So today was my day off this week. I almost got talked in (by myself) to going in to do some paperwork I'm meant to be scheduled for but haven't been this week (thanks Jay) but it took me an hour and a half to get the boy to nursery ... so not so much. Thanks, snow!
Do you know how hard it is to push a buggy through 4 inches of the white stuff? The wheels turn from the resistance and the spokes fill with snow and they're duo wheels so the snow plugs the inner section and they turn into small snow ploughs.
It was like, my one golden chance of doing Christmas shopping too, so I thought 'hey, it's a little snow' and went to town. Yeah,buses stopped. Still got shopping (only 4 of my family left to buy for! Before you think I've done no shopping ... I'm buying for at least 15 people) and the nursery called at 2. Shutting at 4. Brilliant. I stranded myself ... I got a disabled taxi to the nursery and shoved boy in, buggy and all. Didn't cost loads considering the weather and the fact we covered half the town. But I'm creamed now.
Oh, and we've had no internet for a while which is totally my excuse for not blogging. That and the fact I practically live at work atm (I'm not going to write about work so much, I'm having an overload).
I'll end on a happy note ... kindle for Christmas! wifi and 3G ... hello solution to my multiple-books-on-holiday dilemma!
Tuesday 30 November 2010
Wednesday 10 November 2010
Blog,blog,blog
I haven't blogged in ages. I hate that. Sometimes there's stuff I just need to blog. I just haven't had the time to stop lately. This is my first real day off in over 2 weeks. I'm barely sleeping too - in once instance, because I've been given shifts that haven't got 11 hours between them (legal requirement, naughty!) and partly because my boy keeps deciding to share. I can cope with sharing, but he kicks me or strokes me or nuzzles his hand under me and it freaks me out and keeps me up. Plus, I've got a bitch of a cold this morning - I'm dosed up and I've made friends with mr tropicana smooth again, and slept with olbas oil and vicks (although, not sure boy should be breathing in all those menthol fumes) but my sinuses feel rubbish. They make me feel sleepy, which isn't exactly a feat right now.
I see my friends next weekend though! Got to tidy my crap hole of a room (and use my sister's room to store all my crap lol, don't tell my mamma!) buuuuut taco bell in town should be open in time for Joanne coming over. And if not, I'll show you where my current supply of icy cups are coming from ;)
So anyway ... there's not much to talk about. I have a weekend break next weekend, for my friends and Harry Potter, and otherwise I'm working my ass off at work. I have a lovely new white uniform to ruin for work now lol (and a crapload more responsibilities and paperwork, but hey, such is life for an extra 15p an hour)
I see my friends next weekend though! Got to tidy my crap hole of a room (and use my sister's room to store all my crap lol, don't tell my mamma!) buuuuut taco bell in town should be open in time for Joanne coming over. And if not, I'll show you where my current supply of icy cups are coming from ;)
So anyway ... there's not much to talk about. I have a weekend break next weekend, for my friends and Harry Potter, and otherwise I'm working my ass off at work. I have a lovely new white uniform to ruin for work now lol (and a crapload more responsibilities and paperwork, but hey, such is life for an extra 15p an hour)
Saturday 30 October 2010
That's what happens when you skim read
So, I've busted a gut to get more time to get in work, to get more stuff done etc etc. Taking responsibility for the fact I'm being promoted. Good girl, me. But there are times I can't do - times I need to be with boy, times I need to do my other duties at work. I explained this in an email, but because the scheduling manager hasn't read it properly, and saw the timings in my email, he's just given me the times I can't do. I'm available 18 hours on Monday, except the evening. Guess what shift I have? Same for Thursday. Sigh. I'll go down tomorrow on his shift and explain the situation, but in the mean time, I've asked for cover on our system. Still, it's a huge effing headache considering I have a dependent to consider too.
On the flip side, two of the shifts I've been given that I can do read as management shifts. Scary. They've made me run 2 shifts this week which is great, I wanna do the stuff and get used to it ... but I need more than just 'okay, run the shift now'. How about telling me goals, things I have to get done, how to do certain things (like travelpaths, KVS reports etc) ... they should know by now I have a billion questions about everything and will ask as they occur, I'm not a robot, I'm a thinker, and I'm thinking about how little someone who's just been promoted has actually given me to think about. Could be worse though, she's spoonfeeding her boyfriend everything, he won't have the wherewithal to run a shift properly at the end of it.
So, enough about work. In three weeks time I will be with some of the best people on the planet, having seen Harry Potter 7.1 in Empire Impact at half 10 in the morning. Obsessed? Moi?
Oh, and this is really for http://zeebee-booksbooksbooks.bloggingabout.com but I'm on the second part of Anna Karenina. Awesome book, even if the English translation makes the language clunk a little. A little more vapid a subject matter than I was expecting from the guy who brought us War And Peace, but the detail's what counts.
My back's hurting too. Got to stop lugging all my books about every day for work.
On the flip side, two of the shifts I've been given that I can do read as management shifts. Scary. They've made me run 2 shifts this week which is great, I wanna do the stuff and get used to it ... but I need more than just 'okay, run the shift now'. How about telling me goals, things I have to get done, how to do certain things (like travelpaths, KVS reports etc) ... they should know by now I have a billion questions about everything and will ask as they occur, I'm not a robot, I'm a thinker, and I'm thinking about how little someone who's just been promoted has actually given me to think about. Could be worse though, she's spoonfeeding her boyfriend everything, he won't have the wherewithal to run a shift properly at the end of it.
So, enough about work. In three weeks time I will be with some of the best people on the planet, having seen Harry Potter 7.1 in Empire Impact at half 10 in the morning. Obsessed? Moi?
Oh, and this is really for http://zeebee-booksbooksbooks.bloggingabout.com but I'm on the second part of Anna Karenina. Awesome book, even if the English translation makes the language clunk a little. A little more vapid a subject matter than I was expecting from the guy who brought us War And Peace, but the detail's what counts.
My back's hurting too. Got to stop lugging all my books about every day for work.
Monday 25 October 2010
Confession corner
So ... okay, I'm going to get a bit emo here. Maybe I've overplayed my chemical romance or something, I don't know. Don't read if you're going to pity me, or give advice or anything. I just want to purge, you know?
So I haven't been that lucky in relationships. Ever. The guy I came closest to having a decent relationship with lived too far away, and I couldn't handle it, the change between being his distant girlfriend and being his girlfriend right there.
And normally it's easy for me to just avoid it all - I'm glad one person's computer is broken right now, because I'm hoping when she finally gets around to reading this I'll be over it all and back to normal - because I know I'm crap, and my relationships are crap. And I'm so busy at the moment, with work and my boy and just general life, I couldn't fit anyone in.
But ... maybe it's just this time of year? I normally start going out with people in October - I don't know why, I just do - and I'm really feeling it this year. I don't even know anyone I actually think of that way. I mean, there are a couple of guys I know and get on well with and we joke about it and everything, but I think right now that's just counter-productive. I'm in the sort of mood where I kinda wish it was real, not because I suddenly think they're insanely hot, but because they're making it sound like a possibility.
I'm just not in a great place in general, I've got too many hang ups from the last few years ... but right now, I wish there was someone who could dispel those hang ups and make me feel human. Just for a little while.
Anyone know any good men? I've checked, Jake Gyllenhaal is currently unavailable, so get inventive, please.
So I haven't been that lucky in relationships. Ever. The guy I came closest to having a decent relationship with lived too far away, and I couldn't handle it, the change between being his distant girlfriend and being his girlfriend right there.
And normally it's easy for me to just avoid it all - I'm glad one person's computer is broken right now, because I'm hoping when she finally gets around to reading this I'll be over it all and back to normal - because I know I'm crap, and my relationships are crap. And I'm so busy at the moment, with work and my boy and just general life, I couldn't fit anyone in.
But ... maybe it's just this time of year? I normally start going out with people in October - I don't know why, I just do - and I'm really feeling it this year. I don't even know anyone I actually think of that way. I mean, there are a couple of guys I know and get on well with and we joke about it and everything, but I think right now that's just counter-productive. I'm in the sort of mood where I kinda wish it was real, not because I suddenly think they're insanely hot, but because they're making it sound like a possibility.
I'm just not in a great place in general, I've got too many hang ups from the last few years ... but right now, I wish there was someone who could dispel those hang ups and make me feel human. Just for a little while.
Anyone know any good men? I've checked, Jake Gyllenhaal is currently unavailable, so get inventive, please.
Friday 15 October 2010
Where've you been, buddy?
Sorry, I really want to blog, I do, but I just literally haven't had the time. My folks are away this week - mum's back tomorrow - but it means I have no back up childcare. So I'm rushing about for the boy and with everything going on at work I've had a few meetings to get to and whatnot, lots of new things to learn, and last night boy was sick and I had to cancel my plans to sleep and maybe come on here. Fun, fun.
I'll blog again tonight, or tomorrow, or something.
I'll blog again tonight, or tomorrow, or something.
Monday 4 October 2010
Sweet
So, I've been checking my inbox every so often for the past month (ish). I'm waiting to hear when I can do my English and Maths exams for my apprenticeship (I'm guessing it's when Lizzie gets back from Florida, since she's invigilator. See, Lizzie, this is why I need to come Florida with you. I know that makes no sense, but I need any old excuse really) and I saw some from our owner in my inbox today. Huzzah! I opened it up ... but it's about the management interviews I went to instead. I'm glad I got it, thought certain shift runners were messing me about when they said I'd done well. I was worried for a few reasons that I wouldn't, like the fact that for the next couple of weeks I've got barely any availability, not until my parents come back to the Northern Hemisphere. So yay, go me! I don't always live in a dream world. That's important for me to know, lol
Wednesday 29 September 2010
The drugs are on overtime
So, I've been taking these antibiotics. I sometimes wonder if doctors are ever aware of the stuff they prescribe. Cocodamol has really addictive qualities. Cold medicine, paracetamol, ibuprofen and these antibiotics I'm taking at the moment all cause nausea and can reduce blood counts.
It's like they don't listen when you say you've had a blood condition.
I'm worried, because I took one this afternoon and I got the nausea and heartburn and that's bearable - that's pretty much my life the past 4 years - but my brain felt like it was trying to grow out of my skull. It hurt so effing much ... I can't wait to get rid of the damn pills. Two days left. My driving lesson Friday's going to be interesting.
But on the bright side. I'm going to a hen party Friday. I have to buy a mask. God knows where from. I'll know my sister and a couple of other people ... but the pills mean I can't drink. That's fine, my sister's 8 months gone, she won't be drinking either. We'll be boring, tee-total buddies. Oh, and her car's broken down, so she's borrowing her husband's two-seater sports car (convertible). I've not been in it yet. Cannot wait!
It's like they don't listen when you say you've had a blood condition.
I'm worried, because I took one this afternoon and I got the nausea and heartburn and that's bearable - that's pretty much my life the past 4 years - but my brain felt like it was trying to grow out of my skull. It hurt so effing much ... I can't wait to get rid of the damn pills. Two days left. My driving lesson Friday's going to be interesting.
But on the bright side. I'm going to a hen party Friday. I have to buy a mask. God knows where from. I'll know my sister and a couple of other people ... but the pills mean I can't drink. That's fine, my sister's 8 months gone, she won't be drinking either. We'll be boring, tee-total buddies. Oh, and her car's broken down, so she's borrowing her husband's two-seater sports car (convertible). I've not been in it yet. Cannot wait!
Monday 27 September 2010
WTF?
My hand kills. Yet I'm typing anyway since I miss typing since I haven't for like, 5 days. Sacrilege.
I don't know what the hell's happened. I covered someone's shift at stupid o'clock yesterday, and stupid o'clock plus five minutes, my finger's hurting. I've been digging in the ice bin for the ice scoop and the hand that's not scraping ice cubes is feeling hot and stretched in the glove. And there's a bruise on the top knuckle of my middle finger.
I've broken that finger before. We were playing netball in year 8 and my friend threw the ball. It was too wide for me but I reached for it anyway. My middle finger touched the ball, but all it did was pull my finger back at the second knuckle. It was a little sore but nothing special happened so I carried on with the day, then later at guides I was talking to one of my best friends there, she nudged my hand really gently and I started yelling in pain, my finger bulging and colouring.
My finger looked like that yesterday. So I made a splint myself and when I took it off later that night to show the parentals, my entire hand started throbbing and aching. So I spent 5 hours in A&E last night. I couldn't sleep, because my dad was trying to sleep and one of us had to listen for them mispronouncing my name (really, making it rhyme with gibbon? Or just seeing how many different letters you could add to it?) and when they finally saw me, the nurse (like fuck she was a doctor) poked my finger like crazy, and asked dumb questions over and over. I wanted to have such a go, like 'It's 2 am and I am in pain, no I can't rate it on a scale of one to ten, since it's not half as bad as being awake when they put a neck vascath in but it's definitely worse than toothache and no I don't remember doing anything since I work in fast food and you get burnt and scraped on a regular basis so it's like asking me if I breathed today, and you know this since you just asked if I got burnt as well. And yes that fucking hurt but I didn't know what the hell you were actually doing when you were trying to snap my finger off, I assumed you were looking for a break, and I was trying to be a good patient.'
They've given me amoxycillin. And recommended cocodamol. I don't trust cocodamol. That's the easiest prescription drug to get addicted to. Not over a finger you think is infected, no thanks.
Also didn't help that the boy joined me in bed just after we got in, then spent the next 4 hours kicking me. And mum wondered why my voice was buggered and I was crabby this morning. I slept most of the day. I hate wasting days like this.
I've got an extra shift tomorrow, which is good since I booked off Friday and Saturday and I was worrying about my lack of shifts. It doesn't help that I've had to reduce my hours temporarily either, especially not with the whole management thing I'm still waiting to hear about. At least when the temporary period is over, I'll be able to do Mondays again.
I don't know what the hell's happened. I covered someone's shift at stupid o'clock yesterday, and stupid o'clock plus five minutes, my finger's hurting. I've been digging in the ice bin for the ice scoop and the hand that's not scraping ice cubes is feeling hot and stretched in the glove. And there's a bruise on the top knuckle of my middle finger.
I've broken that finger before. We were playing netball in year 8 and my friend threw the ball. It was too wide for me but I reached for it anyway. My middle finger touched the ball, but all it did was pull my finger back at the second knuckle. It was a little sore but nothing special happened so I carried on with the day, then later at guides I was talking to one of my best friends there, she nudged my hand really gently and I started yelling in pain, my finger bulging and colouring.
My finger looked like that yesterday. So I made a splint myself and when I took it off later that night to show the parentals, my entire hand started throbbing and aching. So I spent 5 hours in A&E last night. I couldn't sleep, because my dad was trying to sleep and one of us had to listen for them mispronouncing my name (really, making it rhyme with gibbon? Or just seeing how many different letters you could add to it?) and when they finally saw me, the nurse (like fuck she was a doctor) poked my finger like crazy, and asked dumb questions over and over. I wanted to have such a go, like 'It's 2 am and I am in pain, no I can't rate it on a scale of one to ten, since it's not half as bad as being awake when they put a neck vascath in but it's definitely worse than toothache and no I don't remember doing anything since I work in fast food and you get burnt and scraped on a regular basis so it's like asking me if I breathed today, and you know this since you just asked if I got burnt as well. And yes that fucking hurt but I didn't know what the hell you were actually doing when you were trying to snap my finger off, I assumed you were looking for a break, and I was trying to be a good patient.'
They've given me amoxycillin. And recommended cocodamol. I don't trust cocodamol. That's the easiest prescription drug to get addicted to. Not over a finger you think is infected, no thanks.
Also didn't help that the boy joined me in bed just after we got in, then spent the next 4 hours kicking me. And mum wondered why my voice was buggered and I was crabby this morning. I slept most of the day. I hate wasting days like this.
I've got an extra shift tomorrow, which is good since I booked off Friday and Saturday and I was worrying about my lack of shifts. It doesn't help that I've had to reduce my hours temporarily either, especially not with the whole management thing I'm still waiting to hear about. At least when the temporary period is over, I'll be able to do Mondays again.
Tuesday 21 September 2010
Catching up
I miss reading people's blogs. This means you, Lizzie! What the hell am I meant to do online? I've taken to perving on google images (use your imagination as to who the hell I'm googling, lol)
Though, I haven't actually had much free time lately. I had an interview at work today, about going ahead for management training. I got every question I wasn't sure about wrong (dammit! Okay, it was three wrong outta ten but you're only allowed two wrong ... although they said it didn't matter, they wanted to know how much general knowledge we had of the business) ... but otherwise, yeah, should only be a few months until I get my BSM. I'm going to be one of the first with an apprenticeship ... I wanna crash through the course the way I have the English and Maths for the apprenticeship (and they finally have the apprenticeship workbooks in! Woooo!)
I wish I could feel as successful at home. I've been working on my room for like, a week. It doesn't show. It's because I have all these bags of crap and I've sorted my clothes and now I'm sorting through the bags (and some of the bags were clothes) but it's still going to take a while. Meh, I wanna wii! I haven't in so long. Or just generally seen the floor. Some of my books may inadvertedly end up in boy's room ... but we'll see.
I'm a sleepy girl now. I'm going to go to sleep with happy mental pictures. Night!
Though, I haven't actually had much free time lately. I had an interview at work today, about going ahead for management training. I got every question I wasn't sure about wrong (dammit! Okay, it was three wrong outta ten but you're only allowed two wrong ... although they said it didn't matter, they wanted to know how much general knowledge we had of the business) ... but otherwise, yeah, should only be a few months until I get my BSM. I'm going to be one of the first with an apprenticeship ... I wanna crash through the course the way I have the English and Maths for the apprenticeship (and they finally have the apprenticeship workbooks in! Woooo!)
I wish I could feel as successful at home. I've been working on my room for like, a week. It doesn't show. It's because I have all these bags of crap and I've sorted my clothes and now I'm sorting through the bags (and some of the bags were clothes) but it's still going to take a while. Meh, I wanna wii! I haven't in so long. Or just generally seen the floor. Some of my books may inadvertedly end up in boy's room ... but we'll see.
I'm a sleepy girl now. I'm going to go to sleep with happy mental pictures. Night!
Monday 20 September 2010
Bridgathon
First of all, a new member of my blogging family: www.zeebee-booksbooksbooks.blogspot.com I'm putting all my book blogs there. I'll do one more for actors and such, URL to follow later (and just a reminder, if you only read the start of this, I have a blog just for the boy, www.zeebee-whatdidhesay.blogspot.com which I will use to embarass him years from now)
Second of all, I did a charity walk yesterday! Two hospitals were involved, one of which was the hospital that treated me. Julian Rhind Tutt (his IMDB page, if you're interested in who the hell he is, is www.imdb.com/name/nm/0722279/ ) was supposed to be starting it, but he seems to be perpetually late (he was at the Christmas party anyway) so he missed the start.
Joanne, Cassie, Katie and Chris did it with me, and mum (who has a fear of heights, so wouldn't go on the Jubilee bridge; I was like 'didn't you think of the bridges as being high over a body of water before you signed up?') and it was good to see them all. We haven't been the five of us together since last Christmas. Not right (although, we're all going to MCR in October, right?) ... we're going to plan Christmas early this year. And crash Chris' new place since we haven't given her a housewarming yet (heh heh).
It was harder than we thought, and took longer too. I think we took the full 3 hours walking that they advertised, but then, we took photo's at every bridge. And if I can work out how to upload pics from my new camera without having to format (and therefore delete) the micro SD card, we're going to photoshop the awesome pictures we took on Millennium bridge, where we'll have a death eater behind us (we're clinging to the barriers, looking scared. Haha, we can't be normal) ... oh, and one of the statues near Waterloo is of the great-Grandad/great-great-Grandad of one of our other friends. Weeeeeeird!
We had TGI fridays afterwards. Was amazing, though I really shouldn't have had the chocolate fudge cake. Cassie bent my arm around over it though! (Well, she said 'are you having dessert zee?' ... you can see the bind I was in, right?)
I've missed my friends so much. We can't leave it nine months again. Seriously. And I've raised over £100 for the people who saved my life, so WOO!
Second of all, I did a charity walk yesterday! Two hospitals were involved, one of which was the hospital that treated me. Julian Rhind Tutt (his IMDB page, if you're interested in who the hell he is, is www.imdb.com/name/nm/0722279/ ) was supposed to be starting it, but he seems to be perpetually late (he was at the Christmas party anyway) so he missed the start.
Joanne, Cassie, Katie and Chris did it with me, and mum (who has a fear of heights, so wouldn't go on the Jubilee bridge; I was like 'didn't you think of the bridges as being high over a body of water before you signed up?') and it was good to see them all. We haven't been the five of us together since last Christmas. Not right (although, we're all going to MCR in October, right?) ... we're going to plan Christmas early this year. And crash Chris' new place since we haven't given her a housewarming yet (heh heh).
It was harder than we thought, and took longer too. I think we took the full 3 hours walking that they advertised, but then, we took photo's at every bridge. And if I can work out how to upload pics from my new camera without having to format (and therefore delete) the micro SD card, we're going to photoshop the awesome pictures we took on Millennium bridge, where we'll have a death eater behind us (we're clinging to the barriers, looking scared. Haha, we can't be normal) ... oh, and one of the statues near Waterloo is of the great-Grandad/great-great-Grandad of one of our other friends. Weeeeeeird!
We had TGI fridays afterwards. Was amazing, though I really shouldn't have had the chocolate fudge cake. Cassie bent my arm around over it though! (Well, she said 'are you having dessert zee?' ... you can see the bind I was in, right?)
I've missed my friends so much. We can't leave it nine months again. Seriously. And I've raised over £100 for the people who saved my life, so WOO!
Tuesday 14 September 2010
Okay, I'm not done yet ...
but I have one new blog (I'll do the others later) about stuff boy says. Hopefully I'll be able to stuff it full of gems. it's at http://www.zeebee-whatdidhesay.blogspot.com/
at least, I think that's right.
at least, I think that's right.
If anyone cares
I'm changing this blog. I'm creating new ones, so I can organise stuff a little more. Once I've finished, I'll go through it all.
Shortest blog entry ever, lol
Shortest blog entry ever, lol
Friday 10 September 2010
So, this is what accomplishment feels like
I feel like I've done so much today. I changed tax credits (3-5 year-olds get free sessions at nursery) and set up a standing order for Claire (she's in Manchester forcing Christianity on kids from housing estates) and checked my accounts and got the new Kate Brian (and Warwick Davies book and 'Shit my dad says' and a Scott Pilgrim graphic novel and the book of Charlie St Cloud. My waterstones addiction is not going well, especially as waterstones has now merged with HMV in town. Beacon for paradise!) and resisted DVD's and the coat in Jane Normans (not my size, thanks Belly, you saved me £90!) and had a driving lesson and did those practice tests for this stupid qualification ... not bad for a day off!
My legs ache from my new fake-Sketcher step-ups though. And I got Empire magazine, with a bit about Harry Potter and now I wantittobeNovemberninteenthsobadlikeyoucan'tevenimaginehowmuch.
And now I'm going to chill, call Claire, put boy to bed and write. Like crazy.
My legs ache from my new fake-Sketcher step-ups though. And I got Empire magazine, with a bit about Harry Potter and now I wantittobeNovemberninteenthsobadlikeyoucan'tevenimaginehowmuch.
And now I'm going to chill, call Claire, put boy to bed and write. Like crazy.
Hm.
I just tried those practice papers. Huh. Why couldn't the lesson stuff be more like that? I was semi challenged. I skimmed some of it, so I didn't get 40/40, but hey, what did they expect when the lesson planning stuff was such a doss?
Anywho, I have these new shape-up trainers. We saw the sketchers version in the US just before they advertised over here, but these are tesco's version so I spent £20.
I wanna go do something now. Look for the new Kate Brian in Lakeside and try to resist taco bell. That should do it. (I won't resist taco bell)
Anywho, I have these new shape-up trainers. We saw the sketchers version in the US just before they advertised over here, but these are tesco's version so I spent £20.
I wanna go do something now. Look for the new Kate Brian in Lakeside and try to resist taco bell. That should do it. (I won't resist taco bell)
Thursday 9 September 2010
It's a learning curve
So ... to get ahead at work now, you have to have an apprenticeship in hospitality. I think I'm one of 2 who have to do it, and there are a couple more people doing it in management, if I've heard right.
I hate it. Sorry. When an initial assessment question asks you to identify the number three, you have to wonder what the hell you're doing. It's slightly more cash to keep boy's taste in fruit up. It's so I can afford Christmas. And that gorgeous tan tartan coat in Jane Norman with the fur trim. It's keeping my book habit well and truly up. That's why I'm doing stupid questions I can do in my sleep.
At least both my tutors have said I only need to suffer five of the buggers each, before my practice papers. And I can grab a couple of hours tomorrow to complete them all. And then I can arrange my actual test and pass with flying colours and get on with somethig semi-challenging. I know I shouldn't begrudge it because some people out there, including a few I work with, don't know as much as I make myself learn ... I guess I just got used to a higher tiered system in my time.
Speaking of things I'm learning ... I've learnt some things you just can't change. I had a little breakthrough with my writing, by doing something I didn't want to do. But I've actually started writing again, for the first time in about two months, so maybe I was trying to force an issue that needed to develop behind the scenes instead? It feels like I actually have a point behind the writing, like a direction for all the little points to go on. I still like my original idea, but in two months I've written the majority of another one of these stories. Two months without writing is harsh, for me (though I've jotted a couple of new ideas down. But I'd like to finish this one first).
Oh, and by the way, where are all my blogging friends? One of you's on holiday, one's laptop's gone down ... where are the rest of you? I miss reading about your lives!
I hate it. Sorry. When an initial assessment question asks you to identify the number three, you have to wonder what the hell you're doing. It's slightly more cash to keep boy's taste in fruit up. It's so I can afford Christmas. And that gorgeous tan tartan coat in Jane Norman with the fur trim. It's keeping my book habit well and truly up. That's why I'm doing stupid questions I can do in my sleep.
At least both my tutors have said I only need to suffer five of the buggers each, before my practice papers. And I can grab a couple of hours tomorrow to complete them all. And then I can arrange my actual test and pass with flying colours and get on with somethig semi-challenging. I know I shouldn't begrudge it because some people out there, including a few I work with, don't know as much as I make myself learn ... I guess I just got used to a higher tiered system in my time.
Speaking of things I'm learning ... I've learnt some things you just can't change. I had a little breakthrough with my writing, by doing something I didn't want to do. But I've actually started writing again, for the first time in about two months, so maybe I was trying to force an issue that needed to develop behind the scenes instead? It feels like I actually have a point behind the writing, like a direction for all the little points to go on. I still like my original idea, but in two months I've written the majority of another one of these stories. Two months without writing is harsh, for me (though I've jotted a couple of new ideas down. But I'd like to finish this one first).
Oh, and by the way, where are all my blogging friends? One of you's on holiday, one's laptop's gone down ... where are the rest of you? I miss reading about your lives!
Monday 6 September 2010
Forgive me bloggers, for I have sinned
I am going to update more. I seem to have an aversion to my laptop right now. Or maybe life's just demanding I do something with it, you fat fuck.
Either way, I'm trying not to eat too much lately. Which it turns out, is effing hard. But I have no 12-8 shifts this week, so no need to eat breakfast, brunch and early lunch to make sure I have the energy to get through to 5.30/6pm when I get my break. To be fair, I haven't eaten on those much, or much after.
I made sloppy joe's for dinner tonight. I know, I'm amazing.
I've started reading this book that's on my bookshelf, called wake. Intriguing. It's about this girl who, whenever in close proximity to someone asleep, will enter their dreams, whether she's awake or not. I think, though I'm at chapter 2 so I'm going by the blurb, that she enters the wrong person's dream. Hmmm.
I made myself a promise too. Since I spend way too effing much on books, I will not buy another one until I've read every unread book in my collection. Recipe books, self-help and tarot as exceptions. I'm not going to read 'Discipline your children while you can' from cover to cover, but War And Peace on the other hand ... I think the Odyssey will give me the most fuss, and Paradise Lost, since they're old fashioned language in verse. Just because I can read and daydream at the same time and I would need to actually concentrate for once in my life. Oh, I am making the exception for my favourite authors, but I'm also saying this after the latest Sophie Kinsella. Saved myself from self-criticism ;)
You know what? I haven't written in a while either. Well, I started this new thing, for me only, but not much of my Uprooted lot. I need to be on my computer without zylom running more often lol.
Either way, I'm trying not to eat too much lately. Which it turns out, is effing hard. But I have no 12-8 shifts this week, so no need to eat breakfast, brunch and early lunch to make sure I have the energy to get through to 5.30/6pm when I get my break. To be fair, I haven't eaten on those much, or much after.
I made sloppy joe's for dinner tonight. I know, I'm amazing.
I've started reading this book that's on my bookshelf, called wake. Intriguing. It's about this girl who, whenever in close proximity to someone asleep, will enter their dreams, whether she's awake or not. I think, though I'm at chapter 2 so I'm going by the blurb, that she enters the wrong person's dream. Hmmm.
I made myself a promise too. Since I spend way too effing much on books, I will not buy another one until I've read every unread book in my collection. Recipe books, self-help and tarot as exceptions. I'm not going to read 'Discipline your children while you can' from cover to cover, but War And Peace on the other hand ... I think the Odyssey will give me the most fuss, and Paradise Lost, since they're old fashioned language in verse. Just because I can read and daydream at the same time and I would need to actually concentrate for once in my life. Oh, I am making the exception for my favourite authors, but I'm also saying this after the latest Sophie Kinsella. Saved myself from self-criticism ;)
You know what? I haven't written in a while either. Well, I started this new thing, for me only, but not much of my Uprooted lot. I need to be on my computer without zylom running more often lol.
Thursday 2 September 2010
Cliff notes
Sorry, I'm still all rushy. My sister's having a BBQ, somehow I got roped into cleaning up on Sophie Kinsella day (do my family have death wishes?)
I'm just starting chapter seven though. I read fast. Minnie needs advice from boy on how to work your mother properly. You don't do tantrums, you maintain silence when mummy shops. Then at the check out, or when her eyes have glazed over in the book store, you go in for the kill. Bat eyelashes, drop face, 'mummeeeeeee .... I have some sweeties/bob the builder book?' ... works every time, I'm ashamed to say! He does have to say please though.
So yeah. There's a new sweet shop near burger king (saw between waterstones and the loos) - old fashioned sweets in glass jars. It's been open 4 days, but the other mothership called me in. So I have proper fudge and edinburgh rock and sweet peanuts and boy has chocolates that look like pebbles (he eats enough of the real ones) ... happy fat little me, lol.
Oh, and I got a phone call this afternoon. Some people were canvassing in town earlier this year for this new studio, and I entered this prize draw for a laugh. In fact, a couple of weeks ago I had a clearout and found my end of the slip and thought 'oh yeah, that thing' but nope, I'm one of 12 winners :D you take 6 outfits down and there's a champagne reception and you get facials and makeovers and people styling your hair and then you can choose if you want to buy the pictures. Which is awesome but because I never win anything and this sounds amazing I'm actually wondering whether or not they're a real company. Will be googling. My appointment's in November, and I'll be dragging someone with me, but highlights will be included (on the blog. Not in my hair or anything. Sorry, Becky Brandon nee Bloomwood moment).
Ohoh, and waterstones had free samples of 'I am number 4' which is this book series being made into a film, but it sounds interesting so I took a sample and may by the book. And I bought a cookery book since the cakes I made for boy looked amazing but cupcake recipes don't translate well to pan cakes. And there's this tan coat I want from Jane Norman but is £90. And I saw on msn's film feed the actual date for HP7:part one. And it's in 3D. Anyone coming with me? Lol.
I'm just starting chapter seven though. I read fast. Minnie needs advice from boy on how to work your mother properly. You don't do tantrums, you maintain silence when mummy shops. Then at the check out, or when her eyes have glazed over in the book store, you go in for the kill. Bat eyelashes, drop face, 'mummeeeeeee .... I have some sweeties/bob the builder book?' ... works every time, I'm ashamed to say! He does have to say please though.
So yeah. There's a new sweet shop near burger king (saw between waterstones and the loos) - old fashioned sweets in glass jars. It's been open 4 days, but the other mothership called me in. So I have proper fudge and edinburgh rock and sweet peanuts and boy has chocolates that look like pebbles (he eats enough of the real ones) ... happy fat little me, lol.
Oh, and I got a phone call this afternoon. Some people were canvassing in town earlier this year for this new studio, and I entered this prize draw for a laugh. In fact, a couple of weeks ago I had a clearout and found my end of the slip and thought 'oh yeah, that thing' but nope, I'm one of 12 winners :D you take 6 outfits down and there's a champagne reception and you get facials and makeovers and people styling your hair and then you can choose if you want to buy the pictures. Which is awesome but because I never win anything and this sounds amazing I'm actually wondering whether or not they're a real company. Will be googling. My appointment's in November, and I'll be dragging someone with me, but highlights will be included (on the blog. Not in my hair or anything. Sorry, Becky Brandon nee Bloomwood moment).
Ohoh, and waterstones had free samples of 'I am number 4' which is this book series being made into a film, but it sounds interesting so I took a sample and may by the book. And I bought a cookery book since the cakes I made for boy looked amazing but cupcake recipes don't translate well to pan cakes. And there's this tan coat I want from Jane Norman but is £90. And I saw on msn's film feed the actual date for HP7:part one. And it's in 3D. Anyone coming with me? Lol.
Wednesday 1 September 2010
I have another nothing week
Yep, another week with 2 shifts. At least this time, they're both 8 hours each.
Still. Not going to be good for tax credits, is it?
I've been filling my time well though. Yesterday, I saw Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. Good film, lol. Got Sherlock Holmes, the BBC version (which is amazing) on DVD, and Cherrybomb, this film with Rupert Grint. Oh, and Katy Perry's new album, which smells of candyfloss. Awesome.
Today I've been ploughing through boy's room. He has stuff in there from when he couldn't control his neck. So that's all been separated and sorted and now there's some stuff to throw in the attic and then boy's room is sorted. I just have to sort mine. And the play room.
Oh, and tomorrow is new Sophie Kinsella day. Major squeal!
Still. Not going to be good for tax credits, is it?
I've been filling my time well though. Yesterday, I saw Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. Good film, lol. Got Sherlock Holmes, the BBC version (which is amazing) on DVD, and Cherrybomb, this film with Rupert Grint. Oh, and Katy Perry's new album, which smells of candyfloss. Awesome.
Today I've been ploughing through boy's room. He has stuff in there from when he couldn't control his neck. So that's all been separated and sorted and now there's some stuff to throw in the attic and then boy's room is sorted. I just have to sort mine. And the play room.
Oh, and tomorrow is new Sophie Kinsella day. Major squeal!
Sunday 29 August 2010
Matrix week
Isn't it strange that I had 2 shifts this week but couldn't find the time to blog since Monday?
But that's what's happened - Tuesday I was in London hunting ;kraddy paddies' (krabby patties) for the boy for his party. Cybercandy were out (sorry boy). Found some amazing things in Covent Garden though. Guess who got a Gruffalo, and a gruffalo lunch box for their third birthday?
Wednesday it was a shift day. Spent the evening baking a cake.
Thursday the boy turned three. That's freaking scary! Anyway, I had a late shift so he only opened a couple of presents, and then went to nursery, and once I finished work we went to my sister's house to check out her nursery for the baby she's having in November and boy opened his presents there. He got a buzz lightyear I bought in America for $24.50. So that's like, £16. Yay for bargains, lol.
Friday I was shopping for party food and cooking party food and having my first driving lesson in 5 weeks and I only went for the accelerator instead of the break/sailed through junctions in third or fourth a few times.
And yesterday was party day, so cooking in the morning, and party in the afternoon (and a knackered boy sleeping until half 5. Sweet!).
Oh, and my brother's girlfriend's been over with her son all week, so there's been two 3 year olds running around causing havoc and pushing bedtimes all week. Not that I'm a bitchy mum, but her boy was up until 11 at the earliest each night. We let boy stay up until 10 Thursday (for presents) and Friday (because mummy was busy making the most amazing looking cake) and I felt bad for that.
Anyway, it's beach day today! So ... maybe blog in a few days?
But that's what's happened - Tuesday I was in London hunting ;kraddy paddies' (krabby patties) for the boy for his party. Cybercandy were out (sorry boy). Found some amazing things in Covent Garden though. Guess who got a Gruffalo, and a gruffalo lunch box for their third birthday?
Wednesday it was a shift day. Spent the evening baking a cake.
Thursday the boy turned three. That's freaking scary! Anyway, I had a late shift so he only opened a couple of presents, and then went to nursery, and once I finished work we went to my sister's house to check out her nursery for the baby she's having in November and boy opened his presents there. He got a buzz lightyear I bought in America for $24.50. So that's like, £16. Yay for bargains, lol.
Friday I was shopping for party food and cooking party food and having my first driving lesson in 5 weeks and I only went for the accelerator instead of the break/sailed through junctions in third or fourth a few times.
And yesterday was party day, so cooking in the morning, and party in the afternoon (and a knackered boy sleeping until half 5. Sweet!).
Oh, and my brother's girlfriend's been over with her son all week, so there's been two 3 year olds running around causing havoc and pushing bedtimes all week. Not that I'm a bitchy mum, but her boy was up until 11 at the earliest each night. We let boy stay up until 10 Thursday (for presents) and Friday (because mummy was busy making the most amazing looking cake) and I felt bad for that.
Anyway, it's beach day today! So ... maybe blog in a few days?
Monday 23 August 2010
Florida
So ... I'll finally write something about my trip away.
It was weird going back. I've stayed in the same resort for the last 3/4 times we've been over there? So the trip to the hotel always looks familiar. It almost feels like coming home, in a way.
Mum always tries to plan the trip, but we didn't get that far this year, which I actually preferred. I went on holiday, not an army boot camp, you know?
We went with American Airlines, which we've never done before. And never will again. Every flight was delayed, which although it caused angst on the first flight, was at least a relief when we got to our connecting gate. But it meant as well, we woke up 3.30am, and got to bed in the villa about 9.30 local time - 23 hours nonstop.
On friday we slept in, grabbed some food from the (pricey) on site shop, and then went off to Premium mall, to sort out some tickets - for the local bus, unlimited seaworld/aquatica/busch gardens tickets for a fortnight, and our universal tickets. Oh and we went to the local publix to stock up on food (like asda, but way more processed food) but that's about all we did the first day. Jetlag's a bitch, and my ears had popped like crazy on the first plane. We landed and I was crying from how hard my ears were hurting.
Saturday was Harry Potter day :D it was crazy, we were queuing from the entrance to the Jurrasic Park section of universal islands, but it only took us half hour to get to hogwarts. It was so effing hot, we were sweating at 10am. We'd taken water but there's only so much you can carry at once ... the bottles were empty halfway along the queue.
We got talking to the conductor just inside the entrance, he was cool. Not figuratively, it was 35 C with 50% humidity and he was in a 4-piece. But he was chatty and he posed for pictures with boy (and there were loads of boy on my camera, which makes me feel kinda ill tbh, that some ass has pics of my boy). We went in a lot of the shops - Dervish and Banges, Honeydukes ... some like Scrivenshaft's weren't open or were just for show. I had a cauldron cake, which was a mistake in that heat, it was half chocolate, half mousse. We got bertie botts beans which boy commandeered and bought butterbeers in the hog's head (which was part of the three broomsticks but oh well) but they have their own special brew there, hog's brew or something? The woman at the bar said it was a medium red scottish lager, whatever the fuck that's meant to mean. I got my butterbeer in a collector's cup, because I'm amazing like that. I also have a remembrall and a sneakascope, lol.
They were doing a triwizard display near the hogwarts ride, the durmstrang with poles and the beaubatons with ... I don't know, their prettiness? We couldn't see over their heads. I have a confession about the ride ... I didn't keep my eyes open. I mean, the graphics for the animation parts were slick and the animatronics were so well done ... but that's why. The ride takes you to the quidditch pitch, and then a dragon comes along and drags you through a tower into the forbidden forest, and breaths 'fire' on you (the picture I have is ridiculous, they take the photo at this point, but as I've said, it was hot, and they pipe heat, smoke and light on you. My face is stupid because of the excessive heat) but then you end up in the spider's layer and *eyes closed* they spit on you. And then you get caught up in the whomping willow and land back in the quidditch pitch and then the dementors come *eyes closed* ... the second time we went, I went on again and kept my eyes opn for the dementor bit, but not for the spiders. When they try and give you the Kiss, you see your reflection in the smoke pumping about. So good.
Pumpkin juice is only good when it's ice cold. It tastes like mcdonalds apple pies. Kept boy hydrated though!
We spent like, half the day in hogsmeade, since you have to queue for everything (and I was going crazy looking for my camera) but boy got to go on one fish two fish ride and cat in the hat in doctor seuss land. He loved those, except when the fish got us wet. But by that time it was getting late and the jetlag was getting to us so we went home, and vegged out overnight.
And I'll write more later, because I'm knackered and headachy. Sorry.
It was weird going back. I've stayed in the same resort for the last 3/4 times we've been over there? So the trip to the hotel always looks familiar. It almost feels like coming home, in a way.
Mum always tries to plan the trip, but we didn't get that far this year, which I actually preferred. I went on holiday, not an army boot camp, you know?
We went with American Airlines, which we've never done before. And never will again. Every flight was delayed, which although it caused angst on the first flight, was at least a relief when we got to our connecting gate. But it meant as well, we woke up 3.30am, and got to bed in the villa about 9.30 local time - 23 hours nonstop.
On friday we slept in, grabbed some food from the (pricey) on site shop, and then went off to Premium mall, to sort out some tickets - for the local bus, unlimited seaworld/aquatica/busch gardens tickets for a fortnight, and our universal tickets. Oh and we went to the local publix to stock up on food (like asda, but way more processed food) but that's about all we did the first day. Jetlag's a bitch, and my ears had popped like crazy on the first plane. We landed and I was crying from how hard my ears were hurting.
Saturday was Harry Potter day :D it was crazy, we were queuing from the entrance to the Jurrasic Park section of universal islands, but it only took us half hour to get to hogwarts. It was so effing hot, we were sweating at 10am. We'd taken water but there's only so much you can carry at once ... the bottles were empty halfway along the queue.
We got talking to the conductor just inside the entrance, he was cool. Not figuratively, it was 35 C with 50% humidity and he was in a 4-piece. But he was chatty and he posed for pictures with boy (and there were loads of boy on my camera, which makes me feel kinda ill tbh, that some ass has pics of my boy). We went in a lot of the shops - Dervish and Banges, Honeydukes ... some like Scrivenshaft's weren't open or were just for show. I had a cauldron cake, which was a mistake in that heat, it was half chocolate, half mousse. We got bertie botts beans which boy commandeered and bought butterbeers in the hog's head (which was part of the three broomsticks but oh well) but they have their own special brew there, hog's brew or something? The woman at the bar said it was a medium red scottish lager, whatever the fuck that's meant to mean. I got my butterbeer in a collector's cup, because I'm amazing like that. I also have a remembrall and a sneakascope, lol.
They were doing a triwizard display near the hogwarts ride, the durmstrang with poles and the beaubatons with ... I don't know, their prettiness? We couldn't see over their heads. I have a confession about the ride ... I didn't keep my eyes open. I mean, the graphics for the animation parts were slick and the animatronics were so well done ... but that's why. The ride takes you to the quidditch pitch, and then a dragon comes along and drags you through a tower into the forbidden forest, and breaths 'fire' on you (the picture I have is ridiculous, they take the photo at this point, but as I've said, it was hot, and they pipe heat, smoke and light on you. My face is stupid because of the excessive heat) but then you end up in the spider's layer and *eyes closed* they spit on you. And then you get caught up in the whomping willow and land back in the quidditch pitch and then the dementors come *eyes closed* ... the second time we went, I went on again and kept my eyes opn for the dementor bit, but not for the spiders. When they try and give you the Kiss, you see your reflection in the smoke pumping about. So good.
Pumpkin juice is only good when it's ice cold. It tastes like mcdonalds apple pies. Kept boy hydrated though!
We spent like, half the day in hogsmeade, since you have to queue for everything (and I was going crazy looking for my camera) but boy got to go on one fish two fish ride and cat in the hat in doctor seuss land. He loved those, except when the fish got us wet. But by that time it was getting late and the jetlag was getting to us so we went home, and vegged out overnight.
And I'll write more later, because I'm knackered and headachy. Sorry.
Friday 20 August 2010
I don't really like surprises
I got in the car after work today, to boy squarking at me. A bit of a surprise, since it was half eight at night. Something about the nursery's rabbit. More accurately "MUMMYTULIPMUMMYTHERABBIT!!!" so yeah ... it turns out none of the nursery workers could take the nursery rabbit home for the weekend. One girl could have, but had no car to drive her home, so would've come in twice a day to feed the poor thing. So boy volunteers our house, in cahoots with grandpa.
Brilliant. At least I'm working all this weekend. Grandpa can reap what he's sown.
So, anyway, I've started this apprenticeship with the equivalent of an NVQ in English and Maths, part of our company's training programme (the stop between bottomfeeder and wannabe management). I'm in like, the first cycle of the training programme where we need to do it. It sucks. I got AAC in my Maths and English (A for literature, C for language). But the manager in charge says that because it's been more than three years since my GCSE's, I have to do it again. It's been more like 10 years, which is really effing freaky. I hate the programme. Sorry, I do. One multiple choice question in the maths inital assessment (it's online, radio buttons) was 'which number below is three?' ... that's not maths. And frankly, if you don't know, why the hell are you attempting management? At least refresh me on quadratic equations. Promote me reading Shakespeare, Dostoevsky or Tolstoy. Not ask me if I can recognise a flipping number. I actually feel myself getting stupider doing the questions. Still - means to an end. My English tutor's going to call next week, will try not to bitch too much.
I'm reading a really interesting book at the moment. It's called The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller. It's almost like an idea I had for a book, but executed much, much better than I was imagining.
This girl has flashes of past lives, and sees this celebrity on TV one day when she's 17. She realises he was her husband in a previous life, the guy she's been seeing in these flashes. But her gran is a bible basher and decides that when she talks of her past live's love, she's being posessed, so she has to run away to find him. He remembers her, in all their lives, and that's as far as I've gotten. I'm not quite halfway through, but I've been working since I picked it up. It's actually more interesting than I've made it sound, but I'm curious about where it's going.
My idea was for the visions, but not the reincarnation aspect. That's blown my mind lol. The sequel's not out until next year, which all my favourite books are doing right now (House of Night, Private) ... *sigh*
I swear, I will talk about Florida by the way. I think I'm waiting for the whole 'I miss America' bit to fade.
Brilliant. At least I'm working all this weekend. Grandpa can reap what he's sown.
So, anyway, I've started this apprenticeship with the equivalent of an NVQ in English and Maths, part of our company's training programme (the stop between bottomfeeder and wannabe management). I'm in like, the first cycle of the training programme where we need to do it. It sucks. I got AAC in my Maths and English (A for literature, C for language). But the manager in charge says that because it's been more than three years since my GCSE's, I have to do it again. It's been more like 10 years, which is really effing freaky. I hate the programme. Sorry, I do. One multiple choice question in the maths inital assessment (it's online, radio buttons) was 'which number below is three?' ... that's not maths. And frankly, if you don't know, why the hell are you attempting management? At least refresh me on quadratic equations. Promote me reading Shakespeare, Dostoevsky or Tolstoy. Not ask me if I can recognise a flipping number. I actually feel myself getting stupider doing the questions. Still - means to an end. My English tutor's going to call next week, will try not to bitch too much.
I'm reading a really interesting book at the moment. It's called The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller. It's almost like an idea I had for a book, but executed much, much better than I was imagining.
This girl has flashes of past lives, and sees this celebrity on TV one day when she's 17. She realises he was her husband in a previous life, the guy she's been seeing in these flashes. But her gran is a bible basher and decides that when she talks of her past live's love, she's being posessed, so she has to run away to find him. He remembers her, in all their lives, and that's as far as I've gotten. I'm not quite halfway through, but I've been working since I picked it up. It's actually more interesting than I've made it sound, but I'm curious about where it's going.
My idea was for the visions, but not the reincarnation aspect. That's blown my mind lol. The sequel's not out until next year, which all my favourite books are doing right now (House of Night, Private) ... *sigh*
I swear, I will talk about Florida by the way. I think I'm waiting for the whole 'I miss America' bit to fade.
Monday 16 August 2010
Mehhhhhh
Sorry.
I flew back Saturday.
Could've written.
Didn't want to.
I miss Florida.
I actually feel really effing depressed. There's no sun here. There's no colour. Sorry, but all the men are effing ugly (apart from fitty in Republic. Hellooo!). I was working yesterday and someone handed me a £20 and I almost told her it was wrong because it wasn't green. I had to quickly remind myself that it was pounds, not dollars. I miss the heat. I was sat in a jacket under the heater at work, everyone complained about the heat but I was like 'it's barely warm, shut up!' ... when can I go back? The Peabody was hiring like, 300 people and I so almost went to their job fair. You have no idea how close I came.
I will talk about Florida over the next couple of days, maybe a little disjointedly. I'll get my moan out of the way first though - some bitch stole my camera. We were in Hogwarts the first saturday, we had a butterbeer in the Hogs Head beer garden. I pic-whored myself drinking that stuff like crazy. But butterbeer goes right through you, so I went to moaning myrtle's bathroom next door, putting my camera strap on my wrist as I went. Got in the stall, hung up my stuff from honeydukes, left my bag on the floor, didn't touch my camera, didn't have an issue with it getting in the way of, you know, girl's stuff ... only realised after I washed my hands that the camera wasn't there. The attendant hadn't seen shit, said to go to Lost and Found. We went the end of the day, nothing handed in. They gave me a number to call, but I still cried. Later that week, we went in again and first stop was lost and found. Nothing. Went on rides and stuff, came back end of the day. Gave me the number again, filled out a form (on the third trip). Day before we left I tried phoning and it came up with an answerphone, so I emailed. I'm getting as much paperwork together as possible to send to my travel insurance company because I have a £300 limit with £50 minimum worth (you know, the first £50 doesn't count garb) so I'd like something to make up for having a piddly amount of photo's for 17 days of heaven.
I've seen a new camera in curry digital's sale in town. £90, 12 million pixels. 2.6 LCD screen. SD card compatible. Tempting ... once I've done my finances ...
Oh yeah, and boy turned into a demon child. I've never known him so naughty. Clara had scratchmarks all over her chest, I had scratchmarks all over my face, and his Woody doll had a day long time out when he was used in a bedtime smack down where I ended up with a horn on my forehead and another on my nose. So much for the boy who'd ask me for kisses and cuddles and copious amounts of fruit.
I flew back Saturday.
Could've written.
Didn't want to.
I miss Florida.
I actually feel really effing depressed. There's no sun here. There's no colour. Sorry, but all the men are effing ugly (apart from fitty in Republic. Hellooo!). I was working yesterday and someone handed me a £20 and I almost told her it was wrong because it wasn't green. I had to quickly remind myself that it was pounds, not dollars. I miss the heat. I was sat in a jacket under the heater at work, everyone complained about the heat but I was like 'it's barely warm, shut up!' ... when can I go back? The Peabody was hiring like, 300 people and I so almost went to their job fair. You have no idea how close I came.
I will talk about Florida over the next couple of days, maybe a little disjointedly. I'll get my moan out of the way first though - some bitch stole my camera. We were in Hogwarts the first saturday, we had a butterbeer in the Hogs Head beer garden. I pic-whored myself drinking that stuff like crazy. But butterbeer goes right through you, so I went to moaning myrtle's bathroom next door, putting my camera strap on my wrist as I went. Got in the stall, hung up my stuff from honeydukes, left my bag on the floor, didn't touch my camera, didn't have an issue with it getting in the way of, you know, girl's stuff ... only realised after I washed my hands that the camera wasn't there. The attendant hadn't seen shit, said to go to Lost and Found. We went the end of the day, nothing handed in. They gave me a number to call, but I still cried. Later that week, we went in again and first stop was lost and found. Nothing. Went on rides and stuff, came back end of the day. Gave me the number again, filled out a form (on the third trip). Day before we left I tried phoning and it came up with an answerphone, so I emailed. I'm getting as much paperwork together as possible to send to my travel insurance company because I have a £300 limit with £50 minimum worth (you know, the first £50 doesn't count garb) so I'd like something to make up for having a piddly amount of photo's for 17 days of heaven.
I've seen a new camera in curry digital's sale in town. £90, 12 million pixels. 2.6 LCD screen. SD card compatible. Tempting ... once I've done my finances ...
Oh yeah, and boy turned into a demon child. I've never known him so naughty. Clara had scratchmarks all over her chest, I had scratchmarks all over my face, and his Woody doll had a day long time out when he was used in a bedtime smack down where I ended up with a horn on my forehead and another on my nose. So much for the boy who'd ask me for kisses and cuddles and copious amounts of fruit.
Monday 26 July 2010
*tumbleweed blows by*
So ... you may have noticed I haven't blogged of late.
Not 100% my fault.
So Thursday morning I get up and start hacking apart the invites I made for boy's 3rd birthday (toy story themed, I'm such a cool mum) and hear my parents say we've been cut off, phone and net. Sky's a bit funny too. And after half an hour on the rotatrimmer (bonus of having half your family in the teaching profession. My sister would've lent me her laminator too, if I'd asked) I started feeling queasy.
But I passed it off because I had to get boy to nursery, so I got him ready and went, and posted all his nursery invites into the folders, feeling all sweaty and horrid. I thought it was just the weather, and the fact that nursery gets so hot so quickly.
And then I got on a bus, ready to get my $USD and some other holiday *non* essentials, and that nausea really hit me. So I closed my eyes the whole bus ride and kept trying to imagine this waterfall, something with no smell that was sort of calm and clear and clean and I concentrated so hard on that water ... and it worked until the bus did a u-turn into the depot. And then I lost control. And the bus driver was really nice about the fact I yakked on his bus (probably thinking 'time for my fag break, and if the cleaners are in the bus I get a coffee too'), I went to get a water and yakked a few more times before I managed to make my way home (I was smart, I put the water in a bag on self serve then put the water in my bag and viola, baggy for the bus home!)
So I've spent most of the time we've been disconnected vomming, sleeping and reading. And today, playing on a video game so I feel carpal tunnel setting in. I won't type much longer. It turns out, the whole of the hamlet is disconnected, there's been some gasworks and roadworks so one of them must've knocked out all our phonelines. Thanks.
I went back to work yesterday, for my last shit before we go away. And they actually freaking let me cook! I mean, I normally do weekend breakfast now, since aparently I'm shit-hot at building a bagel (I kid, I'm crap) but near the end of breakfast they were going 'we've only got till people in' and I was like 'I know some kitchen!' (I did one side when I was 6 months pregnant for 2 hours, and I've dressed on the other side for an hour. Besides the point) so I got to cook and avoid shitty customers all day. Especially as Sunday is Complaining Customer day. Win Win. I just had to avoid breathing, to avoid the lingering nausea. And build some upper body strength. Ha!
But I won't be back for long since we're away soon. So excited! I think I'll be able to get up at 3.30 for the flights ...
Oh, and the books I read? Um, My Single Friend (which was good for chick-lit, if a little annoying) ... the title should give away the storyline. Protagonist bird has male roommate she's known for years, is a dork. They watch a makeover show, she decides to give him a makeover, he turns out to be all studly. Yaddayaddayadda ... they fall in love. Very Predictable.
Don't take the piss. My head was pounding from the rush to the head when I puked.
I read the third book in Lindsey Kelk' "I love" series, I Love Paris. I don't know why I pick those books up. Because Alex and Jenny, the boyfriend and best friend characters are mildly funny I guess. You know they say 'write what you know'? Lindsey Kelk actually writes her life. I read her bio before I read I Love New York, the first one, and it's just like it says in the bio. But the bio is far less irritating - in ILNY, she breaks up with her boyfriend and moves to new york and spends half the book telling the reader, and other characters, she broke up with her boyfriend and moved to new york. In the second, I Love Hollywood, she goes to interview this actor (she's a blogger and sometimes-journalist, having given up editing kids books) and they're pictured together compromisingly before it's revealed he's gay. She spends half the book telling people the photo's aren't real and he's just an actor and she broke up with someone in England and moved to New York. And in the one I just read, I Love Paris, she and her new boyfriend go to Paris for his band's gig/her chance to write an article, and they find his ex, who makes a move on the boyfriend. And yep, she spends half the book telling the reader and the other characters that the ex is trying to get rid of her and she interviewed that gay actor and she broke up with someone in England and moved to New York.
How she's going to have a storyline in the fourth book with all the above to repeat endlessly is beyond me.
I have 2 books coming away with me to Florida. Will read when the boy's asleep. Wish me luck on the plane - we have to entertain him somehow! And last time on the way home, he wouldn't sleep a)on the plane b)when we got home. Wouldn't have been so bad if he wasn't in the crawling stage ...
Days until toy story 3: 2
Days until Florida: 3
Days until Harry Potter Land: 5
Days until boy's 3rd: 31
Days until boy's party: 33
Days until bridgathon: 55 (I think?)
Not 100% my fault.
So Thursday morning I get up and start hacking apart the invites I made for boy's 3rd birthday (toy story themed, I'm such a cool mum) and hear my parents say we've been cut off, phone and net. Sky's a bit funny too. And after half an hour on the rotatrimmer (bonus of having half your family in the teaching profession. My sister would've lent me her laminator too, if I'd asked) I started feeling queasy.
But I passed it off because I had to get boy to nursery, so I got him ready and went, and posted all his nursery invites into the folders, feeling all sweaty and horrid. I thought it was just the weather, and the fact that nursery gets so hot so quickly.
And then I got on a bus, ready to get my $USD and some other holiday *non* essentials, and that nausea really hit me. So I closed my eyes the whole bus ride and kept trying to imagine this waterfall, something with no smell that was sort of calm and clear and clean and I concentrated so hard on that water ... and it worked until the bus did a u-turn into the depot. And then I lost control. And the bus driver was really nice about the fact I yakked on his bus (probably thinking 'time for my fag break, and if the cleaners are in the bus I get a coffee too'), I went to get a water and yakked a few more times before I managed to make my way home (I was smart, I put the water in a bag on self serve then put the water in my bag and viola, baggy for the bus home!)
So I've spent most of the time we've been disconnected vomming, sleeping and reading. And today, playing on a video game so I feel carpal tunnel setting in. I won't type much longer. It turns out, the whole of the hamlet is disconnected, there's been some gasworks and roadworks so one of them must've knocked out all our phonelines. Thanks.
I went back to work yesterday, for my last shit before we go away. And they actually freaking let me cook! I mean, I normally do weekend breakfast now, since aparently I'm shit-hot at building a bagel (I kid, I'm crap) but near the end of breakfast they were going 'we've only got till people in' and I was like 'I know some kitchen!' (I did one side when I was 6 months pregnant for 2 hours, and I've dressed on the other side for an hour. Besides the point) so I got to cook and avoid shitty customers all day. Especially as Sunday is Complaining Customer day. Win Win. I just had to avoid breathing, to avoid the lingering nausea. And build some upper body strength. Ha!
But I won't be back for long since we're away soon. So excited! I think I'll be able to get up at 3.30 for the flights ...
Oh, and the books I read? Um, My Single Friend (which was good for chick-lit, if a little annoying) ... the title should give away the storyline. Protagonist bird has male roommate she's known for years, is a dork. They watch a makeover show, she decides to give him a makeover, he turns out to be all studly. Yaddayaddayadda ... they fall in love. Very Predictable.
Don't take the piss. My head was pounding from the rush to the head when I puked.
I read the third book in Lindsey Kelk' "I love" series, I Love Paris. I don't know why I pick those books up. Because Alex and Jenny, the boyfriend and best friend characters are mildly funny I guess. You know they say 'write what you know'? Lindsey Kelk actually writes her life. I read her bio before I read I Love New York, the first one, and it's just like it says in the bio. But the bio is far less irritating - in ILNY, she breaks up with her boyfriend and moves to new york and spends half the book telling the reader, and other characters, she broke up with her boyfriend and moved to new york. In the second, I Love Hollywood, she goes to interview this actor (she's a blogger and sometimes-journalist, having given up editing kids books) and they're pictured together compromisingly before it's revealed he's gay. She spends half the book telling people the photo's aren't real and he's just an actor and she broke up with someone in England and moved to New York. And in the one I just read, I Love Paris, she and her new boyfriend go to Paris for his band's gig/her chance to write an article, and they find his ex, who makes a move on the boyfriend. And yep, she spends half the book telling the reader and the other characters that the ex is trying to get rid of her and she interviewed that gay actor and she broke up with someone in England and moved to New York.
How she's going to have a storyline in the fourth book with all the above to repeat endlessly is beyond me.
I have 2 books coming away with me to Florida. Will read when the boy's asleep. Wish me luck on the plane - we have to entertain him somehow! And last time on the way home, he wouldn't sleep a)on the plane b)when we got home. Wouldn't have been so bad if he wasn't in the crawling stage ...
Days until toy story 3: 2
Days until Florida: 3
Days until Harry Potter Land: 5
Days until boy's 3rd: 31
Days until boy's party: 33
Days until bridgathon: 55 (I think?)
Tuesday 20 July 2010
Balls of steel
I took the advice of a fictional character I created (following that?) ... I grew a pair.
Not literally, obviously, since humans can't do that (and I'm not a chicken. Chickens can) but I took the plunge and looked through some agents on my list and sent some that were a)accepting manuscripts and b)required paper entries. I'll do the email entries tomorrow or Thursday.
So ... be prepared in about two months for me to moan about all my rejections. I'm being a realist - I will get rejected. But I'm also being an optimist - someone's going to want me. I just have to find them. Like those hidden object games I seem to always play.
I feel successful about doing that, but ... I wasn't successful shopping today. The military look doesn't work with the peachy ornamental stuff that's out there ... there wasn't much else. I got a white vest I wanted, and found something in next (:O I never find anything in next) ... but that's it for my holiday. God, can't the high street do something lightweight for simple tastes? The simple stuff I liked was too heavy for right now.
And there was, in all seriousness, about ten books I wanted in waterstones today (I walked out with no books. Achievement!) ... there's the latest Lindsey Kelk that I want anyway, one by Allison Pearson about fan letters that looks good, one about this girl relieving the past which had a sparkly cover which won me over, this book about some guy's random dad who's apparently huge on twitter (never heard of him), one about this girl who moves into this A list apartment block, one about this girl visiting her friend in the summer, and another teen one I can't remember but grabbed me by the balls.
So that's like, £60's worth of books (at least three were in the 3-for-2) ... plus I want toy story 3 and lego harry potter for me wii.
Anyone got a spare £150?
Not literally, obviously, since humans can't do that (and I'm not a chicken. Chickens can) but I took the plunge and looked through some agents on my list and sent some that were a)accepting manuscripts and b)required paper entries. I'll do the email entries tomorrow or Thursday.
So ... be prepared in about two months for me to moan about all my rejections. I'm being a realist - I will get rejected. But I'm also being an optimist - someone's going to want me. I just have to find them. Like those hidden object games I seem to always play.
I feel successful about doing that, but ... I wasn't successful shopping today. The military look doesn't work with the peachy ornamental stuff that's out there ... there wasn't much else. I got a white vest I wanted, and found something in next (:O I never find anything in next) ... but that's it for my holiday. God, can't the high street do something lightweight for simple tastes? The simple stuff I liked was too heavy for right now.
And there was, in all seriousness, about ten books I wanted in waterstones today (I walked out with no books. Achievement!) ... there's the latest Lindsey Kelk that I want anyway, one by Allison Pearson about fan letters that looks good, one about this girl relieving the past which had a sparkly cover which won me over, this book about some guy's random dad who's apparently huge on twitter (never heard of him), one about this girl who moves into this A list apartment block, one about this girl visiting her friend in the summer, and another teen one I can't remember but grabbed me by the balls.
So that's like, £60's worth of books (at least three were in the 3-for-2) ... plus I want toy story 3 and lego harry potter for me wii.
Anyone got a spare £150?
Monday 19 July 2010
What would you call that?
Y'know I said I did a three-month tarot reading t'other day? Well, I thought, as a laugh (because sometimes they have the best inspiration for stories) I'd get this fate magazine, talks about ghosts and angels and other-worldly things. They have horoscopes in it, and the horoscopes say the same thing as the cards. Now, is that fate, or karma, or coincidence, or a pair of entangled atoms that somehow have made that possible (oh yeah, you got a dose of physics in this ramble!) or something I should disregard despite the fact the dates given coincide to Florida, my friend's 18th, and work when I finish my holiday? And will my choice be changed should these things occur or not?
But another twist of fate, or karma, or paired electrons with spin charge, is relevant to this entry.
I said a few entries ago I wanted a me day, despite needing to earn as much as possible for this holiday/boy in general. Someone new is doing our schedule. I have my first weekday off in months - in this year, apart from a holiday in April. This could be because no one's in college, or because he's noticed I'm available both weekend days and am good enough at enough areas of work to make myself invaluable over the weekend. Or it could be because Kismet agrees I need some me time.
In fact, I start on Thursday about an hour before I normally finish. I can read, write, go to the cinema, sunbathe, sort out my dollars (I have $120 already, and £100 ready to change up, I'll be doing that the next few days) sleep, shop (and try on the clothes without worrying about a buggy!), eat where I want, when I want, meet up with friends. I am NOT going to waste my 2 free days (well, almost free). Even if I'm watching cash - I am going to live for me.
I might also print out required elements for submitting my writing to agents. I have a list of authentic agents in the UK, and their websites, will send to three (since I have three envelopes) and see how we go. I know I'm not great at writing ... but I'm pretty good. Right? Right? It's one of my new years resolutions, I'd better get my head in the game.
**edit** Oh, I just checked. I mentioned both of these elements in the same post 12 days ago. freaky ...
Days until I go see Toy Story 3: 9
Days until Florida: 10
Days until I'm home: 27
Days until boy's 3rd: 41
Days until boy's party: 43
Days until bridgathon: 65
But another twist of fate, or karma, or paired electrons with spin charge, is relevant to this entry.
I said a few entries ago I wanted a me day, despite needing to earn as much as possible for this holiday/boy in general. Someone new is doing our schedule. I have my first weekday off in months - in this year, apart from a holiday in April. This could be because no one's in college, or because he's noticed I'm available both weekend days and am good enough at enough areas of work to make myself invaluable over the weekend. Or it could be because Kismet agrees I need some me time.
In fact, I start on Thursday about an hour before I normally finish. I can read, write, go to the cinema, sunbathe, sort out my dollars (I have $120 already, and £100 ready to change up, I'll be doing that the next few days) sleep, shop (and try on the clothes without worrying about a buggy!), eat where I want, when I want, meet up with friends. I am NOT going to waste my 2 free days (well, almost free). Even if I'm watching cash - I am going to live for me.
I might also print out required elements for submitting my writing to agents. I have a list of authentic agents in the UK, and their websites, will send to three (since I have three envelopes) and see how we go. I know I'm not great at writing ... but I'm pretty good. Right? Right? It's one of my new years resolutions, I'd better get my head in the game.
**edit** Oh, I just checked. I mentioned both of these elements in the same post 12 days ago. freaky ...
Days until I go see Toy Story 3: 9
Days until Florida: 10
Days until I'm home: 27
Days until boy's 3rd: 41
Days until boy's party: 43
Days until bridgathon: 65
Sunday 18 July 2010
I haven't seen you for ages!
The above is a line I usually trade with my friends, since the nearest friend of mine is a four hour train ride away, the next is a three hour train ride, and the third a two hour train ride (it sounds illogical, but we have to travel into London, then out again on mainlines. If there wasn't a gaping huge river between the first friend and me, 20 minutes tops. And Bury St Ed's is closer than Bedford to me, but still takes longer to get to). The rest are all west country, Midlands and higher. If I don't work with you, I never get to see you, basically.
But I've found myself saying it twice at work in the last 2 days, and not to ex-employees. Customers.
The first used to come in every friday at 7.30. They want their drinks last. They don't mind waiting for their burger to be done special. But the managers they were used to traded out and all the other staff have drifted off and no one remembers they want their drinks after their meals (standard policy is drinks first so the food stays hot) ... so when they came in yesterday about 6 I was kinda happy to see them. They said why they haven't been in for ages, but I was glad I was the one who served them, since I remembered most of their order, and definitely the drink factoid.
The second one was today ... he's a little bit more history, for me. Since for the past four years he flirts like crazy. I went for a job interview once (the interviewer went on holiday and I never heard from them again, which sucks because I aced the interview, had to do some maths and computer work for it) and he was there. Was where I learnt his name, lol. He was asking me out (I've never been able to tell whether he was joking or not) about the time I was making mistakes with boy's dad. And then I went on maternity leave and when I came back he asked where I'd been and I admitted about boy, and he was so rude about boy's dad (which always cracked me up, since he was sticking up for boy too) and then I got sick ... and stopped seeing him come through, since he always came to the restaurant after I finished. So today was the first time in about two years I saw him.
I like it when he comes through on my shifts. He makes me laugh, makes the shifts that much better (and since someone opened a steel door on my head today, I needed it) ... I wish he didn't have a 9-5, would be good to have him come through more often. I've got a couple of late shifts next week ... here's hoping. I don't want anything more than just the chance to laugh, and put him down when he asks for free food (nice try) ... it'd also be nice if he wasn't one of the people who hangs around the back of the store late at night blaring crap music and starting fires, but hey, what can you do?
But I've found myself saying it twice at work in the last 2 days, and not to ex-employees. Customers.
The first used to come in every friday at 7.30. They want their drinks last. They don't mind waiting for their burger to be done special. But the managers they were used to traded out and all the other staff have drifted off and no one remembers they want their drinks after their meals (standard policy is drinks first so the food stays hot) ... so when they came in yesterday about 6 I was kinda happy to see them. They said why they haven't been in for ages, but I was glad I was the one who served them, since I remembered most of their order, and definitely the drink factoid.
The second one was today ... he's a little bit more history, for me. Since for the past four years he flirts like crazy. I went for a job interview once (the interviewer went on holiday and I never heard from them again, which sucks because I aced the interview, had to do some maths and computer work for it) and he was there. Was where I learnt his name, lol. He was asking me out (I've never been able to tell whether he was joking or not) about the time I was making mistakes with boy's dad. And then I went on maternity leave and when I came back he asked where I'd been and I admitted about boy, and he was so rude about boy's dad (which always cracked me up, since he was sticking up for boy too) and then I got sick ... and stopped seeing him come through, since he always came to the restaurant after I finished. So today was the first time in about two years I saw him.
I like it when he comes through on my shifts. He makes me laugh, makes the shifts that much better (and since someone opened a steel door on my head today, I needed it) ... I wish he didn't have a 9-5, would be good to have him come through more often. I've got a couple of late shifts next week ... here's hoping. I don't want anything more than just the chance to laugh, and put him down when he asks for free food (nice try) ... it'd also be nice if he wasn't one of the people who hangs around the back of the store late at night blaring crap music and starting fires, but hey, what can you do?
Saturday 17 July 2010
My own worst enemy
I tried to go to bed early.
But thought I needed to watch something to send me off.
Something familiar, that I could follow without concentrating, nothing too strenuous or thought-provoking or humourous.
I chose Nick and Norah's infinite playlist.
I miss going to gigs all the time and staying up until 9am. I miss music being my life. I'm actually jealous of Nick and Norah.
Still a good film though. Wish I could've heard 'Where's Fluffy?' the band they chase around manhattan.
But yeah. So I'm awake. And my music and facebook haven't helped me nod off, strangely.
Maybe I should read the Principle of Relativity half of my Quantum physics book. I've read all the stuff about actual Quantum behaviour now.
But thought I needed to watch something to send me off.
Something familiar, that I could follow without concentrating, nothing too strenuous or thought-provoking or humourous.
I chose Nick and Norah's infinite playlist.
I miss going to gigs all the time and staying up until 9am. I miss music being my life. I'm actually jealous of Nick and Norah.
Still a good film though. Wish I could've heard 'Where's Fluffy?' the band they chase around manhattan.
But yeah. So I'm awake. And my music and facebook haven't helped me nod off, strangely.
Maybe I should read the Principle of Relativity half of my Quantum physics book. I've read all the stuff about actual Quantum behaviour now.
Friday 16 July 2010
Words I keep in mind #2
Wake up
It's time to get your things together
And drive away
Breathe out
Future days will treat you better
That's what they say
Another day
Gone without a sun
But it's okay
If you turn around
And feel the memories
Bringing you down
And in the end
Are you stronger
Do you no longer
Need to recover
And where have you been
Since it's been over
Over my shoulder
And under my skin
Will you ever return there again?
Wake up
The monsters in your head have left you
All to yourself
It's alright
If funny little things remind you
Of how it felt
Another day
No one tells you what it means
What's in your way
Keeps poisoning your dreams
The darkest place that you've ever been
And in the end
Are you stronger
Do you no longer
Need to recover
And where have you been
Since it's been over
Over my shoulder
And under my skin
Will you ever return there again?
It's time to get your things together
And drive away
Breathe out
Future days will treat you better
That's what they say
Another day
Gone without a sun
But it's okay
If you turn around
And feel the memories
Bringing you down
And in the end
Are you stronger
Do you no longer
Need to recover
And where have you been
Since it's been over
Over my shoulder
And under my skin
Will you ever return there again?
Wake up
The monsters in your head have left you
All to yourself
It's alright
If funny little things remind you
Of how it felt
Another day
No one tells you what it means
What's in your way
Keeps poisoning your dreams
The darkest place that you've ever been
And in the end
Are you stronger
Do you no longer
Need to recover
And where have you been
Since it's been over
Over my shoulder
And under my skin
Will you ever return there again?
Inspiration #6
I've been holding off talking about him so far.
I mean, I'm a street team leader, I should be a little more enthusiastic, but I don't know ... I don't think I'm one of those crazy fans any more.
This is my piece about Drake Bell, by the way.
I've been aware of his work since The Amanda Show. Truly terrible show (though I do love Josh and Amanda too) but the Totally Kyle skit he did was slightly less bad than the other skits. Plus, you know, he was good looking (whether he's a year younger than me or not) ... at the time, when I was about 14, that was pretty important to me.
When Drake and Josh started, I tried to watch it. Just for him, really. I thought it was crap, in all honesty. I watched the second series when it started, and that was better, so I stuck with it, and then the third series was crap so I switched off. But I knew he sang a lot, and played guitar and I was interested in hearing the music so I went googling, and found his website.
The girls there were enthusiastic and helpful and got me hooked up with his first album, Telegraph. Great album, even if 'Down we fall' takes 9 minutes. My favourite song of his is on there (more about that later). But it was bittersweet joining, since Drake had had a car accident about a month before I joined. He'd been waiting for this car to move at a stop sign so he could go ahead but the driver coming towards him didn't realise or control the car properly and went smashing into his vintage car (I love the vintage car obsession, American vintage cars do it for me). His passenger was fine, he had cracked ribs, a hole in his chin, loads of scratches and scrapes. He admits the first thing he thought was 'not my face!' since you know, it's his career. If you look now, when he stops growing hobo-beards, you can see a faint line across his chin. He could poke his tongue through that once, had his jaw wired shut for 6 weeks.
Anyway, the last series started when I was on the board, after I was invited to be a UK leader. So of course I watched. The boys were better, the whole cast worked well together ... but urgh, I just can't stand Dan Schneider's version of humour. Good scenes were ruined by nonsensical twists or comments that had no place. That Drake and Josh both made a success (in Nickelodeon terms) of the show is a feat.
Their solo stuff isn't so well known, which is a shame, I loved The Wackness (Mary-Kate Olsen, a stoner whore?!?), and everyone loves Ice Age (Josh was a possum with Sean William Scott). Drake's done stuff like College (ehhhhhhhh) and Superhero Movie (ehhhhhhhhhhhhh! I hate the *genre* movie series, but I did think it was better scripted than Date Movie) and tried a series called Fish Tank which didn't work out. At the moment, he's filming for the live-action Fairly OddParents film (which kinda fills me with dread, that I have to watch Fairly OddParents in order to see Drake) ... I'll leave this space.
It kinda sucks, because he kinda floats from one job to another, but I don't think he feels really, really passionate about anything. His music is so good, but his shows are shoddy (I was listening to the merch guy when Cassie and I saw him) ... Stefanie and I talk about it sometimes, sometimes on the leader chats. I can kind of relate to it, but when you've established yourself like it ... it's not good for a fanbase.
But yeah, his earliest stuff was so much better, he seemed so much more committed. Like the few seconds he was in High Fidelity (awesome, awesome film. I love John Cusack!) or working with Roger Daltry in Chasing Destiny. He gave the birdie to Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire (yeah, the hockey players' son ... that kid. That was Drake.) ... I totally recommend his pre-D&J work. And his music. He could never act again and just pump records and I'd be happy.
Which brings me back to my favourite song. It's one I overplayed when I was first in remission. It still hits home now, because I so relate. It's called In The End. I'll post the lyrics in another blog, which will obviously go above this one. So ... this is the post that explains the previous one, yes?
I mean, I'm a street team leader, I should be a little more enthusiastic, but I don't know ... I don't think I'm one of those crazy fans any more.
This is my piece about Drake Bell, by the way.
I've been aware of his work since The Amanda Show. Truly terrible show (though I do love Josh and Amanda too) but the Totally Kyle skit he did was slightly less bad than the other skits. Plus, you know, he was good looking (whether he's a year younger than me or not) ... at the time, when I was about 14, that was pretty important to me.
When Drake and Josh started, I tried to watch it. Just for him, really. I thought it was crap, in all honesty. I watched the second series when it started, and that was better, so I stuck with it, and then the third series was crap so I switched off. But I knew he sang a lot, and played guitar and I was interested in hearing the music so I went googling, and found his website.
The girls there were enthusiastic and helpful and got me hooked up with his first album, Telegraph. Great album, even if 'Down we fall' takes 9 minutes. My favourite song of his is on there (more about that later). But it was bittersweet joining, since Drake had had a car accident about a month before I joined. He'd been waiting for this car to move at a stop sign so he could go ahead but the driver coming towards him didn't realise or control the car properly and went smashing into his vintage car (I love the vintage car obsession, American vintage cars do it for me). His passenger was fine, he had cracked ribs, a hole in his chin, loads of scratches and scrapes. He admits the first thing he thought was 'not my face!' since you know, it's his career. If you look now, when he stops growing hobo-beards, you can see a faint line across his chin. He could poke his tongue through that once, had his jaw wired shut for 6 weeks.
Anyway, the last series started when I was on the board, after I was invited to be a UK leader. So of course I watched. The boys were better, the whole cast worked well together ... but urgh, I just can't stand Dan Schneider's version of humour. Good scenes were ruined by nonsensical twists or comments that had no place. That Drake and Josh both made a success (in Nickelodeon terms) of the show is a feat.
Their solo stuff isn't so well known, which is a shame, I loved The Wackness (Mary-Kate Olsen, a stoner whore?!?), and everyone loves Ice Age (Josh was a possum with Sean William Scott). Drake's done stuff like College (ehhhhhhhh) and Superhero Movie (ehhhhhhhhhhhhh! I hate the *genre* movie series, but I did think it was better scripted than Date Movie) and tried a series called Fish Tank which didn't work out. At the moment, he's filming for the live-action Fairly OddParents film (which kinda fills me with dread, that I have to watch Fairly OddParents in order to see Drake) ... I'll leave this space.
It kinda sucks, because he kinda floats from one job to another, but I don't think he feels really, really passionate about anything. His music is so good, but his shows are shoddy (I was listening to the merch guy when Cassie and I saw him) ... Stefanie and I talk about it sometimes, sometimes on the leader chats. I can kind of relate to it, but when you've established yourself like it ... it's not good for a fanbase.
But yeah, his earliest stuff was so much better, he seemed so much more committed. Like the few seconds he was in High Fidelity (awesome, awesome film. I love John Cusack!) or working with Roger Daltry in Chasing Destiny. He gave the birdie to Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire (yeah, the hockey players' son ... that kid. That was Drake.) ... I totally recommend his pre-D&J work. And his music. He could never act again and just pump records and I'd be happy.
Which brings me back to my favourite song. It's one I overplayed when I was first in remission. It still hits home now, because I so relate. It's called In The End. I'll post the lyrics in another blog, which will obviously go above this one. So ... this is the post that explains the previous one, yes?
Thursday 15 July 2010
Oh.
I just realised something.
Something that means a hell of a lot to me, but not much else to anyone else.
See, when I write, it comes from things I day-dream, I try to visualise (and sometimes, act out, when no one else is around) scenes that I know are coming up. It gives some sense of colour and description to the screen when I come to describe it, even if I end up being the only one to see it that way.
But lately ... when I've been day-dreaming (which isn't very often, with everything I've been up to) the pictures aren't there. Sometimes it happens when I'm looking forward to an event (like Florida) and I day-dream about that instead ... but I want to visualise this. I do. Especially what I'm writing now, because this bit is so hard for me. My character's getting depressed and I can do it when he's there but not when he's not ... I need the pictures.
Someone give me the pictures, please?
Something that means a hell of a lot to me, but not much else to anyone else.
See, when I write, it comes from things I day-dream, I try to visualise (and sometimes, act out, when no one else is around) scenes that I know are coming up. It gives some sense of colour and description to the screen when I come to describe it, even if I end up being the only one to see it that way.
But lately ... when I've been day-dreaming (which isn't very often, with everything I've been up to) the pictures aren't there. Sometimes it happens when I'm looking forward to an event (like Florida) and I day-dream about that instead ... but I want to visualise this. I do. Especially what I'm writing now, because this bit is so hard for me. My character's getting depressed and I can do it when he's there but not when he's not ... I need the pictures.
Someone give me the pictures, please?
Fantasy Land.
In two weeks ... everything will be different.
In two weeks, life gets left behind.
And the never ending cycle of work, of sleep, of nursery rhymes and bedtimes and drifting through the day to get to the end will pause, stop, be no more.
Those two weeks hold possibilities, magic, love, laughter, sunlight, long days and fun nights, a sense of escapism that just isn't achievable when you're 'close to home'.
There's this smell in the air that's indescribable. Florideans would tell you it's just air, but it's not. It's the smell of the equator, of America, of fast food and faster rides, of smiles and 'have a nice day's and 'ohmigosh, I love your accent!'s, of dollar bills and giant turkey legs, of swamps and gators and chains I know well but most of my friends have never heard of ('what's IHOP?'). It's a tint of coconut and balm, of oreos and hawaiian punch, of buying girl scout cookies from outside the local drugstore, of wide pavements and no path outside the hotel, of lizards that live in the drains and grass sprayed green and powdered donuts for breakfast.
I love dollar bills. They feel like play money to me, but I love learning which one's Jackson and which is Lincoln (a$20 and a $5) and the quarter hunt you can do, trying to get a quarter with something about every state (I have 7 at the moment, from my last 2 trips). I love how I can get something which costs £3 over here for $2 over there, knowing that technically, I didn't save any money anyway after hotel and flights.
This year, it's different to before. This year we're there for longer. This year we'll do more, see more, shop more ... rest more. This year there's the Harry Potter theme park (so excited I can't articulate it on this blog) ... this year I'm hoping for something big. A job offer, a fling, just ... something more. It's where I really want to be.
In two weeks, life gets left behind.
And the never ending cycle of work, of sleep, of nursery rhymes and bedtimes and drifting through the day to get to the end will pause, stop, be no more.
Those two weeks hold possibilities, magic, love, laughter, sunlight, long days and fun nights, a sense of escapism that just isn't achievable when you're 'close to home'.
There's this smell in the air that's indescribable. Florideans would tell you it's just air, but it's not. It's the smell of the equator, of America, of fast food and faster rides, of smiles and 'have a nice day's and 'ohmigosh, I love your accent!'s, of dollar bills and giant turkey legs, of swamps and gators and chains I know well but most of my friends have never heard of ('what's IHOP?'). It's a tint of coconut and balm, of oreos and hawaiian punch, of buying girl scout cookies from outside the local drugstore, of wide pavements and no path outside the hotel, of lizards that live in the drains and grass sprayed green and powdered donuts for breakfast.
I love dollar bills. They feel like play money to me, but I love learning which one's Jackson and which is Lincoln (a$20 and a $5) and the quarter hunt you can do, trying to get a quarter with something about every state (I have 7 at the moment, from my last 2 trips). I love how I can get something which costs £3 over here for $2 over there, knowing that technically, I didn't save any money anyway after hotel and flights.
This year, it's different to before. This year we're there for longer. This year we'll do more, see more, shop more ... rest more. This year there's the Harry Potter theme park (so excited I can't articulate it on this blog) ... this year I'm hoping for something big. A job offer, a fling, just ... something more. It's where I really want to be.
Tuesday 13 July 2010
Let's fictionalise life, maybe it'll be more interesting?
Her eyelids heavy, her brain fogged by sleep, yet the sun persistent in waking her. Aided and abetted by her father, who made his entrance slightly less painful by the presence of a soothing cup of tea.
The morning seemed to pass in a sleep-fogged blur. Clothes, keys, purse, waking the toddler in the room next door. The hurry for the car seemed slower, drowsiness becoming the unpassable hurdle.
Car ride. Nursery. And then a choice - sleepy on the bus, or walking, and a chance to wake up, loud screamo blasting her ears so she had no choice but to stay awake? She chose to be sensible, she chose to have My Chemical Romance accompany her for the walk.
Arrive at work. Clock in. Yawn. Serve. Yawn again.
And the morning disappears before alertness comes, it's passing only acknowledged by the pressures of work fighting the urge to sleep.
Late lunch, and the sleepiness lifts, thanks to the effects of copious amounts of haribo and chocolate chip cookies consumed. And she's finally ready for the day that's almost passed.
The next two hours pass in a blaze of laughs, jokes and teasing, work and a sugar high. Leaving the building, she realises her uniform is finally starting to die, after five years together. She walks out of the building, planning the next hour in her head, when she sees her friend Lizzy, hanging out of a car window. They talk, they laugh, but neither can stay for long.
Uniform bought, a sneaky blu-ray, then over to nursery to pick up an exhausted boy. Home, tea, conversation with the Godfather, bath, bed ... and finally she has the time to rest. And suddenly ... she doesn't know what to do with herself.
Yeah, I'm feeling it today. And I just agreed to make this week a 6-shift week. Go me!
The morning seemed to pass in a sleep-fogged blur. Clothes, keys, purse, waking the toddler in the room next door. The hurry for the car seemed slower, drowsiness becoming the unpassable hurdle.
Car ride. Nursery. And then a choice - sleepy on the bus, or walking, and a chance to wake up, loud screamo blasting her ears so she had no choice but to stay awake? She chose to be sensible, she chose to have My Chemical Romance accompany her for the walk.
Arrive at work. Clock in. Yawn. Serve. Yawn again.
And the morning disappears before alertness comes, it's passing only acknowledged by the pressures of work fighting the urge to sleep.
Late lunch, and the sleepiness lifts, thanks to the effects of copious amounts of haribo and chocolate chip cookies consumed. And she's finally ready for the day that's almost passed.
The next two hours pass in a blaze of laughs, jokes and teasing, work and a sugar high. Leaving the building, she realises her uniform is finally starting to die, after five years together. She walks out of the building, planning the next hour in her head, when she sees her friend Lizzy, hanging out of a car window. They talk, they laugh, but neither can stay for long.
Uniform bought, a sneaky blu-ray, then over to nursery to pick up an exhausted boy. Home, tea, conversation with the Godfather, bath, bed ... and finally she has the time to rest. And suddenly ... she doesn't know what to do with herself.
Yeah, I'm feeling it today. And I just agreed to make this week a 6-shift week. Go me!
Monday 12 July 2010
zoo!
I take it back, I wasn't exhausted before. Now I've spent a good 11 hours on my feet/the train/going around London zoo ... now I'm knackered.
It was good though. I haven't spent so much time with boy's Godmother in a loooong while. She loved spending time with boy too (even if we had the challenge of a two year old, a buggy and inner London's adversity to anyone who can't take stairs).
For the most part, the animals were awesome. Except the lions, since they did nothing. And the penguins because gulls kept stealing their fish and ruining their display. The gorilla's were hilarious and the meerkats ... oh man I want a meerkat. There was one, who was hugging another adult one and two kid ones and it had this look in it's eye like 'I'm so freaking lucky' and ... yeah, the compare the market ads don't do meerkats justice.
Oh and the giraffes ... their size intimidated me, but the patterns on their skin are just ... you can't get proper pictures of how detailed their skin patterns are. Ditto with the clown fish.
And bats are freakishly fast.
But ... why does the Regents Park branch of London zoo not have elephants? Why do I have to go to Colchester or Whipsnade?
It was good though. I haven't spent so much time with boy's Godmother in a loooong while. She loved spending time with boy too (even if we had the challenge of a two year old, a buggy and inner London's adversity to anyone who can't take stairs).
For the most part, the animals were awesome. Except the lions, since they did nothing. And the penguins because gulls kept stealing their fish and ruining their display. The gorilla's were hilarious and the meerkats ... oh man I want a meerkat. There was one, who was hugging another adult one and two kid ones and it had this look in it's eye like 'I'm so freaking lucky' and ... yeah, the compare the market ads don't do meerkats justice.
Oh and the giraffes ... their size intimidated me, but the patterns on their skin are just ... you can't get proper pictures of how detailed their skin patterns are. Ditto with the clown fish.
And bats are freakishly fast.
But ... why does the Regents Park branch of London zoo not have elephants? Why do I have to go to Colchester or Whipsnade?
Sunday 11 July 2010
Oh, do you still come here?
So ... you know I said I was exhausted last post? Yeah, I haven't stopped since I wrote it.
I went to see eclipse. Lizzy couldn't come, but I went with my sister and a couple of other people. And honest, it was the funniest film I saw this year. Mainly because the girl I was sat next to - we'll call her Sally - and I were just taking the absolute piss out of the film. She may not agree on my assumption, but I did accidentally throw popcorn on her (my contact was sliding about, went to fix it and caught the box, whoops!) ... so at the party scene, we decided it was one girl at the party, super-imposed a thousand times since all the dresses and dance moves were similar. And we laugh at Victoria's huge mouth/eyes, and Rosalie's vaudeville eyebrows ... but Jacob's lines were the best. Or the ones surrounding him. Like when Bella was like 'Jake ... STAY!' one of us went ' ... sit!' and the other was going 'roll over!' hahaha ... because he's a dog/wolf too, it sounded like a command. It's probably funnier without the explanation. Oh, and at the end, when he's like 'Bella *gasp* you and me *gasp* would be *gasp gasp* as easy *shudder* as breathing' and Sally goes 'you're not finding it very easy right now, are you mate?' ... I love going to the cinema when people make obnoxious comments at the right moment. If Cassie had been there with me, I wouldn't have been following the film, just everything Cassie said, doubled up with laughter to boot.
Oh, and every girl in there was like 'ahhhhhhhhhhhhh' when Jacob was on screen topless, and the guys nearby were going 'yeah yeah, get over it' ... they're just jealous they don't get that reaction. Jasper did it for me though, it was like, the emo kid picking on the jock when he practiced with Emmett. And when he had darker patches under his eyes in Bella's dream ... yeah, I admit, I was a little turned on. It's all about Kellan Lutz and Jackson Rathbone for me, the film part of the franchise ... totally why I can stand the films more than the books (and three chapters of the book become two minutes of the film. I can put up with Stoned-face for that) ... I'm so shallow.
So ... obviously I haven't just been watching eclipse for the past few days. I've been working, and suffering the adverse effect of a strong willed toddler. He's gone to bed early tonight compared to other nights this week, and even then he finally caved gone nine. So once he's in bed I'm knackered and I've just not been near my computer. I can access the website on my phone, but once the posting box fully uploads I can't type so no phone updates.
Plus, my nan's over and she takes a lot out of me. Just ... okay, we were watching the news when that gunman up north got caught, and then the next morning when they said he shot himself and she was like 'good riddance, he kept everyone waiting long enough' and I was like 'but it's all really sad, there's nothing good about a man so desperate he needs to resort to that' but ... maybe it's the difference in generations. My other nan was like that sometimes, and I hated disputing ... but I felt it a lot, that the judgement wasn't fair without all the information.
My brother's girlfriend was over with her son again too, so two screaming, giggling, energetic toddlers (who're into the same things and therefore are prone to small spats) for the whole weekend, and a family gathering for my brother's birthday, and boy going to yet another birthday party in between, in a ball pond with cake and pass the parcel after with the vicar's son ... yeah, I haven't had much time to myself. And it's the zoo tomorrow (PENGUINS!) and another full week of work after that ... I might get some time to sleep in Sunday. I think I've got a surprise birthday to go to Saturday night too.
So ... something my tarot cards said was right ...
I went to see eclipse. Lizzy couldn't come, but I went with my sister and a couple of other people. And honest, it was the funniest film I saw this year. Mainly because the girl I was sat next to - we'll call her Sally - and I were just taking the absolute piss out of the film. She may not agree on my assumption, but I did accidentally throw popcorn on her (my contact was sliding about, went to fix it and caught the box, whoops!) ... so at the party scene, we decided it was one girl at the party, super-imposed a thousand times since all the dresses and dance moves were similar. And we laugh at Victoria's huge mouth/eyes, and Rosalie's vaudeville eyebrows ... but Jacob's lines were the best. Or the ones surrounding him. Like when Bella was like 'Jake ... STAY!' one of us went ' ... sit!' and the other was going 'roll over!' hahaha ... because he's a dog/wolf too, it sounded like a command. It's probably funnier without the explanation. Oh, and at the end, when he's like 'Bella *gasp* you and me *gasp* would be *gasp gasp* as easy *shudder* as breathing' and Sally goes 'you're not finding it very easy right now, are you mate?' ... I love going to the cinema when people make obnoxious comments at the right moment. If Cassie had been there with me, I wouldn't have been following the film, just everything Cassie said, doubled up with laughter to boot.
Oh, and every girl in there was like 'ahhhhhhhhhhhhh' when Jacob was on screen topless, and the guys nearby were going 'yeah yeah, get over it' ... they're just jealous they don't get that reaction. Jasper did it for me though, it was like, the emo kid picking on the jock when he practiced with Emmett. And when he had darker patches under his eyes in Bella's dream ... yeah, I admit, I was a little turned on. It's all about Kellan Lutz and Jackson Rathbone for me, the film part of the franchise ... totally why I can stand the films more than the books (and three chapters of the book become two minutes of the film. I can put up with Stoned-face for that) ... I'm so shallow.
So ... obviously I haven't just been watching eclipse for the past few days. I've been working, and suffering the adverse effect of a strong willed toddler. He's gone to bed early tonight compared to other nights this week, and even then he finally caved gone nine. So once he's in bed I'm knackered and I've just not been near my computer. I can access the website on my phone, but once the posting box fully uploads I can't type so no phone updates.
Plus, my nan's over and she takes a lot out of me. Just ... okay, we were watching the news when that gunman up north got caught, and then the next morning when they said he shot himself and she was like 'good riddance, he kept everyone waiting long enough' and I was like 'but it's all really sad, there's nothing good about a man so desperate he needs to resort to that' but ... maybe it's the difference in generations. My other nan was like that sometimes, and I hated disputing ... but I felt it a lot, that the judgement wasn't fair without all the information.
My brother's girlfriend was over with her son again too, so two screaming, giggling, energetic toddlers (who're into the same things and therefore are prone to small spats) for the whole weekend, and a family gathering for my brother's birthday, and boy going to yet another birthday party in between, in a ball pond with cake and pass the parcel after with the vicar's son ... yeah, I haven't had much time to myself. And it's the zoo tomorrow (PENGUINS!) and another full week of work after that ... I might get some time to sleep in Sunday. I think I've got a surprise birthday to go to Saturday night too.
So ... something my tarot cards said was right ...
Wednesday 7 July 2010
Exhaustion
Yeah ... after writing yesterday, I did a three-month reading with my tarot cards (I'm actually falling in love with them, saaaaad) ... I think I was up until about 1, deciphering it all. It kept saying the same thing over and over and I wondered if all the cards were near each other in translations ... but nope, not so much. Basically, my cards talked about a lot of money coming my way, and focus/progression in my career, and someone moving out (and no love) ... I can see most of that. Except the money, of course. Remind me what that looks like again? (I jest, I frequently am responsible for up to £2000 in cash. I see it every day. I'm sick of Andrew Bailey's signature). But yeah, basically ... I think it was telling me to get over my hang-ups and send my stories off to agents.
So that wasn't good. And boy taking over an hour to eat an apple, almost falling asleep in the bowl but refusing to let my sister take him to bed hasn't helped tonight. And my feet have hurt all day, and now my back does ... and it's not over.
I need a mental health day. A day just for me, where I can do what I want, wii all I want, read and write and go to the cinema and walk in the park or lay in a forest, sunbathe at home ... or whatever. Boy pushing bedtime out like it isn't good for a happy mummy, because I can't even remember the last time I had a bath now ... quick shower tomorrow morning instead (that is, if my sister would stop hogging the damn bathroom when I need to use it) but it's not the same for aching limbs.
I got invited out clubbing tomorrow night too. I want to go, since I rarely go out, but I'm watching cash and have a driving lesson the next morning. I think hungover, I'd definitely crash.
But I will go see Eclipse on Friday (because Kellan Lutz and Jackson Rathbone are pretty yum, though Jackson loses man-points for having absolutely no butt) - I wanna go with a few people, but they don't like each other, so I have to pick my battles. I don't like you, battles. You suck.
I'm off to bed now. Once I've sorted out clothes for tomorrow. Meh.
So that wasn't good. And boy taking over an hour to eat an apple, almost falling asleep in the bowl but refusing to let my sister take him to bed hasn't helped tonight. And my feet have hurt all day, and now my back does ... and it's not over.
I need a mental health day. A day just for me, where I can do what I want, wii all I want, read and write and go to the cinema and walk in the park or lay in a forest, sunbathe at home ... or whatever. Boy pushing bedtime out like it isn't good for a happy mummy, because I can't even remember the last time I had a bath now ... quick shower tomorrow morning instead (that is, if my sister would stop hogging the damn bathroom when I need to use it) but it's not the same for aching limbs.
I got invited out clubbing tomorrow night too. I want to go, since I rarely go out, but I'm watching cash and have a driving lesson the next morning. I think hungover, I'd definitely crash.
But I will go see Eclipse on Friday (because Kellan Lutz and Jackson Rathbone are pretty yum, though Jackson loses man-points for having absolutely no butt) - I wanna go with a few people, but they don't like each other, so I have to pick my battles. I don't like you, battles. You suck.
I'm off to bed now. Once I've sorted out clothes for tomorrow. Meh.
Tuesday 6 July 2010
Hello spark!
I've actually written some of wilted tonight.
This hasn't happened for a while.
I keep opening it up, reading, and closing it.
But 4 pages tonight, baby!
I know what my problem is. It's writing around the problem now.
I'm knackered, but I don't want to stop now.
I hate you, time.
And also, work.
You both cut into writing.
Also, short story magazine - good idea for getting a writing CV together? Answers on a postcard/in my comments box please!
This hasn't happened for a while.
I keep opening it up, reading, and closing it.
But 4 pages tonight, baby!
I know what my problem is. It's writing around the problem now.
I'm knackered, but I don't want to stop now.
I hate you, time.
And also, work.
You both cut into writing.
Also, short story magazine - good idea for getting a writing CV together? Answers on a postcard/in my comments box please!
Monday 5 July 2010
Dear wii
hurry up and update already, I want to crack into my new broadway hits dance game.
Oh that's right, I get to disillusion myself that I too could do musicals. Watch me barely get an okay in 'you can't stop the beat'. Go ahead and watch (and time warp's on it too! I love me a good time warp routine).
Oh, and I've cracked open my copy of eclipse again, as fascinating as the MultiWorld theory and the conundrum of quantum computers are. I think I need to read the quantum theory book in chunks, give myself time to absorb ;) plus, I want to have the crappy storyline fresh in my mind for when I go see the film this weekend. It's not exactly my favourite book ... I read it and couldn't remember what I'd read, first time around. Her hacking spaghetti for ten pages in the first chapter was as riveting this time around as the last time too.
Oh that's right, I get to disillusion myself that I too could do musicals. Watch me barely get an okay in 'you can't stop the beat'. Go ahead and watch (and time warp's on it too! I love me a good time warp routine).
Oh, and I've cracked open my copy of eclipse again, as fascinating as the MultiWorld theory and the conundrum of quantum computers are. I think I need to read the quantum theory book in chunks, give myself time to absorb ;) plus, I want to have the crappy storyline fresh in my mind for when I go see the film this weekend. It's not exactly my favourite book ... I read it and couldn't remember what I'd read, first time around. Her hacking spaghetti for ten pages in the first chapter was as riveting this time around as the last time too.
Sunday 4 July 2010
Well, that sucks
You'll probably read this one before the one I mentioned it in, but I promised to talk about the tarot reading.
First off - maybe I didn't shuffle enough, because all my cards were next to each other, but backwards (that's not how the cards came, promise) - if you know tarot at all, I got the 6 of swords for this morning, the 5 of swords for this afternoon and the 4 of swords for this evening.
Going with my guide here, it says the swords suit are "associated with intellect, conflict and challenges. They represent the air element and the winter season, when life was hard and people struggled."
Cheers. Oh, and if I was going to town, I'd say I'm aquarius which is an air sign in winter, so basically, I pulled three me's, right?
They're part of the minor arcana which is more to do with outside influences rather than internal, if I read the guide right.
Anyway, 6 of swords? The relevance to me was not so bad. It's about 'leaving troubled waters and going into calmer waters' - it was all water related, and I stayed home today so 'trips to water' was out - but yeah, I get it. I have today and tomorrow off work. I chillaxed with boy and my brother's girlfriend's son (give those boys cars and some space and they're happy as. I got to read, my brother's girlfriend got to sleep, haha) ... if reading while two toddlers entertain themselves nicely isn't calmer waters, I don't know how else to justify that card.
5 of swords was a bit confusing, because I can't tell what meaning is meant to go with it. Since it's the card of deception 'and the querent should be aware things aren't what they seem'. How the hell are you supposed to know if the card telling you about your afternoon is telling you that you don't know people are discussing you behind your back? It said if it's work related, there are changes in management which could affect me (like, half our managers swapping about or going to uni and me pushing the training thing?) or someone's watching me and doesn't have the nerve to approach me if it's a relationship thing. Which I guess is entirely possible. If anyone were deranged enough to find me attractive, they'd be pretty scared to mention it to me, since I do take the piss out of people if they show me the least little bit of compassion. Who wants that?
Most likely though, it's the afterthought of the author, 'victory is possible but will likely come with a price and a struggle'. As if my life goes any other way right?
It's the 4 of swords that sucks most. It's the one that predicts death most accurately, or illness. Thanks. With my past, that doesn't scare me at all (with me on the monthlies, that doesn't heighten the fear of bleeding to death once again) ... I went with other interpretations, since I feel fine and have a pulse and all. Which is that waiting, patience and rest are needed (duh, I have a 2 year old) and feeling tired physically or mentally. It's a good time to meditate, to absorb knowledge through contemplation.
I like this one best, because I was reading 'Quantum Theory cannot hurt you' and with what was mentioned about the Big Bang and our understanding of the elements of an atom (bear in mind, I'm 20 pages into the first bout of physics since my GCSE's 9 years ago, Scarlett Thomas and the Big Bang Theory notwithstanding) and I was just thinking - maybe it's the ongoing expansion of our universe that finally allowed us to understand an atom is made of electrons, protons and neutrons? Maybe we can't discover what they're made of until we've expanded more, in a few hundred years? We'll have the technology by then.
Good luck following the ideas in this blog. It's late. I need to rest and meditate to absorb my understanding through contemplation and whatnot. I'll tag tomorrow.
First off - maybe I didn't shuffle enough, because all my cards were next to each other, but backwards (that's not how the cards came, promise) - if you know tarot at all, I got the 6 of swords for this morning, the 5 of swords for this afternoon and the 4 of swords for this evening.
Going with my guide here, it says the swords suit are "associated with intellect, conflict and challenges. They represent the air element and the winter season, when life was hard and people struggled."
Cheers. Oh, and if I was going to town, I'd say I'm aquarius which is an air sign in winter, so basically, I pulled three me's, right?
They're part of the minor arcana which is more to do with outside influences rather than internal, if I read the guide right.
Anyway, 6 of swords? The relevance to me was not so bad. It's about 'leaving troubled waters and going into calmer waters' - it was all water related, and I stayed home today so 'trips to water' was out - but yeah, I get it. I have today and tomorrow off work. I chillaxed with boy and my brother's girlfriend's son (give those boys cars and some space and they're happy as. I got to read, my brother's girlfriend got to sleep, haha) ... if reading while two toddlers entertain themselves nicely isn't calmer waters, I don't know how else to justify that card.
5 of swords was a bit confusing, because I can't tell what meaning is meant to go with it. Since it's the card of deception 'and the querent should be aware things aren't what they seem'. How the hell are you supposed to know if the card telling you about your afternoon is telling you that you don't know people are discussing you behind your back? It said if it's work related, there are changes in management which could affect me (like, half our managers swapping about or going to uni and me pushing the training thing?) or someone's watching me and doesn't have the nerve to approach me if it's a relationship thing. Which I guess is entirely possible. If anyone were deranged enough to find me attractive, they'd be pretty scared to mention it to me, since I do take the piss out of people if they show me the least little bit of compassion. Who wants that?
Most likely though, it's the afterthought of the author, 'victory is possible but will likely come with a price and a struggle'. As if my life goes any other way right?
It's the 4 of swords that sucks most. It's the one that predicts death most accurately, or illness. Thanks. With my past, that doesn't scare me at all (with me on the monthlies, that doesn't heighten the fear of bleeding to death once again) ... I went with other interpretations, since I feel fine and have a pulse and all. Which is that waiting, patience and rest are needed (duh, I have a 2 year old) and feeling tired physically or mentally. It's a good time to meditate, to absorb knowledge through contemplation.
I like this one best, because I was reading 'Quantum Theory cannot hurt you' and with what was mentioned about the Big Bang and our understanding of the elements of an atom (bear in mind, I'm 20 pages into the first bout of physics since my GCSE's 9 years ago, Scarlett Thomas and the Big Bang Theory notwithstanding) and I was just thinking - maybe it's the ongoing expansion of our universe that finally allowed us to understand an atom is made of electrons, protons and neutrons? Maybe we can't discover what they're made of until we've expanded more, in a few hundred years? We'll have the technology by then.
Good luck following the ideas in this blog. It's late. I need to rest and meditate to absorb my understanding through contemplation and whatnot. I'll tag tomorrow.
Inspiration #5
I almost don't want to write this.
Just for the fact that it feels like I'm writing bullshit. I've picked Zac Efron, therefore it must be about his looks. If I say anything else, I'm clutching at straws. Even though that's not the case, picking someone like Zac will always invoke that conclusion. Pretty boys don't belong in 'inspirational actors' lists.
And yet. Yet that's inherently the point of me picking Zac. It's like he's aware of just how attractive he is, and how short-lived that attractiveness may be, and therefore he's attempting to breach the expectations of the pretty-boy concept.
I don't think he's done as well with his film choices as Jake Gyllenhaal. I mean, the High School Musical craze alone brings down the tenor of his other work choices (but I still like them. Musicals, you know) but Hairspray was more than a sugary musical, it raises serious points about the Negro movement of the 1960's and the neccesity of equality. 17 again was fluff, sure, but he played it well, he did his research about Matthew Perry's quirks (and really, due to screen time, shouldn't it have been the other way around? Especially as Matthew's supposed to be the veteran actor ... kudos to Zac) and it was in the expressions he carried around Leslie Mann that made his character convincing. He does humour well, he's got great scope for timing and delivery. I'm watching Me And Orson Welles right now, and same again with the timing and delivery. His accent isn't quite what I imagined for Richard but otherwise ... spot on. It's just a shame they've cut most of his interactions with his friends, because that's what gives you the sense of Richard's urgency to be somebody in Theatre.
Anyway. I can see myself watching his films in years to come, regardless of his looks. His acting's all in his eyes, and that's all he needs. But who knows, he may do a Dick Van Dyke and just always be singing and dancing in whatever roles he picks (please, Zac, though you'll never read this ... never be Dick Van Dyke).
He seems likeable enough out of work too, he hikes and goes climbing, and skateboards and ... he's the epitome of a character in a Lauren Henderson book I have called 'My Lurid Past', this celebrity chef who can't stay still for two seconds, is young and impressionable and has talent for miles ... I admire that energy. I need some of it, lol. But enjoy it while it lasts Zac ...
Thanks for disregarding my entire opinion and sticking with the first argument, by the way. Yes Zac is a hot piece of ass. Damn!
Kelly
I haven't done one in a while. Sorry, I just want to get the words right when I do post about my loved ones.
Kelly's really compassionate. She's insanely caring about animals - she's done a zoology degree, and has a couple of wonderful dogs at home (and correct me if I'm wrong, but a hamster too?). If you're talking about animals, or the environment, she gets really enthusiastic.
She's the first tee-total person I really knew, I know a couple of other people now, but she was the first. She only really drinks water, no fizzy, no sweet stuff. She eats well too ... basically, she does the opposite of me, and treats her body like a temple, rather than a trash can. She thinks of consequences rather than instant gratification, and more than once she's given me some perspective, a fresh look on things I get wound up on.
I don't mean to make Kelly sound like Jiminy Cricket. She may exercise caution but she's got an amazing sense of humour. And a great sense of adventure. Last time I saw her, a week ago, she told us this story about how her mum had said she'd never tried pot and always wanted to, so her dad convinced her sister to go get some for her Christmas present. Brilliant story. We were talking about tarot cards too, when we saw this tarot reader and I'd said I'd got my pack recently and she said she had some too, but hadn't really used them. Ditto Kelly (although, I was reading through the interpretations yesterday, before I picked up Me And Orson Welles, and then did the Tarot Diary thing the book recommended last night. I'll talk about that in my entry tonight or tomorrow morning, I guess) ... I like that even though she's calm, collected, and thinks ahead and I'm impulsive and don't have much scope for the future, we do have things in common.
Like, we both love musicals. Hairspray, when it was released, bonded us. Kelly already had clothes like it, I'd always wanted clothes like it ... we bonded over early 1960's fashion. She also has some amazing medieval dresses. But yeah, we both love musicals, even if that's practically unheard of in my town. She doublebooked Hairspray and Wicked back in February, so I bought the Wicked tickets off her, and she went to the previous night's showing instead. Wicked is awesome too ... I haven't got the soundtrack, but I do have Glee's version of Defying Gravity. That song is so haunting, but relatable at the same time. My brother-in-law said it was the chick version of Star Wars ('It's even got an 'I am your father' bit!') but I don't care ... and nor does Kelly.
I love that too. Even if she reads this, she'll be thankful for the positives but it won't make the slightest difference to the way she is. She's steady, not flaky, and that's in all aspects of life.
Kelly's really compassionate. She's insanely caring about animals - she's done a zoology degree, and has a couple of wonderful dogs at home (and correct me if I'm wrong, but a hamster too?). If you're talking about animals, or the environment, she gets really enthusiastic.
She's the first tee-total person I really knew, I know a couple of other people now, but she was the first. She only really drinks water, no fizzy, no sweet stuff. She eats well too ... basically, she does the opposite of me, and treats her body like a temple, rather than a trash can. She thinks of consequences rather than instant gratification, and more than once she's given me some perspective, a fresh look on things I get wound up on.
I don't mean to make Kelly sound like Jiminy Cricket. She may exercise caution but she's got an amazing sense of humour. And a great sense of adventure. Last time I saw her, a week ago, she told us this story about how her mum had said she'd never tried pot and always wanted to, so her dad convinced her sister to go get some for her Christmas present. Brilliant story. We were talking about tarot cards too, when we saw this tarot reader and I'd said I'd got my pack recently and she said she had some too, but hadn't really used them. Ditto Kelly (although, I was reading through the interpretations yesterday, before I picked up Me And Orson Welles, and then did the Tarot Diary thing the book recommended last night. I'll talk about that in my entry tonight or tomorrow morning, I guess) ... I like that even though she's calm, collected, and thinks ahead and I'm impulsive and don't have much scope for the future, we do have things in common.
Like, we both love musicals. Hairspray, when it was released, bonded us. Kelly already had clothes like it, I'd always wanted clothes like it ... we bonded over early 1960's fashion. She also has some amazing medieval dresses. But yeah, we both love musicals, even if that's practically unheard of in my town. She doublebooked Hairspray and Wicked back in February, so I bought the Wicked tickets off her, and she went to the previous night's showing instead. Wicked is awesome too ... I haven't got the soundtrack, but I do have Glee's version of Defying Gravity. That song is so haunting, but relatable at the same time. My brother-in-law said it was the chick version of Star Wars ('It's even got an 'I am your father' bit!') but I don't care ... and nor does Kelly.
I love that too. Even if she reads this, she'll be thankful for the positives but it won't make the slightest difference to the way she is. She's steady, not flaky, and that's in all aspects of life.
Me and Orson Welles
I finished it already (God, I miss reading books in a matter of hours. I haven't had the chance of late) - it was brilliant. That's an understatement, but there isn't a word to expostulate it properly.
Kaplow writes actors really well. Although he wrote it recently, and it's set in 1937/1938 about a cast doing 'Julius Caesar' (I had to read at High School. Our class got Caesar, the rest of the year got Romeo and Juliet) I got the feeling that he'd had an experience like the one he was writing, but juxtaposed in a time where he could distance himself. All the characters seemed individual and believable.
Richard Samuels is incredible. I could see why they cast Zac Efron in the film (something that's said about the subtlety of his eyes, and his performance in 17 again made me go ' ... actually, yes!') - he's like Holden Caulfield with a likeable personality, a conscience and a sense of compassion and humanity. God, if J.D.Salinger had written Holden like Richard, I would have loved The Catcher In The Rye. Catcher In The Rye would've had more of an impact over here, maybe, if Holden had some of Richard's outer innocence.
I've been looking up Orson Welles too. Good ol' normally-incorrect-because-the-pro-members-change-things-more-than-wikipedia IMDB ... he's been in loads, but the only thing I've watched of his was a few snippets of Citizen Kane (I've really got to watch that in full. We got the table shot at the start, but 20 minutes of the weirdest interpretation of The Tempest ever at uni. Have I mentioned before how pointless my uni was?). Kaplow must have watched a few of his things though (out of the 120 performances listed on wikipedia) and he's right in that Welles does a LOT of Shakespeare. He's got his history down pat, the loss of both parents, the creation of the Mercury Theatre in 1938. Even one of Welles favourite actors, Joseph Cotten, is included in the production Kaplow refers to (though it was the original, and best War Of The Worlds, not Caesar performed in Mercury) ... actually, I take it back, there is something on IMDB (I'm reading as I post) about his production of Caesar, how it was adapted, how this person and that person was included, mentioned in Kaplows book too, and the role Welles played.
I love a book that's so well researched, and makes me look things up too. I'm sure if I researched songs in 1937/1938, and ad campaigns, books and magazines, I'd find all that Kaplow included too. I cannot wait until the boy's in bed tonight to crack my DVD out. I can't watch a DVD without reading the book first.
I'm getting into Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You. I need more challenge, Kaplow's completely sparked my craving for knowledge. My chick-lit can take a shelf for now.
Kaplow writes actors really well. Although he wrote it recently, and it's set in 1937/1938 about a cast doing 'Julius Caesar' (I had to read at High School. Our class got Caesar, the rest of the year got Romeo and Juliet) I got the feeling that he'd had an experience like the one he was writing, but juxtaposed in a time where he could distance himself. All the characters seemed individual and believable.
Richard Samuels is incredible. I could see why they cast Zac Efron in the film (something that's said about the subtlety of his eyes, and his performance in 17 again made me go ' ... actually, yes!') - he's like Holden Caulfield with a likeable personality, a conscience and a sense of compassion and humanity. God, if J.D.Salinger had written Holden like Richard, I would have loved The Catcher In The Rye. Catcher In The Rye would've had more of an impact over here, maybe, if Holden had some of Richard's outer innocence.
I've been looking up Orson Welles too. Good ol' normally-incorrect-because-the-pro-members-change-things-more-than-wikipedia IMDB ... he's been in loads, but the only thing I've watched of his was a few snippets of Citizen Kane (I've really got to watch that in full. We got the table shot at the start, but 20 minutes of the weirdest interpretation of The Tempest ever at uni. Have I mentioned before how pointless my uni was?). Kaplow must have watched a few of his things though (out of the 120 performances listed on wikipedia) and he's right in that Welles does a LOT of Shakespeare. He's got his history down pat, the loss of both parents, the creation of the Mercury Theatre in 1938. Even one of Welles favourite actors, Joseph Cotten, is included in the production Kaplow refers to (though it was the original, and best War Of The Worlds, not Caesar performed in Mercury) ... actually, I take it back, there is something on IMDB (I'm reading as I post) about his production of Caesar, how it was adapted, how this person and that person was included, mentioned in Kaplows book too, and the role Welles played.
I love a book that's so well researched, and makes me look things up too. I'm sure if I researched songs in 1937/1938, and ad campaigns, books and magazines, I'd find all that Kaplow included too. I cannot wait until the boy's in bed tonight to crack my DVD out. I can't watch a DVD without reading the book first.
I'm getting into Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You. I need more challenge, Kaplow's completely sparked my craving for knowledge. My chick-lit can take a shelf for now.
Friday 2 July 2010
Ash
I'm back on books.
I've had Ash in my room for a while, one of the hundreds I've bought in bulk then not fancied three days later. But since I'm trying to save as much as is humanly possible right now (nice surprise, nursery is £200 less than I was expecting this month. I think I added a week?) I thought I'd better read through all those books.
Ash is a fairy tale. It gets a little bit Cinderella-ish, but only if the Fairy Godmother were actually a male fairy Cinderella's mother had cursed to love Cinderella. It plays more on those fairy stories you get in books like Lord of the Rings (you know, think the kingdom of the Elves) rather than 4-inch high flying sprites.
It's so well-written, even if I seem disparaging with the Cinderella reference. I suppose I'm likening it so others might find it interesting? The detail of the descriptions is incredible, but it flows well with the book. I want to walk through the enchanted forest Aisling does. I want to wear the outfits, and eat the food.
I love the names in it too. The writer, Malinda Lo, makes me think she might be Japanese but there's something Irish to the names, like the fairy Sidhean (Shidane) or the huntress Kaisa.
The huntress bit had my brain thumping though. It was so ... weird.
Okay, so Aisling (or Ash) loses her parents at the start of the book. Her mother dies, her dad remarries, then her father dies. She's left with her stepmother, who lies about her father's debts and makes her work as the housekeeper. She sneaks off regularly to see Sidhean in the forest, and sometimes just to be in the forest. After a while, she starts bumping into the huntress, and they start to be friends, while the fairy starts to get posessive. Ash strikes a couple of deals with Sidhean, to spend time with Kaisa (like going on a hunt with Kaisa, and going to this ball and accidentally dancing with the eligible Prince and then running away, like some well known afformentioned fairy story), and somehow Kaisa and Ash fall in love, and Ash frees Sidhean from her mothers spell so she can be with Kaisa.
So ... is lesbianism okay in fairy stories?
I still liked the book, don't get me wrong, it just seemed to imply that if you were female and hunted deer you had to be a lesbian. I just don't see how there's really a connection? Yet I wanna read more of Malinda Lo's stuff. She's ... vivid.
I need to find another book to read. I'm thinking Me and Orson Welles? Then I can finally watch my copy of the DVD, haha!
I've had Ash in my room for a while, one of the hundreds I've bought in bulk then not fancied three days later. But since I'm trying to save as much as is humanly possible right now (nice surprise, nursery is £200 less than I was expecting this month. I think I added a week?) I thought I'd better read through all those books.
Ash is a fairy tale. It gets a little bit Cinderella-ish, but only if the Fairy Godmother were actually a male fairy Cinderella's mother had cursed to love Cinderella. It plays more on those fairy stories you get in books like Lord of the Rings (you know, think the kingdom of the Elves) rather than 4-inch high flying sprites.
It's so well-written, even if I seem disparaging with the Cinderella reference. I suppose I'm likening it so others might find it interesting? The detail of the descriptions is incredible, but it flows well with the book. I want to walk through the enchanted forest Aisling does. I want to wear the outfits, and eat the food.
I love the names in it too. The writer, Malinda Lo, makes me think she might be Japanese but there's something Irish to the names, like the fairy Sidhean (Shidane) or the huntress Kaisa.
The huntress bit had my brain thumping though. It was so ... weird.
Okay, so Aisling (or Ash) loses her parents at the start of the book. Her mother dies, her dad remarries, then her father dies. She's left with her stepmother, who lies about her father's debts and makes her work as the housekeeper. She sneaks off regularly to see Sidhean in the forest, and sometimes just to be in the forest. After a while, she starts bumping into the huntress, and they start to be friends, while the fairy starts to get posessive. Ash strikes a couple of deals with Sidhean, to spend time with Kaisa (like going on a hunt with Kaisa, and going to this ball and accidentally dancing with the eligible Prince and then running away, like some well known afformentioned fairy story), and somehow Kaisa and Ash fall in love, and Ash frees Sidhean from her mothers spell so she can be with Kaisa.
So ... is lesbianism okay in fairy stories?
I still liked the book, don't get me wrong, it just seemed to imply that if you were female and hunted deer you had to be a lesbian. I just don't see how there's really a connection? Yet I wanna read more of Malinda Lo's stuff. She's ... vivid.
I need to find another book to read. I'm thinking Me and Orson Welles? Then I can finally watch my copy of the DVD, haha!
Thursday 1 July 2010
Pointlessness of existence
So ... I finished re-reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I didn't cry this time (go me!) maybe because boy was pushing his books in my face? I got it, hun ... you want attention. I needed ten minutes to myself, after a fairly pants day (my brother ate my lunch, boy had a smelly nappy when I dropped him at nursery today which I had to clean before we left, we failed an audit over something none of us could prevent, it was out maintenence guys' stuff, it was hot, I'm knackered because I can't sleep from the heat either) ...
I'm watching mock the week now. And then I'm off to bed. Sorry.
I'm watching mock the week now. And then I'm off to bed. Sorry.
Tuesday 29 June 2010
Harry Freaking Potter
I go on about it enough.
Why not actually share my views on the book - not just J.K.Rowling's writing style, the actual book - for an entry? Or 7 (since it's the most magical number, wink wink) ...
The trailers have come out recently. It's like my youtube porn. Have you seen what Deathly Hallows looks like? Can I join the post production team? I've used a few video editing packages, can I show you this frame morph I did when I was 17 that is still ah-may-zinggggg, Warner Brothers inc? No? Geez ... just because I didn't do computer effects in second year :(
Anyway, the books. I read and re-read to see what I can pick out from J.K.Rowling's style. She says 'said' too much (if you see my writing, and I put 'said', I gave up looking for an alternative) but otherwise ... she includes so much, you have to reread to put a new spin on the text. Like 'did Harry really stow his invisibility cloak away, I thought it was in his hands?', nope, she added it.
It's not without faults. I still have the Chamber of Secrets edition where Fred talks, then Fred answers. There are a bunch of questions she's left open, even with what she's created - do we ever discover who Dean's parents are? Why doesn't Harry shout at Tonks when she leaves Teddy with her mum to go fight the Death Eaters/wind up dead? The whole Elder wand bit baffles me a little still. I know the pattern of who had it from Grindlewald, but ... Harry disarmed Draco when Draco was using his wand, so does that really count? Does he really possess the Elder wand or was that a double-bluff?
Yeah ... I think I think too much.
But it's like, one of the ultimate fantasy books. She doesn't stick to the religious aspect like C.S.Lewis, she doesn't do any more description or narrative than neccesary (she's good at pacing) unlike J.R.R.Tolkein (a page on a path, 3 on a tree) and the comedy is reserved for comedic characters, unlike the plotline (Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy) ... so it's a good pace, and well thought out and there are characters to empathise with and characters you can easily dislike, characters who make you laugh and characters who annoy the hell out of you ... if you've really read a Harry Potter, you'll make an emotional connection on some level.
I had 5 favourite characters throughout the series (I seem to do things in 5's, don't I?) - Lupin, Tonks, Dobby, Luna and Fred Weasley. Yeah, Deathly Hallows sucked for me, big time. I liked Lupin because he's like the cool uncle with the hippie beard and guitar who was so lax you could get away with murder around him, but you still knew where the line was ... and he'd have awesome stories and give you sweets and stuff for made up excuses (oh dear, was that a Dementor? Eat this boulder of chocolate!) but if you were in danger he'd turn into a clucky mother hen.
I liked Tonks because - well, what woman doesn't want to change her appearance at will? Nose looks big when you wear red? Change your nose. Bored of brown hair? Squeeze your eyes shut and in a few seconds, pink! Purple! Blonde! Your choice ... that was the moment I wanted magic the most ...
Everyone loved Dobby. When I read the books to boy, I end up with this squeaky, kid-like voice accidentally, just from the way his lines are written. I liked him because while he was child-like in his tastes, I admired his independence, his lack of care for the way other people thought about him. Everyone wants to be like Dobby, really.
Same with Luna, I liked her off-beat nature. I was the Luna Lovegood at school ... I just didn't have a nickname to rival Loony. I've got an affinity with Luna, lol.
And Fred was just awesome from the get-go. He's funnier than George, more confident than George (he's the dominant twin to George, and I'd bet the youngest and tallest too ... I know a lot of twins ...) ... I wanna marry a Fred one day. Not the actual Fred, since he's a dead fictional character, but someone that funny, and courageous, yet caring. I can give or take the gingerness.
Speaking of the Weasleys ... they remind me of my family sometimes. There's 7 of us too. I'm the Ron of the family (the second youngest, not the lanky ginger kid with the famous best friend I'm insanely jealous of) and my little sister acts like Ginny, she's confident and popular (but again, not ginger). We have a Percy-like brother, and my sister's funny like Fred and George ... sometimes, I feel Ron's pain.
I wanna say more on Harry Potter, but I'm drawing a little blank right now. It's late. I'm hot. It's hot (it's insanely hot). More later, yuss?
Why not actually share my views on the book - not just J.K.Rowling's writing style, the actual book - for an entry? Or 7 (since it's the most magical number, wink wink) ...
The trailers have come out recently. It's like my youtube porn. Have you seen what Deathly Hallows looks like? Can I join the post production team? I've used a few video editing packages, can I show you this frame morph I did when I was 17 that is still ah-may-zinggggg, Warner Brothers inc? No? Geez ... just because I didn't do computer effects in second year :(
Anyway, the books. I read and re-read to see what I can pick out from J.K.Rowling's style. She says 'said' too much (if you see my writing, and I put 'said', I gave up looking for an alternative) but otherwise ... she includes so much, you have to reread to put a new spin on the text. Like 'did Harry really stow his invisibility cloak away, I thought it was in his hands?', nope, she added it.
It's not without faults. I still have the Chamber of Secrets edition where Fred talks, then Fred answers. There are a bunch of questions she's left open, even with what she's created - do we ever discover who Dean's parents are? Why doesn't Harry shout at Tonks when she leaves Teddy with her mum to go fight the Death Eaters/wind up dead? The whole Elder wand bit baffles me a little still. I know the pattern of who had it from Grindlewald, but ... Harry disarmed Draco when Draco was using his wand, so does that really count? Does he really possess the Elder wand or was that a double-bluff?
Yeah ... I think I think too much.
But it's like, one of the ultimate fantasy books. She doesn't stick to the religious aspect like C.S.Lewis, she doesn't do any more description or narrative than neccesary (she's good at pacing) unlike J.R.R.Tolkein (a page on a path, 3 on a tree) and the comedy is reserved for comedic characters, unlike the plotline (Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy) ... so it's a good pace, and well thought out and there are characters to empathise with and characters you can easily dislike, characters who make you laugh and characters who annoy the hell out of you ... if you've really read a Harry Potter, you'll make an emotional connection on some level.
I had 5 favourite characters throughout the series (I seem to do things in 5's, don't I?) - Lupin, Tonks, Dobby, Luna and Fred Weasley. Yeah, Deathly Hallows sucked for me, big time. I liked Lupin because he's like the cool uncle with the hippie beard and guitar who was so lax you could get away with murder around him, but you still knew where the line was ... and he'd have awesome stories and give you sweets and stuff for made up excuses (oh dear, was that a Dementor? Eat this boulder of chocolate!) but if you were in danger he'd turn into a clucky mother hen.
I liked Tonks because - well, what woman doesn't want to change her appearance at will? Nose looks big when you wear red? Change your nose. Bored of brown hair? Squeeze your eyes shut and in a few seconds, pink! Purple! Blonde! Your choice ... that was the moment I wanted magic the most ...
Everyone loved Dobby. When I read the books to boy, I end up with this squeaky, kid-like voice accidentally, just from the way his lines are written. I liked him because while he was child-like in his tastes, I admired his independence, his lack of care for the way other people thought about him. Everyone wants to be like Dobby, really.
Same with Luna, I liked her off-beat nature. I was the Luna Lovegood at school ... I just didn't have a nickname to rival Loony. I've got an affinity with Luna, lol.
And Fred was just awesome from the get-go. He's funnier than George, more confident than George (he's the dominant twin to George, and I'd bet the youngest and tallest too ... I know a lot of twins ...) ... I wanna marry a Fred one day. Not the actual Fred, since he's a dead fictional character, but someone that funny, and courageous, yet caring. I can give or take the gingerness.
Speaking of the Weasleys ... they remind me of my family sometimes. There's 7 of us too. I'm the Ron of the family (the second youngest, not the lanky ginger kid with the famous best friend I'm insanely jealous of) and my little sister acts like Ginny, she's confident and popular (but again, not ginger). We have a Percy-like brother, and my sister's funny like Fred and George ... sometimes, I feel Ron's pain.
I wanna say more on Harry Potter, but I'm drawing a little blank right now. It's late. I'm hot. It's hot (it's insanely hot). More later, yuss?
Monday 28 June 2010
A letter to me.
Dear Zee,
Remember you promised yourself a few things?
Like spending absolutely no more pointless money until we're in Florida?
Or trying to shift the monster that is your stomach since it makes you feel gross, even if you have to live on salads for the rest of your life because of the fat content of everything else?
And that you'd write more, and keep your room and stuff clean?
Yeah .... with the Ben's Cookies and your room and the new Mario and Harry Potter wii games ... what's up with that?
Remember you promised yourself a few things?
Like spending absolutely no more pointless money until we're in Florida?
Or trying to shift the monster that is your stomach since it makes you feel gross, even if you have to live on salads for the rest of your life because of the fat content of everything else?
And that you'd write more, and keep your room and stuff clean?
Yeah .... with the Ben's Cookies and your room and the new Mario and Harry Potter wii games ... what's up with that?
Saturday 26 June 2010
The boy
Speaking of the boy, and me missing him for an insane amount yesterday ... I had a bad dream last night.
In it, boy was getting sick at nursery, and when I picked him up, the girl I get along with really well there was like 'oh, he's so sick he needs to go into care' (why not the hospital, I don't know, it's a freaking dream) and I was like 'but he can still come here, right?' 'nope, but you still have to pay' 'will he keep his place then' blahblahblah.
Anyway, a couple of days later in dreamland, he's all better, and I want to get him back, but they won't let me, even though I've visited and when I do he's all clingy and he's stopped being as talkative as he normally is (trust me, that boy never shuts up, but I like the sound of his voice so it's okay) and I think I ended up kidnapping him so he could go on holiday with us still.
I wish I had my dream dictionary ... but it's still in storage. I'm going to have to hunt down freakydreams.com ... I didn't like my dream. My boy's mine, no one elses ... silly dream-nursery-nurse!
**edit** I've just looked up a dream journal online. Apart from 'unresolved issues with the person lost' ... most of it's saying I'm trying to regress back into childhood, longing for the past 'and the chance to satisfy repressed desires and unfulfilled hopes', a fear of abandonment and rejection (and since my list of people letting me down ... are we surprised?) and that I'm 'overwhelmed by the hustle-and-bustle of every-day life' and need to reorganise.
Geez. So today was the day I was planning on at least tidying the boy's room (he's decided the toys don't need to live in the toy buckets, but instead on his bed/the floor) and yeah, you know what dream? I had a kid young, when I was acting out, and there was a lot I wanted to do and sometimes when my friends talk about their plans I do wish my life was that simple, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Because any other way is life without boy and I won't have that. Besides, when he's 18 and I'm 40, that's when I get to do all the stupid stuff again and call it a mid-life crisis. Take that, stupid, stupid dream!
P.S. Don't reject me anymore, people ...
In it, boy was getting sick at nursery, and when I picked him up, the girl I get along with really well there was like 'oh, he's so sick he needs to go into care' (why not the hospital, I don't know, it's a freaking dream) and I was like 'but he can still come here, right?' 'nope, but you still have to pay' 'will he keep his place then' blahblahblah.
Anyway, a couple of days later in dreamland, he's all better, and I want to get him back, but they won't let me, even though I've visited and when I do he's all clingy and he's stopped being as talkative as he normally is (trust me, that boy never shuts up, but I like the sound of his voice so it's okay) and I think I ended up kidnapping him so he could go on holiday with us still.
I wish I had my dream dictionary ... but it's still in storage. I'm going to have to hunt down freakydreams.com ... I didn't like my dream. My boy's mine, no one elses ... silly dream-nursery-nurse!
**edit** I've just looked up a dream journal online. Apart from 'unresolved issues with the person lost' ... most of it's saying I'm trying to regress back into childhood, longing for the past 'and the chance to satisfy repressed desires and unfulfilled hopes', a fear of abandonment and rejection (and since my list of people letting me down ... are we surprised?) and that I'm 'overwhelmed by the hustle-and-bustle of every-day life' and need to reorganise.
Geez. So today was the day I was planning on at least tidying the boy's room (he's decided the toys don't need to live in the toy buckets, but instead on his bed/the floor) and yeah, you know what dream? I had a kid young, when I was acting out, and there was a lot I wanted to do and sometimes when my friends talk about their plans I do wish my life was that simple, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Because any other way is life without boy and I won't have that. Besides, when he's 18 and I'm 40, that's when I get to do all the stupid stuff again and call it a mid-life crisis. Take that, stupid, stupid dream!
P.S. Don't reject me anymore, people ...
And that's all it takes!
So yay, I'm doing going to do anything stupid like run off with the boy the day before our flight back from the good ol' US of A!
I went to London and had an awesome time (would've been better if Jo had come too :( ) we basically walked from Picadilly to Covent Garden then holed ourselves in TGI Fridays for a few hours, but it was good stuff. I love my friends.
And I've now tried Ben's cookies (Katie and me went after the others went to catch a train) ... and we spent way to much in cybercandy ... but I have tropical punch and boy's tried a krabby patty now so we're all good with me spending like, £20 on foreign food. And some of it's for my brother's birthday present, so yeah ... somehow it can be justified. Ben's peanut butter cookies, btw, are effing sickly. But their size is wooooaaaaah! huge.
I love Covent Garden. It's way better than Camden (OMFG, what's happening to Camden?!) I wanna go back already. I've missed you, trips to London!
So now I'm a happy bunny. And I don't even mind covering my friend's shift while he a)celebrates his friends birthday and b)watches the football, because even though Sunday is normally crazies-day, it'll be quiet (because of the football) and I won't miss too much of boy. And I get to miss out on the hours-long bedtime routine (although yesterday, I got back after his bedtime, so I let him stay up because we missed each other, and when I did put him to bed he was almost asleep before I put him in.) which sounds mean but it'll give my voice a rest.
I went to London and had an awesome time (would've been better if Jo had come too :( ) we basically walked from Picadilly to Covent Garden then holed ourselves in TGI Fridays for a few hours, but it was good stuff. I love my friends.
And I've now tried Ben's cookies (Katie and me went after the others went to catch a train) ... and we spent way to much in cybercandy ... but I have tropical punch and boy's tried a krabby patty now so we're all good with me spending like, £20 on foreign food. And some of it's for my brother's birthday present, so yeah ... somehow it can be justified. Ben's peanut butter cookies, btw, are effing sickly. But their size is wooooaaaaah! huge.
I love Covent Garden. It's way better than Camden (OMFG, what's happening to Camden?!) I wanna go back already. I've missed you, trips to London!
So now I'm a happy bunny. And I don't even mind covering my friend's shift while he a)celebrates his friends birthday and b)watches the football, because even though Sunday is normally crazies-day, it'll be quiet (because of the football) and I won't miss too much of boy. And I get to miss out on the hours-long bedtime routine (although yesterday, I got back after his bedtime, so I let him stay up because we missed each other, and when I did put him to bed he was almost asleep before I put him in.) which sounds mean but it'll give my voice a rest.
Friday 25 June 2010
Moaning Myrtle
I'm feeling sorry for myself.
I can't help it.
What the fuck is going on with the cosmos? Is there some stamp on my forehead that says everyone I give a crap about should make arrangements to do stuff and then bail last minute?
Okay, Pete had a fit.
Okay, my working-for-5-years-in-a-crap-hole bit was bad timing.
Okay, so I get Katie, Cassie, and maybe Chris tomorrow.
But tonight?
TONIGHT?
Gaaaaaaah ... the second time in a row I've been let down by the same person. And what's worse is that this was meant to make up for last time?
But what can I do? Just suck it up, smile like it doesn't matter and carry on?
I'm sick of doing that. I'm easy-going up to a point, but when I blow, it's nuclear.
I've known this person basically all my life, and she never flakes out like this. And she made me feel horrid when I asked, an hour after we normally meet up, whether it was still going on ... I know she didn't mean to, but this is getting boring. I'm a single mum who works full time, if we arrange something that's probably the first time in weeks I'm doing anything for me.
So now I'm torturing myself with the New Moon DVD. And I'm off to sleep.
No one's allowed to bail tomorrow. Or I might do something stupid.
I can't help it.
What the fuck is going on with the cosmos? Is there some stamp on my forehead that says everyone I give a crap about should make arrangements to do stuff and then bail last minute?
Okay, Pete had a fit.
Okay, my working-for-5-years-in-a-crap-hole bit was bad timing.
Okay, so I get Katie, Cassie, and maybe Chris tomorrow.
But tonight?
TONIGHT?
Gaaaaaaah ... the second time in a row I've been let down by the same person. And what's worse is that this was meant to make up for last time?
But what can I do? Just suck it up, smile like it doesn't matter and carry on?
I'm sick of doing that. I'm easy-going up to a point, but when I blow, it's nuclear.
I've known this person basically all my life, and she never flakes out like this. And she made me feel horrid when I asked, an hour after we normally meet up, whether it was still going on ... I know she didn't mean to, but this is getting boring. I'm a single mum who works full time, if we arrange something that's probably the first time in weeks I'm doing anything for me.
So now I'm torturing myself with the New Moon DVD. And I'm off to sleep.
No one's allowed to bail tomorrow. Or I might do something stupid.
Thursday 24 June 2010
So ... stuff
First of all, sorry for my short, pissy post yesterday. It's just ... I hate Wednesdays. With a passion. We're understaffed and have more customers than they expect and you're lucky to get a break ... I thought, with England playing, it'd be better. In the afternoon at least. But no, it meant everyone got complacent and we had no one in when the crowds came. I didn't even stop when the game was on, all I saw was the instant replay of the goal, because I was having a drink when someone started yelling from our staffroom. And I know I can't quit Wednesday's because they'll be even worse that way.
But still. I've had krispy kremes, I feel better. And, mock the week has started again and I love mock the week. Russell Howard is strangely fit.
So anyway, The Bridesmaid pact.
I think my first problem was, I saved this kind of book for after Our tragic universe, thinking that would be strenuous and I'd need to chill out. But it wasn't so much, more disatisfying, so I didn't need the chill out book. I needed the actual challenge.
So everything was predictable. And not just for chick-lit. Not just because I knew pretty early on what each character's issue was. Oh no, Julia Williams went further. She has 4 protagonists. 2 have met their soulmates and married them. 2 of them have met their soulmates and screwed it up for 15 years. 2 of them have babies. 2 don't. They're all from an Irish Catholic family, except one, who was American and Catholic. Each of them moans about their own problems, but then feels bad about how crap life is for the other (tiiiiired reading!) and then the ending was twee. One who'd had an abortion and thought she'd lost her baby still had a baby. One was reunited with her father, no problems, when he left before her birth. The one who was ill went off to find this Suicide unit in Switzerland just to have a change of heart on the flipping plane and the other one left her cheating husband and moved in with his brother, no problems really thought out.
Blah.
I'm having an early night now ... watching mock the week then off to sleep. I've got a driving lesson at 8, I start work at 9, then I'm outskies with the boy's godparents tonight. Oh and meeting some friends in London Saturday. And covering someone's shift before going out for someone's leaving do Sunday. And probably no lay in Monday to recover either, lol.
But still. I've had krispy kremes, I feel better. And, mock the week has started again and I love mock the week. Russell Howard is strangely fit.
So anyway, The Bridesmaid pact.
I think my first problem was, I saved this kind of book for after Our tragic universe, thinking that would be strenuous and I'd need to chill out. But it wasn't so much, more disatisfying, so I didn't need the chill out book. I needed the actual challenge.
So everything was predictable. And not just for chick-lit. Not just because I knew pretty early on what each character's issue was. Oh no, Julia Williams went further. She has 4 protagonists. 2 have met their soulmates and married them. 2 of them have met their soulmates and screwed it up for 15 years. 2 of them have babies. 2 don't. They're all from an Irish Catholic family, except one, who was American and Catholic. Each of them moans about their own problems, but then feels bad about how crap life is for the other (tiiiiired reading!) and then the ending was twee. One who'd had an abortion and thought she'd lost her baby still had a baby. One was reunited with her father, no problems, when he left before her birth. The one who was ill went off to find this Suicide unit in Switzerland just to have a change of heart on the flipping plane and the other one left her cheating husband and moved in with his brother, no problems really thought out.
Blah.
I'm having an early night now ... watching mock the week then off to sleep. I've got a driving lesson at 8, I start work at 9, then I'm outskies with the boy's godparents tonight. Oh and meeting some friends in London Saturday. And covering someone's shift before going out for someone's leaving do Sunday. And probably no lay in Monday to recover either, lol.
Wednesday 23 June 2010
Shorty, shorty
I haven't talked much about books of late, have I?
I've ploughed my way through 'The Bridesmaid Pact'. It was okay, but not surprising. I expect too much of some writers, I guess.
I'm a grumpy bunny atm. I won't go into it. But even though I laughed, the stress ball by my station wasn't that funny. Especially since you're meant to be more responsible than me ...
I'm off to get booze I shouldn't drink.
I've ploughed my way through 'The Bridesmaid Pact'. It was okay, but not surprising. I expect too much of some writers, I guess.
I'm a grumpy bunny atm. I won't go into it. But even though I laughed, the stress ball by my station wasn't that funny. Especially since you're meant to be more responsible than me ...
I'm off to get booze I shouldn't drink.
Tuesday 22 June 2010
Inspiration #4
I love Maggie.
Not the same way I love Jake, but still.
She's quirky (and another slightly weird-looking actor) and I can relate, on some level to her. Boy is only a few months younger than her Ramona, maybe that's why.
I remember all my friends in high school going nuts over The Secretary. I didn't watch it until uni. I'll never look at worms the same way again.
I loved her in Stranger Than Fiction, this speech she made about why she paid only a percentage of her taxes cracked me up. Obviously, I know she didn't write it, but she delivered it with such panache. Will Farrell looked amateur next to her, in my opinion.
The first film I saw her in was Donnie Darko too, since she played Jakes older sister (ZOMG, it's like they're related or something!) she's played sibling roles with him before that too.
She was good in World Trade Centre, and Mona Lisa Smile ... I put up with Julia Roberts for her. That's true love. Did help that Kirsten Dunst, Topher Grace and Julia Stiles were all in it, I guess.
I've got a few of her films I haven't watched yet. I'm going to spend a few nights catching up on the 50 DVDs I have that I haven't watched (!!!), including 40 days and 40 nights, and Away we go (both Maggie's).
I don't know why I love Maggie. Apart from the aforementioned quirkiness. She's so up-beat and off-beat and I love her sense of individualism. All qualities I'd like to believe I have.
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