And they say elephants never forget!

It has been ever so long since my last blog post but i've been busy, yahhh?
No, seriously, life has been a bit hectic these past Three months. I have now finished my Second year of teaching at Uni and have only 2 exams and 1 project left and i'm finished for the summer, how mental is that!?
I am currently on full-time placement at De Montfort Hall and i genuinely love being here; such a great office working environment and i am really motivated to make my project a success. (I am writing an education pack on the venue suitable for kids aged 11-18)

In other areas of my life i am going into a deep stage on denial about the lack of preparation that has been done for the wedding in less than 5 months time! seriously...not even all the invites have been sent out yet! Enough about that... *reaches for a paper bag*.

We are looking for a job for Jamie. He went to a job interview at HSBC which he felt went well but was turned down for the post. It was unlikely he was going to get the first job he (I) applied for but it would have made everything nice and easy!

I am going to be spending my summer working (voluntary, AGAIN!) as a learning support assistant at my old secondary school. It gives me the opportunity to put together a case study and some questionaires that will help massively with my dissertation. Still, i need money... i havn't earnt anything since 2009... and it is NOT for lack of trying *sigh*!

I am expecting my mum to come and stay this weekend, it will be interesting how she copes with the shite conditions i currently live in- ie: no shower, no cooker, no heating, drafty windows, occassional electricity....!
We are going to see Spamalot at De Montfort Hall. I might write a review.

In other news, i am going to be an auntie to a (hopefully) gorgeous baby who has already been nicknamed 'trigglet'. I can't wait.... is it wrong this is more exciting that my own wedding. Hmm? Ha!

Anyway, my driving instructor keeps calling me so i should get back to him... he's trying to book me another test (I've failed two now) and i have no motivation to repeat the experience!

'Till next time x

Valentines

Okay... I'm a sucker for it.
Admittedly for the past 5 valentines I have been with one man or another so maybe I've forgotten what it's like to been alone on this day. I really don't buy into this whole commersialisation thing. It is what you make it; no-one is forcing you to spend tons of money on crap. Its suppossed to be about doing something for your other half, so just cook them dinner and be nice to them for the day, jeez...!
Everyones been talking about it at Uni.
The single people are doing the 'so commersialised' thing- no, your just single on valentines day, shut up.
The coupled up people are all arguing and falling out with their other halves... putting too much pressure on the day, it doesn't end well.

Me, well, smug as a bug in a rug, i may be, but.... I'M BEING WHISKED OF FOR A WEEKEND AWAY AT THE SEASIDE BY MY WONDERFUL SOON-TO-BE-HUSBAND!!!

I'm a brat, get used to it :)

I hate the gym

I hate the gym and i think i'm dying...

I got to the one hour mark and was like, 'I'm not that tired yet, why not do another hour?' .
                       ...I hate myself for this.

Serves me right for skiving for two months really :(

Amsterdam

A mouse lived in a windmill in old Amsterdam
A windmill with a mouse in and he wasn't grousin'
He sang every morning, "How lucky I am,
Living in a windmill in old Amsterdam!"

I saw a mouse!
Where?
There on the stair!
Where on the stair?
Right there!
A little mouse with clogs on
Well I declare!
Going clip-clippety-clop on the stair
Oh yeah

So i've been away in Amsterdam with my University course mates and lecturer (who spent the week stoned, but thats another story). We spent a week staying in a 'StayOkay' Hostel (which by the way i'd highly recommend) and organised lots of meetings with various important people in the arts world in Amsterdam. 

I particularly enjoyed the 'Boekmanstichting' Arts Library where i was able to find some really interesting books about independent arts projects grown across the Netherlands and Scandinavia and also some good books for my dissertation centred on Arts Education.

We also visited people at the arts council, arts department at IN-Holland University, the new *huge* library on the warf, took the ferry to north holland arts warf etcetc...

I really like Amsterdam, this particularly surprised me. I had the whole 'red-light district' and 'stag-party' shithole city idea. I didn't even realise there was an arts scene... is that my naiveity again? Anyway i am so taken with the place that can really see myself living there.

"Iam amsterdam".... I love Amsterdam!

Happiness

A friend from school recently got back in touch with me; We were never close but were involved in a lot of similar stuff. She sent me a message on facebook:

"Hey Iz, bit of a weird subject but I noticed we're interested in the same sort of things...getting married and having babies young etc, just thought I'd share with you a family on YouTube that I subscribe to. Lora, the girl, began by posting video blogs of her first pregnancy and now they update every week with all types of videos... This is the link to their YouTube page if you want to check it out! Just thought you might enjoy watching them too! :) Hope all is going well with your wedding plans and everything, I am incredibly jealous! xxx"


This family is so cute. They got engaged at 16, married at 18, Pregnant at 19 and second child at 22. They blog fanatically to prove to the world that this prejudice against young marriages is unfounded.


I fully support them and their mission to show the world that age is just a number. It is so horrible when your on the top of the world and (i know its yucky) so in love and ready to marry, and you just face this wall of criticism and skeptics. Here's to Lora & Layton x

News

So
  overwhelmed
                 and happy
and scared
       and jealous
...

but it's difficult to know what order these emotions go in and that hurts.

Glückliche Gedanken!

Bloody glad i couldn't get a job this term... struggling to see exactly when i would have fitted it in!

I had no idea the work load was quite this heavy. Oh well, an improved attitude to all things 'uni' certainly helps this year. It has pleasantly surprised me just how much you get back from being nice to people, i never really bothered to make the effort before (which of course makes me sound foul) , but i may stick to it because i am smugly enjoying the results!

Todays news:

My ever (hilariously/frustratingly)- clumsy housemate informed me this morning that she spent the night in A&E after fracturing her arm on a table whilst slipping over in the restaurant she works in. I have to say, i wasn't surprised, i've been anticipating a serious accident ever since i got to know her and was amazed she had never seriously injured herself before! Not, of course, that i wish these things on her, she is just particularly accident prone.

Snow is falling everywhere. So pretty! So damn cold...
I checked with Jamie this morning that his car was parked, facing the correct way at the nearest available space to the exit of his street. I don't appreciate the snow messing with my infrequent visits from the H2B.

Spent a lovely hour or so talking to the German exchange students on our course this year. They are ever so clever and speak fluent English. They are aged 22 and 27 and one couldn't help noticing quite how pretty they are.... *sigh*
_

I have a new slab of cheddar, a carving knife and a couple of apples on my bed ready to be eaten. Must do so now and remember to remove the knife before sleeping of course.

Gute Nacht x