The madness of random button hitting

Wonderful Jaywalker was mentioned in despatches - aka Sunday Times best blogs -and somebody, somewhere has received a congratulatory message from me about it, the only thing I know is, it wasn't Jaywalker. Bad computer, naughty, unhelpful computer.

Idiot Luddite woman. Considers asking teenager for help.

Decides against it.

Opens bottle of wine.

You see........

a luscious jewel

and when I rule the world it will be mine, all mine, mwahahahaha !!
(Sorry, just a bit overexcited)

The shame...the shame

Just been catching up on Neighbours - ok, you can miss weeks and still know who is doing what and to whom, but Libby has had a headectomy ! Who, what, where, when, why ??? Just before the wedding too - I'm off to Google.............................

Relief and anticipation

Another sequence of days full of not a lot........ although I did run away, as threatened, at the beginning of the week to Stratford where I saw Antony Sher in "The Tempest", an interesting production would be the most charitable I can manage. Not sure Shakespeare envisaged the political problems of South Africa as a working analogy, it would probably help if I had an ear for accents or they had gone for surtitles too. OK I am a Philistine. Then I went and stroked things at Bicester, but kept my card in my bag - yay for me and on to Oxford where I had fantasies about quads, groves of academe and ivory towers, so actually it was a perfect couple of days, culture and Mammon. (Although no naked cowboys)

One of the positive points of being a bit older is that often ones children are too. Having read and appreciated the slightly "eyes on stalks/stir crazy" combo that half term engenders amongst bloggers I was quite relieved that mine are past the stage of needing entertaining, now they just need financing ! Girlchild spent the week in London (advanced crayoning aka geography is obviously not a strong point for her - London actually means St Albans, Rochester and Brighton)visiting friends and helping with the balance of payments, and has come back rapturising about the joys of YHA. She stayed in a new hostel in Central London, and if she is to be believed it was better than home ! (Being a jaded teenager myself once, I do remember that anywhere is) The boy meanwhile plods along at Hull, all agog for the game of the year due out on the 4th of March - no doubt there are others that will be in the running for that title but atm I am on standby to get something from somewhere - sorry boy, wasn't listening........

Tomorrow, courtesy Ryanair, "no you can't take luggage, check in, weigh more than....... or even eat" without paying subsidies I am off to Florence (via Pisa) to pay due tribute to the artistic greats and practice Italian. I have advance booked my ticket for the Uffizi, which means of course there will be no queues anywhere, so it will have been an exercise in futility, but actually I don't care, it means I will have more time to eat cakes on behalf of Katyboo (Thank you for the excuse !)

I will also be going to the Bargello to say hello to David by Donatello - so much nicer than Michelangelos, and so naughty - look closely at the picture at the top, admire the young mans enigmatic smile and observe the feather on Goliaths headdress tracing its way up his thigh - provocative, oh I think so . Then there is the obligatory sensory overload in the Medici Palace chapel by Gozzoli. If my jewellery case isn't going to be full of luscious bling (which I promise you, it never will be) at least I can go and stand in this tiny room and pretend that I am actually in a jewel box.

There will, of course, be the necessary and expected trips to bars, trattoria and gelateria, but I deliberately didn't bother mentioning them because it would be unfair, and besides you know I am temperate if not Puritanical, so will only do it for research purposes............. (excuse me while I just go and file my nose, it seems to have grown somewhat)

WTF ?!

The silent one has just poured a glass of water over my feet to stop me having a cigarette

Does anyone understand ?

(I bet Marlene never had this problem)

They are stealing my childhood...

Oh God - completely forgot to rant at length about current big BIG worry. They have made a film of my bestest book ever "The Little White Horse" by Elizabeth Goudge ( may be other books loved more and for better reasons but this is a special, first kiss sort of book)

Have they killed it ?

Can I go and see it ?

What if the pictures don't match the ones in my head ?

Why is the short, stout, golden man being played by Ioan Gruffudd ?

Why is the doglion black ?

and this, of course leads on to further neurosis

What am I going to do when they decide to film Joan Aikens "Dido Twite" books ?

OK, why do we still act like teenagers ?

The lesson today is taken from "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell,
verses 1 to end ............

So, should I stay or should I go ?... check the letter box I mean.

Do I want "Romance" ? Probably not, but it would have been nice once. I am actually quite cross that my cynicism seems to be winning over my naivity.... oh, I want to be romanced, cherished, flattered and treated to fluffy fripperies - trouble is that people know where the bodies are buried so it won't happen......... unless the alter ego does get her chance. Lets wait and see. (Whatever happens it can't match the hideousness of getting a Valentine card from my mother " just in case you don't get one from anyone else" ! I was at an all girls boarding school, and it was 1973 - I leave the humiliation factor to your imagination (times at least 2 and you might be near))

My concession to Valentines Day... yummy shoes from Minna Parikka (mine are plain red) and I will be trotting about tomorrow smiling at my feet. What I really love about these is they can be burlesque or "proper" depending upon how you play it. Guess I'll have to wait and see how the mood takes me.

The last week has been quite a cultural beanfeast, courtesy 2 for 1 at Pizza Express, Orange and cheap last minute tickets. I have been to see "Benjamin Button" followed by a Siciliana, and "He's Just Not That Into You" with Soho. (Thats the pizza, not the buzzing hub of Londons' film and entertainment industry where I hope to be next weekend, hanging out with an Oscar winning CGI friend of mine - Myspace has a lot to answer for, I really am a sad starf****r, but hey a guy who does shopping !! ) BB was good, certainly had some thoughtful moments, and a legitimate excuse for a blub. "He's Just......." yeah it was fun, and not utterly chickflickery, while some of the "scenery" was very attractive. A nice combo of Alex James and Keanu Reeves (Don't worry Mr Norton I can never forget you)

There was also "Tosca" in Leeds, which was ermmm, soupy and shouty, I need more twiddlyness for true engagement; I suspect too, that any production would never measure up to the glorious description in "My Family and Other Animals", while tomorrow I am going to see "L'elisir d'amore" which I think will have a higher twiddly factor, and you have to admit is a good choice for the date ?

My feet are itchy (no, not the shoes) and I feel the need to do a Thelma and Louise..... maybe it's the lighter evenings, but I want to be alone and running for a bit (No, not wearing trainers running). Is that allowed when you have commitments ? When you are signed up to be a sensible grown up ? When you have no idea what is going on ? Answers please on a postcard - or in the comments column.

Hope you all have a great day tomorrow, and there hasn't been too much shopping on the garage forecourt !

MIA

There is likely to be twittery update full of "stuff" later, but this is far more important. RedRum has gone missing and her blog has closed....... if anyone knows her in the "real world" please pass on my best wishes, I will miss her. Thank you - also apologies if this contravenes the secret code of blogging

Petulance

I have just lost University Challenge.......... every week I play, solo, by the rules, only going for the follow up questions if I get the starter question right, and this week I lost. Hate it.
So now I am trying to work out why I feel so fed up ........ ok I could say I missed the points because there were too many science based questions and not enough esoteric mythology, but I even messed up the Art History picture round. The shame !
However, I have a (feeble) excuse ........ I kept being distracted by various blogs, websites and of course Jeremy Paxman.

Note to self : it was Max Ernst not De Chirico - stupid woman