Ari and Lizzie

I HAVE CREATED MY OWN MEME. This is what maternity leave is good for.

It follows a few conversations I've had about how many different jobs people have had. For example, I believe the gentleman currently covering my maternity leave has had only two, depending on how you count it, whereas I have had over 50.

The rules: list the jobs you have had, including approximate time you worked there and approximate age when you were. The same type of job with different employers counts each time, self-employed type jobs pretty much count as one, but it's up to you how separate you regard(ed) them. You don't necessarily have to have been paid in cash; a job is defined as anything for which you were either paid, aspired to be paid (eg commission or self -employed stuff that never actually made money) and/or had regular responsibilities towards (eg ongoing voluntary work, internships).

I was going to say 'tag as many people as you've had jobs, but I'm not tagging 53 people, so just tag as many folk as you like. I tag everyone reading this on LJ, in an attempt to re-energise LJ.
( my-jobs )
(Most of the very short-term stuff here is when I was temping so was just short-term – sometimes as little as a day - some I quit. It's interesting how the jobs become fewer but longer as I've got older. I might make a graph.)

Hello,

In which I talk politics at length in point 1 (tagged a couple of folk for interest):
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1. So, our international readers: there was a referendum. Stupid 68% of people voted against electoral reform. There was also a Scottish parliament election. To non-Scottish readers: We now have an SNP Government. We did before, but this time, much more so. They didn't actually have a majority before, but they had more than anyone else had, so were allowed to be in charge anyway. But now the other parties have lost so many seats that the Tory, Lib Dem AND Labour leaders are all stepping down in shame.

Here are my thoughts on the election:

It's an odd kind of landslide, because, as far as I can see, it's not really about overwhelming support for the SNP. I think the most prevailing rationale for voting SNP was:

1. I'm not bloody voting Tory: I'm Scottish and we hate the wee bastards
2. I'm not bloody voting Lib Dem: they're the wee other bastards that got in bed with the Tories
3. I'm not bloody voting Labour, they screwed things up royally
4. Actually, the SNP are doing alright so far. Yeah, okay then. 

Few people seem to actually *like* Alex Salmond. I personally suspect him to be a pelican; one day he will open his smug wee mouth fish will fly out in every direction. Maybe he's got Nemo in there, and that's what makes him so self-satisfied.

It's making me really appreciate PR. I'm not going to go into the Scottish electoral system at length but: We have 73 constituencies, each of which has an MSP elected to it. There are then 8 regions throughout Scotland who each then get an additional 7ish MSPs who represent the area. In the previous 3 elections (the Scottish parliament being fairly new) there hasn't been a majority government.

I actually have no problem with coalitions and minority government - I think it can make for a more balanced and representative approach to government (although the current UK coalition is bollocks, because the two parties' political stances are so wildly different). But:

• To get a majority government under PR really must mean that a significant majority of people want that government.
• By the same token, if we only had the constituency MSPs, 75% of MSPs would be SNP, making them all-powerful, with 20% Labour and no-one else meaning anything. When they only had around 50% of the vote, that doesn’t seem right. But because we have other parties from regional votes, they have only a little more than 50%. Given that they had around 50% of the vote, this seem fair and, well, proportional, to me.

Although all the evidence is that support for the SNP does not translate into a public demand for independence, David Cameron (Tory UK Prime Minister/evil robot) is the single strongest weapon the SNP have for Scottish independence. He said "If [the Scots] want to hold a referendum, I will campaign to keep our United Kingdom together, with every single fibre that I have." Given that most people in Scotland would like nothing better than to see Cameron's fibres stretched out across Hadrian's Wall, that quote'll be going on the 'Yes' flyers, then. I'd rather have a pelican than a robot (which was the alternative title to this week's blog)

Nicola Sturgeon really needs to use some of her new found power to get a haircut.

I actually spoilt my ballot, because I couldn't decide. I was tempted to vote SNP, but the Labour guy we have - Malcolm Chisholm - is a good guy. This is testamented by the fact that he's now the only non-SNP MSP in all of Edinburgh.

Here are pictures and graphs I made. The whole country's gone yellow.

2. Talking of yellow, I painted the newly-emptied study. It's now the same colour as the rest of the house and this, combined with its emptiness, makes it look twice as big (It's not entirely empty, just not filled with crap)

3. Helped with marking (and fact-checking) at the Hearts & Minds quiz. Great to see everyone, and meet the New Sarah (whose name is actually Clare). The Traverse quiz team I’m technically part of was there too; lovely to see everyone.

4. Registered for Aquafit. At a tutor’s meeting at Leith Academy last week, I discovered that I get a free class per term. Water based exercise is my favourite kind, so I start a ten week course on Thursday. I will also be trying my best to make it to Zumba on Tuesdays, partly because I have not only Emily but also now Fiona guilting me into doing so. By the time I finish at Edinburgh Uni I’ll be able to climb the stairs (fourth floor) without being out of breath. I will!

5. Talking of Edinburgh Uni, (see how seamlessly linked my blog is today?) they’ve given me full time work for a little while, Really don’t know how long ‘a little while’ might be, but they’re trying to get me on a more permanent contract, at least. It’s not massive security, but it’s a start and I really like it there and they seem to like me, too.

6. I also got accepted as a home online copy-editor for a company who may or may not be a bit dodgy. Still, anything I get from them is bonus money, particularly if I’m working full-time, and I do love doing it.

7. Spent a lot of time moving things in and out of Warriston Road – moving Erin out on Thursday and moving John in yesterday. I should start my own removal business. As long as people understand I don’t like heavy lifting.

8. Went back to the doctor for a follow-up appointment and it was so nice. I saw my own doctor and he was lovely. I was very late being seen, and I was prepared for a quick ‘I was told to make a follow up appointment, but I’m fine now’ ‘Ok, bye then’, but he properly sat and talked to me for about fifteen minutes about how I was feeling, and what support I had, making me laugh and recommending a book which he said wouldn’t revolutionise everything but might help a wee bit. I mentioned in passing about the locum I saw and his iphone and he said ‘Yes, well, thanks for your feedback, he won’t be coming back.’ I get the impression they had a hard time all round with him.

It’s a shame I didn’t get to see my regular dude the first time, because he gave me what I really needed then. But at least I did see him. Though things are looking up generally anyway, I felt a million times lighter and better about the world when I came out of there.

I just spent a long time writing this, and Live Journal (which I intially write it in) deleted the whole thing. Fortunately didn’t take as long to rewrite as it did to write. Hope I haven’t left too much out. Grrrrrrrr.

Rock on,

Lizzie xxxxx

Hello,
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1. So, after last week's melt down I went to see a doctor. He was pretty unhelpful on the whole. He was a locum who I think had been pulled out of retirement. He strongly reminded me of if someone had asked John Wilson's dad if he would mind terribly being a doctor for the day, as they were a bit short handed. But less compassionate.

Me: So, I'm very badly depressed.
Him: Ah! Right! Now. Dr R said to me this morning that if anyone came in with depression, I was to ask them these questions'
Attempts to find relevant thing on computer, failed and takes out his iphone. Asks me a series of questions, this test here, easily found in a number of forms of the internet. I point out that the flaw to this test is that it asks 'over the last two weeks, and the answers are very definite yeses to all the questions, every day for five days, but that two weeks ago I was fine. I get quite pissed off. He doesn't seem to get it, but offers me antidepressants, and my answer is a clear 'No fucking way'. 

The good news is he signed me off sick for two weeks. Of course it's a bit odd, given that I'm self employed, but I feel that it's bought me permission to just have a wee bit of respite and be off sick and try and take care of myself.

I'm feeling much better than I was. My sleep patterns are still messed up, and I'm not liking going outside, but I'm more anxious than depressed now, mostly. Ari, as ever, has been a beacon of wonder and support.
 
2. Took advantage of the time off to sort out the study and the house generally. Tidying helps me with brain stuff, like I'm tidying my head, too. The study is now unrecognisable. We're taking down all the big shelves, and then we can finally paint it. We put a whole load of stuff in the attic (which has been a revelation to us both; there's so much space up there) and sorted a *lot* of things to give away.

Lunchtime update today, if I can squeeze it in.

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I realise for a paragraph that started 'oh my, how lovely' that ended rather negatively. But it was lovely. I stayed home and Ari made mushroom soup and rubbed my feet and we caught up on Glee. Sunday, we went for a cat feeding mission again, then it was Sketchy's, which Ari was hosting again, then we went to Chop Chop to spend the £25 voucher they sent me. Hurrah!

2. On Friday I finished up my hours at Magnetic North. There may be a future there, but for now I pleased to have finished up that section of work, because it didn't quite go according to plan (my fault) and was stressing me a lot. Big weight off my shoulders.

3. Then I came home and, Ari was at uni getting pissed (HUGE deadline for her on Friday, lots of assignments in, she now has only her dissertation and no more classes) so I rearranged the furniture. I moved the sideboard sideways, and we now have it set up so the printer is a thing we can actually get to, and put paper in and stuff. Crazy biscuits. I can't remember if I mentioned this, but John and I investigated the attic a couple of weeks ago which was very fun. I am planning to box up a few things we need to keep but don't really need (like photos, and a Virgin Media box which they told us we have to keep (wtf btw?)) and stick them in the attic. It's part of a master plan to Sort Out The Study, which is part of a larger master plan to Sort Out The House, which is part of a larger master plan to Sort Out My Life

4. Went to a taster Zumba class, at the newly-reopened Calton Centre. It's only £4, and next to my house, so I think I might start going regularly.

5. Interviewed Tim Minchin. After a certain amount of delay in timings their end, I got put through, via the PR . It's the first time I've not just had someone's direct line to call. Obviously he's Too Big for that kind of thing. Still, it was exciting. 'Hello, Lizzie from The Skinny' he said 'Hello, Tim' I said, and managed not to giggle.

My feelings about Tim Minchin are in fact very mixed. I love his style, and the way he approaches comedy, and I'm really excited about his orchestra tour. I loved his Pope song because it got down to the important stuff, and 'White Wine in the Sun' has become an intrinsic part of Christmas in our household. But he's also a very Angry Atheist to the point of blind bitterness and losing track of aforementioned important stuff.

I had hoped to maybe get into all that a bit more with him, but I wasn't given much time, so I didn't. He asked me what I thought of Storm and what my views on religion v rationalism etc were. Re-listening to the poem afterwards, what I think is that it's bitter and self-contradictory. However, when he asked me I hadn't heard it in a long time, so all I could remember was it being quite forthrightly skeptical. I said that I thought skepticism could go too far sometimes, but that I really liked the Pope song and that my wife was Australian and we listened to White Wine in the Sun every Christmas, and cried. He said that was fantastic. I blushed.

Mostly because I still do occasionally, when coming out to people. I sometimes still feel awkward using the word 'wife', I suppose because it's not legally correct. I persist in doing it because I believe that is part of my small action to change society, but sometimes I blush. But it was also because I got a chance to tell the writer of one of my favourite ever songs that I loved it, and he seemed dead pleased. Hee hee.

Am planning a blog  / series of blogs about the whole religion/skepticism debate and may possibly use 'Storm' as a jumping off point. Let's see if that actually happens.

He direct messaged me on Twitter to say thank you. I giggled.

I am so contrary.

6. Got excited about a job and, after three phonecalls and two emails, was told the job did not exist, despite still being advertised. I know, illegal. I didn't report them because by that point it was the day before the advertised deadline. Seemed a bit pointless. There's another job being advertised at the moment that is quite shiny, so fingers crossed.

Ok,. that shot a tiny bit over my lunch hour. Better skedaddle, kids.

Have an aces week,

Lxxxx

 Hello. Lots to report this week.

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2. There was a mouse in the house on Monday night. She sat in Cedric’s bowl, eating his food. This proved prophetic – after attempts to get her out, we had to leave her and Cedric to it. In the morning he was very happy, and not hungry. So much for his diet.

3. The MagicF continues. I went to Glasgow on Thursday night for it, and stayed over at Julia’s house, which was fun. I also didn’t so much as speak to Ari for over 24 hours. I think that’s the first time that’s happened in nearly seven years.

In Glasgow I:

• Caught up with Sarah D. We went to see a slightly bizarre but cool show, and had dinner. I am waiting to see how the MOT goes to plan a visit.

• Met up with Gareth to see the Magners Festival Club (very good, recommended, review should be up on the Skinny site soon). Unfortunately arrived late and were sat in the front row. Hate the front row when I’m reviewing the show. I would say ‘ha! Teach me to be late!’, but I was only late because of the other show and I will never learn to not go and see lots of shows.

• Saw most of the Awesome Comedy Film Touching the Void. Gritty real-life mountaineering re-enactment with the best punchline EVER. Even beats Ari’s current favourite, from Life is Beautiful.

• Got to hang out a wee bit in Glasgow, rather than my usual frantic back-and-forth. Have a newfound love for it.

• Went on SubCity Radio to talk about the MagicF. Was a bit ill-prepared, but it was fun.

4. Everything is ending this week. Tomorrow is my last day at Hearts & Minds, and then on Wednesday I finish Stupid Dalkeith Job. Friday, or the beginning of next week, should be the last of my Magnetic North hours, too. The first is sad, but I did get a goodbye muffin. The second I’m pretty darned happy about, though I am also going for a last day lunch, mostly because someone else is finishing up there, too. The people are lovely, to be fair, it’s just far and dull. The third I will be glad to get tied up, just because it’s been delayed for various reasons.

5. Other work prospects are…ok. I’m doing some work on a symposium in Glasgow in June, which will be about one day a week starting for next week, a I have one day a week back at Edinburgh Uni, with the prospect of more hours. I need another solid day to be breaking even. It would be nice to start turning a profit and paying off debt though.

6. I totally saw a couple having sex on the street, on Rossie Place. I turned the corner and thought the girl was possibly being attacked; she was pinned up against the wall and moaning. Then I realised she was enjoying herself. Then I realised she was really enjoying herself, and crossed the street so as not to bump into them. Up against a colonies house! I ask you.

7. Saw Georgie – once at Jonathan’s leaving do, (where a friend of hers accidentally spilt a glass of red wine on me. She was * so * apologetic, and so marvelled about how nice I was being about it, that I can only think she must have really mean friends.) and then again yesterday for lunch. Always so lovely to catch up.

8. Secret project from last week was the making of Hazel’s doll’s house. Ok, ‘making’ is a slight exaggeration. It’s a house we rescued that had been put out for the bins, but was perfectly fine. I did it up for Hazel’s birthday, as she had an ‘everything is tiny’ theme. So for most of the past two weeks I have been:

• Painting the outside of the house
• Stripping some of the wallpaper
• Painting the inside of the house
• Ripping out the carpets
• Tiling two floors; one in cardboard and one in real tiles (the mosaic tiles from our bathroom)
• Knitting a carpet
• Weaving a different carpet
• Making tiiiny furniture, including a washing machine.

I think she likes it – I hope so. It was hella fun to make, but is not yet fully furnished so there can still be fun in Hazel’s future.

9. Saturday night was the night of two parties - went to Mo's fairly early, which apparently is a first - there were places to sit, and there was room in the kitchen, and all sorts of fabulous things. I had one glass of wine, which was apparently one too many; once I got to Hazels' house I went to lie down on her bed for about half an hour as the world was spinning and I felt really, really terrible. I got up and drank water and managed to get a little bit more balanced before I went home, though, and was able to appreciate the tiny tiny party, albeit through a brain fug.

10. Completed the census, with some difficulty. It kept asking me questions about my main job, and I don’t really have a main job, so had to give multiple answers.

11. I am very glad that March is on its way out. It has been a pisser of a month (albeit with some moments of joyful magic). I anticipate great things in April.

Happy Monday!

Lxxxxx

Hi,

This was originally going to be called something like 'equilibrium'. But that was broken somewhat yesterday.

I'll keep this chronological, though. Skip to 4 if you like. Alternatively, skip 4 entirely. It's a bit bleak and personal and the whole thing is much cheerier without it.

( many-things )

I hope you all have lives filled with love of all kinds, today and every day


xxxx

Hello,

Wasn't sure if I'd have time this morning as I have been busy trying to look nice; I have a job interview at 11, though am into work first. I'm about ready though and I figured I'd feel calmer if I could do this before setting off (nearly wrote 'karma' there. I blame John Lennon, now on Six Music).

Also good for Jackie's Monday morning procrastination.
( This_week )

Happy Monday!

Lxxx

 Morning!

( Awake! )

Happy Monday,

Lizzie xx

 Hello!

Happy brand spanking new year! I think it's going to be excellent.

( to-begin... )
Fifty-two Happy Mondays to you all xxxxxxxxx

Hey kids,

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