Owner: The Highs and Lows of Emily Brown URL:http://thehighsandlows.blogspot.com Join Date: Tue, 08 Aug 2006 11:59:39 -0500 Rating:1 Site Description: A blog about anything and everything to do with life from a law student and legal secretary. Site statistics:Click here
It gets better! 2006-11-10 19:52:00 I'm known for always being cold in the winter, it doesn't matter if most other people are hot - I will still be cold. However, I know this and so when I am chilly I just sort of put up with it because most of the time it's just me.
My boss seems to think that people only get cold in the mornings, because he keeps turning the heating off in the afternoon! I know it's not just me when I touch the radiator and it's stone cold. The other day I'd finished my lunch and asked if the heating was still on. He told me it was and was very surprised that I was cold - he went and got a fan heater, which was nice. I only kept it on for about ten minutes and then I had warmed up, and I might add that this is the only time I have really mentioned being cold.
I got in the next morning and he had one of those thermometer card thingies that you put on the wall in babies' bedrooms (although instead of a kiddie design on it, it had 'freezing, comfortable, excess heat' etc.'). He told me (in a ver Read more:better
Work 2006-11-09 08:53:00 It's getting me down at the moment. I just get frustrated and annoyed. It's a very small practice and, as a result, the days are starting to drag now that I've been there a while. I still don't really deal with phone calls, even though I know what's going on most of the time and have to tell other people. I think that maybe they should've employed just a typist rather than a secretary, because at the moment I don't feel very secretarial. I've thought about talking to my boss but I've hesitated for a few reasons - 1) PMT. I think if I said something now I'd either get really angry or I'd cry, neither are good when I'm trying to come across responsible and competent (I also think this has to do with why I'm getting so pissed off with work at the moment so I'm biding my time). 2) My holiday. I'm off in a couple of weeks and I can't wait, I haven't had a holiday this year and it really will be what I need! I'm looking forward to having some time off and relaxing! Not sure
2006-11-07 23:28:00 I've been making a few decisions about my life recently. I'm 20 years old and I already live in a flat with my boyfriend, I work full time and study part time. I run out of time for studying and always end up rushing at the end and for what? The here and now? What about the future? What about doing something with my life while I'm still young and don't have too many responsibilities?
So I've made a list of things I have to check out and I need to talk to a few people but the wheels are in motion and it's all I can think about at the moment.
Don't worry, I'll keep you posted ;-)
2006-11-02 08:50:00 Took a trip to A & E on Monday night! It was A's little boy's birthday at the weekend, as mentioned previously, and we went to a party with those huge climbing frames with foam and ball pits and slides and stuff. We raced a few people round it and eventually A and I raced, only she cheated so I tried to pull her back by her jeans and when we finished she'd hurt her finger. It was swollen and bent a bit! Told her to see how it goes and if the swelling goes down but by Monday it hadn't. So we had a night out and went to A & E. Met a tramp with a sore foot. Someone told him he should go home and put his feet up! Saw a posh girl with a sore foot too, couldn't have been that sore though because once she sat down she started eating her boyfriend! That was about the most exciting part of the evening. In the end we decided to leave because the wait would've been too much, and A went back the next day. After all that it's just very bruised but it will heal on its own.I am selling the rat
2006-10-29 11:35:00 Ok, well the pets were rats and they bloody well stank! Not only that but they started nipping. It took me long enough to persuade the boyfriend that they are really good animals and hardly ever bite, then after coming home and finding the flat stank to high heaven I couldn't handle it. I've had to give them back to where they came from. I do feel guilty but at the same time they will hopefully go and live with someone who has more time for them and can cope with the cage cleaning on that large scale! So it's back to the hamster idea. Smaller cage, easier to clean, smaller animal - just the one! Plus they keep themselves to themselves - once they're tamed they pretty much stay like that. They do need handling every day but it's not as crucial, they will still be ok the next day. In the meantime I have to sell all the rat stuff and get as much money for it as I can before I can think about spending more money on hamster stuff.
So anyway, it really has been a while since I've writt
2006-10-15 21:23:00 My my, I have been slacking with this. I do apologise for my absence.
I have been doing not a lot! I still haven't started my diploma that I'm supposed to be doing but I have had a bit of a tidy round the flat and sorted things. I'm also getting some pets soon, which were to be arriving this evening but unfortunately one of them is ill and needs to be kept an eye on for a few days before they come to me. I am looking forward to getting them but I am a bit worried if they are going to be unwell.
Sorry if that's a bit mysterious but I don't like to tell all the details of my life ;-)
I went out for a meal with the boyfriend and it would've been nice, had we not been sat by a party of about twenty and my pizza hadn't been luke warm! Never mind, hopefully we'll have a nicer meal when we're on holiday at the end of November.
Anyway, I must be off. I am becoming an expert at procrastination and I really need to get my arse in gear!
2006-10-05 08:42:00 Well, it's a week later. I thought that with not studying I would have loads of time - I don't know where the past week has gone!!
I did 2,499 words in the end, I've no idea if they think it's good, in the end I didn't care and just wanted to get it done - I only need 30% on it to pass. I don't get the results now until December, so in the meantime I'm starting this diploma which should help me with work. I also need to clear the flat out which I should do this Saturday and get on top of my ironing pile (which is proving difficult as it is now taller than I am).
Last Friday night was actually quite nice. I got home and the boyfriend was cooking dinner, which turned out to be pasta bake, only he didn't quite know what he was doing so it was nice but a bit burnt and crusty on top. Then we took a lovely walk to the video shop to get 'The Da Vinci Code' out, only to find out that it hasn't come out yet. There was nothing else we fancied, but we have borrowed a DVD series from A
As usual I am behind with my studying, only it's p... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 As usual I am behind
with my studying
, only it's pretty important that I catch up because my last assignment is due at the end of this month - I have to submit it and I have to pass it, no extensions are allowed otherwise I risk failing the entire course. No pressure there then. I don't think passing it will be too much of a problem, it's just getting my arse in gear between now and then to get on with the reading and prepare.I've also signed up for a diploma to do over the Christmas break which should help me quite a bit work-wise, it'll add to the experience I'm getting at the moment and then hopefully when I move on I'll be going to bigger and better things (and, of course, more money)!One thing I've been meaning to blog about for a while is this woman I know, mainly through the internet. I used to belong to an msn group quite a while ago and she was a member who I got chatting to. She happens to be a lesbian, but she's a thoroughly messed up one. I have met her on a couple
Sorry! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Apologies, it's been a while. A few things have happened in the past couple of weeks - had to go to the vet on Thursday with the last remaining mouse as her fur was falling off and she wasn't doing much anymore (i.e. sleeping all the time and not moving a lot). The vet sent her off to mouse heaven where she can be back with the other one in their cage in the sky. Boyfriend's pleased, he never liked them in the first place. I felt pretty cruel, but I would've felt even worse bringing her home and having her moping around and scratching herself to bits all the time. My mum actually got quite upset! Now we have an empty cage on the side which makes it even worse because it's so empty! Got to get rid of it today, we were thinking we could sell most of the mouse stuff, only when the boyfriend picked up the cage yesterday to empty it a big crack went down the side of it and I really don't think anyone would want it now. Still, there's tubes and stuff that I'm sure someone else can ma
Argh! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I am in the most foul of moods and absolutely everything is pissing me off, from the way that the door keeps banging because I dare to have the bloody window open to the amount of studying I have to cram into so little time - and the boyfriend moans about having to put some washing on! I must be due on soon, god help me.Oh, and the romantic evening consisted of sitting in front of the telly doing the Test the Nation IQ test. Fucking great.Told you I was in a bad mood.
I was right (I always am) and no sooner does it ar... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I was right (I always
am) and no sooner
does it arrive than I wish it would disappear again.A and I used to be part of a bigger group of friends, a lot of us have known each other longer than others and the groups sort of intertwined and we were all friends. Just after Christmas last year things went terribly wrong when a couple of people fell out over a misunderstanding and it spiralled due to the "he said, she said..." way of things getting passed around. A got a particularly hurtful email from one of the friends who we thought had a bit more decency and it really hit home. We decided just to go round there and clear the air, actually talk to each other for a change! The evening went ok and we felt as thought we got a lot of issues sorted, obviously it will never go back to the way things were but it's a step towards building a few bridges.
Statistics 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I have a visitor counter on this page but I often wonder how many actual regular visitors I get and which ones just stumble across this by accident and click off as soon as they've clicked on. Due to the lack of comments it's hard to know whether anyone actually keeps track and comes back. I'm also rubbish at keeping an eye on things - I never have any time because I've got enough to keep me occupied in life at the moment! I do often have a look at what people have searched for to get here though - mostly just 'Emily Brown' and I wonder if I'm the Miss Brown they meant to find? One thing I have found though is that I have a regular reader based in China who checks in every couple of days or so. So hello to whoever you are, I hope you're enjoying reading my ramblings! Read more:Statistics
Better late than never! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The plan for tonight has changed slightly. I came home last night (that's right - I actually went out on a Friday night!) to a lovely answerphone message from my mother - I don't have to babysit because the night has been cancelled, she has a boil on her bum. Thanks mum, that's really a lot more information than I needed. J's still coming over though, I'm really looking forward to having a proper catch up.Meanwhile, I've seen the girl who I bumped into the other day who went to my school and is now living in a flat in the same block as me with her boyfriend and two year old son (let's call her Trisha) a few times. We've had a chat and she's filled me in on a few things, apparently she didn't plan the baby but it just happened and now she's trying her hand at modelling. Fair enough. Her boyfriend keeps knocking on my door today asking to borrow things, which I don't mind, but it's persistent and getting on my nerves. He wants me to move Trisha's car in a minute so that he
The farm was great, I think I had more fun than A'... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The farm was great, I think
I had more fun than A's little boy! We might be going to the Science Museum on Sunday so I'm looking forward to that as well. In the meantime I need to get on top of the whole studying business so that I'm not in the same position next TMA time ;-) I know, I know, I say it every month - but EastEnders is finishing soon and then I'm having a session.Work is going good, I'm still learning but I still feel there is loads more to learn and I'm so eager to get there and know what I'm doing properly! I'm going to do a Legal Secretary Diploma when this course finishes (October, then I start again in February) and then I'll see how things go but I'll probably only stay in this job for about a year to get some experience and then it'll be time to move on.Another thing I meant to mention was books - I've finished reading Lucky by Alice Sebold and I have to recommend it to everyone! I can't say I enjoyed reading it but it certainly opened my eyes and made
We decided not to do the Science Museum this week ... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 We decided not to do the ScienceMuseum
this week so that I have a weekend for studying, so we're going to go next week instead and A and her troops are coming to dinner as well. Which means that I'm supposed to be studying instead of mucking about on the internet!My mouse is still hanging on in there, although she has this skin thing and has been scratching a lot - we've had her checked out for mites so it just seems as though it's old age, although in herself she seems fine (she is still going to sleep in strange places though). I've decided that when she does eventually go I'm going to opt for a hamster and as a result I've been looking at cages. After much deliberation I've settled on this one. It comes with a lot of things so when I eventually do get a hamster I will just have to buy a few bits and bobs and I was thinking for the time being I could put my mouse in it, it might take her mind off the fact that she's all alone! On that note, I have bought a stuffed mouse in
The hamster idea has gone out the window. The cage... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The hamster
idea has gone out the window. The cage arrived and it has gone back again today - it was massive! I could've fit about 10 hamsters in there and still had room. Anyway, like I said, the hamster idea has gone out of the window. I always wanted rats (the boyfriend didn't) and I eventually gave in and said I'd have a hamster instead but sod it - I want rats! I've been looking at cages and I've also got in touch with some breeders so watch this space. Any recommendations for cages and/or breeders are always welcome - email me!I've still been getting these headaches and I swear the doctor thinks I'm making things up so I'm trying a week or so without caffeine - day 1 - I'm bloody knackered!! I don't know if it's just my body trying to adjust but I have not stopped yawning today at all! Let's hope things get better!
I had to give in and I am now having one cup of re... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I had to give in and I am now having one cup of real coffee a day. I don't think I could go without completely and as soon as someone told me that it's just as bad to stop altogether, that was the excuse I needed!I was feeling very reminiscent last night and quite lonely. I've got friends and I love them to bits, but there are a couple of friends who I used to work with and just lost touch with after the boyfriend and I moved into our own place. They like to go out a lot which obviously we can't afford to do as much anymore and so I think they stopped inviting us to places and we just never invited them here. Anyway, I decided to give one of them a call a couple of days ago because I don't want to lose touch with them forever. I called B, she's hopefully coming over on Monday with her boyfriend for a catch up. I would've preferred her to come on her own seeing as her boyfriend is low life scum who compulsively cheats on her but hey, we can't have it all. More on that another ti
Invaded! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Trisha's boyfriend decided to pop in today. He hasn't left yet and him and the boyfriend have started playing the Xbox.I find motivation to study hard at the best of times, let alone when there's someone sat on my chair in the way of my desk and invading my front room!!!!!GO AWAY!
Time is running out. This weekend is it - I have t... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Time is running
out. This weekend is it - I have to catch up or else I'm going to be seriously swamped in a couple of weeks. Next weekend I have a tutorial and then I'm booked to decorate the venue for the hen night with A, and that night is the night, then the next day I'm going to have to plan and make a start on this assignment (with a hangover)! It's only a couple of more weeks though and then I can forget about my LLB until February! Well, apart from a book I need to read on legal essays and problem questions. I've got my stuff through for my diploma which I'm going to do over my 'holiday' months and hopefully get it finished before the start of next year's course.Mother annoyed me earlier in the week. My brother has started secondary school and I said I'd go along to the information evening with her for a laugh, see if there's any teachers there that I recognise (there are still quite a few there) but I just didn't have time, the work is mounting up. So I told her I w
Who are you going on about?! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Ok, in an attempt to make it a bit easier to distinguish just who I am talking about, I have tried to make a list of who's who. This will not cover everyone, there are the obvious ones like the boyfriend, my mother and my brother who I think do not need an explanation, but for the rest please see below:A - One of my closest friends.B - A's other half.Jodie - Friend who I went to school with and is now at uni!Carrie - Best friends with Jodie and another friend who I went to school with. She's also a hairdresser so I don't have to go far when I need a trim!Rick and Lucy - Another couple of friends getting married at the end of September 2006.K - A friend from my old work, we still keep in touch and she comes over every now and then.Trisha - See this post and this one.Marjorie - Some woman from the internet who has a blog and is crazy, see this post.I think that's about it, if there's anyone I've missed then I will add them at a later stage!
Strippers 1970-01-01 00:59:59 It's the stag night tonight. It's actually the stag day - seeing as they're all going clay pigeon shooting at 2pm this afternoon. The boyfriend has gone off to work and hopes to finish by then, it would've been so easy for him to go straight from work as well seeing as it's just around the corner, but being a man he left the directions and a change of clothes at home so he will be returning here first. It's his own fault if he's late, I've got enough on my plate this weekend.Anyway, the stag night. The groom - let's call him Rick (I really will have to start a 'who's who' list!) - said that he didn't want a stripper from the start. Apparently he used to work with some so he's seen it all before and it just didn't do anything for him. Which disappointed the rest of the boys going as I think it would've been more for their benefit! Then A sent me a text the other night saying that her other half (the best man) had just booked one. Rick had conceded the other day that he w Read more:Strippers
Wow, posting about strippers has led to interestin... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Wow, posting about strippers has led to interesting google searches directing people here!!The stag night went well, we saw the stripper via a video call - had to get a good look! She didn't do what she might have done so that was good.We had the hen night on Saturday - it was such a laugh! Our stripper looked a bit like Herman Munster but we weren't really looking at his face. I videoed the whole thing on my phone and then forgot to save it!Anyway, it's a bit of a short post because my essay is due on Thursday and I still haven't started it. Off I go!
Under Pressure 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Didn't I say something along the lines of 'I work better under pressure'? Who was I trying to convince? It's Thursday, I have an essay plan and that's about it. However, I do have a fun filled evening of trying to get 2,500 words down and then no more deadlines until February! I think that next year I definitely need to sort out a study calendar and stick to it, otherwise this time next year I won't be revising, I'll be using the time to catch up and then I'll be stuffed in the exam!A and I have started going trampolining. I used to absolutely love it in school and I wasn't too bad at it either! We're going once a week and it's a great way of exercising and toning up, plus it's very enjoyable. I just never feel good the next day! I have bony hips and I now have bruises on the front of my hips from doing front drop. I have bony elbows so they are grazed and scabby from doing front drop. I have a blood blister on my back where my bra was digging in and that must have happened Read more:Pressure
Back to life, back to reality... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Italy was a lovely break away from the monotony of life back here. We enjoyed the two weeks and didn't even have any arguments! Must have been a good holiday!I had a chat with my dad while I was out there and told him what I had been thinking about. He had no objections so it's been decided that next year I'm going to go over there for a little while, probably a year, maybe a year and a half. I've been going there all my life and I love the little village where my family are. I do speak the language and I understand most of what is said, however, when I studied Italian at school it was pretty easy and I'm yearning for something a bit more difficult to help me perfect my speaking.It's going to be interesting to see how things go with the boyfriend. We don't want to part ways so he is going to stay here and save some money while I'm out there. He'll come out and see me for holidays (as will a few friends!) and we can chat over the internet and phone.I really feel as tho Read more:reality
Well the first week at work has been pretty much a... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Well the first week at work has been pretty much as expected. I have felt better about a couple of things as a few mistakes have been spotted by the temp which make me look good! Should be interesting on Monday - a particularly big mistake was found on Friday (by me) which could make Monday a very long and stressful day indeed.My boss asked me a question on Monday when I walked in which I soooo wanted to answer and explain! He asked if I would ever want to move to Italy. I said I'd like to spend longer out there but I didn't think I could live there forever as I'd miss home and my friends too much. I wasn't lying ;-)Yesterday I was a bit of a whirlwind. I'm always saying I should get my arse in gear and yesterday I did just that. I had a pretty lazy morning but decided that I really needed to get going with this diploma. So I started reading at 7 (The X Factor has been crap this year and that's what was in the background) and ended up doing the whole of the first unit. I'm going
I'm sorry I haven't posted in a couple of weeks - ... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I'm sorry
I haven't posted in a couple
of weeks - I've had so many things going through my head that I haven't been able to think straight, let alone blog something!Christmas was ok - I'm either getting older or this year was just out of the ordinary. For once we didn't see all the family on Christmas day, we went to my mum's and it was just her, my brother, me and the boyfriend. Quiet is one way of describing it. It was very relaxing (would I say boring?!) and we got to come back to the flat in between visiting parents for a breather. In the evening we went off to the boyfriend's parents' and swapped presents there, before returning home to have a quiet evening.Boxing day was a bit more active, in that we went to Kent to see my family and swap the majority of presents. We also made a mad dash in the morning to the shops to get me a Nintendo DS Lite! I love it! I'm such a big kid but I haven't played with something like that for ages and it takes me back!Anyway, the main rea
It's the sales don't you know! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Wow, did I shop or what?! I went with K and she is a bit of a nightmare to shop with - I like to hunt for a bargain whereas she likes the more expensive shops! Anyway, we managed to compromise and I even got her to buy a couple of things from Primark! I got two handbags, a gorgeous pair of boots, jeans, trousers, cardigans, short sleeved tops, long sleeved tops, jewellery, belts and probably more that I can't remember at this point in time. It certainly worked for taking my mind off things.It's back to work tomorrow and back to the boring plod-along that is my day to day life. I'm actually having to organise things to look forward to, with the highest being Italy in July (and thus the end of my current employment) so as not to drown in the monotony of it all.For the time being I am enjoying my last day off - I'm still not dressed. I have my diploma to work through, as well as plenty of books to improve my Italian, should I run out of things to do!Oh, I almost forgot - Happy New Yea
Within less than a week the excitement and anticip... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Within less than a week the excitement and anticipation of Christmas and New Year is over. I've even taken down my tinsel at work. The first few days back weren't too bad, but I have to say I was glad when Friday came and I could look forward to two days off (after two weeks, I know, but it's typical that I didn't do anything when I had the time). I am going on a course one morning next week, which should be fun. It's more of an information morning to consolidate everything I have learnt in the last eight months but it should break the day up.Jodie came over on Friday night, we chatted and had a nice girly evening. We then went and did a little bit of shopping on Saturday morning (more boots, earrings, scarf, trousers for work!) and went for lunch at Nando's - which I have only just discovered!Overall I am feeling good about the year ahead. I am building up a list of things to look forward to until we move out of the flat and then there's Italy, which is to be the highlight of t
Well, it seems the best way to get your boyfriend ... 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Well, it seems the best way to get your boyfriend
to pay you attention is to ignore him for a couple of weeks. I haven't ignored him completely but I've had so much going on in my head that I haven't really been able to talk to him and I certainly haven't been able to cuddle him and act as though everything is hunky dorey. Anyway, there was I worrying about having to have a 'chat' and where to start, when he (obviously picking up on the bad vibes) was the one to sit down and start talking.For my New Year's Resolutions I have an aim to make myself look better - just generally making more of an effort with clothes, hair, make-up and jewellery etc., and I'm also on a mission to go out more and spend time with my friends, after all I'm going to be gone for a year so I want to enjoy the time I have got here.So I suppose, with all that, the boyfriend had noticed something was up. You see, we have the same chats every couple of months (as mentioned previously) where I say what I want
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