This week has been quite good actually.
At work I've had a lot more to do, and rather than it being boring typing work I've been number crunching and dealing with spreadsheets and lots of other bits and bobs. Its a fantastic change from boring secretarialism. No doubt in a month or two i'll be bored of spreadsheets, but I'm not going to look forward with that kind of attitude.
We had a bit of a rearrange in the office today. The underwriting department are separated from everyone else, we're in a little room up the end. Just four of us. Samantha, Matthew, Me and Wendy (secretary). We needed another filing cabinet for files, so to fit it in they had to move the little drawers that were next to Wendy. I kindly suggested that there was room at the end of my desk for them. Hoorah, they agreed. So I have even more desk space now.
I love organising furniture and stuff. Its so sad and pointless, but I cant help it. Its like watching all those make-over shows on tv. If I start watching them I get hooked. Martin hates them, so I dont ever get the chance to watch them, but I'm not complaining at all. My time is better spent organising my own life rather than watching hapless twats getting their own homes/lives reorganised by commercially driven so-called 'professionals'.
So, things are looking up at work. Its a lot more interesting and I dont feel rushed to type stuff up. I can take my time over the work I'm doing and prioritise it myself and satisfy myself with how much or little I invest my time into each bit of work. I still report to Sam on pretty much everything, but at least I can use my brain and only pass things to her for authorisation. Slowly I'm figuring things out for myself rather than running to her every second I dont understand something. Its good. I like it. And Sam is lovely, and so patient.
I slipped out to the market earlier this lunchtime. I was hoping to pickup a handful of my new favourite fruit - Dragon Fruit. But the stall I went to only had a pissy little collection of half shrivelled pathetic looking pieces. So I only left with one, and at £1 per piece Its probably a good thing. Shame the damn stuff cant be discounted because of its ever so wonderful title. It should be more readily available.
Oh damn this miserable country! Why cant the weather be more appropriate for the growing of cacti. Tis not fair.
I guess I shall have to just have Dragon Fruit as a special occasion. I'm going to take the one home that I bought tonight, mix it up with some crushed strawberries and chill it until I have a delightful sorbet. YUM!
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Dragon Fruit
I made an incredible delightful discovery while at my local Tesco store last weekend.
I spotted an odd looking fruit.
DRAGON FRUIT
I'd never seen one before, and I'm always keen to try new things, so I bought one. Thanks to Tesco there were a few little diagrams illustrating how one would go about eating this fruit and to my absolute delight all that was needed was to cut it open and scoop out the insides with a spoon.
So, £2 later, I was at home with my odd looking pink, yellow and green Dragon Fruit. (After the colour of the fruit attracted me, the name was what sold it for me!). I quickly cut off the top and set about scooping out the incredibly white flesh which was speckled with tiny black seeds. I expected a hideous taste, because surely something so good looking could not have a delicious taste, and I was again delighted that it was not vulgar at all.
It has been likened to a kiwi fruit, because of the look and texture I guess, but taste wise the Dragon Fruit is fairly bland, which is a bit of a disappointment, but then again its better that its bland rather than sour, bitter or just plain revolting.
After this delightful experience my mind switched on and I just could not stop it twisting and turning, churning out ideas like a factory. A fairy tale wriggled its way into my thoughts and I felt compelled to get writing. A short walk up to town to find a decent cafe later (to get out of Martin's hair while he revises for his exams) and I was ready.
I found a quiet corner, got out my notebook and wrote.
I think I sat there for a good four hours. I only had one cup of tea, because I didn't want to be distracted by having to go to the toilet. I wonder if the waitresses resented this, because in tidying up a table next to me one of them spilled a large amount of milk on my bag. I barely acknowledged it and just kept on writing. It was as if I was possessed.
I really should have taken Jerry with me to the cafe because my hand kept cramping up, and the way I was sitting I kept my head tilted and ended up with a bit of a sore neck too. But even so, it was worth it for the result.
I didn't actually finish the fairy tale. Only got about half way through it, but I've got the story fully formed in my head. Its just a matter of mashing it out.
I'm not sure whether to keep the writing simple or not though... I think I'm leaning towards full literary wonderfulness (if there is a such a word or concept). I figure its pointless simplifying my words for children... how else will they learn how to read and write better if we are constantly adapting what they read to be simple drivel. Besides, if I publish a fabulous book of fairy tales then perhaps parents around the world will read them to their children at bedtime, and teach them what all the words mean.
Hmm.. I'm having delusions of grandeur now. Published worldwide? Hmm.. I hope so, but I'd better not get carried away. I've first got to finish the story, and then write a handful more.
Perhaps when I finish it I will post an exerpt here on my blog.
I'm thinking I'll title this fairy tale 'The Dragon of Ravenswood'
And I think I'll name the fairy tale book 'Ravenswood Fairytales' or something similar.
(Ravenswood is right near where I grew up in Australia, and funny enough its also the name of the school Martin went to).
So, tomorrow I'm going to go to the Borough Market by London Bridge and see if there are any stalls that are selling Dragon Fruit. I simply MUST have more, but I'm not going to shell out £2 at Tesco for every one.
Here are a few more pics I found. The Dragon Fruit is from a cactus plant and has night-blooming beautiful white flowers.
Friday, March 23, 2007
JD and Daniel Craig in Those Little Blue Shorts
I've got a great evening planned. Martin is cooking me some kind of texan chicken dish for dinner, I'm supplying a bottle of JD, and we're going to cozy up on the couch and watch Casino Royale.
We saw it at the cinema and both loved it (although, really, a lovely body shot of Daniel Craig in tight pants - what is there not to like). So, we're going to buy it and add it to our ridiculously out of control DVD collection.
Lately we've been working through Family Guy. How on earth that series started up without my knowing I have no idea, but now that I've discovered it I'm catching up steadily and laughing heartily all the way.
We're also getting into Heroes. Its not out in the UK, but there are ways of getting these things... hehehehe. I must say that the acting is a little drab and the 'heroes' aren't quite as grateful for their powers as the normal human bean would be so its frustrating in that way. Its handy that we've got almost the whole first series to watch one after the other, not like Lost where we are up to date and so have to wait week by week to catch the next episode.
Speaking of Lost.. WTF? When are they going to start answering questions??? They just keep opening up new storylines without giving us satisfying closures.
SO anyway. I didn't expect to blog about TV shows. Just goes to show how boring my life is and how addicted I am to it. Its really sickening how much the TV dominates my life.
Hang on.. I know why I'm blabbing about TV. Coz I finished reading Assassin's Apprentice (by Robin Hobb) this morning on the train. My mind is aching to fill the gap that finishing the book left. I tried to buy the second one before I got to work, but WH Smith only had the first and third of the trilogy. ARRRGH!! Sooo not fair. I dont think there are any bookshops near where I work, and my lunchtime hour is slowing trickling away.
I'll just have to stop in somewhere after work when I go to pick up the JD and Casino Royale (fingers crossed that I can find both of those. I went to Sainsburys last night to do a big shop and they were out of both of them!! Not happy!!)
Well, here's hoping to a successful hunt for JD, DVD, and book two of the Farseer trilogy, and I hope I have a most pleasant evening as expected.
We saw it at the cinema and both loved it (although, really, a lovely body shot of Daniel Craig in tight pants - what is there not to like). So, we're going to buy it and add it to our ridiculously out of control DVD collection.
Lately we've been working through Family Guy. How on earth that series started up without my knowing I have no idea, but now that I've discovered it I'm catching up steadily and laughing heartily all the way.
We're also getting into Heroes. Its not out in the UK, but there are ways of getting these things... hehehehe. I must say that the acting is a little drab and the 'heroes' aren't quite as grateful for their powers as the normal human bean would be so its frustrating in that way. Its handy that we've got almost the whole first series to watch one after the other, not like Lost where we are up to date and so have to wait week by week to catch the next episode.
Speaking of Lost.. WTF? When are they going to start answering questions??? They just keep opening up new storylines without giving us satisfying closures.
SO anyway. I didn't expect to blog about TV shows. Just goes to show how boring my life is and how addicted I am to it. Its really sickening how much the TV dominates my life.
Hang on.. I know why I'm blabbing about TV. Coz I finished reading Assassin's Apprentice (by Robin Hobb) this morning on the train. My mind is aching to fill the gap that finishing the book left. I tried to buy the second one before I got to work, but WH Smith only had the first and third of the trilogy. ARRRGH!! Sooo not fair. I dont think there are any bookshops near where I work, and my lunchtime hour is slowing trickling away.
I'll just have to stop in somewhere after work when I go to pick up the JD and Casino Royale (fingers crossed that I can find both of those. I went to Sainsburys last night to do a big shop and they were out of both of them!! Not happy!!)
Well, here's hoping to a successful hunt for JD, DVD, and book two of the Farseer trilogy, and I hope I have a most pleasant evening as expected.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
SAD
Apparently there is a syndrome that certain people get when the weather is particularly dull and depressing. Its called SAD. I've no idea what it stands for, or where I even heard about it. But I'm sure its just making a mountain out of a mole hill about being a bit glum when the weather is grey.
Yesterday, however, was clearly a day to be miserable about. I mean, I like snow and all, but not with that much wind or biting chill in the air. It was bloody horrendous.
Today had the same chill in the air, but no wind and the sky was the most beautiful blue. How can anyone not feel elated by a turn in the weather like that.
I dont know if I suffer from SAD or anything quite so uselessly particular, but I do know that the sunshine on a pleasant day does brighten me up.
In other news Martin has bought us tickets to go see Metallica in July. It'll be the third time I've seen them, so that should be fun. I'm not a huge heavy metal fan, but as I've had to endure a lot of Metallica because Martin likes them then I've grown to be able to enjoy their stuff.
In turn for going to Metallica I'm dragging him along to see Loreena McKennitt in early April! It couldn't be further up the other end of the musical scale of styles from Metallica!! I love her music and I recommend it to anyone!!
Rock on!
Yesterday, however, was clearly a day to be miserable about. I mean, I like snow and all, but not with that much wind or biting chill in the air. It was bloody horrendous.
Today had the same chill in the air, but no wind and the sky was the most beautiful blue. How can anyone not feel elated by a turn in the weather like that.
I dont know if I suffer from SAD or anything quite so uselessly particular, but I do know that the sunshine on a pleasant day does brighten me up.
In other news Martin has bought us tickets to go see Metallica in July. It'll be the third time I've seen them, so that should be fun. I'm not a huge heavy metal fan, but as I've had to endure a lot of Metallica because Martin likes them then I've grown to be able to enjoy their stuff.
In turn for going to Metallica I'm dragging him along to see Loreena McKennitt in early April! It couldn't be further up the other end of the musical scale of styles from Metallica!! I love her music and I recommend it to anyone!!
Rock on!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Workin' Well
So the new job is going well. I dont think I've made any monumental fuck-ups, which is great. There are still loads of gaps in my brain, but they're slowly filling in. I've come to realise that Alastair (the boss) is a complete social cunt. He's one of those high up managers with no social skills whatsoever. When asked how I was doing I replied, 'Good. I'm getting along just fine.', and he said surely the job couldn't be that easy. Prick. How stupid does he think I am?
So apart from that, things are just groovy.
I saw Pan's Labyrinth over the weekend and I fucken loved it. It gets my imagination soaring through fairy tales of old etc and methinks I'm going to write my own fairy tales (short stories) and put together a collection that have a similar magical theme.
I also watched The Prestige! Fuck me is that a good film! Christian Bale, always on my 'to-do' list, is absolutely stunning. Its also got Hugh Jackman in it, but I dont find him as hunky dory. The whole magic theme of that film also added to my urge to write fairy tales.
This is kinda bad. Coz for a few weeks now, hmmmm actually months, I've been supposed to be revising Fleeting Life (my Nano novel), but I seem to have hit the breaks on that one. I think rather than trying to force myself to finish it when my heart isn't in it is just going to make it turn out crap.
I'm going to shelve it. Not indefinitely. But just for a while so I can throw myself into writing some fairy tales or short stories, and also get a good start on my book about cloud people.
I've got three books to write this year, and write them I will damn it!
So apart from that, things are just groovy.
I saw Pan's Labyrinth over the weekend and I fucken loved it. It gets my imagination soaring through fairy tales of old etc and methinks I'm going to write my own fairy tales (short stories) and put together a collection that have a similar magical theme.
I also watched The Prestige! Fuck me is that a good film! Christian Bale, always on my 'to-do' list, is absolutely stunning. Its also got Hugh Jackman in it, but I dont find him as hunky dory. The whole magic theme of that film also added to my urge to write fairy tales.
This is kinda bad. Coz for a few weeks now, hmmmm actually months, I've been supposed to be revising Fleeting Life (my Nano novel), but I seem to have hit the breaks on that one. I think rather than trying to force myself to finish it when my heart isn't in it is just going to make it turn out crap.
I'm going to shelve it. Not indefinitely. But just for a while so I can throw myself into writing some fairy tales or short stories, and also get a good start on my book about cloud people.
I've got three books to write this year, and write them I will damn it!
Thursday, March 15, 2007
What Books Have You Read?
(Got this meme from Deep Thinker.. and thought I'd do it!)
What Books Have You Read?
Look at the list of books below:
* Bold the ones you’ve read
* Italicize the ones you want to read
* Leave the ones that you aren’t interested in.
(I've also made a note of the ones I've seen the film of)
**If there are any books on this list that I didn't italicize and you think I should read, let me know in comments! Also, what other books do you think belong on this list and why?
1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) (SEEN FILM)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell) (SEEN FILM)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien) (SEEN FILM)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien) (SEEN FILM)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien) (SEEN FILM)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling) (SEEN FILM)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling) (SEEN FILM)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling) (SEEN FILM)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King) (SEEN FILM)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling) (SEEN FILM)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) (SEEN FILM)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) (SEEN FILM)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) (SEEN SERIES & FILM)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) (SEEN CARTOON & FILM)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert) (SEEN FILM)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell) (SEEN FILM)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) (SEEN FILM)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay) (SEEN FILM)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas) (SEEN FILM)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens) (SEEN FILM (old & new))
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling) (SEEN FILM)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice) (SEEN FILM)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo) (SEEN FILM)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding) (SEEN FILM)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje) (SEEN FILM)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) (SEEN FILM)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) (SEEN CARTOON)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck) (SEEN FILM)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen) (SEEN FILM)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams) (SEEN CARTOON)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding) (SEEN FILM)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum) (SEEN FILM)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton) (SEEN FILM)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)
Hmmmm... there are definitely some gaps in my reading history!
What Books Have You Read?
Look at the list of books below:
* Bold the ones you’ve read
* Italicize the ones you want to read
* Leave the ones that you aren’t interested in.
(I've also made a note of the ones I've seen the film of)
**If there are any books on this list that I didn't italicize and you think I should read, let me know in comments! Also, what other books do you think belong on this list and why?
1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) (SEEN FILM)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell) (SEEN FILM)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien) (SEEN FILM)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien) (SEEN FILM)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien) (SEEN FILM)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling) (SEEN FILM)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling) (SEEN FILM)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling) (SEEN FILM)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King) (SEEN FILM)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling) (SEEN FILM)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) (SEEN FILM)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) (SEEN FILM)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) (SEEN SERIES & FILM)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) (SEEN CARTOON & FILM)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert) (SEEN FILM)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell) (SEEN FILM)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) (SEEN FILM)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay) (SEEN FILM)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas) (SEEN FILM)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens) (SEEN FILM (old & new))
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling) (SEEN FILM)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice) (SEEN FILM)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo) (SEEN FILM)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding) (SEEN FILM)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje) (SEEN FILM)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) (SEEN FILM)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) (SEEN CARTOON)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck) (SEEN FILM)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen) (SEEN FILM)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams) (SEEN CARTOON)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding) (SEEN FILM)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum) (SEEN FILM)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton) (SEEN FILM)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)
Hmmmm... there are definitely some gaps in my reading history!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Cat or Dog?
| You Are: 50% Dog, 50% Cat |
 You are a nice blend of cat and dog. You're playful but not too needy. And you're friendly but careful. And while you have your moody moments, you're too happy to stay upset for long. |
Finally!
Finally got the damn profile photo to upload. The stupid thing kept chucking out an error message at me. It was probably coz I copied the first of the two image addresses which would have been the image that was over 50k.
Anyway, its done now.
Though I'm not sure I like this picture either.
I dont actually think I'll be happy with any picture there.
Hmmmm...
I will have to think on it.
But not too much.
Thinking hurts my head.
And I need my head to function.
ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!!!
So, Becky went into labour this morning, so rather than have three more days of shadowing her in her job I've been plunged into the deep end of the Underwriting world. Ooo.. it sounds all underhanded and dark doesn't it.. but its not. Its dull and there are so many gaps in my knowledge I am like swiss cheese!
I'm enjoying reading Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice. I tell ya, I wasn't expecting it to be in the first person. It kinda feels wierd reading a book in first person, especially when its through the life of a boy. Anyway, the story is good and I'm liking where its going. Of course I am humbled by her writing and vocabulary and I feel absolutely inadequate and inferior as a writer, but I'm sure I'll be able to drown that out over the weekend with some Jack Daniels (although we ran out last week and the supermarket only had Jim Beam.. so I'm on the Jim instead of Jack).
March 17th, that deadline I am blindly following, is looming and its making my knees tremble. I'm supposed to go to a friend's birthday tonight, in fact there was another one last night too but I didn't go, and I think I'm not going to go it coz for one I just cant be bothered, secondly I've got a bit of a headache and I'm a bit anxious about my job etc and just need some quiet time, and thirdly the hubby needs to study for his exams and while he's doing that I can write write write write write...
Yes, its sorted then. I'm not going.
Anyway, its done now.
Though I'm not sure I like this picture either.
I dont actually think I'll be happy with any picture there.
Hmmmm...
I will have to think on it.
But not too much.
Thinking hurts my head.
And I need my head to function.
ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!!!
So, Becky went into labour this morning, so rather than have three more days of shadowing her in her job I've been plunged into the deep end of the Underwriting world. Ooo.. it sounds all underhanded and dark doesn't it.. but its not. Its dull and there are so many gaps in my knowledge I am like swiss cheese!
I'm enjoying reading Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice. I tell ya, I wasn't expecting it to be in the first person. It kinda feels wierd reading a book in first person, especially when its through the life of a boy. Anyway, the story is good and I'm liking where its going. Of course I am humbled by her writing and vocabulary and I feel absolutely inadequate and inferior as a writer, but I'm sure I'll be able to drown that out over the weekend with some Jack Daniels (although we ran out last week and the supermarket only had Jim Beam.. so I'm on the Jim instead of Jack).
March 17th, that deadline I am blindly following, is looming and its making my knees tremble. I'm supposed to go to a friend's birthday tonight, in fact there was another one last night too but I didn't go, and I think I'm not going to go it coz for one I just cant be bothered, secondly I've got a bit of a headache and I'm a bit anxious about my job etc and just need some quiet time, and thirdly the hubby needs to study for his exams and while he's doing that I can write write write write write...
Yes, its sorted then. I'm not going.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
HELP
I tried to change my profile photo, but I kept getting an error 'link broken' message.
WHY?
Damn this stupid blogger thing!
WHY?
Damn this stupid blogger thing!
Friday, March 09, 2007
Bowling
Went bowling with the work crowd last night.
Needless to say I was absolutely shite.
My highest score was 80-something.
But at least I didn't throw the ball backwards like Laura did. Hehehe.
There's something unsettling and unsatisfying about the overly polite and strained conversation that happens between work colleagues on a work 'do'. I had my boss and two people I secretary for in my team, so the swearing had to be wiped out.
Man it was hard.
BUT - TODAY IS MY LAST DAY OF BEING A SECRETARY!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Needless to say I was absolutely shite.
My highest score was 80-something.
But at least I didn't throw the ball backwards like Laura did. Hehehe.
There's something unsettling and unsatisfying about the overly polite and strained conversation that happens between work colleagues on a work 'do'. I had my boss and two people I secretary for in my team, so the swearing had to be wiped out.
Man it was hard.
BUT - TODAY IS MY LAST DAY OF BEING A SECRETARY!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Muse
| Your Inner Muse is Thalia |
 You are most like this playful muse of comedy. Life is all about laughter to you, and you're a natural comic. You make people laugh until their sides split. And you're always up for some play time! |
Eternal Sunshine of a Spring Filled Mind
I can feel that delightful tickling of Springtime...
How fantastic has the weather been this week? I'm loving it! I think its probably time to put away the shoes that must be accompanied by socks, and get my little pinkies out in the sun. Annoyingly, I'll still have to wear socks with my trainers when I walk to work, but once there I can finally break in my new dark green mary-jane-esque shoes with their very reasonable heel height! (Anything up to 3 inches is fine. Any more than that and I throw shoes in things protest).
So, with this lovely ascent into the Springtime of 2007, and with my starting my new job next week I feel that the time to begin my Cloud People book is fast approaching. My plan is to have Fleeting Life finished by next weekend (17th.. St Patty's day!) so that I can begin planning and preparing. I'm already mentally gathering character names. After watching Dragon's Den last night I've already decided on a name for one of my main characters. So, I'm doing well. I'm terrible with names. I'm sure I wont be able to think up one for my heroine until the whole book is finished. Thats what happened with my Nano Novel. I did finally decide on a name. Instead of the working name of Ayla (from Jean.M.Auel's Earths Children series) I've named her Elena.. I think I have a thing for 'E' names.
Every few months or so the hubby and I debate about baby names... and we're aaaagggeeeesss of spawning little Wheelers! We have, however, decided on our first girl's name.
Eve.
I've always like it. So, I cant ever use it in any book/story I write coz that'd be just plain wierd.
Anyway. Nothing of note to write really. I'm just sitting by the window at work feeling the sun shining through the window on me.
Just lovely!
How fantastic has the weather been this week? I'm loving it! I think its probably time to put away the shoes that must be accompanied by socks, and get my little pinkies out in the sun. Annoyingly, I'll still have to wear socks with my trainers when I walk to work, but once there I can finally break in my new dark green mary-jane-esque shoes with their very reasonable heel height! (Anything up to 3 inches is fine. Any more than that and I throw shoes in things protest).
So, with this lovely ascent into the Springtime of 2007, and with my starting my new job next week I feel that the time to begin my Cloud People book is fast approaching. My plan is to have Fleeting Life finished by next weekend (17th.. St Patty's day!) so that I can begin planning and preparing. I'm already mentally gathering character names. After watching Dragon's Den last night I've already decided on a name for one of my main characters. So, I'm doing well. I'm terrible with names. I'm sure I wont be able to think up one for my heroine until the whole book is finished. Thats what happened with my Nano Novel. I did finally decide on a name. Instead of the working name of Ayla (from Jean.M.Auel's Earths Children series) I've named her Elena.. I think I have a thing for 'E' names.
Every few months or so the hubby and I debate about baby names... and we're aaaagggeeeesss of spawning little Wheelers! We have, however, decided on our first girl's name.
Eve.
I've always like it. So, I cant ever use it in any book/story I write coz that'd be just plain wierd.
Anyway. Nothing of note to write really. I'm just sitting by the window at work feeling the sun shining through the window on me.
Just lovely!
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Hemmed and Happening
I've finally gotten around to hemming my work trousers (while at work!). I've had them pinned up for weeks and weeks and I thought it was about time I got around to sewing them up.
So, on the whole winter-cold-flu front I'm almost feeling absolutely tip top and methinks that I should get my goddamm lazy arse back to writing.
I've been meaning to email my novel to myself at work, but finding the time to even fart is frustratingly difficult. I just dont understand how I can go from being a child growing up with all the time in the world to a full time working adult (which is debatable) with absolutely no time at all to even scratch my arse. It totally sux.
I haven't even been able to keep up with reading the blogs that I like to follow. Now that is a tragedy.
I keep thinking that I'll have time on the weekend, but then the weekend rolls by in a blink of an eye and I'm left wondering what the hell happened.
I'm kinda falling down a huge black hole of nothingness, and if I dont start clawing my way out I'm just going to get sucked down deeper and deeper.
No more excuses.
Must do:
Treadmill exercise
No chocolate
Clean up pig-sty house
Cook healthy food, and
Write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write
So, on the whole winter-cold-flu front I'm almost feeling absolutely tip top and methinks that I should get my goddamm lazy arse back to writing.
I've been meaning to email my novel to myself at work, but finding the time to even fart is frustratingly difficult. I just dont understand how I can go from being a child growing up with all the time in the world to a full time working adult (which is debatable) with absolutely no time at all to even scratch my arse. It totally sux.
I haven't even been able to keep up with reading the blogs that I like to follow. Now that is a tragedy.
I keep thinking that I'll have time on the weekend, but then the weekend rolls by in a blink of an eye and I'm left wondering what the hell happened.
I'm kinda falling down a huge black hole of nothingness, and if I dont start clawing my way out I'm just going to get sucked down deeper and deeper.
No more excuses.
Must do:
Treadmill exercise
No chocolate
Clean up pig-sty house
Cook healthy food, and
Write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write write
Monday, March 05, 2007
Meme Me!
The Deep Down N Dirty Meme
Biggest fear: Not being able to eat chocolate anymore. And dying.
Most meglomanical ambition: World domination, of course!
When you’re talking to your boss, you’re usually thinking about: Food. Chocolate to be precise. Or wondering what kind of underwear they're wearing.
Most disgusting habit: Laziness. I almost wet the bed once because I couldn't be bothered to get up and go to the toilet. Luckily at the last second before letting go I realised the effort required to clean up such a mess would be a lot more hassle than actually getting up and going to the loo.
Criteria for judging other people: If they dont worship me then they're definitely filed under 'dickhead' Hehehe.
How do you measure up?: With a tape measure.. or a ruler.
What do you think when you see a fat person eating fast food?: I feel like bitch slapping them and stealing their burger!
How about when you see thin person smoking?: See above but replace 'burger' with 'cigarette' (except I dont smoke)
When you meet someone of the same gender who’s more attractive than you, inside you think: Fucking bitch!
When you meet someone of the opposite gender who’s less attractive than you, inside you think: Piss off you ugly mug and stop breathing your ugly germs on me!
The last lie you told was: See above
Tell us about the time you read someone’s diary/hacked into their emails/went through their stuff: I read real books and stuff that is more interesting than self pitying pathetic crap like someone's journal.. or blog. Heheh. Ooops.
You know that person who you’re secretly jealous of - and there’s a part of you, that you can’t quite suppress, that wishes they would, just for once, get to taste a bit of your luck? Tell us what you hate about them – go on let it all out: Noooo... I would be taken away by men in coats and bad shoes.
The most expensive thing you’ve ever stolen was: Hmmm... I would have to look through all the stuff I've stolen over the past years. I'd mainly just steal cheap stuff... so nothing over a tenner I dont think. Its the sentimental value that would be the most expensive.
Even though all this is true, you’re still a really good person because… I like monkeys.
Biggest fear: Not being able to eat chocolate anymore. And dying.
Most meglomanical ambition: World domination, of course!
When you’re talking to your boss, you’re usually thinking about: Food. Chocolate to be precise. Or wondering what kind of underwear they're wearing.
Most disgusting habit: Laziness. I almost wet the bed once because I couldn't be bothered to get up and go to the toilet. Luckily at the last second before letting go I realised the effort required to clean up such a mess would be a lot more hassle than actually getting up and going to the loo.
Criteria for judging other people: If they dont worship me then they're definitely filed under 'dickhead' Hehehe.
How do you measure up?: With a tape measure.. or a ruler.
What do you think when you see a fat person eating fast food?: I feel like bitch slapping them and stealing their burger!
How about when you see thin person smoking?: See above but replace 'burger' with 'cigarette' (except I dont smoke)
When you meet someone of the same gender who’s more attractive than you, inside you think: Fucking bitch!
When you meet someone of the opposite gender who’s less attractive than you, inside you think: Piss off you ugly mug and stop breathing your ugly germs on me!
The last lie you told was: See above
Tell us about the time you read someone’s diary/hacked into their emails/went through their stuff: I read real books and stuff that is more interesting than self pitying pathetic crap like someone's journal.. or blog. Heheh. Ooops.
You know that person who you’re secretly jealous of - and there’s a part of you, that you can’t quite suppress, that wishes they would, just for once, get to taste a bit of your luck? Tell us what you hate about them – go on let it all out: Noooo... I would be taken away by men in coats and bad shoes.
The most expensive thing you’ve ever stolen was: Hmmm... I would have to look through all the stuff I've stolen over the past years. I'd mainly just steal cheap stuff... so nothing over a tenner I dont think. Its the sentimental value that would be the most expensive.
Even though all this is true, you’re still a really good person because… I like monkeys.
Return of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Hangover!
This post has absolutely nothing to do with what the above title suggests. I did have a hangover over the weekend, that much is true, but as far as the other bit I just saw a notice regarding the new TMNT movie coming out when I was in McDonalds ordering a serving of fat & grease, so I thought I'd add it to the title.
Seeing the TMNT advertisement did, however, send my mind reeling back into my days of the teenage years, and I feel that my actions on Friday were a pathetic and stupid attempt at grasping for my youth which seems to be further and further out of my reach each time.
I went out with my friend Amy on Friday night. We went and saw a few Irish bands in Camden at the World's End/Underworld pub. We then sat in the bar until it closed at 3am, then we sat with the landlord and a few other old boys until about 6.30am! When the sun started to rise we swallowed (read that - 'messily gulped') the last of our drinks and stumbled out into the eerie light and hailed a bus to take us home.
When we got back to her house she insisted we put 'My Private Idaho' on. I've never seen the film, myself, and I can still claim that. I saw the opening shot of River Phoenix on a desolate road, then nothing. We both crashed out until about 12.30pm when we awoke bleary-eyed, tired, and still drunk.
It was horrible.
I stumbled out of her house and caught a bus to the tube station, a tube train to London Bridge, then a National Rail train to my home station, then a cab from the station to home (2 hours later!). It was the single most horrible and difficult journey I've ever made! I was so hung over that I couldn't eat the Burger King fries that I bought at London Bridge station. I took them home and gave them to Martin.
Thankfully Martin hadn't finished studying, so I went and took a nap while he finished up. After I awoke (1.5hours later) I felt much better.
Sunday rolled along wastefully. I had a mental list of all the things I wanted to get done - including the hour working on my book which I did not do the other day (I sooo hate myself for that!!!) - but I didn't do anything! I didn't even wash my work trousers or charge my ipod.
But, the weirdest thing occurred last night/this morning... and I hope to god its just the after effects of the huge drinking session. I turned over this morning when I heard Martin's alarm go off and my head spun as though I'd just done a double loop on a roller coaster. I had to shut my eyes and brace myself!
The dizziness continued everytime I turned over or even moved my eyes until I got up.
Although I haven't had a real dizzy spell since being awake and upright, I still feel pretty dazed and confused.
Man, I hope I haven't broken my brain! If I'm ever going to get motivated to write again then I'll need it to think up words and shit. Bugger.
I think, though, that I've done fairly well in being able to mash out this post. So all is not lost.
I'm going to enter 'Fleeting Life', my nano novel, into a writing competition (I mean other than the Writers and Artists Yearbook competition). I'm not sure I even want to mention it here though. I saw it in... wait for it - Cosmopolitan magazine.
Its called 'Miss Write' and I think it only real deals with that Chick Lit stuff. But I figure what the heck. Its not exactly what I'd consider Chick Lit, but perhaps if I make the protagonist moan and groan about lost love, and make the brief kissing scene a bit more developed then I might be able to swing it. Hehehe. Needless to say I'm not holding out much hope.
I'm not going to submit it today though. Perhaps later this week or on the weekend. I've only got one more week as a secretary so things at work are going to be a bit hectic!
*sigh* I'm so tired! I must must must must must keep in mind that in order to get what I want - ie sit at home all day as a novelist, then I must actually get my head down and write!
My tentative 17th March deadline to finish Fleeting Life is looming fast.
Seeing the TMNT advertisement did, however, send my mind reeling back into my days of the teenage years, and I feel that my actions on Friday were a pathetic and stupid attempt at grasping for my youth which seems to be further and further out of my reach each time.
I went out with my friend Amy on Friday night. We went and saw a few Irish bands in Camden at the World's End/Underworld pub. We then sat in the bar until it closed at 3am, then we sat with the landlord and a few other old boys until about 6.30am! When the sun started to rise we swallowed (read that - 'messily gulped') the last of our drinks and stumbled out into the eerie light and hailed a bus to take us home.
When we got back to her house she insisted we put 'My Private Idaho' on. I've never seen the film, myself, and I can still claim that. I saw the opening shot of River Phoenix on a desolate road, then nothing. We both crashed out until about 12.30pm when we awoke bleary-eyed, tired, and still drunk.
It was horrible.
I stumbled out of her house and caught a bus to the tube station, a tube train to London Bridge, then a National Rail train to my home station, then a cab from the station to home (2 hours later!). It was the single most horrible and difficult journey I've ever made! I was so hung over that I couldn't eat the Burger King fries that I bought at London Bridge station. I took them home and gave them to Martin.
Thankfully Martin hadn't finished studying, so I went and took a nap while he finished up. After I awoke (1.5hours later) I felt much better.
Sunday rolled along wastefully. I had a mental list of all the things I wanted to get done - including the hour working on my book which I did not do the other day (I sooo hate myself for that!!!) - but I didn't do anything! I didn't even wash my work trousers or charge my ipod.
But, the weirdest thing occurred last night/this morning... and I hope to god its just the after effects of the huge drinking session. I turned over this morning when I heard Martin's alarm go off and my head spun as though I'd just done a double loop on a roller coaster. I had to shut my eyes and brace myself!
The dizziness continued everytime I turned over or even moved my eyes until I got up.
Although I haven't had a real dizzy spell since being awake and upright, I still feel pretty dazed and confused.
Man, I hope I haven't broken my brain! If I'm ever going to get motivated to write again then I'll need it to think up words and shit. Bugger.
I think, though, that I've done fairly well in being able to mash out this post. So all is not lost.
I'm going to enter 'Fleeting Life', my nano novel, into a writing competition (I mean other than the Writers and Artists Yearbook competition). I'm not sure I even want to mention it here though. I saw it in... wait for it - Cosmopolitan magazine.
Its called 'Miss Write' and I think it only real deals with that Chick Lit stuff. But I figure what the heck. Its not exactly what I'd consider Chick Lit, but perhaps if I make the protagonist moan and groan about lost love, and make the brief kissing scene a bit more developed then I might be able to swing it. Hehehe. Needless to say I'm not holding out much hope.
I'm not going to submit it today though. Perhaps later this week or on the weekend. I've only got one more week as a secretary so things at work are going to be a bit hectic!
*sigh* I'm so tired! I must must must must must keep in mind that in order to get what I want - ie sit at home all day as a novelist, then I must actually get my head down and write!
My tentative 17th March deadline to finish Fleeting Life is looming fast.
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