I am very excited

Last night I went to a lovely Indian restauarant just north of Oxford Street at Marble Arch tube, appropriately enough, on the corner of Old Quebec and Bryanston. There were eight of us, including me and a guy starting the week after me. We were asked if we'd like to go to Canada the week after next. Holy cow, Batman! I know that we're there with work, but I'm sure that I'll be able to get to see some truly amazing sights - even if only from the air or the bus. It goes without saying I'll be scouring guide books for lovely things to see in the area. We go on the Monday and fly back on the Friday, and apparently during that time we'll do some team-building things, hiking (yay! how can I miss sights on a hike!) and some induction stuff, and maybe go see some of the manufacturing process. Double Holy Cow, Batman! We've been told we should have some time, so I'm planning on making the most of it; whether it's half an hour or half a day.

I've just bought a couple of books through Amazon on the local area and worked out the office's exact location in relation to the rest of Canada and the US. Suffice it to say, before now my knowledge of American (north and south) geography had been woefully lacking. I knew there were some great lakes in Canada, and that at least one had a boundary with the US and consequently Niagara Falls spans two countries. And I knew that Canada could get cold, has a Jewish population (the head rabbi in our movement is Canadian), has amazing countryside, I know bits speak French and that Anne of Green Gables grew up on PE Island (which transfixed me). I know there are some world-famous ski resorts in Canada too. Now however my knowledge is increasing fast. I can't wait to get there!

Everyone's travelling. My parents are going on holiday in a few weeks, and Laura's on holiday on the trans-siberian railway right now and they just visited Lake Baikal. I can't wait to hear about it when I see her next week.

Daunt and National Geographic

We all know I have some time off this week. Tomorrow I'm getting a haircut and hitting Home House with the ladies *cackle, cackle* some of whom were in attendance at a great party on Saturday night.

Today dawned bright and sunny. It's one of those mornings where you can really see Spring springing. I normally get out of the house about 8:30 and rush to the tube, only to disembark at London Bridge - not a huge amount of greenery to observe therefore in a normal morning. This morning I was up and tidying before the cleaner came (I clean a bit and tidy because I don't want her to waste her time doing it and not have time for the ironing!) and then went off to pick up some cleaning. I stopped in Budgens and got some quite interesting smelling tobacco-odour-killer candles. I picked up also some 85% cocoa chocolate (not the one I've been recommended, Montezuma's, but Lindt) and some food-smell-remover candles too. I'll let you know how they go.

I also popped into the bookshop there, Daunt. It's independent and reminds me of the bookshop I worked Saturdays in when I was in the sixth form. I got a huge discount - 25% - and bought all of my A'level and many of my university texts there. Anyway this shop Daunt reminded me of that. It has a very small fiction department with not so much chick lit (I found Breakfast at Tiffany's which I am dying to see/ read) and some new authors to try out. It has the most huge travel section outside of the huge travel book shop in Covent Garden (name temporarily escapes me) and I had a lovely time. I've ordered my Christopher Brookmyre - the most recent one, after AFAG in paperback so when it arrives in April I'll have to go back.

Not happy with three books (another was on 17th century with-hunts, the other was The Great Latke Hamantash Debate), I came home and signed up to a monthly magazine. It's the first time I've done this - Mr W has always subscribed to the Economist, he's had magazines on cycling (new thing) and diving in the past. He's said I'm allowed to do it (yes, I think he thought it was weird that I saw a need to ask, but anyway) and today I got around to it.

The books will make the first two or three weeks' traveling interesting, and when the magazines start turning up then I'll have some regular stuff to read. I was holding out for a Sony Reader, but Mr W recently pointed me at the Q2 UMPC, which had me slavering all over my laptop. It looks like the PSP's bigger brother but it's a whole computer! Bless! We both wanted one as soon as we read about them, but I think we'll decide there are more important things in life (shoes) and get one to share. That way Mr W will hopefully show me how to use it so I'll get more out of it than if I had my own and no instructions.

Right now I need to go and order some Montezuma chocolate. I see from the website it was founded by two ex-lawyers. I feel a charitable compunction to help them as my compatriots, so don't be surprised if all you get for presents this year is kilos of chocolate. Then it's off to Hampstead to pick up some Rymans and maybe a leetle pastry from one of the four patisseries there. All go today!

How to turn down a job.

Do NOT give a reason such as "the other guys gave me more of a warm glow". Mr W pointed out a better solution might be to make something up that is bland and inoffensive. Just so you know, like, it's better to think up a reason before the nice person in the company you don't want to work for asks you, because (s)he will. Obviously this came as a complete shock to me, so I thought I'd pass it on. And now I've bored the pants off two people in one night about it (and also was fed, given as much alcohol as I could drink, had my towels washed and was put in a cab home complete with the fare) you can assume I don't want to talk about my new job anymore. Getting a leeetle bit apprehensive about the work.

In other news.

It has been brought to my attention that other people out there blogging in relative anonymity name their partners Mr(s) [insert blogger ID]. The Daily Ablution chap does it (I've been told) and we all hail him. I didn't really consider that as a way of identifying He Who Spends Money On Machines. I call my other half not Mr Chaya, but Mr W. This is an abbreviation from Mr Wonderful, which I understand had some readers barfing over their keyboards. So imagine my surprise when I noticed a certain lady blogging from Oz calling her other-half/ not-quite-half/ intended-but-not-to-be Mr W too! Excellent! Either he's called William, Wobert, Wilfred or Winston, or she has had the same idea as me. Soon all the male other-halves in the blogosphere will be referred to as Mr W!

I'm very chuffed because I read my site meter thing today and I had four hits last week. Or at least I think it says that. That or five hits. And maybe per day? Probably per week. I'm not too clear on the words part but just admire the numbers.

I have a new job!!

I have a new job and I start soon. I got an offer on Monday morning, a better one at lunchtime and an even better one this morning. All the numbers... All the bullying to get the recuitment ask if they would pay my practicing certificate... well worth it. But I can't wait. I accepted my offer yesterday and signed it this afternoon, before going back in to hand in my notice. Seeing as I'd been on the 'phone for a good part of the afternoon I think he sussed it and wasn't exactly blown away when I said Friday would be my last day.

So here's hoping the fantastically well-located party I am attending on Saturday evening is filled with lovely people to whom I can drone incessantly about my swanky new job title. I'm kidding. I'm busy tomorrow and then back at work so I'll be at tolerable-to-moderate on the insufferability matrix by the weekend. But I might be drinking and therefore suitably relaxed by about 10pm. Oh dear, something inside me is telling me to stop writing and step away from the keyboard but there's a bigger bit watching in fascination. I had better leave and hurry along the arrival of my 8am lie-in tomorrow. mmmmm.

Waist to hip ratio

I'm posting about this because things health-related interest me (remember salt?), and because a while back I mentioned it to some friends (at my easycinema evening? I think I need another one) and one very lovely person told me to post about it when I got some time.

I read about this back about January time in Metro, and now I can't find the Metro link. However I found something on the LSE website about it, so here you go. The story in Metro (the Beano for commuters) was basically that some bunch of scientists had worked out the waist to hip ratio of pretty much most of the Playboy models over the past 50 years and apparently they all have a waist:hip of 0.7 or as near as dammit! I gave up trying to find the Metro article when I found this (v old) report - incredibly interesting and I strongly suggest you read it just for some fun. Here, I'll link to it again for you.

Some salient points to make you reach for your tape-measures - Men are better with a ratio nearer 8.5 or 9 (the author of the report notes). Whether you're a man or a woman if your ratio is in excess of 1 (i.e. waist measurement larger than hips) you're at greater risk of all kinds of health issues.

Kelly Brook has a ratio of 0.705.

So now that we can empirically measure beauty, I'm going to go and buy a tape-measure. Go on, measure yours... If you don't know how to then this site has a good guide (how hard can it be; slimmest bit of waist, fattest bit of hips) and if you don't have a calculator it will even work it out for you.

Give everything a whole lot of time

Monday is going to be an exciting day. I should hear about two jobs, and as I've done the second round at both firms, surely there can't be that many hoops to hurtle through, smiling winsomely, before some one offers me a permanent job? Still, when I get one I get to go through the whole huge learning-curve again as either of these jobs will s-t-r-e-t-c-h me! So I'm making the most of this one because next weekend I'll either be back to the drawing board or frantically reading up on a new-ish industry. Yep, I'm not wishing this weekend away in a hurry!

Mum sounds much better, and we're going over next weekend. I had a wobble (didya spot it?) about the speed of her recovery earlier in the week but what with speaking to some friends about it and chatting to her a few times I've just realised it'll take a while longer than I'd thought. She is not, in fact, invincible and has had some serious surgery. If she's not climbing the north face of the Eiger in six months, then I'll start asking questions but until then I'm just going to chillax (I think that word is such fun).

We've been getting back to normal recently. We've been trying to catch up with people over the past week or so and have enjoyed a whole heap of lovely food. Plus I got to wear my über cool sunnies today, and this pleased me. I got them in the US and unfortunately I can't find a photograph of them online, but they are some sort of Xmen ones with green/ blue lenses which make everything look that little bit crisper around the edges. I can't find a photograph online but trust me, you'll see them soon!