Waffle

Swagbucks conducted a poll yesterday asking “Are you concerned about global warming.” and that just opened the floodgates. There were the people who thought global warming wasn’t happening because it’s cold where they live. People who welcome global warming because it means they don’t have to wear a jacket and their cat is happier now she can go outside more. And people who thought it was ok for us to continue destroying the planet because God has full control over when the world will end and we can’t change any of that.

These people are allowed to walk about as if they’re normal, and vote and do all of that kind of thing. It’s kind of terrifying. I know, climate change and the human destruction of the planet are separate things (still, two things we should be concerned about) but you know how these things go, every discussion ever started on the internet will eventually end up mentioning Nazis, cats or both.

*sigh*

Anyway, it’s been ages again since I’ve written, and again my excuse is that I’ve been incredibly busy. This week alone I’ve fed someone’s cat twice in the mornings, gone to my regular office job for eight hours a day for five days and then gone straight back out to shoot gigs on three evenings.

I know, I do it to myself. I want to be self employed one day but that inevitably means handing in my notice at my office, but I have to know I’m going to be able to support myself when that happens otherwise we can’t pay the mortgage. So, in the meantime, I have to try and build up my various businesses as much as possible. I want to do the dog walking/ pet sitting full time, but I know I have a bit of photography to fall back on. How do people go self employed, knowing they’re going to be able to support themselves from the outset? I don’t have enough spare cash to save up, would you get a bank loan to cover a few months’ wages while you build up your client base? I have no idea.

Since joining the drug testing company, I’ve already had two invitations to trials. I can’t do them right now as they both involve taking six days off work, and I don’t have six days holiday left to book this year. But if I was self employed, I could make my own hours and could go on more of these trials. You get about £850 for a few days of taking drugs, giving occasional blood samples and dossing about doing whatever you want; they have TVs, books, magazines, free wi-fi. I could do my knitting, college work or anything else. On some of the trials, they force you to eat bacon and you don’t even have to pay tax on the payments, they call it “inconvenience allowance”. Sounds good to me!

Oh I got my first essay back for my college course and I got a distinction! I couldn’t believe it, I’ve alwasy been rubbish at writing essays and was always lucky to get an average score, so I have no idea what I’m doing here getting the highest possible grade. It confuses me, but makes me happy :o)

Snow. Bloody effing snow. It’s meant to be Spring, it’s almost April and here we are with 6″ of snow outside the house. Some places in Cumbria have 8ft snow drifts. Go away, snow! You’re cold, wet, stops me from gardening and makes the roads into ice rinks.

I watched a man opposite our house trying to drive away for about 10 minutes but all he managed to achieve was spinning round on the spot. I eventually went out to give him my snow shovel, but all he did with it was put it behind one of his front wheels (?) I don’t understand the thinking there. I told him he needed to dig the snow from behind his wheels as, with all the spinning, he’d just made giant ice patches that he wasn’t going to be able to get over. Jay then came out and a random passing man so there were three of us trying to dig and push this car out of the snow. After another 10 minutes we managed it and he drove off. I wondered where he had to get to that was so important; I was going to go car shopping yesterday but I binned that idea, for obvious reasons. Whereever he was going, he was back in half an hour! After all that, he’d got to where he was going, done whatever he did and came back again! Surely he could have just walked. Weirdo.

I’m now dreading getting to work tomorrow; if we don’t go, we don’t get paid.

I’m really enjoying sitting here watching the bird feeders in our garden. (Yeah I’m not very subtle at changing subjects). We have feeders with fat balls, one with peanuts and one with seeds. Today I’ve seen sparrows, robins (yes TWO robins, they must be a pair), blue tits (one of which has no feathers on its back. It’s been coming for a couple of months and they haven’t grown back, poor thing.), great tits, coal tits, long tailed tits, magpies, blackbirds, four different types of pigeon and the obese squirrel. Our garden is great :o)

I looked at my website yesterday and realised I haven’t uploaded any photos for nine months! So I added a load of gigs I’ve shot lately. Have a few photos.

Tony Bennett

Combichrist

Rob Zombie

The Jacksons

The spoilt brat with delusions of grandeur. Sorry, I mean Justin Bieber. I think he needs to go to the toilet all the time as his hand seemed surgically attached to his crotch.

Olly Murs who is incredibly smug and enjoys gurning.

Skunk Anansie. I’ve always loved them and have never seen them live. Luckily for me, they were playing at the Wolves Civic, which never kicks the photographers out after the first three songs, so I got to stay for the gig. Skin is my vocal heroine, if I could sing like anyone it would be her. I’ve spent this afternoon listening to their back catalogue and attempting to sing along. She’s also a very beautiful lady and doesn’t look her age of 45. Imight have a small girl crush.

Silver studded Doctor Martins anyone??

Alfie Boe

Well I think that’s just about brought me up to date. I hope this snow has gone by Thursday, I’m driving the 200 miles up to Cumbria to visit my family for Easter. Yay, four day weekend! :o)