Sabbatical

Hi guys,

Sorry I've not been in touch for a while, but I've not been myself lately and I didn't feel like getting out of bed, never mind updating my blog. On the 30th January, just when we all thought my dad was OK,  his condition deteriorated and he went into cardiac arrest. Unfortunately, this time, they couldn't revive him and so he passed away. I have no words to express how I feel, because I've never known anyone die before (my grandparents passed away when I was too young to understand) and the emptiness is just so unbearable. I've spent most of my time walking around my local nature reserve, crying. I try not to do this at home, because then it starts Mum and Lila off,  and I don't want to upset them any more than they are already.  Mum's been quiet, and she's been spending a lot of time with her friend, going out to the local bingo and shopping. She keeps coming back home with all these things that we don't need, but I know she's doing it to take her mind off things.  Lila is much the same, although I know she is just putting on a brave face, because I heard her crying in her room the other night.  I don't know when I'll get over it.

The whole situation has made me realise that life's too short, and I've decided that I need to re-evaluate my life, as I've known for some time that my job isn't satisfying me any more. I think I've outgrown journalism. I need to do something more meaningful, but I don't know, as yet, what that could be.

Ben started to get annoyed with me for being so depressed all the time. He was OK, at first, but the other night he said that it had been almost two months and I should be over it by now. I was hurt that he could say something like that and I realised that I didn't know him at all, really. It was his looks I fell for; he was the image of my hero, Dave Grohl, but deep down I knew this wasn't enough any more. I'd called Lila shallow enough times for going out with men just for their money, yet here I was, doing the same thing because of the way somebody looked. He was a great cook, too, I'll give him that (and you know how much I love food), yet I've lost my appetite recently and Ben, too, didn't seem so appetising any more. So, I dumped him. It had been going well between us, but looking back, I knew it was only shallow fun and that there wouldn't be a future in it.

I now know that going along with the flow leads to unfulfilled lives, and before you know it, you've let important things slip by while you've been too busy having fun.

Sorry if you were expecting my usual cheery blog post, but I think it may be some time before I feel able to write anything lighthearted; therefore, I am going to leave this blog for a while. I've decided to go to America and stay with Lily for a bit. She says I can stay as long as I like. I've saved up enough money for the air fare, and my boss has agreed I can take six months off, unpaid and they will leave my position open. If I need any longer, then I will lose my job,but, at this point in time, I'm not sure if that's a bad thing. I won't be working with Lily this time, I'm going to try and get a waitressing job or something similar, just to keep me going and help Lily with food and bills, but I just need to get away. Being at home reminds me too much of Dad, and there's a big world out there, waiting to be explored. I might check in, every now and again, but I feel it may be some time before I'm able to blog regularly again.

So, until next time (whenever that may be...)

Callie signing off

xxx

Back to work blues

Hi guys

How are you all on this lovely Sunday evening? It's been gorgeous here in the UK this weekend. It has felt like Spring with the lovely sunny and mild weather we've been having.

Yesterday, I went to our local nature reserve with my new guy! We had a nice stroll and he surprised me with a picnic. He had it in his backpack all along and I had no idea! Turns out he's a great cook outside of the workplace too! He'd made some gorgeous tuna salad wraps, some cheese and pickle barms and some quiche. He knows me well, already, because he also brought strawberries and some blueberry muffins. We washed it down with a couple of cans of lager that he'd also had the foresight to fetch along. All in all, it was a perfect day.

Last night, I went out with Lila. She'd won some tickets, in a local supermarket's raffle, to see a show and so we went. I don't usually like musical theatre, but it was something different. It's my New Year's Resolution to try something new, at least once a week.

Oh yeah, I'll leave the best until last...I got that job I interviewed for last week. I start tomorrow, so, like most of the population, I am dreading going into work tomorrow after a relaxing two weeks off (well in my case it was more like four months off, LOL!) and I also have New Job Fear, which is when you feel extra dread because you have no idea what it's going to be like and whether you'll be able to last until 5pm before wanting to poke both your eyes out or whether it'll be so much fun that time will fly and you won't want to tear yourself away. I hope it's the latter. Fingers crossed!

Anyway, if you are one of those unfortunate souls who is going back to work after an extended festive break, then Good Luck to you; I hope it goes well. Just remember - after a few hours it'll feel like you've never been away!

Anyway, I've got to go and get a nice hot bath to try and relax me, so, until next time...

Callie signing off
xxx

Happy New Year

Hi guys,

Hope you had a great Christmas and New Year. Did you have fun, last night? I did, for once. I usually hate New Year's Eve, but last night was amazing. I've been meaning to update you on my new romantic situation, but it's been going so well I didn't want to jinx it!

Do you remember I told you about Lila's new job in the American Diner and how she was going to try and set me up with the manager? Well, it worked! I am so in lurve, guys.  I'll tell you how it all happened...

I went to the diner with Lila and she introduced me to the most perfect specimen of manhood I have ever seen. He looks exactly like my hero - Dave Grohl. He is gorgeous. When Lila said she was going to set me up with her boss, I didn't have high expectations, because Lila's taste in men is nothing like mine, but she did good this time! I think her exact words were something like, "I told you he looked like that singer you like, didn't I?" Well, she did tell me, but I didn't believe her! I don't want to gush all through this post, but he is just lovely. He is polite, he's a total gentleman and he treats me well. The fact he is manager of an American Diner, is just a bonus ('coz I get to eat the most yummiest food ever for free!).

Last night, Ben - that's his name, by the way - was working and so Lila, Erin, Ella and I all had our tea there and once the diner closed, at midnight, we all went on to a nearby club. Ben loves the same music as me and he knows he looks like Dave Grohl and he makes the most of it! I am just so happy. I am hoping that 2013 is the year that my love life finally gets sorted! Keep your fingers crossed for me, guys. The only thing I need to focus on now is my career. I've got an interview lined up at another local newspaper, next week. I'll let you know how that goes, but until then...

Callie signing off

xxx

 

Bah Humbug

Hi guys,

Hope you're all feeling full of the joys of Christmas. Now don't get me wrong, I love Christmas..I just hate the hustle and bustle that comes with this time of the year. I've just got back from my local shopping mall and I feel like I've had all the stuffing knocked out of me (pardon the turkey pun!) It took me three times to drive around the car park before I got a space and I was tempted to go back home, but I really needed to get my Christmas shopping done today, or else it will be even worse! The shops get busier with every passing day and I hate shopping at the best of times (unless its for new clothes, but I haven't been able to afford any for ages!)

I managed to get everyone something, except for Dad. He is so hard to buy for and I can't even buy him his favourite stuff this year (chocolate, whisky and ciggies!) for obvious reasons mentioned in my last post. I'll just have to get him a sweater or something and I can go online for that, although Lila ordered Mum a perfume set over two weeks ago now and they keep saying there are delays with the post because of the snow we had last week!

I'm going out with Lila tonight. She's just started a new job in our local american-style diner, as a waitress and because she's done the last two Saturdays, she's got the night off and so she's taking me there and using her staff discount! Excellent! She said their buffalo wings are great! Yum Yum. She also said that the manager is quite cute and he doesn't have a girlfriend. I thought she was going to go for him but she's trying to set me up with him instead,  because...Get this....He's too young for her! That is, he's below fifty! Haha.  I'm quite looking forward to it even if I don't meet him as it's a change of scene and I haven't been out in weeks.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend and I will catch up with you all again soon.

Until next time,

Callie signing off
xxx

 

Where has the year gone?

Guys,

What can I say? I'm so sorry I've been neglecting my blog lately. So much has been happening, you won't believe it all,if I tell you!

Firstly, I went to New York again to visit Lily. She was supposed to come visit me but, now that I'm back at my mum's house, there was no room and so she paid for my ticket over! How great is that? She is loaded though. They pay her a great wage, because she's appreciated. Anyway, it turned out not to be so great because I got there just as everyone was being evacuated because of the hurricane and I spent two weeks in Maryland with her aunt Bessie (no, she's not the one who makes the frozen chips!) and then, when I got home, my dad got rushed into hospital with, yet another, heart attack and this time it was worse. He stayed in for another couple of weeks and he's only just got back home now, but the doctors said he really has to cut down on his smoking and fatty food or else the next time could be his last. All my dad could say was, "Fancy telling me to do that over Christmas! That's the best time for fatty food and fags!" I do think he's scared though and is just putting on a brave face. He looks pale all the time, though, and I worry that this Christmas may be his last. Sorry for depressing you - I know that this column should be lighthearted, but life has been so stressful lately I've found it hard to look on the bright side and that is why I've neglected this blog.

I also split up with Nick, again, but this time it was him who broke things off. Just when I was starting to really fall for him, he told me that it wasn't working out. I thought we were getting on great, but he said he didn't feel ready for committment and that our recent trip to America made him realise that he wants to go back there to work. He's decided to buy himself another winnibago and spend the rest of his life travelling around the USA. So I'm single, yet again.

Anyway, now that things have settled down in my life, I'm hoping for a nice, quiet Christmas and I hope to update my blog at least once per week.

It's great to catch up with you all again. Until next time,

Callie signing off xxx

Don't worry I'm back!

Hi all,

Sorry I haven't posted for a couple of weeks. I've been away! It was very impromptu, but then that's me, isn't it - full of surprises!

I can't even remember how it all happened, really. I was out on a date, with Nick and it was going well. I must be growing up, a little, because his receding hairline isn't bothering me as much as it did, probably because he has a great sense of humour (although a little sarcastic, at times) and we have other stuff in common, too.

We were engrossed in some sort of conversation about America and he admitted that he missed it and would love to go back, some time. I jokingly said something about how I wanted to go back, too, as I really enjoyed my time in New York and then he said we should go together. I thought that would mean saving up for a while and going next summer when the weather would be nice, but he suggested we just jump on a plane and go for it! It didn't work out quite like that, though. It didn't matter for me, because I'm still currently between jobs, but he had to sort out some time off with his boss. It turned out most people had already taken their holidays and so we just went!

We decided on Las Vegas, in the end, because I'd already seen New York and Nick wasn't bothered about going there and he wanted to go to Arizona, where he used to live. I decided it would be more fun to go to Las Vegas and we could go to Arizona for a couple of days in between as it was nearby.

We had a great time. I really think I'm starting to have feelings for him. It's not a soppy kind of love, but then I don't think I've ever had that with anyone and so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. Erin says I'm selling myself short and I shouldn't just go out with the first person who shows me any interest (lovely, eh?). We ended up having a huge row because I reminded her that her growing collection of exes was proof that soppy love didn't last, anyway.

I've also decided to really make a go of my freelance journalism career and I've already started working on some freelance writing jobs, mostly for internet marketers who don't have time to write their copy because they're too busy raking in the cash and lazing on beaches all day long.

I'm going to go now because I'm going out with the girls tonight. I only got back yesterday and I feel like I've not seen them for years! I think Nick is glad to have a bit of a rest from me, anyway!

So, guys, I hope you've been having a great time while I've been gone and I hope you haven't missed me too much! I'll catch up with you again soon, but until next time...
Callie signing off xxx

Birthday blues

Hi guys,

I feel so naughty because I've just got out of bed! I have an excuse, though; it was my birthday yesterday! I got so drunk last night. It all started perfectly innocent, I went out with my folks to a pub/restaurant for an afternoon meal. I had steak and chips and a pint of shandy. My mum had baked a birthday cake and she'd taken it to the restaurant earlier and so it was a nice surprise when the waitress brought it to our table. I blew out my twenty-four candles and made a wish (not telling you what it was, though, or else it won't come true, will it?)

Afterwards, I went back to my apartment with Lila and we waited for Ella and Erin to arrive. We then hit the town. I think I only bought one drink, the rest were bought for me by either one of the girls, or some of the many men who I seem to vaguely remember! Bad, aren't I? You can't blame me, though, you only get a birthday once a year! (unless you're the Queen, of course).

I got some great presents. Mum and Dad got me a new laptop so I can do some of my journalistic reports on it. It even has a camera so I can do some video blogs. Great! Lila got me a lovely make-up and bath set and I look forward to using it tonight, while I attempt to get rid of my hangover.

It is supposed to be a full moon tonight and, apparently, because I'm an early born Libran, it is supposed to be best for me if I stay in tonight and hide away. I don't usually believe in all that stuff but I'm in no fit state to be seen outside of my house tonight, anyway.

I got a surprise birthday card from Nick. It gave me a little tingle inside, strangely enough. He said that he felt bad about how we ended things and he wants to meet up again for a birthday drink. I sent him a text to thank him and we are going out on Wednesday. I'm so nervous. I'll tell you more about it next week, but until then...

Callie signing off xxx