Sarah

The strange thing I realised today and I don’t think I like it very much is that we have underfloor heating which makes the soles of my feet (through shoes) really hot. It also means that anything left in a bag on the floor gets really hot and I had to eat a hot tangerine today. It is a whole new set of rules I have to learn. Some people embrace it and take their shoes off. No….I really don’t think I like it. I hate having hot feet and I always have.

It’s quite amazing how when starting a new job your brain actually reaches a point when you can’t take in anymore information. I felt it twice today and I was picturing my head with words floating outside not being allowed in due to the word congestion inside.

The things I remember are that I get to work with maps and I get to learn about GIS. I get free tea, coffee and milk (all fairtrade/organic)…..um I’m sure I remember more than that but my brain seems to be having a problem letting the words out now they are in.

My desk faces the tea room of the plush hotel next door and I am looking forward to it getting really christmassy and looking in at the people having afternoon tea. The Cathedral bells seem to ring all the time. I need to work on my cycling to work outfits. Today my body was too hot and my hands were too cold.

What an action packed time. I left work on Friday and said goodbye to my lovely workmates, now ex workmates. I said goodbye to my computer and to my camera…both emotional moments.

Then I spent a weekend of unemployment in Cirencester where famous people apparently go to be famous. This was proved to me and my mum when she met me at Kemble station. She was waiting there to greet me and as she came forward to hug me a tall lady turned round and bumped into her. She apologised and then we realised it was actually more than a famous person, it was Royalty in the form of Princess Anne. She was very tall.

I made a wood stack which has always been an ambition of mine. This means I stacked logs up a wall and it looks lovely.

I saw another famous person then - Melinda Messinger who was switching on the christmas lights in Cirencester.

Then I came back to Bristol where the green people live. I am proving this tomorrow by starting my new job with Sustrans (which stands for sustainable transport).

To top off my exciting weekend I just steamed three mini christmas puddings and let the pan go dry and it set on fire but it’s ok I was calm and dipped a tea towel in water and put it over the pan to starve the flames. They went out but then I lifted the tea towel off to have a look and it burst into flames again. I saved the puddings though they do now have an aroma of burnt sick.

On my penultimate day my office said goodbye in its own way. I just found a dead mouse under my desk. I thought it was a cuddly toy.

The key thing I took away from the gathering to celebrate Rachel’s impending childbirth is that having a baby can turn you into a dairyfarm. We were all very disturbed by this invention:

I couldn’t even bring myself to post the picture of the woman wearing it while on the phone in front of her laptop but if you really want to see it here is it.

Scientists have created a 2.5 gigapixel digital panoramic photo in the Netherlands. I would post it here but I don’t think I’d do it justice.

Here is the photo. With the controls at the bottom see if you can find the fire extinguisher in the office corridor and the people on bikes going over a bridge.

hmmm actually I have just spotted something interesting. If you zoom in to the left of the stadium, to the left of the white, round thing and then to the zebra crossing to see the blonde boy. What has happened to his feet?

Firstly ‘offline’ in predictive text is ‘meekgod’

Secondly I just said goodbye to TomSmith. He is moving to Leeds. I said it would be ok because we will keep in touch in blogland but he said it would be bad because I wouldn’t be able to blog about the amusing times I have with him. I said I will make stuff up.

I have a bad cold so I feel like I need to be horrible about a few things.

1 I can’t believe how much time I spend thinking about how much I hate Rene Zellweger. Particularly her face and her lips and her “surprised” face on all the billboards at the moment. Her stupid stupid pouty face.

2. Posters have just appeared at my current work for the Christmas university production “Rock Nativity”…….I don’t think I can even bring myself to talk about how much I wouldnt’ go anywhere near it.

I can’t begin to describe how amazing bonfire night in Lewes is. You could start by reading this article.

We arrived about 4pm on the kind of day bonfire night should be on. So clear but with the hint of bonfire helping to create amazing sunsets.

We drank a pint as the pubs were calling last orders at 4.30pm. The whole town was boarding up its windows. Even Argos shut early.

As we walked round a corner six men in black and white jerseys came walking towards us with flaming tar barrels.

They waited there for a while talking about feeling nervous and that when they finished the race they would probably be sick.

We heard loud speakers telling the crowd to keep back. The hundreds of spectators went quiet and then giant burning crosses appeared over the small bridge under the ‘No Popery’ banners.

The procession went by and the men with the burning barrels made their way to the top of the bridge. We followed them and then heard the man in animal skins and antlers telling everyone to put their fingers in their ears. The loudest bang you have ever heard followed by a burning barrel race, three a breast to the end of the street. It laughed in the face of health and safety regulation and it was fantastic.

The processions got steadily more exciting with burning crosses and barrels being thrown off the bridge, lots of firework throwing and moving war memorials. The walk back to the train meant avoiding the piles of burning rubble in the street.

Tom was a bit cross (eek sorry):

…to Kate who is in the depths of New Zealand. As she can’t recieve any post we have to send her lots of birthday wishes over the internet. Kate if you were here I would make you a nice cake, like the one I made you last year but I would make the icing look less yellow and therefore less like sick.

Happy Birthday!

Tom thinks I have a problem, actually Tom Smith thinks I have a problem too. Last night I fell asleep really quickly while Tom was still up looking at his computer. Apparently I would suddenly wake up and say something and then before he had finished his reply I would be asleep again. Then apparently he sneezed twice and I woke up long enough to say “blessyoublessyou’ and immediately went back to sleep. I also fell asleep on Tom Smith’s sofa the other night quite quickly and while watching a programme about sleep. I think Tom’s claims of narcolepsy are a bit strong as I am actually only falling asleep at a reasonable time, in a lying down situation. I just can’t help it, when I have to sleep I HAVE to sleep. It’s in my genes, blame my dad.

I set my alarm for 2am and 5am last night to hear election updates but I think I stayed awake for about 8 seconds. I knew what the result was going to be though. It’s a very depressing day and I think it was very shortsighted of us to plan an election party tonight. I wonder if we can change the theme at the last minute?