marylittlegoth

Just an FYI, in case anyone I know finds me here, I've mainly moved this over here so I don't lose it, as I want to close down my LJ. I've been on DW for years in another identity unconnected to this one or RL.

You never know, I might even start blogging again some time.

Can't be any worse than some of the cringemaking entries from years ago I've got here now!

Still alive, just rarely here.

Still tired after Gothla (going back to work today was probably a bad idea!). But we did have a fabulous time.

We weren't sure about when we'd get there on the Friday, but in the end after leaving Colchester about half two we managed to arrive in Leicester at about half five giving us time to find a chippy and get dressed up a bit to go to the Hafla on friday night. The Hafla was brilliant, I think my highlights were Morgana, Sashi and Ariellah, but I liked the group with the gypsy style skirts (I can't find my programme so have lost their name) and Raqs Macabre reduced us to tears of laughter. It was also really nice to meet Angela from Tribe Zuza and Jesse who I'd met at Raqs Britannia. After the hafla we went off to the Quebec club, and danced our little socks off for a few hours before turning in.

Saturday we relaxed in the morning before wandering over to the Souk to look at the pretty things and do a little light shopping before Ariellah's workshop. Lunch in the cafe / sandwich place next door (the people in there were really nice to us) and then on to Ariellah's workshop. I was half really looking forward to some serious focus on arms, as I've found them really hard (lots of boxing doesn't make for graceful arms) and half dreading it as I find them really hard. However, it was brilliant and I really felt I took a lot away from it. I found Ariellah a great teacher and really nice too and kept up better than I thought I would. It's also really nice to dance to music I know and like. And One and Qntal, yay!

After the workshop it was a quick change and out to the buffet meal, we were running a bit late, but were reassured but a couple of dancers we met that the restaurant were happy wiht that so there wasn't an unmanageable rush. We'd only just got out of the hotel when we bumped into Ariellah again, and wandered up to the restaurant with her, listening to Dean's tales of winding up gormless american tourists, and bemoaning chav's who below abuse out of cars. At the restaurant, we got chatting to various people, especially Clare who lived quite locally and Sonia from Germany, living in London.

Food was great and we trolled back to the hotel to get ready. This took a little time (he heh, okay, quite a bit of time), but suitably dolled up we made our way out to the club just in time to catch up with Lee (DJ Cruel Britannia) who my husband Jamie had DJed with when we toured with the Last Dance in 2006, and his lovely lady Laura, before he had to go and DJ. Much dancing and drinking ensued, and I even managed to say hi to Neal from Screaming Banshee Aircrew who I hadn't met before as he's joined the band more recently. We also got chatting with Sonia who we'd met in teh restaurant. Back to the hotel, pack so we don't have to in the morning and go to bed.

Sunday we had the workshop with Ariellah early, so a quick breakfast then off to the workshop. This one I found harder but still managed to pretty much keep up, and felt again that I took a lot away.

Back to the Souk to look at pretties and we bump into Sashi. I'd been sent photos of Keri,my friend from Calfornia, by Shawn last Wednesday (Keri is the girlfriend of Jeff from The Last Dance, and Shawn married to Pete the bassist). I'd known for a while Keri was getting into bellydancing but we were pleasantly surprised to see that she was dancing with Sashi. Hence we introduced ourselves, and it turns out that it's a terribly small world and not only does Keri dance with Sashi, Sashi's known the guys from TLD for years. Thus ensued much swapping of "gory stories" and drinking tales and we all wandered off to lunch together before it was time to make for Sashi's workshop.

Sashi was *mean* :o) !!! she really made us do a serious cardio, running up and down, warm up to get us really flexible before starting to work on the combo's, more like the warm up I do before kick boxing than what I'm used to for dancing. It was effective though and we soon went on to the combo's. Sashi has a completely different style of teaching to Ariellah, and it was really good to move into a different view of it. You see and understand it from more ways. I really enjoyed the workshop and learned a lot to take away with me. Katie was also very pleased to dance to NIN, and me to dance to VNV. Even more surreally, after whole TLD connection with Sashi, in the workshop I bumped into Tamsin and Nadia who I went to school with 15 years ago and who now live in Germany. We instantly recognised each other, bizarre!

Anyway, we pretty much had to disappear immediately the workshop ended as Dean had to be back on set for the independent movie he's been roped into (I'm in it too!) and after a few quick goodbyes and swapping of contact details we zipped back across the country to collapse in an exhausted heap back in Essex!

Martin Oldgoth has just had a text from a friend of her mum in the court for the verdict and e-mailed Jamie and myself.

The boy who was charged with her murder has been found guilty.

Some of you may know that our 8 year old Boa Constrictor, Greebo, has had problems with his jaw for some time, having an abcess which keeps coming back. He has now had various courses of anti-biotics and two lots of surgery on his mouth, removing three fangs and part of his jaw.

Unfortunately, after two initial bacterial cultures which came back negative, the vet himself paid for a further, apparently more in depth, culture screening (our vet is a most amazing guy and a reptile specialist). Unfortunately, although it hasn't really taken hold of any part of him except the problem with his jaw yet, Greebo has a micro bacterial infection (I think I got that right) which is effectively a snakey form of TB. We are going to have to have him put down. This is not something that can be cured.

We're gutted, obviously, and so is the vet, as apart from this Greebo is in fine fettle, still eating, although this is thanks to the surgery that reduced the abcess on his jaw, and enjoying a good life. However, this will not continue. We have agreed with him that we will keep him at home for as long as possible, as his jaw doesn't bother him that much, but when his jaw gets big we will take him to be put down.

We have a week or two left with him.

I'll see if I can find any pictures to post. When we got him, he was a malnourished, undersized 22 inch strip of a thing, with seriously dry skin. 6 years later he's now a happy, 6.5 foot, relaxed, comparatively friendly (for a reptile) animal.

We're going to miss him.

***UPDATE***

Effects of said hassle have now been somewhat mitigated by the arrival of a grovelling apology and a large box of Roses chocolates from the Team Manager responsible! It doesn't make the lack of work done get fixed, but it tastes pretty good!

After quite a nice weekend, this week at work is shaping up to be rather shit. Thankfully I am working from home Tuesday and Thursday which will allow me to avoid most of the useless crap, service cuts and mindless bureaucracy that are currently making my working life here significantly less than fun. It's still only the people in my immediate office (including my boss thankfully) that make this job tolerable, as I work with really good people. Despite this I think it's time to have another go at looking for something better.

Willing to consider any reasonable jobs going, £18K+ or £22.5K+ in London, ideally PA or admin, ideally not Local Government!!! (unless the money is REALLY good)

The weekend on the other hand was fun. Katie, who was suffering from a nasty allergic reaction to a mouthwash came over Friday and Saturday evenings for Chinese Food, movies, sympathy and the opportunity to beat Jamie with a studded belt (which is an entirely different story, suffice it to say he deserved it probably enjoyed it knowing the bloody minded old goat).

Sunday we went over to Harvey Road to see Rob & Beth and Dean & Inge, with Katie, Kat and Martin, Vince, Karen and Steve were there also, and Caroline subsequently joined us. Much food, a little wine, silly card games and chat ensued and a fun time was had by all.