tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82731722012-01-25T22:16:46.644ZKinda like a diary of sorts for a gal who refuses to grow up but who's old enough to know better, likes her beach holidays, beer, gin, WoW, music, working out, reading, footie and nerdy, geeky sci-fi stuff...weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.comBlogger8171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-73568342098485120972012-01-23T08:52:00.019Z2012-01-25T22:00:58.061Z

Kung Hei Fat Choy! Happy Chinese/Lunar New Year! Called the family and had a good chat to all who were celebrating in HK. Me? Well, I cooked something Chinese for me and Boom for tea at the weekend - that was the extent of my celebrations! The Dragon is my opposite sign so this is supposed to be lucky. How lucky depends on me so I hope I make the most of this year.  A big lotto win wouldn't go

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-3574605621397700182012-01-12T14:06:00.001Z2012-01-13T00:06:47.548Z

...to Kenny last night that I could have said "Hello", except that I was sat among all the City fans! Not a Premier League tie but probably the only chance I'll get to catch Liverpool this season. The last time these two faced each other (8 days ago), City emphatically won 3-0. This time, it was 1-0 to the Reds who triumphed in this first-leg cup tie; City a shadow of themselves. The usual

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-82693108188121880212011-12-29T01:06:00.001Z2011-12-30T22:18:59.787Z

It's not the only reason I haven't hardly updated my blog this year but it's one of the reasons I suppose - I read a lot more and this year, I finished 42 books which must be a record for me... 1.  The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest - Stieg Larsson (Crime/Thriller) 2.  Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson (Classic) 3.  The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins (Fantasy) 4.  The Last Wish -

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-34043521524044900402011-12-05T12:22:00.000Z2011-12-05T12:22:28.287Z

Tonight's Panorama programme will apparently reveal that supermarket bargains are not quite what they seem. Here's a great example from my local Tesco store: Wonder how many people went for this 'bargain' lol?

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-50302179028848653802011-11-30T16:49:00.001Z2011-11-30T16:52:05.766Z

The one good thing about the strikes today - no traffic in the morning! My pension contributions will go up by 2% from January 2012 and by a further 2% from January 2013, so effectively doubling in two years. My 'perks/benefits' eg medical and gym have all been downgraded and I shall not be getting a pay rise next year. So, I'm paying more for my pension and more for my gym membership with no

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-14941572798175315422011-11-12T14:44:00.020Z2012-01-25T22:09:51.525Z

I finally got round to seeing the Arctic Monkeys live.  Kept missing them at festivals but I finally caught up with them.  For a bunch of Yorkshire likely lads, they gave a very polished and accomplished performance. Still prefer the stuff from their first two albums, maybe I'll grow to like their newer stuff. My average gym attendance hasn’t been great this year, only around 7 visits per

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-87494297570683751182011-10-17T14:27:00.006+01:002011-11-12T14:29:56.373Z

…it’s been two weeks since I got back from a lovely relaxing holiday but I still haven’t quite gotten over the cold that I caught on the plane coming back. Not so bad that I had to take any time off work but the worse thing is that for once, I think I put some weight on (all the great Greek food!) and have been unable to go to the gym (didn’t want to cough over everyone!) so my clothes have

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-66566095344114689502011-09-29T00:56:00.000+01:002011-09-29T00:56:14.445+01:00

After a truly manic month of to-ing and fro-ing and sorting things out the apartment, everything finally fell into place today, including the previously-unhelpful management company getting their act together. It feels like a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders. My tenants have moved in, deposit and first rent payment made. I knew they were a couple, just didn't know it was two ladies

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-18004993949042798342011-09-11T17:07:00.000+01:002011-09-11T17:07:41.456+01:00

I borrowed the 'Prison Break' Complete Series boxed dvd set from my mate AM about a month ago. Didn't get round to start watching it until the other week and now I can't go a day without watching at least one episode. One evening, I did six episodes back to back - eyes were a bit dry after, maybe I didn't blink! Great storyline and characters, funny seeing their dated clamshell-style mobile

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-41911509185717066222011-08-21T23:30:00.000+01:002011-08-21T23:30:34.029+01:00

...this is the latest bit of graffiti art on the wall opposite the apartment I've just bought. I'll try to take some pics of the ones further down the wall next time I'm there with good daylight. Anyway, went to my first Ebbsfleet United league match in a couple of years - they played Stockport County in a pretty entertaining match, which finished 1-1.  The Fleet could have won had they not

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-54082824128902191112011-08-19T10:22:00.017+01:002011-08-20T10:45:09.082+01:00

I have got all sorts to post about (yes, happy stuff too even!) but have been pretty tied up. But finally, after twelve loooong weeks (from the day I put in the offer to completion), I've now purchased a little apartment that's going to be a cornerstone for my retirement, seeing as pensions are going to pot! Woohoo! What is it?  A new dinky one bedroom flat. Where is it? Errr....Old Trafford,

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-14260091081512513412011-08-14T21:53:00.007+01:002011-08-23T21:56:49.709+01:00

Thus far, I’ve been pulling any stray grey hair I’ve found but age has won out, and following comments from my sisters for ‘letting the side down’, I’ve had my few grey bits ‘blended’ into my normal colour hair. This does now mean I have to go to the hairdresser’s more regularly and I do find that a chore cos I hate all the waiting around, the inane chatter and crappy magazines. Plus it aint

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-55333024942120189862011-08-09T23:50:00.000+01:002011-08-09T23:50:36.807+01:00

Absolutely disgusted and dismayed at the scum bag looters in Manchester.  A fair few miles away from where I live but still too close for comfort. The IRA bomb tried to kill off the city, it was rebuilt and now being destroyed again by some f*cking ingrates and thieves. Should be shot the lot of them. And the kids? Old enough to do the crime, old enough to know better. Better call my Mum, she'll

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-88768809236269756922011-08-01T22:07:00.000+01:002011-08-01T22:07:48.516+01:00

Arggh, still not gotten round to posting any happy stuff and now I'm posting crap stuff again! The Glamorous C didn't go on holiday with me last year due to work commitments but she was determined this year.  We looked at various places in Greece and opted to return to Kefalonia where we visited several years ago. The day we originally wanted to travel on meant that I'd be off work for 7 days

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-77040062491607849872011-07-17T21:46:00.002+01:002012-01-25T22:11:36.001Z

I was thinking of not going to see Kings of Leon because Boom couldn't come with me - the people at work I spoke to who I thought would be interested already had tickets. Then I realised I hadn't asked my mate HW and I know why I didn't consider her at first- she never has any money so wouldn't be able to afford the tickets. I think she earns more money than I do, lives with her bf so where does

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-1001756028737519922011-07-17T21:38:00.005+01:002012-01-15T01:25:56.774Z

Was resigned to missing all the summer blockbusters due to Boom not getting enough time off but for once, things turned out alright and we went to see the last of JK Rowling's movie franchise, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2'. (This was after I'd driven to the old cinema which was all boarded up, shows how long I've been there!) It's been a couple of years since I read the book so

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-74202975761327388312011-06-15T00:41:00.001+01:002011-06-15T00:41:27.938+01:00

..I've never had to take a pregnancy test before. But I did and I'm not. Thank f*ck for that! Move along, nothing to see....

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-50529210208381553382011-06-13T23:13:00.013+01:002011-06-14T00:18:19.209+01:00

Bugger - not been about and got so much on at the mo that I've not had a chance to update. Anyway, it's my birthday today, I think I'm still hungover from Saturday, even though I don't think I drank that much, I'm just rubbish at drinking wine! Hightlight whilst I was at work was my nephews and niece calling me from Hong Kong and singing 'happy birthday!' Fab! Boom stopped by despite things

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-71670298025559680152011-05-18T23:40:00.004+01:002011-05-19T23:41:55.547+01:00

I am back from my hols but got loads of stuff to do. Will update soooooon!

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-91887622896620545302011-04-30T12:36:00.000+01:002011-04-30T12:36:12.199+01:00

I wouldn't consider myself a Royalist but I don't mind the Royal family, some of them I like and I do like the 'new' Royal couple, William and Kate. Hurrah to them for giving us yesterday's bank holiday and yes, I did watch a lot of the wedding! Anyway, April has whizzed by and practically gone in the blink of an eye - it's not been a great month for me but I'm a survivor! There were even some

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-76464524901699840302011-04-20T21:50:00.002+01:002011-04-20T21:54:21.004+01:00

I think by and large, people remember good teachers – I certainly remember teachers from primary school and high school, although I also recall some of the not-so-good ones I’ve had, the good ones I remember very clearly, how they shaped and influenced me into the person I am today, I remember things they said, their accents and I remember how I missed them and was a sad when I moved on. I’

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-86291355200478991092011-04-16T00:47:00.000+01:002011-04-16T00:47:01.038+01:00

Well, a week after my car incident, I'm back on the road. The garage admitted full liability, sorted out a new windscreen and bonnet and gave me a cheque for my travel expenses. No harm done, although I'm tempted to check the bonnet now every time I drive... It's been a crap week at work too and the next two are going to be worse - joy! :-(

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-49225145009626082702011-04-06T21:54:00.001+01:002011-04-06T22:18:02.527+01:00

My week gets worse.... This is what my windscreen looks like after the bonnet of my car flipped up and smashed it as I was driving home. How could the bonnet flip up like that? The car went for an MOT in the morning, they mustn't have closed the bonnet properly. Since I didn't drive over 30mph from the garage to the office, it wasn't fast enough to move the bonnet. But as I sped up to join the

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-47381259789931424152011-04-04T17:20:00.000+01:002011-04-04T17:20:30.098+01:00

Day off work today, first day off since just after new year. I had to go into Manchester to get my China visa sorted out (yes, I have a little trip planned), get it all done and dusted in one day so there's no to-ing and fro-ing or having to post my passport etc. But why do passport photos have to look so horrific and criminal like? Anyway, up earlier than I would normally get up for work, tram

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-21288966172491455362011-03-28T13:42:00.000+01:002011-03-28T13:42:35.382+01:00

Continuing with the Olympic theme from my last post, I've finally gotten round to applying for some tickets. If I'm successful with all my applications, I will be stumping up over £400. I know, not a small sum at all but  it's not very often you get to attend Olympic events. Not that I've applied for the typical Olympic-like events (tennis and football) and not that all the events will be

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-16010634103107637022011-03-17T23:52:00.000Z2011-03-17T23:52:33.325Z

The London Olympic tickets are up for sale, or rather, the ballot is now up and running. Wisely, there is a large window of time during which you can request allocation of tickets which has meant that there has been no meltdown of the website as hordes of people log in to try to buy. If Big Sis was still living in Surrey, I’d have probably applied for loads of tickets and taken a week off

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-26203848324523772522011-03-14T12:44:00.000Z2011-03-15T12:47:04.305Z

Like many around the world, I've been watching the horrors unfold in Japan, following the aftermath of the earthquake and the ensuing tsunami. That there could still be a nuclear disaster is just incomprehensible. One thing that has become apparent and markedly noticeable is that there has been no looting. During other disasters around the world, cars, properties and shops were broken into; in

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-72440238194561201042011-03-11T23:47:00.002Z2011-03-12T00:06:46.473Z

The other morning, as I was pulling out of the drive to go to work, I noticed that the neighbour’s dog was asleep on their lawn. Since I was still half-asleep as usual, it took a few seconds for me to realise something…the neighbour didn’t have a dog! I kerb crawled past to have a look and saw that the animal wasn’t moving nor breathing. Another neighbour flagged me down – apparently, the dog

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-62862294402748224722011-03-08T12:46:00.000Z2011-03-08T12:46:14.250Z

I cheered at all 3 goals, sitting next to two United fans who thought that using the 'c' word at the ref and Liverpool players every so often and giving me daggers would shut me up. It didn't. Fortunately the guy sitting at the front with his kids got them to shut up. And Boom didn't reply to my text after the match, even though I didn't rub it in (not really!).

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-22377515852686823012011-02-25T17:44:00.001Z2011-02-25T17:47:50.796Z

Still trying to lose my 'winter layer' - I think I'm sorta winning - in terms of going to the gym two or three times a week to do my aerobics and my yoga/pilates classes, I feel pretty fit but not at the level of 'body tone' that I would like. My diet could be better - I don't tend to eat much during the week but at weekends, I eat a lot, a lot of it is rubbish, there's a fair bit of

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-77128060874446722642011-02-14T10:16:00.001Z2011-02-14T10:22:24.105Z

Happy Valentine's Day! Yep, no sooner are the Christmas cards and decorations out of the shops, the next commercial push for people to splash their cash needlessly is for all those 'romantics' out there. Next week, it'll be Easter eggs... Anyway, me and Boom exchanged cards last night - he arrived too late for us to go out to eat so we just grabbed a takeaway. He also gave me an unexpected

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-39824246676226655702011-02-06T00:31:00.030Z2011-02-09T00:43:47.605Z

Gosh nearly forgot to post - Kung Hei Fat Choi, or Happy Chinese New Year, all! Seems to have come round extra fast this time round, not had my second wage packet this year yet, so struggling with the usual new year payouts to maman, papa and grandmere! It's the year of the Rabbit (or Hare) - supposedly not a great year for me...ah well, hopefully my 'dragon' pendants and emblems will help me

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-53611478588591478592011-02-01T00:25:00.000Z2011-02-01T00:25:21.752Z

In the football world, there's no recession or cutbacks. The clubs just keep on spending and spending from never ending pots of cash. Fernando Torres has completed a £50 million move to Chelsea - I'm stunned and disappointed but well, what's the point in trying to keep a player who wants to move to a club that still has a chance of winning some silverware this season? Boo hoo! :-( In return,

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-9635484566915494562011-01-20T01:01:00.000Z2011-01-20T01:01:06.724Z

It's been a while (last March) since I went to an Ebbsfleet United match - since they got relegated to the Conference South league, I haven't seen them play. Not live anyway, did catch them on an online stream. But, as 'luck' would have it, they were drawn away in the FA Trophy against Droylsden - finally, a Northern fixture! I managed to drag CK along with me (that's me and her in the pic -

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-36198659058483012072011-01-11T23:56:00.000Z2011-01-11T23:56:01.332Z

Human Resources? Or Hugely Rubbish? These past 5 years, the latter applies to our HR department. Little Sis works in this field but I refuse to believe that she could be as bad as the faceless, clueless and unhelpful people who we have to deal with. A couple of years back, when the business was undergoing cutbacks and my job was 'at risk', I criticised the way HR handled my case in particular.

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-16555630565259813072011-01-08T19:36:00.001Z2011-01-09T21:15:16.307Z

The Toon have/had King Kev, we have King Kenny, ie Anfield legend Kenny Dalglish. I've barely posted about football recently because for me, the football season has been depressingly abysmal. I mean, we were in the relegation zone, only 4 points above it now! Top 4 club? In our dreams... :-( The Scousers, having gotten rid of Rafa replaced him with Roy Hodgson - a likeable chap but someone who

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-53266582738511209092011-01-02T01:33:00.001Z2011-01-04T00:34:55.308Z

...hope you enjoyed the new year celebrations? Another quiet one for me, at home with a bottle of wine. Boom's mum has taken a turn for the worse - I don't know how serious though... :-( Anyway, was kinda glad to see the back of 2010 - wasn't a great year, though had its good points as well as the bad. The Bad - my mum's illness and subsequent operation; my car accident; my teeth and the

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-42104276447933140702010-12-31T00:20:00.008Z2011-01-01T02:19:38.219Z

Well here's the usual list of books I've read over the year: 1. Lord of Chaos - Robert Jordan (Fantasy) 2. A Crown Of Swords - Robert Jordan (Fantasy) 3. The Eye Of The Moon - Anonymous (Fantasy) 4. The Path of Daggers - Robert Jordan (Fantasy) 5. 2nd Chance - James Patterson (Crime/Thriller) 6. Wanted - M Millar & JG Jones (Fantasy) 7. Kethani - Eric Brown (Sci-Fi) 8. Noughts & Crosses -

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-42418337179149374002010-12-30T00:42:00.002Z2010-12-31T01:21:06.198Z

A recap of sorts before I do my year end posts. Much of this month has been made up of:  not-so-nice days at work, I'm pretty much drowning in paperwork :-(   a well-earned 4 day break to take advantage of the release of the World of Warcraft expansion, Cataclysm  our departmental Christmas lunch (since we couldn't get a night out sorted, the guys are just rubbish!) which was a good laugh, great

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-8558721960251303712010-12-25T22:50:00.000Z2010-12-26T12:52:31.590Z

Oops, I did mean to post before Christmas but time just whizzed by - oh well, Merry Christmas all and in the likely event that I don't post before the new year, all the best for 2011!

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-61090213240297490522010-12-06T02:21:00.000Z2010-12-06T02:21:00.559Z

The Biffy concert was my early Christmas present to my godson EB - it had been a year since I last saw him, the first time since he moved out to live with his dad after falling out majorly with his mum, my old schoolfriend MR. I knew it was going to be a little awkward but was heartened that he still wanted to come up and that he was ok about staying the night at mine.  He's a good looking

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-27944762170174288032010-12-06T00:33:00.001Z2010-12-06T00:34:09.104Z

Yes, 6 years on and I've decided to include a photo in my profile.  Why? I couldn't find a better photo and besides, it doesn't really look like me....! This template still isn't right, need to tweak it at some point.

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-1405721681724477432010-12-05T17:08:00.000Z2010-12-05T17:08:29.549Z

The first time I saw Biffy Clyro, they were the support act for Linkin Park. This time round, it was definitely their show and what a difference. Having seen LP recently, I'm inclined to say that I enjoyed Biffy's gig a lot lot more.  I would go so far as to say that Biffy are definitely up there as one of my all time favourite bands and this was one of my favourite gigs. Yes, they were all

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-71441803167872798092010-12-02T00:57:00.001Z2010-12-06T00:12:52.518Z

Boom and I made a rare trip out to the cinema to catch Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows part 1. It's been a while since I read the book so I could only recall bits of the story, particularly that most of the action took place outside of the usual surroundings of Hogwarts. This, plus the fact that the 3 main stars have grown up, made the film more adult orientated than the previous ones and it

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-31171950950712010332010-12-01T01:05:00.001Z2010-12-05T17:01:23.085Z

Last month, I saw a two different shows at the MEN arena in the space of a week. Firstly, with the glamorous C and her children, it was the very kiddy-friendly Doctor Who Live show. As a fan, I enjoyed the show, which mostly worked but in parts didn't, eg the Cybermen stomping around the audience bit but was obviously fun (and probably a bit scary) for the kids. The video bits of the Doctor

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-14008907390724450962010-11-23T20:36:00.002Z2010-11-27T16:00:17.270Z

On Friday, I arrived at my desk at work (late as usual as the traffic on the M60 seems to be getting worse and worse) to find that it had been decorated with balloons and banners.Yes, I'd clocked up 15 years service with the company. Doesn't seem that long, time seems to have whizzed by.It's funny that my colleagues felt the need to celebrate this event more than I did and I'm not sure

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-59660450923219350772010-11-02T13:27:00.000Z2010-11-02T13:27:32.909Z

I'm sorry - I appear to be somewhat distracted by this photo of Chris Evans in the latest 'Captain America: The First Avenger' movie. Gosh.... You think he shaves to stay that smooth?

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-42198956693411690862010-10-28T00:28:00.001+01:002010-10-28T00:50:26.208+01:00

No idea what's happened to my template - hopefully, can get this sorted soon! Or maybe I'll keep it like this...

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-26079605909469032942010-10-24T23:03:00.011+01:002010-10-28T00:49:31.252+01:00

Whilst I was on hols, part of a filling in my tooth fell out so I went to the dentist to get it checked out. I thought it would just needed patching up but as is often the case with my bloomin' teeth, it's gonna be expensive. When my filling fell out, part of my tooth was damaged so now I need a crown, which is going to set me back £550...yes, ouch! But that's not all. The x-ray showed that it

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-80014139908450791762010-10-12T23:49:00.000+01:002010-10-12T23:49:53.733+01:00

[Long post warning!] So, I went on holiday to Kos, Greece on my own - no glamorous C, no Boom (who was ok about me going solo). Daunting for a first timer but I thought what the hell, gotta try it, eh? The flight from Manchester was full of the 'silver brigade' and no I wasn't booked with Saga holidays - hmm...least no wild partying! Stayed at the Atlantis Hotel a mile away from Kos Town, all

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-61909621944174079542010-09-28T23:05:00.005+01:002010-10-12T23:09:35.076+01:00

A manic day at work trying to get everything and of course, barely accomplished anything. Rushed home to take my parents (and their friend) out to dinner at Panama Hatties locally. It was a jolly affair, the food was goood and then I said good bye to mum and dad as I don't know when I'll see them next - sometime next year. It's been good having them around. *Forgot to post this, was still in

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-31930002652502248352010-09-27T11:35:00.000+01:002010-09-27T11:35:55.982+01:00

I haven't updated on what has happened further to my accident when some stupid woman ploughed into the side of my car in July. Not because I haven't heard from the solicitors representing me in the case - in fact I had heard from them and it was pissing me off in a mega way. 23rd Aug, they wrote saying that the other party wanted me to accept 50/50 responsibility and that if the case were to

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-1693565821860909752010-09-23T12:41:00.000+01:002010-09-23T12:41:12.148+01:00

They're the League Two side that unceremoniously dumped Liverpool FC out of the Carling Cup last night after penalties. How on earth did it get to the stage where we'd be missing penalties in a shootout? What a disaster. After the Reds lost 3-2 to Man U over the weekend (a flattering score to be honest, even though we did come back from 2-0 down), Boom had another chance to aim a "

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-11787144221864600552010-09-21T20:46:00.000+01:002010-09-21T20:46:32.104+01:00

I'm working half day tomorrow so I can meet up with my parents to sort out things at the bank in town. I asked them where they wanted to meet for lunch but I already knew what my mum would say: "Let's go to British Home Stores again!" Of all the varied, fancy, award winning restaurants in Manchester City Centre, my parents keep wanting to go back to BHS (this will be the 3rd time in two weeks)

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-72845059994412839542010-09-14T08:34:00.002+01:002010-09-14T08:34:33.963+01:00

And I just realised that this blog is now 6 years old - how time flies...

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-2978809578730005582010-09-13T08:27:00.010+01:002010-09-15T19:58:24.695+01:00

Today, the sale of the house that I lived in with my ex was finally completed, funds transferred, 50/50. This past month or so, I've spoken a couple of times and met up with the ex to sign paperwork relating to the sale.  The first time I met up with him was weird as I hadn't seen him in 2 years. He's leaving the country with his money, going to work abroad.  He called asking if we could meet

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-6108469689672123692010-09-10T00:57:00.001+01:002010-09-10T00:57:19.563+01:00

My parents are over to visit for a while, having previously delayed their trip for several months due to my mum's illness. When me and my mum saw each other for the first time and hugged, we both had a bit of a teary moment. I may have been stressing about tidying up these past few weeks but I'm sooo glad they are here and for me to see with my own eyes that Mum is ok. It's all getting rather

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-75993276170961179432010-09-07T21:28:00.000+01:002010-09-07T21:28:47.572+01:00

Finally got to see Muse live (at the Lancashire Cricket Ground) and boy, was it worth it. Bellamy's voice. The guitars. Absolutely f*cking awesome if I may say so! At times, I felt a lump in my throat and the hairs rising on the back of my neck, so wrapped up in melodies! I can't say I could pick my favourite Muse song but I love Starlight, Uprising, Knights of Cydonia, Newborn....aargh, the

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-31096543300467394862010-08-25T20:33:00.001+01:002010-08-26T00:51:59.955+01:00

Damn, still not gotten round to doing my round up...really must get my arse in gear. Anyway, Sunday I was at V Festival for the first time - should have gone with Boom but instead, I took the glamorous C's soon-to-be 14 years old daughter, who I think I've referred to in the past as Saffy. The glamorous C dropped us off at Stafford and clad in wellies and vest tops, we took the shuttle bus to

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-72644396771071721312010-08-04T00:32:00.000+01:002010-08-04T00:32:39.973+01:00

When ebooks were first made available a couple of years ago, I quite liked the idea of being able to read books on my pc/laptop. In reality however, I tried a couple of them and found that staring at a screen reading copious amounts of text was firstly too much like reading work documents (no matter how enjoyable the book) and secondly, was a strain on my eyes. Plus, I like the feel of a

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-6104482971186886842010-07-15T21:45:00.006+01:002010-08-06T21:49:49.300+01:00

My bets were rubbish last season: - Liverpool to beat Spurs at Home(Red Squirrel) - WIN! - Liverpool to beat Spurs Away (Red Squirrel) - LOST! - To finish above Red Squirrel in Fantasy Football - LOST! I won't mention other unlisted losing bets! Got a few more on next season, hope I do better!

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-53162058762488124232010-07-14T23:52:00.000+01:002010-07-14T23:52:18.558+01:00

...please stop spamming comments! Just turning on moderated comments for a while, sick of the sad tossers making unreadable comments... about sh*t probably - who knows, who cares! I'll turn mod off at some point - sorry for any inconvenience! :-(

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-17867065486791654332010-07-10T12:15:00.000+01:002010-07-10T12:15:00.981+01:00

Just a quick post as I've just gotten off the phone to my mum. She was nagging at me...about my job, my house, my car (didn't tell her what happened the other day of course...). For the first time, I was smiling cos now I know she is back to her old self again! :-)

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-11597247868613485692010-07-08T23:55:00.000+01:002010-07-08T23:55:55.365+01:00

A quick look at my last few posts seem to be all doom and gloom and sorry, here's yet more doom and gloom. On my way home from the gym, was coming off a roundabout to join the slip road when some idiot drove into the side of my car (rear passenger side) as they wanted to go right and they were in the wrong lane! Yes, it was a dumb-ass woman driver, the kind who give us all a bad name! I was

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-66612017352328936522010-06-27T18:50:00.000+01:002010-06-27T18:50:59.144+01:00

Goal-line technology must be introduced - nuff said. England on their way home, beaten 4-1 by the Germans. Would people have preferred that we lost by penalties? The score suggests that we were thrashed, our defence was just exposed but we had our chances, just didn't put them away and of course, had Lampard's goal been allowed, it would have been all square at 2-2, maybe a different game,

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-16894271490428391812010-06-13T17:54:00.000+01:002010-06-13T17:54:20.581+01:00

Regardless of England's progress in the 2010 World Cup, this tournament will, I think, be remembered for the noise of the vuvuzela trumpets/horns everyone seems to be blowing in the stadia. The question is....why??? Think of the buzzing of thousands of extremely large angry bees and you won't be far wrong! Bloody annoying to be honest! Anyway, the usual frustrating England start; a magnificent

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-70053335833805421012010-06-06T00:48:00.000+01:002010-06-06T00:48:38.518+01:00

The past few weeks have been mostly a blur and I need to start sorting things out, sort my life out. Mum's situation has been on my mind but today, I spoke to her and she gave me the news that she does not need to undergo chemo treatment. When I came off the phone, I wept with relief, it felt like a big cloud had lifted off me. Summer finally seems to have made an appearance so I took advantage

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-11341431370550714212010-05-30T14:40:00.000+01:002010-05-30T14:40:46.077+01:00

Not much to say really, except that my mum is home and recovering. Have spoken to her a few times on the phone and she sounds pretty strong - half the battle is said to be psychological and it looks like in that respect, she's done really well.  She may still need chemotherapy though. Work's really manic and getting a lot of people down - sure, busy is good but when you're pulled from all sides

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-17597879323712648132010-05-11T13:12:00.001+01:002010-05-11T13:18:47.919+01:00

I called my mum over the weekend as it was Mother's Day.  She's due to come over to the UK as she and Dad are going on a mini European cruise and it's been two years since their last UK visit so they were planning to stop off for a while. Mum was a bit vague about her dates and when pushed, she said she didn't know as she was waiting for test results from a biopsy she had done on her breast 

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-14205218586979002052010-05-06T20:07:00.001+01:002010-05-11T12:59:28.342+01:00

Since it doesn't come round very often, just a quickie post about the general election. Yes, I've voted. No, I don't think any of the candidates or parties represent all my beliefs or wishes - you just have to choose the one that you think will make the least mistakes, because guaranteed, mistakes will be made. Big ones. I will be glad when it's all over, hung parliament or not - no more spam/

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-52079814381101247592010-04-30T14:33:00.000+01:002010-04-30T14:33:45.322+01:00

Yep, it's the first bank holiday weekend of May - I know I should update my blog but I know I probably won't so I'll just quickly jot some things down that are on my mind: WWWWWL No, not some new world war website but an acronym I learnt yesterday at work (the company is very fond of acronyms). What does it stand for (you may or may not be wondering)? "Why We Win Why We Lose". Ahem. Football

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-69512766500096609382010-04-27T12:57:00.000+01:002010-04-27T12:57:01.342+01:00

Am back - aint no volcano big enough to stop me (although it nearly did). Got a load of stuff to sort out before I can post properly. And why is it still like winter, only a little brighter? 

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-63189678598830577902010-04-12T13:25:00.000+01:002010-04-12T13:25:59.967+01:00

Went to the library on Saturday, as I had a couple of books to return and after a quick browse, found a book that I thought would make for more suitable travel-reading than the big tome that I'm currently ploughing through. From the library, I walked to the newsagents opposite to buy my lotto tickets for work's syndicate and from there, I walked to M&S to pick up a spot of lunch. I then drove

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-32438635854874416342010-04-07T12:53:00.000+01:002010-04-07T12:53:06.434+01:00

My little sis gets married in 10 days time. When she announced the wedding date a year ago and let us know her 'colour scheme', I surprised everyone (including myself) by going out immediately and getting my wedding outfit, a lovely fitted strapless frock. I tried it on recently. It appears that I have somehow lost weight and the dress is now too big! Being rather light in the bosom area

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-49117107249350415042010-03-23T13:10:00.000Z2010-03-23T13:10:10.733Z

Last week, in our industry's equivalent of the Oscars, the company I work for picked up the prestigious award for "Company of the Year". An historical first, we beat off strong competition from our fiercest competitors and the announcement was made before 1200 of our peers and key customers. The funny thing was that when it was announced in the office, the first reaction was not of "Wow, that's

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-15653582056839339832010-03-18T01:02:00.000Z2010-03-18T01:02:17.291Z

Finally managed to meet up with Boom to give him his birthday presents. It's been so long since we've seen each other that it was a little awkward. I just wanted to give him a big hug but he was a bit distant. I should have been expecting it but I was just so pleased to see him again. He has got so much on his mind - his mum's illness has meant that he has no real life of his own these days - 

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-73938043006341771052010-03-16T13:44:00.001Z2010-12-05T02:42:15.804Z

Last night's 'gig' at the Manchester Arena was rather different from the norm. Yep, I went to see 'Star Wars in Concert'. I agree, when I first heard of if, I thought "how's that going to work?" but if you're a fan of the Star Wars saga, then you will know how important John Williams' musical score is. Never witnessed a full live orchestra before so was kinda overwhelmed by the Royal

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-1334247360615034662010-03-11T20:09:00.004Z2010-03-11T20:20:45.730Z

"Exceeds expectations - excellent"I had my performance appraisal with my boss yesterday and this was the grade he awarded me. Gosh, I was surprised.Although 2009 was not as difficult as 2008, I thought I'd struggled.Thought I'd struggled with motivation at times, struggled with workload, struggled with stress but by and large, I met my deadlines. I just had my head down most of the time, just

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-20931627707425412232010-03-08T20:39:00.002Z2010-03-09T20:49:06.847Z

I do think that Hollywood takes itself too seriously sometimes so it was refreshing (and historic) to see someone win both an Oscar for Best Actress and a Golden Raspberry (Razzie) for Worst Actress in the same year - and for them to attend both ceremonies!This accolade and dubious honour went to Sandra Bullock - of course when she picked up her Razzie, she had no idea she would win the Oscar the

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-22852895906509694452010-03-05T13:58:00.005Z2010-03-05T14:05:30.508Z

I have to admit that thus far this year, I've not felt motivated, felt pretty listless, pessimistic, dare I say it a little depressed. Put it down to the horrid dark days of January, stress from work but as I think I acknowledged previously, most likely stress over Boom.Wallowing in my own self-pity, I've wondered why events beyond my control have meant that our relationship couldn't go back to

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-89788431221865865682010-03-02T18:13:00.005Z2010-03-03T11:24:00.731Z

Cooking and drinking - they don't go together or maybe I've just too much on my mind to be multi-tasking right now!Was cooking some pasta the other day. Opened a bottle a beer.Swig of beer.Chopped up some veg. Swig of beer. Stirred pasta to stop from sticking together. Swig of beer. Continued until pasta ready and moved to sink to drain off water.Knocked over bottle of beer with pan.Caught

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-56285654036360206562010-02-27T18:12:00.000Z2010-02-28T18:26:50.160Z

Last Saturday, I made the train journey up to the Northeast to watch Ebbsfleet United play fellow Conference strugglers Gateshead FC. Never been up to Newcastle before, not sure what I was expecting but well, I saw the river Tyne and the Angel of the North so I'm happy!Was happy with the result too, the Fleet winning 3-1 in the end. Not been to a match where the fans weren't segregated so it was

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-29883576038708901102010-02-19T14:15:00.005Z2010-12-05T02:42:38.710Z

So last night, for my first gig of the year, me and the glamorous C witnessed the fabulous Lady Gaga kick off the UK leg of her Monster Ball tour. Fresh from winning three Brit Awards, the totally mad and eccentric one did not disappoint. Outrageous outfits, extravagant stage props (including a huge tentacled monster), energetic dance routines with scantily-clad male dancers, lots of swearing

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-72354972030362035712010-02-14T12:15:00.008Z2010-02-19T14:32:13.622Z

The Chinese Year of the Tiger starts today - "Kung Hei Fat Choi" to all - may your year be full of good fortune and prosperity. Thus far, the year hasn't been great for me so perhaps the year according to the lunar calendar will have better in store! Healthwise things haven't be as good as they should - I mentioned the insomnia before, well that is better now though could still improve. I had a

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-76271867177003164382010-02-09T13:09:00.007Z2010-02-09T13:22:25.891Z

Time for an obligatory post about football, hasn't really been mentioned the latter part of last year as there wasn't anything good to talk about.Liverpool in freefall, out of all cup competitions, calls for Rafa's head, etc. Me, I want him to stay - how will getting rid of the manager right this minute make us suddenly win the league? It won't and I cannot forget the success he has brought to

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-85566084734501942172010-02-05T10:59:00.004Z2010-02-05T11:04:43.460Z

I've been suffering badly from insomnia for the last couple of weeks. I'm a night owl at the best of times; during the week, will generally go to bed around 12.30-1am.But lately, I've been really struggling to fall asleep, still awake around 2am and on a couple of occasions, woke up for no apparent reason around 4am and was only able to nod off after reading for a while.I know it's stress -

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-51953130168196225192010-01-17T13:50:00.002Z2010-01-18T14:15:04.404Z

I've had a long weekend and was proposing to get on top of all manner of things. I've failed miserably.Anyway, was going to catch up with my blogging, what I've been up to etc but need to write about something else that I found out about.My godson EB ran away last week. He's sixteen and in the middle of doing the first lot of his GCSE exams. For two days, nobody knew where he was and his family

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-60346340885112183552010-01-09T23:19:00.004Z2010-01-11T21:54:36.657Z

I had malicious malware, spyware, call it what you want-ware on my laptop.How did I know? My WoW account was 'compromised, ie it got hacked and the only way it could have been done was via a keylogger - nooooo! Bummer! How did it sneak past my Norton firewall?Anyway, after running two full system scans and downloading three different spyware programs (and pay for one of them) the offending '

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-73751759350296442262010-01-09T14:09:00.013Z2010-01-09T15:32:21.029Z

...it appears I used to! (must be when I had no internet!)Nicked this meme from Rol and hope it'll be a step towards kickstarting my blogging activities again...Rules:•Bold any of the following TV shows if you’ve ever seen 3 or more episodes in your lifetime.•Italicize a show if you’re positive you’ve seen every episode.You probably won't have heard of all these shows (I certainly hadn't but some

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-39397302936131777532010-01-08T21:37:00.002Z2010-01-09T13:56:54.723Z

Apparently, my little niece was naughty the other day and my sis had to send her to the "naughty-corner" for a bit. Afterwards, she drew a picture of 'angry mummy'. She got the mouth right, haha!

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-23141399359007429492010-01-05T15:29:00.003Z2010-01-05T15:35:44.520Z

At 7.30am, my phone went. It was my boss."Don't bother coming in today," he said."Pardon?" I croaked - I was just about to haul my arse into the shower."Look outside," he said. I looked."Oh wow! I can't see my car!"Apparently 20 people made it into the office and many then had to be towed out of the snow-laden carpark.I could have been constructive and made use of this extra day off, but no, I

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-60850635472342684662010-01-05T00:27:00.008Z2010-01-06T00:43:37.466Z

Still not blogging properly yet, work is distracting me and I'm really disorganised. So much to do...will start at the weekend. Have some holidays left so perhaps I'll use them to get myself organised at home.Anyway, today marks one year since I was sucked into playing World of Warcraft.For good or bad, I'll be playing for a while - will be a long time before I get bored of it as there's always

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-87184797029841460502010-01-03T21:31:00.003Z2010-12-31T01:00:50.815Z

Here's the usual list - books I've completed in 2009: 1. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson (Crime/Thriller) 2. Brother Odd - Dean Koontz (Horror) 3. Watchmen - Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons (Fantasy) 4. The Steel Remains - Richard Morgan (Fantasy) 5. That Damned Utd - David Peace (Fiction) [Bookclub] 6. Deja Dead - Kathy Reichs (Crime/Thriller) 7. Shadow Gate - Kate Elliott (Fantasy) 8

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-47372623150172841412010-01-03T00:03:00.002Z2010-01-03T00:05:06.255Z

Happy New Year!One of my NY resolutions is to get back to blogging, both writing and reading...Ahem.A lot to catch up on - not sure I want to do one big long post or lots of little ones.Think about it...

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-459875347878414052009-12-13T17:22:00.003Z2009-12-13T17:24:18.002Z

I am back and I did have a good break; just got a lot on at the mo and a lot on my mind, not all happy stuff.*sigh*

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-35037715093101693472009-11-12T21:57:00.003Z2009-11-12T22:02:04.742Z

Away for a wee while now - off to the Hong Kong to visit family, do some shopping and to catch some much needed rays - bikinis packed already (case will be full of stuff for various members of the family!)Whilst I do really need this break, it feels like I'm going away at the wrong time as Boom is going through a hard time - if there was any way I could postpone this, I would.

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-78103074442601319042009-11-05T16:49:00.004Z2009-11-05T17:06:51.443Z

So on Saturday, I continued with this year's gig fest and went to see Green Day at the MEN Arena.I'd say I'm a relatively recent fan of theirs, only really got into them after the release of their American Idiot album in 2004, although I do have some of their older stuff on my ipod.Anyway, whilst I was really looking forward to the gig, I didn't expect to be so entertained! Billy Joe really

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-85741244747237755672009-11-03T15:27:00.003Z2009-11-03T15:33:18.424Z

Following on from me driving straight past my usual motorway exit to work in total clueless-spaced out mode, I did another klutzy thing at the weekend. Was just chilling on Sunday when I noticed the time was 3pm and that Tesco would be closing in an hour's time and I hadn't yet done my weekly shop. So I scooted down, found the place quite busy with last minute shoppers like myself and I whizzed

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-14695183525783508362009-10-27T14:47:00.004Z2009-10-27T14:55:38.991Z

"You were very knotty!"This from the lady who had just given me a 6 minute head and shoulders massage - work is promoting a healthy wellbeing thing, so we've had people in to give advice on healthy eating, exercise, discount cycling initiatives and some relaxing massages provided by a local beauty/massage bar. Someone even brought in a Wii so they could have Wii fit competitions!I'm knew I was

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8273172.post-54337506191076191022009-10-20T13:40:00.005+01:002009-10-20T14:29:51.707+01:00

On Saturday, 5 mins into the match, the white ball hit the red one and went into the back of the net.No, this wasn't playground football, it was Premier League and resulted in Liverpool losing 1-0 to Sunderland.Ok, you can argue that they should have scored and beaten a side such as Sunderland but the sad fact is, the current team is extremely poor when Stevie G and Nando Torres aren't

weeniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01602950445306813601noreply@blogger.com1