Got my grouchy pants on...

Do you ever have a really, really, really grumpy day when even the act of someone breathing beside you can send you into a rage so fearsome and that everyone near you fears the world may come to an end?

No?

It's just me then?

Want to make something of it?

DO YOU???

No, I didn't think so.

Anyway, I hate these days because I'm not a noble grouch. I don't crawl off into my cave and put a "Keep Put" sign on the door - I just mope about feeling sorry for myself and barking at anyone who talks to me or God forbid has the nerve to drive anything other than perfectly within a 10 mile radius of me.

I think I can blame hormones, lack of sleep and lack of chocolate. I NEED CHOCOLATE... but I'm trying to be good because chocolate is not good for me in the long run.

I am going to try and get through the day without killing anyone, but if you don't hear from me in a while you might want to check the news reports for tales of a young Derry author gone on the rampage.

I think it might be time to bring Operation Pollyanna back.

At the end of the week....

Operation PollyAnna is now officially over, and did I succeed?

Well kind of.

This has been a week of intense highs and lows. The brilliant parts included travelling to Belfast and seeing my VBF, getting some amazing news on Friday, hearing that my mucker Nora is with child and spending a very lovely evening with Mr. Allan over a bottle of wine and the Take That thingy. (Our secret shame!)

But I've also been tested a good deal. The Friday good news followed a week of sitting on the edge of my seat and frequently bursting into floods of mad tears from time to time. The wee man has also a nasty cough which makes me worry we are facing the first of many winter chest infections (we've ended up in hospital every winter of his life so far).

Add to that the frankly shocking customer service at a certain Waterside supermarket chain today and I was close to packing it all in.

But all in all, I've tried to remain positive and I promise that Pollyanna hasn't gone away you know.

Where is my Wysiwig?

There was me about to share the events of the day- complete with picture and all- but I can't add any.
Blogger is testing my Pollyanna experiment and making me swear at the computer!

Wonderful, wonderful day

I HATE to be a tease, but I could tell you my reason for being positive for today, but then I would have to kill you.

All I can say is watch this space. I am a very happy writer lady this evening.

Add this to the news that my very dear and lovely friend Nora told me today she was expecting her first baby and my colleague Erin (you know, the one who is on the jazz a lot?) got tickets to a faberooney Arsenal match for her hubby's 40th FREE OF CHARGE, it's been a fab day all round.

All I want to say here and now is that I love my friends...every last stinking one of you!

Day three in the Operation Pollyanna house...

I WILL admit that for today I have struggled- generally down to be so very tired and waiting for all important news that could see me validated as a writer.

My positive things include my amazing son. I finished work today, tired and frazzled and little hormonally emotional and came home to a super smiling face.

Joseph then cuddled up on my knee and we read his 'Charlie and Lola' books together (which is worth it to hear Joseph say Wo-Wa and Soren Lorenson alone).

In the end he went to bed a very tired but very happy little boy and that in turn made me feel nice and contented.

The other Yay for Today is that I am almost ready to go to Belfast to see my bestest friend Vicki who I haven't seen since my birthday in June.

Wine may be consumed, so you will forgive me if there is no post tomorrow.

Sorry that there is no dedicated Strictly Come Dancing post this week- I was working on Saturday and only got home in time to see snippets. I'm glad Claire and Brendan are gone though. I have lost all respect for the woman who was Kim Tate- Kim Tate would never have been so bawdy! And Brendan- yep, he can dance- but I've been reading what a male slapper he is.

Next week will be tough though. The five remaining couples (does anyone else now say "couples" in a Tess Daly style Northern accent???) are all really good.

My money is still on Mark Ramprakash though.... Saturday nights have never been so good.

Operation Pollyanna- On the Jazz

(I dedicate today's post to my work colleague Erin, who is always 'on the jazz')

DID YOU that George Peppard, aka Hannibal from the A Team has a cousin who lives in Derry?

He has a fancy house up the Culmore Road, near Da Vincis- tres posh and yes, his surname is Peppard and not Doherty or something equally Derry.

My friend Erin told me that and she should know as she is the biggest A Team fan in the world- bar none.

Anyway, being such a big A Team fan, Erin has a suitable quote from the show for every occasion. Her most commonly touted expression these days is that she loves it when she is on the jazz, and no that does not refer to any illegal drug taking.

'On the Jazz' refers to those times in your life when you are top form. For me, it's usually when I'm work and the words are flying forth from my fingers and every line is journalistically sound. (You know, the days when I don't spent three quarters of an hour trying to think of a headline before I even start the story.)

Today's positive vibe is that despite it being a Sunday, I was very much on the jazz in work today. I got my head down, battered my copy through and enjoyed it muchly.

And then I got home (a little early) and made dinner for the two men in my life.

It was a lovely day- one where I have almost put all the stressy thoughts in my life at the moment regarding my creative writing to the back of my head.

Simple pleasures people- that's what it is all about.

Operation Pollyanna- A Little World of My Own

DAY ONE of Operation Pollyanna and so far, so good.

Despite himself being a generally grumpy bugger, I've managed not to lose my cool- which is pretty impressive for me.

Now to report the positives from my day

1) My sister has booked me a ticket to see Westlife in the Odyssey next April. Yes, that is my secret shame... I love Westlife and as for Shane, I so would...

I tried to find an appropriately handsome picture for this blog (you know, one with him and his wanger hanging out or something) but apparantly he really is that clean cut. More's the pity.

But pulling my mind back out of the gutter. They may not be big or clever, but Westlife are fun and this will be my second time seeing them in concert. I'm sure it's going to be fandabulous.

2) I managed to write 1,000 words of Signed, Sealed, Delivered today...taking me just over the 40,000 mark which makes me feel very exceptionally happy.

So day one down, two positives. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

I'm not crazy....

THE WONDERFUL Shirley MacLaine, while playing the equally wonderful Ouiser Bordeaux in 'Steel Magnolias', once said: "I'm not crazy, I've just been in a very bad mood for the last 40 years."

I may not be 40 (God forbid, I'm still coming to terms with 30 for now) but I know exactly where the old dear was coming from.

Do you ever catch a glimpse of yourself and wonder who on earth the grumpy baggage looking back at you is?

Or maybe you read over old emails, or forum posts or replay a phone conversation you had and realise that you may in fact be one of those toxic friends you are always warning people about.

You know what I'm talking about here, the kind of friend who brings everyone down with their constant whinging and moaning and generally feeling sorry for themselves-itis.

There are times when I think "I am what I am" (and sing the song of the same name loudly) and realise people can either like me or lump me, but there are also times when I want to change to become a more positive person.

I don't want to do a complete 180 and become a Pollyanna, but just someone who didn't automatically think or fear the worst would be good.

So I'll try a little experiment and each day on this Blog for the next seven nights I will post something positive about my day.

Let's call it Operation Pollyanna!