Mission to Magdalene

The wine is definatley working. I really like my hair. Toby liked the blond bits too, but hey, I'm experimenting. 

New hair! You can tell I've had half a bottle of wine! 

And this one! 

And this one, this one is amazing. 

Monday Morning. I took this on the way to work in the car this morning. This particular stretch of the Fens is really breath taking first thing. 

I'm a bit tipsy, it's monday night, I'd cooked tuna pasta, my mum has sent a panicing email about money and I needed a glass of wine. Or two, and a half.
We spent the weekend in London, saturday was first to the hairdressers to see Darron, he coloured mine and cut Toby's both are a resounding sucess. It's so nice to have a hairdresser we trust. Shame he's in London and costs the earth. I think it's worth it. But then I would. I'm in preparation for my wedding mode, so each hair cut or colour is a step on the way to my dazzling wedding do. This time I went very dark brown with dark copper streaks. Everyone really loves it except Toby thinks he prefers it a bit lighter. I'm torn, I like it dark and I liked it light. Oh the things that worry my stupid mind.
After the Darrons it was off to Landmark for a wholly ineffective agreement, I got completly overwhelmed and declared a break down. I don't think it really got through. I'm almost ready to quit, I want to but I don't and I'm fed up with being a failure at this accountability. I am at the mercy of the Staff and it's not working.
Then to Kari's for the evening, Carabean chicken, rice and peas, a film - eternal sunshine of the spotless mind then laugh at Toby coming home drunk from Karl's stag night. Apparently Karl was paraletic and had to go home even before they got the the curry house on brick lane. Most unimpressed.
On sunday, Toby got down to sorting out Kari's computer and Kari and I watched Monster, an amazing film about America's only female serial killer. What was amazing was that the film really succeeded in getting across how this woman at no point in her tragic life really had much choice to become anything else. She had her father's baby at 12, was beaten and abused by her father and his friends. As a teen ager lived in the woods and was the prostitute and scape goat of the town. In Michigan, where the winters are well below zero, her hands frost bitten. Her first victime was a man who had beaten and raped her and was in self defence, she found a gun and shot him. After that it was a case of she could kill her abuser or let him kill her. She got more money and satisfaction in killing him, I'm sure anyone in that position would. Where where social services when she was a child? How can a civilized society put a woman to death after bringing her up that way? I'm surprised it hasn't happened more often. I'm sure it will, the abused will have their day and women wont tolerate it anymore. The bad side is that they will then become the oppressed which also isn't the idea. Anyway a fantastic film.
We left London really late and just about got the 10.15 from Kings cross by the skin of our teeth. It was a nice weekend, despite Kari getting off on a little drama about the computer.

I told you this week had been a rollercoaster. This is in process of becoming ours. We will soon be the proud owners of a three bed semi. I went there this afternoon after taking my boots into be repaired and wondering aimlessly round the shops in Ely. Toby's in London rescueing Kari's computer so I'm doing lots of odd things I need to get round to doing. Like making the christmas blog, posting all the posts from the last week and a half and, well I'm not sure, maybe a bath. Oh yes, and the washing of course, and the tidying up bla bla. I'm glad I went to see the house, I had a look around the area and it seems very nice. We will be on what looks like the highest point of the fens. I will of course need to confirm that. It has a dish already which is also good. I can't wait to be able to watch charmed, the simpsons, nip tuck, six food under etc again. Mind you saying that I'm obvously better off without them. Oh life, how strange and wonderful. I spoke to Mum on the phone today. She's wriggled out of doing the forum because she wants to tidy the house. Yeah right. I might just have to go there in April and jolly well do it with her.We shall see. I think it's as much to do with me being lazy as her so maybe I should go and do it with her. I did say I wanted to reveiw the Forum, I'm definatley due to. 

I've just found this, you can see more at http://www.chrimbledec04.blogspot.com/

Valentines day was quite a day, I finally decided to ring the registrar in Cambridge. I realised that it was on the late side but not quite realising how late, late was. I’d called Hackney back in September and they’d told me to ring back after Christmas. I admit that I’d taken a bit of time to get round to it what with it now being February so I didn’t really know what to expect.
The registrar said, we should have booked back in August, oops! The only time left was 5pm! Eeek! We hire a beautiful place for the day, the day begins at 5pm, I think not! I was pretty upset, wrote a scathing email to Lyn, our wedding coordinator asking her why she didn’t tell me to get in contact back in August. I had contacted her to ask her if I should be doing anything but got no response. When she rang back I took responsibility for not making more effort to contact her, she blamed Hackney council for giving me crap information and said she’d get on to the registrar to find out if any other dates would work. We ended up on Tuesday accepting the Thursday 11th at 12.30 which actually works quite well. Also we have a lower minimum to feed which is better for us especially not knowing if everyone will be able to make it as it will be mid week. This was after sending out emails and calling key people to see if they would still be able to come.
It was a roller coaster of a day, Valentines day! I also had my third day without caffeine which was giving me the mother of all headaches, I felt terrible.
Toby came round at lunchtime to hand deliver a single red rose, I was seriously touched, he is so lovely. I had to walk right though my office back to my seat with my lovely rose with a mixture of smugness and not wanting to be so smug at the same time. I got a few passing comment about I must be doing something right etc etc.
After work, Toby picked me up and there was an enormous beautiful bunch of flowers in the car waiting for me, Toby had got all flustered while picking them from the florist, he told me, it’s funny really, how emotional it can make one.
We had a restaurant booked, my banging headache put pay to it, I got in 2 hours sleep the minute I got in then woke up, ate some veggy soup made by Ellen and a couple of sausages. She makes a mean soup, refridgerator soup, she called it, the left overs from the fridge. It was really lovely, lekker.
On Tuesday the wedding saga continued with calls and email flying, eventually early on Tuesday afternoon I spoke to the registrar and confirmed the Thursday, it was actually nice to have to be in communication with so many people I am pretty sure we will have all the key people. Chantal is subject to her operation, it will be down to if she can meet the criterior for the operation in May, if not the op will have to by July which means she will be recovering so wont be up for coming to Cambridge. Fingers crossed she can have the op in May.
Gareth only perked up when I mentioned where I Worked, him and his obsession with secret squirrel things. I don’t see myself being able to tell him more than he already knows, I wouldn’t do that anyway.
Cheffins called and told me we’ve lost Chapel St to a cash buyer offering more than we were prepared to offer. We have seen another house I think might be worth viewing, I’m setting up a viewing for Toby tomorrow and if he’s keen, we can go again on Friday. I was really upset about loosing Chapel st, I really was starting to see us there.
Tonight I made the best Indian ive ever made. Yesterday on the way home by bike, I stopped at Alamin, the best deli in Cambridge and bought lots of Indian stuff including Tandori Masala, which I’ve never had dealing with before, It seemed too easy; chicken, a spoon of Masala, yogurt, marinate for 24 hours then bake in foil in an oven.
I got sheeps yoghurt, chicken and the Masala, it was lovely!
Ellen and Dan went out and I did a romantic Indian dinner for two. Ellen dressed the dining table and made us heart shaped cookies, I was really moved when I saw it, so was Toby when I lead him into the dining room eyes closed to find fine Indian homemade cuisine and wine waiting on a candle lit table. We drunk the whole bottle and chattered, flirted and had a really romantic evening together. Much better than if we’d have gone to a restaurant.

The end of a lovely relaxing weekend. Saturday up in London for the TLP which was a good day. It was, I would describe it as a continuation of a breakthrough in expanding my horizons. Particularly with regard to causing results and being creative with situations which seem impossible to work through. That’s very exciting and rewarding in itself. On the way back to Kings Cross, inside of that space, Toby and I were speculating about creating a Charter for our relationship. We have ‘ a loving partnership full of fun and adventure’ but to create something inside of which we constitute our whole relationship is a great idea of Toby’s.
We are at the point where we should be sending the invitations by now, and we haven’t yet. Also the registrar etc. I am going to ring east cambs council and Magdalene about getting someone to marry us. The clock has started ticking so we need to get on to it, not to mention move house!
We had breakfast in bed and I described to Toby how I imagined the house on Chapel Street would look like after we re-decorated. I imagined warm, bright, clean and fresh colours, light yellows and browns and greens. Curtains with old fashioned flower patterns like the ones my Great Aunt made in greens and natural tones; drawings of flowers like in horticultural manuals.
The garden lends itself towards being a country kitchen garden, with hip-high camomile, lavender, rosemary, wild flowers etc. It will need clearing out the same as the rest of the house but it’s got so much character.
The rest of today, I read the contract for the wedding venue, saw that we need to have a minimum 60 dining to fulfil the contract. That puts the price up for us a bit but compared to everything else we’d budgeted for, it’s still less than a third of the costs for the venue and the meal. There’s not much point in moving it in the hope of getting somewhere cheaper. We need to knuckle down. By the end of this week I will have found someone to marry us, registered it with Ely council, formulated the list of guests and have the cards at least started – they will need to be hand written which will take a bit of time.

Another week gone by, work has settled into a routine, I’m feeling useful and appreciated. I’ve spent most of the last two days formatting very large compliance documents. It was good to see how they worked. It makes me a bit google eyed after two 60 + pages documents. I’ve learnt lots of new things about word I didn’t know. Very clever.
I found out about parking for central Ely – the house we are thinking of buying is right in the centre and doesn’t come with it’s own parking so we need to work out the implications before buying. It shouldn’t be a problem. Basically, there is no residents parking because all parking at present, is free. On the introduction of paid parking they might well offer permits but politically this is suicide so no self respecting councillor will ever enforce it unless requested by the public.
I’ve had two evenings in Landmark already and tomorrow will be my third – TLP workday 6. I like them and at the same time can’t be bothered. I’m sure it will be good. I just want my lie in I wont be getting.
This morning Phil and Phill were in Cambridge so 6music was on AM – CUR radio. It was really nice having decent radio on the way to work.
I’m really sleepy so time to sleep.

On sunday we picked up the last of the furniture we have bought from Courts. They have gone into administration and were selling off everything at 70-90% discount. We got two dining tables, one posh, one round folding for a kitchen and 10 chairs, 6 posh, 4 matching the kitchen table. Plus a telly cabinet, some rugs and cushions, all at mega cheap prices. We had the Rover 75 tourer all weekend more or less, picking up furniture. It was fun really, tobe made loads of fuss about it being an automatic and that you couldn't brake with the engine or accelerate much, but that's men for you.
He did sit patientley in Marks and Spencer while I tried on about 20 bras before buying two with all my vouchers. We walked all the way in and all the way out again (of cambridge) from the Newmarket Road into the City, it was a fair old walk and both of us are really starting to feel our way round Cambridge now. Ironically both of us had forgotton the maps we so diligently bought when we moved here but we didn't get lost at all.
Last night (monday) I trained Ken to lead intro's to assisting, it will be good to have him on board as a leader. One of the guests lives in Ely! I bumped into her as I got off the train at Ely so we gave her a lift home. That's one person we know who has done the Forum in Ely! It makes me want to organise a social...

It was Ellens Birthday on Saturday, Dan bought her a racing car (little one) and we brought her a picnic basket. We went to a murder mystery evening put on by the local secondry school to raise some money. The acting wasn't much cop but fun was had by all.

I took this picture with the camerphone from the car with the window wound down first thing in the morning inbetween Ely and Cambridge on the way to work. It is now my screen saver both on my phone and my work PC. Driving throught the fens everymorning isn't a bad commute.