Emsy

Ok OK...

2025-06-09T12:24:47Z

I've gone over to Dreamwidth so...find me there https://elphiemcdork.dreamwidth.org/ thanks dudes

Hey friends what's crackin'

2025-05-30T08:42:15Z

I read six books this month which considering I've struggled to read a single book in the last...over a year means that hopefully I've kicked my reading mojo back in line. Which is awesome. Plus I'm now further through the Toby Daye book series than I've gotten before which is VERY GOOD. Double thumbs up.

Yesterday the final part of my outfit arrived for the Medieval Day we're going to next week (on ma birthdayyyy) and it looks awesome. And it's in a literal medieval barn because I live in the part of the world where history comes from.

As for today, I'll need a shower fairly imminently as I'm planning on leaving the house for the wool shop to get more yarn for the cardigan I'm crocheting. Which I will hopefully finish on stream tonight. Although it depends on how warm it is as I don't fancy having a lap full of acrylic yarn if it's going to be too warm.

Also I'm writing. But I feel kinda weird talking about it right now so I'll leave it at that! At some point I'll feel comfortable enough to share. Hopefully...!

Happy weekend y'all!

The DWP can get in the bin.

2025-05-19T08:12:32Z

I feel that statement is fairly self-explanatory. Any questions?

In other news, my reading mojo has returned which I'm very happy about. My brain has rearranged itself slightly and decided the best thing to do is stop paying attention to the crap going on in the world and read books instead. I can get behind that.

Monday morning means library admin. And griping at the Department for Work and Pensions. Story of my life.

Board games!

2025-05-16T11:12:08Z

Yesterday R (girlfriend) and I went for the second time to Chance and Counters in Bristol for our becoming-fortnightly board game lunch date. They do a really good deal of a burger lunch, a drink and two hours of board games for a tenner and that's a good price for lunch and nerdery!

(they also do a really good raspberry lemonade with it)

I sat and read for an hour before R got there as I had to wait for her to have an appt first, so I stared Late Eclipses (fifth Toby book by Seanan McGuire) and listened to the LOTR lo-fi playlist I found on Spotify when I was looking for Twitch-friendly music.

It was a really good afternoon. We played a quilting-inspired board game I forget the name of, a card game around running a bakery, a complicated but fun board game based around dog walking and then another card game involving collecting treasures and stopping an island from sinking. I probably should remember their names. But it was loads of fun and we're going back next week to begin our fortnightly-board-gaming-date-afternoon. Yey!

Hellooo

2025-05-16T10:53:17Z

Firstly, welcome to everyone who got an email notification saying "Emsy's posted on LJ!" I have! Whee!

So. I keep posting "yo I'm here" posts and then disappearing but, I'm going to start using this again. I've spent months Googling "LJ-type blogging places that aren't LJ but have some semblance of a community" and getting nothing back so I might as well stick here. I figure, I'm 43 next month, I'm allowed to do the "this is what we used in my day!" thing with LiveJournal. So, hey.

(and I know I KNOW that LJ is run by Russians who want all my data and think I'm illegal because I'm gay I KNOW. I'm not giving these guys any money, OK?? They have 20-something years of my personal data, it's fine, none of it is interesting!)

"So what going on then?" I'm so glad you asked.

Hi. I'm Emily. I don't really use Emsy as an online name any more but yes that's also me. Mostly I'm ElphieMcDork everywhere now. I am going to be 43 next month. I live with my girlfriend and cat, Blue, in a house in the south-west of the UK. I have previously worked as a youth worker and a school librarian but now I am disabled, so I don't have a job any more. However I do stream crafting streams on Twitch, and I run an LGBTQ+ library for children and young people. I knit and crochet a lot, I spin hardly ever at the moment, maybe that will increase at some point. I read a lot, I still collect My Little Ponys, I still drink a lot of Dr Pepper.

I'm going to be using this basically as a daily journal — a what-I-did-today diary. I'm not fussed if people read it or not, fell free to if the desire takes you. As I used to back when I used this all the time, more personal stuff will be Friends-locked just for me trying to retain a piece of my own sanity.

I've had this LJ for 22 years and I was 20 when I started it. My LJ is a full-grown, drinking adult. Onwards.

Still upset by the new post a journal entry page.

2024-08-25T09:22:10Z

Still don't like it.

I've managed to eat breakfast and take my meds this morning so that's good. I need to unpack some boxes and take a shower.

On Sept 11th the moving van will arrive at my flat and take my stuff here, to the house. Finally. Before then I should probably pack everything in my flat. But not right now coz we're going to Surrey for a week.

But before that I need to stream tonight. *

But before that I need a shower.

Also I booked myself a membership to the UK Filk Con! Only been wanting to go since 2005. 19 years late is better than nothing I guess! It's part of a whole new thing where I do things I like for the goodness of my mental health. I'm also looking forward to (I think my fifteenth?) BristolCon at the end of October and, The Southern Wool Festival at the beginning of September (I'm really only going to hang out with a few people but it's still a Wool Festival) and going to Surrey. And London. We're seeing The Mousetrap.

I like this whole thing where I got to places and they're fun. I should do more of that.

* I stream on Twitch. Mostly crochet gay octopi to sell for the queer library I run. It's a whole thing, I think the link is on my about page somewhere.

HA, can you imagine if I started using this again? — Day One

2024-07-24T06:59:39Z

Morning. I do not like the new post page. Bring back the post page of 2007. I think there may be two of you still here, so hi to you.

**WARNING I'm going to talk about weight and health and things in this post. Probably in this journal generally now tbh.**

I'm 42 years old and very unhealthy. I have fibro, still, I'm 230-ish lbs and my blood pressure is ridiculous. I'm basically a heart attack waiting to happen and that's Not A Good Thing. I think I probably weigh the heaviest I've weighed at the moment but I don't check my weight often so I'm not 100% on that. My chronic pain is ridiculous and I just can't do stuff. I can't cook, I can't clean the house, I can't go out. I know weight loss doesn't fix everything, it doesn't fix your mental health and it doesn't fix your chronic illnesses but I feel at the moment it might help with both of those things. It's no fun not being able to do anything.

Also I need dental surgery and currently my blood pressure is too high for them to do it safely. YEY.

Let's set some parameters:

* I do not calorie count. I can't do it and I do not believe in restrictive eating based on calories. Calorie counting is not a sustainable way for me to live and it has to be sustainable.

* There is no such thing as a "bad food". I am not cutting things out, I am not restricting things. Again, it's got to be sustainable. The way my brain works I have to make individual food decisions at the time otherwise it's all way too overwhelming.

* My main way of moving my body will be walking, probably. I cannot run, I cannot use the gym, but at this point something is better than nothing.

* I will aim to eat actual meals. I don't do that at the moment, mostly due to executive dysfunction and fatigue. This means I'll have to do some actual food shopping. I can't cook much. But I'll figure something out.

I'm sure you've already guessed but this is baby steps. I can barely move, baby steps is my only option tbh 😆 I want to look and feel better of course but my main goal is to not develop diabetes or suffer a cardiac event before I turn 45. I feel that's reasonable.

And I'm writing about it here because no bugger reads LiveJournal any more and also I'm a millennial and have an emotional attachment to pre-social media blogging. Too old for Tumblr.

Let's call it "Let's Not Die 2024"

Onwards.

Let's celebrate! My blog is 20 years old

2023-06-01T13:05:18Z

Remember when I used to do Wicked writeups?

2015-02-20T14:46:53Z

Whatever happened to that eh? Although I haven't seen the show since 2012 so that's probably got something to do with it...

BUT two days ago I went to the first night in Bristol of the tour! With gorgeous Ashleigh! It was *awesome* to watch it again.

There are some staging changes (obviously) as it's a set they have to be able to take down and put up again and also the AV is mahoosive so you'd never fit that London set on a local stage. But Ash just knocked it out of the park. Vocals were completely on point. She is a superstar. And she's always been one of my faves (although the top spot is still Nikki D-J...and I'm still sad about her having to pull out of London).

Also Emily Tierney was brilliant as Galinda. They work so well together.

No major hitches, Ash successfully defied gravity, I saw Wicked for the fifteenth time.

And I'm going again tomorrow!

The most depressing thing is this list contains shows I saw in 2013. Sigh.

2015-01-01T21:27:37Z

MEME!

List the last ten shows you saw then answer the questions under the cut...

1. Rock of Ages
2. RENT in concert
3. The Opinion Makers
4. Evita
5. Cabaret
6. Ghost
7. [title of show]
8. Pirates of Penzance
9. Priscilla
10. Starlight Express

Who was the best performer in number one?
Ya know, there was no-one stand-out but I LOVE the show. But no-one can beat the original London cast, sadly.

Why did you go to see number two?
Because RENT! And so I could cry my face off.

Can you remember a line/lyric from number three that you liked?
Mel made a joke about soggy bottoms.

What would you give number four out of ten?
Oh lord. Um....Another Suitcase In Another Hall is one of my fave songs and the scene at the end where Eva is dying was awesome. So, like 2. For Che reasons.

Was there someone hot in number five?
Hot? Erm...not really no.

What was number six about?
A ghost. Shocking.

Who was your favourite actor in number seven?
OH MY LORD see thing is...it's [tos], y'know?? And...well I'm love with Susan Blackwell (like, the real one) so the Susan was good.

What was your favourite bit in number eight?
HA the scene in the attic where the pirates had to climb out the windows.

Would you see number nine again?
Y'know, probably not. It was good but....yeah it was ok.

What was the worst thing about number ten?
Oh god the entire thing was a trainwreck (HA!)

Which was best?
Toss up between RENT (for making me cry), Opinion Makers (for making me laugh) and [tos] (BECAUSE [TOS]!)

Which was worst?
EVITA HOLY SWEET JESUS HOW DID THIS MAKE IT TO LONDON??

Did any make you cry?
RENT. Also Evita but for totally different reasons.

Did any make you laugh?
Yeah, most of them.

Which roles would you like to play in any of them?
I'd like to play Che because I could do a better job.

Which one did you have best seats for?
Opinion Makers! Right in the front.

*Bonus question - I'm listening to the GERMAN version of Wicked why does my computer think this is Idina? She does not sing in German as far as I'm aware...!

For the fifteenth time I feel...

2015-01-01T21:15:58Z

Between 23rd October 2010 and right now today I saw a total of Wicked 6 times.*

In Feb/March I'm doing the same amount in 5 weeks.

*(I've seen it more than that in total though!)**
**(although the last time I actually saw it was August 2012!)

YUP, 2015 is gonna be the year of Wicked! Well, the two months of Wicked. And in those 5 weeks I'm seeing the first and last show of its stay in Bristol, and then three others in the middle. One a week. When Wicked is in my city. *screams* (yes, I'm fully expecting to have seen it more than five times by the time the run here is done. Because, Wicked.) If I *just* see it those five times, it'll take me up to Wicked 19.

Ah musical theatre. I have missed you. It sucks being too ill to sit in a theatre BUT...Wicked.

Right now I'm listening to Willemijn KILL it on the German cast recording. Don't talk to me about how I missed seeing her in London because eugh.

emsy @ 2014-12-23T12:16:00

2014-12-23T12:16:37Z

Right. All the food is bought, the decs are up, the presents are wrapped. I don't intend on leaving the house for the next week, and I imagine I'll also be doing a lot of sleeping.

I hope you all have awesome holidays!

My word of the last two days has been EUGH.

2014-11-20T10:34:02Z

So I had an appointment with the pain clinic at the hospital on Tuesday and came out with one less diagnosis than I went in with which is somewhat...counterproductive? Although I'm pretty sure the doctor isn't allowed to tell me I can't call my condition what it's techically called (fibromyalgia) and I have to call it something else (widespread pain). I'm sure doctors aren't allowed to just change the names of conditions at whim...

"You have appendicitis, but we're not going to call it appendicitis, we're going to call it "hurty tummy"."

Yeah,no.

Anyway. It took me two days to stop feeling STABBY STABBY and now I'm just annoyed. And in pain, ironically. Trip to the pain clinic caused me more pain.

IN OTHER NEWS...I have given up on NaNoWriMo under the guise I've got too much uni work to do and then not done enough uni work. To be fair, part of the reason for this is feeling ill. But I should really do some work this week. When I can sit at a computer for a decent amount of time.

OH ALSO, in other other news, I've started yoga. I'm doing a *very* gentle class (like, pre-beginners, fancy-lying-down-for-people-who-can't-move class) and it's actually really awesome. It's a five-week course and I really want to contunue doing it after the course ends in a couple of weeks so the instructor and I are going to come up with a suitable plan, what with me being all, y'know, broken an' all.

Here ends the update. I hope you're all doing awesomely. :)

It's that time of year again.

2014-11-01T11:28:33Z

So I went back and forth with myself for a while about doing NaNoWriMo. I have to do uni work, I was ill etc. etc. In the end I did what I do every year, which is decide to do it. Because I am some kind of fool, it appears.

It was Halloween yesterday, and I know some people count their calendars from Halloween to Halloween. I like that idea. This is one of my favourite times of year (despite it being a hotbed for S.A.D.-type stuff) as I love orange things, I like the sunny-yet-cold weather and I love pumpkin spice lattes so it's win all round, really. Also, I like the idea of starting the year with NaNoWriMo and finishing it with BristolCon and Halloween. It suits my brain.

My make-shift costume yesterday was "budget Eleventh Doctor" - I already had a fez and a sonic screwdriver, I bought cheap red braces and a bowtie and there we are. We only got one lot of trick or treaters but we're hidden right down the bottom of the estate so that could've been why. I still got to wear a fez all evening so I was perfectly happy! Also I have pumpkin-lights to hang, which pleases me.

New year, time to think about how things are arranged in life, time to think about priorities and what I enjoy doing and what I'd like to do. First one would be "make word count then watch zombie films." Works for me.

I made it through in one piece!

2014-10-29T13:20:56Z

Barely, though. Barely.

So last weekend was BristolCon which was awesome as expected. This is the fourth year we (me, my brother and J) have been and it's always good - it's a small con although it's getting bigger, but it means it's not packed full of people and you can chat to everyone. Plus there were more panels about fandom this year which I liked. The Con is a very book-centered one as opposed to a comicon, so I spent all day listening to writers talk about books. Which was awesome. I had to go before the end which meant I missed the steampunk one and the YA one I wanted to hear BUT I got to talk to people about being a big ol' fangirl which is always a pleasure.

They do have a small dealer's room though, where I bought two gorgeous pieces of jewellery - one Sherlock-themed and one Doctor who-themed...

Sherlock-themed "Blogger" necklace (it's very probable that I may wear this one forever because I. Love. It.)

Doctor Who Tenth Doctor-themed necklace from Crafty Miss Kitty (who is there every year and also does an excellent line in knitted daleks)

So good times. Next one is FilkCon at the beginning of Feb which I am REALLY EXCITED about and also MILDLY TERRIFIED about as I've not been before but I'm SO GLAD I am. CAPITALS. Which brings my annual con list to three. Which is nice.

Of course after last weekend I had EPIC payback and yesterday I spent the whole day in bed with the heat pad, but I knew it was coming and it was totally worth it. A+++ Would Con Again.

Evening all...

2014-10-22T18:34:47Z

Things have been very boring as I've put myself under house arrest. Sort of.

This is because it's BristolCon on Saturday! Which I'm very excited about. BUT, if I'm going to make it through the day I need to not be knackered, which now apparently means not leaving the house for the week beforehand. Which isn't great, but very useful for the amount of reading I'm getting done for uni. So that's a bonus.

Health-stuff-wise it's all a bit up the the air, really. *Still* waiting for November to arrive so I can see the pain clinic, and am making an ever-growing list of things I need to ask them. My tolerance for doing things like leaving the house has gone WAY way down, hence house arrest, and I'm pretty sure that this weekend will leave me in bed for a week but that's ok, because the weekend will have been worth it.

So. I have an "official" diagnoses of fibromyalgia BUT I'm like, 80% sure that I have M.E. as well. This is mostly due to my tremendous intolerance of basically doing anything - on Monday I took J for an appt, waited for 90 mins in the waiting area reading a book while he had his appt then went to Sainsburys. That left me in bed in pain for the rest of the day. Not so good. So that's why I think I have M.E., and why I'm going to ask the pain clinic for a referral to the M.E. clinic. (and why I'm under house arrest this week)

Self-disagnoses is often ignored. However, anyone dealing with a chronic condition could go for a long time without an "official" diagnosis of something they clearly have. For example: I talked to my doctor about the prospect I might have fibro at the beginning of December last year, but didn't get my "official" diagnosis until the end of Feb. If I talk to the pain clinic about the possibility of me having M.E. (and I don't have to spend weeks and months convincing them, which is possible) and they do a referral to the M.E. clinic asap, it could still be months before I'm seen and actually given an official diagnosis.

For me to say I "don't" have it before then would be daft. I think there's a difference between saying "I'm aware that I'm ill, I've done proper research about my condition and talked to others and educated myself and I think it's fairly likely I have X" and "I HAVE A HEADACHE I MUST HAVE BRAIN CANCER". One is sensible. The other is hypochondria. Plus, the fact that we can't afford to sit and wait until a doctor goes "Hmmm, you might have M.E." (pro-tip: doctors very rarely say that) it's on the ill people to take the initiative and do some research. It ain't how it should be but it is how it is. And there'd be a lot more undiagnosed sick people walking (stumbling?) around if we didn't.

Also I can get more uni work done.

Remember when I used to be obsessed with Wicked?

2014-10-08T12:14:19Z

Well, it turns out I still am. Helps that the UK tour is coming through Bristol next year and I'm now going to see it FIVE TIMES. Happy Emsy is happy!

But the real source of the continuing Wicked nerdiness is mostly due to this arriving today:

Yup. Wicked iPhone case. I. LOVE. IT.

It's re-ignited my nerdy musical thatre heart and I'm SO EXCITED for next year! (also I can use my Ashleigh Grey tag again!)

(For more evidence of my musical thatre nerdiness check out my profile which has a list of EVERYTHING I've seen)

#I'm goin' back, back to schoooool#

2014-09-25T16:58:16Z

So, today was productive and I had a very nice surprise!

Last year I took a year out of my MA because of health malarky, and now it's September so I got in touch with my university, arranged to see my tutor and the disability office and got in touch with the finance department to ask them how much I was going to have to fork over for the pleasure of attending their university for one more year.

And the answer, as it happens, was nothing.

Because apparently I'm already square with the university - something I did not expect! I think I know how they've worked it out (the year before last I paid for a year but basically didn't do anything, so I think they've rolled that year's funding on to this year? Possibly?) but I called the uni as soon as I got the email to say "Are you SURE sure?" because I don't want a bill for one and a half grand turning up in six months when I no longer have the means to pay for it. But, I have the email, and I checked so as far as I'm concerned it's no taksies-backsies!

So on Tuesday I'm off up to uni to re-register, sort out my email account (so I can get a six-month Amazon student account!), see my tutor and meet with the disability office. And then boom! Emsy's back at university!

And hopefully I'll actually finish the course this time...

Plus it means I don't have to get out of my pyjamas...

2014-09-23T15:10:02Z

So, it's been an interesting sort of day.

Short version: I got my Sweeney Todd ticket but I'm now not going to London tomorrow.

So, yes, first the positive! (Although, they're both positives, in their own way.) I got my Sweeney Todd ticket this morning at like, 10.02am - £10, front row of the balcony, job done. EMMA THOMPSON!!

And the other - I was going to London to go to seanan_mcguire's signing, now I'm not. I'm kinda bummed because, was going to have a fun day out but I've been re-assessing my level of ability to do stuff, and I think I need to dial it down a bit.

So, I'm ill. And that prevents me from doing various things that I used to so a lot of like going to London. But at the moment, my symptoms are so up and down that I really need to give them time to "settle" so I can work out exactly what my ability to do stuff is. So, I'm going to try to limit my going out to the supermarket (choice of two, both very near) and the uni for a while. This is because when I go somewhere else - into town, for example - it send my sumptoms into a bit of a tailspin and I have to give them a while to calm down a bit. I will still go into town and do things, but perhaps not with quite so much regularity for a while. Concentrate on doing uni, doing work and conserving my very limited amount of energy.

So that's why I'm not going to London. And I'm actually fine about it because while I'd love to go, my brain is screaming "YOU'LL BE EXHAUSTED!" so the rational part of me is glad we'll get a rest!

Downton starts tonight!

2014-09-21T19:19:35Z

Which I totally hadn't realised because I am SO BAD at remembering when tv seasons are due to start. So it starts tonight and we can all go and watch Lady Mary be sad for 90 minutes.

In other news...I'll be off to London on Wednesday mainly for the signing seanan_mcguire will be doing at Forbidden Planet. I *was* going to go and lotto Book of Mormon but I'm tempted to do a museum instead...I'll work that one out on the day I guess. I'm very excited, not least because there will be an Interesting Hair Experiment happening on Tuesday...I'll post results next week! (eep!)

So, because I'm ill and because going to London for the day is going to wipe me out, I'm restricting my activities for the next two days to the uni and the supermarket. The library at UWE (which, while it isn't the uni I actually attend it's the closest one to me so I use their facilities) is now open 24 hours a day 365 DAYS A YEAR! That makes me VERY happy for various nerdy reasons that just please me knowing I have a 24 hour academic library at my disposal. I am a mega nerd.

I may do a study day tomorrow and head over to the library - the uni will be full of very green freshers so that will be entertaining. Hurrah for MA students.

OH also tickets for Sweeney Todd with EMMA FREAKING THOMPSON are out at 10am on Tuesday. I will be READY.

Onwards!

2014-09-15T13:04:44Z

So the new Counting Crows album is pretty awesome (even if LastFM doesn't want to make LJ show that I'm listening to it, for some reason...)

SO this week is busy with boring crap and things but NEXT week I'm heading off to London for the day. My quest shall be twofold - firstly I'll be at the seanan_mcguire book signing at Forbidden Planet. This means I'll FINALLY be able to get her to sign the Aly Fell print I bought from him at Bristol Comicon last year. It's the one of Discount Armageddon.

And secondly, I'm going to lottery the Book of Mormon matinee to see if I can get a £20 seat. I figure if I don't get lottory I can go and examine a museum for a while or something. But YEY Book of Mormon (which I've not seen) and YEY West End Theatre as due to one thing and another I've not been to the West End for FAR TOO LONG!

(no I'm not day ticketing Wicked because that would involve getting there at 7am and...no)

Grrr. Argh.

2014-09-02T09:07:45Z

So, apparently what happens when you don't take all your medication is you stay awake for 24 straight hours, sleep for about 2 and then spend the following morning stumbling around like a reanimated corpse. This is about as fun as you'd imagine it is.

(seriously, I'm doing a very good Walking Dead shamble right now.)

But, I have coffee and I'm sure that in a couple of hours I'll crash for the rest of the day. I'm sending someone out on my behalf to try and aquire the medication I need to successfully function throughout the day. I'm supposed to be going to see Shrek tomorrow night. I think that's going to have to be continually reassesed between now and tomorrow evening.

Actually, a combination of coffee and Spotify is making me feel almost human again. Almost. (I'm very awake that I'll be feeling like I've been hit by a truck at about 1pm.)

Floop floop, can't sleep...

2014-09-01T23:00:36Z

...and having a PC to play with doesn't help. Actually, the main thing that doesn't help is not taking my bedtime pills that help me sleep. Genius, Emsy. "Goodness me it's 11pm why aren't I feeling sleepy?" *applauds self*

In other news I got an afternoon of work done at uni. I found a really cool spot on the fifth floor of the library where it looks right out over north Bristol and up to the Severn - which is literally like, 15 minutes drive away anyway - and you can see the bridges. It's nicer to look at than walls! and I think I've found a good direction for my research this year which is definitely A Good Thing. What won't be A Good Thing is being too tired tomorrow to do anything because I forgot to take my sleep meds.

Anyway.

I cannot remember the last time I updated LJ from a PC...

2014-08-30T20:28:21Z

Exciting news...J bought me a PC! I KNOW! VERY EXCITING! Suitable for gaming wich is FAB because there's no way my laptop is capable of that. So, yey! That's the good news.

In other news, my health has been up and down (but you don't want to hear about that, look on Twitter or Tumblr if you really want my health complainings) but things are finally starting to stabalise, which means I'll be going back to uni next month to write my Masters dissertation FINALLY. I just need to register and pay the fees and BOOM, back in business. I'm also slowly cultivating the spare room into a more office-like place. Bookshelf is in, new computer, and it will be followed by a rearrage of furniture and a new desk. Also a lick of paint by Christmas.

I'm excited. I'm really happy with how things are working out and, while my health isn't great by any strech of the imagination, I've been ill for nearly a year now and I finally feel like I'm managing life with a chronic illness. Life has changed so much in the last twelve months, but after a year and a half (nearly) of chaos of one sort or another, things are finally stablising.

Everything's comin' up Emsy.

2014-08-20T19:26:51Z

Evening all.

I hope all's well, things round the Emsy household have been a little frantic but altogether not bad. The long and short of it is, I'm now no longer working at the job I *did* have, as I'm not well enough to do it any more which sucks, and while I've applied for a couple of jobs I'm not really looking to start back working yet. What with being, y'know, ill.

However. My PIP (disability benefit) FINALLY came through, and because I had NINE MONTHS of backpay owed to me then I got enough to do the final year of my Master's degree (in Youth and Community work) which I am SO excited about. So, plan is I will spend this year writing my dissertation, and finally get my MA finished. And then we'll take it from there, although I do have some other plans as well but we'll have to see how they work out.

So that's where we are. At the moment I'm in a slight frenzy because we're buying a new bookcase on Saturday (IKEA, yey!) and the bookcase it's replacing is moving into my office, which means I have to make space for it. Which is easier said than done, really. Chaos. But, eventually, another bookcase in my office which is very useful. Also it will bring the number of bookcases in the house that hold my books to four. No I don't have a problem, I don't know what you mean... (if you count the bookcases that hold DVDs and the ones that hold J's books we will have a total of eight in the house. I'm astonished we have room for anything else.)

Emsy's goin' back to school.