Wednesday, April 26, 2006

I've got a Dilemma....

I live a fair distance from my gf. (couple of hundred miles actually) so we don't get to see an awful lot of each other.

I also don't get that many saturday's off in a month.

2 to be precise.

My problem is that I've already requested the 20th of next month off for a mate's Stag Day doing fun things like Paint Ball during the day, and a big chineese banquet in the evening.

That means I only have one other Saturday off.

The saturday I've got off is the week after, the 28th, which is Bank Holiday weekend.

Great!! you'll be thinking, an extra day at the end because of the monday, you can definitely go down and visit her!! And, normally you'd be right, but it's also the same weekend of our Church Weekend Away, which only happens every eighteen months.

I've already told her I'm coming down, but I feel a bit guilty about not going with my friends. I know I would feel even more guilty if I didn't visit her in May though. And I'd miss her even more than I already do.

Long Distance Relationships suck big time.

At least I'll get three whole days with her!! I've managed to swing the Friday just before as a days holiday, so I might be able to go down on the Thursday night, making it even longer.

:-)

Church Weekends are important, and my church family are important to me, as much as I moan and complain about them, but if I don't spend time with Ali, how can I expect to get to know her? She's already been up to me once already, and this weekend will be the second time, so I have to make the effort again. Besides, it's not like she can just take sundays off, as a youthworker, it's one of her busiest days.....

Like I said, Long Distance sucks.

But I'm glad I'm with her, and the hugs and cuddles and kisses when we do see each other have more feeling behind them than if we lived next door to each other I guess!!

:-) I can't wait for one of those hugs on Saturday!!

Awwww I'm a big (little) softie really.

And I've decided to Cook!!

I've gotta at least try and impress the gf right?

So I've decided to cook a meal for us on saturday night.

So....

I've decided on a menu already:

Starter: Creamy Basil and Tomato Soup (home made)

Main: Grilled Boneless Fillet of Salmon, in a Lemon and Dill Sauce, with Green Beans and posh Creamy Mashed Potato and Carrots.

Dessert: Haven't decided yet, but I might cheat and not make that myself and buy one.

Wine: (if I can get it) Jacobs Creek, Red.

Whaddya think?!

Do I make the grade?!

I'll take a photo before we tuck in, and post it on here lol

Ok Just So You Know...

I'm the laziest person I know.

I was meant to be the one everyone had chosen to buy my Boss's birthday present, and they were gonna give me money after I got it.

He's back in tommorrow after being off for a week, and I haven't got it tonight yet.

It's only a bottle of wine, but my home is warm and comfortable, and I don't think I can be bothered to walk 5 mins across the road to the tesco express to buy it. It will probably take me a little over 10 mins in total to walk there, buy it and come back, but I really can't be bothered.

I'll go in the morning I think.

I also need to do a tidy up around the house before Ali (my gf) comes up for the weekend.

Again, the monster that is named procrastination attacks. I've put it off till tommorrow night. I'll wash and vacuum and tidy then. She's not coming till Saturday. That means I have 2 nights to do it.

Loadsatime!

Bloggin - Is It Worth It?

I'm starting to wonder whether I should carry on to be honest.

I haven't blogged for ages, just simply due to lack of inspiration. I could do a blog of what I did/do each day, but that would be even more intensely boring than it is now.

Now I struggle to blog anything.

It's not because my life is particularly boring, it's just I can't think of what to blog.

Maybe this is the end of sancho....

2006 - The Opinion So Far...

it's going ok actually.

I have to admit I'm surprised.

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Someone Please Explain...

The purpose of:

  • wasps
  • fray bentos corned beef tins
  • lollipop people

That's it.

I'm done here people.

Friday, April 14, 2006

Ahhhh... Bank Holidays!

I've done nothing all day.

On purpose!!

I'm currently listening to Diana Krall, a canadian Jazz singer, very mellow whilst surfing the world wide web.

I love Bank Holidays.

:-)

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Books I'm Reading At The Moment...



Heavy & Light Reading!! I'm enjoying both of them, although I tend to have to think about the first one a bit more inbetween reading it, as I'm definitely not a hebrew scholar, and it's not one of my strong points unsurprisingly....

I keep having to switch gears in my brain, depending on which book I'm reading, which I guess is good discipline as well as very confusing!!

I guess that's a bit obvious, being gentile and coming from Liverpool. Lol.

Anyway I'd reccommend both of them. The Alex Cross series has all the thrills and plot twists and diabolical evil geniuses you could want, and Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus is opening up some new insights to me that I'd not seen before in the Gospels, when looking at them from a jewish point of view, not Christian.

Anyway, go out and get both of them, I challenge you!!

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Safety Tip No. 1454235454555

When clearing out the used needles from your travel bin you used last week when you were away, check first whether you'd remembered to put the caps back on said needles before you put your hand in, and whatever you do, don't put your hand in and pick it up quickly by the sharp end...

*whimpers*

Busy Lieu Day...

No, I don't mean a day spent in the lavatory... (the Balti wasn't THAT bad last night!)

What I mean is a day owed to me from working overtime last week. It's gonna be quite busy as it happens, hence I'm up at this ungodly hour.

I've got to be in Liverpool City Centre for 9a.m, as I'm getting my new contact lenses fitted and tested, (new stronger prescription so roll on the headaches till I get used to them- come on!) then I've got an appointment at the Citizen's Advice Bureau for filling in My Disability Working Allowance benefit, (dunno if I'm entitled but we'll wait and see) and then I'm meeting a friend for lunch, and then I'm meeting anther friend later. Then, I'm off to church to pray and reflect.

I think I'm gonna need this coffee.

Coffee Of The Day...

Is a Very Strong, Rich, Dark, Aromatic roast produced from HUGE BEANS (that's what it says!) grown in the El Platinillo Estate in Guatemala.

Unsurprisingly it's called "Guatemala Elephant".

It's not for the faint hearted, and indeed I think one day I will introduce it to my handsome son/sons on their 11th/12th/13th (delete as appropriate according to culture) birthday, as a rite of passage.

When I am lecturing them on the ways of women, and how a man must be a man and stand up for himself, just before I go and hunt for a woman for my son/sons, THAT is when I will introduce this coffee to them.

In short, this is a coffee that in order to drink, you need the HUGE BEANS of an ELEPHANT yourself, if you get my drift....

This is an almighty olympian caffeine-induced kick in the face early in the morning.

Roll on the caffeine and the medics sir...

Monday, April 10, 2006

Ahhhh...

Eating Chicken Balti while listening to Keane.

What could be better?!

And That's What I Call Editing!!

(ali talking to me about editing my CV):

Ali says:
right ok
Ali says:
right i have done it i'll email it to you
Ali says:
i've got it down to less than two years
Ali says:
two pages even!!

You've Got To Laugh....

I mis-spelt Palm Sunday on that particular post and put "Pam Sunday" !!

If there is such a date in the Church Calendar I apologise, and may I wish all Pam's everywhere a happy day!!

(still giggling at my mistake...)

Update On CV...

Ali (my gf) is now looking at/editing/re-writing my CV for me!!

Hurrah!

Is It Strange...

that I worked backstage in our makeshift stockroom at Spring Harvest last week without any footwear?!

(I had to walk back an forth alot you see, and I wanted to avoid blisters...)

Ok.

It is strange.

But I'm ok with that.

In fact, since I got back, I've only been wearing footwear when I have to go out. I like my feet being naked, it feels releasing somehow.

Ok, I'm a freak I admit it.

Vertical & Horizontal.

This week it's Prayer Week for my church, so we have Prayer Meetings every night from about 7:45, to concentrate on spending time with each other and praying for the people in our area and thanking God for Easter and thinking through the events of this week as they happenned to and around Jesus on the way to the Cross.

It's a chance for us to be vertical & horizontal this week, vertical in that we're connecting with God, and horizontal in that we're connecting with each other on a deeper level hopefully.

I'm looking forward to it, it should be really good.

I'm also singing at my dad's church on Good Friday!!

Coffee Of The Day...

Is Costa Rica again, but black, with a dash of hazlenut syrup in it.

Yum.

19 Days...

To go before Ali comes to visit me for Bank Holiday Weekend!!

:-)

I can't wait!!

:-)

Space!!


Over the past two weeks I have been burning all the music on my computer to blank CD's, as my computer hard drive was nearly full, and was working really slowly!!

I now have 14 GB of free space, which I can devote to even more downloaded music!!

That's ALOT of CD's, even on MP3/4!!

(All legal of course!)

Yay!!

:-)

Well...

I've decided to post a text version of my CV, (minus contact details obviously!) on here, so that people can leave comments.

Before anyone says, I know 3 pages is too long, I'm working on that; but any constructive comments would be useful. Please feel free to comment and letme know where I'm going wrong.

Please don't be nasty, I am only just starting out on this CV journey, and am really a novice in a big way.

thanks;

Jm

Image Not Substance?!

The whole CV thing has got me thinking.

Why are we always so concerned with image? Why can't someone write about what they've done so that you can see what they are capable of?!

Why is it that people are more interested in your 'image' than in you as a person?

Surely in order to know whether someone is suitable for a role, you need to know what they've done and experienced, what skills they bring to the table?

Doesn't our experience shape us, or is it all just 'spin' we should be thinking about?

I'm a bit fed up as you can tell.

I have NO idea where to start.

On The Post About My CV....

Maybe I'm just too "nice".

*sigh*

Oh Dear.

I've been writing a CV today, and have just rung up a professional CV hotline who I had sent it to, who have just basically slagged it off big style (in a nice way) .

I'm really depressed now, I've been working on it for months, and it seems according to the professionals, it's complete rubbish. It's too long, and I've done everything the wrong way round apparently. I know that this company will charge me for writing a professional CV, so in some ways theyre bound to say it's no good so that they can get my money, but the guy on the phone said employers won't even look at it at all.

I really can't afford the money they're asking though.

I'm gonna have to ask someone for help I guess, who doesn't charge.

their "entry level" salary on the system is £0 - £19,000 which I thought was loads!!

Apparently I musn't use a template, I musn't write about my role and responsibilities, but write about me, and I musn't put too much detail down about my education.

I thought they were all good things, but apparently not.

Maybe I am condemned to this job and a very low wage forever....

:(

Sunday, April 09, 2006

World Coffee Of The Day

is....

"Costa Rica", a mild aromatic coffee grown in the Naranjo Mill based in the highlands of... Costa Rica, unsurprisingly!!

It is dark, although mild, with a nutty flavouring, and is reminiscent of summer skies and steamy, oppresive heat that clings to the skin.

Yum.

Coffee Of The Day...

I've decided, since I got a selection of coffees from around the world for Christmas off my brother, from now on, I will let you enjoy what I am drinking each day.

Today's coffee coming up in a moment....

YAY!!!!

I've just found out I get my new contact lenses on TUESDAY!!!

I'l llook simply fabulous again DAHHH-LING....

:-)

*is excited*

King Of Kings

Today is Palm Sunday for those of you who don't know, and for those of us who follow Jesus, it's a great day to celebrate Jesus announcing His Kingdom.

Many people traditionally look at Palm Sunday as the "beginning of the end", asa they think of this signalling Jesus' last week on earth before his cruel death; but actually, it was more like the "end of the beginning", in that Jesus proclaimed on this day that He was here to do something completely different, that would change the world forever. No more would God's people worry about their relationship with Him, no more would they have to go through ritual to make themselves right before him, because this week, His Son would die to announce a new covenant, written in blood, and cut into the very hands and feet of His Son.

This week he would announce that He was King of the whole Universe, not merely just a people group. This week He would show that God's love would be open to anyone.

This week he would show that God would rather die than be separated from us.

This week, death itself would die, and it's power over us in fearing it would be broken, as God would raise His Son from the dead, justifying everything he had taught and lived during his short life here on earth.

This week he would die to make us ultimately free.

Free of things that hold us back, free of things that prevent us from moving forward, free of worry over our life, free of hurts, pains and regrets.

Free to love Him because He first loved us.

We shouldn't mourn Palm Sunday, we should celebrate, as Jesus himself said on that day : "even these very stones will cry out in praise".

The whole of creation waits this week, this Holy Week, to be redeemed.

Finally.

Ultimately.

Completely.

Painfully.

For Jesus, Palm Sunday was the announcement to the world of why He'd come. He'd come to set up His Kingdom, and NOTHING would stop it.

That's why I love Palm Sunday.

Hallelujah!

P.S...

Did I mention I'm going to become an UNCLE in September?!

:-)

My brother and his wife are expecting the patter of tiny feet soon!

I can't wait!

Whether I have a niece or a nephew, I'm going to spoil them rotten!

Hehe.

Saturday, April 08, 2006

As A Result Of This Week....

I think God is calling me to become a librarian worship leader.

What kind of course can you do for that?!

Week Away...

I've been away at a Christian Conference called Spring Harvest that lot's of good evangelical Christians like to go to every year. It's held in two locations every year, Minehead and Skegness, in Butlins camps. I've just come back from the Skegness site, I was helping to run the very large bookstall there.

My main job was as the assistant stock manager, which consisted of getting approximately £300,000 worth of stock on the shelves, and organising the extra that we had no space for in an efficient way on the stage so that the next three teams who arrive, (S.H. runs for four weeks) will be able to find stuff.

I spent hours and hours sorting out books, dvd's and cd's into alphabetical order, and different catergories, in very low lighting in the space behind the stage. Because Graeme and I are both not very tall, and worked up there most of the week for hours at a time, they put a big label on the door to the stage saying "THE HOBBIT HOLE"!!! I was nicknamed Frodo, and Graeme was nicknamed Bilbo, 'cos he's quite a bit older than me.

It's strange how my blog title and my chat name are spilling into my "real" "offline" life....