Fanfiction

I reckoned, since I advertise my blog on my fanfiction profile, I should advertise my fanfiction profile on my blog.

So if you read NCIS fanfiction, and I have some 24 poems and 1 Pushing Daisies poem, then check me out at http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1759672/OutCold .

My main set of stories are set in the future of NCIS, and I'm really rather proud of them.

And please review. It makes me unbelievably happy.

Hx

Typewriters

So, I realise there must be quite a few difficulties with working on a typewriter, but oh I do love them so much. I do. And I was looking at some, and this - the Remington 5 streamlined portable typewriter - is just beautiful. It just rocks. I want one. I love it. It's the love of my life. It has a key that does the paragraph indentation for you! And I love all the little red bits. It's beautiful.

Just thought I'd share that.

Hx

Be Nice To Leaflet Deliverers

Title pretty much says it all. I've recently been doing a bit of leaflet delivering with my best friend for a Pilates Studio in town, here's some stuff that's happened to me.

a) Had a scary old woman yelling at me that if I did that around here I'd be sued (NOT true, the stickers said no 'cold calling', that's knocking on doors to sell stuff. Also, I blame the guy who was delivering a parcel to her - he pointed me out, he betrayed me).

b) Had several dogs barking at me.

c) Had my hands through a letterbox in a dogs mouth. I didn't know I could move my hand so fast!

That's added to the normal difficulties of the job. So here's 10 ways to be nice to leaflet deliverers, many of them may also apply to other delivery people and posties. 

1) Don't yell at us. We're just doing a job.

2) Put up a notice if your dog is likely to bite our hand. We like to be warned, and it's our own stupid fault at least if we ignore the sign.

3)If you have that furry stuff in your letterbox for insulation, how about making sure it isn't too thick, and that the hairs coming from the top and the hairs coming from the bottom don't cross over. It's really difficult to push through that stuff.

4) Try to avoid a low letterbox. After wandering around for hours, we really don't want to bend down.

5) If you have a small, yappy dog, DO NOT have a low letterbox. What are you, a masochist? Do you put the letterbox there just so our hands are at the right height for your dog?

6) If your drive is a really long trek/uphill/downhill, have you considered a letterbox by your gate on the street? Would make life a lot easier.

7) If you see us when we're delivering to our house, how about smiling, or taking the leaflet from us, and not making us feel like shit on your shoe?

8) Why have a drive that to get up someone has to walk up the street, then walk up the drive which is going back in the opposite direction, then back down the same drive? Or vice-versa from the other direction. 

9) A little note for kids - if you see us out your window, ignore us, don't excitedly announce our presence to your parents, it makes us scared that they're going to emerge and yell abuse at us. 

10) Remember: We're just doing a job, we are most likely broke, which would be why. No one likes lawyers, lots of people aren't fans of the police, but only a few nutjobs would want rid of either. Just bear in mind that we may or may not support the leaflets we are giving out, but that isn't the point - we're not the people advertising to you, we're just the people who gratefully accept money to pass around leaflets because they need it.

I realise doing this has made me even more jaded - now when I get someone being nice to me as I'm delivering, I'm shocked. So thanks to anyone who reads this, and thanks to everyone who's already nice to us.

Hx

WIFI

So - if you bothered to read my miles long France post, then you'll love to know that we're getting a lodger in the downstairs apartment. A lodger who is out there for work. For at least a year. A lodger who's company is installing . . . who guessed it . . . wifi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, I know, I know, it'll be protected, but I reckon if I suck up to him, he might give me the WEP, right?

Yay! Thank god for Tom (I think that's his name).

Hx

Update

The whole point of this blog was my sleeping condition, hence the title, so I thought I'd give you an update on that one. It fluctuates, but since right now it's 1:10am, I think it's safe to say I'm not cured. =D

Are you sure no one has a diagnosis for me?

Hx

France

Hey,

So, I recently spent 6 weeks of my summer holiday in France and I thought I'd do a blog post about it for all zero of you who are interested, because I'm just thoughtful that way. 

Set off, exciting . . . 6 hour drive to my grandparents in England, stay at their place for a few days. They'll drive my mother completely insane (I'm already there, but they do occasionally spark a desire to top myself, much as I love them and all), but everything's good, 'cause they have wifi and I'm happy as a pig in . . . excrement (are you allowed to swear on blogs? - I'm not sure about the rules there . . .). My dad flies down to join us, and the next day we head off to the white cliffs of Dover. Which I get to see for all of ten minutes as we queue for the Chunnel (first time using it, I thoroughly recommend it). The idea of being in a car, on a train, in a tunnel, under the sea, is a bit freaky, I'll grant you that, but so quick, so simple . . . ahh, the wonders of avoiding the ferry. Drive on from Calais to some little Camperniegle (don't think I'm spelling that right) which is lovely. Great dinner. Worst possible nights sleep. Dog (one of them - the old one who sleeps with me in my double bed at home) - thinks the same rule applies to camp beds in cramped motel rooms. Dad - with Mum in small double bed right beside me continually attempts to shove his feet in my face. Lovely. Relative sanity saved by a) Kate Adie's autobiography (everyone buy it and read it) and b) mentally planning a TV crime drama. Driving for about 6 hours the next day, finally reach our little alpine chalet, settle in, etc, etc. While later my brother and his mate fly out.

Here's the deal with the holiday - lots and lots of walking up mountains. Every second day. At least. Saved by 2 thoughts - a) this must be improving my fitness no end and b) lunch is gonna taste SO good. Kinda contradictory, I know. Tried rafting down a reasonably strong river with Dad, Cal (brother) and Pete (brother's mate). Oh, and Jean-Mi (French instructor guy). FANTASTIC. Loved it to bits. Extraordinary. Everyone should try swimming in rapids (yeah, we didn't exactly stick in the raft), but preferably by choice and with a guy like Jean-Mi around. Not that I know much about these things, but I wouldn't recommend falling in while alone. However, if you do, lie on your back, point your feet downstream. Under NO circumstances try to stand up. Use your arms to flail around and try to get to the sides. After the rocks there is an 'anti-current', if you can get into that, you should be good to stand up, and hopefully climb out. In the words of Maximum Ride - "See, I'm fun and educational!"

After a week, Pete went home. Cal and Dad stayed a week longer. Then it was just Mum and me. More walking up mountains. After a while, my best mate and her family came out for a week, which rocked. Stayed up all night talking once, quite literally - it wasn't intentional! Tried an aerial, through-trees, in harness, obstacle-course-ey thing (technical term), which was fun. 

They left, then it was Mum and me again. We tried a tandem paraglide. It's not as scary as you might think, but it's even more amazing. For the first bit, an EAGLE flew with us. AN EAGLE. Did get nauseous near the end, when my instructor decided to do 360s, but it was still brilliant. I am definitely doing that again. 

Had to go to bars and stuff for wifi. Also one night I babysat for a 4 year old boy and his 2 year old sister. Cooked their dinner, watched a movie with them, read to them, dealt with the 2 year old's tantrum, then Logged Onto Their Wifi For The Rest Of The Night. And got 40 euros for my trouble. It was a pretty sweet deal.

Journey back was Hellish. Well. The first bit was good - so good we didn't stop for the night where we had booked but just drove on to Calais, where we thought we could just get the ferry across (no Chunnel this time). Umm . . . no. Dogs need to cross over 24 hours after their treatment, and under 48. Stayed the night in a hotel in Bleriot-Plage. Nice little place. Nice beach (oh, the beach), adorable (and that word is NOT one of my more used) beach huts. I want one. Crossed the next day. GOT STUCK IN TRAFFIC IN ENGLAND. Eventually made it to my grandparents again, where we spent a few days with my cousins. Now, they're not that bad, and I had internet, so I survived, but at that point I would have preferred just to go home.

Actually enjoyed the whole experience a lot, but the not having wifi thing sucks like hell, as does the not having friends (except for one week). It's a mixed bag.

Hx