work and weekend

I don't really feel like writing. However, the Catholic guilt I retain even after the protestant reformation of life is ever present and I recall my resolution to be more diligent in blog posting. The thing about posting blogs is it so often seems that so much is happening that there is not time to do it justice via the medium of blogging (especially without pictures) or the events and daily happenings seem so mundane as to not warrant a post. BUT let's find the exciting in the impossibly everyday! That is the goal of this blog entry. Without further adieu:

I have a job! That is right, not a career I would say, but it does put a little hummus in the fridge and bread on the table (or where ever you keep bread, I keep mine in the freezer). I work at a company called Fat Face. Which is actually quite a cool organization. The people with whom I work are really down to earth, funny and friendly. The music at the store lately is a call back to the 90's and I very much enjoy the Blind Melon and Nirvana which sometimes creep in between Sheryl Crow songs. I got this job with a bit of luck really after returning from a 3 week holiday they hired me on for Christmas, then someone fell ill and another person quite and I am here to pick up the hours. hooray. Not that I would cheer someone being ill or quitting, but it does happen and I think that they are as happy to have me around to pick up the slack as I am for the opportunity to do it.

The best part of my job is when I walk to work in the morning. It reminds me of the awesome awesomeness that is the City of Chester. I walk up on the city walls and past the Chester Cathedral, the bell tower ringing as I pass to remind me that I am slightly late (but not too late). In the morning light, ,especially when there is mist the city seems so quiet and ethereal and I am truly grateful for this moment most mornings to pause in our sometimes too rushed life to appreciate that beauty. I love it.

Another great aspect about this job is not only that it is a little cash in hand, but also it will allow me to go forth with my other new job! yay! Last week I started a job out in a suburb estate of Chester working with anti-social youth. On Tuesday I will work with a few other adults to engage the hearts and minds of 15 eleven to fifteen year-old boys. On Wednesday I will work with a younger group that is mixed gender. This job is great because whilst it is only 10 hours a week they are giving me much in the way of training and opportunities to learn more about the social care system for troubled youth in England. Eventually I will take on my own case load, do home visits and evaluations and perhaps help run sessions. Again I am blessed because the people with whom I work are of the most excellent variety and the students will certainly keep me on my toes (if for no other reason than to make sure I don't get trampled or accidentally smacked, just kidding they are sweeter than that, but seriously, so I don't get hit)

This makes my weeks a little bit busier for now, but I am really blessed that work situation is sorted, if temporarily, before I had to send off my passport to the UK Border Agency to apply for my extended post-graduate work Visa. All evidence of my life in the UK was sent on Thursday and I am keen to receive my passport back... and also my diploma... but it should take a month to three months and then I shall have it returned with a shiny new picture and Visa in it! hooray! In the meantime I have dreamt of ways to use up the extra passport photos (in which I look quite straight face and cheerless) one idea is to put it in a little heart shaped frame and plant it surreptitiously on my housemates bedside table. I think it will be well received. I also think that little heart shaped frames with said picture will make excellent Valentines or birthday gifts, so watch your mail boxes!

Enough about work, more about what really matters and that would be my friends. I have said it once and it is worth saying again that I am TRUELY lucky to be surrounded by some of the most caring, loving, funny, intelligent and downright good looking friends on the planet (who are, coincidentally, all over the planet). This last weekend I went up to Leeds to see my old Flatmate from Leeds, Charlotte, as well as my other friends who are still in Leeds. I want you to take a moment to picture the most relaxing Saturday you can remember in recent history. Do you have it? Can you feel it? Is your blood pressure lowering as you read this? Well that was the way my Saturday was in Leeds. I think often it can be stressful to try to wrangle everyone together, and especially since I was only in Leeds for 24 hours I didn't know if I would get a chance to see everyone. But it was pretty close to perfect. Went out for beers with Fiona and Maddy on Friday night after I arrived and the Saturday enjoyed a succession of meals and coffees with a group of people whose main agenda for the day was spending time with each other. It was amazing. I think life should be filled with more days such as these. Plus Charlotte brought me some very promising looking chocolates that you stir into hot milk and make these lush hot chocolates. amazing and thoughtful.

I admit that I am still working on my level of diligence about blogging. I hope to write something more stirring in my next blog post. Perhaps some stories from aqua aerobics and adventures on my bike. Or a more detailed description of the afore mentioned chocolates. :)