Playing Catch Up

I have been tremendously slack in not updating, recently. So here’s a roundup.

My cousin Older Twin C gave birth to a bouncing boy on June 9th, M-boy. He was 8lbs 15ozs, no wonder she had a caesarian! Closely followed by my dear friend M-in-France who gave birth to twin boys J-boy and R-boy the following day. I found out about M-in-France’s babies from a text message she sent me as I stood in the car park behind Winch’s in town, waiting for a lift home. I screamed and jumped up and down, then I cried and I know people were looking at me funny!

My friend S/P got accepted to train as a paramedic so she’s very excited. She starts tomorrow! This means that I won’t be going to the Chelmsford Meet anymore, but I will still get to go to Layer-de-la-Haye as K/K has offered to pick me up at the station and drop me off after.

Had a week off last week - unfortunately the weather has been a bit rubbish. Wednesday in particular was lousy as it rained all day without stopping, dammit. I still ventured to Colchester to the meet and had a good time, although I didn’t get to shop as much as I would have liked and have decided that I must go to Colchester again by myself some time to get some decent shopping in!

I still tune in regularly to The Bugcast. In fact, I’ve begun to read out my emails on air, through the power of the voice file! I’m also now listening to Dumbed Down Life as well, two shows ago they read out an email from me!! I have an edition to catch up on but haven’t got round to it yet. It’ll have to wait until later as I’m going to a craft show, later.

My sparring partner at the Ipswich Meet P/S and I spent an afternoon together a month ago - he went above and beyond the call of duty when we went to the cinema (the plan for Geocaching fell through) he accompanied me to see the Sex and the City movie! It was a tremendously selfless act and I owe him bigtime. I loved the movie - I cried four times!! As the lights went up, I apologised for him having to sit through the movie but he reckoned that he’d learnt something about women - that you really do have to treat ‘em mean to keep ‘em keen!

And there is something to report on the men front - there is someone shiny and new around

But to close this week - here is a short film of a Monty Python classic. Enjoy!

33 Years, 29 Teeth

It seems that, the older I get, the less teeth I have.

I broke a molar on my top left in late 2006 and had to have that removed. Last September I went to the dentist and was told that I needed a wisdom tooth removed on my lower right. When I finally couldn’t put off going to the hospital any longer, I was told that they wanted to relieve me of both my lower wisdom teeth. Which was what I had done last Friday. I would never recommend having general anaesthetics for fun - I truly felt like I’d be smacked in the side of the head with a cricket bat. Eating is still proving a struggle but I’m not going back to work until Wednesday, when I believe I will be almost completely normal.

I’m just glad there’s no documentary evidence of how I looked on Saturday, when the left hand side of my face bulged really horribly and I looked sickeningly misshapen. My right side looks normal now but the left was so bruised and battered that I’m still experiencing numbness in my lower lip on that side. It’s coming round, though. I keep getting tingly sensations in that area so I’m hopeful I’ll regain all feeling on that side.

I can’t think that much else has happened in the last week, really. It’s just been all overshadowed with the build up to the extraction! This week, however holds two BookCrossing Meets, although I’m not going to Chelmsford as it’s tomorrow. I am planning wholeheartedly to be at Ipswich on Saturday, though.

In closing, I’d just like to say MEN, YOU ALL SUCK! And begone with me!

A Day Late, A Buck Short

Yeah, in fact I’m two days late this week, but we won’t worry about that yet.

So here I am and here is this. And what has been to do, this week? Well I’ve been back into the meditation and found there’s a basement in my soul. Like when I walk around, there’s always this room beneath my feet to sink into, if I need to. So that’s been cool.

The charity walk went OK but it took us an hour and 45, which was a lot longer than it would’ve if we weren’t dealing with a load of children in the party as well. There are photos on my Flickr account, the sights of Melford and the backs of a lot of heads!! Rejoice!!1!

The Teutuls were in Hemsby! HEMSBY!!! Yes, the Teutul Boys from American Chopper, in the most unlikely location I could possibly have thought up for them. Hemsby in Norfolk, a coastal town that I holidayed in, on more than one occasion and even had Mumps there. I wonder if Hemsby’s found the 21st Century yet? It always seemed mired in the sixties, when I went there as a kid.

So that was last week and the next week holds… Uh… Work… The Sudbury Meet… Uh, that’s it I think!

So in closing, here’s the video of the week, as it was 90 years last Wednesday since the birth of that familiar typing error, Spike Milligna.

Enjoy!

The Right To Be Wrong

Well here’s another week and what do we have to report?

On Thursday, BBC News managed to Rickroll us, the bastards! You must’ve heard of the whole thing of being tricked into coming across Rick Astley’s hit of yesteryear, Never Gonna Give You Up? Well BBC News did something along those lines. Twice on the Six O Clock News. Bastards! Thank God I missed the Ten or I would’ve definitely looked like a n00b!

Also on Thursday, someone forgot to wear deodorant. *FACEPALM* Someone often forgets to do her hair but this was a new low for me… uh… someone.

Saturday I went to the Ipswich Meet but it wasn’t one of the better ones. I think we were too well attended and that usually makes it harder for me to write a meet report because there’ll be at least three conversations going on, all at once and I find it tough to keep the thread of any of them. I wrote hardly any notes, this time. I missed me old sparring partner, P/S - hope to catch him at the next meet. The steakburger at Tonic is still pretty much the best burger I ever had, and it was more manageable this time as the previous one was like trying to bite into a concrete tower block and this one was much more compact.

The weekend was a bit shit really but one thing made up for it. WE WON THE LOCAL DERBY!! And so we are seventh, one place below the play-offs and two places below Watford!! I was so right about them only making the play-offs. They’d need a rocket up their arse to win automatic promotion now. I cannot help but BE SMUG.

This morning I felt like I’d been in a car crash, as if I’d been severely bruised and thrown against a windscreen, but of course nothing of the sort had transpired! Once at work, I relaxed and zoned out a little bit, between customers. Considering that no man was directly involved; it was an emotional weekend, all in all. It’s made me re-examine a lot of things, including my own opinions and my own innate right to be wrong. If I’m wrong. I might not be wrong, but I don’t know yet. And if I don’t know then nobody knows!

Yes, that was a bit cryptic. That’s another right I’m reserving!

So what does the next week hold? The anniversary of the Late Spike Milligan’s birth - 90 years of Spike! For the last few weeks, I’ve been releasing books in memory of Spike, I take them to meets to put on OBCZ shelves but most of the time other BookCrossers leap on them and take them home. Which wasn’t what I intended but *shrug*. I suppose what I wanted was to share his works and as long as they’re read, then I guess really, that was what I intended. Also, another event of the next week is a four mile charity walk on Saturday afternoon. I thought we were taking the scenic route, which was why I said yes to it, but nooooo! We’re walking along the main roads so the fuzz can keep an eye on us. Drag. I think Fry and I will have to do the scenic route, one of these days. Just the two of us and Murph. I think it would be cool.

And in closing, this week’s favourite video. Bill Bailey does the BBC News theme. Last night I played this three times!!

Yes I’m sad. So sue me!

Only On A Monday

Well another week begins and this morning found me at the hospital where I was born, for a pre-assessment for my double wisdom tooth-ectomy. My operation has been shifted back a week to the 2nd which is a pain; it means I’ve got to rearrange my booked holiday. It may not come to pass as my blood pressure was rather high - 137 / 102! I’m always affected by the old “White Coat Syndrome”, though.The mere sight of any doctor or nurse other than my own is guaranteed to send it sky high! Apparently I’ll wake up afterwards with an oxygen mask on my face and cheeks stuffed with gauze. I hope the hamster look is in, this year!

Once again, the Grand National came around and I failed to pick a horse that even finished! I picked Knowhere and Fry picked Slim Pickings, which came fourth. The Magic 8-Ball claimed that Hi Cloy was gonna win. Ha! Of course it didn’t! The Magic 8-Ball needs to stick to football and motor racing - it’s far more successful in those sports.

Have been single for eighteen full months, which is both good and perplexing. I guess it takes time to find a new fella, if you’re fussy. And am I! Very much so, to use the old footballing cliche. The Tattooed Builder is proving as much of an elusive tease as always - I’m getting the impression that to see him again, I might need to actually go to my old job one evening, text him and ask him if he’s in the local pub and see if he turns up in the shop! Of course, if he doesn’t, I’m stuck in town!

Haven’t been writing much on Draft Four but have been writing a lot of notes for Worlds Six and Seven, which is all stuff that had been tremendously vague up til now. I had vague ideas where it was gonna go, but nothing was decided until this weekend. Yay!

The Chelmsford Meet was OK - it was me, S/P, M/S, K/Kt, C/C and belatedly T/G turned up quite late. I’m still not hugely keen on the pub we’re going to now - I much preferred the old one but T/G sometimes needs to bring her baby and the old place didn’t allow children. It’s kinda cool to get to walk into Chelmsford sometimes although I don’t particularly want to eat at Caffe Rouge again as they don’t do decent chips!

So what’s on this week? Well obviously work, which is still great. Happily it’s my favourite BookCrossing Meet this Saturday - Ipswich! I love that one so much - it’s always the silliest fun, I laugh more when I’m there at that meet, than at any other time in my life!

In closing this week, let me share something that has only got funnier with every viewing. As Wil Wheaton says: “I could never get tired of this.”

Partially Gelatinated

It’s shortly before 8pm and it’s still light outside.

A miracle! A miracle! Nah, not really. The clocks went forward an hour in the early hours of yesterday. And that’s something I always hate because it messes up my sleep pattern. I’ve felt really rough at times today. Hopefully I’ll sleep tonight. It’s been another beautiful March the 31st though, really sunny. I felt a fool walking around town in my thick winter coat when everyone else was in shirt sleeves but I was glad of it when I was waiting for the bus home just before 6pm.

The Spring Flowers are magnificent atm - the Daffodils are just fabulous, bold and brassy. And our Tulips are beginning to raise their heads, see photos on the right for some of them. I love Spring flowers best of all - when I was in Colchester last, there was a carpet of purple Crocuses in the grass outside the church near M&S. They looked amazing. It’s not to say that I don’t like other flowers, but now the Spring flowers are busting out, I feel more than half-human, again!

Still flirting with that Tattooed Builder guy. He sent me a filthy text message whilst I stood stirring the gravy for Sunday lunch yesterday. God knows when I’ll see him again - it’s been over two months now but I was at my old job where I used to see him a lot, back then. He says he wants to see me though, and recently too! Who knows how men’s minds work - I for one certainly DO NOT.

The BookCrossing Meet I organise was this past Saturday and it went well. Four friends turned up for coffee, books and chat - S/P, C/C, D/B and M/S1. Four of us then proceeded onwards for lunch at the best Italian restaurant in town. I usually write up a meet report for these things, but damned if I remember much of what was said!! I’m off to the Chelmsford Meet tomorrow, leaving work early, so I’m looking forward to that.

On the subject of books; this week, I are mostly be reading Pies and Prejudice by Stuart Maconie. Said book is a wry journey around the north of England, to find out exactly who is classed as Northern and what they’re all about. It’s rather fun, I’ve chuckled a couple of times and I’m enjoying myself. My friend P/S will be relieved to find out that he is indeed a Northerner as Cheshire is classed as “Northern”. I’ve always had a soft spot for shaven headed cheeky Northern blokes, which is probably odd for an Eastern Counties girl like myself! There’s not a drop of Northern fluid in my lineage!

So the rest of the week pans out with work, Chelmsford Meet, a Village Environment Group Meeting on Thursday (I’m on the committee - I am prospective web master) and that’s all that’s planned for now. I have to miss out on the Colchester BookCrossing Meet this Friday as I shall be at work. Damn!! I like Colchester, if only for K/K and her brilliant wit. Oh and there’s a tasty barman I quite fancy, as well. It’s criminal how sexy he looks in a tight black t-shirt, his biceps bulging temptingly against the fabric of the sleeves… Yum! Oh and I like the bus journey as well, not only for the fact that we go past the Tattooed Builders house! I like long journeys by myself - I miss the train journeys I used to make into London.

Ah well. That’s life I suppose. There wouldn’t be a Tattooed Builder in my life if things had gone the way I was expecting. But I say again - who knows how men’s minds work!

Damn, I ate all that Haribo. I didn’t intend to!

Welcome To The World, Dudes

It would be nice if I could remember to post on this journal, once a week.

It really would. And the ideal day for me to post to it, would be Monday. Which is what it is today. Easter Monday, to be precise. This is my last day off for Easter weekend and it’s been quite a lovely Easter weekend at that, with two inches of snow yesterday - photos are there on the right. I had a modest amount of Easter eggs, all of which I have consumed now, in order to be chocolate free tomorrow when THE DIET starts again. Because I definitely need to drop at least the 5lbs I gained over Christmas.

The two inches of snow yesterday were just right - they didn’t outstay their welcome and by the time I dragged myself out of the house mid afternoon, it was reasonably safe underfoot and I was thrilled to discover that I have actually improved at snowball fighting - I think I only missed my one and only sibling Fry and Dad once each. At one point Fry had a nice big splatter of snow on his left shoulder blade. I should have photographed it but Hurrah! nonetheless.

We’re expecting post-Easter visitors this afternoon, my cousin Younger Twin C who could be mistaken for Kate Winslet’s younger sister and her son Z-boy, who’s coming for his Easter treats from us. Older Twin C who is identical to Younger Twin C and so also could be mistaken for Kate Winslet’s younger sister. I’m not sure if Kate Winslet has a younger sister, but these two could easily deputise, if required.

I wanted to put in a plug for my favourite podcast of late; my closepersonalfriend of nearly seven count ‘em years, Dave “The Lovebug” Lee’s Bugcast. He read out my email in full, on this week’s edition and so it’s only fitting to give recognition to his lively half hour of chat and music here at The World of Dork.

So what does this week bring? Other than work at the bookshop in town, next Saturday sees the one year anniversary of the no longer All-New Sudbury BookCrossing Meet at Caffe Nero. Hoping for a reasonable turn out, as there were only two of us in January!

Well that’s all the news that’s fit to print, right now. Remember, there may be trouble ahead but there might also be a chocolate mountain in your future. Hasta!

Just To Update

This is for my friends who are now using WordPress as their primary blogging site and want to let me know you’re here. I’m quite pleased that I’m able to subscribe to your blogs and view them in one place as My Yahoo! is a rubbish RSS reader!

It’s Alive!

My book has arrived!!

SQUEE!!!1!

From the back of the book:

Stormbringer doesn’t consider herself out of the ordinary, and neither should you.

She’s been agoraphobic since her teens and can barely leave her parents’ house, let alone venture 2000 light years into space.

But her little finger drops off, one particularly ordinary winter’s day. Just like that. Suddenly things aren’t quite as ordinary as you might have previously supposed and this is only the beginning of the Attack of the Clones…

Available for purchase HERE!

So You’ve Decided To Self-Publish…

Yeah. There it is. I’ve decided to self-publish with the help of Lulu.com.

I’m just sick of sitting on a fun novel and wanting my friends to be able to read it in a published format. I’m sick of literary agents passing it over, I’m sick of time marching on and nothing happening in my literary career.

So I’m in the middle of self-publishing my novel. I certainly won’t get rich off it, as a finished version is £7.78 and I will only get £1 from each copy sold. I’ve just ordered a finished copy (postage is 4 bloody quid but that’s not too bad, considering.) It won’t be available for purchase until I’ve acquired my own copy and finalised it for full availability to the public, but it won’t be more than a couple of weeks.

Yay!