Bucket List.

I've had sketches of a bucket list for some time but I'm publishing it so that I might actually start ticking more of them off before I pop my clogs.  Time is running out!

My bucket list is in three parts:

Places:

Visit New York at Christmas

Australia

Thailand

Canada

America tour

Northern Lights

The Giger museum and bar in Switzerland

Visit a Bamboo forest
Visit a Hot Air Balloon festival
Visit a lantern festival

Bands to see:

Puscifer/ A Perfect Circle

Hozier

The Prodigy

Incubus

Nine Inch Nails

Deftones

Radiohead

System of a Down

Things to do:

Walk up a mountain

Absail

Sing in public

See a rugby match

Learn more Japanese

Fire a gun

Find a dark zone to look at the night sky

Go to Wimbledon

Visit a Tim Burton exhibition

Watch an outdoor movie
Wear a pair of Louboutins

Every Cloud...

So after three years, gathering dust in a drawer, I finally decided to take the plunge and sell my old engagement ring.  The only sentiment it had to me after that time was that I suspect it will be my only engagement ring, however I see no point holding on to an empty memory of 10 years wasting my life with someone who gave so little.  I sold it two weeks ago to a jeweller friend at work and I have to say... it was a big, positive step.  I felt released.  It made me realise that after heartbreak, comes rebirth. 

 

In true Slinky style, I obviously put the money towards something altogether more meaningful and special... something that embodies a philosophy I believe in, and looks fucking awesome- Alexander McQueen. I could not be more chuffed with my new goodies.  This beautiful silk scarf and bracelet symbolise moving forward and away from 10 years of wasted time and energy on someone unworthy. 

 

A colleague asked me if I felt emotional about selling it, but no... no I didn't.  I felt relieved and liberated from something bad.  And the big wad of cash in my hand helped too. :)  I only had one person who tried to make me feel guilty for my decision but I refuse.  It's not me who gave in ultimately.  It's not me who threw it away.  So I can hold my head up high and move forward knowing I lost nothing and gained some better things that I love and which hold far more value to me.

 

 

They couldn't have arrived at a better time either - at a time when I've just got rid of two other toxic rats.  No more toxicity.  No more negative people.  From now on- I only have room in my life for people worthy of my trust, respect and time.  If you can't hack it- close the door on your way out.

 

And another one bites the dust
Oh why can I not conquer love?
And I might have thought that we were one
Wanted to fight this war without weapons

And I wanted it, I wanted it so bad
But there were so many red flags
Now another one bites the dust
Yeah, let's be clear, I'll trust no one

You did not break me
I'm still fighting for peace

Well, I've got thick skin and an elastic heart,
But your blade—it might be too sharp
I'm like a rubber band until you pull too hard,
Yeah, I may snap and I move fast
But you won't see me fall apart
'Cause I've got an elastic heart

And I will stay up through the night
Let's be clear, won't close my eyes
And I know that I can survive
I'll walk through fire to save my life

And I want it, I want my life so bad
I'm doing everything I can
Then another one bites the dust
It's hard to lose a chosen one

You did not break me
 I'm still fighting for peace

 Well, I've got thick skin and an elastic heart,
But your blade—it might be too sharp
I'm like a rubber band until you pull too hard,
Yeah, I may snap and I move fast
But you won't see me fall apart
'Cause I've got an elastic heart

I've got an elastic heart 

 

 

Slinky is back.

 

:) 

Tanjobi Desu!

Today I celebrated my 32nd birthday in Japan and whilst things didn't quite go to plan, it was certainly a birthday with a difference!

After my brother was called in to work at short notice, we had to amend plans to somewhere more local so the afternoon was spent at a nearby complex called Tamaplaza; followed by a visit to a small local shrine in Miyazakidai.

Whilst at the shrine, an old man who resembled a slightly shabbier Mr Miyagi, was sat in the grounds n a makeshift chair, feeding some pigeons.  He seemed to be watching us closely while I snapped away taking photographs and my fears were confirmed when I saw him gesticulating and calling to us.  He appeared to be making a gesture ushering us out of the shrine, but my brother explained that in Japan this means "come here".  My brother approached and called me over, both of us expecting some sort of telling off... however the little old man said a few words to my brother and disappeared into his house- which was a shed like structure surrounded by pot plants which had long turned into weeds.  He proceeded to approach us again, this time armed with 6 cans of Japanese beer; handing us one each.  He spoke in Japanese with m brother for a little while as we said "Kampai" and downed a glug of beer.  All this in the grounds of a sacred shrine. Things got even odder, as the dishevelled Mr Miyagi then went back into his house, this time coming out with a crate for me to sit on and a big plastic bottle of what looked like petrol for him to sit on while he handed his chair (covered with bits of ducktape) to my brother to sit on.  He then went back inside and came out with a plastic bag; some salt and some soy sauce.  He offered us big plastic tubs of tofu, which he drowned in sauce and salt.  Thankfully my brother explained we had just eaten and we would share one... so he handed us two teaspoons for us to share a tub of Tofu.  Now, people who know me well know that I don't like food that wobbles.... and Tofu would fit into this category.  Not only that, while it doesn't really taste of anything in particular the texture is just cold, slimey and horrible.  More so, it would seem, when it is covered in huge crystals of salt and drowned in soy sauce (which I also detest).  I managed to force down about two mouthfuls before looking at my brother desperately. 

Mr Miyagi, went inside to feed a stray cat which had wandered into the grounds, and at this point my brother and I began searching for somewhere to stash the Tofu.  Embarrassingly a man walking a dog now entered the grounds and was met by my brother and I sat on a crate and a dodgy chair, eating tofu out of a plastic bag with teaspoons. We must have looked a right sight.  There was simply NO WAY of getting rid of the Tofu.  I even contemplated feeding it to the dog but I was worried he wouldn't eat it and make a scene which would attract Mr Miyagi back.  Desperation started to set in as we heard Mr Miyagi making his way back outside albeit he was distracted by feeding the cat for now.  We were too far from the trees to throw it; my brother was unprepared to shove the remaining Tofu in his hat; and the nearest bin was right next to Mr Miyagi's door.  Our only option to not offend this man was to eat it and I was simply unwilling to put that stuff anywhere near my moth ever again.  We ended up having to stash it in the crate I was sitting on. I felt bad, but not as bad as I would have felt after eating that stuff and throwing it up in front of the shrine. 

I decided to go and take some more photographs and give my brother a chance again to make some polite excuses to Mr Miyagi.  They sat chatting for a little while, and eventually my brother called me over to say goodbye and to thank him for our food and beer. He gave my brother another can before leaving and told him to return again soon!

I have to say, eating salted Tofu out of a plastic tub on a crate, in a shrine in Japan with Mr Miyagi is probably one of the weirder birthday activities I have done... but one I am unlikely to forget in a hurry!

On our way home, we picked up my niece from daycare and took her to the park for a bit before some Soba takeaway and a delicious Japanese cake for afters.  It ahs to be said that Japanese birthday cakes beat the shit out of our butter-cream; sickly-sweet-icing birthday cakes in England.  Delicious.  I also got to Skype my Grandad and Grandma who were delighted to see little Nat-chan too. :)

 

Oooh an additional present was the fact that I can finally wear makeup again after two solid weeks without it! Both my eyes seem much better now and free of redness and gunk which is a huge relief. 

This means I can enjoy the rest of my holiday without having to scare the locals too much and maybe take a few selfies along the way!

 

Tomorrow we are hoping to visit the Imperial Gardens.  While it's been sunny, we're still receiving a really icy cold wind here which has been freezing! But hopefully the sunshine will remain and perhaps stay long enough for the Cherry Blossom's to arrive before I leave next Wednesday.

 

Fingers Crossed!

 

The Test.

 The day has come to test these two Ice Cream Behemoths...

 

 

 

It was with great trepidation that I picked up that spoon.  This was the moment.  Some 8/9 years since had passed before Minter Wonderland had entered my mouth on it's shiney, silver steed. I've been used to Haagen Dazs for the last few years, it stepping in to fill the void left behind Minter Wonderlands epic wake.  I know the taste of Haagen Dazs now, as if it is part of my own body.  And yet, here, armed with my weapon-like spoon, I plunged back into the past to see if the lasting memory of this frozen creamy-dream lived up to the reality.

 

I have to say, I was surprised with the results. 

 

I can officially announce that Minter Wonderland... is NOT tastier than it's rival. 

 

Mint Leaves... the Ice Cream is creamier, tastier with more depth of mintiness flavour, and there is more chocolate per spoonful.  It also seems to melt quicker in the mouth. 

 

Minter Wonderland lacked that punch.  It's Ice Cream tastes blander in comparison, and although the chocolate chunks are "meatier" there are fewer of them in the tub it would appear.  It's not as minty or as refreshing to the pallet.

 

It looks like Haagen Dasz has surpassed Minter Wonderland... had it not been for Minter Wonderland's initial demise prior to Mint Leaves being marketed, I feel I would have made the switch regardless.  It would appear that Minter Wonderland only retained it's mantle in my heart and mind due to it's unavailability, a lost treasure, the memory of which appears to have been greater than truth. 

 

And now, Mint Leaves can take it's rightful place... the consistent provider who didn't abandon me can now bathe in it's glorious defeat of the old ruler of the minty dessert Kingdom.  All hail... the worlds best Ice Cream... Mint Leaves and Chocolate! 

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Well...

I think the lack of blogging over the last month pretty much sums up how busy I've been.

I'm glad to say work is settling and I feel like I'm finally making progress and finding my feet which has been a huge help to feeling more stable in general.

My weekends have been jam packed for the last few weeks which is brilliant but exhausting and I still feel like I need some downtime! I'll get round to it soon...

So three weekends ago I stayed in Nottingham to Mrs P's birthday celebrations.  It was great to meet up with the old gang in some of our old haunts though it's safe to say Rock City isn't at all what it once was... and even then it was average!

The following weekend was my first ever trip to the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix. Scratch that... my first ever GP! Becko and I had a fantastic time in Brussels and despite the dodgy weather which included torrential downpours AND sunburn, even Becko was converted into a newbie motorsport fan. I took lots of photo's with both camera phone and my trusty old digital SLR so it was nice to get a good blend of both in Brussels and our day trip to Brugge.  I wish I'd blogged nearer my return home to regale readers with the funny little stories, jazzed up with photographs but it seems so long ago now it seems a bit redundant!! Needless to say it was a brilliant trip and I was so glad to share it with one of my very best friends. :-)

Last weekend was spent throwing what turned out to be a slightly smaller scale party than we initially anticipated- however we went all out on the Hawaiian Theme decorations and a good night was had by all.  On the following day I finally got to look around the new library in Brum which I have to say is a beautifully constructed and designed building. It's definitely something for Brum folk to feel proud of. My trip was interjected with a visit to my favourite café Mount Fuji where my favourite bento box hit the spot as usual.

Yesterday I had my hair chopped off and spent an absolute fortune on baby shower and 60th birthday gifts for a friend and my Mum.. which is what I have planned for the upcoming weekend.

Today I've been to Rockingham Motor Speedway to watch British Touring Car Championship with my sister and her bloke.  It was the first one we've been to this year which didn't require raincoats and umbrella's at some point... amazingly it was fine and dry and even more amazingly I haven't got sunburned!!!! :-D MEGA bonus! Again, I have more piccies and have eaten my weight in sarnies, picnic food and the obligatory motor racing delicacy - Tea and doughnuts! Perrfect.

Things are good... busy and good.  Upcoming I have dates to arrange, a Halloween party to plan, Mum's 60th, attending my first ever baby shower (not comfortable with this) and in a few weeks time... Silverstone for my final BTCC event of the year! I also want to squeeze in a sedgway rally and another hill walk too at some point. :-)

YOWZER.

Buckle Up.

What. A. Week.

Monday was my first day in my new job.  Talk about being thrown in at the deep end.  As is typical of my organisation I literally rocked up on my first day, nervous as hell and was handed some numbers and told to pretty much get on with it.  Fortunately there is another girl doing the same role who was equally as bewildered as I was.  When I was taken to my first meeting on Monday afternoon expecting to have prepared a report and be able to deliver it to the meeting, I pretty much felt like I'd made a massive mistake in leaving the comfort  and familiarity of my old team.  As it turned out, there had been a cock up and the meeting was actually scheduled for that morning so I managed to escape certain embarrassment by delivering to a meeting that I had NO idea about. 

Tuesday got worse, and I winded up emailing the Sgt who was overseeing the roll out of our jobs to different sectors to complain that we had effectively been left to do a job without any training or preparation.  It fell on deaf ears, and Tuesday night I got home and cried, wanting to re-apply for my old job.

However, I think the breakdown did me good and cleared my head a little.  Wednesday saw a slight improvement as I embraced the uncertainty and focussed on the good points of the role which include actually having just one job to focus on.  On Thursday I delivered to my first conference and the feedback was that I sounded professional and precise which was amazing considering how nervous I felt. 

I feel better about it... I think it will improve as I settle and feel more comfortable in the role.  I need a few more meetings under my belt to get me used to the way they work.  I know at some point there is going to be a confrontation due to the sensitive nature of the meeting, so that will be a new and challenging aspect to the role that I haven't experienced yet.  Can't say I'm looking forward to that aspect but it's part and parcel of the work and can only improve the skills I already have. 

The new job has been the sandwich filling nestled firmly between two large, soft and wonderfully tasty slices of awesomeness this week.  On Monday night I went to see Extreme, straight after work, and having had ZERO sleep.  Rock. AND. Roll.  Extreme's 90's hair metal classic album Pornograffiti is one of the albums of my childhood- and yes I am aware how inappropriate that sounds - however the music itself is amazing, cheesy as hell, but amazing-feel-good cheese which warms my soul.  I know every detail of the album inside out and one of my memories of it is playing it at my 7/8th birthday party much to the bemusement of my7/8 year old, flowery dress-adourned party invitees.  Awesome.  They were aging, but brilliant.  As a 25th anniversary tour of the album, they played the FULL thing in its entirety.  Nuno still looks FIT AS, despite approaching 50.  Brilliant, I honestly haven't felt as happy as I did when I was singing away to "Hole Hearted" and I pretty much think I was mesmerised at one point by Nuno's solo- skills. Unbelieveble.  And he makes it look so easy.

At the other end of the week - Friday night I went to see The Penguin Café Orchestra which again, is another childhood musical experience.  The music reminds me of my Dad, and brings back so many cherished and happy memories of sitting as a family in the lounge, chatting, laughing and listening to the music all together.  The concert was at The Lichfield Cathedral which couldn't have been a more acoustically perfect setting for the music.  It sounded beautiful and just made my soul feel content and relaxed and happy.  I'd seen them once before, and possibly preferred their first offering in terms of content, however I love how the guy who now runs the orchestra is the son of the original founding member, and he recalls how the music relates to his childhood from the time when I too remember first hearing it all.  The parallels are as wonderfully fitting to me as the music is to it's own individual themes and concepts. 

After such an emotionally charged and stressful week I've taken this weekend off any sculpture projects to recharge my batteries.  Saturday was spent catching up with my two besties, N and Markuus, at the Fuse festival in Lichfield which consisted of sitting in a field drinking strawberry cider in the sunshine and listening to a number of acoustic sets and some good old fashioned sea shanties.

Today I've come to Nottingham to see family as I've spent so many of the last few weekends working on sculptures and commissions that I've not seen my Grandparents in months.  Time is precious, and so I've ensured today is spent in their company.  A roast is being prepared, and I look forward to spending an hour or two round the dinner table listening to my Grandad recount old stories and tales from his past, many of which I've heard before... but that I love hearing again and again nonetheless.

:-) Happy.

Closing Time.

Well, I just finished my last day at work.  I've been dreading it to be honest.  Since my job was confirmed I've actually found it really hard to get excited about my new post- mainly because the reality of leaving my team, my friends, my family for the last three years, was just really quite painful.  Not a day has passed when I haven't laughed myself into oblivion at work, and I really will miss that the most.  I've genuinely not wanted to leave and I've even questioned if I've made the right move because of how much I've enjoyed my time there.  However, I need to remember the reasons I went for this, there were plenty of days I felt stressed and tired, and there's very limited room for growth in that post.  I'd mastered what I could and simply wasn't getting paid anything near enough for the time and energy I gave the role. 

I will miss my team so much but I'm well aware that having moved teams twice in the past, the mini heartache won't last long.  I shed a few tears today, as did a few others.

I had a lovely send off despite my Gaffa and Sarge not being around for it.  I had a nice little collection of pressies including a lovely necklace (below), Good Luck balloon, champers, bottle of Jack, choccies and a choc orange, plus a little bit of drinking money.

As sad as today has been, I actually feel better about the prospect of my new job now that the tears have passed.  I feel more ready and like I can actually focus on my new opportunity.  The commute will suck ass, and the banter *may* not be quite the depraved, debauched hilarity of the OMU, but I am sure my new team will become my new family and if they don't ... well then I can keep moving forwards.

Onwards and Upwards.  Bring on the new challenge...

Sunshine on a Rainy Day.

Yikes.

 

It's been two whole weeks since I last blogged.  I honestly do not know where the time goes these days... ! Quite frightening.

 

Last weekend was kicked off in style with cocktails and a pricey but beautiful meal at Fumo in Brum with H and her friend Carly.  It was a brilliant evening with flowing cocktails, giggles and chat finishing off at our old haunt the Station on the way home.  We followed this up with more drinks there on Saturday night and a quick trip to another local to see a friends band.  Unfortunately this coincided with a big boxing match so there was an interesting crowd there to say the least.  Still, it was nice to spend a bit of time with H, like the olden days!

 

During the week I did some shameless self promoting on twitter for my sculpting work which is just going from strength to strength! I have four commissions lined up for this month which is just brilliant albeit scary wondering how I'm going to fit them all in with a new job round the corner!

 

This weekend has been fantastic: This Friday night I went to Marco Pierre Whites for a beautiful meal and some rather tasty cocktails. The Grasshopper which I had as my dessert replacement was to die for! Saturday, I intended to start one of my commissions and amazingly ended up completing it in one day! I was dead chuffed with it and have posted it off today already so I'll be nervously waiting for my client's response by the end of the week to make sure it a) got there in one piece and b) that she is happy with it!

 

I had been looking forward to Sunday for some time but was up early packing layers and rainproof clothing for a day at the Motor Racing- this time travelling to Oulton Park for the BTCC.  It turned out that there was actually very little rain, and glorious sunshine save for a monster of a downpour in the late afternoon which saw one of the most eagerly anticipated races being postponed. Oulton being a very fan-friendly track, we were able to position ourselves in a good slot right near the finish line and with the sun shining again after the freak mini-storm we had I managed to get my best shot of the day... showing Sheddon's Honda Yuasa Racing car speeding along a wet track, yet beautiful blue skies and glowing clouds as a backdrop. 

 

It was a brilliant day, good company, good crowds and great weather at a brilliant circuit. The only downside being the obligatory sunburnt nose and neck due to me completely mis-judging the weather!

 

Storm.

I feel good.

What a beautifully, refreshing day of laziness I've had.

It's been warm... the sun has tried to nudge it's way through the clouds. It's close, humid, like there is a storm bubbling... or maybe that's residual energy from last night's bizarre conversations.

I had an apology yesterday. 

Unexpected and out of the blue. 

This has happened twice to me in the last two years... the former was perhaps more necessary than the latter... but at least it came. It's small... sometimes a bit insignificant but it helps to know that I'm not completely crazy and people are capable of self awareness.

I've surprised myself by accepting both.  I can be pretty hateful when hurt.  Time passes and you realise you are better off anyway, but an apology is still welcome from some.

I wish these people well- genuinely- despite them playing no further part in my life.

People are in your past for a reason. 

More so if you're a lying, manipulative, egotistical, illogical, unapologetic c*nt who deserves nothing but disdain.  Your word dear- it is, I must say, perfect.  May it echo in your shallow brain for eternity. I wish you nothing. You deserve it;  Fucking people about, lying wherever you go and being proud of it... you have bigger problems than you will ever realise.  Good luck to whoever you're currently conning into believing you're a decent human being.  Undoubtedly the most regrettable person I have ever trusted and thought I knew... I still remain shocked at just how incredibly wrong I was.  Almost a year since we spoke... a letter that will never get read... will now burn.

What goes around comes around.

I am better, stronger, sharper, greater.  I am in a good place right now.  Refreshed after an intense, stressy month all I needed was one day to catch up on sleep, rest my head and focus. An apology from someone who means little to me now, but still cared enough to say it.  Closure.

Good things are happening for me... changes are coming... and I am excited...

300: Rise of an Empire

This weekend was just as it promised to be - pleasant, quiet and slightly cheaper than the last few weekends of copious drinking have turned out to be.

Thursday and Friday night were chill time movie nights.  Thursday we watched The Social Network which was actually a far better film than I expected it to be; the amazing work of Trent Reznor's soundtrack did help it along a little though.  I was pleasantly surprised by it to be honest. 
Friday night's film I have already forgotten so it can't have been that good. It might have been one called Ghostship, which was just averagely dull in every possible way.

Saturday night however, was what I had been looking forward to as I went to see 300: Rise of an Empire.

I had set my expectations fairly low as 300 is one of my all time favourite films and the sequel couldn't possibly match the skill or impact of the first.  It didn't.  However I was surprised to find it wasn't at all as bad as I had anticipated.

In 300, the Spartan warriors wear red robes; Red, the colour of blood, lust, passion.  This is set apart by the golden tones of the film signifying gold, honour, sunlight and warmth.  In 300 ROAE the main character Themistocles and his counterparts adorn blue robes reflecting the cooler tone of this film and echoing both the oceans and stormy weather in the film.  This, for me, summarises it perfectly because on the whole the film is just that- less warming then the first.  It's stormy, and for me, the characters lack any capacity to evoke empathy in the viewer.  Themistocles is a cool and unemotional character lacking any real depth.  He failed to arouse the same kind of passion that Leonidas did in the first film; having no family or a lover to protect.  He is cold and almost robotic and the unnecessary border-line rape scene simply left me losing even more respect for him.  You fought with Leonidas, you wanted him to return to his Queen and sons; but Themistocles, you just kind of watched as he carried out his business with little reason.  I possibly felt more for Artemisia than I did for Themistocles; she had a story, a history and she had passion. Their power struggle was awkward instead of firey and I did feel glad that Themistocles was still left needing the help of a strong, powerful woman in the way of Queen Gorgo who proved she had far more balls than he did.

Visually, it lacked the punch that 300 made.  This was a new area though when 300 was first released, there had only been Sin City which had been filmed under the same concept.  There were still some nice sequences and shots, but the attention to detail that 300 had wasn't there.  Every shot in 300 is carefully composed, and in ROAE it's more of a general feel than that of careful consideration of compositions and cinematography.  Still, some nice work and nice effects which were made more impressive by the three dimensional aspect.

Ah. I now await some other good films to fill the void - Transcendence is looking interesting so that will be my next movie target for April.

Sunday morning I was treated to pancakes for breakfast. I've washed little Franko, been to the gym; been to Mum's for a slap up, post-workout roast dinner and I've also been up in their loft to retrieve lots of props for the party next weekend.

It's going to be GOOOOOD. :)

Laters!

Autosport Show 2014

So, I was having a really lovely weekend - having lovely catch up drinks with B on Friday and a further catch up with SB on Saturday after a DESPERATELY needed car wash for Franko and some household chores... when my dear N offered me a ticket to the AUTOSPORT Show on Sunday! Happy Days!

And what a day at that! The main thing I enjoyed was getting back to grips with my digital SLR.  I've missed it.  The feel of it, the weight of it in my hands; having to compose and think about the subject and final image before taking the shot; the familiar bleep of the focus, and satisfying click of the shutter. I loved being back behind the camera.  I missed the instant sharing as I've become accustomed to through social networking to but this was outweighed by the excitement of getting home, downloading all the images from my camera and unveiling each one- most triumphant little compositions, others being cast out like an editor making cuts from a film reel.

Seeing so many racing cars under one roof has really given me the motorsport bug for the impending season and the live action arena was equally brilliant.  We were treated to drifting, moto cross, stock cars, vintage racing cars, stunt driving, smart car racing and even some double bonneted cars which could race in both directions and even split apart!

Another little highlight was artist Ian Cook posing for a photograph for me while he worked on his latest piece in front of a fascinated crowd.  Sadly, I took this one on my phone so that I could share it on twitter and as a result it came out a little blurry which I was gutted about seeing as he'd been so kind as to pose for me!

I did a small bit of autograph hunting too, gaining signatures from Matt Neal, Gordon Sheddon, Andrew Jordan, Alan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Rob Austin in my Paddock Pass lanyard book. I also managed to get an autograph for my sister from Rob Austin as she's sponsoring his drive this year via his Roof Share scheme.

And at the end of it all, I've had time to post all my photographs, update my blog and soak it all in all over again. Happy Slink tonight thanks to a truly awesome weekend.  Here's to more of these!

:-)

Christmas 2013

I think the below video best sums up my Christmas and New Year.

It's been fantastic: Some much MUCH needed time off work spent with friend and family, including my little neice, bro and sister in law on Skype. I've caught up with family I don't see much and got to spend time with the people I care about most. It's been just brilliant.



New Years eve was spent at the new flat with a small selection of friends.  Most importantly for me- Markuus and his partner Jo came over; and N also spent the evening with us so it was lovely to spend it with some of my favourite people. :-)

The only sad thing is that's it's all flown by so fast... I've barely had time to think up any resolutions and now this week I have suddenly found myself back at work in an almost zombie-like stupor trying to remember what my job is.

Resolutions coming up...

Hurt 2.

I managed to pull a tendon in my arm at the gym last night.  Perhaps doing two nights at the gym in a row was a bad idea. 

However, I am managing to shoulder press about 5-6 8kg weights before my arms die and I have to revert back to 6kgs.  It's a marked improvement from when I started on 4kgs though and my arms are much more toned for it.  I feel stronger, legs are firmer, and generally I'm pleased with my progress so far.  I need to work on breathing for cardio- although since I'm not trying to lose weight I limit cardio to warming up and cooling down exercises only.  I'm also embarking on a 30 day squat challenge from next weekend to further tone up.  :-)

In other news I have a new favourite song- Copy of A.  Obsessed with it at the moment, mainly because it reminds me of the gig, but it's just IMMENSE.  It fuels me.  Love love love it.

Came Back Haunted

And now the come down.

On wednesday morning I was sitting in Birmingham Airport awaiting my flight to Belfast to see Nine Inch Nails. It's hard to believe that it was a whole three days ago!

 

After checking into the hotel which was a stones throw from Chapter House Square where the gig took place, N and I went and got food in a nice little gastro-pub round the corner. We started queuing shortly after to ensure we got a good spot.  And I have to say I got THE BEST spot I have EVER EVER had at a gig.  Running down one side of the big courtyard where the crowd gathered, was a "VIP" area which was raised up about three feet. People had paid an extra tenner for the privilige but I would suggest it was debatable wether it was worth it.  Running along this was the normal security barriers which come with handy steps for security to step onto to lift people over.  This would become my position for the night.  I sat on the ledge for the first two bands, both of whom where better than anticipated- local bands Little Matador and And So I Watch You From Afar. I was particularly impressed by the latter who sounded like a more lively Maybeshewill, with tinges of Steve Vai.  I've yet to check out their albums, as I expect they may sound better live than on Cd. We managed to make an aquaintence of a strange character from Canada called Darren who flitted between seeming like a harmless, lonely drunk to being slightly dark and a bit mysterious.  However, when the music started, his attentions were quite rightly focussed on his idols.

 

It rained a bit, but fortunately I had my trusty cardigan with the goblin hood to keep the rain off, and so I took my position in anticipation of Nine Inch Nails coming on stage.  I could see the whole stage and was close enough to see the bands faces- including the face of the GENIUS Mr Reznor, the whole crowd in front, aside and to the back of me... it was immense.  And then it just all happened.  I was just elated and enthralled through out the whole set, taking photo's and videos without getting knocked about.  I just soaked every second of it up. 

Highlights for me were Copy of A which was their opening track- the energy from the stage and crowd was just epic; Closer and Hurt.  Hurt was just incredible- hearing the crowd singing along in the darkness... I felt quite emotional and just about managed to stop myself welling up like a total saddo.

The night was finished off with a NIN themed Guiness and a JD and Coke in the hotel before retiring to rest our weary heads and prepare for the post-gig come down.  Whilst I am THRILLED to have seen them, I am running out of "Bands to see before I die".  I only have one (kindof) left- A Perfect Circle/Puscifer and I have a feeling I will have to travel a little bit further afield to see one of those two as they rarely tour, let alone outside of America.

The day after the gig, we had a couple of hours to kill before our flight home so we took a look round the new Titanic museum.  Wierd building, but fairly decent inside, however in my opinion they should have made more of the tradgedy and focussed on the mass death a bit more, not in a morbid way you understand, but more to get an idea of the scale of the disaster.  Understandably, they focussed it on the building and construction, as the museum stands on the docks where the Titanic was built. I dunno- maybe I just prefer a bit more punch and drama in my museum excursions. Hehe.

The Big News.

I have been dropping clues in my titles the last few blog posts as to what my big news is...

This is going to massively underwhelm (is that possible- to MASSIVELY underwhelm?) a lot of people... however, those who know me well will appreciate why this news is big. To me.

Something life changing occured.  And all I have to show for it both before and after will be a bit of paper. 

There are a few bands that I love... those that leap out as all time favourites are the likes of Radiohead (seen them twice), The Deftones (seen once), System of a Down (seen once).  There's a few others I HAVE to see before I die- A Perfect Circle or Puscifer to complete my TOOLkit (gettit??? lol) and of course... the amazing ... Nine Inch Nails.

I missed them many years ago, I think it was my first year of Uni when they last toured and I missed them perform in Birmingham.  I idiotically only realised they were playing on the day they performed and couldn't go.  This year, they're performing at Reading and Leeds, and I was toying with the idea of paying a stupid amount of money on a day ticket, a hotel and a very long car journey to see them.  This would have cost me well over £200 all in.  HOWEVER, they are ALSO playing in a tiny little town called Belfast in August... and I've ONLY BLOODY WELL GONE AND GOT TICKETS!!!!
Fuck.  I am RIDICULOUSLY excited about this.  It's meant a hotel and flights, but even with the tickets it's cost about £130.  This is a lot, however, this gig is going to be epic for me.

There's been a few gigs where I've just experienced absolute awe.  I was immersed in it standing in front of Martin Grech, and the times I saw Radiohead and System of a Down, even Tool, ... I've just been completely, utterly in awe, almost on a complete other plain as I just breathe in and absorb the gig experience.  Trent Reznor is like the Pope is to Catholics, without the paeodophilia, corruption, obscene hyppocrisy and religion.  He is more than that, a genius, everything he touches turning to liquidy, ear-nectar.  I can well imagine this gig is going to be one of those momentous gigs that I will never forget. 

The gig is on the 21st of August. I'm counting down the days via the below worm...

Sunspots.

What an awesome weekend!

It kicked off with some sunny post-work drinks on Friday evening with H from work.  I survived my first round of drinking post inner-ear troubles.  Having felt drunk for three weeks I was a bit wary of getting back on the good ol' Jack n Coke, but yep, it was just what I needed.

Following that I spent Saturday on a mini road trip with N up to Chester.  It was beautifully sunny and we strolled around the quaint little shops and had a waffle cone ice cream by the river.  We took a walk all round the ancient city walls and looked around the Roman gardens and amphitheatre although I was put off by the creepy stilt walker who seemed to be tottering around.  I still hate them. Always will. 
I failed miserably at remembering my digital SLR to take any decent photographs which pissed me off no end, but to redeem myself I am proud to say I refrained from spending any money in the shops despite being very tempted by a nice new handbag.  Be proud. 

Saturday evening was spent being set up in the back garden with some Honey Jack, Peanuts, a nice warm chicken salad and the Sono's blaring out some awesome tunes while a little lantern flickered in the gentle breeze.  It was perfect. 

Today I spent the morning strolling around Cars In the Park in Lichfield wishing I was rich enough to have a car for every day of the week.  A quick lunch was had at Ego nearby, a Mediterranean bar where I had a Fusion Mezze platter and a Strawberry, Mango and Stem Ginger Eton Mess for dessert.  Then, back to the park for a last drool over some amazing cars... before heading back in time for the Wimbledon final where grumpy-ass Murray took the cup. 

I've picked the following as my faves from today although the F type Jag and a BEAUTIFUL blue TVR Sagaris also looked incredible.  I think you will agree the matt black Hudson complete with skull on the dashboard is very me.  :-)

The weekend was finished off with a family barbeque in place of the traditional Sunday dinner, complete with steaks, burger, sausage, rice, salad, new potatoes and kebab roasted vegetables. 

I have some sunburn from today.  I plastered myself in factor 30 this morning, and seem to have staved off getting burnt in the normal places like my neck.  However, I do have an interesting red, stripe down my nose, and some weird patterns on my arms which look equally strange! It must have been where I was holding my bag or something and have got burnt in between the straps.  No matter how hard you try, when you have ghostly white pale skin like me, the sun will get to you somehow!!!

Despite the sunburn, this weekend has been - simply PERFECT.  :-)

Coming up this week... I am planning on returning to the gym now I'm fully fit, shopping for Boss' leaving present on Tuesday, Boss' leaving do on Friday and then potentially a night out in Brum on Saturday! I want to squeeze in a trip to the cinema, headphone shopping, potential holiday shopping and wedding guest dress shopping also this week.

Ooh... and I must blog about the imminent awesomeness that I have managed to source for myself.

Dear Asshole,

Thanks for finally revealing your true nature.

In particular, I love how you've consistently tried to hide the fact that you're:

- weak
- superficial
- dishonest
- completely incapable of any empathy
- self centred
- narrow minded
- uncaring
- shallow
- callous
- cowardly
- disloyal
- pathetically vain
- slutty
- egotistical
- illogical
- unbelievably selfish
- incapable of understanding/coping with/conveying emotions
- defensive
- attention seeking
- spineless
- arrogant
- fearful
- a carbon copy of the other meaningless twat you were so desperate to be different to, yet surpass his crap-ness by not even having the self awareness he did to admit you're a total dick and apologise for it. Hilarious.

You fail on every level at meeting my expectations of what makes a man.

Your weakness makes me stronger and I celebrate you reminding me just how much better I deserve. 

Fuck you, and enjoy your half life of avoidance and ineptitude. 

S
x

Exclusive: Slink Captured on Film in Natural Habitat.

The awesome KTP has put together a fab little video of my birthday celebrations at my favourite rock club, Eddies, back in March.  It just makes me smile and I wanted to share it here too:

I can't stop grinning after watching it.  I love that there is a cluster of songs that will ALWAYS always be etched on my soul and bind me with some absolutely amazing friends and some equally amazing times at Uni.  Despite these moments getting further and further into the past, the effect these songs has on each one of us will always spark memories of happy times.  I love it.  It's priceless.  :-)

I'm still waiting to be given the all clear so I can return to work.  I have an appointment tomorrow where I'm hoping to be booked back fit. If not, I'll have to wait until my sick note runs out on Friday.  I just want to get back to the normal drudgery of work now, I miss it!

Thin Mint Ice.

In 2005, this happened...

... this Ice Cream was monumental. 

It was THE best Ice Cream I had ever EVER tasted.  I loved it.  I bought it weekly as my Saturday treat.  It was my paradigm shift in the world of Ice Cream, changing my conceptions of cream based, icy food forever.

No less than a few months after Minter Wonderland shone light upon my tastebuds... Ben & Jerrys condemned it to  the Ice Cream graveyard and stopped selling it.  For a few months I checked supermarkets in the vain hope of finding a stray tub- to no avail.  I was never to see or taste this Ice Cream again. 

It took me many years to get over this- in fact I'm not sure I have forgiven Ben & Jerrys yet for their cruelty.  No Mint Ice cream was ever going to compare...

and then, a few weeks ago, by sheer chance, this happened...

... Oh. My God.  Mint Leaves and Chocolate.  The years of Ben & Jerry's heartbreak ended as I slipped that smooth cold spoon of icy, minty goodness into my mouth.  That Ice Cream and my tongue were meant to be together, united, in perfect harmony.  I never thought anything would taste as good as Minter Wonderland... but this, completely surpassed my expectations.  Years of empty, flavourless, dull, boring utterly CRAP mint choc chip Ice Cream melted away and my life felt complete once again.

I consumed two tubs... and then the fear of this amazing happiness-in-a-tub being taken away from me took over.  The next couple of days I visited Sainsbugs AND Tesco and noted they didn't appear to have any of my Ice Cream left- this could be both good and bad.  Maybe stocks are just low because it's new...  "Don't panic" I thought, lets check online.  To my horror, my ice cream was now only being stocked in Waitrose and Ocado.  That's okay... we are fortunate to live near two Waitrose supermarkets.  The larger of these stores, had just three tubs in stock.  I bought all three.  They are safe in my freezer.

However, my love affair is, I fear, to be short lived.  I stopped by a smaller Waitrose this afternoon on my way home from work in the hope of stocking up on a few more tubs.  I scoured the shelves of the Ice Cream freezers- There were none.  There wasn't even a label for them.  That familiar feeling returns... my ice cream is slowly but surely slipping out of my grasp once again. 

There are still supplies... online mainly.  I'm considering whether my addiction is worthy of ordering a few more tubs- potentially having to pay for delivery.  Just how far will I go to get this Ice Cream?  Is there such a thing as black market ice cream dealer where I can fuel my habit? Perhaps the local Mr Whippy van could strike up some sort of deal... Yes, desperate times.

I still have my three tubs...these will now be subject to STRICT rations.  It's going to be a sad, emotionally tough day when I spoon out the last scoop from my last tub.

So fleeting... so passionate... and then it's over... so suddenly. 

The world of Ice Cream is a cruel, cruel place.   

What A Week.

What a week.  Allow me to recap:

On Wednesday I had my third meal out with three work colleagues, one of whom was also celebrating a birthday this week.  We started out at Bar Epernay in the Mailbox, moving on to Cote Brasserie for a lovely meal.  We drank fizzy wine drinks and chatted away, then after our meal we went up to Marco Pierre Whites for champagne cocktails.  It's a lovely place to go at night as it's located on top of a building called The Cube, where you are surrounded by full length glass windows and able to admire all the twinkly lights of Birmingham City.  It's probably a much nicer view at night than during the day, where sunlight will reveal the greyness of the city and surrounding roads. Following this, we opted for a quick stop at Malmaison for a final drink before getting the last train home. 

On Thursday I popped back into Brum to attempt to find an outfit for Saturday night.  I had ZERO luck and was starting to panic considerably at having nothing to wear.  I got back in time for a few quick drinks with my friend Hannah at our favourite local Sutton pub.

Friday saw a final, now desperate, attempt at outfit shopping in nearby Tamworth- again with no such luck.  Though  I did manage to find a nice shirt/top to wear for the evening which I was really looking forward to: A meal at Jamie's Italian, followed by a trip to The Electric Cinema to see Danny Boyle's new film Trance.  Jamie's Italian was a nice dining experience- with a nice relaxed atmosphere inside- not too stuffy or pretentious.  I had bread and oil to start along with some cured meats and fresh baby mozzarella, followed by a beautiful crab risotto and side salad. It was delicious- but as most risotto's are, it was very filling and I couldn't manage a dessert too.  Gutted, as this is usually the best part of any meal! I would opt for the introduction of a dessert starter so I can get the best of both worlds! 
The cinema is the UK's oldest working cinema and has a truly nostalgic feel complete with old style tickets.  I had booked a sofa, called Keaton, which came with  a text waiter service.  It was lovely to be able to watch  a film from the comfort of a sofa.  The whole cinema felt homely and familiar, warm and friendly with it's deep red walls and cosy sofa's.  It is a MUST if you're in Birmingham and there's a decent film showing you want to catch. 

And so to Saturday, the morning of which I spent trying on clothes for my night out.  I had booked a small side room in Bacchus in Birmingham for my pre-club drinks to celebrate my birthday.  Getting there early to order food, my family and I were closely joined by colleagues and most of my closest friends.  We whiled away a few hours here, laughing and drinking, with a few compliments on my chosen outfit on the way. :-)  It was lovely having everyone I cared about in one room, and whilst I was disappointed with a few cancellations and no-shows, it became clear that the people who really mattered to me were all in one room.  It was heart warming.  At about 11pm a few people peeled off to go home or to other venues, while a small hardcore crowd of us headed to my favourite rock club in Brum.  It was heaving when we arrived- good to see it so busy as the last few times we've been, albeit a few months ago, it's been fairly quiet.  The dance floor was packed for most of the night, with some perfect song choices for our Uni Rock night reunion.  It was such  a good night.  The club was still in full swing when we left at about 3.15am, they were obviously staying open an hour later than usual due to the clocks going forward.  We sleepily arrived home between 4.30 and 5 am at our prospective homes and lodgings. 

This brings me onto today which has been spent feeling incredibly sleepy and nursing our sore dancing feet. I noticed a small spikey-shoe-related injury to my left foot where I've obviously spiked myself at some point.  Despite our wrecked bodies, we opted for a bracing walk into Lichfield for a mid-afternoon coffee or hot chocolate, before heading home to say our goodbyes.  

It's been a truly awesome week off work, much-needed and welcomed.  I've been spoiled, treated and blessed with some wonderful nights out with truly awesome people.  I have one more day off tomorrow before I return back to the daily grind.  Tomorrow I'll be off to Nottingham to see family and relax a bit before the working week begins again.  I'm sad it's all over to be honest- but at least I really made the most of it.  And my bank balance proves it. :-)