Motivation Day

Tommorrow is National Motivation Day and in my current mood I am needing all the motivation I can get. Health problems are making my mood really low at the moment and I'm a bit of a psycho bitch troll from hell. I just had a domestic with thingy over a carrier bag. It's time to look at things in perspective.

What do you need motivating on? I am feeling really frustrated with my career alately. I know I should be grateful to even have a job in the current climate but when you know you are capable of more - argh! So instead of getting sulky (even more) about the situation its time to be pro-active, to motivate myself. My CV needs updating badly. So tommorrow I'm going to revive it from its grim state and give it a much needed update and clean up. Then I'm going to make a list of all the companies I'd love to work with and write up a cover sheet and send that along with my CV to them in a leaflet drop marketing style campaign. If the mountain wont come to cher!

Healthwise - My stomach is giving me hell at the moment and its made me look at my diet and lifestyle. So from tommorrow I aim to:

* Drink a litre and half of water a day
* Make sure I get half an hour to an hour exercise per day
* Eat more fruit and veg
* Stop stressing so much over things I have no control about
* Pamper myself more and be more calm!
* Try to lose half a stone

In other news I got paid today, Can I get a woop woop! In crap news I'm still skint. All my direct debits came out today leaving me skint again for another 4 weeks. Bah! I want a summer dress as a treat and ill be damned if I don't get one. I have my eye on this little beauty which alot of you will probably think eeep but it's so me! DRESS very summery. It will be mine.

The warmest weekend of the year!

and my IBS chooses to play up. The nausea I've had all week has got steadily worse and today after going to the hairdressers - had caramel highlights done - and a plate of chips and sausage. I hurled. and stuff. Slept for 2 hours. My head feels like its swimming. I got a bit upset earlier with the whole 'why me', 'why the hottest weekend of the year' and thingy held me and I cried and pitied myself. Then I got over it.

The feeling ill seems to lower my tolerance levels somewhat too. EVERYTHING is annoying me. But the neighbour we hadn't realised lived in the same block as us until this morning wound me up tenfold.

We live in a block of four flats. We thought one of them was empty but apparently a little 'sweet' old lady lives there. She hadn't made her presence known until today when she decided to introduce herself to us with an attack on us apparently nicking her parking space. We have 2 cars and have parked them in the parking spaces adjacent to the flat as

1) no one told us one of them was her spot
2) she doesn't have a car
3) NO ONE TOLD US NOT TO!

She kindly said 'Ah, Ive been wanting to bump into you two. Id like my parking space back please, I let it go for the first couple of weeks you moved in but its been what 14, 15 now, and my daughter came last week and struggled to park. Its my space and Ive been thinking about having private parking painted on it to stop other people parking there.' to which we replied sorry we had no idea, it wasn't done out of malice just no-one informed us it was your designated spot but her tone was so attacking and downright nasty it upset me and poked the angst fire within. There was no hello, I live in number so and so, nice to meet you, if you don't mind blah blah. Instead it was accusatory and said with do much disrespect! We told her no one had told us otherwise so we had carried on parking but she just carried on blithering. ugh! So immediately after I moved my car. I wish she had just knocked on our door and told us earlier. What is it about *some* elderly people that makes them so insensitive with words?! No need whatsoever, we are actually nice people if you talk to us nicely lady!

Bad day for spending. So it doesn't count.

Sleepy

Since injection yesterday been very sleepy and not really feeling myshelf. After work today came home and fell asleep on the sofa 2 hours. It's really not like me and I kinda feel out of sorts now and a bit dithery. It may be the hot weather as its so warm on the ward and we can't have windows open wide because of the absconding risk. Plus the nurses keep nicking my fan so I am left a hot sweaty mess.

I forgot to update you on my spends yesterday as I was so upset about the PIU unit closing (and still am furious).

Yesterday - Spent £2 parking at hospital and GP's in morning. Thingy run out of petrol and is skint til payday which is tomorrow for him so I had to buy him a petrol can £5 plus £10 petrol and some fags as he was so stressed with the inhumanity of running out of petrol only a couple of days after boasting his volvo had never done so and would never do so! Karma heard him. I put a fiver petrol in my car and bought some chocolate M&Ms as I was craving the sugary bad boys. SO in total yesterday my spend was aprox £23. Which is a bit shit but things happen which you can't plan for THINGY TAKE NOTE - FILL YO CAR WITH GAS, CRANK.

Today - Brilliant day as I haven't spent a dime. The fridge is like a sparse desert land where only cans of fosters (I won them!) and a nondescript block of cheese have survived. Roll on payday.

In other news - My tooth chipped today. A bit of enamel is sharp and catching on my tongue and a complete bugger. The dentist told me to ring back on Monday for an emergency appointment. Cue my fear of dentist (being out of control!) coming to the fore. Also went for a short walk to the reservoir and saw the ducklings. There are two sets of about six. They are growing so quickly. I asked thingy about nicking one as a pet for the flat. He didn't think it was a good idea, I shall have to carry on my admiration from afar.

Hope you are penny pinching still with me - and doing slightly better.

TIRED CHER X

pssst- am thinking of running a comp soon for you lovely lot. If I get any comments of YEY GO FOR IT I will consider.

bonne nuit x

The state of the NHS

Today I went for my fortnightly humira injection FIND OUT WHAT HUMIRA IS HERE!

I have this as part of my crohns treatment at the local hospital in the Planned Investigation Unit there, I've been going for 2 years now so am really friendly with the nurses and we are both sick of seeing each other! The treatment has been a godsend which I am entirely grateful for and never take for granted. My wellbeing and quality of life has increased tenfold since starting it.

Today I turned up to the ward to see a sign saying the PIU had moved to the endoscopy unit. In previous weeks they have moved it about the hospital for different reasons so I trudged up the stairs expecting to see all the same friendly faces and have my jab and run home in time for the football. Upon arriving I was completely bemused. I saw 2 staff nurses and 2 HCA's (health care assistants) running around like mad women and they told me to take a seat and they would see me soon. I sat in the endoscopy recovery section where once endoscopy patients come around they sit before their discharged. There was me and other PIU patients, some of whom were connected to drips, sat about. After an hour one of the staff nurses told me they would do my jab. She put me in a room about 2 foot by 3 which hardly constituted being called a consultation room. She was sharing this with the diabetes nurse and after ten minutes of waiting in there, she called me out again as the diabetes nurse needed to use it. She put me on a bed in the corner of the endoscopy recovery room where the others were sat and pulled a curtain around me. There were patients notes dotted around the floor, confidential information for all to see and hardly any privacy so we all basically knew what each other was having done.

When they had the jab and medication card and both staff nurses came to me I asked what was going on. Apparently at the beginning of the week they had been informed the PIU unit was to shut to save money from the budget the trust owed. The ward manager and other staff nurses had been designated other jobs within the hospital and all the PIU patients were now to be seen in this area of the endoscopy suite > no private cubicles or beds > and the 2 staff nurses and 2 HCA's were in charge of all patients from what is a busy, busy ward at the best of times. They looked totally in shock, in disarray and stressed at the task before them. How the hell is that meant to be best clinical practice for patients within the NHS? I know they are hugely in debt but to put at risk patients by overworking staff, in an unhygienic environment with no organisation is totally irresponsible. The nurses hadn't had any dinner, had more and more patients coming through the door and were struggling to keep their head above the water so to speak. They did my jab and told me that next time I had to go they would probably still be there. One of the nurses said she had woken up dreading the day before her.

This really upset me for many reasons. These are hardworking, professional nurses who are being pissed about by management. Patient's now have no privacy or confidentiality. No beds to lie in. No quality of care only what the overworked nurses can summon between running around like headless chickens. I felt so sorry for them. I don't know whether to complain about what I saw and if it would make any difference? It seems its only going to get worse too. There are daily newsreports in the local papers more jobs are to be cut in our area. I can't help but worry about whats going to happen next.

Cosmo Product Testing

Just wanted to add a quick tip for any money saving readers! Cosmo frequently advertise for product testers for various beauty products on facebook and the cosmo website. You give them your address details, age, employment status and any health/skin problems you have and in return if you are lucky to be picked they occasionally send you beauty products ranging from cheapo to more luxurious and you test & keep them over a short period and fill in a short questionnaire telling them how you went on. If you return the questionnaire within a set time you also get entered into a prize draw. What do cosmo get out of it, I hear you cry? Well the brand promoters get to use your results as part of the statistics quoted in advertising(99% of Cosmo readers said they wouldn't leave home without it!).

In the past 3 weeks I have been seriously lucky to get 3 products to try. Today I got this Sanctuary Facial Oil which I've just applied for the first time and am loving, it smells gorge Lovingly stroke me . Last week I got sent some savlon (or was it sudocrem?!) moisturising face cream to try which I've not got around to yet. And lo and behold the week previous I got sent a £100 Philips epilator to try! Click to see it! Tried this last week and ouch ouch ouch, it nipped. I've never used an epilator before and I thought I had a high pain threshold but it's a biting little thing. I'm going to persevere though as it says on the instructions to use for short periods at a time to begin with to get used to the sensation.

I highly recommend signing up to be a cosmo product tester if you get the opportunity. I feel extra privileged to get sent such lovely products to try. Honesty is always the best policy too so I never just reply saying what I know the product promoter would like to hear, only if it's actually warranted.

Love trying new beauty products! If I stumble across any extra special finds I promise to tell you lot about them first.

Hazy days

Hey gang (anyone.. anywhere..)

The summer has really kicked in weather wise, everything is in place. World cup - tick, Wimbledon - tick, Elsanta strawberries - tick, ripe juicy peaches - tick, pasty men with tops off parading about streets - tick.

Had my second audio typing class today, the server was down for the first half hour so we did some homophone work which made me feel about 5 years old (I aint homophonic!). Then we did practice on reports and tables from the audio, found it quite easy but I think because I have nearly finished my level 3 in text processing and I know how picky the OCR tutors are its really helped. The exam isn't until November though. How far away?! but we do get the school summer holidays off as a break so at least we aren't expected to go every week to be bored out of our brains. In teachers pet news - she's still bugging me.

Have been for a walk with thingy tonight around the old colliery site we live near. Barnsley is full of disused sites, but this has been regenerated with lots of trees, a small pond, flowers and lots of fields to walk through. We must have walked about 3 miles. We then walked through the church graveyard in the village. I know it sounds morbid but I'm fascinated with old gravestones. These were from as early as 1800. Most of the people had died around the age of 30 which really hit home. They weren't that much older than I am now. It's a beautiful church and really well maintained and it had this lovely feeling of peace. I'm not going to become a goth and hang about cemeteries from now on or owt but it was a brilliant walk (bar the bit where I thought we were lost) and we agreed to definitely do it again in our get fit quest.

Money spent today - £8. I failed to not spend! but but but.. we needed bread and milk and chocolate dammit. Must try harder.

Hope you are having a fruitful week! Good luck England!!!!!!!!

Clack.

And so another Monday arriveth! Had quite a pleasant day, work was really quiet and calm (plus a tad boring!), came home did some chores, watched some football, tennis, pineapple dance studio I'd recorded - Louis Spence is the bestest. Then I got the urge to do something energetic, my sis had been for her daily power walk so I did half an hour hardcore motha pulling weeding in the garden. It works up quite a sweat and slowly but surely the garden is coming together - we moved here 3 months ago, its a private rented flat within a mini building type effort - and has lots of land around it. There's so many snails.. ick and gunky crap, I'm just pulling everything I don't like the look of out and going to restart again with it from scratch. There is also the bush of stubbornness that is now my nemesis. I have cut it right back and am waiting for thingy to attack it with an electric chainsaw (the bush massacre) but its goading me in the meantime. The roots are like 'PULL HARDER' , 'AGAIN BITCH, HARDER' and 'HA, YOU REALLY THOUGHT YOU COULD PULL US OUT?!'. It's dead physically but by god, the roots wont piss off.

When thingy came home from work I bugged him to go for a walk, we both want to make an effort to get fitter and as it's so warm I didn't want to waste the opportunity so we walked a couple of miles around the surrounding countryside. The sun was basking, so bright and warm against my skin and the breeze was just right. I could have walked all night (if I'd been wearing MBT's), there were some chavvy milk bottle skinned lads skinny dipping in the reservoir dodging mouldy bread left for the ducks whilst one of those £1 BBQ tray things glowed with burgers that looked decidedly red and part alive that made us laugh.

On the money front, I have spent NOTHING today which is brilliant. Tomorrow I aim to do the same. 8 days to payday. How are you lot doing?

Weekends go so quickly

and then its the start of another working week! I'm on t-3 weeks to my next week annual leave. I realise I work part time and it doesn't really constitute moaning about but it feels like full time to me! We have a few days away planned for my week off, a dentist trip which I'm already cacking about and lots of relaxing!

The rhinos lost today which was a bummer.. to the welsh crusaders. The south stand took it as well as they always do, thingy especially. Abusing the ref and the touch line judge. At one point thingy shouted 'nice arse' to him to get his attention. Slighltly concerning.

My cash spent for today constitutes - £20 rugby ticket, which is an occasional treat so allowed methinks. £4 drinks at pub prior to game. Not bad! I have bugger all to spend this week so I am going to aim for a few days spend free. I will miss you chocolate. My constant companion :|

Spendaholics unite.

Just been having tea (prepared by thingy, tagitelle & pork chop - GORGEOUS and a surprising combination that worked, v well. I is a bloated pig) and caught a repeat of the old programme Spendaholics. I think it used to be on BBC3? The premise is people in debt who spend needlessly and endlessly get counselled and given a budget and an overhaul of how they spend. Alot of the time spending is down to emotions, undealt with issues and a need to cover up the cracks in life. Its scarey how quickly these people fall into debt and its something I can relate to. Although I'm not in debt per se, I do have a next catalogue which I'm ever so fond of spreeing on when things are a bit shitty. Also I had an egg card which I balance transferred to my bank and have refused to spend on and am paying off slowly but surely. At one time in my life I was off work sick and leant on the egg card as a way of getting by and treating myself but it racked up quite alot of debt quickly, the interest felt like it was drowning me and it became a real worry. Once its paid off, I will never ever get another credit card. It just isnt worth the worry it gave me.

The programme has got me thinking about how often I spend and if I really need the things I buy. Take for instance today.. I've spent 70 quid in the space of 2 hours. Yikes. Paying a mobile bill for a phone I don't use but havent cancelled the contract of (have since cancelled when the aburdity hit me), food shopping, dental stuff for poorly gums and coffee with thingy. It's so easily done and afterwards I get really frustrated with myself. I need to start saving for lots of things in the future, a new house, car, holidays! I just can't seem to stop myself when I know the money is there in my bank. It's something I'm going to make a real effort with kerbing (or is it curbing?!). If I make a note of how much I spend and what on everyday at the end of my blog posts, it might make me realise how wasteful I'm being.. or um something like that. Anyone in the same predicament? Help me out!!

BTW if anyone is still wondering what was in the packages at the post office, it was 4 books I won from twitter comps!! All good stuff and now sat next to my bed waiting to be read. Comping is thrifty!! I can't remember the last time I bought a book.

Hope you are all having savvy saturdays
SKINT CHER!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, I'm in love

Hello Bloglings!

Apologies for my failure to post on a daily basis :\ I knew when I started it would be optimistic to try and do that but I figured I could do it for atleast a week before lapsing. Cue the meek excuse - the audio typing literally mashed my head. Not literally, the tutor didnt come at me with a potato masher, but the migraine I got the afternoon after has plagued me all week ever since. I have been an utter mourngepot to live with (thanks for putting up with me my lovely thingy.. thingy is my online nickname for my boyfriend by the by). I'm still suffering and have skived from my other typing class this afternoon to come home and wallow on the sofa whilst watching BB11 live - just the mindless crap I need to soothe me.

I am so, so, so glad its Friday. This weekend should be a relaxing one for the most part. I have no plans other than watching the Leeds Rhinos at Headingley on Sunday - I am a convert since meeting thingy and can reguarly be found at home games hurling abuse at the bloody ref and ogling the players beefy thighs. Phwoargh. Hope you have all remembered Sunday is Father's day too. Its a strange one for me. I haven't seen my biological father in 15 years. We only communicate via cards for special dates and then the written word is minimum shielding a barrage of unspoken feelings from either side. The real person I considered my Dad, my stepdad, passed away 5 years ago so my thoughts will be with him on Sunday wishing he was at the rugby with me or grumbling about the vuvuzela's at the world cup. He was a lovely, gentle man and we all miss him hugely. So for me give the father figure in your life a big hug and make sure they know you love them this Father's day.

Here's hoping England win tonight!

a migraine fuelled mourngey bugger CHER

In 20 words or less..

I hate competitions that require actual thought, nay, intelligence and wit to win. For no matter how hard I sit and ponder albeit half heartedly whilst scoffing galaxy.. I know someone, somewhere out there is that bit more annoyingly creative and naturally eloquent that they will literally poo all over my feeble entry. Im just trying to think why I love Liz Earle's cleanse & polish in 20 words or less to win beauty goodies and a facial at a posh London place click here to outwit my ass & win and all I can summon from the recesses of my withering brain cells is 'cos it makes my face shiny'. Think ill bookmark the link and come back to it later..

Todays highlights have been sparse and rather uninspiring. I attended my first audio typing class which I'm hoping will give me a step up the ladder in my quest to become the first friendly medical secretary in the NHS. It all went well, but left me with a bugger of a migraine. Mental note - next time wear glasses. I also met someone who mildly annoyed me - think 50 year old teachers pet. Im putting it down to hormones. Im a rampant hormonal fiend, but I shall see how/if the annoyance progresses in further classes. Work was average. No time for a cup of coffee though - always disappointing. Upon arriving home the migraine had snowballed in my catastrophised mind to a potential brain tumour. So I took 2 painkillers and slept hazily on the sofa, coming around groggily every so often dreamily intaking heavy scenes from Dog the bounty hunter. He had his top off. It got intense. I roused. He needs to lose the mullet.

To leave this post on a cliffhanger.. I have 2 red cards to pick parcels up from the post office and no idea what they contain. Wheeeeee << me excited. My postman, seemingly, can't be arsed to press the doorbell and give me the parcel, and would rather just shove the red card through even when Im sat 10 feet away and make me drive 5 miles into town, pay £1 parking and queue for half an hour to be handed them - *hearting* the royal mail. If I awake sufficiently early to go into town for them, I promise to inform thee all of my glad tidings.

bonne nuit

CHER

Hey you guys!!!!!!!

Hi all whom stumble across my blog!

After much ummm'ing and such forth I have decided to vent my spleen in the form of the written word, hence this blog. I can't promise it will be intellectually stimulating, nor interesting, or gramatically correct.. but I do promise to be honest, painfully so at times and hope that I can make you smile on days when you need a smile or aghast with shock when you want a good read at the ups and downs of my seemingly dysfunctional life!

I'm a competition-loving, giggly, immature, psychiatric ward admin clerk, with crohns, the beginnings of grey hair and a magnetic like attraction to the weird and wonderful in life! So if you fancy a virtual latte, huge calorie-less choc chip cookie and a natter. Hang about and I promise to have a goss on a (hopefully) daily basis and befriend thee like Ant did with Dec on the set of Byker Grove.

Thanks for reading!

CHER