Thursday night babysitting fun...

So when I realised I was going to be babysitting quite late tonight (the next doors are off to Stratford-Upon-Avon for the RSC), I got me geek on and cut and paste a couple of quizzes to do. What can I say, it’s ten o’clock and I want to stay awake…but am too tired to do anything too taxing!

Tea? Check! Music TV? Check! Dogs briefed not to sit on laptop? Check!

Ten Things People Won't Guess By Just Looking At You:
1. I can’t burp
2. Despite the fact that I’m a Scots-English half-breed, my accent is more like a Canadian crossed with an Aussie reading an American script in a posh English accent…
3. Singing is my favourite thing to do
4. I was voted weirdest girl in my class, amongst other things. I rigged the vote by campaigning for it because I knew the girl who was going to place first would have been pretty hurt by it. As it was, I topped the chart, and the crisis was averted :-).
5. If I had my way, naptime would be mandatory for all after lunch.
6. There is a huge seam of darkness in my past. I believe in surviving, if at all possible.
7. I’m a happy clappy liberal hippie type, but when I do form an opinion, I’ll back that up.
8. I love to dance.
9. I was a vegetarian for three years.
10. I swear a little too much sometimes. I know it’s not ladylike… but sometimes it’s just so fitting…

Score! The next doors got back a little after eleven so I’m finishing this up in my cosy bed. In my ridiculously messy flat, because I have literally only been here for about one and a half waking hours a day this week. Take away washing and changing and getting ready for bed…that’s not much time left for owt else!

Nine Things You Want To Do Before You Die:

(Only nine?)

1. Fall in love.
2. Be the best friend, sister, daughter, etc. I can be.
3. Take enough risks to keep things interesting.
4. Have a family.
5. Write a book.
6. Be in a band.
7. Stop teaching (with the possibility of going back, of course. I like my job, but I’m not sure I’m ready for 40 plus years straight!).
8. Perform either Sir Mixalot’s ‘Baby Got Back’ or MC Hammer’s ‘U Can’t Touch This’ in their entirety at a karaoke.
9. Hang out with you!

Eight Words/Phrases You Say Everyday:

1. Random
2. Fabulous!
3. Banter
4. Sorry
5. Awesome
6. High Five!
7. Muppet
8. Numpty

Seven Things You Hate/Dislike:

(With the proviso that I don’t hate, but I do dislike)

1. Spitting
2. Rudeness
3. Boredom
4. People spelling my name incorrectly
5. People chewing food with their mouths open
6. Thong underwear
7. Unkindness

Six Things You Love:

1. My family
2. My wonderful friends – I genuinely don’t know what I’d do without you guys!
3. Singing.
4. Dancing, oh and music! And books!
5. Doing nice things for people
6. Pop culture

Five People You Look Up To:

1. Mum and Dad.
2. Sian and Peter.
3, 4, and 5 would be a tie of all my friends – all so amazing in such radically different ways, and always there to chat, challenge and cheer :-).

Four Places You Want To Visit:

1. Canada
2. Spain
3. The Caribbean
4. Right now, Forres! Via Ballinluig!

Three Things You Could Do Without:

1. The current BS fest I’m dealing with in one area of my life.
2. The whole insurance nightmare I’m dealing with after my crash.
3. Razorlight.

Two Things You Never Want To Do:

1. Hurt someone majorly.
2. Give up.

One Person Who Has Changed Your Life For The Better:

1. You, probably.

Night, all.

Cxx

Singalong Sunday, 16th September (yes, it has been a while...)

Oh man, I’m beat.

. Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-A-Lot

“They only talk to her because she looks like a total prostitute”. What a way to begin the singalong…

So here we are. It’s 10.30 Sunday and I’m sat here in my PJs, hair still damp from the shower, brain tired, feet sore, mind busy after a funfilled weekend where I felt like I barely stopped for 30 hours or so. Awesome, and pics to follow. Pics, that is, of Mlle Wilson and I. Nary a one of the Forres lads – I’d love to tell you it’s because they were being all enigmatic, but I think it’s more to do with me chatting too much rather than turning photographer!

2. E-Bow The Letter – R.E.M

What are REM doing now? I miss them. Are they still together? Touring? Producing? I need to find out.

So after my post yesterday I zoomed down to London at met the divine Mlle Wilson. She’s the most amazing girl –witty, stylish, clever, kind, beautiful. She’s my girl, fo’ sure. Across the city we zoomed to our abode for the evening, a charming, um, bijou (?) room in a hotel right next door to Kings X (high five! There are few things that irk me more than having to find digs in the middle of nowhere when it’s late and you just want to sleep). Our room certainly had a lot of character, but we had no time to appreciate before we were out the door and heading for the South Bank.

3. The Leanover – Life Without Buildings.

This song is so delightfully quirky and shoegazy and alternative. It always makes me smile.

Tube, tapas, trying to navigate a river bank festival to get to the gig…finally we’re by festival pier and someone shouts my name – Michael - and then we zoomed up and greeted him and Ewen (Ross being somewhere else having adventures. Or getting cash out. Make your own story, people!). Then it was time to get in and take our seats because Brian Wilson was about to begin. The boys were three rows back from the front, whereas Mlle Wilson and I kept it real in the balcony…

4. Good Morning Baltimore – Nikki Blonsky and chorus

Have you guys seen Hairspray yet? I loves it. I love the original too (I had to buy the DVD after wearing out my video, oh my life), but this is from the OST to the new version. Guess who’s learning the songs?

Brian came on stage and the first act was just sublime. Every time you thought he’d break out a more obscure pick, maybe something you didn’t rate, he pulled out another amazing classic. ‘Good Vibrations’ rocked so hard, ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ was such a moment, and as for ‘God Only Knows’? Just beautiful. My inner romantic went very gooey at that moment!

5. Everybody’s Free (To Feel Good) – Quindon Tarver (and Chorus)

This song is so clever. Who would have reimagined Rozalla’ Europop dance hit as spiritual gospel genius but Baz Luhrmann’s team?

Interval, loos, gin. Act two began with a preview of Brian’s new work, ‘That Lucky Old Sun’. Very mellow, chilled, lowkey…but as awesome as you’d think. Then he came back and with his (amazing) band rocked out some more. A historic gig.

6. Riptide – Willy Mason.

I love Willy Mason’s voice in a very sad fangirly fashion.

After the gig, there was much sqeeuing and excitement from us all. Then over the Thames and to Leicester Square, where we learnt that London inner city pubs close early. And promptly. So we found a restaurant for chips and pizza and pie and drinks. And took a wander around the West End.

7. Shake Some Action – David Lowery

‘Clueless’. Woo!

And I learnt that chatting with Mlle Wilson and the Forres boys is just as fun in London as it is in any other venue. Lots of chat and plans and banter (come on, there would have to be banter!) – music chat, job chat, future flat chat, girl chat, life chat. Awesome. And one very odd moment where we were walking through theatreland and as I strode on with my friends made in Forres and at Durham, I saw a girl I used to dance with in Aberdeen….it was like a life pile up!

8. House of Tom Bombadil – Nickel Creek.

Is it wrong to be in awe of a mandolin player?

The night ended, and Naomi and I pointed the guys in the direction of their hotel. Then all we had to do was find our nightbus. I had a vague remembrance that they all sort of went from Trafalgar Square. Miraculously, working on this vague assumption we found a bus in record time (wow, London nightbuses get lairy) and were home safe by 2. Sleep is always a good thing, but not before we had used the loo. Which was in an actual cupboard. Hee.

9. Hungry Eyes – Eric Carmen.

Oh heck yes. I almost bought a ‘Dirty Dancing’ keyring today. Who doesn’t want the chance to have Patrick Swayze declare “Nobody puts Baby in the corner” at their slightest whim? Think of the potential to liven up journeys, staff meetings, bad dates….

Today we met the boys for snackables and then they headed back north. Naomi and I got our shop on, and the next post will be lousy with us trying on Supremes style dresses, heinous sunglasses and pimp coats. It was fun!

10. Evaporated – Ben Folds Five.

Chilled. Which is good as it’s bedtime now…

So now I’m home, but I had a lovely weekend. Thanks Ewen, Ross, Michael and my girl Mlle Wilson for making what would have been a good weekend a really amazing one. I love you guys! And thanks to Brian Wilson for just being fabulous - I not only shouted “Brian Wilson is a god!” at one point, I also declared my love for him, and christened him my musical grandfather. Yeah, the gig was that good….

Have an amazing week, you guys.

Cxx

Hello!

I have really been beyond crap this time. There are many reasons - work is crazy, social life is healthy, stress levels are up, internet access is less easy to come by - but the long and short of it is less time to blog.

Take this weekend. I've just finished teaching, and am about to clear up my classroom, dash out the door, go home, sling some stuff in a bag and grab some lunch, drive to the station, catch the train down to London, meet Mlle Wilson, check into our hotel, meet the Forres boys, and go see BRIAN "godlike status" WILSON in concert. Life is busy, and I certainly can't complain, but my posts have been sporadic, to say the least!

So I'm going to try and blog at least three times a week, and make sure I check your blogs also. I love reading about your lives and getting your comments and emails...I don't want to lose it because real life is going a little mental.

On Monday, I'll post some pics of my London adventure, all things being well.

Have a wonderful weekend, all!

Cxx