say hello.

Whats been going on in my life I hear you asking..

Grump-bags
Usually I use the same taxi firm for all of my travels, I know the drivers and they look after me. Also, this is what happens when I don't..

'Hello, hows your day been? Have you been busy?'
'I tend not to answer that question anymore Love'
(awkward silence)
'Its a bit of a p*ss-take really, isn't it, what with the recession'
'Oh, erm well I honestly didn't mean to 'take the p*ss' as you like to call it.. Is there a better question I can ask?'
'No, not really'
'Erm, oh, ok'
(continued awkward silence)
'Thats a fiver Love please'

Crazy! I think I can honestly say I have never felt so uncomfortable in all my life (well, other than when my friend told me his Dad had died and I laughed because I thought he was joking..)

My Ice-capade
Wednesday morning I was due in work bright and early, I set my alarm, woke up and called MY taxi man (as I have now developed a fear for any alternative firms..) 07.40 a get a call to say the roads are too icy therefore he is stuck and unable to pick me up.

I spent the rest of my morning deliberating the possibilities of getting to the train station, walk? Not a chance. Bus? Thats a joke. Friend? CHECK! I text my old employer (who incidently I haven't seen since July) to see if on the off-chance he was driving anywhere close to my office, he said he was and would pick me up at 10.00.

OK, so thats an hour later than my actual start time but far better than a slap in the face with a wet fish so I called work and explained my situation which they were fine with.

I then proceeded to walk to the end of my road (in pigeon steps because of the ice) and recieved a call from said person. He is stuck on the ice and unable to pull out of his drive and would I like to go on his motorbike. You have to be joking. Not a chance in freaking hell.

I then called my office back and yet again explained there was no way I would be able to get into town until at least 12.00 due to the ice.

I finally managed to call a taxi out and arrived in the office at 13.25, 4 hours and 25 minutes late but there all the same.

My boss was so impressed I'd actually bothered to go in at all that he gave me Christmas Eve off, winner.

What next?

2009-12-06T05:42:00.000-08:00

As you may know, from time to time I go through phases.

'I'm going back to college'
'I'm gonna travel the world!!'
'I'm thinking of moving away'

Are just a few of the things those close to me hear from my mouth on a regular basis, don't they Ineke?

Well, I have come to the conclusion, that I need to learn to be content with what I have as opposed to always wanting more.

I work for a fantastic company in a fantastic location with fantastic people so think it is about time I take full advantage of this and enjoy it.

So instead of coming up with all these wierd and wonderful ideas of what to do next I have decided to maximise and make the most of what I already have.

On Tuesday I have an appointment to view a house in the city where I work, therefore reducing travel costs and travel time.

It looks lovely, literally 3 minutes walk from the office and very close to the city centre.

Hopefully this will enable me to settle a little better, increase my pocket money and leave more time for me to enjoy the things around me. We shall see.

Is It A Bird?

2009-12-01T13:36:00.000-08:00

For those of you who know me, you will be well aware that I am not the most girly of girls.

I don't spend hours in front of the mirror tweeking my hair or doing my make-up
I try my best to avoid clothes shopping as much as possible - the whole idea of getting changed in a 2 by 2 cubicle repeatedly to get the right fit stresses me out a little
My nail varnish is forever chipped and not in good shape and
I would much rather be a part of a lads night out than a girly night in

HOWEVER

I have my works christmas meal on Thursday and thought I may just make an effort.

On Sunday I spent close on two hours walking aimlessly around a clothes store near my house, trying on dress after dress, not finding anything I felt remotely comfortable in.

As I was in the queue with Mother ready to pay for the few garments she had gathered along her way I saw it. There it was, screaming 'buy me'.

Being a couple of minutes to closing there was no time to faf about in the changing room so I decided to take a chance and just go for it.

After getting home and having a very well deserved cup of coffee I thought it best I try it on.

Nice length, fits around waist, flatters all the right lumps and bumps, but wait! Somethings wrong..

Whats this?! The freaking woman in the shop failed to remove the security tag!

Now, its a bloody good job if you ask me that I didn't try it on in the shop, therefore resulting in me not taking it out of the bag again until Thursday, in the bathroom at work (Yes - I have to do a quick Superman style change in the toilet after finishing my days duty) to find a large plastic tag under my armpit.

Now wouldn't that have been bloomin marvelous.

If I Was An Eskimo..

2009-11-30T14:04:00.000-08:00

..then I wouldn't mind living in an igloo. But seen as I'm not - I do.

Please hurry boiler man and make me warm again.

Commitment

2009-11-30T10:23:00.000-08:00

I am not as new to this whole blogging malarky as one would asume.

What seems like a life time ago now I kept a blog named Practically Dutch.

Have a read if you like, It will give you a little insight in to me, you could call it cheating if you like, but it saves me doing it.

Anyway, the point in this post is to openly admit I struggle with commitment a little.

I love change, more so than the average person, - I get a job, love it but want to relocate.
- I move house, love it, but feel like a change. - I meet a man, love him (I say losely) but get bored too easily.

- I start a blog, love it, but struggle to keep it up.

So, to get to the point, I need a little encouragement, and seen as you, Graham are the only person that reads my blog, I'm going to tag you.

Now, I am making this up entirely as I go along and thinking about it, its not really a tag after all as it doesn't require any other participent other than Me, Myself and you.

Right - getting back on track.. I'd like you to give me something to blog about, something I can look into, get my teeth into and post.

Up for the challenge?

Pebble Dash

2009-11-29T13:25:00.000-08:00

I would love to come up with a truely poetic reason as to why my blog is called 'Pebble Dash' but I can't.

'The title of my blog derived from the image of several individual pebbles being put together, completing a bigger picture only a million pebbles could achieve'

Sounds at least a little better than 'It's the first thing that came into my head' but, unfortunatly, the latter is true.