Rushing headlong into the season

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!

Thank you for continuing to follow and support me through my English adventures. 

It means more to me than you know.

This is likely my last post for this year, so wanted to post an update before everything (including my brain) shuts down for the season.

• It's getting to that time where I need to make some more challenges for myself - real, honest to god challenges this time, ones that not only push me out of my comfort zone but actually forcefully throw me. I need some shakeups this year - I'm feeling a bit complacent and need to show myself what I can do. I have two weeks to think about it.

• Yesterday I told my friend I have a mad crush on one of the men we work with. He's Scottish and has a bit of a dark history apparently. So it's a mix of bad boy, a fab accent (a very broad one) and pure sex appeal. He's also just a really decent guy. Reason 'A' the crush is good: it means I'm not dead (it's been a long time...)! Reason 'B': see above re: challenges, as my friend told me he's single. I now have to push to change my thought pattern from "Why would he go out with ME?" to "I'm a helluva catch. Why wouldn't he?" Right? :) And try not to go ridiculously girly in the meantime.

• Work is frustrating to say the least. It's ridiculously unorganized and pressured, but we are slowly (so. very. slowly) making headway. Part of the problem is that the MD throws out so many ideas and to dos that no one can get anything done because he keeps changing his mind and adding to things (we have a bit of a reprieve right now as he's on vacation until Jan 15). Also, there's no follow-up on problems that should have been taken care of months ago. Add to that the fact that I'm so tired that I was in tears mid-week and you can see where we are with things. Despite it all, I still have faith that we'll come out ahead on the other side. Somehow.

• My car is undergoing weekly repairs right now. I've already spent £500 tackling a laundry list of necessary repairs and I have at least that much more to go by the end of January. *Sigh* I've gone through my savings, but if I don't do the repairs, then the car is hooped and I have to start over again with job hunting, etc. and quite frankly, I don't want to do that, despite my ridiculous commute. Brakes, brake hoses, CV joint, alternator belt, timing belt & water pump (have to do this, the sooner the better) - all that fun stuff. PLUS she still needs the rear taillight fixed from where the delivery driver damaged it. But that's not coming out of my pocket, so that's something.

• I went looking for molasses today, as I want to make gingerbread this weekend. I'm still learning about what I can/can't get here: I can't get molasses. The grocery staff I asked knew what it was (well, most of them did), but no one could tell me if they had it. It turns out that to make gingerbread here, I need black treacle. I can get away with being a bit 'dumb', as it's quite obvious, once I open my mouth, that I'm not English and therefore need more help. ;)

• I'm also frustrated right now because I don't have a life outside of work. I'm on the road by 6 a.m. and home at 7:30 to eat dinner, spend an hour with my cousin and then I'm in bed by 9:00! I need to make more productive use of my weekends and go for walks in the evening, despite it not being the most ideal area for walking (sidewalk & light wise, I mean, not safety). I have some time off between Christmas and New Year, so will make myself go for walks in the Forest, to get some exercise and out of the house.

I'm so looking forward to the holidays and having a rest. I'll be spending a few days with my sister in Somerset, then coming back to the New Forest. I'm hoping to relax enough that my first day back at work goes perfectly - from morning commute to evening return. The installers won't be back at work until the following week, so it's just us office angels that will be holding down the fort... :P

Best wishes to all of you over the holidays xxxxxxx