My husband is doing the BHF bike ride between London and Brighton on his birthday.

Sponsor him here: CLICK

http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/cgi-bin/vacdetails.cgi?selection=911937112

 Public Health Analyst Job

 

Admittedly when I was at school I took my mobile in with me. But I was a special case (obviously ). My phone was a cheap one even for then so just about had capability for text and calls and nothing else. And I needed mine for getting home safely.

 

But I agree with the idea that taking expensive items into school is generally a stupid idea. Not only does it distract from education but even if you don't play with them during lessons, the chances are they'll go missing or get broken. There's been an increase in muggings in the last few years and it is doubtful that the reason for this is purely that more people are evil and willing to cause heartache or whatever, but more to do with the fact it is incredibly easy to wander past someone and pluck their mobile out of their hand, or know they're carrying an iPod.

 

A recent visit to my local secondary school, meant I discovered a wonderful way of, if not stopping gadgets getting into school but at least stopping them distracting lessons.

Teachers at my local school will immediately confiscate any mobile phones, iPods etc...

But the best bit is: the pupils can not get them back unless they go with a parent/carer to see the headmistress and she will only grant an appointment at 7am! No alternatives, no turning up at 3:30 when the kids get kicked out, or at 9am when the kids get to lessons, but 7am! :)

It's fab and it works.

Silly Warning: Suicide by Chocolate requires a human to eat about 50kg of milk chocolate in one sitting.

 

Serious Warning: PLEASE DO NOT FEED ANIMALS CHOCOLATE! IT IS DEADLY!

 

 

 

There's some warnings given on things which both amuse me and make me despair of the world I live in.

The following is from a lens cleaner:

Recommended for all plastic and glass lenses. Spray each side of the lens, wipe dry immediately with a soft cloth. Not for use on contact lenses.

 

hey ho, not written for quite awhile but my mum reminded me it still existed and it was were she gets a lot of random information about me from. I did mention facebook but... *shrugs*

 

Brief breakdown of the last FOUR months....

Increase in hours at work.

Work Appraisal resulting in recommendation for a payrise

One week in Cumberland Infirmary

Two weeks in Hope Hospital

My boss went off sick the day I got back

Have been planning and booking our trip to the US for Harry and Meg's wedding

The project I run for work has made the shortlist for the Riverside Awards under the Partnership Working Category.

Dave has a new job in Northampton so he will be moving in October and I will be following a few weeks later

I'm filling in applications for jobs in Northampton - project manager/administrator or events co-ordinator for preference

My department is down to two people due to illness, family crisis, holiday and recruitment issues

Have been working overtime to cover everyone's work load and get things ready for audit

 

Went to the Greenbelt festival for the first time since 2004 and took Dave with me :)
Was really good fun. Weather was beautiful and the people as usual were wonderful. Was really good to catch up with all those I hadn't seen for so long.

 

Went to Harry's Stag Do last weekend which was great fun :)

 

Saw Sonja yesterday for the first time in about two years. Was lovely to see her and we sat outside a lovely cafe in Carlisle catching up on everything :)

 

Northampton next weekend looking at houses

Riverside Award Ceremony on the 21st

Then US trip :)

 

Hoping my boss is back this week as she needs to sort out my officer's payrise and organise future project funding otherwise he'll be out of a job. I've had part of my payrise but due to finance being silly my department head has decided to give me five months back pay when I leave in November rather than try to sort it out now. My overtime however may actually be paid next week for the last month :)

 

 

 

Yesterday was Andy's funeral. There was a hell of a turnout - I don't think it would have been possible to fit any more people in to Manchester Crematorium as was already there.

The minister conducting the service had done his homework and despite never having met Andy and knowing Andy to not be of his faith, he did a good job of commerating him.

It was good to get together with so many of Andy's friends and be able to chat and catch up. We drank Harry's Bar out of JD which I'm sure Andy would have approved of.

 

So once again, please raise a glass of JD to Andy, may he never be forgotten.

 

For those wishing to do something to remember him by, there is a collection for the Thrombosis charity, Lifeblood - you can donate HERE

 

 

 

As an almost direct consequence of Andy's death I now have a facebook account, under the name of Amanda Pearce. Feel free to join me there.

Hugs

 

The world lost a great bloke this weekend.

It is a shock to all who knew him, and he touched the lives of everyone who met him.

Many people have said it alot better than I have and you can read how Andy touched lives at the links below but I will remember him for being the guy who spent many evenings when I first started at UMIST trying to find alcohol I'd be willing to drink.

The last time we met we spent a few hours at the bar knocking back JDs while Andy took great delight in declaring himself the first person to ever get me wasted :p

 

He ranted a lot but he was always there when you needed someone, he even managed to put up with me throwing myself at him for a hug every time I saw him :)

 

He last changed his status on Facebook to 'is evidently to ill to have a life, bugger'

He'd have appreciated the irony.

 

Please raise a glass in memory of Andy McCruden.

 

Especially when I don't have to work Fridays :-)

The sun is currently bright - it probably won't last as the sun usually likes bank holidays off as well, the garden is filled with birds and my father in law will be arriving for the weekend soon :-)

 

Have just completed my first week of increased hours at work which was good - meant I wasn't rushed off my feet and getting whinged at for not getting paperwork done on time - really hard to do when people want it done within a few hours of it being submitted and I'm not actually in work... :p

The pay will come in handy as well.

Got my annual review in two weeks where the paperwork for my pay increase (one standard across the organisation for cost of living, and one to increase me to competency within my band) will be signed and sent to the board to hopefully be authorised :-)

 

 

Today there is a story on BBC News CLICK that a three year old girl has been abducted from her hotel room.

This is appalling and I very much hope she is returned safe and well.

However if someone had left a 3 year old child at home alone while they went out for dinner they'd be shot down and social services would want a word. And that's in an area she'd know well and be able to ask for help if she needed it. She was left in a hotel room, in a hotel in an unfamiliar place where she didn't speak the language.

It's not right to say it was inevitable but there still is no certainity as to whether it was an abduction at all, or whether she'd woken up, discovered she was alone, got scared and went to try and find her parents :-S

 

Here's hoping and praying she returns safe and well soon.

 

 

Unfortunately I don't think any of you could tell me that America isn't writing off an entire nationality, not without lying.

Read: CLICK

It is stupid to think that banning everyone from Britian who is of Pakistani descent from travelling to the US will stop terrorists targeting the country. It just shows a complete lack of understanding of terrorism, Islam and nationality.

It would surely be more likely to fan the flames of hatred of those who are evil enough or just gullible enough to believe that killing people and blowing themselves up is exactly what the Qur'an means when it says: O mankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other.

 

There isn't anywhere which declares that it is good to kill non-muslims, nowhere says you ought to waste your life  killing 100s of people. It talks about peace, harmony, understanding, encouraging people to the faith through example and guidance - it is really difficult to encourage people to the faith when you keep killing them...

 

Narrow mindness of non muslims about Islam and what it stands for, is something which needs to be clear away, but so is the narrow mindness of some muslims who read violence and destruction into the words of the Qur'an, rather than a message of unity and peace. 

 

 

I have recently been moaned at by a number of people that my blog is declaring it's snowing when quite obviously it's been glorious sunshine for weeks across the entirety of the UK.

However as I've been cruelly deprived of internet access for a number of weeks due to moving house, I haven't been able to do anything about it.

I'll fill you in on the trauma of moving house and dealing with BT at some point, along with everything else which has been going on but at the moment I'm busy trying to catch up with things and change addresses and various other bits of paperwork which needs playing with so you'll just have to wait :p

:) :) :)

Monday lunchtime I got on a train to go to London.

That morning the trainline reopened after the train crash on the 23rd February which meant no sitting on a coach for hours :)

The train journey was amazingly peaceful once I'd managed to get a seat next to a window to watch the world go by (the first 40 mins was spent in a seat which had no window :( )

I arrived in London and was booked into my hotel by 4pm. Very impressive looking hotel but my room was tiny...

Dumped my stuff and went for a wander.

It was a beautiful day and London was splended in all it's glory - I love the lights, noise, and  general buzz of London :)
Made my way to Regent's Park to find the Royal College of Physicians where my conference was to be held on the Tuesday - a truly ugly building from the outside, very much the ugly sister of the street.

Then to the British Library which I love - wandering around looking at the old manuscripts and scrawlings of writers destined to be famous :)

After that was a wander into a second hand book shop where I bought a book called Hopeful Monsters before having dinner in Pizza Express.

One of the great things about London is the ability to walk into a resturant, ask for a single table and not to be looked at funny :)

 

The welcometrust is another buliding I came across with a fantastic display of protiens depicted in lights :) They're apparently opening a permanent collection in Summer 2007 which is something I'll have to go and see though it's doubtful I'll be able to get work to pay for that trip :p

Met up with Ruth for a drink and spent a chunk of time despairing of the stupidity of cyclists - why can they wear reflective clothing, a helmet or have lights but not all three????

and marvelling of the taxis actually obeying the highway code...

 

Though favourite quote of the evening 'I'm so p*ssed I can't even spell it!!' declared a guy as he wandered passed trying to use his mobile :)

Back to the hotel for 2130 absolutely exhausted.

Had a crappy nights sleep, grabed a banana for breakfast and went for a walk in Regent's Park - beautiful at this time of year. The crocuses were out, the squirrels were playing, the trees were in bloom and the fountains sparkled :)

 

The conference was actually quite interesting and led me to enquire about my work's rentention schedule to worryingly be greeted with blank looks :p Will be writing one for my project next time I'm in work me thinks :)

The only terrible thing about the day (bar getting totally confused about Freedom of Information vs Data Protection) was the mains at lunch was so yummy and filling I didn't get to have any of the yummy looking treacle tart because I was ful *sobs*

Want treacle tart now!!

Blagged an early train home to be home by 9 and see my wonderful husband :)

And that was my LOndon adventure :)

 

 

I'm overdue my quarterly appraisal at work. This isn't really a problem as I know my boss is happy with what I do however there's been some developments with regards to my project and I'm supposed to find out what they are and what the timescale is at my appraisal as it is likely to mean more responsibility, more hours and more money for me :)

So it was originally scheduled for the 8th March but it got cancelled due to my boss not being able to get to work - her exhuast fell off her car :p

Rescheduled for Thursday just gone but I got stood up - she'd got a better offer of meeting Princess Anne in Penrith...

 

Thursdays seems to generally be a bad idea for this appraisal however next Thursday afternoon is the next time we're currently free and in work at the same time - Monday we're both off, Tuesday I'm in in the morning but Trace isn't, in the afternoon I'm going to manchester, get back Thursday lunchtime....

It really needs doing then, as the morning of the 26th is booked out for a three hour meeting on the project future and I really ought to have had my appraisal and the chance to sit down with my boss before then as I am expected to present how the project works from our side of things ...

 

Ah well, fun and games to follow :)

This is a blog of a work colleague's brother's attempt to renovate his 100 year old cottage in an enironmentally friendly way

It's really quite interesting and you may actually learn something...

Save the planet and do something fun :)

 

CLICK

CLICK for great photos (my favourites are the fireworks I think :D)

One other thing which happened yesterday which was good - I got my train tickets for my London trip - it really is actually happening :)
Though the chances are I'm going to be spending the first part of the journey there/the last part home on a coach :(