We interrupt this radio silence to bring you..

I've been very slack. And I don't even have the excuse that I've been working so hard - I got that job 2 weeks ago and still haven't started! They're checking my credit history etc for the last 6 freaken years and when they're done then I can start work. I've written to my recruiter a bunch of times but haven't heard anything about a start date. Grr!

So instead of working and earning sweet pounds, I have read a couple of books, watched a lot of Buffy, and spent the last week sick with a cold. My sleeping is alll wrong (when you don't need to get up first thing in the morning, you kinda don't) but I am keeping a pretty good house while Joe is at work. He's a very lucky boy. When I start working he'll have to start helping more :)

The improv workshop I mentioned in my last post went well. It was cool actually doing some improv again, and interesting to work with new approaches. I can't say I totally agreed with all aspects of the new approach, but that's part of the experience of being in a new improv land, I get to hear different opinions about it all. The idea is that the workshop will happen again and repeatedly, potentially finishing with a long form show, so if the workshops are run at a time where I can actually make it, then I'll be there!

While at the workshop I met a couple called Amanda and Lucas, who took names and contacts for people interested in meeting up for more workshops, and I went to the first of such workshops on Sunday. It was really fun! If not a little long, it's pretty hard to work for a whole day without a really clear direction. I'm definitely planning to go to more of those (happily the Sunday train to London is heaps cheaper than a regular ticket) and potentially will be working on some show ideas with Amanda (she's mentioned some ideas but nothing concrete yet).

I may also actually lead some of the workshops, being one of the more experienced players in the gang of people, which is at the same time daunting and exciting! It's amazing how much I've soaked up over the last, wow, 12 years of improvising. And I've noticed that by explaining my approach to games/exercises etc, I'm able to define my approach. So that should be an exciting and fun new thing to learn over here!

In other news, Joe's work still loves him. We're heading to Ireland during September to visit some other O'Sullivans, and will also be seeing Jennie and Kerry while they are both in Edinburgh/Glasgow. I haven't seen either of them for ages so that is really cool :)

Ooo I know something else, a couple of weekends ago there was this river festival here in Bedford, the riverside was utterly packed with people and stalls and the river had a big parade of boats going up and down. Check out the photos, I will upload them now :)

Okay, miss you kids :)
Love Jen and Joe

Edit - I just remember the other super exciting thing - The other day we went to the movies (saw Wall-e which is super great and everyone should see it) and on the way we walked by some big old trees and saw A SQUIRREL!!! SO so cute. I took some pics on my phone, working out how to get them off the phone and onto the computer so when I do it will be added to the album. But yeah, how exciting is that! Probably not much for the locals, but it was great, it even did the little nibbly thing with its paws to its mouth, arrrrghhh so cute :D

Can I get a hallelujah

So I found this job last week and applied, and then hounded the recruiter, then had an interview yesterday morning at 10:30. Left the interview, waited at the bus stop, got a phone call from the recruiter - would I like the job? Why yes I would!

I will be an intranet support analyst for Barclays, working on online reference material for the customer support team and other teams. So it's kind of using my experience from my last two jobs combined :) Yay! They're also fine with the fact that I am planning to leave the country eventually, and I think I will have a 6 month contract with option to stay on as needed/desired.

In other good news, I'm heading to London tomorrow to attended a workshop on Long Form improv led by a fellow called Ben Hauck, who I'm fairly sure is the fellow on this site: http://www.benhauck.com/
I'm very excited to be doing improv again! The job however will mean I can't just swan off to London during the week for classes. But I might try to find something closer to home or in the weekend to do.

Oo and I found out that Bedford has its very own Fringe festival! Sadly it looks like there's no improv on the card, but there is some stand up comedy, so next Monday I'll be dragging Joe off to the opening comedy night :) If we're still here this time next year maybe I'll get an improv show in...

Not heaps else happening in the world of Jen and Joe - there has been talk of a trip to Ireland with the rest of the O'Sullivan family sometime in September, so that is cool. I'm starting to think about what we can do for Christmas, it could be pretty amazing to have it somewhere like Spain or France or somewhere Nordic and snowy! We'll see, we may have visitors at that time so it could be our first Christmas together at home :)

If I haven't written to you for a while, please write to me! I am slack but I love mail and promise to reply...

Kisses and hugs