Valentine's Day Blues?

I actually quite like Valentine's Day. I can actually vow I have no reason romantically to love it, but I do like it. For the last few years now I have set up (with myself) "The Singles Club" where I will send out all my single girl friends a card just to let them know that I love them and spread the love & happiness. After all, Valentine's Day is about showing the love!

One word of advice though.... put your name on the card. You do not want your friend thinking that it is their secret crush. Epic fail on my part that time... :S

Other than that, my advice is always to spread the love!

Or, if you prefer not to subscribe to the commercialism, see here for amazing anti-Valentine's Day cards:

http://www.stylist.co.uk/life/the-funniest-anti-valentines-day-cards#image-rotator-1

(Link courtesy of Paddy Mayo!)

Happy Mailing!

SINGSTAR NIGHT

So, I guess I have kept you waiting long enough to find out the climax of the much hyped SingStar night...

Well truth of the matter is, I do not remember much. I woke up with more bruises than someone been dragged over a pot-holed two-mile road, I had a hangover that allowed me to move, but want to throw up at the sight of alcohol/food, and finally the washing machine full of freshly washed bed linen, shirts and towels told me someone had a throwing up session.

On retreating back to bed after a momentous drinks-can-clearing and surfacing-wiping session, with floor-sweepage-and-moppage thrown in for good measure, I cleaned up the rest of my friend's sick. The flashbacks were really starting. My friend had thrown up in my bed and had tried to turn the pillow over to hide it. It covered a lot of my bookshelf too. My poor beloved books. Sometimes I wonder if I love my books more than people...
I remember the relationship breakup with resulting peoples going missing and the drunken mission to comb the streets finding them. I remember harrassing the pizza man and the unfortunate man who found us a 4 in the afternoon drunk as lords but still trying to sell us cleaning stuff.

I remembered having an hour or so clearing up the pools of sick around my room and on my mam's fairly new cream carpet. I remember scrubbing with all my life. I remember the frustration of everyone saying leave it till tomorrow. I wish I had but then I know it would have been so much harder to shift and it is all the more do-able when pissed yourself.

The bruises after a long batch of texting various friends I ascertained came from me falling down the stairs. Apparently I hit every step from the top to the bottom, punctuating the rapidly falling silence in the kitchen with a fuck, shit, bollocks and climaxing with taking my friend's feet out from under her and sending us both hurtling down the remaining stairs. Thus resulting in the bruises.

Before this I also thought it would be immensely amusing to try and beat up brother's mate in a play fight. He is karate trained. I lost. Badly. However, I found "Dangerous Woman" written on a bit of paper on my bed. :P I love my Lil Bruva's school friends; they're all like mini other brothers. Very odd kidz but I would take them all home when they have been out on the Razz with my brother- none of them are as large as my brother nor can hold quite as much booze. They really make me laugh, really like my brother. They are jokers in short. And as my mother keeps telling me- I am far too serious and need to lighten up "if you want anyone to like ya!" Thanks mam, but maybe she has a point huh?

So SINGING- it was a SingStar night right? Well, I don't remember what I sung but apparently my version of Amy Winehouse's Rehab was awful so I am told. I think we may have to do it again but with a little less booze and a little less sick, and also without the relationship breakup with which I had to deal amongst my other domestic duties. Man tears were something I could not handle whilst pissed as a fart. His girlfriend rolling around on the lawn being sick and crying was also something that perhaps gave me less time to participate in the Karaoke. However, all in all these are what makes the memories of the night. What a random night all in all.

Next time, we need more pizza, I need to eat both lunch and dinner. I need to avoid the whiskey, the blackcurrent "Sourz" shots, the vodka shots and Lambrini- yes, because girls do wanna have fun and just for the record, yes it may be a "Chavvy" drink but I can handle it a whole heap better than the whiskey I was drinking. I am shuddering now thinking about it!!

Also on a plus note, we have oodles of booze left. Two crates of beer, two bottles of wine, a bottle of Lambrini which has since been recently drunk :P, two bottles of vodka, half a bottle of whiskey and some cider. A good return I feel for my cleaning antics, although I doubt I will be touching the whiskey in a hurry. I may have to return it to the friend who broke up with his girlfriend. I fear he may need it more than us :)

Most of all the paper plate art and messages that were left were immense. They said thanks and sorry, etc. It was real nice touch. I think it went well. I had a good time!! Rob my bruva had a good time. I guess that is all that counts.

I have regained some of my dignity and my foot is now slightly less blue and more able to walk on (my latsing physical proof of falling down the stairs). We are almost recovered housewise and life is going back to normal. Next time I want a go on the Abba SingStar which I missed out on this time round!!

That is all folks on the SingStar partyness :)

Brief Update Before the Chaos Ensues...

Okay so it is Friday, THE Friday before the SingStar Extravaganza. Am I hyping this up too much?

I think I may be.

I have been warming up my vocals by singing in my car to Abba, Duffy, Lady GaGa, Florence and the Machine, The Killers, etc whilst stuck in traffic in Egham/Old Windsor of all places!? However, there was a major crash, and little car is now a very tiny car that a dwarf possibly would not fit in. I am hoping the people inside were alright. The Van on the other side seemed pretty badly damaged but still van-shaped. I think we can work out who won the Van vs Small Car competition. It made me and Lil Beryl worried and very nervous. It could have been us, that little red car crumpled.

So I was warming up vocals, passing by bits of car and bopping as I have been given to doing of late, and I was pondering life. As you do. It ain't half bad. So maybe like yesterday's post of "Happy Thursday", this is a bit of a "happy Friday!"

I am a bit of a gimp when it comes to social interaction with unknown/strange peoples but "The Crusaders" are like some of the nicest welcoming people ever on a historically based course in the world!! I haven't been to every historically based course in the world, but I still know that they would be tops! They really welcomed a stoopid, non-crusading, doing-this-for-a-lark-cum-it-interests-me as I was. Genuinely amazing to see them in Crosslands today :) Very nice bunch.
Also had a small amount of chillax time with Lucy and co. Will meet up with her over the Easter holidays for some Essay downtime and lunch procrastination- part of the university culture is to procrastinate by eating. I am down with this!

So yes, all round social thumbs up, all round vocal high five and also got thrown a couple of books by the legend that is Jonathan Phillips (Prof. btw) so I hoping these books will make my essay marvellous. One can only hope.

On a penultimate note, I am going to the pub tonight. I am driving = no drink = good for impending doom of the bank balance. I also have the wondrous sum of £9 to spend tonight on all manner of non-alcoholic beverages. That is my budget and I am sticking to it! We are trying a new pub which is called "The Vanny" by its regulars. Should be interesting. I will give full report Monday/Tuesday time. Right now, I am thinking I need to read those books and clean the upstairs bathroom before the party tomorrow.

And on a final note it is indeed SingStar Extravaganza tomorrow. I will also give you an update of how this goes with some possible photos and almost certainly no voice recordings. I shall not put you through the ear death that will be any inebriate singing at this party. Full update to come beginning part of next week!!

Signing off for the weekend...

HAVE A GOOD ONE EVERYONE!!!!

SMILING DAYS

I am glad to inform you that I have managed to find my happy place again!!

Money worries have been replaced by applying for more days at work which has been duly noted and things are in motion to get it going, so I will be working within the next month four days a week, which my bank manager will be very happy with. University work will be taking a backseat, or rather I will just have to get my arse into gear.... or a into g (my new favourite phrase of the week) and get my Victorian Essay done over Easter and get my Crusades one done ASAP and the horrid philosophy of history one done before end of May too. The project is gonna be a bit of a further delve into my undergraduate dissertation so I hoping that this is gonna be 'easy', maybe I should say easier??

In addition, I am two pounds away from losing a stone (which was my end of March target), which is immense. It is weigh in day tomorrow- so I may blog and let you know. However, if you don't hear anything, fear the worst.

I did have a little bit of a bad week this week- there was a Donner Kebab on Friday evening but the dude who now knows me and my brother gave us uber amount of chillies which are supposed to be amazing for digestion I heard from a mate this week, so yay- I am pretty sure it balances out. Also went for garlic "dough"- friend has given up bread- yes, bread for Lent. I have heard of chocolate, sweets, crisps and even God forbid alcohol for Lent, but bread? Well, let me tell thee, it is a first. SUMMARY: I had an amazing day.

Then I went to go and see Derren Brown (all this was occurring in Soton) and he was literally fabulous!! From making a bloke lay balanced between two chairs, tambourines & chalk and all manner of crazies it was just an amazing entertainment show that makes you come out singing (of which I can't and won't tell ya the lyrics- it is a big give away) and saying "how the fuck did he...." In short it was immense and helped friends get over boyfriend/getting made redundant dramas. It was a great night that I think I may dedicate a wee bit of a post to- I wrote one the morning afterwards on the train back home on a bit of paper and I just need to find it and type it up. Also need to regale the saga of my friends' flat which is a cross between Calcutta and Hiroshima. *shudders* bless their inner studenty soul.

Then I had a visitation from my friend who "lives up north" since I was 17. We went to the hell hole (which we universally agreed on yesterday over lunch and a pint). She lives in Southport now and I haven't seen her in 3 years so it was immense to catch up. Another of our "alternative corner" friends rocked up. It was an amazing afternoon of chicken and leek pie with chips and gravy for me, mash for them. It was just a nice catch up to be honest.

Also it is the last week of being taught for my Masters. I would like to say it had been all fun and frolics, but that is a lie. I am thinking I am glad it is over, to be allowed to get more work (ie. getting paid work- 9 to 5 kind, not the illicit street walking kind either- which has been conjured up several times over the last few months by mates- it makes me chuckle because I am such a prude!!!)and get on writing the essays I wanna write whether they receive a hugely personal character assassination or not. Either way, persevere and slog through it all!!

And lastly, I had a bootiful lie-in this morning. It was lush. I rolled over, fell off the propped up pile of pillows- I do have an insane amount of pillows on my bed- what can I say I am a pillow fiend- on which I had been balanced precariously on due to a cold- I have a scabby nose, which is really the worst of it to be honest, and the pillows just aid the breathing without snoring during the night thang- so there is a genuine excuse this time to have an insane amount of pillows on my bed MWHAHAHAHAHAHA! However, I feel pretty good. So yeah, now I am going to be a cool chick and tidy my bedroom and start getting bits and pieces ready for essays and also the SingStar extravaganza happening at my house over the weekend. Karaoke for the drunk. Good times. I am thinking The Brother (who is back in the good books again- bless his lil cottons) has invited enough people for me not to sing, so I can get merry in the corner and eat pizza. Whoop whoop!!

Roll on the Smiling Days baby!!

I LIED!!!

I perhaps may have overexaggerated in my previous post. I have lost three pounds and I am celebrating by opening a bottle of wine to have with my spagetti bolognase (sp?). Yes, this is how we do it my style!! LOL and I wonder why on earth my diets never work?? lol

However on a point of interest on my part- a girl I thought was way healthy and slim and essentially perfect on the fitness regime belongs to weight watchers. She was a bit of a chunky monkey once, but now is a lithe slim line figure. It makes you wonder where I will be when I am 25. Will I finally make the "maintaining the weight" status on a weight watchers lifestyle? WIll I have just got a job managing the museum part of the Wellcome Library? Hmmmm we will see. Either way for her, I am sorry to see her leave today at work and it is such a shame I only really got to know her in December.

I guess that gives me a lesson to not listen to what others at work say about people and give them a second chance. Sometimes people have an off day just like me and somewhere underneath all the preconceptions and assumptions there could be a good friend. Good luck to her I say- I will see her when I am hanging around the library :)

Happy Weekend everyone- Enjoy your Friday night! Me? personally- I am going to enjoy my bottle of wine, my spag bol and watch Jonathan Ross before an early night and work tomorrow :D

GIRLS HOLIDAY SAGA CONTINUES ONE YEAR ON

What is it about girls that makes them so catty? (by the way- I love 1950s posters/jokes like this... I have a whole set of coasters ripping men to shreds... It is the insane smile that gets me!!)

I am a girl and I know I do it, but thankfully a lot of tomboy tendencies slash unashamedly 'My Mam' qualities, i.e. speaking your mind come forth more often than the catty side of bitching, talking about people behind their backs, falseness, making snide remarks or remarks so thinly veiled sometimes you wish they would just speak their mind and get it off their chest rather than harbour resentment.

Of course, then there is the argument that if you cannot say anything nice, do not say anything at all. This is my approach at the moment. When it is inappropriate to say what you think, say nothing. Full blown argument or walk away and draw a line underneath it. That's the two options. Fair and easy.

I went on an 'All Girls' holiday last year and the bitching was catastrophic. It ruined friendships never to be resolved and the harbouring resentment between fractions is still very prominent. I was in the middle, and really, I am quite naive and had no idea what it was all about. I still don't if I was honest. I just wanted a good time. I wanted a holiday, fun, and general letting down of hair after one heavy year of essays, deadlines and exams.

Unfortunately, I do not talk to one of the girls anymore, which is a real shame and I am sorry that we did not stay in touch. Another we keep in good Facebook contact. It remains that the two divided sides remain. I have been sitting on the fence. Sitting in the middle hurts. For one, you do get an unbelievable wedgie.

On the one side, the 'catty situation' was always avoided, but present in every conversation, meeting and night out. An overhanging cloud that invaded and almost ruined my 21st birthday. The other side- well, they have let it go. It has been discussed, marvelled over and resulted in a "Well, what can we do about it? Well, nothing really, so let's move on" conclusion.

I do love my girls a lot.

But I want friends who get along with everyone. I want friends who are honest and who I know I can trust. I want friends who will tell me I look like shit when I have bags under my eyes, will not be jealous when something goes right for me, someone who, if I say, I really need to do this they will support me one hundred and ten percent. AND I am so lucky to have two great girls, or perhaps ladies I should say, for that. It is not a chore to stay in touch and we have a wicked time.

I love my other friend to bits and we have had amazing times over the years. Maybe there will be again. We have been through a few rough patches and come out of it on the other side. We will again no doubt, probably when we have all matured some more and let the past go. There is nothing more that we can can do to change it. As a historian I know. Studying the past is one thing, but there comes a time when we have to let it go or it will swallow you up, especially if it is tangled up with any of the following: resentment, anger, vengeance, grief, love and pain.

So I end this with a hope for renewed friendships and the lasting of others.

WHAT I A COMING TO REALISE

As previously mentioned in other blogs, it is a weird time of life for me. However, in that time, a few things have occured to me in the arrangements made for my somewhat forced-upon-me birthday party. (A Forced Birthday Party makes me seem harsh or those bestowing it upon me seem harsh, but either way I think I am grateful for it in brushing my path clear of clutter I was unsure of, namely in the way of friends.) Now I do not mean this in the meanest way, nor do I think those that will turn up are my keenest friends, but rather those who like to have a good time, hopefully in fact like my company and indeed want to catch up with fellow folk from uni and school alike, will come.
In some respects I am disappointed in those who will not come, namely my Nan and Grandad but nothing new there and my dad more than makes up for their absence in a calming, demonstrative manner that seems to sooth and relax me. He is a diamond in the rough if ever there was one! My mother in other ways makes up for twenty other people in temrs of vibrancy and volume, but never would I be without her supportive and exuburant nature; always one for the party in life no matter what the cards may deal in life! In others, friends who simply can't make it, and because I am one never to hold a grudge purely because I generally can't due to a lack of a good short term memory- I am sorry, you will miss out on what I hope will be a good night, but I truly hope it won't be the end of the path for us!

So to conclude on what will probably be an empty blog, that none for those who it was directed at shall read, I adjourn with hope that life holds suprises, and in that which it doesn't, the best of my love for those around me. It is a far out cry from the bullying days of school and God! How I have grown! Only that it had been five years ago! But for now to the future and the nearing celebrations on my 21st birthday: CHEERS!