Friday 3rd December 2004
This weekend.
Just thought I would tell you my plans.
Dinner at Brick Lane tonight (Friday) with Tamara and her cousin, then ice-skating at Marble Arch tomorrow with Claudia for her birthday
Shopping with Jason on Sunday for my birthday present.
What fun.
By the way, it was 2 degrees riding to work this morning and really foggy!
Friday 3rd December to Monday 6th December 2004
Well, today I am at work totally exhausted.
I couldn't sleep - a few "guest snorers" in our room at the moment!!!
I went into the hallway with my pillows at 1.00am and slept outside the bathroom!! (but one more night and they are gone!!)
On Friday night I went to Brick Lane with Tamara and her cousin and her cousin's friend
Had a good night and a great curry and a bottle of wine!
Saturday I started planning my trip around Europe - if I have dates I can start saving with a date in mind.
Got the first month organised, so it's all happening!!
Ice skated at Marble Arch on the weekend
It was great fun - but one ankle is missing some skin where the skate rubbed.
Again I didn't fall over and had a lovely time.
Saturday was a quiet night in watching a really scary movie - Mum, its called "Taking Lives" and I can recommend it.
Sunday I went and purchased my birthday present
"Thank You" for buying me:
such a fabulous backpack,
chain lock for it,
stainless steel knife fork and spoon travel set,
a miner's head lamp so I can use both hands instead of my torch when going though stuff on holidays,
a portable CD player holder (getting the CD player in the sales after Christmasmas)
and I think that is about it!!
For my 'riding-to-work', I am thinking of getting a riding-mask actually - when its cloudy the smog stays around and it is a bit gross.
And riding is sooo much better than the train or driving
Anyway, must go and work - got to keep myself busy or will fall asleep!!
Bye.
Thursday 9th December 2004
Tonight is our Department Christmas Party
I am still tired but said that I would go back in October.
The solicitors are paying for us to go so it is free!!!
Friday 10th December 2004
My head hurts!!
I really didn't drink much and I was home before midnight.
Oh well, there are plenty worse off than me!!
I brought my first advent calendar this year and have been having a piece of chocolate before I get out of bed each day!
Monday 13th December 2004
Morning, and crikey its cold today - 2 degrees today.
I feel like I am coming down with something - had a sore throat on Saturday and then a bit yesterday - feel a bit foggy in the head today.
Still rode tho!!
Have been eating lots of veges and having vitamin C every day.
I just hope I can fend it off before the Christmas Party on Friday night and I don't want to be sick at Christmas time.
It is meant to snow in Inverness on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday next week which is good because I get there on Thursday!!
I left my work pants on the heater at home and didn't realise until I got to work.
I am in my white shirt and purple vest-jumper and my cycle track pants and runners - I feel like a newsreader who sits at the desk in shorts!
Tuesday 14th December 2004
Morning, and I'm still not 100% - but think I may be holding off the cold but we will see.
Really don't want to be sick for the Chrissy party!
Not much going on on actually - trying really hard not to spend money and have been doing a pretty good job so far actually.
Get my normal monthly wage on Friday and that has to last until end of January and then I only get three weeks pay cause my contract ends.
I only have one thing I want to buy in the Christmas sales and that is my portable CD player - I am sure that I can manage though.
Iceland may have to be missed actually - don't want to commit to anything and not have a job to pay for it.
Anyway, I am still thinking of Africa on the way back which will work better - got two nice tours that are a bit shorter - two weeks.
Both of them go to Kenya and one goes to Zanzibar to the beach and the other to Uganda to see the gorillas - the gorillas look good but the cost is an extra USD£400 on top of the tour.
Save, save, save!!
God, no hols until July!!! - however will I cope!!!
T
Wednesday 15th December 2004
Not much to say here - but it is a bit warmer today - top of 10 degrees!
Ten days til Christmas and just eight til I go to Scotland - how exciting!!
Tanya.
Friday 17th December 2004
So it's the Chrissy Party tonight
Everyone is 'peed off' because it was also Xmas bonus day here - I don't get a bonus beacause I haven't been here a year yet! - eleven months tho so they could give me a little bit - never mind!!
I am almost completely decided that even if they do offer me a contract I am going to work as a temp because of the money.
Anyway not much else to say except I am going to look fabulous tonight!!
New boob tube and black pants and my gorgeous green tea lilly necklace.
I got up early this morning and straightened my hair and I am going to wear it up in a nice straight pony tale which should look quite glam!!
Woo hoo - never mind there is no body here at work to notice!
Monday 20th December 2004
It was really cold riding to work today - about 3 degrees!!
There had been rain over the weekend and the puddles by the river were frozen - they made a great cracking noise as I rode through them!
Tuesday 21st December 2004
About the Capsticks Christmas Party last Friday night
I got lots of comments!!
You will see the photos soon
My hair was in a pony tail but I had straightened it and it looked really nice.
Louise in Human Resources told me today that she didn't recognise me.
One of the partners, Tom, came up to me and said he just had to tell me that he didn't recognise me and that he thought that I looked absolutely splendid!
I thanked him and told him that he looked the same as he always did!
It was fun!
Going to watch the second Bridget Jones movie tonight with one of the girls in the house - am looking forward to that.
I started getting all my stuff for Scotland ready
I am so excited that it is going to snow
I am taking my new backpack and it is going to be full - of winter stuff - jumpers and thermals and scarves and gloves and beanies and long socks.
It is currently one-degree in Edinburgh and three-degress in Inverness.
Woo hoo!
Bye.
Wednesday 22nd December 2004
The Bridget Jones movie.
I really didn't like the second one - watched it last night and it was okay but definitely not one to rave about.
Feeling a cold coming on so I am trying to fend it off - vitamin 'C' and all that.
Thursday 23rd December 2004
Christmas present!!!
My boss gave me a Chanel make-up palette which has eight colours and they can all be used on eyes, cheeks and lips!
It is a travel pack - how nice.
Am a bit stoked that it is Chanel too!!
Thursday 23rd December to Tuesday 28th December 2004
Christmas!!! - and Tanya celebrated hers in Scotland!!!
"A White Christmas"------(click on this link to read Tanya's Diary of her great time - and with heaps of photos!!!)
Thursday 30th December 2004
Helloooooo.
Second last day of the year - woo hoo - I'll be home next year - you excited, Mum?
It was a nice 13 degrees riding to work today - quite balmy actually!!!!
Or as the Brits say - quite mild.
The New Year.
The house will be empty so I am going to stay home.
I had my groceries delivered yesterday and that included a bottle of Asti - gonna drink that and watch DVD's and then go to bed - sleep late and then shop!
I am looking for runners as mine have a hole as I discovered when walking in the snow.
And a body warmer - sleeveless puffa jacket - very funky.
Plus a CD-walkman.
Tanya.
Friday 31st December 2004
Hopefully we will have a short day here and I will go home early and crack the champers!!
Going to get a couple of DVD's and chill out in front of the telly all night in my PJ's!
Tanya.
Tuesday 4th January 2005
See this work email!!!
"From Janet Stephens of Capsticks - Saturday's lucky winner was Tanya Roneberg with number 25 - some of you still haven't paid for the last two weeks please do so asap as I wish to pay the winner"
Happy New Year to me!!
£49 - which isn't a lot but it is better than a kick in the bum!!
Yee haa - spent too much money in the sales and this will go to repaying some of it at least!
Tanya.
Wednesday 5th January 2005
Hi.
Re Tammie Thornton - all here safely.
I have "txt" Brett with Bev's number and again it is 40576155 and her email is - bev_thornton@hotmail.com
Going to have dinner with Tammie and Jaci tonight for her birthday - they used to live across the road from each other at home
Tammie has moved here like me on her working visa.
She said she doesn't know how I did it with no one meeting me at the airport and arriving on my own.
I will send Dad some photos tomorrow of us at dinner.
Tanya.
Thursday 6th January 2005
Good morning.
Me, Tam and Jac had a nice dinner last night
Three Cairns girls having dinner together in London! - He he!!
Thursday 6th January 2005
I have a job!
With a firm called "Ingram Winter Green" - doing commercial litigation
The work is described as a "busy ongoing commercial litigation role for as long as I want"
I won't be working for them tho.
It will be like when I first started with "Blake Turner and Co" and I will be employed through an agency who will pay me weekly about £150.00 more than I was getting here!!
I will travel on the Tube via the Piccadilly line to Holborn - no changes - and a slight walk but it won't be more than about five or ten minutes.
Capsticks don't give references - they just say how long you worked for them and your attendance record, but I might see if Serena will do one for me.
I am so excited - and feel so much better about leaving here now.
Tanya.
Monday 10th January 2005
Hi...
Tammie Thornton and I wandered around all day on Saturday from about 10.00am to 7.30pm looking for a house for her to live in.
We found one near her work and it is really nice - she moves in today.
She is sharing with a nice Aussie girl in a three story house.
Her rent is cheaper than mine because of her location and she has a double bed.
I will keep in touch with her.
Tammie hasn't seen much of London - she has only had one day off since she got here and we house hunted all day!
We then went to "The Walkie Pub" on Saturday night to celebrate.
It was a typical Walkie night with lots of drunk Aussie's but it was fun as the nights there usually are.
And about the storms over here - there was no real wild weather for us.
I rode to work today and there was a massive tree down along the river.
It was windy but not too much rain - that was all in Wales and Scotland.
That's about it.
Tanya.
Tuesday 11th January 2005
How are you going?
I am tired - stayed up reading really late last night - silly me - then I slept in and was late to work - not very good.
I ran into my boss in the carpark - she was late too!!
Lots of changes happening here at work.
They are combining three floors of staff into two - what fun.
"They" still haven't advised what is going on - who is sitting where and working for who, etc.
There are still girls who haven't been advised about contracts getting renewed or not and there is less than a month to go for them.
I am glad I made my decision and that I am not still waiting for Capsticks to make it for me - I have a job ready to go to with no time off/lost wages!!
I am planning (weather permitting - 'cause it's still pretty crappy here - severe weather warmings and all that) to do a test ride into my new offices and see how long it takes me...it will be through Central London and riding through Hyde Park every day - how nice!!
"The Transport For London Journey Planner" website gives really good details on how to get places using all kinds of transport and you just stick the beginning and end postcodes in.
The fastest tube and bus route takes fourty-nine minutes and the cycle route is meant to take around fifty.
Not much difference is there? - and riding is so much better for me and I like it!!
Alright - going to do some work now - my boss is pretty quiet at the mo so I am able to get things ready for the next secretary who comes along - whoever that may be.
Tanya.
Wednesday 12th January 2005
Good morning.
It's a glorious day here and I feel great!
There is not a cloud in the sky and the sun is shining - it's still freakin cold tho but so lovely!!
Got a much longer night's sleep last night - still a bit bleary eyed but I'm getting back into it.
Made a nice dinner last night.
I put a chicken breast in a casserole dish with some cauli, broccoli and carrot then added half a tin of tomatoes, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce, tabasco sauce, pepper and mixed herbs - just chucked it all on top of each other - didn't mix or anything.
I cooked it for thirty-five minutes without looking at it once and then put it on some pasta.
It was sooooo yummy!!
That's all - my boss is not here this morning but still have work to do so must dash.
Talk soon.
Thursday 13th January 2005
'Allo.
Just saying hi - nothing much to report today - went home last night, had dinner and watched television.
Sorry it wasn't more exciting!!
Another lovely day here - freaking cold again tho but love the blue sky!
Saturday 15th January to Monday 17th January 2005
Hiya.
I had quite a good weekend.
I went to lunch at Wagamamas on Saturday with Jason and Elle from the hostel - yummo!!- and then we sat in a coffee shop for hours.
A quiet night and then up early Sunday for my "test ride to work"
A twenty-two kilometre round trip!
I got there in about fourty-three minutes which I was very pleased with.
Peak hour traffic will make a bit of a difference but not too much - there are bike lanes on the road.
Do need to get a gas mask - was a bit yukky wtih the traffic!!
I will have to change gyms cause I won't be able to go to the one over the road from Capsticks now.
Then I did some grocery shopping - fruit and meat, etc - and then home.
Then I did my nails and went to sleep.
Capsticks - this place is a mad house this monirng - the staff-moves happened this weekend and there are crates and mess and cranky people everywhere!
Real glad it wasn't me or Serena.
Tanya.
Tuesday 18th January 2005
Last night I cooked a nice dinner so I thought I would tell you what it was.
------8 low fat sausages
------400g tin tomatoes
------2 green apples peeled and cut thickly
------150 ml apple juice
------1 red onion sliced
------500g tinned potatoes (yes I know but it is so easy!!)
------1 tsp oil
------1/4 tsp sage
------salt and pepper to taste
------Grill sausages 6-8 minutes turning once
------Meanwhile cook onions in oil until soft
------Add tomatoes, apples, apple juice, sage bring to boil
------Add potatoes and sausages, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes
It serves 4.
It is really really nice - I had my friend Lesley over and made it for her with a big salad and it was great.
I have two meals left out of it and sausages and tomatoes and apples are all really cheap!
Let me know if you try it - better than the old grilled in fat sausages and mash!
... and now, please click HERE to see something "Very Special" from Sunday 17th January 2016 !!
Thursday 20th January 2005
Capsticks - I got some "leaving presents" today
My boss doesn't work Fridays so they did it today - otherwise she would have missed out
I lot a lovely hairclip and a travel journal and I also got a rose quartz necklace which is meant to promote happiness
Anyway, just thought it would let you know.
Tanya.
Friday 21st January 2005
Last day at Capsticks!!! - but not sad
Just had a nice lunch and I am busy - my boss left me heaps of work
Going to do filing and then finish some tapes and then go to the pub!