Frakker - Thursday, 2 April 2009 23:37

Two days of sun, and I'm almost smiling again! Bring out the birkenstocks, and the crocs!

Sometimes I forget how depressing it can be to live in a city so constantly dreary and grey with rain. Then out pops a ray of glory from behind a cloud, and suddenly there's people showing skin everywhere, and I'm blinded by the whiteness of some of the locals baring (their) arms.

Is it Grey, or Gray? One's a name, huh?

So, being a muso/writer/designer/landscaper in my spare time when the sun shines than you very much, sometimes there is a need to visit the job centre.

now I haven't been to such a place in a long, long time. Somehow I feel a failure if I have to stoop, like it's cheating. And indeed it is. But i went today anyway, just to have a peek.

What I discovered is that I don't want someone who can't spell 'offered', or 'initiative' to help me find a job.

I'm not the greatest typist, and occasionally I have to check even simple words like 'gray', but I was appalled by the illiteracy of the people filling out forms on my behalf. Not just literally illiterate, but computer illiterate as well!

I wanted to say "Here, PLEASE, let ME type," and "No, not in THAT box", and helpfully indicate where they'd missed things, and misinterpreted questions, while one lady took out her mobile phone and checked who ws calling.

Then midway through an interview her phone rang, and she just had a personal conversation while I sat there.

TWO HOURS OF MY LIFE I'LL NEVER GET BACK!!!!

Leon, I'm not listening to you. I'd rather eat ryevita for a week, than have to go back and explain how I can be self-employed in numerous professions, as well as being in part-time employment, and STILL not have less money than the man sitting on the next booth who has been claiming benefit his whole life and now has had it revoked because "your (job centre/the governments) doctor don't agree wv my doctor and so now you won't pay me, even though my doctor has said for years I can't work"...

I actually understand how some people make a profession out of claiming benefit. Just like a job it is something I dread the night before, I don't want to get up, I don't want to go in, I don't particularly like or respect the people I meet when I get there, I can't wait for it to be over, I only half pay attention, I check my phone or the clock every six and a half minutes and when I leave I vow never to go back.

And they pay me, so I do go back. Until someone offers to pay me more.

I'm penning this one down to research. And moving onward.

What else?

Heroes is rather good this season isn't it?

current mood - Devil may care (but not I)

Fia - Monday, 9 February 2009 12:45

Hello folks!

This used to be the place I wrote everything that happened in... I guess I stopped writing here when things got a little tough in life, namely after my mum passed away. I won't linger too much on that, just to say that I re-read some of the old journal entries from much much happier times, and I realised, i want that back!

:)

So here I am, writing.

It's been a very odd year really. Though the band worked through my mum's illness, there were a lot of opportunities we had to skip, and the brakes came on to life generally for me personally.

We also had to deal as a group with our beloved Tedwin making a the big decision to leave. We salute him, majorly. And miss him. So many wonderful memories of love, life, heartache, blood, sweat (lots of it), and even a few tears.

Ted hold a very special place in GeEk history, and we sadly waved him goodbye at the finale gig of his GeEk career last year at Manchester Mardi Gras.

He did however go out with a bang. that si to say, he got to play Trafalgar Square with us. And then in Manchester he and Joel caused yet another stir in the women's space (see here for full story: http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?ref=mb#/group.php?gid=23950715278&ref=ts )

And of course we have welcomed into the fold our new drumming buddy, by the name of Leon Scott, a lovely jubbly handsome beats of a drum boy. We're excited to see where his influence might take our new music :)

Hello Leon. We hope you stay! LOL

No, seriously... it's hard training up 30 songs (as you know) and gelling, and managing to hold on to a decent rehearsal room!

LOVE.

Anyways. What else? I've managed to be incredibly diplomatic over the last few months, and for that I praise myself (you'll never know readers, for I shall never tell).

Also our Producer and Live engineer Tracey Browne has sadly left the fold, to go on to new pastures that we hope are filled with green (we're sure they shall be).

We also have a booking agent role to fill (email me if you're interested), as our beloved partner in crime an many other things The Big Allusive T has garnered so much work for herself she had to let us go.

Boo.

One might be forgiven for thinking that people are jumping our proverbial ship. in some ways, in my darker days, it has felt like that. But it is mostly a case of bad timing. lives change ad move forward, and so too are we.

We are fantastically grateful for all the input our friends, and fans, and business colleagues have put in over the years. And as a homage to this, we are even more driven than ever.

In 2009 I hope to get GeEk back on the map again. Along with a few other small collaborations, of which we shall keep you posted!

It's my thirtieth birthday tomorrow. Yes, you heard. Thirty. And I actually feel pretty good about it. Sure I've not quite achieved many of the things I'd like to have by now. But I look back at the last ten years, and where I started and I realise I've done and been through a Hell of a ride, and for the most part enjoyed it.

I'm incredibly proud of everything I've done so far, and it all serves to make me work more, push harder, find the small paths that lead to the avenues.

GeEkgiRL are my family. Sure, we lost a few members, but that's life. We can mourn their losses, and look forward to giving birth to a few more (in the certain knowledge that stretch marks are a sign of growth).

So here I am, saying "Hi" to the journal. Because even though it's most avid reader (my mum) is no longer here, there are a few other people who found it an amusing read. more importantly however, it was a fantastic purge for us.

And right now I think we deserve a clean out!

Jay, get on here, have your say boy!

Leon, wax us some lyrical!

Ted... you're still welcome to share with us your day :)

Fi XXXXX

current mood - Candid

joel - Monday, 31 March 2008 02:44

hello helllo! welcome to the maiden post on the journal shiny new blog! we've archived all the olden days news and started afresh. the new site is up and running, hopefully it all works ok - there might be a couple of bugs here and there (don't blame me, blame internet explorer) but you'll more or less get the idea.

current mood - happy (i think)