I feel very loved!

Just a quick note as I'm tired, and it has been a busy day of things to talk about, so I'll do that tomorrow.  I'm now back in Derby, and have had the chance to see my parents for the first time since getting my results.  I think it is an understatement to say my Dad was excited and happy to see me.  He was actually holding back the tears.  In my entire life, I think I can count the number of times I have seen my Dad cry on one hand!  He's clearly been telling anyone and everyone who will listen that his daughter is now a doctor.  And this is what was waiting for me when I got home:

I will need to take a better picture of it, in better light, but yup, he's had a plaque engraved and screwed it to my door.  And inside my room:

Balloons, banners and dozens of beautiful roses.  And a second congratulations card from my parents (having already sent me one in the post to Bristol) and again, actually written by my Dad.

It is safe to say I feel really loved and celebrated today.  It was just what I needed after a very emotionally and physically exhausting day.  I love my Daddy and am so glad to have made him so proud.

Catching up (aka. procrastinating)

I'm supposed to be packing.  I hate packing.  And I'm bunged up thanks to the tail end of a mild cold from the weekend.  My ear is popping like mad and I feel not quite of this planet... somewhat floating.  It's hard to concentrate on anything serious.  Just wanna sleep and veg.... but oh well.  I decided I'd make a start on a catch up post.  My poor little flat has been so deliciously crowded and noisy over the last couple of weeks.  Such a change from just me wondering round.  It's also a bit of a tip, because it's a tad bit packed, laundry everywhere (I want everything to be clean and fresh before it goes into storage), knitting/fibre everywhere, new books (on sock knitting, natural dyeing and spinning), I've been to lazy to doing the dishes (made a start this morning, they're drying naturally before I do the second batch).  Yup, it's a mess and chaotic, and right now I really just couldn't be bothered, with any of it.  I just want to sit here and ignore it all.  But soon time will pressure me into it all.  I have a provisional leaving day of Thursday, so I REALLY need to get a move on!... but not now.  Let me share the last few days.

I've mentioned the important things.  Yes, I am now a doctor.  Apparently.  It's a strange anticlimax.  It was this stressful build up and to be honest, I don't really feel any different.  I *know* that things are about to change, and I seem to be getting on with the planning, but it doesn't really feel like it's actually happening.  I think that when I start the job, this might be different.  But for now it's this surreal daze of "okay... now what?"  Maybe part of this is to do with the fact that I have so many distractions.

The Clarks arrived on Wednesday, after my morning nap to get over the night shifts.  My tiny one bed flat was very quickly childed!  My teddies were claimed, corners explored and things got into that I thought were suitably out of reach or at least temptation way.  After their long journey and my mucked up body clock, we mainly settled for a lazy afternoon at home.  As it was starting to cool down, we headed to the park, to burn off energy, to get some fresh air and to have a little picnic the the beautiful weather.

Unfortunately, our trip to the park was marred by Morgan falling over.  Sarah decided it was best to get her checked out as she fell onto a rusty nail and there's always a worry of tetanus with things like that.  Fortunately she was fine.  And made it back for a rather late night of cramming on my little sofa and having cuddles.

On Thursday, we went to the Suspension Bridge and the camera obscura.  I love the camera, it's such old, simple technology, but so effective.  Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so no photos.  After we got back, there was the tense wait for the results email.  Then celebrating, swimming, more friends round for champagne and fun.

My Bristol friends on the whole don't spend much time around little people, but they were all so gentle and sweet with the kids.  I really couldn't ask for more amazing friends with which to spend such a special day.

Friday was another very long busy day.  Since I am now officially leaving Bristol, I thought I should try do some of the things that I've been meaning to do for the last seven years, but never quite got round to.  SO we caught a ferry, went to @Bristol and the aquarium.  @Bristol was amazing, so much fun, and so interactive.  And the planetarium was awesome!

 Exploring a veggie bed whilst waiting in Castle Park for the ferry

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We rushed round the aquarium at breakneck speed so we could see the imax 3D screening, which rocked!  And then we attempted to go around again but didn't really go much slower.  We did manage to catch up with one of the feeding times which was really well done.  The girl who did it was really informative and told us lots of things about the various fish and turtles in that tank.

Afterwards, we descending on the fountains in the square outside the museums to cool down, relax and have ice creams in the late afternoon sunshine.

Paddy very kindly invited us round for dinner, and let the girls play on his wii, the baby had fun climbing into the washing machine and waving at people walking past down below from the balcony.

Saturday was a lazy, more self-indulgent day.  After all the long days and late nights, and my cold rearing it's ugly head, I think us grown ups were feeling less and less motivated.  Sarah and I abandoned small people with daddy and headed to Get Knitted to indulge ourselves in all things yarnie.  And we totally didn't buy over 20 balls of on sale Sublime...

Sunday was a slow day at home, with a roast dinner before my visitors headed home.  And now it's back to the quite of my flat and the hassle of packing.  But before I do... some of the new pretty colours and toys in my life:

My absolutely beautiful new spindle from Wildcraft.

And I think it is officially the first time my Dad has actually written me a card.  That sort of thing is usually left to my mom to sort out.

Now really must get on with some somethingness.

Lacking inspiration!

Hi!  I'm not feeling very inspired to write my blog tonight.  Which is strange, as for the first time in a few days, I actually have something to talk about!  Oh dear!  I'll blame the remnants of the cold that are still stalking me.  Although as previously mentioned, this cold (thank goodness) has definintely hit me much lighter than the one I had at the start of December, and I am bouncing back much quicker.  I'm all but over it now.  Just a hint of lingering tiredness and bunged-upness. 

After all my waffling last night about what to do today, I didn't really do any of it.  I didn't get up early enough to have my bath and hair wash session, I did drop my brother off, and then I decided to get pro-active about sorting my car out.  Unfortunately, it's that time of year again, when the ol' MOT is due.  And last year, when I had Ernie serviced they mentioned his back tyres were looking rather worn, and could do with being changed, but when I got a second opinion, they said they wouldn't bother if it were their car, so being the skint student that I am, I didn't.  But I have been aware of it all year, thinking all along that once I was working and had a steady income, I would sort it.  But that plan went south along with all the others that started with "when I start working properly and have proper money, I'll..."  So since my MOT was due later this week (booked for Wednesday, and dreading it, been stung too much in the past to have any other emotion about it!) I decided I'd get a jump start on things and sort out the tyres in my own time rather than being told and kinda forced into it due to a failed MOT.  Turns out they did need doing (shocker!) and the silly garage seemed to think they could take advantage of me (even bigger shocker!) - "we don't have any budget ones (this being a nationwide chain that advertises budget tires from £20),  we've run out, the ONLY ones we have would be £56... each."  To which I pulled a huge face and got up to leave, genuinely shocked, and determined I could get them cheaper elsewhere.  Then he shuffles around papers on his desk and goes "no wait, I've just remembered (mmmm, yeah right!) that we had a delivery earlier (are you kidding me?!?  It's a Bank holiday, I doubt you'd have recieved a delivery on a Bank holiday!) and I do have some budget ones, but they're the best quality of the budget ones, and would be £81, including the fitting and alignment"  This was somewhat better, so I gave in in the end, I tried the attempt to leave again thing, but this bargaining technique had apparently being exhausted!

After all this dirty, scamming, masculating stuff, I decided I needed some retail therapy, even if it was just in the browsing form, so, went and spent sometime at the nearest shop that sells wool.  (Yes, before you try and say anything, we have already established that I have a problem!)  I was very impressed with the fact that I didn't buy anything, the combined logic of (a) tight finances (b) stupid queues (c) absolutely no actual need and (d) a relatively poor selection, outweighed my rash impulses of "oooh, but there's 10% off in the sale!".  I feel this shows strength and progress!

Then I came and had a lovely bonding afternoon of watching Merlin on telly with my dad whilst he ironed and I knitted.  Hehe!  Such quality father/daughter time!  And then I headed round to the Clarks for a lovely evening of dinner, playing with the kids' toys (oh man, I do just sometimes wish I had a kid so I would have an excuse to play with toys and do random fun crafts and activities that would otherwise just be frowned upon!), reading great books - Sarah has great taste and finds fantastic books for her girls (another reason I wish I had a kid sometimes, to have the excuse to be enchanted and charmed by such beautiful books!) and playing on the Wii once the girls had gone to bed.  Hehe, I suck at Mario Kart, but I have given Morgan (age 3) a brain weight of over 1400g on Brain Academy, which I think is my biggest ever score, damn, and now a three year old gets the credit... ooooooh well! Hehehe!

Wow, considering how I started this post, I did find inspiration somewhere along the way.  Cool!