In stark contrast

to my hideous shift on Sunday, yesterday was pretty good - a few of my friends were working, we had sweets AND I found a little happy baby inside a woman's belly.  She was having some pains and the obstetrics doctor said if I could see hear the heartbeat, I could reassure her.  We have an ultrasound in the ED but it's basic and we don't usually use it for baby scans!!  I was very wary of my poor ultrasound skills but I found it!!  Heartbeat, and little head, arms and legs, all wiggling about.   I'm not sure who was more emotional - me or Mum & Dad!!!  It reminded me of why I love my job, which I really needed after Sunday (which I do not want to share the details of on line sorry).

Apologises for the absence

I have so incredibly busy - mainly with work, but also trying to fit study time in and other bits and bobs - all non-fun bits and bobs.  Did my Advanced Life Support course last week (we have to do it every 4 years) and I got recommended to be an instructor which I am hugely happy about.
The dreaded exam is 2 months away and pretty much every day off has to be spent studying - other than the occasional few nights out for halloween, concerts (Black Keys) and friends birthdays, I will be sat at my desk studying.  Which makes for very little to write about in blog land, so expect it to be quiet around these parts for the next couple of months.

Oh and for those who know about all the crap that happened 6 months ago - the builders FINALLY started in our Cardiff house today! Yey!  They reckon it will only take a month!

Someone killed the dinosaur!

(from Portsmouth News)

Bastards, I had grown rather fond of the Southseasaurus.

Autumn

It's kinda my favourite season - I like the colours, the smells, the cozyness, the build up to Christmas, but I also know that after it comes winter which always seems to go on forever and ever.  But for now I will enjoy mugs of hot chocolate, smells of burning wood, evenings drawing in, leaves (slowly) turning to orange.  Thought I'd find some autumn loveliness via Flickr.... (I am queen of procrastination when I am supposed to be studying!!)

From Sebastian Mary

From kisses are a better fate than wisdom's

From Just us 3

I always want to go to Disney land at this time of year, they do it pretty good.

Other Bestivalities

Other than the Flaming lips, we saw Mumford and Sons, Bombay Bicycle club, Rolf Harris, Roxy Music (oh yes), Eliza Doolittle, Fake Blood and Vanilla Ice.  We walked past the Cocktails and Dreams tent saying 'I wonder when Vanilla Ice is on' only to bloody walk into him!!!!  And he posed for me!  The best possible Vanilla Ice pose ever!  And my stupid bloody camera missed it cos it was on silly mode.  Garrghhh!!!!

Other than that, we ate yummy food, dressed up as dragons/dinosaurs and red pandas (I was also supposed to be a dragon warrior but the rain meant I couldn't wear most of my outfit), drank yummy cocktails at the Black Dahlia and had afternoon tea and burlesque in the Time for Tease tent.

It was all great!  Stayed in a podpad for the 2nd year in a row, despite saying we wouldn't again!  Much comfier with twin beds and being on the flat, but this year we had absolutely no electricity (supposed to have light and 12V plug) - which made it a little bit of a waste of money.  Oh well.  And the prodigy, well they were a bit shit really.  Horrible atmosphere within the crowd.

Here are some photos!

Ice Ice Baby!  (this was inside during his gig)

The Wishing Tree (had to pass a test to get in there)

Main Stage

My 'dragon warrior thingy' mask... mostly worn in the Podpad during a rainstorm!

Our Kigu

Dinosaur in need of a wee

Ratty Panda

Tea and burlesque

Castle that got burnt on the last night

Watching the castle burn

Pretty fireworks and flags

Off to Southsea Fest tomorrow, our local festival - should be fun!

Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips at Bestival were amazing, probably the best live show I have ever seen!  There were streamers, balloons, confetti and even laser hands!!!  Whilst I don't love all their songs, it didn't hugely matter as they were putting on such a good show!  I thought I'd share a few photos!

Wayne in zorb at beginning

This was the intro, not the end!

Wayne on a bear!?!

Laser hands!!!!

Confetti on the floor afterwards!

More Bestival pics tomorrow. xx

Bestivalities

Off to Bestival tomorrow over on the Isle of Wight (so not exactly far...)  It really has already started but work commitments mean we can't go 'til tomorrow teatime, boo.  This year is the 'year of the fantastic'.  We are going as dragon and dragon rider/warrior in the day and dinosaur and red panda at night.  Yes, the night is lacking fantasy a bit!  I was supposed to be St George but my outfit never came and we could only find huge giant sized outfits in the fancy dress shop, so I got a cool mask and Phil did some spray painting and..... you'll have to wait and see! Very excited, hoping the weather is reasonably good and the hovercraft crossing is smooth! xx

(hideous pic of a drunken me from last year)

Produce from my garden

I have a postage stamp sized garden  and a slighter smaller patio, but have been determined to grow something other than flowers.  Last year we got 2 or 3 strawberries only, so this year I planted everything I could find.  Last week I have got a load of tiny red onions and this week my tomatoes have ripened.  The tomatoes aren't the tastiest things ever, but edible enough.  They were lovely in a prawn linguine last night! Other highlights include rosemary and about a dozen strawberries this year.  My carrots are almost ready too, but I think they will be tiny (I planted them too close together and never got round to thinning them out).  My coriander, basil and lettuce all never happened or died pretty soon after sprouting.  I am hoping to have a proper sized garden soon so I can plant lots more, hopefully more successfully!

A week of weddings!

The week before last we had 2 weddings in one week, both of which we were involved in.
The first, my husband was best man for.  He got heckled during his best man speech, by no less than the bride's mother!  It made it all the more entertaining!  The reception was in a spanish restaurant and had an incredibly yummy buffet of paella, patatas bravas, pesto pasta and so on.  Lots of dancing to good tunes and even a Jedward style rendition of Vanilla Ice by my husband and the groom!

The second wedding was Ben and Amy's - they are some of our best friends.  We did a little bit of helping the night before, then I joined a group of girls and Mums who helped Amy get ready on the day, and then proceeded to take hundreds of photos!  I loved Amy's dress - I had been waiting to see it as we went dress shopping and she choose this one over the one I saw her in!  They had afternoon tea, a hog roast, brilliant speeches and a very fun cover band - very very happy for them!

There's a dinosaur on Southsea common.

Its bloody huge!

So.....

I guess I haven't posted much recently, despite the fact I have a few bits and bobs to share.  I blame work - whilst I am so much happier to be back where I feel I 'belong' work-wise, in A&E, the shifts are incredibly tiring and I feel like I have so little time off.  The recent few have been pretty emotionally draining too - yesterday my 30 year old friend came in with a massive massive heart attack (luckily he went straight for an angio and is gonna be okay) and today, I had just left the hospital in my car when I came across a load of people standing round someone on the pavement - a man had collapsed on the way to work and had a cardiac arrest.  Myself and another doctor were there and pretty soon after, the whole cardiac arrest team were there - quite surreal as it was outside!  I am hoping that my next 2 night shifts will be a little less adrenaline filled!  I have 2 whole weeks off after that, I am very much looking forward to them!  I plan to sleep late, drink too much tea and take lots of pretty pictures.  Oh, and do some studying.  Bleurgh.

Twenty Nine

I feel quite old.  And I now have to go to work, but at least I have had a lovely afternoon.  I had a hot stones massage then went for lunch at a lovely little tea room and got a pink cupcake.  

I have been promised more cake at work so the sugar headache will probably last all day!

Ibiza

For my husband's 30th birthday, we went to Ibiza for a long weekend.  It was my first visit, his second (he celebrated his 18th there too).  It was ridiculously expensive trip, despite flying RyanAir, but a once in a lifetime trip!  We went to clubs (Eden and Pacha), drank far too many Mojitos in Savannah on the sunset strip, laid on beautiful beaches soaking up the sun and ate lobster at one of the most beautiful restaurants on the island (but shame about the service, Amante!)  I'd love to go back next summer, although may have to wait until the exchange rate is more in our favour! Here are some photos.

Me with one of those Mojitos at Savannah

Dancer at Wonderland at Eden

Long exposure at Eden

Ibiza sunset

Cala Vadella beach

The birthday boy at Amante with a pre-dinner Martini

The view from our table at Amante

Ibiza Town - Dalt Vila

Wish I was still there!

Exhaustion

Ibiza was lovely - we went to clubs, danced, laughed, drank far too much Cava, spent far too much money and sat on lovely beaches.  I came back straight into my new job which has involved being at the hospital (which is almost an hour away) for 7.30am every day and doing at least 11 hour days.  I am knackered!  I have to continue with the early mornings until Wednesday, when I get a whole 1 day off!!

Work seems okay so far, need more time to get back into Emergency Medicine before I properly start enjoying it though, but I'm sure I'll get there!  Am off to bed, once again, too late - should really be in bed at 8pm!!

And yes, I note the irony of the title and the photo!

I'm leaving on a jet plane

Off to Ibiza, will be back on Tuesday!  Yey!

xx

Glastonbury Highlights Part 1

So obviously by 'tomorrow' I meant 8 days later.......
Bit photo heavy this one, but not sure I really need to explain!

Am off for dinner at my favourite (Japanese) restaurant then off to work.  I have 4 night shifts and then am done with intensive care.  I'm sure I'll miss a few things, but not the 13 hour long shifts, very glad to see the back of those!