All About Me Meme
Gacked from septemberrains:
10 Things About Me
1. I'm English.
I didn't realise how English I was until I spent my year abroad in Germany - there was so much I missed while I was out there, both in terms of things I couldn't buy and in attitude/ways of thinking and behaving. One of the Dutch Air Force teachers based near where I lived took pity on me and took me to the local NAAFI so I could stock up ona few of the things I couldn't get anywhere else (such as baked beans, english sausages, 'proper' peanut butter...)
2. I live in Hull
I was born and brought up in south Essex, but moved to Hull when I came up here to university. And I've now lived here for 23 years. I met my husband, who is local, while I was in my final year at Uni, which sort of cemented my decision to stay here. My accent is now quite a curious mix: I lost the Essex 'Eastenders' accent while at Uni, but it still returns a bit if I get irate, and some of my vowel sounds are now most definitely northern!
3. I'm a chartered accountant by training.
After graduating from Uni, I trained as a chartered accountant with a national medium-sized firm that had an office here in Hull. Shortly before I qualified, the firm merged was bought out by one of the Big Four. I really disliked the change in atmosphere that brought about, so I moved into industry 6 months after I qualified.
4. More specifically, I'm a tax specialist
Or at least, I *was* until this latest job, which started last August. I spent 13 years working in the tax department of a food manufacturing company, doing mainly corporate tax compliance work, but also pretty much anything that had the word 'tax' in the title (CIS scheme, P11Ds, PSA, VAT, etc., etc.) I was made redundant about 1½ years ago, but ended up back at the same company temporarily for another 5 months. I then spent 2½ months unemployed from this time last year before I started this job, which sidesteps me back into Financial Accounting on an SAP implementation project. I'm trying not to lose my tax knowledge, though, as it's a useful filter to view things through that my colleagues don't necessarily have.
5. I'm a wife and mother
I've been married for 17½ years, and I have two daughters, currently aged 10 and 11
6. I occasionally write fanfiction
And specifically Harry Potter fanfiction. I started a chaptered 5th year fic called Harry Potter and the Missing Memories before OotP came out. As I have the whole story mapped out, I've tried (every now and then) to keep writing it, despite what new canon brings out, but I'm finding that increasingly more difficult. Not sure I'll ever finish it now. I find it far, far easier to write one-shot ficlets these days. Pretty much everything I've written is either referenced or reproduced on my writing journal, blackletters.
7. I am semi-musical
I play piano and guitar, neither of them brilliantly, and I learned a bit of flute at school as well. These days, I only play the piano for pleasure, whenever the girls let me near it long enough without demanding 'their turn'. I'm part of the church music group and sometimes play acoustic guitar in the band on a Sunday morning.
8. I am a Christian with 'issues'
I've been a practicing Christian since the age of 16. However, much as I still go to church on Sundays and keep up my involvement in the midweek housegroup, musicians and some charity work on top, I currently have some real problems and gripes with the faith I've accepted for the last 26 years. If it wasn't for the people I know and care about, and the fact that we're such an established part of the furniture, I'd probably drop out entirely.
9. I'm going to the USA in two weeks' time!!!!
*bounces happily*
We're going to Disneyland, California, for a family holiday for 6 nights, then flying further up the west coast to Oregon to visit hiddenhibiscus. Hopefully I might manage to meet another couple of LJ friends as well :-) It'll be the first time the kids and I have ever been outside Europe.
*boing*
10. I've had this LJ for 3 years
Or it'll be 3 years sometime next week. And those three years have been such fun! :-D
A Guide To People You May See Referred To On My Journal
1. Hubbie: My husband
2. The Blackettes: A phrase coined by tefkas to describe my daughters. It does make them sound like a 70s pop group or dance troupe!
3. Eldest: My elder daughter, the 11½-year-old, also sometimes referred to by her LJ username of xtreame_sk8
4. Youngest: My younger daughter, the just-turned-10-year-old, also sometimes referred to by her LJ username of faeriegirl1
5. MIL: My mother-in-law, who lives locally here in Hull
6. M&D: My mum and dad, who live down south, west of London, just outside the M25. We tend to see them about 3 or 4 times a year.
7. DD: A German girl who lodged with us for the best part of a year and is still a very frequent visitor.
8. J&L: Church friends who live just round the corner from us. J is currently responsible for Hubbie's burgeoning enthusiasm to get an old sports car!
9. K&J: Friends who used to go to the same church as us, but who ended up on the other side of the most recent church split. Sadly, we're finding it hard to keep up with them these days, which is a shame, because we get on really well.
10. D&D: Two of our church leaders (yes, a female elder!)
Well, there you go :-) If you'd missed any of that in my journal before, now you know. Any questions, do feel free to comment.
10 Things About Me
1. I'm English.
I didn't realise how English I was until I spent my year abroad in Germany - there was so much I missed while I was out there, both in terms of things I couldn't buy and in attitude/ways of thinking and behaving. One of the Dutch Air Force teachers based near where I lived took pity on me and took me to the local NAAFI so I could stock up ona few of the things I couldn't get anywhere else (such as baked beans, english sausages, 'proper' peanut butter...)
2. I live in Hull
I was born and brought up in south Essex, but moved to Hull when I came up here to university. And I've now lived here for 23 years. I met my husband, who is local, while I was in my final year at Uni, which sort of cemented my decision to stay here. My accent is now quite a curious mix: I lost the Essex 'Eastenders' accent while at Uni, but it still returns a bit if I get irate, and some of my vowel sounds are now most definitely northern!
3. I'm a chartered accountant by training.
After graduating from Uni, I trained as a chartered accountant with a national medium-sized firm that had an office here in Hull. Shortly before I qualified, the firm merged was bought out by one of the Big Four. I really disliked the change in atmosphere that brought about, so I moved into industry 6 months after I qualified.
4. More specifically, I'm a tax specialist
Or at least, I *was* until this latest job, which started last August. I spent 13 years working in the tax department of a food manufacturing company, doing mainly corporate tax compliance work, but also pretty much anything that had the word 'tax' in the title (CIS scheme, P11Ds, PSA, VAT, etc., etc.) I was made redundant about 1½ years ago, but ended up back at the same company temporarily for another 5 months. I then spent 2½ months unemployed from this time last year before I started this job, which sidesteps me back into Financial Accounting on an SAP implementation project. I'm trying not to lose my tax knowledge, though, as it's a useful filter to view things through that my colleagues don't necessarily have.
5. I'm a wife and mother
I've been married for 17½ years, and I have two daughters, currently aged 10 and 11
6. I occasionally write fanfiction
And specifically Harry Potter fanfiction. I started a chaptered 5th year fic called Harry Potter and the Missing Memories before OotP came out. As I have the whole story mapped out, I've tried (every now and then) to keep writing it, despite what new canon brings out, but I'm finding that increasingly more difficult. Not sure I'll ever finish it now. I find it far, far easier to write one-shot ficlets these days. Pretty much everything I've written is either referenced or reproduced on my writing journal, blackletters.
7. I am semi-musical
I play piano and guitar, neither of them brilliantly, and I learned a bit of flute at school as well. These days, I only play the piano for pleasure, whenever the girls let me near it long enough without demanding 'their turn'. I'm part of the church music group and sometimes play acoustic guitar in the band on a Sunday morning.
8. I am a Christian with 'issues'
I've been a practicing Christian since the age of 16. However, much as I still go to church on Sundays and keep up my involvement in the midweek housegroup, musicians and some charity work on top, I currently have some real problems and gripes with the faith I've accepted for the last 26 years. If it wasn't for the people I know and care about, and the fact that we're such an established part of the furniture, I'd probably drop out entirely.
9. I'm going to the USA in two weeks' time!!!!
*bounces happily*
We're going to Disneyland, California, for a family holiday for 6 nights, then flying further up the west coast to Oregon to visit hiddenhibiscus. Hopefully I might manage to meet another couple of LJ friends as well :-) It'll be the first time the kids and I have ever been outside Europe.
*boing*
10. I've had this LJ for 3 years
Or it'll be 3 years sometime next week. And those three years have been such fun! :-D
A Guide To People You May See Referred To On My Journal
1. Hubbie: My husband
2. The Blackettes: A phrase coined by tefkas to describe my daughters. It does make them sound like a 70s pop group or dance troupe!
3. Eldest: My elder daughter, the 11½-year-old, also sometimes referred to by her LJ username of xtreame_sk8
4. Youngest: My younger daughter, the just-turned-10-year-old, also sometimes referred to by her LJ username of faeriegirl1
5. MIL: My mother-in-law, who lives locally here in Hull
6. M&D: My mum and dad, who live down south, west of London, just outside the M25. We tend to see them about 3 or 4 times a year.
7. DD: A German girl who lodged with us for the best part of a year and is still a very frequent visitor.
8. J&L: Church friends who live just round the corner from us. J is currently responsible for Hubbie's burgeoning enthusiasm to get an old sports car!
9. K&J: Friends who used to go to the same church as us, but who ended up on the other side of the most recent church split. Sadly, we're finding it hard to keep up with them these days, which is a shame, because we get on really well.
10. D&D: Two of our church leaders (yes, a female elder!)
Well, there you go :-) If you'd missed any of that in my journal before, now you know. Any questions, do feel free to comment.