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Busy week and Gremlins...
Dec. 14th, 2009 12:02 amLast week was possibly my busiest week ever. Then on Friday, just as I thought it was coming to an end and I could relax, disaster struck. My hotmail account was hacked on Friday morning. A message was sent from the account to everyone in my contacts urging them to visit a website to buy a cheap iphone. It was sent to a couple of my friends' work email accounts and one of them texted me straight away to let me know. I dashed off to the cyber cafe at work straight away and changed my password to something much more secure so hopefully it's all sorted now. Unfortunately, nine years of hotmail contacts have been wiped so if I chat with you on msn or ever send you emails please send me a messanger request or email so I can re-add you. I'm slightly annoyed about the whole hacking thing, but thinking about it logically my password wasn't very secure (it didn't include any capital letters, number or symbols) and I've had the account since 2000 without any problems. Fingers crossed it's all sorted now, and really sorry if you received a random email claiming it was from me.
Whilst not being hacked I managed to do the following last week:
Monday - Took the day off work because my desk was being moved at work (including the floor box underneath it) and it seemed easier to take leave than potentially not get much done due to the disruption. It was a good job I did take the day off as it took a lot longer to make cakes for the Brownie party than I'd anticipated. I made 20 chocolate butterfly cakes and 20 chocolate chip fairy cakes and iced them, then mum and dad came to collect them at 7pm whilst the first layer of the 'big' cake was in the oven. I only had one large cake tin which mum had borrowed from a neighbour so I could only cook one layer at a time. Consequently the second layer wasn't cooked until after 10pm by which time I was ready to go to bed.
Tuesday - Went to work in the morning and then took a half day in the afternoon to ice the 'big' cake. Finally finished at 5.20pm. Dad collected me and all my stuff at 5.30pm. I just about had time to change my top and put on some mascara. In my efforts to wrap the cake in tin foil for transportation I managed to drop the foil and it rolled across the kitchen floor. As a result I had to shove the cake, partially covered, in one of those big blue Ikea bags and hope it made it to the party in one piece. Poor dad had to wait downstairs whilst I made two trips from my flat to him with all my junk. By this time I was beginning to develop a nasty headache, probably as a result of the fact I hadn't had anything to drink since lunch time because I'd been so busy. The party went pretty well. Not many people showed up but all the people who were there seemed to enjoy themselves. Some of the Brownies ate four fairy cakes. So much for health eating! My mum and sister were absolute stars laying out the food and serving the drinks. After the party I still felt rubbish so I walked back to my parents' house and took two paracetemol before feeling well enough to brave the walk home at about 9pm. It was fun, but I'm glad it's over. Not much of the big cake was eaten so it will be going back to the Brownie Christmas party tomorrow. I hope it's still OK.
Wednesday - Back to work for an unusually busy day. After work I went to a colleague's new flat for a housewarming gathering. We drank mulled wine, ate mince pies and chocolate brownies and had a good old chat. Arrived home at 8pm and felt like it was the middle of the night. Still didn't feel up to cleaning kitchen which was covered in a thin layer of icing sugar from Tuesday.
Thursday - Somehow managed to be late for work (10.10am when I'm meant to be there by 10am). Spent the day watching most of my colleagues move desks as I'm staying in the same place (which is good because I've hung on to my window seat). I now have to adapt to the fact that people are sitting behind me for the first time in 5 years. Previously, I had a partition wall behind me which has now been removed and in my old job I was in the corner. It is quite odd not being able to see what is going on throughout the whole office any more. I also have to be careful not to move backwards too far in case I crash into the chair of the guy behind me.
After work I met my uni friends at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park to go ice skating. We'd originally hoped to skate at Somerset House which would have been a bit more picturesque but the tickets had sold out by the time we'd established a date we could all make. Winter Wonderland is good fun although a bit on the expensive side. I think it's meant to be like a German Christmas market/fayre. There were lots of stalls selling German food (I had a massive bratwurst in a very small bun for dinner), some craft stalls and some rides. The rides were from Germany too. There was also a sinking animatronic moose head which was odd but strangely endearing... Anyway, skating was fun. I hadn't skated since I lived in Cardiff (at least 7 years ago) and was suprised that I got used to it quickly and managed not to fall over. It's also good exercise. My legs really ached after we'd finished. After skating we went in the funhouse which was quite amusing. It was a shame we couldn't stay longer but the park closed at 10pm and we all had to work on Friday.
Friday - On Friday evening I went to the Christmas meal of my old work. We went to Bar Estilo in Richmond. I always assumed Bar Estilo was a national chain but it turns out they only have branches in Richmond, Teddington, Esher (which are all local to me) and Birmingham (which isn't). Anyway, I hadn't been before and to be honest I wouldn't go again. The fishcake I had for my starter seemed to be full of tuna from a tin whilst the taste of my chicken wrapped in bacon main course was completely overpowered by the mustard sauce. Additionally, the potatoes which came with the main course were like the sort of frozen potatoes served with school dinners. The chocolate sundae I had for pudding was OK, but let's face it, it's difficult to mess up and ice cream sundae! The worst part of the meal was that the waiter kept opening new bottles of wine and topping up glasses without us asking for them which I think is really cheeky. I don't drink wine in those situations as I like to know exactly how much I'm drinking but some of my fellow guests got very tipsy very quickly. At the end of the meal it all descended in to one of those awful situations where no one could figure out who owed what for drinks. Part of me wished I hadn't gone but it had seemed a good idea when I was invited back in early October. At least it was a night out I suppose.
This week should be a bit quieter. Tuesday is the Brownie Christmas party and our final every Brownie meeting :( I don't have much to do for it. I was meant to be wrapping the presents but they hadn't been delivered to Tawny Owl last time I spoke to her so she's ended up doing the wrapping as well as sorting out the food.
On Wednesday we're going for our work Christmas dinner in Richmond. Hopefully, the food will be better than Friday. I've been to the restaurant before and it's always been great so fingers crossed. After that, all my non-family Christmas festivities will be complete.
I really should think about putting up my Christmas tree at some point.
Whilst not being hacked I managed to do the following last week:
Monday - Took the day off work because my desk was being moved at work (including the floor box underneath it) and it seemed easier to take leave than potentially not get much done due to the disruption. It was a good job I did take the day off as it took a lot longer to make cakes for the Brownie party than I'd anticipated. I made 20 chocolate butterfly cakes and 20 chocolate chip fairy cakes and iced them, then mum and dad came to collect them at 7pm whilst the first layer of the 'big' cake was in the oven. I only had one large cake tin which mum had borrowed from a neighbour so I could only cook one layer at a time. Consequently the second layer wasn't cooked until after 10pm by which time I was ready to go to bed.
Tuesday - Went to work in the morning and then took a half day in the afternoon to ice the 'big' cake. Finally finished at 5.20pm. Dad collected me and all my stuff at 5.30pm. I just about had time to change my top and put on some mascara. In my efforts to wrap the cake in tin foil for transportation I managed to drop the foil and it rolled across the kitchen floor. As a result I had to shove the cake, partially covered, in one of those big blue Ikea bags and hope it made it to the party in one piece. Poor dad had to wait downstairs whilst I made two trips from my flat to him with all my junk. By this time I was beginning to develop a nasty headache, probably as a result of the fact I hadn't had anything to drink since lunch time because I'd been so busy. The party went pretty well. Not many people showed up but all the people who were there seemed to enjoy themselves. Some of the Brownies ate four fairy cakes. So much for health eating! My mum and sister were absolute stars laying out the food and serving the drinks. After the party I still felt rubbish so I walked back to my parents' house and took two paracetemol before feeling well enough to brave the walk home at about 9pm. It was fun, but I'm glad it's over. Not much of the big cake was eaten so it will be going back to the Brownie Christmas party tomorrow. I hope it's still OK.
Wednesday - Back to work for an unusually busy day. After work I went to a colleague's new flat for a housewarming gathering. We drank mulled wine, ate mince pies and chocolate brownies and had a good old chat. Arrived home at 8pm and felt like it was the middle of the night. Still didn't feel up to cleaning kitchen which was covered in a thin layer of icing sugar from Tuesday.
Thursday - Somehow managed to be late for work (10.10am when I'm meant to be there by 10am). Spent the day watching most of my colleagues move desks as I'm staying in the same place (which is good because I've hung on to my window seat). I now have to adapt to the fact that people are sitting behind me for the first time in 5 years. Previously, I had a partition wall behind me which has now been removed and in my old job I was in the corner. It is quite odd not being able to see what is going on throughout the whole office any more. I also have to be careful not to move backwards too far in case I crash into the chair of the guy behind me.
After work I met my uni friends at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park to go ice skating. We'd originally hoped to skate at Somerset House which would have been a bit more picturesque but the tickets had sold out by the time we'd established a date we could all make. Winter Wonderland is good fun although a bit on the expensive side. I think it's meant to be like a German Christmas market/fayre. There were lots of stalls selling German food (I had a massive bratwurst in a very small bun for dinner), some craft stalls and some rides. The rides were from Germany too. There was also a sinking animatronic moose head which was odd but strangely endearing... Anyway, skating was fun. I hadn't skated since I lived in Cardiff (at least 7 years ago) and was suprised that I got used to it quickly and managed not to fall over. It's also good exercise. My legs really ached after we'd finished. After skating we went in the funhouse which was quite amusing. It was a shame we couldn't stay longer but the park closed at 10pm and we all had to work on Friday.
Friday - On Friday evening I went to the Christmas meal of my old work. We went to Bar Estilo in Richmond. I always assumed Bar Estilo was a national chain but it turns out they only have branches in Richmond, Teddington, Esher (which are all local to me) and Birmingham (which isn't). Anyway, I hadn't been before and to be honest I wouldn't go again. The fishcake I had for my starter seemed to be full of tuna from a tin whilst the taste of my chicken wrapped in bacon main course was completely overpowered by the mustard sauce. Additionally, the potatoes which came with the main course were like the sort of frozen potatoes served with school dinners. The chocolate sundae I had for pudding was OK, but let's face it, it's difficult to mess up and ice cream sundae! The worst part of the meal was that the waiter kept opening new bottles of wine and topping up glasses without us asking for them which I think is really cheeky. I don't drink wine in those situations as I like to know exactly how much I'm drinking but some of my fellow guests got very tipsy very quickly. At the end of the meal it all descended in to one of those awful situations where no one could figure out who owed what for drinks. Part of me wished I hadn't gone but it had seemed a good idea when I was invited back in early October. At least it was a night out I suppose.
This week should be a bit quieter. Tuesday is the Brownie Christmas party and our final every Brownie meeting :( I don't have much to do for it. I was meant to be wrapping the presents but they hadn't been delivered to Tawny Owl last time I spoke to her so she's ended up doing the wrapping as well as sorting out the food.
On Wednesday we're going for our work Christmas dinner in Richmond. Hopefully, the food will be better than Friday. I've been to the restaurant before and it's always been great so fingers crossed. After that, all my non-family Christmas festivities will be complete.
I really should think about putting up my Christmas tree at some point.
