Has anyone got a job lying around that they don't want - cos I need one!

Life changes happening dudes!

Evil laughs abound ... Peace reigns in SketchWeasel Towers tongihy .... I've sent the family and the dog off camping for a week and now it's time for tea, more tea, some more tea oh and a lot of studying.

I'm studying with the OU to get a Certificate in Health and Social Care. Which will hopefully lead me into a Social Work Degree over the next few years.

It's a complete departure to my previous career choices.

When I left school I stated loudly and boldly that there was no way I was going to work in a shop (I did for two very happy years work in a Printers and Stationers, there was no way I was going to work in an office (I did for 10 on and off happy years) then I became a Mum and didn't go to work for 7 years due to ill health.

When I left school I was going to join the army and follow in my Grandad's footsteps and become a Military Police Officer, but my sight decided to pack up at the wrong moment (halfway through the final medical, before entering the service) and my army career disapeared in a puff of smoke. I spent many years regretting it and wondering what my life could have been like had I succeeded in my ambition.

It was at that point in life that I decided that ambition was probably a bad thing for me, as I'm a bit of an underacheiver, I like to go for the slightly warped and twisted route through life, so the job I have now fits me perfectly, and I thoroughly enjoy it too, which is a bonus.

But as I rapidly approach 38, I'm beginning to notice my own and other family members mortality and as I often say 'woken up and smelt the coffee' Some people call it a mid-life crisis but I like to call it a mid-life re-evaluation, this year my daughter is ten and she no longer needs me in the ways she once did, and although it hurts, I'm gradually getting used to the idea that she is growing up and that I can't protect her forever (no matter how much I want to).

So I decided that this year is for me, to read all the books I want to read, study the things that interest me, get on with riding my bike and seeing the things I want to see and catch up with all the friends I've missed seeing because I've been so busy.

For Mother's day I was given a book called Swallowing Grandma by Kate Long
I highly recommend it and her other book The Bad Mother's Handbook. Fantastic!

These books made me laugh and cry and despair and wonder ...

I enjoy books that do that.

I am currently reading a book entitled Home before daylight - my life on the road with The Grateful Dead by Steve Parish. Funnily enough it wasn't recommended to me by Deadheaduk but another friend who is Deadhead's doppleganger (the only real difference? one has a Sunderland accent the other comes from Dudley) ... spooky.

Anyway it's time to go to bed .. tee hee 8?(
(that's irony for our american friends).

Night all xx

I'm AWAKE alright!!

My sleep pattern is gradually improving, I've had 15 hours sleep since last Tuesday!!

I got bitten by a ruddy hamster called Squeaky!

I've been for some pointless training ....

I've had no coffee - thought I'd try cutting it out just to see if it would help. Not that I'm a great consumer of coffee or anything - I only ever drink it on Tuesdays. I do however drink a vast amount of decaff tea. I decided at Christmas that it was a good idea to give up the caffeinated variety because I was getting just a little twitchy! Actually quite a lot twitchy.

Tea is the staple diet of the SketchWeasel family.

Tonight I cooked a great chicken mince lasagne - I hate lasagne - I could not be Garfield ....

Term ends tomorrow - and I shall be imbibing in vast quantities of vodka come 10pm!!

It's been a very long term of 7 weeks ...

Tired ... but wide awake.

Hurrah!!

I made it safely across London (twice)made it to the funeral - didn't have any rows with my family and caught up with some friends while I was there. Phew! I am however glad to be back at SketchWeasel Towers .... What a mad 57 hour trip to Kent and back!

I stopped by the Big Blue House on Friday night to say hello to Deadheaduk and his family - they seem to have multiplied ... suddenly the house was full of children I don't remember them having .. utter chaos ... but Sarah kept her head and all seemed calm and organised ...

They filled me in on the latest murder in Chatham - which happened just outside the youngest girl's school. (See DeadheadUK's blog for the linky thing)

We used to live just round the corner from Sarah and her girls and one of the many reasons we left Chatham was the increasing violence.

I really did not want to bring my daughter up in that atmosphere. When she was at infants school some of the homework she brought back was to draw a map of her walk to school. She asked Mr SketchWeasel if she had to do it, because she didn't want to draw burnt out cars, a burnt down pub and needles and syringes - she was 5!!

I made many lasting friendships whilst I lived in Chatham, but I also made many enemies, mainly because I didn't want to be there or to fit into the crowds of mindless chavs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chav

I worked it out last night that since last Tuesday I had only had 2.5 hours sleep - that's not good ....

Wednesday - no sleep due to worrying about travelling to Kent.
Thursday - No sleep - due to sleeping in my daughter's extremely small bed at my parents house and bloody noisy traffic.
Friday - stayed at a friends - crashed on their futon and spent the night watching traffic going over the Medway bridges all night. Slightly pissed and most wide awake!
Saturday - arrive back at Stourbridge - wired and completely wide awake, feeling like shit but unable to come down. Not good!!
Saturday night - want to sleep .... want to sleep .... NOT A BLOODY CAT IN HELLS CHANCE ... Everyone wants to talk to me ...
AAARGH!
Sleeeeeep .......
It's now Sunday and my sleep average has increased - I've now had 7.5 hours sleep since Tuesday ... OMG! When am I going to sleep?

Insomnia = hell on toast.

Sleep ....