2 posts tagged “christmas”

Happy New Year! Hope all is well as we head into 2009.......we're now 3 days in and it's about time I used this site more often!

Over Christmas and New Year I've rediscovered the joys of eBay and Amazon Marketplace, making a tidy sum on stuff that's been sat here not used or needed for months, that people have either wanted as a last minute Christmas present, or that they've wanted for themselves now that the Christmas shopping bonanza is out of the way...either way it's a little bit of extra cash in my pocket!

I also signed up to one of these "consumer panels" that ask you questions about products in return for vouchers or prize draws and the like...only this one pays you quite substantial amounts for sampling products or trying out Free Trials of things like online shopping or movie rentals. Hey, when it comes to the Credit Crunch, I'm gonna take all I can haha :)

I'm gonna try and work hard to make this a more productive year, both for me and Chantelle. I'm gonna see what jobs are out there and try and do something more with myself, more fulfilling and challenging. Where I am now is a good place to work; the people are great, the job's easy enough, sometimes quite demanding but also quite rewarding knowing that you're helping to keep the business flowing, but it's time to branch out and see what other opportunities are out there.

Today I went for a little jolly around the coastal hotspot which is Withernsea =D I had to visit Tesco to try and find some razors (Gillette and Satan are apparently in league to prevent me from shaving...it's not entirely clear why Lucifer and a popular shaving brand would join forces, but I'm certain that all will be revealed in due course...), do some recycling (Christmas=cardboard in our house) and then decided to wend my way around the tractor-infested sideroads around Withernsea and Easington gas terminals. Taking in caravan parks, plastic cows and wind farms, I ended up driving past RAF Holmpton, which was used as an underground bunker during World War II and the Cold War. Might try and visit it properly when it opens again later in the year....I don't think a lot of people know they have a bit of wartime history right in their back garden!

Right now I'm back at home having just signed up for free trials on a website that delivers fresh fruit to your doorstep, and an online children's bookstore..........all in the name of market research and Cash for Shaun :)

Mum's sad because she's preparing to take the Christmas tree and decorations down...I'm looking out of my window and all the lights and decorations in people's gardens down our street are all gone, except one hour opposite us, which has a wreath hanging on the wall of the house, and some Santa and Snowman figures in the garden. It's amazing just how quickly Christmas is over....the shops no longer crowded, all sense of festive joy seems to go out the window as people go back to work or to their own regular non-Christmas lives...all apart from this man of course...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1731057.stm

On one hand, I reckon this guy's nuts, but on the other, I admire his spirit for keeping it up each and every day!!

Anyone else fancy a 365-day Christmas???

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you're having a wonderful Christmas time and that you've not overdone it on the chocolate/turkey/nuts/crisps/[insert more food here]!!!!

My goodness, it's been a while since I updated this thing!

Last time I wrote, I was preparing to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. What's changed? Well, quite a lot actually! I am no longer an active member of the church, and consequently have no plans to serve a mission anytime soon. In researching and discussing church history and revealed doctrines, Scripture and so on, I have decided that the Church is not the right place for me.

I still have a firm conviction of the reality of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, but I am no longer committed to the "true" church - indeed I am once again in search of truth, but no longer have a belief in their being one true church that would act in God's name. I believe that God has a place in everyone and everything, and that one's "worthiness" is not defined by how many times you attend a church, or even how often you pray or read Scripture. I believe that God looks for the best in all of us, in how we act and speak, how we give our time and our abilities, and what we make of the life we're given. I still believe that Jesus Christ made the ultimate sacrifice, and indeed gave all of His time and His effort to grant us the chance of happiness in this life and the life to come, and also the freedom to think and act for ourselves. I believe in Him and His words, His life, His teachings and His love for me and all of God's children, and I am determined to try and live my life in a way which is reflective of His....or as close as possible! :)

On the careers front, still I remain stuck! Whilst I like the people I work with Comet and can say that 9 times out of 10 I enjoy the work I do, I am again looking for other opportunities to gain more experience and make use of what I can do. A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to attend an interview at Beverley Grammar School for the post of Assistant to the Data Manager. After interviewing there, and being tested on what might be a typical task, I decided to turn down the job and give it to one of the other candidates (all lovely people who seemed more enthusiastic and capable of working in a secretary/officey/admin role in a school!) But! I got a phone call a few days later asking if I would call them in the New Year as they would like to consider offering me a place in their IT team. Perhaps months of fixing people's PCs and massive spreadsheets at Comet is finally paying off!!

I'm determined to keep this more up to date in the New Year.....one of the guys at Comet has done a 366 day journal thingy on Facebook, with a summary and a photo of each day this year.....I'd love to have the determination to do something like that, even if it's just to see if I can do it....as Chantelle can tell you, it's a struggle for me just to keep a paper journal updated every month!!! =D

I'm going to revamp this blog and have a better crack at keeping it up to date in the New Year, but for now I've got Family Guy and Heroes box sets to plough through, and a mountain of chocolate to try and overcome, so I'll write again in a few days' (and 2 stones) time!! =D

Happy New Year!! Hope 2009 is a good year for everyone :)