Bowery Mural

Blogger Dynamic Views

Thursday 31 March 2011

So Google and Blogger, announce a new Dynamic Views for your Blogger blog. I've had a go, click the link below to see it. Pretty neat I'd say. Theirs Mosaic, Snapshot, Flipboard, Timeslide and Sidebar views.
http://angeprojecteverest.blogspot.com/view

This is the Snapshot view of mine. Cool eh.



It's funny the amount of people who criticise Blogger as a blogging platform. When i started my blog and searched around the web it was one of the first ones to come up to I just liked it straight away. As you know I did try to move away to another platform but i just do not like Wordpress. Everyone uses Wordpress and therefore you see blogs that sorta all look the same because they haven't changed or tweaked their theme. I have a Tumblr and a Posterous blog too but never really update them. I always come back to this little place I now call home. I'll always keep this blog no matter what.

I just can't wait until Blogger releases the iPhone app and the all new dashboard with, hopefully, some new features!

Always a Blogger girl
Angela x

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Awkward and Awesome

Awkward and Awesome...you know the drill.

Awkward
  • I can't think of any just now but will update. I suppose this is kinda awkward? Not being able to wrtie and awkward moment from the past week....

Awesome
  • Lady Gaga song Born This Way. I just love it. I love her 'fuck you I'll do it my way' attitude. Her work ethic takes a lot of beating. She is the ultimate enterpreneur, a real one not a playing at it one.
  • Emails and texts from a friend. They help when you are feeling a little bit low and not at your best.
  • The Edinburgh Twestival. EdTwestival, that i went to last week. It was a good night and well worth the £10 ticket. The atmosphere was good and it was pretty busy without being too cramped in the fab venue. Well done to all who put that together and made it happen.
  • New jeans that i spied in a shop in town. They are awesomely colourful and summery and i will lose a bit of weight and wear them all through summer. Sorted.
Angela x

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Blogging Challenge

Tuesday 29 March 2011

As the month of March draws to a close i'm wondering what the worth is in posting every day. I'm starting to really run out of ideas for blog posts. You might be able to tell...

I think from my little challenge to myself I'm realising that for me blogging every day doesn't work. However, I do think an every other day post will be fine so i'm going to try to do that after March and onwards. I've not written a list of potential post titles down yet but I'll start. To generate ideas and get the juices flowing. Because as you know, this blog isn't about preaching at you about social media, since every one and their aunty does that, no this blog is about me and my journey through life. That means sometimes there'll be good days and sometimes there'll be bad days but all posts are genuine and real. That is what I'm most proud of. Keeping it real in a sea of fakery that exists out there.

I happened upon someone today on Twitter who is running a blogger meet up in Edinburgh. She is @miss_smidge and her blog is here. I'd really lke to go along to one of those. Anybody been? Let me know.

Sorry, short and sweet post today.

Angela x

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I Like It When You Smile

Monday 28 March 2011

Taking photos is a great hobby of mine. Ever since I got my iPhone that has become my main source of mostly pointing and shooting scenes or moments in time. I do have a very Panasonic Lumix TZ7 digital camera and have not really utilised the features fully. If your follow my daily tweets on Twitter or Instagram photos then you'll know I mostly post food, Ryan or sunset pictures. But on browsing my pictures saved onto a portable hard drive I realise that i've taken some great photos. I have LOTS, I mean LOTS, of favourites but one of my all time favourites has to be the one below...


The reason i chose this picture was because when i look at it i;m reminded of an amazing times in my life. The trek to Nepal. There I am sitting there in the middle of the Himalayas. Mt Everest is somewhere around the corner to my left. I was so near and yet so far, because as you know I never made it to Everest Base Camp. It's funny I should be blogging about this now as on Thursday it will be 2 years to the day since I set off on that journey. At that point I was really low. Hacking cough, aching ribs, wind blowing dust all over my face and if you look closely enough you may see some snot on my sleeve. (sorry!). I was never so glad of those glasses to hide my puffy red eyes from the tears. We'd just watch the rest of the group set off to try to make it to Base Camp and back to Namche Bazaar in 2 days. No easy task I assure you. I remember sitting there, Peter took this picture and Mingma our sherpa turned around and they were talking about mountains in front of us. (You can't quite see the scale but i assure you they were HUGE). I laughed at one point and Mingma said 'I like it when you smile'. It gave me the little boost I needed and we headed down into Pherice, home of the Himalayan Rescue Association hospital, to a near 5 star lodge for a cuppa and a sit down toilet - luxury.

As I sit here typing I have a slight tear in my eye recalling memories. But they are good memories. It was an amazing life changing experience and has contributed lots to the person I am today. I will never forget it or the people. More photos here.

Namaste

Angela x

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Maybe

Sunday 27 March 2011

I'm coming to the end of my month long blogging challenge. I'm really pleased that I've started it and that I've managed to see it through to the end, nearly, i will continue it until the end of March. Admittedly I'm running out of things to blog about now. I actually wrote a blog post on Thursday night on the train home from the EdTwestival. When i say wrote i actually wrote it in a notebook with a pen and paper. Not the details but brief notes to myself on what i wanted to say in that particular post. The trouble is it may be a little bit too personal to publish here in this space. I'm going to weigh it up. I shall let you know. Maybe.

Which seems to be the story of my life just now...that word... Maybe. I was told a few weeks ago to stop saying it and I tried but it's jut that i have all these great ideas that i want to get out there and Maybe i will. I have all these great blog posts that i want to get out there, maybe. I have so many things i want to tell people, some of you may even be reading this and maybe i will, maybe i won't. I need to be courageous. I've been getting better recently too but something deep down inside of me just tugs on my internal hoodie and pulls me back by the neck so that the words never actually come out of my mouth. Sure I've read all the quotes about living each day like its your last, you'll only regret what you've never done blah blah but when you have that internal fear about what may go wrong all the time then it's not so easy. Signs of my progress included heading all the way to Edinburgh on Thursday night and walking into a mobbed venue by myself when i only knew about 5% of the people there. I'd never have done that a few years ago, no siree. So see, getting better.

Any tips to pass on to me? how do you overcome your fears? how do you deal with having to tell someone something? be it a good something or a bad something, how? I'd love you to share your secrets with me. Oh and if you have any questions check yesterday's post. 

Losing that hour has caught up with me, but it's SUMMER!! wahey! Can hardly wait
Angela x

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Question Time

Saturday 26 March 2011

Hey hey, listen up, kids. I've had an idea. It's Question Time. A time where you can ask me anything and I'll try to reply in a future post. Keep it clean mind. Nothing too inappropriate!
Fire away. Hit me up with your questions in the comments sections. Ready, Steady Go...!



Angela x

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On Hold

Friday 25 March 2011

Because I'm too tired and can't focus enough to write anything I leave you with this. My 'hood.



You're welcome.

Angela x

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Awkward and Awesome

Thursday 24 March 2011

Thursday again and we all know what that means!!... another awkward and awesome post from the past week.

Awkward
  • There's a strike on at work today and if I'm honest I'm not exactly sure what it's about. Maybe I should find out. But it's awkward when a student calls to ask if classes will be on and I don't know what to tell them. Most aren't on but some are. 
  • You follow a link to a story, then you click on a link to a website from that story, and you discover the person's website, who by the way makes out they are some big shot, their website is actually pretty horrible. Horrible to navigate, horrible to look at, horrible to understand and horrible to read from . You wish you could tell them but they think they are great so you don't bother. They have an ugly website, their ploblem. 
  • You get a letter in the post and its addressed to @Ange77H and you have to explain to whole Twitter thing to your parents. They kinda get it. During a TV programme or some other historical event, i get asked 'waht's Twitter saying about it?'. Cute eh.

Awesome
  • Emails from friends. I really do like them. Send me some more. Please.
  • Baked cakes for my Aunty Mary's 65th birthday during the week.
  • Making lovely hearts from multi-rainbow-coloured paper and sending a few tweets to sheer people up with a heart. I think it worked!
  • Finding more great links for brilliant websites. I love finding hidden gems. I mightnshare some with you later.
  • I'm heading to Edinburgh tonight for the Edinburgh Twestival. A festival of people, mostly from Twitter, coming together to raise cash for charity. Music, food, raffles! It happens all over the world on the same day so go check out your local city and see if there's one near you. If you're rading this from anywhere in fron of us like, err, Australia, you've maybe already been to one.
  • The first formula one race of the season begins this weekend and I cannot wait. I LOVE F1 and I don't care who knows it. It doesn't seem that long since the end of last season. Time flies. 
  • The new shoes i bought on a whim last Saturday, Awesome. Fact.
Come share your awkward and awesomeness then check out The Daybook here.

Angela x

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Updated Bucket List

Wednesday 23 March 2011


I thought I'd give you an update on where i am with my Bucket List. You may not remember but i wrote a post away back in May last year. It wasn't a things to do before I die type things. Rather a To Do list of things i want to, well To Do. So here's the post, and the list is below. I'll highlight in purple the things i've done with a little explanation.
Enjoy. And remember, if you want to help me tick off the items on this list go ahead and pick and number and let me know.  Let’s enjoy it!
  1. Walk along a remote beach in Scotland at sunset. - Still to do and want to do so badly. Any takers?
  2. Sell some of my lovely crafty wares online to actual people.
  3. Use my free meal for 2 voucher for the Landsdowne Bar. - used it in June last year with lovely Nicola.
  4. Cinema at least once a month. - Yay! thanks to my Cineworld card i'm seeing a lot more movies
  5. Go see the Tour de France LIVE! - I wish!
  6. Weekend in London. - booked for April, Cannot wait!
  7. Road tripping with friends - get in the car and drive, anywhere. - Well I did day trip to see friends in Luton the other week, does that count?
  8. Another trip to Barcelona cos it’s my favourite city.
  9. Find an excuse to wear my yellow dress.
  10. Find an even bigger excuse to buy the lovely dress I saw in Oasis the other day! - I'm changing this to the Aztec dress from All Saints or an outfit from French Connection I saw in the book i was sent today. nice!
  11. Lots of Nic and Ange adventures (pick some of the above and below missy!)
  12. Surf in Hawaii
  13. Drive down the Pacific Coast Highway
  14. Sell some of my pictures
  15. Swing through the trees at Go Ape!
  16. Own a Frank Gehry necklace from Tiffany
  17. Write in my blog more. I'm doing this with my one post a day in March. You likey?
  18. Go see this bridge (Glenfinnan Viaduct).
  19. Scream like a child at Alton Towers
  20. Finish reading one of the 4 books sitting on my bedside table. - In actual fact i;ve bought more books to read. Slowly getting there.
  21. Start my Uni evening classes – September 2010. Yay, completed an Intro to Graphic Design course from Sept - Nov 2010.
  22. Keep taking photos @iphonograffi ) - Well I take lots and lots of photos. Not so much on my digital camera but i'm rectifying that.
UPDATED: 25 May 2010

23.  Walk up more hills
24.  Stop worrying so much - hhmmm this is a tricksy one.
25.  People watch in Grand Central Station
Update: 23 March 2011
26.  Get a new iPhone.
27.  Buy a Macbook.
As mentioned in that previous post, this list is not complete and will be added to every now and again as soon as an idea pops in to my head. 
Angela x
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Poetry, Words and Pronunciation

Tuesday 22 March 2011

I found this poem on Pinterest here. I wanted to share it because I think it's cool.


IF YOU CAN CORRECTLY PRONOUNCE EVERY WORD IN THIS POEM, YOU WILL BE SPEAKING ENGLISH BETTER THAN 90% OF THE NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKERS IN THE WORLD. AFTER TRYING THE VERSES, A FRENCHMAN SAID HE’D PREFER SIX MONTHS OF HARD LABOUR TO READING SIX LINES ALOUD. TRY THEM YOURSELF. 


Dearest creature in creation, Study English pronunciation. I will teach you in my verse Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse. I will keep you, Suzy, busy, Make your head with heat grow dizzy. Tear in eye, your dress will tear. So shall I! Oh hear my prayer. Just compare heart, beard, and heard, Dies and diet, lord and word, Sword and sward, retain and Britain. (Mind the latter, how it’s written.) Now I surely will not plague you With such words as plaque and ague. But be careful how you speak: Say break and steak, but bleak and streak; Cloven, oven, how and low, Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe. Hear me say, devoid of trickery, Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore, Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles, Exiles, similes, and reviles; Scholar, vicar, and cigar, Solar, mica, war and far; One, anemone, Balmoral, Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel; Gertrude, German, wind and mind, Scene, Melpomene, mankind. Billet does not rhyme with ballet, Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet. Blood and flood are not like food, Nor is mould like should and would. Viscous, viscount, load and broad, Toward, to forward, to reward. And your pronunciation’s OK When you correctly say croquet, Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve, Friend and fiend, alive and live. Ivy, privy, famous; clamour And enamour rhyme with hammer. River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb, Doll and roll and some and home. Stranger does not rhyme with anger, Neither does devour with clangour. Souls but foul, haunt but aunt, Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant, Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger, And then singer, ginger, linger, Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge, Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age. Query does not rhyme with very, Nor does fury sound like bury. Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth. Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath. Though the differences seem little, We say actual but victual. Refer does not rhyme with deafer. Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer. Mint, pint, senate and sedate; Dull, bull, and George ate late. Scenic, Arabic, Pacific, Science, conscience, scientific. Liberty, library, heave and heaven, Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven. We say hallowed, but allowed, People, leopard, towed, but vowed. Mark the differences, moreover, Between mover, cover, clover; Leeches, breeches, wise, precise, Chalice, but police and lice; Camel, constable, unstable, Principle, disciple, label. Petal, panel, and canal, Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal. Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair, Senator, spectator, mayor. Tour, but our and succour, four. Gas, alas, and Arkansas. Sea, idea, Korea, area, Psalm, Maria, but malaria. Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean. Doctrine, turpentine, marine. Compare alien with Italian, Dandelion and battalion. Sally with ally, yea, ye, Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key. Say aver, but ever, fever, Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver. Heron, granary, canary. Crevice and device and aerie. Face, but preface, not efface. Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass. Large, but target, gin, give, verging, Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging. Ear, but earn and wear and tear Do not rhyme with here but ere. Seven is right, but so is even, Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen, Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk, Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work. Pronunciation (think of Psyche!) Is a paling stout and spikey? Won’t it make you lose your wits, Writing groats and saying grits? It’s a dark abyss or tunnel: Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale, Islington and Isle of Wight, Housewife, verdict and indict. Finally, which rhymes with enough, Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough? 
Hiccough has the sound of cup. My advice is to give up!!! - B. Shaw


Isn't it cool?


Angela xx


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Happy Birthday Twitter

Monday 21 March 2011



Today is the 5th birthday of Twitter. Which means that Ryan is nearly the same age as Twitter. Nearly. It won't be long until he's blogging and tweeting on his new iPad2!

I've read a lot of tweets and blog posts about Twitter today and what it means to different people and i thought I should add my two pence worth into the mix.

For me Twitter has given me an outlet to share stuff. Blog posts, pictures and my general thoughts and feelings and stuff and people. I like the immediacy of Twitter. It's generally the first place I turn to if i want to find out the latest new on something, the latest war, who's been put out of X Factor, what's going on at SXSW...plus loads of other events.

Most of all it has brought people into my life that I would otherwise never had met or had the chance to meet as we move in such different circles. But here I am, 2 years on Twitter back in February, and I was off down to Luton to meet a great bunch of people I now consider good friends and it all came about due to Twitter.

Twitter has allowed me to talk to @Sacca on a few occasions. I mean, I never knew there was a place called Truckee until I stumble across him. Then there's Raam Dev, all the way over there in Boston (currently). One of the most grounded and lovely people on Twitter. Plus his pictures from Kennedy Space Centre and shuttle launches are ace, as is his blog. There's also Kat from Rock n Roll Bride blog which is my latest obsession. I have to have a look at it each morning but i can't seem to link it so that it appears in my Blogs i Love! There's those nice folk from @Audi who are funny and engage sometimes. I'm still trying to wangle a free A1, help me, #AudiA1forAnge, tweet it. Go!! Oh I could list a reason for each person that I follow but you'd get bored. Sorry for not mentioning all my usual Twitter crew whom I tweet with regularly, I love you guys.

I went through the list of people I follow on Twitter to see if I could cut it down as it gets a bit crazy sometimes but barring a few there weren't many I did unfollow. And I realised that percentage wise, about 50% of the people/brands I follow don't tweet me back. Which for me is fine because it's things like people who put out lots of design links (i follow loads of these), there are news services, the odd celeb who'll never really tweet you but i like to know that Lance Armstrong just rode up a hill with his son Max or that Andy Murray beat his brother in a practice match in Miami or even that Edith Bowman is currently running along a beach in Brazil and it's overcast. I love knowing these wee snippets of their lives we'd never ever been able to find out had it not been for Twitter.

You can read the story of Twttr and how it all went live here at Jack's Tumblr blog. Inneresting indeed.

In conclusion, Twitter is lots of information; lots of gossip; somewhere to go when i can't sleep (you can usually find someone in another time zone to have a wee chat with). I've written some posts here and here on my Twitter thoughts. It has given me a new lease of life and a new life. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I LOVE IT.

Jack, Biz and Florian I thank you for it, truly.

Tweet ya later on @Ange77H

Angela xx

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Who, Where, What, Why

Where are you when I need you.
Why are you not here just now.
What would you say if I were happy or sad
When can I finally meet you.

Why can't you show yourself
sooner rather than later
I'm beginning to want you here all the time
I want to share stories with you
Every day

Why can't you see this
Who are you again?
You're the smile on my face.
The flip in my belly
The bumper to my iPhone4
*sigh*

Show yourself to me someday?



Angela x

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Stuff, just stuff

Sunday 20 March 2011

It's been another quick week. Time is flying in and there's been highs and lows this week, for me. I've not done my Thursday Three post this week as I can't really think of any. So I'm throwing it open to you, the readers. Can you suggest any topics for Thursday Three posts that haven't been covered before? There must be some. Leave a comment below. If I keep coming up with topics myself then they'll be all safe and not challenge me to commit to writing about stuff that I may not necessarily want to write about. So go on, any suggestions please leave a comment below.

An update on where i am on a few things. Lent. Giving up chocolate and sweet things with my mum. She's stuck to is. I not so much. I've totally cut back on it thought. You see I seriously think I'm addicted. I wish I wasn't. I wish my sweet tooth wasn't there but I turn to it in times of crisis. Which you'll read as just a bunch of excuses. I suppose that's what they are but pick the one thing you love, coffee, green tea, bread and then try to give it up, see what happens. I have cut back, lots and lots. I just need to wean myself off it. I'll keep you posted.

I'm so chuffed with myself that I've kept up this blogging every day of March malarkey. Granted I'm not blogging about information that is vital to world peace but nonetheless it's showing me that I can stick to something if i really really put my mind to it.

I'm sitting watching the every present news channels and anti-aircraft gunfire and missiles being shot up into the skies over Tripoli in Libya. What's it all about? (alfie). I struggle to find a time when I've never heard of wars on the tellybox. I'm not that naive though, i do know sometimes it has to be done. But oh dear. Does it? I drove around last night and remembered pictures from Kosovo (that was terrible wasn't it?). Mass graves. Pictures of women and children being shot. Terrible. I was still at school then and had never really seen anything like that. Then there was Shock and Awe in Iraq. I remember sitting one Friday night after getting in from work and watching wave after wave of explosions at various palaces. Then who can forget when the statue of Saddam Hussein was brought down i that square and they all started battering it with their shoes. Now this. When will it all stop? Probably never. There will always be something won't there.

And on that note I'm off. To the cinema. To get away from this misery for a few hours.
Be safe. Be good. Play nice. And if there's only one thing you do for me please give me some comments for my Thursday Three topics, please?

Bye.

Angela xx

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Spreading the love

Saturday 19 March 2011

Been lazy, and i forgot to post something, so here's a couple of pictures. I decided to spread some smiles on Twitter tonight. I think it worked.




Angela xx

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Comic Relief

Friday 18 March 2011

We all know what its about, right. For those not from the UK check out what it's all about here...
http://www.rednoseday.com/


Donate in the following ways:
Call:  03457 910 910
Via the website:  http://www.rednoseday.com/
Go to any bank, post office or building society


People have been raising money all day in various ways including cake sales. 
Ryan had his red nose on at nursery.
Carly and her crew raised £800!! well done. 
And another person i follow on Twitter @Jamfactory (Gavin Strange) has reached £1000 by doing a sponsored silence/pictionary. He could only tweet drawings of what he wanted to say. He even drew me a picture! Check out his Twitter feed here and his donation page here.... http://my.rednoseday.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=354187 


Donate if you can.


Angela xx

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Awkward and Awesome

Thursday 17 March 2011

Today hasn't been the best. It's amazing what a few words from a couple of people can do. Anyway, I always like Awkward and Awesome from The Daybook and here's mine...

Awkward

  • When people in your appraisal tell you that you sometimes look unhappy and ask if you are ok, and all you really want to do is tell them that no you're not fucking ok.
  • When you lose all your dignity by nearly choking in the dentist chair then start slobbering whilst rinsing your mouth out with the mouthwash stuff and there's blood dripping too. Not a good look.
  • When you sweated your own bodyweight at spin class and you get off the bike and it looks like you've pee peed but you haven't, you've just worked really hard at class. I call it the stain of pain (and i just made myself laugh and cringe at the same time there... the stain of pain!! I'm trademarking that).


Awesome

  • People you can call friends. Who are there no matter what. Them. You are one of them.
  • Pinterest. It is the most awesome thing on the web for me just now. I love pinning. I love looking at other peoples pins. I love everything on there. Go check my pins out HERE.
  • Colourful stuff. I love colours, rainbow colours. Tonight i'm embarking on a rainbow of colour crafty project. Get some colour in your life.
  • That I'm still up to date with doing a blog post each day of March. I actually love this challenge. So much so I may continue it into April and beyond, no promises though. Thanks for reading if you are. And if you are, please do leave a comment. I love to read and reply to them.
  • Ryan and Connor. They really are awesome. They were waiting on me coming home from work the other night. I swear to god, if you are ever lucky enough to meet Ryan it will be the greatest gift i could ever give you. He'll be a little quiet at first but he'll soon come round to you. Here they are having fun.





  • Talking of videos, have you all got Socialcam on your iPhone? It's great, I'm just getting used to it but will be utilising a lot in the future. Get it here.


I'll have more next week. Let us know how awkward and awesome your week has been, then drop the link over at The Daybook.

Angela xx

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Emotions

Wednesday 16 March 2011

You know when you have one of those days that you seem to feel low. I'm not saying I'm totally grumpy because i wasn't today but i just felt like I need a huge big hug from someone. I still do.

I was at the dentist on Monday and had two fillings. Note: I wasn't in pain or anything but she noticed at my last check up that i needed the. So... Lower left hand side and upper right hand side. She wired right into me with the jags without even numbing the area first. Scaled and polished my teeth then set about doing the fillings. I could taste blood. The lower one took longer than expected and the upper one was causing me some pain but not bad.  It was more the whining noise of the wee tiny drill that was shooting right up past my eye and into my brain.

I left the dentist with a prescription and went to the chemist to collect then headed back to work. My mouth was numb and my tongue felt like it was hanging out like a big sloppy St Bernard dog. It wasn't, i don't think! the numbness started to fade as the day went on and i took a couple of painkillers as the pain was bad. Really bad.

Tuesday passed without much incident and only slight pain but today I couldn't and can't really eat on the right hand side as I catch myself testing it and even if i apply the slightest pressure I can feel a shooting pain. So this had me in a little downer today, much like when i got my car back from the garage after spending £600 and it still having the same problem as it had when it went in.

So I turned to Twitter to try to cheer me up and a few people did just that. I got a cup of tea and what was left of my working afternoon was fine as my mind had been taken off the pain. A few words and a laugh did that. Among the words were "I love you" from wondrous Carly (I stole one of her words: wondrous). Her saying that actually brought a tear to my eyes, in a good way. I am so glad to have people like this in my life. All of you good twitter folk. Glad. Happy. Honoured to have you all as my friends. I know the real ones.

Tonight driving home from spin class, i was thinking about a few of you and my family and Ryan and Connor and my plans for them and I got a bit emotional. Glad it was dark and foggy so no one seen me!

Thank you for being here. Thank you for being there. Thank you for being you, the genuine lovely people I have grown to love and continue to admire with each passing day. Keep being awesome.

Happy Birthday to my beautiful wee cousin Catherine Anne. Not so wee now at 25. Big love xxx

Angela xx

2012 Olympics, amongst other things

Tuesday 15 March 2011

Olympic tickets went on sale today. Will you be getting any? I want to go but as usual there's no-one to go with. That's the thing about being eternally single. There's no salt to my pepper no ice cream to my raspberry sauce nobody to watch the Olympics with. Dang. When will I ever, ever, meet a nice guy? Tell me that someone.

I digress....I will apply for tickets but I'll deliberate over which ones to get since the price ranges from £20 to £100 for the stuff i actually want to go and see. By the way £100 is one of the cheaper tickets! In my mind they have priced most average earners right out the Olympic park, so to speak. I mean a normal family of four probably can't afford to go to any more than one days events, by the time you add in food and a programme? It'll likely be a fiver for a cup of juice, more if you 'want to go large?'. Aah the Big Society is great isn't it.

Talking of which I saw a wee snippet of news that said Oxford University is going to be charging the £9000 maximum amount for tuition fees. Pricing it even more out of the league of a family with an average income never mind a low end income. Disgrace. This only goes to cement the belief that certain institutions will become more elitist than they are and a certain calibre of person will not be able to attend them. Gah. Shite.

Talking of news, I've been watching the ever changing news from Japan and I'm beginning to think they actually want one of those nuclear reactors to blow so that they can get a story. I've lost count of the number of experts they have on who are talking with caution and always saying they're unsure of the radiation levels, if anything has actually been released, that it's totally different from Chernobyl in many ways including the fact that the reactors in Japan were shut down after the initial earthquake, even after all of that they news headline always includes the words nuclear and meltdown putting the frighteners into everyone. I've already seem people on Twitter talk about why were the plants built on a volatile earthquake zone, shady workmanship by contractors who built them and the Japanese hiding information about previous radiation leaks. For me that is quite bad taste so soon after the event. This is real, it's happening just now to real people and there has to be a blame game at all then surely it can wait.

Which reminds me, if you can, you should probably donate something to help. Shelterbox or the British Red Cross would greatly appreciate your help.

I'll finish where i started, 2012 Olympics.

The countdown clock they put up in Trafalgar Square stopped working. Not a good advert for Omega, that official timings sponsor! Maybe its a sign of what's to come...and maybe that's an old wives tale. Whatever, I'm quite looking forward to them. I can remember a time when they were 7 years away and now it's but a matter of a few months. I think we have a great chance of a few medals. Let's do it!

Angela xx

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PLEASE DONATE

Monday 14 March 2011

You can't fail to have been moved in some way by the devasting scenes from Japan. New pictures are emerging with every hour that passes and with the constant stream coming via 24 hour news channels. Below are some links for people and aid agencies who are helping in some way. Money is tight for everyone at the moment so donate whatever you can because i'm sure it all helps.

British Red Cross Japan Tsunami/Earthquake appeal

It's Not Much  - for Shelterbox - Justgiving page link

Hill Punx 2.0 - @Andyvglnt beat his intial £200 target within 3 hours on Friday morning so he extended the target to £500. Well done! Raising money for British Red Cross whilst completing the rest of a Coast to Coast walk.

Shelterbox - ShelterBox is an international disaster relief charity that delivers emergency shelter, warmth and dignity to people affected by disaster worldwide.

I may update with more links as I find them.

Angela x

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March 13

Sunday 13 March 2011

13 March. The day we, as a large extended family, come together to celebrate the life of Wee John. 

That's all for today.

Angela xx

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Thursday Three - school memories

Saturday 12 March 2011

Ah school, good times, good people, good life.

First Crush
Do you ever forget your first crush? I haven't. I first noticed Kenny McGowan in about 2nd year at high school. He was average sized, brown hair and was a really nice looking boy. He was in the year above me at school and I remember me and Sarah Jane Law used to talk about him and his pal all the time. They were in a cool gang. of which I would never be part of, especially since they were a year older!! I remember too that when we me, my sister and our friend used to go to Celtic games at the weekend he'd be there too on another bus and our friend would talk to him but I never would. I was scared. He'd never fancy me. I think i always liked him all through high school but to this day I haven't spoken to him. Strange huh. I remember too he used to wear a black jacket with orange bits on it, played football out the back of the school and used to carry an Umbro holdall to hold all his stuff in. I've seen him a few times lately and he still looks that same, still handsome. So that was him, my first crush, Kenny McGowan.

My friends
You know how you move through school and you hang around with different people and then you settle in with a group who become really good friends. That's what happened but i'll never forget any of the girls I used to pal around with. I remember me and Marie Toner used to write each other wee notes but we didn't hang around at this point. We'd phone each other at night sometimes too then write letters but i don't think we ever hung around at school. We were in some of the same classes though but we'd pass each other in the corridors and hand over the letters. I suppose that what you did before you could text each other or chat on msn. Lorraine Victors was another good friend. I remember her being devastated when Take That split up and by the power of Facebook I've seen that she was overjoyed when they got back together again! At the end of our school years there was a big bunch of us who used to hang around, mostly at the back maths corridor. We'd get our lunch, go to the shop, but sweeties and a wee bottle of Irn Bru then go to that corridor and hang around there all lunch time. You could see outside where people played football or if there was a fight about to start. Looking back those were great times with wonderful people and if any of you are reading this then you mean a lot to me still.

School Trips
I was never well travelled as a child. Out summers were spent in Arbroath, Port Seaton or at my Pappy's for holidays. But mostly at home. School trips were mega exciting for me. A fantastic trip was to Germany with Mr Raeburn and a few others i can't remember. But it was a great trip. We visited a little German town that was on the River Rhone (I can't for the life of me remember its name). We went day trips to Koblenz and a trip to a theme park called Fantasialand (Phantasialand?) which may not have even been in Germany. Anyway the trip started with a day long bus trip leaving our school at 10pm on a Friday night and getting back the next Saturday at 10am. We always stayed in little quaint hostel type hotels but they were enough. On that trip I discovered I had a crush on Christopher Lyons, I didn't get seasick, Michael Connelly put a curtain ring on his nose and pretended he was a bull (very funny) and folk were getting served drink on a local pub when they were 15! I've attached a few pics below and an FB link to lots more if you want to have a look at my massive hair and Umbro jumper. I thought it was cool.





Thanks Ben for suggesting this topic. There were more things I could've written about but i'd have been here all night!

Angela xx

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Photoshop First Play

Friday 11 March 2011

I've finally been having a play around with Photoshop that Ben gave me. After months of not looking at my digital camera, I took a few photos the other day when i was off work. Of course Ryan is in them. To be honest i'd just bought myself a little Joby Gorillapod tripod thing for the camera and wanted to test it out (& Ryan was curious as to what the heck it was!). So here are the results.

crop of original

black and white

purple tint

Not bad but not exactly technical I know. Plus Ryan was watching the telly at the point the camera went off. What I really want to learn is how to do really vivid landscape pictures. Also putting four pictures into one, if you know what I mean? You know, have one picture but two different scenes in it, like I see on other blogs. Also rounded edges. I love rounded edges on pictures. I'll get there though. I've been having a wee play about with it each night. I love this programme. Thank you Woodalls!

Angela xx

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Awkward and Awesome ii

Thursday 10 March 2011

Here's how my week shaped up in terms of Awkwardness and Awesomeness...





Awkward
  • When your friend from Australia wishes you happy birthday then reminds you that you still have an email to send them from months ago!! I will send it this week Bernie :)
  • Trying on jeans and they don't fit. Grrrr....
  • Sitting on a spin bike with a ripped up seat then not wanting to move in case folk think you're weird. I mean its only a ripped up seat.
  • Spilling a piece of dunked soggy bicsuit down your top when drinking your first cup of tea of the day and then having to walk around with the stain showing all day long.
  • The dry skin on my hands. It's not so bad just now but oh so very annoying.
  • Reading a blog post from a copywriter that had a few spelling mistakes. Awkward for them, not me.

Awesome
  • It was my birthday on Sunday and I was woken by the sound of lots of Facebook and Twitter messages wishing me a happy birthday. It certainly was awesome.
  • I got a gorgeous hat from a friend for my birthday and it was totally unexpected. It can be seen on my Pinterest birthday wish list board.
  • Having a Monday off work as a holiday. It's the simple things.
  • My first attempt at baking cupcakes was a huge success. So much so that I'm going to bake more, for all occasions. Woo!
  • The help I got from someone on Twitter when I was totally flummoxed by adding a list to a page to see posts on one topic - Awkward and Awesome. It worked, finally, at half past midnight one night last week. Phew.
  • Reading a cool book and circling and highlighting parts i want to quote at everyone.

How awkward and awesome was your week?

Angela xx

daily drop cap letter H used at the start of this post.

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Light Dusting

Wednesday 9 March 2011

No words this Wednesday, just pictures. Snow pictures because it threatened us today again!

Light dusting

Retro hills

Angela xx

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Nearly forgot

Tuesday 8 March 2011

I didn't nearly forget to post. Truth be told I've not a clue what to write today.

It's Pancake Tuesday. I haven't eaten any pancakes. Everyone else seems to have been making them all day. Pancakes remind me of my Pappy. Whenever he visited us from Law, he used to bring a beaten up Tupperware box filled with freshly made pancakes and soda scones. My sister preferred the soda scones, me the pancakes. I wish for those days again, getting a tupperware box filled with pancakes. Then when he left, he took his box back for next time and gave us a fiver each. But one day the next time never came. He visited us just after Christmas one year, about two weeks later he was gone. Taken from us too early because although he was about 83, he was a spritely 83 year old who walked every day and went to the dancing in Wishaw every Saturday night.

Anyway this wan't going to be a post about anything and ended up about something. I never got the beaten up old tupperware box but I did get his large mixing bowl and set of bottle green brass scales, complete with little brass weights.

Isn't it amazing how food can stir up some memories in each of us.

I dedicate this post to John Higgins, my wonderful Pappy.

a teary Angela xx

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Decisions and Skinny Jeans

Monday 7 March 2011

Today, after much lazing about with the boys, I popped off into town to see if i could buy something nice with my birthday money. I kinda had my heart set on a new pair of jeans. Straight cut jeans, most definitely not bootcut. Imagine my surprise when all that appears to be in the shops is Skinny fit, Ultra skinny fit, high waisted and bootcut. Damn. I found one of the last pair of Martha straight cut jeans in Topshop and went to the changing rooms. I got them on but lets just say they totally emphasised my more than ample thighs and hips. They were okay but i wasn't happy with then so I didn't buy. There were nice straight cut jeans in River Island but they were all patches and with details at the knees and I'm looking for a nice plain pair of jeans that can be dressed up. It seems you need to be a drainpipe to wear jeans this season, because if shops think that any size more than a 12 can carry off a pair of skinny jeans they're having a laugh. I'm definitely a 12 just now (the biggest I've been for a wee while!!) and I can tell you skinny jeans do not look good on me. I hate to see a bigger girl squeezed into them... sorry I just do. Bootcuts are better for my shape but I hate wearing them all the time.

So a decision was made. Well it was the other day between me and my mum. Tomorrow is pancake Tuesday but it's also the start of Lent. Traditionally a time when you give something up. I've forgotten the reasons why, anyone?...  So we decided on Saturday that we are giving up sweeties ans sweet things/cakes for Lent. I'm doing it for totally selfish reasons, because I want to get into two pairs of very nice Gap jeans I've had in my cupboard from my skinnier days. I WILL get back into them. I so will. This will take a lot of my inner strength and will power to give up the sweet stuff. But it's like doing this blog everyday, so far i have stuck to that promise so hopefully my will power can take me through this journey ahead. Jeebus, you'd think it was a huge deal... well it kinda is to me. I think i am addicted. It would be like giving up coffee for some I expect. But I feel I have to do it. I think I can do it. I hope I can do it. If you're in my company and you see me with a sweetie, you have permission to slap me down. Ha ha.

I figure it's about time I take responsibility for my own actions and being slimmer than I currently am is one thing that annoys me because its hard. So the skinny jeans will be mine. Let's do this! Help me if you can!...

Angela xx

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Birthday

Sunday 6 March 2011

It arrived and now it's nearly over. My birthday that is. Yes today was my birthday, in case you didn't know it. I woke to lots of messages and birthday wishes on Twitter, Facebook and email. There was so many i found it hard to keep up. But to each and everyone of you i'm truly grateful you took time to send me a little message. It made all the difference.

I spent the day as i wanted. Cinema trip first off, then i tried shopping for new jeans. Blah, they didn't fit me, i need to lose weight, gah. I came home had tea and a cupcake with mum and dad then headed off for a lovely meal with my sister, the two boys and my cousin Brian. The boys were well behaved and Ryan summed my day up perfectly when he said in the car on the way home "that was a wonderful dinner, Angie". So cute.




Thanks all you special people who, although you weren't here, i knew you were sending me good wishes.

Love you all

Angela xx

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Cupcakes!

Saturday 5 March 2011

Today I made my very first ever cupcakes. From my new Hummingbird Bakery cook book. I mixed everything by hand as I don't own any electrical baking equipment. Boo! Oh how I would love to own a nice candy apple red Kitchen Aid mixer. I really, really would....

Pre oven

 Post oven


So yes, I got the ingredients in, bought a muffin tray and set about cooking up a storm in the kitchen. When I say a storm what I really mean is 12 cupcakes and 5 little mini ones, I had extra mixture. The mix tasted just like it used to in the olden days when my mum would bake cakes. I licked the spoon and the bowl at the end and everything. Yum. My aunt came in half way through to give me my birthday card and a Thornton's Easter egg with Princess on it! aaww nice. She took away a cupcake so that's why there's a space in the big tray.



I wish I could share them with you. I haven't tried one yet as i'm saving them for my birthday. Tomorrow. Yes that's right. It's my birthday tomorrow!!

Angela xx

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Friday musing

Friday 4 March 2011

Just a quick little post from me because frankly I'm knackered. I thought I'd end the week with a quote that sums up the past week perfectly. Have a good weekend everyone.

'Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footsteps in your heart....'


Angela xx

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Awkward and Awesome

Thursday 3 March 2011

Awkward and Awesome happens over on one of my new favourite blogs The Daybook. You might have noticed the very lovely 'badge' on the right hand side of this blog. No? Look over just now and give it a click. Go on!!

I decided last week to join in this regular post Awkward and Awesome Thursday so it'll appear here along with my regular Thursday Three post. Hopefully I cna manage two posts in one day...!

Here goes...

Awkward

  • Almost burping when a student came to the office to collect her essay.
  • Falling over the strap on my bag.
  • Realising that folk can here you mumble and 'sing' your way through a Lady Gaga song whilst in the photocopy room photocopying book chapters. 'Twasn't me, no sireee! Good job I wasn't dancing too...
  • Being caught staring hat little bit too long at a nice boy I came across at the airport. He was rather lovely.

Awesome

  • Receiving a fab email from an old new friend yesterday.
  • Getting my blogging mojo back. Yay to me, could be bad news for you, ha ha.
  • I bought The Tiger Who Came To Tea book for Ryan for his 5th Birthday which doesn't happen until June. But it's awesome so I planned ahead. It was delivered today.
  • Meeting new friends on my daytrip down south last weekend. It really was awesome.
  • Receiving a few tweets from your Twitter crush, always nice.
  • Making plans for my trip to London in April. So cannot wait for this trip.
  • Trying my first every Krispy Kreme doughnut. It was scrumptious. I chose the Ltd Ed. Strawberry Glamour glaze. yum yum. Does anywhere near here sell these? Glasgow? Edinburgh?
  • Coming home to an early birthday card. Don't worry i haven't opened it but I do recognise the writing Mrs Woodall!!  :-)
That's all for now I think. I'll have more to share next Thursday. 
Be Awkward, Be Awesome you fantastic people
Angela xx

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Thursday Three - favourite weekend pastimes/activities

Favourite weekend pass times, traditions or activities

Number one
Is so very obvious. Shopping! I'm a girl after all. It's what I do best. Actually the truth of the matter is I go window shopping, unless I'm buying something to wear for a special occasion. I don't really need any more t-shirts or tops or cardi's or jeans for every day use. I used to buy just for the sake of it but made a conscious effort not to in the past 2 years. It's worked. Now when i;m in town on a Saturday I'll head to WH Smith for a lottery ticket and to Marks and Spencers for some bits and bobs of food. I like to browse all the shops though never buy unless I really need it. Like, I really needed that Mac False Lash Mascara. Oh yes, I so did.

Number two
Saturday night is one of my regular spin class nights. I head to The Peak sports centre about 5:15 for the 6pm class. It's good because it's pretty empty at that time of night. The class used to be empty too which was good, but more people have been attending recently. Maybe that's the post Christmas rush though. I've missed it the past two weeks because of a wedding and my trip down south so will be heading there again this weekend. I've recently added a Friday night spin class to my programme. It's a great class. Sometimes really busy but it sets me up for the weekend. I come home and make some pasta for my dinner afterwards then chill. Bliss.

Number three
Sunday afternoon cinema is becoming a sort of tradition. Since I got my Cineworld card after Christmas I've seen a fair few movies on a Sunday afternoon. Mostly good ones i have to say. When you go to see a movie, would you just go along to see it even if all that you've read about it doesn't appeal? or if the genre doesn't appeal to you? I don't think i can. Movies that are totally not my cup of tea are horror or things that are too unbelievable like, for example, Avatar. That just didn't appeal to me. I have no desire to see it at all. Sorry.

So that's it. Ah I've realised I'm giving away all my secrets and my weekends really aren't all that. If I ever do get a life these traditions and activities will probably change. I was going to say maybe there but i got a row for saying that last night on Twitter... ha ha. So yes, those activities will change when I get a life.

Angela xx

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You Don't Ask, You Don't Get - Update!

Wednesday 2 March 2011

Thought I'd give you a quick update on my progress with a previous post entitled You Don't Ask, You Don't Get. I'd say it was 50/50 successful and here's why.


Blog
Still no help form anyone re changing the way this blog looks. Or any pointers towards nice classy Blogger templates. I say classy because I like clean looking blogs. Minimal you could say. Having hunted around a few blogs recently I can say there are some stinkers out there from people who've had them professionally done. They look nasty. You might have noticed that i've added a background. What do you think? I'm unsure yet and I may change it to plain dots or something yet. Its a work in progress. If you want to help me please do get in touch. I would really appreciate it.

I'd still like to talk over a few ideas I have with someone too. They're good ideas and could be HUGE, MASSIVE, AMAZING. You'll miss out if you don't.

Cinema Buddies
Well a few offers have come in, so thanks for that to those people.

A Brother
Perhaps my biggest request. Although I've never had a serious offer of a brother, I'm glad to report I've gained a cousin. A very lovely and inspiring cousin he is too, and I met him!! I hope he remembers my birthday this week! Ha, kidding. I hope to share many fun times with my cousin and be here if he needs me.

Photos of Me
Well there is one photo of me that was taken form the weekend, including thumbs. I'm going to use it as my new avatar. Lovely Laura did offer to take one but I was too embarrassed! :) I'm actually getting used to seeing photos of me now but i'd still quite like some arty shots done.

Photoshop
Well I'm glad to report that I now own a Photoshop. I've had a few plays around with some photos but can't wait to get stuck in. It's all thanks to Mr Woodall (@Woody_Ben). Thank you so much Ben. Now how can I repay you? Need something organised, a loan of a DVD or perhaps a Twitter name badge sewn by my own fair hands?! Holler out :)

All in all I done pretty well out of my asking. There are people who I'd have thought would have offered something but haven't but, whatever.

Angela xx
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Born This Way

Tuesday 1 March 2011

March has arrived. I love March. Not only is it my birthday month but it's the month when we see new colours blossom on the tiny flowers and the days are much longer and lighter at nights. I love it. During March I have decided to try, try so very hard, to do a blog post each day! (I know, mad eh). If not each day then certainly every other day. I'm not promising long in depth posts but just one thing each day. Are you with me? yes? cool. Let's begin.

I've just come back from a very lovely little day trip away down south. Blog to follow, but don't worry Carly I will not blog the taxi ride, haha. Anyway, that wee day trip and those lovely people have kind of inspired me to think more of myself. You know, with a little more confidence. A song came on the radio and I was curious to see the new video. For Lady Gaga's new song Born This Way as I really quite like the song. No matter what you think of her she lives the way she wants and she is who she is. I'm not sure she's that comfortable in her own skin. I think she is? Anyway the song is very catchy and so what if it sounds similar to a Madonna song. It's fab. I looked up the lyrics and found that some struck a chord. So I decided to watch the video. Wowsers. It's amazing. She looks fantastic in it. Jealous. Here it is. And the YouTube link in case it doesn't work... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV1FrqwZyKw



I'm beautiful in my way, 
'Cause God makes no mistakes 

I'm on the right track, baby 

I was born this way 


Don't hide yourself in regret, 

Just love yourself and you're set 

I'm on the right track, baby 

I was born this way 

(Born this way) 


Angela (and Lady Gaga) :) xx

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