Back to reality?

We are more than halfway through the fourth week of the new year and I still seem to be struggling to switch my brain back to reality mode. I have, of course, been going to work and have got every one of the translations that’s been planned in for me done (I have no choice -there are deadlines. And customers are generally not that understanding when it comes to extending them) but my heart is only half in it. My jobs are technically fine – spell checked, proofread and correctly translated. But I know I could put more effort into them, concentrate harder and get more done in less time, if only I could get myself motivated. Instead, half of my mind constantly seems to be somewhere else. I spend the mornings thinking about the book I was reading on the train, and would have liked to read more of before arriving at work (the train ride home seems sooo far away when I’m wondering what’s going to happen next!) or wondering whether a good friend has head her baby yet (she’s not actually due for another week and a half, but it could happen any time now). And by the time afternoon rolls around, I’m starting to get sleepy and find myself picturing my bed after every project I complete. 23 days after returning from my last holiday it seems I could use another one!

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And nothing ever happens…

I haven’t posted for a while, mostly because I don’t have anything to say. I’ve been working like mad again, and am now up to 30 hours of overtime. I sooo need a holiday! I am going to a 3 day seminar in Hildesheim on Wednesday though, and they say a change is as good as a rest, so maybe I’ll be able to start next week in a more positive frame of mind.

My weekend was actually quite productive, although we didn’t do anything worth posting about (unless anyone is interested in the fact that I bought a new cactus and took a picture to the framers. No? Didn’t think so).

I started making Christmas cards on Wednesday. How many of you are now thinking it’s way too early for Christmas? Most years I would be too! But this year I’ve decided to make all my own Christmas cards, and considering it takes me about half an hour just to make a simple one I’m going to need as much time as I can get my hands on! I’m also planning an auction of handmade stuff at some point to help raise money in meory of my friend’s daughter (more on that at a later point – once I’m more organised) and if I want to have enough items to make it worth bothering I’m going to have to get a move on! The auction will be some time in November, by which time it will no longer seem way too early for Christmas cards.

That’s about all that’s going on at my end. In the words of Del Amitri “Nothing ever happens, nothing happens at all. The needle returns to the start of the song, and we all sing along like before…“. Another week, another repeat of the same old song.

Take me away?

I promised myself I was going to write an interesting and cheerful blog post today – before I alienate the readers I have left completely.
But all I can think of to say is I need a holiday. Desperately. I’m just glad this coming Monday is a holiday (Whit Monday apparantly… fair enough), which means I get a three day weekend – and a chance to SLEEP (not been doing a lot of that lately. Again.) and hopefully recover from the sore throat that has been bugging me for most of the day. All I have to do is get through tomorrow. How difficult can that be?

(Believe it or not, I’m actually pretty happy with my life at the moment. In general. It’s just the details that are getting me down… that and lack of sleep I suspect).

All that you never wanted to know

I went to Maifest yesterday at my old student residence. That’s the Fest where the ex residents are invited to come back to meet the new residents and bore entertain them with tales of how things were back in the day. It was my first Maifest as a former resident, but seeing as I only moved out 2 months ago I didn’t have any back in the day stories to tell. Not that I would tell them if I did, but y’know. Mostly I spent the day telling people that I do not, in fact, still live there. I’m now wondering whether anybody actually noticed I was gone. I had planned to come home fairly early, but instead ended up sitting up all night drinking beer, finally making it home at 8am. I then went to bed, but only for a few hours. Seriously need curtains for the bedroom – the whole bright sun shining in on me thing makes daytime napping difficult. And now it’s 3:45pm. I’m still in my pyjamas and I’ve just eaten a whole 200g packet of chocolate raisins. You may decide for yourself what that says about me.

Anyway, I spotted this meme over at Home Office Mum’s blog and in the absence of other inspiration decided to steal it for today’s post.
So, what I have to do is answer the following questions. Oh, and I also have to replace one question and add one question. Fair enough.

1. What are your current obsessions?
Taking photographs. I took one of a purple tree on my way home this morning. Why? Because I could. Chocolate raisins. Adding books to my huge list of things I want to read some day. Facebook. And my blog of course, but that kind of goes without saying.

2. Which item from your wardrobe do you wear most often?
Black trousers. I wear them for work. Work is all I do. therefore I wear my black trousers all the flipping time. I seriously need to get a life.

3.Tell me your current most played song.
A Long December by Counting Crows. I am listening to it on repeat even as I type. no idea why I’m so into it at the moment. I just love it. I’m also listening to All For You by Sister Hazel a lot. “Words can’t say and I can’t do enough to prove it’s all for you“. Was this song written about me?

4. Last thing you bought?
Food actually, but I’m guessing that isn’t what you want to know. Other than that I believe it was 4 champagne glasses from Nanu Nana. They were 95 cents each. How could I possibly resist?

5. What are you listening to?
A Long December by Counting Crows. Still.

6. Wine or chocolate?

What do you mean or? Surely it has to be wine and chocolate!

7. Favourite holiday spots?
Somewhere that isn’t here. Anywhere. Please, just take me away.
Seriously? I adored Rome. Really want to go back. Also Austria. I miss looking at snow capped mountains. Just don’t ask me to climb the bloody things.

8. Reading right now?
On the tram: A Dragon Lance book. In German. At home: Nothing actually. How is that possible?

9. Four words to describe yourself.
Pretty much permanently confused. (Hence the title of the blog)

10. Guilty pleasure?
Naturals crisps in Balsamic Vinegar flavour. If I carry on like this I’ll be the size of a house by June.

11. Who or what makes you laugh until you’re weak?
Katyboo‘s blog. Clue. Possibly the funniest film ever. Also Belgian Waffle. So two out of my three things are blogs. I’m sure that’s significant in some way.

12. Favourite spring thing to do?
Eat icecream. Spend time outdoors before it becomes too hot for me to cope.

13. Planning to travel to next?
England. In July. For a friend’s wedding.

14. Best thing you ate or drank lately?
Baked potato with lashings of cheddar cheese. I rarely get to eat any cheddar cheese here so when I do it’s as if Christmas, Easter and my birthday have all come and once.

15. When did you last get tipsy?
Last night. First time in months.

16. Favourite ever film?
Usually I say A League of Their Own, but really it’s a toss up between that and Edward Scissorhands.

17. Care to share some wisdom?
I have no wisdom of my own to impart so instead I give you a quote from the Dragonlance Chronicles, Volume 2. “If we deny love that is given to us, if we refuse to give love because we fear the pain of loss, then our lives will be emptier, our loss greater“. Or, in other words, take a chance people. At least if it all goes wrong you’ll still have the memories.

18. Song you can’t get out of your head?
Before I chased it away with Counting crows I had that Umberella (ella ella) song in my head. It was playing in a shop the other day and it’s been haunting me ever since. I don’t even like the bloody song!

19. One thing you’d really like to do this year
Ugh. Why must you asked such difficult questions?
If you’d asked me three months ago I’d have said get a flat, but I’ve done that now and I can’t think of anything else.

20. What or who makes you irrationally rage and totally not proud of yourself at the same time?
Old people on trams. I hate the way they expect you to give up your seat for them, even if they’re only going one stop. And if you fail to stand up they just glare at you until you do. It drives me mad! And then I feel guilty because they are old people after all.

If you could have chosen your own name what would you be called?
When I was younger I always wanted my name to be Abigail. I’ve no idea why, or where I even got the name from, but I always thought it sounded so much more interesting than Beverley.

OK, now it’s over to you. I’m not actually going to name specific bloggers,  so anyone who wishes may consider themselves tagged.

Meh

– I’m exhausted
– I have a headache…
– … and period pains
– There’s a huge spot on my chin
– I finished my book on the way to work this morning and had nothing to read on the tram home
– I’ve been home exactly 10 minutes and now I have to go out again to do the shopping
– I haven’t done this week’s reading for the Text Linguistics module
– There’s an exercise that we’re supposed to do after the reading. Funnily enough I haven’t done that either.
– I haven’t had a proper holiday since July 2007 (a weekend trip to the UK complete with 9 hours in Dublin    airport does not count as a holiday)

Thank God it’s Friday.
I think I need a drink….

And the winner is…

One of my friend sent me a request on Facebook to take part in something called Dragon Wars. The only comment I feel I can make to that is why??? Some people clearly have too much time on their hands…

So today is not Friday. Yes, I’m sure you’re all aware of that. I just thought I’d remind myself. You see I’ve spent all day convinced that it was, then feeling incredibly disappointed whenever I remembered that I actually have one more day at work before the weekend. *Sigh*. I like my job but I could really do with a holiday. A proper one I mean. One where I actually get to relax, rather than a 3 day trip home, complete with 9 hour stay at Dublin airport and 10 billion activities to cram in to 72 hours.

So apart from not being Friday today has been a rainy day in the land of the Deutsch. In my part of the land anyway. Actually it’s been chucking it down since 11 o’clock last night, which was ok when I was indoors. Not so good when I missed the 12 minutes past 5 tram home and had to wait 10 minutes for the next one. Luckily I was catching my tram from the side of the station where the roof doesn’t leak. Unfortunately it was that type of rain that’s so slanted it’s practically horizontal, meaning I got wet anyway. So that was fun.

On a brighter (but not necessarily more sunny) note: I got an award.

Look! Isn’t it pretty!

I got it from the very lovely sleepyjane whose blog you can visit either by clicking on her name or using the link on my blogroll. Go on, go. You really should, she’s very entertaining.

And now I believe I’m supposed to pass it on to other people. Sooo…. Katyboo, Welsh Girl and Hails, this one’s for you. Go share the love.

And now I have to figure out what I’m going to make for tea tonight. Whatever it is there needs to be another to feed me and the boyfriend with some to spare for tomorrow’s lunch…