Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Ammi's LiveJournal:

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Saturday, April 12th, 2008
7:00 am	I think we're crazy So it's Saturday. Thanks to the weather being horrific in the Lakes this weekend that means we're supposed to go for a bike ride today. Tomorrow is a "purple-coded" Sunday. This means that for various female reasons I am unable to do a long ride tomorrow. Despite the fact that the weather looks like it'll be stunning tomorrow. So here I am, at 7am, having been up for half an hour, preparing to go for a 4-4.5 hour ride (possibly even longer - the wind looks like we'll get a horrific headwind for the last 30 miles - it's supposed to be gusting to 28mph). The rain is due to start at about 10.30am, and it should be torrential by about 11.30am - hence the absurd waking hour (in fact, I overslept and we should have been leaving in about 20 mins, but it looks more like we'll manage 7.45am if we're lucky). I now have the unenviable task of shoehorning the other half out of bed and getting him into his cycling gear before he realises what's happened. Edit (15.10) - Only one 10 minute hail squall (and arriving at the house just as the next one started). Our luck must be changing. Current Mood: Totally barmy... (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, April 8th, 2008
1:06 pm	Ticking on by Hmmm... been a while. Am I still alive? Absolutely. Goodness my hair was short a couple of years ago though - judging by my profile pic! Life is going well. House is splendid, country life is more than adequate. I spend my time in various ways but it usually includes something along the lines of being on a rock face (or on the man-made ones in the climbing centre), or sleeping out in the middle of nowhere without a tent (wild-camping rocks, especially in January), or walking enormous miles, or road cycling even more enormous miles (I generally kick out 60 miles or so on my weekend rides but should be hitting 100+ mile rides in a couple of months time), or hitting the irons (no, not golf. Weightlifting. Nobody ever told me it could be so much fun...), or covering some alternative miles through cross-country skiing, or trying to stop being terrified of going fast on a downhill ski slope, or wallowing in the depths whilst working on my freediving. But then, of course, I'm still doing all the other stuff, like reading and jigsaws and embroidery and playing my violin in gigs when I'm asked, or singing in choirs when I'm needed. And of course we're also working on some folk music (whenever we aren't too distracted by everything in the previous paragraph). And giving tax advice continues to pay the bills. I'm just starting a course in copy editing and proof-reading as well. Always something I wanted to do. Looking forward to it immensely. Fractured my right elbow in February when I came off the bike, and damaged the other one at the same time. Of course, this left me armless for a few weeks until my left arm worked again (it's so frustrating having to be washed, dressed and fed after so many years of doing it myself), and most of the activities stopped for 2 months (pretty much everything in fact except for jigsaws - the greatest physio known to man) - totally and utterly irritated since it put a big dent in my winter training, and my climbing and weights in particular took a serious hit. But hey. These things happen. So yes. Lots going on. Nothing of interest unless you're me or you're a cyclist, or mountaineer, or wild-camper, or you also like lifting weights, or living outdoors, or scrambling up rock faces. Or perhaps you like the quiet life and do the music, or the jigsaws... I ought to try and keep this diary more up to date again since I've finally decided after so long to rejoin the digital era... I might be thankful one day of having my child-like ramblings to review. Everything has changed so much. Current Mood: content (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, September 16th, 2006
9:23 am	My name Although the name Anna-Maria creates the urge to be both logical and technical, we emphasize that it causes an emotional intensity that is hard to control. This name, when combined with the last name, can frustrate happiness, contentment, and success, as well as cause health weaknesses in the elimination and nervous system. Your name of Anna-Maria has created the desire to focus on the details of your immediate interests to the extent that others consider you to be fussy. You are attracted to, and could excel in, the mechanical or technical fields, such as computers. Instead of establishing the system and order you would like, you are over-particular in some things that matter to you personally but lax and indulgent in other ways. You place great importance on whatever you happen to be interested in, and can be quite thorough and detailed in what you are doing, but find it difficult to be consistent. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, September 12th, 2006
11:08 pm	All change - I'm leaving London! I'm leaving London. It was all very quiet until I was certain and I wasn't certain until the 1st September and promptly went and sat in a tent for most of last week to recover from the shock that it had all happened. I couldn't hand in my notice until I had passed my final exam and the results didn't come out until 1st September, however jobs were lined up by mid-July (well I had two Big 4 offers fighting over me) and I accepted one in the afternoon after I sat the exam at the end of July. I am now a qualified Chartered Accountant (or I will be once they send the correct forms for completion). I leave London next Friday (client that has been sitting on a report that needs completing permitting). The house is sold subject to contract (everyone, including the buyer, is ready to exchange contracts, but the buyer's solicitor is dreadful and isn't responding to my solicitor, the estate agent, or the buyer himself). The new job starts on 8th January. I am moving to live just outside Nottingham and am going off to work for the Big 4 doing a pure advisory job. In the intervening 3 months I shall be walking (weather and health permitting): Southern Upland Way (14 days) Westmorland Heritage Walk (14 days) West Highland Way (6 days - we're taking our time) I shall also be skiing in Finland for a week, and also touring various heavenly bits of Scotland and doing several of their nicer rock climbing routes for 3.5 weeks. Miraculously that fills up the 3 months completely. So it's out with London and in with fresh country air. Superb! (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, August 13th, 2006
10:15 am	Bruised and exhausted but entirely satisfied The last week has seen me climb three peaks and cross a few glaciers. One of the peaks involved an evil Grade 3 scramble which was more of a mod climb, but since I was in my B2 boots it was a bit of an experience. Spent a week in the Alps with Chris on a course since neither of us knew some of the important things for the Alps bit of stuff, such as crevass rescue and glacier travel (Scotland isn't exactly brimming with glaciers). Have now covered many many miles, done one of the harder Via Ferrattas (Level: Diff), reminded myself about rock climbing techniques (it's been a few months since I last went and I'm seriously rusty), done two overnight mountain hut stays (Cabine des Aiguilles Rouges 2810m and Cabine des Dix 2928m) each involving 4am or 5am starts, two snowy peaks (Le Pointe des Vouasson 3490m and La Luette 3548m) and scrambled the third in order to get to La Luette (only at about 3000m or a bit less). We were meant to do a long glacier walk over to Le Pigne d'Arolla, traverse it, and come back down to Arolla on a glacier on the other side for our last day (from Cabine des Dix), rather than climb La Luette, but the weather came in unexpectedly so we did La Luette and came back down the way we went up (with the exception of coming up the long ladder which is the Pas des Chevres rather than trying to scramble back over the rocky peak - since we abseilled down the last bit of it, doing that in reverse would have been hard work) which kept us out of the most dangerous terrain. All in all it's been a good trip though. Kept up with the front of the group, improved my moraine travel speed and technique, my knees hardly played up at all, except for the times I twisted them slightly, and both Paul and Pelle (our guides) seem confident that I'll be fine doing one of the 4000ers next year (a 3600m peak and three peaks well over 4000m during a week). We're torn between Zammatt and Saars since both are PD (peu-difficile, only one step up from facile). Of course, I'll have sorted my knees out by then which were my main concern. At least this week has put Chris' mind to rest about one thing. I can keep my speed up well on the flat but he didn't think I'd cope too well with a pack or in particular with a pack and steep hills together. I think he was concerned I wouldn't be able to cope carrying a pack for the Coast to Coast in October, but I think we've proven I'll carry a pack fine. At no point did I have to offload any gear to him this week. Wish my knees weren't so bruised though... (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Friday, February 3rd, 2006
6:03 pm	Much awaited update Well my email tells me that a few of you have been nudging me, so here I am. I have no idea when I last updated LJ, but since I just picked up many emails dating back several weeks that gives me a rough idea. This is the first time I've put the computer on in over 2 weeks, probably because I've only been home for about 3 nights in that at hours outside midnight - 6am. Christmas was a bit weird, being the first one with my new neice and therefore held at my sister's with her in-laws there as well. A bit cramped, a bit crazy, and not at all the Christmas I'm used to. But an experience nonetheless. Especially since half the conversation was in French (her husband is half Belgian, his mother is a translator by profession, his sister lives in France, and her boyfriend who was present is French). New Year found me in bed asleep by midnight - I was shattered. But then I was in the middle of a lovely 3 day impromptu holiday in Canterbury with a friend. At work I am still in my busy period that started before November. I'll be glad once it is over. If it doesn't end soon I may have to book a week of holiday just to get away from them all. However, I have managed to take some control at work now. Unless there is a pressing need, I don't stay late and at most I only stay late one night a week. It helps that our new first years have finally started, though this does mean that my weekend is accompanied by a bag full of files and tax computations that require reviewing before Monday. In case it isn't evident, I'm updating today because (and in fact I am only online because) I'm working from home this afternoon. I had to come home early to see my doctor so then had to boot up the computer and get down to work afterwards. It is far more productive working from home, but I do find that the type of job I have needs me to be working through papers with other people. The phone bill is going to hurt next month since I've just spent the last hour and a half on the phone to various people from the office and various clients. Much as I like getting home in daylight and before 5pm, I won't be making a habit of it therefore. I'm getting into the habit of spending one night a week at my sister's. Last week I managed to time this with the second time my neice went swimming. Much fun was had and I do like spending time with them all. The commute into work is marginally faster too. In addition, I seem to be spending several nights at my parents at the moment, and weekends are often spent away staying with friends on the other side of Britain. A friend in Highgate has also taken pity on my commute and I spend various night's bunking there instead of Croydon when I know I need to do a really early morning at work (a physical impossibility from here due to the night buses) or a late night in the office. So all in all the only time I've been home since last Thursday night (when I had friends round for dinner) was Wednesday night, and since I went out with Mum that night first I still didn't get home until past 11pm. Anyway. I have a pile of work to my left brought home to entertain me this evening (and over the weekend). And I have various things that must be done over the course of the weekend since next week is a socially stuffed one due to various birthday drinks activities with University friends and trips to my sister's and so on. Due to various agreements with people please bear in mind that my weekends these days get booked up months in advance (a pain, but pleasurable for me since I have finally been given the opportunity to do something I've wanted to do for years and years, which is climbing and mountaineering) but hopefully I'll see some of you quite soon. I hope you are all well. Current Mood: content (Comment on this)
Saturday, December 17th, 2005
11:35 am	Announcement You'll only get a Christmas card if you are very lucky this year - if your surname is near the start of the alphabet there is more chance you'll get a card since I may have already done it the other week when I got the first few done. Though those ones have not been posted yet. Please take no offence. Christmas is just taking me by surprise this year. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
11:16 am	Sorting life out Got results last night right in the middle of the department Christmas party. Better than I expected and also quite infuriating. Came out something like: TATC 1 (BE): Pass (predicted resit probability = 94%) TATC 2 (BLC): Fail (predicted resit probability = 85%) Case study: Pass (predicted resit probability = 90%) So the one I thought there was marginally less chance I'd have to resit is the one I failed. Infuriatingly I failed it by 1 mark. 49 was the mark. 50 was the pass mark. How silly. However I'm in good company since 3 of us at least failed that one. And I'm actually just exstatically happy since the two courses I loathed most are the ones I have passed. And the one I enjoyed the subject matter of most and which was just hard to get enough down for me (since my wrist was giving out by then) is the one I have to resit. So it's annoying but I really don't mind at all and think I'll actually quite enjoy resitting it. I must have done amazingly well on some of the BE questions though, since having seen the Insitute debrief of the paper, there was an entire question I appear to have answered incorrectly. Getting results has taken some of the pressure off Christmas now, since I was starting to get jumpy about them. I'd expected to fail all three, but there is always a niggling bit of you that thinks "I have no idea what I'll do if I have to sit all of them again". Things at work are sorting themselves out too. I had a meeting with a manager on Monday about my general workload, manager attitudes, problems I was having, and general miscellaneous stuff. Wednesday saw me having my mentor meeting with a Director at which we talked about my specialisms, what I don't like, the fact that I keep being told that I may not delegate my work to the juniors (which is wrong on every point), my workload, and various other matters. Rajesh, bless him, has done various things already, and Sheridan gave me a lot of advice on dealing with the managers in the short term. She's also keeping an eye on me, as much as can be done. I don't think there is a single person in the department now who hasn't worked one 50 hour week at least, I think every female (or almost every female) has been spotted at some time rushing to the loo in tears from the pressure or because someone has said the wrong thing and several men have broken down (though the type of men we have in the department means that instead when it gets stressful they just become unbearable making truly unneccessary Catty Comments at others). Fortunately we've got new staff starting in the New Year so that we can stop doing 3 people's jobs each. That will be a blessing. I had a bit of a social life this week too since Sunday I went to the National Gallery and to see Narnia with a friend, Monday I left work on time to get all the shopping done, Tuesday I went to see Mary Stuart with some of the girls (which was marvellous and a very moving performance), Thursday I went for a drink (which became dinner out since as party night of the year no pub would serve us food) with Chris, and Friday saw me having the department Christmas party in some dodgy Cuban place and then The Railway Tavern. Not the best Christmas party this year due to last minute plan changes but good to get to know John better since he's new and I sit opposite him every day and I saw Chris (a different one) almost home thankfully. I suspect he'd have missed his stop otherwise. The only bad day was Wednesday when I worked to 11.30pm in the end thanks to a really stupid Revenue enquiry that we've had in, but to make up for it I purposefully slept in on Thursday and didn't get to work until 10am. Today will see me go to the Degas exhibition with Adam then on to Chris (yet another one) and Dan's party in Ealing and then on to James and Marie's party in Tooting. Tomorrow will see me go to Cambridge for Mark and Ele's Christmas party. Chloe is better, Rachel is mending well, and family in general are writing off Christmas this year. We're having a quiet one since none of us has yet had a chance to properly think about Christmas, none of us have done the cards, I did all my Christmas shopping in Victoria station earlier this week and I'm thus considered the most organised of all of us now, and we're all spending the holiday driving up and down between Salisbury and London - several times. And Dad might get treated in the New Year. At last. I should go and write a bereavment letter to the Darragh's now. Patrick died last week or the week before and I've been putting it off. I hate writing bereavement letters but I was brought up properly and part of that includes writing such things if I knew the person who died. I'm sorry I didn't get over there before he died, but especially for the last few months they haven't wanted even close friends around. Yes, life is hard. But there are others who won't have a home this Christmas. Those who don't have family who they can be with. Those who don't have people they love. Those who have no hope. I've got so much to be thankful for. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, December 4th, 2005
7:10 pm	Impromptu visits So, whilst sitting in my office at my desk at 10pm on Friday night, having left the house at sometime not long after 6am that day to go to work and including a trip to a client in Bicester into the day, I was feeling decidedly dreadful. I'd done another 50 hour week (at least) with no overtime or time off in lieu, another week when at least one manager had made a cutting remark the one day I tried to leave at 5pm having been there since 8am without a lunch break (he had, unsurprisingly, turfed up at his frighteningly-regular-now time of 9.45am), and since we'd had the work Christmas party on Wednesday so that I know I only did 7 hours that day, I'm frightened to think how many hours I did on some of the other days. So then I realise that I'd told Gareth I probably couldn't make his 30th birthday party because I would have to be in London in case the niecphew decided to arrive whilst brother-in-law and mother were away. But of course, the niece has arrived now, so I was free to go. So I decide, spur of the moment that I will go to the party. I phone the lovely Verity (as Gareth is out) to check I've still got the right day, Verity decides that she won't tell Gareth I'm coming, then I decide to phone Dave and Ali, since I'm up that way and missed their housewarming, so I'll go and see them on the Sunday if they are in. Miraculously they will be. So then I fix the final date by calling up Mark and Ele and finding out if they want to meet for a coffee/some other hot drink on my way through town. So just like that everything is planned. Only problem, it's now past 10pm and I'm -still- at my desk. Then Vicky calls me - so I utilise work's phone line to have a good chat to her before wandering back to London Bridge station. I don't like to think what time I got in. Midnight? Maybe a bit before midnight? I would have caught a taxi from the station but the queue was stupidly long and by then I was so tired that I didn't even notice the walk home from the bus stop. Woke Saturday morning at 9am to a sensation of having been hit by a full speed train, so I stayed in bed and read my way through most of a truly trashy girlie novel. Before extracting myself from my bed at about 1.30pm. By which time I still felt like I'd certainly been run over by a double decker bus (marginally better). After an exhausted weep on the phone, I managed to get myself out of the house, wondering why I was doing it all and why I didn't just stay in bed. But by degrees I felt a bit better. By the time I got to Victoria I felt a little human and by the time I reached Cambridge I felt practically normal. Hot chocolate was delicious, with lashings of cream and good chat (if there are two people I find it easy to spend time with, it's Mark and Ele); the walk to Gareth's was delightfully reminiscent; and Gareth's party was a blast (I haven't laughed that much - or been that ridiculously stupid either - in what seems like a very long time - and as for the game Werewolves, I shall certainly be inflicting that on numerous guests after this). I felt marginally better after a night of relaxed sleep on their sofa (it was shockingly comfortable), did my best to fix Gareth's back, and headed out to cross north Cambridge to catch a Waterbeach bus. Since this route took me almost directly past Oli and Tish's door I did a very cruel thing. I rang Oli, asked if I could just check the number of his house and then said "Oh good, I'm right outside your front door now". Poor man was just getting up, but it was good to see him, and I hadn't wanted to say anything in case I was running late for the bus and didn't have time to stop in. Successfully caught the bus (after reaching Milton Road and realising that I had no idea where on the road to find a bus stop, and therefore running crazily until I found one just in time). Got off the bus in the wrong place, but hey-ho, I wasn't far off. Dave and Ali's place is large and wonderful. And it was great to see them again. I'm not sure, but I have a dreadful feeling I haven't seen them since last boxing day walk - it wouldn't surprise me. And it was good to see them since they won't be about for the walk this year. However, I'm not convinced that sitting out on the train platform for 45 mins waiting for the train afterwards was a great thing. Or having to wait for a bus at this end. I'm sneezing a lot now. I suspect another cold is trying to start. It wouldn't surprise me. Due to various indicators that have reappeared I think my immune system is packing up again which means that I'm yet again going to have a winter where I'm at risk of catching every disease that is harboured in London - unsurprising if I insist on putting it through the rigours of London living and commuting and the stress of the current job all together. At some point I'll have to stop burning the candle at both ends and, when time is lacking, lopping the candle in half and burning both sides of the middle as well. But I guess I'll never learn. I think I'll do the Christmas Cards now. That should help with life - though goodness knows what I'll do for the comedy Christmas letter this year. Perhaps a cartoon of Droopy the Dog and a caption like "Anna-Maria knew it was going to be a tough year, but she didn't realise how bad she'd look by the end of it". Then again - perhaps I'll just go to bed. Current Mood: sleepy (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, November 26th, 2005
8:09 pm	Auntie Anna My niece, Chloe May, was born at 2.33pm yesterday afternoon at Queen Elizabeth Hostpital. Vital stats are 7lb 8oz (3.414kg) and 20 inches long (51cm). Pretty long and fortunately lighter than predicted. Some complcations of severe breach birth and no fluids at all meant that they had to do an emergency caesarean 10 days early but she's lovely and healthy and my sister is looking better now than she was yesterday (especially since she can now sit up a bit). And now I'm in work. Due to all the worries with my sister, Friday was fairly unproductive in the office whilst I got frequent update phonecalls from my parents, and I then went straight over to my sister's house to help do housework/cook/clean/care for the dog. Saw Rache briefly last night with Grandma and Grandpa (to be edited if they ever actually decide what the want to be called), and then for longer this afternoon with Grand-mere/Nunu (?) (or 'M' as she'd like to be - she is Belgian, hence the French title) having spent the morning helping my brother-in-law with the housework/laundry. So I haven't been home since Thursday sometime, and I've been in work now since 5pm. Hopefully, I should be able to finish up in about an hour, but I was desperate for a short break and realised that as a memorable event I should probably put something in my diary. I'm miserable that work have denied us permission to have microwaves in the new office since I've got steak pie slices in my bag. (8 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, November 13th, 2005
11:07 pm	Life is good I couldn't be bothered to make the necessary phonecalls to people after the first phonecall to my sister and after digging through Karate paperwork and leaving a message on the lady's answerphone to check sessions still happen on Monday (and to tell her that I thought perhaps I would make next week, not tomorrow, the first day since I was likely to stay significantly overtime at work tomorrow). So I've done the filing that built up over the last 4 weeks whilst I was studying (including opening post that must have arrived on bad days when I only got in from college after 10pm and therefore got ignored or which I forgot to open). I've failed to clean the bathroom, but I can do that tomorrow when I eventually make it home from college. Potentially however, I should not have been drinking port whilst doing the filing. I feel marginally tipsy now which is a bad thing. Though I like this feeling. It's that phase when I'm just starting to feel tipsy and vision just takes a moment to catch up with me. Jobs for tomorrow after work - phone 3 people minimum, clean the bathroom, and start the Christmas Cards. They'll take me at least 2 weeks to do and I've promised to go and see my sister on Tuesday night. Hurrah! Mum told me that baby has put on lots of weight and size since I last saw her 4 weeks ago. Rachel tells me that she's just uncomfortable and wants her body back now. Poor girl. Nisa and I were discussing this. The whole giving birth thing. In particular we were discussing being cut down to make the space larger for the baby to come out (and thus prevent the sort of ragged ripping that Mum suffered with me and which is difficult to sew up again) and the fact that such things as anaesthetic aren't used for this - all stemming from operations that Nisa and Kathryn have had (relatively recently) where anaesthetic hasn't been used due to the emergency situation or the nature of the operations. We were of mixed idea as to whether we wanted to go through the whole giving birth thing or not. If I were Rachel I would be petrified at this point in time. Especially since I am so small. But Rachel went through the paranoia when she was about one month pregnant so I think she's got used to the fear of the pain now. So, the post-exam period: ( Milan and London ) Current Mood: tipsy Current Music: BBC7 - The Daughter of Time (I read this when I was 12 - goodness that was a while ago) (Comment on this)
Saturday, November 12th, 2005
9:01 pm	I've relaxed now - humour After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a "gripe sheet," which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight.  Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humour. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas' pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers. By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has never had an accident.... Enjoy! ( Know you all know this well, so did I, it's been doing the rounds for ages, but I still cried laughing ) (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, November 10th, 2005
1:04 am	...and out the other side... sort of. Well. Exams are over. I'm going back to the office on Monday morning for a full-time stint. Having only worked there for 3.5 weeks since the start of July or something pretty close to that, I'm not sure how I'll take to it. Exams went something like this: Monday 12pm-3.30pm Business Environment: ( Read more... ) Resit probability = 94% Tuesday 9.30am - 1pm Business Life Cycle: ( Read more... ) Resit probability = 85% Wednesday 9.30am-1.30pm Advanced Case Study: ( Read more... ) Resit probability = 90% Basically, if I'm not resitting anything in July then I'm treating myself to a night out at a show in top price tickets. I'm certain there's at least one resit expected and very possibly 3. So I'm just not thinking about it. Resits aren't until July, and results aren't until 16 December. Apparently if I pass all three together I get a 150ukp bonus. The generosity after the 4.5 months I just put myself through is astounding. Post exam activity: 2pm First pint of Ale in 3 weeks - strength 4.8% - and a plate of sausage and mash 3pm-5pm Further consumption of 4.8% ale, and navy rum with coke 5pm Head to office to use their printer 6.30pm Light supper and coffee before Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake (amazing) and post show talk with members of the show 11.45pm arrival home and commencement of packing Thursday 9am - Leave home to go to Milan for 2.5 days Sunday - Coffee and sightseeing out in London with friend. Looking forward to Milan. Never been there, but it has various things I'd like to see, and what with revising and my first holiday this summer being cancelled by work and replaced with a secondment in Bristol, I didn't get any holiday abroad this summer. Bizarrely I just realised that with the exception of Corrogant, which I go to with an old Salisbury Youth Group, Sarum C2K, and a few choir tours (memorably New York, Belgium, and The Netherlands), and a holiday in Germany with David when I was 18, I've never been on a holiday abroad without my parents. Mostly because I love going on holiday with them. We all have the same interests and attitudes, and we get on well when we're away. Swan Lake was amazing. Through use of contemporary dance the emotions are more raw, and the story is twisted in a completely new way. Far more preferable. Although according to the dancers who came out for post-show talk, tonight was, in their opinion, one of the most emotionally charged performances they've done recently. It certainly felt like it. As to what I've missed through being non-communicating: I understand that Whitby has been and gone whilst I've been out of contact studying and I have very little, if any idea what anyone has been up to. I was going to ring a few people but it just didn't happen. I may try to catch up with a few people after Milan. I know that I really want or need to talk to/see the following people, mostly because I promised I would contact them post exams: ( Aide Memoire of people you've promised/need to contact, dinners you've promised to give, and events/trips you've promised will happen all post-exams in November. That's 5 months of promises to be caught up with. List to be edited as things are remembered. ) Current Mood: Packing (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, October 28th, 2005
9:59 pm	Studying hard - not online Exams soon. Overworking. Only put the computer on to check work email as today is my one day when I get to study from home in several weeks. Afraid I've no idea what is going on in the world unless it relates to water companies in current affairs - since that's what one of my exams is based on. And especially have no idea what you are all up to. I'll need filling in when I'm back. But I needed to tell you all: If you appreciate any of: stories/drama/theatre/radio plays then listen to the friday play on Radio 4. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio4_aod.shtml?radio4/fridayplay It made me cry. It's very moving and wonderfully acted. Will especially be appreciated by dryad_wombat I think - Sara. Can't remember how to do links, so hope that works. And if you are a fan of childish humour, kids films, good clean comedy, stories about magic etc then go and see Nanny McPhee at the cinema. Last Sunday was a bad day so I had an impromptu 2 hour break from the work in the evening and laughed enough to clear all the blues away. I'll come online once exams finish in mid-November. Hope you're all well. I'm trying to text the odd person when I get a chance, but phone calls are now ceasing until exams are over and if you need to get me I'm still only on landline (I pick up messages in the few hours I'm home and awake each day) and mobile texts, since I've not got time to check emails. Take care. All of you. Ammi xx (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, September 4th, 2005
12:34 am	Enroute to my bed Having just fired up the computer to do some S&W work at midnight (only quick stuff I'd temporarily forgotten and needed to note before I forgot again), I would like to correct my earlier statement. I LOVE studying. There is nothing more satisfying than ploughing through a bank of questions. Except possibly ploughing through a bank of examples on Underlying tax (ULT), withholding tax (WHT), eligible unrelieved foreign tax (EUFT) and allocation of said EUFT which is even more satisfying. Then again, that is beaten by picking up a three-period liquidation company yesterday at 4.30pm and churning out all the paperwork for it by 6.30pm, letters, returns, comps and all. Including persuading my insolvency manager that we should be applying one of the bits of legislation and thus saving an extra £59. Doesn't sound much but it is in a small liquidation. Insolvency tax is my first love. I really should find a cure for this tax loving that I have. No cure needed for the love of plum and apple crumble I made at dinner time though, and enough left for 5 more helpings... Rather annoyed that I didn't realise the time until well after 5.30pm though, when I was meant to phone KT and Deano to congratulate them on their wedding that was today and which I had to miss (due to the whole studying thing). Mentally I wished them all the best at about 8pm and sent them all my love. I'll phone them after the honeymoon. Life is good. Give me more tax puzzles! If I keep question ploughing at this rate I might even be allowed to have two hours off tomorrow evening to go to Susannah's 30th birthday party too. Let's try going to bed first shall we? Current Mood: relaxed (Comment on this)
Saturday, September 3rd, 2005
12:33 pm	I exist I love studying. I hate studying for exams though. Tedious and too much pressure right now. Am likely to fail first set of mocks on Monday due to issues of friends in intensive care, evenings spent at doctors, nights spent not being given the holiday I requested to study, and being unwell - my turn, since everyone else in the family has had a shot at it. Nothing to worry about though. It's not the end of the world in any way as there are still several months of studying and mocks to get through. But today and tomorrow are solid study with no break. Question practice is the key to TATCs. My training manager is aware that I'm likely to fail first set of mocks and merely asks I do my best. Very good of her. As question practice is the key, this is why I have little hope of passing. Question practice takes time. As you may have noticed am not online much. Ever. Outlook had the decency to tell me today when it collected my emails that 12 of my emails had been deleted because it had been so long since I picked them up last. So don't bother emailing anything highly important, obviously. I'll see you all in November. When I am not at college I am largely keeping out of London as well, as that is the best way to study. Hope I'm not missing too much. I'll be back, eventually, I'm sure. Current Mood: cheerful Current Music: Monkees (Comment on this)
Monday, August 22nd, 2005
9:28 pm	Quotes of the day The English are not a very spiritual people, so they invented cricket to give them some idea of eternity. George Bernard Shaw, quote in The Daily Telegraph Human memory is short: originality is unnecessary. Susannah Herbert in The Sunday Telegraph Raindrops keep falling on my head... Weather out is cold and wet, weather in in cold and dry - I need a jumper now. Nick and Em's wedding was lovely. Really nice. I was late thanks to the V Festival which I'd never heard of until about 5 mins before I set off leaving myself 2.5 hours to do a 1.5 hour journey. Unfortunately the wedding was about 10 miles from the V Festival and due to a wrong turning taken by me and furthr investigated by Rob, Rob and I (who had suddenly found ourselves in next-door cars at the Dartford Tunnel and will in future coordinate ourselves since I'd forgotten he lives down in my sort of a direction) got ourselves stuck in the road that was the lead up to the festival car parks. Although since that only added 10 mins onto our journey we would still have been late for the wedding since we got there 15 mins late. Hotel mucked up my room booking, or rather, the Swedish couple staying in my room either side of that night didn't seem to realise that they couldn't leave their stuff in the room for the in-between night and walk off with the key. However, I'd been toying with the idea that it made more sense to go home in the middle of the night and avoid the festival traffic so it all worked out well in the end. Took exactly 1.5 hours to get home as well. Bah! Kathryn has not only been discharged from Kings hospital but they've sent her home and not even to Salisbury District hospital which makes me really happy. Her boyfriend Matt and indeed the hole family all sounded very relieved when I spoke to them all on the phone during the course of Sunday. I will visit her once I'm in Salisbury for the Bank holiday next weekend. Due to not visiting Kathryn in hospital on Sunday I decided that I would have to start studying properly now rather than the haphazard bits I've squished in so far, especially since I will now get home from work rather than getting in at past 9pm after the hospital detour, so I got stuck in. I'm now currently floating on a sea of incorporation tax relief, shortly to be joined by gift relief and the close company rules. I love tax. Is that a sad thing to admit to? Client visit got wrapped up today, four days early so went back to the office. They all looked at me very oddly, maybe because I've not been there for over 6 weeks now. I should therefore have nearly 2 weeks to catch up with client housework rather than the 4 day week I originally expected. Masterclass went really really well. Stephen Richards (I think that's his name?) was superb, it was all very educating, was lovely to spend a day with people who have the same interests as me, and he was busy telling me that I should join an early music group. He muttered something about the Tallis Scholars - possibly not since they are truly the Elite of Early Music, but I'll have a think - time I joined that choir Mark sent details of. Unfortunately revision calls first and foremost. As far as getting somewhere on my to-do list from last time I posted here: 1. I have informed various managers at work that I won't be working significant overtime until mid-November and they all agree - I shall wait and see for the success rates on that, however 8am-5.30pm should give them plenty of work for a supposed 7 hour day. 2.Masterclass and wedding now done - Uni friends all advised that I won't be going out much if at all now until November except for Bella's birthday bash, if one ever gets organised, in October sometime. 3. Date currently on hold. 4. Drink with J postponed indefinitely as currently on opposite sides of London as client visit ended early and need minimal distraction from revision at this stage. 5. Harrasser cunningly got rid of after emergency council with Emily on the phone. I had forgotten that she is director of an acting group - she has offered loan of one of her hulking actors who looks really scary if harrasser re-appears. Sister offered services of brother-in-law to play part of partner. Decided not to point out the obvious difficulties I would have with this. 6. Girls night in with Emily and Nisa organised for Thursday night to cheer up Nisa and for Em and I to have our usual raucous and nutty rants and wibbles. I hope Em and Nisa get on well. They're certainly both nutty enough to get on well. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 16th, 2005
11:06 pm	Welcome back to London Bristol was heavenly. I may not stay in London much more than I have to. The pace of life is better, the people aren't all back-stabbing, life is generally just more pleasant. On the negative side, I'd have to take a 50% or more pay-cut which doesn't work anyway towards my ultimate plan, so I may have to delay getting out of London for a couple of extra years. Hmmm houses. That's where life leads really for me isn't it? Houses and trust funds - and inheritances. Left for Bristol for two weeks just over a fortnight ago( Read more... ) The middle weekend was hectic. I drove from Bristol to Cambridge on Saturday to go to Alyzande's Celtic Handfasting which was superb, educational, and at which I had a really lovely time. Enroute to there realised the route I had chosen to ensure I got to the Bristol Mall took me round the south side of Birmingham and I still had Dan's birthday present in the boot of the car, so I diverted through Birmingham and stopped there for 20 minutes. Wished I'd left two hours earlier, then I could have diverted to see Craig as well. So that was 200 miles that day. Due to altered plans for Sunday (quartet rehearsal in London that morning was cancelled), lovely Oli and Tish persuaded me to stay in their new house (it's lovely) for the night (they are marvellous and Oli makes a superb bacon sarnie for breakfast). Took a marginally more leasurely journey to the office in London than would have happened if I'd gone at the original time of 1am. Packed up my desk (my office moved during my absence), drove on down to spend two hours visiting Kathryn at Kings Hospital, and then drove on out to Bristol again. Arrived shattered at 11pm having driven another 200 miles. Since I got back on Friday night I've played a gig in Kent (a really beautiful wedding for which we had a 3 hour rehearsal that morning in Vauxhall and then I drove them all there, played pre-wedding, played during wedding, played for a couple of hours after wedding, and drove them back as far as East Croydon), spent several hours of Sunday afternoon at the hospital again, unpacked my desk in the new office (very swish), and gone out to a client in the West End. I'm there for two weeks and today was the dullest day ever reviewing fixed asset additions and repairs and maintenance. Still, it has to be done. And of course every evening involves an hour diversion to Kings to spend a couple of hours chatting to Kathryn.( Read more... ) Plans going forward: I need to study, and this requires a working brain and some work as well. 1. Leave work no later than 5.30pm each day; 2. Get to bed by 10.30pm each day (obviously excluding today's write-up); 3. Have a proper dinner each day; 4. Don't take work home (a rare occurrence anyway); 5. If I've been in the office I will not access work email remotely when I get home to carry on; 6. Open a bottle of wine to have with the study and the dinner most evenings; 7. Keep calm - you're doing fine at the moment, no need to rock the boat. Expected things in the next few days: 1. Masterclass on Thursday at which I'm singing - I'm terrified but the adrenaline will do me good. 2. Nick and Em's wedding in Essex on Saturday - not offering lifts as yet since I want to leave early Sunday morning to get back to the grind of study. 3. "Date" being set up by Amy - I may need to throttle her but I guess it could make for light relief and fun (to be set up in next few days, not to happen). 4. Go out for drink with J (maybe next week) 5. Get rid of my harrasser - currently getting permission from Emily to use her as my girlfriend. If that doesn't stop him (since I've already pointedly told him I live with my partner and am very happy with said partner) then I don't know what will - "Partner" has always carefully been left unsexed in case this happened - call me suspicious. (Comment on this)
Friday, July 29th, 2005
7:25 am	Security tightening and changes I was surprised last night as I headed over to the office at 5pm after college finished to find that Angel station had changed in security levels. Ever since the bombings the other week there have been about 4 policemen standing guard at the entrance to Angel station and there have been about 6 or 8 at East Croydon station (mostly on the concourse with a few tramping up and down the platforms). Victoria station has been very much like it always was, only these days the many many community support officers who have been there for months and months now (even two months ago I could count between 10 and 20 community support officers during the early rush hour (8am) in the main station with 4 or so in the Underground bit that I go through) have been swapped for fully-trained policemen instead. However, yesterday I received my first surprise on the way home to find one armed policeman outside Angel station, 4 unarmed on the concourse and 4 on each platform. It seemed quite excessive. Numbers didn't seem any higher at Oxford Circus, which as a comparison therefore surprised me. And then I got to East Croydon. After wading through 16 policemen (after a certain number they do actually start to get in the way when there is a big rush of people getting off the train because the concourse is so small) I reckoned something was up. It seems from the front page of the Metro this morning that yesterday was the highest police presence ever. It doesn't especially surprise me. It does make me feel marginally safer. Mostly because I was always happier when I was very small and there were always a couple of bobbies on the beat on Wanstead High Street who would keep an eye open for you (and similarly ask you if they thought you were lost at the age of 7). But also because it's nice to see them out. People are stopping to ask them questions and they generally appear to be fulfilling the role I always associate with police in my mind. My mother always taught me when I was small that if I was lost or had a problem I should go to a policeman and ask for help. For years recently that's been practically impossible because you can't find them. Now it appears that it is necessarily changing back a little, and I think I like it, though I can't say I like the cause for the change. As for IRA finally saying they'll put down their weapons forever - I wait and see. It wouldn't be the first time they'd said it, but it would be good if it could be true this time. I can't stand violence, especially violence that has come out of religious disagreement, although that isn't really the case with the IRA. It doesn't bother me whether the British or the Irish own Northern Ireland. Since Ireland has joined the European Union and we are as well (sort of) we're all becoming one enormous super-state anyway so why fight over the little things. But I'm glad if they've finally decided to stop the violence. Current Mood: contemplative (Comment on this)
Monday, July 18th, 2005
8:23 pm	Catching up with my tail for 5 minutes I set out, about a month or two ago, starting to use my livejournal completely properly, much like I used to use my 5 year diary by my bed before I got to GCSE's and it all got too much to manage. I started filling in an entry on a regular basis (when I got time), quite often private, and leaving public those that had nothing too personal. I suppose that is why all comments are generally screened these days and I think the concept of any friends only entries largely went out the window since either people can know or people can't. My life is rather black and white at the moment. Then a few weeks ago it all went wrong. Now I'm considering getting a paper diary again, because I daren't put the computer on by the time I get to it. Work ( . ) I am in the office a total of 2.5 weeks between now and 11 November. By then I will have sat my finals, which I cannot afford to fail. Amidst the madness I have now given up my week off in August for the secondment to sort out a client firm's tax clients (which is complex). Still not sure about how I feel in relation to cancelling the holiday. It means I get the week off just before the final push at college, but at the same time it means I'll get no holiday from the end of Easter in March until the 19 September, which is a very long time when you're tired and it is July. However, the secondment is in Bristol and they are putting me up in a hotel for the fortnight, so it could be the change I need. It also means I won't get to France since I daren't go away to France for a week just before I start the final push. Work are so dedicated to me, or I'm so dedicated to my clients (I suspect the latter) that I have been given remote access to my work email.( ... ) Bombs I was fine on 7 July 2005 when 4 men blew themselves up, three on underground trains and one on a bus. The bombs happened in the peak rush-hour at about 8.47am or something similar. I was in work by 8am that day. I wasn't sure quite how I felt about them all but it took some time to be on top of it all. My sister called me almost as soon as they happened to check I was ok, because they were on the road and heard the news bulletin. After that things went crazy and our office fell into a black hole. I have no access to livejournal at work since it is blocked (likewise netgoth chat), so I couldn't check everyone was ok at first, trusting to good fortune; we lost all outgoing landlines, and very few landline calls could get in (it was eerily quiet); soon after the bus bomb we lost our internet connection entirely for some time since it couldn't cope with everyone checking the internet and died; we lost most of our email communication traffic both in and out though I managed to get a few in/out; mobiles were necessarily shut down by the emergency services etc. This meant that we felt like hostages. We had (mostly) no idea what was going on, any external calls that came through to us were leapt on for information, and we all sat there unable to work and hoping for our friends. Finally, mobile networks were reconnected. By about 1.30-2pm I could finally get texts out, and since I still had no other connections methodically texted all those I was worried about on the assumption that people with partners would tell me if their partners were not alright and thus assumed their partners -were- alright. Thankfully (and kindly) everyone replied bar 2 people though again I haven't had everyone's numbers since I lost my phone so I was still relying on people telling me if someone else wasn't ok. Within 10 mins of the text network being up I knew all my Uni friends were ok through a system we quickly sorted of texting someone you didn't know about with a list of everyone you knew was ok. That way it doesn't take long (or many texts to check up on 40+ people). I've been told Alexander is ok. I hope someone would have told me if Rosie and Steve weren't. Life structure Why so busy? It works like ( this )Of course now I'm not getting out again until November. I suppose I should apologise to people. I've had 4 weddings that I was invited to this summer. Two I had to turn down because the journey would have taken so long (a full weekend) and both coincided with college fortnights. It makes me feel bad because I would have liked to celebrate with them and support them (which is what matters to me), but these exams are critical and I dare not let them out of my sight for an instant. I'll have to send a wedding present in my absence for one of them which doesn't make up for it really since I wanted to be there to be supportive and all the other things I believe we really attend weddings for, and one of them would probably be furious if I sent the present which is sad because I'd like to send them a present and wish them all my love and good wishes for a happy future but I suspect it would be turned away. The other two weddings are going to be easier to get to, one of which will involve me driving home from Cambridge overnight and stopping off in the office at about midnight enroute-home to pack my desk since the office is moving in my absence. The other is in Essex, finishes relatively early on the Saturday evening giving me a good night's sleep, and I'll be home within two hours of checking out nice and early on the Sunday morning (and will unfortunately not be drinking) so that I can get home to revise by about 10am I reckon. I've even had to tell them all in church not to worry about the fact that they'll probably not see me now until November. I just can't afford the two hours it takes from my Sunday morning. So it all goes horrible from here on in. As ever I have promised myself that I'm going to do my best not to get stressed, over-wraught, thin as a skeleton, quiet, hermit-like and so on. But I know I'll probably not manage it and I will end the autumn pale, a nervous shaking wreck, stressed, exhausted, and fit for nothing. The thing keeping me going is that if I want, this can be my last exam ever. Although my company want me to do my CTA tax exams after and I suppose part of me wants to do them too, but if I choose this can be the end of it all instead. I hope people will understand. I'm never sure they do though. (Comment on this)