Things that make me go 'Argh!'

Orangutan ~ Vienna Zoo (Sept. 2007)

It's been a very hard week. Attending a 3 day course meant that my working week was effectively compressed into 2 days. Add into the mix the fact that we have 2 new people in the team, both of which need help and guidance (understandably) and one of which could get gold in the Olympics for 'talking', then available time is compressed even further. Sure, there are some things that didn't get done and are on the list to do next week, but some things had to be done and being talked at for what seems like hours didn't help much.

It's okay though, as the other party in the Olympic talking competition, all you have to do is stand there; you are not required to take part but 'uming' and resisting the urge to either nod off or gnaw your right foot off in desperation are appreciated it seems. I tried to extricate myself several times with hints at my work load, pointed looks at my watch and then phrases such as "I must get on' to little avail. I think I'm just a trifle irritable because I'm tired, but honestly, I am going to have to work out how to escape this person lest I throttle them. Like I said, I'm a tad irritable...

Have you noticed how things can really irritate you when you're tired? Well, I find they always have the potential to irritate me but that I am less able to shrug them off when tired. We all have silly things that can drive us a bit loopy. The ones I have noticed this week are:

• Crooked pictures
• People pronouncing the letter 'h' as 'haitch' and not 'aitch'
• Jane Horrocks' voice on the Tesco adverts
  
• People who stop at the top of escalators and in shop doorways
• Being held hostage in conversations and not being able to get a word in edge ways
• Not being able to find things
• Motorists not using their indicators
• Motorists not using lanes properly
• Feeling tired

I am feeling pretty tired quite a bit lately. I think some of it can be attributed to work but not all. I have to go back for a blood test soon to check my thyroxine levels after my thyroid surgery in January (I am on no medication for this at the moment as it is expected that remaining bit of thyroid will compensate). I think they may be down a little as the tiredness is not a good tired from being productive but rather an inner exhaustion or lethargy. It does not feel good. Here's hoping a restful weekend will restore my equilibrium a bit before next weeks onslaught and the big presentation for our new Team Leader that I have to help prepare and give. Wish me luck.

Einstein a go go

I thought I would share something I rediscovered this week. Something that is guaranteed to reduce stress and it's so easy to do.

I was not best pleased last week when I found that major road works were starting just outside my work place. They are unavoidable and will take about 6 months to complete. I mostly work flexi hours so not too much trouble most of the time as I can miss most of the worst commuter traffic and hence my involvement in en masse queuing is minimised. Except that this week I am on a Systems Engineering course which is forcing me to join the other commuter lemmings due to it's start and finish times. Lovely. Life is far too short to spend in traffic jams. Even with your new CD playing and sending out happy vibes that make you sing along and experience quizzical looks from other drivers.

Anyway, like a good project manager I planned ahead and allowed more time for my journey. A lot more time which was just as well as it took me 3 times the amount of time for my journey. But here's the thing. I did not freak out. I did not get anxious. I did not rant at the other traffic. I just sang along to my CD making a complete arse of myself and I didn't care because I had time. Voila! Just like that I had rediscovered something I already knew. Allow enough time to do the task and then a little bit on top.

It's amazing how less stressed I felt! By allowing myself time I took the pressure off. By taking the pressure off, I was less stressed. As I was less stressed I relaxed and even enjoyed my journey into work. Because I was relaxed I didn't get all ranty when the other drivers wouldn't let me over, I didn't get ranty when someone cut me up and didn't indicate, I could afford to let other people out of junctions because I didn't feel time was against me and I gave some people a good laugh watching me sing. Simple.

I think it can be easy to put undue pressure on ourselves in this fast paced high pressure environment most of us live in. There is always lots to do and never enough time to do it. The thing is though, that by taking the pressure off myself at the start of the day I arrive at work in a better frame of mind, the rest of the day just flows better and somehow I have more time. Einstein was right, time is relative after all! I know this is overly simplistic and it's not always possible to build in more time. Sometimes things work against us. But the nice thing is that I expected this week to be a nightmare seeing as I had to navigate the roadworks at the worse possible time, and I have been pleasantly surprised. Now, how often does that happen?

Sitrep

So, it's the weekend again... which is odd as the last one has only just finished. Or at least it feels that way as this week has been so busy and has flown past. I have been so tired in the evening that I haven't been online much and didn't even manage to muster up enough energy to make pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. Anyway, it's Friday at last and so far I appear to have been glued to the sofa. It's just so comfy and I'm sooooo tired. I can just about muster up enough energy to give anyone that may be reading this and is interested a small window into my week:

• Dessie, my bearded dragon is hardly eating so I took her to the vet. It appears the cold snap we had has meant that she is partially brummating (kind of like hibernating without the deep long sleep). I have to give her vitamin baths and take some steps to help her think it's spring.
  
• The vet did say Dessie is a beautiful beardie, which of course she is. The markings on her back are gorgeous! I will have to take some photos.
  
• Bob the cat saw to it that I did not get a good nights sleep on Wednesday and that I was woken up on Thursday in the wee hours. I love him very much but was quite willing to throttle him. he has taken to yelling at the top of his lungs from time to time. Not so bad in the day, but around 3am it is not so welcome. Or at 4am.
• Work has been very busy. I launched a new initiative at work which is a 'surgery' where project teams can come and get advice on certain issues. I got great feedback from those that attended.
• I also ended up compiling a report at short notice, but made the deadline.
• Today, I ended up helping the boss map out our tasks and outputs against our customers as part of the input to our team restructuring. Yet another last minute request. It's a time of great change.
• Yesterday I was so tired I had take away Chinese food as I couldn't face cooking.
• I also fell asleep on the sofa and woke up an hour later with Dessie asleep on my neck and Bob asleep on my hip.
• I seem to be tired a lot these days and wonder if it has something to do with my recent thyroid lobectomy.
• I am off tomorrow to a 'Living History' fair. It's a market where you can buy traditional leather, glass and wood craft items as well as traditional clothing and assorted traditional weapons for history re-enactors. There is usually a wonderful jewellery stand there too.
• I am also going to buy a new fish this weekend as my poor male Apistogramma Cacatuoides suddenly took ill and died recently. I tried treating the tank but without any obvious outward signs of illness it was hard to know what to do. The other fish are fine happily.
  
• I lost a Follower from my blog. I know who it was and I think I know what it relates to but I cannot for the life of me think why. I always respect other people's view even if I have a different one and treat my blog friends with the respect they deserve so I am at a complete loss over this. Perhaps I just wasn't interesting enough?
  
• I badly need a break so I am hopefully going to be booking a short break away this weekend for March. More on that once it's booked.
  

That's about it for this week. I am trying to get round to people's blogs to say hi. Bear with me. I am feeling quite exhausted. In the meantime why not pop by Netchicks' Blog and take part in the Meet & Greet? It's a great way of meeting new bloggers :)

Shrove Tuesday

Today is Pancake Day in the UK otherwise known as Shrove Tuesday, which is the day before Ash Wednesday and therefore the day before Lent begins. It is the one day of the year where it is obligatory to eat pancakes and therefore they have no calories. Or at least that's what I like to believe!

Pancakes are eaten on this day as Lent is a period of fasting, during which only the plainest foodstuffs may be eaten. Therefore traditionally, rich ingredients such as eggs, milk, sugar and flour are eaten immediately prior to the commencement of the fast and pancakes and doughnuts were a great way of using up these things. The word shrove is a past tense of the English verb "shrive," which means to confess and therefore Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the shriving (confession) that took place immediately before Lent and is not an old English word for pancake as someone once tried to convince me! Note, just because someone speaks with authority does not necessarily mean they know what they are talking about!

I like my pancakes with lemon juice and sugar and I promise faithfully that I will then give them up for Lent. After all, they get their calories back tomorrow!

Forty Questions

I have been remiss. Nikki-Ann over at Notes of Life tagged me to do a meme some time ago but I haven't got round to doing it until now. It's a basic Q&A meme, which turned out to be quite amusing to do despite one or two of the questions being a little strange. We start off with smelly cheese and travel through guns, fizzy pop, sheets, pirates, Christmas songs, items of clothing, drink and end on funerals. How about that for a mixed bag?

1. Do you like blue cheese?
Only if it's not bright blue all over.

2. Have you ever done something you regretted?
Far too many. I am human!

3. Do you own a gun?
I'm British so this is a weird question. I'm not a gangsta rappa!

4. What flavor of Kool Aid was your favorite?
Don't have this in the UK but I liked Cherryade as a kid. I like Lilt now and diet coke or tonic are my mixers of choice.

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
Anything medical gives me the heebie jeebies. After all, you're not there on the whole because everything is fine.

6. What do you think of hot dogs?
I think they should lie in the shade!

7. Favorite Christmas movie?
Die Hard or Scrooged.

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Water or juice.

9. Can you do push ups?
Kinda.

10. Favorite hobby?
Photography and Western Martial Arts.

11. Do you have A.D.D.?
No. But I think far too many people are diagnosed with it these days.

12. What’s one trait you hate about yourself?
I find it hard to ask for help.

13. Middle name?
Yes.

14. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?
I don't know what to write; I'm tired; I'm hungry!

15. Name 3 drinks you regularly have?
Water, Coffee and Wine (not all together).

16. Current hate right now?
Poor manners. Always poor manners.

17. Favorite place to be?
In my head.

18. How did you bring in the New Year?
I was at home watching a film and having a nice glass of sparkling wine.

19. A place you would like to go?
Too many to mention!

20. Name three people who will complete this:
I don't like to tag but if anyone reading wants to do this then please feel free and let me know in the comments.

21. Do you have slippers?
Yes. Furry and warm.

22. What shirt are you wearing?
I'm not. I'm wearing a plain black long sleeved T-shirt.

23. Do you like sleeping on satin?
No.

24. Can you whistle?
Nope, much to my chagrin. I tried so hard as a child. I had loads of people try and teach me but I. Just. Can't. Do. It.

25. Would you be a pirate?
Definitely! A kind of Robin Hood type.

26. What songs do you sing in the shower?
Whatever is in my head at the time.

27. Favorite girl’s name(s)?
My own.

28. What’s in your pocket right now?
Nothing.

29. Last thing that made you laugh?
Can't remember, I laugh a lot.

30. Favourite bed sheets as a child?
This is a really odd question to me. I didn't have any favourites, I just had cotton sheets.

31. Worst injury ever?
I broke both bones in my lower leg as a toddler.

32. Do you like where you live?
It's okay.

33. How many TVs do you have in your house?
Two.

34. Who is your loudest friend?
You want a decibel reading?

35. How many dogs do you have?
A small stuffed fluffy one but no real ones.

36. Does someone have a crush on you?
Doubt it but how would I know?

37. What is your favorite book?
Lord of the Rings or Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

38. What is your favorite candy?
We don't call it candy in the UK but it has to be chocolate, the really good stuff.

39. Favorite Sports Team?
Don't have one. I would rather participate than watch others do things.

40. What song do you want played at your funeral?
Wonderful World.

Hope you enjoyed reading. Let me know if you do this one and I'll pop by :)