Sunday 31 January 2010

The weekend in pictures...

...despite the snow coming back to say hello on Saturday, we got the sofas moved, yay!



I had my hair done with the added joy of a black chunk in my fringe (just peeking out there in the photo) and had it straightened for extra shiny and the novelty of brushing my hair!



The daffodils my ma bought me for my birthday burst into bloom - Spring is on its way!



I made muffins using an American recipe that required 'cups' - luckily we had just the thing cos Wavey's sister lives in the USA and brought them for baking when she stays with us. The first time I've ever made muffins that actually look like they do in the bakery! Not sampled one yet but can't wait: banana, apple and chocolate buttons with crunchy sugar and cinnamon topping, YUM!



And after a slight nightmare with the delivery mix-up, our wardrobes arrived and are built and are truly a thing of beauty! I know it doesn't seem like such a big deal but for the past month my clothes have been all over the shop, is fabby to have them in one lovely place!



Hope you all had a super weekend too!

Saturday 23 January 2010

Farewell Popey, hello...Pimpey?

Yesterday was very exciting as it was new car day! This is the first time I've ever experienced new car day. My dad is a mechanic, so growing up, our "new" cars were never entirely new and were usually very cheap. Wavey works for a certain car company and because of this can get cars as part of a work scheme. For the past few years we've had a Note, which Fizz gave the kindly moniker, the Popemobile, or Popey as we more affectionately called it. We drove Popey to France last year so had enjoyed many happy times in him, so in truth, it was a bit sad to say goodbye to him. But exciting too!

I insisted that Wavey came and picked me up in the new car last night. I came out of libraryland with one of my friends and saw this giant car ahead struggling into a parking space...that'd be the new car then says I. Eeek! It smelled sooooo good though, yum new car smell!

Today was the day that I got to practice driving the new car, which looks like this:



Nice huh?

Bigger than I've ever been used to though! For all my nerves it's lovely to drive. So smooth! And pretty lush really! Tricky to park though, lots of practice is required methinks.

And so to the name. What shall we call the new car? Tizz has just been round for a cuppa and walks in exclaiming that the new car is like a Pimp-mobile with its blacked out rear windows and high up-ness. Popey to Pimpey? What was it Tizz said, all we need now is to get Wavey a white fedora and maybe we've got a way of paying for those wardrobes sooner than we think...

Thursday 21 January 2010

This week I've discovered...

...that people either love or hate Ikea. There is truly no middle ground to be found. Telling people you've been there either finds you in the presence of lust: one conversation I had, with a bloke no less, had him declare that Ikea wardrobes are a thing of beauty; or physical shudders. Wavey and I actually found ourselves somewhere in the middle as we raced our way round, then got temporarily sucked into slowing down and browsing stuff before we had a serious word with ourselves and returned to the racing. Good to say though, that as of the 29th of this month, we will be in posession of very spacious wardrobes with lots of hanging space for all our fabby clothes. Which I believe deserves a little woooop!

...that I am one very low maintenance woman. Seriously, in conversations I've had this past week I've reached this conclusion. I'm not demanding, I don't nag, I don't always want stuff doing or instruct otherwise if I believe something is being done wrong, cos really, when it comes to housework (what that conversation was about) is there a right and wrong way? There's an individual's way, but just because one person does it one way doesn't make the other way wrong. I don't expect massive presents or shiny diamonds for my birthday, all I want is the new Vampire Weekend cd, and everyone else whose asked me has found me ask for money so that I can buy stuff that I need, like expensive toiletries that have run out now that 6 months worth of use has passed. I'm easy going, fun to be around, and I love cooking and that goes double for eating! Perhaps I need some lessons in how to be high maintenance?

...that grabbing for your very hot hair straighteners when they're falling out of your hands is not entirely the best option. I can say this with firm belief as I have the blisters on my little and fourth finger of my right hand to prove it - ouch.

...as a direct result of above, I discovered that it's very hard to brush your teeth with the opposite hand than you normally use. After said burning incident, I had to brush my teeth with my left hand. By the time I was done I had toothpaste on my top and two fangs dribbling down the corner of my mouth that were admittedly pretty impressive but not exactly very attractive.

...that I really missed my laptop whilst we waited to get the router to go wireless, as now that I have it up and running I'm on it every night!

...that me laughing out loud at a very funny book in bed also makes Wavey chuckle heartily, even though he has no idea why!

...it's really easy to find excuses to minimise all open screens on your work when Robert Downey Jr as Sherlock Holmes is your wallpaper - oh oh oh drooooool!

...that I am so strong I can break off coat hooks just by hanging a coat up. Seriously, the systematic destruction of Wavey's house continues on an almost daily basis. However, he is just as bad. The other night he cooked the plastic thing that comes under the pizza to the pizza baking tray, it was burned and stuck! I believe that it may not be safe for us to live in the same house.

...this next one is not really a new discovery but more a remembering of how very proud of my friends I am. My very good friend D completed her Masters dissertation this week after a lot of horrible stress and I was so incredibly chuffed when she emailed me to tell me about it! Then we celebrated by eating a lovely dinner and exchanging Christmas presents that we never got round to during the festive season.

...that I feel more like I'm turning 25 than 35 this weekend as I'm so FREAKING EXCITED about going out dancing on Saturday night!!! I'm hoping for some top choons and if I don't get to hear any of The Gaga I'm going to be soooo disappointed, all together now, la la rah rah ga ga!!!

Think that's all really. Friday tomorrow, yay! New car day, double yay!

Monday 18 January 2010

Three little words

Be the following statement true or not, it's what I firmly believe, so just go with it for the sake of this post, okay? Good. Then let's begin. I am an observer of life. And whilst observing the thing called life I come across a lot of things that I don't quite understand. One of them is this strange compulsion people have to declare their love whilst on public transport. And in work environments. This little observation came about after overhearing a woman on the bus this evening, she was on her mobile phone doing the usual, yep I'm on the bus be home in about 10 minutes, then she utters those three little words: "I love you". For ALL to hear. On the bus. Just like that. One of my colleagues does the same thing everytime she receives a phone call from home. And she sits right outside my boss's office! And we work in an open plan area so we can all hear it! It kind of makes me cringe.

But before you all think I'm some heartless witch let me tell you a little tale. I used to share a house with this awful girl. Truly, she was a bitch from hell. And stroppy with it. She had a boyfriend that she treated like utter shit, yet he came back for more and more. And each night she would sit with us in the living room, on the telephone to this poor sap, and at the end of each conversation she would tell him: "I love you" Which would have been fair enough if we didn't know for a fact that behind his back she was shagging every Tom, Dick and Harry that came her way. It appalled me, that she could be so incredibly awful to this guy who was actually just a nice bloke thinking he was in a solid relationship. So you see? I think this experience has scarred me. I hear those words uttered in front of others and it makes me cringe. Brings back all these awful memories, because of course we were fortunate to live the horrible end of the relationship once he found out that she was actually busy loving everyone and not just him.

Does this make me odd? I'm more than willing to tell Wavey those special words, but not like every 5 minutes because then they don't really have that much meaning, in my humble opinion. Thus endeth my observation of today.

Sunday 17 January 2010

No shit, Sherlock

This merry afternoon saw Fizz, Wavey and I head off to the cinema to see Sherlock Holmes at the picture house. Much anticipated, there has been many shitty life events thrown in our way preventing us going earlier, but today was deffo the day. We gets there to a HUGE queue, what the eff? Where have all these people come from and why are they in the queue when we need to be there too! Luckily we spotted the nice ticket machine that let us pay with our plastic and onward and upward, we reached our destination.

It was pretty full, considering it was the 3.15pm showing on a Sunday afternoon so we sat in those neck breaking seats 2 rows from the front. There were benefits. For those who like a bit of the Downey Jr, the close ups were mighty appreciated, and there was tonnes of legroom, always a good thing for moi. 2 and a bit hours later we were done. Verdicts?

Wavey: yeah yeah it was good, not too much kissy stuff...
Fizz: bit overly long, was ready for it to end but - and thus starts the discussions on all the good bits...
Dizz: grrrrrreat! ...contributing much of my own to the discussion of the good bits.

If you've not seen already, I'd definitely recommend, it's well worth the 2+ hours. And we saw loads of good trailers for loads of action films, and I absolutely LOVE action films so wooooop for good cinema visits to come. Yay!

Saturday 16 January 2010

One lousy cm!

Today in the house of lurve we hit coupledom central. We went shopping for wardrobes. And we didn't just go in one shop, we went in several. Throw in a trip to the local evil DIY shop and we are talking one serious day of eek-worthy coupledom-ness. Let me take you back to the beginning...

...as we all well know Dizz has a lot of clothes. And so does Wavey. Combine these two rather large amounts of clothes and we're talking a serious storage problem. There were 2 wardrobes in the house when I moved in but they're not that great and the storage they offer is not really enough for our new requirements. We were aware that wardrobe shopping would have to take place. We made a half hearted attempt last weekend, but let's face it, anyone who goes into town at 4.30 in the afternoon, then stops for a coffee and a cake and still expects shops to be open is not being entirely realistic. So today we set off with a vengeance...at 11am, get us being up early and everything!

The first shop we went in was promising. The guy in there was helpful to the point of being friendly, not pushy at all, and left us to mooch round by ourselves. We liked one that was available, got the necessary measurements and information and went our merry way to the second shop. I'd only been in the second place once before and hadn't realised quite how Ingleby Dingleby it really was, ugh, shudder, it was awful. Packed to the gills with nasty furniture that does not please my eye and cost many many more pennies than we had planned to spend. We hastily exited and hit the evil DIY shop.

Not a great fan at the best of times, Saturday afternoons sees the evil DIY shop full of happy couples (see, coupledom!) looking at plants and bathrooms. Mind you, not all couples are happy in there. You can usually guarantee whilst walking round that you'll hear raised sharp voices and see huffing men pout their pet lip and women with pursed lips and, to put it bluntly, faces like smacked arses. Luckily Wavey and I do not get involved in this kind of behaviour as we head in there like we're on some kind of mission. We know exactly what we want and we head there. We're not sidetracked by oooh pretty pillows and blinds, it's loft boards we want and loft boards we'll get...oh and the paint for the bedroom whilst we're there, thus killing two birds with one stone.

Mission accomplished, time for lunch. Where we inevitably end up talking about wardrobes. We've considered Ikea, but let's face it, neither of us are fans. He's a bloke for one and therefore hates shopping, and I hate the way that Ikea dictate which direction you have to walk and their obsessive love of Billy bookcases or whatever poncey name they have going on now. Yack yack yack. So we make a decision, we'll go and get the ones we've seen, they're perfect for what we want, they're sturdy, they're nice to look at, they have tonnes of hanging and shelf space...

...and they only have one. And we need two. Oh! The guy in the shop must have seen my sadness - how much space have you got, maybe the three door will fit in. Of course we'd measured it but not properly. Doh! Back to the car and back home armed with a measurement of 138cm and his card to call him back we park the car and head up the stairs. I decide not to take my coat off as I'm sure we're going back out to buy the buggers, and I've got my fingers crossed all the way up the stairs which we all know works. Out comes the measuring tape - 137cm! Noooooooo! By one lousy cm our alcoves are not big enough.

Do you know what this means people? We have to go to frigging Ikea and follow their crappy dictation in order to make it to the wardrobe section where you have to buy every single fitting and fixture seperately cos they can't possibly make it easy for you and just have it all in a wee bag! Grrrrr!

Unless we can be saved! By finding an alternative store nearby which will have a similar style to what we saw, have 2 available, and fit in with our measurements. Fingers crossed eh...?

Saturday 9 January 2010

Bad appliances...naughty!

I've lived in this house for exactly 16 days and in that very short time the boiler has broken. The shower door decided to fall off. A further part of the shower came off this morning. And then the washing machine decided that it doesn't like the freezing weather conditions and flooded the utility room. What the eff and jeff is going on??

Admittedly it is a very old house - Wavey has paperwork that puts it at least 120 years old, and don't get me wrong, I love it! It's like a house and a cottage and a secret garden all rolled into one but what is it with the appliances? Obviously they are not 120 years old but they're definitely beginning to show their age. The boiler repair man put the boiler at 20 years old (one for the G-rating or below methinks) And the shower does have its little quirks, like the spurting water leaking out of the gap in the shower head, but broken washing machines that contain Wavey's work shirts and my knee high socks that are required wear for wellies is just not funny. Enough already!

Now I can see your train of thought brewing...hmmm, the house worked fine until Dizz moved in, perhaps she is the one who breaks things. I shall not deny that I am rather clumsy and prone to breaking stuff but not normally within such a short time frame! I'm beginning to think that maybe Wavey will realise it's ME who is the bad luck charm here and send me back, tail between my legs, and enjoy his non-breaking appliances to himself once again. Oh woe is me, what is a girl to do...?

Friday 8 January 2010

Great little film!

Last night we watched Vicky Christina Barcelona, written and directed by Woody Allen. And what a super film! It was funny, smart, sexy, sassy. The women were gorgeous. The men were hot. Barcelona looked sensational (so HAVE to go there now) All in all, the perfect antidote for the back to work blues. Go watch it. Now!

Thursday 7 January 2010

Happy New (only 7 days in) Year!

Greetings dear blog readers, and a most Happy New Year to you all. What a surprise, running just a bit behind the times with this greeting, but better late than never is my motto! I can't believe it's 2010! And how many times have I written '09' this week, doh! Will take some getting used to. And are we in the 'tweens' now? Cos apparently we were in the Noughties for the last decade. This one could be counted as the teenage years...or did I just make that up completely? Either way, it was a bit bonkers, all those mad tv programmes - Song of the Decade, TV Programme of the Decade, Film of the...you get the picture. My recall of the past decade is, at best fuzzy, at worst, a winter fog type of lack of visibility. But that's not going to stop me giving you a rundown now is it? Hehe.

2000: Wow, all the way back there. The bestest thing I did, hands down in this year, was decide that living in London was beyond sucky and that it was time for me to march my northern arse back up to where it belonged. Don't get me wrong, I hearted London with lots of love, but by the end, I was utterly skint and debt ridden. And when you're both of these things in our fair capital, you can't really enjoy life very much at all. And so I made the monumental decision to return. In October. It was hard coming back, lots of swallowing of pride, but yep, wise decision.

2001: The year I started in Libraryland. I had been working in HMV, oh what a delight that was, but at the end of my seasonal post there, I was a bit lost. The phonecall from Libraryland saved me from poverty and utter boredom. Little was I to know that 9 years down the line I would still be there...but wishing I wasn't.

2002: The year I became a grown up...yeah right! I bought my house in September 2002. Again, hands down, most wisest decision ever. And for that I have the Dizz Pops to thank. As shortly after buying mine the housing market went utterly bonkers crazy and I was literally out-priced out of my own street, by 3 times as much as I'd paid. Phew. Good investment. Solid choice.

2003: Winter fog for this year...very fuzzy...visibility and memory recall poor.

2004: The year of The Course. Libraryland very kindly paid for me to go on the special course that allows you to become a librarian. I had no idea that these tentative steps would bring me into blogland, and there I have remained since then, amen.

2005-2006: Pretty much lost most of these 2 years to The Course. I don't think I realised quite how much work was going to be involved with it, or how much it would take over my life. It's at this point that I say an immense thank you to all my buds who kept me sane(ish) throughout those 2 years, you guys, just fabby!

2007: The year of venturing out there. After an extremely lengthy (read like forever) spell of no mans, I decided it was time to get the Dizz arse (and a mighty fine bootay it is) out there into the dating world. Seemingly the only place you can do this now is online. So to the webby I went. And had quite a few highly entertaining experiences. For a while there was promise. But this got dashed big style. Bonkers. Madness. Hurt feelings. It wasn't good. Me no likey at all. I returned to singledom with big wide open arms...

2008: ...until after god knows how many years of liking each other but never being quite brave enough to actually say anything, Wavey and I bit the bullet, declared our liking-ness and have been in loved up bliss ever since. September 2008. A good month that was (understatement)

2009: Continuation of loved up bliss. Decide to be properly grown up (people keep trying to force this onto me for some unknown reason) and take relationship one step further by becoming roomies. On Christmas Eve. Cue very wide, soppy eyed grin and you'll be right where I am.

So here we are. 2010. Wonder what it will bring? So far lots of snow. And freezing your face off temperatures. And moving house tasks. I'm not one for resolutions, gave them up a long time ago. But for this year, I'd very much like to fulfil my wish of renting out my house to a nice professional single/couple/friends who will take such good care of my very first house that I filled with love and happy times. I'd like for all my loved ones to be happy and healthy and safe from harm. And I'd like to get out of Libraryland. It isn't a good place to be and hasn't been for well over a year now. I'm tired of hearing myself complain about it. And finally to our blog readers, if there's any of you left out there, the same wishes for you, happy, healthy, safe from harm...but always near to a computer so that you can keep reading!