In the next 3 weeks I have to complete my school assignment, help plan a surprise party, and learn how to speak better French! Don't expect me to be available very much...
Page 56 of Anna Karenina. Progress...
Monday, 30 July 2012
Sunday, 29 July 2012
Watching and reading
Do 2 films by the same director viewed in the same week count as a fest? If so I've had a Wes Anderson fest. First up I finally got to see Moonrise Kingdom and oh was it worth the wait. Laugh out loud funny, quirky, touching, weird and wonderful. Next up was The Fantastic Mr Fox. All of the above again with a hint of bonkers on the side. Only George Clooney could make a fox sound foxy. I totally loved Jarvis Cocker as Petey on the banjo - awesome!
Next up was The Angel's Share, a film about whiskey directed by Ken Loach. Not exactly the most scintillating of films I hear you say. Well actually it too was hilarious and laugh out loud funny; it was also very touching and a smidge on the inspiring side as well. Topped off by a glass of wine it was a fab Friday film, watched by at least 8 other people who were not of the however many billion watching the Olympics opening ceremony.
Speaking of the Olympics, it's hard to avoid it when BBC1 have basically dedicated their entire schedule to it. So far I've seen a lot of swimming, some judo which looks impressive but I have no idea how points are scored and they all have wardrobe malfunction - that outfit needs designing way better. All that tugging and pulling, they need some poppers or some velcro or something - a tied belt is not going to cut it with that much pressure! The diving was also pretty wow, one of them had thighs of steel! And the rowing at lunchtime was very exciting and has even inspired me a wee bit to get off my ass and get onto a rowing machine at the gym. It's my most favourite of gym machines which I think makes me weird as most people I know absolutely hate it the most of the mostest.
In the world of books I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I saw a trailer for the film version of Anna Karenina and thought I'm so going to read that before I go and see it at the cinema. I knew it was by some Russian blokey but I didn't realise it was going to be 854 pages of teeny tiny writing. I'm up to page 27. So far so good. It's not hard to read in the way that some classics can be, but it's started off with a family falling apart - I don't think it's going to be a barrel of laughs...but will feel majorly chuffed if I actually finish it and fully understand what it's all about. Watch this space...
Next up was The Angel's Share, a film about whiskey directed by Ken Loach. Not exactly the most scintillating of films I hear you say. Well actually it too was hilarious and laugh out loud funny; it was also very touching and a smidge on the inspiring side as well. Topped off by a glass of wine it was a fab Friday film, watched by at least 8 other people who were not of the however many billion watching the Olympics opening ceremony.
Speaking of the Olympics, it's hard to avoid it when BBC1 have basically dedicated their entire schedule to it. So far I've seen a lot of swimming, some judo which looks impressive but I have no idea how points are scored and they all have wardrobe malfunction - that outfit needs designing way better. All that tugging and pulling, they need some poppers or some velcro or something - a tied belt is not going to cut it with that much pressure! The diving was also pretty wow, one of them had thighs of steel! And the rowing at lunchtime was very exciting and has even inspired me a wee bit to get off my ass and get onto a rowing machine at the gym. It's my most favourite of gym machines which I think makes me weird as most people I know absolutely hate it the most of the mostest.
In the world of books I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I saw a trailer for the film version of Anna Karenina and thought I'm so going to read that before I go and see it at the cinema. I knew it was by some Russian blokey but I didn't realise it was going to be 854 pages of teeny tiny writing. I'm up to page 27. So far so good. It's not hard to read in the way that some classics can be, but it's started off with a family falling apart - I don't think it's going to be a barrel of laughs...but will feel majorly chuffed if I actually finish it and fully understand what it's all about. Watch this space...
Saturday, 28 July 2012
AWOL
It's been a while since I've been in blogland both to blog and to read blogs. I don't have a massively interesting reason why either, it just seems that time can sometimes be a tricky mother-effer. One minute it's there the next it's gone and 2 weeks have gone by without anything special being achieved. Nyeh, says I. I'm sure you haven't missed me that much.
So what's new? What's happening? Well I'd like to say that it has stopped raining but if I look out of the window right now it's pouring down yet again. To be fair we have seen the sun and it's been rather fabby. I have even been out several times this week with bare legs and sandals - true bravery!
The Olympics have finally started. The opening ceremony took over the television schedule for 5 hours, count 'em, 5 hours! We rebelled and went to the cinema to watch The Angel's Share, a Ken Loach film about whiskey, drank wine and beer, and laughed out loud. We came home and switched the opening on to find out what it was all about. Seemed to be alright. Bit odd. Watched a few things today, the judo was quite exciting as was the 250km cycling - yikes bet they've got a sore bum :D Reckon I'll watch the gymnastics as well, must be cool to be that bendy. Oh and I'm hoping that the Swedish women's football team win as I've got them in the sweepstake at work.
It's still endlessly raining in Seattle in the second series of The Killing.
Bought a millionaire's raffle lottery ticket for home. Didn't win. Also bought one at work with 8 other people. If we've won we plan on doing a conga round the whole library before picking up our bags and heading home to pack for the round the world trip. By 9.10 on Monday my fate will be decided...
Sun is back out again now. Weird ass weather.
Bought a pelmet top. Love it. Very flattering. Just need a special occasion to wear it now.
Went to school. Loved it. School's out for summer. Well apart from the assignment that I need to do but actually quite looking forward to that - bashing the books again. The future might mean going back to school on a full time basis so this has been a good 4 week taster.
I'm sure there's been loads more but my brain is in go slow Saturday mode. Soonest...
So what's new? What's happening? Well I'd like to say that it has stopped raining but if I look out of the window right now it's pouring down yet again. To be fair we have seen the sun and it's been rather fabby. I have even been out several times this week with bare legs and sandals - true bravery!
The Olympics have finally started. The opening ceremony took over the television schedule for 5 hours, count 'em, 5 hours! We rebelled and went to the cinema to watch The Angel's Share, a Ken Loach film about whiskey, drank wine and beer, and laughed out loud. We came home and switched the opening on to find out what it was all about. Seemed to be alright. Bit odd. Watched a few things today, the judo was quite exciting as was the 250km cycling - yikes bet they've got a sore bum :D Reckon I'll watch the gymnastics as well, must be cool to be that bendy. Oh and I'm hoping that the Swedish women's football team win as I've got them in the sweepstake at work.
It's still endlessly raining in Seattle in the second series of The Killing.
Bought a millionaire's raffle lottery ticket for home. Didn't win. Also bought one at work with 8 other people. If we've won we plan on doing a conga round the whole library before picking up our bags and heading home to pack for the round the world trip. By 9.10 on Monday my fate will be decided...
Sun is back out again now. Weird ass weather.
Bought a pelmet top. Love it. Very flattering. Just need a special occasion to wear it now.
Went to school. Loved it. School's out for summer. Well apart from the assignment that I need to do but actually quite looking forward to that - bashing the books again. The future might mean going back to school on a full time basis so this has been a good 4 week taster.
I'm sure there's been loads more but my brain is in go slow Saturday mode. Soonest...
Monday, 16 July 2012
Paul - he rocks!
My crapberry busted yet again over the weekend. Several frustrating phone calls over the past 2 days I eventually got through to a good guy tonight. Paul. He is officially the man. Straightaway he started asking around on his instant messenger thingie to his colleagues to see if they'd come across my particular problem. They had and started passing on the hints and tips. Not wishing to jinx it but so far it seems to be starting up and is no longer showing the screen of death...fingers crossed.
Cheers Paul!
Oh and please enjoy my latest earworm from listening to it at least 4 times in the last 10 mins:
Cheers Paul!
Oh and please enjoy my latest earworm from listening to it at least 4 times in the last 10 mins:
Saturday, 14 July 2012
End of.
In June 2002 my sister put her house up for sale. It was a teeny tiny terrace house in the town of Preston. By the end of the first day on the market several people had been to view it and 3 people were having a stand up argument on the street outside over who was going to buy it. My pops on hearing this news had immediate alarm bells that something a little bit crazy was about to happen to the housing market. Scoot forward a couple of months to August 2002. I'd scrimped and saved up enough money to scrape together a deposit. I found a house I liked, I went and viewed it, put an offer in and ta-dah, I was a home owner for the very first time!
I picked up the keys in September 2002. I remember meeting the guy there all on my own, the big brave home-owner that I was; he'd left a bottle of wine, a bunch of flowers, and a good luck card to wish me well. Within seconds of him leaving I had literally run into every room, jumped up and down like a 5 year old on Christmas morning, and squealed my way round the entire house. For the next couple of months I religiously went to my house each and every evening after work and set about tidying it up, cleaning it up, decorating the few things I could, getting damp proofing and roof repairs done, before finally moving in on 9th December 2002.
I remember the very first evening on my own like it was yesterday. I'd spent much of the day driving my ma's Fiat Punto up and down the village moving boxes and clothes and kettles and other house essentials. The men turned up with the fridge, washing machine and oven, another guy turned up with the bed in pieces. My pops built the bed, I put the kettle on, all was good. After everyone had gone, I got myself a takeaway, cracked open a beer, and sat with my feet up on my handed down sofa in total homeowner heaven.
I had my first party on 31st December 2002. The first of many. I had a milestone birthday of 30, a massive party, got totally hammered and didn't go to bed til almost dawn, someone threw up on the doorstep, people were crying in the corners from too much booze, my friend visiting from London was so drunk from trying to keep up with all the northern peeps that I found her at one point trying really really hard to focus on the wall in the kitchen so she didn't throw up as well....so many good times.
I had my very first Christmas without my parents in the house, instead spending it with 2 of my bestest, followed by another bestest in the evening. I once got so drunk on champagne that I rolled forward off my giant beanbag, landed on my nose and had a bruise on my face for days. I started and finished my library qualification in the house and drank way too much celebrating when it was done. Tizz and Fizz and I became bestest friends from too many hours to count sitting around eating, drinking, watching tv and films... Wavey and I finally got around to being brave and, well, the rest of that is a whole other story :)
I already said a big goodbye to the house when I moved out to move in with Wavey. But even though I didn't live there anymore, it was still all mine but someone else was borrowing it and making it their house. That didn't go so well in the end and the whole experience became a bit tarnished. The love for the house faded a little to be honest. But it all worked out in the end and we went back again, painted it all over again, tarted it up all over again and waited to see what would happen.
Scoot forward another couple of months to yesterday. Just another Friday. Except on this Friday, the house, my very first house, was officially handed over to the new owner. I'm not afraid to admit that it's made me feel a little bit sentimental, remembering my time there. I truly did have the best of times. I lived, laughed, loved, cooked, ate, watched tv, drank way too much, listened to endless hours of music...just you know, life stuff. I don't know anything about the new owners and I don't need to, but I seriously hope that they too have the best of times there. Farewell Pine Street - I'll always remember you ever so fondly...
I picked up the keys in September 2002. I remember meeting the guy there all on my own, the big brave home-owner that I was; he'd left a bottle of wine, a bunch of flowers, and a good luck card to wish me well. Within seconds of him leaving I had literally run into every room, jumped up and down like a 5 year old on Christmas morning, and squealed my way round the entire house. For the next couple of months I religiously went to my house each and every evening after work and set about tidying it up, cleaning it up, decorating the few things I could, getting damp proofing and roof repairs done, before finally moving in on 9th December 2002.
I remember the very first evening on my own like it was yesterday. I'd spent much of the day driving my ma's Fiat Punto up and down the village moving boxes and clothes and kettles and other house essentials. The men turned up with the fridge, washing machine and oven, another guy turned up with the bed in pieces. My pops built the bed, I put the kettle on, all was good. After everyone had gone, I got myself a takeaway, cracked open a beer, and sat with my feet up on my handed down sofa in total homeowner heaven.
I had my first party on 31st December 2002. The first of many. I had a milestone birthday of 30, a massive party, got totally hammered and didn't go to bed til almost dawn, someone threw up on the doorstep, people were crying in the corners from too much booze, my friend visiting from London was so drunk from trying to keep up with all the northern peeps that I found her at one point trying really really hard to focus on the wall in the kitchen so she didn't throw up as well....so many good times.
I had my very first Christmas without my parents in the house, instead spending it with 2 of my bestest, followed by another bestest in the evening. I once got so drunk on champagne that I rolled forward off my giant beanbag, landed on my nose and had a bruise on my face for days. I started and finished my library qualification in the house and drank way too much celebrating when it was done. Tizz and Fizz and I became bestest friends from too many hours to count sitting around eating, drinking, watching tv and films... Wavey and I finally got around to being brave and, well, the rest of that is a whole other story :)
I already said a big goodbye to the house when I moved out to move in with Wavey. But even though I didn't live there anymore, it was still all mine but someone else was borrowing it and making it their house. That didn't go so well in the end and the whole experience became a bit tarnished. The love for the house faded a little to be honest. But it all worked out in the end and we went back again, painted it all over again, tarted it up all over again and waited to see what would happen.
Scoot forward another couple of months to yesterday. Just another Friday. Except on this Friday, the house, my very first house, was officially handed over to the new owner. I'm not afraid to admit that it's made me feel a little bit sentimental, remembering my time there. I truly did have the best of times. I lived, laughed, loved, cooked, ate, watched tv, drank way too much, listened to endless hours of music...just you know, life stuff. I don't know anything about the new owners and I don't need to, but I seriously hope that they too have the best of times there. Farewell Pine Street - I'll always remember you ever so fondly...
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
Security blankie
Even though I am way old and really do not need a security blankie, I now have one. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I'm out and proud - blankie all the way. Not that my blankie is actually a blankie of any shape or form, nope, what the blankie actually looks like is my raincoat. Seeing as though I now take the blimmin' raincoat every single place that I go to, even if the sky is gloriously blue for about 3 seconds before turning grey and wet again, it has to be called the new blankie.
I admit it's a smidge ridiculous. But I don't trust that blue sky anymore. No way my friends. Last week the sky was blue, the sun was shining, I was so excited I skipped to the car to banish the raincoat and merrily dance my way into town. I had probably walked about 50m down the road before the heavens opened, more of the raining wet stuff poured out of the sky, and I looked like I was in a wet t-shirt competition. Never a good look to try and rock.
You might have guessed it's still raining. I'd love to be writing about more important stuff, truly I would, but at this time it seems vitally important to me that it is still raining, has been now for about 7 weeks, and no-one seems too worried. I am very worried. There was some talk about the Gulf Stream being in the wrong place and this is why we have so much rain but the weather people are practically singing it from on high that oh yes, said in totally jolly voice, it's going to rain again and this area has amber flood warning alerts. Nothing to worry about at all...I have a personal theory that weather people are actually living in constant fear and dare not try to say it might be sunny for fear of being spotted, chased, and lynched by street mobs chanting WE WANT SUMMER WE WANT SUMMER you evil ba*$%rds...
I fear it may never stop raining now. I'm even fearful that when we go on our holiday in France it will be raining there too. This fear is clearly why I need my security blankie. Will I ever be able to let it go? I fear not...more fear...eeep!
I admit it's a smidge ridiculous. But I don't trust that blue sky anymore. No way my friends. Last week the sky was blue, the sun was shining, I was so excited I skipped to the car to banish the raincoat and merrily dance my way into town. I had probably walked about 50m down the road before the heavens opened, more of the raining wet stuff poured out of the sky, and I looked like I was in a wet t-shirt competition. Never a good look to try and rock.
You might have guessed it's still raining. I'd love to be writing about more important stuff, truly I would, but at this time it seems vitally important to me that it is still raining, has been now for about 7 weeks, and no-one seems too worried. I am very worried. There was some talk about the Gulf Stream being in the wrong place and this is why we have so much rain but the weather people are practically singing it from on high that oh yes, said in totally jolly voice, it's going to rain again and this area has amber flood warning alerts. Nothing to worry about at all...I have a personal theory that weather people are actually living in constant fear and dare not try to say it might be sunny for fear of being spotted, chased, and lynched by street mobs chanting WE WANT SUMMER WE WANT SUMMER you evil ba*$%rds...
I fear it may never stop raining now. I'm even fearful that when we go on our holiday in France it will be raining there too. This fear is clearly why I need my security blankie. Will I ever be able to let it go? I fear not...more fear...eeep!
Monday, 9 July 2012
Soggy onions
It's been raining so much that our onions have died in the ground and are just a soggy mushy mess :(
I take comfort that we're not the only ones.
Come on Mr Sunshine, please come out and play. For the sake of the veggies!
I take comfort that we're not the only ones.
Come on Mr Sunshine, please come out and play. For the sake of the veggies!
Friday, 6 July 2012
Pond
It was never really a plan to have a pond in the front garden. But we've got one. Because it is apparently NEVER GOING TO STOP RAINING.
When will it stop?
Anyone?
Please?
When will it stop?
Anyone?
Please?
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
Eat (a lot) plate
I completely loved the first night of my short summer course: Introduction to Food and Nutrition. I was totally engaged for the whole 3 hours, never looked at my watch, was brave and spoke up several times in discussions, even went first in the show and tell what you expect from the course overhead projection. Lesson 2 tomorrow is a practical experiment in the food lab - awesome!
Our homework was to make a diary of the food we'd eaten on the Tuesday and then break it down into different groups to compare it to the eat well plate All was going well until I started to write down what I'd eaten and all I could think was oh my god it looks like I must spend all day eating. To be fair this would not be entirely inaccurate as I do spend a lot of time eating, but it's also a lot of fruit and nuts and other 'healthy' snacks. As I'm all about the sharing the following list is my food for the day. Don't judge me too harshly, I take after my pops and get really wobbly if I don't eat enough and I'm also always starving. Deep breath, here goes:
Breakfast:
Weetabix with milk and 5 homegrown strawberries
Cup of tea
Lunch:
Green leaf salad with beetroot, feta, and walnuts
Flour tortilla wrap
Yoghurt
Dinner:
5 bean chilli with rice and tortilla chips
Other:
Cereal bar with nuts and wholegrains
Apple
Banana
2 x dark chocolate mints
1 x oat biscuit
1 x fudge bar
Drinks:
Water
Cups of tea
1 x morroccan herbal tea
1 x coffee
As it turns out I think this is quite an even spread of food and as far as the plate goes mine doesn't look too bad. I just have this awful feeling that when we have to show them in the class tomorrow everyone will be thinking, there goes the girl who eats ALL THE FOOD...
If you're sat at home being a bit judgey-wudgey whilst you read this, try making a list of the food you've eaten today. You might surprise yourself by how big the list is.
Our homework was to make a diary of the food we'd eaten on the Tuesday and then break it down into different groups to compare it to the eat well plate All was going well until I started to write down what I'd eaten and all I could think was oh my god it looks like I must spend all day eating. To be fair this would not be entirely inaccurate as I do spend a lot of time eating, but it's also a lot of fruit and nuts and other 'healthy' snacks. As I'm all about the sharing the following list is my food for the day. Don't judge me too harshly, I take after my pops and get really wobbly if I don't eat enough and I'm also always starving. Deep breath, here goes:
Breakfast:
Weetabix with milk and 5 homegrown strawberries
Cup of tea
Lunch:
Green leaf salad with beetroot, feta, and walnuts
Flour tortilla wrap
Yoghurt
Dinner:
5 bean chilli with rice and tortilla chips
Other:
Cereal bar with nuts and wholegrains
Apple
Banana
2 x dark chocolate mints
1 x oat biscuit
1 x fudge bar
Drinks:
Water
Cups of tea
1 x morroccan herbal tea
1 x coffee
As it turns out I think this is quite an even spread of food and as far as the plate goes mine doesn't look too bad. I just have this awful feeling that when we have to show them in the class tomorrow everyone will be thinking, there goes the girl who eats ALL THE FOOD...
If you're sat at home being a bit judgey-wudgey whilst you read this, try making a list of the food you've eaten today. You might surprise yourself by how big the list is.
Monday, 2 July 2012
Interior design - him. Interior design - me
A very dear friend of mine recommended reading the latest issue of 'House and Garden' when we were talking about different ways to turn the study into a petit library. There's some really great ideas in there of lighting between shelves, he reassured me. Right-oh thinks I, then certainly I shall go and buy it.
First of all the magazine itself cost £4! And then the stuff inside and the people inside and the interior decoration inside was impressive, stunning, on a much huger scale than our little study. The library that he'd been talking about was probably the size of our whole house and they needed ladders to get to the top shelves - we might just have to stretch a little bit. And the prices inside - lordy lou! Talk about crazy. I'm idly flicking through last night and came across this bed that looked nice, pretty comfy, and was a bargain at only £25,000...I'll just let that sink in for a moment...25 GRAND!!!!! I'd want to move my entire life in there and never leave it! Can you imagine?! Who spends that kind of money?!
Curious tonight, I had a look at the website, just to see if they had anything that mere mortals could afford to buy. The answer was not really but the image I am about to show you is so awesomely amazing that I couldn't resist but share it. I'd like you to take a long hard look at it and try to imagine yourself sleeping in it. And it's not like you could just have a duvet cover from Debenhams on it, surely it would need some kind of spun by fairies gold cloth that was so light it would be like gossamer thread.
Are you ready? Have I piqued your interest? Ok here we go. Sit back and admire:
For any of you with a spare bob or two and Princess Barbie pretentions, you need to head here and place your order right away. I'll see you there...
First of all the magazine itself cost £4! And then the stuff inside and the people inside and the interior decoration inside was impressive, stunning, on a much huger scale than our little study. The library that he'd been talking about was probably the size of our whole house and they needed ladders to get to the top shelves - we might just have to stretch a little bit. And the prices inside - lordy lou! Talk about crazy. I'm idly flicking through last night and came across this bed that looked nice, pretty comfy, and was a bargain at only £25,000...I'll just let that sink in for a moment...25 GRAND!!!!! I'd want to move my entire life in there and never leave it! Can you imagine?! Who spends that kind of money?!
Curious tonight, I had a look at the website, just to see if they had anything that mere mortals could afford to buy. The answer was not really but the image I am about to show you is so awesomely amazing that I couldn't resist but share it. I'd like you to take a long hard look at it and try to imagine yourself sleeping in it. And it's not like you could just have a duvet cover from Debenhams on it, surely it would need some kind of spun by fairies gold cloth that was so light it would be like gossamer thread.
Are you ready? Have I piqued your interest? Ok here we go. Sit back and admire:
Sunday, 1 July 2012
Remembering...
You know you're getting old when the first thing you think about a blustery windy day is oh, nice drying day.
What you should be thinking is, oh great day to run outside, put my anorak on my head and pretend to be Batman:
Dner dner dner dner - BATMAN!
What you should be thinking is, oh great day to run outside, put my anorak on my head and pretend to be Batman:
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