WIP

A hat. Made from scraps. Its going to have little kitty ears and tassles. It was an adaptation of a kid's hat pattern. It may turn out woman sized. It may not.

Eatin' and Drinkin'

On Christmas Eve we went to a Harvester restaraunt. There has been a 15 year gap between this visit and our last, which was in High Wycombe. In those days they were Worzel Gummidge themed, and had models of Aunt Sally and Worzel and they greeted you at the door with a "Have you ever BEEN to a Harvester restaraunt before?" before launching into an hour's worth of Harvester spiel.
Him indoors had "surf and turf" and was violently ill on the way home. I couldn't drive at the time and he suddenly let go of the steering wheel and shouted "steer!" and was horribly sick.
I didnt even think you got Harvesters any more but there is one at Ashton Moss near us so we went in by accident (we had gone for an A and W burger but noticed the Harvester instead.)
Aunt Sally has long gone but the spiel is the same ("Have you BEEN to a Harvester restaraunt before?") as is the free salad bar.
We shared a Deep South platter for 2. I do not like the word "platter". It reminds me of polyester dresses and men in rollneck sweaters for some reason. However it was very nice indeed ; plenty of and not too much of the mass-produced about it (although I am sure it was).

Wednesday saw us in The Crown in Lymm stuffing our faces for the annual Boxing Day family nosh. Except it was the day after Boxing Day and we were missing the ma in law as she wasn't well, so it wasn't quite the same. For the record I had GIANT Lasagne . They have a GIANT menu. It wasn't that giant to be honest but the garlic ciabatta was gorgeous.

Today was spend money on books and things day. I got a Phillip Pullman I didnt know existed - The Tin Princess. I loved The Ruby in the Smoke dramatisation that was on the other night and I ADORE His Dark Materials so I am looking forward to this one. Got a Nick Cave cd, The Corpse Bride on dvd, him indoors got a Ramones DVD he hasn't got - well he has got it on some ancient old video but thats not the same apparently.
Back to the food theme - lunch was in the Cafe Yagdhar in Manchester city centre. Its Turkish. Its grotty and run down. And the food is LOVELY. We had Aloo tikka and a shami kebab to start and shared a chicken tikka kebab on nan. I don't know what they do with their food in there but its gorgeous, and dirt cheap. The floor is all wonky and slippy, the decor is 80s tacky plastic flowers and the radio plays some imcomprehensible foreign news station but I would go as far as to say its our favourite place to eat in town. Go if you can.

I am knitting a hat tonight. With tassles. Watch this space for photographic evidence.

Christmas housewife

We didnt go out on Boxing day for the first time in our 17 years together, as the ma in law isnt well.
So I spent my Amazon gift voucher :-)

Here is me yesterday in the throws of cooking Christmas lunch! I am not really that shape - its the apron - the apron I tell you!

Happy Christmas Everyone !

Christmas non-traditions

I was reading something on a blog that I have now lost the link to but will try and find again and put on here. Basically, the lady was talking about "unusual" Christmas Days that didn't follow traditionally what your family normally does on Christmas Day, wether by design or accident or whatever.

When I was little, right up to leaving home in fact, we almost always went to my Nana and Grandad's house for Christmas Day and had a proper Christmas dinner, followed by telly etc. No presents were opened there - that was strictly first thing in the morning/get stuck into the presents under the tree/thunder upstairs and show sleepy parents what you had got. At least it was till I was about 10 :-)

Not so long ago my mum reminded me that one year we went to a pub for lunch. I think I was about 9. I have NO memory of this whatsoever. It was obviously so not what we DID at Christmas that I refuse to remember it. More details if you have them mother please.

Anyway, the first Christmas me and him indoors spent together, we were living in one room at his sister's house, and she was going to be elsewhere for Christmas Day so we decided to make a proper dinner like a proper, grown up couple (we were NOT grown up:-) )

Off we went to the supermarket on Christmas Eve, and got to the checkout with our carfeully chosen, lovely food and drink and little bits and pieces of luxury stuff you never eat at any other time of the year. I handed the checkout girl my cheque and my bank card (this was in the days of no debit cards and you had to guarantee your cheque with your bank card)...and I had brought my NEW cheque book but my OLD bank card, so they didn't match.

By the time we got home, found the right card and got back to the shops, everywhere was shut. Christmas was looking like it was cancelled, but then we spied a lonely Spar. A Spar (if you dont know) is a convenience store kind of place that sells pretty much everything from magazines to sprouts. Except this was Christmas Eve and even THEIR shelves were looking a bit bare. We did what we could.

Christmas dinner was frozen mini chicken kievs, chicken in breadcrumbs, oven chips and peas.....:-)

It was rather lovely and we did have a nice day. Since then we have made an effort each year to get things together on time. We have a theme each year as well - cuisine of a different country. Not what that country has for Christmas dinner but just some traditional food of that country. We veered off into history one year and had English Anglo Saxon. Russian was an interesting year, especially after all that toasting everything with vodka . That year it actually snowed and we cooled the vodka in the snow in the garden! The 70s Bernie Inn year was pretty groovy too.

So an accidental Christmas cock-up has turned into a tradition all of its own.

Happy Yule All :-)

The tree has gone up

Woooo. Look at the sad cricketer on the telly. More importantly, those presents under the tree are for ME! ME I tell you!!!!!

....

Sorry about that. Ahem. Went into Manchester today and had some more something-wein and got most of the Christmas shopping. Still got a few things to get but him indoors is off till the 3rd of Jan now so he can get it.

Me, I have to go back to work next week. Hey ho. Still, the poor lad works very hard so I spose he deserves a break. He can have one without the pc though because it has to go to pc hospital. Fortunatley I have my laptop :-)

Who sings Blue Christmas? ... Elfish Presley..... :-)

Cooking

Wooo I am a cook! Jamie Oliver I laugh in your face. Heston Blumenthal I laugh knowingly at your "locally sourced" recipes. I COOK.
Oh yes people, I made a pie. A chicken and leek pie. From scratch. Pastry and everything. And it was lovley. In all my life I have never made a pie and tonight I did and it worked. Mmmmm.
AND I made chocolate truffles earlier! From scratch! In little cases with piped white chocolate and little Chrismtassy things on the top!
Nigella Lawson - go home love, I am in town.

First taste of Christmas

We went to the Christmas markets in Manchester today. We don't normally DO town on a Saturday but we did for today for some reason. It was busy!
We had a hot mulled something-wein and him indoors had a german hamburger. Then we bought a lot of dutch cheese (goats cheese with nettles, spicy gouda and three year old gouda!) , then another something-wein, then we shared a german steak baguette, then we had ANOTHER something-wein and then we went home for a lie down :-)
On the way in, I saw a cafe (the Abergeldie cafe in case you are interested) and I took a picture of the sign. Apparently its famous for this and everyone in the world knows about it apart from ME.I very much want to post the picture directly but Blogger wont let me for some reason . Dont get excited - its nothing that good!
www.faerywings.co.uk/photos/terry.jpg

Photos

I found a folder on the laptop where I have been dumping all the photos I take on the new super duper camera, and I found this one. Its just outside Ulveston.

Born Idle gig

Yes, we were magnificent. The sound was RUBBISH, mostly down to the "sound engineer" actually claiming to be one and obviously wasn't. As this is something I do have a stab at on the odd occaision, I like to think I know where I am with a basic mixing desk. This guy didn't.
Despite that, we went down well, made a few quid and sold a couple of cds.
I was EXTREMELY glad that him indoors was driving. The plan was that we would stay at the drummer's house but there was a hitch on the car front, and it was too difficult to arrange alternatives, so we had to drive home. Damn glad we did. It was still going on when we left, and when we were feet up, drinking vodka and bitter lemon and watching the top 40 best moments of Only Fools And Horses at home, we could have been standing around outside a venue where we didnt want to be anymore and where we had stopped enjoying ourselves about the same time as we came off stage. Aha- old woman !! I hear you cry. Nope. I have been like this all my life. I can't do camping. I can't do sleeping on other people's floors. I can just about tolerate sleeping on other people's sofas IF I can go to sleep when I want and not at 4am surrounded by LOUD people.
I like my comforts I am afraid, so this grumpy old woman stuff is not new - I have ALWAYS been like that!
Went off to town today for some dinner. We shared a shami kebab (a small one) and a chicken tikka kebab and read the Sunday People (which would appear to contain NO news whatsoever), then we went for a pint in a little bar called the Bay Horse. Then we went home and on the way we stopped at our local - The Bay Horse - for another. Synchronicity. Bought a book about the New York Dolls (him indoors' current obsession) and one that concerns Rat Scabies but I am not sure how yet as I haven't read it.
Stuck some more stuff on ebay to sell, had a bath, carried on with the red and black stripey jumper I am knitting, watched Corrie and Heartbeat and then Planet Earth and that, children, was my weekend.

Its nearly December

Where has the time gone?
Tonight we have a gig. We, the proper band, not the pretend one :-) Its in Atherton.
Our office is on the move AGAIN at work. We are moving backwards and losing the front door. Currently we are next to a cafe. There is a building college up the road and at break times all the little 16 and 17 year olds stand outside our door eating and drinking and spitting and its the most annoying thing in the world. I have kicked the odd one off the step (quite literally) but there are hoardes of them and there is only so much you can do. When we lose our door, we get the door next door but one to the cafe so that will be the end of them as far as we are concerned. However, the accounts people next door on the otherside of us are moving into the bit of the office we are losing, and their main office will be slap bang in front of our old door -complete with the crowds of hoodie wearing, tracksuited idiots.They alledge they are looking forward to moving. I bet they will regret it!
We are also getting a little kitchen and at last our own toilet (its always been shared between businesses before) which I am stupidly excited about.
Got to go - rock and roll beckons!

A little of things

I like this time of year. I approve very much of dark nights and rain and cold, so I am having whatever the opposite of that seasonally affected disorder is called. I HATE summer.
On the subject of cold, the cats have been camped out on a cushion covered with a throw (that we found at the end of a drunken night out in Manchester in a skip in 1993) under the kitchen radiator. Well today I disassembled the camp and moved it into the front room where its less drafty. Will they sit on it now? Nope. I am NOT moving it back. Its a small kitchen and I have just removed a bin bag's worth of rubbish from it so its looking good, and I don't want them to live in a room that we are not in all the time - do they not need company??
There was a little fight earlier between them, which just goes to show that they may be ancient but they can still have a pointless scrap.
I have a new assistant at work. She (at last! A "she" !!!! ) is very young and learns quickly and I hope she doesn't get fed up and go and work somewhere else. I am making herculean efforts to be nice and patient and understanding (none of which are me) but I have a horrible feeling that in 6 months time I will be saying... "I have a new assistant.....".
Our street has its first Christmas tree up. No, its not in my house. Unfortunatley.
There has been a DC79 gig and some BornIdle pre gig preparations and a curry or two since my last post. Aside from that, life rolls on as it will.

Singin' In the Rain

Yes I remember it well. Me and my mum were the STARS...the STARS I tell you... at a show at the Methodist Church Hall in Stockton Heath. We tap danced in leotards to Singin' In The Rain. We had umbrellas and everything. We used to rehearse in the garden on the paving stones. Bet next door loved that! Ah, the 70s. Surprisingly there is no pictorial evidence of this, given a camera mad father. Maybe he was too scared.
Speaking of the 70s, how come I have got so many damn remote controls for things these days! In the 70s we had NONE. Now I have 1 for the telly, 1 for the video, 1 for the dvd,1 for Sky telly (thats a bit broken and held together with gaffa tape and doesn't like doing the number 3), 1 for the hi fi, 1 for the radio in the kitchen (which is lost admittedly) , 1 for the upstairs video, 1 for the upstairs telly, and one for the damn sound card on the pc! And 2 others that I have no idea what they are FOR.
I can't even set the clock on the microwave - what chance do I have with all these THINGS??
I work in IT. I had a "stupid" day today so I therefore hate technology. No idea what I am doing posting on here either :-%

Ooooo and Heston Blumenthal has just been on the telly. He is a celebrity chef. I had no idea what he looked like, but I have heard him on the radio. I thought of him as tall and dark haired. He is a small, bald, bespectacled man.

Double 000000. 15000th episode of the Archers tonight. HOW disapointing! I was expecting drama, death, affairs...erm....slinks away quietly after outing self as an Archer's fan.....

Telling yourself jokes

Do you do that? When you are on your own? Ok, a leetle background. I am on housewife duty this evening, so I am a washing clothing and dishes and I came by here to play a quick game on the internet for a break. The telly is on in the background because I am finding out what on earth is on that video tape that I found in the cupboard that dates from the early 90s entitled "music videos", (La Guns/Faster Pussycat/The Black Crowes if anyone is interested), and I turned the video off and some guy on the telly was going "What's his name? What's his name?". And I said outloud "Harry May" and made myself laugh. Ok, you won't get it. Harry May is the title of a song by The Business, and the chorus goes "What's his name? Harry May!". The Business are an old school punk band I don't expect you to know about them, but the point is, do you come out with funny things to yourself OUT LOUD when you are on your own?
I hope its not just me! :-)
Ciao chickens

Blog Land

I decided to change the whole look of this thing. My dad complained he couldn't read it and it was getting on my nerves a bit as well to be honest, and I like rain, so we are now rain themed.
I must tell you about the cats and their fleas. They got them quite badly and on previous experience, anything you buy form a shop is rubbish. I got some tablets called "capstar" off a vet on Ebay (yes, a real vet and not someone pretending to BE one), and I checked the tablets out and they are also sold in vets so I got some. Within 15 minutes of them taking a tablet, loads of dead fleas fell off the cats! It was awesome. Amazingly, neither of them pretended to take the tablet, only for it to fall out of their mouth an hour later - they actually swallowed it.
Anyway, the fleas have left the building. I can't recommend this stuff enough. No, they aren't paying me :-)
On Halloween night, we got no trick or treaters whatsoever. So we ate the sweeties I bought from the shop. Dolly mixtures! I haven't had those in years. Dolly mixtures are unique in that they don't contain any that I don't like. For example, Liquorice Allsorts have those horrid jelly ones with little bobbly bits on that are VILE, Revels have the yukky peanut ones and so on and so on. ALL Dolly Mixtures are nice! And they remind me of my mum, which make them nicer.
Watched half of Peter Jackson's King Kong last week before falling asleep. There ends my critical review of it.
Tonight its "Nightmare in a damaged brain" (yes Dad, I can hear your remarks right now), which is a previously banned video nasty. Oh yes. This I shall enjoy :-)

Happy Halloween!

Cats and weird Japanese song

I dont normally do this, but this is funny :-)

Ross Noble and other matters

We went to see him on Wednesday night at the Opera House in Manchester and he was very very very funny. We were right on the front row and he spoke to us and everything!
Had a drink in the Sports Cafe beforehand - shan't be going back because it was stupidly expensive. Its not that I don't have the money - its the principle. Why can I go down the road and have a pint for £2.30 and then get charged £3.30 for the same drink somewhere else, just because its a bit of a flash place?
On a better note, I got a phone call whilst in flash, over priced place. It was from a man who had found a toolkit in the middle of the road and it had my number on a piece of paper inside it. Turns out the toolkit belongs to the guy that mends our printers at work (he had his car broken into and his toolkit nicked) - he had some numbers written down on a bit of paper, mine included, and the guy that found it rang all the numbers till someone answered! There are some nice people in the world after all.
On Thursday night we went to one of those all you can eat Chinese buffet places. I didn't really do justice to it, having mostly seaweed and prawn toast and beef curry (and ice cream and jelly! Blue ice cream! Orange jelly!), but him indoors managed 5 trips. Good boy!
Last night we watched The Tool Box Murders, followed by Threads. WHY did I watch Threads again? For those of you who dont know, it was made in the 80s and its set in Sheffield and basically the UK is devastated by nuclear bombs. Its all done documentary style, and its just HORRIBLE. When I was a teenager, Thatcher was in her prime and my dad worked for the then CEGB (central electricity generating board), and did a couple of stints at nuclear outfits. I was convinced a nuclear war was imminent and had even worked out how far I would get towards my house if I was at school and a nuclear bomb went off. Thankyou Threads for bringing all that back :-) I will insist on watching it every so often and then wishing I hadnt.....
Made pizza last night and tonight its full on Sunday dinner time, so I will be off to watch a new episode of the Simpsons and stuff my face.
Hope you all had a good weekend!

This weekend

I have mostly been pottering about. Friday night was watch the telly/drink wine, Saturday day was tidy the house/go to the pub, Saturday night was watch Troy and drink cider and eat fried chicken, Sunday day was rehearse with my band (and scary guest Polish singer!) and go for a pub tea afterwards - I had lasagne.
Now a hot bath awaits.
Hope you all had a good one.

Us at the Ireland wedding. It was late. Very late. We were "in a good mood".... And the boat on the way home.

Ireland Trip

Day 1
We got on the ferry at 2am. Got into Dublin at 6am. TIRED. Walked for miles until 8.30am when we find and get the hire car. Feeling very miserable and cold and tired and wet because it was chucking it down.
Get hire car and drive to Waterford. Find hotel. Cant find anyone in hotel to check us in so wait around until someone turns up. Check in. Its now 3.30pm. No sleep since Wednesday night.
Go to sleep for 2 hours. Get up and drive into Waterford centre. Go round shops. Have pint and hot dog. Drive back to hotel. Get taxi back into Waterford to meet groom and his relations. Drink for a bit. Groom goes home to do pre wedding things. Get saddled with idiotic, drunken friend who insists in talking in an Irish accent and going on about the IRA. Bear in mind we are in SOUTHERN Ireland. Groom returns. Drink some more. Ditch drunken annoying friend. Go back to hotel at 2am.
Day2
Get up at 11am. Go into Waterford and have lunch and a pint and buy wedding present and card. Meet groom buying underpants :-)
Go back to hotel. Get changed. Get taxi to church. Watch wedding. Very, very lovely and enjoyable, apart from idiot friend who is still acting up and trying to be centre of attention. Catholic do - lots of kneeling and getting up and down. Bride looks beautiful. Everyone is happy and its a wonderful service.
Get lift to reception. Ditch stupid, increasingly annoying "friend". Eat food, (Poached salmon for me, beef stroganoff for him indoors but we share) drink, meet people we havent seen for years, chat, have generally lovely time. "Friend" gets increasingly annoying and several people are now threatening to kill him.
12am and we get taxi to hotel. Dog tired, full of food and drink and happiness. Crash out.
4am. Stupid ex friend attempts to gain access to our hotel room having been abandoned by the people he was staying with ,and virtually everyone else at the wedding as well. I manually throw him out, because I am now SEVERELY annoyed and its a wonder I don't kill him myself, thus earning myself eternal respect from everyone else who has been exposed to him over the last 48 hours. Go back to bed.
Day 3
Get up at 8am , pack and drive back to Dublin. Get on ferry and sail home. Pick keys up from ma in law, thank junior sister in law for looking after cats and getting bitten by new influx of cat fleas. Drive home.
8pm. Sit on settee drinking white wine and falling asleep. Superb time!
....Get text this morning from groom saying ex friend was put on a plane home three days early for "his own safety". Its a wonder he isnt at the bottom of the Irish sea.
Maybe photos to follow....

Ferry annoying

We are off to Waterford. In Ireland. For friend's wedding. And we are going. NOW. Because the ferry we were due to be on got cancelled due to bad weather (it was tomorrow at 9.30am) and we have been moved to one tonight at 2am!!!!!
Arrrgh! Just had mad rush around getting stuff together and we are going no to drive to Holyhead to get on the boat. We get to Dublin at 6am!!!! And we can't check into the hotel till 3pm!!!!!!
See you hopefully on Sunday night!

Sunday Lunch

Last night was DC79 at the Thatched House in Stockport. Met a mate who had got secretly enagaged! Good for her I say. Less palava that way - although less presents as well :-)
Although terribly tired today, we delivered the singer to the train station and then went to Warrington to try and get some keys cut to give to junior sister in law, who is looking after the cats this weekend, as we are away for two nights. More of that later.
Anyway, key search proved fruitless but we had a mooch about Warrington for a while, visiting old haunts and so on. Just so you know, I lived there till I was 21, before I did one daaarrrnn sarrfff with him indoors. It hasn't half changed, and yet not changed.
Here is a picture of the Carlton Club (now defunct) where me and him indoors first met in February 1989.

This is what it looks like from the back these days, and it looked exactly the same in those days as well. It was a rock club, and in the heady late 80s/early 90s it was about the best (in fact only) rock venue to hang about in in Warrington on a Friday night.

I can even remember what I was wearing that night : long red skirt, flowery blouse and a hat with 777 written on it in gold letters.... dont ask.

Then we went out for lunch with the ma in law (I had to remind her son what she looks like...). We went to the Little Manor in Thelwall and I had the world's biggest Aberdeen Angus 28 day matured beefburger with stilton and mushrooms and chips and salad. Him indoors had the gammon and the ma in law had asparagus tagliatele. There was sooo much of it. And it was lovely. Shared a cheese board. Ma in law tried to eat the butter, thinking it was cheese. It did look incredibly like cheese and she soon realised her mistake :-)

On Friday morning we are off to Waterford for a wedding and back on the Sunday so junior sister in law and the niece are coming to cat sit. Assuming I manage to get some spare keys to them in time!

My Mum

...is very talented. I am stressed out, I dont have enough TIME, everything is difficult....and then this arrived. She doesn't know I am posting this but she won't mind. A pome about family by my mum. Posted by me because I love her.

FAMILY TREE.
Sometimes, in the small hours, when sleep’s eluding me
I lie awake and ponder upon my family tree,
It’s roots are lost in history – can’t tell where it began-
But it’s strange to think the whole darn mob started with just one man,
(Well – one man and one woman – it usually takes two
But men take all the credit for the hard work women do!).

I’m not sure of my origins – maybe in some dark cave
An ape man dressed in deerskin began to yearn and crave
For some gentle female company, so he went and searched around
‘Til his hard work repaid him when he eventually found
A grunting hairy woman with a bone stuck through her nose
And a necklace made of tiger’s teeth – her idea of clothes.

He knew she was the one for him, he went weak at the knees
As he watched her scratching furiously at her myriad lice and fleas,
But how could he express his love - he’d not invented words
And nobody had told him about the bees and birds?
So he took his club of seasoned oak and bopped her on the head
And she fell for him immediately – and they say romance is dead!

Whoever kicked the whole thing off we flourished and we grew,
Our tree put out new branches and a good few suckers too!
It stood through good and bad times, through thunderstorm and drought –
Today it’s old and creaky but still sturdy no doubt,
Just have a good close look at it – I’m sure you will agree
We’re the biggest bunch of oddballs you could ever hope to see.

No family is perfect, there’s a black sheep in each flock –
Like the uncle with long eyelashes who likes to wear a frock,
Or the crafty wheeler-dealer always out to make a quid,
And the teenager who runs amok and won’t do what he’s bid.
The daughter who’s gone to the bad and now sports a fur coat –
All the usual scandals that let the neighbours gloat.

Eccentric Great Aunt Ada who keeps moggies by the score –
Filling every nook and cranny ‘til the house can hold no more,
Or nephew Bert – a cheery soul – drinks everything in sight,
That skinflint Great Niece Freda – another kind of tight!
Our second cousin (twice removed) – quite the Lothario,
Bothering the ladies even when they tell him “NO!”

There’s dozens more – my relatives – and what a motley crew!
But I can’t help feeling fond of them no matter what they do,
I might find them barmy and think some of them stark mad –
But, seen from their perspective, I’m probably just as bad,
And wouldn’t life be boring – oh what a crying shame –
Without a single loony with whom to share a name?

I feared that I would miss them when I wed and changed my name,
But it soon became apparent that the new lot were the same!
They made me very welcome and I soon felt quite at home
Among this new found family as oddball as my own,
Thank goodness for eccentrics – it really seems to me
That everyone should have a few stuck up their family tree!


(The author apologises for any similarity between the fictional characters in this poem and any living person – it was completely unintentional (well, except for in a few obvious cases!).

Enjoy!

26 hour day

Can someone invent one? I dont have enough time in the day to do all the stuff that the day demands I do. Its get up, drive to work, work, drive home, make vague attempt at housework, do evening type activities demanded by various bands etc, go to bed, get up, drive to work.... etc etc ad infinitum.
Then there is the weekend.
I have no idea where my time GOES but it goes somewhere. Maybe someone else is using it.

I want to eat here

Mmmmmm
I got it off this web site, which is fantastic!

Movie Night(s)

On Friday night I watched Final Destination 3. I didnt enjoy it as much as the other 2 because there were a lot less deaths by gory methods but it was still fun and had the odd "ooooo look what happened to him" moment.What WAS scary though was the fact that it began on a roller coaster. I cannot stand roller coasters. I went on one once and its that feeling you get when you go up and then almost stop and you know there is nothing you can do about the actual going down part- you can't get off, you just have to go. And I hate that "leaving your stomach behind" feeling as well. I am not anti fairground at all. I love a good fair, and I adore things that go round and round like Walzters and Cyclones and stuff like that. I just dont like steep drops from big heights. This seems like a reasonable attitude to me but other people can't believe I dont like roller coasters. They say things like "oh you are just scared of them, you baby". Yes I AM bloody scared of them - that's why I don't like them! :-)
Last night we watched Saw2. Again, not as good as the first one but good fun all the same. It was a bit too cleaned up and less psychological than the first one, but then when was a sequel ever better than the original film? I can't think of one that was. I can think of plenty that are much WORSE, but not better. And by the time you get to the third one, well, its alll gone south by that point.
Had KFC for dinner today, and a pint in the Bay Horse on the way back. Hopefully the people that have it at the moment manage to make a go of it because its a lovely pub (albeit at the bottom of a bloody great hill that you have to walk back up afterwards), the food is nice, its not dear, its not full of idiots (unless WE are in :-) ) and its convenient. Its been through a few changes of landlord over the years we have been going in it, so I am keeping my fingers crossed for the current lot.

Dead TV

No, not a horror film. Our telly died the other day (it was doing that thing where it flicked off and on and you "fix" it by hitting it with heavy objects in what you think are strategic, technical places) and so today we went to get a new one. After fruitless ventures in Comet and the like (look - I want a NORMAL telly. Not a ten feet wide plasma surround home cinema plex one.) we eventually roll up in Europe's biggest Asda (that's Wallmart to you American people. Its called Asda over here. God knows why). Anyway, we find a 29" NORMAL telly for £149! Wooooo. But they have none left in stock, according to slack jawed, six fingered assistant. Oh well, back on the telly buying road, thinks us. And on the way out we walk past a pile of the damn things just by the entrance! Back to the counter and we tell the assistant "You DO have them in stock. There is a mile high pile of them over there. Look!". Blank stares and twitching indecisevness abounds. Him Indoors gets cross and we go off to complain to the manager.
5 minutes later we are given a youth with a pallet truck (we can't keep him sadly) and we buy the damn thing.
Once its home, all joy is gone as we realise we have to actually find it room to live in as its WAY bigger than the old one, and more importantly - take everything out of the corner where the old one lived. AKA Cable central.
Surprisingly, it all just worked. Although the sound system is now homeless in a pile in the hall. At least we can have music through the pc until we find it a new home. I cannot be without music for very long.
And then I did some violent things in the garden, washed dishes, had a bath, read Darkside magazine and made a beef casserole. I haven't actually watched the damn thing yet. Will dig out goriest film I can find later and watch that!

Cult of personality

Before I start, I watched the first series of Pop Idol. I am not slating people who watch these programmes. I am just becoming overwhelmed by the "celebs" that appear on them. Who are you and what are you for???
Ok, you have had some pretty famous people in that jungle one. John Lydon was quite entertaining I am led to believe. But on the whole, I just don't get it.
Ok, your career may be flagging somewhat and your agent persuades you to go on the show to boost your public profile/earn yourself (and therefore your agent) a few quid. Ok, if you are a legit celeb maybe, just maybe there is a reason for you doing this. Maybe you are reinventing yourself, Michael Barrymore style, so that the general public stop thinking you are a woman hating, suspicious death covering up has-been. Maybe you just like a laugh, Janet Street-Porter style. Maybe you have serious psychological problems, a la Les Dennis. At least you DID stuff before you went into the jungle/house/got judged for your singing ability (or lack of it).
But how come those who haven't done anything previously except hang around nightclubs looking orange/being outrageously over the top gay as a career choice/doing stupidly parent embarrasing adult-orientated acts in front of the nation actually get ridiculously famous after they have won/lost the stupid programme? Jade Goody. What on earth is the point of her?? She has her own column in a magazine and she can barely speak!!
And while I am on the subject, Paris Hilton. Nichole Ritchie. What are they FOR?
And the blame surely lies with those who go along with the media hype about these idiotic excuses for human beings. Let these excuses for people think they are important and they will start behaving like it.
Today I got stuck in mad traffic because the motorway was closed because of an accident.9 cars crashed. A lorry set on fire, and so did some of the other cars. 2 people died. Other drivers got out of their own cars and tried to put the flames out with their little tiny personal fire extinguishers. Lorries blocked the lanes to stop other cars ploughing into the accident. Other drivers tried to give first aid to those involved in the accident. And lead story on the local news? Jade Goody's relationship is in trouble. Kerry Katona is in drug rehab. What a world.
Make that bloke that won Big Brother prime minister and have done with it.

More from the phone

Last night we,Born Idle, played at the Alma in Bolton. There were four bands on, Churchill, another one I can't remember the name of, us and DMob. I was full of a cold but still managed to remember the songs.
For dinner today we went out and ate Mexican.
Here is my dinner...















Philly cheese steak wrap with fries. The coleslaw was stolen from him indoors as he had something massive....
















Thats fries and sweetcorn and onion rings and ribs and chicken. In our defence, we had no tea last night and no breakfast this morning so I think we deserved it. Anyway, feed a cold and all that. OK we are just greedy!
And finally, the view from the top of my building at work. I went up there to have a look and Leeds really does look a lot different from up there. It almost looks nice!

Car. House. Kitsch.

1. I have finally got the settlement authorised for my car so I can have the work done it. I got £1000.
2. My mortgage company inform me that my endowment may have a shortfall of £12,000. Last quarter they informed me I was up on the deal by £4000. I am ignoring them.
3. I have a new phone so to celebrate the passing of the old one, I have emptied it of photos and will be posting some of the more amusing ones.
Like this one, taken of a restaraunt on Shude Hill in Manchester.
Great 60s signage going on!

Work

Everything at work was ticking along nicely. And then yesterday I get a letter and then a phone call from some company who want a reference for someone who worked for us and who is now going to work for them. Hmmm, thats odd, I think, because no one has left for ages and ages. Turns out they havent left at all because they still work here!
The poor woman on the phone was mortified because we didn't know someone was leaving and not telling us, and I was mortified because I didnt know either and she felt so awful that I felt sorry for her.
Anyway, bottom line is we will be one short and I will be girl-with-two-jobs again, at least for a short time. I havent had Monday morning going back to work blues for 6 years and I have a horrible feeling I am going to get them again. I love my job, but now its all going to be a bit rough for a while and I am so cross. I know people have to do what's best for them, and better themselves and all that jazz, but I can't help feeling a bit irked about all this behind the back stuff thats obviously been going on. We aren't exactly IBM; we are a small company and everyone is important. A bit of notice would have been nice.
I dont think the new employers were particularly impressed with the way their new employee has behaved either, but that's not something I have to worry about anymore.
On a lighter note, I got three Guy N Smith horror novels in the post, I have sold a stack of stuff on Ebay and cleaned a third of my stair carpet with a scrubbing brush and some nuclear chemical type stuff that makes you dizzy :-)
Last night we watched "Carnival of Souls" on DVD. Then we started watching "The Mesa of Lost Women" (tip - DONT) and we both fell asleep and woke up at 5am covered in cats on the settee. That was fun!
Speak soon guys and gals

I'm in the band

Born Idle, the best old school punk rock and roll band on the planet, are back in action. Of course, being the bass player, I am biased :-)
Last night saw us supporting Slaughter and the Dogs at the Thatched House in Stockport. We were excellent, it was very hot and I sweated buckets. I drank shandy! Yes, SHANDY! Doesn't do to be drunk at ones own gigs.Otherwise one can't play for toffee. There are no pictures yet because I can't snap and play at the same time, but friends took some and I will see if I can get hold of a few.
I enjoyed Slaughter a lot more than I thought I would and it was nice to see a few faces I havent seen for a while.
On the way home we saw the aftermath of a crash, where there was a taxi on its side in the middle of the road and people running around all over the place. The driver of the car that hit the taxi drove off! I dont think anyone was hurt and I hope the absconded driver gets caught.

Ugh

Boy, am I tired! The last 2 day's itinerary as follows....
Saturday
8am. Get up. Get stuff together for forthcoming 2 gigs for DC79 in one day.
9.30am. Go to get hire van. On way back call into post office to collect parcels that have been living there for almost three weeks. 1 Laurel and Hardy book. One vintage Gibson guitar book. I ACDC vest for me. Woooo!
10.20am. Try and find long socks to wear with New Rocks. Find them under cat.
11am.We are off!
11.05am. Back to house to retrieve forgotten map book...
Collect other band members and hangers on. Drive to Wrexham.
2.20pm Band soundcheck. I go to bar.
3.30pm. Band are on. I come out of bar and take photos.
4.45pm. Band finish. I go to bar.
Hang about for a short time and then collect various band members and hangers on and drive to Burnley for gig number 2.
8.20pm. Arrive in Burnley. Cart gear inside. Band soundcheck. I go to bar.
8.40pm. Band play. I watch. And go to bar.
After they finish we hang about outside because a) its too hot, b) I am not enjoying the other band c) or the location.
11.45pm Watch fight outside adjacent nightclub.
12.30am Watch domestic, complete with crying woman and passer by going "he's not worth it".
After much faffing about....
3.45am Arrive home.
4.05am Down Disprins and crash out.

Sunday
10am Get up and take van back.
11am Go to Morrisons for breakfast. I have a cheeseburger. Didnt eat yesterday!
12.30pm Go to pub. Have two pints and dissect previous evening and read paper.
Spend afternoon sorting out last nights photos, tidying up all the far flung items that got hurled on the floor earlier this morning, have bath.
6.30pm. Make grilled cheese sandwich and watch the Simpsons.
7.00pm. Settle down with laptop and try and make new phone work with bluetooth. Fail. Drink cider.

Speak soon people! x

Ebay and people that dont pay

I got sooooo mad when people win an auction and then just disappear into the ether. It costs money to submit something and you dont always get it back if someone doesnt pay you. Its infuriating. Its worse with people who have hardly any feedback because they can always re-register as someone else and it wont affect them. I deliberatley dont cancel bids from people with no ratings because you have to start somewhere, and I have been caught out 4 times now by people just not paying.
On another note, we went into town and had dinner out yesterday. Barbecue chicken melt sandwich for me and chicken, leek and ham pie for him indoors. Mooched about the shops and bought some cheap horror novels and found a pub with the same name as our local so went in it, and then had to go in some more pubs so they didn't feel left out.
Watched "Seed of Chucky" last night. A bit of an odd film really. Looking forward to "Final Destination 3".
Had breakfast (well, it was 12.30 pm but thats breakfast time for me on a Sunday) in Morrisons of all places. Scranbled eggs on toast. Very nice, although we had to wait a bit. Wiled away the time looking at pictures of Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock getting married. If you havent seen them, dont bother. Its scary. He looks like some bloke in your local that won a few quid on the horses and bought a lot of gold jewellery, and she looks like an air-brushed picture.

Day trip

Yesterday we went to town on a mini pub crawl. Again I emptied Oxfam of cheap horror novels. Then we ate in the Old Orleans Bar and Grill, who give you crayons to scribble on the table cloth with while you wait for your food. I had a cocktail called and Alligator. There was no actual alligator in it. I dont think so anyway.
Its so HOT here at the moment. I don't do hot weather. I dont do warm weather. And I am not so keen on daylight either.
As I type there is a man in my attic mending my faulty header tank ball cock. If its hot down here, it must be volcanic up there.
AND we are off to rehearse with my band in a bit. In a box like room with no air con.

Up with the lark...

Or rather an assortment of sparrows, blackbirds and so on. And I wasn't up with them - I met them from the wrong end. Yes, DC79 had another gig.
Hindley. The place with the stairs. Where we have to take the PA UP the stairs. And back down again. It was a great night as ever.
Except the going home part. Good bits included a chicken burger, free Jack Daniels and congrats for me doing a good sound job. The bad bit was the run around after it was finished. Dropping people off, lifting things, getting a headache and leaving Bolton in daylight. It was 5.30am before we got to bed.
I woke up at 11am (well, a cat stood on me) and I let him indoors sleep in. We took the stupid van back to the hire place , I read an entire Shaun Hutson book,and at tea time we had a bbq in the garden. All home made marinated things and very, very nice. I fell asleep on a blanket on the lawn in the sun and the cats loved us being outside in the garden and rolled about on everything in site.
Absolutely knackered now!

Music

I forgot how much I like the Bad Seeds and Nick Cave. I have remembered today.
"Past the square, past the bridge,past the mills, past the stacks On a gathering storm comes a tall handsome man In a dusty black coat with...."
Any takers?
Its on my new mp3 player . The pink one, natch.

The Chinese Theme

Carrying on from last nights Chinese meal, here is a photo I took in 2004 when we went round Manchester Art Gallery. It was a modern take on traditional Chinese clothing. I liked the colours. Despite the fact I have looked at this photo on countless occaisions, I have only just noticed that there must have been a mirror on the other side of the glass.....

One drink always leads to another

Saturday afternoon. "Lets go into Manchester and mooch round the shops" (that was him indoors). "Ok, but let's get the bus so we can both have a drink" (that was me). That was also mistake number one. Waiting for the bus him indoors casually mentions "Oh, I texted Dee and him and Magda are coming out as well." That was mistake number two. We are now intending to go for one drink with friends who aren't driving either.
We got to town at 2 ish and had a Subway. The foot long chipotle cheese steak thing (which we shared - we didn't have one each). Then we went for a drink. Dee and Magda turn up around 3.30pm.
At 6.30 we decide to go for an all you can eat Chinese buffet. No, this is not "one drink".
I drank Jack Daniels and later on "Old Tom", which I had to have a half of because they refuse to serve it in pints because its so strong. Its like a treacly dark bitter. It was declared "Ok" (Magda), "Not great" (him indoors) and "I am not drinking that" (Dee).
Having popped out for one drink for an hour or so at 1.30pm, its now 9.45pm and I have learnt another Polish swear word (Magda is Polish), and been informed that it is possible to take Viagra and then fall asleep...
We got the bus part of the way home until we realised it was heading off to Oldham and we don't live there. Walked the rest of the way. It was throwing it down and we got soaking. Then we did that thing that you ALWAYS do when you are not 100% clear headed. We turned the telly on and "Trading Places" (the Eddie Murphy film) was on, and we watched it all the way through, even though we knew whole bits of it verbatim. There must be a Karmic law that says if you come in from the pub and there is a film just starting that you have seen billions of times before , you STILL have to watch it, making sure you go "oh that bit where he/she does/says that really funny thing is on in a second" etc etc.
We went BACK to Manchester today, and I cleaned Oxfam out of pulp horror novels and bought a Bill Bailey DVD.
This time we DROVE.

Car Saga

Where I work, the building is being turned into flats. Actually they are called "pods". THey are a little bit smaller than your average caravan. The ground floor is being kept as businesses. If you look here you will see pictures from last year of them knocking things down.
Anyway, we now park in the car park round the back. Everyone, tenants of the flats, owners of the buildings and the businesses. On Monday they were spraying some kind of polymer resin type stuff all over the place. Guess what? It went all over everyone's cars. Now, I have a Citroen Saxo. My boss however has a Jaguar XKR. There are Bentleys and BMWs and Mercs and all sorts in that car park.
The builders admitted liability and I await a paint job because the stuff wont come off. However, as it was all over my windscreen and I couldnt see to drive, they said they would get it off. Which they did. With a RAZOR BLADE. Guess who now needs new windows??
Its the sheer stupidity that gets me. Why on earth did they not say "shift your cars" OR put sheets over the cars?
NOW they are being sued from all sides, forking out for loads of work for everyone's cars and you know what? They are spraying AGAIN on Friday!
Does no one have common sense anymore????
I am SO CROSS.

Tan

As any of those of you who actually KNOW me in real life know, I am as pale as a bottle of milk. I have been using Johnsons Holiday skin lotion for 3 weeks now. And I am paler than when I started. WHY??? I know real sun can't touch me through the spf factor 9999999 for albino babies I use, but you would think a bit of self tan would manage it. Not so. Discuss.

Blogger templates

Please can someone tell me how to get a list of things on the LEFT hand side of the page and not the right? As you can see from the dots, I have been editing this thing, and I can't work out how to put things on the LEFT. I want to keep the stuff on the right AND have stuff on the left as well (because I am greedy :-) ) but it just makes everything go weird when I try.

World Cup distemper

Well we are out.
We had a bbq planned to celebrate after the game but we had it anyway.
Pictorial evidence from the man with the world's biggest glass of beer (and no, I don't know what was going on with his hair here either)
A sad day.

Guess who has discovered how to edit her blog template?

ME. Hello vile pink pink background!

DC79 Thatched House Stockport

Another gig, another drink fest. Took the new camera and took it OFF automatic mode for the first time. It kept asking me questions! How on earth am I supposed to know what to tell it when it asks for cf speed x sm ratio? Back to the manual I think. Brother in law John kindly brought a cd holder in the shape of a guitar for us as well, so thankyou John :-)
Today we went to the pub to watch the match and then had salt and pepper chips from the chinese, which are indeed as lovely as they sound.
Am now a vegetable on the settee and I couldnt move very far if I tried.

Do not click on this

When your cats wake you up and you think "just 2 minutes on the internet".
Speakers required.

Happy Birthday Daddy

He is 32 today. I can't get my head round the idea that he is any older than 32 so he will be 32 forever. At least to me.
Here he is, on his 32nd birthday! Happy birthday xx

Him indoors

I totally and utterly forgot to tell you about his birthday on the 1st. We went to Ulveston to do all things Laurel and Hardy (he has an "obsession" you could say), and we did lovely things like go to the museum and wander round the shops and drink and eat and drink and eat and.....you get the picture.
Here he is.

New camera

And this was the first picture I took..... I had no choice really :-)

I am what I am - sadly :-)

I spend a bit of time reading a lot of "crafting" blogs. Its mostly American ladies with young children who seem to have access to the best charity shops in the world, and who then make gorgeous stuff with the material and things they find there for about 4 cents. They have lovely houses, cook pretty cakes and spend every other day at the beach with a hamper full of home made cheese and wine. They dont get me all annoyed or anything - I just wonder where do they find the time??Ok, some of them don't work, but they do have kids, which surely cancels that out a bit. I realise that if I lived in America, I too would probably be able to afford a big house somewhere nice rather than the elderly, falling apart tatty shoe box I currently live in, but when you see all those bleached wood floors and home made curtains and tended gardens (mine is a jungle of mis-matched plants bought on the spur of the moment and planted wherever there is a bit of room which explains why a rather worrying sycamore tree planted as a seed 6 years ago is now becoming a tree hanging over the rather worried next door neighbours garden), it does make me wonder - HOW do they make it all look so easy and so nice?
I guess my problem is this. I can clean up and paint the kitchen. Or I can go and rehearse with my band/sit in the pub with him indoors/play with the cats in the garden/read a book/write and so on and so on. The "and so on" wins every time. I will be old soon enough, and then I WILL have the time and inclination to live in house beautiful. In the mean time I will drink just enough Aussie red wine to ignore the faded paintwork, listen to enough loud music to ignore the pile of washing that wants putting away and go and play my guitar in a tiny, heat filled room with a load of sweaty blokes just long enough to make the un-made bed not matter.
I am not a sloven - I am a bohemian :-)

This weekend

Went to the pub to watch the England game. Drank way too much in the day and fell asleep on the settee after tea, woke up at 8pm and thought it was 8 AM and got terribly confused for a short while.
This morning did some gardening and discovered that the bit of wormwood cutting that gothboy gave me has turned into a mini bush now! Maybe I will make Absinthe. And maybe not. Harvey likes to nibble the wormwood and then and go and lie under the hedge in a louche way. I wonder if you can get chaise longes for cats? And maybe a cat- sized smoking jacket and a couple of poetry books would suit him...

World Cup fever...

...is upon Faery Towers. Him indoors is in some mad sweepstake at work, is rushing home from work early and trying to arrange everything around the games. He's even got some bunting in his car. I must admit, its quite exciting.
Apparently the Germans cheat :-)

Friday Night, Saturday..erm Night, and Sunday an' all

OOO I HAVE a life!
Friday. Me and him indoors hauled ourselves over to Farnworth to see a mate and we went to see Sinnerboy, a Rory Gallagher tribute band, at the Moses Gate. It was awesome. We got really drunk, had a kebab on the way home (kebab house run by scary bikers and I bet they get NO trouble in there),and I watched 2 16 year olds have the world's stupidist non violent fight ever:
16 year old number one (encased in pastel shirt, chinos and razored hair) - I'm gonna have you!
16 year old number one's girlfriend (encased in white shoes, orange skin and velour pants) - Leave it, He isn't worth it...
16 year old number two (dressed EXACTLY like 16 year old number one) - Yeah, I'm gonna have YOU!
Cue #1 swinging a John Inham style punch at the other, missing, falling over, teenager #2 doing almost EXACTLY the same thing, girlfriend starts crying, and all parties leave in opposite directions. Embarrassed probably.
Saturday. Met two lovely people (hi Crystal and Granville!) for a meal at Nawab near us. For once we walked so we could have a drink. We don't normally have starters but it being a social occaision we joined in and I am glad I did. Paneer tikka. Like chicken tikka but its not chicken its CHEESE. HEAVEN.
Had a few spoons of wine, chatted and off to bed. Not all together obviously :-)
Today - been rehearsing with Born Idle. My proper band. Not that other band. I have also got a new camera courtesy of the boss, so I took a picture of my stuff..... The silver foil is my cheese sandwich wrapper. Not very rock and roll but I like to be prepared.

Another gig and some other things

1. Our new drummer is going well and we should be gigging soon.
2. Last week I went to see DC79 at the Moses Gate in Bolton (I may as well MOVE to Bolton, I spend so much time there) and it was awesome.
4. I watched Day of the Dead last night. It was also awesome.
5. I bought a tshirt saying "I'm with the band" :-)
6. Going to Wales in a minute for another gig. After Watford win the playoffs 2-nil.

Another gig

Last Saturday saw DC79 in Burnley. I was sound engineer and I got so loud that some light fittings vibrated off the celing and broke, so I officially ROCK. Drank real ale, ate chips and burgers, wore the new boots and had a great time.
Having a big clear out of rubbish chez moi, and got a stack of things to sell on Ebay. Makes up for the constant buying of Richard Laymon books.
Our new drummer for MY band is working out well.
Otherwise, all is well in my world.
Except I forgot to say that it took me THREE HOURS to get to work this morning. A diesel spillage on the M62 took 2 lanes out and due to the total ineptitude of the highways agency, I was car-bound for all that time. However, I am a girl that travels well. I had water in a cooled flask, toast with blue cheese dressing (trust me - it WORKS), a book (Fred And Rose - The True Story), 3 Rob Zombie cds and a pen and paper. I may do it AGAIN tomorrow :-)

What keeps you awake at night? Or rather in the early hours of the morning....

My cat does. She has taken to stamping about on me at around 6.30 am on a work day and 7.30am on a non-work day, until I wake up. Then she mews and cries a bit and then goes back to sleep. I, however, am now awake and stay that way. I know she is old, and I know they develop funny habits, but she is warm and healthy and well fed and can come in and out of every room in the house at will (and they have a cat flap) and the other aged pensioner cat conks out at 10pm and thats the last you hear from him before 10am the next day but he is happy to sleep in a big pile of smelly cat fluff with her if she wants. I just dont understand it. I am developing bags under the eyes and crossness. We arent out of the house a great deal, and sometimes she is downright standoffish if you try to get too close to her, so I am not sure that she is lonely.
I wouldnt mind if she wanted to get up FOR something, but I always leave water and/or milk down for them at night, along with some food in case they get hungry in the night so it isnt that either. Maybe she is getting cat alzheimers, if there is such a thing.

Birthday Girl

Its my birthday and I'll (paraphrased to fit actual events) ...open pressies/go to the pub/drink cider/watch Doctor Who/go for a curry if I want to!I am up to the drink cider bit currently. Me and the BOOTS are going for a curry in a bit :-)

Just checking in

Been busy recently. Last Thursday we went to see friends who were over from Ireland. On the Friday we drove to the other end of the country to see ma and pa. We got half way back (Nuneaton to be precise) and stopped overnight in a Butlins style Motel, complete with Corby trouser press. The next day we went to see ma-in-law, and on Sunday evening a mate came round. Today its jut me and the cats and a wind down. I also got a pair of NEW ROCK BOOTS!! Yay! They are FAB - dead comfy and a bit scary and they add about 3 inches to my height. However, they were so expensive that I shall never be buying a pair of boots ever again.... And I found these two links today: 50s style housewifery and addictive gaming cute (in a Happy Kitty Bunny Pony way!)

This week.....

I have mostly been working, but the boss is back (complete with a toy stuffed Camel for me- my choice:he isnt that kind of man) so normal service will be resumed. Had hotdogs last night. Now, I like a proper hot dog,not those out of tins,and I like them with mayo,hot mustard, chilli sauce and cheese slices. All together. The buns take on a very interesting colour with all that lot mixed up. On our regular charity shop trawls in Chorlton (before it got a Subway), we used to go to a place that did proper grilled hotdogs with toasted buns.They were dead long as well. MmmMmmMmm. You can tell I am going out for my tea again can't you :-)
Its Nawab again. Only this time we are getting a taxi so we can have a bottle of wine and both drink and thus avoid the "its your turn to drive" arguments which usually culminate in him indoors bringing up the fact that when I passed my driving test I said I would be happy to drive us everywhere. That was 8 years ago! Why on earth does he think that I still mean what I said???
I have turned the back bedroom into a music room. Every bit of musical gear we own is now up there, apart from my bass rig and his Marshall setup (as these are in regular gig/rehearse mode and therefore would beUNBEARABLE to carry up and down stairs every five minutes), and I didnt realise we had so much! A couple of guitars remain downstairs for convenience (its nice to know one is to hand when you want to churn out a few bars of something or other) and the hall is still crowded with speakers, but the keyboard is plugged in and ready to go should we fancy a quick whirl. I struggle though. My left hand will not obey me when the right hand joins in. On its own its fine. Maybe its like that film "The Beast With Five Fingers" and its not reallyMY hand at all.....

Pub Crawl

My boss is on holiday and work is a terrifying place as I am responsible for everything. Consequently I have been stressed out a bit and so yesterday we decided to get the bus into town so we could both have a drink, and do a bit of mooching about.
Left home at 3pm and went to Waterstones, where I bought a book about Lynyrd Skynyrd and that Excess All Areas book about Status Quo. Then we went to The Sawyers on Deansgate and had a pint. Then we went to a South African place called Barracuda, then to The Salisbury.
Here is a picture of our pints. And another of the alleyway outside.


















Then it was off to the Lass O Gowrie for another. And then we WERE going to go to the Old Monkey, as we used to spend a lot of time there many years ago, when it was new. Except we changed our minds and went into the smallest pub in Manchester, The Circus Tavern. Its REALLY small but very nice and we met some Danish blokes who were going to see Stiff Little Fingers.
Then we were getting hungry so we thought we would head into town. We almost walked past a little Italian resteraunt but then changed our minds and went in and I glad we did because it was lovely! We had a bottle of wine and I had a blue cheese pizza and him indoors had a seafood one. It was proper pizza, nothing like Pizza Hut or any of those places, and soooo garlicky. And I cannot for the life of me think what it was called! Its either Don Antonio or Bella Roma, and I would like to get it right because it was very, very nice. Small and a bit poky, and the waitresses didn't speak much English (in fact they were Chinese!), but the service was good and the food was lovely and it wasn't too dear.

Its on Portland Street if anyone knows it? There are more pictures but they are on my phone and the blue tooth wotsit is at work so I can't get them off until tomorrow.



Then it was last drink in the Bulls Head before getting a taxi home and realising it was nearly 10 o clock.....

Down Mexico way....

We have just been to Chiquitas, a psuedo Mexican place that has as much to do with Mexico as one of my cats, but its a very nice place. Sombreros on the wall, pictures of mustachioed bull fighters all over the show - you get the idea. I had sizzling chicken and steak fajitas and him indoors had chargrilled swordfish. Mmmmm. I also had a Mai Tai. Double mmmmmmm.
What WASN'T mmmm was the tshirt worn by one of the hoards of 17 year olds waitressing : "Famous for Fajita's". Fajita's WHAT? Grrrrrr.
What else have I been up to? Not a lot really. I won the whole Malory Towers series of books off Ebay for £4 and I am up to Third Year at Malory Towers. They even have the same covers as the ones I used to have but which got lost somewhere along the way.
I never, ever liked Daryl Rivers. For someone who went about losing her temper and slapping people/shoving them in swimming pools, hurling them over chairs etc, she seemed to be far to well liked for me. Alicia was much better. And Mary Lou. And Sally. But no, I don't like Daryl.
Ooo I tell a lie - I HAVE done something. The new drummer we auditioned was a) good, b)not an idiot or a serial killer and c) seems to like US, so we are on a roll again. Had a rehearse somewhere in Wigan and it all went very well indeed. Hopefully gigs will be on the horizon soon, unless he turns out to be awaiting sentence for drug dealing/has a psychotic girlfriend that will burn his drum kit/get run over by a bus. Fingers crossed guys.

More snow

And it looked like this....
It also looked a lot like other things but I didn't want to bombard you all with pictures so I stuck them all here
We (Born Idle) went to meet a potential new drummer today. He seems ok and we are off for a rehearse this week. As you may or may not know, we are like Spinal Tap when it comes to drummers, and this one seems far too normal, so he is bound to turn out to be an axe murderer or something.
And I have finally ditched Internet Explorer.Its Firefox on the laptop and Netscape on the pc. I got too fed up of its bad behaviour.

Poorly

Blimey, have I been poorly this week. I have got this stupid cold type thing that has turned into a kind of debilitating fug that has descended on my head. I feel rubbish. My poor mum and dad have got it too, especially my indestructible dad, and he's dreadfully poorly, so nice thoughts in his direction please.
More photos uploaded to Flickr if you want to see the inside of Faery Towers. And some new ones of the pussy cats.
That's about it really. I am listening to Northern Lights (Phillip Pullman) on audiobook and reading Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (Susannah Clarke), and I just won the entire set of Malory Towers (Enid Blyton) books on Ebay for £4!
Off to suffer on the sofa. Bye. Cough. Sneeze.

Let it snow

It took me two hours to get home from work yesterday because of the snow. It started snowing in the afternoon, and by 4pm it was getting quite heavy.It wasn't so bad in central Leeds but coming down the M621 to get on the M62 was a different matter! Although it had been gritted it was coming down so heavily that it was sticking, and there was a good inch or so on my back window. It was freezing cold and just like something off a Christmas card. Although its a motorway, its quite scenic, and what little I could see of the countryside was very, very pretty. And I had ample time to admire the view because going at anything above snail's pace was a risky business. By the time I got off the motorway it had almost stopped, but the snow on the ground stayed where it was. Morrison's car park, where I stopped off for provisions, was like an ice rink, as by the time the snow was beginning to freeze. Everyone was wrapped up like Eskimos (do I have ti say Innuit now?), apart from one mental woman in flip flops and a short skirt. You always get one...
I made lovely chicken casserole and crusty bread for tea, and the evening was spent hibernating...
This morning it was all bright and sunny :in fact THIS is what it looked like.....

When cats go bad

Imagine the scene. Its Sunday night. I am feet up, glass of wine, nice bit of cheese to hand, him indoors is pootling around with a cd he recorded of his band, the laptop is on my knee, I am surfing around Ebay and all is well. Oooooo three minutes from the end of an auction for something Holly Hobbie-esque which I REALLY want and is dirt cheap.. and nature calls.
I place laptop carefully on floor and go to bathroom. I return to find THIS has happened...



I lost the auction. No, this is NOT cute. This is .

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pure cat evil.

Camera Phone

The first mobile phone I got was back in the "brick" days, and was a provided by work one. I was a bit scared of it. How things have changed. I now have a TINY phone and I am not a bit scared of it . It also does nice tunes and takes pictures, although its not too hot at that. I ran out of room on it the other day so I cleaned all the pictures out. So here are some to look at.
We are cats and we love the microwave. More fool you for moving everything off it and trying to clean it. Its ours now. OURS we tell you....










Go AWAY! I am SLEEPING.

Look at me! I smile and I am not photoshopped!

This is the toilet of our latest fave eatery, Nawaab on Oldham Road. Obviously its not the actual toilet itself, just the kind of ante room to the toilet, but its very glam for a loo.











And finally, moi, taking a photo of myself reflected in the wobbly mirror of the above establishment.













And finally AGAIN, my fluffy dice.

The rythym of life...

is relentless. I haven't had two seconds to rub together recently. The bathroom tiles are ALMOST painted. I have ammassed cushion material. I have read a LOT. There was a cancelled gig last night, so some chums came round and we had a merry time. Today I bought lightbulbs. Yesterday we went to Gorton market, and they have a real life car boot sale at the side of it. Not a trader in sight. I got 2 Patches annuals and a Photo Love annual (all early 80s) for a quid each, and him indoors got a Mike Harding album in mint condition for another quid. Result!
We got me a new front door key cut (in a Bionic Woman type episode, I broke mine in the door!), and that's about it really.
Here is my office (or at least a bit of my desk). More like a home from home really.

Flickr

Hard to spell but easy to set up. I run several different machines and photos are spread all over the place. Trying to get them together is a nightmare. So I set up a Flickr account. That way, if I ever go mental and delete them all, they will still live SOMEWHERE.
It starts here....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/faerywings/sets/

A hedge and more photos

I made a list of all the things that need doing to the house, and I have made a start. Its a VERY long list and I can't afford to have some of it done. So I have started with the things that don't cost money, or not much.
Yesterday we bought a new (VERY cheap in a sale) bed, and took the old one to the tip.
Yesterday I made a tablecloth out of an old curtain and covered the three kitchen chairs with the left over material. Its a bit 1970s Bistro chic (red and white checks) but its ok.
Today I started work on the hedge from hell. Its a privet hedge, about 30 feet long, and on next door's side its about 6 feet high. On OUR side its about 20 feet high. Next door kindly lent me some kind of medieval torture implement to saw down some of the three inch thick branches. We knew there was an elderberry tree in there somewhere, and that has now got room to breath. There is also another tree we didn't even know we had! I THINK its a rowan, but we will have to see what it turns into now it has been revealed.
I weeded and chopped and him indoors put the back gate on properly (it fell down in a storm and was hanging on by, well, by nothing really).
And I am now shattered. But I can cross a few things off the list at least.
And now for the photos. This is a resteraunt called "Winkles" in Rhos on Sea, North Wales, as of June 2005.
It USED to be a cafe called "The Point Cafe" circa 1974 - 1984, when me, Mum and Dad, Nana, Grandad and Uncle Simon used to go on our communal, anunal jollies each summer. When it was The Point, we used to have sausage, egg and chips, and the salt and pepper shakers were in the shape of an orange and black stripey rectangular tiger. Its hard to describe. You could buy them from the cafe, but no one ever bought me one, or there would be photographic evidence. Oh, the cruelty of parents....




The B and B we stayed in to take the above photo was out of the ark, and very nice it was too. Over on the left is the sink in the bathroom. Just smashing. Look at those taps!

Favourite Photos from the archive...

Going through some old photos, sorting them out and things.I have SO many random folders and pictures in weird places that I thought enough is enough and I will SORT THEM OUT.
Here are some of my favourites...

This is Felix, age 15, on the somewhat raggedy lawn in the back gardenin October 2004. She is a very cuddly cat most of the time. The rest of the time she is evil and violent and will NOT take any notice of anyone.

This is a house in Whitby, that I would be very happy to live in. We have spent many a long weekend in Whitby, me and him indoors, and I would VERY much like to live there. The last time I went was at a DC79 gig in December 2004, and I arrived in the dark and went home in the dark, had no time for sightseeing, and no time to get down to the sea. I did manage to get to eat some lovely fish though :-)

Speaking of fish....here are some that live in the Blue Planet Aquarium in Ellesmere Port. August 2004.

Photo Shop Brushes

As my social life (aka DC79's gigs) has been in limbo, I have reverted to type and am crocheting a blanket, reading His Darkest Materials and discovering Adobe PhotoShop Brushes! Awesome. There was an artist in me and its come OUT. Take a look at the rest of me link over on the right - the pictures and images on my website were made by ME from scratch and I am so proud of my new talent!
On another note, I am annoyed with Amazon. I bought a diary and 2 calenders (1 for home and 1 for work) all claiming they were available for despatch in 24 hours. Only 1 calendar has arrived so far (I ordered on 31st Decemeber) so I reckon they owe me money for loss of dates....

Good evening little school girl :-)

Taken on someone's camera phone. Thats my mate Mand behind me. This was at that Snowball thing. I had horns on my head.