I’m one of these people that doesn’t get sick all that often. I suppose that I’m lucky that way. But when I do get sick it’s like everything hits me all at the one time. And I’m usually already on holiday from work, but that’s Sod’s Law.

It’s not much fun coughing every couple of minutes and sneezing at the same time. Or running a temperature. Or having toothache. Or having a chest infection which produces different coughs from the cold-coughs (that totally makes sense in my head by the way). Lucky me, having all this at the same time. Plus a headache, but that I can deal with.

I’ve lost count of the medication that I’ve taken today - cough bottle, flu tablets, painkillers, inhalor, antibiotics, vitamins, vapour rub. That’s what’s probably causing the headaches since I’m also one of these people who doesn’t pay attention to the ‘warning do not take with other products’ messages on medication. Oh, and the inhalor is the boyfriend’s, not mine. Very stupid I know but I did really need it.

Somebody send me some cookies or a big bar of Galaxy so I can lie here and watch House and not think that I’m dying? And if you could, House himself? I’m starting to quite fancy him.

I know I’ll regret posting that I find Hugh Lawrie attractive but I can blame the medication.

I’ve just found a PR website for people writing articles and stories that feature up-and-coming clothing in shops such as Primark, asos.com, Monsoon etc. It’s called PRshots.com, and hopefully it means that I can find what I want to buy before it hits the shops and I’ll never have to browse eBay again to find tops and bags that sell out way too fast in my local Primark.

And yes, I’m a Primark slut. I don’t care if it’s cheap and nasty - that’s exactly why I like it.

What version do you prefer? Wiley or Hot Chip?

Wiley:

Hot Chip:

It’s to solve an argument that I’m having about which version is better

Hello blog, I seem to remember promising to visit you more often. And to remember and bring you flowers each visit. You know, the pretty white roses that you love so much. To remind you of how much I really do care, even though my visits are few and far between.

But I’m here now, that’s all that matters. To tell you some wonderful news (and yes, I’m aware that it’s always about me with our relationship. That’s just the way it works). I’m happy! My job is going well when they’re not trying to move me to different shops, my boyfriend hasn’t upset me in at least 3 months, I’ve stopped arguing with my family about the little things and my freelance work is on the up. All I need now is to win the lottery and I’ll be sorted.

So that’s why I’ve not been around recently. I’ve had other websites to look after. Not just for me, but other people who actually pay me money. Which I’ll spend on you, extending your life by an other year or two - isn’t that just awesome? I’m not sick of your name yet.

I just wanted to say hello, I’m still here. And that me and you are going to be a lot closer after next week - I promise!

Much love,
Mel
xxx

Everybody has wedding present lists these days, made up of the items that the couple want along with where to buy them. Usually ranging in the £40-£250 area (or at least on wedding lists I’ve seen for recent weddings my family’s been invited to).

Question is what’s acceptable to pay for a new baby present? Should it all be £10 baby booties and £20 towels and blanket sets in pretty pastels? Or is that just being cheap. Like buying a toaster for newly weds?

The reason that I ask is that, as regular readers will be aware, my best friend’s girlfriend is expecting their first child in February. Obviously I want to get them a really cool gift that will aid them aswell as be functional for the baby, but don’t want to just head to TK Maxx for a basket full of white babygrows and socks with teddybears on them for £14.99.

Britax Carseat

Browsing the internet I came across the Britax minisite for carseats. Granted at the moment my best mate doesn’t drive but he’s going to have to learn pretty damn soon! I don’t mind shelling out a little extra for a good quality present for the baby and parents if I know it’ll make their life a little easier. And I don’t want to be the person to give them yet another ‘cute’ collection of baby bibs and dummys.

Everybody's at it...

So here I am, jumping on the bandwagon and manga-ing my face at faceyourmanga.com. Anything to take my mind off of last week’s drama is good.

Some of you may remember that a while back I was having issues with my employer trying to move me to a different shop, which I fought against and stayed in the shop I want to work in. Well last Wednesday I got offered a move again. To yet another shop I wasn’t comforable working in. Or hours I’d be able to work (but that’s a different blog post altogether). Anyway, they accepted my decision to stay put but not without stressing me out, again. A thousand and one niggly questions at the back of my head - do I actually want to further my career? I keep putting barriers up for myself. Do I actually have what it takes? What am I so afraid of?

Thankfully I’m on holiday for a week or else I’d really be stressed. One whole week to concentrate on me, the boyfriend and my hobbies that have fallen way-side to work over the past month or two. Day one and I’m bored!

I’ve just logged into WordPress for the first time in quite a while to be confronted by over 100 spam comments. That has never, ever happened to me before - I’m lucky if I get one comment at all. It also takes away from my theory that installing plugins like Askimet and SpamKarma actually increase your likely hood of getting more spam. I don’t have any spam busting plugins on this blog at all, as I was fed up ‘marking comments as spam’ on the previous installation of WordPress here.

So, looks like I’m going to have to find a good spam fighting plugin that does exactly what it says on the tin - other than the two big names in WordPress plugins. Any recommendations?

Last night I spent around 6 hours writing up answers for my Management Training Program, and tonight I’m supposed to be typing it all up, but I’ve not started yet. Considering I’m up at 5am (it’s currently 9.30pm) I need to get a move on. I’m taking my laptop with me to Head Office tomorrow to sit in the office and type my little heart out so I don’t need to finish tonight but I have so much work to do. It completely and utterly serves me right, I’ve had two months to finish these two modules and yet I’ve left it until the last week as per usual. I think this one has taken me so long because it’s the most boring thing about running a shop - Newspaper & Magazines. I deal with our supplier in work a lot and they’re incompetent idiots, which makes me resent doing anything to do with them. Funny considering they’ve got the monopoly in paper distribution in the UK they can’t seem to get the basics right.

The good news is that the course must be finished for January 2009 as this is when the awards ceremony is. I think I’ll need to be on holiday that week, I don’t much fancy that and having my picture in the quarterly magazine sent to all staff members. Eh, no. I don’t do photographs.

I suppose I should get on with it really, although with my will power at the moment I’ll have to unplug the cable for the router and get my brother to hide it as I’ve got so much catching up to do online too.

I’m getting more than slightly caught up in the buzz surrounding the Olympics, even though I’m not sporty in the slightest (I’m the biggest couch potatoe on the planet actually). I can’t help it, I don’t sleep much anyway so I’m sitting watching the different events through the night instead of those rubbish made for tv movies and infomercials, watching all these brilliant athletes Going For Gold for themselves and their country, it’s so inspiring and addictive. I especially like seeing my fellow Brit’s winning medals.

What’s also brilliant is Bet365 Casino’s current promotion which is tied in with the Olympics absolutely perfectly - The Going For Gold £50,000 promotion. The casino over at Bet365 is probably the best on the internet - trust me, I’ve tried them all - and this promotion is great idea and so much fun to take part it - it’s like really taking part in the Olympic Games without being atheletic, or having to fly out to Beijing.

You can win varying amounts depending on how well you do, from £25 - £1500 if you’re within the top 100 players for each day. How cool is that? I’d be more than happy to win myself a couple of gold medals, heck even a bronze medal would be awesome!

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