Diary of a Liberal Elitist

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:07:31 GMT

In New York, having an amazing time but slightly stressed about money, as is Anna... but the sun is shining and we might go skating in Central Park in a bit, so who cares? Also a bit fat what with all the Reece's.

Sat, 14 Apr 2007 09:11:55 GMT

I need to stop drinking so much. I got very drunk with people from work last night, and while I don't think that that was that embarrassing, I came home and had a silly fight with my family about DVDs of all things. And I generally feel a bit rubbish. Maybe swimming would help...

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 09:45:55 GMT

Last night, Alex took a few of us from work to a private karaoke booth in Soho. I don't remember the last time I had so much fun. We sang and sang and sang in our padded booth for 3 hours and I could have stayed for hours longer. Everyone should try this as it brings great joy.

For me, 2006 was...

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 11:14:31 GMT

Getting together with Michael on New Year's Eve.

The tense, scary, exciting beginning of the relationship - always worrying that Mike would change his mind, not having anything to say to each other, awkward kisses and hugs, not being able to stop smiling.

Playing Ping Pong at the Home Office

Pizza Express

Living at Lavender Sweep...watching Will and Grace before work, cooking lentils at breakfast time, jogging around Clapham Common, Nick smoking up the chimney...

My birthday party at the Sweep...my cake with a Barbie on it.

Hating the idea of Valentine's Day but having a really lovely day. Staying up the night before baking with Nick, making a hideous card, going on a date to the Home office canteen and to Pizza Express, of course

Cooking Thai food

Lovely, lovely Mo at the Sweep most weekends

Ellie living around the corner and coming round in her comfort wear

Horrible horrible loneliness at PNAC assessment centres

Jo Quelch - being lovely and the most irritating person in the world at the same time

Meeting Rich and sharing the PNAC pain

Trying to set Steffi up with Ahmed, and failing

Going to see Goldfrapp and falling completely in love with Alison

Meeting the lovely Benns - something out of a 1930s children's book. In a good way.

Meeting Tony Benn at UCL

Tea at the Living Room with mum

Deciding to apply for drama school, again. And then deciding not to, again.

Joining Danceworks...lovely lovely Stuart and his amazing contemporary and jazz classes, painful aerobics, developing actual muscles

Hating the Home Office and applying for millions of publishing jobs

Having a hiuge shouting match with Jo in the middle of the office (goodness, how different work is now!)

Going on the pill and going mad again. That's the last time I'll make that mistake.

Gran's heart operation

Going to the Dogs and then clubbing in Clapham - so much fun.

Middlesmoor with Rach, Mike, Isla and Andrew

Spotting Steve Jones outside Channel 4 - pretty damned fit, but not as fit as he seems on tv - dreams of running off with him slightly shattered.

Reading Into Thin Air - why do people climb mountains? Why? Why?

Fighting constantly with Di. Being called into her office to be yelled at, and crying, every day.

Deciding to become a doctor. And then deciding it would be too much work.

Deciding to become a lawyer. And then deciding that that too would be too much like hard work.

Morocco with Michael - amazing Marrakesh. The smells, the incredibly monotonous food, the Djema Al Fna - snake charmers, snails, sheeps brains, acrobats, the call to prayer etc etc. Green valleys filled with poppies in between brown mountains. Nightingales singing. Head scarves...my interesting experience at the Hamam...speaking French...Feeling like a traveller again. Being really ready to come home but missing it afterwards

The Sultan's Elephant maybe me so so happy

Spanish classes with Nai...never doing my homework or turning up

The Angels reunited in London

Endless publishing interviews...becoming more and more miserable at the Home Office...

Cherry beer at the Goat

The June Assessment centre...a very ill advised clubbing trip. Seeing Denise and Brenda and feeling like I might die of alcohol poisoning...swimming in the pool and running in the gym at Eastwood Hall. Listening to 'Touch It' with Jo. Making up with Jo after she realised how awful Di is. Lying on the grass outside the office, hiding from Di...

Getting my job at Usborne and shrieking down the phone to Jane whenshe told me.

Lying on Hampstead Heath and playing my iPod...drinkign wine and having lovely lazy days

Going to Croatia with the Kids for one of the best holidays ever. Beautiful clear waters, phosphorescence, getting very drunk, being bitten by mopsquitos, sharing a bed with Ying, becoming a Steak Zagreb style, calimari, snorkling, getting to know Hanna

Starting at Usborne - Frankenstein and Moby Dick. Everybody being so polite and middle class and drinking herbal tea - such a change from the Home Office.

The lovely dinner Nins and I had at Luna Rossa, pretending to be Bridget Jones

Loving Clerkenwell, drinks at the Crown, the Old Mitre, dinner at the Bleeding Heart. The Treasure Hunt, loving my colleagues.

Michelle getting together with Perry

Going on my diet for ages, and becoming obsessed with Oprah.com

Worrying that maybe publishing wasn't for me after all and deciding to become an actress/ agent. And then being promoted and getting to write stuff, and deciding that it's pretty great after all.

Feeling guilty - about not being sure about Michael, about work, about life in general.

Deciding to join in with JoNoWriMo and starting my Novel - and not finishing it. But discovering how exciting writing fiction can be.

Starting drama classes at City Lit and loving it...but deciding that I probably shouldn't give up the day job.

Meeting Gaby and Jon...

Thea moving into the Sweep, and me moving out.

Getting to know Sarah and Alex, and making actual friends at work.

Going for dinner att Alex's house.

The brilliant christmas party - feeling so embarrassed afterwards, but being so much more relaxed at work, too.

Going to see the Devil Wears Prada with Mo

Video nights with Mo, Nick and Ellie at the Sweep

Boxing day with the Benns

Nick and Mo leaving the Sweep...New Year's Eve at Emu Road

Sat, 23 Sep 2006 01:48:00 GMT

Tonight I am mostly drunk and annoyed with Mike. More anon.

But I went to an absolutey wonderful club just off Oxford street. So so so good I wanted to stay forever...and now I'm eating lots of food like a bad person.

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 16:26:44 GMT

Went to City Lit to sign up for my drama class yesterday and they wouldn't let me on the one I wanted to do – apparently its for professional actors. Don't they know who I am? Honestly. It was a seriously embarrassing interview – 'so, which parts have you played? Oh, you were only Juliet in Measure? (It's called Measure for Bloody Measure – bloody thesps, next he'll be asking me to act out scenes from the Scottish Play) And have you studied any Stanislavsky or Meisner?' er – no. So he said I needed a good, solid, serious acting class because I didn’t have any knowledge of acting theory. And here I was hoping I could just read off the page and become the next Scarlett Johannsen. So anyway, I signed up to this class that goes on for 3 hours every Saturday afternoon in a fit of enthusiasm. I want theory! I wanna know who these dudes with the weird names are! Etc. What have I let myself in for? Bet Keira never had to actually learn stuff to get parts.

Going through the prospectus was so exciting – I want to do every course they offer. Children's TV presenting anyone? Completely made for me! They also have an accredited musical theatre course – would obv never get on it but my master plan is to do acting courses, then singing courses and then some jazz dance and then try out. And then set Broadway ablaze with my sparkling personality and staggering natural talent.

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 08:56:32 GMT

I can't quite get the hang of the weather here at the moment - too cold and too hot at the same time. Tsk. Am longing for Autumn - I have this strange back-to-school urge to buy new stationary, and I've started thinking about Christmas. Slightly sick and wrong.

Woke up this morning with this awful sense of dread, but not sure what it is that I could be dreading. Work is fine, though my inability to get in before 9.35 makes me feel a bit guilty all the time, and the RSI is slightly getting on my nerves. I think I'm dreading moving home a bit - it's definitely happening now, at the end of September. I know it's for the best, but I'm so going to miss my flat, and Mo and Nick...have started to organise my parents' flat to make it more habitable anyway. Off to buy boxfiles this weekend, making my mother throw things away, etc etc.

And there are so many plus sides...home cooked food! Cheap rent! No bills! And it's not for ever. I hope.

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 14:04:01 GMT

Mike has gone away for a month, which is rather sad, and I am baby-sitting gran and Jack for the week. Went to a pub quiz with work colleagues last night, and we came second, which was quite satisfying...

In other news: London is still ridiculously hot, and I have started taking diet and exercise tips from Oprah.

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 13:46:56 GMT

I am BACK

Tomorrow is my last day at WORK

My evil boss has left me alone in the OFFICE so I can mess around on the NET

Life is sweet.

Sun, 18 Jun 2006 12:23:21 GMT

I have finally reached the last day of my 3-week epic assessment centre somewhere in the East Midlands. I have had 1 day off in the last month. Slightly unbelievable, but true. Have left the conference centre a grand total of 3 times in the last weeks, onc e to go clubbing in Derby which was a complete and utter car crash for many reasons. Not entirely convinced I can remember how to behave like a normal person, buy things in shops, etc.

Still - credit cards will be paid off, and on Wednesay I am leaving for EVER. The assessors have all been very sweet, and have told me they'll miss me...Sir Hugh said 'bugger' when I said I was going- knew he loved me. Also met up with my grandmother and one of my aunts for the first time in several years...they're both much fatter and have aged considerably - they looked like they had melted and then sort of solidified again.

Di has been a omplete nightmare, of course, but at least the others have finally seen what she's like, and at least I'm leaving.

Can't wait to get back to London for cherry beer, swimming in Hampstead ponds, culture and FRIENDS and Michael who is very sweetly going to meet me at the station tomorrow. I'm strangely nervous about seeing him.

Wed, 17 May 2006 14:04:44 GMT

Here are the best and worst things from the last few weeks:

The Sultan's Elephant was the Best Thing Ever. Went with mum and Steffi, watched the Took a few rubbish photos with my phone which I will try and upload...bizarrely ran into Muffy and Vanessa from school as well as Laura's sister Becky.

Following that elephant and the little girl around London made me so ridiculously happy - possibly one of the happiest days I can remember. I can't remember the last time I was so Amazed. It was so incredibly touching, too - I want more.

Also good - have decided to get into AMDRAM. Slightly makes me twitch when I think about it, but there's a production of Abigail's Party coming up - how can I resist?

This is partly influenced by me seeing Guys and Dolls - best muscial ever, and I wanted to sex both Adam Cooper and Neil Morrisey. Shocking even to myself.

Another good thing is that I've had lots of job interviews. I didn't get the job at DK, but I didn't want it, and I got quite nice feedback - 'I didn;'t feel Kate would be challenged by this role, as she's taken ona lot of responsibility in her current job. Looking at her experience I also feel she would be better suited to a fiction role.' Yes yes, but I need a JOB.

Had a slightly creepy interview for Usborne Rights, interviewed for the same job by the same woman as I was a year ago. She didn't recognise me, but it felt extremely weird. I also had an interview for an editorial job at Usborne - I now have to write the first chapter of a book for 6-7 year olds about the olympics, and suggest ideas for pictures etc - if I worked for Usborne I'd also write the books. I want that job.

Bad things: I have run out of money, which I suppose is what happens when you take off to Morocco for 3 weeks... my parents will probably have to rent our flat to pay off the mortgage, which means if I move home it will be very temporary,and I'll have to pay nearly as much rent as I'm paying now - a little bit tricky but could be worse - most people in London can't run back to their parents when they're poor/ unemployed. Feel more sorry for poor Jack who will be homeless in the holidays, but I suppose he can have my flat and I'll stay with Michael when that happens.

Thu, 04 May 2006 10:34:50 GMT

Back at work and already fuming...Evil Boss wants me to stay behind in London while Jo and Rich go to Cambridge for a residential marking conference. The marking conference would mean Big Money, which I desperately need as I've been away without pay for 3 weeks and am leaving here asap but still have rent to pay. Jo and I were orginally meant to be sharing the workload...ugh. It wouldn't be so bad, even with the loss of cash, if Di isn't here with me. If I have to spend a week alone with her I really think I'll walk out of the office.

In other news I had a job interview today for an Assistant Revisions Coordinator job at DK travel guides.

Good things - it's in the Penguin Group, I like travel guides, the people seemed nice, it's a publishing job, and it's NOT AT THE HOME OFFICE, which everyone now knows to be a den of sin and complete incompetence.

Bad things - it's not at all like editing fiction, as the woman told me herself. It would be boring admin work (but then so would any starting job in publishing). It's only a 6 month contract. I asked what people move into afterwards and she said they often stay on, or get promoted into the next job up or move elsewhere in Dorling Kindersly. I am completely uninterested in moving elsewhere in DK - I want to work in Penguin or Puffin, really.

Even worse thing - I missed two calls from an HR assistant at Penguin while I was away. She wanted to ask me to interview for a PERMANENT editorial assitant job at Penguin Press, and a temporary publicity assistant job at Penguin Press. She claims she emailed me, but she didn't. I bloody missed the bloody interviews and I slightly want to bite off my own arm.

But turns out that me and Jo def have to leave here in July anyway, and that they're getting rid of Excel temps from the Home Office...wonder what young Michael will do?

Fri, 28 Apr 2006 13:50:23 GMT

I am in Morocco... will keep this short as I still haven't quite figured out how to use the keypads. Have had a wonderful few weeks. Michael is so incredibly un-annoying that I know I'm on to a good thing. Romantic, aren't I? In all seriousness, though, I think being able to spend 3 solid weeks together without getting irritable or running out of things to talk about must be a good sign.

Get a rising sense of panic whenever I think about going back to work, thoug, after my mega row with Di. I have an interview for a lowly job at DK travel guides as soon as I get back...pleasepleaseplease let me get it. Touch wood. Its only 6 months but its a start. Would prob have to leave my job extra early though, and that would be bad for my finances.

Off to eat some grilled fish now.

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 16:06:30 GMT

I am a bit ill. Being a bit ill is crap, as you don't have obvious enough symptoms to get any sympathy, but you still feel rubbish. Colds are particularly rubbish, as noone takes them seriously, and yet even my beloved solpadiene doesn't make me feel better.

In other news, I might climb the highest mountain in Africa in a few weeks. I'm vaguely worried I'll fall to my death, as I have a tendency to trip over things. I've also just read Into Thin Air, which is all about the 1996 Everest. Lots of people died - it's rather cold and hard to breathe up there, apparently - and others survived, but lost lots of limbs and had to have their noses rebuilt out of bits of their leg. I have very little urge to climb up and down big things for no reason.

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 14:06:24 GMT

I just chased Steve Jones down the road. He is incredibly fit.

Mon, 12 Sep 2005 22:08:12 GMT

I got drunk and now me and Marina are going to Barcelona for the weekend in December! Love cheap flights.

Tue, 23 Aug 2005 12:21:59 GMT

Turns out I did pretty shockingly badly in several of my finals, narrowly missing 3rds in 2 papers. And they were pure Rachel Hewitt!

More shockingly I did quite well in Caribbean poetry. Wonders will never cease.

p.s...

Tue, 09 Aug 2005 11:03:03 GMT

Last night I dreamt that Nick threw me a really crap surprise party for some reason. It was crap becaue I didn't realise it was a party, though I was very thrilled indeed to find Ross and Heather and Marina sitting in my garden. They were the only guests. We had fun though. We drank orange juice.

Fri, 05 Aug 2005 17:23:54 GMT

I've got into a sort of non-livejournal habit for a while so I thought I'd update for larks. I am living at home, with Nick, which is going well. Noone wants to employ me excpet a temping agency who keep offering me jobs in the Home Office as I have security clearance...could definitely be worse.

But if anyone knows of a Fun Job which Pays Well, or even pays a bit, then let me know.

Current joys in my life include watching awful films and swimming in Hampstead Ponds. I also enjoy dreaming of what I would buy if I had any money at all. This is the life of a graduate...I'm beginnng to slightly wish I was going back to Ox, although every time I remember the pain of waking up at 4am/ staying up till 8am writing essays I remember why I was sort of glad to leave.

I may do something classy and grown-up now, like watching 13 Going On 30 while eating yet more hallumi cheese.

Tue, 17 May 2005 17:58:11 GMT

2 down 5 to go...la la la...I seem to have stopped caring. 2:2 here I come - I can always teach at good old St. Paul's with that. Or start up my own organic baby food business in Totnes. Or move to Hollywood, obviously.

It's the finals countdown...

Mon, 16 May 2005 07:13:15 GMT

And so it happens that I'm sitting in the library, still not doing any work, looking like a stressed-out city mother in my subfusc. I sort of object to learning anything more now, as all of this information will completely useless to me in 4 hours time.

Tue, 03 May 2005 22:29:01 GMT

well, in an unfortunate twist of events, I appear to have contracted RSI and may not be able to take my finals. Can no longer write at all. Am typing this very slowly with my left hand. Will hopfully find out if anything can be done tomorrow. If not, buck pal for a year, I suppose.

Fri, 22 Apr 2005 12:29:24 GMT

Dear friends,

I am auditioning for drama school. This is because I am COMPLETELY INSANE and want to be POOR FOREVER. I also like public humiliation a lot.

Love Katy xxx

Did you ever know that you're my hero?

Mon, 18 Apr 2005 00:00:01 GMT

What a classic. Can't believe that I, with my taste for Meryl Streep weepies and musicals, have never discovered this before. Blossom looking like an underage drag queen was an unexpected bonus. Jamie cried even more than me at the end - couldn't stop sobbing or shaking. Federico was not impressed.

Sun, 17 Apr 2005 11:11:20 GMT

Today a goose tried to attack me, and I nearly fell in a river.

And it isn't warm enough for my sailor-chic look. Why won't anything go right?