I survived!

So, I got to Kensington in one piece, although I did get very confused this morning... London tube stations on a Monday morning are *really* scary. I felt all the usual shakiness and nervousness as I went down into Victoria tube station and I had to ask a man where to go. Luckily, the train came quickly and as I got off at Earl's Court, I saw the train to Olympia, ran across the platform (I don't usually do running) and jumped on. I felt like a right Londoner!

I was very early, so I sat in a cafe doing a spot of sock knitting and nearly choking at the price of one coffee (£10.50 for a coffee with Bailey's in it!! £3 for a bog standard tea! How do you Londoners manage to live there?!) In the end, the course wasn't too useful, but I have made a decision that I am going to look into doing a diploma in Advanced Special Needs, as I would really like to persue that option in my career.

Ooh, ohh, I bought my ticket to the I Knit show in September!! I had such a good time last time and I *adore* Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.. she emailed me back a couple of times when I asked her something and she seems really nice.

So now I am settling down to berating University Challenge contestants and knitting my sister's socks and shouting at the Masterchef judges (how exciting am I...?) and pretending that I don't have to go into school tomorrow...

London...

I'm going to London by myself for the first time ever tomorrow for a course. I am a bit scared, because I hate the tube (the smell, the heat, the noise, the rushing and pushing and all of the people... *shudder*) and I will have to get on it and make my way to Kensington.

I also have to get off at Three Bridges and get another train, becuase school wanted me to try and get a travelcard from there. I may be a bit late to the venue, but I don't care.

I'm a bit of a scaredy cat really.

Thoughtful

This week I have knitted myself a little turquoise beanie, which is short but sweet. Am very happy, I will have to post a pic soon, when I remember!

I am also in the process of knitting my sister's socks.. the pattern is 'Waving Lace' from 'Favorite Socks' (I have to really resist the urge to correct that spelling!) and I'm using the 'Saucy' yarn from Woolhunter. Now, Em's birthday is in April, but I have a feeling she'll get these in December, seeing as my progress is slooooooooooooooow. But I have good feelings about these socks.

We saw two flats yesterday and I have fallen in love with one, which is naughty, I shouldn't have at this point. The only bad thing about this flat is that is on top of a huge hill; it fulfills every other box that needs ticking. I only hope someone likes our little flat enough to put in an offer. Apparently the couple the other day liked it, but they'd only just started looking. We shall see.

If you're interested, I went to the dentist today and left with a new filling- no root canal, no chavvy inlay, £94 cheaper than originally planned. Hurrah! However, I am now waiting for painkillers to kick in and for a bowl of Cheerios to soak in milk, so I can eat. Nice. I watched a programme on the BBC about self help the other day and found myself chanting stuff in my head in preparation that I'd picked up! I thought I was watching Alan Yentob rather passively, obviously not...! Although I don't think my fear is fully gone, I do feel more confident about dentistry and my dentist is nice (she even turned up the radio after I said it was the sound of the drill that I didn't like. Unfortunately, the song was Lionel Ritchie... I'm not sure I wouldn't have preferred a root canal..)

I'm feeling very thoughtful, and a bit tired. Listening to Ray Lamontagne and Jose Gonzales probably isn't helping...

Really Quite Cross (and a little bit scared)

I just got back from the dentist. I didn't pull a filling out- good.

I do have extensive decay under a filling that may require root canal work and lots of money I don't have- bad.


I started crying as soon as the dentist told me. I am really, really, really terrified of dental work, all down to a bad experience when I was 16. It is actually untrue how scared I am of this type of thing. I feel sick. I am actually really angry as well, because Idiot Dentist (i.e. the old one) didn't pick up on this and if it is so bad (it is, even I understood the x-ray) why did he not sort it out six months ago? Saying that the decay is under a filling, so you didn't spot it is NO excuse when you are a dentist and this is your job.

The upshot is that now I have to go back on Thursday and have the filling removed and the tooth 'explored'. The dentist has promised she will try and save it without doing surgery, but that this requires an inlay. This is better than a filling. Oh, and it's in gold. So I'll be paying £200 to look like a bloody chav. I am very cross.

I have written a very long email to the man who is charge of dentists in Brighton. Because Idiot Dentist ignored the first letter I wrote (they're supposed to write back within ten days... this was three months ago nearly). I am sorry for the rant, I'm just a bit annoyed. Well, a lot annoyed, actually.






There is some good news though- we have actual people wanting to come and view the flat in an hour. I'm going out.

What do a Sombrero and a trifle have in common??

They are both finished objects in this house as of today!!

I am being a very Domestic Goddess (whilst avoiding the washing up) and have finished my sombrero socks. They have taken a while due to Christmas and birthday knitting/crochet. The pattern in Jon at Easy Knits and the yarn is Easy Knits 'Ruby Slippers'. It's lovely to work with and the end result is a nice thick sock, which I shall enjoy padding around in:



(ps- the white fluff? Didn't notice it was there until just now. Sigh.) The pattern is really a lovely easy let's-combine-lace-and-socks pattern, which my photo doesn't really do justice to.

Secondly, I made this:

I am stupidly proud of this, because usually I mess this kind of thing up. I know trifle is basic, but I.just.don't.care. I'm also making egg fried rice tonight, which is from a super healthy recipe and is very nice. I don't care that trifle and egg fried rice don't go togther.

I suppose this means I have to finish the baby sweater from hell now.

Happy Valentines Day!

Well, today has been a bit of a mad 'un, really! We don't really *do* Valentines Day in our house, as it's Benn's birthday in two weeks and mine two weeks after that (just to let you know that I will get more and more excited the nearer the 14th March becomes. I'm worse than a six-year-old) This has not stopped it being a busy day though.

1) As Benn and I opened our cards, we were a bit worried... they looked frighteningly similar. Cue worries looks and then sighs of relief when we realised that they were from the same range, but not the same design. Phew! We have been living together too long! We enjoyed a curry, despite the fact that I nearly spilt my wine over myself and did end up with prawn dansak on the work trousers I intended to wear tomorrow. Sigh.

2) I stupidly agreed to play a potential 'date' in a comedy Blind Date thing organised by the sixth form. Despite playing it purely for laughs and having a stereotypical northern persona, I got picked. Which will a) cause some of my year 9s to think I'm having an affair with the teacher, which until now I had the opportunity to deny and b) my sixth formers will never let me live it down. Oh, and the 'picker' hugged waaaaaay too long! Blimey! And it's on video, ugh.

3) Today is the last day I can comfortably slob around the flat. It is on the market as of tomorrow... eek! The solicitor is instructed, the agent is coming round to measure up and we're getting ready to move. We're even viewing a flat on Saturday and looking at Burgess Hill as a potential moving into area.

4) I am having to register with a new dentist. Yet again I will spend another holiday schlepping to and fro the dental chair, having pulled out a filling by eating a 10p chew. Damn.

5) I am getting yarn withdrawal. I don't care that I have loads knocking around. I need more. I think yarn is exempt from Benn's 'don't buy anything before your birthday' mantra. Right?

6) It's half term tomorrow! Yay!

Nearly half term...

...only a week to go, yay! Last week was pretty stressful, but this week should be ok (fingers crossed)

Just got back from the Creative Stitches and Hobbycraft fair in Brighton. I was a bit disappointed, really, not much caught my eye. I actually just spent a fiver on some wire and beads so that I could have a go at knitting some cuffs. Maybe I'm just a) in house-buying/it's-a-month-til-my-birthday mode and so don't really feel the need to buy any wool just yet b) spoilt by my love of indie-dyers' woolly goodness or c) I can't buy anything else until I've finished at least one thing....

Talking of at least one thing being finished, the sombrero socks should be wearable in the next couple of days! I will be a very happy bunny. Part of me doesn't want to finish them, because even though they have been terribly frustrating (which has been totally my fault for messing stuff up), I've enjoyed making them and feeling clever and the wool is just amazing. I love watching all the reds change subtly and then realise that it's not a subtle change. What can I say? I'm easily amused....

We've had two estate agents round and a third is coming tomorrow. *Sigh*. They talk too fast and I can't pick up what they're saying. However, the flat has been valued at considerably more than Benn was hoping and is still £17k cheaper than the poky (and wildly overpriced) flat across the hall that is less well decorated and is a lot smaller (and smells of fags). Would you pay £17k extra for a postage stamp patio that you can't even access without leaving the flat? Pfft. We shall see. We'll decide this week and get it on the market by the end of the week, meaning that, feasibly, we could be having a variety of people traipsing through here on a regular basis over half term. I may spend a lot of time at the beach/in the park if the beautiful weather continues.

Actually, that brings me to one last point... I've noticed that as soon as a bit of sun comes out, everyone seems to stick on the shorts and flip flops. It's still February. Am I being terribly Northern and shocked about this?!

How exciting!

Well, I might be chasing up some payment for journalism that has mysteriously gone awry and having to answer DVLA medical questionnaires and be running out of money, but d'you know what?? I'm excited all the same, for a variety of reasons:

1) Benn got the promotion!! Yay! He was a bit reluctant at first, because it means he will have to commute to Croydon, but at least if a vacancy appears in the Brighton office, he still has the opportunity to transfer, rather than go through the whole rigmarole of interview again.

2) We have estate agents coming round tomorrow and Friday.. eek! It is all becoming *way* too real now- in a matter of months I could actually be a property owner of some kind. Although I have just found out that the neighbours across the way are also selling their flat. Ours is nicer, I think, but they have a poky little garden. We shall see.

3) I am quite comfortable with my work load, I've caught up after my sick day and everything is going at a good pace. I know it won't last, but I will take advantage as it is here. So knitting and TV tonight then :)

I can't hear your voice, do I have a choice?

X-files+knitting= a Very Good Thing.

I've found that I get a lot done whilst watching Mulder and co., and as I always have subtitles on with DVDs (it helps me keep up with what's going on, especially if a character talks fast) I can now knit AND get a bit freaked out! The sombrero is still slow going, but at least it *is* going. I am being quite good and resisting the urge to cast on some more socks (the baby cardi is still relegated to the bottom of my knitting bag..)

Other than that, the kitchen is now a lovely shade of 'Mint Julep', which I like so much that I want it in wherever we next end up. The moving side of things is very much starting, estate agents should be round next week to value the flat and me and Benn made a list of all the stuff we wanted. Thankfully, a lot of stuff matched, but I still cringe at the possibility of paying a quarter of a million quid for a flat. I dunno, am I being too northern? Benn wants to stay in Brighton, I'm not adverse to moving to Burgess Hill. Hmm.

Maybe I should knit some cushions whilst I decide..