So according to Ghostbusters II the world is going to end tomorrow, on Valentine's Day 2016. Which would be a bit of a bummer in all honesty. So just in case it does, here's a gross blog post about why Jack is the greatest (but don't tell him I said that).
1. His favourite song is Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush and for some reason I find that so endearing.
2. Anytime he gets me a card (birthdays, Christmas, valentine's) it always has a dinosaur on it. It began one Valentine's Day when he hated all the cards he found so got me one with a dinosaur on it instead, and it's become a tradition and I love it. Dinosaurs are cool.
3. He calls my feet 'little trotters' in a funny voice.
4. He talks in his sleep sometimes and it's hilarious; he will have entire conversations with me and not remember a thing in the morning.
5. He never takes anything personally. Sometimes I have days when I just want to be alone, even on a day I would normally see him, so I'll send him a message saying so, and it's never an issue. He understands that it's not a slight against him, it's about me, and I don't have to feel guilty about it on top of whatever else I might be feeling. It's incredibly reassuring.
6. He asks me for book/music recommendations (and actually listens to them) which makes me feel like my opinion is valued.
7. He never belittles me for being passionate about things that I enjoy, specifically fictional characters because I'm a nerd. It's nice to be able to talk to someone about those kinds of things.
8. He's funny which is obviously a plus, but he also thinks that I'm funny (I like to be the funniest in the room, always). Making him laugh is one of my favourite things to do.
9. He doesn't judge me when I dance embarrassingly around the kitchen, he just smiles at me affectionately.
10. There are a lot of things I'm unsure of, but the one thing I do know is that I have the ability to brighten his day. That despite the fact that I'm a grumpy, anti-social recluse, Jack will come round to my house and be happy just to be in my presence, and I like knowing that I can do for him what he does for me. I don't think I deserve him, but I'm glad he's here all the same.
Sorry if this made you want to vomit. I was feeling unusually affectionate. It has passed now, I'm back to my usual disdainful self.
Song of the Day: You're So Great by Blur ('Cause I feel the light in the night and in the day/ And I feel the light when the sky's just mud and grey/ And I feel the light when you tell me it's okay/ 'Cause you're so great and I love you)
Paaaaaancakes
I hope nobody forgot about Pancake Day yesterday. I nearly did, but Jack text me on Monday night to remind me (we take pancakes very seriously around here). It wasn't even on my calendar though, can you believe that? Ash Wednesday was noted down, but no Pancake Day. It didn't even say Shrove Tuesday. I was outraged; how else am I supposed to remember?
But anyway, the crisis was averted because at least Jack was on the ball, and yesterday he sent a text from work checking that we had everything we needed topping wise, and we had the following exchange:
He showed up with one of those squeezy ready made lemon juice things anyway, and when I held it up at him and raised my eyebrows he just shot me a look and said, "Just in case." Pretty sure he thinks I'm some sort of lemon nazi now. I was right though - we only used one.
The long and short of it though, is that I really, really love pancakes. So much so that I might make them again this weekend. (Although when I say "I", what I mean is that I will make Jack make them for me - he's the resident pancake maker. I squeeze the lemons and offer moral support. It's a tough job but someone's got to do it.)
Song of the Day: Like Kids by Suede (Oh, we hold it all in our fist/ Like kids, like savages/ And we'll run in the playground/ If you'll just stay with me)
Currently reading: Still The Ship of Magic but I accidentally stalled on it because I forgot to charge my kindle so started re-reading Harry Potter from the beginning so I'm trying to read both. It's not going well.
But anyway, the crisis was averted because at least Jack was on the ball, and yesterday he sent a text from work checking that we had everything we needed topping wise, and we had the following exchange:
He showed up with one of those squeezy ready made lemon juice things anyway, and when I held it up at him and raised my eyebrows he just shot me a look and said, "Just in case." Pretty sure he thinks I'm some sort of lemon nazi now. I was right though - we only used one.
The long and short of it though, is that I really, really love pancakes. So much so that I might make them again this weekend. (Although when I say "I", what I mean is that I will make Jack make them for me - he's the resident pancake maker. I squeeze the lemons and offer moral support. It's a tough job but someone's got to do it.)
Song of the Day: Like Kids by Suede (Oh, we hold it all in our fist/ Like kids, like savages/ And we'll run in the playground/ If you'll just stay with me)
Currently reading: Still The Ship of Magic but I accidentally stalled on it because I forgot to charge my kindle so started re-reading Harry Potter from the beginning so I'm trying to read both. It's not going well.
A book update that nobody asked for
I really like it when the 1st of the month lands on a Monday. It makes calendars look neater, for starters, but it's not just that. It makes it easier to keep track somehow. I don't know, I can't really explain it very well. And this one has fallen in February, which means that next month will start on a Monday, too.
Well, it would have done, if 2016 didn't happen to be a bloody leap year. Thanks for ruining what would have been a perfect calendar month, 29th February, I hope you're really pleased with yourself.
But in all seriousness, I couldn't be happier to see the back of January. It's just been really rubbish, hasn't it? It's been a really weird month. But February will be good. Valentine's Day is soon, I'll be off to London to see Cirque du Soleil shortly after that, not to mention that the King of all days - Pancake Day - is in February.
In other news, I'm doing fairly well with my book challenge, all things considered. I've read 4/30 books, which according to Goodreads means I'm 2 books ahead of schedule.
I had a tiny bit of a set back because after reading The Handmaid's Tale, because I read Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, and it gave me the biggest book hangover I have ever had. I loved it. So much so that I had to re-read it, because I needed to get it out of my system. And then I re-read it again because I have literally no self-control. There are actually a couple of glaring continuity errors in it (nothing that takes away from the plot, but they were still noticeable - well, maybe they were only so noticeable to me because I read it so many times), which would normally irritate the hell out of me, but I just loved the story and the characters so much that I couldn't make myself care. Also I think I've found one of my now all time favourite characters ever in Baz Pitch - a gay vampire magician who is secretly in love with his roommate/mortal enemy. But yeah, I recommend it. I'm a sucker for a good love story, and this is a great one, but that's not all it is.
So anyway, after that, I started to read Dreams and Shadows by C. Robert Cargill that I knew nothing about but Jack got me it for Christmas and it has a beautiful cover. I found it incredibly difficult to get into, so much so that after struggling through three or four chapters I put it down and haven't picked it up again. After a few days passed and I realised I still wasn't ready to dive back in, I moved onto something else instead.
I had some money left on an Amazon gift-voucher and used it to get Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo on my kindle. I haven't read Leigh Bardugo's Grisha trilogy, and I had heard really mixed things about it and didn't really want to, but I had heard nothing but good things about Six of Crows. I had resisted getting it because I knew it was set in the same world as her other books and I didn't know whether I needed to read them or not first. But it's about a heist, and I love a heist, so I caved and picked it up. I really, really enjoyed it. The characterisation was good, and I didn't think I was missing out having not read the Grisha trilogy first (which is good because I'm still not arsed about reading them). The only thing is that I made the mistake of thinking that this was a standalone book, but it's not, it's the first in a series. Just for once, I'd like a cohesive ending. Just once. But never mind, the sequel's out in September.
After finishing Six of Crows, I found that I still had no desire to try and get back into Dreams and Shadows yet, so I started another book I've had on my kindle for a while - Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb. I'm not that far into it but I think I'm enjoying it so far. There's pirates involved which is always a bonus. Only thing is that it's 800-odd pages long so it might take me a while.
Fingers crossed I'll eventually get back into Dreams and Shadows as well - I do want to finish it. But that's actually a good piece of advice I think - if you're struggling to read something and it's making you not want to read at all, read something else instead. Even if it's just re-reading something you've already read.
Song of the Day: Death With Dignity by Sufjan Stevens (Amethyst and flowers on the table/ Is it real or a fable?/ Well, I suppose a friend is a friend/ And we all know how this will end)
Well, it would have done, if 2016 didn't happen to be a bloody leap year. Thanks for ruining what would have been a perfect calendar month, 29th February, I hope you're really pleased with yourself.
But in all seriousness, I couldn't be happier to see the back of January. It's just been really rubbish, hasn't it? It's been a really weird month. But February will be good. Valentine's Day is soon, I'll be off to London to see Cirque du Soleil shortly after that, not to mention that the King of all days - Pancake Day - is in February.
In other news, I'm doing fairly well with my book challenge, all things considered. I've read 4/30 books, which according to Goodreads means I'm 2 books ahead of schedule.
I had a tiny bit of a set back because after reading The Handmaid's Tale, because I read Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, and it gave me the biggest book hangover I have ever had. I loved it. So much so that I had to re-read it, because I needed to get it out of my system. And then I re-read it again because I have literally no self-control. There are actually a couple of glaring continuity errors in it (nothing that takes away from the plot, but they were still noticeable - well, maybe they were only so noticeable to me because I read it so many times), which would normally irritate the hell out of me, but I just loved the story and the characters so much that I couldn't make myself care. Also I think I've found one of my now all time favourite characters ever in Baz Pitch - a gay vampire magician who is secretly in love with his roommate/mortal enemy. But yeah, I recommend it. I'm a sucker for a good love story, and this is a great one, but that's not all it is.
So anyway, after that, I started to read Dreams and Shadows by C. Robert Cargill that I knew nothing about but Jack got me it for Christmas and it has a beautiful cover. I found it incredibly difficult to get into, so much so that after struggling through three or four chapters I put it down and haven't picked it up again. After a few days passed and I realised I still wasn't ready to dive back in, I moved onto something else instead.
I had some money left on an Amazon gift-voucher and used it to get Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo on my kindle. I haven't read Leigh Bardugo's Grisha trilogy, and I had heard really mixed things about it and didn't really want to, but I had heard nothing but good things about Six of Crows. I had resisted getting it because I knew it was set in the same world as her other books and I didn't know whether I needed to read them or not first. But it's about a heist, and I love a heist, so I caved and picked it up. I really, really enjoyed it. The characterisation was good, and I didn't think I was missing out having not read the Grisha trilogy first (which is good because I'm still not arsed about reading them). The only thing is that I made the mistake of thinking that this was a standalone book, but it's not, it's the first in a series. Just for once, I'd like a cohesive ending. Just once. But never mind, the sequel's out in September.
After finishing Six of Crows, I found that I still had no desire to try and get back into Dreams and Shadows yet, so I started another book I've had on my kindle for a while - Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb. I'm not that far into it but I think I'm enjoying it so far. There's pirates involved which is always a bonus. Only thing is that it's 800-odd pages long so it might take me a while.
Fingers crossed I'll eventually get back into Dreams and Shadows as well - I do want to finish it. But that's actually a good piece of advice I think - if you're struggling to read something and it's making you not want to read at all, read something else instead. Even if it's just re-reading something you've already read.
Song of the Day: Death With Dignity by Sufjan Stevens (Amethyst and flowers on the table/ Is it real or a fable?/ Well, I suppose a friend is a friend/ And we all know how this will end)
Starman
Eleven days into January, I currently have 3 empty pages in my diary and I feel so betrayed by Bridget Jones who made it look so easy. I could just fill in the pages and pretend I wrote them on the right days, but that would be cheating, and besides, I've just told everyone about it.
2016 has been weird so far, but there's things to look forward to. A trip to London, a Hen-do, a wedding, and that takes me right up to June. Other than that, there's things to be cautiously optimistic about as well.
But for now, David Bowie died yesterday and I'm so very sad about that.
2016 has been weird so far, but there's things to look forward to. A trip to London, a Hen-do, a wedding, and that takes me right up to June. Other than that, there's things to be cautiously optimistic about as well.
But for now, David Bowie died yesterday and I'm so very sad about that.
A New Challenge
The other day I logged into my Goodreads account for the first time in about 3 years. I like that you can keep track of everything you've read (provided you remember to update it) on there, but I find the interface really annoying to use, and the whole site still feels kind of buggy to me. Regardless, I've set myself a goal of trying to read 30 books this year, which I'm pretty sure I can do. I might have even done it last year, but I'm not sure because I didn't keep track. I've made a good start though, I'm already one and a half books down. I haven't picked specific books because I know that won't work for me, it will actually just make me want to read less if I feel obliged to read something specific. So I'll read anything I want, and recommendations are welcome as always.
Reading's fun, guys.
Song of the Day: Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (How I wish, how I wish you were here/ We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year)
Currently reading: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, which is good but I'm finding it so unsettling.
Reading's fun, guys.
Song of the Day: Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (How I wish, how I wish you were here/ We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year)
Currently reading: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, which is good but I'm finding it so unsettling.
2016
Christmas came and went too quickly, as it always does, but at least it was fun while it lasted. Santa put some booze in my stocking this year, because he obviously knows that I'm a grown-up now.
New Years Eve was as uneventful as it always is. There always seems to be so much pressure to go out and do something to mark the occasion but I can never be bothered anymore; everywhere's always too expensive and I'd prefer to be in bed at a reasonable hour anyway (god, I'm so boring). As a special New Years treat, Jack decided to give me his cold, so I've spent the last couple of days feeling absolutely rotten and hiding under every blanket I own. I took the Christmas decorations down yesterday morning (because I'd been awake since 4am and needed something to do) and didn't even feel sad about it like I usually do because I was feeling so poorly. So all in all, 2016 isn't off to the best start. But then again we're only four days in so it's a bit early to judge it as a whole.
I'm not making any resolutions this year, because let's face it - I never, ever, ever stick to them. Ever. So why bother? I did pick up a pretty diary from Smiths which I'm going to try and write something in every day, even if it's as little as a sentence. So far, so good, but who knows how long I'll be able to stick to that?
But anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and the shock of returning to reality hasn't been too jarring. Here's to the new year, and hoping it's better than the last.
Song of the Day: Sometimes It's A Bitch by Stevie Nicks (Sometimes the picture just ain't what it seems/ You get what you want but it's not what you need/Sometimes it's a bitch, sometimes it's a breeze)
Currently reading: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
New Years Eve was as uneventful as it always is. There always seems to be so much pressure to go out and do something to mark the occasion but I can never be bothered anymore; everywhere's always too expensive and I'd prefer to be in bed at a reasonable hour anyway (god, I'm so boring). As a special New Years treat, Jack decided to give me his cold, so I've spent the last couple of days feeling absolutely rotten and hiding under every blanket I own. I took the Christmas decorations down yesterday morning (because I'd been awake since 4am and needed something to do) and didn't even feel sad about it like I usually do because I was feeling so poorly. So all in all, 2016 isn't off to the best start. But then again we're only four days in so it's a bit early to judge it as a whole.
I'm not making any resolutions this year, because let's face it - I never, ever, ever stick to them. Ever. So why bother? I did pick up a pretty diary from Smiths which I'm going to try and write something in every day, even if it's as little as a sentence. So far, so good, but who knows how long I'll be able to stick to that?
But anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and the shock of returning to reality hasn't been too jarring. Here's to the new year, and hoping it's better than the last.
Song of the Day: Sometimes It's A Bitch by Stevie Nicks (Sometimes the picture just ain't what it seems/ You get what you want but it's not what you need/Sometimes it's a bitch, sometimes it's a breeze)
Currently reading: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Cringe
Yesterday, there was a knock on the door and it was the postman (as it often is this time of year) with a package I had to sign for. All fine and dandy apart from the embarrassing outfit that I was wearing, but not a big deal. Today, another package to sign for, and the exact same postman. This wouldn't be an issue for me usually, except that I just so happened to be wearing exactly the same outfit that I had on the day before. Added bonuses today were my hair scraped back into a messy bun, and the end pieces of my glasses jammed into my hair instead of resting on my ears in a haphazard sort of manner. Individually, the items I was wearing were perfectly acceptable, but thrown together as I had, it was just a garish explosion of clashing patterns that I never would have worn out of the house. Don't get me wrong, I was super comfortable, but I hadn't really planned on being seen by anyone, let alone two days in a row. The only reason I had thrown the same clothes on again was because I had a few things to do around the house that I wanted to get out of the way before I had a shower, and didn't see the point in wearing something clean to do them in.
So of course my immediate reaction to opening the door and finding the same postman before me, was to half hide myself behind the door and hope he couldn't remember me. Unfortunately, the first thing he said was, "Hello again, I've got another one for you." Oh dear. He was very polite of course, and didn't mention what a colossal mess I must have looked which was very decent of him.
Please don't judge me, Mr. Postman.
Song of the Day: You're So True by Joseph Arthur (Hope you know you inspire me, you're a flower and I'm a bee, I need you/ All this you do for free, give me hope and I can see you're so true)
Currently reading: Two things - Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy by Helen Fielding and The Walking Dead: Compendium Two by Robert Kirkman. I am ploughing through my 'to read' list and it's making me really happy.
