Where this girl's been at

So no apologising for being absent here. No-one cares. That isn't a desperate plea for everyone to flood me with comments stating the opposite but the simple truth. It really bugs me when people apologise profusely for being absent for a whole two hours (slight exaggeration). No-one notices. Or if they do they probably just think you've gone and got yourself one of those 'lives' that we've heard about.

I'm going to explain my absence though because it's 'life' stuff and I don't know about you but I LOVE hearing about bloggers real lives.

At the end of last year I changed jobs. I left my shift work and started a new role as a academic support worker (note-taker) at a university near me. It isn't regular hours, however I now get weekends off. Hurrah! Fear not, I shall not turn into one of those 'oh thank goodness it's the weekend!' type person. I know how much shift workers want to hit them on the head! ;) But it is nice to be able to plan stuff. Of which i've done none of yet. But hey ho, it's there if I want to.

At the same time I was applying for jobs (which takes forever by the way, thanks to every company wanting your employment history in a completely different way!) I was having a little soul-search into my future. At 27, I really ought to be getting a clue. Anyhow, i've decided on a plan of action and that involves me returning to uni for three years. So I then had the task of going through the UCAS application process and getting an on the deadline day application in. It really is so much easier to do these things when you're in 6th form than ten years after you've left.

I've had one interview for uni and have two more soon. Hopefully one of these will see through my bumbling and apparent lack of anything and see i'm actually a good, hard-working student. I just find it difficult being put on the spot at interviews.

As evidence of recent study is a requirement and because the last time I did any study was 6/7 years ago when I graduated, I'm studying for a diploma in Sociology via distance-learning. I started this last month and hope to complete it by June.

I also went on a little holiday in January - see here, a cruise around the Canary Islands.  I forgot to mention on that post that the travel blogger This Girl Loves was on the same boat. We were in the same jeep for the Morocco trip, so I hope she does a post on it, as her photo's would have come out way better than mine.

Hmm what else? Well I thoroughly enjoyed enjoy #EELIVE last week. I believe joining in on Twitter enhanced the experience and I loved the jokes the cast shared about #HOWSADAM

Oh and I got a Kindle Fire for Christmas. My first tablet and flippin' amazing it is! May be spending too much time on there and none on my actual laptop!

So with job changing/uni applying/studying/holidaying/discovering the beauty of a tablet I just couldn't spend the time on here. Yes I know I hardly ever post as it is and although typing a post doesn't take that long, I find the whole making it pretty/promoting/twitter chattering/statistic viewing/reading/commenting too much. I just lose time seemingly achieving nothing and I needed to concentrate on my future for a little while. I also seem to have loads of ideas and write the posts . .  but only in my head and at 1am in the morning when i'm about to sleep, which isn't very helpful!


So that's my past few months, please send a little luck my way for my interviews! 

5 things about my cruise

I've just got back from a weeks cruise around the Canary Islands and Morocco. Here are a few little snippets from our week:

On the cruise I . . 

1. Went in a very bumpy 4x4 jeep in Morocco.

2. Stuffed myself silly on the first two days and felt ill. I obviously took it a bit slower on the food front for the rest of the week!


3. Watched performances each night by the AMAZING show team. They were so talented, I was very jealous.


4. Slept in a bunk that was incredibly hard to get in and out of. It was a mission and a half, once I was up there I didn't come down!


5. Visited the very beautiful capital city of Madeira, Funchal. Look how pretty the main streets are!

Recommended Recent Reads # 3 - Mistletoe Mansion

RRR#1 - About a Girl

RRR#2 - Sealed with a Kiss

I'm going to omit the description for this book as it is too long but click here if you wish to read it.

The gist of the story is this:

Kimmy finds herself  homeless after refusing to settle down with her boyfriend (and why should she, she's only 21!) and lands herself a job housesitting in a mansion next door to celebrity Melissa Winsford (like you do). The story involves cupcakes, ghosts and a fit handyman.

My opinion:

If I read my description i'd have bought this straight away but actually, the official blurb doesn't sound all that appealing to me. It was only the mention of mysterious ooccurrings that intrigued me. That and the 59p price tag.

In all honesty after starting this book I put it down (or whatever you call it when you're reading on a kindle) and didn't read again until a week later. The main character annoyed me. All this celebrity glitz, glamour and designer clothing she hankered for and the scenarios she imagined finding herself in with her celebrity neighbour. Eugh. 

BUT . . .

I did enjoy it once I got into the main story and it's always a good sign when you keep staying up longer for one more chapter . .  and one more chapter . . .

The ghostly happenings leave you wondering and the stuck-up witch (I don't swear but you can swap the W for another letter if you like) ;) living  next door does thaw and shows herself as a normal being in the end. Even Kimmy realises celebritydom is not all that.

A couple of mentions go to:

- Kimmy's a-ma-zing cake flavour combinations, Pina Colada surprises with Malibu flavoured buttercream and popping candy anyone?!

- Terry, a camp older golfing neighbour with eccentric outfits.

- Jess, Kimmy's best friend who has her head firmly out of the clouds and very much reminds me of her namesake in the Shopaholic books as Becky's sister.

- Lastly Luke, the token fit and mysterious male essential in any chick-lit, who provided this highlight-worthy quote:

'As long as you don't let your happiness become dependent on how much is in your bank account. Nothing wrong with aspirations as long as you're prepared to work hard for them and don't expect anyone else to hand them to you on a plate - that's what I reckon. Self-respect, a sense of achievement, everyone should aim for that.'

The price of this book is too good to turn down and despite my initial reservations, is a good Christmas or holiday (you don't need to wait until Christmas!) read to occupy yourself for a few days.

Anyone going to give this a go?

The Girl Online controversy

So I only heard about the whole controversy regarding Zoella's book, 'Girl Online', having been ghost-written a couple of hours ago. I've been trying to voice my opinion with others on twitter however 140 characters is not sufficient so here I am.

Now i've seen the deleted blog post from the apparent ghostwriter's blog, talking about a book she'd been asked to write in six weeks. Deleting it is is a little suspicious.
I also read a few tweets from a couple of people that said Zoella posted a picture of her with her ghostwriter a while back. So perhaps she has never denied it but I don't believe it has been widely known. It can't have been for the internet to have got so caught up in the story today.

I don't care if someone has their books ghost-written. Katie Price doesn't write her books. I've not read any of them but I still know that. Her fans still purchase.

I think it is the fact it was not disclosed more openly in the first instance.

The issue I have, is what Zoella and being a blogger stands for. In my opinion she is open, honest and natural. She talks about her anxiety openly and regularly goes without make-up in her vlogs. Blogs are also (though this in itself is a topic of regular debate recently) looked to for honest opinions and often favoured in the place of magazines. In my opinion, not being more upfront about the authorship of the book, is what I have a problem with and goes against who I see her as.

Maybe her management had a say in this, who knows. I'm not having a go at the girl, but perhaps       ' . . written in collaboration with . .'
would have been better for the front cover. I'm certain there would still have been just as many sales!

What is your opinion on this? Is it the same as mine?