Warning!

There is only one day of this year left, and as of 2009, no catastrophes, disasters, maudlins, panics, life threatening illness/injuries, problems, issues, havoc, tragedies, trials, tribulations, or any such similar shall be allowed!!!

What makes other people think they have the right to tell me how I should be living my life? No one lives my life, except me.

Life update

I had puppy pre-school tonight (along with the puppy of course!). I think we both did rather well. Bella wasn't too impressed when we first got there, probably partly to do with the car sickness. (We're still working on that). She wasn't too keen on the other dogs there to start with, just wanted to hide behind me or sit on my lap. As the evening went along she went over and was interacting with a couple of the other dogs, so I was very happy with that. I'm looking forward to next week, and I'll hopefully have the car sickness sorted out.

On another note, all the SPF shopping has been done, and wrapped. I like wrapping presents. We went through a bit of a stage of using bags instead of wrapping paper. But I have always liked wrapping- it's a bit of a traditional thing for me.

I got one of the new moves I had been learning in pole the other night. I need to get a video of it, and I should probably get videos of some of my other moves as well. It is a fairly hard move, so I'm really happy- I just hope I can pull it off again!

That's it from me for the moment, love you all!

Back

Melbourne good
Me tired
Lots of shopping
Good fun
Fantastic dancing
Me tired

25 today

As well as turning 25 today, I am off to Melbourne shortly. Lots of shopping to do. I am taking a pedometer because the last time mum and I went on holidays, we walked everywhere and this time we want to know how far we walk, so be prepared for massive shopping spree number!

Because I can

Hair
Eyes
Teeth
Lips
Smile
Skin
Breasts
Tummy
Bum
Legs

Pole photos

I haven't put any pole photos up for a while (I actually haven't taken any for a while!) So I thought I'd put up one of my latest moves. This one is called the Aysha, and it's the same move in both pics, just using different hand placements.

Scary dogs

My puppy gave me a huge scare today, I've been letting her inside for training lessons, then we have a little play. I sat on the lounge and gave her a cuddle, but she was still biting me, so I stood up to go and get her toy, took 3 steps, the heard THUMP...YIP! She had fallen off the lounge and hurt her leg- she made such a fuss I really thought she had broken it, but she's been walking on it ok, so she should be fine. Naughty puppy for scaring me!

Here's a pic, not the best, but she just wouldn't sit still, you know how puppies are:

BTW this is (one of) Bossco's sister(s)

Funerals

Had my cousin's funeral yesterday- was a very nice day actually. The weather was gorgeous (if very hot- I got sunburnt!), and catching up with family. I'm usually hopeless at funerals, but it wasn't too bad for me this time. There were a few tears of course, but also some giggles and smiles. I was doing quite well until they carried the coffin out of the church. It was hard for 2 reasons. Firstly I remembered when my cousins carried their father out of the same church- they were both at the front, and they went out with their arms around each other. It was so hard for both of them, and now one of them had to go through the same thing again with his brother. The other was seeing the look in my brother's eyes, as he lifted that coffin. He just looked so lost, and I'd have done anything to change places with him- but he did our family and himself credit, and he will be better for the experience. But my heart just broke for the both of them.

It must have been such a hard day for my cousins and aunt. Having already lost a husband and father, and now to lose a son and brother- I'm not sure how they bear it. And my cousin on the same side (uncle's daughter) was killed in a car crash at Gloucester last week. So we have been copping it from all sides. I have decided that next year must be better- it couldn't possibly get worse! So I have been sticking close to home lately, and doing the family thing, which despite the reasons for it, has been rather nice.

On a brighter note, puppies are doing well, but we still have 10 of the little buggers, so if you know anyone who is looking for a dog, please send them my way!

Love you all

Circles

My mind is traveling in circles today. My cousin passed on yesterday, so we went to visit my aunt and cousins to be with them. It was a sad day to be sure. He had just had a visit from his little girl, and he went peacefully after that. We had some problems with visitors barging in, despite the "do not disturb" on the front door- I thought it was rather insensitive. I think everyone was handling it well, but my brother and other cousin were not so good. I'm not sure what will be happening next, but any love and support you could send would be greatly appreciated.
Love you all

How to have a rollercoaster ride when you don't hav a rollercoaster

Yesterday was .... not sure how to describe it exactly. It was basically one big f*ck up. Got a phone call from my aunt in the morning about my cousin. We've been told that there is nothing more they can do, and that it's only a matter of time. I had been planning to go to Sydney and visit the boy and his family, and I decided I may as well go anyway, take my mind off things. I was on the train, just past Morriset, and I got a phone call from mum saying that we'd been told he only has 24 hours left, and she couldn't get hold of my aunt, and she'd had a text from my other cousins, saying that they were on the F3 on the way up from Sydney. I get off the train at Gosford, get the train back to Cardiff, and get a lift home (mum and Jade still had to work). They get home and we go up to Paxton. When we get there we find my aunt and other cousin having a very calm chat. I had no idea what was going on, but it turned out that someone had got their wires crossed, and Den is coming home today. There's still nothing they can do, but we're not looking at a 24hour time frame. It gave us the run around a bit, but I would rather this result, than the one were thought we were looking at. So a long easy day in store for me today, to sit back and recover.

Shannu's New Home

Also was very proud of my painting, so it is here:

BTW, Stroud was way fun!

Manifesting again

I had an interview with Michael Hill Jewellers today. Was a group interview, and I will know in the next couple of days if I will be called back for another interview! I am manifestor extraordinaire!

MIA

Yes I have been Missing In Action from Blogland, but just a quick one today. I've probably caught up wih most of you lately anyway, so just for fun, here is a pic of my mum's cross stitch I am doing- this is pages 1 to 4 finished:

Still busy

But the not-doing-much kind of busy. Have been doing a bit of shopping, some things are so cheap over here (ie I paid A$11 for a Body Shop scrub). Went and watched the rugby yesterday. Was very intimidating being one of 2 Aussies in a room full of Springbok supporters. I think we're going shopping again today, and hopefully I will be getting to some markets soon. I'm a bit behind in my souvenir shopping. And some people are a pain to buy for.

Oh also went to an amusement park the other day. Being winter a lot of the rides were closed for maintainance, but there were still a few good ones, including the first roller coaster I have ever been on that goes upside down without a chest harness, just the lap bar! That was a bit freaky.

Anyway, that's about it from me, love you all!

and again

will be brief again
kruger was awesome. Have seen some amazing animals and we had a fantastic trip. Here's a little scope for you. Some Saffers (south africans) can go to Kruger for a week or two and not see anything more interesting than antelope. We saw the big 5 (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo) 3 times in 3 days. We saw honey badgers (hard to find), a rock python, sable, ground hornbills (used to be very rare), secretary birds, and more. We had a bush baby (looks like a possum) watch us braai (barbeque), and saw a leopard with her cub. We caught up with one of the exchange students who was out in Australia a few years ago. So it has been wonderful. My other travelling companions have left for the Egypt tour, so JAde and I are bumming around for the next few days (hopefully getting some shopping done, I am way behind in my souvenirs!), and after that we are visiting a friends farm to see them release rhino onto the property.

Hope everything's all good at home! Love you all heaps!

South Africa

Have to be really quick, am at a friend's place using their internet, so short run down.
Got here safely
Have been very busy
Seen lots of animals
Saw lions- big event!
And a gumby giraffe
Going to Kruger NAtional PArk soon
HAve been way busy
Miss you all

Still around

But not for much longer. Have spent most of the weekend packing, and am curiously worried that I don't have a full suitcase. Oh well, it definitely will be when I come home. The count down is on! YAAD assignment 2 is done and ready to be handed in early (do I get a Diana award??) but assignment 3 will need to wait till the safari is over.

Full steam ahead for the next few days- as well as most of my normal shifts, I am covering my brother's as well since he is already in SA. I finish at 7:30pm on Wednesday then get up at 5am Thursday morning to be at airport for 10am flight. Not sure how often I'll be checking in, but rest assured I will be thinking of you all and will be coming home safe and sound. (And probably already wanting to get going again!!).

Time management

Time management is an issue.

• YAAD work. Is getting done, but I need to do more seeing as I will be missing a few classes.
• Cross stitch. Am on a deadline and confetti stitching slows me down.
• Going on holidays. Lots of stuff to organise, but thankfully most of it is done.

Grr mostly it is the cross stitch I am worried about. I have a fair bit done but I am still worried I won't get it done in time. I think I need to sit down and figure out the number of stitches I need to do per day.

Shann Got Poked Yesterday

And not in a good way! I had to get some vaccinations for my trip to SA, so now I am sore and sorry, but not infectious or infectable! Got one in each arm and one of them was a combined shot so it really hurts!! I could barely lift my hand above my head so I didn't end up going to pole. I am down to roughly a month and counting now, so getting very excited!

I have been trying lately to put a pic on the blog of my cross stitch and where I'm up to, but Blogger has not bee cooperating, and the pic has not been loading. Will keep at it though coz I am quite proud of myself.

Have been relearning the fine art of time management. Between working, cross stitch and YAAD work, trying to get it all done. I tell you, work really puts a cramp in my social time!

So that is what I am up to, love you all!

I'm Still Here!

Have been nagged about infrequent blogging again so here I am. Life goes on as usual. Have been working, filled in at work last Thursday and Friday, so good pay this week.

Have been doing ok with my struggle with the cross stitch. I am finally past the fiddly bit (one of many) so have made fairly good progress. Have been reading and getting ready for YAAD.

YAAD will be a lot of fun, and I'm currently working on my first assignment. Yay!

Still getting organised for my trip to South Africa. Got myself a jacket to take with me this morning. And it's purple! (of course!).

So that's me lately. Bye bye!

Tagged again!

Ok I think I futzed this up. I didn't realise tagging meant I had to write 8 random things, I just thought I had to post coz I hadn't posted for ages! So 8 random things, here I go:

1. On the subject of OCD, if in the vicinity of any suede, I must brush it so it all lays flat.

2. I have shop lifted before

3. I have always been really jealous of my younger brother for being so good at sports

4. I both love and hate going to the beach. I love it coz I love the feel of the water and swimming in the sea, but I hate it because I can't wear my glasses and I'm totally blind without them, so I freak out about the height of the waves coz I can't see them properly, and I can never find my own way back to my stuff.

5. I own seasons 1-3 of NCIS, 1-4 of Law & Order SVU, and 1,3,4 of Buffy on DVD

6. I turn the shower off while I condition my hair and wash my body. But not always in the winter time!!

7. The book I borrowed most from the library when I was at school was a book on mythology.

8. I have tried numerous times to learn to touch type, and I still can't do it!!

Tagging Jonathon

Tagged!

I have been tagged, which means I must write something! Hmm, well I am doing the YAAD commitment ceremony tonight, along with the boy, and I am getting very excited! I had to take the day off work and I feel a bit guilty about that, but there have been plenty of times when I have had to step in and cover for someone, so I guess this is my reward.

I am off to South Africa with my brother and a few others in July. Jade and his friend will be going over earlier to do some hunting, and the girlfriend-of-the-friend and I will be going over a bit later. I am so excited! I have my ticket and everything (including travel insurance) organised, so all I have to do now is pack!! (And try to pack lightly!!)

Mum's cross stitch is coming along, but a bit slowly at the moment. The giraffe is mostly confetti stitches (one or two stitches of a lot of different colours) so it is taking a while. But I will get there eventually!

And that is it really, apart from life (and work) as usual.

Shock, horror!

I feel like blogging! Next problem is, what to blog about? Hmm, point form always works:

• Looking forward to trying scrapbooking
• Worried it will take time out of cross stitching
• This is bad because I am on a deadline
• Taking me resume out again tomorrow
• Hoping for "job luck"
• If anyone knows where to get any "job luck" please let me know
• Have started cleaning my room
• Have decided not to make a mess as I go (my usual practice)
• Am cleaning in an anti clockwise direction
• Oooh, new Anne Bishop book is out in April!
• We are almost a quarter of the way through the year
• Need to organise new job to fit around YAAD, any remaining shifts at the gym, pole and dancing.
• Scrapbooking looks like fun!!
• Going out with the girls from pole class. Feel sorry for any pole we come across in our drunken state (it will probably have no less that 10 girls trying to swing off it!)
• Am off to clean now
  

Happy Shann back for YAAD

Am very much looking forward to starting YAAD. Am hoping that I haven't bitten off more than I can chew, but I'm sure it will be fine.

Easter was good. Spent most of the weekend doing nothing. Ate too much chocolate. Went dancing with the boy on Sunday and was very impressed.

Am looking up scrapbooking stuff. I'm not trying to get ahead of myself (I'm still going on mum's cross stitch) but I want to make up a scrapbook for my trip to Japan, and one for when I got to South Africa. I've always thought scrapbooking looked cool, but I didn't think I'd get the hang of it. So hence the research. I'm actually really looking forward to having a go. I'll probably need some help so if anyone knows somebody who does scrapbooking, let me know!!

Cranky Shann makes an appearance

Cranky Shann isn't usually around, but she is tonight. Cranky Shann is cranky at people and herself for leaving dancing. Cranky Shann is not sure she should have left, but is still pretty sure staying would have been just as sucky. There are no good partners to dance with, and other partners don't know what they are doing and/or don't use deodorant. Cranky Shann is probably just spoilt from dancing with good dancers, but doesn't want to spend money on classes just tp waste time with people who don't know what they are doing, or who want to practise by themselves, leaving her on her own.

Wow, looks like Cranky Shann is the only one posting lately. Happy Shann should be back soon though. Happy Shann is still looking for a second job, but it's not going so well. Cranky Shann might have to make another appearance.

Bye for now
Love you all

For a strong woman

• A strong role model for a young girl
• Teacher
• Mentor
• Occasional tyrant
• Always respected
• Flexible
• Occasional mushroom
• Fighter
• Gymnastics coach

For Adele Bartlett

Absent blogger (again!)

Hmm, my life in a nutshell.

• Working, kids been ok.
• Dancing, has been fun and learning new steps, and muchly improvement on technique. Just for the record, I have issues with the latin technique, since I am a gymnast at heart. Completely different type of body movement. I need to learn to loosen my hips and not lock my muscles all the way from my toes to my fingers like I do for gym!
• Have found out that one of the guys who goes to dance class used to do gymnastics. And it was a loooong time ago, judging from the coaches he remembers!
• Still on the subject of dancing, I have been managing to dodge crappy partners, for the most part! And still haven't been able to get hold of my cousin so he can save me!!
  
• Looking for cheap books. Have suddenly and inexplicably developed the need to justify buying of books. This is a very new thing for me. If there was anything in the whole world I never regret doing, it's buying books. Probably due to the fact that I have found some online sites where I can get books for about $10, and book shops are charging $20.
• Still looking online for pretty clothes. The dress I bought arrived on Monday, and here it is:

Msings for the day

Hmm, work goes on, and I really don't think anyone there has a clue what's going on because I have to do an hour of one class, then swap to another???

Am stitching madly lately. Have almost finished my second page. There shall be a triumphant return to S&B, oh yes there will!

Have also been spending time with some new friends; Anita Blake (by Laurell K. Hamilton), Damali Richards (by L.A. Banks), Elena Michaels (by Kelley Armstrong) and Mercy Thompson (Patricia Briggs). I have discovered a new genre and so many new books to read!!! I was getting a bit bored with the fantasy stuff, because a lot of the books can be very similar, so am loving meeting new characters. Very cool. Am raiding the local libraries for said books, but once I get a bit more money together, I might start buying some of the books. Have been searching on the net and I can get a lot of them quite cheap.

Am also buying cheap clothes off Ebay.

Loving dance classes on Tuesday nights. Am not loving dance partners who can't lead and don't know the steps, but still try to correct me. Am also cranky at certain scoundrels who leave me with said dance partners. Hmph.

Very looking forward to Lughnasa tonight. Hooray!!

Hmmm what to do

I've got the new roster for this term, and I have to say it's looking pretty grim, so I have decided that I am getting a second job, so it is off to look for it soon.

My Wednesday shift has been changed on me. I no longer finish at 7pm. I am teaching a different class so I will be finishing at 7:30pm instead. I wasn't too happy about it, but I do need the money. So I will have to figure out what to do with regards to sabbats and what-not.

Spent the weekend with the boy and his family, a relaxing time was had by all.

Am loving the song "Bleeding Love" right now!

Again with the work (just a small bitch this time!!) there was supposed to be a rule in place that we wear shoes on the floor when setting up. Most of the coaches, being ex-gymnasts, ignored the rule as the superceding rule in our minds was "no shoes on the floor". So now it is mandatory to wear shoes at all times when coaching. I will miss being able to go barefoot in summer! So, I have figured out a little compromise for myself. I am looking on ebay for cheap pairs of jazz sneakers on Ebay. My reasoning being that it will protect my poor little tootsies from anything I might be inclined to drop on them, but also be flexible and light enough for me to demonstrate if I need to.

Am halfway down the second page of my cross stitch.

Needing to look for work. Am really hoping Borders is an option!!

Alive, no really

I have been on a sort of unofficial blogging break. I really haven't been doing much except cross stitch, and to prove it, here is where I am up to in my work:


And here are a few highlights from my brother's 21st party. If you want a few more (and trust me, there were quite a few I didn't upload!) check out my facebook albums.