Life goes on

[galadriel1010]

Here by work news, writing news, travel news, personal life news, and probably some other stuff.

I don't want to be one of those people who totally loves her job and is always dragging her colleagues out for drinks and lunch and omg let's go to London, but...

I love my job. It's awesome, and the people are great, and we go out for drinks after work quite a lot and I seem to have helped to instigate an official steak club on Tuesdays when it's cheap at Wetherspoons, and I'm going out shopping and for afternoon tea with one of my colleagues and might go to London with another. And I'm starting to attempt arranging a night off for all the girls where we go for a charity pamper night, and then we'll cover for the guys when they want to do a stag do for one of the callers.

The actual job stresses me out, partly because it is high pressure and I'm not fast enough yet, and partly because we've been waiting for the spot check audit since I started, and I'm always worried it will come on my watch. I am getting there, though, except when people order really complicated things. Most of my least favourite things to cook are coming off the menu for summer, though, so yay! I'm also being given responsibility for the next bottle launch display, apparently, which is an opportunity to earn my title of 'crazy lady'.

Outside work, the hours are less awesome, but I'm getting them under control. I get enough nights off to see people for boardgames (some weeks), and they've granted me the time off for the White Rose Morris weekend. I'm getting on top of the tired as well, having settled into later nights and later mornings at last. Lali and I split up last month, if you weren't aware - we've not really been broadcasting it since that night - so I'm back in my old bedroom with more freedom to set my own hours. I go to bed at about 1 and get up at 9, which suits me pretty well.

With trying to get myself organised again, I'm trying to get back into writing, both fiction and non. I'm working on the sequel to Another Path, the prequel to Dark Star for CaseStory and a pilot story for a Vastra Investigates series for SpinoffStory, plotting out a pantheon fantasy, and trying to get back to my abandoned LongLiveIanto fics and my bloody monster epic. In short - all the fic in the world!

I got a loan when I started work, mostly to pay off my debts and get myself a motorbike. Right now I'm waiting to hear back from the motorbike training course centre and from a guy who's selling an adorable pink 'powered by fairy dust' scooter. I wanted a proper bike, but then I saw that one and had to have it. I've also splashed out on a couple of new handbags, one for everyday and one for best, a foot spa, new boots, and a Nexus 7. She's called Sylvie (points to anyone who a) is still reading and b) can work out why she's called that), and she's incredibly awesome for just about everything. I'm getting used to Evernote, which is just brilliant. Google Docs, what Google Docs? I'm also spending a lot of time playing Candy Crush and Cut The Rope, but that's by-the-by.

One thing she is useful for is being on the go. I still love my travel, and I'm looking at going out to Thailand to teach next year (if I can get around to doing this TEFL course). Between now and then, though, I want to visit every city in England. You see, there's 51 cities and 52 weeks in a year, and I live in one of the cities. I reckon I can get the rest fairly easily, especially if I so some longer trips. London will take several days, because it's London, but I can do a fair few multiples - Leeds-Bradford, Manchester and Salford, Durham and Newcastle, Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton. So, you know, if you live in a city in England, I'm coming your way this year. Unless you live in York, in which case I'm behind you. I'm quite excited by this madcap plan, and I want to get going. First step, scooter.

I think that's everything, really... I should use my LJ app more often, clearly.

And how are you all getting on? I'm checking my flist again, but usually in gaps when I have no time to do more than skim.

Comments

[bk_forever]

Hi! *waves* Glad to hear work is going well and you're enjoying it, despite the streaa!

Also pleased to hear you're getting back to writing.

Have fun touring the cities of England, and I hope you get your scooter!

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Life is finally starting to feel normal (hah, what's normal), and the guy got back to me about the scooter last night, so fingers crossed very tightly.

[bk_forever]

YAY! Fingers are crossed!

[ice-elf.livejournal.com]

Your plan to visit every city sounds quite exciting. If you're coming my way let me know because I'd like to be able to say hello.

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

I will definitely be coming your way sometime, possibly soon, or I might get the difficult ones first and grab the easier (read: Northern) ones later, in the last-ditch dash. We shall see, but it will be cool to see you.

[ice-elf.livejournal.com]

I am still Carlisle based for the next 10 weeks or so, but getting back to Manchester/Preston/Lancaster is also very easy for me. Just let me know.

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

Hmm... *Strokes beard* I need to go to Carlisle, and I'd like to do the Settle-Carlisle railway. I'll try to make it up there whilst you're still there, but otherwise I'll chase you down somewhere else :D

[beesandbrews.livejournal.com]

I'm breathless just reading about your plans!

I'm spring cleaning and gardening, which right now feels like spring cleaning, and lusting after hinged pie moulds, (see yesterday's update for details. Also the reply to Fide about buying/shipping/reimbursing) because from the sounds of it, travel isn't in my future.)

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

That is a very pretty but expensive piece of equipment! I'll keep an eye out for you, as well - antiquing is mah thing at the moment.

[beesandbrews.livejournal.com]

Nifty! Thanks!

[caladria.livejournal.com]

It takes longer than you think to get into a routine and not be exhausted, but it sounds like you're having fun with it (yay employment!)

(Also, do you mind having a chat with me about pros/cons of York living at some point? I'm eyeing up a job.)

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

It'd be far easier to get into a routine if my hours didn't shift every day. Thought I was starting at 12 today, I'm actually starting at eleven. Le sigh. 9 hours today.

I am more than happy to chat about York. Always, all the time. What do you want to know?

[caladria.livejournal.com]

mainly, are there any places in York that are affordable to live in that are also safe(ish)? and do buses run after 11pm? and just, is it a generally good and affordable place to live? and does it clog up with congestion every day really badly or is it sort of ok? and is there a good mix of stuff to do, because I've only ever done the shopping/tourist-y stuff when I've been, and one gig. I live under the assumption that the people are relatively lovely.And most importantly, are there any places where your feet stick to the floor in such a disgusting way that you can't really go there (oh yeah, Darlo, you and your "cinema within walking distance of work - not so much.)

You do get used to crazy shifts - eventually. And random days off and rotas that make no sense whatsoever.

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

Some parts of York are fairly cheap, but York is an expensive city compared to other places in the region, partly because it's so in the middle of nowhere and partly because it's so iconic. There's a mix of ex-council, inter-war, new builds and, of course, lots of Industrial Revolution terraces, so it really depends what you're looking for. My flat is aimed at the top end of its band at the moment, and we're asking about £120,000 for a two bedroom flat.

Buses after 11 depend on where you live. The one right past my house stops at about 7.30 and doesn't run at all on Saturday, but there's one ten minutes walk away that runs until 11.30 every day of the week.

The congestion can get pretty bad, especially if it rains, doubly so if anything floods. It's much better for cyclists, and the congestion is only really bad if you need to get into the city centre, which is so small you can park pretty easily on the edge and get in to where you need to be. I'm only half an hour's walk from this side of the city centre, and less then an hour from the far side.

There is actually loads to do. We've got a few good gig venues, from the two big theatres and the Barbican to the smaller Joseph Rowntree Theatre, and the Duchess, which gets some awesome bands from right across the spectrum. Leeds is convenient for proper nights out, and we've got museums up the whoopsie. Three cinemas, a big Vue on one of the shopping estates on the edge, one nearly independent and an arthouse in the centre. Plenty of open space, a fantastic range of festivals (including the biggest goth festival in the country, I believe, a nice little folk festival at the Black Swan, one of the biggest food and drink festivals in Europe, one dedicated entirely to chocolate, and regular vintage and made in Yorkshire events at various locations around the city).

The people can vary, but we're so inundated by tourists that we're very patient. I've never seen anywhere where the residents stop for photographs quite so easily. We don't even register them properly, there's just something that gets hardwired into your brain that goes "camera, avoidance maneuvers engaged". Half the people here are bonkers, the other half are still pretending they're not.

I can't think of anywhere where your feet stick to the floor, apart from the Duchess. I've still managed to rapper dance on that floor, so it's not even that bad.

Important things to know about York are that it's full of students most of the year, tourists the rest of the year, and half the year it's both. Once the tourists hit town it takes twice as long to get through the centre, unless you know the back streets. You also cannot learn all York's back streets, because I swear they move.

We've got lots of libraries, but only two council gyms. There are lots of hotels that offer fitness memberships and plenty of private gyms, though, including at least one right in the centre. The town centre is fairly expensive for clothes and the like, because it has a lot of prestige brands (we used to have a Vivienne Westwood, for instance, and I think that's coming back somewhere else), but the market is still great and there are three big out of town shopping centres, with another starting construction this year.

You proabbly didn't want a 10 page essay, but I warned you I like chatting about York :P Here's another essay I wrote about it for a review site, which might cover more stuff I've not thought of: http://travel.ciao.co.uk/York_in_General__Review_6054340

[caladria.livejournal.com]

LOL. I was warned. I've come down to York two or three times in the past 12 months, for shopping and gigs (Barbican) so I sort of can find my way up and down the main bit (read: I can find the chocolate and sweet shops, and have learned the hard way the truth of Jorvik, and followed my satnav in a blind panic until I found the Barbican car park.)

Though, ooh. If you have a folk festival I may have to come down for it. Also. CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL?! Where? When??

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

We have at least one folk festival. The Black Swan do is in September, and the NCEM might have one as well. There's also been a big morris festival in the past, but I don't know if that still happens. The chocolate festival is Easter weekend, and is gradually spreading from the Chocolate Story and the Cocoa House into the rest of the city. (Have you found the Cocoa House yet? I've still got to visit it, so if you fancy coming down we could go for their chocolate afternoon tea)

[caladria.livejournal.com]

I have not, only the Chocolate Story at the end of the Shambles, so definitely, yes, tea. Because dammit, I've missed chocolate as festival so I want tea.

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

Sounds good to me. I have much to show you *does evil genius pose*

[caladria.livejournal.com]

Wot, no twirling evil moustache?

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

No, but I could stroke my evil cat instead...

[bookwormsarah.livejournal.com]

What a great challenge. I am Manchester based, and would be happy to meet up!

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

Cool! I think we might need to have a lunch session over in Manchester, because I think I have a few Mancunian flisties.

[angelkitty101.livejournal.com]

Hey gorgeous! Always ready and willing to meet up if you come to the Midlands :-)

Sorry to hear about the break-up *sends hugs* great news about the work and the travel etc tho!

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

Birmingham is very high on my list because I haven't seen you in FOREVER. Not to mention I have to go through it to get to many, many places :D I might have to go a few times.

[hab318princess.livejournal.com]

*waves* totally get the thing about the job stressing... it's where I'm at right now (it's a temping role but I'm waiting to hear if I've got it on a permanent basis... after today he may well not want to employ me)... so yeah I've not posted much positive either

I'm concentrating on writing original fic rather than fandom...

and let's not talk about money...

And if you let me know when you come to Coventry, we could meet up for a coffee... if you want to that is of course

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

Job stress is a pest.I'm currently trying to figure out my tax band and bashing my head against a brick wall. Oh well, if there were no stress life would create some quickly. I hope you find something permanent and awesome soon.

I'm definitely up for coffee in Coventry. I've got a few friends down there, so it might be a couple of days. Went a couple of years ago, but I don't remember much about it. Yay adventuring!

[hab318princess.livejournal.com]

funnily enough I feel a bit relieved to not get it... it's a full on position and I've struggled ... and I've got a few weeks grace until the assignment ends

I live in a small town north of Coventry... I've not been there for a long time either

[lefaym.livejournal.com]

Oh hai! I haven't posted for ages myself, and I don't check my LJ flist often enough... but anyway, I'm actually going to be in the UK briefly myself in late July/August (though my main destination is the Netherlands, where I'll be attending a conference. In the UK, I'll be visiting Bristol, Brighton and London at different times -- I'll do a post soon with more specifics, and if you're able to catch up at any points, that'd be pretty neat. :)

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

We all seem to be drifting away :( I want to grab onto everyone and hang on, but that would be a bit hypocritical at the moment.

But yay for you being in the UK! If you let me know, I'll time my visit to at least one of those places to see you.