Luck of the Irish

Well the last few days have been very busy and full on! I've been fighting a cold for about a week, it had the upper hand for the last few days but I feel much better today. I didn't work Thursday as I was really tired, my face was so swollen (from being congested) that I resembled a puffer fish and I was losing my voice. Friday came along and I was booked to work at a school I had been at on Wednesday. So I arrived at the school (after walking from the tube station for 15 minutes in the snow!) to find the gates closed and a sign taped to the wall, saying 'School closed Friday March 17th due to flooding'.

I couldn't believe it, I was furious because the agency hadn't told me! I rang them and they had no idea either - the school hadn't called them to cancel any supply teachers. I'm standing in the freezing cold on my mobile phone, the agency tell me to walk back to the tube and they'll call me if they get any more work. Angry as anything, I make my way back to the tube (this time by bus) and wait there for 20 minutes with no call from the agency (basically there was no work available). Fed up, I hopped on the tube and made my way back home. I rang the agency again at home and demanded to get some sort of compensation for being cancelled on with no notice - so I will get at least half a day worth of pay. Still, I wanted to work that day and I'm cranky I won't get a full day's pay...but what else could I really do?

The agency obviously realised how mad I was and gave me all of this week's work on Friday afternoon - all very close to me (Clapham, Wimbledon etc.) and one school is even in Fulham (I can walk there!!!).

Friday night I went out to Leceister Square with Meegan and some of her friends, we celebrated St. Patrick's Day at a massive Irish pub called O'Neills - so many people there, all drunk on guiness and wearing oversized hats. I was given a hat, but on my way home a few Irish boys decided they quite liked it and snatched it from my head before running off the tube saying that only the Irish are allowed to wear them. It was snowing in Fulham as I waited for the night bus to come, it doesn't often snow in this area...which shows you how cold it was!

Saturday night I went out with my flatmates, as Steph O had her Irish cousin over for the weekend. We were supposed to go to O'Neills but it was busy again, so we went to a place next door called Waxy O'connors, another Irish pub which is based around a huge artificial tree that is in the centre of the pub. I wish I had my camera on me because it was amazing, almost like a tree house! Did a few Irish jigs (to Jet?!), sung U2 and basically talked to random Irish people all night.

Today was our first netball training, except the venue was changed at the last minute and we weren't told. We all rocked up to the oval/park/courts 5 minutes down the road from us to find all the footy boys training there, but none of the netballers. Walked around until one of the football managers came up to us and asked if we were supposed to be at the netball in Sheperd's Bush, not here in Fulham/Hammersmith. After training the teams always go to the Walkabout, so we headed to the Sheperd's Bush Walkabout (in our tracksuits and netball gear, which is what everyone does but it feels weird being at a pub in gym gear). Had some late lunch, watched a bit of sport on the big TV's (Fulham beat Chelsea today 1-0, big upset) and met a few of the other netballers/footballers. I saw a sign about the AFL, they're replaying the Adelaide vs. Geelong final tomorrow night, but I was looking on the net today and I see Geelong won! Thought Adelaide would win easily...

Next Saturday is the football/netball pub crawl, it starts at midday and kicks on till late. We've got our housewarming that night, so those of us in the netball team will head out till about 3 or 4pm, then come home and get ready for the party. Looks like its going to be a big one!

Tried to ring Marie and Katie this morning but neither were home...maybe next weekend?!