Nan

My nan died early this morning, after a short spell in hospital. She was taken in on Saturday evening, and Mum and I went to Ashford on Sunday to see her. At first heart failure was suspected, by Sunday they didn’t know what it was, but said her heart wasn’t the problem, and it could be a chest and stomach infection.

A CT scan Sunday afternoon, with the results on Monday afternoon showed the problem was gallstones, andthey were trying to build her strength up a little, then do the camera down the throat tomorrow, to assess the severity. She was too frail to have surgery, which is why they didn’t operate straightaway.

Yesterday morning my aunt and uncle got called to the hospital, she had passed out because her blood pressure dropped to 60/30m but she rallied again, and my three of my cousins went yesterday afternoon.

I left for work at 5:30am this morning and got called home at 9am when Mum rang work to let me know that my uncle and aunt had rung around 8:30. Nan’s heart just gave out around 3:30am this morning, and she slipped away peacefully.

Nan was 92, and although logically I know it’s a good age, and she’s not suffering any more, it’s not helping. I want my Nan back, and I want my Mum to have *her* Mum back.

Just Because …

Just because I really like these and I’m into macro at the moment! Taken walking home in the rain today.

90/365 MORE Questions, stolen from Jill, because I have nothing original to say.

Who are you?
I have no idea, if you figure it out could you let me know?

What are the three most important things to you?
Friends and family, photography and my pets.

When you aren’t filling out surveys like this, what are you doing?
Twitter, email, Facebook, work, occasionally I take photos or go to a concert.

Does time really heal all wounds?
No, it just dulls the edges.

How do you handle a rainy day?
Umbrella at the ready, that’s all it needs! Nothing wrong with a bit of rain!

Which is worse: losing your luggage or sorting out Christmas tree lights?
Definitely losing your luggage!

What is the most emotionally painful that that has happened to you?
Realising that I need to just let it go, because it’s never going to the same again.

If you could learn how to do 3 things just by wishing what would they be?
Speak fluent Spanish, cook like Jamie Oliver, and ice skate.

If you could say any sentence to the President of the USA what would it be?
Pleased to meet you, Mr. President.

What Disney villain are you most like and why?
I’ve … um … never seen a Disney film. Not one of the classice, anyway. I’ve seen Dumbo, but that might be all!

What (or who) would you really like to hold right now?
A million pounds in cold hard cash.

And what would you like to let go of?
Baggage.

Do you have any stickers or anything on your laptop?
No, I keep my laptop and netbook completely – obsessively, even – clean.

Do you know anyone with a name that forms a word? (ex: Shanda Leer)
No.

Would you rather visit the eiffel tower or the leaning tower of pisa?
I’d rather visit Venice, or the Louvre, but I’ll take the Eiffel Tower over the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Have you worn a dress in the past week?
Yes. It’s black with a purple paiseley print, very thin and summery, and I wear it with cropped black leggings and ballet flats.

Do you like to make others happy?
When I can.

Are piercings attractive on guys? If so how many?
Just ears, one, thanks.

If you could mean any dead famous person, who would it be?
As in ‘dead famous’? Jon Bon Jovi. As in famous, but dead? Freddie Mercury.

You’re in an elevator alone for a week: what do you bring?
Food, drinks, ipod, ipad, iphone, and a chemical toilet, or it would get pretty gross. Oh, and bottled water and basic toiletries.

What’s the most eccentric thing you’ve ever worn?
I don’t ever wear anything even vaguely eccentric.

Would you ever creep into subway tunnels to go exploring?
No!

Would you rather be the president or a rock star?
Definitely a rock star!!

What’s the happiest way you can start off your day?
A reasonable lie-in, good mucis to wake me up.

How can a person bring about change?
By just doing it, and leading by example.

Are you afraid of change?
I don’t like the process of change, but once it’s over I usually like the results.

Were you scared by the Blair Witch Project?
I’ve never seen it, not my style.

Fan of any comic books?
No.

What’s the best cheesy 80′s song?
The Birdy Song – The Tweets. or Star Trekking – The Firm. Or Agadoo – Black Lace. Or Shaddup Your Face – Joe Dolce. Or my absolute favourite – The Chicken Song, by Spitting Image! And yes, I own them all!

Are you magically delicious?
Probably not!

Whats your fav thing from the 90s?
Chesney Hawkes!! (I’m keepin Jill’s answer!)

89/365 Even MORE Questions, STILL stolen from Jill!

So, how has your day been so far?
Got up, had a bath, dreid my hair, dressed, waited for uncle and aunt to arrive with Nan, said hello to them all, came back in bedroom, started blogging, said goodbye to uncle and aunt. Not too bad so far!

What’s something you like to do while you’re drunk?
I have never been drunk.

Do you spend a lot of time with your family?
With my mum, since we live in the same flat.

What is the best news you’ve received today?
I haven’t *had* any news yet today. I’ve woken, had a bath, and that’s it so far.

Do people think you’re weird?
Yep. But it’s OK, I am weird.

Whatever it is that you receive the most compliments about, do you agree?
No. My camera does *not* take fabulous photos. I do.

Where do you always feel safe at?
Depends how paranoid I am at that precise moment. But generally? Nowhere. Even at home I’ll freak out if I hear a strange noise and I’m home alone.

How many times have you seen a shooting star?
Zero times.

The last book you read?
I’m reading ‘Real Food’ by Nigel Slater at the moment.

Would you ever like to own your own gym?
Hell no!

Which is worse: Runny nose or stuffy nose?
Stuffy.

What was the last thing that you sniffed?
Honey and mustard salad dressing that had been put in the cupboard and not back in the fridge after use. I chucked it.

Do you like to eat ice cream in the winter?
I like to eat ice cream at any time.

Do you like to nibble on things?
I do. Macadamia nuts are a current favourite.

When was the last time that you wore sunglasses?
I was probably 4 or 5, I don’t wear sunglasses.

When was the last time that you blew your nose?
Today.

Do you like fruit loops?
I’ve never tried them, but I wouldn’t imagine so.

Do you wear band-aids when you’re injured?
Yes. Then they don’t stick, so I get annoyed and take them off. Or they do stick, so I leave them on, and remember when I take them off that I’m allergic to the glue on them, and then I have hundreds of tiny itchy blisters over the original would wherever the plaster touched it.

How often do you wash your hair?
Every other day, or any day I’m going somewhere more special than work or shopping.

What was the last song you sang out loud or in your head?
I was singing along to ‘My Love’ by Westlife in my head before I got out of bed.

What do your ears look like?
Like ears, with one piercing in each.

Have you ever been to Ethiopia?
No.

Do you know how to read maps well?
I can find my way.

Do you like waffles or pancakes?
Both. Either. Yes.

Which time era do you think you belong in?
I’d LOVE to ahve been around in the 1950′s! Great clothes, fab music!

88/365 More Questions, also stolen from Jill

If you could bring one character to life from your favourite book, who would it be?
I don’t have a favourite book, I’ve read far too many to have a favourite.

What dead person would you least want to be haunted by?
I don’t want to be haunted by any dead person really, but I’m going with Hitler, Bin Laden, any of those ….

If you had to be trapped in a book for a month, which book would you choose? (you can also pick what character you would want to be as well)
Heidi. I could have a month’s worth of fun in the Swiss Alps, with goats, and cowbells, and alpine flowers.

What was the last movie that you watched at the theatre?
Mamma Mia.

What was the last movie that you watched at home?
I watched the end of Bride Wars the other day, but haven’t watched a whole movie in so long I can’t even remember what it was.

What was the last audiobook that you listened to?
I’ve never listened to an audiobook.

What is the last song that you heard?
‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’ by Starship is currently playing on the radio.

Who in your life has most recently had a baby?
A colleague, Kelly, had her little boy Olly a few weeks ago.

Who among your real-life acquaintances might you never have been friends with if you hadn’t gotten to know each other online first?
Jill. Alison. Haley. Lins. All fab friends I’ve met online and then met in real life.

Of people you know online only, who would you most like to meet in real life?
At the moment, Enid and Hannah. And Stephanie.

In the past 365 days, what’s the longest you’ve gone without connecting in any way to the Internet, including email?
Probably less than 6 hours. If I’m at work I check my email and Twitter on my breaks, and if I’m sleeping I wake fairly frequently and check them each time I wake.

What’s your favorite song with the word “rain” in the title?
Either Raining in my Heart by Buddy Holly or Bobby Vee, Or It’s Not Gonna Rain, written by Michael Bruce and sung by Jessie Buckley, or Don’t Rain On My Parade, sung by John Barrowman.

What was the last thing you dropped on the kitchen floor?
Garlic skin, I think.

87/365 Questions (Stolen From Jill)

What worries you most today?
Money. Specifically that I’m crap with it.

Could I tell if you were lying to me?
Yep, I can’t lie to save my life.

What do you miss most about the 80s?
My grandad in Hastings, my Uncle Colin, The A-Team, Robin of Sherwood, 44 Save-all in the school playground, and spending weekends with my nan and grandad. .

What’s going on that you can’t understand?
Oh, you know … life, the universe and everything.

How would I know if you liked me?
I would probably be nice to you.

If you ever won an award, what would you want it to be for?
Photography.

Have you or a significant other ever used sex as a weapon?
No.

If you were a god/goddess who would you be?

I have no idea! .

What crime from history fascinates you the most?
None in particular, I’m quite boring like that.

Give us one random, but candid fact about you.
I’m currently wearing one pink trainer sock and one green one.

What is the most exciting adventure you’ve ever been part of?
Possibly my first ever trip abroad, which was only 3 days in Ireland, but was just amazing for me at the time!

Has anyone ever held the key to your heart, but did not know it?
Of course.

Have you ever gone to work/school drunk or stoned? If yes, do tell.
I’ve never even *been* drunk, far less gone anywhere like it!

What annoys you most?
People.
People are *really* annoying.

Tell us of one thing you used to do that you are not proud of.
Bite my nails.

Do you listen to music at work, and if so, do you use a mp3 player, play it through your office computer, or do you listen to it collectively via a separate radio you keep nearby?
The night crew radio is on in the mornings until about 7:30am, and the radio in the dining room is often on, but not when I’m actually working during the main part of the day, no.

Tell us something about people that you absolutely hate.
People are stupid. I hate that.

What was the best thing about being 19?
I worked in a job where all I had to do when I wanted time off was write it in the diary, no questions asked. Of course, I had no life then, being able to do that *now* would be fab!

If you could train a machine to do one thing for you whenever you wanted, what would you have it do?
Earn lots of money!

Have you ever gotten kicked out somewhere? If yes, do tell.
Only college … that’s probably just shocked a few friends, I suspect!

What is the last thing you ordered on-line?
My train ticket for my trip to London last Sunday.

Have you ever felt that you were “made” for someone or some purpose?
No, it’s still a mystery.

What do you do when you have a problem that you can’t do anything about it?
I generally sulk about it quite a lot.

If marijuana were to be legalized, do you think it should be taxed?

If it were legalized I would seriously think about saving to emigrate. But yes, absolutely, it should be taxed at an incredibly high rate.

If you were forced to receive a portrait tattoo of someone, who would it be?
Forced? Um … Jon Bon Jovi, possibly.

Anything fabulous happen to you last night?

I went to the work AGM, it was fun, but fabulous would be pushing it!

For a prize of $1,000,000,000 you are challenged to make yourself a costume for a party. The ONLY rules are that you aren’t allowed to use clothing and it has to be green. Using anything other than clothing, describe your costume to us using ANYTHING else in the house.
I’m not very imaginative, I actually have no idea what I would do!

Do you take a lot of medication?
Do I? No. Should I? Yes. Blood pressure tablets, Metformin, and injectible Victoza, for starters.

Who was the last band you saw live?
I saw Adam Pascal, Escala, and Kerry Ellis and Brian May at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday.

If someone asked a friend of yours, “Hey, what is one thing your friend is exceptional at?”, what would they say about you? Why?
Some of my friends would say photography, I suspect. Others would say being annoyingly pedantic.

If you could write three newspaper headlines, which would come true, what would they be?
Kirstie wins Pulitzer Prize for photography.

Lewes shop assistant is £85m EuroMillions winner.

New law means life imprisonment for animal abusers.

If you were to find out now that you would become very well-known after you die, what do you think it might be for?
I doubt it would be anything that would change the world, but being famous for my photography would be nice, even posthumously!

What is one person/thing that inspired you to take action of some sort?
Several years ago two of my friends gradually pushed me into getting a life.

Though you might not believe in it, would you like fate to exist?
I do believe in fate, and it does exist, And yes, I like it that way!

Tell us about a time that you had way too much Jose Cuervo.
I’ve never tried tequila.

What are 5 things you don’t care about?
Dating. Being in a relationship. Following stupid rules. Keeping up with the Jones’s. Other people’s opinions about my taste in music.

What personality do you like to listen to on the radio?
I used to love listening to Terry Wogan and Ken Bruce, on radio 2. Then I loved Chris Copsey on my local station, but sadly he died in January. Now I enjoy Simon Beale, on the Heart Late Show.

You are alone with your lover’s diary. What do you do?
Do be sensible, I’d read it, of course.

Have you ever applied for a job that was an internet hoax, asking for credit history and your social security number?
No. Never. I’m not that dumb.

Would you consider yourself a good cook?
Yes, but I could be better.

If you could paint your car any color with no loss in value, what color would it be?
Lime Green.

If you could have a free subscription to any online service, which would you like to have?
I’ve just renewed my Flickr account, having that be free would be nice!

Who do you wish could find their inner spirit to become more comfortable in their life?
All of us!

What’s the best thing to inherit other than money?
A healthy level of self-confidence.

Is your life turning out the way you thought it would when you were a kid?
No. Because I’m not interested in being married with a husband and kids, though I still want the animals!

If you could make one thing in the world absolutely free for everyone, what would it be?
Chocolate.

What does your personal neon sign say to the world?
Keep your distance.

If you were to have the opportunity to name a new town or city, what would you call it? Why?
Fabulous. Because there should be a town called ‘Fabulous’ somewhere!

If you were mixing up a witches brew, what would be in it?
Chocolate, Baileys, ice cream, Kahlua, and anything else yummy that was close at hand!

If you’re in a room with two beds, which one do you sleep on?
If one’s bigger than the other, the bigger one. If they’re the same size, the one furthest from the door.

86/365 Catching Up On The 30 Day Song Challenge

Day 23 – A Song That You Want To Play At Your Wedding

I’m not ever getting married, so that ends that one!

Day 24 – A Song That You Want Played At Your Funeral

I *want* Meat Loaf’s ‘Bat Out Of Hell’, but somehow I doubt it would be very well received, so ‘Amazing Grace’ and ‘Danny Boy’, both by Robson and Jerome, would be good. Or ‘I Hope You Dance’, by Daniel Boys.

25 – A Song That Makes You Laugh

Day 26 – A Song That You Can Play On An Instrument

I can play lots of songs on the keyboard, but probably the one I’m best at is ‘Danny Boy’, which I probably drove my Mum nuts with a few years ago!

Day 27 – A Song That You Wish You Could Play

I would kill to be able to play this on the guitar. The fact that I can’t play *anything* on the guitar, is a major hurdle!

Day 28 – A Song That Makes You Feel Guilty

There isn’t one, as far as I can recall!

Day 29 – A Song From Your Childhood
When I was young, I’d always try and get Mum to let me choose what records we played, and this is one of the songs from the LP I used to choose Every. Single. Time. I have the album, “The Very Best Of Bobby Vee” on CD now, and I still love it!

Day 30 – Your Favourite Song At This Time Last Year

My favourite song hasn’t changed in nearly 20 years, so I doubt it was anything other than Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’!

85/365 30 Day Song Challenge – Days 12 to 22

Massive post today, I’m in an endeavour to catch up somewhat!

Day 12 – A Song From A Band You Hate

I wouldn’t say I hate them, but I’ve never been a fan of Oasis However, I absolutely love Wonderwall!

 

Day 13 – A Song That Is A Guilty Pleasure

I don’t feel guilty about any of the music I like, but I often get the feeling that I *should* feel guilty about liking this one! It’s a childhood classic in my opinion!

Day 14 – A Song That No-one Would Expect You To Love

Everyone is always surprised when they find out that I *love* this song! It’s very dark, and quite disturbing, really, but it’s brilliantly done.

 

Day 15 – A Song That Describes You

Has to be this.

 

Day 16 – A Song That You Used To Love But Now Hate

 

Day 17 – A Song That You Hear Often On The Radio

It’s a good thing I like it …!

 

Day 18 – A Song That You Wish You Heard On The Radio

I do adore Daniel Boys, it’s true, but this version of ‘To Make You Feel My Love’ is a million times better than the overplayed, overrated Adele version, and I wish it could get some airplay!
day 19 – a song from your favorite album
Day 20 – A Song That You Listen To When You’re Angry

Among others, this is one of several.

Day 21 – A Song That You Listen To When You’re Happy

Again, one of many, but I just love it! It always cheers me up when I’m down or makes a good day even better!

 

Day 22 – A Song That You Listen To When You’re Sad

I’ll listen to almost anything when I’m sad, I usually figure either that happier songs will cheer me up, or if I’m really blue, I don’t care if the songs are sad, because I’m miserable anyway! So you’re not getting a specific on this one!

Quick Update

I’ve failed miserably at the ‘Post A Day’ challenge since I went to Aberdeen. I think I shall try to get back on track over the next week or so, and then try for a *total* of 365 posts this year, which will average out to one every day – that’s kind of the same thing, right? Definitely more achievable than one every single day!

Next Monday should be the day when I find out where I shall be moving to at work, when our branch structure changes on June 26th. It’ll almost certainly be Operations or Customer Services, and I want Operations, but I’m not getting my hopes up, just in case.

I booked tickets today for Bryan Adams in Brighton in December, and Clare and I booked for The Script in Brighton on July 17th as well. We’re doing standing for both of them – I’m way too old for that, but it’ll be fun!

On Saturday Clare and I went to the O2 Arena in London to see The Script. We’d seen them support Take That at Wembley Stadium in 2009, but this was the first time we’d seen them headline, and was also their biggest ever crowd, at 18,000. The atmosphere was truly electric, and they were *amazing*. Danny got emotional when the whole crowd sang the lyrics to “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” back to him, which made me cry too!

On Sunday I and a friend, Carol, went to Wembley Arena to see Westlife. It was my only date this tour, and I was gutted to have to leave before the encore, thanks to Sunday trains home being way earlier than other nights, and having work at 7am in the morning. Fantastic concert as always, but I still feel guilty at leaving early – I think it’s so rude!

Last Friday Mum and I learned from the local paper that a close friend had died. We’d known Mary since I was at playgroup, then school, with her daughter, and Mum and she had worked together when I was a toddler, then later Mum and I worked with her, about 15 years ago. Since then we had kind of lost touch, though we usually used to see her dashing around the town, always with a cheery greeting and a big smile, and time for a quick chat, but at the same time, it wasn’t unusual for us to go months, or even a bit longer, without seeing her. It was a huge shock to find out so suddenly than she’d died in hospice care, since we hadn’t even known she was ill, but I’ve since found out that she’d been diagnosed with stomach cancer last year, which rapidly became terminal.

Mum’s not going to the funeral service on Friday, but she’s going to the gathering afterwards, along with a few friends who we used to work with at the taxi firm where Mary was office manager and I did evenings. I’d kind of like to go, but I’m working, and couldn’t change my shift now, and I’ll only end up a complete mess. The last funeral I went to was for a family friend, and Mum’s former boss, and I ended up losing it completely outside the church and having to be calmed down by his son, not really the objective!

I hadn’t cried for Mary until today, when I was writing a card for her son, daughter, and their families, and mentioned a few memories of her, then I was sat in the dining room at work crying! Thankfully, no-one noticed … I still can’t believe she’s gone, and that we never even knew she was ill. It makes me want to keep in closer contact with my friends, even if they, or I, leave work.

I bought a new camera last Friday, the same as my previous preferred concert camera, but a couple of models up the line. Sadly, I had rubbish seats at both concerts so I couldn’t test it out properly, as even with the great zoom, I was too far away for any detail in the photos! Need another front row gig, please!

That’s it for me for now!

 

 

 

 

81, 82 and 83/365. 30 Day Song Challenge Days 9-11

Day 9 – A Song That You Can Dance To

I don’t dance. Ever. But a song that’s *guaranteed* to have me on my feet at a concert is Bon Jovi’s ‘It’s My Life’. It’s just an amazingly fun song, and I LOVE it! I love that they’ve played it at every concert I’ve seen so far, and hopefully, they’ll always include it in the set list, because it’s pure fun!I was at the show the video below was recorded at, and this was pretty much my view!

 

Day 10 – A Song That Makes You Fall Asleep

I set my iPhone to play for an hour and a half when I fall asleep, and listen to anything and everything – rock, pop, easy listening … whatever I feel like. But one of the songs I listen to most often when I’m falling asleep is the duet of ‘I Know Him So Well’ by two of my favourite men, John Barrowman and Daniel Boys. It’s a beautiful version of the original, from the musical ‘Chess’ and I adore it. It highlights their voices perfectly, and I love the fact that as two gay men singing about a third person, the words are left as ‘I know HIM’ so well, and not changed to ‘her’, which many artists would have done.

I was here, too!

 

Day 11 – A Song From Your Favourite Band

Everyone knows my favourite band of all time are Bon Jovi, but here’s a song that’s not one of their most well know. In fact, it’s not even been released as a single. Here, from a 1993 MTV recording, is Bon Jovi’s wonderful cover of ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’. And by the way, Richie Sambora, in this video? Hell yeah, I would!