Monday, December 26, 2011

Christmas 2011

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me wish you all a very Merry [insert Winter Festival of Choice]. It has been a good one here in the Casa del Roses. I don't do stress at Christmas time. I refuse. I got into my jammies on Christmas Eve and I'm not entirely certain I'll get out of them today either.

Boy is with me and our Christmases have a certain shape: pressies, breakfast, glasses of naughtiness, cook lunch, watch crappy dvds, nap on sofa, more food, more crappy dvds. It suits us just fine. We laugh a lot.

This year, there was no disaster with the duck. It went very well. The carcass is currently sitting in my kitchen having been thoroughly picked clean. I was on top of the washing up while I was cooking, so while the kitchen does look like a bomb site, it's not as bad as it could be. I am feeling no pangs to address the mess yet. I'm on my second cup of coffee in my pink, fluffy dressing gown and alls well in my world. My major decision today will be whether I get dressed or not. Given it's past mid-day, probably not.

Boy is currently snuggled up to Razzy P, who joined us in the evening. The two of them are so totally cute, it's bordering on nauseating. Bless them. I count my blessings and Razzy P and her family are definitely one of them.

The one fly-in-the-ointmen is my current IT issues. I discovered that while I need my coffee in the morning to function, laptops do not feel the same way. Sugar and circuit boards aren't a good combination. Lawrence has kindly offered the services of his son-in-law to see whether it can be cleaned up enough for me to get the data off, but I am pretty sure it will be an insurance job. If only I can find the policy documents for my house insurance. It is all fixable, one way or another, it's just a pain in the arse until I'm up and running again. But I'm not going to stress about it today. Tomorrow I will dig out the paperwork and take it from there.

The next few days are dedicated to chilling-the-fuck-out. I pushed it a bit too far and I'm paying the price. It's all a learning curve. I know better now. There are things on my To Do List, which I must do; and do them I will. But gently does it. Pottering around works very well for me.

I am also considering the year ahead.

2011 was the year of: Stop thinking about - Do it!

So, now I think about what I want for myself in 2012. But that will have to wait for another blog post.

PS. Oh yes, I meant to say. My braces are now off. Ladies and Gentlemen, I now have a metal free smile and it's fantastic. I've still got to wade my way through the retaining period - which will be years, but frankly after having gone through all the hassle and pain. I will do it. I'm so pleased with it. It was worth every penny and all the pain. But the joy of being able to eat green things in front of other people, without fear of it all being stuck in my teeth, bliss. Bliss I tell you.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Blogging Update By Bullet Points

  • I have bloggers block
  • I've been very busy at work
  • Had a very busy social life over the last couple of weekends
  • Went to No Strings Cabaret and Burlesque night last weekend
  • Burlesque is heaps of fun; risque rather than raunchy
  • Corsets are impossible to put on without assistance
  • They really do heave everything in and up!
  • It won't take much pursuading to put it on again, though apparently, I need it in a smaller size!
  • I definitely will get a different skirt. Not so much skirt as frilly belt
  • And no, there are no pictures. Don't even ask.
  • I've been suffering from Domestic Urges
  • Last weekend, I had a hankering to make a Roast Chicken
  • I am out of practice. My timings were all wrong with the roasties
  • It still tasted good
  • Since then I have cooked *and* done dishes
  • My laundry is out of control, the floordrobe currently rules
  • I don't care
  • It's a good thing I don't share my bedroom with anyone else.
  • My Boy is now 18 years old
  • He is now the responsible adult in the house
  • He enjoys being carded now
  • He is enjoying going out for legal drinks with his mates
  • He now has part of his tattoo done
  • It is quite spectacular and we can't wait until January when it gets finished
  • Funny, how it just looks so right on him
  • He's proud of it and himself, I'm proud of him too
  • I've been watching loads of groovy dvds
  • They include: Harold and Maude, Moon, Touch of Zen and last night there was Men Who Stare at Goats
  • Tomorrow night, I'm off to the cinema to see Puss in Boots
  • You can tell I'm so High Brow in my entertainment, can't you?
  • Since seeing Nobodaddy, I've been in a Bluegrass frame of mind
  • Gillian Welch has been on repeat
  • This has not been helped by the awesome gig last night
  • Brooks Williams is truly awesome
  • iTunes has been having quite a bit of business from me lately
  • More worrying than the Domestic Urges is the fact I'm looking forward to Christmas
  • Boy says he will be with me which means...duhn, duhn, DUHN....Drunken Duck
  • Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, it will be Xmas pjs, naughtiness, dvds and drunken cookery
  • I've been serious about buy presents from local/independent shops
  • Even if it has meant me going into the City on a Saturday
  • It has required me being more thoughtful, but the effort is worthwhile.
  • My favourite eating/drinking place on Unthank Road, 103 has gone bust
  • I am well pissed off
  • It was the only place in walkable distance where I could have a meal for one, without being the sad weird woman, desperate to pick up
  • It worries me how many shops are going under
  • I worry for next year, I seriously do
  • The World is Going to Hell in a Handbasket.
  • I am looking forward to my works' dos
  • Yes, you read that right, in the plural
  • Friday, is the sit down, posh do for my current employment
  • Monday, is the sit down, poshish do for my previous employment
  • The following Friday is the not-so-posh eat and drink afternoon/evening out for current employment
  • I have an awesome dress for the posh do, really looking forward to wearing it.
  • Hanging around people who are passionate about the coffee and tea they drink, is contagious
  • Had lunch with my ex-Course Leader today
  • First cup of coffee was machine made (yes, I could really tell)
  • The second cup of coffee in a different establishment had me frowning
  • It tasted like it would have been good, but something had gone wrong along the line
  • Round, robust flavour, but bitter, bitter aftertaste, like they'd scraped the burnt off toast
  • I now have 3 different types of coffee to choose from in the morning
  • Am considering buying a stove-top coffee maker.
  • Speaking of things I'm considering buying...
  • Miller Harris have a new fragrance out
  • It is to die for
  • It's called La Fumee and it's just like incense made perfume
  • *drools*
  • I will wait until after Xmas and the January credit card before I go nuts
  • I may end up having a perfume saving pot
  • But it is just, just fantastic
  • Considering I've had bloggers' block, I've done quite well.

Bank Holiday Sunday

Dear Dave I woke up today with Philip Glass' Metamorphosis in my head. It's apt really as it was part of the music chosen for your...