The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - a two week round-up

Oh dear oh dear - it has been a long while since I last updated, hasn't it? I do apologise if, for some reason, you'd been sitting around chewing your fingernails and wondering where I'd gone.

The good news is that I got a job. Yes! At long long last my job hunt has been successful and I've landed myself a part-time 'internship' of 9 weeks with a large UK charity. It's the break I've needed, because even if I fail to get the full-time position (which I've applied for and want want want) it is, at the very least, a rung up the job ladder, because it's recently, relevant experience working in the area which I want to enter. It's a big deal for me.

The bad news is that poor old hubby has had the 'flu since my birthday, possibly swine 'flu, but no oinking, so I can't be certain. He woke me up in the middle of the night shaking and sweating so badly I had to strip the bed and put fresh linen on. Therein followed all the many symptoms associated with the 'flu - aching, temperature, snotty, coughing, sicky etc... he's been in a very bad way.

The Ugly is that, on the same day that he came down with the hideous lurgy and I turned another year older, I had my first job interview for over a year and was fighting off a disgusting lurgy of my own. Nothing quite as bad as 'flu, but I'm sure you'll agree that a bad cough and cold can be quite debilitating enough to make life uncomfortable. Well, as I said before, I got the job and they asked me to start that Wednesday! So there I was, feeling rather rotten, new job to start, all the household chores falling on my shoulders plus all the extra work of looking after a 'fluey patient. I'm still amazed I stayed on my feet and kept working, to be honest.

I'm sorry I have nothing more exciting to report, but as you can see it's been a little one-track round here and that track was all about just keeping going. This weekend is the first opportunity I've had to just sit down and do nothing. Oh, but it's bliss. I have been so tired and ill and it is such a luxury to just slob around in my pyjamas and do nothing! Hubby is finally back on his feet enough that he is self-sufficient, so I only have to run around after myself and not him, also. I've been trying so hard not to let it be apparent at work that I've felt rubbish and, even though I have, I've still enjoyed the work and the office ever so much. I can't wait to go back and have another stab at it when I'm feeling 100% - I'll kick arse. Totally. Thank heavens for this long Easter weekend which is giving me the chance to recuperate.

Remedies to Ease Suffering From 'Flu
So these are the things I've been treating hubby and myself with - in his case to speed recovery, in mine to try and prevent catching it. What do you use?

- Spiced elderberry cordial - anti-viral and very soothing as a hot drink
- Lemon, ginger and honey drink - hot and soothing and full of immune boosting... stuff
- Vitamin C and zinc supplements - immune boosting again
- Paracetemol and ibuprofen in 2 hour alternating cycles for pain and temperature lowering
- Echinacea tincture - again for the immune boosting
- Watered down juices to stay hydrated
- Fatty foods to support the immune system and tempt the appetite
- Hot water bottles for warmth, cold flannels to cool
- Two cuddly cats - essential for morale.

Review: The Belgrade Theatre

So last night was my birthday treat from Hubby to go and see 'Joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat' at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry. I felt a little sorry for the lad playing Joseph, as he was one of the rejects from the BBC's 'Any Dream Will Do' and it must be a little galling to know that the winner is dazzling London audiences and married to the glamorous Denis Van Outen whilst you're stuck touring regional theatres and hoping not to sink into utter obscurity.

Anyway, I was going to blog about my fun treat, but then I thought that it was the ideal opportunity to tell you about the theatre as well as part of my 'This is Coventry' campaign. Well, let me paint you a picture...

Despite the recent mild, warm weather, last night was wet and windy, the steady drizzle drenching the streets of Coventry and driving the chavs indoors. In some ways this was, obviously, an improvement, but as Coventry is mainly composed of concrete it doesn't really look its best in the rain and dark. Then we stepped out onto the plaza where the theatre was located. The new and fancy water feature out at the front shimmered a reflection of the brightly lit theatre front and I felt the unexpected shiver of anticipation that I used to get when my parents would take me to the London theatres as a child. In the gloom the Belgrade's lights and warmth seemed most welcoming and both Hubby and I were pleasantly surprised when we stepped inside.
When I'd seen it in the daylight I had thought it shabby and sad, but actually it was clean, modern, attractive and well organised. There were two decent bars, plently of seating in the foyer, wide staircases and adequate disabled access. Staff were friendly and polite - lots of smiles which is something I rarely see in London theatres - and the atmosphere in general was buzzy and excited with a heady hum of chatter.

The auditorium itself was dinky and cute, with very steeply tiered seats. We were seated one row from the back, but our view was unimpeded and clear and the sound system was excellent. Seats were comfortable, although might be a little narrow if one is struggling with one's weight (just a word to the wise) and there was good leg room for the average person.

Now to the production - well. 'Joseph' is one of those productions which resonate strongly with Hubby and I from our childhoods. Both of us had the soundtrack, both of us had seen it as kids (I saw Philip Schofield playing Joseph, no less!) and both of us were ridiculously excited to see it again considering we're in our late twenties! We sat and looked around, squirmed as we heard the subterranean orchestra start to warm up and clutched each others' hand as the lights dimmed.

The whole show was a delight, it really was. The music was as catchy as I remember it, the cast was (on the whole) lively and personable, working hard to make their own stamp on the well known score. Special credit should go to the narrator whose voice was absolutely incredible. Even hubby (Mr Pitch Perfect and picky music critic supreme) was impressed, crediting her with something of Julie Andrew's tonal quality and noting only one bum note apparently. I also really enjoyed watching Claire Edwards, the woman signing the whole musical for the benefit of the hearing impaired. If ever the action on stage got slow I would watch her instead and she was great fun, especially in the catchy numbers where the signing would seem like dancing as she bopped along! I even learnt how to sign 'Joseph' from watching her!

There were one or two awkward and amusing moments, mostly concerning the inflatable sheep which failed to inflate; requiring a swift punch from a couple of the 'brothers' to activate their auto-inflate properly. Well, I would just like to reassure any children that no sheep were harmed in the making of Joseph, the punches were for their own good!

The female dancers, also, were a bit of a let down. Their dancing was not in sync, their steps were sloppy and they just seemed lethargic and uninvolved for the most part. This was a real pity as the rest of the cast threw themselves into the production wholeheartedly and gave it a real flavour of their own, both in the singing and dancing. I especially liked the interplay between the brothers and the way they seemed to feed off each others' energy and performances to raise their own game - it brought a real energy and sparkle to the stage.

Craig Chalmers, as Joseph, was funny and enthusiastic, bringing some lovely lighthearted moments to the production. I also enjoyed the lovely view he made, shirtless and in a loin cloth (not many women wouldn't, to be honest). I do have to say, though, that his voice was not the most consistent; his performance on the 'big numbers' was spectacular, but on the slower, softer songs he seemed to struggle a bit, often falling flat even to my almost tone death ears. On the whole, however, he made a charming and sweet Joseph and I really enjoyed watching him. He can wiggle his bum in my direction any time - no - seriously.

Can I also just give a big thumbs up for the number of encores the cast performed? Hubby and I really felt we had got our money's worth by the time we staggered out, humming a few of our favourite tunes.

The Belgrade cleared quickly and efficiently, with adequate routes of egress to prevent any bottle neck stoppages. The only negative that I could find to make about the theatre itself would be that the heat was rather overwhelming in the auditorium and they should perhaps look at introducing some air conditioning - especially when everyone was dressed for the cooler March weather outside. A word to the wise: if you go there to watch a play, wear layers!

I had a brilliant evening, lots of fun. It reminded me why I enjoy going to the theatre and I'm already making plans to go back to the Belgrade in March, when the Scottish Dance Company are performing. I love contemporary dance and I'm sure it would be displayed to good advantage in the intimate space of the Belgrade.

Visit the Belgrade's Website

Revamp!

As regular viewers may realise, my blog has had a bit of a revamp - new layout, new colours, new header image and, most exciting of all, new pages! I admit, they don't say much at the moment, but now I know I have the capacity to create pages I'll be working on filling them up with all sorts of juicy excitements, believe me!

Please comment and let me know what you think of the new look and layout - I love it, but I'm curious to hear your thoughts also. Plus you can give me a little guidance on good things to include in my stand-alone pages - any ideas?

Wrist Warmers - the photos!

So the job hunt, whilst not reaching fruition just yet, turned up some very promising leads, about which I hope to write very soon! As a sort of celebration, and because I hadn't got round to it sooner, I am posting the long-promised photographs of my super-speedy two-day wrist warmer project. I loved making them so much I am now doing a second pair for my friend's girlfriend, but so they don't have matching 'hers and hers' warmers, I am making these new ones in navy blue with a contrasting trim. I'll try and post pics of those, too, when they're finished. In the meantime... the strawberry ice cream striped ones!

New Start

So, today I take the plunge and re-start the great job search. My CV is polished and shiny (albeit somewhat sparse), my rather casual wardrobe has been raided for something a little bit smart and I have a list of places to see, people to talk to.

Now all I need to do is gather my courage in both hands and leave the house. I don't know why I'm so apprehensive. When it comes to my voluntary work or personal projects I am accomplished and confident - I can only assume that this is scary because it's new. Change is always a little frightening at first, but it's how you deal with it that shows your mettle and I am not short of determination. I coped with being disabled for so long, I can cope with being able. It'll just take me a little while to become accustomed to thinking of myself that way. It's a good thing though, a far more positive adjustment to make and I'm looking forward to bits of it - perhaps I should focus on those... sounds like incentive for another list!

- Meeting new people
- Seeing people on a regular basis
- New things to learn
- Confidence to be gained through new achievements
- Money!
- Opportunities
- Being able to enjoy my leisure hours more when they're rarer.

I think those seven things are worth being a little scared for, don't you?

Wish me luck!

Untitled

Tonight I heard about the death of someone very dear to me, my Great Uncle Ian. He was my great uncle by marriage, but he had the role of a grandparent. He has been there for every birthday, every Christmas, my graduation, my marriage. He taught me how to make Creme Caramels and encouraged my interests in cooking, knitting and crochet. He always let me know how much he loved me and regarded me as his granddaughter, my sister and I were blessed to have had him in our lives for so long.

He has been sick for a long time, so long that it seemed like he would creak on forever, but today he died and all I can think about is how I should have visited him, or how I should have sent him a card, like I was thinking of doing but hadn't got round to. I hope he knew how much he meant to me and how much I loved him, how he will always be in my thoughts.
Goodbye Ian

Quickest Project Ever!

OK, I am seriously impressed with myself and with Attic24's tutorial. Easy peasy, lots of room for manoeuvre and making your own mark on it and speedy as anything! Started the wrist warmers yesterday and finished them today - no problems. Haven't done anything fancy, I like the simple strawberry ice-cream effect of the pink and cream stripes. I'll do some photos tomorrow - I think they'll look better in natural light.

I give them to my friend tomorrow - I hope she likes them...

See photos