Twentysomething

I haven't been around for the last wee while hence the lack of blogging! So let me update you...

A week ago on Friday was my graduation from Stranmillis. I am officially no longer a student (my student discount even expired on 1st June) - I felt pretty identityless until I realised that I now belong to a new group - the twentysomethings! I even bought a Christian book aimed at the age group to start off this new era of my life. Graduation itself was lovely, it rained in the morning, but the hair was saved and it cleared up well for the afternoon tea party. Here are a few of the photos:

Me and Jo

Me and the Girlies

Me and Jen

After graduation I went off to CCSM for a week and then Coleraine Camp. I had a great time and made loads of new friends. Here are some of my new friends. I also acquired a few friends for my fridge door thanks to Kyler (Miffy rocks!)

The Explorers

Mark, Tanya, Ali, Elaine, George and Laura K

Jo P painting a Bee for the Bee-Attitudes!

Me and Laura K!

Sarah, Jo W and Someone Who Doesn't Want To Be Seen!

Superman

Wow! You da man! Impressive! Miaw

If you haven't got a clue what I'm talking about listen to the Scott Mills show.

All That Jazz!

Tonight I went with the girls to see Chicago at the opera house! It was very entertaining, all big band stuff and showbiz dancing. We inadvertantly got front-row seats which was a good surprise! At the end they were throwing out flowers and I got one [see below for how I used it!]

Before the show, we went out for dinner in Bourbon. I took some photos while we were waiting on our dinner:

Dessert took so long that we had to cancel it and go to the show, but we got a bit bored waiting on it and so I took some 'interesting' through-a-glass pictures (sorry for stealing your idea Elia).

Just to brighten up the blog - a little picture. Enjoy.

Park Güell in Barcelona

I Got Rhythm

or not...

Days until piano exam: 6

Number of pieces to fix: 6

Days I'm supposed to be doing something else: 5

Days it will take to fix my pieces: 100

I'm actually playing the above piece but if you've ever heard Gershwin playing it, then mine sounds nothing like it!

Generator

This is one of my favourite songs at the moment - it's just really upbeat and I suppose I also like the harmonies. If you don't know which song I'm on about it's really fast, it's by the Holloways and it goes like this:

I can get a record player and a generator
Generate the music to make you feel better
I can get a record player and a generator
Generate the music to make you feel free
So you'd better get a record player and a generator
Generate the music to make you feel better
I can get a record player and a generator
Generate the music to make you feel free

I don't live in poverty, got a little bit of money and I've got a healthy body...

and so on.

The lyrics sound a bit silly on their own, but the song's pretty catchy!

(That was cheating a bit, wasn't it? Actually talking about the song I used in the title? Oh well!)

Challenge

Maybe it's because I've left Uni and have no more challenge left in my life (yea right - teaching and a music exam isn't challenge?) Anyway I've decided to try to title all my blog posts for a while with an existing song title. And try to make it relevant. So let's see how I get on, and how many song titles you can place! :)

I had a piano lesson in Bangor tonight. When I was driving home I realised that I am always disappointed when I go to Bangor. Not that Bangor isn't a nice place - it's very nice in fact! But the drive there is so spacious and open and free, and then when you get there, the town narrows into a one-way system which avoids the scenic parts. I wish you could drive through Bangor like you can drive through Carrick.

Talk is Cheap but Primark is Cheaper

What you can buy in Primark for £43.50:

3 vest tops of varying designs
1 pyjama top
2 smock tops
2 purses
1 tee-shirt
1 denim skirt

Bargain or what?!

I'm Back!

Now I've switched over to Google, I can start posting again! Hooray!

Ever heard of the Proverbs 31 woman?

Well, here's the Daniel 1 man...

Young men, without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace.

Now, that's the kind of man I'd like to meet!

I was in Armagh at the weekend. The quote of the weekend came not from the speakers (with all due respect they were American and tended to go on a bit) but from moi. Here it is

"You can't choose to get out there, you have to be picked."

Can you guess what this was in relation to? Leave a comment unless you were a part of the conversation at Mark and Claire's on Sunday Night.

The Classic Dublin Pictures

Here are a few of the classic photos from Dublin, the rest can be seen on my flickr site.

Dublin pictures coming soon ... I have to dowload them off bebo first though.

I think I've broke my toe.

I've also applied to a job in Spain (I don't actually think I want it because it's nowhere near the sea, and living near the sea all my life means I'd find that a little claustrophobic).

I'm also going to apply for a job as head of music in a seondary school, because, I meet all the criteria so why not? I'm a recognised teacher, I've done a degree with music as the main subject and i also meet one of the desirable criteria so why not?

LEAVE COMMENTS PLEASE!

I know people are reading this blog, but it would be really nice if you could leave me a wee comment as well - maybe go 2 posts down and tell me what to do with my life would be a start!

I'm going to Dublin with the 'Strannies' (see above) next Thursday, it should be a really good outing - never a dull moment in our group - and guess what? I'm the quietest one. No seriously. YES really.

a little rant ...

"...that the squirrels of happiness bring there winter bounty to your front door." - this from Gary Lightbody, of Snow Patrol fame, on the band's website. Their, Gary 'their winter bounty'. It just goes to show that even if you go to school in Bangor, you still have to have a little think about your spelling and grammar. Especially if you're publishing it!

Which reminds me of the worst pet grammar mistake of mine - the amount of printed material, including for some reputable shops, who put apostrophes in plurals. The likes of Ad's for free, hundreds of item's reduced, price's slashed, Mum's dreaming of a quiet christmas, just like the one's she used to know (written on a baby t-shirt in Next, when I joked about it to my work colleagues they said have you done your GCSE English then, and this was when the whole realisation came out that they thought I was sixteen, and I was in fact 21 - oops!)

Anyway enough of that. I would just like to point out that the above error does in no way deplete my appreciation of SP's music (note the correct use of appostrophe), they still rock!

What shall I do with the rest of my life?

I'm graduating in the summer but I have no idea what I'll be doing next year. Here are some of my options ...

Compete with, like, 900 other teachers for the non-existent jobs in Northern Ireland

Sub indefinitely

Go to Scotland and do my induction year and hope that when I get back there will be jobs here, or at least I'll be one up on the rest of the people applying cos I have done the induction year

Go somewhere really nice (Spain, New Zealand or Canada or maybe somewhere else) and teach in an English Language school or work as a classroom assistant for a year

Sub for 6 months and then go to Spain and be a language assistant for 6

Go and do a PG or Masters or other course

Pack in teaching and get a career where there are actually jobs in this country.

If you like we could turn this into a bit of a poll and you could vote for your favourite. Well, I don't actually have the software (or know-how) to make a proper poll, but leave a comment with what you think I should do. I'll probably not listen to you but it'll be fun to see everyone else's opinion. Go on ... you know you want to.

I don't want an i-Phone

And this is why ...

>It's too big
>I don't trust touch screens, they always let you down
>It doesn't look like a phone
>And finally ... I can't afford it.

But, putting all that aside ... I am very impressed with the design (Apple comes up trumps again), AND most importantly for me, it has a neutral colour of background. I've been put off getting a Nokia N73 (when I can afford it) because when you write a text it's on a blue background with lines. Give me a Sony Ericsson any day, but failing that an i-Phone will do! I'm fussy, I know.

You should have seen me fussing over the design of my SBW file - that's right folks ... I wasn't worried about what was in it (ok maybe just a little bit), I was worried about whether it was all co-ordinating. And not in a strannie grannie sort of way, because I could have just used Publisher templates to do that (YUK!!!)

Please welcome me to the world of mobile computing

My laptop arrived today! So excited! I can't get it set up and all till the weekend though, cos I've too much work to do.

Sorry I've no photos yet, but to give you a feel of what it looks like - it's white and silver, the white makes it remind me ever so slightly of the new macs so that is a big plus!

Lisa got a new camera for Christmas and she has just sent me some of her pictures from New Year's Eve. Here is a picture of me as you've never seen me before (ie sideways!!)! To be honest all Lisa's photos are of me as I was the only one willing to pose for the camera, except for Will who kept sticking his head into those pictures!!!

Happy New Year

A happy new year to all my readers (of which there are probably relatively few since it's almost a month since i've posted!!!). How are you? This year I promise to update at least weekly. Ok well I'll try at least!!!

Since my last post, this is what I've done...

I've been to Barcelona for a few days, I am going to put up pictures on my Flickr site shortly, view them here at laura's life. This is my favourite picture; I am also going to put below it a photo that proves it was much warmer in Barcelona...

I also went to the Snow Patrol concert in the Odyssey - I would say it was the best concert I've been to ... but it's the only concert I've ever been to! But I have it on good authority from Lee-Anne that it was up there with the best, and she's been to quite a few! Unfortunately I forgot my camera, and ran out of battery power on my phone, so I have no pictures (aww...), but I was there, honest! The T-shirt will prove it when I decide to wear it.

Other than that, Christmas has happened, and New Year has happened. I have some pictures of the New Year's party at the Johnstons', again I'll pick out the best... (I really hope Will doesn't read this blog ... or Matt for that matter!)

Oh how I love written harmony...NOT!

Still looking for favourite kids' TV programmes (see below). Thanks to everyone who commented. You can also see an addition to the Lee-Anne story by clicking on the comments!

On another note (get it?) me and Lisa are organising a little choir for Christmas and we're going to be singing O Holy Night, now our severe lack of gentlemen is easing slightly but none of the volunteers seem to sing tenor (well ok Jonny might, but you all need to join so he will join...). So here is a big appeal for tenor singers from SWOT and ye older yf-ers for our choir. As a music student I was always taught that the tenor line was the most important in written harmony (I hated harmony but that is another story) so we're a wee bit stuck if we don't have a tenor line!!

I'd really like to quite go to bed...

So went my conversation with Lee-Anne and Lisa in the car earlier, proving that i did, indeed, need sleep. After taking my mum into town to get her Christmas present, I met up with the girlies and we went for dinner (in the CastleCourt FoodCourt!! Ask Lee-Anne about the quality of the Noodle bar...) and then looked round the Continental Market. Was good fun. Especially when we were on the 3rd floor of CastleCourt and Lee-Anne said 'let's go to the third floor to pay our ticket' and me and Lisa just laughed until she realised!!! Our ticket, by the way, was a shocking £6.80. Ridiculous.

We had a little reminiscing about old children's programmes we used to watch. Do you remember ...?

-Stopit and Tidyup
-Wacky Races
-FUNHOUSE - can anybody else remember the words of the song? Post a comment and Lisa
and Lee-Anne will check for accuracy!
-Wacaday
-Some other stuff that I can't remember now...

If you were a child of the 80's/90's leave a commment with your old favourite TV programmes.

I just want to say what great friends I have. All of you.

The Name's Craig, Daniel Craig...

I went to see the new Bond movie last nite with my chums Gayle Lisa and Lee-Anne. I enjoyed it and I'm really glad I went to see it. My opinion on Daniel Craig? Less like a Bond, but more appealing to me because I never really liked the Bond type. Blonde is better!

I would love to do a wee review of it here, but there's too many people I know who haven't seen it, so I wouldn't want to spoil it for you ...

So...anyway back to the teaching stuff. If anyone has any good ideas for teaching about the American Thanksgiving, comment please. I thought it would be a good idea at the start but not really very sure how to approach it!!!

Bye for now,

Lx

It's been a while...

Ok, so It's been a while since I've updated this thing, but please understand when I tell you that I've been on my 4th year teaching practice and it, like, takes over your life! Not in a bad way though, this year I've got really excited about it, but it does take a lot of work. And, after writing about those ways to waste time, I've really got over my laziness and inability to work before 10pm and have been working my [elbow] off.

What else have I been doing... not a lot, but I did take part (with Lisa and Lee-Anne) in organising a dinner party for all the young people in my church (ok, and just so you don't get offended Dermo, a few who don't count themselves as part of the young people any more!) I had a good time although was quite stressful, and I hope others did too; Tracy says we have to organise more, so maybe we will sometime!

In the meantime here's some photographs...

Welcome to the Blogging World Rebecca!

So ... my friend Rebecca from Canada finally created her own blog, you can visit it at http://adventuresofsuperbecky.blogspot.com/. Read it and support the baby blogger!

Ok so there seems to be a problem with Blogger publishing photos but I promise you will get to see my lovely scrapbook and my opera model soon!

The reason for this post was actually just to say with all that time-wasting, I did actually do 3 hours piano practice this week (also a record - surprise surprise!!!)

10 Ways to Avoid Work

Being a bit of an expert on wasting time, I thought I would provide a little guide for those who are not as fortunate as myself. I've come to realise (after talking with SO many friends who feel the same way) that you do the most random things when you have an essay or some other work to do. So, here goes, the top ten:

1. Go shopping
Especially for clothes for the job you're preparing to do (Teaching Practice I'm really talking about here!) but any other shopping will suffice.

2. Tidy your room
Like, seriously, what other time would you get so enthusiastic about tidying your room - unless you're Monica from Friends...

3. Colour co-ordinate and tidy your files
I was especially afflicted with this symptom during my A-Levels...

4. Watch TV
Especially 1st thing in the morning. That way you'll never be able to pull yourself away from it all day. Even worse if there's nothing good on, because you'll keep waiting around for something good to come on...

5. Arrange to go out for lunch
With friends you see all the time and who would totally understand if you couldn't see them because you were working for instance. And you did see them, last night, when you suggested lunch the next day!

6. Agree to go for coffee when tae-bo is cancelled
Ok, so I'm fishing here, but I did do this on Tuesday night, and while tae-bo takes an hour out of your " 'work' that you were doing" (yea right!) you will spend the rest of the night out for coffee.

7. Go on msn
There will always be some poor soul willing to oblige you in conversation. The best conversations are about how much work you should be doing, how little you're doing, and what everybody else is doing (hopefully less that you, that way you'll feel better).

8. Make a scrapbook
Let's paint the scene. You went to Paris in June, and brought home a load of trinkets. You've come to the end of your scrapbook and you just can't find the perfect one to replace it so the nick-nacks keep building up. The day when you finally decide is the final day when you HAVE to begin your work you get a brainwave - you could make a scrapbook, at least for your Paris momentos. So you do. And here it is...



9. Create a 3D model of the Opera Garnier
I did this tonight. Right after finishing my Paris scrapbook. I bought it in Paris and haven't got round to making it up yet. It actually reminds me of those doll's houses you used to be able to buy, that you made up yourself - I'm convinced I had one...



10. Blog it!
After all this, and realising that all you were doing was wasting time, you decide to blog it. Helloo???

Happy Birthday John**!!**

I just want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my 'taller but younger' brother who was 19 on Sunday! Whoo!

Half-Term Happenings

Well, I've been off nearly a week now for half-term (it's great being in school and not uni), but I wouldn't say I've done very much. I've seen a lot of TV, I've done some of my washing (which is an achievement!), kept my room fairly tidy (also an achievement), booked a hair appointment (I'm definitely NOT going to reveal what the new look will be) and went for lunch. I HAD planned to get ALL my schemes up to date for teaching, I still do (I have to) but instead of that being Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday and Friday, it's now going to be Friday, Saturday and Sunday's activity!

Last Saturday I decided to paint a mug for Lee-Anne, for her birthday. I had a little accident while doing this; It's called forgetting that things that come out of the oven are hot and you need to wear oven gloves. Hence, I've an ugly burn that could have just as easily been on my ring finger, except it's on the other hand...phew! Although I don't think I'm ever going to need that finger to look good at the rate I'm going! Would it be too pretentious of me to put up a picture of the mug I'm so proud of? Hopefully not because I'm going to anyway!