(A) musings of a redhead - welcome to my bubble!

Stop the bloodshed now!

2006-08-11T12:18:00Z

http://www.ceasefirecampaign.org/index.php?id=16

Click on the link above and sign the petition to have a cease fire in Lebanon. 1000s of innocent civilians are dying. By signing, you could stop 1000s more from dying. Now is your chance to make a difference.

izzi_redhead @ 2006-08-10T10:51:00

2006-08-10T08:54:32Z

Security threat in UK critical, with a plot being uncovered, typhoon about to hit China, Lebanon being invaded, Iraq still at war, millions homeless in India from floods.......It feels like it could be the end of the world, literally....

izzi_redhead @ 2006-08-03T10:48:00

2006-08-03T08:48:50Z

So, there is now a site that tells the British public the likelihood of a terrorist attack on any given day.

http://www.intelligence.gov.uk/threat_levels/index.asp

Brave New World, anyone?

izzi_redhead @ 2006-08-02T11:47:00

2006-08-02T09:47:57Z

I was "Jane'd" last night (Coupling episode "Dressed"):

I'm sitting with my mates, and this bloke Russell comes up, sits beside me and, without saying anything turns to my mate Emily and says "Hi, I'm Russell, who are you?" and takes her hand and gives it a kiss. He then introduces himself to my other mates, but not me. He starts asking Em what she does etc (still hasn't even acknowledged me). Paul, one of my mates says something along the lines of "I haven't seen you in here, do you come here often" (one of the oldest, corniest pick-up lines ever) to which I quipped up "oh, look Russell, you've pulled"...He then proceeds to say: "no, I'm not gay" and I said "I know, it's a joke". He then adds "but a bird like Emily, yes, that I would want to pull"....He says to her "ooh, you're delicious, hope you don't mind me saying".....and things like that....

And what am I? a part of the furniture?

So, not one to be blanked, as I'm a chatty sort of person, I say "hi, I'm Izzi" and he says "I'm Russell" and I say "I know"....He says "how do you know?"..........well, mate, you're sitting beside me, you've introduced yourself to Emily loudly enough for the whole pub to hear, and I have just addressed you by name....

Of course, now I think of it, perhaps it was also a "Patrick'ing" (Coupling episode "Remember This"), where Patrick is at the office buffet and there is Morag in the middle who he doesn't see because she is ugly.

Either way, it's great! (note the sarcasm)

Driving Miss Izzi

2006-07-03T14:45:56Z

I have passed my driving test!

I got a phone call wednesday asking if I wanted to take it Thursday. I said yes, did 3 hours in the morning (1st lessons for 1month and a half), drove really badly in them. I got really down about it and the instructor gave me a proper pep talk.

I was third and last to take it, and I sat there just thinking to myself "hey, I would have been bored at work, at least I got out." and then I told myself "he's seen enough mistakes for one day". "he's just trying to stress me out, I won't let him". "I have nothing to lose" And most importantly "I can do it! I can drive in lessons, I can therefore drive in the exam".

So, I took it Thursday, but the results come through the post, so I didn't know until Friday. She said she thought I had passed, and I was pleased with how I drove, but getting the little yellow paper that says (and this is a summary as it is actually a whole paragraph) "has passed her driving exam. This certificate can be used in lieu of a license for up to two months" was just AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had kept it a secret from even my parents, so I then told everyone who had asked "when are you taking your exam" and a few who didn't know too!

And the best thing is, I already have a car that I bought in January, so I can drive straight away. Well, I could if it weren't that the car is at my parents house, so I need to collect it when it is convenient for them.

It is just great though, because I had got to a point of despair that I thought I would never pass, that I was doomed to fail it each time.

izzi_redhead @ 2006-06-30T11:41:00

2006-06-30T11:26:47Z

I have passed my driving test! Will give more details soon, but yay!

izzi_redhead @ 2006-03-19T19:15:00

2006-03-19T18:41:53Z

I am moving out of my parents house in the next few months to a flat in Eymet. I am waiting for the current tenant to find a new place, and then I can move in. Being France, the place is let unfurnished, so it's actually quite good as I can save up to buy a cooker, a bed (there is no way I will be able to take my current bed back down the stairs, and there are some nice cheap ones in the shops anyway), sofa etc... It is hopefully going to be an amicable move, without any animosity between me and my parents. It's just time to spread my wings, I feel...I have lived at home for nearly 2 years, after having left "permanently" when I was 18, so it's about time. And at last I have a job, which means I can afford to move! But, what is making me laugh is my dad's reaction to all this: "She (meaning me) is broody", "she wants to nidify" "cluck cluck" etc... I can't understand how he can think that, when I actually want to move to be independent and live on my own (although I am not becoming a hermit)... Answers on a postcard, please!

meme stolen from camillat

2006-02-20T19:53:52Z

I've kissed someone...

01. [x] on the cheek.
02. [x] on the lips.
03. [x] on their hands or fingers.
04. [x] in my room.
05. [x] in their room.
06. [x] of the opposite sex.
07. [ ] of the same sex.
08. [x] a little younger than me.
09. [x] a little older than me.
10. [x] with black hair.
11. [x] blonde hair and blue eyes.
13. [ ] with red hair
14. [x] with straight hair.
15. [x] shorter than me.
16. [ ] with a lip ring.
17. [ ] who i truly love/loved.
18. [x] who was drunk.
19. [x] who was high.
20. [x] in the morning.
21. [x] right after waking up.
22. [x] just before bed.
23. [x] late at night.
24. [x] who i had just met
25. [x] who I really didn't want to kiss.
26. [x] just talking not dating.
27. [x] on a bed.
28. [x] three-way makeout
29. [ ] at school
30. [x] against a wall
31. [x] at a show
32. [x] at the beach
33. [x] at a concert
34. [x] in a pool.
35. [ ] who was/is a good friend.
36. [x] in the rain.
37. [ ] with an std.
38. [ ] In the shower
39. [x] in a car/taxi/bus.
40. [x] in the movies.
41. [x] in a bathroom/laundry room
42. [x] in the dark.
43. [ ] on a roof top.
44. [ ] under water
45. [ ] while driving
46. [x] a stranger
47. [x] more than one person at once
48. [ ] crying
49. [ ] Goodbye forever
50. [x] when i was drunk
51. [x] who didn't speak english
52. [x] in a hot tub
53. [ ] using the bathroom
54. [x] Nervous
55. [ ] while eating
56. [ ] in front of parents
57. [ ] For revenge

izzi_redhead @ 2005-12-25T20:00:00

2005-12-25T18:59:59Z

Merry Christmas Everyone!

torture

2005-12-06T11:11:29Z

I just heard on the news that *some* americans don't believe that waterboarding is torture. I would like to sit down with these same americans and ask them what they would consider torture! Of course, it's a clever, if disturbing, way of doing things. If you think that say, sleep deprivation is not torture, then you can affirm, hand on the Bible that you have not tortured and in your mind it would not be a lie. I find that shocking.

meme taken from techiebabe

2005-12-02T13:17:37Z

If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now, (even if we don't speak often) please post a comment with a COMPLETELY MADE UP AND FICTIONAL memory of you and me. It can be anything you want - good or bad - BUT IT HAS TO BE FAKE.

When you're finished, post this little paragraph on your blog and be surprised (or mortified) about what people DON'T ACTUALLY remember about you.

meme

2005-12-02T12:31:05Z

I was just looking at something on my friend boolie's LJ, and noticed that she tagged me on 12th August this year. Now, as I still have another 20 minutes till lunch and want to do something not work-involved, I thought I would respond to this. Sorry it's late, boo!

"List ten songs that you are currently digging ... it doesn't matter what genre they are from, whether they have words, or even if they're no good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying right now. Post these instructions, the artists, and the ten songs in your blog. Then tag five other people to see what they're listening to."

In no particular order:

1) Hoyt Axton - Rusty Old Halo
I used to listen to this when I was a kid, with my parents. They were playing it today and it has great lyrics (eg: "While you're on earth you should shine like a star, brighten up the corner wherever you are"). Brill!

2) Shakira&Alejandro Sanz - La Tortura
It reminds me of growing up in Spain as Alejandro Sanz was the guy we all listened to!

3) KoRn - Twisted Transistor
I love KoRn videos, they are always original, but this one has a cheeky sort of look at the media's love affair with Hip Hop.

4) Unknown - I am here to worship
At the moment, I have a lot to be thankful for, and I find this is a song that helps me say thanks to God. It also reminds me of summer in the USA.

5) Dire Straits - Romeo and Juliet
Such a beautiful love song.

6) Metallica - Nothing Else Matters
Another beautiful love song.

7) Eminem - Ass Like that
many of Eminem's songs are funny, but this has got to be the one that can most be taken in jest.

8) Blink -182- any song by them
They all have fantastic memories associated to them!

9) Offspring - Self Esteem
The feature of loads of nights out with my sister

10) Darude - Sandstorm
Although not my favourite clubbing song, it has been there on many nights out, with loads of different people. It had to make the cut.

blakeshell, bragg247, camillat quiz_boy, raduckie Consider yourselves tagged!

Pay day

2005-11-25T13:39:46Z

Today is pay day. I haven't had a proper pay day for 18 months, except if you count the airport, which was soured by the knowledge that they weren't going to ask me back!

I feel properly employed now that I have had my first pay cheque. Plus, my bosses have today said that if I like the office in Eymet, that we should go ahead with it (they had originally said they wanted to visit it first.

I also have a set date for my driving exam: 13th December.

Woooohhhooooooo!!!!!

izzi_redhead @ 2005-11-23T18:41:00

2005-11-23T18:05:30Z

Put an x next to the movies you've seen. If you have more than 70, you are a movie whore!

1( )Pirates of the Caribbean
2( )The Mexican
3(x)Fight Club
4( )Starsky and Hutch
5(x)Neverending Story
6( )Blazing Saddles
7( )Garden State
8( )The Princess Bride
9( )Young Frankenstein
10( )AnchorMan
11( )Napoleon Dynamite
12( )Saw
13( )White Noise
14( )White Oleander
15( )Anger Management

total here: 2

1( )50 First Dates
2( )Jason X
3( )Scream
4( )Scream 2
5( )Scream 3
6(x)Scary Movie
7( )Scary Movie 2
8( )Scary Movie 3
9(x)American Pie
10(x)American Pie 2
11( )American Wedding
12(x)Harry Potter
13( )Harry Potter 2
14( )Harry Potter 3
15(x) Harry Potter 4
16( )Resident Evil
17( )Resident Evil 2
18( )The Wedding Singer
19( )Little Black Book

total here : 5

1( ) The Village
2( )Donnie Darko
3(x)Lilo & Stitch
4(x)Finding Nemo
5( )Finding Neverland
6( )13 Ghosts
7(x)Signs
8( )The Grinch
9(x)Texas Chainsaw Massacre
10( )White Chicks
11( )Butterfly Effect
12( )Suddenly 30
13( )I, Robot
14(x)Dodgeball
15( )Universal Soldier
16( )A Series Of Unfortunate Events
17( )Along Came A Spider
18( )Deep Impact

total here: 4

1( )KingPin
2( )Never Been Kissed
3(x)Meet The Parents
4( )Meet the Fockers
5( )Eight Crazy Nights
6( )A Cinderella Story
7( )The Terminal
8( )The Lizzie McGuire Movie
9( )Passport to Paris
10( )Dumb & Dumber
11( )Dumb & Dumberer
12(x)Final Destination
13(x)Final Destination 2
14( )Halloween
15(x)The Ring
16( )The Ring 2
17( )Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
18( )Practical Magic
19( )Chicago
20( )Ghost Ship
21( )From Hell
22( )Hellboy
23( )Secret Window
24( )I Am Sam
25( )The Whole Nine Yards
26( )The Whole Ten Yards
27( )The Day After Tomorrow
28(x)Child's Play
29( )Bride of Chucky
30(x)Ten Things I Hate About You
31( )Just Married
32( )Gothika
33(x)Nightmare on Elm Street
34( )Sixteen Candles
35(x)Bad Boys
36( )Bad Boys 2
37( )Joy Ride
38(x)Seven
39( )Ocean's Eleven
40( )Ocean's Twelve
41( )Identity

total here: 9

1( )Lone Star
2(x)Predator I
3( )Predator II
4( )Independence day
5( )Cujo
6( )A Bronx Tale
7( )Darkness Falls
8(x)Christine
9(x)ET
10( )Children of the Corn
11( )My Boss' Daughter
12( )Maid in Manhattan
13( )Frailty
14( )How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
15(x)She's All That
16( )Calendar Girls
17( )Sideways
18( )Mars Attacks

total here : 3

1( )Event Horizon
2( )Ever After
3(x)Forrest Gump
4( )The Others
5( )Freaky Friday
6( )Reign of Fire
7( )The Hot Chick
8( )Swimfan
9( )Miracle
10( )Old School
11( )Ray
12( )The Notebook
13( )K-Pax

total here : 1

1(x)Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2( )Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
3( )Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
4( )A Walk to Remember
5( )Boogeyman
6( )Hitch
7( )The Fifth Element
8( )Star Wars episode I The Phantom Menace
9( )Star Wars episode II Attack of The Clones
10( )Star Wars episode III Revenge of The Sith
11( )Star Wars episode IV A New Hope
12( )Star Wars episode V The Empire Strikes Back
13( )Star Wars episode VI Return of the Jedi
14( )Troop Beverly Hills
15( )Swimming with Sharks
16( )Air Force One
17( )For Richer or Poorer
18( )People Under the Stairs
19( )Blue Velvet
20(x)Sound of Music
21( )Parent Trap
22( )The Burbs
23(x)The Terminator
24( )Empire Records
25( )Meet Joe Black
26( )Clockwork Orange
27( )The Order
28( )Spiderman
29( )Spiderman 2
30( )Amelie
31( )Scotland, PA
32(x)The Graduate

total here: 4

1( )Mean Girls
2(x)Shrek
3(x)Shrek 2
4( )The Incredibles
5( )Collateral
6( )The Fast & The Furious
7( )2 Fast 2 Furious
8( )Sky Captain Of The World Of Tomorrow
9( )Closer

total here: 2

1(x)Titanic
2( )Saved
3( )Bowling For Columbine
4( )Farenheit 9/11
5(x)The Sixth Sense
6(x)Artificial intelligence
7( )Love, Actually
8( )Shutter
9( )Ella Enchanted
10(x)Princess Diaries 1
11( )Princess Diaries 2
12( )Constantine
13( )Million Dollar Baby
14( )Envy
15( )Eurotrip
16( )Malibu's Most Wanted
17( )Big Daddy
18( )Black sheep
19(x)The Breakfast Club
20(x)West side story

total here : 6

1( )A Christmas Story
2( )Spanglish
3(x)Pulp Fiction
4( )Sleepover
5( )The Evil Dead
6( )Killer Klowns From Outer Space
7( )The Seed of chucky
8( )Vanilla Sky
9( )Nightmare Before Christmas
10( )Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
11(x)Interview With The Vampire
12( )The Crow
13( )Purple Rain
14(x)Wayne's World

total here: 3

1( )Wayne's World 2
2( )21 Grams
3( )Blow
4(x)Edward Scissorhands
5(x)Clerks
6(x)Beauty and the Beast
7( )Guess Who
8( )Monster in-Law
9( )Elf
10( )Stuart Little
11( )Stuart Little 2
12( )Chasing Amy
13(x)Dogma
14( )Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back

total here : 4

1(x)Beetlejuice
2( )Last Samurai
3(x)The Amityville Horror
4( )The Aviator
5(x)Romeo and Juliet
6( )Barbershop
7( )Barbershop 2
8( )Beauty Shop
9( )Legally Blonde
10( )Legally Blonde 2
11( )The Forgotten
12( )Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
13( )The Grudge

total here : 3

Grand total: 46...so not a movie whore then. Four things stand out:

1) there are a lot of films I haven't seen

2) A lot of them I would like to see

3) Many of the films I have seen are by accident and not choice and I wish I could swap!

4) There are many films that I have seen that are not on this list. I wonder why they aren't?

izzi_redhead @ 2005-10-29T22:24:00

2005-10-29T20:28:56Z

In an effort to keep updates short, I have decided to do a brief summary of each of the people in my life. This list will of course change as I meet new people or their circs change or whatever. As a lot of you don't know each other, I feel this is a good way to avoid confusion and not write major blurbage (yes, I know that's not a real word!) each time!

**Watch this space!**

Something for halloween

2005-10-27T22:48:57Z

I have found an icon for the occasion! Yay!

RIP Computer

2005-10-27T20:38:59Z

My computer has died. I took it to be seen to because the CD Rom drive had apparently stopped working. In fact, it has gone missing! They looked at my computer for several hours, tried putting 2 new CD drives in etc...Nothing! Kaput! This computer is no more! It is an ex computer...

So, I have to get a new one. Which is a right bummer because I wanted to get a car first, and then when I was ready, a computer. I have had this same one for 3 or 4 years, and it was a slow old computer when I got it, so I suppose I should be happy it has served me for so long, but still....

Anyway, on another note, I got 2 nice compliments today. One was BirdsNest at the Chambre de Commerce (cci) saying how well I spoke French ("but you have no accent, and make no mistakes, it's excellent") and the other was Nathalie, the Spanish girl who works at the computer shop in Eymet, doing a bit of a Trinny&Susannah on me "ooh, a bit of make-up,some smart clothes, you look brilliant! It really suits you" (truth be told, I usually show up there in jeans and t-shirt/long sleeved top, au naturel). Perhaps that's why Jeffrey, one of the computer ppl, was hovering around. I don't mind, he's a cutie....

The reason that I was dressed smartly was I was going to see the Juriste, who is the legal person at the cci to check some stuff out about C.I France (the name of the new company I am going to form for Corporate Insignia). I really didn't feel like the Juriste took me seriously though. I suppose for France I am a bit of a rarity, entrepreneurs and businesspeople in general tend to have done at least 10 years work. Sometimes it sucks being 24! Saying that, most of the time, I would prefer to be younger, so I can't complain.

I am going to do some updates for people I haven't seen for a while. So, any of you that are scratching your heads going "what's this Corporate Insignia lark?", you can find out about it soon.

Comments

2005-10-26T16:59:42Z

No one ever writes comments on my memes or updates of any sort! Is there an invisible forcefield around them or something? hmmmmm

Finished!

2005-10-26T14:57:47Z

Ah! That's that done. I have just finished writing up and translating 2 key business start-up documents for Corporate Insignia, the "Plan de Financement" (Funding Plan) and the "Compte de Resultat Previsionnel" (Cash Flow Forecast Statement) and written an agenda for when the Manager and Financial Department Representative from Corp Ins come here. I hope they will be impressed!

More update soon.

Funny

2005-10-25T19:15:01Z

I was watching TV when an advert for SuperTramp's Greatest Hits came on...It finished off with "It's loads better than what your children listen to"...I thought that was a brilliant strapline!

It made me laugh

2005-10-25T16:13:07Z

I was looking up exhibitions for Corporate Insignia to go to and came across FUNEXPO. Any guesses what that is?

Winner of Job of the Year

2005-07-13T22:35:21Z

Firstly, the runner-up has to be: Fake job. For the sheer weirdness of being allowed to do something which seems a bit wrong by the Secu!

But, the overall winner is:

"The Assistant": for variety, scope, stress, elation...everything! And long may it continue! (hopefully, it will develop into something full time)

Next award category

2005-07-13T22:31:27Z

The "we are not amused" nominees:

Strapless in the Angel: When I went to London, my bra strap broke as I was dancing at the Angel on the Friday night. Potentially very very embarassing, but luckily had a top underneath my transparent top, and didn't reveal anything!

Dude, where's my MOT? We took Digby – mine and my sister's 2cv - to the Garage to be checked over, put through the MOT and get any repairs done so that we could lend it to our friend Fabienne on long loan. Or so we thought! Turns out, the Garage never put it through. So, Fabienne has been driving around in a car which might not be roadworthy for the last 18 months….needless to say, we are not happy with this!

The non-existent Code: I was meant to retake my driving theory test (Code) and several times, was ready to do it, was told I was going to, was completely prepared, and then, the night before got a call saying, in essence: not this time, mate!

Dirty Tricks: We had some house-hunters staying. I introduced them to my boss and we showed them a house which they really liked, but they said they wanted to keep their options open. Next thing we hear, another Estate Agent has shown them the same house, and they are going to buy it through him. Fair enough, you might say, but that's technically illegal in France and also, the Estate Agent in question told lies about us in order to sell the house.

Izzi's year Awards

2005-07-11T20:59:44Z

Well, it's a year ago last Thursday since I packed up all my belongings, said a tearful, fearful goodbye and "hope to see you again" to my friends and "so long, hopefully next time will be better" to a London that had drained me of everything I had. I thought that once I had managed to pick myself up, I would have gone back, but in fact, I've realised that often enough, things don't work out as you plan. So, here I am, a year on, and I think it's time for a look back at the moments that have shaped this year, what I have learnt, the highs, the lows, the so-sos…and finally, speculate a bit: what might the future hold? I shall post the entries over several days, so that no one gets bored! The "winner" of each category shall be posted the following day to the category post. Happy reading!

1) Nominees for Job of the Year:

The Airport Job: during one rather high-pressured but fun week, I was part of the busy Bergerac Airport team, on check-in. Met some very nice people, and some total bitches too. Not sure why I was let go, except I didn't cut corners like some staff.

Teaching the Fairground Workers: At one point, while I was still teaching English here and there, I got asked if I would give a young girl and her brother English lessons. They happened to be workers at the fairground that was passing through our town and this meant they had only had lessons by correspondence. Poor little Nancy was only a beginner, but new regulation meant she was supposedly at Level 3 and all the coursework was prepared and marked accordingly. Talk about a challenge!

Restaurant "waiting": A 2-day job with promises of more. Had never done proper waitressing, but me and Christelle, my colleague, did a top job and both got told we were hired. It was exhausting, yet enjoyable. However, the restaurant doesn't appear to have re-opened, so we are still waiting, but not on tables!

Fake job: In order to get medical coverage and be registered on the "Sécu" - Sécurité Sociale (National Insurance) -, mum declared me as a staff member for a month, supposedly doing only housework (cleaning the gîtes, even though part of the property is not apparently allowed as it is part of the "activité professionnnelle") and getting paid for it. Although I do loads for the business, including the website, helping out in the garden and with all aspects of maintenance, my parents don't pay me for it! Not that I'm complaining, as I get food and board anyway. But, I digress! The point is, the people at Social Security told me that this was the way to get "immatriculée" – registered -, which I find a bit surprising.

The Assistant: Work on an ad-hoc basis for an Estate Agents. Sometimes looking after the office, going on visits with clients and introducing potential new ones, liaising with them and my boss to help them both. It's great fun and incredibly varied.

Wisdom teeth

2005-04-22T13:20:34Z

Went to the dentist yesterday. I had a filling done, which means I can't eat on one side of my mouth for 2 days!! (which is bad enough, but I also am on antibiotics etc...for my wisdom teeth). My gum was really sore, so I went to see her about it, and it turns out, my wisdom teeth are growing badly and are pushing the other teeth. So, I have to have four out in one go!!! But, at least I will be under general anaesthetic and will miss the whole procedure. It will also avoid other troubles later on.

But the antibiotics have made me feel really sluggish. I have tidy and clean the upstairs part of the house as I have a friend coming to stay, but I haven't got the energy for it!!!!