Random Acts Of Kindness

A couple of days before Mothers Day, a guy came into my shop and walked straight up to me.

"Can you help out a guy who loves his mother but is down to his last £35?"

"What do you need?"

"That Mum locket at £37.50."

"I can't let it go for any cheaper I'm afraid, the system won't let me."

The guy rummages through his pocket and finds another £1.50. He's still a pound short

"You're still a pound short, I'm really sorry but I physically can't do it."

"Is there anything you can do?"

He has a pretty face.

I go to my OWN purse and take out a pound coin. I hand it over.

"Now this is from my own purse so think yourself lucky."

"You're a diamond. You really are, I won't forget this. When i have money again I shall return with a gift for you."

"You don't have to, it's only a pound, But I do like diamonds."

He winks at me and smiles and after the transaction, is on his way.

~*~

My Random Act Of Kindness.

~*~

Today I have a day off but pop into work to see the girls. Waiting for me is a chocolate egg with my name on it and a Thank You card.

I don't really know what to say about it. Apparently he seemed really sincere when he gave it in. Bless him. I gave him a pound, that was all, And now there is literally a chocolate egg on my coffee table with my name on it.

~*~

You see, You give a little love and it all comes back to you. 

Hey World!

Yes, I'm still alive!

(I know)

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Sorry for the lack of posts, I've been somewhat busy over the last couple of months. I won't say too much, just the old cliche...

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... So there's this boy...

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I'm not going to say too much. But just so you're aware, 'Cricket' will probably be making more and more appearances in these coming posts. You have been made aware.

~*~

Onto important news... Being domestic.

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1: Shopping.:~ I'm in the middle of what we call 'The Big Shop' and I'm standing in the non food section. I've picked up sponges and washing powder and now I need loo roll. Only now do I realise that I've been stationary for no less than four minutes staring at the wall of soft paper with a purpose.

Why is it necessary to have so many different toilet rolls? Do I want triple ply? Patterned? Peach? Pack of four for £3? 12 for £78? (OK so the last one wasn't true.) I look up and down the aisle and notice about five other women, all looking at the wall of paper with the same perplexed look. Since when was it this difficult to buy something that's going to hang on the wall an end up in the north sea?

~*~

Whilst we're on the subject, am I the only person who has a 'way' of hanging my toilet roll (I feel we've hit and all time blog low) 

I always have it so that the 'end' hangs closest to me and not next to the wall. Is that something anyone else does? Or is it some weird OCD I have? Like folding crisp packets, or tucking my hair behind my ear?

~*~

2: Decorating:~ I'm in the process of decorating my kitchen. Over the past week (Cricket is in Australia) I have scrapped the paint of of my tiles one by one. For some reason my whole flat has been painted beige. (Maybe there was a wholesale deal on magnolia in B and Q) and that includes my kitchen tiles. So every evening, after dinner, I turn on Absolute 80's on the radio and take on the used-to-be-white-then-blue-but-are-now-beige tiles one by one. 

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3: Sorting out clothes:~ anyone in nee of any clothes sized 8-10? I have a massive bundle. Let me know. Ta.

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4: Everything else:~ I can now cook, bake, unclog u-bends, change fuses, sew, knit, play ukulele, (that's not a domestic thing, just a blag) hang pictures, clean ovens and customise furniture, all the while sporting something polka dot and singing a song from the 80's. I am a domestic goddess.

~*~

I'll blog again by the end of the weekend.

~*~

I promise it will have more substance than this one. 

A new year.

They come quicker than ever don't they.

I promised in my last blog a lot of moments, Christmas, Birthdays, other moments worth treasuring. And I will, in good time.

I'm heading home tomorrow for the weekend. In a way it's nice to live so far away, because I can always get that excimtment of knowing that tomorrow I'll see my home. And my beautiful parents. I can reach the train station and feel like all my worries are gone because soon I'll be in my old room. I think no matter how old we grow, no matter what we achieve in life, there's always a small part of us that craves that innocence of home life. That security that only home gives you.
~*~
As much as I adore my life in Glasgow, it's nice to run away every now and then. Run back to the place where I spent so many years wishing I'd run away from. As soon as you leave you suddenly see everything through Rose tinted glass. In my case, I want more than anything to pop to the local cafe with my dad. Sit in a pizza hut with my mum people watching. Sit in a circle in a lecture room and talk about plays with my friends.

I truly believe that home is where the heart is. I woke up on my birthday in my own flat that I pay for, I made a cup of tea with the kettle I was bought as a house warming gift. I watched the tv I pay the licence for, I used the electricity I topped up the previous evening. My flat is my home. But only when it got to lunch time did it suddenly feel like home.

Why?

I looked out of my shop to find my parents stood outside waiting for me.
~*~
Suddenly I felt like I was really home. As the surprise and happiness took hold, I understood completely why that phrase 'home is where the hear is' was penned.

I've build a home with someone before. I hope to do it again one day because it's a wonderful feeling knowing that you've contributed to someone's life enough for them to want to do that. But I know now that no matter where I am in the world, my home will always me wherever those two are. My parents are my home.
~*~
I can be soppy at times. I blame the cold weather.
~*~
Onto other things, my shop is getting a refit. We spent Monday packing up stuff and waiting around drinking tea whilst builders assured us they were on their way.

We got onto the subject of You Tube. We chatted about funny cats, flash mobs and ducks being blown over. Then my manager mentioned the 'Michael Jackson's ghost' clip.

I knew what one she meant. But V and Hepburn (another new name for you, but her recent antics I'm sure she'll be here more often) hadn't. So we found the clip and let them watch it on V's phone. Then we waited.

They watched with intent as this very quiet video showed them things. Then, as a terrifying face suddenly filled the screen and screamed at them, the following happened.

Both Hepburn and V screamed very loudly.
V threw the phone across the room in panic
Hepburn repeatedly punched V on the arm whilst panting and almost hyperventilating.
Both went very very pink.
~*~
Where's a camera when you need one?

That Time of year

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love Sent to me:-
12 hour shifts
11 wild boar burgers
10 cans of red bull
9 Greggs festive bakes
8 trips to Tesco
7 soups and baguettes
6 o'clock alarm call
5 minute breaks
4 hours sleep
3 tins of sweets
2 burger boys
And a temp who went completely AWOL!

I shall speak further on this in the new year. I shall talk about Gary falling down stairs, Vikki and I doing 'the aeroplane' and the IPad I received from Santa. I shall talk about Hogmanay and a second Christmas on a train station, a birthday surprise and the boy who flips burgers. All after a well deserved sleep.

I hope 2012 bring you all happiness and I hope it's the year where your dreams come true. I hope my dream comes back...

Happy new year!
Xxx

Posting before I lose the nerve...

There's a small suitcase. It has a martini glass and a clutch purse painted onto the side of it. It sits on my bedroom floor. This evening, for the first time in months, I opened it.

• A programme from a RSAMD production that you weren’t in. You took me to see it when I came to visit you.
• A train ticket dated the day after a friends house party. The night we first shared a bed. Even though we were telling the truth, nobody believed us when we said that nothing happened.
• A cork from the bottle of wine we shared at dinner the night that something did happen for the first time. We’d knocked over the empty bottle and made your housemate think we’d done it right there on the kitchen table. Little did he know that there were candles lit in your bedroom.
• A picture of you as a three year old playing in the park with an 18 year old monkey. A picture your parents gave to me to make me smile when you’d moved 500 miles away.
• A betting slip from Tipner greyhound stadium. Our dog didn’t win, I don’t even know if it finished.
• A note you left on the pillow one morning. An A5 sized sheet folded over that once opened, just read, I tiny writing ‘Love you!’
• A doodle of a butterfly that you made at work one very boring day. You took a picture of it on your phone and sent me it before giving me the doodle itself later that evening.
• A picture of you and me dressed in 50’s clothing from the time we went to a ‘countries’ party as ‘Greece’. Forget the togas and leaves, it’s all about Danny and Sandy.
• Another picture taken beside a river in Edinburgh. You wore that hat with the silly bits over the ears. You snuggled into my cheek and held the camera high.
• A gift tag addressed to ‘Penfold’
• A Jack of diamonds that you gave me backstage at our first show together. You said it was good luck. I put it in the small satchel I carried around for the entire play. We got a fantastic review and a full house every night. I think you were right about the luck.
• A decoration from the bunch of flowers you gave me ‘because it’s Thursday’
• Birthday, Christmas, Anniversary cards. Photos, Tickets to gigs, shows, cities. Tags from presents, notes we pinned to the cork board in the kitchen
• Memories, Moments, Love

All tucked away in a little box at the end of my bed.

I miss you.

So Apparently I'm Sexy

A little blog about what happened a couple of weeks ago.

~*~

As you are aware, Buchanan Street is awash with buskers. A new addition to this atmosphere is a very good saxophonist. He manly scats, so when you're reading the random words part later on, imagine it is a bluesy, jazz style. ta

~*~

I have to go to the working jeweller to get a ring sized for a customer. Buchanan street is very busy. I walk towards the saxophonist who's perched outside House of Fraser. He's free styling like a trooper. bab bab badoop bow bow badoop doop be bab... you get the picture, but suddenly, he spots me walking towards him. I walk quite quickly when I'm walking alone, almost like a stomp really. This sax player seamlessly changes his free styling into...

~*~

The Stripper!

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Bab ba doop doop bow bow, da da daaa...da da daa daa...da da daa (Now, in my head, that's how The Stripper goes.) Then once I've walked past, he effortlessly goes back to his free styling.

~*~

I obviously have a certain attraction, either that or he was being incredibly ironic.

I'll let you decide!

Hell and Back (Via Milton Keynes)

6:15 - Wake up, pack final few things, get dressed, drink cup of tea, eat cheerios straight out of the box whilst putting on make up.

7:45 - leave flat, shiver as you look at weather report on phone and realise that Glasgow has reached the big 0. Walk through Glasgow Green and towards central station. (Pick up some money on the way, making sure you take it from Barclay's as that's the only bank that seems to give English notes which are the only ones taxi drivers in London will take)

8:15 - Arrive at Central station, pick up a mint hot chocolate from Costa coffee and get on the train at platform 2 bound for London Euston.

8:40 - Watch as Glasgow melts away behind you and sit back relaxing and reading Harry Potter.

~*~

From now on, times are estimates. So here goes...

~*~

12:00 - Train slows before stopping completely in the middle of nowhere.

Five minutes later - 'Hi, this is Jackie your train manager. Right, I'm going to give you all the information I know...We've stopped! Sorry I can't tell you anymore. I will let you know the moment I know something.

Five minutes later - 'Hi this is Jackie your train manager. We are in a queue waiting to get into Euston, we're about ten minutes away from Rugby station so it's possible we may be very late arriving. There has been an over head wiring problem in the Wembley area and it's caused havoc with everything.'

Twenty minutes later - 'This is Jackie your train manager. I'm afraid we're in for a very long wait. I'm terribly sorry for this. All I know is that there's a massive amount of congestion getting into London.

Two minutes later - Head to shop on train and take our a loan with Wonga.com to pay for sandwich and a bag of m&m's. return to seat.

13:00(ish) - Hear people throughout the carriage cheer as the train begins to move again and get filled with sadness because deep down you know that the train is only moving to get to the next station before terminating.

4 seconds later - 'Hi this is Jackie your train manager. Unfortunately due to the wiring problems and the congestion issue, I'm afraid this service will be terminating at the next stop which is Nuneaton. I'm so sorry for this.' (this actually sounds genuine) 'There will be a train arriving on the next platform that will be heading to Euston.'

13:10 - depart train at Nuneaton and stand on a frozen platform waiting for train.

13:15 -train arrives, wait for ten minutes then get on/settled/book out.

13:30 - 'Hi this is your train manager speaking. I'm sorry, this train will now be terminating at this stop. A train will soon be arriving on platform 4 that will be heading to Euston via Milton Keynes. Sorry for any inconvenience this disruption has and will cause.'

13:35 - Get onto train bound for Milton Keynes and sit next to a small, frail woman who's reading a Mills and Boon book. Cross fingers.

13:45 - 'This is your train manager speaking. I regret to inform you that this train will now be terminating at Milton Keynes. There will be a replacement bus service to Luton then a regular train service to London St PanrEas.' (Yep, he's put an E in Pancras!) 'I apologise for this.' Sigh and slump in seat.

~*~

From now on, time loses all meaning.

Arrive in Milton Keynes and wait outside on a curb. Get merged into a general queue and wait for a bus. (Just so you're aware, I'm about a bus load away from the front.) Wait for twenty minutes.

Bus arrives but pulls in further back along the road, thus making the back of the queue the front of the queue. feel extemely unamused.

Shiver and watch as slowly, one by one, the buses come, fill up and head off. Get towards new front of queue. Get close enough to pretty much guarantee a place on the bus after next.

Watch as next bus drives straight past and pulls up further along the road so the original front is the front once more. Watch as the woman next to you turns a deep shade of puce at shouts out 'NO!!! NO NO NONONONO.' Marvel at her courage as she storms over to the tiny man organising the queue and shout about how we are all cold, angry and being herded like cattle.

Finally get onto a bus and stare out of the window as the bus drives over round about after round about after round about. Fall asleep.

~*~

Arrive at Luton. (I think the time is now roughly about half past three. But I can't be sure.)Get on a train that has all it's windows open. Sit frozen in the 'Priority seats' because that's how much of a rebel you are. Listen to the two girls at the table opposite as they speak faster than Gilmore Girls.

'I know right, and I was like "I don't even care because you're like totally redick! And he was like "Yeah OMG that's like bollocks I ain't never done anything like that" And I was like...(Gets out phone) Oh my days this is the totes amaze shoes I saw. I think they'll be like totes gorge. I saw Rikki was gonna wear them and I was like, Redick!'

'Ha, rofl' That's right, the girl actually vocalised it. She didn't say roll on floor laughing, she actually said rofl.

Arrive at St Pancras and make way to underground. Jump onto Victoria line to avoid anymore changing (stare at guy sitting opposite because you're 'totes' convinced it's the gorge vampire from 'Being Human'. Finally get to London Victoria.

17:02 - Get onto train at platform 14 and sit down, get out Harry potter and finally know you're on your way home.

~*~

I was suppose to arrive in Fratton train station at half past three. I didn't even get that far. I got off at Havant and made it straight to the party I travelled down for. I think I got in about quarter to seven but I'm not sure. Time kinda collapsed into a little flat pack version of itself. A version I could of built had I the energy. I wonder is Jackie ever got home from Nuneaton that day.