It is amazing what you can get through when you have friends to lean on.
This weekend I made the somewhat rash decision to re-decorate my room, a fairly straight forward concept you would think but believe me when I say - oh no, no no no. It was knackering hard work for four straight days from sun up to sun down and my hands hurt so much today that my finger tips actually ache to type.
There was stripping, hoovering, hole filling, sealing, gluing, painting, wallpapering, trimming, painting, painting, painting and painting. There were tears and despair and horror at what the room looked like from start to finish and utter despondancy when it was meant to be finished and the yet looked awful .... still. I'm still waiting for it to dry and all I can say is please, please, please be ok.
So where do the friends come in? They were on the phone, text and facebook giving advice and listening to me panic and they came in person to help. Hand on heart I could not have done it without them, especially as they kept me smiling all weekend so thank you, thank you, thank you and I owe you! Just no DIY!!
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Friday, 27 August 2010
DIY and Knitted Squid
So much has happened in a few short days, where to begin? My little blogosphere is growing which means even more people are able to read and mock my words. No pressure.
DIY - this weekend I have decided to re-decorate my room, a small challenge fitting for the bank holiday. DIY - do it yourself - those three little words bring hope and inspiration, I can do anything! And so it was that the wallpaper was encouraged to leave the wall; it was going to be a straightforward, simple procedure that could be gently achieved over 4 days. However, the wallpaper did not want to be encouraged off the wall despite enormous amounts of cajoling, instead it decided to split in two revealing in places some lovely rough plaster that has no intention of being smoothly painted over. Ho hum. And so the gentle redecorating is no more, instead it is a mad scary plan to try and get it all done before I have to go back to work!! Yikes - this DIY thing doesnt seem like such a good idea now. Do it yourself - hah! More like do it with friends and thank the gods that I have good friends coming to help me out. This little bank holiday project may yet be completed.
So where does the knitted squid come into in all of this? Tonight was a special late night event at the Natural History Museum where anyone and everyone could come together and view an 8ft knitted squid and learn to make your own wee sea beastie - sounds wierd and odd but hey it's London and you know what it was fun! Here is my small contribution to the knitted life under the sea :)
DIY - this weekend I have decided to re-decorate my room, a small challenge fitting for the bank holiday. DIY - do it yourself - those three little words bring hope and inspiration, I can do anything! And so it was that the wallpaper was encouraged to leave the wall; it was going to be a straightforward, simple procedure that could be gently achieved over 4 days. However, the wallpaper did not want to be encouraged off the wall despite enormous amounts of cajoling, instead it decided to split in two revealing in places some lovely rough plaster that has no intention of being smoothly painted over. Ho hum. And so the gentle redecorating is no more, instead it is a mad scary plan to try and get it all done before I have to go back to work!! Yikes - this DIY thing doesnt seem like such a good idea now. Do it yourself - hah! More like do it with friends and thank the gods that I have good friends coming to help me out. This little bank holiday project may yet be completed.
So where does the knitted squid come into in all of this? Tonight was a special late night event at the Natural History Museum where anyone and everyone could come together and view an 8ft knitted squid and learn to make your own wee sea beastie - sounds wierd and odd but hey it's London and you know what it was fun! Here is my small contribution to the knitted life under the sea :)
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Book Club - The Gargoyle
The last Wednesday of the month is book club day peeps - for a literary lover such as myself it is a truly indulgent time to talk all things book wormy and I love it! There is no humanly possibly way that I can read every book ever made (despite an abortive attempt in the A fiction section of the Peterborough Library many years ago - Matilda I am not!), so it is with great pleasure that I can learn what's good and what's not by listening to other well read people. It doesnt hurt that we meet in a pub and it certainly doesn't hurt that there is normally food - I could very well be in heaven :)
This month's book was my choice and I was in agony. Books are like favourite anythings - no two people will agree and they are subjective, everyone has a differing opionion on what the author actually meant so I decided to go with either The End of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas OR The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson. I chose The Gargoyle. I had read it about a year ago and remember being charmed by it then and thought a nice gentle read to ease my tastes into the book club melting pot - I had forgotten about the porn and hell and the madness of Marianne.
Still when I re-read it, I loved it again and despite personal circumstances, was still entranced by the love stories within. Book club response? Polite acceptance of what was clearly not 'normal' reading material. Ooops! That's not to say that it didn't get read just that it wasn't praised to high heaven and in some ways I think they are right. It's a confused book - there is so much information that you do feel slightly overwhelmed. There are 4 separate love stories, there is a relationship in the 14th century that carries through to today, there's a burn victim described in graphic detail, there's porn, Dante's inferno and then there are gargoyles. It did acheive what perhaps book club is meant to - the reading of a book you wouldn't normally go for and a healthy discussion on whether it has merits or not.
The fact that the conversation soon turned to which childhood classics should be read by everyone didn't upset me at all - in fact it made me appreciate the 40 boxes of books I have in storage which hold such cherished classics along with others that I have dragged with me through time and which I keep promising myself I will install in beautiful bookshelves one day. And I think that is the point - let us cherish the written word, our ability to read it and think of it what we choose.
This month's book was my choice and I was in agony. Books are like favourite anythings - no two people will agree and they are subjective, everyone has a differing opionion on what the author actually meant so I decided to go with either The End of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas OR The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson. I chose The Gargoyle. I had read it about a year ago and remember being charmed by it then and thought a nice gentle read to ease my tastes into the book club melting pot - I had forgotten about the porn and hell and the madness of Marianne.
Still when I re-read it, I loved it again and despite personal circumstances, was still entranced by the love stories within. Book club response? Polite acceptance of what was clearly not 'normal' reading material. Ooops! That's not to say that it didn't get read just that it wasn't praised to high heaven and in some ways I think they are right. It's a confused book - there is so much information that you do feel slightly overwhelmed. There are 4 separate love stories, there is a relationship in the 14th century that carries through to today, there's a burn victim described in graphic detail, there's porn, Dante's inferno and then there are gargoyles. It did acheive what perhaps book club is meant to - the reading of a book you wouldn't normally go for and a healthy discussion on whether it has merits or not.
The fact that the conversation soon turned to which childhood classics should be read by everyone didn't upset me at all - in fact it made me appreciate the 40 boxes of books I have in storage which hold such cherished classics along with others that I have dragged with me through time and which I keep promising myself I will install in beautiful bookshelves one day. And I think that is the point - let us cherish the written word, our ability to read it and think of it what we choose.
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
Big big girl in a big big world
Social networking allows us to reach out to people, to be connected 24/7, to know the innermost thoughts of our friends, families and aquaintances and for all of this to become complete second nature. How is it possible that someone who barely knows you can take the few fragments you provide and see into your soul?? This link was sent to me by a Facebook 'friend' and it really cuts to the heart of where I am at the moment - a fact that I find comforting in todays world. That even today - with all our technical hubbub and our time-poor lifestyles, there are people out there who can take the time to say - hey, I care.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUKq7DLo6Ko&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUKq7DLo6Ko&feature=related
Monday, 23 August 2010
I love it when a plan comes together!
Now my brother said I wouldn't like and my friend at work fell asleep and so it was with much trepidation that I went to finally see the A-Team. I am in fact young enough to remember the original series which I have to say I loved and my favourite character would change week in week out but overall I think it had to be Face. And the film lived up to my expectations :) Bradley Cooper had the same smiley helpless adorableness - bless.
There were explosions and wise-cracks and guns and the girl, always the girl. It was funny and completely un-believable but that was what the A-Team was always about and that's why I loved it so.
If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The A-Team
There were explosions and wise-cracks and guns and the girl, always the girl. It was funny and completely un-believable but that was what the A-Team was always about and that's why I loved it so.
If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The A-Team
Sunday, 22 August 2010
Dim Sum - Yum Yum!!
My friend took me for Dim Sum today - never had it before so was curious to know what we were going to have. We went to a restaurant on the corner of Chinatown that still serves Dim Sum the traditional way - which way is that you ask? Well waitresses wheel trollies round and round and round the restaurant with all different kinds of delights on board tempting you with this and that. My friend speaks fluent chinese so she did all the ordering which was kind of fun - luckily for me she didn't like the look of the tripe or sea slug - thank goodness!!
It was a truly yummy stuffed full experience and if you are ever in my neck of the woods we should totally go - I guarantee you will leave fully satisfied ;)
It was a truly yummy stuffed full experience and if you are ever in my neck of the woods we should totally go - I guarantee you will leave fully satisfied ;)
Saturday, 21 August 2010
100s
100 sit ups - 100 press ups - 100 squats
A daunting challenge some might say - but I wondered... how hard can it really be. So I did it - in reps of 10. Got very warm at 50 and was starting to think you mad woman at 80 but finished it and it was awesome. My friends think I am mental and I am often inclined to agree but it felt good so go me :)
And then being a total Google whore I found this website - onwards and upwards my friends lol
http://www.twohundredsitups.com/
A daunting challenge some might say - but I wondered... how hard can it really be. So I did it - in reps of 10. Got very warm at 50 and was starting to think you mad woman at 80 but finished it and it was awesome. My friends think I am mental and I am often inclined to agree but it felt good so go me :)
And then being a total Google whore I found this website - onwards and upwards my friends lol
http://www.twohundredsitups.com/
Friday, 20 August 2010
First blog
So here it is, the first blog - a very exciting time for you all I'm sure. What's its all about - well it will be about loves and likes and ups and very possibly downs, there will be movies and books and cooking, some travelling, friends and families and all those sorts of things. There are some things that I love and others that I hate with a fiery passion and believe me they will be talked about. It will be a little bit of everything but I can guarantee one thing - there will be no salad!! Ever!!
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