Why buying the boxed set of the West Wing was ok

1. It was only £50 quid and my friend got £250 for referring me to the Social Work agency I got my job through and he gave me half.
2. Anne wants to borrow them so there not just for me
3. Lots of the West Wing is people walking quickly down corridors talking a lot so you get the story if your not really watching-i.e knitting. Therefore owning the WW is good for my creativity.
4. The extras DVD is really good and includes a Documentary about the real WW that features amongst others, Carter, Clinton, Ford and Kissinger-how cool is that?
5.The husband is away from home 2 nights a week and the WW is a comfort (and to be honest Clive hates it).
6. Social worker need an escape and it is better than chocolate or alcohol

child has gone

I am back in my daughter's old room and she is home in Israel by now. I am back with my cavemem type son and husband. Hannah has a strong and vibrant personality that fills a room and it feels really quiet.
Bot to look at the good-she realy enjoyed being in our house but realised that Israel not London is home now-I am proud that she has been able to build her own life at 20-I always wanted independant kids and I do have them. She also spend a lot of time with my son that was really nice to see-he has also said he will go to see her in Israel-all so very very good.
Knitting helps I am making her an Alpaca cardigan and it is a real sense of connection.
and to be honest I do like my space-it took a serious clean-my child is not the world's most obsessive duster-but here I am back in my knitting space with radio 4 and not at work-life is not all that bad!

Long time no write

Well I am not that self disciplined when it comes to writing but in my defence I have now been back at work for 2 weeks-4 days a week at Hillingdon Children's Services and my daughter is home for a month from Israel.
So important lessons since I last wrote.
1 weight loss and working
The only way to keep up the weight loss is to take lunch-the world is full of calorific yummy crap and I am weak. The only way to take lunch is to make it the moment you get home from work-trust me on this one.
2 Travel comfort
Uxbridge tube station is a schlep but a very empty train as most people are travelling in the opposite direction therefore entertainment is important-knitting, sudoku and a book. Therefore a comfortable bag that will last and hide the dirt is essential. I am now the proud owner of a good quality back pack from John Lewis and it is wonderful-no more sagging shoulder and I march along the road like some aging Girl Guide.
3Clothes
My child does not do tact just like her father-thank god for my advanced levels of diplomacy. But there are times when this is useful. She sat on her bed and passed judgement on my entire wardrobe-the result is that everything left fits well and choosing clothes in the morning is so much easier. Did my checked shirt really make me look like a butch lesbian?
4. Breakfast
Starting the day with tea from a tea pot is essential

job hunting

I got rejected by the second team that interviewed me at Westminister and Chelsea for a lack of experience-it is amazing how blah this makes me feel. I have been put forward for other work so we shall see. The daughter comes home for a month next week so as least as things stand I will have more time for her.
I take amazing comfort from the fact that I have almost finished the wrap around from Big Girl Knits-I started it in 2007 and made a complete mess of the front shaping-very very complex. Somehow it is extremely satisfying to finish the back of the cupboard reject. I have knitted this in a lovely cotton silk mix and will really enjoy wearing it a sense of achievement amonsgst all this getting no where in particular job hunting. -which lets be honest is a remarkably unpleasant process of selling yourself.

being nice warning

I went for a job interview on Tuesday-the office was in Kings Road-past the Saatchi Gallery with lovely park and trees and Peter Jones and various other gorgeous shops i.e what a pretty amazing place to work. This is almost too good to be true and it was-the job had already gone and my agent failed to pass on the message. Ho hum.
I comforted myself with a picnic dinner outside the Southbank Centre. I got to thinking how rare it is for women to feel really good about themselves and as a consequence I have decided that if I see a woman who looks really good I will tell her.
Sitting there watching the boats go by I saw this amazing woman wearing a long hippy dress really really well; a good belt and great jewellery. Anyway I told her she looked fabulous and she was really pleased. But sitting on the bench next to me was a rather batty looking woman who got incredibly annoyed that I had not complimented her on her clothes. I really truly despair

try try again

The husband did not come to Israel with me and with job hunting, exams coming up etc etc he has been feeling really burnt out. He found a good deal and booked us into the Grand in Brighton last weekend. Being the devoted wife I am I agreed to go with him even if it meant sacrificing intensive long weekend knitting marathons.
I love 5 star hotels it is like going into the gorgeous alternative reality and the Grand has that slightly battered aged look-it is so much nicer than a plastic fantastic new hotel.
We were able to catch the end of the Brighton Festival we went to hear Markus Zusak who wrote The Book Thief speak. He was not happy with the voice of the book and ended up rewriting it twice. Would I ever reknit a garment twice to get it exactly right? Zusak is an incredibly successful author and he deserves it.

Home

I am back home-the husband and son obviously see touching a broom or a cleaning cloth as some sort of swine flu risk factor and therefore the house was a complete dust bowl on my return.
But somehow it is all ok and life flows smoothly-it is amazing how powerful time out can be.
I have resolutions-I will work much harder on my knitting design course-there is always calls to make and stuff to organise and I need to make time for this.
I am also really excited about my next project for moi moi. I have now lost 19 and half pounds and I am starting to swim in some of my clothes-I look forward to making a fitted jumper with waist shaping-I realise more and more how much nicer fitted clothes look