Spiral Scarecase.

Sleep Update: Signs of improvement.

I haven't posted for a whole week... that is just not acceptable.

I went to the doctors last Tuesday and he prescribed me some Temazapam to help me sleep. I tried it that very night and didn't sleep. hrmm... so I went back home on the Wednesday to see if being at home helped. On the Thursday I had to get up pretty early to go on a daytrip to London with the folks and my sister who hadn't been there before. It was pretty good; The weather was stupidly hot for October but obviously made for a nice day walking about. First stop after a looong tube trip was Buckingham Palace where I think, aside from the Queen, we were the only British people there. I also must have walked into about a million photographs too. Next, we walked up passed Big Ben to get to the South Bank, stopping to watch some fancy dressed Horse Guards on the way. We caught a river bus up to Grenwich where we saw the Cutty Sark and had Bangers and Mash in a tiny non-smokers room of this old pub. After replenishing ourselves with such fine cuisine, we trundled off to The Royal Observatory and somehow managed to gatecrash a University Graduation along the way.

We did the obligatory thing of standing over the Grenwich Line which I must say was a bit of a dissapointment- it really is just a metal line, though watching all the foreign people go mad over it was funny. The actual observatory was ever so slightly boring to me too, full of wierd gadgets and things that I couldn't really understand me being an ex art student and all. I loved the big telescope though in the observatory dome, but almost died trying to get back down the stairway to hell on the way out. I had clocked the sign on the spiral staircase up to the telescope, that read: There is NO return via this staircase. Though it SHOULD have read: There is NO return via this staircase because we ask you to return to solid ground via the Spiral Staircase of Doom on the otherside.

Holy. Crap. I was caught... my sister was in front of me... I had a group of Germans behind me... and the only way out was down the flimsiest looking stairwell I have ever seen. I swear I could have cried... It had HOLES... Great Big Bastard holes so you could see the three flights of stairs to solid ground... I needed time to deal with it but I had none. I gripped on to the main pole bit of the spiral and the bannister which was about as reassuring as holding a pencil while your plummeting to your death... and slowly and not in the least but steadily walked down the stairs, if you can call them that. The urge to just freeze was immense... but I kept going. The worst part being that I couldn't NOT look down! After what seemed like an hour I reached the floor.

I must have been feeling really British because the first thing I did after that was put a suggestion for more signage about the Death-Stairs in the observatory Comments Box.

Soo.. after that, we caught the Boat back to Westminster Pier and walked to Covent Garden for a look see, though I totally think we got lost though my Dad insisted he knew where he was going because " HE HAD A MAP!". Still, after that we caught the tube back to hillingdon, where we'd parked to avoid traffic. I was shattered, we all were but I tried to stay awake on the way back by watching The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy in the car on the way back. I was BOUND to sleep that night ... but I took a sleeping pill anyway, and it worked.

So that was that. Right now, I'm back in Notty and waiting for Creature Comforts to come on TV. Other than London, things have been feeling.. bluegrh of late so hopefully this week will be much more productive.

Fingers Crossed.

Eternal Nightmare of the Sleepless Mind.

I've tried just about everything now, apart from getting completely hammered... and I still haven't slept properly. I've been back home this weekend and even the comfort of my old home bed didn't work... though I did sleep twenty minutes or so which is some sort of progress I guess. I have tried a relaxing bath full of sleepy radox bubble bath, brandy in warm milk, oh, and sleeping tablets... none of which worked. Hopefully the doctor will give me some advice this week, and some massive tranquilisers too. mmmmm tranquilisers...

So, as I said thursday night we drove back to brum. After waiting for months, on Friday night, I finally saw it.... Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride. I loved it, I really really did. The models were simply brilliant and such a progression from A Nightmare Before Christmas; they were so smooth and the movement so fluid... just brilliantly done. The colours, the textures, the scenes and scapes, characters... it was all perfect. The only gripe I had was that it was so short.

The next evening, Mum had bought us tickets to see Stomp. I've seen them before, a few years ago and they're just brilliantly entertaining. Niall hadn't seen them before and seemed suitably impressed by the energy, noise and humour of it all. It was a good night.

So even all that excitement and 'stuff' didn't send me off to sleep... nor did mom's big roast dinner this afternoon, followed by slumping in front of the sofa watching motor racing. I'm buggered. Pass me the whiskey...

Insomniac.

I seem to have forgotten how to sleep. I think I've managed to sleep for about an hour since last monday. At first I was having serious nightmares early last week... and now, nothing. I can't sleep, can't even nap during the day. Today, my body is exhausted, I'm all emotional and I look dead because I'm incredibly tired but I just. can't. sleep.

I need pills.

Movies.

I've seen alot of movies lately... thought I'd do a one (perhaps two) sentence review of each.

NIGHTWATCH:
A very odd but visually appealing Russian film which is entertaining enough if you stick it out to the end; strange storyline, gothy-sci-fantasy overtones and imagery but a decent watch if you're in a dark mood.

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN:
Not easy to sum up in a whole sentence, you only really need a four letter word beginning with S and ending with T.

SIDEWAYS:
A character study of two middle aged men on a road trip, quirky rather than funny but not a film for acosy night in because you'll be asleep half way through.

CONSTANTINE:
Hrm. Watchable but inconsistent in quality, Constantine proves to be a mixed bag as it fails to be scary when it wants to be, fails to be thrilling when it wants to be and fails to be intellectual when it wants to be- a bit like Keanu Reeves to be precise. It kept me watching but it seemed to lack that certain something; it had potential but appears "tacky" on the outside.

THE LIFE AQUATIC:
Another odd film but again, strangely captivating. In keeping with Wes Andersons style, the film doesn't rely on a strong narrative to tell a story but quirky, slightly unusual characters. I always find these films strange but the animated creatures and Bowie (ooh and they played Sigur Ros near the end!) soundtrack kept me entertained enough to stick it out 'til the end.

A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT:
From the Director of Amelie, this film is a similar work of art. The story slowly unfolds at just the right pace; heart warming and well written with some good mise en scene for the artsy-fartsy viewer.

SHATTERED GLASS:
The film verison of a true story based around a young journalist who makes up his stories. Though I managed to watch it without wishing I hadn't I was left pretty underwhelmed the whole way through; it ended abruptly without wrapping anything up and it felt like a bit of a waste of time though. Most of the film was us trying to figure out wether the main character was the same guy from Star Wars (Hayden Christensen). I decided he was alot more attractive as Luke Skywalker.

WALLACE & GROMIT, THE CURSE OF THE WIER RABBIT:
Sooooooooooo brilliant and everything you come to expect from such an amazing animation company. The details in sets and scenes are charming, skillful and as humourous as the characters, adding to the whole genius of the typical Aardman experience.

:)

Extraction.

Why do I still cry at that song?
when it means nothing
and never did.

I am more convinced of your emotional frailty
wrapped around a selfish, naive, bitter core.
Cold and calculated
you made sure I wouldn't miss you
Or was it genuine hate?

A glimpse of closeness, a hint of friendship
snatched away in spite
you showed me nothing
but everything a friend shouldn't be.


I found this. Think I wrote it last year. I like it.

Houses and Socks.

Yep, I've been playing on candybar doll maker again... but this time I've made three houses for myself. If only it were this simple!!

Nothing too extravagant as you can see... think the middle one is my favorite.

Oh and to raise awareness for lonely socks all over the world- www.lonelysocks.co.uk.

Piggy.

I took a VERY serious and scientific personality test today. I had to draw a pig.

The results were relatively accurate though one or two things didn't seem right. I am, in fact, very family orientated and I'm certainly not secure, but generally everything seemes right... not sure what Niall will make of the last result though!

Yesterday was such a wierd day. Rfa, Ktp and Rik came over in the afternoon but EVERY plan we made went wrong somehow:

• Driving in to town- couldn't have been worse, nightmare traffic and NO car park spaces anywhere.
• Shopping - It rained, queues everywhere, didn't get what I wanted to get
• Goose Fair - Too much rain, change of plan
• Dinner at Chiquitos - isn't officially open til Monday
• Bowling after meal at Frankie and Bennys - No lanes free til 9.30
• Cinema to see Wallace and Gromit - Sold Out
• Drive home safely - some idiot bumped Nialls car from behind on the way home
• Blockbuster, two free rentals, can't go wrong- ... we picked Kingdom of Heaven which was just the lamest film ever, and Sideways which was veeery slow but watchable.

I smell a conspiracy. Strangely enough, in between the constant knockbacks we had a good time catching up with Rfa and Kt and Rik. It felt like old days and it's made me miss Uni even more today. :(

My website is very nearly up and running... I've yet to put alot of the information on about the art work but Adam's done such a great job on the site despite working full time and being stressed out. BIG thanks Adam... ;)

Onwards and Upwards... Oink.

Fryophobia.

I have returned to Notty in slightly better spirits than before and with no more B.D.S experiences so far. I still have no job and had no luck at the jobcentre so I may be applying for christmas temp work for the time being- it'll be some money coming in nevertheless. The website STILL isn't done and I'm getting a teeny bit worried by the fact that I have to get my promo packs off ... well about two weeks ago. crap.

My cooking skills are very slowly improving since living here and having sod all to do. So far I've managed a chicken and white wine casserole, Norfolk turkey with asparagus, potato and cheese rostis and a pretty damn good dessert- chocolate and pear pudding with baileys and mascarpone cream. *dribble* It's a huge improvement and I don't seem to be scared of frying pans any more which is good.

Today was spent doing lots of bits and bobs including, food shopping, cleaning the kitchen, vacuuming, and taking pictures of me to update my numerous avatars and display pictures etc etc... they came out quite well and I noticed a variety of slink expressions that may come in handy to some.

Basic Slink Expressions:






= You are boring me.








I am pretending to listen to you.










I am feeling devious.







I wonder...








er... if you see this one... you should probably run.