Sunday Summary

Happy Mother's Day!

This week, I have mostly been...

Finishing 

My Goodreads review is here but to summarise: Meh.

Now reading

and about to start simu-reading

Walking

Today's Big 'Un took me on a neat if perilous little loop around the wilds of Woodhatch and Reigate, onto the little highways and byways alongside which no pavements are destined to run. (RIP the poor deer whose remains I spied in a gulley on Slipshatch Road at one point. Grim... Not that a deer sees the benefit of a footpath but nevertheless)

I'll say this for local drivers: sometimes they do bomb it down those lanes like they just don't care. But more often than not they'll slow and acknowledge you for stepping aside and for being a responsible walker (and walking facing traffic). And that gives me the warm fuzzies inside.

I took off my iPod the minute the pavement dropped away and as a result had a very quiet but mindful little yomp on the outskirts of the pretty little villages of Betchworth

{Betchworth Bridge}

and Buckland

(at which point I nearly fist-pumped the air when the pavement reappeared).

Clocked up 12.24 miles in 3 and a half hours. Not bad given all the hedgerow-hopping. And yes, that comedy wrong turn deviation I made before I'd even got out of Redhill.

Watching

House. Binge-watching would be a more accurate description (Netflix, you feeder, you). I began drafting this post from the tail-end of Series 5. I'm now three and a half eps into Series 6 and obsessed with the re-emergence of "Huddy" (that marvellous House-and-Cuddy sexual chemistry come to fruition).

How will it all pan out?!

Best I finish watching that episode, eh, just to put my mind at rest?

I've also been trying to get into Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the new comedy (also on Netflix, darn it) about a girl released from an apocalypse cult who re-establishes herself in NY (yay to the NY backdrop) -- still trying to fully warm to it as it seems a leetle over-acted at times, but there are some great cameos and some great lines so maybe I'll persist.

Hanging out with Natalie

Yea verily, on Friday evening I got to spend some long-overdue, much-needed qualidee time with my beautiful bestest friend (who bears more than a passing resemblance to a younger Julianne Moore). We shopped for photo props (and twirling batons, and aviator glasses -- thank you, Nats, I love 'em!), made cocktails:

"Here's your Cosmo, miss..."

sang highlights from the Queer as Folk soundtrack very loudly to the amusement (very possibly) of my neighbours, made more cocktails (enter the Sexy Solero: Malibu and mango juice), cooked cremated pasta-with-tomato-and-mozzarella, subsequently set off the smoke alarm, put the world to rights in between the frivolity, and took a shedload of selfies (some with wigs and glasses to set off our inherent fabulosity, natch):

{"Livin' with my bitches #live"}

With requisite postmodern irony (because we're both in our thirties...) this tune became our theme de la nuit (on Spotify because there's a very rude word that pops up in the video!).

The shenans of the evening led to a great need for a Saturday-morning fry-up, and a local caff obliged.

{...need... coffee... and... carbs... now...}

Excellent start to the weekend? We nailed it.

Pinterest Pin of the Week 

...because I can't stay away from the boards at the moment:

via Pinterest | Ruche on Tumblr

Reminding you lovely people that, yes...

Want to write the Sunday Summary for me one week? Don't be shy. These size-five shoes are not so hard to fill. Drop me a comment on the quirky brunette's Facebook page if you're keen.


Weekly Weblinks

Literary Linkage

• Egmont shortlisted for Children's Publisher of the Year @ Bookseller Awards | {via The Bookseller} Yay!
• Why digital natives prefer reading in print | {via NYPL, @ Washington Post}
• New Margaret Atwood novel due in Autumn | {via The Bookseller}
• State investigators interview Harper Lee | {via The Bookseller} There is something very sad about this whole situation now...
• Virago acquires Shena Mackay memoir and backlist | {via The Bookseller} Mackay wrote this book:

• James Patterson to fund school libraries in US | {via The Bookseller}
• 40 Pieces of Jewellery for Book Lovers | {via Pulptastic} Thanks to Charlie for the link

The Great Gatsby West and East Egg necklaces | via Pulptastic

• Slightly less demanding cookery books | {via The Poke}

| via here

Non-literary Linkage

Only a couple this week...

• Great optical illusions by artist Rob Gonsalves | {via George Takei on Facebook}

| Rob Gonsalves

• Flippin' brilliant: The Archers, as depicted by Playmobil, ergo, The Plarchers | {on Twitter} Thanks to Ma QB for this one!

| Ambridge Synthetics on Twitter

Right, well, bits of me are protesting at sitting at this desk when they could be sprawled over a POÄNG armchair and footstool and rejuvenated with a ready-meal dinner and wine, so I'll 'op to it. The body wants what it wants.

Have splendid weeks, people.

#splendid

qb xx