Happiness is...

A rather fab weekend. Here are a selection of those things that have made it so :

1. Having excellent company.

2. Getting new Christmas decorations! Viva Paperchase! Can't wait to cover the flat in them next week...

3. Getting organised with Christmas presents! Much less stressed now.

4. Amazing food & drink, including : mini dutch pancakes at the Christmas Market, copious eggnog lattes, quail/pheasant/venison curry, elaborate marshmallow covered cocktails, £4 worth of pick n mix, bratwurst hotdog with lots of mustard... salivating...

5. Seeing my first 3d movie! It was "A Christmas Carol", and it was strangely sinister, but brilliant.

6. Lounging on the sofa watching 'The Day Today' with a cuppa tea. "THIS IS THE NEWS!!" This is also what Sunday's are for :)

AAANNDDD...

7. Getting picked to be an ambassador for the Dormouse as part of the Ext Inked Project! YESSSSS! Am getting inked at 8pm tonight.
Am very knackered today, so 8 actually seems like a looong way away... bring it on!

And on another positive, note...3 weeks of work until off for Christmas, yeo!!

It's definitely a 'no news' day.

Still don't know if I've got my place on the Ext Inked Project. These are nerve-wracking times, I feel like I'm waiting to hear back from a very important job interview... I don't know how much longer I can bear the tension!

To distract myself, I watched the ever brilliant 'Life' on BBC 1. It has taught me many things in the past, such as - baby Pengiuns are simply the sweetest creatures on earth, Cranes are evil incarnate, and tonight's gem : if your best friend is a rabbit, he will let you be savaged to death by a stoat.

Who knew those cute creatures in Beatrix Potter were so self-serving...or that that fluffy little buddy to the right can be so vicious!

In other 'news' - baked a lemon & orange drizzle cake for the charming folks in Withington. Much better than an arsehole -shaped apple doughnut from Starbucks, ta very much...

A Haiku for my favourite beverage...

The eggnog latte-
so delicious, so festive
I crave thee daily.

Please, please, please let me get what i want

Hardly got a wink of sleep last night. Have applied to be part of the Ext-Inked Project, and am nervously awaiting to hear whether I have been choosen to be an ambassador!
If I am choosen, it means I shall have either a Song Thrush, Soprano Pipistrelle or Comon Dormouse tattoed proudly on my sleeve. I have contemplated having a 2nd tattoo for over 2 years, since I first got the ink-bug during a trip to NY. However, until I heard of this project I didn't have a concrete vision of what my next one should be... I love the thought of being linked to this worthy project, and being joined in ink with 99 kindred spirits!
Anyway, *fingers crossed*.


Cannot believe how quickly Christmas is descending upon us, the Manchester Christmas Markets are now set out in all their glory. I absolutely love it, and can't wait for my first mulled wine & bratwurst hotdog of the season!

The next few posts may well be Christmas obsessed, as despite my normally cynical outlook, I cannot resist anything a bit festive, glittery and fattening.

Bit of reflection, bit of boozing!

I can't believe we're nearly out of the 'noughties'. I really hate that phrase, but can't think of anything else to call this era!

It's made me a bit nostalgic about the nineties. I went onto Youtube & listened to a bit of 90s grungey alt stuff- Hole, Veruca Salt, Pixies.. I love the raw, un-photoshopped & un-autotuned style of the period, I don't think that the 00's will ever have the same place in my heart, even if it is the decade I did much of my growing up in! The manufactured pop tripe produced by X-factor/Pop Idol et al just doesn't do it for me (or many others by the looks of it... Steve Brookstein anyone?)

On another note, had an interesting night in grand old Manchester yesterday. I broke the sad routine of watching the aforementioned rubbish that is X-factor, and ventured out into the night...

It went something like :

1. A Casino. Strange place, in that it is there to keep people in & spending money, yet the staff had all the charm and charisma of toilet brushes. Vegas it is not - but fun was still had, money was still won!

2. Circus Tavern. Teeny tiniest little bar space, plastered in photos of that well known drinker (oh, & footballer) : George Best. Perhaps not a great person to be thinking of as you down your 3rd cocktail of the night. Amazing wee place though.

3. Wave. £1 a shot. Weird mixture of elderly business men & drunken chavs dancing to loud trance music. Strangely compelling.

4. View. In the village. Fab 80's madonna. Good for a people watch.

5. Vino wine & karaoke bar. Drunken fools singing "I've got a brand new combine harvester". Is there a classier way to end your night? I think not.

Sweet tooth

In terms of startling, insightful relevations, this isn't one. But I just realised I haven't actually done any real baking since starting my new job. Working mainly with a vegan & someone allergic to diary products has reduced my opportunities - I don't think they'd appreciate my buttery, creamy cupcakes!

To get my sugar kick, I've been having to rely on other sources. Namely Krispy Kremes - it's a bloody expensive habit. Like cocaine, it would also ruin your looks if you indulged a bit too much.

There was outcry awhile ago in America because some fast food joint started making cheeseburgers using Krispy Kreme original glazed as the buns. I don't know, it looks pretty delicious to me.

Krispy Kreme burgers, a WoW lifestyle... before you know it I'll be one of those 900lb people who have to be airlifted out of a hole in their roof. Thank you blessed metabolism..

WoW - so it begins!

This blog is turning into a Sunday-night-only routine, which I shall have to break.

Sundays for me tend to be one of the few times I can get on the computer undisturbed from the other half, who always wants on for more educational purposes than myself - I cannot deny him the chance to read his intellectual PDF's simply because I want to browse ebay for vintage bags!

Have started playing WoW - a game which I have been avoiding for years, due to its addictive nature. It's crystal meth for nerds.

I don't know if I can go back to the sort of gaming life I lead at 18, staying up to 5am playing Diablo II... well, I probably could go back to it, but it doesn't bode well with full-time working.

Hate the whole n00b stage though that comes with starting any game like this... it's depressing trudging along in cloth boots whilst Level 60 mages charge around on neon-green tigers!



Have included pic of WoW's amazing non-player character the 'crazy cat lady', although she is a bit glamorous for the title...