Friday 29 April 2011

Ghost town/Royal Wedding part 2

11am this morning I walked into my village on my way to the hairdressers. The exact same time as the beginning of the Royal Wedding. And just as yesterday there was no-one around at all! And I felt...really quite unpatriotic that I dared to walk through the village when everyone else was glued to their television - dead woman walking!! Beforehand I hadn't really thought I would be that bothered by the whole ceremony etc but I walked into the hairdressers to this fabulous party atmosphere! There was Bucks Fizz, each of the hairdressers had got tarted up in pretty dresses and corsages and we all sat down and enjoyed the new princess walking down the aisle. I'm sure you can imagine the camaraderie, people ooh-ing and ahhh-ing over how pretty she looked, how nice the dress was, how good her hair looked (of course!) and I have to admit that I welled up a little bit and had a lump in my throat! Who knew?! Not me at all.

I'm at home now and I've put the television on straightaway to watch the infamous balcony moment. Glued like many other millions of people to the strange group of people winding their way down The Mall with the row of policemen in front. It's a bit like when I was watching the tv and Gordon Brown resigned and made his way to the palace, just like then I felt like I was a part of history and I've got that same feeling now! Weird, and totally unexpected.

I'll only say one more thing, she truly did look beautiful. Graceful, poised, elegant, a very simple dress, not flashy not trashy, just stunning. And so calm! Drugs maybe? Hit of valium before you get in the big glass car to make sure you stay calm...

Anyway there's flags waving a-plenty and I have to get back to my tv watching. Happy holidays chaps x

Thursday 28 April 2011

Ghost town

I had one of those moments this morning on the way to work, when you suddenly become very aware of your surroundings. And what I realised was that there was no-one around. Like absolutely no-one. There were no other people in the street (and bear in mind this is one of the busiest roads in the town), no cars, no buses. Just me and my ipod. How freakin' weird! I think I actually started to walk a wee bit faster as I have to say, it was creepy.

And work was just the same. The campus was deserted, there were hardly any cars in the car park, and not many foot passengers around either. Then a lightbulb went off - ting! It's the bank holiday bonanza where we had one on Monday and we've got another one tomorrow (thanks Royal Family, you can have a wedding any old time and give me an extra day off - woooooo!) so a lot of people have taken advantage of this only having to give 3 days of your annual leave up malarkey. I would probably have done the exact same thing but my journals colleague had already nabbed the holiday and *yawn* we can't both be off at the same time, yada yada yada...ghost town!

Speaking quickly of the Royal nuptials, there are so many awful and cheesy displays of British-ness around, it just makes me cringe. But my very favourite display is in a charity shop where they've hung a teatowel of the happy couple, which has kinda drooped with the warm weather so one corner of William's face is sagging, and then they've got bunting going in every direction possible and the most AWFUL outfits on display. If anyone turned up to my wedding in one of those outfits I'd immediately banish them out of wherever it would be for having such a crap outfit!

Back to the wedding though, there's people having street parties and there's bunting flying in so many streets. In some ways I think this sense of community should be applauded as it sadly doesn't exist anywhere near as much as it did when I was a kid. But it's also a wee bit sad, and there's a part of me that's wondering about all this nostalgia. I reckon because things are not looking so great at the moment and people are struggling, there's a real sense of wanting to go back in time, to when things were easier, cheaper...better?? Maybe the buying of those 2 million hotdog sausages or however much I read the other day will help boost the economy? Or maybe the sales from the saggy teatowels will be enough to raise it more than half a percent? Who can really know. To be honest, I'm just utterly thrilled that we've got an extra day's holiday for free, yippeee!

Happy 4 day weekend, Happy Royal Wedding weekend. Whatever you may be doing, do it in style. Farewell lovelies...

Tuesday 26 April 2011

Podcasts...

...are like totally ace! Why didn't anyone tell me about them before? Until today I was a podcast virgin and now I'm a podcast convert. My bus journey to work today was in the company of Adam and Joe from 6 Music doing their thang which basically had me in near hysterics. Have you ever tried not to snort on public transport? It's near impossible! Everyone join in my podcast love!

Monday 25 April 2011

Can't beat a bit of daydreaming

It's the last of our 4 day Bank Holiday weekend extravaganza and I was in the middle of finishing an application form but have been scuppered by technology, in that they didn't put the person spec into a conversion file and I only have MS Office 2003 so it won't open. I've emailed them and asked if I can send the application form via email rather than post so just have to wait and see what they say. So instead of doing that I'm sat in the study gazing out of the window at the cars passing by and thinking about what kind of car I would have if I could afford one.

This first one is the kind of car I've always wanted. I know it's totally weird and it looks like an upside down pram, but it's quirky and fun and just the kind of vehicle I could really see myself driving round in:


Well, it would be if I couldn't stop thinking about having one of these:


I know, I know, you couldn't get two much more different cars but just think how useful a pick up truck would be! Dragging stuff to the tip would be so much easier, we could transport some stinky manure for the garden without making the car honk of animal crap, going camping and to festivals would never be an issue cos you could pack loads in the back, hell you could probably even sleep in the back!

So even though buying a car is not even on the cards, I say a bit of harmless daydreaming is just perfect for a lazy Monday afternoon. I'm already thinking that we only have to work 3 days, just 3 teeny tiny days this week before we get another 4 days off! I'm not really a fan of the Royals, but hey, if they wanna get married and give us an extra day holiday, well I ain't arguing with that!

Sunday 24 April 2011

6 weeks....

...actually wasn't that bad. At the beginning, when we came up with the crazy idea that we'd give up cake and biscuits and chocolate for Lent (not for religious reasons, purely for being fat knacker reasons) I thought I would never make it through. But we have, and we did. Yesterday we cracked open some cake, so looking forward to it, and you know what? It really wasn't all that. After 6 weeks where we really weren't that bothered and discovered that the biscuit we would have after our dinner was habit more than need, neither of us were particularly that bothered to find we can eat it again.

I'm pretty chuffed about this. I used to fear I was addicted to cake, and it certainly doesn't help with the chunk. But after 6 weeks I'm feeling better, I'm looking slightly trimmer and with more exercise this will only improve. And we've got biscuits in the house, we've got cakes, and we've got lots of lovely Easter chocolate treats and we chose to have an apple (Wavey) and a banana (me). You think we've ruined ourselves for life? Or was it just that the cake really wasn't that great? Will we ever know? I guess we wait, and if we suddenly get yearnings for cake and treats then we'll have them, but I don't think either of us will be rushing to enjoy them in quite the same way we used to. How about that. I never would have predicted that we'd react like that.

In other news, the non-beige kitchen is looking absolutely marvellous. And the BBQ is lit ready for the pork, ginger and spring onion sausages from the special butcher man. The sun is still shining and we've still got one more day off from work. Happy Easter to you all my lovelies x

Friday 22 April 2011

Thieving grotbags

One week ago we bought some lovely solar lights to put in the front garden so that people don't fall down the rather large step and break their necks. It only took one week for the grotty scroats to realise that we had said solar lights and decide that they should have them instead of us. One week for something as simple as 3 solar lights to get nicked. Rotten 'orrible lot. This makes me sad that we clearly can't put things in our front garden as we don't have a gate (yet!) and so people think it's some part of the general footpath. We came home one evening to find a man allowing his dog to crap in our garden. Horrible disrespectful folk. What we need is a gate. A very big one. And maybe an even bigger dog to go with the big gate to scare the horrible people away. And maybe some kind of alarm that shrieks everytime someone lets their dog wee on the wall as well. Or maybe I should just get a laser gun and shoot the 'orrible gits with massive volts of electricity. Or maybe I'll just blog about it instead cos I don't know if they have internet in jail...

Wednesday 20 April 2011

Books books books (and glasses)

Instead of leaving early as originally intended this morning, I stayed behind that wee bit longer than I should have so that I could finish my book. I always read over breakfast as Wavey leaves super early for work, so I munch on my cereal or toast and read my book which puts me in a happy place before going to the crap heap that is work. I had to finish it today and yet I didn't want to at the same time. It was one of those books that was just an absolute delight to read from beginning to end. And so I thought I'd share it with you all as well, so that you can either rush out and buy your own copy to enjoy, or you can stand in line and borrow my copy once my sister returns it.

The book was called "A Sweet Obscurity" by Patrick Gale. This is the second book I've read by him now and I fully intend to find many more. I won't tell you what it's about cos that will spoil it for anyone who chooses to read it. But I will tell you what it was like for me as I was reading it. Think about your perfect Sunday afternoon. What would it be? Mine is curling up either on the sofa, in a sunny spot in the garden, by a river, on the beach, no matter where I might be, and reading - quiet, peace, getting lost in a different world...total perfection. For me, this book was that perfect Sunday afternoon. It was delightful and enchanting and totally drew me in; I think I even fell in love a tiny bit with Pearce, one of the characters. And as I said, as fast as I wanted to get to the end to find out what was going to happen, I also didn't want it to end because now I can't spend any more time with the characters and enjoy their world. Boohoo.

That's not really much of a review is it? It's more a review of how I felt as I was reading the book. Well there you go. This is probably why I shouldn't join a book group, I hate critique-ing stuff, I either enjoy it or I don't. I don't want to say why or how or what, I just want it to be.

And so because I move swiftly between books I've gone from the lovely enchanting Sunday afternoon, to the 5th in the series of the Skulduggery Pleasant books about the skeleton detective - they're really for kids but we're hooked!

In other news I picked up my new glasses today. They're so cool! But it's always really weird getting new ones, it takes my brain a little while to catch up with what my eyes are doing. And! I got some sunnies this time too, they're even more cool (if that's even possible) and make me feel like a film star! I can't wait to be wearing them on holiday, woooo!

Oh and holidays, well it's 8 weeks today until we head off to France, YIPPEEE! But by this time tomorrow we will be enjoying the first in a run of loooong Bank Holiday weekends and short work weeks - celebrate good times come on...

Tuesday 19 April 2011

The urge to cuss/fashion critique

Today was a day that I really wished to suffer from Tourettes. Before I go on I hasten to add that I don't mock such an affliction by any means, but the urge to just shout stuff at people was really really high throughout the whole afternoon. Let me explain myself.

The sun is shining. And as a result there are a lot of truly hideous sights. I've blogged about this many times but I swear (no pun intended) that it's getting worse every year. Maybe it's the appearance of the Daisy Duke teeny tiny denim hotpants that's done it for me this year. In my 4 hours on the public desk this afternoon, should I have been suffering from Tourettes, these are just a few choice phrases I would have shouted out for all the world to hear:

ORANGE! (wee bit too heavy handed with the fake tan slap)

FAT! (there were seriously too many of these to choose a single one)

HOOKER! (at the sight of teeny tiny Daisy Dukes, thigh high black suede boots, white top and a HUGE amount of muffin top spilling out over the top of this beautiful ensemble)

CORNBEEF LEGS! (which definitely do not belong in Daisy Dukes)

All of the above pretty much covers it. Now maybe you may consider me a smidge too critical, and I'm not saying that I'm perfect (far from it) but I do consider myself a stylish laydee and so feel that I am able to offer such criticism in good faith. I would love to take these people aside and suggest that they buy a mirror, and actually take time to look in it before they leave the house as I am convinced that they can't possibly do this. Either that or they have really awful friends who tell them dreadful lies when they ask if their bum looks big in this. This last is particularly prevalant with regards the blessed Daisy Dukes that seriously should not be worn at all unless you are of supermodel proportions and have really fabulous legs. Sheesh girls of my town, this has to stop, cos seriously? It's awful!

Speaking of awful, the one whose name cannot be mentioned has clearly been shopping at the inappropriately-attired-for-work.com store again as today's lovely dress was so awful, so short, so thin that I could practically see the choice of underwear for the day. I have only one word in response: mutton. Cease and desist immediately!

As for me I hear you ask? Well today I am wearing my most favourite skirt of the moment that is black jersey with really tiny pleats and hangs beautifully (even if I do say so myself...), with funky tights, pretty shoes and my AC/DC Money Talks teeshirt - I like to mix it up...trust me dear readers, one thing you shall never see me in is Daisy Dukes. Unless it was at a bad taste party...


Saturday 16 April 2011

A mad tea-party

There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it: a Dormouse was sitting between them, fast asleep, and the other two were using it as a cushion, resting their elbows on it, and talking over its head. "Very uncomfortable for the Dormouse," thought Alice...

Today was my 2nd fund raising event of the year - A Mad Hatter's Tea Party in aid of the Eve Appeal. Lots of fabulous food was made, lots of fun was had, and we raised a cracking 94.50 thanks to the kind generosity of all my favourite folk. Here's some photos of the event for you to enjoy:







I had such a great time planning it and thinking up ideas of how to do this bit and that bit. I truly am born to be a party planner. The rest of my life as one long party would not be too shabby at all...

Monday 11 April 2011

In 1983...

...I was 8 years old. And according to a cookbook I borrowed from my ma, the height of sophistication for entertaining was Cinzano Chicken. Or maybe a mince cobbler with Angusturos Bitters, eeeeh this book is amazing! This weekend alone I've tried my hand at Jugged Pheasant and Lamb Lasagne, both of which were really rather tasty, yum yum yum. I love old recipes, I truly do. So weird though, in none of these recipes do they mention garlic. Did they not know about garlic in 1983? I'm betting that my ma never cooked us anything with garlic then, but I wonder when it took off as being a vital ingredient? In my Nigella cookbook from last year she makes chicken with 40 garlic cloves (!) I wonder what she would have used instead back in 1983? Oh and there are absolutely no vegetarian recipes in this book either. Were there no veggies in 1983? There has to have been, I mean Linda McCartney was like a veggie from being born and she was really ancient! It truly is like stepping back in time.

There must be a lot of that about at the moment. My work friend was telling me today how she had found this amazing extract from a book about women in Hitler's Germany all about how women were really born to be housewives and that working in an office was really bad for them. Hmmmm....

Anyhoo that's really all I had to say. Where were you in 1983? And had you ever had garlic...?

Thursday 7 April 2011

Eavesdropping

Last night all three of us were together for an evening of scrummy food, gossip and laughs. It doesn't happen often, in fact we think this was the first time we'd all had dinner together, so it was a very special event.

Because we don't get to see Tizz very often there's always a lot to catch up on. I don't think we stopped talking the whole evening. All right, there might have been a short lull when we each took our first bite of crispy duck pancake, but other than that we nattered non-stop. The couple at the next table were clearly much more interested in our conversation than anything they had to say to each other - they weren't even very subtle about it. They eavesdropped rather brazenly actually.

And who can blame them? When the topic of conversation is ping-ponging between the goings on in library-land, my attempts at baking (resulting in deadly chinese fighting scones) and the mental mix of gore and bureaucracy in the land of Tizz.

Thanks ladies, I had a lovely evening. Just wish we could do it more often. But then I suppose it wouldn't be so special...