Friday 4 April 2014

Today I am a grumpy single.

I am perfectly happy with my single life. To be honest it's a ton easier than trying to figure out how a guys brain works.


I am notriously bad a seeing the signals when it comes to dating. I really have no idea if a guy likes me. And anyone who has read this before will know that I blame this on dancing.

When a guy starts texting me and they don't take a year to reply to my texts, normally I take that as a good sign. But then it begins to take them a year to text back and it's just like "what happened there?!"

Ideally Mr Right is going to coming knocking on my door one Friday when I'm at home watching crap tv (as opposed to out clubbing or whatever it is I'm supposed to be doing). Sadly I can't see this happening.

Essentially, I am already on the way to the local cat rescue center.

Thursday 6 February 2014

Tone

As one of life's worriers, I will worry about something, well pretty much everyday. Really, if I were getting paid for it i'd be on some serious cash.

Whilst writing an email to me editor last week, I typed something which I thought was funny then had a mad panic that it might night have come across as funny because I didn't put "haha" or a smiley face (is it ever ok to send your boss a smiley? I've done it loads, but i still wonder. I've even put kisses, and then of course freaked out that he might think I fancy him!).

So I then sent an email directly after saying how it was meant to be funny and I hope he thought it was funny and not rude depsite the fact it was haha and or smiley lacking. He probably just thought I was mental, luckily I'm known at work for being a worrier.

At first I thought, I really need to panic less. But then after chatting with the girls at work about a text conversation between one of their boyfriends, I realised that tone is a really bloody difficult thing to convey sometimes!

I mean who hasn't got a text from a guy and analysed the shit out of it for at least the next half an hour (ok hour...ok day!)? And as one of life's worriers this is something I think about. Before I send a text, email whatever, I will read it about a hundred times just to check that none of the contents will be taken in the wrong way. And even after sending I read it back to check for the millionth time.

Essentially texting and emailing is a potential minefield! 

And I also think I may panic too much.

Thursday 9 January 2014

Blurred Lines

I've been swing dancing for nearly three years now, and for me, I think it's massively blurred the dating (or potential dating) line for me.

When I first started dancing, if a guy asked me to dance, I assumed it was because, without wanting to sound like a thriteen year old schoolgirl, that they liked me.

I soon learnt that in most cases a guy asks you to dance because he thought you looked fun or were a good dancer (both of course very true!), not because he was having romantic notions.


This may not always be the case, maybe a guy has asked me to dance because he fancies me, but because that line has been so blurred I just can't tell.

This has crossed over to other parts of my life. If a guy talks to me at a bar, I do generally assume he is just being friendly, like the countless lindy guys I dance with.

Basically, any guys out there who want more than a dance are really going o have to sign post it because, quite frankly, I have no idea.

Wednesday 8 January 2014

Good shot!



Being shooting season I thought I'd try my hand at it and head to Bisley Shooting Ground in Surrey to put my shooting skills (or lack of them) to the test.
The shooting ground (there is also one at Braidwood in Scotland) is set in 3000 acres of heath and woodland. Founded in 1865, originally on Wimbledon Common, the shoot, including the stunning Victorian clubhouse was moved to Bisley in 1895 and has remained there ever since.
I have only ever been shooting once before and that was with a friend who simply handed me a gun (Russian made, it had such a strong kick back I was scared I might rip my cheek off) and told me to aim at the clays.


Obviously this wasn’t really a lesson so unsurprisingly I hit…sod all. Would I fare any better under the guidance of one of an industry leading professional?
The day began at 9 (which meant a very early taxi ride form London) with bacon rolls, pastries and tea in the clubhouse. Sitting by the open fire enjoying a (ok so I had two!) bacon roll, I would have been quite happy to spend the day in there. However we were soon handed ear plugs, protective glasses and a cap, our kit for the day.
After a rather funny loo incident (yes I got locked in, it was all very Miranda, especially the excitement of being rescued from said loo by a chap) we headed out to begin our morning of shooting.
Before any actual shooting our instructor hand each of us a gun (we had been split into groups- luckily I was with the other novices so if I was awful it wouldn’t be too embarrassing) to make sure we could actually see over the barrel.
I had no idea that there was even the possibility of not being able to see over it. Already I was one up on my first shooting experience- clays watch out, there could be trouble!
It turned out that I couldn’t see over it, but a piece of rubber attached to the handle of the gun soon sorted that.
Remembering how much the kick back of a gun scarred me (I really did think it would rip my face of and or dislocate my shoulder) when our instructor handed it to me, loaded it and told me to take aim, I was really quite nervous. To the extent that I pressed the trigger so lightly when the first clay went up that I didn’t even manage to make it fire.

Second attempt, being spurred on by my instructor who was convinced I would have hit that clay if I had actually fired, I pulled the trigger. And to my sheer delight I saw the clay smash as I hit it! Several shots later I had managed to hit every clay - I was hoping that this was not just a case of beginners luck.
An hour or so later and I had decided that shooting was my new favourite thing. If I had been god awful at it I have no doubt I would have felt differently, but during the morning I had hit all of my clays bar one or two.
After stopping for elevenses, the hot sausages, tea and soup were very welcome on the rather chilly day, we took part in a flush.
Normally one clay is released, it flies up, or across, you hit it (or not), job done. A flush sees six or so clays being released from multiple locations at once. Up, across, it’s all a bit mad but lots of fun. Basically everyone just fires like crazy and tries to hit something. With the clays coming from all angles it is a lot more difficult, and I’m not just saying that because I didn’t manage to hit an awful lot, luckily we all agreed.
After lunch the day of shooting was over. And I think I can safely say I may have a new favourite hobby. My bank balance is in despair already. 

Friday 3 January 2014

A New Year

Over a month since my last post! Not wanting to make up excuses but I blame the Christmas madness completely. My mind has been more on tinsel and cooking the Christmas dinner (which I attempted for the first time, and even if I say it myself, was a huge success).

So a new year! I saw in 2014 at Kettners with a best friend. Cabaret, dancing, live music and maybe the odd cocktail and glass of champagne or two. And because we were the craziest flappers going, we finished the evening under a blanet on the sofa with a cup of tea watching The Holiday- I defy any young girl about town to not fall for Jude Law in that film.


Normally I'm the one having a bit of a cry when Big Ben chimes and everyone burst into Old Lang Syne at midnight, but I was surprised this year when the moment came and I was tear free.

I'm not exactly sure why I cry, I just find the whole thing quite emotional. Obviously if you've had a bad year, the joy of seeing in a new year full of new oppourtunities might make you weep. But even if my year has be ok, I'm there, all teary and snot filled.





2013 wasn't all too bad of a year in all. Ok so there was the odd guy trouble, but that's not uncommon for most girls.


Being superstitious and very much in to the idea of fate and all that (not going to lie, love a bit of Jonathan Cainer) I'm hoping that maybe it's a sign that 2014 will be different. Dare I say it a great year.