I've been tagged by Rabbit to tell you 8 random things about me. I remember doing this last year (23 things!), and I had to go back to that post to make sure that I didn't repeat any of them! Hard, but here goes:

1. I have very strong, agile toes. They can lift things that most people's can't. Like a mug of tea, a book, etc..
2. You wouldn't know from my online persona, but I am not a very articulate person in reality. It's only when it comes to writing things down that I have things to say.. I'm actually quite shy and quiet.
3. I won a book-writing competition when I was 6 years old. My book was about a little girl who got lost in a forest. It was fully illustrated, and I still have it somewhere.
4. I am an urban girl, having lived in the London all my life, but I do love growing my own fruit and veg - there's nothing tastier than picking an apple off the tree as you leave for work or watching little seeds grow into courgettes!
5. As a kid, my parents bought me a piano because I could sit down at a keyboard and play back any tune I'd heard, without a single mistake. My fingers just instinctively knew where to go.
6. I do a killer sudoku in the Times everyday, as well as the crossword and codeword. I think it keeps my mind supple and active.
7. I recently lost 16lbs and almost one dress size, just by not snacking! Shows you how much I snacked!
8. I love baking and cooking, but most of all, making desserts. In fact, I bought this book yesterday, and am now off to make profiteroles with a gorgeous chocolate sauce! I might post pics if you're lucky ;)

I am going to be boring and just tag whoever wants to join in - I think a few bloggers have aleady done this tag!

The Rules:
1. Let others know who tagged you.
2. Players start with 8 random facts about themselves.
3. Those who are tagged should post these rules and their 8 random facts.
4. Players should tag 8 other people and notify them they have been tagged.

It's been a while since my last post, and I apologise. I haven't not been well, but I have been plagued with tiredness and stress and an overwhelming feeling of not being able to cope. I have less time now, much less time, what with extra responsibilities at work and trying to make the most of my energy outside of work. I just want to live a 'normal' life, you know? And it's hard work for me to do that as well as keep the CFS at bay without getting sick or having 'bad phases'. *Sighs* I guess that's just life though.

Anyway, I went to see the new Harry Potter film on *edit* Friday night, a late showing which ended at midnight. Seeing as I enjoyed the film so much and this was the precise moment at which the final Harry Potter book was being released for sale, I joined the hoards of people queueing outside the bookstores in order to be one of the first to read the book. I know - you don't even have to say it - I am a complete geek! :) And proud of it! So yes, I stood out in the cold for little under one whole hour and got my hands on one of the first 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'. It lies beside me as I type, treasured and just crying out for me to turn to turn more of it pages.

I am half-way through at the moment and determined not to rush through it but instead to savour every word. It is the final instalment after all! From what I've read so far, it is every bit as good as promised - dark, thrilling and stomach-churningly full of suspense and promise. Who dies..? Who dies..? I am dying to find out and, still, don't want to know all at once. Is anyone else spurning the disdainful looks of those who condemn adults reading children's fiction and also reading HP7? It's good, isn't it? :)

To further add to my transformation into the biggest geek in the universe, I have signed up to the GoldenJigsaw.Com. It is a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle in which you have to find pieces by solving the clues. The clues lead to various websites which, in turn, contain the pieces to the puzzles. The first person to solve the puzzle wins US$1,000,000. I have, so far, solved the first clue and got the first 10-pieces of the puzzle*, and I'm really enjoying the challenge! I have always been a sucker for puzzles and clue-solving, and this appeals to my childish, treasure-hunting side :)

So, what has everyone else been upto in the time I've been away? I have to say, I have missed blogging loads. I've missed pouring my heart out onto these pages, I've missed the relief it brings to share stress and worries with friends, and I have, of course, missed your 'company' and kind words :) Please do say hello if you happen to pop by. I hope to blog more often this time around.

Hope you're all well,
Love Pandy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

*No, sorry, I won't help you with the clues ;)

I've always had a little patch of darker skin on my upper torso, on the underside of my breast. I've never really thought about it, thinking it was just a small birthmark or extra pigmentation on the skin.

Those of you who watched the Friday Night Project with Lily Allen will immediately know what I'm going to say next..

I've been teased about it in the past, this little patch of skin, that it's a third nipple. I dismissed it as ridiculous, automatically thinking that a third nipple would look like, and be the same size as, a normal nipple. But after seeing Lily Allen whip hers out on TV and having further researched it, I'm convinced that this little patch is actually a third, or supernumerary, nipple. It actually does look like a minature one, now that I've examined it more closely!

I'm not the only one. Allegedly, one in ten people has an extra nipple. Mark Wahlberg has one (although they removed in the the Calvin Klein ads), as did Anne Boleyn, not to mention Chandler in Friends (his 'nubbin', remember that?!). I feel rather special to have something that singles me out... I wonder if it's the source of all my powers? ;)

Oh, I took a picture of it... do you want to see..? (okay okay, enough of the 'Get your t*ts out' chants!) I've attached it here, in case you don't want to, but don't worry, I have covered up any naughty bits!

My, what a thing to blog about, after not having blogged for so long... Hope you're all well!

Much love xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Quite literally!

My hayfever was quite bad on Monday and I pulled a muscle in my neck/shoulder in a particularly big sneeze! It was bloody painful on Monday, but I could still move without crying. Yesterday, I woke up to excruciating pain, and I couldn't move my neck, head or upper torso at all! Not only that, but my head was stuck at a peculiar angle - angled towards my left shoulder and chin tilted towards my chest! Lol, sounds like a bad sitcom, doesn't it?!

Imagine the difficulty I had trying to manoeuvre my body out of bed from a lying down position to a sitting one! It literally took me 20 minutes, and crying with pain. It was too painful to sit at a computer, so I called in sick. I think I spent the rest of the morning attempting to get dressed and brush my teeth - no small feat when every little movement bring tears to your eyes. As for the unruly afro curls - I had to leave them as they were, because there was no way I could move my arms that far up to do anything about them!

I had no idea how much one muscle could affect movement! To view anything on any level other than eye-level, I had to more my entire body to that level. Spitting out toothpaste was a pain! I automatically went and stood on the scales, until I realised that there was no point, as I couldn't bend my neck to see the result anyway! Lol..

I know I’ve neglected my blog of late, sorry little blog. I miss blogging, but I’ve been having a bad patch in terms of energy with the ME/CFS lately, especially with concentration, and I have to choose between work and play.

My ‘bad patches’, better known as relapses, aren’t as bad as they used to be. Since I’ve been attending the CFS course at the hospital, I’ve implemented lots of little changes in everyday life, such as daily exercises. Now I know how to recognise and manage my symptoms better, my bad patches aren’t a complete ‘crash’, i.e. I’m not holed up in bed for 2 weeks. I’m still in pain, exhausted, tired and all the rest, but life can still go on, albeit more slowly, which is a blessing. That’s the idea of pacing therapy – knowing how to stabilise the peaks and troughs of energy, so that the lows aren’t as low. Does that make sense?

Anyway, I didn’t mean to warble on, but I just wanted to blog something, however small, so that my little blog, and all you lovely bloggers, know that I haven’t forgotten you. I had a lovely birthday 2 weekends ago, and I shall try and post photos soon. Thanks for all your birthday messages though, they put a great big smile on my face :D see?

Hope you’re all well, I shall be back soon.

Love Pandy
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