Liz Going On

Warning. A particularly self obsessed blog post. Ok, that’s the definition of a blog (to be self obsessed) but this one is particularly gloaty. Sorry, you have been warned.

This day last year was not a nice place in LizWorld.  I had a rubbish November and December really, until things turned round on the 20th December.

This day a year ago I failed the exam in London. I’d worked really hard and was rather sad. Four weeks previously I had a wisdom tooth out and then worked a night shift (ouch). Then Reggie and Beryl mysteriously died, and that made me sad too. And everyone (well, almost) kept telling us it was a really silly time to buy a house and we were fools. And for a while it seemed like we’d never get the house, as it kept getting delayed and delayed.

But things turned round and on the 20th. We moved into the wonderful lovely barn conversion and A proposed.

I was very surprised to get a ring. I thought I would marry Andrew, but I expected to have to wait a while.  the boy did good!

And since that day its been a fab year.  Really great. I’m so lucky. And thankful.

Highlights

Zoe arriving on Christmas eve. She’s the cutest, best niece ever!

January. A’s birthday weekend in Henley on Thames

Easter, Endellion. Being chosen to sing in the consort was great, I’d never sung in such a small ensemble before.

May, Fee and Russ’ wedding. Choir in SPAIN!

June Exam passing and Kevin and Natalie’s wedding

July. Prom, London fun, Simon and Tracey’s wedding, Charlotte and Dan curry and WII fun!

August, returning to lovely Bolton to work, Alex and Debbie’s wedding.

September, got job in Australia. Hen do, FLASH!

October, Our wedding, best day ever, with wonderful singing, wonderful people, wonderful brass, wonderful Ceilidh, wonderful bridesmaids, wonderful family, much wondefulness and then wonderful honeymoon.

November, Charlotte and Dan’s wedding. Alison visiting.

December, got ICU job for after Australia. Generally happy.

Its not all been great. I have a long list of things to do. And personal goals before my 30th birthday. And I need to diet again, as contentment has made my bottom big! And the burglars still haven’t been convicted and I’ve not had any stuff back from the insurance and I crashed my car last week. But I’m thinking of all the positives.

I had a job interview today. It was for something that I really wanted and was really competitive. I’d not said much about it, but I thought about it a lot. I didn’t want to get everyone excited and then for it all to go wrong.

Well, I had the interview today and I got the job! That means in 3 years time I’ll be a consultant 50% in intensive care medicine and 50% in anaesthetics.

Hurrah!

Hello

Its December now, in case you hadn’t noticed.

I’ve written all the wedding thank you cards (I think). That took a while. And now its time to embark on the Christmas Cards. I’m a little fed up of cards to be honest!

I have done a lot of things recently. None of which are that noteworthy, but all seem to be important and to take up time. I’ve got another job interview on Monday. Its something I really want. I have a lot of prep to do before it. Why does there always seem to be so much to do?

I have a very bad headache today. Its associated with a watery eye too. Make it go away please.

That’s it, for today.

I meant July not November a couple of posts before. I’m starting work in Aus on 19th July. That’s not far away. I haven’t started counting in days, but I might. Although that would probably scare me more. There is so much to do.

I’ve recently amazed some people by being able to touch type. I think many hours wasted on msn messenger made me learn how to do it. I don’t do it properly. I’ve just noticed that i use three fingers of my left hand, but I only use my right index finger. But it works for me.

I’ve sung a lot today. Uncle Mark at the BWH in preparation for Thursday’s concert. Its going to be really good. I’m especially looking forward to the first piece, I hope we get to hear it. Its Tippett. And after that we practiced for the wedding next weekend. I was a lot of fun, and at the end we sounded quite good. Well, not awful! I need to practice more as I have discovered that I’m not very good at singing the tune! I auto harmonise.

Yesterday we went to the National Coal Mining museam. The other young Mr and Mrs Threlfall came too. It was a really really interesting place and it was free too. Hurrah.

Another post for my readers.

In the last 24 hours I have

1) employed a cleaner. Hurrah! I feel very middle class.

2) had my hair done. Goodbye grey hair.  Ooh, this computer has an American spellchecker and got all annoyed about grey. Rubbish! 

3) worked out and applied for Australian medical registration

4) been approved by my work and the deanery to have six months off, yay!

5) accidently taken the ICU registrar on call bleep home. oops.

6) bought some fake Ugg boots from Tesco (WITH BUTTONS!!!) for only ten pounds. I feel such a chav.

7) had 12 hours sleep. I love a good sleep.

I’m not sure why I felt the need to write a numbered list. Perhaps its because I still have about a million things on my to-to list so I wanted to feel productive. I feel a little grotty too. It started with the swine flu jab, but is malingering on too long for that. Hope its not real flu.

Time to cut up some melon before choir.

Ah, yes. I should explain about Australia.

I applied for a job there. Moving very poorly little people around in helicopters and planes and things to take them somewhere to make them better. It sounded scary but fun, and I’d learn lots of stuff I can’t do in the UK.

I didn’t expect to get the job, but I did despite being half asleep during the nighttime teleconference with the interview panel.

So, all things being well (being allowed off my rotation for six months, getting the right medical license in Aus, getting a visa, saving up enough money to pay for home while I’m gone, passing a strict medical) I’ll be starting work in Sydeny on 19th Nov 2010.

That’s not that far away really.

EEk!

Oh my giddy aunt. Its been almost three months since I last wrote to you guys.

How am I meant to blog three months. Possibly the busiest three months of my life! 

I shall start with a bullet list, to get something going. I may or may not elaborate.

September. 

Hen do. Much fun. Amazing fun actually. Thank you ladies

Wedding planning. Was fun! Work got in the way a bit and I got a little stressed when the dining room floor was coming up all by itself and the reception venue was being rubbish and said we had too many guests and people were inviting themselves to stay. But it turned out right in the end.

October.

Wedding. Amazing. I could talk about it for hours. Most people reading this will have been there, so I can spare you that.

Honeymoon. Also amazing. So much fun! 

Burglary. Not fun. I hate them. But its almost ok now, when the insurance give me my stuff back.

Work, lots to do, but I seem to be getting through it. Have high challenges ahead, but I need something to aim for otherwise I’ll cause too much trouble.

Oh yes, and I’m going to Australia. To work for six months. That is exciting!

That’s enough for now. Something is better than nothing I think.

We have a lot of tomatoes, but none of them have shown any signs of going red yet. I worry about this as there are a lot of them. About 80 or 90 on three plants.  If they stay green then I suspect I’ll make lashings and lashings of chutney, and then I’ll give it to all my friends and family as Christmas presents.

How do tomatoes go red?

I love raspberries. They’re my favourite fruit. Maybe I should try and grow some next year.

Wood.

Andrew and I have taken up part of the dining room floor. This is because it appeared to be self levitating, which was a little worrying. It wasn’t easy to take up, and now some of its moved there’s no obvious reason why the rising up happened. And it hasn’t really stopped rising up. Its not rising up and lumpy with gaps in it. This isn’t really ideal.

I discovered yesterday that one of the consultants I work with is going to be in Mauritius at the same time that Andrew and I are there for honeymoon. I think they’re in the same resort but not the same hotel. Possibly. We’ll probably see them either all the time, or not at all. He’s a nice consultant so it’d not be too bad to see him, but I’d rather not hang out in my swimming costume with people I know at home!

Wedding plans are going quite well. Some people have had to decline, but lots of people have said they’re coming, which is excellent. And I’ve booked the fitting for my frock. I can’t wait!

I bought Mum a new mobile. She managed to use it without any help. Nokias are wonderful things, and I’m dead proud of her tackling technology so well.  Hurrah for Mum!

I still have a rash, but its getting better. Applying cream five times a day is a bit of an annoyance, but at least its working and I’m not a lizard anymore!

I went to the cinema yesterday and it was crap. But I liked it nevertheless. The film was A Perfect Getaway.  Bits of it was like the orange mobile phone film trailers. Really. It was so bad I laughed a lot. But don’t go see it as its not that bad/good.

This blog post has been presented in the style of a lot of twitter posts tagged together. Sorry.

Andrew and I have just bought a Wii. I think I’d rather a kitten, but you can’t get one of those on ebay. And you can leave a Wii for the weekend and it won’t die/wee on your sofa/scratch your skirtingboards.

I’ve bought quite a lot this week. And its only Wednesday. Oops.

Three pairs of shoes (for me! wooo, and I threw three rubbish falling apart pairs away).

A shiny black skirt (in the Laura Ashley sale. It was 75 quid. I paid 19)

A grey wool frock for the day after the wedding.

A denim skirt half price in the fat face sale. And a white t shirt.

Two suits. For the ushers.

Seven ties. I’m particularly pleased with these. They’re ace!

Next weekend is the field wedding. I’m really looking forward to this, althought I need to practice my singing and get a bottle of port. And the day after the wedding there’s canoing, which will be good as well (and probably quite wet!).

Hopefully the Wii will arrive soon. I’m looking forward to Wii fit. Come visit and play with us!

I’ve needed to speak to a few people today. Its been remarkably difficult.

Firstly Andrew and I need a license to marry. This involves going to the registry office with some bits of paper and cash and getting a permit. I think. But you have to book an appointment. I dialed them constantly for a very long time (I redialed 72 times, according to my mobile phone). Finally I got through.  Our appointment isn’t for a month though as that’s all that is available. Thankfully the wedding is in two months, so we’ll have the piece of paper in time.

I also tried to speak to the doctors. I haven’t registered yet with a GP since moving here. But speaking to the practice involved a lot of holding. Boo to them.

And the hotel I’ve told people to stay at for the wedding are being a nightmare too. So I went in to speak to them today. The trouble is they’ve not given me the vital piece of information which should have gone out with the invites. I told them that it would have been helpful if they’d told me this at the time of arranging, but they were useless.  Boo to them.

However, I have managed to knock quite a few things off the to do list, which makes me feel much happier. And the bathroom is sparkling like it never has before! (bet it doesn’t stay like that for long!).

Sorry if this is a boring blog post. I’m just not allowed to blog about the exciting things in my life. You’ll have to get me drunk…