making up for lost time
Hello everyone,
Very long time no see.. as anyone who reads my diary knows, I update it about once every four years. Great going. Still, I saw this picture survery on Angry Beaver’s diary and wanted to nick it. I also keep seeing rebelwithoutaquilt out and about in London taaaahn and don’t want to approach her as she’ll think I’m a nutter, so it’s only fair you see what I look like after I’ve seen so many pics of you lot.
1. A picture of you in your room
Sorry that’s there’s more picture of me than the actual room…
2. A picture with a former crush
Wowee, this picture feels like it was taken so long ago (in 2006 I think). This is me halfway through the freelance TV researcher scheme I got on when I graduated, and we all loved loved IrishMaurice (see above). Although not as much as some other girls who were on a different scheme to us, who were practically dropping their knickers upon being introduced to him. He works on the Culture Show now where I’m sure he’s breaking more hearts in Glasgow. Note my orange hair too (ill-advised experiment with that L’Oreal highlights hair dye stuff – they shouldn’t be allowed to let people loose with such chemicals on their own!!).
3. A picture of you very drunk
This is at Dave and Rowan’s houseparty (though this is Kev and Vanky in the shot). I was ‘put to bed’ soon after this was taken (after falling down in a corridor and not getting back up). Came round in the taxi home. I’d blame it on the fact that I was ill, but it’s probably down to the fact that I drank more than everyone else.
4. A picture of you with a parent or two
Both parents! Think I’d been eating a few too many of those ice creams at the time..
5. A picture of you on your birthday
Me on my 21st with Daddio. I wish I could remember what pressie that is that I’m opening!
6. A picture of you making a goofy face at the camera
Me with Kev (again). This is my stock photo face for most pictures taken of me.
7. A picture you may have edited to make yourself look more attractive
Me lying on my balcony with the lovely Sarah. The edit I made here is that my pants are clearly on show at the bottom of the photo; a little cropping works wonders. Not sure who took this pic, the dirty upskirter.
8. A picture of you and a team or club you’re in
Am not in it anymore :o( but shall evermore be an old fart – me and everyone else in the control room at york student television in 2005 – the launchpad for a thousand mediocre media careers (i.e. loads of people go and end up working in the media, but no-one who’d you’d actually know).
9. A picture of you showing off a new haircut
Picture of when I got ‘bobbed’ a few months back. POSER.
(This would actually work better as ‘a pic of me in my room’ but it’s the only one I have of new hair, at least you can see my bed and computer table in this one..)
10. A picture of you truly being yourself
In American Pizza Slice in Liverpool. I love that place.
11. The most recent picture of you
I wear that dress a bit too much.
12. A picture of you being absolutely ridiculous
This is what happens when BBC Worldwide employees aren’t given a Christmas party and are given some booze and a box of fancy dress instead. (I had stolen Edd from someone’s desk). Sexy beard.
13. A picture of you with someone you don’t actually like
Jen, the girl on the right who came to stay over at ours a few week’s back (she was in ystv) – hilariously, she was just as much as a bitch as she normally was so is in everyone’s bad books again (although I never forgot).
(By the way – can anyone say THIGH BAND? Classy).
14. A picture of a time of your life that is over but you wish wasn’t
Me at uni. Although mulling it over, being an eternal student would be the worst thing ever. I’m doing quite well at the moment I think (although I might regret saying that as I start a new job in less than two weeks which might turn my happiness right on its head).
15. A picture of a time of your life that is over and you couldn’t be more thankful that it is
Me at an awards ceremony in 2007 (Kev, stop hogging my bloody pictures!!). I had recently finished the researcher training scheme I was on, realised that I didn’t want to work in tv production anymore, and was generally a bit fat and unhappy and listless.
16. The youngest picture you can find of yourself in digital form
Aged two at my Grandma’s house. With my brother’s cub scout hat on!
17. A picture of you in one of your favourite outfits
My favourite outfit is always, always the last thing I bought. I am fickle. This is my newest item (bought for me) – apologies I’m not actually in it. I saw someone on the tube wearing it and I nearly squealed and mentioned it enough until my other half got the hint.
18. A picture of you with your oldest friend
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Gawd, this is old! Taken when I was 19 I think. This is my friend Oliver who I’ve known since secondary school and flits in and out of my life as and when. Weirdly, I only have this photo because someone uploaded it on facebook last year and tagged Oliver in it – bizarre that they’d keep such an old phone picture for that time (although it was captioned ‘nice tits’ when I found it so maybe that’s why – it was de-captioned pretty quick when I tagged myself in it).
19. A picture of you with your newest friend
This is my work colleague Charlie (not sure how he’d feel about being called my ‘newest friend’ but I think he’s the best thing since sliced bread so he’ll have to lump it). We’d gone to a Greek restaurant with work to celebrate our birthdays and the ‘Mixed Meze’ we all picked was the largest meal any of us had ever eaten. This is me feeling Charlie’s meat baby kicking.
20. A picture of you when you were anything but happy
This is the day after photo number 3 was taken – the worst hangover ever (note: RARE SPECS PIC). My over reliance on spirits and flu medication at that time really fucked up my stomach, so after every meal it was like having a brand new hangover. I went back to bed soon after and felt sorry for myself for two days.
21. A picture of you that you had no idea was being taken
Me cleaning out the fridge after moving into my new flat in March 2007. Note I was keeping the important stuff chilled.
22. A picture of you when you were a different person
Me on my last day of secondary school (I’m on the right). The quality of the school is superbly demonstrated by the much-loved wall display behind us. Doing a quick tally, I know that 8 out of the 11 girls in this picture now have kids, and the girl with the swishy hair in the middle has got 3.
23. A picture of you in a fashion "don’t"
Me with my uni girls Lucy and Claire (mentioned at the start of this diary if you can be bothered to go far back enough) in 2006 I think. Dress cut that doesn’t fully cover the boobs and instead saws them in half – CHECK. Bra on show – CHECK. Empire line so you’re rocking the ‘is she or isn’t she?’ pregnancy look? CHECK.
24. A picture of you in a swimsuit
I haven’t got one in digital form – this is probably a good thing.
25. A picture of you with someone you love
Me and my boyfriend Jonathan! Obviously. You never see him in the photos because he is the poor sod behind the camera documenting my life in picture form whilst I leave my camera in the bottom of my bag and squander my twenties reading Digital Spy on my phone. He is also the best thing since sliced bread.
26. A picture of how you’d like the world to see you
As the twat that ruins other people’s photos.
27. A picture that describes how you’d like to spend everyday
BBQing on my balcony in Crouch End. With a Stella.
(I fear I have made my balcony into something it is not here. It is actually tiny, leaking with rotten wooden patio doors which let the rain in).
28. A picture that makes your heart break
My lovely old dead dog Sam! Still miss him to bits, even if he did smell of death for the last six months of his life.
29. A picture that makes your heart smile
Me with the Jeep that my Dad built me when I was nine. When I was little I thought all Dads could make their children Jeeps from scratch if they so wished, so I probably took this way more for granted than I really should have done (although saying that, he was probably trying to get me into engines at an early age since he’d lost both my older brothers to music, drugs and art – didn’t really work for me either, I still can’t even drive).
Right, that’s it – hope I’ve made up for the last 5 years of non entries!
I remember you describing yourself as a short, busty blonde (with a 1st!) but you’re a brunette. Thanks for this entry. For the last couple of years, you have been leaving notes which is welcome but no entries and now you post all these pictures. I’m a bit shy about my ugly mug hence the written entries. By the way you have a cheeky and interesting face!
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What, where do you keep seeing me? (Apart from on the train to Liverpool that time). I’m intrigued!
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You are enormously pretty and I love the Pluto t-shirt. I want it too. I used to love Edd the duck. I sort of fancied him a bit in a weird, puppet-fancying way. He was arrogant and that’s pretty much my entire criteria checked. Lastly, you never told us about your Orlando Bloom-alike friend. This was wonderful compensation for the last twelve years.
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I LOVE this. Lovelovelove this. Also, you were in Liverpool! I had American Pizza Slice last night, I too love that place. This entry has just made my day. Yay. xxxxx
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RYN: A very good comment. I’m surprised that entry got the most notes ever. I pour my heart out about feeling like an Asian Male Bridget Jones and I hardly get any notes. I ask people for computer advice and I get millions of notes. I actually run Linux on my laptop so maybe I should watch this advert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVOnFdMf0RU&feature=related
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RYN: Very true. I’m looking at the pictures again and I don’t know if its the pictures but certain pictures make you look older (but you were younger at the time) and vice versa. I feel slightly wrong that I’m perving over your generous decolletage present in some of the pictures. You are about the same age as my sister and its just wrong! Just like my sister, you have two older brothers.
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I was going to leave a private note with a link to my pic online but I see you have that switched off so I’ll have to find your e-mail which I think you left in a note many moons ago so you can see how ugly I am. On a random note, I now catch episodes of ‘Spendaholics’ on Watch TV. I was watching the credits one evening and noticed that the researcher that looked after me on WLTM is now a
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a producer. Her name is Kalita Corrigan. It’s kind of spooky how her career has progressed. Are you happy that you entered media?
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RYN: Ok, you maybe right. I had the following news story in the back of my head when I wrote that entry though: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4032443.stm I remember visiting Sri Lanka in 2004 when the war had subsided and one of my second cousins works for a major hotel firm there so I stayed (in a now tsunami destroyed hotel) which had Star TV (Indian Sky TV) and saw a trailer for
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this show. I was just alluding to the difference in ambitions. Kelloggs’ Cornflakes were sponsoring this show at the time and the key message of the advertising was that the nutritionally enhanced cornflakes would make your kids as smart as the kids on this show whilst the outcome of many British reality game shows is to reward self indulgent drama queens!
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RYN: Fair point although I think Bigg Boss is only full of celebrities rather than Indian plebs. Given the prevalence of domestic service in India, half the entertainment must be seeing Bollywood stars clean up after themselves. Another reality show in India is the following: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6968986.stm
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I suspect there is a different motivation especially if you are a ‘Slumdog’ rather than some privileged kid. When I was younger, I had a lot more ambition and energy that these Indians remind me of. I suppose you believe that with just hard work and determination you can achieve anything. Ironically, in one of my previous jobs, I trained Indians to offshore processes for a couple of weeks
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We had an office in Mumbai but one of my trainees came from Bihar (the rough nasty area that 12 year old came from) and another came from Bangalore. Bangaloreans have a reputation for being smart and well educated. However, from my experience the Bangalorean girl was an idiot whilst the Bihar boy was incredibly smart. It was funny – for the first two days he was sh1tting himself whilst I
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trained him but then despite him stuttering and appearing nervous, he got the concept rather than just the process and he was a joy to teach. Given the poor reputation of Bihar, he contradicted it. He was fluent in four Indian languages. His English wasn’t that bad and he had bought himself a second hand French language book and was trying to teach himself French.
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He was also pretty handy with Excel and Access after he learnt from me!
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RYN: I experimented with blogger.com/googlemail and it’s stuck ever since with anything I do with google which I am not happy with (even my google calendar). I’ll have to find a way of getting rid of it. Honestly, I’m not obsessed with Myleene (well, that’s what I told the judge before I got the restraining order!)
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RYN: Yeah, you maybe right. One of the first graduates of my old university was a guy called Christian Wolmar who has established himself .as a railway expert. In one of his books, he explains that the British Railway network and the Tube was not one unified network but a couple of gentleman capitalists developing services. Hence it is a complete mess bolted together unlike other countries’
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RYN shhh – don’t tell the world our dirty little secret. So are you a fellow bbc ‘worker’ then?
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Thanks for your note!! I will definitely definitely join York TV, I am so excited! It’s so fab to know that I can get to the beeb from York as you have! x
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Wow. The world is indeed small. I didn’t even get to go to the first day of pre-mip. Some people get sent to Cannes for two weeks. I got to go to W1 for the morning. So where do you work then? If you are even willing to share…
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Oh, and I have added you to my faves – have a look at my photos and see if you recognise me. I would have been the one filling my jacket pockets with bottled water to make up for the fact that we have to now use the tap in white city.
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You could try one of my many photo entries. I suggest maybe my Majorca entry (14/09) might mave the best ones. Actually you won’t recognise me, because I only went to the wednesday pre-mip because I work on factual titles. I actually work with the team who clear the clips that you select for the WW channel youtube. They sit at the next table to me. You should actually use this diaryas a diary and update more than once every four years.
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hey you. yep i’m in ystv! vision mixing tonight! xx
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The news show is still running.. maybe I’ll get myself onto that!! So, what do you do now?x
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The news show is still running.. maybe I’ll get myself onto that!! So, what do you do now?x
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It’s a Murdoch product. Which I why I wrote “Sky+” box 🙂
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Thanks for the advice. I may write more later today about it. And if you ever see me in the media centre, you probably won’t be able to look me in the eye now, will you?!
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Well, I just heard a rumour you were all sent home at lunchtime today as well. Maybe we have some kind of public service persecution complex!
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It damn well better. Anyway, do you never write in this diary for a reason?
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RYN: That’s quite an achievement. Maybe you should devise your own diet plan as well and make a £21 million turnover like Lighter Life does!
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I wonder if I have seen you around the area and not noticed you. I am so bad with faces. Someone else on here works on the fourth floor of white city and has seen me around but I have never noticed them. I think I am pretty unobservant.
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RYN I am actually pretty lax about what B gets up to. I genuinely wouldn’t mind her engaging in a little extra curricular flirting, as long as she didn’t actually do anything in real life.
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Were you at the pre-showcase thing this morning?
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I thought it was. What is the etiquette when you come across someone from here in the real world?
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And RYN thanks for the advice. I know that is what I need to do but convincing her may be difficult. And I think when seeing an ODer pretending it is not happening is a lot better than rushing up and hugging a them saying that you know them from their secret diary!
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How’s Brighton?
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I thought the whole point of Showcase was the evenings… And I was relying on you to sell loads of programmes in order to keep me in a job for another year.
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i knew you’d know about fusion – hence why i named it!! DO ANOTHER ENTRY which is less photo heavy – it’s so annoying having to scroll down whilst photos are loading etc! xx
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TV formats in the world. I suppose we will have to rely on people like you, Mike and Jane given that our banks are fcuked and we don’t have any industry!
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I disagree. I think that the difference between the parties is far greater in the states that it is here. yes, overtime they shift but they both manage to remain different from each other. Here both parties seem to be on the same ground idealogically, with only slight differences in policy. I think that is why th tory’s campaign seems to be centred around “Vote for us – we’re different tothem”without naming specifics and Labour’s seems to be “Vote for us – you know you can trust us – and a change will be bad.”
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I genuinely think that socially the torys have moved because that is what people wanted. 13 years in the wilderness taught them the same lesson that 13 years taught Labour. You have to change. Although Labour changed from being a socialist party there remains some real lefties in the party, just like there are some old style torys still in that party, but the centre of gravity of both parties has shifted a lot over the last 20 years. Economically I have always been in favour of the free market, and politially in favour of small government but the problem I had with the tories was socially (like the examples you used). Now I feel I have no worries there. Who knows – maybe I am just being naiive.
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I happen to agree with what he said – but before you hate me let me explain. I don’t think the point he was making was not one of a bigot but was more of the rights of a individual to allow people into his property. As long as homosexuals the same rights as anyone else then surely that is fair. If a hotelier is legally allowed to turn away business from, for example, a bunch of tattooed lads or an unmarried couple or a ginger because he doesn’t like the look of them then he should be able to turn away business from some gays or some blacks too. It is his loss. I don’t think that certain sections of society should have special protection. Everyone should have the same rights as each other. Fair? Of course the free market should mean that because of the extra business the non-prejudiced B&Bers get as a result, the biggoted guy should learn his lesson and repent or he will go out of business.
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I didn’t make any mention of loutish or drunken behaviour. You assumed that because I said skin heads and tattoos that they would behave that way. That sounds a little prejudiced :-p (joking) I think we are in agreement that everyone should have the same rights as each other, aren’t we?
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Its ok – I love a good debate. As you can imagine given where we work I have plenty of people I can wind up around here. It is funny that someone on here who works in the city was complaining about all the Thatcherites she works with, and saying how she likes to wind them up. I have said it before but you should really update this diary. Twitter and the occasional MORAG action I comeacross are not really the same as a proper diary entry, are they?!
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RYN: Yep, you have been driven so mad you posted that note twice. I second Diary Intolerance – when are you going to post?
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It is ****ing eight quid for a martini in balans and that isn’t exactly wag territory.
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I am only just thirty! In my opinion what happened in the 80s was the result of move to capitalism, not the capitalism itself. You have to break a few eggs to make an omelette and the millions of people were effected. But look where it got us. From a country that was so bankrupt it had to go to the IMF for a loan and experienced the winter of discontent in the 70s, as a result of the changes we went through in the 80s we had the longest period of economic growth, like, ever in the 90s and 00s and because the fourth biggest economy in the world. All thanks to successive tory and labour governments employing laise faire (sp?) economic policy. Sorry. Rant over. But I do ask who you plan to vote for if you are against the free market? Do the communists still field candidates?
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You are actaully very right. We should stop before we fall out.
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Good luck and all that. My closing date was only 21st so I am not panicing yet.
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Ryn I think I had some drunk paranoia last night. I know you are kosher. And gah indeed.
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Thanks – I still don’t quite understand how it can be a big deal to be late with one pill and then you are encouraged to go over a week without one. But I am simple.
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But B doesn’t understand or trust it either. But she does know offside. And Because the H & C and Circle are now kinda merged (at least on my bit of it) I still class it as a half win.
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I. NEED. THAT. PLUTO. SHIRT!
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Thanks, but I think I might just be a bit mental.
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lol – I knew you’d say that! Being as I have to use the NHS and I pay for it, then wanting it to be as efficient and easy to use and (dare I say it) as much like the private sector as possible is not as a total abandonment of my views as it may look.
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Interesting. I am surprised at your results. I am not sure why, but am surprised. This is the type of thing you should post in you diary when you update it. I am not giving up on mentioning it, y’know.
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Probably more surprised at your high job satisfaction and economic life goal.
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They are the same as my thoughts about my current job – it is easy, non stressful, I seem good at it and I can work a nice regualer 9-30 to 5-30 and never have to think about my work outside those hours. However Lord Winston seemed to think that I am a little dissatisfied with it. I thought you might have got similar a result to me on that part.
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*looks up at DI’s note*RYN: So have you done the survey then? Have you got some FO entries that I can’t see? 😉 I haven’t done the survey but I saw a similar thing about eight years ago on the internet. Except they compared you to Star Wars characters and (I think) encouraged you to compare yourself to a sibling. Interestingly enough, my brother came out better than me (it’s interesting how
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there is this dynamic given that he is younger than me!) Yeah, so I might do it but don’t see the point although I do wonder how personalities change over time.
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Just tried – server down!
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RYN: Glad you are impressed/interested in my scores. So why don’t you post an entry with your scores given that you haven’t updated in ages? Should be an easy entry to write – just a load of copy and paste from the BBC website. Why are you surprised at the extroversion score? I suspect there’s an interesting dynamic there. I don’t mind meeting new people but I suppose the low life
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satisfaction and agreeableness means that I think to myself,”Why would anybody decent want to know me – I’m a waste of space” and then the low agreeableness goes, “God, there are so many idiots in my town, what’s the point of going out?”
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RYN: Yes, that is quite a funny song. I had heard about Marina but never got her stuff or bothered to listen to her because I thought it might be too out there. Thanks for introducing her to me! 😉 So which lyric is most appropriate to me: I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine I’m now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy or:
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If I fail, I’ll fall apart Maybe it is all a test Cause I feel like I’m the worst So I always act like I’m the best
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RYN: I just went on youtube to find more of Marina’s stuff and found the making of video. The lyrics are quite open to interpretation. The director/Marina reckon it is a pot shot at consumerism and the whole MTV bling thing. The thing is I’m not that consumerist. If I was on double the income I am now, I’d use it to pay down things quicker or build up my savings more not spend it on bling.
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ryn If the job was right I would work with the devil himself. This is where you ask if that means I am moving to Sky.
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What could you possibly have to talk about twice a day every day? I think “I’m a bit weird but I don’t give a ****” would be a great epitaph.
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Cheers love. I will check the job out. The things you will do to keep me from working in your building…
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I like to think that if I am anything, I am predictable.
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It was my friend’s parents’ villa. I love York & how many rich kids it provides..!!
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RYN: Thanks 🙂 I will have to do some research. Only ever had 1 interview so i hope it goes ok. Lovely photos by the way 🙂
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sometimes I feel like I’m walking on eggshells. often he’s a bit sensitive in that domain-but also he won’t hide what he feels and i respect that; you know where you stand. he respects that i can take his honesty. But that was just unnecessary!!
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ryn Sleep with strangers with no consequences, quit my job and see the world, study a subject I am interested in at university, engage in recreation drug use…
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RYN: It obviously didn’t reach us in the sticks or maybe I wasn’t looking. I haven’t been to the cinema in ages (or watched a DVD!)
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yeah, we both have the grey one – sadly the other day it was the only jacket I’d brought so we were twins in the cold house!!
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