Pimms and charity

I had a 'Girl's Night In' on the weekend, which involves holding a party and female friends coming along to donate what they would normally spend on a night out to women's cancers. We raised $685.00! What generous souls they are. Boy was wonderful and spent the entire weekend working away to make it a great night. We made Spanish tapas and had a bowl of Pimms Number 1 Cup, some rose' sangria and lots of other drinks to make it a great night. We are both completely exhausted now though and I fear that I am coming down with a cold - laryngitis again I bet! I can feel that familiar raspy tightness in my throat. Oh well... the old body is telling me to rest so I best go and do that (and drink lots of pineapple juice too).

Only three days of work this week as i am back to the docs on Thursday for another biopsy and dna test. Sadly I find myself looking forward to a few days of enforced rest.

Selection Criteria Blankness

Arrgghhh!!!! After feeling so confident about my abilities for this new job, I cant get through the selection criteria! They are quite tricky - perhaps if I spent less time here and more thinking about what I do in my job I would be getting further with them. Procrastination has always been a strong point for me.

It is really windy tonight, they have predicted cooler weather tomorrow and it is blowing a gale outside. I just want to curl up with a glass of wine and relax. Glad I am not studying anymore!

Job Changes

I have decided, with some certainty, to apply for this new job. I think it will be a good change and while it will be a pretty major shift for me, I am sure it will work out well. Over the years, I have come to believe that the Universe puts things out for us at the right time. Of course, it is only right if we recognise it to be so, but perhaps that is part of it! Anyway - I feel ready for a change. Even if I don't get the job, thinking about it has set me in another direction so whatever happens will be good.

I should start writing the application, it won't start itself. This is the hard part. I find it hard to stop sometimes, I just blather on and on and on........

I have been a bit slack with the old blog recently and started to think about the way that this had become a place to put down my thoughts when I was feeling low. I realise that I am in a particularly good frame of mind at the moment - despite this being the weekend when I am normally a bit hormonally 'unstable'. A few things have contributed to this. I have been quite active recently and since last week's ride into the botanic gardens have been itching to get cycling again this weekend. There is a certain type of vitality that I get from riding, perhaps associated with the increase in lung capacity and strength in my legs from a solid ride.

The weather is beautiful, I have embraced the heat of summer - even though it is still spring. There is a clear sky after a week of storms and a breeze that is making it very hard for me to stay indoors to finish this! Boy is off to cricket again today and will have a brilliant day - just perfect weather for being out on the field.

My recent work project that was giving me some profound levels of stress has entered a phase where things are going well. It is up and running and in two weeks time I will be done with the election process for another year - which means that I can get on with doing the other stuff I am paid for. The fact that I am doing two managers roles at the moment is bothering me less because I have reached a certain equanimity with it. I have decided that I can't take ownership for their decision to load me down with two jobs and can only get through what I can. I know I work really hard and if I don't get things done as quickly as I should - it is not through lack of effort. Also, I think it might all be over sooner than I thought as another job opportunity has come along. I haven't ever been in the position where I have been approached to apply for a job but was yesterday and for the first time in years feel like I could be quite interested in this new role. It would be working in a great office for some great people. The work would be interesting and challenging and I would be away from a lot of the politics which I have been surrounded by in my current job - although to some extent it would be jumping into a higher level of politics but I have got better at dealing with it over the last few years.

So there is all of that. Also, I have decided to have a party. Haven't had one in a long time but am doing this to raise money for women's cancers so feel better about the idea of it. I feel particularly uncomfortable having a party to celebrate something about myself but this way I i get my friends together for a good reason too.

So things are going pretty well. I feel great, am getting better at dealing with my stress at work and am probably more pleasant as a result. I have the appointment at the beginning of November so hopefully the doc will have decent news for me after that. Either way, I am going into it from a positive space and will have a holiday later that month to deal with it all - whichever way it turns out.

Time is flying so quickly at the moment - already it is October! Work continues to get crazier and crazier but today I have stopped caring because it is the weekend and too beautiful a day to waste it worrying about stuff that does not matter.

I went to see a comedian from Yorkshire last night with some friends. We got rather drunk and had a good night all round. The show was not stand up but rather a commentary on a man's life - a particular man who spent his time cataloguing compilation tapes that people had put together. It was a beautiful show and it left me thinking about a lot of things.

Today, boy is playing cricket so I decided it was time to get back on the bike! I finally got a new pump for the tyres which was sadly quite an exciting purchase. It means that I dont have to start every trip with a visit to a service station to fill up the tyres and it feels like I will have more freedom somehow. Anyway, I rode into the city to out botanic gardens. It was so beautiful along the river. It has been a hot day but there was a lovely breeze - salty air and fresh smells. I stopped in the gardens and had a mineral water and then just lay on the grass for about half an hour. I hadn't thought to bring a book so just watched the Queen Palms moving gently overhead in the breeze. I haven't felt this relaxed in ages. While I quickly realised how much I have lost in terms of fitness, it was a great way to work off the stress. There is nothing like the pain in the thighs and the full use of the lungs to make you feel alive.

It is still hot now. I have had a shower and it is close to that summer experience of feeling damp straight away. it is not humid but it looks like a storm is brewing so it will soon be a balmy night! I am making chilli con carne for dinner with tortillas and corn on the cob. I love this meal, as does boy. England are playing Australia in the rugby tonight and although I wouldnt normally watch football I think we probably will this evening. Chilli, a few Coronas and the football. Seems to fit together well!