New job: day 1

Information overload!

Superman Returns

Reviews have varied, but I went to see the new Superman film last night and have to say I really liked it! Highlights included Superman looking pretty stunning (in a preppy kinda way), some brilliantly cheesy lines and Kevin Spacey being a fantastic baddie.

Not to mention the satisfaction of the v annoying child behind being taken out of the cinema half way through because she was too scared.

Go see it.

Batty dreams

I just read my friend's blog where she mentions a dream she had about Prince. Not sure what that means (apart from that she's slightly mental) but it reminded me of my dream the other night.

It was a very vivid dream and I remember quite a lot of it, which is rare for me. The main theme was Bats. Big, flapping, black bats that clung on to me. Surely that has to mean something profoud, I thought. So I looked it up...

"To see bats in your dream, symbolizes uncleanness, demons, and annoyances."

Interesting. I do need to clean my flat, and that is quite annoying.

"Alternatively, bats can represent a need to let go of old habits because your current way of life no longer suits your new growth and outlook."

Aha, so it could be about starting a new job, joining the gym, trying to eat more healthily and drink less (all under miscellaneous heading of 'get thin')

"It may also mean that you are entering blindly into a situation."

Oh

"The dream may also been a pun on feeling "batty" or feeling crazy."

That sounds about right!

Mobile-less life

It's official, I can't live without a mobile phone. Apparently I am incapable of turning up where I say I will and at the right time...even with the best of intent (it turns out there are 3 Blue Post pubs in Soho).

Thanks to a lovely cab driver - M:Express is officially my favourite cab company in Camden - I got my phone back. And after 2 days and 4 tetchy calls to O2 customer services to remove the temporary bar I requested... normal service has finally been resumed.

Because I am so happy to have my mobile back, I won't be ranting about the woman who told me to "wipe the SIM card with a soft cloth"...does that remove a call bar? No. Or the guy that said to switch my phone off and wait for him to call me back(doh). No - it's fine - I'll just be checking out other deals on Monday.

Fun in the sun

I love a sunny day in the park! Adie’s birthday was spent ‘school sports day’-style…a softball game, a birthday picnic, a fancy dress relay and an healthy smattering of stick-on moustaches. Another brilliant day to remember.

Have to add, I'm a bit concerned by Dan's attachment to the big, nylon hot pink knickers from the relay. And the softball game did get a bit violent at times...with me being totally illegally tackled by Loz but then also managing to connect my elbow with Jackie's face while trying to catch a bit of a girlie throw by Ollie!! All good clean (grown up?) fun!

'a bit distracted' is 'a bit hungover'

Leaving drinks (part 4 of 5) last night. Sitting by Camden Lock, in the sunshine...watching the canoeists go by! It started as a lovely evening, ended up as a bit of a mess actually.

My phone - fed up with my drunken antics - has left me. Or did I leave it? Either way the trouble started this morning when my alarm wasn't there, I couldn't ring work to explain my tardiness (until I remembered I had a landline somewhere) and I couldn't text all and everyone for sympathy in my world of pain.

Despite the distressing end, I had loads of fun and enjoyed parting drinks with my work buddies. An exciting new chapter awaits at my new job, but it's so sad to be leaving.

Carry on Networking

What did you do last night? I "networked". It's what we PR's do best because it combines two of our core competencies - drinking and talking.

Courtesy of 160 Characters, I spent last night chatting to some people I've never met before - and some that I have (pleasure to see you Mr Tim Banks) - and it was most entertaining. Cathy and I even found fame on SMS Text News where there is video footage demonstrating the magical wonders of Ewan's phone. The best bit is at the end where we're clearly exchanging awe induced comments along the lines of "oh yes....ooh....it does that?....most impressive". Gadgets - love them - they bring the world together on so many levels.

Final mention has to go to Ed, whose shorts were precariously anchored due to a broken button yet he continued to network with an unabated panache that well deserves the new biz leads and publicity that I genuinely hope he picked up. Good skills!

Morning maths quiz!

Only slightly more interesting than Leo Sayer...I fell asleep after my alarm went off this morning. I was TWO hours late getting up and also - reasons TBC - sat infront of Big Brother for a good 20 mins before leaving the flat.

But I was only ONE hour late for work.

Which leaves me wondering what I normally do in the morning that take so much time.

To paraphrase Leo Sayer...

The sun is out, the sky is blue, there's nothing left for me to do (at work)...

Continuing the cuisine theme...

I've just sent my application to get Gordon Ramsey into my kitchen (oh yes, I'm hard at work here). The F Word was after veggies who 'love to eat, but don’t know where to start in the kitchen'. Me!

With any luck this will hail an end to the 3am sausage sandwiches setting off fire alarms across Twickenham.

Conned by a curry

A chilli, actually. Massive green ones...masquerading as green beans and lurking with intent in a perfectly good veggie curry. I'm a big fan of green beans, but have a low heat tolerance on spicy food.

As Wendy put it: "It was a most unfortunate first mouthful."

Winding down and tidying up

I'm coming to the end of my notice period at work and finding time to sort out all my stuff.

Not sure why or when I felt the need to keep a green giraffe cocktail stirrer for posterity. Also pondering whether to drink the tequila off my desk or pass it on as a legacy...think I'll drink it. And the high-quality Canadian beer!

One thing's for sure - the pots of change that I inherited from my predecessor are going to be cashed in for real money. Fingers' crossed for enough to buy a pint or two (cheers Dan!) .

Gym bunny II (the return)

One week on, one body pump class in...and my legs are in complete agony. I'm working on a 'controlled sit down' manoeuvre and avoiding stairs wherever possible. No pain, no gain...right?!

I (heart) London

I'm often struck by how amazing this city is. Yesterday I was sitting by the river with friends...the Tate Modern was behind us and we had a perfect view across the Thames to St Pauls Cathedral and the Gherkin...and it hit me again. Today of all days it's so important to remember

'a bit distracted' is 'a lot confused'

Last night I went to the opera for the first time. Classy huh? I went to see King Arthur, by the English National Opera at London's Colosium.

The theatre is impressive (with added bonuses of comfy seats and good wine), absolutely fantastic music and dancing...and the costumes could be described as 'eye-catching' - if not downright alarming - at times.

But I have never spent so long in total and utter confusion! 3 whole hours without a clue what was going on.

I've thought it through and looked it up on t'interweb...and I'm still none the wiser.

I did get that it wasn't the traditional Knights of the Roundtable story, but I saw no battles between the Saxons and the Britons and definitely no kidnapped Cornish princess. I'm not even sure I know who was supposed to be King Arthur...although I suspect it may have been symbolised by the crown that kept appearing (maybe not!) .

But it was still brilliant and I'd definitely recommend it to a friend. The duck was without-a-doubt the best bit for me, closely followed by the maypole dancing and the random throwing of paper aeroplanes at the end.

Fantastically bizarre.

Gym bunny

Earlier this year I decided that cancelling my gym membership and replacing it with a range of sporting activities (yoga, swimming, rollerblading, tennis) throughout the week would be more effective in shaping up. It's not as daft as it sounds, based on evidence that a varied fitness programme provides a better work-out for the whole body than the same old gym routine every few days.

However, various factors collided - primarily the lack of guilt-ridden monthly direct debit from my bank account and an inability to turn down "one small glass of wine" after work - to scupper this theory and my jeans are telling me that it's time for a rethink.

Last night I admitted defeat and re-instated the direct debit.

Geek girl

Is it too tragic that I heard about a soon-to-be-launched website called itgirlworld.co.uk and got excited about a new magazine for girls in IT?

Scorching skate

Sunday was surely the hottest day EVER! So I decided to go rollerblading. This used to be a leisurely spin around London, but yesterday the heat was turned up and so was the speed. I made it to Clapham then hopped on an early train home for an ice cream and a snooze in the garden.