Welcome to the last month of the year.
I know.
We're in December.
How the actual chuff did that happen? I mean, eh?!
Anyway, as I have no doubt that I'll be spending New Year's Eve in the midst of a) a barbaric round of UNO, b) a gin haze and c) a mire of contemplation and reflection, I thought I'd pop in a cheery (and coherent) December missive before life gets too heckin' hectic (and this week's looking a bit mad) and catch you all up on recent shenanigans in the small, self-contained Realm of QB.
Do you remember (and cast your minds back some time now) when I used to post regularly:
and used to subdivide my post by theme? So, what I'd been reading, watching, writing, cooking and implicitly destroying, doing, all punctuated with random photographs and comedy gifs.
Remember how for a while I tried to change things up:
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| {OK, non-slurry, non-greasy Bradley Cooper, I won't.} |
Stop Press: I'm going back to what QB does best, people.
The outcome, I hope, will be an amalgamation, if you will, of structured Sunday Summary goodness with the pleasingly less time-consuming regularity of a Monthly Missive.
So here we go. I hereby present December's (first) Monthly Missive (as I might feel the compulsion for another, who knows?!), in old-skool format.
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This month, I have been mostly...
Reading 📚
Bonkers
The sublime Jennifer Saunders' autobiography (which is now five years old) has been waiting patiently on my bookshelf for some time, so given I've spent the best part of the last couple of months rediscovering French and Saunders (the middle seasons were the absolute best) and revisiting AbFab (sweetiedarlingsweetie) including watching the film... (no, let's not talk about the film) I thought, eh, why not read it?
'Tis an enjoyable read.
It flits back and forth chronologically, there's a fair bit of name-dropping, and large time periods appear to go uncovered, but the tone of voice is indisputably Saunders' from beginning to end, and her self-effacing humour is always front and centre.
I particularly enjoyed the references to the making of The Comic Strip's 1985 film, The Supergrass (filmed and set in our beloved Hoooooope Cooooooooooooove); but was a little sad that she didn't make any mention of the MoonWalks she did (although perhaps she's not one to bang on about the charidee-type things she does, and just does them).
I say this purely selfishly because I overtook her and Arabella Weir outside Hyde Park during the 2005 MoonWalk; I may have tried making a passing quip in their presence, I can't remember; either way I am still living off those fifteen seconds of thrall over being in the midst of two great comedians.
I've now moved on to Is it Just Me?
the autobiog of one Miranda Hart. I'm feeling the need for back-to-back funny ladies at the moment.
Watching 📺
French and Saunders
though skipping through much of the first 'findin' their feet' season and living for parodies like this one which is just the best thing (providing the video works):
Absolutely Fabulous
though skipping through much of the last 'losing its mojo' season (there's less that's funny about a mother and straight-laced/resentful adult daughter not getting on; and Bubble's shrieking has become less adorable and more irritating as the series goes on) and living for the earlier, more iconic Eddie/Patsy/Saffy interchanges.
13 Reasons Why
which is about as far from comedy as one serial can be but if you feel mentally able to engage with an often graphic, upsetting drama (with muchos swearos, violence, assault ...) about a seventeen-year-old girl who takes her own life, then my word, this show is powerful.
I will however plant
A HUGE WARNING RIGHT HERE
After Hannah Baker's death, a set of thirteen cassettes recorded by Hannah (yes, I know; the Youth are trying to Make Tapes Great Again and good luck to them) is released and circulated to the people whom Hannah believes pushed her to make the decision – each features one of her 'reasons why' she killed herself.
What arises as each of the characters hears these tapes are some alarming allegations and multi-faceted stories that lead the viewer to wonder how much is the truth, and how much is Hannah's interpretation of the truth.
Much of the series is built around ensuring that viewers feel they can address and begin a conversation about the subjects raised in the series, and the programme consistently tries to provide help resources.
But on any level the drama is harrowing, and the last episode of the first series had me in tears of all-out ugly crying.
For us older people, there's an added layer of nostalgia involved; the high school in 13RW is Liberty High, which brings to mind memories of 90s teen drama My So-Called Life (as does the appearance of Wilson "Rickie" Cruz in the second series, as a proper grown-up lawyer); and Meredith Monroe (remembered by other folk of my generation as Andie McPhee in teen-angsty talkathon Dawson's Creek) rocks up as the mother (the mother!) of one of the teenagers, Alex.
Learning 🤓
Deutsch und/och Svenska
with the Duolingo app.
I have Cousin Jo to thank: she messaged me one evening, in Dutch (!), which confused me no end, but then revealed that for funsies she is teaching herself the language on the Duolingo app.
We Harwoods, much like the gal from Greece in that Pulp song, have a thirst for knowledge, and are at our core a little bit up for a challenge; so I took up the mantle and decides to use the app to learn a bit of German, and brush up on my meagre Swedish.
German is hard, y'all.
Especially now I've got onto the section on learning accusatory case, and hellz if I know if the verb should be trinken, trinkt, trinke or trinkst in a sentence.
Great. Helpful.
Or as Patsy "Stein" would say: "Yeah, cheers, thanks a lot."
Oh well, it's fun and it keeps me from throwing stink-eye at children with their feet on the seat on the morning train, so everyone's a winner, right?
(I am slightly paranoid that the Swedish app knows me a little too well, however ...)
Cooking (and implicitly destroying) 🍲
It being those cold (!) winter months, I've pulled out ye olde Slow Cookers (plural, because, yes, this one-person household is a two-SC household), and have been slow-cooking like a BOSS.
That said, it's never recommended to leave a steak on for the best part of ten hours on a non-timeable SC. You may as well slow-cook your own shoes.
Nor is it recommended to put a casserole dish on the hob when it's not hob-friendly.
And – general rule – don't put a jug of soup on an unstable surface.
Nuff said.
I've been given and recommended several new recipes, however, including this new quick-prepare favourite (ain't nobody got time to brown their meat before work):
Chicken fillet in tomato sauce
Put chicken fillets in the SC (I grease the cooker with oil first but it's probably not necessary).
Cover with one or two tins/small packs of chopped tomatoes.
Lavish with herbs and seasoning.
Cook for about eight hours on low.
Come home to a tomato-y flat and delicious, tender chicken. Perfect with a bit o' pasta.
(Thanks to Sophie K for this simple yet ingenious idea!)
It is also possible to make a pretty delicious apple cake in the slow cooker. Just puttin' that out there.
Falling in love 😍🐷
...with Alan.
This is Alan.
He was sent to me by an angel (Charlie, that's you, love) and I have grown somewhat obsessed about integrating him wholeheartedly into my daily life.
The cult of Alan (for there are many Alans nation- and now worldwide) has grown out of a shared love for the sort of tat that can be sourced at your local branch of TK Maxx. Alan, of course, being an exception. Alan is sacred. All hail Alan.
People are going all-out to source an Alan and his band of friends beyond the confines of the Maxx, and Charlie sent me my own Alan a couple of weeks ago.
Surrey Alan and I have been inseparable, and have even been out hunting in Reigate for cousins to rehome with Ma QB and two of my workmates.
But not yet. Alan is getting Christmas-ready and I don't want to spoil his fun.
Besides, the Passion for Alan is hereditary, and who am I to deny genetics?
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| {Kent Alan and Surrey Alan at IKEA, sporting jumpers knitted by Ma QB.} |
Link Love 🔗
None this month but I'll be accumulating linkage again in readiness for the next post.
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Well, I think that's quite enough for one post given the Lack of Posts of late; I will try much harder in future to make these posts more human-interesty (with evidence of social engagements/interaction and such) and less waffly/Beffly, but it's been a while, so please
Until the next time, bis bald, as they say in Germany.
qb xx
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