Writing group is cancelled this evening. Valentine's Day, my nanna being ill (and therefore me being knackered), someone struck down by a cold... et voila, for the first time it's postponed, cancelled, not happening.
I feel that the only appropriate response is to have a nice large glass of wine.
Thursday, 14 February 2008
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
Time check
18.09, and I'm about to start writing. I closed down the web browser, and I was so pleased with myself... I just had to blog about it.
Promised three chapters for writing group. Could be ambitious...
Promised three chapters for writing group. Could be ambitious...
Sunday, 10 February 2008
Pests
How can I be expected to be able to concentrate on my magnum opus when there is an evil insect in my room and I can't find it? I'm engaged in a battle of wills with a small winged creature. And no amount of flicking the lights on and off is going to help!
Oh, and apparently, Anna saw a mouse...
Friday, 8 February 2008
Worst film in the world
Seriously, don't bother going to see Penelope. The trailer makes it look moderately charming. But in actual fact, it is terrible.
What a waste of James McAvoy, Reese Witherspoon... and such top Brit talent as Nick Frost (!!!) and Ronni Ancona (who looks scarily like Idina Mendzel in the film...)
What a waste of James McAvoy, Reese Witherspoon... and such top Brit talent as Nick Frost (!!!) and Ronni Ancona (who looks scarily like Idina Mendzel in the film...)
Wednesday, 6 February 2008
Sleepless
"Your bedroom is for two things: for sleep and for sex, not necessarily in that order."
Let me just say to this statement - HAH! Chance would be a fine thing.
I sleep on the right hand side of my bed, only, after over a year of occupying a single bed. I also like to be close to the light for reading. But that's by the by, the point is, if you live in a shared house, your bedroom is your sleeping room, working room, relaxing room, dressing room, sanctuary, refuge, and storage space. My current bedroom is smaller than the last one. However, I will admit that I prefer it, despite its smaller size, and lack of tv reception. The good thing about the lack of tv reception is that I no longer have a tv in my room. So I no longer watch TV in bed.
But there's no way I can escape the necessity of having to work up here. I have a desk, and I either set up my computer on there with the monitor, or I prop myself up on pillows on my bed, and rest my laptop on my knees. My favourite thing about my room is the desk and bookshelf alcove! I love my workspace area. But the computer in bed, it's not a good habit. I wonder if I had a S.O. if I'd still take my laptop to bed with me. I have been trying, over the last few days, to use laptop infront of the tv, to prevent bedtime laptop routine, but I still end up lugging it to bed with me.
Maybe for Lent I should give up using my laptop in bed?
Let me just say to this statement - HAH! Chance would be a fine thing.
I sleep on the right hand side of my bed, only, after over a year of occupying a single bed. I also like to be close to the light for reading. But that's by the by, the point is, if you live in a shared house, your bedroom is your sleeping room, working room, relaxing room, dressing room, sanctuary, refuge, and storage space. My current bedroom is smaller than the last one. However, I will admit that I prefer it, despite its smaller size, and lack of tv reception. The good thing about the lack of tv reception is that I no longer have a tv in my room. So I no longer watch TV in bed.
But there's no way I can escape the necessity of having to work up here. I have a desk, and I either set up my computer on there with the monitor, or I prop myself up on pillows on my bed, and rest my laptop on my knees. My favourite thing about my room is the desk and bookshelf alcove! I love my workspace area. But the computer in bed, it's not a good habit. I wonder if I had a S.O. if I'd still take my laptop to bed with me. I have been trying, over the last few days, to use laptop infront of the tv, to prevent bedtime laptop routine, but I still end up lugging it to bed with me.
Maybe for Lent I should give up using my laptop in bed?
Monday, 4 February 2008
Book at Bedtime
I'm very excited (in a very geeky way) that this week's Radio 4 Book at Bedtime is...
A Room With a View. I did this book for English literature at A-level, so I've linked it to the copy I studied from, for the full nostalgia effect. What's not to love? It's set in Florence (one of my favourite cities), there are bluebells, it's all about true love.
A Room With a View. I did this book for English literature at A-level, so I've linked it to the copy I studied from, for the full nostalgia effect. What's not to love? It's set in Florence (one of my favourite cities), there are bluebells, it's all about true love.
Sunday, 3 February 2008
Hurrah!
I did some writing! Hallelujah praise the Lord! I am not blocked just LAZY!
And now I will celebrate by deliberating whether or not to cut my own fringe.
And now I will celebrate by deliberating whether or not to cut my own fringe.
Lack of activity
What I have done today:
- drunk about 20 cups of tea
- turned on my fairylights around my bed, and then turned them off again when I was worried about the burning smell and that I'd set fire to my room
- lit candles in my room when it was getting gloomy outside... strangely did not worry about them going crazy and burning down house
- read lots of stuff online
- read some of Life isn't all ha ha hee hee which I'm actually not enjoying, which makes it the second book this week I haven't actually enjoyed. The other is This Rough Magic, which is not getting me into Mary Stewart like I was hoping, and she's supposed to be good... so far I disagree
- sent Amanda five chapters of my previous work, which isn't fab
- texted Amanda much later this evening "what are you doing, I'm bored" and got the reply, "just got back from friend's house warning. (sic) There was lots of cheese. Yum!"
- not watched Imagine Me and You, even though it's a film I've always thought I'd enjoy, because the first ten minutes were so incredibly poor, and even the presence of Anthony Stewart Head could not change my mind
- danced in my chair to The Feeling
- ate broccoli for my dinner (with a chicken thing) but felt really virtuous and grown up that I frequently steam green leafy vegetables because I like them and not because I feel like I ought to
- got confused when I was microwaving some milk for some hot chocolate, as to why the microwave smelled like McDonalds, and then on opening it realised there were some loose fries on the tray from when I had re-heated my McDonalds last night
- tried to hide McDonalds transgression evidence from last night and failed
- called my Nanna
- fielded a call from my Nanna's neighbour (she's ok, people!)
- texted Abby, who I didn't text back on Thursday, to say awww, thanks for thinking about me when you read about the X Files film sequel. And yeah, it's embarrassing that that's how my friend remembers my teenage years. At least, however, X-Files has some semblance of longevity, what with the film being made this year, etc. And I did stop watching after about the fourth series when (like Lost) we all realised the writers did NOT have some amazing overarching master plot plan
- looked up Creative Writing MAs online
- hatched a plan to somehow take full advantage of the new sabbatical allowance at work, save all my money and go and do Creative Writing MA, possibly at Southampton and living at home
- reconsidered aspects of that plan as there is no bloody way I could live at home, not even for six months
- felt mildly depressed that have only been in new job for four months and am already wondering about how to change life, but came to conclusion it is because I am easily bored self-sabotager (see: A-levels, all my relationships) and not that I actually hate my job, however, next week, must take iPod to work and just keep head down, as really annoyed Polly on Thursday
- looked up what Stuart Maconie played on Radio 2 this afternoon and downloaded what took my fancy, which is now my habit, because he always plays songs I like, but I don't often get to listen to his show
- felt very very glad that tomorrow is Sunday and not Monday and hopefully I can claw back some productiveness in the weekend
- over-emphasised my hangover to make myself feel better about doing nothing. Actually I reckon the McDonalds and the lie-in cured it...
Saturday, 2 February 2008
To Do List/ Saturday blogging
Yeah, I know, I shouldn't be doing this. I should be showering and getting dressed, because I've been awake for four hours. But you know, it's Saturday. And last night's drinks were really good, depsite my fears, and I crossed off so many things off yesterday's To Do list that I really feel quite smug. So smug I shall share the fruits of my labours.
1. Reduce mobile phone bill - this is a total cheat, because I wrote this onto the list after I'd called Orange and demanded an upgrade and that they do something about my phone bill. Hah! If I cannot bear to switch to O2 and get an iPhone (and I can't afford to) then at least I want a non-crippling phone bill. And now I do, waahahahah!
2. Fleet Tutors - finally managed to talk to Fleet Tutors, who are sending out my application pack. I have to pay for my own CRB check, but that's ok, I can use it for other things. But I really do want to tutor, I like the idea of helping people, for money. Maybe I should have entered a more caring profession? Mind you, the woman on the end of the phone asked me what my Classics degree was - English? I answered in a really snotty voice - ah, no, it's Ancient Greek and Latin, and felt terrible, because she apologised for her ignorance. But come on people! You're running a tutoring service! How can you not know what Classics is? It's an A-level and a GCSE! Mind you, that's never happened to me before. I've heard about it happening to other people (often people think it's English Classics, like Austen/Dickens etc, or music) but never to me. I thought it was an urban myth. Well, as urban as studying Classics gets, anyway. I miss Classics.
3. Babysitting advert - still to do. See, helping people, for money. My Dad and Barbara think the more extra work I do, the less money I'll spend. They have a point. However, does feel rather like a step backwards. Having said that, I babysat next door's kids when I last lived at home, so it's not like being sixteen again. At least, not really.
4. Bank - went. They changed my address. They then offered me MORE DEBT! The guy said "You're eligible to borrow some money, would you like to do that?" Me: No, thanks.
I told Tom C. about this at the pub last night, and he said Egg offered him loans in increments by email, over successive weeks, until the final email offered him £15000 - and he was pre-approved. Bear in mind he works in publishing... no wonder Egg are taking people's credit cards away from them.
5. Redirect mail - did it online!
6. Car reg document - need to find it (grrrr)
8. Food shop - not done this. I went to Boots instead and bought hair dye, Brilliant Brunette shampoos, and am preparing to do hair shortly. Also bought interesting new anti perspirant stuff made of crystal.
9. Laundry - hah! I rock! And I now have clothes for next week!
10. Take book back - I love Borders, but it RUINED my non spending yesterday. I mooched around, took my book back, considered exchanging it instead for a copy of Doctor Who Magazine (it's always disappointing, mind), but they didn't have it so I was saved. Then I went and spent £8 in the Oxfam bookshop feeling virtuous because it was second hand. Must use the library.
11. RSVP Caroline and Adam. I am going to their wedding evening reception. Bear in mind that I've seen them a total of about three times in the past year, and while I really like them, I'm astonished to be invited to their wedding, but I am an old friend of both of them independently, and I did dance in an embarrassingly flamboyant fashion with Adam at Vicky's wedding at Christmas, so...
12. Boots Advantage Card - mine stopped working. I called up, requested a new one. I have about a gazillion points on there. I am going to wait until I have even more gazillions to buy a pair of hair straighteners. Cunning, eh?
And finally, my big announcement: my refund from Reading University came in! Well played, Reading, you bunch of incompetants! And since it was a Christmas present that went wrong, I used the money to purchase the complete Buffy DVD boxset. Well, it was a present, and it was exactly the right amount of money!! And I've wanted that boxset for the last three years birthdays and Christmasses and no one was going to get it for me and... I am SO EXCITED! I've missed Buffy! Ever since Dave and I split up, taking with him all the DVDs, I've missed it! And now I can re-watch! I can start from the very beginning! (Or I could episode hop to all the good ones, and obsess about Angel, that might work too...)
*** Edit*** I posted this, then walked downstairs to make a one final last honestly cup of tea, and remembered that there were other things I haven't shared yet! Like, the fact that when I stumbled downstairs to turn the kettle on, two cups of tea stood, brewing (she keeps the bag in after putting in the milk, gross, also, no putting the milk in first, it is suppose to COOL the tea) and cold and filmy... and the maker of said cups of tea (only Anna, since Ben doesn't drink hot drinks) was nowhere to be seen. Clearly she and Steve were otherwise engaged. But what a waste of a cup of tea, that's all I'm saying.
1. Reduce mobile phone bill - this is a total cheat, because I wrote this onto the list after I'd called Orange and demanded an upgrade and that they do something about my phone bill. Hah! If I cannot bear to switch to O2 and get an iPhone (and I can't afford to) then at least I want a non-crippling phone bill. And now I do, waahahahah!
2. Fleet Tutors - finally managed to talk to Fleet Tutors, who are sending out my application pack. I have to pay for my own CRB check, but that's ok, I can use it for other things. But I really do want to tutor, I like the idea of helping people, for money. Maybe I should have entered a more caring profession? Mind you, the woman on the end of the phone asked me what my Classics degree was - English? I answered in a really snotty voice - ah, no, it's Ancient Greek and Latin, and felt terrible, because she apologised for her ignorance. But come on people! You're running a tutoring service! How can you not know what Classics is? It's an A-level and a GCSE! Mind you, that's never happened to me before. I've heard about it happening to other people (often people think it's English Classics, like Austen/Dickens etc, or music) but never to me. I thought it was an urban myth. Well, as urban as studying Classics gets, anyway. I miss Classics.
3. Babysitting advert - still to do. See, helping people, for money. My Dad and Barbara think the more extra work I do, the less money I'll spend. They have a point. However, does feel rather like a step backwards. Having said that, I babysat next door's kids when I last lived at home, so it's not like being sixteen again. At least, not really.
4. Bank - went. They changed my address. They then offered me MORE DEBT! The guy said "You're eligible to borrow some money, would you like to do that?" Me: No, thanks.
I told Tom C. about this at the pub last night, and he said Egg offered him loans in increments by email, over successive weeks, until the final email offered him £15000 - and he was pre-approved. Bear in mind he works in publishing... no wonder Egg are taking people's credit cards away from them.
5. Redirect mail - did it online!
6. Car reg document - need to find it (grrrr)
8. Food shop - not done this. I went to Boots instead and bought hair dye, Brilliant Brunette shampoos, and am preparing to do hair shortly. Also bought interesting new anti perspirant stuff made of crystal.
9. Laundry - hah! I rock! And I now have clothes for next week!
10. Take book back - I love Borders, but it RUINED my non spending yesterday. I mooched around, took my book back, considered exchanging it instead for a copy of Doctor Who Magazine (it's always disappointing, mind), but they didn't have it so I was saved. Then I went and spent £8 in the Oxfam bookshop feeling virtuous because it was second hand. Must use the library.
11. RSVP Caroline and Adam. I am going to their wedding evening reception. Bear in mind that I've seen them a total of about three times in the past year, and while I really like them, I'm astonished to be invited to their wedding, but I am an old friend of both of them independently, and I did dance in an embarrassingly flamboyant fashion with Adam at Vicky's wedding at Christmas, so...
12. Boots Advantage Card - mine stopped working. I called up, requested a new one. I have about a gazillion points on there. I am going to wait until I have even more gazillions to buy a pair of hair straighteners. Cunning, eh?
And finally, my big announcement: my refund from Reading University came in! Well played, Reading, you bunch of incompetants! And since it was a Christmas present that went wrong, I used the money to purchase the complete Buffy DVD boxset. Well, it was a present, and it was exactly the right amount of money!! And I've wanted that boxset for the last three years birthdays and Christmasses and no one was going to get it for me and... I am SO EXCITED! I've missed Buffy! Ever since Dave and I split up, taking with him all the DVDs, I've missed it! And now I can re-watch! I can start from the very beginning! (Or I could episode hop to all the good ones, and obsess about Angel, that might work too...)
*** Edit*** I posted this, then walked downstairs to make a one final last honestly cup of tea, and remembered that there were other things I haven't shared yet! Like, the fact that when I stumbled downstairs to turn the kettle on, two cups of tea stood, brewing (she keeps the bag in after putting in the milk, gross, also, no putting the milk in first, it is suppose to COOL the tea) and cold and filmy... and the maker of said cups of tea (only Anna, since Ben doesn't drink hot drinks) was nowhere to be seen. Clearly she and Steve were otherwise engaged. But what a waste of a cup of tea, that's all I'm saying.
Friday, 1 February 2008
Let there be light!
It's Friday and I'm at home! Hurrah!!
I decided to use up some of my annual leave that I rolled over, because I was feeling a bit fed up with work this week, and wondering when I was ever going to get any proper writing done (although admittedly, not blogging would be a big help with that, and removing my Facebook account, and the BBC discontinuing the iPlayer and removing Limewire from my laptop... well you get the picture) so I thought I'd just extend my weekend by a day, and use one day to get jobs done. But I've been characteristically efficient. Did you know you can redirect your post online?! Wow! You never used to be able to...
So, yes, writing. Well, we had writing group last night, which was fun, even though I had not submitted anything myself. It's always hard to know what to say about other people's work, not because it's not good, but because I'm aware I don't want to be too prescriptive. It's their work, after all! However, everyone in our group is always really kind, but generally spot on. (I do always find I enjoy it more if I have writing being read myself, probably because I am a self-absorbed bee-yotch), at Tom's house, which is in a really good Oxford location, but incredibly quiet. He made tea in a big teapot, which lent an air of extreme cosiness to the proceedings. I bloody love tea. Although I've been coffee-girl this week, which probably explains insomnia.
Anyway, I got a text from Amanda at the end of group. It was this:
Then: "That's not too morbid is it? I'm channeling Plath!"
I don't think it's too morbid, I think it's worrying how much I see Amanda got the hang of me (unintentional textual reference, there). I like the allusion to the cross I wear around my neck. Or at least I thought it was that. Maybe it's something else entirely...
Let there be light! Not only is the bathroom light fixed, after over a month of showering/bathing/toiletting in candlelight/darkness, but on Wednesday we had a powercut in the evening! Right before the end of Torchwood! DISASTER! Not only did I not know what to do, but I also was a little bit scared, because it's a big house to be in totally alone, in pitch black. But I got my wind-up torch out that I got for Christmas, a very handy tool, I discovered. And the light came on after a couple of hours, and I watched the end of Torchwood on the iPlayer last night (and the beginning, actually, which I'd missed, I loved those old fashioned BBC accents on the Old Torchwood chaps), and thanks to skulking off our local unlocked wireless networks and laptop batteries, Anna and I (when she got in) at least had some light and heat. What did we do before mobile phones as makeshift torches and the internet? Read and got more sleep, I should imagine.
I am really loving Torchwood right now, although the sight of Jack and Ianto is kind of wrong, to me, too many square jaws spoil the boy porn. But I can see why the writers are doing it, and the whole thing is really so much better this series than last series. So I love the writers, officially. I wish I could write for the BBC. But seeing as (we were discussing last night), I've not finished anything I've been writing for years, and I've never written any screenwriting at all, perhaps an ambition that needs some work... What's embarassing is that on my last old journal post, I announced I was writing a novel. Which is still unfinished, and isn't even the one I'm working on now. Ach, ouch, oooh....Yes, that's the sound of me giving myself a good slap, telling myself to snap out of it, and stop beating myself up.
And, can I just say, it's a bloody beautiful day here! So much for the doom and gloom snow predictions, this place is awash with sunlight, and I'm warm enough to have been walking around in just my undies all morning. Cold snap? What cold snap?! So I think I'm going to go out, take my notebook with my, before the Jericho Tav this evening. I'm looking forward to it, but trying not to, in case it's a let down.
I decided to use up some of my annual leave that I rolled over, because I was feeling a bit fed up with work this week, and wondering when I was ever going to get any proper writing done (although admittedly, not blogging would be a big help with that, and removing my Facebook account, and the BBC discontinuing the iPlayer and removing Limewire from my laptop... well you get the picture) so I thought I'd just extend my weekend by a day, and use one day to get jobs done. But I've been characteristically efficient. Did you know you can redirect your post online?! Wow! You never used to be able to...
So, yes, writing. Well, we had writing group last night, which was fun, even though I had not submitted anything myself. It's always hard to know what to say about other people's work, not because it's not good, but because I'm aware I don't want to be too prescriptive. It's their work, after all! However, everyone in our group is always really kind, but generally spot on. (I do always find I enjoy it more if I have writing being read myself, probably because I am a self-absorbed bee-yotch), at Tom's house, which is in a really good Oxford location, but incredibly quiet. He made tea in a big teapot, which lent an air of extreme cosiness to the proceedings. I bloody love tea. Although I've been coffee-girl this week, which probably explains insomnia.
Anyway, I got a text from Amanda at the end of group. It was this:
Poem for Gemma: Before i leave the house i collect myself, i make sure no threads are showing. I put on a pretty face, a pretty charm to hang myself from.
Then: "That's not too morbid is it? I'm channeling Plath!"
I don't think it's too morbid, I think it's worrying how much I see Amanda got the hang of me (unintentional textual reference, there). I like the allusion to the cross I wear around my neck. Or at least I thought it was that. Maybe it's something else entirely...
Let there be light! Not only is the bathroom light fixed, after over a month of showering/bathing/toiletting in candlelight/darkness, but on Wednesday we had a powercut in the evening! Right before the end of Torchwood! DISASTER! Not only did I not know what to do, but I also was a little bit scared, because it's a big house to be in totally alone, in pitch black. But I got my wind-up torch out that I got for Christmas, a very handy tool, I discovered. And the light came on after a couple of hours, and I watched the end of Torchwood on the iPlayer last night (and the beginning, actually, which I'd missed, I loved those old fashioned BBC accents on the Old Torchwood chaps), and thanks to skulking off our local unlocked wireless networks and laptop batteries, Anna and I (when she got in) at least had some light and heat. What did we do before mobile phones as makeshift torches and the internet? Read and got more sleep, I should imagine.
I am really loving Torchwood right now, although the sight of Jack and Ianto is kind of wrong, to me, too many square jaws spoil the boy porn. But I can see why the writers are doing it, and the whole thing is really so much better this series than last series. So I love the writers, officially. I wish I could write for the BBC. But seeing as (we were discussing last night), I've not finished anything I've been writing for years, and I've never written any screenwriting at all, perhaps an ambition that needs some work... What's embarassing is that on my last old journal post, I announced I was writing a novel. Which is still unfinished, and isn't even the one I'm working on now. Ach, ouch, oooh....Yes, that's the sound of me giving myself a good slap, telling myself to snap out of it, and stop beating myself up.
And, can I just say, it's a bloody beautiful day here! So much for the doom and gloom snow predictions, this place is awash with sunlight, and I'm warm enough to have been walking around in just my undies all morning. Cold snap? What cold snap?! So I think I'm going to go out, take my notebook with my, before the Jericho Tav this evening. I'm looking forward to it, but trying not to, in case it's a let down.
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