Family Matters.

Most people I know have a family issue at some point or another, some can forgive and forget, whilst others hold a grudge forever. But ask yourself, whats the point? Family may well be something you will have forever, in some cases it may not, but either way don't take it for granted; cherish it.

My family is far from perfect, and like many others, there have been disputes and quarrels which have been ongoing for years. Sometimes, these bickering's are not something that you can sort out yourself, perhaps they are between other family members and you are the person stuck in the middle, hearing the endless episodes but not being able to do anything about it. Either way, I have learnt that your family is the single most important thing you will have in your lifetime, and should an argument develop, it's better to get into action and resolve it straight away.

Some family feuds can have more of an impact on other family members than you may expect. Cousins, siblings, grandchildren and parents can all be effected by the actions of others, and may have have no option but to take it upon themselves to address the situation in hand.

Lately I have followed my own advice and found some people that had been missing for a very long time.
They say you can choose your friends but you cant choose your family, and you know what? I'm glad. Because families stick by you, through thick and thin, they support you and love you no matter what.

I wouldn't change my family, not for the world.

Family Matters.

Most people I know have a family issue at some point or another, some can forgive and forget, whilst others hold a grudge forever. But ask yourself, whats the point? Family may well be something you will have forever, in some cases it may not, but either way don't take it for granted; cherish it.

My family is far from perfect, and like many others, there have been disputes and quarrels which have been ongoing for years. Sometimes, these bickering's are not something that you can sort out yourself, perhaps they are between other family members and you are the person stuck in the middle, hearing the endless episodes but not being able to do anything about it. Either way, I have learnt that your family is the single most important thing you will have in your lifetime, and should an argument develop, it's better to get into action and resolve it straight away.

Some family feuds can have more of an impact on other family members than you may expect. Cousins, siblings, grandchildren and parents can all be effected by the actions of others, and may have have no option but to take it upon themselves to address the situation in hand.

Lately I have followed my own advice and found some people that had been missing for a very long time.
They say you can choose your friends but you cant choose your family, and you know what? I'm glad. Because families stick by you, through thick and thin, they support you and love you no matter what.

I wouldn't change my family, not for the world.

You've Got A Friend...

Lately I have been in a reflective state of mind, thinking deeply about my life and those who are a part of it, and I realise just how special these people are...

Sometimes it's easy to take a friend for granted, you don't quite comprehend just how special they are and how much they mean to you. But at some point everyone recognises the fact that friends are the people that are always there for you, no matter what.

There are a whole selection of different types of friends that you make during a lifetime. Some friendships fade, while others grow, but a true friend is with you for life.

• Childhood friendships make the bond for life. It's these friends that you will always have, even if you lose  contact, once you reunite it is as if you were never apart.
• There's Uni friends, they say that these are the ones who will stick with you for life, and after making some lovely friends at mine, I hope this saying stands true.
• Sensible friends, these are the people that can offer you sound advice and reassurance, talk through your problems and make you see sense.
• Then there's the crazy friends, who drink through the problems and make you see the fun side of life when you can only see the sad.
• The working friends who start off as colleagues but soon become people who you are happy to socialise with outside of working hours too.
• The male friends who can give some great insight into the minds of men and don't expect any extra 'benefits'.
• Finally, there's the boyfriend, although these friends may come and go, when you find the right one you find a whole new type of friendship you never knew existed.

So, make sure you tell your buddies just how much you value them, after all, where would we be without our friends?

You've Got A Friend...

Lately I have been in a reflective state of mind, thinking deeply about my life and those who are a part of it, and I realise just how special these people are...

Sometimes it's easy to take a friend for granted, you don't quite comprehend just how special they are and how much they mean to you. But at some point everyone recognises the fact that friends are the people that are always there for you, no matter what.

There are a whole selection of different types of friends that you make during a lifetime. Some friendships fade, while others grow, but a true friend is with you for life.

• Childhood friendships make the bond for life. It's these friends that you will always have, even if you lose  contact, once you reunite it is as if you were never apart.
• There's Uni friends, they say that these are the ones who will stick with you for life, and after making some lovely friends at mine, I hope this saying stands true.
• Sensible friends, these are the people that can offer you sound advice and reassurance, talk through your problems and make you see sense.
• Then there's the crazy friends, who drink through the problems and make you see the fun side of life when you can only see the sad.
• The working friends who start off as colleagues but soon become people who you are happy to socialise with outside of working hours too.
• The male friends who can give some great insight into the minds of men and don't expect any extra 'benefits'.
• Finally, there's the boyfriend, although these friends may come and go, when you find the right one you find a whole new type of friendship you never knew existed.

So, make sure you tell your buddies just how much you value them, after all, where would we be without our friends?

Riding the Rail - Tips for the everyday commuter.

Every Tuesday and Thursday I undergo the tedious task of boarding my local South West train service in order to get to University. Unfortunately for me, I leave at rush-hour and return at rush-hour.

This can present some problems...

Seating:
There is nothing worse than stepping on a train and being faced with the choice of selecting your seat neighbour. I usually find myself being overly picky at this point, students and young men are usually a no go. As are those who are overweight, coughing or appear of a nervous disposition.

A good tip here is to either:
1. Hover. - Stand around in the doorway area. Wait til someone leaves at the next stop, you will have priority over the boarding passengers as you are already on the train.
2. Be Selective. -Select someone who looks 'un-business-like'. The business-man is usually the person commuting the furthest, (in this case, London Waterloo.) The 'un-business-like' person is usually not a commuter but a local person making the most of public transport. Unlikely to be on-board for long.

Avoiding the Stranger:
Of course, there is also the flip side to this issue during these busy times, and this is having two seats to yourself.
Usually during my journeys, I like to sit with an extra seat to myself, greedy I know, but who doesn't? The only problem with this is that you often are faced with an influx of people boarding the train and scouring the carriage for seats.

This is when the following methods come into play:

1. Avoid Eye Contact. - This is a must when avoiding the stranger, the moment you make eye contact with a fellow commuter, is the moment you unknowingly give them the 'come and take a seat here' sign.
2. Occupy - Use the seat next to you for such things as bags and coats. This does deter most passengers, yet some take no notice of said objects and instead prolong their lowering pose until items have been removed.
3. Play Dead. - Pretend to be asleep. Perhaps add dibble for effect and lean yourself over onto the spare seat. This method is highly effective; no one wants to wake a stranger.
4. Strategic Seating. - Seat yourself in the chair closest to the walkway. This puts many a seat-searcher off, as not only must they ask to sit down, but they also cause you to move, disrupting your journey.

Finally, another tip is choose to sit in the 'Quiet Zone' This minimises the chances of screaming children or noisy chavs.

A good selection of passenger-avoiding advice if I may say so myself... who said I wasn't a people person?!

Riding the Rail - Tips for the everyday commuter.

Every Tuesday and Thursday I undergo the tedious task of boarding my local South West train service in order to get to University. Unfortunately for me, I leave at rush-hour and return at rush-hour.

This can present some problems...

Seating:
There is nothing worse than stepping on a train and being faced with the choice of selecting your seat neighbour. I usually find myself being overly picky at this point, students and young men are usually a no go. As are those who are overweight, coughing or appear of a nervous disposition.

A good tip here is to either:
1. Hover. - Stand around in the doorway area. Wait til someone leaves at the next stop, you will have priority over the boarding passengers as you are already on the train.
2. Be Selective. -Select someone who looks 'un-business-like'. The business-man is usually the person commuting the furthest, (in this case, London Waterloo.) The 'un-business-like' person is usually not a commuter but a local person making the most of public transport. Unlikely to be on-board for long.

Avoiding the Stranger:
Of course, there is also the flip side to this issue during these busy times, and this is having two seats to yourself.
Usually during my journeys, I like to sit with an extra seat to myself, greedy I know, but who doesn't? The only problem with this is that you often are faced with an influx of people boarding the train and scouring the carriage for seats.

This is when the following methods come into play:

1. Avoid Eye Contact. - This is a must when avoiding the stranger, the moment you make eye contact with a fellow commuter, is the moment you unknowingly give them the 'come and take a seat here' sign.
2. Occupy - Use the seat next to you for such things as bags and coats. This does deter most passengers, yet some take no notice of said objects and instead prolong their lowering pose until items have been removed.
3. Play Dead. - Pretend to be asleep. Perhaps add dibble for effect and lean yourself over onto the spare seat. This method is highly effective; no one wants to wake a stranger.
4. Strategic Seating. - Seat yourself in the chair closest to the walkway. This puts many a seat-searcher off, as not only must they ask to sit down, but they also cause you to move, disrupting your journey.

Finally, another tip is choose to sit in the 'Quiet Zone' This minimises the chances of screaming children or noisy chavs.

A good selection of passenger-avoiding advice if I may say so myself... who said I wasn't a people person?!

Twitterings of a Technophobe

Today was the day that I finally become a twit. I mean, twitterer?

Although I am completely self-sufficient when it comes to computers and technology, I couldn't help but feel a little nervous at the thought of joining twitter. All the @'s and #'s just seem to scare the hell out of me. But after consideration and a gentle persuasion from a friend I decided to give it a go. After all, it couldn't be that difficult. Could it?

The answer to that is yes. It really can. I would seriously like to know who came up with the concept of this networking site. What with followers and followings, tweetings and @'s, it seems to me that what could have been a relatively simple site has been turned into the most confusing and complicated thing I have battled with since a blackberry.

As a Twitter virgin, my only previous experience in the networking world had really been with Facebook. Sure, this was a little difficult to get to grips with at first, but in comparison to Twitter it's a piece of cake. There is no simplicity as writing on a wall, instead you must retweet to a tweet. A tweet that has been posted by someone else to you is on their profile, answered by retweet to your profile, this retweet then becomes your current tweet. As if that isn't confusing enough, try using the app.

As people age they loose their sight, their hearing, and the world around them grows and advances. New technology leaves them feeling lost and confused. Some are still even baffled by DVD players and Sky, relying on their kids and grandchildren to help them learn.

I used to be one of those kids, laughing to myself that old methods that had been made easier were even more confusing to the elders.

Now it seems the joke's on me...

Follow me on Twitter @Charlotte_StP

Twitterings of a Technophobe

Today was the day that I finally become a twit. I mean, twitterer?

Although I am completely self-sufficient when it comes to computers and technology, I couldn't help but feel a little nervous at the thought of joining twitter. All the @'s and #'s just seem to scare the hell out of me. But after consideration and a gentle persuasion from a friend I decided to give it a go. After all, it couldn't be that difficult. Could it?

The answer to that is yes. It really can. I would seriously like to know who came up with the concept of this networking site. What with followers and followings, tweetings and @'s, it seems to me that what could have been a relatively simple site has been turned into the most confusing and complicated thing I have battled with since a blackberry.

As a Twitter virgin, my only previous experience in the networking world had really been with Facebook. Sure, this was a little difficult to get to grips with at first, but in comparison to Twitter it's a piece of cake. There is no simplicity as writing on a wall, instead you must retweet to a tweet. A tweet that has been posted by someone else to you is on their profile, answered by retweet to your profile, this retweet then becomes your current tweet. As if that isn't confusing enough, try using the app.

As people age they loose their sight, their hearing, and the world around them grows and advances. New technology leaves them feeling lost and confused. Some are still even baffled by DVD players and Sky, relying on their kids and grandchildren to help them learn.

I used to be one of those kids, laughing to myself that old methods that had been made easier were even more confusing to the elders.

Now it seems the joke's on me...

Follow me on Twitter @Charlotte_StP

The X Factor

Following Sunday nights X-Factor, a good friend of mine sent me the below review. I loved it so much I had to feature it on my blog...

*Please note I am not claiming credit for this article, it can be found on The Metro website, or by clicking here.*

The question I've got, is: Did we need two episodes this weekend? 

Not especially, as we’re now stuck with the quite good, rather than possibly mentally ill contestants, and can no longer enjoy trying to work out who sorted Dannii's interior design.

The real intrigue came from the obvious inclusions and outrageous omissions from the last dozen, and we got both in spades on Sunday.

Despite her throat issues, Cher Lloyd was a cert for the live shows since her first audition, but selecting Belle Amie over tattooed manband The Reason, or irritating Katie over adorable Gamu, seemed designed to irritate.

What else did we learn? Little, other than a reminder of Natalie Imbruglia's ability to look delectable even when Tango-ed, Louis' growing despair at mentoring the over-28s and Cheryl Cole’s prodigious talent for tears.

It was a strange episode, all told.

Rather than singing or artificial spats between Simon Cowell and Cheryl, we instead faced 20 minutes of television stretched to an hour-and-a-half.

Producing these editions must be a doddle for the technical staff; insert montage of contestant’s first audition, add interview about how much they “want this”, cut to judge delivering verdict, add dramatic pause and repeat over and over again.

But after that ordeal, we have a final 12; Blackpool native with Shoreditch haircut Aiden; likeable Matt; flamboyant Nicolo; Tesco Mary;  soulful John; fake-American Storm; glorified dancers FYD; destined-to-go-out-first Belle Amie; Bieber-alikes 1 Direction; Scouse Rebecca, peroxide idiot Katie and Cheryl Cole’s Mini-Me Cher.

Is there a future Leona or, shudder, Leon Jackson within? The next few weeks of hilariously dramatic, expensively lit television will reveal all.

The X Factor

Following Sunday nights X-Factor, a good friend of mine sent me the below review. I loved it so much I had to feature it on my blog...

*Please note I am not claiming credit for this article, it can be found on The Metro website, or by clicking here.*

The question I've got, is: Did we need two episodes this weekend? 

Not especially, as we’re now stuck with the quite good, rather than possibly mentally ill contestants, and can no longer enjoy trying to work out who sorted Dannii's interior design.

The real intrigue came from the obvious inclusions and outrageous omissions from the last dozen, and we got both in spades on Sunday.

Despite her throat issues, Cher Lloyd was a cert for the live shows since her first audition, but selecting Belle Amie over tattooed manband The Reason, or irritating Katie over adorable Gamu, seemed designed to irritate.

What else did we learn? Little, other than a reminder of Natalie Imbruglia's ability to look delectable even when Tango-ed, Louis' growing despair at mentoring the over-28s and Cheryl Cole’s prodigious talent for tears.

It was a strange episode, all told.

Rather than singing or artificial spats between Simon Cowell and Cheryl, we instead faced 20 minutes of television stretched to an hour-and-a-half.

Producing these editions must be a doddle for the technical staff; insert montage of contestant’s first audition, add interview about how much they “want this”, cut to judge delivering verdict, add dramatic pause and repeat over and over again.

But after that ordeal, we have a final 12; Blackpool native with Shoreditch haircut Aiden; likeable Matt; flamboyant Nicolo; Tesco Mary;  soulful John; fake-American Storm; glorified dancers FYD; destined-to-go-out-first Belle Amie; Bieber-alikes 1 Direction; Scouse Rebecca, peroxide idiot Katie and Cheryl Cole’s Mini-Me Cher.

Is there a future Leona or, shudder, Leon Jackson within? The next few weeks of hilariously dramatic, expensively lit television will reveal all.