Re-decorating without the smell of paint

I just spent about twenty minutes there looking at changing my blog template (that's the background and colours and what not). You'll notice I didn't do it. But I think I will. Maybe. I just couldn't decide if I should go all out different or stay largely with the white and pink theme. So I left it.

I realise you probably don't really care, but I've had this one since I started way back in 2005 so we've gone through some good times. In fact, when I see it on someone else's I think of mine. And if I change it this one will be lost to the mists of time (I did make some changes to the default). I might need to take a few screen shots of the little map and statue of somewhere I don't know and that little orange box that goes with nothing else before it goes forever.

I know, I'm getting all sentimental about a blog template. Seriously.

[Updated on 18th April 2010: I did change my template. Just for old times' sake here's what it looked like before.]

No, I hadn't forgotten

I just thought I'd let them build up for a while.

Friday 5th March

At Soul Mates. Things to notice in this photo: Yes I have swollen ankles. I was on my feet from about 3.00pm right through til after midnight. Yes, my airbed is flat. I lost the little screw top thing that holds the air in. Crucial for an airbed you might say.

Saturday 6th March

My ear plug. I never travel without ear plugs. Well I do, but I never sleep away without them. I can go to the supermarket and work without them.

Sunday 7th March

Me and my pass, which had me down as 'worship'. I thought my big moment had come only to have it denied by a clerical error.

Monday 8th March

In class. This is the dullest of dull classes, taken by Dr. Dully Dullerson. Seriously, the man could make fireworks boring.

Tuesday 9th March

In the small staff room again.

Wednesday 10th March

In my jammies with hot chocolate. No, it was not 2.00pm. It was before bed.

Thursday 11th March

It's a wonder I was able to take this photo! No hands!

Friday 12th March

In bed. I might have forgotten to take the photo again.

Saturday 13th March

Just in from a run but catching up on the rugby I missed.

Sunday 14th March

Checking for split ends. I didn't find any.

Monday 15th March

Eating the last bit of baked blueberry cheesecake. It was a triumph.

Tuesday 16th March

Getting ready for a another run. I am so fit.

Wednesday 17th March

Even if this photo was in colour, you'd see no green. Worst St. Paddy's Day ever was spent all the live long day at my computer finishing off an essay due the next day. It wasn't even on St. Patrick.

Thursday 18th March

Happy Christmas Mum! We went to see The Sound of Music in the Opera House.

Friday 19th March

I took a bit of a lazy day. Here I am enveloped in my slanket on the sofa.

Saturday 20th March

Getting my stuff ready for the Sport Relief (three) mile(s).

Sunday 21st March

At the finish line. I look a sweaty mess while Lynsey and Caroline look like they're about to start. Also, the woman taking the photo made me hold up my fingers like that to show we'd done three miles, it's not some sort of Brownie Guide promise I'm making.

Monday 22nd March

My nails are all long again after being broken down to nothing in Colorado. These are long for me.

Tuesday 23rd March

There was a time when I couldn't change a lightbulb. Seriously. I wish I was joking. Now I have the knack. Which has led to a dramatic reduction in the answer to the question how many people does Tina need to help her change a lightbulb.

So that's another week or two in the life of Tina. Thanks very much if you sponsored me by the way. Well, actually if you did, you'll already know that I have thanked you already. But I better say it here too, or someone will think I was rude for not mentioning it. £45 in the end so I'm glad that I put it on here in the end.

But that's nothing compared to how the nine people who get malaria nets because of us feel.

You're the best around

I signed up to run the Sport Relief mile. Actually I'm doing three. I really should have pushed myself to do six, but I wussed out in the end. So three it is. I wasn't intending to really try to get sponsorship, I just wanted to run it.

But maybe you haven't donated money through all the various texting options they're plugging all the time? Or maybe you don't really care about Fearne Cotton et al doing whatever and maybe you do care about me running? I don't know, but it'd be silly of me not to say something, because maybe, just maybe you would throw a couple of quid in the Sport Relief bucket I'm carrying (not literally you understand).

So if you'd like to sponsor me, it's http://www.mysportrelief.com/tinaruns.

I haven't set the highest of goals, but it'd still be cool to reach it. And yes, I did sponsor myself. Leading where others will follow, I hope.

Which, ironically, will be the opposite to Sunday.

The Lagan Bridge Principle

A while ago I discovered a secret. A secret that has saved me time in the past but now is just helping me waste it. Let me explain further.

One drive into work last year I couldn't get moved across into the right lane (the correct lane, actually the left lane) because of all the traffic already in that lane. I left it really late and finally got across, but not without some panic.

The next morning, knowing that I had pulled off the late (but safe) change of lanes I left it deliberately late, thus scooting on past slow traffic.

Let me illustrate with the aid of a diagram:

Take careful note of the indicators. I know, it's the attention to detail that you love about me.

I've done it every morning since.

This has led me to the Lagan Bridge Principle. Once you realise you can pull off something last minute it's very hard to go back to the old, prepared way of doing it. At least if your name is Tina.

Take for example essays. The last essay I wrote was three months ago. But even in that three months the memory has not faded of how I pulled it out of the bag at the last possible moment.

It was due on a Friday. That Tuesday I started writing. By Wednesday I had 1000 words. Of utter crap with no discernible point. So on Wednesday night I scrapped what I had and started again. I stayed up late on Wednesday, wrote all day Thursday and handed my essay in on Friday morning. Oh yeah and I aced it.

It's now Sunday. I have an essay is due on Thursday. I have started writing, but only about 500 words and while there's a little bit of a point, it's hard to find amongst the drivel that make up about 300 of those words.

I feel a last minute change of lane coming on. One that hopefully won't result in a write off.

Presidents

This is the last trip story. I promise. I really have milked it haven't I?

So while I was in SC I got to go to Jose's university. It's your typical American college campus in a college town with a massive football stadium for their team. One of Jose's classes was an open discussion class which meant I could go to. As I had done a few other things around the area already I was up for that. Mind you, it was about sustainability so I really contributed nothing to the discussion. But I did get to enjoy the artwork in the way in.


The class was held in a building name after Strom Thurmond, a former governor and senator from SC, hence the presidential portraits. But can you guess from which party Strom was a member? Perhaps specific paintings will help?


George W. on his ranch, big American flag reminding us of his patriotism.


Bill Clinton (honestly it is supposed to be) with a flag, but somehow that's not what we look at. But look in the foreground. The dark shadows, the web and lipstick tell the story there.


Jimmy Carter. He's green and has lipstick on!


JFK. Has anyone ever seen an older picture of him? Wasn't he like 18 when he died? Why does he look like an old man with rosy cheeks?

Things are not looking good for Obama then. One can only imagine how he will be portrayed. Perhaps in front of a burning hospital, or maybe holding his Nobel Peace Prize in the middle of Afghanistan or Iraq.

To compound the problem things like these surely can't help him. I saw these in a town many many miles away from the Strom Thurmond Center.


The Gift of Hope! I want the gift of hope!


This is what he wears under his suit. True story.

Looking for something a bit more classy? Then look no further that this:


Every year we can celebrate the birth of Jesus and the inauguration of Obama together with this handy Christmas decoration.

But if those aren't...quite big enough then why not get your own life sized Barack?


I so wanted to take a self-photo with him! But it was packed so I just couldn't bring myself. Turns out my shame does know some bounds.

Even Michelle is not immune from it all.


I don't think her head is that big. And yes, you are right, those are First Lady mugs, hairbrushes, water bottles and pencils in the background.

It was hard, but I walked out of the shop without buying anything.

Twelve days and two sorts of curling

Here's another selection of my life. Surprisingly, the Olympics do not feature more than the time I spent watching them.

Sunday 21st February

Out for a walk with Dad. I have no idea what we're laughing at.

Monday 22nd February

Brownie and Guides Thinking Day. I celebrated with mascara. I don't think there's a badge for that.

Tuesday 23th February

Snow again. I think I have seen snow every week now since before Christmas. That's quite the record. Sure, not if you live in Iceland. Shut up.

Wednesday 24th February

Late night Olympics watching. Actually this pretty much amounted to late night curling watching. Every four years I love it then forget how you play it then love it all over again. It's so clever and strategic. You have to be four moves ahead to even stand a chance. Sadly it turned out Team GB were not.

Thursday 25th February

Could I be in more of a grump? Actually I wasn't, but there's no point in denying it because all the evidence is to the contrary. Makes me wonder what my actual angry face looks like though.

Friday 26th February

Waiting for my next class. It was cold so I hadn't managed to take off my scarf.

Saturday 27th February

Getting ready to go out with my new curlers. That is to say, I was getting ready with my curlers, not going out with them. Just in case that wasn't clear.

Working. Let me know if you read this page and want to borrow the book, it's a cracker. Ok, I just lied.

Monday 1st March

Making my sandwiches before I go to bed. So clever.

Tuesday 2nd March

Late night working. Sadly not with the book about 19th Century convents. Oh no. I spent, no joke, about 8 hours that night working on Soul Mates stuff. I went to bed at 3.00am. I woke up at 7.47am. I was supposed to leave at 7.55am. I did not.

Wednesday 3rd March

Setting my alarm extra loud so I do not sleep in again.

Thursday 4th March

Working in the staff room. This time on Queen Victoria's visit to Ireland in 1849. Admit it, you didn't even know she came? Yeah, neither did I.

Church signs

Of course when I was in South Carolina, I just had to drive past my favourite church sign, ready to see what witty slogan they had come up with now. I had my camera at the ready so I could show you too.

Hmm. Seems there is no funny to be made about Haiti.

But every resourceful and not wanting to let you down, I turned to Mellissa's photos from her birthday photo scavenger hunt, just a few weeks before I was there.

I wonder can you guess what they were supposed to do in the hunt?