The blog has been looking a bit bare of late (blame my non-eventful life), so I've popped on a little video below to liven things up a bit. Watch it! Convert to polka!
I made some really amazing pasta this evening. This may sound like mere boasting, but this was a pretty miraculous meal. For one thing, it contained bacon, which, as you know, is the ultimate foodstuff. Also, I got distracted when I'd left the sauce on to reduce, but I came back to it at precisely the right time, resulting in caramelisation rather than burning. I also managed to put in exactly the right amount of pasta for two me-sized meals (I tend to do it by eye and forget that I am cooking for myself twice, rather than myself and someone with a superhuman appetite, like the boyf or my (not-so-) little brother). Given that this was all a bit late (I had a late lunch, I was distracted texting Jumanji my latest Genius Idea (which now has the Jumanji stamp of approval (possibly more on this later)), I'm somewhat disposed to a nocturnal lifestyle, what can I say?) I'm pretty impressed with myself! No, I did not remember to take a picture.
It seems that the pasta has some soporific side-effects, however, so I'm going to have to sign off now.
Goodnight!
Saturday, 19 March 2011
So much better than Katy Perry!
I seem to remember seeing this ages ago, but it's worth a revisit!
The guitarist (who looks a bit like a young David Cameron, or is that just me?) gets shy in the middle, but they seem like a solid bunch of lads.
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Mumblings
This is going to have to be short again as I am tired to the point of hallucinating Chinese takeaway (don't ask). All these late nights are adding up!
I had fun at work today. At noon, there was something of a stampede to the book cupboard on my floor. There was a book sale on (the newspaper gets quite a lot of (free!) review copies, and they would just keep piling up if something wasn't done, so every year there is a book sale for charity. It's one of the major social events of the office calendar, I learned today!) so Cat, Olivia and I squeezed into the cupboard with about ten other people to scrabble through shelves packed with books. Paperbacks were £1 and hardbacks £2, so I splurged and bought four! They're currently sitting in a bag under Cat's desk, though, as we had to head off to the memorial service this evening and couldn't bring a small library with us!
Taking names at the service (which is all we were there to do, although I did receive several plaintive requests for directions to the toilets) was a real eye-opener. There were all sorts of fascinating (and some famous!) people, all spelling their names out for us. A few seized my pen and wrote them down for me, so I suspect I now have a few autographs in my pad! I'm not going to say who was there (I'm trying to be a bit more discrete...) but it was an exciting evening for a Radio 4 listener and literature fan like me (and anyone particularly excited by titles). I did feel a bit like I was in the beginning of an Agatha Christie novel, though...
I also really enjoyed going with Cat as we got a chance to have a proper chat on the way there and while we were waiting for stragglers. She's really funny, but we don't tend to have particularly long conversations at work because it's usually quite busy. She suggested taking the whole Register office out for a curry one of these evenings. I'm not sure I can imagine what that would be like, but it would be nice to get to know people better.
I'm going to go and get ready for bed very slowly now. Why is it that when you're really tired, you lack the efficiency that will bring you sleep faster?
Goodnight!
P.S.: Happy Actual St Patrick's Day!
I had fun at work today. At noon, there was something of a stampede to the book cupboard on my floor. There was a book sale on (the newspaper gets quite a lot of (free!) review copies, and they would just keep piling up if something wasn't done, so every year there is a book sale for charity. It's one of the major social events of the office calendar, I learned today!) so Cat, Olivia and I squeezed into the cupboard with about ten other people to scrabble through shelves packed with books. Paperbacks were £1 and hardbacks £2, so I splurged and bought four! They're currently sitting in a bag under Cat's desk, though, as we had to head off to the memorial service this evening and couldn't bring a small library with us!
Taking names at the service (which is all we were there to do, although I did receive several plaintive requests for directions to the toilets) was a real eye-opener. There were all sorts of fascinating (and some famous!) people, all spelling their names out for us. A few seized my pen and wrote them down for me, so I suspect I now have a few autographs in my pad! I'm not going to say who was there (I'm trying to be a bit more discrete...) but it was an exciting evening for a Radio 4 listener and literature fan like me (and anyone particularly excited by titles). I did feel a bit like I was in the beginning of an Agatha Christie novel, though...
I also really enjoyed going with Cat as we got a chance to have a proper chat on the way there and while we were waiting for stragglers. She's really funny, but we don't tend to have particularly long conversations at work because it's usually quite busy. She suggested taking the whole Register office out for a curry one of these evenings. I'm not sure I can imagine what that would be like, but it would be nice to get to know people better.
I'm going to go and get ready for bed very slowly now. Why is it that when you're really tired, you lack the efficiency that will bring you sleep faster?
Goodnight!
P.S.: Happy Actual St Patrick's Day!
DUR, babies, murderers at large
Today was a less busy day at work. The DUR (Daily Universal Register - I still occasionally snigger when I see it on a filename) was pretty much filled in (by me, yesterday), so it was mostly loose ends like getting pictures and trying to find new information about St Patrick. I also ended up doing two New Readers interviews, which basically means I phoned up parents (who happen to read the paper) and asked them about their babies. Like with wedding interviews (same thing but with weddings instead of babies), these can be really enjoyable, it just depends on the person you're talking to. I had one brilliant one (I was laughing a bit too hard when she described her twins 'accidentally sucker-punching each other') and one OK one. I suppose these are the sort of things people love talking about, but I sometimes struggle a bit in the silences when I'm trying desperately to write everything down and I realise I have no next question.
It's doubly difficult with babies, because I don't know much about them or the etiquette for discussing them. How do you react when someone tells you they had an emergency caesarian? Why aren't babies weighed metrically? When are babies expected to start having personalities? The second woman I interviewed told me her son loves putting his hands in his mouth. 'Oh, so are they his favourite food?' I asked, scribbling frantically. 'No, he only eats milk,' she responded, completely deadpan.
I read an article this evening about personal safety. It was, of course, aimed at young women like me (are they ever aimed at men?) who don't have the money to take taxis everywhere and come home after dark. There was a whole paragraph about 'Why don't young women have the common sense to walk in the middle of a poorly-lit road, rather than on a dark pavement?', 'Why do young women insist on using phones and mp3 players in public where anyone could target them?', 'Why are these women out ALONE, after DARK?' I can't help but feel that this is all backwards. Why aren't streets safe and well-lit? Sorry if I'm being unreasonable, but I can't understand it's my fault if I have to walk home after 7pm when there are cannibal muggers roaming the streets.
Rant over (for now...)
Goodnight!
It's doubly difficult with babies, because I don't know much about them or the etiquette for discussing them. How do you react when someone tells you they had an emergency caesarian? Why aren't babies weighed metrically? When are babies expected to start having personalities? The second woman I interviewed told me her son loves putting his hands in his mouth. 'Oh, so are they his favourite food?' I asked, scribbling frantically. 'No, he only eats milk,' she responded, completely deadpan.
I read an article this evening about personal safety. It was, of course, aimed at young women like me (are they ever aimed at men?) who don't have the money to take taxis everywhere and come home after dark. There was a whole paragraph about 'Why don't young women have the common sense to walk in the middle of a poorly-lit road, rather than on a dark pavement?', 'Why do young women insist on using phones and mp3 players in public where anyone could target them?', 'Why are these women out ALONE, after DARK?' I can't help but feel that this is all backwards. Why aren't streets safe and well-lit? Sorry if I'm being unreasonable, but I can't understand it's my fault if I have to walk home after 7pm when there are cannibal muggers roaming the streets.
Rant over (for now...)
Goodnight!
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Another speedy round-up
Really quickly again because I need to go to sleep!
Today was pretty good. Having got quite a lot of the page done yesterday, it all came together pretty fast. Tomorrow is likely to be a bit of a shamrock extravaganza, though, as we will be making the page for St Patrick's Day.
The boyf told me St Patrick's Day isn't that big a deal in Ireland - it's America where they make a huge fuss. After all, there's no point in 'Kiss me, I'm Irish' Tshirts when the whole population is Irish too!
I've pretty much already celebrated, thanks to Kerrygold if you remember, and I'll be working a bit later than usual as I have to help Cat take names at a memorial service in the evening, so I don't think I'll be doing anything. I might have something potato-based for supper (not stereotyping, honest!) but that's likely to be it. Anyone got any special plans? I know from my hard work googling events that London does not seem to be going in for it in a big way either.
That's it for now. Hope tomorrow is a bit warmer, today was not nearly as clement as I had been hoping!
Goodnight!
Today was pretty good. Having got quite a lot of the page done yesterday, it all came together pretty fast. Tomorrow is likely to be a bit of a shamrock extravaganza, though, as we will be making the page for St Patrick's Day.
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| Handy visual hint! |
The boyf told me St Patrick's Day isn't that big a deal in Ireland - it's America where they make a huge fuss. After all, there's no point in 'Kiss me, I'm Irish' Tshirts when the whole population is Irish too!
I've pretty much already celebrated, thanks to Kerrygold if you remember, and I'll be working a bit later than usual as I have to help Cat take names at a memorial service in the evening, so I don't think I'll be doing anything. I might have something potato-based for supper (not stereotyping, honest!) but that's likely to be it. Anyone got any special plans? I know from my hard work googling events that London does not seem to be going in for it in a big way either.
That's it for now. Hope tomorrow is a bit warmer, today was not nearly as clement as I had been hoping!
Goodnight!
Monday, 14 March 2011
Monday meanderings
No kittens today, just good old-fashioned rambly text.
I had a really good day at work today. This probably had quite a lot to do with how sunny it was and the fact that I managed to get in really early thanks to The Godmother giving me a lift to the station at the beginning of my epic journey. It's amazing how the little things affect your mood.
I got even more authorisations today, and can now read articles from every newspaper ever in the past five years. Very useful when you want to check whether tomorrow's inspirational-yet-not-that-informative quote has been published before. I also managed to just get on with all the other stuff, with time out to phone IT and take some calls from readers. Generally good!
I have come to a conclusion today, though: I really need to go out and see some friends. With the exception of the boyf and Jumanji, I haven't seen anyone in forever, and I miss them all! Damn you, Journalism School, for being so inconveniently far away! Damn you, Whizzkid, for being in Norwich! Damn you, self, for being so lazy! I need to see some friends I haven't made in the local Waitrose.
I also really, legitimately, need to go shopping for some more work clothes, or I'm going to be Grey Cardigan And Black Boots Girl for evermore. The temptation is to buy things on the internet, but I'm not so sure of my size any more (too much walking and eating regularly-spaced meals), so this convenient shortcut is probably not a good idea. There are lots of books I will have to restrain myself from buying online, though!
If I have any money left over from buying opaque tights and sensible shoes, I am going to be saving up to go home for a few days. I miss the (c)old country, and my family, of course, and I need to go back before too much Southern rubs off on me!
It's now definitely bedtime or I will not be nearly so cheerful tomorrow!
Goodnight!
I had a really good day at work today. This probably had quite a lot to do with how sunny it was and the fact that I managed to get in really early thanks to The Godmother giving me a lift to the station at the beginning of my epic journey. It's amazing how the little things affect your mood.
I got even more authorisations today, and can now read articles from every newspaper ever in the past five years. Very useful when you want to check whether tomorrow's inspirational-yet-not-that-informative quote has been published before. I also managed to just get on with all the other stuff, with time out to phone IT and take some calls from readers. Generally good!
I have come to a conclusion today, though: I really need to go out and see some friends. With the exception of the boyf and Jumanji, I haven't seen anyone in forever, and I miss them all! Damn you, Journalism School, for being so inconveniently far away! Damn you, Whizzkid, for being in Norwich! Damn you, self, for being so lazy! I need to see some friends I haven't made in the local Waitrose.
I also really, legitimately, need to go shopping for some more work clothes, or I'm going to be Grey Cardigan And Black Boots Girl for evermore. The temptation is to buy things on the internet, but I'm not so sure of my size any more (too much walking and eating regularly-spaced meals), so this convenient shortcut is probably not a good idea. There are lots of books I will have to restrain myself from buying online, though!
If I have any money left over from buying opaque tights and sensible shoes, I am going to be saving up to go home for a few days. I miss the (c)old country, and my family, of course, and I need to go back before too much Southern rubs off on me!
It's now definitely bedtime or I will not be nearly so cheerful tomorrow!
Goodnight!
More apologetic kittens
It's somehow gotten quite late again, and I have to go to work in the morning. Alas, I cannot share my Woking-based adventures in full! Instead, have some kittens and a quick round-up:
Incidentally, picture from here if you haven't had your kitten fix today.
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| If I'm not careful, this blog is going to end up mostly cats |
In brief, today I made pancakes for lunch, got a lift to town with The Godmother and W, and did some of that not-fun-but-important-for-keeping-your-life-together shopping. Mostly toiletries. I haven't had a chance to buy essentials (OK, semi-essentials, depending on how important skincare et al are in your life) for quite a while, so I had to have a bit of a rush-round. I also found The Godmother some snazzy different-coloured USB sticks, which was fun.
This evening, I am pretty full of carbonara and quite sleepy. I learned today that La Senza has proclaimed the 31st as National Cleavage Day. I'm not sure what kind of celebrations they have planned, but it's one to keep an eye on.
Goodnight!
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