Lette Loves Life

Incase you're interested - part two

2011-06-23T00:38:00.001+01:00

Second piece of coursework - create a text of an entertaining nature.

A dream assignment
Just before Christmas I was given what could be seen as the dream assignment for a self confessed wine-aholic such as myself, to attend the Oddbins Nottingham Christmas Wine Tasting event, sample some of the upwards of 50 wines on offer and produce a review of the best ones. Unfortunately I did not just taste the wines; I drank them, all. In shockingly large quantities. Therefore, this has become more of a how not to taste wine manual.

I should add that this is not my first foray into wine tasting. Through a previous job as a waitress/bartender at a local Gastro Pub, which boasts an excellent wine list, I have attended several 'wine training' evenings. The focus of these events has been on the staff being more knowledgeable about the variety of wines served and able to steer customers away from ordering endless bottles of house wine in favour of a more expensive option.
As getting hideously drunk on work time is frowned upon I have always tried to exercise restraint on these occasions, taking sensible notes and attempting to remember the difference between a Grachetto and Pinot blend and the more expensive Chardonnay. However it has been known after the sensible training is over for the left over wine to be consumed and then general chaos to ensue. One particularly memorable event was a now ex-colleague attempting to prove his sobriety by performing a cartwheel; he somehow landed it then staggered into the road, narrowly missing being hit by a bus!

The tickets for the event arrived, I arranged to take some mates along to help with the reviewing and the general plan was for a sophisticated evening: put on a dress and heels taste the best and recommended wines, be home in bed by midnight. Not a chance.

I feel the downfall of the evening was my first pint of cider being at approximately 3.10pm. This I blame entirely on popping in on a friend to check what she was wearing that evening, it became a trip to the pub and a pint. We did take the sensible option after this and returned home to glamorise ready for the night ahead. Before returning to the pub about six to meet with the assorted gaggle of friends who were coming along too. Naturally another pint was needed.

Bring on the wine
We arrived at the tasting around 7.15pm, slightly later than the others, and quickly attacked the cheese table before grabbing a tasting guide and making a start on the white wines.
From my notes, which both helped fill in the gaps of the night and served as an amusing note to pass round the office, the first few white wines were nothing special. Lemon notes were found in the 2009 Chablis Drouhin-Vaudon, the Di Majo Organic Falanghina again, from 2009, had ‘no length and didn’t follow through’.
The real mayhem began when my party moved on to the table being looked after by a good friend, sensible sipping measures went out the window to be replaced by generous half glasses. At this point the notes became more ‘descriptive’ but did not really describe the wine, tastes or even make sense. There was the chance to taste the difference between Organic and non-Organic wines by the same producer, the opinions on these were mixed.
As we reached the Sauvignon section a ‘new favourite’ emerged with each wine sampled, amazing citrus flavours of grapefruit could be tasted, leading to conversations about having wine for breakfast. This was particularly evident in the 2009 Matahwahi Sauvignon Blanc, priced at £10.99 had exceptional taste, body and scent for a very reasonable price. The final white tasted was my favourite of the night, 2007 Three Amigos White, from the Margaret River region of Australia. It strangely smelt like a red wine, but in fact was an amazing smooth and creamy white. At £12.99 for a blended wine it is pricey but the flavours more than make up for the price tag.

After finishing the white wine tables our group moved on for a cigarette and toilet break. The nicotine probably dulled the taste buds, but the amount of wine already consumed probably wasn’t helping much either.
Following the break we moved on to the red wine, but due to the amount of time taken on the white wines and fag breaks sadly many of the more pricey bottles had run out.

For the lady in Red
The seven red wines we were able to taste were all apparently excellent, well according to my notes which appeared to have been scrawled by a five year old that had not yet grasped pen man ship. It took about an hour and various opinions to work out what ‘fruity with blackcurrant and liquorice tones’ related to.
The favourite red wine appeared to be rated on how attractive the person pouring it was, the winner was named as the 2008 Argentinean Dona Paula Malbec, which came on the recommendation of a good friend, Tom. Sadly the wine was far better than his looks. It had intense spicy flavours, a sure dinner party hit which would be excellent with lamb dishes.
The pricier 2008 Gemtree Bloodstone Shiraz wasn’t deemed worth the £14.99 price due to it being a little obvious and forward in taste. That was all the comment on the red wines which could be deciphered.

Finally we hit the champagne, dessert wines and brandy: the expensive taste hit. The lowest priced champagne wasn’t even sipped; the first champagne of note was Pol Roger NV, amazingly flavoursome yet with a soft palette. Yeast and citrus notes led it to be compared to a lemon cheesecake. The firm favourite was the 2000 vintage Pol Roger which at £57.99 should taste good, the NV Pol Roger was not obviously lacking in any area, yet the 2000 simply filled invisible gaps in the drink making it exceptionally palatable.
The final offerings were the 2006/7 Concha y Toro Late Harvest Sauvignon, our wine guide told us that it is not an ice wine; the grapes are picked pre noble rot. I don’t know what the means but it seems important. Scent of papaya and dried fruits were followed by a aroma of honey. The definite find of the night was the 2007 Alvear PX Solera, an intense naturally sweet dark mahogany coloured wine, it smelt exactly like Christmas pudding and tasted of Fig Rolls. Nearly my entire group ordered a bottle or two as a Christmas gift; at £12.99 it’s defiantly affordable.

Step away from the alcohol
Once we had thoroughly exhausted all the wines on offer, begged for more and shamelessly flirted with the staff for ages we were asked to leave.
So a little more than slightly intoxicated and clutching our tasting notes we went off in search of somewhere to continue drinking.
My wonderful idea was to go to one of the dingiest student bars in town, which on a Thursday night offers pints for just £1, mainly as I knew my ex boyfriend would be in there. Oh dear, oh dear....
The pub was even more vile than I remembered and compared to the four star hotel the tasting had been held at it was a definite step down. Representatives from the student union were handing out Chlamydia testing kits at the door and encouraging people to take the test there and then. The ex was located and, as predicted in my state I embarrassed myself. Also going back to pints of cider after a lot of wine meant that I quickly ended up on the floor with my best friend in tow, at this point we sensibly poured ourselves into a taxi and headed home.

The morning after the night before
The next day I woke up, in the dress I had worn the night before, with a pounding head. After a pot of tea I felt ready to face the seven text messages flashing on my phone. One from a friend telling me I was late for work, one from the ex saying I was hammered, three from a mate who we lost in the course of the evening saying she was at Rock City and one from the friend who kindly delivered me home saying I owed her big time.

So after much deciphering of illegible wine tasting notes and a little help from my friend filling in gaps I was able to order a very good mixed case of wine for Christmas and also have been able to turn something in to my editor.

My tips for How Not To Taste Wine
1.Don’t have your first pint mid afternoon; in fact don’t drink before starting the tasting.
2.Don’t set yourself a challenge to try all 40 wines; they will taste the same in the end.
3.Don’t decide to go to the pub after a wine tasting: go home, drink tea and get to bed.
4.NEVER take a bunch of wine-aholic mates along on a work assignment, it will end badly.

Next time, How Not To attend a Christening.

Incase you're interested

2011-06-23T00:32:00.001+01:00

My AS level English language coursework.
The brief was to write a piece of a persuasive nature.

42% of 11 to 16 year old girls admit to cutting down or restricting certain foods in a bid to lose weight.
Increase of 800,000 sufferers of mental health conditions since 1993.
Upto 100% of images in women’s magazines airbrushed.
Guardian.co.uk, Thursday 31st March 2011

To Mr Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Media, Olympics and Sport.

I write to you regarding the fact that the UK population is facing a crisis. There is a generation of young women with crippling low self esteem because they are having their minds poisoned and distorted by the daily bombardment of images of women who appear to be flawless. The seeming permanence of images in the public domain via the media and advertising industries that are digitally manipulated to show an unnatural and warped view of what beauty and the female form is a national scandal. This has been proven by a report from the Mental Health Foundation to have a direct link to the shocking rise in mental health issues and eating disorders being suffered by young women in the UK, the figure stands at around 800,000 more sufferers of such conditions than in 1993.
Further evidence of this came to light in 2009 when Girl Guiding UK, in conjunction with Beat and Child Wise carried out research called the Girls Attitudes Survey on over 1200 girls and young women aged 7 to 21, it looked into five areas; Education, training, skills and careers, Environment and world events, Family and relationships, Health and well-being and Society, community and culture.
The results of the Health and Well-being section were alarming, it revealed that 50% of girls in the 16 to 21 year old category would consider having surgery to alter their appearance, also 42% of girls in the 11 to 16 year old category admit to cutting down or restricting certain foods in a bid to lose weight.
National Health Service research shows that Anorexia Nervosa affects 1 in 200 women and 1 in 2000 men, whilst Bulimia is estimated to affect 8% of women at some point in their life time and women are also ten times more likely than men to suffer from Bulimia.
This research started a campaign by Girl Guiding UK to help improve the self esteem of both its young members and the wider population. The Dove Foundation funded a unique educational resource aimed at tackling body image issues, schemes such as this have been noted to help curb the anxieties felt around body image in girls and young women.
Air brushing is not a new technology; an early example comes from Stalin and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in the 1930s. A photograph from 1920 picturing Lenin giving a speech with Trotsky in the foreground, later as political tensions emerged Trotsky was removed from the image and film was destroyed. In the 1980s the use of airbrushing became much more prevalent, most home computers have software to alter images and many professional photographers working on weddings and such like will edit the final images to remove imperfections. It is now seen as normal to simply airbrush away any undesired features.
The publishing industry will not release facts on how many images they publish that are digitally altered but research indicates that in women’s magazines close on 100% of all images are in some way altered.
The American National Press Association hold a Code of Ethics which is adhered to by all its members, it states that restraint must be used in the degree to how drastic an alteration can be made to an image without it carrying a warning caption, however it is not known how widely this is enforced. The UK government could use this Code of Ethics as a starting point for any law which may be created.
Katie Metcalfe, 21, from Whitby suffered from Anorexia between the ages of 14 and 19, she says “The pressure of being the only girl with hormone-raging teenagers was enormous. I had no self-confidence, and my body became a focus of paranoia, coupled with family disruption and daily media bombardment of images featuring perfect women I set a New Year’s resolution to lose weight and gain a perfect body similar to my idol Mary-Kate Olsen”
Katie describes that as she lost weight, she began to “feel that life was worth living. At last I seemed to be achieving something. A voice began to whisper in my ear, and as I lost more weight, it became louder. Eventually, it was all I could hear. Nothing mattered more than satisfying the voice’s need for weight loss and, ultimately, perfection.”
Eventually Katie’s weight dropped by 3.5st to under 5st, this caused her hair to fall out, periods to stop and skin to crack and bleed. Despite this Katie would cycle between 8 and 15 miles per day in a desperate bid to lose even more weight, this led to her collapsing. Finally Katie had to be admitted to hospital, where she stayed for 9 months, costing the tax payer in the region of £50,000 for this extremely long hospital admission.
In August 2010 a petition was launched by Girl Guiding UK calling for the compulsory labelling of all airbrushed images, so that the British public as a whole, but with particular emphasis towards girls and young women can make an informed decision and be able to distinguish between real and digitally altered images. The hope is that if the labelling of images came into effect it could halt the rise of eating disorders and enable a generation of self confident girls and young women to emerge.
By November 2010 more than 25,000,000 people had signed the petition when it was presented to a committee of MPs by a group of young members of Girl Guiding UK. An official response to this petition has still not been given and the matter has not been debated in parliament.
I urge you through your role as Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport to push for a full House of Commons debate on the issue and support the motion for the compulsory labelling of airbrushed images in an attempt to help the emotional well-being of girls and young women. This alone will not curb the alarming rates of eating disorders and mental illness suffered by young women in the UK but it will go some way to help.
Further funding of specific Personal, Social, Health and Emotional education in schools and through youth and community organisations such as Girl Guiding UK would mean that girls who already suffer low self esteem and body image issues can get the help that they need to mature into confident young women.
Key Demands
A full House of Commons debate into the issues surrounding the ‘Air Brushing’ campaign.
Government support for a law compelling publishers to label all air brushed images.
Further funding for educational projects targeted at improving the self esteem and metal health of young people.

Signed,
Colette Morgan, Student
Siobhan Bedford, Youth Worker
Victoria Wallace, Student
Nicola Foyle, Teacher
Chloe Pilbeam, Physiotherapist
Katie Reynolds, Student
Di Harrington, Data Analyst
Pippa Gardener, Student
Vicky Powers, Policy Advisor
Bridget Wilson, Childrens Nurse
Sylvia Chanford, Lawyer
Sam Orchard, Support Worker
Alex Boniface, Designer
Helen Morris, Artist
Nicole Cooke, Cyclist
Kirsty Thorpe, Student

Emma Thompson, Actress
Annie Bowden, PR Officer
Stacey Moore, Solicitor
Cherie Booth, QC
Tregi Worsley, Theatre Technician
Marion Jenkings, Librarian
Kate Silverton, News presenter
Elizabeth Albery, Church Assistant
Nicola Rowlson, Mediator
Ellie Cooper, Student
Laura Duncan, Healthcare Assistant
Katie Beverly, Chemist
Barbara Morgan, Facilities Manager
Pixie Lott, Musician
Nikki Thompson, Chef
Tracy Abegg, Linguist

Lisa Taylor, Environmental Scientist
Mandie Young, Lecturer - Maths and ICT
Jo Beamish, Foster carer
Pam Paige, Retired
Viv Hamilton, Business owner
Helen Peterson, Sales Rep
Anne Lynn, Civil Servant
Jennifer Hill, Teacher
Denise King , Chief Executive
Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, Athlete
Marie Pearson - Teacher of the deaf
Helen Sharman, Astronaut
Dame Kelly Holmes, Athlete
Carol Pike, Business Change Manager
Katie Webber, IT Technician
Jacqueline McComish, Occupational Therapist

July 2010

2011-05-24T23:00:00.000+01:00

Is it bad I am using Facebook photo tags as a diary for basing these entries on?!

July was going to be a chill out month, but as usual it ended up being mad.

From memory I worked allot, as one of the full time girls at the pub got married. I covered her hours basically! It was a shocking day when I learnt I had to pay tax, sad times all round.

I went to Skegness for the first time in years - took a group of older Guides from Nottinghamshire who had completed their Baden Powell Award. It was hilarious fun, I do love Skeggy.

Party week also took place in July, my parents went away and so my brother and I held a week long bender. Messy does not describe it, but all in all a right giggle.

Working all of July meant that August was free for me to clear off camping and sailing - will explain that in the next blog.

June 2010

2011-05-23T21:08:00.000+01:00

Mmm so what happened in June?

I finished exams - went on one of the more insane nights out of my life.

So myself and a very good friend of mine Alex went for dinner at a lovely pub, The Larwood and Voce. After a bottle of wine we hit the local bars, literally going into every bar in West Bridgford. Then after bumping into someone Alex vaguely knows we decided town with these people was a good idea.
It was a Tuesday night after all the students had gone home for the summer - it was dead.
We found a slight pulse of a night life in Dogma, the rest of the night was carnage.
I just remember ending up in Lenton, a student part of town drinking Sainsburys Basics Vodka and pineapple juice. Getting back to Radcliffe for 9am was simply hilarious, Alex had to be at work and the taxi was sent via McDonalds drive through.

As I say an epic night out.
From memory that rounded off June nicely!

Bloody hell I'm a shite blogger

2011-05-23T20:57:00.000+01:00

I'm officially shite at blogging - I just forget to blog.

Well once again it is exam season - I have the best procrastination plan.

A blog for every month I have been absent for.

Hello exam failure :)

Expect blogs soon,

Laters, Lette xx

Go to bed Lette.

2010-06-20T23:07:00.000+01:00

50 Questions

1. What time did you get up this morning?
About 7.30am, was on a Guide sleepover and we had to be out the hall by 8.30am - the leader in charge actually woke us all up!
2. How do you like your steak?
Medium-rare, but only since recently, used to be a well done person but am used to rarer meat since thats what were given at work.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Can't remember, how bad.
4. What is your favorite TV show?
Greys Anatomy
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
I honestly don't know.
6. What did you have for breakfast?
Bacon and poached eggs, I skipped the cereal on offer at the sleepover.
7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Good honest British classics, with a nice little twist.
8. What foods do you dislike?
Gerkhins
9. Favorite place to eat?
Edins
10. Favorite dressing?
Avocado oil, balsamic vinegar and some herbs.
11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
None, well a bike sometimes.
12. What are your favorite clothes?
Mood dependent!
13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? . . .
South Africa
14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
1/2 full, well I try to.
15. Where would you want to retire?
My bed.
16. Favorite time of day?
When I feel alive.
17. Where were you born?
The City Hospital, Nottingham
18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
American Football
19. Who do you think will not tag you back?
N/A
20. Person you expect to tag you back first?
Not a clue
21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
I don't expect replies.
22. Bird watcher?
Sometimes
23. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Night
24. Do you have any pets?
None
25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
I'm falling for someone, I think, again.
26. What did you want to be when you were little?
Something to do with horses.
27. What is your best childhood memory?
My brother falling from the top level of the garden, to the bottom (8ft drop!) into a flower bed, when playing wink murder. Was so funny.
28. Are you a cat or dog person?
Either
29. Are you married?
Nope
30. Always wear your seat belt?
99% of the time
31. Been in a car accident?
Car has been shunted at lights before, but nothing at all major.
32. Any pet peeves?
Rudeness to staff in bars/restaurants
33. Favorite Pizza Toppings?
Cheese
34. Favorite Flower?
Californian poppies
35. Favorite ice cream?
Honeycomb (From work!)
36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
None of them!
37. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
None so far.
38. From whom did you get your last email?
Ebay
39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
Vivienne Westwood
40. Do anything spontaneous lately?
Applied for jobs abroad!
41. Like your job?
Not really.
42. Broccoli?
Yes, especially purple sprouting.
43. What was your favorite vacation?
Recent girly weekend away to Brownsea Island.
44. Last person you went out to dinner with?
Family, Mum, Dad, Brother and two sets of Grandparents.
45. What are you listening to right now?
Glee
46. What is your favorite color?
Purple
47. How many tattoos do you have?
None so far.
48. How many are you tagging for this quiz?
None
49. What time did you finish this quiz?
23.07
50. Coffee drinker?
Black coffee or a skinny latte. Both in bucket proportions.

A lovely walk home

2010-06-20T21:56:00.000+01:00

So on Thursday after writing my last blog and finishing a bit more work in the library I decided as it was such a lovely evening to walk some of the way home.
I live about a 20minute bus ride from town, but there is a lovely walk from town to West Bridgford along the canal I sometimes do.
So I set off, with Camera Osbscura for company (Gutted I missed them live last summer, I had swine flu!) - my route took me out of college, which is at the Adams Building (An old lace factory) in the Lace Market area of Nottingham, past St Marys Church. Then I cut down the steps at the Nottingham Contemporary Art Gallery, down the side of Broadmarsh Bus Station, crossed over Canal Street and got onto the tow path by the Capital One buildings.
From then on I just followed the tow path all the way upto Meadow Lane lock, which is where the canal meets the River Trent. The tow path was busy with lots of people out cycling and running, there were people just sat chilling and guys fishing.

It was about 7.30pm but it was a warm sunny night so it was lovely to just wander along, the canal just seems so peaceful despite it running through in places a building site and later along side a busy main road. But I think water has a calming influence on me, so I chilled.
As I walked the last bit from the Trent Navigation pub upto the lock it struck me that the last time I went along that stretch was a freezing cold winters morning at least five years ago. Prior to getting ill I did high level kayaking and in winter we trained on a Saturday morning, it was deemed far too cold and windy to paddle on the river like we usually did so we went over to the relatively more protected canal.
I don't think I will ever miss the freezing cold training sessions, when you get into the shower fully clothed and gradually strip off as you thaw out enough to bare it. But as I reached the lock, which has had allot of work done to it recently; it looks fantastic and I stood looking out over the stretch of water between Lady Bay and Trent Bridge, the sun gleamed across and I could see Nottingham Kayak club a pang to paddle again hit me. That stretch of water was home, I spent so long out there training, messing about and having so much fun. But ultimately it was paddling and the lovely water in the River Trent that made me ill, I think I got some sort of infection from the water and its taken me five long years to recover.
So, maybe my kayaking come back isn't imminent, but I do want to paddle again, I miss it too much.
By the time I made it to the bus stop by the cricket ground it was ten to eight, but there wasn't a bus for another 20 minutes so I walked along the bus route a bit further rather than standing about. Once I had got that far I was really tempted to walk the rest home. But that was another 3 miles or so, I was starving and wearing not the best shoes. Maybe another day!
My exam was on Friday afternoon and it went really well! I have a really good feeling I wrote the right stuff for the questions. It was a re-sit of a module I did in January and it went far better than the first time, so lets hope the grade reflects it. I totally lucked out on the essay question, before the exam a friend and I were going over some sample questions and one we looked at was the role of Transnational Corporations in Development. - It was one of the essay choices! So I wrote tons of what I think was really relevant stuff. Happy!
Friday night I went to see 'The Families of Lockerbie' at the Nottingham Playhouse. My brother was working on the show as a dramaturg/researcher/assistant director - so I got some free tickets. He keeps telling me off for saying I enjoyed it, but I did. I enjoyed being engaged by theatre on a subject I knew very little about as I wasn't born when the bombing occured and was only ten when the trial took place. It was also set in an interesting way, through the format of tv talk show, with flash back type scenes.
It was certainly thought provoking about what happened and why the people tried came to be tried ect. Also it was a great reason not to watch the football.
Afterwards Georgina and I hit a couple of bars and just gossiped. Was a lovely, girly but cultured night out!

All in all a good couple of days.

Will write about the weekend soon, I'm so behind and also half asleep.

Study breaks

2010-06-17T17:01:00.000+01:00

So tomorrow is exam two of three for my A levels.

It's a resit of A2 level Sociology, Global Development. I got a C when I took the exam in January and I just don't know if I can be arsed to re-take it.
So here I am in the library with the lovely Georgina frantically cramming. I will do better than a C. I am informed the library stays open until 8pm, who knew these things.
I have one more section of questions from my textbook to do, then there are questions in a revision guide and past papers. The fun really does not stop.

But tomorrow night after the pure fun that my exam shall be I am off to the theatre, (with Georgina) seeing 'The Families of Lockerbie' at the Nottingham Playhouse. My older brother has worked on the show so I am supporting him, as a good sister does. Bonus being that I will get free tickets, meaning more money for pre/post show drinks, and opportunities for flirting with the hot bar man.

The rest of the weekend is taken up with work, (yawn), then Saturday night I have a Guide sleepover, where I think I will get no sleep and Sunday were having a family BBQ with grandparents.

Monday brings the start of the last week to learn an entire A level module, its Crime and Deviance with research methods. I feel the week shall be spent in the library. All day every day.
But revision is making me loose wieght, not healthy I know but living on black coffee and water works!

So now its back to the books. Oh and Georgie sorry for just laughing at that photo!

The little things you realise!

2010-06-15T11:27:00.000+01:00

When laying in bed last night thinking about not allot at all it suddenly occured to me that ALL the guys I have ever had shall we say erm romantic encoutners with (!), there name has fallen in the first half of the alphabet.
Now how totally odd is that.
Someone find me a guy called Zac or Will soon.

Off to watch Mary Queen of Shops and drink coffee. Bliss.

Intros part two....

2010-06-14T22:46:00.000+01:00

So, this is something I wrote for a forum I frequent. Ten random facts, thought it would give insight? I'll add to them as some are a little vague.

1. I'm 19 and two thirds of the way through my A levels.

2. I study Sociology and Psychology. Next year I'll study Psychology, Biology and English Language.
(Explained no 1 & 2 in my previous blog)

3. I work in a pub, quite often I dislike it, but it has it's fun moments.
Yep, my first ever paid job, I started in December 09, when the pub opened after being taken over and having an extensive re-fit. I'm not going to name it as erm, I don't want too! But if your on my Facebook you can find out there :)
So yes, wow 7 months of being employed, I've been ill for one shift, hungover for far too many and been late a few times, often to me writing down the wrong time. I mainly serve food in the restuarunt (It's a Gastro-Pub darling!) but sometimes get loose on the bar. I prefer bar allot of the time. But I'm currently looking for a new job, the pub is great, 5 minutes from my house, nice co-workers and generally ok customers. I also work with my brother which has its good and bad points. I think thought it has helped with making friends at work as we can jointly invite people over and also I get to hang out with my big brother more too. But it requires zero brain power, pay is not fab and I am just bored of it.
So I'm applying for jobs as a lifeguard and doing kids play scheme. I sent off CVs to allot of local places but am not getting far. Have today applied for a job with a national company that do day camps in Nottingham and residential ones abroad. We shall see! Also got a form for a job with the YMCA. (My brother keeps singing to me now)

4. I have Ceoliac disease, meaning I can't eat Gluten.
I was diagnosed in July 2006, after being ill with M.E for a year, my main symptoms of M.E along side the exhaustion was nausea and digestion problems. I was told it was just M.E with a touch of IBS, I had anti-sickness tablets and anti-spasmodic drugs pumped into me. My older brother was already diagnosed as being Ceoliac but he also has Type 1 diabetes which has a strong link. My dad then began to suffer similar stomach symptoms and had tests and it turned out to be Ceoliac disease. My consultants face when we told her this and demanded testing was so funny, she was horrified at herself for not checking before. I got the worlds fastest blood results and then had an endoscopy. I strongly remember about 5 months after diagnosis walking round Morrisions and almost crying as I walked through the bakery bit as I realised, never again would I be able to eat an apple turnover. Maybe I'm over the top, but pastries matter to me.

5. I'm going to uni in 2011 to study Occupational Therapy.
I did some work experience in 2006, following a Physiotherapist around for a week, I hated it. I was convinced it was what i wanted to to, but it was so dull. So not me.
Then through being ill I saw a number of OTs and the work they did just clicked. I spent a wonderful week at Easter shadowing OTs and I just loved it.

6. I want to be a Mental Health OT, this really scares my mum!
This is because she spent 9 months working (non-clinically) at a secure Mental Health hospital, she knows why people end up there. But I see it as something so worthwhile doing. When on work-experience i saw the fantastic work being doing by MH OTs with Dementia patients, that's what I want to do.

7. I love rugby and cricket, but hate football.
My dad and I started supporting Nottingham Rugby Club in 2006 when they moved there ground closer to us, I fell in love with the game. Since then my Mum has also started coming to games. I'm quite sad that the 10/11 season will be my last as a season ticket holder due to leaving for uni. Hopefully I will still make it to away games.
My love of cricket developed during the 2005 Ashes series, it was the first summer I was ill and spent it all on the sofa, so I got into cricket. It makes me happy, I revise best when I have Test Match Special playing the background, there is something so soothing about it.

8. I'm a Guide leader, I joined Guiding age 5 and can't see myself leaving any time soon, I love it too much.
Guiding has been a constant throughout three quarters of my life, I have been a Rainbow, Brownie, Guide, Ranger, Young Leader and now Adult Leader. I have had some of the happiest times of my life when with Guiding friends, I've been on international trips; twice to Switzerland, most recently I went skiing for New Year and also to Ireland. Now as a leader I have just as much fun, the Guide unit I helped to set up in January 2007 now has nearly 45 girls! Wednesday nights often exhaust me, cause endless stress, but so often I just come home happy. Its fantastic.
I have also met the most amazing group of friends ever, I am lucky that I met my two best friends Liz and Emma through Guiding. Liz was my Brownie young leader, who I terrorised. We met again at Guides and finally at Rangers we became firm friends. I also met Emma through Rangers, we just click and despite being generally quite different, that initial connection of both being in Guiding made us friends. Then there are the Guiders.co.uk girlies, they are the best bunch in the world. There are too many members to mention, but some are incredibly special, they are always there for any crisis, random drinking session or silly day out. I have been away on some fab weekends with them. In April 24 of us went to Brownsea Island in Dorset, it was simply a perfect weekend in the place that I have felt the most truly at home and at peace with myself, the world and life in general. (I shall write more at Brownsea at some other point)

9. My favourite band ever are Belle and Sebastian, whatever my mood they have the perfect song for me.
I can't pin point when I discovered this band, but it was through my brothers love for them. The music was so different to what I as a teenage pop fiend had ever heard before. For Christmas in 2005 my brother got me a ticket to see them live in Birmingham, he put it in side a box so big that I could fit in the box, as a total decoy. I was getting more and more annoyed expecting to get to the middle of the layer and find a Topshop voucher or something when I got to the ticket.
The gig was brilliant, I was a awestruck 16 year old who couldn't believe this was what a real gig was like. I hardly could see the stage or the band due to being 5ft and not daring to push forwards. The music blew me away. They will always be my favourite band, I really hope I get to see them again some day.

10. I'm from Nottingham and proud of it! I love my city, I want to move away for uni, but it will always be home and I can see myself moving back in a few years time.
People say Nottingham is the worlds biggest village and it really is. My Dad is Nottingham born and my mum moved here for work after uni, they both just know so many people and the people you know always seem to know friends of yours too. There is no escape from ex-boyfriends, you will see them in Rock City how ever hard you try to avoid them! And yes often your Dads mates see you stumbling for the bus after one too many pints.
I grew up in a suburb of Nottingham city, we had a lovely house and neighbours but sadly the schools sucked, so age 6 we moved out South of the river to the village of Radcliffe. It is in a time warp, its like the 50s. I have loved growing up here, but there comes a time to leave the bubble. There is a world beyond Radcliffe, but sadly many residents never find it. It has quaint traditions like the village carnival, the Rotary club go round the village with a big sleigh and Santa just before Christmas. And where else has 5 pubs, 3 funeral homes, 9 hair/beauty places, a Spar and a Coop!
Like I say, the day I leave for uni will be good, but come the end of term I'll be happy to be back, because whats Christmas eve without a trip to the Manvers. No one goes there the rest of the year, but some reason everyone goes on Christmas eve.

So that is the end of today's rambles. Three posts in one day is a little excessive. Sorry!
Please do follow, comment, ask questions and pass this on. I want people to read my crazy ramblings.
Love Lette xx

2010-06-14T18:40:00.001+01:00

So this is I, Colette Louise, or as the blog title goes Lette (It's pronounced Lettie, before you start calling me Let)

The picture is from a file on my hardrive titled 'Me being vain', sums it up really. Taken about ten days ago, I was off out with college friends and by my book I looked good, so took pictures.
Unfortunately my curls dropped once I got outside, my lipstick flaked off and once I hit a club I was a sweaty mess. But in my bedroom I looked hot!
The night was good, drinks with friends in various bars before hitting Rock City in Nottingham, its a legendary club. Proper sticky floor and has held some amazing gigs, was a student club night with cheap drinks and good tunes. Made more fun by people I met.

So me, well, 19, born and raised in Nottingham, though I live the other side of town to where I grew up these days. Live with my parents, Barbara and Paul and my older brother Gareth.

I had M.E. for five years, and have only really recovered in the past 6 months. I'm enjoying my new life, but I still have to be careful, I sleep allot and my fitness/stamina still sucks, but I'm getting there.

I'm a student, but due to having M.E I'm behind my peers, but I don't care anymore. I took a year out after GCSEs, then last year took one AS level in Sociology, gaining an A grade. This year I have studied A2 Sociology and AS Psychology. From September I will study A2 Psychology, AS Biology and AS English Language.

That's only about half as much intro as I want to write, but I'm out of time. Have to dash to go to my lifeguarding course, think I have a fun night of learning how to treat spinal casualties ahead of me.

Please follow, comment and pass on this blog. Fun things to come!
Lette xxxxxxx

First posting....

2010-06-14T18:30:00.001+01:00

I tend to mega suck at blogging or doing anything regularly.
But, I dunno life is taking off for me in so many ways I feel it needs documenting.

So I shall try, hard to do this!

Please follow me,
Lette x