Cinderella at Sadler's Wells

To Sadler's Wells last night for a special theatre treat to see the Matthew Bourne production of Cinderella, set in World War 2. It was fabulolus. I have seen all of Matthew Bourne's New Adventures productions now and it's hard to say which is my favourite - although I have seen the all-male Swan Lake three times and The Car Man, twice!   Anyway, back to Cinderella and the best part of a wonderful show, for me, was dancer Michela Meazza who plays Sybil the Stepmother. She was superb and the whole show is terrific.

Swine flu - it could be you

If you're sitting there watching the news about swine flu and feeling quite smug that you're a normal, healthy person who won't fall foul of the flu and even if you did, would shrug it off with a day or two in bed, think again.

Last summer when swine flu made its first rounds, I was a normal, healthy person who thought I'd never fall foul of the flu and even if I did, would shrug it off with a day or two in bed. 

And then I got the flu.

I had two and a half weeks off work, most of it spent in bed with a temperature and a fever. When I finally felt well enough to back to work after the course of Tamiflu, I was there for four days before I had to go off on sick leave again for a further two weeks.  Holidays to Spain that we'd looked forward to for months had to be cancelled. When I did return to work, I was useless, tired, spent. Fortunately, we have a very good Occupational Health office where I work and they put me on a phased return over five weeks, which helped a great deal.

The flu virus had triggered off in my systerm something particularly nasty that affected my energy, my muscles, and left me with what the doctor called post-viral fatigue.  I'd never heard of it before, but even now, more than a year after the swine flu, my energy level isn't the same as it was before last summer's flu. At one point in the post-viral fug, my legs wouldn't even work properly and it was all I could do to manage a short walk to the local shop before collapsing on the sofa for an hour to recharge my batteries. Anyway, in short, it was really nasty stuff.

I know everyone reacts differently to all kinds of disease but if you're sitting there watching the news about swine flu and feeling quite smug that you're a normal, healthy person who won't fall foul of the flu and even if you did, would shrug it off with a day or two in bed, think again.  And get your flu jab now.

Invisible I

Coronation Street Weekly Update, December 13 2010

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here.

This week the update's in a state of shock. Will Rita's hair ever be the same again?

My new favourite Christmas song

Christmas: It's all about me

I'm done, finished, spent.

My Christmas shopping is in the bag, done and dusted, ready to be wrapped. 

So why am I planning a whole day at the shops tomorrow? To buy some goodies for me, me, me. Because I'm worth it. And it's Christmas, and if I turn up at me mam's in me old jeans and jumper yet again, she'll have summat to say.

Happy Humming

When I'm feeling happy I hum. And at the moment, I'm humming a lot. I like humming, me. Problem is, I don't realise I'm doing it most of the time. So it either gets on people's nerves and/or they think I'm odd.

Coronation Street Weekly Update, December 6 2010

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here.

This week the update comes with a bit of crash, bang, whallop.

Christmas tree

The Christmas tree's now up and the lights are on.  Can't wait for the next two weeks to fly past, then I'll have a full two weeks off work, spending most of that time up north with my family and my fella's family too.  It's what not just Christmas, but life, is all about.

Here it comes, ready or not

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas.

Even though we haven't yet put the tree  or the decorations up, I'm almost, just almost, starting to get that tingly feeling that suggests Christmas is on its way.

It's either that, or wind..

Love is...

Thank you.

Today was just what I needed.

Mwah.

Me & P & Q

No, not B&Q, It's P&Q I'm craving.  

Peace and Quiet.

Me Time.

Call it what you will.

I want to be alone.

You know, just for a bit.

Sponsored walk featured in The Sunderland Echo

Our sponsored walk last Sunday for Cancer Research UK has been featured in The Sunderland Echo.  I'm in that picture on the far right, hidden behind a lime green hat! Click on the image to enlarge it so you can read it.

Feeding frenzy

Clearly we did something right last time the teenagers came to stay because they're coming back again, in two week's time.  And this time they're bringing a friend.

Yes, we've got my niece, her boyfriend and her mate, all teenagers, journeying to that London on the big train to go to see a band I've never heard of. And then they intend to splash their cash at one of the tackiest tourist spots in London that I'd avoid at all cost.

Right, that's me done. I'm off to stock up on bottles of blue alcopops and Pringles for their visit.