Procrastination

Is a wonderful thing. I am currently farting about the computer when I should be doing work for a sign presentation. Amongst other more boring things.

Some things I hate:

• Slugs. Evil harbingers of death
• Not being able to say no when I have had a few too many
• The utter coldness of this house
• Pushy pr*cks trying to sell me telephone line rental or some such nonsense
• The fact that my bike's brake pads need replacing every couple of months
• Feeling rushed
• Not having enough time or energy for sex
• Feeling very unfit and full of pie

Some things I love:

• Sex
• My boyfriend
• Nuzzling
• That feeling you get when you have read a fantasy series or watched a fantasy series and you know you are utterly immersed in that particular world
• The smell of freshly cut grass and Spring
• My bonsais
• Cooking
• Learning
• Pretty things

Spring is in the air...

doody doody doody dooo....

This weekend I saw my first bees and my first ladybirds of the year!!! The snowdrops in the garden are coming out, I have been reliably informed that the other plants poking their way through are crocuses and the daffidils have shot up over 4 days. Hooray for the sun and light! I have come to loathe winter. It has seemed to go on for so long this year.

In other news, I watched the entire season 7 of Buffy in about 3 days. Yesterday I spent my annual leave in the house with the curtain drawn watching the the second half of the season. I feel it was time well spent. Then when I went to bed I had dreams about the Buffy Universe - I believe Spike was invovled. Hell, Spike's always involved in my Buffy dreams. Mmmmmm, Spike *drool*
I can't help it I'm like a 14 year old in the throes of her first celebrity crush. He is lush. Evil vampire Willow is also rather hot.

I enjoyed my birthday in a non stress free environment, mostly. Went for a long walk round the University Broad, got very happy about the birds and yet more signs of the onset of Spring. Thank you Demeter. Watch more Buffy in the evening and then Serenity. Joss Whedon is wonderful.

Monday, went into town and the boyfriend bought me presents. Yay. Went to the Fat Cat in the evening and got a bit drunk on various fine beers.

Have started reading the Robin Hobb book, it is full of enjoyment. Although why do most fantasy books revolve around men? Why can't someone right a fantasy book with a lead woman? Doing the same things the man does. Bring on the equality. Please.

Am currently listenign to The New Pornographers, they are soothing my soul. Pity about the ugly name.

And this week I have read....*

- Copious real paper copies of The Guardian
- A bit of The New Scientist
- This months Diva - thankfully no articles on self abuse complete with scary pictures this time, and thanks to the people who write in critiquing the coverage.
- Glamour magazine (I needed fluff ok?)

I am about to start reading a Robin Hobb book purchased for me by the boyfriend at Christmas. I shall enjoy the time spent being able to read it this week.

I haven't read anything since Primo Levi, (I think). It gave me nightmares. Bring on the fluff.

*One of the reasons I wanted a blog was to record that which I was reading. So I shall commence with the logging. Hopefully I won't dream of my training course tonight.

Bras bras bras

It's hard being female. At least, it's hard getting bras that fit. I have pranced around for about 5 months in one with the cup size far too small becasue I couldn't face another attempt at getting fitted I bought some from Bravissimo. The new ones cup size were too small. I tried the next size. The next size up was too big. I sent them all back in a strop. I went into Jarrolds last week. I was fitted by a lovely lady and it appeared to be a success - cups possibly a hlaf size too big but the next size down would be too small. What's a girl to do?
Within a week I have had to fasten thte bra up to the tightest bit on the back and tonight the boyfriend mentioend I might be going south a bit. Thanks boyfriend. Queue much hoisting up of the straps. Yes I KNOW you are not meant to do that but if someone can get me a bra where it is a success all round I'll be happy. Stupid boobs. It would help if they were the same size of course. grrr.

In other news, I got back today from my training course in London. Happily I have passed the first half of the course, we shall have to wait and see about the second half. I am not sure how much hope I hold out.
I met with a couple of uni friends, ate out every night, ate terrible lunch every day, have put on about 5 lbs due to the lack of exercise and too much food, (I know I know I don't help myself), decided that maybe London isn't so horrible and got thoroughly fed up with obnoxious people on the tube and in restuarants.
Hello stomach, thought I would be seeing the back of you but no such joy.
Also - obtained lots of free clothes from said friends and a black furry jacket from the same. Now I can be furry with everything!
Have made resolution to go out on bike ride lots over next week.
Have decided cannot face eating out on Sunday, so god knows what sort of a birthday this will be.
Toodles.

Clumsy

I don't know how I do it. I really don't. Whilst getting changed in the toilets today - not so weird as it sounds, it was at work and I need to change my trews so I can bike home - I managed to scrape my knee on the toilet roll dispenser. How??? It's not as if I'm gangly, I'm 5 foot 3. Enough for the 6 foot 2 boyfriend to call me stumpy. (It's an endearment, really). I am short stuff.

Example number 2: Instead of bypassing the boyfriend on the stairs in a graceful, elgant manner I managed to twat his knee/leg. Ho do I manage?

Example number 3: I have been riding my bike since last August. That's 7 and half months of near daily bike riding. I constantly have scrapes and bruises on my ankles and shins from where I knock myself on the pedals.

Maybe it's a leg thing?

Angry angry angry

The government want to decrease rail terms for rapists. Strictly speaking it's the Sentencing Guidelines Council. Why is this? Apparently the prison regime is now more demanding. They want to set out grounds where 'mitigating circumstances' will be taken into account. So if you have had sex with the woman before then it's ok to rape her later. They also want those convicted of domestic violence to 'escape jail terms'. Because going on a course will help them. Of course! Why didn't we think of that before? Systmatically beating your wife/girlfriend partner for months or years doesn't deserve punishment, just send them on a course telling them to be nicer and they shall change their ways.

Morons. How are you going to protect the women? How are you going to encourage rape and domestic violence victims to come forth and bring a conviction? Rape and violence are serious crimes, the issue needs to be highlighted across the country and respect for women should be taught from the first day of school. It is never acceptable and it's not ok.

I am quite frankly disgusted. I suspect I'm too angry to write coherently so shall just provide a link to the article:

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1729136,00.html

They put the arguments across far better than I. And while I am aware that the media spin stories how they wish and we can't get the truth unless we read the report ourselves, I don't think the guardian are far off. Bet ya a dollar this council is full of men.

On a related note, why does this esteemed publication write jail instead of gaol?

In local news, the mental health charity rethink has put up aa statue of Churchill in a straitjacket to highlight that even the great and the good suffer from mental health problems, and it shouldn't be stigmatised. Unsurprisingly that paragon of wisdom Anne Widdecombe has a few words to say on that matter. 'It's very offensive' being the general train of thought if I recall correctly. I don't think the critics are quite getting the message, that statue is not criticising Churchill, merely showing him as he was at some points in his life. You can be ill and lead a country you know. Us depressed people are not freaks. Anyway, full story here:
http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED11%20Mar%202006%2013%3A16%3A04%3A170

The sweet sound of hard consonants and soft signs

It's that time of the week again. Just back from my Russian class. For once it didn't go too horribly; I even came back remembering some words. Remember kids:
Word order is not fixed in russian.
There is no generic word for food.
How your teacher spells a word and how your dictionary spells a word may not be the same. Inexplicably, both seem to be correct.

I seem to have found the verb endings a wee bit easier and there wasn't an oh god I just want to cry at the hopelessness of it all moment. Yay me. And I found out what British Sign Language was in Russian. In case you want to know:

Britaneskii znakovi yazik

Wish I had a Russian alphabet keyboard.

Other good things:
Good day at work - my ideas for alterations to a document seemed to be well received by my boss.
The tosser has only 2 days to go. (Or is it one?)
It is Spring!!! It's rainy, Spring rainy not about-to-turn-into-hail-and-snow-rainy and it's definitely getting warmer, and it's light till about 6 now. Roll on the Spring. God I need some natural light again.

Shiny and new

I have a blog. To record meanderings. It will probably make me feel horribly self conscious so don't expect many updates or anything. Who am I talking to? I'm not telling anyone I have this!