The Corner House

Ex-soap star very nice, by the way. Only really got to say that I enjoyed the show (which I did). Friend said to her, 'I'd wish I was as successful as you' to which she replied that she'd been lucky. Apparently, she's coming to do a workshop with us sometime.
Career doldrums, again. Made about a tenner since half-past-seven. When am I ever gonna get lucky?

Luckily, it wasn't necessary to pre-order my graduation gown. Back to this topic again because one of Menhir's comments reminded me of the fracas the night before the graduation ceremony.
I was at Bonnie's, drinking gin, watching The Young Victoria or whatever is was. All well and good until Bonnie asks for her ticket to get into the graduation.
I'd lost it, naturally.
"I'm sure you're on a list, it won't be a big deal."
Excuse for her to go into one. How could I have lost it etc.
Her new husband (Henry 8th, I call him, 'cos he's got the same Christian name as her late husband), well, Henry 8th recently got his Masters (from Durham) and he didn't lose his ticket, oh no.... and he's never paid Bank Charges in his life, either.....
"Why on earth didn't you order your gown sooner? You'll end up with no gown. You'll have to ring Jay (notorious hoarder) and she'll have to rush down with that old gown she keeps offering you. The one she's had in the garage for the past 35 years. You might shake the dust off, perhaps, but then you'll be walking across the stage and a cat will jump out of it" (Jay also notorious cat lover).
Needless to say, Bonnie's worse-case scenario didn't happen, she got in perfectly okay and I've got photos of self in cap and gown (still to go onto disc).

Always wanted a caravan.
Just like them. I remember caravan holidays as a child and I loved them then and still do. I like their dinkiness and compactness. People say don't buy one, site fees always go up and up but how could I buy one anyway, state of my finances.
But....
Lemonie's daughter and grandkids are always off to Norfolk, staying in caravans. They're going next week. Lemonie's staying home to mind dog and wants me to visit. Amazes me how a lot of long-time married women much prefer to be with their friends than their husbands. Marriage is still lauded as the best state or, at least, I think it still is but it's not so bad being single. I mean, I didn't choose it but now it's here....
Anyway, how lovely if I could have a caravan then Becca and babies (well, quite big girls now) can stay when they want. Caravans are for families really and I'd have a nice surrogate family to keep me company. I wonder if I can put a phone in for work.
Until this fantasy materialises I'm off to Scotland on Sunday to stay in Bonnie's sister's caravan for a few days.

Going to meet famous ex-soap star tonight.
I'm dead chuffed, I love hob-nobbing with the rich and famous, me.
Maybe won't get to actually talk with her. She's an ex-student of my drama tutor, we're all meeting up for a meal, her, him and lots of current students.
Still, it's exciting.

Just watched BBC iplayer, the new series about the Pre-Raphaelites.
Can anyone else remember watching the original one? Sometime in the 70's. This one's more light-hearted than that (from what I can remember). It's like a Victorian version of The Monkees (a series even older than the Pre-Raphaelites, oh dear).
I have been into the Pre-Raphaelites since forever. Not so much the paintings, more the way of life and the hair. The hair, if only.... They also featured in my Open University Arts Foundation course (I have been studying forever as well, long before taking my Drama/Creative Writing degree).
The actual paintings? Yes, I do like them but.... As part of the same OU course, we were shown two versions of "The Annunciation" - Rossetti's and Fra Angelico's. There was no comparison, I mean, I don't know about art but I know what I like. Rosetti's was so posey, completely false, all done for effect. Fra Angelico's, on the other hand, was the most sincerest thing ever. So truthful, a man painting his faith, beautiful and maybe my favourite painting.
If I could download both versions, I would.

Bored and hungry is what I am.
Wish I'd gone out now.
Not allowed to eat. Not excessively anyway and I've had today's three square meals.
Plus a sneaky ice-cream on a stick!

Went to have hip x-rayed.
That's it, really. Came home and felt really tired so had a little lay down. Skipped the Ceroc class, not sure if my hip up to it. But still, intend to go next week.
Chatting to the radiographer who says no-one really believes they are getting on - ageing is something that happens to other people. Arthritis is only the joints wearing out and no, there's no cure for old age.
Oh, Gawd, how miserable is this post.

I should be working not blogging.
Still.
Quite liked my graduation. I mean, I've never been to one and hardly likely to go so would have been a shame to miss out on my own.
On way there, at bus station, someone had left an Ambrose Wilson catalogue on a seat. My Mum always liked Ambrose Wilson, so took it as sign she was with me.
It's a thing for parents really and even the actual parents there seemed younger than me never mind the students.
Took some extra-strength Ibruprufen to stop my arthritic hip playing up.
Of course, I loved the dressing up part of it. No instructions as to what to wear but I noticed lots did have white blouses/black skirts. And a couple of the women had RED shoes which looked just great with the blue and red hood thing.
'I'd love to do a law degree now" I told Bonnie, 'Just think, a barrister could dress up like this every day.'
Felt very 'establishment', I really should talk RP I continued. Short shrift from Bonnie.
"Don't you dare subscribe to that bollocks. Working-class people with accents, aren't clever? Come on, the cleverest man you or I ever met spoke broad Mancunian."
That was a reference to her late husband. She's very Marxist but right.
I had mortar board on back to front but they fixed it before my parade down the 'catwalk.'
Bonnie and Frank watching. Mistake, probably. Bonnie not one to suffer fools gladly and Frank she has firmly placed in the fool category.
"I've spent two hours listening to him talk shite, I can't bear it, I'll have to go home."
Frank, in theory, should also have graduated today but he's since failed his second-year twice. He doesn't seem too bothered and has plans to continue part-time somewhere else.
Anyway, he then somehow managed to spill a pint of beer over Bonnie's new dress which, of course, was the absolute last straw and off she went.
Me and him meandered down to Town Hall for freeby glass of wine.
My lovely gay tutor was there.
"You should have got a first for your dissertation" he said. I got 63 but he seemed to think I should have started it earlier. And, he's right, I should have. I'm a bit lazy and procrastinating when it comes to academic work and don't really want to do any more. Which doesn't mean I won't.
On to the pub with Frank, his brother and daughter then home (to Bonnie's) on the bus where some passing transvestite struck up a conversation.
But that's another story.

Part of me wants to decamp to Spain. Or anywhere warm but I do like the Med. It would do my arthritis good. A TEFL course and a bit of tarot-reading on the side, it's feasible.
What's stopping me? My acting course mainly. Wild horses won't drag me away from that although it's finished now until September.
Sun would be could for my hip, plus all the swimming I'd do.
Maybe next year.

Hairdresser's this morning. Have to prepare my graduation self. S'alright, my hair. I'm letting it go unnaturally grey i.e. grey with peroxide streaks. So it looks a kind of ash blonde now, not too bad. Drank 3 cups of black coffee. I only ever really drink coffee at the hairdressers so much for my new caffeine-free self. Then hobbled along to shoe shop. I need shoes and that's all there is to it and it's no good having cheap ones with my hip.

My hip really hurting today. I don't know what to do. It's certainly an incentive to eat a bit less in case losing weight might help. Bought some deep heat at the chemist's. Slight relief.
Oh dear! I never thought anything like this would ever happen to me.

I was in two minds about going to the Graduation ceremony. I mean, I'm just going to look stooopid, hobbling up there, at my age, with my bad hip.
But, curiosity killed the cat, I mean, I've never been to a Graduation ceremony before so it will be interesting. Plus, if I don't have a photo of me in hat, who will ever believe I've got a degree? Also, that psychic I saw last year said "I see you in a Cap and Gown." How clever was she, no-one would guess a middle-aged (old-aged?) woman was a student.

Wondering why the tarot line was so quiet. After about 5 hours with no calls, I suddenly realised! I was only still logged on at Clare's!
I'd been round to her's for a barbecue and worked from there on Monday and forgot to change phone number! Stupid (and not the first time I've done it).
She works down in Birmingham during the week. Dreadful thought that her bloke, D, was getting all my poor ladies asking him to read their cards for them.
Stupid because I've earned half of what I should have earned tonight and hope my Boss ('cos I do sort of have a Boss)doesn't twig what's happened.

'It wasn't the cough that carried her off, it was the coffin they carried her off in.'
As my old mates, the printers, used to say, back in the day when I used to have a job.

Exaggerated about bike-ride. It's a 6-mile round trip.
Did have a lovely day in the Lakes last week, cycling round with 'Frank' (aka Blue Eyes). We did about 15 miles, I'd say, saw Wordsworth's Cottage, had picnic near Grasmere, fed ducks.

Haven't been posting. I'm on a sort of fitness thing at the moment. Basically, studying makes you fat. Also, no denying it, I have a bad hip. Alas, these things happen to old ladies and I'm suddenly walking with a slight limp just the way my Mum used to walk. Oh dear! Visited doctor, who implied it was joints and arranged for an x-ray next week. He also suggested I lose weight!
I'm trying. 3 meals a day, a six-mile bike-ride to nearest swimming pool and 16 lengths.
Other worrying thing, tarot line, dead as doornails. Hope it picks up, 'cos I'm not earning anything like a living wage just now. I'd be better off picking fruit, that's how bad it is.