The Not Happy Thread

I prefer the cold over 84% humidity we have now. It's horrid. And the Cyclone is due to hit tomorrow morning sometime. We are now playing a waiting game. Sigh!

Your neighbour sounds like a right moron. Sorry you have to put up with that.

 

I think I just had a panic attack and that certainly didn't make me happy, so I figured this is an appropriate thread... It's about 3am and it happened about an hour ago and lasted half an hour. In case it happens again, does anyone know what to do to make it stop? I think it was just a panic attack because I felt short of breath, my heart was racing, and I felt incredibly scared and I was shaking and crying, but there was no chest pain or numbness or anything, and it's over now, so I think it's safe to say it's nothing more serious. This is the first time it's happened to me, and I really don't want it to happen again... I read somewhere that people who are shy, reclusive, and sort of a wallflower are more prone to having these attacks, and I'm all of the above. Ugh...

 

Ugh. I'm a determined fan and advocate of the British public transport system, but it doesn't make itself easy to love. To start with, the main line up to London is shut for maintenance, so my train is doing a tour around rural Sussex on its way o the capital and adding 40 minutes to my journey.

And then, on top of that, the doors in the front carriages stopped working, so we spent about half an hour stopped at Littlehampton waiting for them to get it fixed. So yeah, my day's going well.

 

Sussex is where my mum is from.

 

I want to ride trains now. The last time I rode in one was when I was a little kid in a park. =)

What's it like in the trains? Is it how I imagine or is it like a subway where people are crammed together in individual cars with some standing up holding onto bars/ropes attached to ceilings?

 

The line's closed between Darlington and Durham over weekends at the moment. Which means getting back to Newcastle after the Arsenal match will be fun. Going to be getting the 6am train from Huddersfield on Monday morning in an attempt to get to uni for my 9am lecture. Hooray!

So I share the pain of annoying transport.

 

Depends where the trains are - I am in the North of Scotland so no, trains are clean, usually on time and except for the two main commuter trains in morning and evening close to the main cities, where some may need to stand, and occasionally round Christmas most people get a seat, often with a table as well. Even during the busy tourist season it is usually fine.

We have a pretty good bus service to - just expensive. Mine is subsidised because I am near an RAF base though.

 

It's only crammed on the tube, and even then it's sometimes okay, depends on the carriage you're in. As for trains in general, they're usually quite nice and mostly always get a seat. There was this one time when I was coming back from uni where they decided to combine two trains meaning that those who had reserved seats (such as me) had their seats double booked, so on that particular train it was incredibly crammed, you couldn't really move. But on the whole, they're quite good.

 

I don't know what it is like now but ten years ago if a crowded tube arrived I'd just let it go. Next one came along few minutes later was usually empty

 

Haha, yeah, a crowded tube isn't exactly that bad since they come so often.

 

I just used to find everyone had to get on the one train. Then another arrived with no one on it directly afterwards - especially at rush hour trains are more frequent, everyone was always in such a rush. I'd just wait a bit later or leave the train before the commuter hour got hectic.

However that was more than ten years ago (did the maths since my last post lol 1997 was my time for London rush hour). Think having spent my teen years in the back of beyond lol (we only got McDonalds about the time I got back from uni), I was just more chilled about life and adapted London to fit me. I loved it but decided it was either for student life or when I was very wealthy - so if my book ever pulled a Harry Potter I want a place in Holland Park lol

 

I usually have to get on a tube at a certain time because otherwise I'd probably miss the train I was booked on.

Back to unhappiness (yay), I can't seem to find the motivation to do anything today. I wouldn't mind so much if 1. I didn't have things to do 2. I had been productive yesterday. It is only 1pm but I've been up since 6am so I guess I feel I should have done something or at least be starting to.

 

I did something really stupid this weekend and may have lost a close friendship because of it.

 

Ouch, man, that really sucks. :/ Is there something you can do to make it up?

 

That sucks -- I've had a few moments like that -- I'm sorry. If it was a true friendship, he/she will forgive you and you can make up, even if it takes time to prove yourself and earn your trust back.

 

Hell if I know, guys. I might just need to give some space/time and hope things turn out ok at this point...however patience is not a virtue I generally have in my repertoire.

 

I hope things work out ok, Sid.

 

Crushing disappointment. Thank god Matt was here and we'd bought chocolate.

I've just read on twitter that the 5 people shortlisted for the Times/Chicken House competition have been called and notified, and will be officially announced on Monday.

I wasn't one of them.


All that work on my first childrens novel...I know, I know, stupid to get upset, but I did. I am upset. I had months to dream up all the possibilities of me getting shortlisted and even winning, just to have reality numb me with the news that it was a stupid dream.

 

Sid, sorry about what happened, and I really hope things work out.

Sorry you didn't get shortlisted, Ashleigh.

 

I'm sorry to hear you didn't get short-listed, Ash, but don't feel like all your work was for nothing. I know you know this, but maybe you just need to hear it from someone else now --you can still submit it to plenty of publishing houses and other competitions. Just because some judges were too boneheaded to realize how great of a writer you are doesn't make you any less of one.

And maybe it might help to remember how nice it felt to receive (heartfelt) rejections over your short stories. Ahah, so many acceptances lately, you're getting spoiled. You're determined and persistent and talented enough, that it'll happen. Chin up!

 

This is a great point.

Think of this, too -- if everyone always got acceptances, then being accepted or published wouldn't mean what it does. It takes the fact that rejections are common to make success so awesome; so trust me, rejections are a part of life.

The fact that you write, and finish, and send things off to contests like that...you're already far ahead of most writers.

 

Ashleigh...the dream wasn't stupid...but I am sorry it didn't come true....THIS TIME. There will be other opportunities.

 

Thank you everybody, I feel much better after sleeping on it and reading your comments. It's just so hard knowing that the dream is gonna come true for someone else this time. You're right, though; winning this would mean it was too easy. Nothing worth having is easy, I guess.

I'm going to go through and edit it with -hopefully- fresh eyes and send it out to a couple of literary agents I've been looking at.

If anything, I'm hoping they'll give me some advice in their feedback, which is what I missed out on by entering this competition. You're either picked or you're not - no reasons why, no advice, no feedback. Maybe if I send the 5 pages one of the lit agents ask for, they'll have time to let me know why they won't accept it. Unless, through some miracle, they actually do. Heh. Fingers crossed (again) I guess. x

 

Weird level of fear in my system right now.

 

I have to be out of my house by February 27th. I'm moving across the country and I lose my truck, my favorite animals, and the ability to see all of the people I love.

Oh, and I didn't get the job I thought I was getting. And I have to turn down the internship that I was really excited about getting.

It's been an awful day.