Lirae.co.uk

I had a mission today: to get some new tops suitable for both work and the winter weather and to replace my old work shoes, since they decided to die recently.

I quizzed some of the girls at work about what was available. I was told that knitwear was starting to arrive and there were actually sleeved tops too!

I went in today with high hopes and came home disappointed.

It was really busy in town and I hate crowds and queues. A lot of the clothes I could kind of see myself wearing were not currently available in my size (sold out) or, upon trying them on, I realised that they don't actually suit me.
Most of the shoes had insanely high heels (I can't wear a heel at all - my ankles freak out and I end up on the floor), were made for people with stick-thin legs or had foam-like soles (which wear out within a couple of months).

The tops I wanted to buy were supposed to be mainly for work but also something I could wear if I wanted to leave the house for any other reason. I'm a conservative dresser by nature; I don't do sleeveless, low-cut, above-the-tummy tops anyway, so this should have been an easy task.

Most of the knitwear available was white or nearly white. I'm not a size zero and I have curves; I cannot get away with wearing white or near-white clothes.
I did find a few tops I liked in Primark but the queues put me off; that store is a very large one and the customers were queuing from one end of the store to the other and the cashiers are so bloody slow!

I sulked off to Peacocks and found three tops I liked, two of which were knitted and all three were cowl or roll necks.

My previous pair of work shoes were a pair of fake-Uggs I bought from Primark for £6 about a year ago. They were really comfortable, warm and could be worn both over my trousers and under them. Although it would be nearly impossible to replace these shoes, I was willing to try.

And try I did. I must have gone into all of the shoe and clothing shops in the city centre, instantly "feeling up" the soles and dismissing the soft soled ones (if they're foam or soft soled, don't buy them because you'll wear a hole through them within a couple of months).

I finally ended up with two pairs, both black, both suitable to wear to work.
The first pair are high ones, with a little stripe of fake-fur around the top and along the sides. They have a chunky sole, so they should last me a while. I got them in a cheap shoe shop known as The Shoe Zone. Cheap my arse; they cost £15...but they have a rubber sole, so they're forgiven. At least I got &pounds;5 off, I guess. =\
The other pair are like a black version of my sand-coloured Benetton Uggs; medium height, pretty plain to look at and rubber soled. I bought them from Next and got them for a third of the original price, so I'm pretty proud of myself. And. I love them to bits! I wanted to wear them home and I want to wear them now!

I shall bore you tomorrow with photographs.

As a cashier, I was subjected to germs by Mr and Mrs Average Joe every day.
People would cough and sneeze all over me (and the other cashiers) and most wouldn't even apologise for it. Towards the end, I was getting so annoyed about it, I'd tell the customers to excuse themselves when they sneeze or cough, put their hand up because it's disgusting not to and that - hey! - I don't want your germs, thanks!
Most of them would look annoyed that I was pointing out how rude they were being but some of them would look ashamed and apologise.
I don't think any of them complained about me though.

A receptionist is subjected to these germs in the same way but not only by the customers, people they work with will cough and sneeze all over them. They'll cough or sneeze into their hands, handle a piece of paper and then give it to the receptionist. Some of them won't do it intentionally but that's not the point.

This country has the attitude that, unless you're on your deathbed, you're to come to work when you're ill.
This completely ignores the fact that, what's a cold to one person, could potentially be life-threatening to another. And also, I don't want your germs, thanks.

While I was on holiday, one of my co-workers developed a particularly nasty cold. They continued going to work and, by the time I got back, two other people in the office had developed the cold.
Since I've been back, those two people are starting to feel (and sound) better but my supervisor got struck down by it last week.
I started displaying symptoms on Thursday and I've got a wheezey, tickley cough that's bad enough to stop me from breathing temporarily and makes me dizzy from lack of oxygen.

Had the co-worker, who brought the illness back with them from their holiday, taken three days off as sick, everyone else wouldn't have developed the nasty cold and be suffering. And I'd be able to breathe without coughing.
Oh yeah, and other people wouldn't have to had to take days off sick instead.

Myke and I got back from our holiday in Perranporth (Cornwall) last Friday night.

We had an awesome time, despite a few issues we had sharing a bed (for someone who has siblings, I'm really bad at sharing!).

In the weeks before we went, I had both Myke's mum, Hazel, and my supervisor at work torturing me and telling me that, when I get back to the duck pond, Whitey won't be there - he'll have died or something.
Myke was dreading me going to the duck pond, in case Whitey wasn't there; I'd be all sad for the rest of the holiday.
Well, Whitey was there. All alive, kicking, swimming and doing cute-white-ducky-stuff.

While we were there, I got up close and personal with one of the cygnets not once^{^} but twice^{^}! The swans took part in synchronised biting the ground^{^} and the ducks (including Whitey!) did a spot of synchronised dabbling^{^}!

I spent a sickening amount of money and, as a result, am going to be all but broke until my next paycheck.
But it was worth it!

You can read about my time in Perranporth and view the photographs I took while I was away^{^}, if you're interested.

In other news, I went back to work on Monday. I didn't sleep particularly well while I was away and have only just caught up, although I could do with a few more hours...

On Wednesday, I was due to start my key skills tuition. I thought my first session would start with a diagnostic test (a BKSB), telling me what levels I was currently at and then have a tailor-made programme...
Err, no. I walked in and was handed a practice test for Communication level 2. Half an hour later, I handed it back and had it marked - 34/40.
I was then asked if I was up for the Application of Number level 1 practice test and was sent off to do it. A short while later, I handed it back and had it marked - 36/40. I was so sure I would fail this test; I'm a mathephobe.
Since I had good, strong passes for both practice tests, I was asked if I'd like to do the AoN 1 test but I told them I'd prefer to do the Comm. 2 test first.

I took the Comm. 2 test and got 38/40! Once I've got my portfolio done, I'll have the equivalent of an A-C grade at GCSE level (I actually got a B for English Language at GCSE).
Then I went on to do my AoN 1 test (yes - FOUR tests in one day!) and got another 38/40.
So I'm not as useless at maths as I originally thought...

I've still got to do the portfolios for both of these key skills to do (it's kind of like the coursework you do for your GCSEs) but then I'll be doing AoN 2. I have a practice test to do for AoN 2 (the most difficult one they could find) and then - hopefully - I'll do the test.

I'm also working on convincing them to allow me to do level 3 for both Communication and Application of Number - a key skills level 3 is the equivalent of an A Level (I already have one in ICT, so I know they're not that difficult).
I don't think I'll have much trouble with Communication but I will need Myke's (and my tutor's) help with Application of Number.

What has everyone else been up to?