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Sunday 6 September 2009

O hai!

Hello, hello! It's been over two months since I last updated my blog. That's a very odd feeling, you know. This blog is my baby, but I wasn't doing you lot justice by saying "I'll update properly later" every week or so.

Y'see, I do care what you think. Every new reader makes me smile, and every comment gives me something to think about. But even apart from that, I'd keep this just for me. You know I would! Just like I did four years ago when I began, and nobody read it but me and an American radio presenter called Les. (I liked Les. I wonder how he is now?)

It makes to begin this post, as I have done with so many others, with a recap of what I've been up to lately. Just over a month ago I went home to the Isle of Wight, my beautiful island that I'd been missing so much. It was exactly what I needed. Some valuable family time, including a family reunion with my gorgeous, newest cousin Josie. Doesn't seem like that long ago I was celebrating her birth (I know for a fact I wrote a post in honour of her arrival, but I can't seem to find it now), and now she looks like this!

Josie

Josie

So, yes, there was an element of "My Haven't You Grown" happening in my head. At least now, I know that when friends of the family said that to me, they were secretly thinking "Good Lord I'm old."

I was equally delighted to spend a fair bit of time catching up with old friends. We went bowling, hung out on a beach in the rain, went to the cinema - all the usual stuff we used to do back when we were 17-19! I'd particularly like to thank Lucy, on the off-chance that she reads this, for being my rock when I go a little bit crazy. She's like a big sister to me.

Oh, speaking of big sisters, my biggest (in spirit) sis just got engaged! I couldn't be more delighted for her. Very exciting times!

After that little refresher course in Reasons My Family Drive Me Crazy (But I Love 'Em), I went to Southampton and the cruise began... it was a Cunard cruise, which essentially meant that I was outclassed by everyone and everything right down to the tablecloths, but that I got treated like royalty. Here follow some pictures of what I got up to:

The pool at night

Pool at night

The stateroom

A welcoming sight

Danger in Italy

Danger

One sunset

Pulleys

Ape on Gibraltar

Ape posing 1

All dressed up

Straight hair!

Jump

Jump!


I'm back in Cardiff now, getting on with all the stuff that needs getting on with when you've been away for a month. And looking for a job. There's just no avoiding it any more, finances won't allow me to stick my head in the sand, so I need to get out there and do an honest day's work like everyone else! So you can look forward to lots of complaining about a) not having a job or b) how my job sucks. Those appear to be my only options. Bummer. I'm also trying very very hard not to bite my nails, but you know the saying - old habits die hard. And this is the Bruce Willis of old habits.

And, just to leave you with some Interesting Things, I've had two songs stuck in my head lately - Coin-Operated Boy by the Dresden Dolls:

and Surfin' Bird, which goes like this (yes, I curse Family Guy every time I get it playing on the mental gramophone.)

12 comments:

  1. Finally another post! I enjoyed it, and it seems you've been quite busy these past couple of months. Anyway, glad to see you back, with another great update.

    All I can say is I hope you find a job that lets you do something you enjoy, and not slave around for eight hours and then leave you drained...

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  2. Welcome back, Anna! I confess I'm left puzzled how you managed a classy cruise without visible means of support - but I'm glad it was a fun one! Happy job hunt - and not ALL jobs are miserable.

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  3. YAY! the return of anna's blog...oh how I've waited for this day to come!
    (that sounds a little sarcastic but I'm being genuine...I missed your blog!)
    xxx

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  4. Thanks for the welcome back, everybody!

    Abhishek, even if I end up with a rubbish job, I'm hoping the right attitude will make it bearable. We'll see.

    Mary Ellen, Gav's grandmother came into some money and decided to treat her entire extended family to a holiday. That I was included is only a sign of her remarkable generosity!

    Sarah and Katie, thanks so much for reading, you've both been reading for a long long time - it's very much appreciated!

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  5. ANNA! its nice to have you back.. i've been waiting! haha.

    great to see you had a lovely couple of months.. loving the photos :D and you can't beat a bit of surfin' bird... Family Guy ROCKS!!! haha

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  6. Hey. It's great to have you back.

    Howard

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  7. Glad you are back Anna, Good luck with the job search. take care.

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  8. Oh how I have anxiously awaited the day when a new post would appear! Glad you had a WONDERFUL summer, but even happier you're back! :o)

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  9. I love Coin-Operated Boy. It's by far my favourite Dresden Dolls song. The video, interestingly, appears to follow the plot of the song, which doesn't usually happen (Teenage Dirtbag is a good example too), although I'm convinced the song is actually about female masturbation, as opposed to the whole "loneliness" thing it's masked behind.

    Great video, anyway. Very commedia dell'arte at points. And that's a really interesting way of playing the drums. You'll get drummers who move their sticks in a more "circular" way (Dave Baynton-Power from James does this, it moves the sticks faster), or those who barely lift them from the skins (I do this unless I'm hitting hard). But the video shows him basically bouncing his sticks higher and higher from the drums. That's such a great way of playing them.

    I'm such a musical geek.

    Good you have you back, Anna Sunshine!

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  10. Good to see you back!
    Good luck in the job hunt!

    Neil

    P.S. One thing I've learnt painfully slowly over the past few months is that even the best job is only what you make of it! (I apologise for sounding like a guidance counselor!)

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  11. i had almost forgotten you !
    better you dont stay inactive for such long periods please :)
    by the way eagerly waiting to hear you in your blog (even if its complaints bout ur job) !

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