Skylarking

Today has been odd.

It was supposed to be a quiet one but just after I arrived at work there was suddenly LOTS OF STUFF HAPPENING THAT NO ONE TOLD US ABOUT ZOMG! and it's kind of just carried on from there: the U bends of two urinals were blocked, one of the cold taps in the ladies wouldn't stop running and someone's lunch was handed in as lost property. Good times, all of them.


Word of the day:
Accoutrements.
I am always pleased to learn new words that mean 'stuff'.

In other news, I think I hate my hair.

Vampires Rock was lots of fun. The story, such as it was, was a bit dodgy and if I’d written it I would have had a different ending (Nano is eating my brain) but it was entertaining and silly and there was a lady a few rows behind me who was dressed up to look like she had a steak through her heart. Even waiting outside was amusing; there were lots of people in black standing around waiting for lots of other people in black.

I picked up the list of what is coming to the City Hall and Lord of the Dance with Michael Flattley is going to be on next year. I know it’s wrong, it’s not big and it’s not clever, but I really want to go. It will be crap and cheesy and Michael Flattley will be wearing a headband and taking himself too seriously. Plus, I like watching dancing; I was addicted to Strictly Dance Fever. It’s 30 quid though, and I’m not sure if I’d pay 30 quid to laugh at Michael Flattley. Would anyone else be interested or am I alone in my urge for bad Irish dancing?

A question. I was looking through a World Vision catalogue yesterday that has ‘alternative’ ideas for Christmas presents. What happens is you buy something, like a cow or water pump or pay for training for a teacher for people in developing countries in someone’s name and they receive a letter with a picture saying, “Hello, here is the cow/chicken/immunisation drops/etc that has been bought for the people of this African village for you”. More info here.

My question is: if you were given this as a present would you think, ‘how nice, one world one love’ or would you think, ‘that’s nice and all but I’d rather have something pretty wrapped in shiny paper’’? Be honest.

Thought of the day
Life is too short to be stoic

Word of the day
Guffaw

Thing I have learnt
Rockets used to be tested on the Isle of Wight and a British satellite called Prospero was launched into space 30 years ago and is still orbiting the planet – and it still works.

My dad called me on Friday night, all excited

Dad: They've found the first case on Bird Flu in a bird that died in quarantine. Guess what kind of bird it was.

Me: A duck?

Dad: No.

Me: A chicken?

Dad: No. It was a parrot.

You can imagine where we went with this –

"Are they sure it's dead and not just pining for the fjords?"

"It's shuffled of its mortal coil."

"If they hadn't nailed it to the perch it would be pushing up the daises!"


So I turned on the news on Saturday morning and sure enough, a parrot in quarantine had died of bird flu. I'll never know how the reporters kept straight faces while they were talking about it.

The next item was about children being bullied by mobile phone – a new phenomenon apparently. Then I turned over to an advert for new Bratz dolls (which I think are vile at the best of times) that have interchangeable heads so you can mix and match their outfits. I had to turn the telly off then. It was all too much to take first thing in the morning. The world's gone mad!

I dreamt about Joey McIntyre last night (my first real imaginary celebrity boyfriend, I was so in love with him when I was 13) he was going on some kind of finding yourself vision quest, which seemed to involve him driving around a lot. Then I dreamt that someone was trying to pull the duvet off me. At least there were no zombies making me miss the train this time!

But the best part of the weekend has to be the weird squirrel noises I heard yesterday. I went for a walk in the park and was passing a group of trees when I heard a really strange noise. It was like a cross between a bird chirping and a dog barking. So I wandered around looking in the trees trying to find whatever freaky bird was making the noise and I realised it was a squirrel, I'd never heard a squirrel make a sound like that!

So I went home, had a cup of tea and a chocolate muffin and fell asleep for a while. That's what Sundays are all about.


The word of the day is spoonerism

The word of the day is 'clandestine'



I heard my first Ice Cream van of the summer this afternoon. I can't believe it's taken until August for me to see one. It drove round the corner and I heard a little girl shouting "Ice cream, Mummy! Ice cream!" It's nice to know that some things never change.



One week until Lost! *rubs hands together*