Crippled.

I'm a cripple this week. I managed to break my neck... by... well, sleeping as far as I can gather. Well, maybe it's not broken... but it bloody hurts and I've been unable to move it for two days solid. It's amazing how many muscles we use without realising. It's only when you're in intense agony that you realise even the slightest sneeze or twitch uses half the muscles in your neck. I have work tomorrow as well so I hope it's loosened up by then. I do have of course, full sympathy from Niall... who upon witnessing my physical state of cripple-dom ( propped up by two pillows, scarf wrapped tightly roung my neck in bright sunlight, and a travel-neck-support pillow around my head and unable to move) did the obvious thing... and burst out laughing. I got my own back later though when I heard the use of a new acronym on the news.

We've all heard of:

YUPPIE- Young Urban Professional
YUMMIES- Young Upwardly Mobile Mommies
DINKY- Double Income No Kids Yet.

but I hadn't heard of this little gem:

Northern Irish Professional Person Living in England.

That's right... Niall is a NIPPLE.

I laughed SO hard it probably destroyed what little flexibility I still had in my neck... but it was worth it.

*cough*

Yup... yet again, I have time off work and I get myself a nice, stinking, throat-murdering cold/infectious disease. Ew. Ouch. Yeuch.

I did lots of work last week... the results of which can be seen on my portfolio website. There's even a small chance they could be used by the company they were inspired by so I have my fingers crossed on that one.

The photography comp seems to be one big steaming pile of pants since people seem to be voting tactically. If you vote people one star the rating decreases, and people seem to be using this to get people off the top ten spot, which bloody sucks! I mean I had no problem voting a few times for my own, but I had the decency to leave other peoples ratings alone. So, that's it, no more Ms Nice Slinks... you wanna play dirty?.. you got it... jerks. I also feel compelled to add; some of the photographs SUCK. Seriously, they just shouldn't be there.

In other news, tickets have been booked, travel insurance sorted and holiday time off work booked for the big trip to Japan! The Slink will hit Japan on 2nd of August 2007... estimated time of impact is currently uncertain. It's highly exciting but I've yet to sort out what I'm wearing to the wedding. Whatever it is will have to be minimum budget that's for sure.

I know my blogging frequency has been slack of late. There's been a hell of a lot going at work that I'm not allowed to talk about and generally things have been in a bit of a slump, but not in a serious slump sort of a way... more of a normal-winter-slump way so that's not too bad. Amongst this period of slumpiness however, my creativity seems to be soaring and I have lots of mini-projects and ideas to be working on as and when I get my health restored.


Right, that's it for now anyway, I'm off to write my lines....

I promise to be a better blogger.
I promise to be a better blogger.
I promise to be a better blogger.
I promise to be a better blogger.
I promise to be a better blogger.
...

I need your VOTE!

Some of my photographs are currently in the gallery page of *THIS SITE* and I need YOUR ratings and votes to get me in the running for £1000 which would do very nicely thank you.

You can find my name beneath them.. there are currently about 12 listed under my name and are on about page 5 and 6 though this will change as more are added.

Thanks guys and gals!

SNOW!

I was expecting the snow to thaw out today... not keep on falling as it has all flippin day. I could feel my anxiety hit the roof as it dawned on me that there wouldn't be a lift home since Niall was stuck in the road chaos... and that nothing was moving all round the town centre. Not even buses. Thankfully I'd worn my walking boots to work.

5.00 pm- I was kindly allowed to leave work early after we all slowly realised that the ringroad was gridlocked. I get some change just in case there are buses running and I go wait at the bus stop with many confused and freezing cold commuters. There's the usual camradery for these sorts of occasions... some old man is saying to a friendly young lad that if he was as young as him, he'd have walked home, and that the "british spirit will get us through"... eskimo spirit more like.

5.15- I give up waiting and decide to walk. There have been no buses arriving at all... and I hear talk of people waiting up to an hour.

5.30 - I'm starting to get smug walking past all these people in stuck sitting in their static cars, even though my nose is running and I feel like I'm breathing ice. My lungs are hurting from inhaling too much snow. My scarf is no longer black... it's white, along with half my coat and my umbrella. I wish I had my hat. I resist the urge to stop and take photo's of the traffic jams with my camera phone.

5.40 - I pass the fire station where two fireman are wandering down the middle of the road ready to push any struggling/skidding cars and trying to keep the entrance to the fire station clear.

5.55 - I'm nearing home... my legs are starting to ache but I'm feeling pretty proud of myself for taking the plunge to walk. I see a lady crouched in a phonebox crying, and stop to ask if she's alright... apparantly she's had a car accident and is waiting for a lift home... she looks so upset and I feel sorry for her. She insists she's alright, and seeing as I'm still a fair way from home, there's not much I can do for her... so I plough on. This whole walk is bizarre. I haven't even been targeted by snowballing idiots either. Even stranger.

6.13 - I arrive home. I'm roasting hot from the walk, and wierdly half of my face is red and feels burnt. I get changed and hang all my clothes to dry and now I'm sitting with a nice cup of hot chocolate blogging away.

This global warming is getting interesting.

Yoinked.

I meant to yoink this ages ago from Ktp and didn't get round to it... until now.

My life according to my itunes:

1.) Put your music player on shuffle
2.) Press forward for each question.
3.) Use the song title as the answer to the question.
4.) NO CHEATING!!!

1.) How am I feeling today?
Sleeper- Katatonia well that figures!

2.) How will I feel getting married?
Pierrot The Clown- Placebo hahaha!

3.) What is my best friend's theme song?
Township Rebellion- RATM

4.) High school is?
Jimmy- Tool huh?

5.) I am?
Nimrod's Son- Pixies you learn something new everyday!

6.) How is today?
Last Cup Of Sorrow- Faith No More eek!

7.) What is in store for this week?
Open Heart Zoo- Martin Grech not sure I like the sound of that!

8.) What song best describes my parents?
Alligator Wine- Jeff Buckley ?!

9.) How is my life going?
Shout 2000- Disturbed yes... indeed.

10.) What song will they play at my funeral?
Back to School- Deftones suits me! Not sure my folks would approve.

11.) How does the world see me?
Megalomaniac- Incubus HAHA oh dear!

12.) My friends think?
Sunspots- NIN do they?!

13.) My life lived?
Lost in Hollywood- SOAD I sure would be!

14.) This makes me happy?
Bullet Theory- Funeral for a Friend not sure what that says about me!

15.) What should I do with my life?
We Will Rock You- Queen haha ACE!

16.) I will be happy when?
Xmas Day- Sevendust Well that's quite true, I do feel happy on xmas day!

17.) What is some good advice?
Starfuckers Inc. - NIN erm... ?!

18.) What do I think my current theme song is?
Music for a Found Harmonium- Penguin Cafe

19.) What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
Cave- Muse ... I could take that many ways

20.) The type of men/women do I like?
Demonoid Phenomenon- Rob Zombie HAHAHAHA oh lord...

21.) What should I do with my love life?
Orestes- A Perfect Circle I was hoping for better advice than that!

22.) What will your neighborhood be like?
Noise and Kisses- The Used 'spose it could be worse!

23.) What will your dying words be?
Cars- Gary Numan :-( Does that mean I get run over?!

Blockage.

Well... that was an entertaining trip home. I get the bus home on a Monday night, and it's usually a pretty cold, dull, with-an-air-of-trepidation- affair... the usual bus trip I guess. As per usual, I got out of work at 5.40ish.., just in time for me to miss my normal bus by about a minute. This never ceases to surpise me anymore... so I trundled off to the bus stop, having clocked the unusually excessive traffic and a few blue flashing lights. Hmm... police... but getting nearer it becomes clear that absolute chaos is ensuing. There are groups of young people crowded to the left of McDonalds. Now on a usual night, they'd be crowded outside McDonalds... but this time, they have something more interesting to look at. I can't see what it is over the traffic, but I could see a a few police standing about in the middle of the road. This is about a three lane road which merges two routes IN to the town centre, one coming from another town, the other coming from the one way system, and about a hundred bus routes. Nothing is moving, and in a fortunate way, this means that the bus I usually miss is standing there. Except it's not that bus, it turns out it's the one before it... which hasn't moved for half an hour because of traffic. On the bus is a slightly nutty but entertainingly liberal woman who seems to be full of life and trying to organise the police who are standing about on the blocked road. I hear rumours of "a man on top of a bus" and "arrests" but no one really knows what the hell is going on. One thing is for sure though, the nutty lady is insisting on trying to find out, and giving a running commentary as to what the plolice ought to be doing.

Fifteen minutes later, I'm sitting on a bus in the dark. The driver has switched the engine off and is reading his paper by streetlight and the odd flash of a police siren. Nutty lady is getting more vexed at the lack of police controlling the traffic and toddles off to "tell one of them coppers to get over here and sort out the lanes". Man, she's funny. Of course, before she went she insisted on getting the driver to promise he'd not drive off without her.

Another five minutes, maybe ten minutes after that... and a few more police are starting to join the rabble, though traffic is no better. Everyone in desperation are ignoring the traffic lights, which keep helplessly switching from green to red but with no one moving under their command. Nutty lady has been up and out of her seat about twenty times. Finally we see a few bobbies running up towards the three or four lanes of chok-a-blok traffic that are being forced into one lane. One needs to be fully diverted and blocked off so that we can move... as Nutty lady and about another fifty passengers worked out ages ago. Finally there is a break in the traffic and we have to wait for a few other cars to nudge their way into line before we can all be on our way home. The driver of the bus in front of us has other ideas of course. He sits there. His lane is FINALLY clear... but he sits there. Cue Nutty Lady, who charges up to the bus in front and starts thumping on the back of it shouting "MOOOVE". Our bus driver joins in, now having switched back on the engine and lights, by beeping his horn. More Police arrive, I think a little bit scared of a mutiny, and they finally encourage the driver to budge. The bus in front gets the hint and we actually make a move.

Fifteen minutes later, I'm in me slippers at home.

Chaos can be highly amusing when you're an innocent bystander just caught up in it all. If I was more tired or hungry it could have been another story, but I quite enjoyed watching the Nutty Lady offer to control the traffic herself. I still have no idea what was kicking off. I'm sure I'll find out over the next few days.

...Fly away home...

Bernice died. She stopped moving. I left her there for a while in case she was asleep but her legs were all curled up underneath her. :-(

My mood today is: Fed Up.

My bum hurts from sitting in front of the computer all day doing one thing or another and trying to sort out my Illustration Myspace which could prove useful for networking. I have some projects I want to get started with but things keep coming up, like doing overtime at work, like flying visits from Miss Tubb from Uni and the untimely deaths of temporary pets like Bernice. My back aches and the days gone far too fast, AND I have to work tomorrow. Thursdays are always busy and stressful and with bitchboss there... who knows what hell will be bestowed upon us on arrival. I'm keeping an eye out for new part time jobs in a lazy sort of a way... my priority at the moment is getting my butt in gear with these new projects I've been wanting to get my teeth into.

I miss Bernice.

Ladybird Ladybird...

I found a Ladybird in my bathroom this morning. After some investigation I worked out it's a type of 2 Spot Ladybird, which was wierd because it actually had four spots.

Anyway, I decided to call her Bernice.

2007

I last posted back in the old days of 2006...

I'm taking my christmas tree down later and I don't bloody want to because I've got used to it being there and I don't want a big miserable empty space. I don't like January much... it's generally pretty sucky for most people I think. Bad weather, grumpy and tired, it's like the annual hangover month. It just feels.. bluergh. I know that as soon as the tree is down, things will feel 'back to normal' again... that's the worst bit. I'm back at work, Niall is back at work, Matthew and Yumi will be flying back to Japan on Friday... and then it's the normal dredgery of daily life again.

BUT, I went to check my email this morning to find another online artist community asking for my input, so I'm taking that as a sign that I really need to keep pushing my illustration work this year. Start as you mean to go on and all that...

Sooo, christmas... yeah it was good. I don't want to use the word nice... but it was. It was cosy enough, as christmas should be, and I was kept pretty busy all through. I think I've beaten the record for the most amount of christmas/roast dinners in a week... I think we must have had about four in a row! Great though... you can't beat a roast dinner. The annual traditional christmas eve pub gathering was carried out in the usual fashion, though I didn't get drunk this time. New years eve was also a quiet one; choosing to spend it round my mums rather than at a friends house party, where last year I got VERY VERY ill.

Highlights of the holiday include:

• Giving out the cool pressies I got everyone.
• My array of pressies, santa did good this year :-)
• Having a quiet New Years Eve round the folks house avoiding vast money spending, drunkenness, illness and getting soaked in the rain.
• Spending a first christmas in my own place
• Matthew and Yumi announcing their engagement!
• Not having to work with BossBitch

Yep my bro is getting married... not sure how he's managed to convince the poor girl, but Yumi is great and I'm looking forward to having a sister in law! The wedding will be in Japan next year, so we're looking into trying to scrimp and save to afford the flights over there. All very exciting!

Right, I have things to do this year: I have to make sure my portfolio's are up to date and looking spanking good. I need to keep pushing my work and improving. I need to keep trying to be positive and like me. Annnd, I need to take more photographs. Those are my resolutions. Happy New Year readers.

Only another 356 days til christmas!!!

Why the hell not...?!

I have a WHOLE week off work! Then I only have to work one busy saturday before I'm off for a few days for christmas. So, to celebrate, I went to sainsburys today in my three and a half inch platform pirate heels just for a bottle of coke, washing up liquid and some chocolate covered raisins. :-)

Latest creation...

Twinkle Twinkle

I couldn't wait any longer!



And of course... my Jack Skellington bauble!

:-)

Must Have been High.

Holy Crap. Tool were good. They were incredible actually.

I don't mind paying alot for gigs like that... I mean Laser beams and UFO type lights that move and point to the audience?! Wicked stuff... and they sounded PERFECT. We weren't allowed to take photos unfortunatly but I doubt my little phone camera could've coped anyway. It was just amazing in there... and I actually really liked where we were sitting too. Not too far away and with a really good clear view unhindered by hairy, sweaty men bouncing about and crashing into you. Aaaaah thank god for seats. Getting seats also meant I could look oober funky in my heels without the pain. :)

I was a little disappointed in the normality of Maynard James Keenans attire... normal jeans, spikey hair and armbands... I'd been expecting some sort of wierd tunic and bare feet... but no. His bizarre dance rituals more than made up for it though. The guy can limbo for christs sake!!!

There were down-sides to the night however. I was a bit taken-a-back to discover that the support band were Mastadon. Now, I don't like that sort of crappy sucky grunty tosh anyway... but I've never seen such a shit set played by a rock band. You could barely hear anything clearly though I have a feeling nothing they did would be worth hearing anyway. Even Niall hated it. The other down side was the loser steward outside the venue who told us that we wouldn't be let in with bags, then told us to go all the way round the front of the building when we could have just gone through some doors about three feet away. He was a frickin ponce and he lied too because after we got in I saw LOADS of people with bags. Sadcase.

All in all, it was superb. I loved seeing Niall's face when we walked up to the Arena and he saw a billboard poster for some Dancing on Ice thing by Torvil and Dean... I couldn't let the poor bugger think I'd got him tickets to that so I helped him along in working out why we were there by pointing out various fan T-shirts in the queues. I think he was pleased AND relieved!

I got a cool T-shirt which I proudly wore to do my christmas shopping in the next day. AND, if the whole experience wasn't awesome enough... the T-shirt is ACTUALLY a SMALL one too... it fits!!!!! FINALLY acknowledgment that small people DO exist and buy clothes!!!!

Only thing is... I have a tendancy to get the post-amazing-gig blues where you drop off the "cloud of awe" and realise you're not going to get that experience again for ages.

*sigh*

Myspace killed my blog.

My blog has been negelcted and visitors are far too bemused by the spangly slapper myspace... but my blog will remain damit.

So tonight is a big night. I bought Niall tickets to see Tool tonight for part of his christmas present, and as far as I know he has no idea they're even playing so it should be interesting to see his face when we get there. I'm excited myself because it's bound to be a good night and without sounding like a total fogee, we get to sit down because those were the only seats left! Man... I'm 23 and I'm enjoying the fact that I've got seated tickets to a gig... but it means I don't get pushed over or crushed and I might actually see something which is good. I'm also glad that I'll get to wear some sort of boots and rock gear that I haven't been able to in a while. I'm all set for a good night, and it's put me in a cheerful mood since I have both today and tomorrow off work too.

Today is December the 1st and as I opened the first door of my Pirates of the Carribean advent calendar, which incidentally was orlando bloom's face, it dawned on me that TECHNICALLY I can put up my christmas tree without being discriminated against for buying into the christmas hype too early. Well, I still want to wait until the 10th but I have a feeling I won't last that long... I mean now the advent calendars are out... it's going to be harder.

Unfortunatly too, I have plans to go to a big garden centre tomorrow and I fear they have a christmas shop there... uh-oh MAJOR not-buying-more-baubles-challenge ahead. I do need some bauble hooks though.

oooh and on another christmassy note... If I think you rock or are 'cool' enough to be my friend and you still haven't sent me your address yet for me to send you a christmas card you're running out of time, so do it. now... or else... you won't get one. Shock. Horror.

:)

Blind.Head.Pain.

I got smacked on the head by a 183 cm roller blind today. It F***ing hurt.

Death of a Nightclub.

News Article

My nightclub burnt down.


I heard on the news the following morning that the nightclub I go to (when I have money of course) was burnt down. Everyone was evacuated and no one was badly injured but the building has been destroyed. More than likely, the downstairs pub has been too. It's one of the very few decent rock venues in the city and although I haven't had chance to get there as often as I'd like lately, I'm kinda gutted about it being destroyed like this. I think there's still an investigation into the cause but I have an inkling it was lame-ass smokers. Why can't they burn down their own houses? Another one up for banning smoking in public places I think. And if it was started intentionally by some idiotic loser then I hope he feels mighty proud for putting 500 peoples lives at risk.

I don't know if it will be rebuilt. I don't know if it will be gone forever... but it's really sad all the same.

RIP Eddies... please come back.

Flamin' Eck.

Last night, November the 5th, was bonfire night; the wonderfully British phenomenon steeped in tradition, lovingly remembering our heritage of catholic burning by setting fire to huuuuge mounds of old wooden fences and crates alongside beautifully coloured if not rather noisy fireworks displays. There was no Guy Fawkes effigy, and wierdly enough last year they burnt large wooden swans which was a bit odd, this year it was a simple mound of old wood. It went up like a... well a bonfire... and even though we were standing a good 300 feet away I could feel that familiar eye-burning and toastie warm face glow. The fireworks were... awesome... they lit up the whole sky and the finale was just damn excellent. Everyone thought it was over, then a second later they shot a firey, upwards waterfall of sparkles into the air accompanied by the biggest, loudest fireworks I think I've ever seen. They were massive, and they almost encompassed my whole scope of vision in the sky. I caught the finale on my camera phone, which obviously just did not do it all justics at all but I got it all the same... only trouble is, I have no software to edit it on my computer and due to using my phone the wrong way round, the video is on its side. So, all I have to show for it is the following phone picture.


I just loved it. I stood there in my new jeans, long socks underneath and my firey new rocks, three layers of jumpers, gloves, hat, scarf and of course my big furry, gorrilla jacket... and it felt nice to be apart of a community that were all there for one thing, to watch people exploding things into the sky and to make a big fire; united in being freezing cold but loving it all the same.

Roll on next November.

Monster Munch.

Your Monster Profile

Cursed Terror You Feast On: Olives You Lurk Around In: Corn Fields You Especially Like to Torment: Boys Who Wear Make-up

What's Your Monster Name?

Sunny, Cold and the sky is blue.

It's 2.06 pm. I've been all the way into Brum and back this morning and I only saw one cloud in the sky the whole time. This is my favorite type of weather... cold but sunny and a wonderfully blue, clear sky.

I just feel good walking along in my stripey, fingerless gloves, my furry, black scarf and nice warm jacket, feeling the cold on my face but every now and then the warm glow of the sun from the clear sky. Everything is bright, colours are enhanced, my clothes aren't sopping wet from any British-y type rain and it just makes me feel positive and happy.

Even when shops can't be bothered to stock more than two sizes of jeans after I journey all the way into town at 9.30 on my day off because I saw a particular pair I liked; even when I get stuck with an Italian man rubbing my hands with lotion for twenty minutes trying to sell me over priced lotions and "cutical softening cream enriched with minerals all the way from the dead sea, which by the way is the lowest lying location on earth"; even when I get stopped TWICE by people with clip boards asking if I'd had any accidents in the last four years; even after washing my hair for the first time since having it cut, highlighted and styled-meaning you can never ever recreate how nice it looked when it was first done... EVEN then...

... I feel fine... because it's sunny and cold and the sky is blue.

:)

Yep, You got it...

Today I've been bored.

But apparently I was a suicidal but friendly jester in a previous life. And they got all that from just asking me one question!

In a Past Life...

You Were: A Friendly Jester. Where You Lived: North Canada. How You Died: Suicide.

Who Were You In a Past Life?

Distortion.

Bouncy.

I still have no money. I'm still having regular coughing fits which hurt my throat and it still feels like a volcano is errupting when I blow my nose... but I don't care...

... because my work is being showcased in www.creaturemag.com (issue 3) and I'm really pleased about it. :)

I was already in a good mood, because my beautiful black christmas tree arrived in the post the other day and I L.O.V.E it... don't worry I haven't put it up yet, I just got it out the box to see what it was like in case I'd got a crap one... but nope, it looks awesome, or it will do by the time I've decorated it by the kick ass decorations I've been buying. I've had to stop now though. I bought two more today AND a snowman for underneath (we already had one but I figured he'd get lonely under there by himself) so that's it now. NO more decorations. I promised myself.

Went into Brum today for a walk about. I got my ears pierced again just above my normal ones; I'm going to have to clean them with salt water a couple of times a day ... a chore, but necessary I guess. I bet no one notices, but I like em so I'm happy.

My official mood today is: Bouncy.

Alive and (not) Well

Yup. I'm sick! Yey

My throat feels like I've swallowed a cheese grater and I've been feeling sick for the last three days due to the many pints of mucus I've swallowed.

I can't even talk today. I'm having to communicate by writing in a mini jotter pad which proved quite awkward when I had a very painful laughing fit earlier.

Anyways, we got back from the Peak District yesterday. It didn't rain nearly as much as I thought it would, though one day was really scarily foggy, but I guess that's to be expected up in the hills. I took lots of photographs which will be making their way on to my photoblog as soon as I get round to it. All in all it was a really great trip; we went down caverns, up hills, walked alongside rivers, I even dangled about a hundred and fifty foot in the air in a cable car with my eyes shut, gripping Niall's jumper so hard it made my hand ache and almost very nearly in tears... but I did it... TWICE! Looking back, I'm not too sure why I put myself through it, but you know what they say about doing something every day that scares you and all. At the end of a long day we either curled up in front of the log fire, or relaxed in the hot tub under the stars.

I think my next round of chicken soup is ready.

Another point of note before I go... I owe my blog a belated birthday announcment. On October the 10th, my blog reached the grand old age of 2 years old.

Many Belated Happy Returns To My Blog!

Presents can be donated to me on behalf of my blog if you so wish, and currently I am in need of a new throat, voice box, cough syrup, vicks vaporub and more chicken soup.

taraa for now. xx

boooooooooooo...

I'm starting to hate work. I lasted a good eight months without hating it... but I can feel it starting to creep in now. There's been a few staff changes, and we have a new manager now too, so the whole dynamic has changed. I just don't like it and I'm starting to feel like a slave, which for shit pay... is, quite frankly, shit.

I may have to start looking around for other work if nothing changes soon.

I'm going to get stuck in to some illustration projects soon, possibly holiday orientated. You HAVE to vote for me to see if I can weasle onto the front page of the online creative arts festival NOISE. *click me* to vote. It's good enough that I earnt a place in the online galleries so I'm pleased. I'm also awaiting my work being featured in the launch of an online magazine which I'm pretty excited about. It's nothing huge, but it's nice to know that my work is getting noticed, and the exposure is always welcome. I'm also waiting to see the printed artwork for The Picture Show's new EP that I did for them ages ago, so illustration wise things are good. Unpaid, but good.

I have ONE more day of work before I have a...

TWO WEEEEEK HOLIDAAYYYY!!!

... not that I'm overly excited about that or anything.

We're off to the peak district for four nights. We're staying on top of a big hill in an apartment with a hot tub and a cool little log fire... should be really good. The weather will probably suck but it'll still be nice to be in a different environment. I can't wait to just chill out somewhere and take lots of photographs.

Plans for the next two days off work are as follows: (in no particular order)

• Bake cookies
• Update all my business paperwork with new addresses (boooo boring)
• Update website
• Avoid fiddling with myspace
• Plan/Create an email advertisment for self promotion
• Plan/Create projects for Halloween/Xmas or New Year
• Cook a nice meal for Niall... or merely an edible meal would suffice
• Kick our letting agents ass over not getting our washing machine fixed

Progress...

After a much needed morning off work I managed to finish my fifth teddy bear. I think he's my best one yet. :-)

I had plans for a Halloween get together this year, but they seem to have fallen by the wayside due to people being busy, Halloween falling on an awkward Tuesday, and my friends having moved to as many different locations as possible over the last year or so. It means of course, that no one will see the wicked pumpkin men I bought especially! booooooooo. It's not even like we'll get trick or treaters to frighten because we're in a second floor flat. I'll have to resort to frightening passers by out the window instead.