Douze Points

Yes I know I know I know.

7. I've finished reading The Margarets which was very good if slightly confusing at times. So of course I have started rereading, starting with The Fresco.

8. My mother's present has hit a brick wall at the moment...



...it's just too big and I have burn-out.

9. So I have started doing one of these Art Deco ones. They are small and therefore quick, and I've decided to do them on card which is a nice change.

The set. (with the cover of The Margarets visible on the right)



Daffodils in progress.



It's very satisfying doing the black outlines and then filling them in.

10. I've read two more S&A's books, We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea and Secret Water

11. I've been really enjoying the Worlds of Fantasy series on BBC4. This weeks one had both Pratchett and WoW in it, and last weeks was talking about LOTR and Gormenghast. I realised I'd never actually read Gormenghast so sent Emily a text...

Kate to Emily - Have you got Gormenghast? Can I borrow it?
E to K - The BBC series or my play?
K to E - The book...
E to K - LOL, yes, will bring next week.

This is because we'd sold our copy at work (which I'd been going to buy) to a guy who was buying it cos he'd seen the Worlds of Fantasy programme and decided to read it...

12. Other nice work coincidences include the fact that a bloke wanted a copy of The Children of Green Knowe on the same day that I'd had a conversation with Anthony about kids names. Apparently Toseland can't be used as a first name...(we were trying to find a first name that will go with Ayrton as a middle name...)

13. The above conversation also included the fact that we have to name one of the boys (in our undecided number of future children) Jack Daniel, "because if we don't do it you know your bloody sister will!".

14. Work has been quiet as Gavin had a few days holiday, also RichieFingers and Chris have both been suffering from evil zombie plague (named by Gavin) which turns its sufferers into the walking dead. The fact it's just been affecting the men is obviously just a Midlands thing as mum has been dealing with the Southern version. I just hope I don't get it for next week - I'm on holiday!

15. I've finally bought the brilliant Michael Rosen's Sad Book. On days when I need a little help this works wonders. It makes me cry my eyes out at the same time as consoling me that feeling like this is allowed.

16. I'm feeling very sorry for poor Kimi, as this (16) is his starting slot for tomorrow mornings GP. I will be getting up to watch it, hopefully with more success than my attempt at watching the qualifying this morning when I slept straight through my (very noisy) alarm. Thanks to the video, I am watching it now though.

17. Every now and again I buy myself the Cross Country Stitching magazine. I have discovered that I love that kind of stuff (although I draw the line at the religious/USA is the best ones). My Welcome Birdhouse cross-stitch is very much in that style.

18. Phew! (I was struggling). I'm on holiday for a week or so now and will be away from the internet for a good chunk of that. It's making me sad as I don't want to miss any news from Michelle <--- the baby's due any day now!!!

There's your 18 things Jen, even though I cheated a little sorry.

If I'm awake enough I shall do some liveblogging during the GP tomorrow morning, nice race start time of 4.30am...

First Six

Bless me Reader for I have sinned, it has been 18 days since my last post and yesterday I got thoroughly told off by my colleague Jen for not having posted meaning that every time she checked my blog she had to read about Rich D and his penchant for porn. (Hey Rich, hope you feel better today (he had a dodgy curry on Friday)).

Last night I tried to think of some intelligent things to write that might appease her, but instead gave up and drank cider, stitched and watched French Kiss and Amelie.

This morning I decided that I should try and write down 18 things I have done in those 18 days...

First Six.

1. I've read the first six Swallows and Amazons books. (because despite the fact I intended to start them in Feb, I didn't).

2. I've also read Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, Queen of Babble in the Big City by Meg Cabot, and part of The Margarets the new Sheri S. Tepper book which I am enjoying hugely (and which means of course that I will start rereading her other books shortly).

3. The lovely Anthony took me to Argos and we purchased a DVD tower, cheval mirror and a bookcase. The tower is nearly full up, the mirror is slightly scary as I haven't had a full length mirror since the other one fell off the wall, and the bookcase is full.



4. I went to the pub the other Friday (the 29th) for a quick celebratory drink after work (you may have noticed my divorce countdown has vanished...). This "quick drink" with Jo and Liz (and Liz's bloke Steve who turned up later) meant that I got home at 1.30am. Now that's a proper quick drink after work, haven't had one of those for ages!

5. This meant that Alf and Mick didn't come round the following night (as I was mostly asleep) but they did come round on Sunday to go to the computer fair at the racecourse. They went off and I stayed home and waited for them to get back. Waited, and waited, and waited. I not only managed to level up Tanara in that time, but I proved once again that I should not be left alone at home with nails and a hammer.




6. We also had a lovely takeaway curry from Cafe Champagne one night. Although I made a small mistake and didn't order enough naan bread. I had what they call a Fusion, where you get two different curries. When I'd had it in the restaurant it was very nice, I just underestimated the portions slightly when it came to the takeaway...



...I only had 1 & 1/2 naan breads to mop up all that sauce!

(and now Anthony is home after a night out carting so you shall get the next six later...probably).

Very random stuff

I have been trying to work out what to post about all day but with very little success. So I shall just do some rambling.

I got to spend today with Anthony which was unexpected and lovely. He was supposed to be on nights (11pm-7am) all week but managed to do 3pm-11pm instead on Tues and Wed which meant he came round last night and I got to spend the day with him. We watched Top Gear from Sunday (for the third time, cos it was so damn good) and then I watched Joe's Palace which was just brilliant as Poliakoff's stuff always is.

I did some work on mum's cross-stitch while I watched all that. It now looks like this:



That was spooky, as I typed "mum's", the phone rang and there she was.

I keep being asked what I want for Christmas and my birthday and I really don't know. My birthday present from mum is sorted, she's paying my initial divorce costs (as agreed with dad back in August) but she wants to know about Christmas. We were just discussing this coat and I also mentioned this clock to her. That's all sort-out-able later anyway.

I do know one of my presents. I will be getting this wonderful jigsaw for Christmas/birthday from Anthony's folks (or possibly from Anthony). I know this because it's been bought already as they were in short supply - in fact when he bought it there were 22 in stock, now there are only 5!

Bookness

With my nice back-pay that I got on Wednesday I decided to treat myself to a few books that I've had my eyes on for a while.

So I now need to add the following to LibraryThing:

• Chocolate Cakes - in an attempt to actually bake...


• Jarrold Short Walks in Birmingham and the Heart of England - to burn off the effects of the baking!


• The Unseen University Cut-Out Book - my second copy of this so I might start work on it in my holiday-time over the next two weeks.


• The Ankh-Morpork Post Office Handbook - I'd had this stashed for about 6 months so thought I'd better buy it!


• Moomin - Totally beautiful book. Read about it on our intranet and ordered it for a look and then decided I had to add it to my Moomin/Tove Jansson collection.


• Nobody Does It Better... - I love French food, and I love the idea that I could actually cook some of it. Ok, so we've covered why when I think of cooking I think of it as a hassle, but I want to get past that and cook lovely things and enjoy it!


• The Good Fairies of New York - this is another one I saw recommended on the work intranet a long while ago and I'd ordered one for stock. When tidying Sci-Fi/Fantasy I found it and added it to my haul.


• Stranger in a Strange Land - I read this years and years ago and have wanted my own copy for a while (another one of my dad's books). Another one found on my trawl through Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and then promptly moved to the front 342 table.


• Casino Royale , Live and Let Die and Moonraker - I've always loved James Bond and when these sexy new/old covers came out I figured it was time to invest.

I know that these won't keep me going for the whole two weeks so I shall be visiting the library again next week (that way I get a lift as Anthony is on holiday then too) and try again to pick up some stuff that I wouldn't normally read.

A nice little bit of luck

I had rather a lot of library fines.

I know, I know. I'm ashamed of myself. Does it excuse me by saying that I acquired them because the Yeti used my ticket and "forgot" to tell me - about 18 months ago.

Ah well.

I owed them £41.60, which my lovely mother sent me as a birthday present. So I went in today to pay it off.

Girl - That's your account reactivated then.

Kate - How much is it to pay again please?

Girl - Actually, nothing.

Kate - I'm sorry, did you say nothing?!?

Girl - Yup. We're having an amnesty in February for anyone rejoining the library, like you. So no fines to pay.

Kate - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


So I got myself some books out (and I've made a big note on the calendar for when they're due back) and I now have some spare money.

I had planned to finally buy my Unseen University Cut-Out Book(s) with it, but having just spoken to my mother she says I can't spend it on books.

Since I'm trying to eat less chocolate I can't spend it on 168 creme eggs either (12 for £3.50 at Woolworths, £50 = 168 eggs + £1 left) so I don't quite know what I shall do with it.

I know the grown-up thing would be to put it back in the bank to pay towards my gas bill, but that's not much of a birthday present.

When mum rings back I shall confer with her and she what she thinks would be a suitable purchase.

Update: Mum says put half of it towards the gas bill and spend the other half on something frivolous - but not books.