Thursday, March 31st

Cancer Research


Before I went out last night I got a call from a sales guy trying to persuade me that I wanted to increase my monthly donation to Cancer Research. After speaking to him for ages, I did and I'm glad I did because it goes towards really good research like this. I was a bit irritated that he didn't know the name or manufacturer of the new drugs he was trying to tell me about and told him to go off and do some research before making any more calls - well he wasn't going to get more money out of me that easily!! ;-)
Red Writer on 03.31.05 @ 09:12 AM gmt [link]


Anna Karenina


Went to see Anna Karenina at the Lyceum last night. I thought it was very good. Solid acting and wonderful stage setting (still trying to work out how they do the train!) and lighting. My main problem is that I have never read the book and I think that many who have, may be disappointed. It wasn't as powerful or emotionally upsetting as I had bargained for but I still really enjoyed it.

It would have been better if I hadn't gone deaf in one ear about an hour before we went out. It was very disconcerting and made for lop-sided sound effects. This morning I am still deaf in one ear. I don't like it. I don't like it at all. Everything is strangely muffled and some things are exagerated. I can hear a low hum which seems louder than my tapping on the keyboard, I think is the lights and it's driving me mad. And I can hear the computer humming away too. I do hope this goes away before I go on holiday.
Red Writer on 03.31.05 @ 09:04 AM gmt [link]


Meme


I'm doing a meme....... copy and paste and do your own!

Accent - Scottish, very Fife when drunk and apparently have a great "telephone voice"
Bra size - 34B...yeah well nothing to brag about - sometimes even an "A"
Chore I hate - dishwasher emptying, ironing, dusting, washing, tidying, changing beds....need I say more
Dad’s name - James Reginald but was called Reg
Essential make-up - mascarra - no eyelashes without it and would never leave the bedroom without it
Favorite perfume - Don't really have one - but hate cheap perfume on old ladies. Currently wearing Calvine Klein "Eternity Moment"
Gold or Silver - Gold of course - more expensive and matches my hair.
Hometown - Edinburgh but still think of my birth village as home
Interesting fact - I am competent at almost everything but not confident in anything
Job title - Very boring and would give my identity away
Kids - Two wonderful girls 16 & 14 - I think but it's the holidays so I haven't seen them out of bed much
Living arrangements - Own home, garden, husband, two kids, tropical fish which won't die
Mum’s Birthplace - Stafford, England
Number of apples eaten in last week - perhaps one but not sure - chopped up, without skin if I did have one
Overnight hospital stays - birth, unmentionable emergency - two or three nights, removal of wisdom teeth, removal of stone in saliva gland, 1st child, 2nd child and hopefully no more - hate hospitals
Phobia - mice
Question(s) you ask yourself a lot - Am I taking on too much? Can I cope with all this? Why do I hate myself so much?
Religious affiliation - Not a strong affiliation with anything any more but Christian by birth and upbringing.
Siblings - A brother and 2 sisters, all older.
Time I wake up - 6.30ish (damn, keep trying for longer)
Unnatural hair colour - The strange silvery grey that is creeping in but appart from that no unnatural colours have touched my head - too scared by "Anne of Green Gables" that my hair would go green.
Vegetable I refuse to eat - None, I like all vegetables but prefer not to eat beans with stingy bits because they have dire consequences on my digestive system
Worst habit - self-deprecation
X-rays - Teeth, neck, chest, breast, stomach, fallopian tubes, ovaries, womb
Yummy food I make - Everything, when I can be bothered (I'm actually quite a good cook but too lazy)
Zodiac sign - Taurus (you know the sensual, sensitive, loyal one with a penchant for over indulgance in everything)
Red Writer on 03.31.05 @ 12:44 AM gmt [link]


Tuesday, March 29th

Weekend


It was a nice Easter weekend. I'd just about recovered from the flu before our trip north on Thursday night. I woke up on Friday morning to beautiful sunshine and we took the dog for a lovely long walk and enjoyed all the signs that spring was truly here. Buds on trees, wild primroses, daffodils, birds going crazy.

On Saturday we caught up with lots of relatives, did a bit more walking and lots of lunchtime drinking and on Sunday drove south (I think this is the first year I can remember not rolling easter eggs!) to have lunch with my Mum and more family - and more lunchtime drinking. By then the weather had broken and it's been cold, damp and misty ever since but a drive to the Borders passed flooded streams and rivers in spate on Monday meant by the end of the day we had managed to see all immediate relatives over the holiday.

So what did everyone else do? Did you get lots of Easter Eggs?
Red Writer on 03.29.05 @ 06:09 PM gmt [link]


Monday, March 28th

Pot Noodle Advert


I know it's Easter Monday and I have nothing better to do than whinge about a bloody pot noodle advert - but apparently I'm not the only person out there who thinks this advert is crap? What can we do to get rid of it? Adverts for chavs must go.
Red Writer on 03.28.05 @ 12:47 PM gmt [link]


Thursday, March 24th

Art Sculpture


I hope I am around when they are rolling this sculpture into place, I think it would be really nice to watch.

Have been getting my application in for the exhibition of my course. The opening will be the 18th April and I'm putting in the framed glass ware. It will be my first exhibit in a 'real' exhibition.
Red Writer on 03.24.05 @ 09:11 AM gmt [link]


Wednesday, March 23rd

Spring


The sun is shining and the skies are blue. There is a hint of a chill in the air but daffodils and crocuses colour the grass and gardens, turning them into wonderful canvases. It is bright and it is nice. The first cuts of grass have left their heady smell in the air, a mixuture of petrol fumes and stirred earth. Spring is slowly awakening and with it an uncomfortable feeling of restlessness and change.

I've had flu for the last week. A nasty bug which has left me a bit weak in body, mind and spirit. I also managed a trip to a physio which confirmed the sore shoulder is a frozen shoulder and not an rsi as the GP diagnosed about six months ago! I hadn't realised how much mobility I had lost over the months until she got me to do a few simple movements (well they should have been simple, unfortunately my arm was going nowhere). Treatment consists of inflicting pain on myself several times a day and the way I'm feeling at the moment this is the last thing I feel like doing - especially as this may take months or even years to get better.

At work I started a new part-time job yesterday. No-one wished me well. I will be doing it a couple of days a week for a few months and have been made to feel like some sort of traitor, ostracised for daring to try to think about my own development.

So as I sit here, bugs still multiplying in my lungs and making me feel light headed, exhausted and depressed, I wonder why I bother.

At least there is a long weekend for Easter to look forward to.
Red Writer on 03.23.05 @ 09:05 AM gmt [link]


Friday, March 18th

All gone wrong


It all started to go wrong on Tuesday night. I had a group crit at the college which emphasised to me how below everyone else's standard my work is and when I got back to the car I had a parking ticket. My fault I know but it was still very irritating. On Wednesday I had a training course but half way through I started to feel ill and stopped listening about 2pm. By 4pm all I wanted to do was go home and crawl into bed. The drive home was not pleasant and it's a good thing cars come with steering wheels because I think that's the only reason I stayed relatively upright. The next 24+ hours I stayed in bed with what is probably flu and now because of that I've had to cancell my hair appointment and miss today's classes. All in all, I hate flu. sad
Red Writer on 03.18.05 @ 10:18 AM gmt [link]


Sunday, March 13th

Scotland v Wales


It was never likely that we would win but the first half, point a minute score, by the Welsh team was pretty hard to take. Even the wonderful saltire display pre-match wasn't enough to spur the team into action. There were four more tries after this one in the first half - which also included this (which was scored by a break-away run that left the Scottish team looking like a bunch of bewildered school boys). At least the second half looked a bit more promising but a win was never going to happen. So, well done Wales, we almost gave you a game - at least my small "aside" on Wales worked out and helped to ease the pain of loosing so badly. Yes, I know disloyalty, but I have a degree to fund rolls eyes
Red Writer on 03.13.05 @ 07:16 PM gmt [link]


Friday, March 11th

Good News


Laughing Knees is back (see Wed 2nd Feb's comments)
The glass pieces I am putting into the college exhibition in April seem to be well received.
My studio painting tutor has written my term report and although I won't get it until next week, he gave me a smile which I hope indicated the report might be ok.
It's late in the day and the sun is still shining.
As well as the the physio appointment, I've made a hair appointment (a very big deal since I haven't had my hair cut for about a year).
A song thrush is singing the most beautiful song at the top of his little voice.
SO has cut the grass.
I have a gin and tonic in my hand.
It's the weekend.

Vote for Edith

Red Writer on 03.11.05 @ 05:49 PM gmt [link]


Thursday, March 10th

And yet...


...more spam comments, more shoulder pain and too much to do. I have arranged an appointment with a physio though so we'll see how that goes for me - as for the blog....if I ever work out how to ban someone from commenting the spam I will let you know.
Red Writer on 03.10.05 @ 02:06 PM gmt [link]


Wednesday, March 9th

Spam


Another morning greeted by spam comments. Thank you, you pathetic little creeps. I now have to spend ages deleting them all. I may take the comments off if it continues although I really don't want to have to do that. All in all not a great morning so far. Both shoulders have almost seized up and I could cry with the, not quite pain, just something that is there and making me feel a bit, well....sore and sorry for myself. The car indicator is broken which means any time I turn right there is the chance that someone is going to crash into the back of me and I don't know when I can get to a garage. Ho hum
Red Writer on 03.09.05 @ 08:47 AM gmt [link]


Tuesday, March 8th

Secret Catacombs & Fame Academy


This story is fascinating. I hope they do some work on them and then let the public see. I love all these archaeological things.

On a more upbeat note, and to show how sad I am, I have to admit to watching celebrity Fame Academy. If I do ever decide to pick up the phone and vote, it will be for Edith Bowman. Not only is Edith a fellow Fifer but she went to the same school as me and I was there with some of her aunts, so I feel a little loyalty is called for. It does make it a bit easier to listen as she is one of the few with a half-decent voice! I hope she does well - and it is all for charity.
Red Writer on 03.08.05 @ 08:48 AM gmt [link]


Monday, March 7th

Everybody's Changing


"Everybody's Changing"

You say you wander your own land
But when I think about it
I don't see how you can
You're aching, you're breaking
And I can see the pain in your eyes
Says everybody's changing
And I don't know why

So little time
Try to understand that I'm
Trying to make a move just to stay in the game
I try to stay awake and remember my name
But everybody's changing
And I don't feel the same

You're gone from here
And soon you will disappear
Fading into beautiful light
Cause everybody's changing
And I don't feel right

So little time
Try to understand that I'm
Trying to make a move just to stay in the game
I try to stay awake and remember my name
But everybody's changing
And I don't feel the same

So little time
Try to understand that I'm
Trying to make a move just to stay in the game
I try to stay awake and remember my name
But everybody's changing
And I don't feel the same

Keane

Red Writer on 03.07.05 @ 09:16 AM gmt [link]


Paranoia?


Recently lots of little things seem to have been going wrong. First someone threw an egg at our front door. This week the car badge was snapped off SO's new car. My blog has had a series of spam comments posted and email spam has increased dramatically (more worryingly often seems to have names in the 'from' field which resemble people I receive mail from). At work several people have started being really off-hand. I don't know what I have done but someone seems to have it in for me and it just feels really upsetting. I guess all these things could be unrelated but as I sit here in my dark little office I feeling a little vulnerable it just all feels a little lonely. Trying to cheer myself up by listening to Keane.
Red Writer on 03.07.05 @ 09:14 AM gmt [link]


Sunday, March 6th

Pushing the Boundaries


Another study weekend called "pushing the boundaries" did just that and saw me going far out of my comfort zone. On Saturday, we were drawing with ink and sticks - something I have tried before and hated.

This time it was a bit better but because the model was rotating between three positions every couple of minutes it was hard. I've never been good at the quick draw. The fact that we were asked to draw on top of drawings because each pose although similar, was at a different height - i.e. high stool, low stool and cushion, made it even more difficult. I felt I ended up with nothing worth keeping because the only one I did like I was made to draw over, with the model at a different level. So, althought the emphasis was on finding energy and motion, mine looked like a spider had sauntered idly across the page, stopped a few times to dance in an inky puddle then change direction and wander off to a quinky death somewhere off the paper.

I did a bit better at the mono printing and the afternoon session where we did the same pose all afternoon. In fact, I think I've actually finished something.

Sunday was even more of a challenge. It had a sculptural theme and we did large scale collage (using toned paper only, scissors and glue - no drawing allowed). In the afternoon we did quick line drawings (1 minute each) and then sculpture with wire. I hated my line drawings but got into the wire and ended up with a piece I quite like. Two days of scrambling around on a hard floor have left their toll though and a hot bath to soothe the aching joints is called for.

Today is mothers' day and although I don't deserve anything because I never seem to be home these days, I got totally spoiled this morning with wonderful presents and dinner is being cooked for me as I write. I always feel a fraud on mother's day. The emphasis is all wrong and perhaps boundaries should be pushed here too. It should be an opportunity for all mothers' to tell their children how much they appreciate them for dragging themselves up! So my thanks go to SED and SYD for putting up with their crazy mother. x


Red Writer on 03.06.05 @ 06:02 PM gmt [link]


Thursday, March 3rd

Too much



You know that feeling when it's just all too much?
I know how lucky I am only to work four days a week and I know I shouldn't complain but trying to squeeze five days' work into it and then classes in the evenings and at weekends and everything else on top just feels too exhausting this week. *reaching for the caffeine*
Red Writer on 03.03.05 @ 04:41 PM gmt [link]


Wednesday, March 2nd

Sex of your brain


Is your brain male or female - find out with this bbc quiz (it takes a little while so do it in your lunch hour and have a ruler handy before you start!)
Red Writer on 03.02.05 @ 06:43 PM gmt [link]


Tuesday, March 1st

Scottish Rape Laws


I think the statistics here speak for themselves. "794 alleged rapes took place during 2003, resulting in just 31 successful prosecutions". By my calculations that is a pathetic 3.9% of successful prosecutions. This is a good article by Professor Pamela Ferguson and the reform bill she is writing deserves all the publicity it can get to help turn these statistics around.
Red Writer on 03.01.05 @ 01:12 PM gmt [link]