Death to the...

Went to go and see the Pixies in Alexandra Concert. Went with K from work plus my friends Michelle and Quin - their moving in present (it was tickets or an IKEA lamp).

First gig at (in fact first ever visit to) Alexandra Palace - a strange, strange place - it feels more like a school trip destination and the hall itself was very school-like (think it was the large curtains at the back, all they needed was a few bits of gym equipment on the wall). Surely as a band you'd be concerned about the acoustics in an aircraft hangar??

Slasher-movie-style (well, in my mind anyhow) scary walk through pitch black park to get there (think my sense of direction may have been responsible for this, I did fail to get my 'mapreader' badge at Brownies...) . I can watch bats in a dark park and not be scared but going across a dark park to a gig that you can hear in the distance is far more terrifying - naturally as it's more of a slasher film plot than someone armed with a frequency division bat detector trying to decide if that was a Natterer's or pipistrelle just before there's a freeze-frame of a Sabatier 'Delphis' chef's knife* paused in mid-air followed by a blood-curdling scream. Things like that don't happen in the bat world, at least I hope not.

Anyhow, back to the gig, which I made it to safely. The Pixies make me feel nostalgic (not always in a good way) and they played everything everyone expected and we danced, drank and had fun.

Somehow it was more laid back than their gig in Brixton last year (that K and I bought horrendously over-priced tickets - off touts and eBay respectively - to get into, could get to Spain for less than we paid for them) but more enjoyable for it. Less fraught and laid back- though that could be the fact that K was buying the drinks at Brixton and we drank Diamond White all night... not a drink that is designed to be in contact with human organs, surely?

* We are in West London. You wouldn't be caught dead (well, killing) with a crappy old knife. These have handles made from POM, a resistant antislip material, are completly dishwasher safe in temperatures of up to 90°C (ideal for any houseproud psychopath). Apparently the knives fit perfectly into the curve of the hand thus enhancing comfort whilst cutting (or trying to while running after some Welsh girl whose escape seems to be hampered by some sort of bat detection equipment hanging round her neck).

If love is blind...

Why do men have a fascination with lingerie? No, please don't answer that. And why is so much expensive stuff just too reminiscent of the Rocky Horror Show? I can almost hear Tim Curry's voice whenever I'm in the inappropriately-biologically-named posh shop 'Second Skin'*.

* They could get away with 'Fourth Skin' as it being the fourth layer on top of the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous fat** But 'second'...don't these people have an 'O' level in Biology between them??

** I take that back. For some customers they could name the shop 'Third Skin' as they seem to be missing a subcutaneous fat layer, poor lambs.

Stupid things I have done today

1. Worn shoes that have hurt my feet so they are irreparably damaged (much like a pigeon's - is that why they have gnarly feet - (before anyone sends a postcard in with the answer I know it's not a poor choice of footwear)

2. Got on a bus to find I was next to a really dodgy, heavily-sweating man carrying a huge rucksack, frightened myself and got off bus.

3. Walked along road for ten minutes and got on another bus only to discover it was the same bus that I'd got off earlier. Dodgy bloke, at this point drenched in sweat, still there gripping his bag.

4. Got off bus at Hammersmith and, thanks to nice bus driver (must have slipped through the London Transport training net) got off through front door. So happy to be alive in one piece I skipped off the bus and in doing so smacked my head against the wing mirror.

5. Forgot to post Matty Banana's birthday present (her birthday is the same day as mine and she is my mother, so pretty inexcusable)

6. Told my ex-flatmate I had fallen for him in a totally inappropriate display of emotions

7. Decided to move to Lille for xx days per week

8. Made 14 birthday resolutions (ah, yes any excuse - apart from New Year)

Vive la France

In France today. Bit of a family holiday. Dad has got all his money in his money belt and each time he needs to pay for something he looks like some dodgy type that is delving in his pants. You can't get away with that sort of behaviour - not even in France.

I forgot how stressful it is being away with your family. Don't get me wrong, we're a close family. But sometimes when we're away it's a little too close. Feel I need space at the moment and going on holiday with six other people is *probably* not the best way to do it.

Going away from everything (I was planning on working remotely but the French attitude to easily available internet connections has quashed that idea) always makes me reflect what I'm doing. To be honest I'm not sure. Work is overwhelming and it's difficult to know how to make it easier. Then again, working hard is how you succeed - isn't it?

The taming of the shrewd

Hmm.. possible problems with online posts. Fine if it's about me personally, bad if it reflects on other things.

What's an angry girl to do? Can't kill them (though perhaps a freak accident with the photocopier can be arranged) and can't ask them to delete them as then they'll start getting all feisty and it'll all get worse.

Am being paranoid. Surely no-one reads this stuff... but where does it stop and who can I go and cry to?

Stop it now, you're being stupid. Go and tell them that they're too shrewd and to play nicely.

Matty Banana is in town

Matty Banana has come down to say in London for the evening. Should be a good night - going to Annie's for food. Matty usually stays in and cooks (Saturday night special is curry), so a novelty to be going out. Bella is the bithday girl but she's not out with us - plan to catch up with her next week when we're going to be working on her life story.

Out: Men, drinking, smoking and debt

I've never been an Anne Frank type (however, I have always been a pretty frank type) but as start blogging I am giving up a few things. These are things that are bad for me and I don't need in my life anymore.

They include:

1. Men with names beginning with the letter 'P' (you know who you are)
   
2. Drinking too much - mixing drinks in particular (how many people make this Saturday morning vow?)
3. Smoking. My lungs hate me and I really don't want to fall out with them (or vice versa)
   
4. Avoiding credit card bills. I am a fully-grown person and need to start opening my mail and sorting my life out
5. Over-eating. Not sure of root cause (perhaps not the place to start analysing, besides I need to go and cook a huge breakfast...)

I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Smarter than the average car...

Time to take off my black armband over my poor VW Estate which I reluctantly scrapped. Instead of driving something that steers like a cow, consumes more petrol than a tank and is the size of a bungalow, I have decided to buy a SmartCar...

Strangley enough almost every person I have mentioned this imminent purchase to has asked 'is your company going to put its branding on it?'. I don't know why people seem to think I would want to broadcast the fact that I only spent 2k on my car. Sympathy bid perhaps?