AND IT'S ALMOST HERE!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

All my deliveries turned up (or I was able to achieve them) and the only person I forgot to get a present for is my brother in law. Ooops. Everything got wrapped this afternoon (I meant to do it last night but one quick drink when work finished at 3pm resulted, almost inevitably, in me not remembering getting home and passing out with my coat on at around about midnight) and I'm feeling quite satisfied with myself and sipping some sparkling elderflower presse. Yum.

I like to think I'm quite a good present buyer. I don't know if I actually AM, but I put a lot of thought into gifts so I like to think that people will like them. One of my main problems is that I do have a tendency to assume that because I like something, the other person will, and that's not necessarily a good thing! But who knows! I tried not to overcomplicate things this year because I lleft most of the present-buying so late. Some friends are getting bags from my favourite new bag place, Nica - I couldn't resist buying myself a "present" on there too - mum is getting a zumba kit, my dad a book and some vodka, the brother dvds and some Jack Daniels, dvds for Granda . . . it's my sister's present I'm most proud of though!

Lynne, if you have decided to pick today to read my blog, please stop reading now or it will ruin the surprise!

Have you stopped yet? Okay . . . here it is!

So here's what I got her - an eyepencil set from Floozie (great colours eh?) dalmation print earphones (amazon), a zebra print wine glass (I just found out today her husband's parents have given her a leopard print one, but she says he's always breaking them so it can't do any harm to have two - I got mine from a seller on Folksy); some cute Floozie socks (Debenhams) and . . . my favourite two parts of the overall present . . . a bird print coin purse I bought from Fossil while in London earlier this month; and, last but not least, a cute owl ring from Tatty Devine. I would absolutely love both of these things for myself (I'm hoping that doesn't mean I'm buying based on my own wants and not hers again) and have struggled not to keep them, but I'm hoping she really loves them.

Sometimes I really do think that the giving is better than the receiving. I love the looks on people's faces when you feel like you've got them exactly the right present

I hope you all have an amazing day, whether you celebrate Christmas or not. I'm sure an update on the presents I receive, reaction to the presents I give, and a run-down of whatever random selection of foods we have for Christmas dinner THIS year will be imminent.


PS apologies for the post being all crushed up., I had no idea how to fix it!

OUT FOR DELIVERY . . .

A pet hate of mine (I know - I have many) is when a delivery company try to deliver something when you're out and decide to just leave it with your neighbour.

Fair enough if you've stated that they can do so while you are in the process of ordering. Or fair enough if you live in Ramsay Street, Erinsborough for example, and everyone knows everyone else anyway and walk in one another's houses without knocking and never lock their doors.

But I have NOT stated I want them to do this, and I live in a tenement flat where I barely even know my own FLATMATES, let alone my neighbours.

The thing that irritates me the most is that it is then up to me to try and get the damn parcel back. And most times the person in question doesn't answer their door, so I end up leaving a note on the door just asking can they drop it inside my storm doors (or through the letter box if it fits) - and this usually happens, eventually.

Yesterday I got two dresses delivered, and since neither my flatmates or I were in, they were left with a neighbour in the basement flat. I didn't know this until I got home last night not long before midnight. So I could hardly pop down then, and I wasn't sure if i'd be around tonight either, so I left a polite note on their door explaining this and asking if they could do the whole dropping off behind the storm door thing for me.

There is still no sign of this package.

It better appear soon as I need to see if either of these dresses will do for my night out on Saturday night. I can't go there NAKED after all. Well, I technically could but i'd probably be 1) cold and 2) arrested.

Stupid delivery companies. Stupid neighbours. Stupid dresses that probably won't fit anyway.

Stupid everything. :-(

UM . . . HEY . . .

Do you remember me? *shuffles feet, looks around shyly*

I'm that girl who used to come on here and alternate between random rants and acute bouts of virtual depression. Sound familiar?

No?

Oops, sorry, I've been neglecting these here parts of late. There's been a lot going on in my life recently - some good, a bit more of it bad. But I'm still here; I'm still breathing. I'm still imbibing wine like i'm worried it might run out and I should make sure my bloodstream continues to have a (un)healthy supply of alcohol running through it.

I'm just back (pretty much literally!) from a work trip to London for the past five days, which was actually really good fun. Here's some shit I learned:

• Deciding to take the stairs out of Covent Garden underground is practically a suicide mission. There are WAAAYYYY TOO MANY. I had to take a break before I reached the top to, I dunno, actually BEGIN BREATHING AGAIN! On the upside, I probably worked off my dinner in terms of calories before I actually ate it.

• Wahaca (a Mexican tapas-y type place in the aforementioned Covent Garden) is actually fab. Delicious food, great service, although you can't pre-book. I don't like that part. But it's worth a go if you're in London.

• I don't see Miss H enough. I had an ace time with her hanging out in Camden (and then passing out on her early on - *insert ashamed face here*) and am going to BULLY her into coming to Scotland very soon. Because she has NEVER BEEN HERE!!!! (Naughty)

• It's very satisfying not to be in your own country when the snow strikes there, as well as the brilliantly named Hurricane Bawbag of yesterday. Although I DID miss out on getting sent home from work early. But when it comes down to it, I'd rather have avoided the extreme weather than get any other perks.

• Living off expenses is probably a good way to make one pile on the weight pretty damn quickly. I feel like I end up eating more than usual just for the sake of it. Oops.

• Oh, and once more, I am reminded that I am far more resilient and strong than I tend to give myself credit for. I've been through a bit of an emotional turmoil this past two weeks, and I'm still not feeling one hundred per cent, but I still worked my ass off, AND managed to have a good time. Pat on the back for me!
  

What have you all been up to, my lovelies?

WITTY PUTDOWNS . . .

I pride myself on being fairly quick-witted, but it is unnecessary insults from random strangers that tend to result in me becoming pretty tongue-tied and slow. Possibly it's something to do with holding back from actually TRYING to come back with something equally insulting because they might, y'know, PUNCH me or something.

The one that annoys me the most is when you get someone (usually a wee girl ned who thinks she is hard) making some sarky comment about your (actually very nice) clothes - usually along the lines of "NICE boots" or "NICE coat" to her friends within hearing range of you. The "nice" part of the phrase is clearly sarcastic, and is destined to make you feel bad about yourself . . . ESPECIALLY if you were already feeling slightly insecure about your sartorial choices that day.

So I've figured out this brilliant comeback, and I'm dying to use it, but it's been a while since this has happened to me. (Well, I THINK It happened to me and my sister last weekend, but neither of us were sure enough that we hadn't misheard - and we didn't actually know what "NICE" part of us was being slagged off - to actually retaliate.) But here it is . . . maybe someone else could try it out?

Next time some little DICK-FOR-BRAINS makes a sarcastic "NICE something" comment, reply with this:

"NICE face!"

Then have a quick look at the face, frown and feign embarrassment.

"Oh sorry!! Um - my mistake."

And then run away before they hit you.

Let me know if it works, okay??? ;-)

What would YOUR comeback be to one of these sarky little c-words???

I'M STILL ALIVE . . .

Just don't feel much like posting anything right now.

Sorry. Would just rather crawl up in a ball and drink and/or cry than do anything else.

Normal service will resume shortly. No idea when. But . . . yeah.