We are sailing....for what seems lik an eternity!

So here I am, onboard, not to stressed and in the lovely sunny Marseilles.

We had a few technical difficulties leaving dry dock last week - so we finally got to Palma 10 hours late - as you can imagine the PAX were a little perturbed bt that that we managed to do a deck party at 1:30am may have won then over a bit!

The we left Naples ans the weather was to rough for the proposed stop in Ajaccio (Corsica) as we were to be Tendering so instead Capt. George decoded we would spend the whole day at sea on said rough wetaher and head straight for Marseilles - that WAS fun!!! Trying to sleep that night was interesting as I think I woke up about 6 times at one point having been thrown off my bed - oh the joys of a cabin at the front of the ship! This is unseasonable weather for the Med - just thought I'd point that out to anyone that might be coming aboard..he hum.....Dad & Jo!

Still we got here in one piece and tomorrow (Barcelona) I may actually have chance to get off the ship :)

Haven't heard anything from home about baby's being born so if you're reading this - I want to know!!! :)

Bye Bye Wythall :,,,(

Well, that's it. I have taken my final stroll around Wythall as an official resident and in 20 minutes I leave for Manchester airport to start my 2 month stint onboard.

God blessed me with a beautiful morning, blue sky, a few clouds and that crisp fresh feeling that I guess you only get at 6:30am! Walked up past Becketts Island and could smell the baking underway which bought back some memories :) I have taken some photos which I will hopefully post at some point later this week (internet permitting) but mainly it was nice to have a walk by myself and remenisce.

Right, well, should go and take a few final photos of the house and have a last cup of tea.....it's not getting to me......honest *sniff*

Boxes, Boxes everywhere...

Well, am now well into the throws of packing. I have been living out of my suitcases for the last 3 days and today Alan, Mum, Vicky and I have come within sight of getting everything ready for moving day on Friday.



Here are some photos of the progress:

So progress is good. I leave for the ship on Wednesday morning. For some reason I have to fly from Manchester to Barcelona - I'm guessing the ship is still in dry dock! To be honest I've really not had time to think about the ship at all. I've got a horrible feeling that I'm going to get onboard and develop this cold that's been hanging around in my system for the last few days - although hasn't had a chance to come out between work, packing boxes, visiting Bath and trying to sort lots of other things out. Still my Dad is coming onboard for the last week that I'm on there and Jo and Vicky are considering coming on too - YEYEYEYEY!

It's weird being on the house at the mo. Especially with the invasion of the lodger and his dogs - who nearly got chopped/electrocuted today when he was trying to mow the lawn and they decided that the lawnmower needed attacking!. I sat and watched Heartbeat tonight on one of the dining room chairs with my feet resting on the piano stool as we no longer have any furniture (unless you count the piano) in the front room. I know that it's not going to sink in until I actually get off the ship and can't come home. Then all I'll be thinking about is finding somewhere to live in Bath and getting ready for Lee Abbey.

The new owner's came round yesterday with the other set of parents. Turns out the the girl was in Jo's Psyhcology class at school - small world. Mum and Dad actually bought this house off the old Art teacher at Woodrush (their school) - so it really is a small world!

Not much else to report. The play went brilliantly at the Palace and it was a great experience to do it in that sort of location. Tony managed to give my Dad a nose bleed on the Friday night by nutting him when he was 'dead' under his cloak, and he nearly managed to give me a split lip in the argument scene on Saturday! It was fun, I loved doing that scene because we never really did it the same way twice and it gave me and Tony the chance to let rip a bit :)

Adrian and Emma's little by is due at the end of the week so any prayers/mojo heading their way and for my travels much appreciated. Hopefully updates on the house during the week - maybe a photo of me crying in a corner......

Have you ever....ever felt like this...

Well, there has been some odd moments over the last week.

For instance I am not a somnambulist (and as some of you go rushing for a dictionary I shall carry on...) however the other night I did manage to take a rather large clip frame off the wall from above my head and place it carefully beside all the things I have been packing into boxes. Freaky. I do remember dreaming about taking the last thing out of a box and it having one smooth surface and the other side being rough......

This evening after the Tech at the 'Room Upstairs' at the Palace Theatre we piled, as usual, into Wetherspoons (the rising sun) at the back.

I got ID'd.

Actually it was not just ID'd but he said that I'd have to leave because I didn't look old enough to even be in there!!!!

I thought he was joking when Pete and Liz called me over to the bar (they were trying to buy me a coke) but no, he was in earnest. He asked me how old I was so I told him, 26, then he asked for ID. Fair enough. Then I discover that I don't have my ID because I've had to send it off to have the address changed on it and...oh yes.....did I mention.....I'm 26!!!!! Not, I'm thinking, an age that I would invent to try and get in somewhere if I was underage. (and I actually NEVER tried to do that!) I asked of Keir was working because he's a manger type person, knows me well and also I'm older than he is - but he wasn't. Adam went over and said he could confirm it because he used to be my GP, but that didn't really help either!

Now, I know he was doing his job, I've worked in enough pubs/clubs/bars to have done this many times. But I walked in with a group of sober varyingly aged adults (of which I was the youngest, admittedly) and clearly didn't look like I was out of place with them or tying to sneak in.

The ironic thing is that I've been going into that pub for ooooo, at least 8 years (they didn't have the-only-over-18's-after-9pm rule when it first opened) due to working at that theatre since I was 14 and am, I would guess, 3 years older than the barman.

Still he did let me sit in the corner with them and drink my coke so let's not be too harsh. I know I should be flattered, but really, I just find it highly irritating to be this age and still get ID'd! I have now put my Thomson Celebration Crew ID in my wallet in preparation for tomorrow!!

The lodger and dogs are back. And this morning for the first time I was NOT awkened by a chorus of barking - fabulous.

Packing is going well (both for ship and house) but the more I pack the more seems to appear. Plus Mum and Alan had a good go at the loft on Monday and I have about 25 bags of baby/children's clothes to get rid of - look out charity shops!!!

Am getting very excited about starting work at the school, there is a lot for to get my head round still but they are already being so supportive it's great! Also I've been told that there is a new Drama teacher starting at the same time as me so that will be nice to have someone else new in the Deaprtment :)

The show went sooo well last week. It's a shame we didn't have bigger audiences but it's looking good for the Palace this week. We had the tech tonight and it's going to a challenge but exciting acting in that space. Also the light system in there is pretty ingenious...hmmmm....useful idea to hang on to...

Am feeling calm at the moment even with all the stuff that's going on and the pretty big changes happening in my life right now, I can totally feel God's influence and it really is amazing :)

The Dress Rehearsal's over!

Well, the dress went pretty well! Not sure of this is good or bad given the old adage 'Bad Dress, Good Show' but am really looking forward to the first night tomorrow!

Here are a few photos from this evening :)

The Set

How to change your life in 48 hours......

This is just a quicky as I'm leaving in a bit to attend Mr D's funeral. It's going to be a weird combination of emotions as I'll probably be seeing people I haven't seen for the best part of 8 years but for such a horrible reason.

I got the job at the Royal High School! The day was great and I was the 4th person (of 5) to have my final interview. I left the school around 3pm and they rang me at 4:15 to offer me the job and on the top pay scale (which probably means I'll have to live in a shed in Bath but there you go!) so that was wonderful news - I was very excited! The contract came yesterday so now am still excited but mixed with trepidation and that odd feeling that comes with reading the contract for something and the actual reality of doing the job!

Also the day after that I got a phone call form the cruise ship people asking me when I was available to work. I explained about the new job, the fact I shall be Nannying for my friends with Abi & the Twins in August and that I'm in a play for the next 2 weeks and the moving house the following week. Wasn't really expecting anything, but he rang me back 10 mins later and offered me 2 months work as Lighting Tech on the Celebration over the summer - how cool is that!

So all in all an unnerving week but with some very exciting things to look forward to.

There are some photos of rehearsals of 'The Dresser' here (new ones, for anyone who checked before) including some of me in most of my costume (complete with most of my legs on show - albeit in 100 denier black tight - I kid you not). It's feeling great so here we go into another production week.......

My head is getting heavy

I don't quite know where to start this post. It was going to be a witty run down of all the pollava that is happening with me right now - so much happens in so short a time - but this afternoon I received some incredibly sad news which has put a dampener on that.

One of my favourite Teachers (and people) of all time died on Friday. Mr (Rev) Richard Dobell was a energetic, passionate and supremely talented man who inspired even the most uninterested of music pupils at AGS. I remember him dealing so well with me and the other choir pros (the 3 of us who got roped into to both Junior and Senior choir at the same time) Becky and Lucy when we used to degenerate into 'Mother's Meetings' at the back of choir and his humour that always managed to get the required result. He was the one who asked me to take up the Double bass because he loved the instrument, we had 2 at the school, and no-one could play them. He also got me drumming gigs even though I didn't take drumming lessons and then transported me and the kit backwards and forwards to them because he believed I was the best person for the job (I had a volume control!). He gave me such confidence and he could always make you smile. His faith was wonderful and I wish I could have heard one of his sermons (especially if his once yearly and much anticipated assemblies were anything to go by!) and seen him more recently. However I have some wonderful memories that will be painful for a while but will help him to be a big influence on my life now and in years to come.

So here is an update of the prevalent factors in my life right now:

* The house was sold last weekend to a young couple (we think she is the sister of the people who bought P&S's house up the road)

*We have a moving date of May 21st (well 'be out of the house' date really)

*This means that I have a week after the play has finished and then I will be lodging at various church members houses.

*I have a job interview on Wednesday at The Royal High School Bath. It's a girl's boarding school and the position in Performing Arts Technician. I would love this job and it would be a challenge and I really feel I could do it very well - all prayers and mojo much appreciated.

*This is the last week of rehearsals for 'The Dresser' It's going very well and I think it should be a very powerful production.

* I am working at the Coach and Horses. A fab pub that sells real ale and good food. Am really enjoying working there.

*Martin has moved in with Jack and Skip the 2 Jack Russell terriers. I'm not coping very well with the smell of the food they eat, the hair they leave everywhere, the whining at night, the whining at 6am almost every morning that wakes me up and is generally leaving me tired. They are pretty cute though!?! They are away the 1st week of the play which is good for my sanity.

*My financial situation is pretty dire. I fail to understand why it costs the bank £30 every time money is taken out of my account over my overdraft limit. I've been in to try and sort it out and they couldn't do anything about an extension - so am a bit, ummmm, screwed at the minute. The only consolation is that I get paid in cash from the pub - so am not quite starving yet.

However I'm actually feeling OK, have been praying a lot and trying not to let things stress me out, and apart from a vague sick feeling every time I eat for the last few days (apparently there's a bug going round) I'm not too bad.

I'm just focusing on Wednesday now and the interview and once that's done I have a reprieve for a couple of days and then full swing with the show......the next few weeks should be interesting ;)

Off to the Harvest de Spring.

It is currently 9:45 pm. In a few minutes me and the Moffy will be setting off in a southerly direction to the amazing thing that is Spring Harvest. I saw everybody else off his morning and now I have had my rehearsal (which was just me, Tony and Anne so was focused and v. good) and dropped Easter presents off at Dad's I can leave to - although exactly what time I'm going to get there remains a mystery to one and all!

Have had a fantastic and fruitful coulpe of days, sortign various thing on my car out and today spending much time in the garden - finally finishing the waterworks on the pond, breaking up soem fence panels, mowing the lawn etc. All very satisfying! Anyhoo, the road awaits - at least as soon as I've found my way on the AA rout planner....oh the joys of a shared Sat Nav!

Facebook is wayyy to addictive

Lackage of posting due to too much time on Facebook.

Also due to the fact that the weather has been glorious and I have far better things to do than sit on here all the time (well, unless it involves Sims2 Pets and a glass of wine!) when it is actually sunny and vaguely warm outside.

I spent today mostly doing laundry and de-brambling the rockery by the pond. There is something extremely satisfying about following the root of a bramble and finally pulling the whole bloody, prickly thing out of the soil - feels as though you should punch it up to the sky and yell. On the downside my arms look as if a demented kitten has been having a go at them!

Dave Walters and I did a drama in church this morning. The theme was Palm Sunday and the cruxifiction. This was the first serious drama I've done in church for ages (if ever) and it was great. It was an unusual service but worked so well. The kids went out for the drama and the short talk afterwards - unusual because it was a family service - and Adrian did a talk for them. The sketch we did was called 'Death Row' and when I watched it on the DVD it really brought home to me the amazing sacrifice the Jesus made for us. I hope that the performance we gave this morning did the same for those there.

I have started work at another local pub as of Friday (it also happens to be our watering hole after rehearsals so I have to make a good impression!) the Coach and Horses. It is a free house and serves real ale, as well as beer from the local Weatheroak brewery. So nice to work in a real pub not belonging to a huge chain where dogs can lie by the fire on flagstones and the regulars chat and play cards in one room whilst others sit on the leather sofas, comfy seats and cube shaped stools in the upper part of the other bar.

Rehearsal went really well on Wednesday, think I've finally got Irene's character sorted out and had a really good go at the argument bit with Tony which is starting to feel pretty strong! Now all I have to do is lose about a stone and we're all done :)

Spring Cleaning

Have been giving the house a spruce up today. Vacumed and cleaned everywhere and did a load of washing - only then to discover that our washing machine is up to its old tricks of spurting dirt onto everything - so consequently it is now going through again, after I just spent a delightful 15 minutes cleaning the c**p out of the seal ...mmm pleasant!

It's so nice to be able to hang the laundry outside - and it's still light at nearly 7:30pm, fabulous :)

Other than that have been absorbed in the wonders that are facebook and Sims2 Pets - bought for the logical reason that I had a voucher for 200 extra Tesco points if I bought a DVD/computer game before today...see, perfectly good reason...heh hum....