Bloody hell, it's not quite March yet and already this year I know 3 people who have got engaged. All about my age too.
Are we all getting to the grown-up stage of our lives already? (I still don't feel particularly adult a lot of the time!) Have they all truly met the people they are destined to spend the rest of their lives with? Or are they just being romantic and not thinking about the huge responsibility of having to live and be married together?
I just get more questions the more I think! How do people know when they're ready to get married? Why do it at all in this day and age? (I do have some answers to that one myself but as a general musing) And how do you guarantee that it will last?
Some people it's easy to see how things will work and that they are clearly going to be a brilliant couple. But relationships are really hard work, regardless how lovely the people are. And I can't help but wonder at when some people get into the 'serious' stages if the couple can actually make it through all the tough stuff.
Same about myself; will I ever be totally prepared for everything in a relationship? In a few weeks I may have to think about the future a lot more and where I will be, and who will I be with? [This isn't ominous, Tom is trying to get into the Forces.]
Monday 28 February 2011
Monday 14 February 2011
Preparing for the future: A Case Study In Regret
I'm not too pleased with myself today, but I hope the guilt passes soon.
Today was the deadline for RSVP-ing to a friends' wedding. I was planning to go, naturally I want to see my friends get married and enjoy the best day of their lives with them, but the location is so far away from where I live, and in a remote location from where I would potentially be staying too. Unfortunately I didn't prepare enough ahead and sort of thought it would fall into place nearer the time but it didn't.
So regretfully I have had to say that I won't be able to be there. Which is a bummer.
The only consolation is that another friend is getting married a month later locally and the couple from this wedding I can't attend will be there, so at least I will be able to see them then, and celebrate our other friends' wedding.
I can blame it on many things: I can't drive, trains and hotels are so expensive, and at the moment we really don't have much cash for anything non-essential. Doesn't mean we shouldn't try to do things just because it isn't practical.
I just need to learn for next time.
Today was the deadline for RSVP-ing to a friends' wedding. I was planning to go, naturally I want to see my friends get married and enjoy the best day of their lives with them, but the location is so far away from where I live, and in a remote location from where I would potentially be staying too. Unfortunately I didn't prepare enough ahead and sort of thought it would fall into place nearer the time but it didn't.
So regretfully I have had to say that I won't be able to be there. Which is a bummer.
The only consolation is that another friend is getting married a month later locally and the couple from this wedding I can't attend will be there, so at least I will be able to see them then, and celebrate our other friends' wedding.
I can blame it on many things: I can't drive, trains and hotels are so expensive, and at the moment we really don't have much cash for anything non-essential. Doesn't mean we shouldn't try to do things just because it isn't practical.
I just need to learn for next time.
Sunday 13 February 2011
Update of life and some films
Apologies, not much has been going on lately. Work is good and Tom had the last week off work so I got to see him more often than usual which was nice!
We finally made it to the cinema last weekend to see The King's Speech, definitely worth a watch! I'm not going to bother reviewing it, just say all the cast did a fantastic job and it was really well done.
Luna, our youngest leopard gecko has recently developed a new annoying habit of rearranging her tank at night. We have cheaply decked it out with mainly cardboard tubes for her to hide in (leopard geckos aren't too demanding when it comes to stimulation) and she seems to have figured out how to move everything around. And she's nocturnal. Tom's been bothered when trying to sleep as her tank is in the bedroom though apparently I've not noticed it, but we didn't figure she'd be this fussy! Little monster.
My sister and her boyfriend have become engaged! So we'll hopefully be able to go home for a celebration in a few weeks. I guess they'll want a present then, knowing her...
And as a final note, we caught Ferris Bueller's Day Off last night on TV. I'd heard it was good but never managed to see it, and I must say it's one of the best films I've ever seen! It was hilarious, and both Tom and I were cracking up at everything. I went to bed and woke up still grinning! Then sadly I walked to work in the rain...
We finally made it to the cinema last weekend to see The King's Speech, definitely worth a watch! I'm not going to bother reviewing it, just say all the cast did a fantastic job and it was really well done.
Luna, our youngest leopard gecko has recently developed a new annoying habit of rearranging her tank at night. We have cheaply decked it out with mainly cardboard tubes for her to hide in (leopard geckos aren't too demanding when it comes to stimulation) and she seems to have figured out how to move everything around. And she's nocturnal. Tom's been bothered when trying to sleep as her tank is in the bedroom though apparently I've not noticed it, but we didn't figure she'd be this fussy! Little monster.
My sister and her boyfriend have become engaged! So we'll hopefully be able to go home for a celebration in a few weeks. I guess they'll want a present then, knowing her...
And as a final note, we caught Ferris Bueller's Day Off last night on TV. I'd heard it was good but never managed to see it, and I must say it's one of the best films I've ever seen! It was hilarious, and both Tom and I were cracking up at everything. I went to bed and woke up still grinning! Then sadly I walked to work in the rain...
Tuesday 1 February 2011
Work vs Benefits
After a brief discussion at work the other day, we were debating about government benefits and when it's right to have help and when you need to draw the line. In all honesty I have little experience with the whole financial benefit system and most people I know haven't either, so it's not fair for me to have overarching opinions on the whole thing.
But, hey, it's my blog.
We all know we have to work for a living, or failing that have someone rich to pay for everything for you. The idea is that you start dependent and work your way to providing for yourself. But why are there those who can't, or won't provide for themselves? Is it to do with upbringing? But if it is then what about those whose parents worked hard but they don't?
As far as I can (arguably naively) see, the idea of the benefits system is to help those who have fallen on hard times to get back to a self-sufficient place. The sad fact is that there are people who feel they are entitled to have money for nothing, regardless of the cost to other people. This is the apex of the negative label of 'benefits'.
I'd argue that you can rightly hate the fact some people will take advantage of the system put in place to aid them; those who have never worked and instead have a comfortable lifestyle without having to work for it. But what about the grey areas between?
Example: those who are on some kind of allowance which gives them money towards the necessities of life but instead of using the amount to cover the complete cost, they pick a luxury option as they can afford the rest now part of it has been paid for.
Better analogy: someone needs shoes, they do not earn enough money so the government help them out and give them £30 to help afford them, instead of picking the £30 shoes, or even the £40 option, they opt for the designer £150 option which they prefer despite all shoes perform the same and do the same job. Is that moral?
IMO: No. We are all constricted by our means. I cannot afford all the nice shiny things I would like. We are tied to what we can afford. That's alright, it's how it is. But why am I having to foot the bill for those too selfish and lazy to do the same? If you need help for a while, that's fine, life can be harsh and everyone is entitled to some help. But don't get lazy and misguidedly forget your HELP and entitlement is only there because other people pay for it and your government does not want people to get too stuck.
But, hey, it's my blog.
We all know we have to work for a living, or failing that have someone rich to pay for everything for you. The idea is that you start dependent and work your way to providing for yourself. But why are there those who can't, or won't provide for themselves? Is it to do with upbringing? But if it is then what about those whose parents worked hard but they don't?
As far as I can (arguably naively) see, the idea of the benefits system is to help those who have fallen on hard times to get back to a self-sufficient place. The sad fact is that there are people who feel they are entitled to have money for nothing, regardless of the cost to other people. This is the apex of the negative label of 'benefits'.
I'd argue that you can rightly hate the fact some people will take advantage of the system put in place to aid them; those who have never worked and instead have a comfortable lifestyle without having to work for it. But what about the grey areas between?
Example: those who are on some kind of allowance which gives them money towards the necessities of life but instead of using the amount to cover the complete cost, they pick a luxury option as they can afford the rest now part of it has been paid for.
Better analogy: someone needs shoes, they do not earn enough money so the government help them out and give them £30 to help afford them, instead of picking the £30 shoes, or even the £40 option, they opt for the designer £150 option which they prefer despite all shoes perform the same and do the same job. Is that moral?
IMO: No. We are all constricted by our means. I cannot afford all the nice shiny things I would like. We are tied to what we can afford. That's alright, it's how it is. But why am I having to foot the bill for those too selfish and lazy to do the same? If you need help for a while, that's fine, life can be harsh and everyone is entitled to some help. But don't get lazy and misguidedly forget your HELP and entitlement is only there because other people pay for it and your government does not want people to get too stuck.
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