You know when you do All the Things (although none of them are especially blogworthy), then stop, have a second's rest, then get ill?
That.
Apparently the universe doth decree that I Do Not Deserve to Rest and Thus Punishest Me With Lurg.
Harrumph, is all I can say to that.
Anyway. In between being a brave little soldier (OK, not so much) and finally battling the aforementioned Lurg but then surfacing to battle my way through All the Work (and no, I had not one day off, that's how much of a little martyr I am!) I have also mostly been ...
Reading 📕
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| {Little Women} |
Friends
Strange how all the most iconic Friends moments took place in the first few series, and how it takes a little while now to work out who the audience is cheering for when the cameos rock up (because many are very much of the time).
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| {You remember Brooke Shields, right?} |
Oh but look, here's Big Boo from Orange is the New Black, chatting up Phoebe at Carol and Susan's wedding!
The first episode, the pilot, was surprisingly bitty and oddly frustrating but three seasons in and it has really hit its stride.
And Ross, could you be more of a tool, really?
Ramona
If you're of A Certain Age and perhaps even read Beverly Cleary's series of Ramona Quimby books as a child, you may remember this Canadian miniseries which I do believe may have run on Saturday or Sunday mornings back in the Eighties.
Ma QB recently discovered that some genius individual known only as Knuckles Dragging has uploaded much of the series on to YouTube (we had two or three episodes on tape back in the day) so I've been reliving my far-gone youth in the manner of a contemporary binge-watcher.
It's a treat, it really is.
Derry Girls
This, I discovered by overhearing the near-hysterical conversations of my workmates discussing the series so I duly downloaded it on to the All4 app. No regrets.
It's brilliant. Very silly, very surreal and brilliant. And as it's set during the Nineties and based on teenage girls at that time, it's very identifiable for those of that Certain Age (except when it isn't and is just hilarious) and the characters are superbly drawn.
Oh but SPOILER ALERT, the last scenes of the last episode of this first series will floor you.
Writing ✍
Although with slightly less regularity this past fortnight: train journeys are for dozing ...
I do aim to rectify that once life settles down a bit, with a stolen hour or so in Costa after church before heading home to do all the things I should have been doing instead of sitting in Costa like a pretentious hipster-type, writing.
Bouncing 🐰
You remember way back when (four weeks ago) I had decided that I was too unfit for a trampoline fitness class and was hunting down a more traditional trampoline class?
I found one, y'all!
Hurrah for Google, and for local gymnastics and trampolining club Springfit for letting me in and letting me bounce proper-like.
Monday nights are now 'bouncy-bouncy' nights, and I'm working my way through the Grades.
Oh look, here's my proud little face after achieving my Grade 3 on the first week.
Although with less regularity than I ought, even now.
However, I made a couple of new recipe book purchases at the beginning of the year. You'll see a theme here:
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| {Fewer. Four ingredients or fewer. Tut tut.} |
I'm dabbling in both of these books, with the occasional interspersion of a recipe from one of these two Miguel Barclay titles:
but it never ceases to be a pleasure to have the oven on, and a home-cooked dinner to sit down to on a Sunday night. Tonight I'm making a stew. Yep. Stew for the dinner win!
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| {Jamie's Herby Chicken Tray Bake. It's not Jamie's ... it's mine!} |
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| {Meal planning in progress} |
Having some comparatively low-keys evening out 🍷🍕🍟
... firstly with this one, last Friday night! (Who I don't think needs an introduction any more!)
I arrived at the company flat (laden with the most cumberbatchsome shopping bag, like, ever)
and settled in for a while as Natalie was waylaid, but I managed to fill the time with the penultimate episode of Derry Girls, crisps and a cheeky mini Prosecco (really could have done with a bigger bottle, truth be told) before Natalie rocked up and the party proper got started. (By that I mean we ate a bowl of prawn crackers and watched music videos whilst putting the world bang to rights.)
We drank a lil' bit, posed a big lot ... then staggered into town, giggling like maniacs, for a slap-up meal.
By that I mean a garlic bread pizza starter. Because neither of us was really in the mood for anything more extravagant. And only Natalie and I could spend quality time dolling up and posing ... to go to Prezzo and share a starter washed down with water, then come home again. Via the corner shop to buy a small bottle of Sinex for my poor bunged-up conk.
Good times.
Nobutseriously.
It was a lovely low-key night and exactly what our poor Lurg-wearied selves needed after a long week.
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| {Warm-up drinkie whilst awaiting the Ginger One} |
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| {Killing time with Snapchat and excellent hair decisions} |
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| {Waiting for our starter, looking comparatively sophis'} |
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| {Yeah, we're really quite hungry now ...} |
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| {Waiting for 'er to wake up} |
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| {Still waiting ... This is a quality look, amiright?} |
We then did our statutory trog around the shops, namely the charity shops and Jeremy's Home Store as standard.
I found some vinyl gems in the charity shops. Gems, I tell thee:
The following evening I did my best to stave off any further manifestations of Lurg by trotting up (and down?) to That Thar London Town (up to London Bridge, down to Tooting) to help Ms Evie celebrate a Significant Birthday.
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| {Wine while u wait ...} |
Of course once the near-fully assembled company had ... assembled (at the rather gorgeous Trafalgar Arms on the High Street) we were having such a giggle that there was no actual time to take photos so, my readers, you'll just have to be content with these, evidence if there were any that I Went to London and Survived and What's More All my Train Journeys were Blissful.
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| {Going underground, going underground ...} |
Anyway, big ups due to three fifths of the Foyles Goyls present: birthday gal Evie (of course), Katerina and Eloise, and an honorary big-up to Kerrie.
Pinterest Pins of the Week 📌
Fortnightly Web Finds 🕸🔍
Serious 😐
• The amazing Ms Evie took the TfL to task on Twitter earlier this week after this poorly judged, sexist 'joke' appeared on a travel information board at Colliers Wood:
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| {Photo by Evie} |
• 3 Difficult Things about Being a Single Introvert | on Introvert, Dear
And on the flipside:
• 10 Reasons Why It's Great Being a Single Introvert | also on Introvert, Dear
Although I will say this article translates at times as, all partners are scary and overbearing and will leech your monies and your time, so do read it with a tiny pinch of salt. Or don't. I'm not the boss of you. You do you.
Photographer reverses the roles on sexist advertisements | on Braincharm | Some of the originals are hideous. | via Nerds with Vaginas on Facebook
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| {by Eli Rezkalla; via here} |
Natalie, remember last week we were wondering what happened to Jessie J?
• Here she is, in Japan (!) and sounding flippin' epic:
What a babe. | With thanks to Glenda!
This next article falls slightly between the rails of Serious and Silly so I'm prescribing a new category:
Somewhere In-Between 😕😶🌝
• Judging Books by their Covers: Five publishing design cliches | on BBC Arts
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| {via here} |
Silly 🤡
• This is insane. Candy or Not Candy: a Japanese game show. Bite into an object: is it chocolate or sugar ... or not?
With thanks to Edd; and especially for Emily, this iconic moment as a gif:
• Also via Edd: Bollywood plus Brazilian metal = awesome. Also insane.
• Google Translate Sings ... | Havana by Camila Cabello | Malinda Kathleen Reese on YouTube
Sweet 🍬🐶
• Squirrel Winter Olympics | on Bored Panda | via Ali
• The beautiful friendship between a dog and an owl | also on Bored Panda | via Evie
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| {Photograph: Tanja Brandt} |
--
Footnote 👣
But! When I do summon said energy, I'll try to make those posts as replete as is humanly possible when one is a battered husk at the end of the working week.
Deal?
See you again in a fortnight or so, then!
qb xx
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