Christmas And All That Went Before

It has been a while!
I have been both poorly and busy. Which is not an ideal combination.
Christmas came at a very inconvenient time to be fair.
I managed to pick up a mean cold/cough type of bug and was laid out for a whole weekend. On the upside I got through lots of lovely television that I had recorded on the hard drive so it was a good use of time really.
When's all said and done though, I'd rather the snot monster went next door in future.

Anyway! It is a testament to what a good girl I am that I was very lucky at Christmas, Santa looked fondly on me.
In fact our whole house appeared to have been good all year judging by Santa's kindness.
All manner of lovely gifts had my name on them, I've been able to reduce the size of my wishlist somewhat and am very grateful!
I'm also planning to finally get some new tattoos done, which is quite exciting, although it'll take time as the tattooist is renowned for being booked up for ages and ages.
What am I saying? I'm really bloody excited about getting them done and talking to the tattooist about some designs I have in mind that I haven't been able to draw up myself.

I'm just taking a moment to jump up on my soapbox.
This morning I popped downstairs, remembering the men were coming to empty the bins and that I had several sacks of recycling in the boot that needed to go into my bins.
I ran downstairs and upon going outside realised that someone had moved my bins which I though was odd. Thinking little more of it, I opened the boot and took out the sacks. I hauled them to my bins. Opened my bins, which I knew to be virtually empty and discovered them to be full to the brim. It's just bloody rude. Everyone has their own bin, so why the hell do they think they have the right to fill mine up too? I hope they get nits. And other itchy ailments, preferably ones I won't catch. They're going on the list.
But seriously, how hard is it to knock on my door and ask if I mind them shoving all their crap in my bins. Maybe I should give them a key so they can use my fridge if they run out of room in theirs?
And breathe.

I've just finished reading The Llama Parlour by Kathy Lette.
What I most regret is that I'll never get back the time I wasted on that book.
What I also regret is that I am also hating the current book I'm reading, but after 300 pages I still feel an obligation to finish it, despite the fact the central characters are two of the most shallow women I've ever read about. There were a few funny lines at the beginning, but now I just hope it bucks a trend and there's a terribly unhappy ending. I can but hope.
I need some fire bricks so that I can put a grate in my fireplace, so that I can make kindling from these 'novels'.

As a belated Christmas gift to the world I am giving you these:



I admit I have a celebrity crush on Adam Savage. I can't help it. He makes me laugh!

And that has to be my favourite explosion.

Now I have to think about New Years Resolutions......

Here Comes The Bride

Not me. Obviously. No one is that crazy. Well a small handful might have asked. I only said Yes once though, before I changed my mind.
Anyway, for a change, I digress.

A friend of mine is getting married.
We have been discussing alternatives to the wedding march.
What should be her music for the aisle walk?

Today we toyed with The Kinks - You Really Got Me.
I was late out of the house because I was contemplating the lyrics to The Air I Breathe by The Hollies.

Most Bob Dylan has been contemplated, along with a bit of Elvis and Chris Isaak. To be fair, the latter might have just been an excuse to watch Wicked Game on youtube, along with a number of his other videos. Just for research you understand, ahem.

So here's my question, what do you recommend for that walk down the aisle?
If you need to suggest more Chris Isaak songs for me to view, that's just fine too.

Songs Of The Week XXXXI & XXXXII

This past week has been manic. If I were a fly, my arse would be blue, to completely ruin an old saying.

On Friday I went to see The Levellers and my goodness did I dance. I am very sore. Very, very sore. Dancing is bad for your muscles.
Anyway, enough of my ridiculous injuries, the support acts were excellent and I'm choosing them for some overdue songs of the week.

This song is about his friend dying of breast cancer and it just really touched me.

Frank Turner - Long Live The Queen:


After Frank Turner were Divokej Bill, a Czech band, so whilst we couldn't understand what they were singing it was really excellent music!

Divokej Bill - Lasko

Notice the guy at about 47 seconds in, as they were playing, Gary nudged me and yelled into my ear that he was the most beautiful man he'd ever seen!

I'm absolutely knackered at the moment, last week I had plans for every night of the week and I'm just not used to it! Usually being a solitary creature, suddenly being in demand was a shock to the system!

We had the Lincoln Christmas Market this weekend too which makes Lincoln absolutely manic. The sudden influx of around 150,000 people causes havoc with the traffic, but I love it, I'm so incredibly proud of where I live, it just feels so beautiful to me that I like showing it off!
I ventured up there on Saturday and by Jove it was chilly. It reminded me how close we are to Christmas, not as I've mentioned before, one of my favourite times of year!

Also this week, I had a really random conversation with a police officer. Possibly one of my strangest conversations as we discussed music and he said he'd have gone to more gigs if he hadn't spent so long procreating. The rest of the conversation went on in that sort of vein, you need not know more!

I also embedded some chipboard in a fingertip which made typing really quite painful.
I've also got an impressive bruise on my right leg, I'm not sure if that's from the gig or not, I never bruise, I just like to show them off as proof my pain is valid.

I do believe that is the extent of my misadventures, I'm hoping to be back properly this coming week as my social calendar is back to calm normality.

On a final note, I have a bottle of Cream Soda on my desk. I love it, I almost never drink anything but water at home, but damn that stuff is good. All it needs is a spoon of ice cream for perfection to be achieved.

I lied, this is my final note, I dreamt I ran over a puppy whilst driving in reverse. In my dream the puppy was largely fine apart from a bone sticking out at the base of its tail. I took the puppy to the vet and was told the puppy would be fine, even though it screamed every time you touched the exposed bone. That's messed up right?
It's no wonder I'm tired when my sleeping imagination is throwing this shit at me.

Gratitude

I have been across the border.
I went to a new country.
For the first time in my life.
I went to Wales!

Anyway, more on that later, but I had a little tale to tell.

The other day I was wandering around Sainsburys, I was in the fruit juice aisle and noticed a young lad of about 11 standing with his mother in front of the juice, hands clasped as though in prayer whilst uttering the words "Please, please, please."
His mother reached out, selected the Pomegranate & Blueberry, at which the lad fell to his knees, reached his arms to heaven and fairly yelled "Yes! Thank you!"

I really have to try that Pomegranate & Blueberry juice.