Burnt Toast

just for the record

2007-03-29T13:05:00.000+01:00

if you happen to stray in here you can not only visit my new blog but you can find me at www.hageltoast.co.uk too.

come and play!!!

2006-09-19T22:52:00.000+01:00

click the title of this post to be instantly transported to where i can now be found!!
Thanks for dropping by!

I'm going through Changes!

2006-07-25T13:22:00.000+01:00

http://hageltoast.typepad.com/seeking_xanadu/

I am moving. Possibly, at the moment I am enjoying the 30 day trial period, but I gotta say I am liking the extra features. Any chance you'll follow me?

Simply Wonderful!

2006-07-24T13:02:00.000+01:00

I like to sometimes wonder through random blogs, it's how I came across Nelly's Garden and One More Cup, and now I have found this
http://smartsimplewoman.typepad.com/
for those of you who like Flylady, but found her, frankly a bit pushy, this is a much gentler form of the same basic principal, how to simplify your life to allow more time for you!

Also, what's really wonderful is that Nik has finally gien in and joined us... yep , my one of my old Uni mates is finally blogging. Woot Woot!!!
http://jadis-nt.livejournal.com/

If you guys have any favourites you visit that you'd like to share with the rest of the class, i'd love you to leve them in the comments.

Dipstick!!

2006-07-24T10:30:00.000+01:00

Seriously, I am... I just realised that on Thursday I am away, which is fine except that I hounded people ruthlessly to attend a meeting on, yup, thursday. I just got laughed at by one of the attendees when she got my somewhat sheepish email.

Otherwise, the week hasn't started badly. I am very tired as the heat is still stopping me sleeping properly, but I am loving all the sunshine in the day. Mark and I had a lovely weekend, we went to Charlecote Park which is a fantastic national trust house which wonderful outbuildings and grounds. It's licensed for weddings. *looks around innocently*. We then had a pub lunch at a really lovely pub, got caught in a horrific thunder storm, were stuck in traffic for a couple of hours due to a couple of feet of standing water on the main road (sheesh, you'd think we'd be used to water) and got home in time to relax for the evening.
Sunday we went for a swim, Marks first time at the leisure centre nearby. It was lovely, really enjoyed myself.

Of course it's swimming again tonite, with Anna and Jo LV, fat club swimming. :)

meme

2006-07-21T15:12:00.000+01:00

c'mon, copy, paste, alter and leave on your own blog for the rest of us.

Four Things that you may not have known about me.....

A) Four jobs I have had in my life: No order of preference!
1. KFC food server
2. Office Manager
3. Team Assistant in Traffic
4. Transport Engineer
B) Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. Rocky Horror Picture Show
2. The Lost Boys
3. Serenity
4. Batman Begins
C) Four places I have lived:
1. Near Fenny Drayton
2. Newcastle
3. North Shields
4. Leicester
D) Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Buffy/Angel
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Bones
4. Firefly
E) Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Holland
2. Denmark
3. Wales
4. Germany
F) Four websites I visit daily:
1. my blog
2. loads of other peoples blogs
3. www.peaceandlove.org.uk (festivals in the UK and Europe)
4. my space
G) Four of my favorite foods:
1. Pasta
2. Pizza
3. Cheese
4. Chocolate
H) Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Home - in bed
2. camping
3. in the pub
4. at the pictures (air con)
I) Friends I think will respond:
1. Anna
2. ?
3. ?
4. ?

Make hay!

2006-07-21T12:08:00.000+01:00

I grew up on a small holding, i may have said this before. A small holding is rioiughly speaking, between 1 and 1000 acres which are used for small scale farming. Over a thousand acres can usually be considered a working farm, a small holding should provide produce for the family and maybe a little over to trade. When I was very small we had a dairy herd, sheep, chickens, rabbits (bred as food), and orchard, a vegetable and fruit garden and we grew hay. This all got scaled down bit by bit over the years till there qwere 30 sheep and hay, then nothing, in its place we moved towards having a livery stables, where people could pay for the use of fields and stables for their horses. Mum had bred horses at one point and we loved having them around, all the girls in the family rode.

So, why am i saying this now, well it's the heat; no it's not messing with my head, it's just all this hoopla about how we have actually ad a couple of hot dry weeks and it's the greenhouse effect and things, but weather goes in cycles. I am not disputing the negative effect on the environment of our short term and selfish living practises, but as for this summer, when I was young, and we used to make hay you paid attention to the sun, your livelihood depended on it.

As I say weather goes in cycles, we would have two or three years where the sun came for two or three weeks, blazing down, the skies were clear and we could get the hay in at the perfect time in perfect conditions with minimum stress, then you'd get two or three years of having to jump on three days where it didn't rain and hope for the best or risk not getting it in atall, i remember shifting bales till midnight to get them all off the field and covered, and mum anxiously phoning up for the 5 day forecasts and worrying about every desicsion. For a few weeks every summer the weather ruled our lives.

Just saying really, I find it odd how people react to a little sunshine.

The blogging phenom!

2006-07-20T08:35:00.000+01:00

I have just been reading in the Metro (free paper) that a quarter of webheads in the UK are blogging, yay us!! lol
It also gave a very brief explanation of how to blog, it suggested as one of the items to write about something which you know a lot about and other people don't to carve out a niche.
Well I don't know about you, but i don't blog in order to carve out a niche and be fabulously intelligent on a particular subject (just as well really). I blog pretty much for the hell of it, but nice to know how many of us are doing it.

Opening up the floor

2006-07-19T08:45:00.000+01:00

It's another scorcher today and I am thanking all sorts of false gods (couldn't resist that Jazzer) for the air con at work, my house is a furnace so i have been getting about 4 hours sleep a night all week and am shattered, but loveing the sunshiny days.

Anyway, since nothing very exciting has happened this week - i went swimming with Jo LaVey and Anna, and last night Anna came to clean (yes, i caved and hired a friend to help, she's a neat freak so its all good) so i now have a shiny clean proch, even Eryk and Yorick, my concrete and plaster skulls got a polish (altho' i thought the webs and bits of spider added authenticity).

So I thought i'd open the floor to the readership for todays post. You may remember at Roskilde I was very dissapointed to see Axl Rose suck majorly, all the fucking about, hardly any tracks, even classics like Sweet Child performed at a mediocre level. The official excuse was he was having to take oxygen, well so did Dee Snider and i've seen twisted sister twice now and Dee still blasts out the best live performance of anyone, ever!!!

Sooo, my question to you all is what long awaited and anticipated live event has been a HUGE dissapointment to you, and what has been a plesent surprise?

By live event it doesn't have to be music, just has to be something you bought a ticket for and were really looking forward to.

Lady godiva

2006-07-18T12:13:00.000+01:00

cribbed from a history website, for those unfamiliar with this english legend.

LADY GODIVA
Some 900 years ago an extraordinary occurrence took place on Market Day in the English midlands town of Coventry.
Two monks at St. Albans Abbey in Hertfordshire first recorded this amazing story in Latin. Roger of Wendover wrote of it in the twelfth century and Mathew Paris in the early thirteenth century.
As the Abbey stood at an important road junction, it would seem that the monks may have heard the story from travellers who were on their way from the Midlands to London.
This astonishing tale that has come down to us through the centuries is that sometime in the eleventh-century a proud, pious lady rode through Coventry on Market Day completely naked, covered by nothing but her long hair!
Was this true? Apparently so!
Who was this pious medieval streaker?
Lady Godiva was the lady, wife of Leofric, the Earl of Mercia.
Earl Leofric was one of the all-powerful lords who ruled England under the Danish King Canute.
Lady Godiva was a rich landowner in her own right and one of her most valuable properties was Coventry.
Leofric was a tyrant, he tyrannised the Church and did not hold the same religious convictions as his wife, nor her fondness for the Midlands and its populace.
Lady Godiva by John Collier Courtesy of the Herbert Art Galleryand Museum, Coventry
He mercilessly demanded from the people of Coventry an oppressive tax called the Heregeld. This tax paid for King Canute's bodyguard and Leofric made sure that the people of Coventry paid it!
Lady Godiva pleaded with Leofric to stop this hated tax and he is reputed to have said, "You will have to ride naked through Coventry before I will change my ways".
He was quite sure that his demure, modest wife would never do such a thing.
But, Lady Godiva took him at his word, and on Market Day in Coventry she rode naked, veiled only by her long golden hair. As her hair was long enough to cover all her body, only her face and legs could be seen.
Leofric was so stunned by the whole incident that he believed it was a miracle that no one had seen his wife's naked body, and he immediately "freed" the town from paying the hated Heregeld, and at the same time ceased his persecution of the Church
Leofric appears to have undergone a religious conversion after this incident and he and Godiva funded a Benedictine monastery in Coventry where they were both buried.
Unfortunately all traces of this monastery have long since disappeared.
By the seventeenth-century the story appears to have been altered slightly. The new version of the story said that before her 'ride', Godiva sent out messengers to go throughout the town insisting that all the people stay indoors with their windows shuttered on the day. As she was very popular with the people, (unlike her husband,) and every taxpayer realised that they stood to gain from her 'heroic act', they did as she requested
Everyone complied with her request except for one man who couldn't resist peeping, a tailor, 'Peeping Tom'.
He was, the story goes 'blinded by the wrath of Heaven' for his temerity in not obeying the order.
A statue, supposedly of Peeping Tom, a strange wooden effigy, can be seen in Coventry's Cathedral Lanes Shopping Centre. The eyes in this effigy appear blank, but that may be because the paint has worn off over the years.
The annual Coventry Fair kept alive the Godiva story until the Reformation when the festival was banned and it was not revived until 1678.
From this time on Godiva rode through the streets on a snow-white horse, accompanied by a man whose chief skill lay in his ability to make rude, suggestive gestures. Peeping Tom again!! The Godiva Procession has been revived in recent years and takes place annually in June (please see below)
Today a visitor needs only to look in front of Coventry's Cathedral Lanes Shopping Centre to see a replica of the sight which tradition insists struck Peeping Tom blind!
Useful Information:
The Godiva Festival
Lady Godiva is remembered each year with a Godiva Procession through the town.
More details: www.coventry.org/godiva

Ed- sadley the godiva statue in the city centre, which my freinds and i use dot sit on at lunch time is now fenced off, this came as something of a dissapointment.

Godiva

2006-07-16T18:26:00.000+01:00

Me, mark, rob, graham and a few of gray's mates went to coventry yesterdayfor the godiva festival, its a free thing, run by the city council, just round the corner from where i went to junior school. In fact i used to have to do cross country runs for games through the memorial park where the festival was held. I think it's probably the first time i've been back since then, soooo, 18 years then.
Actually getting to Cov was fun and games, given its only 30mins away, less than 30 miles, we figured therre'd be a direct train service. Not only was there not a direct service, but it was running a bus replacement, so they wanted £6.50 each to take two hours, on two seperate buses, assuming everything ran on time, to do a 30 minute journey. Well stuff that. We had a swift pint at the bricklayers arms and caught the service bus, which took about 45minsn and cost £3.20.
When we got to Cov (just me mark and rob at this point) we went to the golden cross, which is a pub i used to haunt occasionally, and where i had my 18th birthday. Pleased to say it's still a rock pub and it hasn't changed a bit!!!

Afterthat we went to a wetherspoons for a cheap and cheerful pub lunch, and then jumped in a cab to the park, which turned out to be cheaper between three than the bus would have been.
We arrived in time to watch a bit of dog training and then get into the tent before the end of blackbud, who were a surprise. We'd never heard of them but they were pretty good. We met up with the others at the back of the tent at this point.

We stayed in for the Fratellis, who were excellent, plan to see them soon at the Charlotte.
After that we headed to the Cider Bar, for a drink of the splendid and potent Burrow Hill

there we met up with an old school friend of mine and her boyfriend, who stopped by to say hi. Trooper that she is, Lucie then turned out again later and ran us home in the middle of the night, stopping at mine for a cuppa before heading back to get a few hours sleep before going in to work on sunday. Yes, she is a star, no, I don't know what i do to deserve friends like these.

Finally we went in to see mercury Rev, who were pretty good. This being the end of the night there were plenty of example of how not to mix heat and booze.

Then we ambled home. It was a really fun day and always good to catch up with an old friend.

2006-07-14T08:29:00.000+01:00

It's friday, yay!! I have an exam this afternoon about a subject i have totally failed to understand, booo! mind you, i asked around work and i am not the only one baffled by the dread soil mechanics. If i scrape a pass i will be haqppy, if i have to resit, i will not be entirely surprised.

Tommorrow we are going to the Godiva festival in coventry which is sort of live musicy, craft fairy and free, so it should be a nice way to spend the day. have soo much to do at work, maybe i will be able to focus better when i get the exam out of the way, get a few things rolling properly.

I am sooo tired I just want to curl up and sleep and i don't think all the coffee in the world will help me, i wonder if it's the hayfever tablets, they are supposed to be non drowsy, but thats not exaclty a garrantee is it.

ok, done rambling for now. gotta go study.

I can't quite believe it

2006-07-13T08:37:00.000+01:00

It's a sad day for me today, a little late I popped into Gut Rumbles after not going in for a while and saw that Acidman is gone. His family are rather wonderfully using the site to let the blog community know what is happening rather than just letting it sit. I could cry. I wanted to comment, but I hadn;t long discovered it and didn't know what to say. So this is it really, what i wanted to say, thank you for Gut Rumbles, it made me cry laughing and think about things that otherwise i'd never have paused to consider, and thanks to the family for posting about what is going on.
This has brought home again just how real our little communities are, i may never meet most of my online and blogfriends, but that doesn't make you any less important in my every day life than the people i have around me, in some ways you have a larger role than many of my real life friends. KI've blogged about this before.
Anyway, just all of you take care of yourselves and do something nice, just for you today!

killmouskie

2006-07-12T21:12:00.000+01:00

EEEP!!! i am soo happy, my lovely mark bought me a perzzie today, a brand spanking new wireless keyboard and mouse!!!! no more sticky space bar!!! The keyboard i had was extremely cheap and on its way to dead, i bought it in a hurry when my ex spilt coffee all over my beautiful multimedia expensive one that i loved and adored. I never connected with the cheapo thing i brought home to replace it. Is it silly that i like to have a connection to my computer equipment? It's such a vital part of my life, i hate using foreign machines that aernt familiar and comforting. I like the clunk of the keys on this one, and the quickness of the mouse, and i like that my pc is an old friend, i know its little moods, and its quirks.
Any way, i bring you this post courtesy of my new gorgeous keyboard, may he serve me long and well. :)

Famous last words

2006-07-12T08:19:00.000+01:00

The worst thing is, this is just the sort of thing i would say, because i can never think of anything clever at the time.

Your Famous Last Words Will Be:

"Tell them I said something."

What Will Your Famous Last Words Be?

wickets

2006-07-10T10:47:00.000+01:00

So, friday a few of us went to see the 20/20 cricket between leicester and durham at grace road on friday. We didn't actually watch much cricket. after finding a suitable bench and arming ourselves with beer we were too busy talking and laughing to watch very well, in addition i have no idea how cricket works so was bewildered. Mark grumbled it was not the "scorefest" he'd hoped for (what is this criketpalooza) and Kim joked that the guy sent off with an injury to his ummm... well, suffice to say she declared it a googley. We also managed a range of very purile jokes about no 99. Leciester won so we were pleased.
Then the boys had a quick game of scotch egg cricket, which transformed into hacky sack cricket later in the night at my place, where there was more beer.
Generally an entertaining evening.Rest of the weekend was quiet and sleepy and i failed to finish my assignment. oops.

The Lords of Altamont

2006-07-06T09:20:00.000+01:00

Went to the Charlotte last night to see a band Warro mentioned to me a week or two ago. He Picked me up at 9 and off we pootled expecting to have avoided the support acts. We were wrong, the first band, the Cruellas came on at nine and after some fucking about produced some music which turned out to be cover tracks (Who knew). They weren't awful, but they seriosuly need to tighten up if they plan to perform in front of people. The best song of their half hour set was actually their own material. They were followed by the Cyclones, who knocked out some predictable rock, but they were a very tidy group and gave and excellent and very enjoyabloe performance.
Then the Lords came on, it was superb, it was a pity for them that no one seems to have heard of them here and they had a very small audience, but good for us as we were able to comfortably amble forward and watch the show from the front (the only place in the charlotte you can actually see from). With no fucking about they gave us some serious rock n roll (we like it, yes we do) and kept the small audience gripped start to finish.

Google them, they are good!

Valhalla

2006-07-05T12:05:00.000+01:00

On tuesday M & I headed from Chesterfield to Manchester to catch a plane. Eventually, first we arrived an hour early for our train, which was then an hour late, then it limped along to manchester, where it finally died. We made it to the airport in the plentiful contingency time, met up with Rob and tried to check in. The check in was broken, an hour late people started to go through. We borded pretty much on time and the flight was easy. Everything ran smoothly the other end and we were able to meet up with the early party in Copenhagen. Tuesday evening we all went out into Copenhagen and visited the hippie commune Christiania, most ate there, but M & I headed with Rob and Warro to an indian restaurant which served excellent food quite cheap.

Wednesday we all headed to the festival, which took far longer than we thought but part of that was sitting on the train for a n hour and a half before it moved. Fortunately it gets dark really late there so we camped in daylight. The festival was good, big, considerable squalor and M & I struggled to get into the vibe properly, band wise, Bob Dylan was good, Opeth were excellent, Axl Rose was rubbish "stop fucking about" was the heckle for the Guns n roses set.

Saturday afternoon, with M's back still bad and the two of us failing to buzz off the whole experiance M & I headed back into Copenhagen, which was excellent!!! Beautiful City, we spent sunday wandering around it and visiting some of the sites.

Sunday evening saw us getting very drunk in the Hard Rock Cafe, with a dutch trucker and not leaving until they closed at midnight. Monday morning, complete with hang over we set of on the 12 hour treck home. We travelled with some of the others and in spite of setbacks and delays spirits were pretty high.
I am sure some more anecdotes will make there way into seperate posts, but that's the basic play.
Back at work now, have to settle into the real world. humph

we leave tommorrow

2006-06-25T17:55:00.000+01:00

well tuesday technically, but tommorrow we head to M's parents for the night to cath the train early Tuesday morningto manchester airport.
yay us. This time tuesday I will be bookin gin to a B&B in Copenhagen. Tell you all about it wheni get back.

Things to think about

2006-06-23T13:14:00.000+01:00

These are translations from chinese and have long been favourites of mine.

The Red Cockatoo

Sent as a present from Annam
A red cockatoo.
Coloured like the peach-tree blossom,
Speaking with the speech of men.
And they did to it what is always done
To the learned and eloquent.
They took a cage with stout bars
And shut it up inside.

-- Po Chü-i

Lao-tzü

Po Chü-i impishly taunts one of the most influential of all Chinese philosophers in this poem.

"Those who speak know nothing
Those who know are silent."
These words, as I am told,
Were spoken by Lao-tzü.
If we are to believe that Lao-tzü
Was himself one who knew,
How comes it that he wrote a book
Of five thousand words?

Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

2006-06-23T13:00:00.000+01:00

I am doing the happy dance at my desk right now because in a couple of hours I will be free!!!!!

This weekend I have to do my soil mechanics homework which is less than 1000 words, so that's ok, clean the house and the furries, and pack. Ah yes, I have to pack for 7 days into a rucksack, including my sleeping bag, then on tuesday we are going to Denmark!!!! M & I are meeting rob at the airport and hooking up with some of the others at a B&B in copenhagen, where we will spend one night, then weds - mon we are in a field in Roskilde, living in tents, watching live music, eating, drinking and being generally merry, and almost certainly a bit grubby. Monday we pack up out tents and fly home, if we get up early enough we may even manage a festival shower, but if not, i wouldn't want to be on a plane with us. Mwahahahahahaha

I am starting to get excited, just go tto get Marks travel insurance and then i think we have everything we need. Yay us, it's very exciting!!!

Kamper - Team Chipotle !!!

2006-06-22T19:02:00.000+01:00

Enquiring minds need to know!!!
Ok, you guys all seem to know each other pretty well, and a couple of you i know under other names in other places, but can you please explain to me how you are all linked and how you cameto be freinds, and i know i'm demanding, but can at least one of you post some pictures of you all so i can get my head round you?

That's it, enough, no more I HAVE HAD IT!!!!

2006-06-22T15:36:00.000+01:00

i have had it with being fat and my life revolvong around food
i have had it with the laundry being piled up in the hamper or on the spare bed (clean)
i have had it with fighting the rubbish for space in the garage
i have had it with letting the mess and chaos rule my life and never taking control
i have had it with feeling tired and lacklustre and not wanting to do anything when i get home
i have had it with procrastination and avoidance
i have had it with the crummy carpets in the living room and the bunny chewed wallpaper and skirtings
I have had it!!!!
I am gonna get on top, in control, back in black!!!
I am gonna have clean folded clothes in the wadrobe, i am gonna have polished wooden floors downstairs if i have to sand by hand
I am gonna have painted walls and repaired plaster,
i am gonna havethe right and proper stuff to storage ratio
i am gonna do the 300 trips to the tip with all the household and garden crap in the garage
I am gonna have a life laundry of my possessions
M is gonna get a job in leicester and move in
i am gonna lose weight
i am gonna sort my finances out
and i am gonna do it all with a goddamn freaking smile on my face!!!

so now you know.

Dave Matthews Band

2006-06-22T14:40:00.000+01:00

You Are Dave Matthews Band Magic Brownies Ice Cream

Not *those* magic brownies!

What Flavor Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Are You?

We don't get that flavour here as far as I know, but i think i'd like it!!

Sign me up....again

2006-06-22T07:51:00.000+01:00

Well, I passed, which means i now have a level 1 2dimensional autoCAD (computer aided drawing) qualification. Yay me. All three of us signed up fornext year, although we will have to break in a new lecturer which is slightly dissapointing coz this one had got accustomedto our ways.

On an entirely differentnote, here's mewhen i was little.... just because

colour me CAD!

2006-06-21T15:09:00.000+01:00

I have my AutoCad multi choice test tonite, with a couple of colleagues. I quite like my CAD lessons normally, but I am not crazy about dragging myself to the exam after work. On the plus side, tommorrow i get a ie in as i am doing site visits straight from home. yay!

funny ha ha or funny peculiar?

2006-06-21T09:11:00.000+01:00

Sunday evening M & I headed into sheffield to meet Steve and Stella, Steve is a colleague of M's and Stella is his good lady, I haven't seen them since christmas. Prior to this Steve had asked M not to dress like a tramp (they tease each other) so i txtd steve to say please dont wear pink, Stella then sent a txt back via steve to say, he wouldn't wear pink if mark didn't wear clown shoes, so predictably, steve wore a pink shirt and m wore his size 12 boots. Of course then we had to find each other, M being a rocker and Steve not they dont exactly drink at the same places, but in time a location was agreed upon and they directed us to it.
The point of all this was to see Dylan Moran, a writer on father ted, writer and star of black books with bill bailey and hilarious irish comedian.

We got in a little late, missing about the first ten minutes, but the show was hilarious and i recommend him to anyone who gets the chance to go see him. The only downer was we weren't allowed to take our interval drinks back in with us.
After the show we retired to RSVP (a bar) for more drinkies and an extensive bitching session about the woman both steve and mark hate.
M & I got home a little after midnite and needless to say we did not go into work on monday, just as well we booked it off really. ;)

A virtual life

2006-06-18T10:55:00.000+01:00

M did something silly yesterday, he bought the Sims and installed it on his laptop, he then played for about 6 hours straight (while i went upstairs and slept, i was inexplicably sleepy yesterday), so when i go tup i figured it was my turn, just half an hour of course. Yeah right. I'm addicted, i want a promotion, so i can buy more stuff and hang out with more people, my silly 4am- lunchtime job is hopeless for socialising. Oh my god!!!! I should ut this energy into my soilmechanics homework, but the sims are sooooo addictive. I am sure it will pass, but in the mean time, if you want me, i am playing with myself. ;)

mmmm, coffee

2006-06-16T14:51:00.000+01:00

You Are a Frappacino

At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern

At your worst, you are: childish and over indulgent

You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet

Your caffeine addiction level: low

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

reatail therapy

2006-06-16T14:02:00.000+01:00

ah the simple joy of shopping. I had plenty of points on my boots card so when this afternoons site visit got cancelled and i discovered i'd rushed lunch for nothing i went back out, with Jo and bought nailvarnish, a sparkly, purply black. I love it!!! not proper dark dark black, much more girly than that. Presently i have only done my thumbs, but i may treat you to a hand photo when i do them properly at the weekend. Oh and the weekend!! It's nearly here and mark is on his way and we are having comedy fun at dylan oran on sunday and booked monday off work and its supposed to be beautiful weather all weekend!!! yay!

2 wheels - good

2006-06-15T08:44:00.000+01:00

I rode a bike to work today. In itself this may not seem a big deal, ut i only just learned to ride a bike, and was terrified setting out. By the end I was actually rather enjoying myself, and i didn't fall off!!!
yay for cycling, i am in danger of becoming a fan.

I started using myspace recently, and last night found two old friends i lost touch with years ago and they were cool about hearing from me, Besty and Sarah, it's been about 8-9 years since i last saw either of them, but they have come to mind from time to time, still waiting to find out if andy is who i think he is and pleased to hear from me, but i only mailed him last night.

Peace and Love & Old Hippies

2006-06-14T09:05:00.000+01:00

Old hippie has kindly added peace and love to his links. Click the title bar for his site.

Random trivia

2006-06-13T19:16:00.000+01:00

1) I used to be terrrified of beards as a small child, took till my early teens to start to get a grip on it properly. shocked to discover it's a recognised phobia
Pogonophobia- Fear of beards

2) I can ride a horse but am only just learning to ride a bike.

3) I wasn't allowed to use my dads computer at home because it had wires andi had a tendency to knock things off shelves.

4) I once threw up behind a mcdonalds bin after a trip to the dentist

5) I wish i'd got to know my grandpa better

6) I have a mole in my left underarm

7) I wish i wasn't so far away from my family

this time last year i was guiness

2006-06-13T13:12:00.000+01:00

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Happiness is...

2006-06-13T12:54:00.000+01:00

sharing a plate of nachos with a friend and discussing Download. I am looking forward to Q69's blog report of the action, as soon as i can dig out her msn blog that is. *looks sheepish*

I have finally started to get my act together on myspace, but i can't access it at work so it will not replace blogspot methinks, useful for other stuff tho.

next on the calender is this sunday I am going to see Dylan Moran live and then nothing until tuesday 27th June when we head out to denmark for roskilde. Non the less i shall continue to blog the dull stuff, the minutae until then. :)

long time no see

2006-06-12T08:19:00.000+01:00

Mark, me and Al

I got a txt out of the blue last week. My cousin had a job in leicester, would we like to get together. You're kidding right? Of course I would. Al is always a hoot, and his new girlfriend was going to be with him, and i've seen him once in the last 6 years, last summer, for less than an hour over a pint. To actually get to hang out and catch up properly would be awesome!!!
We met them at Asda and they followed us home, where there was Dr Who, drinking, chilling, music outside by a log fire, and chat. Lots and lots of chat. His girlfriend Jo is lovely, but camera shy, so she took the pic of the rest of us.
Anyway, i really just wanted to say, we had a quiet weekend, but it's been really lovely to catch up with old freinds.

Me want cookies

2006-06-12T07:58:00.000+01:00

You Are Cookie Monster

Misunderstood as a primal monster, you're a true hedonist with a huge sweet tooth.

You are usually feeling: Hungry. Cookies are preferred, but you'll eat anything if cookies aren't around.

You are famous for: Your slightly crazy eyes and usual way of speaking

How you life your life: In the moment. "Me want COOKIE!"

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

Attitudes to music

2006-06-09T08:53:00.000+01:00

This rambles some.

Ok, so, thank you Carly, your post offered me an interesting challenge, can I offer an intelligent comment on the state of music in the UK. Well frankly (mr shankly) I love lyrics so am happy to investigate further.
Now this is unlikely to be an entirely objective post as I have personal tastes and feelings, so a bit about my bias first, to set the scene.
I love rock and metal, every kind of rock and metal. I am not goth, emo, old school, punk etc etc, I love them all and bless their cotton socks. I like and listen to a wide variety of music, classical, metal obv. A little jazz, blues, but precious little dance and pop only on the freak occasions where its really good. I do have some dirty little secrets in my music collection, because sometimes even I want frothy plastic crap, but I see it for what it is and enjoy.
Right now that’s done, does Britain go in for angst?

Well I did some favourite lyric searches, according to MTV at 8:30 this morning this was the nations top 15 lyrics.
1 10cc
Life Is A Minestrone
"Life is a minestrone, Served up with parmesan cheese"
Life Is A Minestrone Written By Lol Creme and Eric Stewart (c) EMI Music
(I love 10cc, and this is a fantastic line)
2 50 Cent
21 Questions
"I love you like a fat kid love cake"
(a ha, so it’s the fat kid again. I think the lyric is good, but why oh why are so many people listening to 50 cent?)
3 Abba
The Winner Takes It All
"The winner takes it all, The loser standing small, Beside the victory, That's her destiny"
(I like abba but I think this is far from their best lyric)

4 Arctic Monkeys
I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
"Oh there ain't no love, No Montagues and Capulets, We're just banging tunes and DJ sets and dirty dancefloors and dreams of naughtiness"
(Again, as Carly said, will people think the same in ten years? I love them, but this is not the best lyric)

5 The Beach Boys
God Only Knows
"If you should ever leave me, Though life would go on believe me, The world could show nothing to me, So what good would living do me."
(awesome and classic)
6 The Beatles
A Day In The Life
"I read the news today oh boy, Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire. And though the holes were rather small, They had to count them all, Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall"
(see those beatles quotes rank much higher over here, it’s a form of national pride)
7 The Beatles
Eleanor Rigby
"Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been, Lives in a dream"
(I love this song!!!!! Plangent)
8 The Beatles
Hey Jude
"Hey Jude don't make it bad, take a sad song and make it better"
(uh huh, good stuff here)
9 The Beatles
Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
"Picture yourself in a boat on a river, with tangerine trees and marmalade skies"
(somebody calls you , you answer quite slowly, a girl with kaliedascope eyes)
10 The Beatles
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
"It was twenty years ago today, Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play"
(meh, love the song but as lyrics go its unisnpired, I think the walrus is more interesting)
11 The Beatles
Yesterday
"Yesterday, All my troubles seemed so far away, Now it looks as though they're here to stay, Oh, I believe in Yesterday."
(me too john, me too)
12 Bill Withers
Lean On Me
"Lean on me, when you're not strong, And I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on, For it won't be long , Til I'm gonna need, Somebody to lean on"
(hmmm, ok, yes, there does seem to be a fairly constant angst now)
13 Blur
Parklife
"I get up when I want, except on Wednesdays, When I get rudely awakened by the dustmen"
(well in all fairness, we have all been there, and it sucks)
14 Bob Dylan
Subterranean Homesick Blues
"Johnny's in the basement mixing up the medicine. I'm on the pavement thinking about the Government"
(This man can do no wrong, besides, many of his lyrics where made by mixing words clipped out of magazines. The original fridge poet)
15 Bob Marley
No Woman, No Cry
"Said I remember when we used to sit in the government yard in Trenchtown, yeah! And then Georgie would make the fire lights, I seh, logwood burnin' through the nights"
(doesn’t everyone?)

VH-1 has this to say
The top five lyrics in the VH1 poll were:
1. U2 - One. "One life, with each other, sisters, brothers."
2. The Smiths - How Soon is Now? "So you go, and you stand on your own, and you leave on your own, and you go home, and you cry, and you want to die."
3. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit. "I feel stupid and contagious, here we are now, entertain us."
4. Bob Marley - Redemption Song. "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds, have no fear for atomic energy, 'cause none of them can stop the time."
5. Coldplay - Yellow. "Look at the stars, look how they shine for you."

For myself, some of the lyrics in these lists would rank well with me, but others are a bit drab and predicatble. Where are the boomtown rats with I hate Mondays? Surely a classic, with some superb lyrics.

How about Black Sabbath, “look into my eyes and see who I am, my name is lucifer please take my hand” and Ozzy’s solo stuff. Ugh, frankly I am dissapointed and can confirm that the MTV watching, voting british public are dull, and staid and unimaginative, but then look at the government, you could say the same of our political votes.

I dont even bother to look at the charts normally, but I had a quick look just for this and was pleasently suprised.

1 Sandi ThomI Wish I Was A Punk Rocker(RCA)
2 Gnarls BarkleyCrazy(Warner Bros)
3 KeaneIs It Any Wonder(Island)
4 Pink Who Knew(Laface)
6 Ronan Keating & Kate RusbyAll Over Again(Polydor)/
7 Oakenfold Ft Brittany MurphyFaster Kill Pussycat(Perfecto)
8 Nelly FurtadoManeater(Geffen)
9 LL Cool J Ft Jennifer LopezControl Myself(Def Jam)
10 Primal ScreamCountry Girl(Columbia)

I haven’t heard the no 1, but Pink and Primal Scream both in the top ten? Are people with taste still buying singles en mass? Can I get a woot woot?
I think generally the songs that stick with people are the ones they can really understand and feel, so all that angst connects to us so it lasts.
I may make a more meaningful comment at some point but dfor now my ramblings will have to do. Does this help at all Carly?

It's only rock n roll, but I like it, yes I do!!

2006-06-08T10:28:00.000+01:00

Click the link for a full and proper review by Warro.

I finished work at lunchtime yesterday, dashed home, collected the bike from its service, had my potato for lunch, fed the furried, changed my top, changed my top a few more times, made a couple of phone calls, and ran out the door at about 1:30pm to go to wolverhampton. Warro and I arrived in Wolves at 2:45ish and took up our positions outside the Civic Hall, where we remained, pretty much constantly until about 7, when we went in.
The point of all that hanging around was smple, Warro wanted autographs, this is due to be Twisted Sisters last tour and a lot of old Vinyl came out for the occasion. We got a couple of signatures and we had our photos taken with Dee Snider (who is a darling btw) and generally buzzed off the whole thing. M arrived at 6:30 ish and joined us, he is not a big fan of Glam, but this was such an undeniably neccessary part of any metallers gig history!!
The gig! Hanoi Rocks were supporting and they kicked off hard and fast. Oh how they rocked!!! And thje outfits, something about skinny man in eyeliner and sequins just gets me going, lol. After a dissapointing performance from them last year in Scarborough they more than redeemed themselves last night.
Then the main event, an hour and a half of pure unadulterated Twisted Sister!!!! Wootwoot. I haven't rocked out like that since i was about 13, it was completely awesome!!! all the favourites, SMF, we're not gonna take it, stuff like that, and a track they haven't played live since donnington 1983 (I think warro was there?, but I was 6, so missed it) there own version of Rolling Stones "it's only rock and roll" and yes, we liked it, a lot!!!!
www.hanoirocks.com
www.twistedsister.com

Photos
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=10698213&uid=3920848&members=1

It's dirt OK!!!!

2006-06-06T20:18:00.000+01:00

I just spent two days in a lab learning about soil mechanics. Some of the experiments were fun, but i could pass up on all the math, bleauch. Cheered myself up by investing in Death Cab for Cutie "Plans". Actually class wasn't that bad, itwas just ahell of a lot to take in, in a really short time, thepeople were goodand I had some fun, but added to the travelling needed it was pretty tiring, my brain aches from just tryingtokeep up.
The weekend was Loonstock, but M wasreally poorly so we didn't go, we were both gutted, but its too far to risk him not beinng well for the drive back, if it had been somewhere closer we might have risked it. The best weekend of lunacy, fire staring, tray jousting and hanging out with hippies of the year passed without us, we shall have to make up for it some how.
What else since i last posted? oh I saw my parents, they broughtGrandpa's old sideboard for me, it's abeautiful piece of furniture and i love it!! We all decampedto borders for chats, where mum told me Dad said hehopes i stick with M coz he's such a good sort. I realise this sounds good to you all, but you probably don't realise the imensity of something like this from my dad. If i ask him what he thinks of someone he usually says something like, "oh well idon't really know him", so to volunteer something like this, well we can seriously start looking for rings. Yay!!!

peace and love

2006-05-31T11:41:00.000+01:00

http://www.peaceandlove.org.uk/

If you have any interest in festivals in the UK and Europe this is the place to be!! And if they've missed anything, tell them, always happy to hear.

I believe there are plans to make the peace and love writsbands available through the site int he near future, these were created for advertising purposes but all profits go to Action Aid. Peace and love is a non profit site, run by freaks and hippies. Gotta love 'em.

Yay for meteorology!!!

2006-05-30T17:46:00.000+01:00

It was Glastonbudget this weekend, so we packed up our tents and went to camp in a field in Leicestershire! We got there about 7pm Friday evening, and were not the first peace and lovers to arrive but were fairly early. Sadly fires were not permitted so it was a pretty chilly evening andwe were glad of the scouse tent (a large tent we use the outer layer of to create a sort of meeting hall out of the wind). Last year there were only about 700 people at thisevent, this year there were about 2,500 we reckon, it was agood atmosphere and still not exactly overcrowded. From a camping point of view we were unfortunate that our neighbours had two small children who woke everyone up at 6am screaming.

the acts were pretty good, although some of the new bands were a little suspect, the point of glastonbudget is that they use tribute acts, and some ofthese were excellent. Saldy we missed Pink Fraud and Guns 2 Roses on sunday, leaving early because M was really pretty ill. Turns out it wasn't sunstroke or too much beer, coz he's still ill and now I have got it. Grrr. Colds all round i fear. Also on the bill and performing well were Ded hot chilli peppers, Clone Roses, Stereotonics, Oasish (try saying that after a few beers), Antarctic Monkeys and Mercury.

The real Chaz and Dave played on the sunday afternoon and were pelted with bunnies and the gang all bought there peace and love wristbands, (all profits to actionaid). We even press ganged one poor drunk into buying one.

Anyway, here's a few pics, coz i am still far too blech with cold to write anymore about it.

Green Days - a good energetic performance

Robbing Williams - I thought he did this well

Us.

oddly mark manages to be in two different places for these pictures. man of many talents.

Toast Rat

2006-05-22T19:57:00.000+01:00

my little buddy Chaos

Beer, locomotives and beards

2006-05-22T18:14:00.000+01:00

Friday night was rail ale at barrow hill in chesterfield. I hadto get up at 5am with M to be delivered to his parents house so I was ready,in chesterfield when the time came.
About 6:30 we headed out, me M, Phil and their dad to the Arkwright, for a swift one then out with a handful of other real ale fans to the bus stop. We had our own bus laid on at 7:10pm, and it took us door to door, and returned us at 10:15 to the arkwright in plenty of time for last orders.

Rail Ale itself was great, my first real ale festival, you get a commemorative half pint glass and buy beer tokens. You then go through your guide book, decide what you fancy and headup forit. I started with "Time Warp Again" which had undertones of banana and caramel, it smelled rank but was delicious.

The beard turn out was dissapointing, however one gentleman, sporting a fabulous beard, was very obliging when i asked if I could photograph his facial decoration. Yay for freindly bearded men. Interesting fact, I used to have a phobia of beards, i didn't really get over it until my teens, I have only ever been romantically linked to one person with facial hair and we lived together for a while. My first dentist had a beard and it wasn't until we changed dentists that mum discovered it wasn't the dentist itself i was afraid of, but the beard!!

Ostentatious facial ornament!

Anyway, oddly none of us got very drunnk, but M and I both bought cheesy t-shirts, mine asks, "do my boobs look big in this" which is a silly question, but hey.

Saturday was mostly quiet, but we did get sucked into the Eurovision song contest, it's a peculiar form of self abuse, made bearable only by Terry Wogan's increasingly unguarded commentary. It was one by the Finish heavy metal entry, which is good, because how would you pick between the 23 shades of beige the other countries presented. our own entry was an all time low, a group of nothing special dancers in school unifroms, putting on(i really hope) awful accents and a 40 something in a shell suit jacket singing about school, which he clearly left 30 years ago and the age of 10. I'm not bitter, just terribly saddened that with a pretty damn good british music scene at the moment this pish is the best we have to offer eurovision.

WEEKEND

2006-05-18T14:59:00.001+01:00

I am on leave tommorrow, the week finsihes for me in 1hr and after a week of miscalculations and hassle i can honestly say not a minute too soon!!!!

Tommorrow we are up at 5am and heading up to Marks parents, where he will dump me while he does his morning at work , then RAIL ALE!!!!! a real ale festival at Barrow Hill. Yay!!! I can't wait!!!

playing around again

2006-05-18T14:59:00.000+01:00

Your Inner Child Is Angry

You're not an angry person.
But when you don't get your way, watch out.
Like a very manipulative kid, you will get what you want.
Even if it takes a little kicking and screaming.

How'>http://www.blogthings.com/howisyourinnerchildquiz/">How Is Your Inner Child?

accidental cults, tequila slammers and the rain

2006-05-17T12:15:00.000+01:00

the title links to a post by Tequila Red about kindness in the rain. I guess the rain in Chicago isn't that much different from the rain in Leicester, it's grey, miserable, wet and occurs about 300 days a year.

Anyway, it reminded me that I am a joinee, and apart from generally trying to be nicer to people I haven't actively done any good deeds in ages. I need to start getting some Random Acts of Kindness going again.

For those of you that don't know, Joinees originated from Danny Wallace who decided to place an advert asking people to join him. Eventually he had to provide a satisfactory answer to what people were joining him to do (amazing how many people signed up prior to a mission statement). Good Fridays were born.

For more information check out the website
http://www.join-me.co.uk/

for more information on Danny Wallace and his books
http://www.dannywallace.com/

96 tears

2006-05-16T20:25:00.000+01:00

some weeks you have to wonder what the hell you did to the world to p*ss it off so damn much.
This week started outlike that. Check that, it kicked in on sunday and kept kicking.
Sunday morning I got up ready to settle into my soil mechanics homework. couldn't find my books, figured they must be at work, but a little nagging doubt kept working on me all day, along with the feeling that it was wrong not to be doing something constructive, so much that Mark was convinced i was upset about something. Not stoopid that boy.

soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

monday i get to work and there they aren't. EEEEEEEEEEEP. My lecturer in autocad on weds hasn't seen them, yup I made the call. I had a coursemate all set to scan the lot for me. ridiculous state i was in. anyway, i took tyhe afternoon as study leave and charged home to tear the house apart. Having devastated thehouse with my usualsubtle search tactic, I was finally about to give up and melt into a tearful mess then a thought occurred, and i popped upstairs to have one last check in the spare room. D'oh.
Ok, sowe had a couple of crates of Marks stuff inthe corridoor till friday when he tidied up a bit before mums visit.
They aren't my crates and the only things in them of mine were the books and coat ihad thrown in wearlier int he week. Just so happened it was my soil mechanics books. lol, I am a total eejit.

Today was pretty stressful and i think M had an even rougher one, so generally got home tired and cranky. cleaned the bunnies,had tea, cleaned myself, updated the website, and now feel generally restored.

Kamper!!

2006-05-16T08:53:00.000+01:00

hun, I can't wait to hear about the wedding but i've been unable to tell you as i can't seem to post coments on your blog this week. Humph.
I am sure it will sort itself out, my Pc sometimes has these little wobbles.

monday from hell

2006-05-15T08:19:00.000+01:00

and it's only 8:15.
I was goign to settle into my oursework on sunday but couldn't find my book and folder, I was sure i'd brought them home but extensive rooting didn't turn them up, I decided they must be at work and tried to enjoy the day, it was slightly marred by the knowledge that i should be doing something useful and worrying about my books.
So I get to work this morning and they aren't here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I want to go home and tear the place apart and find them, and if they aren't there I will have ot call the uni and ask them for replacements, which will take time to get to me and I only have two weeks to do the assignment. i am in such a panic and I am stuck at work!!

Toast Recommends!

2006-05-12T08:23:00.000+01:00

Ok, so it's friday and I haven't done this in the longest time so I shall put a few in!!!

For amusement,a little light relief if you will, the old ones are still the best so I give you
Hamster Dance
http://www.hampsterdance.com/

for heavy metal fabulousness i am listening to Tool at the moment
http://www.toolband.com/

TV wise, I am feeling the new british series "Strange" for demon hunting mayhem, in a so far slightly camp manner, and obviously Doctor Who. Can't find a link for Strange just yet, but here is the BBC's offical Dr Who Site.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/index.shtml

Finally books,
I am reading The Julie/Julia Project, this started off as a blog and ended up as a book contract, the link is for the ongoing blog not the original food blog.
http://juliepowell.blogspot.com/
if you want the food blog google the book title.

Sunshine & Spraypaint

2006-05-12T08:16:00.000+01:00

I lvoe this weather, this weather is what makes it all worth it!!!Site vists are often, cold, damp, miserable, and full of angry residents, I have been cursed at, had walking sticks shaken at me and been rained and hailed on so hard I looked very drwoned ratlike.
The last two afternoons tho, I have been out on site in the glorius sunshine, spray painting footways and learning how to do it right and even the residents have been fairly chilled out about it. I guess the sun brings out the best in everyone.

Last night I went to my therapist and got zapped, I didn't sleep well again at night, but non the less am still enjoying the "i am fabulous and invincible" glow left over from the zapping (it is hypno therapy non electric shock therapy, just a mind zap).

what did we do before

2006-05-10T12:02:00.000+01:00

therapy?

I have been thinking about htis as I once again join the ranks of those who refer to their "therapist" more easily than their doctor even.

I have been in therapy twice, at uni I went into counselling for stress and now, 10 yrs on, I am in hypno therapy seeking a longer term solution, but again, it seems to boil down to stress.

People take time off sick due to stress, and we have a wide array of mental illnesses, dosorders, borderlin disorders and things to be treated with a wider range of therapies, medications, holistic and spiritual guidance. What happened way back when...

Were we less stressed, less anxious, were our bodies chemical and hormonal balances more, well, balanced, is it down to our current processed food, polluted environment and un natural way of living. We have light when the sun is down, we have heat with no fire, our bodies are exposed to all sorts of manmade outside influences, for women, who really "flows" with the tide anymore, even if you aren't on the pill.

In the environment of evoutionary adaptiveness (technical term, see my degree did count for something)would we have needed therapists even if we had them? and if not, does this not tell us that something is seriously wrong with the world we created, where the business of everyyday living has to be supported, salved and treated by therapy.

Platforms, bad wigs and rock n roll

2006-05-08T12:05:00.000+01:00

Platforms 5th May 2006

The Platforms - Leicester 5th may 06

On Friday a bunch of us gathered for a glam 70's night. We got dressed up and all piled into a pub we fequent from work, then walked to The Musician, a pub tucked into the deepest depths of Leicester, a single warm, light place amongst all the greyness and misery. Anyway we turned up and our goup were the only ones in fancy dress, but since there were 20+of us that really didn't matter.
The Band, The Platforms (click the post title to check them out) were actually really good and between them and our costumes much fun was had.
The were chatting to people during the break and after the gig, and were genuinly pleased to see us in all out silliness.
Soo, to check out Mark resurrecting his Justin Hawkins look and some of my other odd friends follow the link below.

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=8792252&uid=3920848&members=1

I shall add a couple of pics to this post when I can.

Pushkin RIP

2006-05-05T08:45:00.000+01:00

I had my little Pushkin rat put down yesterday. He was a respectable 2 and a half years old, and recently became underweight and frail, but at his age that's normal. He had an infected wound on his face and with everything else it was kinder just to have him put down.
He was an absolute angel the whole time, of all the rats I have had over the years he was the most people oriented, he loved to be handled and snuggled and loved. He was a licker, if you stroked him he would lick your hand in response, I used to get a good grooming from Pushkin.

So this is just a little memorial (will post piccies over the weekend)

Adding him to the Rainbow Bridge:
Drainpipe
Honorary mention to Taurus and Squirus who were resident at Chez Toast tho not my rats.
Flash
Lexx
Quantum
Dragosani
Matrix
Asimov
Pushkin

It's ok, it is always upsetting to lose a friend but it is ok.

I suppose i should have known

2006-05-03T16:41:00.000+01:00

the pink boa and tonne of makeup (which i rarely wear, but do own) count for nothing.

You Are 0% Girly

Um... you're a guy, right? If not, you're the most boyish girl in the world.

And for you, that's probably the ultimate compliment.

How Girly Are You?

ssssssssssssssso

2006-05-03T13:54:00.000+01:00

I got tagged, my letter is S, if you want a letter leave a comment

Snow - i love it, i love how cold it is, and white, and how it covers the city and makes it clean and the memories of playing in the snow with my brother.

Sunshine - the sun is out right now and it makes me feel all happy and chilled

Soulmate - what i believe I have fond in Mark

Snakes - i love them but couldn't keep one. One of mum's friends had Pythons when i was a child that we would stroke

Sillyness - we don't indulge in it enough

Simon -a very dear and wonderful old friend

Spices - wonderful to cook with and amazing smells

Snowdrops - th first little white flowers of spring

No matter how I try, I find my way into the same old jam

2006-05-02T13:01:00.000+01:00

left to right- Mark, Dave, Rob, Phil
It has been a good bank holiday weekend. Friday Mark turned up with an new bigger bunny hutch, for keeping them penned while people mill about, and a giant George Foreman BBQ grilling Machine, his Dad didn't like it because it lacks the chargrilled flavour, so we now have it. Yay for us!!!!
Phil came down a bit later and part of friday evening and most of saturday morning was spent frantically cleaning and mowing and preparing for visits.
Saturday lunch time Rob arrived and later Dapper Dave turned up (he used to be Tall Dave, then Dave the Lodger, he is still tall but not a lodger anymore) and we all hung out drinking and listening to music.
That evening after a minor fiasco over the taxis (I forgot there were 5 of us, not 4) we all go to The Charlotte safely to watch Led Zepp Too. Tribute band obviously, for Led Zeppelin, who we all like. It was only about half full, which was grand by us, and apart from a small number of total eejits, it was a really good night.
The Drummer absoultely nailed his part, the guitarist and guitar/keyboard player new what they were doing, the weak link was definately the singer, who, sporting a cheap wig and socks in his trousers (appropriate under the circumstances) failed to deliver any real power, for all his enthusiasm. Still, he tried hard and not many people would be up to the task vocally. The set was 2 and a half hours, with some of the songs that tend to run to 40mins live with the real thing, mercifully cut down to 10mins or so. It was amusing to have band members hopping off the stage to use the facilities, and grab a beer before hopping back on, during various points where they weren't needed. Added to the casual atmosphere.
The low point was a small group of morons whose shared braincell was obviously on loan that night putting all their energy into making faces, fighting with each other and pointing at the be-socked crotch, ok, ok, we can all tell, get over it and grow up. The non musical high point was probably the goth soft porn show that took place between two girls, and later a guy who were ummm, i guess dancing(?) in front of the bulk of the crowd.
The first half of the set was definately better, but all told it delivered well for a tribute band.
After the gig we headed back and got a fire going in my back garden. A few more beers and some sausage sarnies later I headfed to bed about 1:15, the four boys got tucked in around 2am and the fire burnt itself out and the ashes were cooled with rain by the time we woke up.
The rest of the weekend was chilled out and quiet, but pleased to say it was also long with the May Day bank holiday yesterday.

Who do you love?

2006-04-28T13:31:00.000+01:00

What are your daily blog addictions?
I get on happily when Carly, Kamper and Jazz are all blogging like crazy people, and there are plenty more that I browse on a more casual basis, Tales from a tiny kitchen has a long list that i reference time to time. I love Blue fluff and Nelly to visit a couple fo times a week and Gut Rumble sis good for just that.
I thought it was just light entertainment till i had a week were virtually no one had anything interesting to say, Black and White was stil, Tequila Red and others were all sooo quiet. I was sooo restless i couldn't concentrate without my daily dose of other peoples lives.
I have talked about why we blog before, in answer a post by Jazz, but I have to say I forget how much I miss being involved in every aspecct of someones life. I think it is from University, I lived with 5 other girls and the boys downstairs were friends and we mostly knew each others movements and were soooo wrappe dup in each others lives. My friendships don't seem like that anymore, but then I don't live with anyone. I miss it in a way, not sharing my home, just that access to someone elses' thoughts and life, the way perspective and reality go out of the window and a mutual perception takes over.
Anyway, I guess these bloggers that i read regularly give me a sense of that, I can follow the thoughts and moments of someone else's life. Though nothing will replace playing music and reading poetry at 4 in the morning because we lost track of time with Jolanda and a bowl of angel delight. (Like Jello Pudding)

Spring Begins in Earnest

2006-04-25T13:24:00.000+01:00

Weather be damned, my weekends are suddenly full of activity, so I know it's spring. This weekend, friday night was Q69's birthday so M & I headed over to meet them for the journey into town, where we had a few drinks, hung out and chatted with people, Q has a strange array of friends, which is great.
J&M

We weren't out very late, but while we were there M talked them into coming to ours on sat for the football. So Saturday I was up bright and early and cleaning like a demon, got soooo much done, frdges swapped and cleaneing done, and food shopping, ripped up the horrid carpet from the conservatory, prepared a tonne of food for our guests and generally made the place nice, M helped of course, mowed the lawn and did a few bits in the house, including hoovering. It's all starting to look nearly habitable now.
So Q & J came over, we hung out, watched footy, talked and passed the time till they went off to yet more partying. Sunday we weren't sure if we were going to do anything. We headed to borders for coffee and browsing, then came home and decided that we fancied Ironbridge, so I threw an overnight bag in the boot and off we went. We found a gorgeous room in a and stayed the night. The pub we were in was having it's quiz night, so we had a really wonderful supper and joined in the quiz, definately worth a pound for the entertainment value. M was appalled that it was my first ever pub quiz. I suspect i may do more. We were the first people ever to stay in the room and it wasn't quiet, being just above the bar, but we weren't exaclty going to bed early, and it was a very pretty calm room. We loved it so much we are going back in three weeks.

I can't do the Ironbridge itself justice, it was the first of it's kind of an amazing feat of engineering for it's time, even now it's pretty impressive, and the Gorge it is in is lovely, you feel so far from civilisation even though you are only 10miles from Wolverhampton. Just bliss. Lots of museams to explore next time too.

Musings

2006-04-21T08:54:00.000+01:00

The last post in Haphazard Life got me thinking about the things that make you feel good and put that strut in your stride.
I remember getting ready in the toilets at work for a date and heading out in to the street. I'd worked hard at losing weight and was nervous but feeling fairly good about myself. A young, not unnatractive guy gave me a frank look and whistled as i passed him, it was just the boost i needed. I strode of feeling fabulous.
But a song i love with a good beat does it too, walking to work i notice how my pace changes according to what is on MP3, some songs just make me feel great.
And why are compliments from strangers sometimes so much more powerful than compliments from people who love us? Do we assume that because they love us they see us differently?
Right, ok, well this is what happens if i don't have coffee before i start blogging. I am gonna go make my first cup of nasty instant office coffee now,

Hope of the States

2006-04-20T09:05:00.000+01:00

I love this band!!! I saaw them in 2004 at the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham and they rocked, so I went last night to see them at the Charlotte. If it wasn't sold out it can't have been far off. It's a nice small venue, but the sound is a tricky issue and virtually all the views are bad, but still, we had a nice lively set of really great rock!!! I was happy. :)
For a full review check out this link, courtesy of the wonderful people at Peace and Love.
http://www.peaceandlove.org.uk/reviews/2006/hopestates2006.htm
fortunately we didn't have the power cut.

Jackanory - Tell me a story

2006-04-19T17:41:00.000+01:00

Ok, so yesterday I had my first session with the hypnotherapist. I went to work, walked in, and drudged through the day waiting till itwas timeto go.
My vital Stats BTW
Height 5ft 6inches
Weight 18st 4pounds (eeek)
dress size 24
i'm also a G.

Anyway, I left work 5mins early and headed up tot he bus stop,where the bus turned up instantly, as if by magic, found the place again , noproblem, but was 35mins early and he wasn't ready for me. I headed to the Subway on the corner for a coffee to wait. Lol, I paid and took my cup and got a dribble of frothy milk and water, and asplash of caffiene, and then removed my cup before the next dribble. oops. Very weak coffee. lol.

I passed thetime till i was due at the therapist and headed back. It went well, I was hypnotised, just very deep relaxation, you could move but you don't want to, and you are aware of what's going on. I remember the session but have no concept of time. We then talked a bitand i took away a cd to use till my next session. I felt relaxed and peppy. I listened tothe CDthis am and felt relaxed and peppy again. Things didn't stress me as much today. I stillate too much but not as much and we aren't actually dealing directly with my weight. It was good and i would recommend it to anyone who has trouble relaxing.

I then went straight to Q69's to tell her all about it and have a cup of tea. i didn't get a photo of the handsome fox that was trotting around her garden, wish i had. She took fat photos of me for comparison, which i will not be posting but will keep for the future. Instead I decided to post a different kindof fox. The new Dr Who. lol

The rest of Easter

2006-04-18T15:40:00.000+01:00

Ok, soooo, sunday & monday were quiet again, spent hanging around watching Scrubs and the Great Biker Build off mostly, I now know the difference between soft tail and rigis frame chopper bikes.
We went to Borders monday morning so Mark could get an acoustic guitar book and he lent me the money for Julie/Julia, a book by a Julie Powell who spent a year wrking through Julia Childs, Mastering the art of french cookery and blogged about it. Well I have read some of the blog and am really enjoying the book!!!!
i also did some homework on sunday. Pfffffffffft. :p
But I did some more this morning at work and I am getting there at last.
I baked some cakes, and made bolognaise a different way from usual, which I will post on Tales of a Tiny Kitchen at some point, and basically we ambled through the weekend not doing anything very much except playing and enjoying each others company. It was nice.

Happy Easter

2006-04-16T09:16:00.000+01:00

So far we are having a quiet one. M came down thursday night andon friday about lunch timeweheaded up to his parents. M, Phil, their dad and I went to the Arkwright for a beer festival, Phil and I didn't drink much and were pretty sober, M &his dad got a bit mashed, it was areally nice way to spend an afternoon, hanging out in a pub surrounded by people who know and like us, even M's ex who serves behind the bar was civil when she had to serve him, although she made a bit of a point of being friendly with his dad and totally blanking the 3 of us. lol, you'd think after more than a year she'd be over their two month relationship. ah well. I find it a little sad but can't honestly say it bothers me much.
Yesterday we trundled home and did the shopping, today nothing will be open but that's ok, I have homework to doand Mark has his lovely new guitar toplay with. He is presently pulling tab of the internet.
/Oh, and yesterday the new doctor who started. Yay, David Tennant, yummmy!

Ep 4 - The New Hope

2006-04-13T08:38:00.000+01:00

lol, well, a glass of wine, chatting to friends and a good nights sleep helped make this morning brighter and more hopeful. Graham assures me his notes on the analysis are superb, which they usually are, so yay for that!!
Definately feeling more chipper.

therapy girl

2006-04-12T17:26:00.000+01:00

Doesn't matter that you stick hypno in front of it, it'sstill therapy. I went wanting help with my weight, but in 5-7 sessions he reckons he can also help with my confidence, stress and self sabotage. Well i feel stressed right now. I feel like i could cry right now. My first assignment came back, i have to re do a chunk of it and send it back in, it's not so much that i got stuff wrong, it is just maths and i was always lousy at that, lol, but the humiliation, Warro keeps telling me you'd have to be a moron to cock up any part of this course, so the person who's help i want is the person i'd be humiliated to go to. I shall borrow grahams file and figure it out alone, and it will be fine, but i left the next assignment late and i have to study for the exam, so i can't afford the precious hours i have to spend on the first one.
I mademy first proper appointment with the therapist, next tuesday after work, more of my precious time lost. Some days iwantto curl up in bed and wait for it all to be over. Still, I am pretty good at coping really, i tackle stuff mostly when it comes down to the wire, and i shall sort this out too. Right now I have to get ready to do someovertime for work, lol, what a joke, i can barely afford to spend normal time in work, sheesh, thank god there is no evening class during the easter hols, although i miss it,I find Autocad strangely theraputic, maybe because I am good at it.

on a lighter note,here of me and M's brother Phil at kenilworth castle

red light means stop.

2006-04-11T19:12:00.000+01:00

don'tknowwhat i am talkingabout, not you, me, i don't know. I amsitting atmydesk at home staring blankly at my rubber traffic cone, and that is what popped into my head.
i went to see a hypnotherapist last night for an assessment. nothing new, I spent the last tenyears building bad habits, i suffer from stress but it's better than it used tobe, i haveno particular trauma,i jusst amwhat i am. I can still be helped. He will teach me not to sabotage myself, to believe in myself more, to break old habits and build new ones. I like him,just as well since i am trusting himwith my mind. I trust mark with my mind too, my mental and emotional health. i didn't know this is what it couldfeel like,to love and be loved, to not have to be onedge, to not be able to pick a fight when i come home pissy, andto beglad of that, to let someone fold me up in a hug and have everything just oooze away till i feel calm. i'm going to marry him when he asks, which he will, i'm glad,amongst everything else i have that to hold onto. im n0t afraidanymore, but i still hav e trouble stopping, standing still, letting him bringlife to a stop for a moment so we can breathe. must work on that, happily ever after is in those out of time and space breaths. stopping now.

6 weeks to a year

2006-04-11T13:16:00.000+01:00

May 25th 2005 this was my blog entry...

Marvellous May!!
so Piers, my brother, came up at the weekend to clear the garden and give me something to work with, it was a jungle, and there wqas a severe danger of being eaten alive by ants in there!!
So he was due to come up thursday evening, he finally arrived at 2:30am on friday. YIKES!!! I had to wait up for him. No wonder really that since then my cold has won and i am really feeling quite poorly.
Still we got loads done and on saturday a few people came round to bbq, it was lovely. A few people included Mark, who came from a little further up north to meet me while my bro and friends where there. He even ended up having to meet mum who hadnt left when expected. He took it all in his stride and we had a wonderful weekend. Erm...I think he's my boyfriend *grins*, it certainly has that feel to it. Will have more idea after this weekend. He's coming down again. :)
I am very happy inspite of illness!
posted by Hageltoast at 3:54 PM 0

it's six weeks away to the date that I met Mark for the first time. It's flown by so fast, and we have come such a long way. I hope our 2nd year together will start with him moving in.
It's so funny, we nearly argued for the first time at the weekend, but totally failed to get into proper fight mode. lol
me: we can honeymoon in australia
him: i don't like australia, what about new zealand?
me what's wrong with australia?
him? it's just like here but hotter
me: well I want to go to australia
him: well it's good to know i'm getting no say at all in anything

time passes
him: what about the maldeves
me: I don't want to go to the stupid maldeves i want to go to australia, but fine, we can go to new zealand

a few minutes later
me: how about we buy a VW van and tour europe in it?
him: yeah, lets do that.

Crises averted. Of course, there nees to be a proposal, engagement, wedding and all the rest before where we go for the honeymoon becomes life or death, nothing like getting ahead of ourselves. ;)

why blog - my response for you Jazz

2006-04-11T08:31:00.000+01:00

This started life as a comment, but got kinda long, so click the title to see the post i am responding to.

Why blog? Is it self important, self absorbed.

blogging makes us part of a community again, like the forums, it takes the place of disecting the minutae of life over coffee because that isn't always possible, and it adds to what is possible, it makes us feel part of each others real live's and adds new dimensions of thought to our own. people are afraid that the www is helping people escape socialisation, but in most cases, society has been breaking down for so long, communities are falling apart without the help of the internet and for many of us, in our busy lives, with our friends moving all around the country, if not world, away from our hometowns, the internet allows us to build communities where we would have had to drift alone or nearly so, and to hold on to ties we would have lost long ago without it.
And frankly it's a damn good read over coffee.

weird?

2006-04-10T15:12:00.000+01:00

You Are 50% Weird

Normal enough to know that you're weird...
But too damn weird to do anything about it!

How Weird Are You?

what will you do to be thin?

2006-04-10T14:29:00.000+01:00

or in my case a healthy body weight. Well, tonite I am having my assessment interview with a hypno therapist to see if he can help me, all else having failed at this point. Over the years on meds, clubs, books and specific foods I have spent £100's at least this way, even if it doesn't work, I should feel better for my money.
I am desperate, I need to lose weight, quite a lot to get out of the "oh my god i'm amazed you haven't had a heart attack already" weight bracket. This worries me, especially since my eating is out of control and my weight is heading up again. I am unhappy with it, it makes me feel achey and lethargic and i don't sleep well and things are gettin gon top of me and sometimes i look in the mirror and want to cry, and yet in every other way my life is happier and better than it has ever been, I have never loved or accepted myself as well as i do now, everything accept my weight. I don't even wan to be thin, I love having curves, I wouldn't lose them for the world, but it is out of hand right now. Badly.
So wish me luck tonite, because if this is a no go, then i don't know what else i can do.

sleet ona sunday

2006-04-09T19:33:00.000+01:00

It's Sunday evening and my weekly funk is uponme. I hate this, thelast couple fo hours before bed. When M goes to work on Monday (getting up at 5am) I never know ifhe will makeit down before thursday, The plus side is at least this week I know we have the long easter weekend to look forward to.
It has been a fun weekend again. On friday Dave the lodger came over in the evening and vegged out, watched tv and generally hung out. He seemstoenjoy being here, andwe love having him over, he is easy company and I am looking forward to introducing him to Phil, i think their humour should blend well. We are all going to Led Zep Too at the Charlotte att heend of the month. Well Dave stuck around till saturday afternoon, after lunch, and saturday was good too,I cooked pizza from scratch) and moved stuff around and M mowed the lawn, and sorteda PC out and stuff. Today we had a slow start, then ambled toBorders tolook at books and have a coffee, then it was into town to meet Q69 & J & a couple of others for lunch at the Eataway chinese, yum. M looked at acoustic guitars and may be making a purchase soon, cool and groovy. yay!
Now I am gonna see what I can rustle up for tea and sort sandwiches out for tommorrows lunches. I hate sunday nights, I hate that M still lives in Sheffield.

Blue skies, green frogs and dried pigs ears

2006-04-08T17:34:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I took the afternoon off and wandered down to the bus station to meet Froggy. We have been on line buddies for about 4 years and in a bizarre twist of circumstances she started seeing my ex. The best thing about this is she has come to the UK for 6months to be with him, yay, because I get to play with her too.
After picking her up we started to ander into town, stopping at thepet shop so I could get disinfectnt, she was a little grossed out by the dried pigs ears as dog chews and live grubs and meal worms on the counter, never occured to me they don't do that everywhere. We went toCroques for lunch, they do fabulous sandwich things, like croques (posh toasties) wraps and pitta's, Froggy had her first ginger beerand it was lovely because they have them in the old fashioned bottles there instead of cans.
We wandered around some of my favourite shops, Forbidden Planet, where the three people iknow were all on so that was cool, and Discovery where they sellall sorts f improted art thing that seem really randomly priced, the very bizaar which she loved, and where i introduced her to the lovely Andrew (bottom pic). We also took ina second hand book store and gallery where Froggy was in her element! It was a really joyful afternoon, finished off with the speedy and sinfull sharing of a bag of Thorntons chocolates.

here we are, Froggy is holding some beautiful china frogs.

Friendships, ain't they strange.

2006-04-07T08:03:00.000+01:00

A friend is using her blog to vert at the moment about how much of a tasteless bridezilla a friend of hers is, as a bridesmaid she is first in line fro the ugly side of weddingyness on the brides side i think.
It was interesting that people assumed she didn't like the bride and she has had to go as far as to point out she wouldn't have said yes to being a bridesmaid if she didn't. I get it, i really do.
Nik and I are good friends, we really care about each other, but it didn't start out that way, she hated me and i was oblivious at first and then confused and then wanted to sort it because we were flat sharing. We got it figured out in the end and built a freindship, but we'd started with hostility.
Recently, this is ten years on keep in mind, we were both part of one of those silly email conversations between a group of people with varying degrees of knowing each other. We carried on as normal with teasing and name calling and silliness, then someone replied asking what was up and were we both ok, why the hostility, we were both like WTF? hostile? we aren't hostile unless we are throwing things, and only then if they are heavy or sharp, we pay no attention to each others comments unless there are at least 4 exclamations !!! is fun, !!!!!!!! means OI! lol, and we were both sitting in different parts of the country wondering why someone who didn't know me and had never seen us together thought we were upset with each other. Funny to see a freindship fromt he outside, just shows how easy it is to misinterpret. So, T, while I think your friend has no class or style I know you want to do the best to meet her requests and give her the day she wants. You rock.

Soccer to Some

2006-04-06T15:27:00.000+01:00

I have never been interested in football. Occasionally i watch an England match with other people and I enjoy that well enough, but it has never occured to me to go and see a live match, or support a club or care really about any off it. I understand the offside rule because it seemed unlikely that women couldn't understand it, as i'd heard claimed. I have arrived at the conclusion that a lot of men just explain it really badly, it's actually very simple.
Anyway, M called me last night and asked how I felt about going to see some guy called Dave at a testimonial match in Wallsall. M is very excited, it would seem this guy is kind of his hero, I don't mind, he does so much for me that going to see the football is no great trauma, and i usually enjoy live events, just amused me that he wanted me to come, it's midweek so there isn't any need for me too, I am kind of pleased he wants to share this with me.
Apparently he will be introducing me to 20/20 cricket too this year.

National Rat Day

2006-04-05T14:02:00.000+01:00

the title is a link a friend sent me.
I love the ratties, they are soooo cute, and do make wonderful pets. Easier than the bunnies, although I love them too of course. I managed to get my mitts round Esme last night to check her over and get her used to being handled. She made some resentful grunting, but i think she is coping better than she used to, the last two or three times she hasn't drawn blood. :)

I am trying to book an assessment session with a hypno therapist today, my eating is out of hand and i need to do something about it. Something serious.

Sink or swim?

2006-04-03T17:03:00.000+01:00

I've managed a couple of decent nights sleep in the last week, so naturally allt he overtired, strung out stuff has hit me, i feel like icould collapse between the sheets and stay there for a month. I have so much to do, at home, for school, at work, and i am so overwhelmed and energyless i am frozen looking at it.
I made a little headway this weekend, I did 7 loads of laundry, well washed it and hung it out anyway, it's all drying, soon I shall have to deal with getting it all put away.
This morning i walked into work, iwas doing it every day before xmas, last week i didn't manage once, just couldn't find the energy, which is silly coz i always feel more alive for doing it.
Tonite i am swimming with Q69, that should be fun, we always have a giggle and she traiend as a gym instructor,she got 18 laps out of me last time, i've never done more than 8 before in my life!! And she didn't even have to make me cry. lol.
I took the afternoon as study leave, did about 10minutes studying, i shall take the stuff with me to work tommorrow and try to get stuck in in the morning before people get in, tho i have lunch with Tammy, a meeting in the am and a meeting inthe afternoon, so time will be a little tight. Maybe tommorrow night i willbeinthe mood to study, maybe i will just have to knuckle down if i don't wantto fail this module.
Right, i am gonna get some dinner so it's all down before i hit the water.

Kenilworth Castle

2006-04-02T08:16:00.000+01:00

Phil came down yesterday aswell as Mark, and since we actually had sunshine (wow!) we went to Kenilworth Castle. All those years of school in cov and having a friend in Kenilworth, yet i don't think i've ever been before.
We set off a little before ten, no rush after all. M had let hi sMP3 run low on battery soi got my wicked way, which meant we spent most of the 3/4 of an hour jumping tracks they don't like. lol. The Wildhearts and Guns and Roses were mutually acceptable, the theme tune to Hamtaro got skipped. Still, not everyone appreciates a good cartoon theme tune.
We got to the castle a little after ten and ambled in, Mark had his Heritage card, so we all chipped in £2 for Phil and all in all it seemed like a cheap day out.
Here are the boys just inside the entrance.

The castle is beautiful, mostly ruined, but far more vast than we'd considered, and there are enough bits of stairwell intact for exploration.
One section of the ruins

The weather stayed reasonable for most of our visit, and we spent acouple fo hours just ambling about enjoying the views from every angle. i also played around a bit with the effects on my camera, well it was the perfect venue for a few negative style shots.
here's the end of the stable block in it's "Silent Hill" glory.

After ward we went to the Beefeater pub across the road for a bar meal. It was dissapointing, they were very busy and under staffed and the food was, well, edible, but given they have a proper restaurant there we didn't feel it was up to much. Next time we shall try the Caledonian next door.
Good view from the window tho.

We topped the day off with a visit to the garden centre, always fun.

messing about with blogthings

2006-03-29T21:22:00.000+01:00

Your Musical Tastes Match: Jennifer Garner

See her whole playlist here (iTunes required)

What Celebrity Matches Your Taste in Music?

Bolsover Castle

2006-03-29T20:01:00.000+01:00

Saturday Mark took me toBolsover castle,nearwhere his parents live. We had the only few hours sun for weeks walking around and it was lovely!!!
any way, here
s a few pics.

D'oh

2006-03-28T12:17:00.000+01:00

You Are a Powdered Devil's Food Donut

A total sweetheart on the outside, you love to fool people with your innocent image.
On the inside you're a little darker, richer, and more complex.
You're a hedonist who demands more than one pleasure at a time.
Decadent and daring, you test the limits of human indulgence.

What Donut Are You?

Ginger and the sonic circus

2006-03-28T12:06:00.000+01:00

Last night we went to the Recue Rooms in Nottingham to watch Ginger (Wildhearts)and his latest project. Awesome. Very odd gig really, we missed the first support, which from reading reviews is a shame, but such is life. The songs were an odd mix of very Wildheatsy stuff and really random tracks, including one that could almost have been the Pogues. The Sonic Circus itself was an odd mix, a saxaphone lent a little bit of Ska to the sound at times, and on lead guitar was Connie Bloom (sp?) who i last saw is Scarborough playing for Hanoi Rocks, they also boasted a rythm guitarist of Wolfsbane fame, a girl who did a little rap during one of the tracks and another girl on backing vocals and tambourine.
I like this!! The Wildhearts have apparently split and if they never reform then I shall be content with Ginger and the Sonic Circus.

I posted a couple of photos here
http://www.picturetrail.com/hageltoast

Just PMS?

2006-03-27T08:47:00.000+01:00

I'm normally a little snippy and emotional before, but this month, I feel properly broken.
Disconnected, headachey and liable to burst into tear or punch someone in the face (50/50) at any moment. My limbs feel like iron and I haven't had a decent nights sleep in a week, funny how quickly that affects everything. I feel flushed and sooo low.
I'll be ok in a bit i expect, but right now.....
Broken.

Study Leave

2006-03-24T14:39:00.000Z

I took today off as study leave. Work are putting me through some education and the upside, apart from enoying the courses, is I get time off to study. That's what today is, a day for studying. Jo immediately said, "so skiving then". Well yes, a lot. I did some studying this morning, I shall do some more this afternoon, but really, i've been in a funk and needed some mental health space to find my balance again. I don't have as much time to breathe as i used to,and breathing is so very improtant. Not just in an in out move oxygen about kind ofway, but in a timeout from life to relax and take stock way. I have become more and more agitated, unable tositstill, my desk at work is spotless but the house is a tip. My priorities are skewed, I am not balanced. Normally I manitain a lightly chaotic balance, the house is untidy, but an hour would see it fit for visitors, at least ones who know me and don't mind the furries, my desk is a little busy, but I can find everything. Lately i got to where I couldn't find anything even if i'd only just put it down at work, I just kept feeling like i wanted to burst into tears, same thing at home, Iwas restless, irratable, notgood.
So today, today was about doing some equatins to reassure myself I could and stopping fora while, slumping in front of the tv with a coffee, doing a few dishes and not having to inorder to cook supper, finally posting that post about cafe italiano n the food blog. Having a bath in the middle of the afternoonand thinking about what i want to get done, then narrowing it down to a couple of things i can get done easily.
I'm not sure it solved everything, but a day away from normal has definately helped. Now M is home, I shall get dressed, we shall do the shopping, I will maybe get some laundry done, and between loads I will sit and enjoy being with him, instead of flitting around all flustered.

out of my depth

2006-03-21T11:09:00.000Z

Odd day yesterday. Walked to work, had a meeting i'd forgotten about in the morning where I said, umm a lot, but came out of it, slightly sheepish and very fired up. Met Marie for lunch, yay! quiet afternoon, went home. Walked to Anna's, hung out for a while, went swimming with Anna. I haven't been swimming in about 3 years, I am a poor swimmer, my only stroke is a front flail, bit like crawl, but less slick, did 18 laps, considerably more than i used to, was home just before 10pm, watched americas next top model, went to bed. Slept badly.
Got up late this morning but feeling energised. Flagging a bit now, roll on lunchtime.
I feel a little disconnected at the moment, not sure why, not even sure what from. Hmmm. Need to shake it off and get back to the world. Loads to do at home tonite too, including update the food blog with pics from Cafe Italiano.

Trainspotting

2006-03-20T14:12:00.000Z

nope, not a new hobby. We had a good weekend. Saturday I showed Mark round Leicester, would you believe we have been seeing each other ten months and he has never been into town. Well I took him to some of my favourite places and then we met went to the Globe pub at about 5ish. At 7 the others started to turn up and just before 8 we all headed to the theatre to see Trainspotting. It wasn't bad, I have seen a better version, but it was enjoyable and generally a good time was had. We came out at 10:30 and headed to Tim's for a bonfire. It was just a wonderful mellow kind of time. We got home around 1am sunday morning having left everyone else to it. Didnt ask what time everyone else went home. ;)

Sunday we had a long lie in, did the shopping and then Dave came for supper, it's always fun to see Dave.

Good stuff.

My Space

2006-03-16T08:54:00.000Z

Well, with so many people being on my space it made sense to sign up just in order to be able to view frends blogs, so that's what i've done.
I also have an eblogger coming soon to follow my reading habits.
Right, well, now you know.

I am also deluded. :)

2006-03-16T08:49:00.000Z

You Were a Cougar

You are a great leader who has dominance without ego.
You are wickedly cunning and off the scale confident.

What Animal Were You In a Past Life?

Musing and muesli

2006-03-15T09:11:00.000Z

Well, I made a choice, seriously, I keep saying it, but I am hoping and trusting that this time is different, lose weight, enjoy a healthier lifestyle. I walked to work, that in itself is nothing new but I had coffee before i went, take getting up and out the door a little slower, and caffiene is supposed to be good before excercise, i can't remember why, but it was. Then Muesli for brekfast, a nice one, with raspberries but no nuts in. :)
We shall see how the day develops. I shall not bore you with every detail of my progress (or potentially lack of) but will try to check in every wednesday to report, for my benefit really. Wish me luck!

Wonder Woman

2006-03-13T20:04:00.000Z

Well we already knew i was a geek. On saturday in sainsbury's i saw this 10" fig fromthe justice league cartoons going for a mere £4. She is now perched next tomy computer.
And that beautiful blue bowl inn the background is one of my brothers creations.

monday comes crashing in, and faces on the train look grim, when yeasterday, the same were smiling!

2006-03-13T10:09:00.000Z

I am off sick today. My throat hurts so badly ican barely swallow, my head is a little fuzzy and all weekend my lower back has been causing me pain. I assume it is just a bug of some description. We decidednot to go and see Sour Mash on saturday as the late night, smokey environment and sleeping on the floor were not likely to help matters, but we did go to Kedlestone Hall. It's in Derbyshire, only 45mins away from home and we went, had coffee ambled around for an hour and came home, where upon i collapsed onto the couch and didn't move much till bed time.
Anyway, Kedlestone is very ornate and the most complete example of Adam styling in the country, it's beautiful in an overdone kindof way, but they wouldn't let us take photos inside. I did take a couple outside to share with you tho.
The Church on the grounds. To build the hall they demolished the whole village and rebuilt it to one side of the grounds, the church is all that remains of the village prior to kedlestone hall.

And just for the skull and crossbones crew (you know who you are)

eeeeeeeeeeeeevil!!!!

2006-03-13T09:56:00.000Z

Gutted, I am actually very slightly less evil than Carly. Hmm, I need to go out and kick some puppies. ;)

You Are 64% Evil

You are very evil. And you're too evil to care.
Those who love you probably also fear you. A lot.

How Evil Are You?

when oh when will it be spring!!!

2006-03-10T08:46:00.000Z

I have a sore throat. grumble grumble, actually eveything is sore and i seem to have bruised one of my fingers so that's hurting too. I am sick to death of cold wet misery, I want sunshine!!!! I want warm breezes, I want picnincs on blankets and Easter Camping trips and to not have a sore throat. For gods sake there has been frost again earlier this week, frost, in March!! WTF!!!
To top it all off I was working on my asssignment last night, how many equations can one person honestly be expected to do, I am not enamoured with economic analysis. So generally another day of Humph!

iffy

2006-03-08T08:17:00.000Z

that's how i feel, distinctly iffy. Been feeling off colour since the end of last week. My body aches, my ambient tempreture seems erratic and i feel kind out of it. In addition my head and throat feel bad, but not properly poorly. I just feel all in all Bleaugh. The result of this of course is that i am pretty much useless a lot of the time, and i feel a bit low. :(
I guess i shall keep plodding on and taking my vitamins and hope for the best. humph.

Could I be a bigger geek?

2006-03-06T20:32:00.000Z

Examine my view as i sit at my computer and consider that problem.

yes those are action figures, wrestling to be accurate, except on thefar right by the monitor,that's bluntman, from Jay and SilentBob. My comic/sci fi action figs are on the shelf behind me. Sheesh. Oh and what you can't quite see is the yellow foam car an dthe orange traffic cone i got from a traffic exhibition, in work time if that helps. And my mousmat is South Park.

Ok from top going left to right we have, Angelina jolie, Al Snow (wrestler) big frame with friends, family, pets and erm, wrestlers, a poem and art from Tudor Rose and Ville Valo of HIM.

On the wall behind the PC is another pic of Ville and a notice board with a still and a number of postcards from The Crow as well as other bits and pieces of that type, on the shelves behind me issome computer stuff, someaction figs andahem, my small collectionof comic books.
Beyond that this little room contains all my CDs and Marks out of date currently not functional PC and the PS1. No, not the playstation, the actual IBM mini home computer, it's about 100yrs old and still has Silpheed (the original arcade game) on it. lol. There are also a couple more wrestling picsaround the room, and my Teenage mutant ninja turtles toy bin from when i was 10yrs old. It has things like a couple of old he-man toys in it.

See, lots of TheCrow.

Monday Blues

2006-03-06T09:32:00.000Z

i am a bit low this am. It's lack of Mark i think that I am suffering from, and such a busy weekend ahead. Yikes!!

Anyway, Friday I took a day off, ambled to Borders, spent an hour with a book and a coffe then bought yup, more books, did a food shop and walked home with it all. It weighed a tonne and it's about a mile walk.
Mark came over about 2 and we chilled, ate, drank and had a wonderful evening.
Then saturday we headed to his parents to take his brothers to the wrestling with us.

Check out the pics

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=9035200&uid=3920848

It wasn't as good as the last couple of shows but we had a good time.

Sunday we got home about lunch time and had a little time to clean before Dave came over. We twisted his arm and he stayed for supper.

All in all a really good weekend, and now it's mondaym, I am back at work and Mark is back in Sheffield and it sucks, because I won't see him until Thursday. :(

all workno play

2006-03-02T19:04:00.000Z

ok that's not strictly true, but it has been a busy week at work, and having finally put a whole heap of stuff to bed (thanks Balal for all the help you're a trooper) I am taking tommorrow as study leave to catch up on Deli time and school work.

I may also givein to the burningneed towander down to borders and enjoy their hospitality and blow all my money on books. yay for fridays off!!!

I called Colleen the toher day, it was so good to hear her, I left it way too long!!! Truly.

beautiful moments

2006-02-27T19:19:00.000Z

I took these photos from the bedroom window a few days ago, it didn't last long but it was lovely!! My Garden with a gentle smattering of snow. The moon still out and peeping from behindthe clouds, a beautiful winter morning.

Aniversary

2006-02-23T19:26:00.000Z

It's been 12months now since i started blogging. Time to take stock.
I was recently single (like a week) after a 3 year relationship.
I didn't get out much, even by a hermits standards.
Since then:
i met Mark
I went on my first ever camping trip, and several more.
I went to my first ever music festival.
i went to Germany and Edinburgh and Wales
I made a lot of new friends
I got the jobi really wanted
I started an evening class
I started a distance learning course, and completed 2 modules
I started to rediscover my love for cooking
I started to stretch the limits of my comfort zone and step right outside it sometimes
i started towalk to work. Faultering a bit at the moment but have ou seen that weather?

It's been a pretty good year. A few things left to achieve but all told a pretty good year. :)