Ravings and Whitterings

frogclock @ 2008-06-26T21:54:00

2008-06-26T20:57:00Z

You Are a Fork

You are truthful, direct, and straight forward.

People find your honesty to be a bit piercing at times.

You are driven and wildly ambitious.

You know what you want, and you take the most direct path to getting it.

What Utensil Are You?

frogclock @ 2008-06-13T23:29:00

2008-06-13T22:31:07Z

OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

frogclock @ 2008-05-23T22:20:00

2008-05-23T21:44:00Z

I love my Wii! I hadn't got it going because I felt that knackered and in a rush after work wasn't a good plan. But this afternoon I was off so got it going. It is great fun. I made myself a Mii (I was chuffed to find I can give it glasses like my new ones), Mum made herself one and we both created Dad's one - I feel I will be making more in the next few weeks.

Had a go with Bust-a-move, it hasn't really changed since I was feeding 10ps into it at uni - it even has the same music - but it has a lot more multiplayer possibilities, up to 8 people in fact. The I moved on to Wii Play which has some excellent little games - I like the one where you appear to ride a knitted cow over scarecrows, I feel I will be going back to those ones a lot. Also started off the Big Brain Academy. I was hearten to see it has different games to the DS version so I won't get bored.

Finally I unpacked my Wii Fit (Ta milkjester). I really enjoyed it and can see myself doing it every day. I'm shite at the balance games, apart from the ski jump - in the football one I manage to head everything you aren't supposed to and not a single football.

So really I need never leave the house again for entertainment.

frogclock @ 2008-05-21T21:05:00

2008-05-21T20:40:45Z

I have had the best weekend, well, ever really. I can't think of a better one.

Saturday I had the Electric Picture Palace for me 30th. Went out for lunch and then trotted along to the flicks, loads of me friends came and plied me with gifts - they had a row of their own. We had me favourite Buster Keaton short "The Boat" and then the best film ever made "Kind Hearts & Coronets". We had the organ in the interval, plus happy birthday which I was rather chuffed with. I think everyone enjoyed themselves, I certainly did!

Me parents went home with the gifts, including a surprisingly large stone chinaman and 15 of us pushed off to my favourite restaurant in town The Blue Lighthouse. Had an excellent meal with scary amounts of cheese, I like a bit of cheese, and a very pleasant chat. Went to the Nelson afterwards, fluffed up some dogs and spent the rest of the evening there.

Sunday I got up and opened me pressies, people had surpassed themselves, I have so many things to play with, And I have my Wii! I haven't fitted it yet because I have concluded that rushed or tired are not the best conditions for sorting out electronics.

Then we met up with friends and spent the best part of the day down the pier, shoving tuppences and losing at airhockey. They collected me enough tokens for me to cash them in for a stuffed, grinning whale in a sailor hat. In the evening we had a chinese & went to a quiz at Woodbridge Town Football Club and won! It was all marvellous.

Monday I drove down to London with young

milkjester and went to see Paul Merton's Impro Chums at Croydon, then Tuesday I came back on the train and unsurprisingly was knackered! Oh, but it was great.

I hope alitheapipkin had a good time on Monday.

frogclock @ 2008-05-16T22:24:00

2008-05-16T21:45:22Z

Well life is all very pleasant at the moment. I'm not at work again until Wednesday, which is superb.

I had an excellent night Thursday at WI. I got given a most beautiful birthday posy (now in a pot of water), bored the other members witless with the resolutions (I'm off to the AGM in Liverpool in June) and then won a £100 bursary to spend on a course. I'm thinking of going to Denman to do something sewing-y.

Today was the country market and I had me hair re-blackened and then bogged off to the Picture Palace to see "The Lady Vanishes".

Tomorrow I've got the Picture Palace in the afternoon for a do for me birthday and we're showing my favourite film of all time "Kind Hearts and Coronets", meal in the evening and then my birthday, and most importantly my birthday Wii, on Sunday.

It's all rather marvellous

frogclock @ 2008-05-04T22:06:00

2008-05-04T21:46:45Z

Well I have had a fine weekend. You can't believe how exciting it is to have 2 days off if you don't usually have 2 days off, admittedly they weren't the conventional 2 but that's by the by.

So Friday me dad dropped me off ludicrously early in Halesworth (I have a lift when I can get one, regardless of when the train is) so I had a nice cup of tea in Edwards, enquired after their kitchen ventilation traumas, and promised, yet again, that I would actually come back there for a meal one day.

Got me train down to Liverpool Street (spent most of it happily asleep, god bless the mp3 player to drown out all irritating noise i.e. people) and was horrified to discover that the fee for the loos has gone up from 20 to 30p. I thought the woman in front of me was going to deck the attendant. The problem was that the change machines were out of order so anyone who went to the change machine and couldn't get change got let in free, anyone who had 30p had to pay the 30p. Let's just say this did not please the woman in front of me.

Wended me way over to Charing Cross and thence to Bexleyheath to meet up with a newly shorn young milkjesterin the pissing rain - we had not planned the pissing rain part. Had a bit of lunch, dumped me stuff at his, had a cuppa and then trolled back into London. Had a pootle round the Trocadero centre, I was very excited to see that they had Wii Fit in at HMV, an item akin to hen's teeth. Had a very pleasant meal in a Pizza Express. We were sat nearer the kitchens than I had before and I realised just how much the kitchen staff's uniform makes them look like they have escaped from a Jean Paul Gautier scent ad.

Anyway, we ended up at the Bloomsbury Theatre to see Boothby Graffoe and Harry Hill as part of Stewart Lee's 10 greatest stand ups gig. It was bloody excellent. Boothby Graffoe did my favourite song, "Bungee Girl" so I was happy as Larry and Harry Hill was just marvellous. He did a lot of new material and I look forward to seeing him on the Wonderbus tour next month.

And then we got back to HMV to obtain a Wii Fit, it's all too exciting. And we didn't get mugged for it on the way home.

Saturday I sadly had to come back ready for today's book sale. Chuffed me way back to Liverpool Street, knowing full well that I had a rail replacement bus awaiting me at Colchester. Bit peeved as last time they did work there they still listed the train, for example 15.08 Lowestoft with bus Colchester to Ipswich but this time they just expected you to know you were to get any Colchester train and then meet a bus when you got there. I feel our bus driver may have been forced to work on a Bank Holiday weekend against his will as I have rarely met a more pissed off man. Anyway, I survived me trip and got back here ready for a rather pleasant book sale today.

While I was travelling I read "On Chesil Beach" by Ian McEwan which was brilliantly written but so sad, and half of Iain Banks "The Business". It would have been more but a)I fell asleep & b)I can't read on buses.

I think I'm going to enjoy May

frogclock @ 2008-05-01T21:35:00

2008-05-01T20:41:39Z

Bugger, rail replacement bus on the way back from milkjester's on Saturday, I do hate rail replacement buses.

frogclock @ 2008-04-27T23:16:00

2008-04-27T22:45:14Z

I've said it before and I'll say it again- I can't believe where this year is going - it's nearly May!

Life pootles on very pleasantly. Fairly busy at work, the dreaded personal develoment review time has seen me produce a document in a font only mice can read. I am mainly working 7 days a week between being in the library, training other staff, Bookstart things, doing stuff to the website and visiting toddler groups for Sure Start so I'm very glad I'm taking some nice annual leave in May, not a big chunk, just some odds and sods.

Been to many quizzes, won a couple, a few seconds and a few, er less impressive. Still seething from friday when we arrived at a quiz to be told they hadn't got us booked in and seemed to think it was out fault that they had had a change off committee. Seeing as the change seems to have made their head bloke one of the arsiest men I have met in many a long week, good luck to them.

I've successfully bored young

milkjesterwith my search for car related gubbins (yes it's that time of year) insurance, road tax MOT etc, all of which, as ever, come at exactly the same time of year. I've sorted that with renewing me tax for 6 months. And in case anyone was sitting on the edge of their seat wondering who I've gone with for insurance it is.... the Halifax.

Last night I failed to get to young morris1000's play as I was already going to see "Potted Potter" - all 7 Harry Potter books in an hour. It was bloody hilarious and if it comes near you I recommend it.

Bucking the trend of the last few months I actually managed to read the reading group book, "Toast" by Nigel Slater, before the actual group! I was an excellent book, I think possibly the best memoir type book I have ever read. Also read "The Mysterious Affair of Style" by Gilbert Adair, which seems to have some high falutin ideas about what it is s'posed to achieve but ends up, like his last one, before just a weak Agatha Christie and "Deja Dead" by Kathy Reichs. I started the Reichs because I enjoyed watching "Bones" so much. The two bear very little resemblance to each other but are both good.

I was off sick for a while and ended up obsessively watching "Bones" & "Torchwood" and I'm now pining for both, not helped by the fact that I know "Bones" 3 is on Sky - just beyond me reach.

Right, bedtime.

Easter eh

2008-03-22T23:10:14Z

I like Easter, the library is closed, mostly, but unlike Christmas there aren't set Eastery things to do so the world is your lobster.

Having said that I had to go to work today. We were lacking in Internet today, a planned break in service while they spend the 4 day break fixing stuff in Ipswich, and it's Easter Saturday, during the freezing-ist Easter ever, so I thought it would be quiet and had amassed manual tasks what needed doing. I was wrong, it was very busy. But pleasant, with much opportunity for weather discussion simply because the weather altered every 3 seconds, lots of hail, snow and rain but sadly no rain of frogs, I was expecting it.

Tonight I went to see "Genevieve" for the umpteenth time at the Picture Palace, you can't beat "Genevieve".

Yesterday I mostly spent time sewing a Percy the Park Keeper sampler for my friends baby. Tomorrow I'll do the backstitch on it and then it just needs a trip to the framers, the marvellously named Woodware Workshop.

Why does the Autotrader add use the Flumps music?

So tomorrow the plan is sewing and possibly a quiz, or more sewing.

Oh and they've announced part of the line-up for Latitude and it's looking pretty damn good.

I haven't updated this thing in a dog's age...

2008-03-04T13:46:36Z

The trouble is if I come online I crawl off 6 hours later in the small hours wondering where my life goes so I have been avoiding the PC as much as possible. Which, it turns out, is nigh on impossible. You just think you have gained yourself a non-PC day when you need to look up an address, the origins of the border collie, a pressing email or a work related doings.

So cunningly today I'm updating in the warm in my lunch hour, blimey it's parky outside.

The next question, of course, is have I anything to actually put on here?

Here's something for young milkjester: metal fatigue!!??

I had a splendid holiday week before last, a couple of mates came to visit for a few days and then I bummed a lift from them down southwards to get a train to Oxford and lumber myself upon friends there. All week I generally trotted about, looked at things, went in shops, had great meals out and had a fine old time of it.

Sadly I then had to come back to work, bah! I have just put up a rather marvellous display of work that the local primary school did based on a book by an author who is coming to see them here Thursday, what with it being World Book Day and all. Luckily we are getting him as I refused to have any of those freakish costume things in the library - Elmer the elephant and Blue kangaroo are doing the rounds. I find Blue kangaroo especially scary as in the book it is a toy, only about a foot tall at most, whereas the costume is 6 foot at least. So I shall be in early Thursday shifting furnishings to accommodate kiddies.

I've read books, er "Then we came to the end" by Joshua Ferris was rather good, as was "Model Behaviour" by Jay McInerney. Read "I, Coriander" by Sally Gardner for the book club which was a nice easy read and many marvellous graphic novels whose names escape me.

I think Dawn Porter is starting to annoy me on BBC3.

Ooh and "There will be blood" is a brilliant film. I thought from the start I was going to be bored shitless but no, it was amazing. I've bought the book it was based on now, "Oil" by Upton Sinclair, but I think it was very loosely based.

frogclock @ 2008-01-23T17:00:00

2008-01-23T17:04:00Z

I am starting to loathe the woman from the Magnet kitchen advert...

http://www.magnet.co.uk/

It's my little baby guinea pigs' first birthday!

2008-01-17T19:07:37Z

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Violet and Lily
Happy birthday to you!

They don't read Livejournal but it's the thought that counts.

Books from last year

2008-01-01T23:37:26Z

Inspired by (or pinched from)

thebirdwoman. I thought I would look back at the books I read last year.

Summary

Total Read: 89 (jesus, that's scary)

Graphic Novels: 5
Crime: 12
General Fiction: 43
Non Fiction: 6
Sci fi: 11
Kids & teens: 12

Liked: 76
Didn't like: 13 (That's not bad really)

Favourites:

Leviathan (2000 Ad) by Ian Edgington
The Prestige (Gollancz) by Christopher Priest
Fifth Sally by Daniel Keyes
Man Walks into a Room by Nicole Krauss
Rant: The Oral History of Buster Casey by Chuck Palahniuk
Hybrids: Saga Competition Winner by David Thorpe
Thirteen by Sebastian Beaumont
Amnesia Moon by Jonathan Lethem
Never the Bride by Paul Magrs
Trek by Paul Stewart
The Gum Thief by Douglas Coupland
Sulphuric Acid by Amelie Nothomb

Least Favourites:

The Old Child by Jenny Erpenbeck (It's only saving grace is it is very short)
Fat (Gollancz S.F.) by Rob Grant
Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre
That's Me in the Corner: Adventures of an Ordinary Boy in a Celebrity World by Andrew Collins
Eleven by David Llewellyn
Wish You Were Here by Mike Gayle
No Word from Gurb by Eduardo Mendoza
All the Rage by Paul Magrs

January

Why Do Men Fall Asleep After Sex? by Mark Leyner (I wish Mark Leyner would get on and write more novels instead)
Death and the Dancing Footman by Ngaio Marsh (Very solid and entertaining crime novel)
Coroner's Pidgin by Margery Allingham (Another excellent Campion crime novel)
Leviathan (2000 Ad) by Ian Edgington (A brilliant graphic novel, well written and well drawn. I hope they do more)
Six Feet Under (Inspector Thanet) by Dorothy Simpson (Another of her Inspector Thanet crime mysteries)
The Darwin Awards 4: Intelligent Design by Wendy Northcutt (Amusing for a bit and depressing)

February

Promethea: Bk. 4 by Alan Moore
Fat (Gollancz S.F.) by Rob Grant (It just gets going and it ends, this is rather half a book than a whole one, useless)
Kingdom Come by J. G. Ballard (A brilliant novel looking at the hollowness of modern life)
Incompetence (Gollancz) by Rob Grant (An interesting and amusing look at a man trying to be a spy in a world where stupidity cannot be discriminated against." )
The Anglo-Irish Murders (Collins crime) by Ruth Dudley Edwards (A bit daft but a nice murder to pass the time)
Under Compulsion (Panther science fiction) by Thomas M Disch (An excellent set of odd short stories)
The Night Watch by Sarah Waters (Reading Group. A brilliant if sad look at World War 2 and lesbian society)
The Old Child by Jenny Erpenbeck (It's only saving grace is it is very short)
Matricide at St. Martha's by Ruth Dudley Edwards

March

Piercing by Ryu Murakami (I have no blasted idea what is going on)
Mary Plain's Big Adventure (Knight Books) by Gwynedd Rae (Lovely little children's books)
Mary Plain and the Twins (Knight Books) by Gwynedd Rae
Tales of Beauty and Cruelty by Kate Petty (Rather pointless teenage rubbish)
The Prestige (Gollancz) by Christopher Priest (Read after I had seen the excellent film. Rather different but still brilliant)
The Man Who Japed (Vintage) by Philip K. Dick (One of his earliest distopian novels, as ever a very repressive future)
Vulcan's Hammer (Vintage) by Philip K. Dick (Excellent and looks at the possible ways the development of computers could go)
Dr. Futurity (Vintage) by Philip K Dick (Not ususally interested in time travel novels but this was fascinating)
Restless by William Boyd (A reading group read. Everyone enjoyed it apart from me, I found it rather dull)

April (A big reading month!)

Mary Plain Goes to America by Gwynedd Rae
Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin (Rereading before the bew one. I had forgotten how great this series was. Wonderful characters)
The Steep Approach to Garbadale by Iain Banks (His books get bigger and less dark as the years progress but it was still a compelling story)
Gold by Dan Rhodes (You never know what you'll get with this author. A rather touching story)
More Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
The Affirmation (Gollancz) by Christopher Priest (A brilliant look into the darkness of the human mind. Shows how untrustworthy a narrator can be)
Decline and Fall (Penguin Modern Classics) by Evelyn Waugh (Reading group book. Very, very funny. A classic)
Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier (I love her style and about my favourite poet as well. I'm not usually struck on historical novels but I throughly enjoyed this)
Fifth Sally by Daniel Keyes (I don't know why on earth this is out of print. Deals with multiple personality disorder with all the character's many voices narrating)
Dry by Augusten Burroughs (A man who deals with his many, genuines problems with great humour)
The Restraint of Beasts by Magnus Mills (I'm not sure about this one)
Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre (Absolute rubbish. Can't see why it won anything. Can see why so many people don't finish it and I wish I hadn't)
Mary Plain's whodunit (Knight Books) by Gwynedd Rae
The Pesthouse by Jim Crace (You never know what this author is going to write about. Seems set in the past but it's actually the future. Gripping)
Meow, Baby! by Jason (A minimal but effective graphic novelist)
The Editor's Wife by Clare Chambers (A very interesting and clearly written novel)
Swing, Brother, Swing by Ngaio Marsh (Another classic murder mystery)
Man Walks into a Room by Nicole Krauss (Her great first novel, even better than The History of Love)

May

Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto (Always intriguing, short and strange)
Rant: The Oral History of Buster Casey by Chuck Palahniuk (Marvellous and weird as ever)
Phobic: Modern Horror Stories by Jeremy Dyson (A great collection of short stories that has given me a lot more authors to try)
Alice in Sunderland: An Entertainment by Bryan Talbot (A very in depth look at the Sunderland connections with Lewis Carrol in a very interesting way)

June

That's Me in the Corner: Adventures of an Ordinary Boy in a Celebrity World by Andrew Collins (He is sadly getting very irritating now)
Hybrids: Saga Competition Winner by David Thorpe (An excellent teen fantasy, can't wait for a sequel)
Thirteen by Sebastian Beaumont (Very odd yet brilliant, superb book)
Aisles by Paul Magrs (This author's books vary so much in subject and enjoyment. A more mainstream subject but a good read)
You Don't Love Me Yet by Jonathan Lethem (Got it for the cover but it was an excellent book, very interesting)
Human Is?: A Philip K. Dick Reader (Gollancz S.F.) by Philip K. Dick (Short stories collection, all great as ever with Phillip K Dick)
Famous Writers School by Steven Carter (An interesting novel form, dark and funny)
Super-Cannes by J. G. Ballard (Bleak, violent and fascinating as ever)
Further Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin (So happy to reread this series)
Babycakes (Tales of the City) by Armistead Maupin
Significant Others (Tales of the City) by Armistead Maupin
Sure of You (Tales of the City) by Armistead Maupin
Michael Tolliver Lives by Armistead Maupin (A welcome return, exactly like having old friends back)
Act of Roger Murgatroyd (Evadne Mount Trilogy) by Gilbert Adair (Not sure what the purpose of this book is. Doesn't seem to achieve being a spoof or a tribute, just a second rate Agatha Christie copy)

July

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Book 1) by J.K Rowling (Reread the lot ready for number 7)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2) by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) Paperback by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) by J.K. Rowling
Eleven by David Llewellyn (A great disappointment. Email novels have been done now, as have those set during 9/11)
Wish You Were Here by Mike Gayle (Why do I read these? Just as bad as chick lit)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter 5) (Harry Potter) by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter 6)[Children's Edition] by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) [Children's Edition] by J. K. Rowling (Wonderful. Looking forward to it so, and dreading the end)
After Dark by Haruki Murakami (Dark and mysterious, an unusual style for Murakami but intriguing)

August

Amnesia Moon by Jonathan Lethem (Brilliant, loved it. Distopian, dark and mysterious)
Never the Bride by Paul Magrs (Funny, great plot that keeps you guessing, amazing)
Martian Time-slip (Millennium SF Masterworks S) by Philip K. Dick (Worth a read but not my favourite of his)
Trek by Paul Stewart (Dramatic, fascinating and sadly true)
No Word from Gurb by Eduardo Mendoza (Thought I would enjoy this but sadly I didn't)
All the Rage by Paul Magrs (I like the author's other works I've read a lot, I like the Eurovision Song Contest but this was a drag to read)

September

Insulin Murders by V. Marks; C. Richmond (I was interested as a diabetic but I found this too scientific and not lurid enough)
Something Borrowed by Paul Magrs (A great sequel)
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett (Short but sweet. A lovely little book)
Death on the Nile (Agatha Christie Comic Strip) by Agatha Christie (Didn't work very well as a graphic novel. The story cut out too much of the vital plot points)
Sulphuric Acid by Amelie Nothomb (Brilliantly odd or just brilliant and odd. Must read more of her)
N.P. by Banana Yoshimoto (As always with her books intriguing)

October

The Gum Thief by Douglas Coupland (A great combination of his styles, comic and geeky yet deep and meaningful)
Murder Most Fab by Julian Clary (An enjoyable first novel. Not your normal murder mystery but compelling plus lots of sex)
Murdering Americans by Ruth Dudley Edwards (Glad she has written another crime story, hope she writes many more)

November

The Crow Road by Iain Banks (Excellent. I seem to have read the 2 of his novels this year that are most alike, this one and "The Steep Approach to Garbadale)
The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold (At the start I didn't like any of the characters or the plot but I found it compelling and read it in a day. So glad I read it)
The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld (Reading group book. Sort of enjoyed the first half but got very bored in the second)

December

Girl Meets Boy: The Myth of Iphis (Canongate Myths) by Ali Smith (Another in the Canongate Myth's series. Ali Smith creates a very enjoyable read)

A game for all the family

2007-11-29T13:40:18Z

Whilst wending my way back to the library from Leiston today I came up with a new game to pass the time. I sadly got to use it in both its forms. You can either a) come up with creative ideas why the driver behind you appears to be trying to get into your boot at 70mph or b) why the driver in front has decided that 25 is the speed of choice on all roads.

I had 3 good uns for the first driver, who appeared to think that only driving at 60 ish on a small, windy, mud covered road was unreasonable:

1) His trousers were on fire
2) His passenger was choking on an aniseed ball and he needed to reach a spot to pull over and perform the Heimlich manoeuvre
3) Having been surprised by an unlikely piece of wildlife, like a wombat, he coughed up his hubba bubba and glued the accelerator to the floor.

And for the second I concluded:

1) He was transporting a Faberge egg
2) He suffers from St Vitus dance and it was effecting his braking leg
3) He had a bucket of sulphuric acid in his lap.

Favourite film title of the week

2007-11-25T22:01:39Z

Teenage Hooker Became A Killing Machine

frogclock @ 2007-11-13T17:39:00

2007-11-13T18:25:09Z

Hoorah, "I'm a celebrity" appears to be Biggins less so I won't be bothering with it as I barely even recognise the other people though they evidently think they are great.

The penguins are going strong and the shoes are nearly dry.

Read a lovely book to the kids today. A new one by Judith Kerr who did the Mog series (the forgetful cat not Meg and Mog) called "Twinkles, Arthur and Puss" and it's lovely and no cats die in it unlike "Goodbye Mog" which was so damn depressing.

frogclock @ 2007-11-10T23:33:00

2007-11-10T23:38:09Z

Today I have mostly been filling my shoes with silicon bathroom sealant.

Ridiculous Christmas Purchase of the year

2007-11-09T21:05:37Z

Today I foolishly purchased this

They sing, "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" and the little one kind of jiggles. I nearly choked laughing. All are welcome to view at the Clark residence.

frogclock @ 2007-11-08T19:47:00

2007-11-08T19:58:03Z

We've had a severe weather warning, the library had to shut early, sadly I wasn't there today. So after I've written this I'll be off to build an ark.

My branch assistant young computersaysnoleft in September and the closing date for her job was today, apparently we've had a lot of interest for a 2 and a half day job. Dreading interviewing, never have interviewed before, I'd like to wake up tomorrow and have a new shiny branch assistant in post..

Christmas is a-coming rapidly so I am making cards and pressies like a card-and-pressie making dervish. Yes, one of those. I can't say what the pressies are as that will spoil the surprise but I'm really chuffed with them.

Nearly had a second rabbit at the weekend only we unfortunately found out who it belonged to and had to take it back. 9 weeks old, so cute and fluffy and little and, well rabbity.

Fire training tomorrow, not lighting them, putting them out. Should be exciting as we actually get to put out fires. Which is more than they mustered for "Moving an inanimate object" training where we didn't even get to move inanimate objects.

Torn on the "I'm a celebrity" watching front as this year it has Christopher Biggins (yay!) and Malcolm Mclaren (twat). So do I watch it for the Biggins-ness or not, hmmm. Probably just watch Dave obsessively instead.

I really should update this less randomly, ah well.

frogclock @ 2007-10-15T22:59:00

2007-10-15T22:02:01Z

I love the new Dave channel on freeview! If I could marry a channel I'd be that one.

New Music

2007-09-19T21:51:55Z

Well, newish. I was listening to the ginger git's radio 2 programme on the way home from work (yes despite saying I wouldn't I have given in to the drive time tosser but I can still be rude about him) and they played a marvellous song which included, I swore blind, the voice of the Divine Comedy's divine Neil Hannon. Git-wizard said something snide about it, proving I was right and he is an arse, but all I caught in his whingy voice was that is was by a group/person inclusing the word special and it was "Our love goes deeper than this".

So I googled it, naturally, and it turns out to be Duke Special with Neil Hannon and Romeo Stodart (Magic Numbers). And bizarrely I discover Duke Special's CD was the one I ummed and ahhed over in Oxford Borders about a year ago and didn't buy because I had only heard it once over their tannoy system. Even better, the library has a copy.

Anyway, new single, downloaded it and now listening to it lots, "Our love goes deeper than this"

What does anyone reckon?

2007-08-17T20:12:33Z

Right, technical advice anyone? Well technical ish. I want BBC 7 in my bedroom. But we have no digital radio here so the only options are freeview TV or the net. don't really want anything in the Pc line in there so it'll have to be a freeview doings. Can't get a signal here so I'd need an aerial connection in my bedroom and a small TV I assume. Or would I, has anyone else got any more suggestions or knows of a really small TV, I'm not worried about seeing the bloody thing, just want BBC7. Don't want it piped from me lounge as I want to be able to kill it from my bedroom rather than getting up again to turn it off.

Possible that made sense to someone.

frogclock @ 2007-08-14T22:49:00

2007-08-14T22:10:54Z

Sitting here slightly damp as we have just washed the guinea pigs. It is very amusing washing guinea pigs, I would recommend it to anyone.

Had a lovely week off last week, well 5 days, nearly a week. I had a week in Leek staying with me mate Julie and her husband. I had the best time, really relaxing. Went to Buxton and filled water bottles from the little spring water spewing lion, played badminton- badly, fed their badger, squirrels and birdies, saw Julie's school, went to Sudbury Hall and saw Mr Darcy's costume (he's very tall), met up with thebirdwomanand had a trot round Rudyard Lake and a great Italian meal out. It was a damn shame I had to come back.

Anyway, I did and the library is still there. Been to the flicks and saw "Withnail and I", had Legionnaire's disease training, frighteningly I was very interested, and tonight I washed the guinea pigs so they are fluffy and clean now but indignant.

frogclock @ 2007-08-04T16:23:00

2007-08-04T15:32:48Z

Went in for the Reydon Show today. Stuck Bagpuss in for "Cross Stitch Unmounted", one of me hedgehogs for "Cross Stitch Mounted" and my orange blackwork (yes that does make sense honest) in for "Embroidery Unmounted". Sadly I found this all rather exciting. I won 2 Firsts and a Highly Commended, woo hoo! Must get sewing more ready for next year, next year I'd like a little cup, I always have a hankering for winning little cups.

frogclock @ 2007-08-02T20:10:00

2007-08-02T19:39:48Z

Bugger me it's August, where the hell has this year gorn? It'll be Christmas next. Customers keep telling me time goes quicker as you get older, at this rate if I last to 70 I will be sleeping through whole years.

Work is fraught, August always is horrific, you don't feel you're helping anyone in the end, just stopping them killing each other for the PCs. Though a local hotel now has wi-fi so those with laptops can go and play with them down there instead of sulking on our PCs.

Day orf today, went and did all the exciting day off things like blood tests, banking, veg for the guinea pigs and then I went to see "The Simpsons Movie". I was very good, very funny but it could have done with being longer so there could have been more time in Springfield before stuff happened. Anyway I have "Spider Pig" stuck in my head now.

Other excitment this week includes a marvellous lunchtime concert on Monday by young morris1000, quiz at Sibton (we won), quiz at Theberton (we didn't), and "Dick Barton" at the Southwold Summer Theatre. Oh it was bloody good. I saw it at Greenwich Theatre in the late 90s and thought it was wonderful so I was really looking forward to it. It was so funny, I'm seeing it again Saturday.

Been fannying about on Facebook quite a bit, Popcap has managed to get me all my games back for the new PC, Swapshop got me enough points to get More Brain Training for the DS so I've been having hours of fun with that.

Next week I'm off to Leek for a week (I'm a poet and I don't know it, well I do now) to stay with Julie, a friend from uni, I think I should be seeing thebirdwomanat some stage as well. All rather exciting.