The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

09:17 Oct 31 2012
Times Read: 639

Happy Halloween to my friends :) I hope you have a wonderful fun day with your children..it's such fun watching them dress up and trick n' treat. I will be with Mum 's tonight.. Poor wee lady can hardly walk, so I can at least get the door for her! I will be caring for her overnight also, so will not be able to get back on again today. Laters.

18:44 Oct 30 2012
Times Read: 657

Superstorm Sandy has been devasting for New York and the people there and in surrounding States. I know if I lived there I would be down volunteering with Red Cross, but that's just me. I know hubby would be out there with his camera taking unique photographs. America is so troubled with major storms every year that it makes our storms so puny in comparasion. I will never complain about the rain here again.. Good luck to those in America, and Canada who are facing the future and past of Sandy.

22:13 Oct 29 2012
Times Read: 668

Hi, haven't wrote here in a while... It's mostly because I have not got Internet access at Mum's, and secondly between caring for Mum and work I just haven't had time. Mum has taken a turn for the worse..yesterday I had to get the emergency doctor visit her twice, and once today. Somehow, I manage to get to work in between times. I was late for work by three hours yesterday, and still had to leave a hour early when I realised I would have to get the doctor out again. Today I was a hour and half late for audit. The quality of my work has detoriated, but the improvement in mums care has improved. Me, I am just exhausted.



My brother returns home from Spain at the end of this week. Man, is he in for some shock. I am naggered.

19:22 Oct 23 2012
Times Read: 698

My class was moderated today.... I near flipped when I seen her walk through the door so early! and icing on the cake was the venue hadn't set any desks out for the students, and today was examination day! C r I n g e.

19:47 Oct 21 2012
Times Read: 727

Sometimes 'touch' keyboards really cheese me off! They seem to have a mind of their own. Anyone else have that problem? If my touch isnt sufficient and it leaves out a letter, then it makes. New word or deletes a word! Heavens above.. It really does my head in at times! Chuckles.. Ting is I have a Bluetooth keyboard for my iPad but keep forgetting to charge it!

08:34 Oct 21 2012
Times Read: 748

Why is that 'family' sometimes can be the biggest source of our disappointments? Is it wrong of me to feel this way? Or am I justified that I feel a pressure to lone work my Mum while my brother who comes home from Spain for 4 months gallavants Ireland, and my sister's daughter who said she would stay with for her now withdraws. Her Mum is now holidaying in her villa in Tunisia. I am all out of steam., the pressures of work and NOW this?

Thank you
17:13 Oct 20 2012
Times Read: 771

There you go again being so wonderful to me DireConsequences. Truly you, and a few others on here are angels, and I am so proud to know such wonderful, thoughtful people. You all are a gift and a source of continual inspiration to me.

19:12 Oct 19 2012
Times Read: 796

Don't know if I can sustain living without quality 'self' time anymore. My time is distributed to so many different facets that it's making me ill, so much that I just want to run away and hide under a rock somewhere were no one will find me. Feel so withdrawn and building those blocks around me.

21:40 Oct 18 2012
Times Read: 815

I negotiated an excellent care plan with the social workers for Mum. Two carers' by four times a day, two cash allowances, free medication, house adaptions..and an emergency button for around her neck :) couldn't be better, and YES she is getting out of care on Momday or Tuesday once her risk assessment is carried out by the District Nurse. Then all of the above will kick in. Even got her allowances backdated from the first minute she went into hospital. Thank you British government. ;) and persistence!

Eat Drink and be Messy
22:38 Oct 17 2012
Times Read: 833




Once, upon a thyme leaf,

There lived a lazy snail.

Who munched and dozed,and dozed and munched,

On thyme he breakfasted and lunched,

And when it came to half past nine,

He chose once more to dine on thyme.



Later, upon the thyme leaf,

Was a rather plumper snail.

But, reader dear, his life was brief,

For this is no fairy tale



He ate more and more, and grew fatter and fatter

Until one day he exploded, bang, splat, splatter.

One minute he was there,

The next he'd gone.

The coroner's verdict

'A snail thyme bomb'.



Copyright © Patrick Winstanley

21:00 Oct 16 2012
Times Read: 856

I have listened to the advice of someone, and realised when I get beyond tired, the more direct I become in my communications to others. I think it may be because I am too tired to activate my brain to 'dress' things up, so I tell it as I really perceive it. This may offend some people.. And it this I have to realise that some people don't just have a thick brain. Maawwwnnnhhh I detest walking on eggshells, take it on the chin!

19:20 Oct 16 2012
Times Read: 860

Who ever invented the phrase, 'life work balance?' being as my next day off falls on the 2nd of November I would like to talk to them. I believe that as I recess further into this seemly never ending pattern of demands on my time I think that success can only contribute to 'personal' failure. I can't really remember the last time I baked some cookies...

22:38 Oct 14 2012
Times Read: 899

Now girls, let's be honest... How many of you have scrubbed your doorstep today? Or.. How many of you females leave this to the man about the house ? Heh, I think my Mum is doting ..a modern woman does not the scrub the doorstep anymore! or am I just a bad home-keeper? I do have a mat though, does that count?

22:10 Oct 10 2012
Times Read: 921

Nothing messes up your Saturday like realising its Wednesday.

22:45 Oct 09 2012
Times Read: 941

Okay, I survived today.. But I rushed it, and ended 45 minutes earlier than I should off! Much to the delight of my students heh!

21:57 Oct 08 2012
Times Read: 965

Well, here I am at 21.50 and just finished work. Preparing training materials for my Law class tomorrow... Personally, I am dreading talking about the subject tomorrow, and the differences between Criminal and Civil Law with all the liabilities that goes with that. I am well versed in Law, even went to England to study defending and prosecuting civil claims..but still, it's weird. Can't shake of the feeling of dread standing up there and teaching it! I might do a knee shaker tomorrow lol.

23:10 Oct 07 2012
Times Read: 1,013

I believe the new season of Game of Thrones has finished recording... Well according to Mrs Mc Cullough at Ballintoy Harbour it has! :) I look forward to seeing it on our screens :)

19:08 Oct 07 2012
Times Read: 1,060

 I may of qualified at times as a controversialist on this social website, but in doing so I have never broken the terms of service or bad-mouthed the service it has provided over my term of membership here. Never been suspended, nor had my journal zapped which proves you can get your point of view listened to and discussed if your approach is appropriate.  We don't have to like all of the administration members on here either,  but supporting what they do contributes to the success of website and helps makes you a good Vampire Rave citizen. It really doesn't help anyone if disagreements get personal, and away from the original topic of VR procedures you know. 



Throwing up personal stuff in Vampire Rave in comments demeans the service provision, and most of all demeans you as a person, as well as all the hard work, that staff and ex staff including myself have completed in building up this website over the past eight years. 



I appeal to your inner conscience to review your behaviours and not to take comments and journal entries so far. Jerry Springer may well show an interest in some of the entries on this site, which is sad because when the site was invented by Cancer it was never intended for that purpose. 

11:19 Oct 07 2012
Times Read: 1,073

It's a lovely sunny summer day outside, so I doubt I will be spending much more of my time indoors. I am off to the gym to do a thirty/thirty shortly. That is 10 mins on the treadmill, 10 minutes on the stroller, and then ten minutes on the bike x repeat 1. It's always boring, but with some good sounds it makes it okay.



Afterwards, I may take Mum out for a scoot in the car. If we can achieve this it will be her first time seeing the outside world for six weeks. That will be nice for her :)



There are a few things I want to write about in my journal, and in particular about the shenanigans around here..but it will wait. Some things are more important in life. Like living the real one!

19:47 Oct 05 2012
Times Read: 1,102

My feet have hardly touched the ground this week, and again I am out monitoring the quality of training tomorrow. I had a cancellation on Monday though, so I think I am going to hide myself on that day and on Sunday!



All being well and if the weather keeps dry I will get the nurses to assist me putting Mum into car for a run out on Sunday. That should be easy enough with the use of the wheelchair, and she will so love getting out for a while. :)

18:41 Oct 02 2012
Times Read: 1,124

I was teaching a new programme today..I must say I was tickled pink by the feedback remarks... 'very professional delivery' 'really enjoyed the course' ' I learned a lot today' ... That was fabulous feedback and really made my day considering I was delivering to Directors and the Board of Governors' :)

23:08 Oct 01 2012
Times Read: 1,134

Curatorial Mutiny







The Japanese Zen monk Hakuin (1685-1768)has one of the most extreme descriptions ofthe human conditions.



A black fire that burns with the obscure brilliance of a gem dessicated the wide heaven and earth of their natural colour.In the mirror of the mind one can see neither mountains nor rivers.Billions of worlds in agony, all for nothing.



The last three words really mean: "without obtaining insight".If this is not urgency ...One can interpret leisure in two ways:1. Wrong leisure: being lazy as a meditator etc.2. Right leisure:Sitting quietly, doing nothing.Spring comes and the grass grows by itself.



(Basho, Zen monk, 1644-1694 )(above taken from correspondence with Prof. Henk Barendregt in preparation of meditation Belgrade "Leisure and Urgency")