context, strategic, restorative, empathy and intellection

According to a psychometric test I took (properly, not just on quizilla or something), those are my 'top 5' strengths. I've always been sceptical about any type of test claiming to know me better than I know myself, but this one seems to have caught me out. If I'm not a word-obsessed, backward-thinking, argumentative introvert, what else could I be? It's nice to have them termed as 'strengths', having spent my whole life holding my tongue due to that nasty intellection habit. Reading between the jargon, I think it's saying that I'm good at seeing things objectively, in a different light, able to find the wood for the trees, the most direct solution to problems. I get the 'empathy' one particularly (oh how ironic). Unfortunately I don't have a natural predisposition for sympathy to counter it. I generally have a pretty good idea of how people are feeling and what the possible causes are, but if they just want comforting I'm the absolute worst at it; empathy combined with honesty means I will want to tell tem exactly what they don't want to hear. Sometimes the truth is not the best policy, but in that case I'd rather say nothing than dress it up for their benefit. Concealing things from others always has unintended consequences, like stepping on a butterfly - it could easily cause a hurricane somewhere else...

...yeah I've been ill this whole week. This is what being trapped indoors and toked up on vitamin C with only House to keep me company does to me.

Another Beyond Retro jummy. I always have to obey my shopping list when I go out hunting, and it invariably says "NEW JUMMY WIV CUTE STUFF ON". I bought this because it's like a Green Peace top I had when I was in nursery but lost. If I can find a white-striped jersey skirt I will re-create the whole outfit. Being 3 was fantastic.

Today I wore: pale pink tee from American Apparel, lilac jersey skirt (beth) DITTO, coloured lace belt from Beyond Retro, scarf from my uncle. It says "Made in Cornwall", and is thus a Cornish Scarf.

I'm not a pastel person usually but I, like the whole planet, have been suckered into believing the Topshop Unique 80s vision of Summer 09. Also, beware getting your haircut next to a woman who's just got back from Thailand and is telling a fascinating story about an attractive male clairvoyant and his mysterious eye paintings - me and my hairdresser got so engrossed that neither of us noticed how fast my fringe was disappearing.