dextress

I hope I am not abusing Livejournal

2008-09-24T00:17:22Z

I tend to find that I don't use Livejournal in the way it was intended - i.e. putting all my observations and qwerks of daily life down. What I tend to do is use it as a noticeboard for help in my life. Take for example now. I have failed my Masters due to ill health, my gran is dying of cancer & I keep having fits. Is it wrong of me to use it to ask for prayers, advice, help, support etc? Is that the equivalent of using a person? Answers on a postcard or preferably via Livejournal. I will hopefully see lots of you at Elly & Matthew's celidah in just over a week's time :0) Hope you are all keeping well yourselves. Xx

True student Fashion

2007-10-25T01:24:00Z

I must be a proper student now. I am regularly staying up until 2am doing reading etc. Boy, have I missed this! Now, though, I am experiencing Dave Gormanesque features - trying to find all the Elly Greenwoods on the net. Arrggh!!! Must go to bed now! Ooooh, quick gloat fest! I have secured one of the last tickets for Bill Bailey's "Tinselworm" tour when it stops at Sheffield Arena. Hee, hee, gloat, gloat. An early Christmas pressie to myself! I trust that he will be up to his usual standard of Excentric excellence as displayed in "Part Troll".

Superglue is great!

2007-10-16T20:36:34Z

I have soooo much MMedSci work to do! So instead of doing it, I decided to stick some pegs onto my bedroom door with superglue and proceed to almost glue my fingers together in the process despite being warned not to by my Polish friend who leant me the glue in the first place!

Sally - is it your birthday today? If so, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! and thanks for a great time at your house for the Middlemarch readthru. Look forward to seeing you again at "Buffy".

Elly dearest - many apologies for not getting back to you since Coventry. The reason is as above - stress over work. I am also not alone - everyone on my course is stressing - even the calm ones. I am arranging to see the counselor (sp?) this week re. stress. I dreamt that I was a spy today on the run which is always a sign of stress & overactive mind.

I am of course look forward to seeing everyone at the Buffy readthru. Do I need to confirm anything or pay anything or generally get my butt into gear over it?

Incredible Indiaarrgghh!

2007-09-10T16:58:14Z

Dear Folks,

Deeply sorry to have caused you all so much worry over the last week. I am home at my parents' house now relaxing & getting ready for university in 2 weeks. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your prayers, love & best wishes. I was due to fly home from India last Sunday (2nd) as Elly said, but had agonising stomach pains (wondered if it was anywhere near giving birth?) and then collapsed with convulsions in my hotel reception.

A doctor was called who then referred me to the best hospital in Calcutta for treatment. I was on a drip for 3 days to get my salts right & lots of tests. I was only really scared when I left the hospital & rang the insurance agency who said they were not sure if they would honour my claim & had no set date to fly me back to Blighty. I was in a scary, really dirty foreign city, was recovering, didn't know anyone & was wondering when I could fly home. I consequently did what I thought best - asked my scary NHS admin. Mum to help with my claim, made the hotel & nearby teashop my home & contacted people via Facebook.

If you want more details, feel free to contact me @ dextress@hotmail.co.uk. The novel will be available soon! Even this time in Calcutta hasn't dampened my enthusiasm for India. It is an amazing place. If anything, I think even more fondly of it now. My tour group leader was fantastic & deserves a medal (maybe one with Queen Vic on) & so do the nurses. If I cried all of the above said - we will return when you have stopped crying. Don't you just love tough love! My top travel tip now is make sure you keep all your important docs on your person even if you go out to dinner - this speeds up hospital admin. mightily.

Look forward to seeing some of you soon. Oh Happy Birthday "weaselspoon" and "the alchemist". Sorry I missed your birthdays themselves!
Love & hugs,
Ellyji (ji by the way is a term of respect in Hindi).

Indiaaaaaaahhh

2007-08-08T18:26:19Z

I have greatly enjoyed reading other people's journal entries today but unfortunately have not had time to respond due to time contraints. Congratulations to Rhiannon & hubby for the birth of baby Ben (is that the right name? My mind is all over the place due to my anti-malarials). I am taking the anti-malarials because I am embarking on my 2nd "trip of a lifetime" to Northern India, after the 1st - which was Uganda. Anyway, do any of you guys have any fab travel tips for me - especially the ladies who have already been to India such as "the Alchemist"? I am not travelling with anyone from the UK but meeting up with a group when I get there. This is the most adventurous I have ever been as a traveller as I will know absolutely no-one when I get there. Some people have said I am mad - I prefer eccentric. I can't wait now! I have watched every single programme on India which has been on the TV recently such as Sanjeev Bhaskar's one & it makes me even more excited as I have longed to go since I was 5 years old & my parents took me to see "Ghandi" at the cinema. Well, enough excited waffling. I am taking presents for my hosts & random children which I meet & I will be drinking bottled water only & cleaning my teeth with it or hot chai - mmmm!
Thankyou very much "Megamole" for the Swedish ovenglove & teatowel set. It's very cool & will be travelling to Sheffield soon! I will leave plenty of room to pack an India pressie for you.
I can't wait to recount my adventures to you all on returning! Ellyji xxx

MRI scan results

2007-06-05T17:13:24Z

I am very relieved today as we received back my Mum's results from the specialist on her back. She has been in a lot of pain for months now and it has been very stressful for her. We have also been very tense waiting for the test results because however much you don't want to think it, cancer is always at the back of your mind. Well, the great news is that it's not cancer but a narrowing of the sheath around the spine. This has been pressing on all the nerves & causing her agony. She is going to be moved up the waiting list to be a more urgent case due to the pain being bad. I burst into tears when I heard as this is a great relief.

Thankyou so much to those who came to see me in "Godspell" at the weekend - namely "mirabehn","weaselspoon", "evilnick" and "megamole". The performances went well, I had a fantastic time & it is certainly my favourite way of expressing my faith ( the all singing, all dancing, all acting variety). I was just sorry that the Friday night clashed with "Adrian Plass" visiting Newbury as well. I would love to catch up on how it went from someone who was there. Well, I think I'll skip off now & read some more "Horrible Histories".

Help!!!!

2007-05-17T13:31:45Z

Dear All,

At work today I have just been told that one of my students comitted suicide last night. I have been in shock (shaking & jibbering), I am drinking very sweet tea and trying to break the news to various colleagues. I will be going to my "Godspell" rehearsal this evening but if anyone wants to ring me before then I would appreciate it most kindly. I have never had to face this before. If those of you who pray could pray and those of you who don't normally pray could pray also that would be most welcome. If you have anything to say on the matter I would love to hear it - however it comes out. Even swearing is allowed today for I have been swearing a lot myself.
Much appreciated.
Ellyji xxx

dextress @ 2007-05-15T17:53:00

2007-05-15T16:55:25Z

To help me to "Beat The Blues" I have taken a part in my local production of "Godspell" in Newbury, Berkshire. If I was really swizzy on the computer I would put in a link about here - but I am not so please feel free to show me how it is done. If anyone would like to support me in this venture it is on between 30th May - 2nd June 2007 (evenings) with a matinee on 2nd June as well. I am sorry but I cannot offer any crash space which is a shame because I would love to.

So there's the shameless plug!

If you are intending to come I need to know days because it is free but ticketed.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Ellyji xx

Running In A Diving Suit

2007-05-15T16:37:49Z

Dear Journal,

I haven't posted for such a long time partly because I am suffering from depression. I was just rumminating on the subject of depression & this image came to me. I don't know if it helps anyone else but it helps me to put my frustration into a coherent form. To me living with depression is like the person running the marathon wearing the diver's suit. It does not mean that the race is any less valid and we still desperately want to finish but it takes a supreme effort sometimes to lift one foot in front of the other. This is why I sometimes find it hard to get out of bed or feel that all my effort is in vain because the end post looks so far off. I take heart though that the race is worth finishing even if you come in "last" technically. Also, who really remembers the winners? Don't we remember most the runners who gave it their all or did it all for a good cause and got a disparate crowd to rally behind them. I know which I'd rather be. So I'll just keep on running.

Ellyji xxx

Le weekend d'ange (The Angel readthru)

2006-11-14T18:09:23Z

It has been way, way, way, too long since I last posted anything on LJ. I have enjoyed a very tiring but very entertaining weekend in Kent with 13 other LJ frineds all organised and executed spectaculalrly well by Mirabehn & Smhwpf (NB: it has been so long that I can't remember how to make people's names link properly!)

I must give them a BIG round of applause and lots of chocolates (imaginary for now) to replace all the energy expended.

It was almost a complete marathon (at 22 episodes rather than 26km) and had some epic character arcs.
There was lots of great acting, some phenominal acting (Fred & Wesley you know who you are!), some riotous comedic moments and lashings of fun. As you can probably tell, I had a great time. I felt brilliantly cast true to type as the ditzy vampire Harmony and got to be rude to my boss (Angel) as i only dream of doingin real life.

Apologies to anyone affected by my snoring though! All the cooking which I hadd too or took part in mioning was very yummy too.

I really look forward to seeing the members of the cast again in the near future as opposed to another 18 months since the "Buffy" epic weekend at smhwpf's flat.

Well, must love you & leave you all and go and try out beginners Salsa dancing at the RISC Cafe this eveing in Reading. You don't go to this do you Taimatsu?

dextress @ 2006-04-19T18:10:00

2006-04-19T18:50:58Z

Well, it's been far too long. I can see that I have been exceptionally poor at keeping you all informed of my whereabouts, dreams, hopes, joys, sorrows etc, etc. I think that it still comes down to my innate belief that no-one is really interested in my little existence (sniff, hee, hee). A lot can happen in 8 months & invariably does. I have been to Uganda & had an amazing time there which I really should put in a separate journal all of its very own. Some fairly stressful & unpleasant things have happened since July. Both of my remaining grandmothers have been ill, one at Christmas & the other one a fews weeks back. My mum's mother has made a good recovery since Christmas & needs less medical treatment. Unfortunately my dad's step-mother died on 1st April 2006. I most regret this because she & I were never really close but I feel peaceful that I made every effort I could to love her to the best of my ability.

For those of you who have charted my academic progress - I got offered a place at City University, London to read an MSc in Speech Therapy! Yay hey! I am still unsure as to whether to accept for 2006 or to defer to 2007 because...... nothing exciting really, I experienced the worst bout of gastric flu that I have ever had 2 days after I got my offer through. I am still very fatigued, have a skin complaint & am low in mood. Basically, I do not feel like myself & am uncertain whether I will be fit enough to take on the rigours of the course with gusto in September this year. Also, it gives me more time to build up much needed funds (preferably with scholarships) to finance myself through. The course is extremely taxing (so I am informed) & therefore doesn't really allow for extra-curricular paid work unlike some other Masters courses. My friends in Uganda say, don't worry, the money will come in. I am not used to praying for every basic need yet so this is a real challenge for me.

In the very near future I will be setting off to explore the delights of Dublin with phlebas !

dextress @ 2006-04-19T17:32:00

2006-04-19T16:33:01Z

You Are an Orange Flower

An orange flower tends to represent boldness, energy, and warmth.
At times, you are courageous, like a poplar tree.
And at other times, you are hopeful, like an orange iris.
And more than you wish, you bond too quickly to people, like a honeysuckle.

What Color Flower Are You?

dextress @ 2005-07-22T09:14:00

2005-07-22T08:33:16Z

I overslept this morning as I had a very strange dream. In the first part I was first on the scene at a car crash and saw this young woman who was trapped between two mangled cars. Then I was in the operating theatre but looking down on the table where she was being worked on. Her father was there holding her hand and I was just floating angelically overhead.

Somehow I managed to be transported from there to a stone bridge with rooms in it overlooking a stunning valley. I was sitting playing a game with three other people - 2 men, 1 woman. It was some kind of philosophical / strategy game like "Risk" with Runes etc. I am normally quite pants at these kind of games and yet I won this one convincingly. Near the end of the game I got a message to say that I had gained a first class degree as I was waiting on the results that day.

My companions and I left the bridge on a kind of traction engine which didn't run on normal lines to our next city destination.

Now that I set this out it seems clear to me that despite not reading "Harry Potter" at night for this very reason (i.e. strange dreams) I have been seriously influenced by it!
For example;

* Mysterious deaths (Death Eaters)
* Strange runic games (lots of these in HP)
* Obsessions with high grades (I am just like Hermione)
* Steam engines (Hogwarts Express)

And there was me thinking it was *so* original!! Oh well, back to boring work now after all that yummy fantaasy stuff!

Scrap-book

2005-07-13T08:09:53Z

I am sooooooo tired this morning I keep thinking I'm about to fall asleep on the keyboard. After reading about that 15 year old girl who sleep-walked her way to the top of a crane I am starting to wonder whether I am still asleep & only dreaming that I am at work - I wish! My state of fatigue is my own fault entirely. I am preparing a scrapbook about myself to take on my trip to Uganda 3 weeks today!!! This is augment my very basic grasp of Luganda!

After watching a programme from the "Africa lives" series on BBC 4 about Uganda I rushed off all fired up and ended up scrap-booking till half midnight. I know that to you nocturnal people out there, this hour is nothing but I am not one of you and so feel crap today! The scrapbook looks cool though (eventhough I must be biased). It is all about me & my life, family, friends etc. Last night I did 2 pages - 1 on Newbury & 1 on London where I studied for my degree. Any ideas for more pages would be greatly received.

dextress @ 2005-06-29T20:12:00

2005-06-29T19:22:49Z

A MASSIVE "CONGRATULATIONS & WELL DONE"! to all those Livejournallers whom I know who have just finished exams / assessments! I am thinking in particular of libellum and hobnob for their degree results! We all knew you could do it libellum!! I look forward to hearing about the MA and Phd stages!

Talking of hallowed grounds of academia, I will be in Cambridge for a work conference on Tuesday 5th July. I was sincerely hoping that as the conference building is in the centre of the city that some Cambridge "Livejournallers" / friends thru mirabehn & mostlyacat could meet up with me for lunch! So what say you? Pleeese, pretty pleese say "yes, what time?" If I am really clever on Monday in my 5th driving test I may even be in a celebratory mood! If not, I will be in a let's sod it & have a drink because I don't have to drive back mood! Love you lots, meeee!

dextress @ 2005-06-12T17:39:00

2005-06-12T16:36:10Z

Cute little meme from mirabehn:

1. What's the first word that comes to mind when you think of me?
2. Go to http://images.google.com and search for that word.
3. Reply to this post with one of the pictures on the first page of results (don't tell me the word).
4. Put this in your own blog if you're feeling playful.

Really Excited About "Revenge of the Sith"

2005-05-19T12:43:34Z

I am just sooooo excited about Episode 3 "Return of the Sith"!!! I kind of just wish that I had been around all these years (apologies to those of you that have) to see them all unfold. I only saw the first 3 (or episodes IV, V and VI if it helps) on TV and not on the big screen and I and II were a touch disappointing. This is the one that I have been waiting for - well haven't we all!! We get to see more funky worlds and I gather that there are all kinds of neat touches to link us up to the other episodes ( I won't pass on spoilers). I have always been particularly interested in what drove Anakin Skywalker to the "Dark Side" and to see the legendary battle between himself and his mentor - Ben. I love lava too!

I am just confused in my memory as to whether Luke & Princess Leya got together. Isn't that incest? As I say, I have a rather hazy memory!

Anyone in the vicinity of Reading fancy meeting up to make a good night of it?

Another Lovely Sunday

2005-04-28T15:44:06Z

Although it's 5 days ago now I would like to note what a fab Sunday I just had. It was one of my near "perfect" kind of days doing things which I love (apart from driving). I spent the day with one of my best friends - Anne. She has recently moved into a brand-spanking new "Key Worker" flat which has Magnolia walls. She got blinds fitted with a funky African flower print so we took a kind of burnt orange from that & did an accent colour stripe on each wall. Then came the fun part - she let me loose on the flowers so I got to be creative and copy some of the flowers onto the walls - yay!

All the time I was listening to one of my favourite radio plays - a new adaptation of "The Raj Quartet" and the acting was very powerful, particularly when one of the main characters - Daphne Manners - gets raped by an Asian gang. It's set in post WW2 India I think and deals with issues which continue to affect our current climate - e.g. racial prejudices, integration or separation of peoples, colonial rule etc. I would highly recommend the book / play / video if you are interested in these kind of issues. It certainly pours cold water on the idea that our current issues are anything "new" and has helped me to vote this year.

Vienna on Saturday - I can't wait now although I think I'm getting hayfever.... I don't really know - I've not had it before but a lady in my office diagnosed it from my symptoms. It certainly doesn't seem as bad as when my brother gets it - migraines, streaming nose & puffy eyes are his symptoms. My eyes just itch a lot and I have a runny nose......

dextress @ 2005-04-21T10:02:00

2005-04-21T09:04:05Z

Ok... I have done the things suggested and I still don't see an improvement...I'll just try again with phlebas

dextress @ 2005-04-21T09:48:00

2005-04-21T08:50:02Z

Since moving offices I no longer have my boss sitting behind me breathing down my neck when I want to go on the net for fun not work reasons. You have probably noticed that my entries have increased dramatically since a month ago - this is why. I now understand how you guys get so much more out of LJ than I used too! I can actually follow a whole conversation without interruptions! "Thank you" mirabehn, jarel, the_alchemist and phlebas for all their good advice on basic user info.

For those of you who are interested (maybe taimatsu, the meal was a great hit. phlebas and I watched "Italian For Beginners" which is fab dogme film from Denmark. I am still trying to remember all the things which I had been told about the concept of a dogma film. I seem to recall that simplicity is at the heart of it as dogme avoids the "packaging" and "gloss" of Hollywood. This takes the form of hand-held camera simplicity and no music unless it is part of the scene e.g. a radio or concert. This means that a great script and fantastic actors/story are key. I would heartily recommend this film.

In other news: I have received a complement from the head of exams on my handling of a problem which has to be a first! *pats self on back*

I am interested in the Whitby gothic meet. Is there a good site on the web I can look at or anything people what to say about it - enthuse me or give some minuses.

Last but by no means least

2005-04-20T16:01:47Z

I have retraced my steps as all my detective heroes do....
and the person who I am trying to contact is called tali and has a username "aworldinside" (I think).
I also try unsuccessfully to add quite a few people to my friends list from various social occasions in the last few months. Help!

OOoops

2005-04-20T15:49:16Z

I also noticed that I don't seem able to insert people's name as links. I thought it was but that hasn't worked so I have weird gaps now. Please insert schwumpf, mirabehn, libellum and phlebas into the non-slots.

Unrelated things

2005-04-20T15:44:56Z

A big round of "thanks" go to smhwpf, mirabehn and all those who had a part in making the "Buffy" readthru so darn enjoyable. Particular mention must go to a person who worked hard on the narration but couldn't actually be there! (You know who you are spindlemere as Evil Willow, proposed to by phlebas as Xander and having a sung argument with weaselspoon as Xander too. The pub lunch on the Sunday was also very enjoyable.

And now for something completely different....
I followed a few friends of mirabehn links on her journal and made a comment on someone's journal who's name I have now forgotten. I would love to chat to her as we see to have quite a few interests in common. I remember her profile saying that she is from Aukland, NZ I think. If this is you & you read this, please comment - even if to say "hello, I don't know you". (dextress feels small & shy at this point).

I am cooking phlebas a kind-of-surprise meal tonight to brighten up his Wednesday & to thank him for being supportive re. the Driving Test. If I had the know-how I would list ingredients/ ambience etc. for fiends only & to exclude him! Can anyone tell me how?

Who Should You Vote For

2005-04-14T08:35:31Z

I have long since accepted that I merely exist on this planet as a mass of statistics to some people. To add data to support some other LJer's hypothesis
"I am mostly Lib Dem. closely followed by Green". This is exactly as I expected and I am not suprised that most of the other people I have met from Live Journal have similar inclinations as I have never clashed on politics issues with anyone yet - therefore, either we are all of like mind or all extremely tolerant!

And now for something completely different but none-the-less contraversial. Gina please feel free to pick my brains on my Anglican roots but I don't think I am very representative of the Anglican tradition - I like short meetings and hate beaurocracy!

Driving Test

2005-04-14T08:03:53Z

It's my driving test tommorow and I am getting in a PANIC!! Every time I try to rationalise my fearss (see my fingers are shaking) I calm down but then adrenaline takes over. Why can't I moderate it like I adjust the choke in & out -adding more adrenaline or diminishing accordingly.

I'm also trying to learn Buffy songs at the moment so last night's fitful sleep involved my singing the Buffy songs but to alternative lyrics e.g.

Anya: "It must be driving" (Instead of "It must be bunnies")

Could those of you who pray please pray that I regain some composure....