Six of one, half a dozen of the other

So I've not written for a couple of weeks. No idea why, I just suppose I didn't want to sprout the same old trash. Things are going OK; I had a great weekend with my mum and cousin - if a little hectic, I'm feeling a lot less lost in work and am feeling overwhelmed less often... Oh my god I just forgot Heroes was on! As you can probably tell my head still isn't right, my attention span and memory are what one would describe as 'shit'. 

I don't want this to turn into another post of me moaning about things, so to balance it out there's six things that get on my tits and half a dozen good things. Starting with the bad...

1. Forgetting things

Like the fact one of my favourite TV shows is on! Seriously my memory is atrocious. Useless facts like that Sputnik was launched in 1957, how to make cheese sauce, that Fluorine is the most electronegative element... No problem. So why can't I remember my past in detail so that it comes back in annoyingly short flashes that are furry round the edges? Other people can remember conversations word for word but I'm lucky if I remember having a conversation. I don't get it, it's annoying. Is there something wrong with me? Seriously.

2. Council Tax Installments.

So I pay about £1000 a year in council tax. You'd think paying in monthly installments would mean 12 payments, spread evenly. No. I have to make 9 payments, then nothing for 3 months. How does that make sense? I spend 9 months of the year skint, then just as I'm getting used to having the extra £70-odd I have to start paying again. Ridiculous!

3. Public Transport timings.

Get into the station on a train at 56 minutes past the hour. Next train home leaves exactly an hour later. An hour's wait at the station, with nothing to do but drink overpriced shit Starfucks coffee. 

4. Cleaning up other people's cock ups.

If I balls up, I clear up the mess left behind and admit I messed up. Apparently this doesn't apply to other people. Where I work relies heavily on a data trail, and when someone leaves it's meant to be easy for other people to pick up where they left off and carry on. No. I've done loads of overtime on studies that weren't assigned to me, got stressed over how much needs slotting in to my already busy schedule... ARGH! 

5. Milk going off over the weekend.

Further to my hours wait at the train station: by the time I get back home from a weekend away anywhere it's well past closing time at the little supermarket on the corner. Still, I go in the fridge for milk to make a brew to find it's gone off, even though there's still 2 days left on the date. 

6. Unexpected Letters.

I generally like getting post, and arriving home to see an NHS letter on the doormat I'm thinking 'great, it's my CBT referral finally'. So I open it and stop dead; I have to go for a smear test. How can it have been 5 years since the last one already? They're horrid things that bring back really really bad memories to the point of flashbacks that I can't escape even though I know they're in the past. Yes, I know they're lifesaving and essential, but do they have to leave you feeling so... ucky? Sympathy please!

And the half a dozen good things.

I. Tea.

Just tea. A fantastic infusion of dried leaves. It is the solution to many of life's problems, and in fact I'm going to brew up now while I wait for the second episode of Heroes *mooches off* There. One pot of tea brewing. Teapots are also immense; instead of making just one cup of tea at a time that never lasts long enough no matter how big it is, you make about 3 massive mugs at once. My two month long hunt for the 'right' teapot is now over, and when  I can be arsed taking a picture of it and it's not full of tea no doubt I will post it. Basically tea is wonderful. No dissing of the tea.

II. Cigarette Breaks.

The ONLY thing that keeps me going sometimes at work. It's only ten minutes 3 times a day but it breaks up the day and gets me out of the lab/office. It calms me down, gives me time to reset my head. It's saved a few Ks worth of equipment a good kicking sometimes too!

III. Little things.

My downstairs neighbour left me half a dozen eggs at the weekend, just because she had too many. She didn't have to do that. It was just really nice :) I like the little things that break up the constant monotony. Also random texts from people you really care about who you've thought have forgotten about you. 

IV. Lollipops.

Sweeties, but on a stick. Genius! need I say more?

V. That sense of achievement.

You know when things have gone wrong, and you work your arse off to make it better, and loads of other people chip in to make it happen? That happened to me last week. No way could I have got the study started without pretty much everyone in my department helping me. I was so greatful I bought flapjacks and chocolate brownies to share. The best thing though... we got it done together.

VI. Not having to get up.

Turning the alarm off on a Friday night because I can stay in bed as late as I want. It doesn't get better than that!