Tax does, it seems, have to be taxing

A couple of weeks ago I got notification, passed on to me via Tudor, that I needed to complete a tax return. I ignored it, obviously, because I'm PAYE and shouldn't need to complete one, plus they hadn't actually sent me a tax return. Then, a week or so ago, I decided to double check and found out that, low and behold, I do need to return one. As it was only a short time till the deadline, he suggested that I complete it online. So, a week ago I went to do just that but found I had to apply for a PIN code to register, which they had to send me in the post.

Today is 31st Jan. Deadline day and I risk a £100 fine I don't get it in. Didn't receive my PIN yet so couldn't do it online. Instead I had to print it off and complete it by hand, now I have to drive off to hand it in to the nearest tax office, which is Twickenham. There is, of course, industrial action today and I can't get hold of them by phone so I can't confirm with them that a) they're open and b) they can take receipt of my return. Fingers crossed I don't have a wasted (and therefore expensive) journey.

Add that to the fact that it's all bloody maths, which makes me stressed to the gills, and I'm pissed off with the fact that, despite £450 worth of expenses, the calculations say I'm only entitled to a £97 rebate. How the hell can that be right?! Bloody Inland bloody Revenue.

More bargains

I went shopping with Megan the other day in Kingston. It was a bumper day for the bargain hunter; the last dregs of the sale is always my favourite time to go a-looking. I got: three tops from Kew, two soft think jumper type things (one red, one charcoal) and one long blue t-shirt, which looks great with the turquoise belt I also picked up. In Gap, I was looking at a grey jumper which was not, of course, in the sale. I then spotted a different grey top in a very soft t-shirt-type material and decided that, since it was a bit cheaper at £14.50, I'd get that instead. Took it up to the counter and...you guessed it...they said 'That'll be £2.99 please". Fabulous. Uniqlo next, where I found a big thick warm cardigan with a fleecy lining for half price. Then over to Primark to get some new socks and spotted a plain black halterneck bikini for a bargain £5, which - I kid you not - makes me look like a Bond girl. I'm heading off to The Sanctuary tomorrow evening for an evening spa and Nourishing Kyphi Scrub and I bet that no one there will guess that I'm such a cheapskate.

Add this to that the fact that I had my hair done on Saturday at johnbaxterhill in Walton. I went as a model for the trainee again and had a full head of highlights and a cut & blowdry. It was a top job (I had some more red streaks put in and it now looks like the picture I have on my profile again!) and cost me the bargain price of £30 all in.

All in all, a very satisfying weekend.

Have just been forced to switch to Blogger Beta (new version) so am hoping that my blog doesn't disappear or do anything strange. Please let me know if it does.

The wonderful Marillion played a gig at Koko in Camden last night; I was there, of course. If you remember, the last time I went to Koko was to see The Buzzcocks with my friend Suzie and I discovered a 'secret' balcony right at the top where there was a row of comfy leather sofas. I thought then that a gig watched while sat on comfy sofas, with a practically private bar and a good view of the stage was almost perfect, and would indeed have been perfect, if the band had been Marillion. Well, last night, I had the opportunity to put this to the test and I am pleased to report that it was as good as expected. My friend Megan and I queued up early in the cold to make sure we were first up there (judging by the crowds that followed us later it seems it's not so secret after all) and managed to secured the centre sofa. Bliss.

The band were, as ever, musical genius incarnate, and I sang my little heart out start to finish. The only slight sticking point came when I noticed that, directly below us two floors down, stood Tudor and his girlfriend Lindsey (we haven't met), right in front of the sound mixing desk, naturally. I'd recognise that bald spot anywhere. Tudes spotted me too and we waved hello. I knew they'd be there because I know Lindsey knows the wife of Marillion's keyboard player Mark Kelly, but a bit of an odd feeling nonetheless. Still, fortunately there was plenty going on on the stage throughout the evening to distract me, so that was good at least. Tudes texted me later to say he'd met Mark Kelly. Lucky lucky bastard. Anyway, nuff said on that one.

Messing with my head

So - lookylikies. I was directed to the Fake Faces website by the wonderful Geoff Show and, not only does it have some of the loosest definitions of look-a-likes that I've yet seen, but I have also discovered a very odd chain of events.

If you go to the Paris Hilton look-a-like, you will note that it is none other than Celebrity Big Brother 'non-celebrity turned real celebrity' winner Chantelle Houghton, who has apparently been a Paris Hilton look-a-like since before her CBB days. On her page, it suggests that you might like to hire her alongside Preston look-a-like Ben Edwards. What?! So, you hire someone to look like Paris Hilton, but then hire someone who looks like the look-a-like's real-life husband to have alongside her? Does that not suggest that you're hiring Chantelle and Preston look-a-likes instead? But with the REAL Chantelle and a FAKE Preston? But wait - there's more. On the Preston look-a-like's page, it suggests that you might like to hire him alongside Chantelle look-a-like Dani. So let me get this straight. You can hire the real Chantelle to impersonate Paris, a fake Preston to accompany her and a fake Chantelle for...spares?

Just weird.

Winter wonderland

It was very exciting to wake up to all that snow this morning - the view out of my window was second-to-none. I got up and went for a walk down by the lake and took about a hundred photos, some of which I've posted here for your delight and pleasure.

Do I live in one of the most beautiful spots or what?!?

A bit on the windy side

My dad's shed blew over!

Plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery

I bumped into my old tutor from uni yesterday at work and she looked rather bemused as she said she wanted to show me something. She opened up something in her hand and asked me if I recognised it. Well, yes I did, it was some work I'd done for my 'management portfolio' when I'd been doing my degree - several very dull pages about management theories which had been a bugger to read and summarise - and also some stuff my friend Claire had contributed. She asked me if I was sure it was mine, to which I replied I certainly was because you don't forget stuff that boring.

Turns out that it had been submitted by a current student as her own work, and what's more, apparently this piece of work has been plagiarised by TVU students several times before! This particular time, it's a girl they've suspected of plagiarism in the past, so wanted to have proof to confront her. Still, I'm rather flattered that my work is still doing the rounds...

Oh and I got the results of my Examination of the Newborn course (the course I did last year to enable me to do a detailed examination of babies once they're born to confirm they're healthy, usually done by paediatricians). I got 87%! Rather pleased with that, so In Your Face paediatricians of Queen Charlotte's. Now give me an opthalmoscope and I'm away...