SHE'S BACK BABY!

OK, I admit that i am ashamed of my lack of bloggage over the last few months. After not posting for a while the idea of writing a blog becomes a really daunting task!

Well, i will start with a few updates...

Hayley and I did indeed do the 5km Race For Life (both in under 39 minutes), and raised £376 which was great!

My next charity thing is 'Operation Christmas Child' (also known as the Shoebox Appeal) http://www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk/ .

My plan is to launch this at Southend Citadel Corps in the next few weeks. If you are at all interested then i will send/give you a leaflet/s... It is such a great cause: I get so much pleasure from hunting around the jewelery section of Primark to find little prezzies for the girlies! PLEASE think about doing one- it gives you a great excuse for 'testing' kids toys in shops!! Anyway, enough of my shameless plugging, i will carry on with my blog...

I have now graduated from uni (so long Reading!) and am about to embark on my FINAL year of education... well i say final, the fact is that after completing my PGCE i will be in the education sector until i am at least 70 years old (providing i can cope with the stress...and the kids!)

I have also become extremely aware of my punctuation, spelling and general written English;* especially after Anna pointed out that my incorrect spelling of definitely (definately in my texts) had cost her a mark on a job application test! So please highlight my mistakes from now on, as an English teacher that cannot use correct the English is sure to stick out like a sore thumb.

* Is this the correct use of a semi-colon? Oh, how worrying!

Over the last few months David and I have had an overnight stay in Dublin (for his 21st) and a week in Calella (in the Costa Brava). Both lovely trips, with the later providing me with a lovely (yet fading) tan. Here is probably the most cheesey holiday picture of all time:

Not sure what else has happened really! I have fallen off the diet and exercise wagon completely the last few months (and have subsequently cancelled my gym membership due to lack of funds). I am therefore waiting for Katie to purchase a wii fit and invite me round for yogo and disney!

I feel i have cleared the blog void, so i may well get back on track with updating this page. Sadly, i expect this will mainly be due to uni deadlines and general procrastination (that word is unbelievably overused nowadays). Whilst writing this i have also realised that it is unlikely for anybody to even read this blog, given that it hasnt been updated for over 5 months! Pah, i will be found via google by somebody; just like i have found John's in google images by typing 'Piriton advert' (1st picture on moderate search) and Katie (7th picture on moderate search) by typing in 'Leigh on Sea Salvation Army'- I salute you Miss Allen!

Actually, there is one more event i should share with you.

My total obsession with The Tudors (BBC2 9PM Friday nights) has hit a new high. Last Christmas saw me spending 3 days solid rewatching the first series on DVD, but now David is cursing the TV schedules as i refuse to venture out on a Friday night for the next 7 weeks. My interest in the subject has found me going to the Southend library EVERY lunchtime to read up on 16th Century British History and even attending the 'Tudor Day' event laid on by the Council for the kids school holidays. The ultra sad thing is that my friends and i made up a group of four 21year old girls visiting a childrens history day, just minutes after leaving Sea Life Adventure (formally known to ALL of us as The Sea Life Centre) without any children in toe. What can i say, we are truly cultured!

AMAZING!!!

RACE FOR LIFE-ING IT UP!

Me and Hayley (my sister to anybody who doesnt know her) are taking part in race for life this year on the 29th June in Southend, ESSEX.

This is just a very quick bit of blog-gage to ask/demand that you visit

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/staceyedwards
to sponsor us!

We are running (or most probably jogging!) in memory of my nan who died 2 years ago after a short battle with cancer. It would mean so much if we could raise £200+ for such a worthwhile charity as Cancer Reasearch UK. So anything you have to dante would be grately receieved!

If you are on facebook, you can also join our group (and invite others too)
http://rdg.facebook.com/group.php?gid=24039710047


The image of me 'traning' for any sort of sport has got to be reason enough to sponsor us!

We are so special aren't we!!

Testing Times.....

After making the rather long and VERY boring journey to Reading this morning, i felt slightly peckish. I saw a Bagel Factory stand and pretty much ran over. After ordering a Stacey Special (plain bagel smoothered in Nutella please mr bagel man) i anxiously waited. I then had to run for the connecting train from Paddington, so left straight away. I did that thing of 'i really want to eat this now, but lets save it for when i sit down and the train pulls away, it will make it more special' routine. Well, when i opened the wrapper the overwhelming dissapointment as i peered into a box of a plain BUTTERED bagel. I actually wanted to cry. (Ok, maybe this post is slightly more superficial than Annas!!) I then planned my day around getting the CORRECT bagel (they have another bagel factory at Reading station) So i felt a bit calmer and ended up eating the 'tainted' bagel. (As you can tell, the diet has well and truly gone out the window!)

Try It!!!

As i arrived at Reading, i felt like doing a bit of a good deed. Suprising after feeling so disheartened i know, but for some reason, when i am listening to The Choir Boys or All Angels on my ipod (please save the taunts; i know i am slightly lame) i get all full of this 'happy' buzz and feel i should give something back to the world (Very philosophical for me at 11am after waking at 6am). Anyway, i was walking past a Big Issue seller and was not shouted at and given the guilt trip for not stopping. (Have you noticed they do that 'would you like a copy...no?...ok well i hope you have a lovely day anyway ma'am' thing). So i stopped and gave him £1. He then informed me it was now £1.50. I had no more change, but he had pocketed the money so i left empty handed and slightly cheated. Ah well, its saved me from buying another bagel i suppose!





My final comment is about Neighbours and its *GULP* switch-over to second rate TV, Channel 5. Is it me, or do they have the ability to make even the greatest show on TV look poor? It is in default widescreen, which is just not right for a soap!! Plus the new 'digital' photography just makes it look like a cheesey film! Whilst i am on the subject of whats 'wrong' with Neighbours (please don't judge me yet) Am i really the only one who wants Oliver, Rebecca, Declan and the new Parkers to just GO AWAY!! Miranda Parker is quite honestly the most vile women i have ever clapped my eyes upon. Gone are the days of the light-hearted Timmins storylines and they have been replaced by a women running over a kid, an aneroxic teenage boy, a panic attack stricken lawyer and a well-loved character coming down witha serious and probably life-threatening illness!!! Also, the fact that the Parkers have just taken over Janae's house is utterly ridiculous. On a lighter note though the ad breaks are hopefully going to remind me to stop scoffing those Stacey Special's!

I am now 21.... how rubbish!

Like Katie, the Murder Mystery night kinda 'kicked off' my celebrations. I then waited a hole week for the rest of the festivities to begin. I awoke on Friday 11th January feeling a mixture of excitement and trepidation- I was no longer twen-teen and therefore now an adult. How crap.

However, my little brother Ryan came into my room and sang Happy Birthday to me at 7:45am (want sure whether to say thanks or throttle the kid for waking me).. i then got given a few prezzies from my mum and dad. Next, i received a phone call at 9am telling me David was on his way over. When he arrived i opened a couple of bits- a book, A NEIGHBOURS DVD (very exciting) a scarfy etc. I then opened a lovely silver bracelet, i then got matching earrings from his parents. My last prezzie was a floppy bit of paper- A VOUCHER!

It reads:

This voucher entitles: Stacey Edwards

To a weekend in London. The weekend will include 2 nights at The Tower Hotel (English Breakfast inc), an evening meal at the 'Stock Pot' and another at an unspecified restaurant, a Saturday evening trip to the theatre, a ride upon the London Eye and a visit to the Tate Modern.

.....................VERY FUN!!

So i was told to pack my bags and within an hour i was whisked off to London. When we arrived we were greated by a rather amazing view:

And just to prove that this was indeed the view, we took a few pictures.... we are not super imposed- i would have chosen a better picture of me had that been the case!!
















Sadly the London eye was having its annual maintenance service done over the weekend; which we found out after half a day of trying to get to Waterloo midst a shutdown of the circle, district and Hammersmith and city line (our hotel was at tower hill, so this wasn't great!) But all this aside, it was a LOVELY weekend, and as Katie mentioned, we bumped into her in Leicester Square. David must have photographic memory, as its him who spyed her after them only meeting once! I had been totally engulfed in the painstaking task to decide which show to see! We (clearly i mean I) opted for The Sound of Music. The only downfall was that David insisted i could not sing along. Instead, i mouthed the words just to prove to myself (and David) that i knew all the words just as well as Connie did.... we have all done it at some point so don't think any less of me!

On my return home, i hurriedly put streamers around the house, and waited for people to turn up! Sadly, lots of people had gone to uni but to everyone who made it, Thank You!
We played games- with Anna and Paul winning pass the parcel, and Katie and Claire winning 'the train game'. There was also a pick n mix section, chocolate fountain, and party bags. I am very pleased that people liked the playdough- its safe to say that i begrudgingly gave it away! I think we should also note the importance of this moment........also the fact that my mates boyfriend turned out the manically petrified of my cat helped make John look extra brave!!


I have begun the brain-taxing task of reading The Adventures of The Queen Mum by Harry Hill and painted a rather brilliant moo-cow money box. I made the mistake of writing 'Penny's' along the side, which now makes it look like it dosnt belong to me, but i can just turn him around if anybody named Penny attempts to claim ownership of him and his contents. I have also set up my sea monkeys... an awsome idea in my head, but since the eggs have hatched i am actually kinda freaked out by the little things...they look slightly unsavoury for my liking!! However they are in a very funky 'underwater castle' so they are staying!!

Do you think i look any older?!

Thats my birthday update over then. I am 21. If i am asked for ID when i next go and see a 15 film i think i'll scream.

2008-ness

Firstly, happy new year to you all! I saw the year in with a decidely average 'bang', in that a few of us were gathered around a tv and then played family fourtunes and trauma centre on the wii, which, may i add is a haunting experience! Anyway, this rather placid evening does seem slightly worrying when you are still only 20 years old!

Also, hope you had a lovely Christmas! It went rather too quick for my liking, but was, as ever, full of suprises. I.E. I got a sewing machine?!?! Very out of the blue to say the least, but i have rather come around to the idea now. My first obstacle is taking the hem up on some new black trousers. It did make me feel rather old though! Gone are the days of the mountain bike, pram and Mr Frosty; instead i find myself excited opening books on the origins of the English Language. This is partly the reason for my choice of 21st Birthday celebrations.

After much persuasion by my mum i agreed to having a few people over for a bit of food and stuff. However, the idea has grown on me an my imagination had now taken over- it has escalated to a full blown kids birthday party, clearly minus the balloons though. I did dabble in the idea of fancy dress, but figured some people may not like the idea of just turning up to my house dressed as a power ranger for no real reason- i am open for objections to this! Anyway, i should be posting pictures of that in a forthcoming blog.

Now, for the Murder Mystery night. Never before have i seen so many white scarfs in one room! The acting skills of the dvd's characters was much to be desired, but then again, the frequently changing and rather obscure accents used by some of the guests (namely richard and charlotte) were just as bad! Oh and the music CD supplied with the game was interesting to say the least- so much to say that Ryan can produce better chords on his early learning centre keyboard! However all this tack made the night all the more successful, ending with yoga attempts and some guests questioning Ben's true sexuality (well, he seemed to enjoy the character a hell of a lot!)

After posting the pictures on facebook John quickly reminded me that he cannot see them, and so i though id best share them on here. So pretty much this is directed at you JOHN- I spent about 2hours getting these on here!

All of us

The rock-climbing, womanising, poll dancing murderer

And now for the Human Pyramid attempts...

After some pyramid-unstabling bum-wiggling

The Culprit and the SUSPECTED THONG

SUCCESS!!!

ONE A MONTH- ive kept to it!

OK, first things first Anna- i count my monthly blogging as October, November, December etc NOT at least one between the 15th of each month- FACT! And so i have actually kept to my one-a-month goal! (I can already see that the grammar class last month has helped me no end. Beginning sentences with 'and' is totally acceptable right?)

Well, i am happy to announce that my 2 essay deadlines were met last week. Sadly though, whilst handing them in i was given a memo reminding me to 'keep up' the dissertation work over christmas. Nows heres a pickle.... i have nothing to 'keep up'. As with most students, i have great intentions come August-time, id been to the library and gotten out a few books, even bought a few. However, i have never opened these books and its now only a few months from hand-in. After overhearing a ridiculously studious student (hmm, theasauraus use here?!) declare to the whole english department 'ive written 2000 words so far', i first hit him (obviously i didnt 'hit' him) and then i began panicking. I dont even know the structure that it is to take! So my christmas is meant to be taken up with reading and other such boring nonsense. I doubt it will happen, but mum's told me father christmas will only give me presents if i am a good girl- do you think he expects me to have done some of this dissertation? Lets hope not.

Being Christmas and all (how many times can i get that word into this blog!?), i have been fufilling all the traditions that i have created over the last few years. Most embarrasingly, this includes repeatedly listening to Cliff Richard- Together (his superb Christmas album).

Now before you flood me with derrogatory comments (which may i add, i still havent worked out how to edit...so be slightly understanding of this if possible?!), the reason for my loving of 'Cliff' is due to my mother forcing me and hayley to watch the video IN FULL as children.

WHAT A GUY!!

The scary thing about Christmas is that no matter how much you dislike something, if you have done it for a couple Christmas's in a row, it becomes tradition and you just expect yourself to do it! I never used to enjoy caroling on Christmas eve with the YP; the coldness isn't great and the chance i may not be in bed by midnight quite frankly scares the bejeezers out of me. However, the fact that i have done it since i was 13 means i HAVE to do it. One thing i do know though is my love of mince pies can only grow- however these 3.5point beauties can do a lot of damage to the diet, along with the Croissants on Christmas morning and endless portions of christmas pudding... oh dear oh dear!

Well, i appologise for the shameful length of this blog, but i will endevour to give you a thoroughly exciting account of the next few days/ weeks. Maybe i need my dissertation dealine to be brought forward- im sure that would entice me to write a few more paragraphs!

x

Im not as bad as i thought!

Well, after checking through everyone else's blogs to see how far behind i'd gotten in post's, i realised that most people have only dont one or two (and glyn, i think yours barely counts!!haha). I am trying to stick to my 'at least once a month' blogging-ness and so thought id update you on stuff thats happened to me other the past few weeks!

Firstly, the gym has become a second home, which is lucky considering for my little brothers 4th birthday party i managed to eat about a 3rd of thomas the tank engine all to myself (said train was in cake form.) Ive now signed myself up for water aerobics on a tuesday evening aswell as my monday and wednesday classes...and i am wanting to start 'step' classes too, but think this is all just a very elaborate ploy of my unconscious to not venture near my dissertation!

My other form of procrastination is shopping. I have no money, but oh so much will-power to do it anyway! My addiction to christmas shopping is getting worse every year! I started back in September, and have now bought so much that my tiny box-sized bedroom wont fit anything else in it! I am now having to keep a full size power ranger costume in my underwear drawer, and its only November! To be frank (which i am not, i am stacey), i don't actually like receiving presents- the whole things worries me! The ...have i already got this gift from somebody watching me unwrap this one?.....do i need to feign a big grin for this?.... oh no its the wrong series/album and ive got this one but lets pretend i haven't... blah blah. I dont mean to sound ungrateful at all, its just i get so much more out of buying and watching people opening thier stuff. I suppose John just didnt have that problem at his birthday meal, you can never have too many pinapples, police camera lego men (that sounds like a tv programme!), kids books or special k keyrings!

I have some great news in the form of indoctrinating my little brother.....

reeeeeeeeeeeyyyyy!!!!!!

Me and David (my boyfriend to those of you whom do not know) have also attempted to instill some sort of style into the boy, check this out....

My Very own, pocket sized Kanye West!

Finally, i will leave you with the news that this sunday we have a corps social, set in 'old london'. I am unsure on the points value of bangers and mash, but i plan to eat a lot of it! We are dressing in 'appropriate attire' for the time... Anna and i have been waaaay too into this whole dressing up thing i think! I will endevour to post pictures!

Well, after that rather boring and random update, i best go as once again i am meant to be writing a presentation for university as we speak. Also, you will be pleased to know that i am attending a grammar class next week, so come next blog i should be able to write in coherant English, which is always a bonus for a 3rd year English student!

Til then x