Tinkerbell's Pages

On Happy 1st Birthday Blog!

Can't quite believe it, but I've just realised that my darling little blog is one year old this week! It's just scary to think it was 12 whole months ago that I first sat down in front of this very computer to document the life-changing, random and frankly quite mundane events of my life! I still can't quite believe that anyone ever bothers to read it either, so thanks for the support! It's much appreciated. Don't really want to dwell too much on everything that has or hasn't happened over the last year, but it's been interesting to say the least. Don't really want to dwell on the fact that it's only six months til my thirtieth (!!!!!!) birthday either, but just thought I'd mention it : (

Have more to say, but that will have to wait until another day I'm afraid. Must rush off to find a costume to wear to school for World Book Day tomorrow (don't ask!)

On attempting to buy our own home...

The boyfriend and I have recently decided to do a very grown-up thing and buy a place together (well, to be honest, it was my idea and he hasn't disagreed with it!) We're in the very early stages of sorting out whether or not we can actually afford to do this or not, but the idea of owning our own place is very appealing and quite exciting. I just feel that at our ages (30 and 29) and after over five years of paying off other people's mortgages off with our rent, the time is right. As a teacher, I've got the opportunity of getting help from a 'key worker' housing scheme, but even at this early stage, it hasn't all been plain sailing so far.

One of the options open to me as a teacher is to have a shared ownership of a property (my friend Miss S went successfully bought her own place through this scheme last year). The problem with this is that the places on offer to us are in places we'd really hate to live, so we're going for the new 'open market' option. This means that you can apply to the housing associaton for a substantial loan in conjunction with a mortgage and choose the area and home you'd like to live in. I filled the initial application in over half term, just to get an idea of how much money we'd be entitled to, but was disappointed to receive an email a couple of days later saying my application had been declined. I was a bit annoyed and confused about this as I know I fulfill all the criteria for the scheme, but when I questioned this decision, I was told that my application had actually been passed onto a different housing association because I want to live in one area (Greater London) and work in a different one (Surrey), which is covered by a different scheme (not exactly the same as rejecting it!)

Anyway, somewhat unsurprisingly, this week I got my forms returned from the new association and had to start the whole process all over again! The good news is that they have now confirmed that I do fulfill the criteria for the scheme and are just waiting on confirmation from my school that I do actually work there and am who I say I am (however, if any paperwork happens to land on the Head's desk, it might be Christmas before he gets round to filling in the forms!) Well, we're not holding our breath because we're not in any particular hurry to move, but we'll see how it goes. Big sis is looking at a similar scheme, but as her landlord is selling her flat in July (which she desperately wants to buy from him), she's in a bit more of a hurry to get things sorted! Will keep you updated... : )

On relaxing at home and the joy of Hot Fuzz...

Have had a good couple of days relaxing with the boyfriend (he was due to take Friday off work but surprised me by taking Thursday off as well), but now unfortunately it's all coming to an end. We're both back to work tomorrow. We didn't really do much due to lack of funds (yet again), but it was nice to get a few things sorted around the flat and just spend some quality time together. However, we did manage to scrape together enough pennies to go and see the brilliant  film Hot Fuzz on Friday night, which was well worth the money! If you're a fan of the TV series Spaced and the movie Shaun of the Dead (which the boyfriend and I are) you're in for a massive treat. It's laugh-out-loud funny and I highly recommend it, epecially if you're feeling a bit down and could do with some cheering up! It's bound to become another cult classic.

Anyway, must see if I can afford to put some petrol in the car, otherwise I don't think I'll even be able to make it into work at all next week! Then I need to see if I can afford to go to Salsa on Tuesday night - thank goodness I'm due to be paid on Thursday... : )

On a dozen red roses and Salsa dreams...

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Am very happy because I've just taken delivery of a dozen red roses from the boyfriend. I know that doesn't sound very exciting or original, but after ten years together I can count the number of times he's bought me flowers on one hand (actually on three fingers), so this is a big deal for me. He has never given me roses before either, so am really pleased! Bless him.

In other news, Miss S and I had a fab time at Salsa last night. Initially we thought our move up to the intermediate group had been a bit ambitious, but by the end of the session I think we were doing really well. It was great fun and I really enjoyed the challenge. Salsa must have still been on my mind as I drifted off to sleep last night because I had this really weird dream. We were at a Salsa lesson, but round the edge of the dancefloor there were all these camp beds. In the dream, the lessons went on until the early hours of the morning, so you were supposed to sleep over after the lessons had finished. Anyway, being a good girl, I dutifully went straight to bed after the lesson had finished, but woke up to find that the lesson had turned into a cool Salsa club which I had been missing every week due to being asleep (as if I would have been able to fall asleep on the edge of a dancefloor with loud Salsa music and people dancing!) Miss S had been joining in with this club every week without my knowledge and I was really annoyed that she hadn't told me about it and I told her so, as she was putting on her neon yellow and black patterned gloves (?????!!!!!) WHAT?! I don't understand what that was all about...!!! : )

On hooray, hooray it's my half term holiday...

Well last week's snow may have turned to rain this week and the forecast for the rest of my half term isn't too good, but I don't care because I've got the week off! Managed to drag myself out of bed just as the boyfriend was leaving for work this morning and have had quite a successful day so far. Had to take my poor car into Kwik-fit to finally be fixed (have been putting it off for weeks because I've needed it to get to work and back) and a mere three hours later, now her exhaust has been fixed she is purring like a kitten once more rather than coughing and spluttering like an old man! That unfortunately leaves me another ninety one pounds down, but it was well worth it!

I've also tidied and cleaned the kitchen and braved the rain to go shopping (for food - alas! - not clothes or shoes). I've also just arranged with BT to have a free three-month internet upgrade plus swanky new mobile phone with free minutes (although I am actually quite attached to my current mobile because it's pink) and had an extremely long conversation with an extremely friendly Geordie BT guy (who incidently is also 29 and dreading his 30th birthday this year - apparently!) who obviously thought that by befriending me, it might help him sell his wares (and somehow it worked!)

Have got a busy week ahead - am visiting little sis and baby niece tonight, am looking after boyfriend's 7-year-old nephew during the day tomorrow and out to salsa tomorrow night (Miss S and I are moving up to intermediate level because we're now so good - aren't we Miss S?!) Then on Wednesday of course it's Valentine's Day, but boyfriend and I are just going to curl up with a take-away and movie because we are too broke to do anything else! On Thursday night I'm out with an old work colleague and then on Friday boyfriend is taking the day off work to spend with me. We were going to go down to Brighton for the day, but I suppose it depends on the weather : (

On Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

Unfortunately, due to the bad weather, my school has been forced to close today. As you can probably imagine, I am totally devestated by this news. Instead of making my hazardous journey to school, skidding across icy roads and then being held up in traffic for ages, followed by spending the day with 36 over-excited 7- and 8-year old children who do not want to work and have got thoroughly soaked from playing in the snow, I am being forced to stay at home. I have swapped my noisy classroom for the peace, serenity and warmth of my flat, but only because I am being FORCED to. The matter is simply out of my hands.

The picture at the top of this post is of my lovely garden, taken from my living room window this morning (please feel free to click on it to enlarge and view it in all its wintry splendour!) The snow is actually getting heavier now and lovely to watch - so much better than actually having to be out in it! Big sis is angry because her school hasn't been closed. Even though I live in what is somewhat inaccurately called 'Greater London' (although my address is actually Surrey), my school is in proper Surrey. Even though it is only 3 miles away (a 10-minute drive on a normal day), the weather conditions always seem to worsen once I get there. If there is a little bit of mist around when I leave my flat, by the time I get to school, there is a thick blanket of fog. If there are a few drops of rain in the air as I leave my flat, by the time I get to school it is a torrential downpour. The same goes for snow. When it snowed the other day, there were a few mere flakes in the air as I got into my car, but by the time I got to school the roads were barely passable. So I'm more than happy to be at home today, catching up on the marking I couldn't be bothered to do last night and planning how I'm going to spend my half term next week : )

On feeling all happy and springlike...

I have been in a surprisingly good mood this weekend. The weather has been gorgeous and January is finally over! OK, so I know it's not spring yet and it's probably going to turn freezing and snow again next week, but it's so nice to be able to enjoy clear blue skies and sunshine for a change! Went to have my hair done yesterday and came out of the salon almost 2 and a half hours later and nearly one hundred pounds poorer, to find that the boyfriend had been tidying and clearing up the flat (something he never, ever does unless nagged and forced to by me). When questioned about this strange behaviour, he said: "I thought if I made a start now, you wouldn't have to spend your half term doing it." So thoughtful. I fear my real boyfriend has been abducted by aliens. Or he's after something : )

Anyway, after almost three weeks of having a student teacher in the classroom, trying to learn about everything, constantly asking me questions and unwittingly doubling my usual heavy workload (bless her!), I've got my lovely class to myself for the next five days. Then it's half term! Can't wait. Am off to the Adelphi Theatre to see Ricky Gervais tonight (the tickets were the boyfriend's early Valentine's present from me), so that should be fun.