Hello, Livejournal!
Hello LiveJournal! It's been a while! :P Sorry, not sure what happened there...
So, life has taken over again! I think since the last time I posted, I've got a new job and moved house. Have also not long returned from another fantabulous Discworld Convention. I'm now skint-broke, not sure how happy or otherwise I am at the current state of affairs, but I sorta kinda feel that things are going in the right direction. (There's no rewind button in life so I certainly hope that they are!)
So, first thing: new job! I was fortunate enough to be offered a position as a canine carer with the UK's biggest dog welfare charity, Dogs Trust! Dream come true, no? Was so amazingly pleased to have been given this opportunity and, thus far, 4 months in, I can safely say that I am loving it. It's hard work, physically and mentally, but so satisfying and I hope that I can finally, before I reach 30, start to build on a *career*! Probabtion ends after 6 months so November-time, I think, after which I shall hopefully be made permanent and can look at building on upwards and learning more skills from there. :) Good times!
Second thing: new house. This kinda came at short notice and, not too long ago, I was given 6 weeks to find somewhere else to live. Being suddenly out of a share house and on your own, trying to find somewhere affordable - which will accept a dog! - is very tricky! Fortunately I have found somewhere fairly reasonable which isn't too far from where I work, making the commute shorter, but it's meant a big change in lifestyle for my dog, who now is on his own for most of my working days. I do go home and see him at lunch time but I'm praying thatg he makes the adjustment because my only other alternative is to lose him - and I can't bear that thought, though if it was the best thing for him, I'd do it. I think he is beginning to adapt, which is good, because I had serious fears he wouldn't for the first few days!
It's also difficult for me because I'm suddenly on my own and, moving house being expensive, have no money at all right now. I'm hoping it balances out in the end, but the initial costs for renting a property are so ridiculous, what with the massive deposit and month's rent you're expected to pay in advance, and that doesn't even cover the costs of moving house and furnishing the thing. I may have to look into finding a house mate to help ease the expense but that's another sticky issue, especially if I'm considering a complete stranger. Gah. Why is it so expensive to live?
Anyway, I now live in Melton Mowbray (home of pork pies! Stilton cheese!). If you want/need my new address or phone number, drop me a message and I'll forward them to you!
Third point: Discworld Convention! Yay! Several days of silly-fun-times! To be honest, if I had any sense, I would have cancelled my holiday to the DWCon because my recent house move has been so expensive, but I think I would've gone made if I hadn't had my holiday - and I've been looking forward to this Convention for the whole two years since the last one! Anyway, it was worth it. Met up with old friends again and made some new ones; drank too much, ate and slept too little, and generally had fun. This year has added significance because I was somewhat involved with the whole process, having done artwork for the Convention newsletters and the final programme booklet (my art was on the front page, damn it! Yay!). I also ran a kind of drawing workshop, which was *way* more popular than I had thought it would be - and a bit hectic, to be honest! But it was still fun and I met lots of wonderful people. I even had to arrange a second, smaller one for a few people because I couldn't fit them in the first one!
There *will* be a DWCon in 2014, we have been told, this time chaired by our own Dr Hix. ;) The theme will be modern Ankh-Morpork, which is good news for the Dark Clerks, and our own Clerk McGuffin already has an idea for a potential Masquerade entry for us to do if we're up for it. Teedle hee!
And so... that kind brings me up to date. I'm still hoping to do dog agility with my boy, and carry on with the horse riding lessons I had recently taken back up, but everything's been put on hold until I catch up with my monetary issues right now. (I'm cancelling my agility show next Saturday in favour of an extra shift at work, for example!) also I have much drawings to catch up on... and stuff...
Hope all you wonderful LJ-ers are well and apologies for my chronic absence - hopefully this will change now I've kicked myself up the backside and have logged into my account!
Also, I have tickets for Twelfth Night at the globe in October sometime... I think... I either need a friend to go with me *or* may well just have to pass the tickets on because I'm not sure I'll be able to afford the rail fare. It's an afternoon showing on a Thursday, I think. Standing tickets. Let me know if you might be interested either way.
So, life has taken over again! I think since the last time I posted, I've got a new job and moved house. Have also not long returned from another fantabulous Discworld Convention. I'm now skint-broke, not sure how happy or otherwise I am at the current state of affairs, but I sorta kinda feel that things are going in the right direction. (There's no rewind button in life so I certainly hope that they are!)
So, first thing: new job! I was fortunate enough to be offered a position as a canine carer with the UK's biggest dog welfare charity, Dogs Trust! Dream come true, no? Was so amazingly pleased to have been given this opportunity and, thus far, 4 months in, I can safely say that I am loving it. It's hard work, physically and mentally, but so satisfying and I hope that I can finally, before I reach 30, start to build on a *career*! Probabtion ends after 6 months so November-time, I think, after which I shall hopefully be made permanent and can look at building on upwards and learning more skills from there. :) Good times!
Second thing: new house. This kinda came at short notice and, not too long ago, I was given 6 weeks to find somewhere else to live. Being suddenly out of a share house and on your own, trying to find somewhere affordable - which will accept a dog! - is very tricky! Fortunately I have found somewhere fairly reasonable which isn't too far from where I work, making the commute shorter, but it's meant a big change in lifestyle for my dog, who now is on his own for most of my working days. I do go home and see him at lunch time but I'm praying thatg he makes the adjustment because my only other alternative is to lose him - and I can't bear that thought, though if it was the best thing for him, I'd do it. I think he is beginning to adapt, which is good, because I had serious fears he wouldn't for the first few days!
It's also difficult for me because I'm suddenly on my own and, moving house being expensive, have no money at all right now. I'm hoping it balances out in the end, but the initial costs for renting a property are so ridiculous, what with the massive deposit and month's rent you're expected to pay in advance, and that doesn't even cover the costs of moving house and furnishing the thing. I may have to look into finding a house mate to help ease the expense but that's another sticky issue, especially if I'm considering a complete stranger. Gah. Why is it so expensive to live?
Anyway, I now live in Melton Mowbray (home of pork pies! Stilton cheese!). If you want/need my new address or phone number, drop me a message and I'll forward them to you!
Third point: Discworld Convention! Yay! Several days of silly-fun-times! To be honest, if I had any sense, I would have cancelled my holiday to the DWCon because my recent house move has been so expensive, but I think I would've gone made if I hadn't had my holiday - and I've been looking forward to this Convention for the whole two years since the last one! Anyway, it was worth it. Met up with old friends again and made some new ones; drank too much, ate and slept too little, and generally had fun. This year has added significance because I was somewhat involved with the whole process, having done artwork for the Convention newsletters and the final programme booklet (my art was on the front page, damn it! Yay!). I also ran a kind of drawing workshop, which was *way* more popular than I had thought it would be - and a bit hectic, to be honest! But it was still fun and I met lots of wonderful people. I even had to arrange a second, smaller one for a few people because I couldn't fit them in the first one!
There *will* be a DWCon in 2014, we have been told, this time chaired by our own Dr Hix. ;) The theme will be modern Ankh-Morpork, which is good news for the Dark Clerks, and our own Clerk McGuffin already has an idea for a potential Masquerade entry for us to do if we're up for it. Teedle hee!
And so... that kind brings me up to date. I'm still hoping to do dog agility with my boy, and carry on with the horse riding lessons I had recently taken back up, but everything's been put on hold until I catch up with my monetary issues right now. (I'm cancelling my agility show next Saturday in favour of an extra shift at work, for example!) also I have much drawings to catch up on... and stuff...
Hope all you wonderful LJ-ers are well and apologies for my chronic absence - hopefully this will change now I've kicked myself up the backside and have logged into my account!
Also, I have tickets for Twelfth Night at the globe in October sometime... I think... I either need a friend to go with me *or* may well just have to pass the tickets on because I'm not sure I'll be able to afford the rail fare. It's an afternoon showing on a Thursday, I think. Standing tickets. Let me know if you might be interested either way.