The Secret Life of Andrew

Well now that my birthday’s over I feel like I’m just waiting for the weekend because it’s sooo damn dull at work. I just have to get through today really and there will be celebrating at work and elsewhere later!

Yesterday was good though. After work I headed home to be greeted by James who had final stopped holding all of my cards and gifts hostage. So I opened my cards, of which there were quite a few, mostly off James’ family! But there was a brilliant one from Chris and Emma’s like news note in hers was really nice. Apparently there is one from Alsager library on its way but they didn’t have my new address so it’s gone to my family’s! James also got me two Mr Men books, a lovely cake, an origami safari scene (hell yes) and, of course, tickets to see Avenue Q which I already know about! I also got Mr Moo mooing happy birthday to me when I woke up and later on too :D Mr Moo is this cuddly cow we got in Wycollar which has taken on his own personality and has a habit of popping up in the house in various unexpected places!

After I put my cards up James took me to Le Cavaeu, a tiny restaurant in Skipton that’s underground! It was soooo nice though, very posh. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a restaurant that’s had such a relaxed atmosphere. I hate feeling like I’m being rushed when I’m eating so it was really nice to just eat at our own pace. They don’t overbook either so they don’t really have much of an incentive to kick you out ASAP. I had goat’s cheese to start, duck for main and the nicest bread and butter pudding I’ve ever had. Well, the one Chris once made was excellent, but this one was made with Bailey’s! James had stuffed peppers and a wonderful looking mille fuille, whatever that is. It looked like a sponge tower with raspberries and crème engalise. It may have been pricey but it was worth it and it was a lovely way to spend my birthday. After that we went home, drank some wine and played some trivia which was, again, a lovely way to spend the rest of the day. Full marks for boyfriend, he really is wonderful :D

Now I’ve got to get ready for James’ birthday which is tomorrow! It’s quite nice living together and having our birthday’s so close. Especially as we’re away next week it’ll feel like we’re constantly celebrating something! It’s usually felt like that in previous years too, especially with us being at uni as we were travelling about the country celebrating with different people for the week! I recommend it!

It’s also nice to feel so settled. Now that the initial birthday stuff for me is over, I’m left sitting here thinking ‘God, I’m 23, how grown-up’ but not quite feeling it. However, the more I think about it, the more I think, actually, I kinda *do* feel like it. I’m living with my boyfriend which is just wonderful and it’s so easy to take for granted. But having spent so long apart before it doesn’t take much remembering to understand how lucky we are, and how wonderful the whole thing is. And I love our house too. I may not be in any kind of career and the birthdayness has just made me think, You’re 23 now, get on with it, but I have built up some valid work experience. Even if I’d got my act together I’m still only a year ‘behind’ because I needed to work on a library for a year before the MSc, plus I’ve had other priorities, and sorting out moving to Skipton was *well* worth it and there is no way I’d even contemplate regretting it.  

MSc-wise, there’s still a lot of stuff to think about there really. James said in bed last night, ‘Have you thought it through properly though?’ and I dunno if I have. I know that I have to do it now rather than later, and I know that libraries are something I really want to do so in that respect I have thought about it. And I’ve tried to get my head around fitting in work around the learning, but I’m not sure what to do there. James has said we can talk about it when we’re not going to sleep which would be good as, although I know he’ll support me, I don’t want to rely on him financially or otherwise too much. I think I’m ok though, I’ve got savings, and I *will* be working, I just need to out the whole plan under a little scrutiny.

On another note, I’ve got some new albums. I’ve given Client’s one a good listen too, only once mind. And it’s predictably great. Their sound sounds a little more well-rounded this time, and there aren’t so many harsh electro-sound, they’re more atmospheric and well-crafted. Usually I don’t think electro bands ‘toning’ down their work but similar to Goldfrapp’s ‘Black Cherry’ transition to ‘Supernature’, ‘Heartlands’ has upped the craft work (Ha!) rather than the squlchy buzzings and it really works. I’ve listened to some of the new Tori album too (since I don’t have a spare week to dedicate to it…) and it feels like she’s back on form too with much more variation and noisiness and less blandness.

Busy busy busy. Tuesday night was opening night for ‘Blithe Spirit’, the play that I’m doing lights, sound and curtain for at Skipton Little Theatre. It was by no means perfect. I even managed to cut a page of script out by starting the music too soon causing all of the actors to look nervously at one another before figuring out where to go from. Excellent. Me and Tom (other guy who’s helping with lighting and stuff) also got a telling off by one of the Nazi theatre members who was helping with props. Everyone had left the stage so we put the curtain up only for Anne to come up to the bridge (ffs) and tell us that she ‘hadn’t had time’ to take the plate of food off-stage. Fuck off bitch. Honestly, I *hate* her. She doesn’t even know me so she has no right to tell me off at all, whether I’d done something wrong or not. She seems to forget that we’re all volunteers who have put a damn sight more time into this than she has. Grrr. Danielle tells me that she used to be a teacher and hit the children. I’m not surprised. Still, it went ok and we celebrated backstage afterwards which was nice. Yesterday however, it was spot-on. The audience were great, really into the humour and stuff and everyone was perfect. She I felt really good after it. I really hope it’s as good tonight because James and his Mum are coming to see it.

Apart from that, I’ve just been at work I guess. Once the play is out of the way then I’ll actually have some time to do other stuff. Honestly, I have no free time at the moment. I go to work, come home for half an hour, do the play, come home and go to bed. So I’m feeling a little guilty for neglecting James. Not long to go though. As for work, well OfSTED re-inspection is next week so we’ve been having a mad time of it trying to get all the documents together. Unfortunately, it’s mostly a waiting game until people send stuff through so me and Sarah have been in the Base Room sticking posters up and organising stuff, while listening to Kylie! It’s not often you get paid for listening to Kylie is it?

Birthday is imminent and OfSTED may have killed any fun I will be having on the actual day but me and James have booked a trip for London the week after, pretty much like last year. We’re even staying in the same hotel. However, this year we’re just going to take it easy rather than rush round and do *everything*. I’m really excited about going to the zoo again. I hope there will be ducklings in the tapir moat again! Plus there’s a new gorilla exhibit and the hilarious otters too! And I really want to properly do the V+A (and also look at Kylie’s pants!). We’ve got tickets to go and see Avenue Q as a present for my birthday and we’ll probably see something that James wants to too because I don’t know what to get him for his birthday otherwise. So yes, that’s to look forward too.

On a different note, there seems to be an awful lot of stuff about bullying about lately. Just in people’s interviews and things like that. I’ve just read an interview with Mika actually. When stated to him that, ‘If you think about it I’ll still despise those people for the way they treated me and I’ll never forgive them and it’s true! You really never get over it and it really irritates me that schools have such a lack of understanding about the whole thing.