roots

Have you ever had that thing where 3 or 4 completely unrelated people start talking to you about a given subject in the space of a few days. Not because it's in the news or anything and obviously it doesn't count if you bring it up. But when it occasionally happens, it always makes me feel like someone somewhere is trying to tell me something. 

Which is why all the separate conversations I've had this weekend about buying a flat instead of just wasting money renting, have really got me thinking. Owning a house is a big deal. There's not just all the legal and financial hoops to understand and jump through, or the sense that the property market is really a very big gamble. There's also that feeling that you're putting down roots somewhere. I do realise that once you've bought a place there is nothing to stop you renting it out or selling it. But somehow it's that feeling of being tied down that I think I'd struggle with the most. Not just the street or neighbourhood itself, but the town or country. It must be nice to feel like you'd belong somewhere but I can't help but feel that whilst putting down roots may have benefits, it comes with the price of no longer being footloose and fancy free.

old friends

It's funny how new friends become old friends. Often you aren't sure when you both crossed that line from asking lots about each other to not having to explain the backstory to every anecdote. I guess like any relationship there are some people that you click with and others that you should, but just don't. You know the kind of people you have lots in common with; similar backgrounds, similar interests but for some reason you simply can't chat to them as easily as another friends. Much like men really. I've met some guys who tick all the right boxes and still nada. Literally as much spark as a wet paper bag. 


But anyway back to friends. I have four of my really good girlfriends from uni over for a leisurely Sunday lunch today and it was just so nice to see them. Even though we've not all been together in the same place for a good 6 months, conversation flowed as easily as if I'd seen them yesterday. Although such mammoth catch ups inevitably lead to a situation where we go round the table to update everyone on our most recent news. It made me realise just how much has changed in my life in that time. New part of London, new flat, new housemates, new boyfriend, about to start a new job. Other than a few hiccups along the way, I'm feeling pretty happy with life right now. Fingers crossed 2010 can only get better.

unpleasant conversations

Do you ever have that thing where you think something in your head that you are dying to say out loud but can't? I'm talking about everything from 'why would you wear such a stupid outfit' to 'I'd quite like to smack you in the face now'. (Yes, I may have one or two unresolved anger issues). So anyway I'm normally pretty good at keeping said thoughts where they belong, i.e. in the murky depths of my psyche where they won't offend anyone which has the added bonus of helping me appear like a relatively nice person. 


But now and again something happens that infuriates me to the point where I want to scream out loud all the harsh, but in this case very true, things I'm thinking. Unfortunately today, the risk of career suicide was just enough to make me bite my tongue. But hey, you know what they say. Tomorrow's a fresh start...

curiosity killed the cat

People are stupid. Especially tourists with HUGE bags who stand on the wrong side of the escalators on the underground at rush hour, but that's slightly off today's topic. Anyway as I was saying. People are fools. And not just a small, academically challenged percentage of the population either, oh no. All people are stupid. You may well be thinking to yourself, why is she making such a sweeping statement? Well, luckily for you I am more than happy to elaborate.


Have you ever broken up with someone, or lost touch or fallen out with a friend? I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that most people can answer yes to at least one of those questions. Well in the olden days in said situations, people used to torture themselves by enquiring of mutual friends 'what are so-and-so up to these days?' However in today's technologically-multi-platformed society, we now have a gazillion ways to get the same information. You could take an old school approach and google them, or perhaps instead facebook stalk their every move.


Frustratingly even if you're (deliberately) not friends with someone it's still often possible to see their pictures and gain an insight into their lives. Intrusive maybe. Irritating yes. Because even though you know you shouldn't look and that no good will come from it, it appears to be human nature to just have a quick peep anyway. Turns out there's a curtain twitching stalker in all of us, whether you're addicted to trashy celebrity magazines or find yourself spending hours on social networking sites. Curiosity may have killed the cat but even though we know that, we all look anyway. Told you people are stupid.

winter blues

I'm not sure if it's the weather, but I'm having one of those weeks where I just can't seem to get enough sleep. Even when I hit the hay early I still wake up feeling like I've been tossing and turning half the night. Maybe it's the strain of going back to work and remembering just how overrated sitting at a desk is for 8 hours a day? It certainly isn't helped by the fact that it's far too cold and slippy to do any form of outdoor activity bar bundling up in my brand new bobble hat and heading for a bus. Sure the snow looked pretty when it first fell and all, but now it's frozen to a grey, treacherous mush, I think I'm kind of over it already. And I can barely remember a time that I went to bed without a hot water bottle and a pair of wooly socks. Not quite on trend, but oh so cozy. So enough is enough. Bring on the summer I say!

strike while the iron's hot

It's funny how inspiration often strikes you when you're doing something completely unrelated. I remember when I was at school I'd have some of my best ideas for my A level Art projects in my particularly dull Science lessons. The same kind of thing still happens now in long, boring meetings at work. As as my mind accidentally wanders, I find it'll lead me to all sort of interesting ideas. Which is all very well and good but it turns out doodling round the edge of your page doesn't look very professional! Similarly it's incredibly frustrating to suddenly be buzzing with inspiration and not be able to do a damn thing about it but clock watch.


Therein lies the probelm with a 9-5 though. When I do feel inspired I can't do anything about it becasue I'm being paid to do something else. But by the time I've got home, I feel too tired and numb from sitting at a computer screen all day to actually do anything about my aforementioned moments of genius. Which is why one of my new years resoultions is to actually do things instead of talking about them. Especially because it's not the thinking about being creative, or the talking about it, or even the making time for it that is my biggest stumbling block. Instead it's that by the time I've done all of those things and have actually sat down, inspiration suddenly seems a lot harder to pin down...

definitions

First things first, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hope everyone had a good evening and shares my feeling that 2010 is going to be a good one... I spent Thursday night at a house party with the girls from my netball team, friends from university and the Welsh guy I'm seeing. It prompted a couple of my friends to ask me if we're officially boyfriend and girlfriend yet. To which the answer was a resounding no. This is for two very good reasons, a) After the heartache of going through a break up I'm simply not sure I want a boyfriend if having one means you run the risk of incurring that much pain again and b) Welsh guy and I haven't really talked about our 'status' at all. Sure, we've had a general conversation where we agreed not to see other people, but it was in a very vague kind of lets-keep-hanging-out-and-not-date-anyone-else type of way. Slowly but surely a few people at work have started to twig that we're together although thankfully no one's asked me to define it. If they did I'd just say we're seeing each other but as my friends pointed out, how is seeing each other different from officially going out? I can see their point but as far as I'm concerned the difference is the absence of the word 'official'. Being boyfriend/girlfriend means you've talked about it and want to be with the other person in such a way that's more meaningful than just spending time together and seeing how it goes. Boyfriends and girlfriends are a part of your life, not just some interchangeable person you're dating. Which does leave me with a slight problem. I'm starting to quite like this guy and am worried I'm soon going to hit a point where I don't just want to be some interchangeable person he's dating. But equally I know I can't handle that type of conversation anytime soon...