Root Out the Nuggets...

The fairy lights along the bannister are on! Sadly, the 2024 switch-on wasn't soundtracked by excited crowds counting down in unison. Nope, it was a much more sedate affair. I simply decided that if the political landscape of the West was now this precarious and scary, I needed nice things in my life. The switch got flicked and the warm white glow of a hundred little lights lit up my home. 

Nuggets of joy?

So what else have I been doing to stop my brain working out the logical end game of, for example, putting up a known anti-vaxxer to be in charge of US health? Well, there's been lots of mashed potato. That, along with thick gravy, is cheering me up. I've begun working through the official Christmas Watch List - a list of every Christmas film or TV episode that I rate, starting with the basics and peaking on Christmas Eve. (The list starts with the Midsomer Murders episode, Ghosts of Christmas Past, and ends with It's A Wonderful Life.) Besides that? What else have I been doing to keep spirits up? Ngl, it's been a tricky one. What with everything else, I've got a stinking cold, and two lovely people I know have just died. It's not been a terribly upbeat time. All the more reason, then, to keep searching out the nuggets of joy. Mashed potato, fairy lights, or Christmas films will do for now. There'll be more to come. Part resistance, part celebrating each new day - finding the joy is the least we can, and must, do.

Me, played by Jennifer Aniston, 
dealing with my sniffles.

Writing News

Argghh. The dog ate my homework! I left it on the bus! Or, to be less metaphoric and/or cliched, my snotty, sniffly cold meant I couldn't be arsed getting into the next chapter. This is bad! I know! I even missed my writing group, which doesn't often happen. This week I have to knuckle down and push through. Chapter Seven, with it's massive pull out section in my planning notebook, will be started this week. Defo.

Good Bye Lenin!

Culture News

Besides the aforementioned Christmas films, I've been hammering the German cinema stuff. All since my Berlin holiday. So, it was a rewatch of The Lives of Others - I talked about this last week when I visited places where it was filmed. I also found Good Bye Lenin! It used to be on Prime but now seems only available on YouTube. No matter, it was great, and provided plenty of times where I could say, 'Oh, look, it's... (insert Berlin street name/square here).' Finally, in non-Christmas and non-German film news, the revamped and modernised series of The Day of the Jackal is on Sky and it's BOSS. Grippy and slick, but with no hugely stressful real-life peril to deal with. It's a hard recommend from me.

Food and Drink

Along with the mash, I made dark beer onion gravy from a recipe online. I'm not sure it worked - a bit too bitter in the end - but it SMELT amazing. As well as that, I made pretzels. Get me! It was another online recipe but this one worked. 

For the rest of the week, I had soup for tea so I could have a legitimate daily pretzel accompaniment. But now? Now I've got to get back to a semblance of balance and health. At least before silly season kicks in. More veg, less mad carbs, and back to mixing in my non-alcoholic with my alcoholic drinks. It's a plan!

Out and About

In spite of my sniffles, on Saturday I had a day in London. My aunt's just relocated so this was the first visit we did as a family. It's a bit of a trek, I'll give you that, but near enough to a tube station to navigate to easily enough. It's always exciting when someone you know moves to a new area -  hello Ladbroke Grove! It certainly keeps things lively.

So, how are we going to tackle the week ahead? What nuggets of joy are we going to seek out? It's good to wallow and mend for a short time - whether it's from having a cold or feeling utterly fed up at the state of things. But the thing about a short time is that it's over pretty quickly. And then? Then we defiantly and definitely crack on. 

Have a lovely week, folks.

History Lessons on Holiday...

In hindsight, I'm not sure what would have been better. To have been watching the US election in the middle of a mundane week at home, or have it happen slap bang in the middle of my Berlin holiday - taking out a chunk of tourist time but with enough distractions in the aftermath to keep me busy. I pulled my customary all-nighter regardless. Pre-trip, I'd already planned to write off any activity the following day. Either because I'd be still watching the states declare their votes or because I'd be sleepily celebrating a Democrat win. That was my plan. And then the absolute opposite happened. 

Wednesday was written off because I was sleepily depressed. Tired and sad, scared and angry, and utterly shocked. Perhaps in months or years to come we'll learn - like we did with the 2016 election - there was a vast array of interference. Remember? That was some of what Trump was convicted of earlier this year. But that fact, among other horrendous facts about him and his presidential plans, did not deter lots of people voting for him. Vox Pops of white men* popped up on my screen at various intervals. They kept saying they voted for him because of the economy. Great. That'll help the women who are denied critical health care as they bleed out, immigrants being threatened with deportations, and LGBTQIA+ folks who are filled with fear about their very right to live. But the economy? Oh right. Good work. No, really. 

Normal(ish) service for my holiday, resumed on Thursday when I stopped hibernating and tried to crack on. I got the U-Bahn to the East Side Gallery. It has a section of preserved Berlin Wall, covered in murals by artists from all over the world. The myriad art pieces depict freedom, revolution, and rising from tyranny after the darkest periods in history. It couldn't have been more on the nose if it tried. 

Writing News 
I've had a week off writing and it's been useful. When I'm at home, even if I'm not physically typing words onto the current draft, I'm never NOT thinking about my current work in progress. Being elsewhere for a week, has provided my first empty-brain moment since August. But there is writing news that's useful to impart. Your US writers are scared. If you like reading books - particularly YA books that include LGBTQIA+ characters, depict experiences of racial discrimination, or push the boundaries of a 'traditional' mindset even a smidge - now might be a good idea to buy a paper copy. Keeping paper copies of banned books is how they survive for future generations. Just a thought.

 

The Memorial to the
Murdered Jews of Europe.

Culture 
Let's get back to Berlin and its charms. It really is a culture-rich city and I don't think I've been to so many museums in a week before. Special shout out to the Stasi museum. It's shown in the film, The Lives of Others and to be there in the flesh was chilling. The Holocaust memorial was also very affecting. Small columns of dark grey stone fill a large section of the pavement. As you walk between them towards the middle, the ground gradually slopes, and before you know it, you're surrounded by towering columns that block out all surroundings. No matter which way you turn, you're enveloped, and for a longer-than-is-comfortable time, it feels like you'll never see light again. As I said, very affecting. 

The scale was massive.
If I were  standing next
to this art work I'd come
about halfway up the wall.

And then there was an art exhibit by the artist, Yadegar Asisi. It's a 360 degree panorama depicting a view of East Berlin from the west side of the wall. Its scale was breathtaking and no picture I could take would ever take would do it justice. 

The LOVELIEST wine

Food and Drink 
There's a lot of meat. That's my impression of Berlin, and, as you know, I'm a pescatarian almost all the time. The thing is, the Bavarian beer hall restaurants were such a vibe, I ate there anyway. And even though I was a bit limited in what I could choose, I didn't care. The atmosphere was boss. What I could rely on, food wise, was my daily massive pretzel. I now know that a massive daily pretzel is enough to cover breakkie and lunch, and keep me fuelled for an active day of sightseeing. Who knew? In other, less German specific food and drink news, I LOVED the version of Sauvignon Blanc that my hotel bar stocked. 

A bit of Berlin
train action

Out and About
The first two days away, I walked everywhere. That meant excessively achy legs and losing the will to live/walk by about 5pm. On day three I worked out how to use the U-Bahn, and the world - well Berlin - was my oyster. It's now been added to my other underground train experiences (London, Paris, Barcelona, Oslo, and New York) and once again makes me wish we had similar where I live. And yes, I know Liverpool has a tiny underground system, but what I really want to do, is be able to get a train within a five minute walk from my house and have the option to get ALL OVER THE PLACE, all with the tap of a card. Sadly my small, Merseyside village has yet to build such a metro system for me. 

So on we go. I'm back home, and at some point I'm going to have to engage with the news again. For example, the German government collapsed while I was there, but it was post-election so I barely noticed. I'm sure my news-junkie status will return at some point. Meanwhile, kind people online are being extraordinarily resilient in suggestions on how to support progressive politics from afar. Buy the art, make the art, support friends and strangers whose lives are threatened, and keep the joy turned up to eleven. It's a plan, it's a start, and that's better than than nothing right now. 

Have a lovely week, folks 

*Not all white men, not all men, not all white people, etc etc. Insert a caveat against generalisations here. I'm simply anecdotally reporting what CNN showed me throughtout Tuesday night. It's also fair to say that the post-election data shows a significant number of white women voted Republican too. 

Ich bin ein Berliner...

Greetings from Berlin! 

I've finally made it to the capital city of the only other country whose language I've attempted to learn. Have I spoken any German since I've been here? Hardly any! At the time of writing, I've been here a couple of days. It's marvellous! And even though I'm doing the horrendous Brit abroad routine and hoping everyone else speaks English, my three years of Duolingo have given me a good grasp of signs, menus, and how to ask where the nearest bibliothek is, should the need arise. As I continue to do my utmost at having an empty-headed week regarding the current book, I've been busy with the joy of discovering a new place. Utter larks! 

Writing News
How's this for a mad coincidence? If you saw my blatherings on social media last week, you'll have seen me explain how I was determined to complete Chapter Six (of the first draft of the next Leeza McAuliffe book) before I left for my trip. And I did! Hurrah and huzzah! Chapter Six was NAILED. At that point in the story, Leeza and her school friends are about to leave for a week's holiday. And where are they about to visit? Berlin of course! Look, I KNEW that's where the story was going. I made it up and put it in my planning file, months ago. I also (vaguely) thought how useful it was that I was also going to the same place this year. But the fact I'm exactly at the point where Leeza visits Berlin when I myself am visiting Berlin, has blown my mind. Just me? Fair enough. 

The wall!

Culture
My usual idea of 'fun things to do on holiday' is simple. Go somewhere interesting. Read a load of books in the day, and eat and drink in the evening. I like restaurants and bars, and cosy places to sit with a novel. But this time? I arrived with a comprehensive list of the museums and attractions I want to visit. There's nine in total. I've never planned a holiday like that before. So far I've been to Checkpoint Charlie and the DDR museum. It's all rather educational but in the best way. Meanwhile, the Kindle book that's filling the downtime gaps, is - perhaps rather predictably after I raved about the TV show - Jilly Cooper's Rivals. I've read it before and have just watched the show, but I'm still getting loads more depth to the frolics on the page. Hard recommend.

German Me is no
 stranger to a pretzel.

Food and Drink

As I said above, the focus of this trip is different from my usual vibe. It's been snacks on the go so far, rather than full on meals. Pretzels, sandwiches, and a lot of cake. Who am I to argue? The downside of being away (for me - big caveat!) is I genuinely miss cooking. The upside is, a few days break from creative culinary pressures, means I'll be back all the stronger next time. 

I'll be there before
my break is over

Out and About 

I mean, what can I tell you. It's all about Berlin! Preserved bits of wall, memorials, and yesterday I walked past Trabiworld - worth a visit I'm sure. But prior to leaving, I did potter round Liverpool city Centre for their annual River of Light festival. Town was booming with halftime families but it was all good fun. 

Now all that is well and good, but the main focus for the week isn't Germany but the US. I'll be crossing everything that is possible to cross for a Democratic win tomorrow night - or whatever day the election is finally called. The alternative is unthinkable. It wasn't lost on me, as I read info boards about the rise of the Nazis yesterday, how easy it is for history to start to repeat itself. But there's still hope. Massive turnouts for early voting, huge numbers of newly registered women, and many Republicans sickened at the degradation of their party, have got to be worth something. Surely? I'll be closely watching, along with the rest of the world, and willing this particularly grim chapter be over.

Have a lovely week, folks.

A Spooky Rehash...

I'm about to do something I've never done before. Excited? Then brace yourselves. But first up, let me give you the context...

I'm away in a few days for a jaunt. Get me! The thing is, there's so much to do before I go. Obviously packing. That's a given. There there're the personal grooming procedures I personally desire before a holiday - eradicated roots, freshly shaven legs, and topped up lashes. And don't forget work deadlines. I plan to finish to the end of Chapter 6 before I leave. That's keeping me busy between all the shaving and packing. 

Not so much round my gaff.

But there's another demand on my time this week. We've almost arrived at Halloween. And as everyone with a pulse in the UK can attest, this is now a thing. When I was growing up, it was a semi-thing. Everyone knew 31st October was a date for the diary. Everyone knew it was a time for spooky fun. But beyond a few local children knocking on the door, that was about it. A girl in my primary school class had a Halloween party once. That year I dressed up with a pointy hat and a black bin liner cloak. But it was only once. Other years, there might be an art activity in school where we'd draw ghosts and goblins, and we'd have the annual duck apple fun at home, but that'd be the extent of the shenanigans. It was all quite low key. As is often the case, I question whether I had a full grasp on the sitch. Was Halloween really low key in 1980s UK, or was it just the 'we're not spending money on that sort of nonsense' vibes of my family? I'm never entirely sure. 

Just doing my bit.

Now, as a fully grown childfree adult, with very few child-age neighbours, I continue to downplay the seasonal highjacks. Except... except... except I get excited about all the spooky film fun. Scary films for the win! Not proper horror, you understand. No actual peril. Just the tingly thrill of a jump scare, in a thriller or mystery. And now for the thing I've never done before. Ready? Well, I'm about to rehash a previous blog. Handle it! And before you say it, this is not a sign of me running out of ideas, or not being appropriately arsed to write afresh. Not at all. It's merely that the spooky films I've signposted you towards in the past, remain my must watches for this time of year. If you want the blog post of yesteryear in full, click here. Otherwise, consider the rest of this post - the Long Read for October 2024 - a tribute to previously-expressed, yet still brilliant thoughts. Right, on you go, and happy Halloween.

Scream

My absolute favourite. A high school setting, a killer on the loose, satire, sass, a small town, a cast of suspects, meta references and smart dialogue. This will always be my favourite scary movie. And once you've watched the first one, you've got Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4, Scream 5, and Scream 6 to keep you going. All excellent riffs on a theme.

Clue

The epitome of daft, camp, fun. Based on the boardgames Cluedo (Clue in the US) this involves a country mansion, a collection of dinner guests, a dead body, and utter farce. If you watch it today, the film offers three alternate endings. When it came out in the cinema, different screenings had different final scenes. Can you imagine? There's some casual bigotry that doesn't hold up so well but the concept remains strong. 

Twilight

Not intentionally funny, this high school vampire lark still manages to cause me amusement with its intense earnestness. And high school romances are a favourite trope of mine. Who says vampires can't find love over their science projects?

Fright Night

There's an original that I saw once but I prefer the remake. Young teen, Charley, becomes convinced his next door neighbour is a vampire. And whaddaya know? He is! I love how it shows the isolation of Las Vegas living, away from the strip. And David Tennant's cameo as a Vegas vampire-hunter showman, is glorious. 

Bodies Bodies Bodies

Another house full of people to be killed/be suspected of killing. This one is a recent release and satirises Gen Z as the story unfolds. Quite gruesome in parts, with some actual peril for the characters but the edge is taken off by the humour. 

The Lost Boys

There's something cosy about this amidst all the creep. A move to their Grandad's small town means brothers Michael and Sam run into the local gang. Except there's something a bit undead about them. Cracking music and pure 80s vibes, this is one of my faves.

Ghostbusters

I only saw the original Ghostbuster quite late in the day - I was 38! - so the 2016 remake was a big win for me. Filled with funny woman, special effects, and Chris Helmsworth being ridiculous, it's a big screen shebang with lots of kapow.

Hercule Poirot - Halloween Party

If you're wanting more of a small screen scare, this is one of my favourite David Suchet Poirot episodes. With a screenplay by Mark Gatiss, it offers enough spooky fun to fit the season whilst keeping within the format of the show. It's also what Kenneth Branagh's recent cinema release, A Haunting in Venice, was based on. I'd say, very loosely based, is more accurate. 

Dawson's Creek

Let's end with another small screen offering. Dawson's Creek's screenwriter - Kevin Williamson - also wrote Scream. Smart teens dealing with horror? He's got this. Series 1, Episode 11 takes place on Friday 13th, with Dawson trying to scare his friends whilst a real serial killer is on the loose. Then in Series 3, Episode 7, the gang find themselves trapped on Witch Island overnight. It's a rip off/homage to the Blair Witch Project and is as spooky as it sounds. Everyone's fine in the end and the characters live to see a few more series. It's a lovely spooky blip in the midst of relationship angst. No real harm done.

So there you go. What do you reckon? Are you already full of the joy of Halloween films or has this whetted your appetite? There are some obvious omissions of course. If you Google 'Halloween Movies' the one that comes up over and over is Hocus Pocus. I saw it once and I liked it. Or Death Become Her? Or Halloween? Or... I could go on. Like, forever. There's loads of them out there. But it's time to wrap this up. However you spend Tuesday* evening, may it be as spooky or non-spooky as your heart desires. 

Have a lovely week, folks.

*Obvs this year it's Thursday. For your records.

Non-Sweaty Activities Only...

'Don't sweat and don't get wet.' 

That's what's written in my diary for today. For the next week and a bit, to be exact. And why? Well, I've just had my eyebrows re-microbladed. Yep, these perfectly arched frames to my face are not a gift from God. They're a gift from Colette, the legend that worked her magic on me last week. (Actually, they're not a gift, they were paid for, obviously, but you get my drift.) So for the foreseeable future I'm showering with a taped piece of plastic over my forehead, I'm gingerly cleansing my face with a cotton wool pad instead of scrubbing freely in the shower, and I'm avoiding sweat under any circumstances. Happily, the current temperatures mean my morning walks keep exposed skin to a cool chill, I'm continuing in my life-long mission to avoid the gym, and thank frig for the joy of HRT and the reduction in hot flushes. I shall continue to not sweat and keep my brows dry as we head into a new week. But please, don't mind me. Enjoy all the wet-faced sweating that you yourselves have free reign to experience.

May does have a chapter plan
but it will be 'looked at.'

Writing News

I'm still on Chapter 5. It's the May chapter of the next Leeza McAuliffe book and it's not coming so easily. April flew by, and I'm looking forward to writing June, but May? I think the problem is that nothing much happens. And there it is. BAM. What a useful thing to note at this stage. Nothing much happens in this chapter and it's boring to write. Well D'UH! Ya think it's going to be any better to read, Nicky, you dickhead? Point noted. Thank you, Inner Voice. The May chapter will be looked at and enlivened, ASAP.

Any excuse for a gif of 
these two lovelies.
Nick and Charlie from Heartstopper.

Culture

Jilly Copper's Rivals has just dropped on Disney+ and I'm here for it. A colleague leant me the book about fifteen years ago, and despite initial snobby misgivings on my part, I absolutely DEVOURED it. The show's had a load of positive write-ups since its arrival on Friday and I'm giddy to jump in. Meanwhile, I'm in the middle of my second full rewatch of Heartstopper - the show that teaches Sex and Relationship Education infinitely better than any scheme of work ever could, and in news that surprises even me, I've been watching some old Marvel movies. Captain America and the first Avengers film were seen off last week.

This was celery, onion, carrot,
fake chorizo, stock, wine, 
passata, Italian herbs, spinach,
paprika, and tortellini. 

Food and Drink

It's soup season! My Insta algorithm won't stop pushing soup on me right now. I know it only shows you what you're interested in, but who knew there were so many soup recipes in existence. Last week I made a bolognesey one and then a smoky tomato one. Rather than a thin, watery broth, they were packed full of veg, veggie meat, and pasta. On reflection, the title soup really is a broad church. If you're on Insta, this account is your one-stop shop for all things soup.

I took this photo last week
because it reminded me of
the When Harry Met Sally
poster of Central Park. But
then I Google-image searched, 
and realised it was nothing like it.

Out and About

Microblading and flu jabs aside, the past week has been fairly routine. There were the usual morning walks, writing hours, Wednesday brunch and Thursday Costa as standard, with a Liverpool Women's match thrown in yesterday. How marvellous that fairly routine is still jam-packed full of events. 

Whether you're simmering soup, blading brows, or simply sweating to your heart's content, have a marvellous time whilst doing it.

Have a lovely week, folks.

Relax, Conserve Juices...

Well, well, well. Isn't the Tory leadership race exciting! 

What's that? It's not? Not even a little bit? Not even the teeniest, tiniest bit exciting? No? Fair enough, you've convinced me. To be honest, I only brought it up because I was looking for something newsy to riff on for this opening paragraph. Aside from horrific wars, and gossipy sideswipes at the new UK government, that's about it. Of course there's the US election, or the awful hurricanes that seem to be regular fixtures these days. Lots of people enjoyed the Northern Lights last week, and some Nobel Prizes were announced. Can I riff on that? Nah, I'm just not feeling it. Maybe all my creative juices have been spent on my book. Why don't you read the next paragraph to see if that's true.

A still from
 last week's vid

Writing News

I've finished the first draft of Chapter 4 and started Chapter 5. Hurrah! If you follow me on TikTok, Insta, or YouTube (and why would you not?) you'll have seen me talk about my self-imposed deadlines for this draft. By the end of October I'm aiming to have finished to the end of Chapter 6. If I keep up my skej, I'll be done with draft one by the end of February 2025. This is massively quicker than my usual writing rate and I'm properly proud that I've stuck to the plan so far. Let's see how it goes over Christmas. That's the time when whatever wheels I have, truly come off. I'll need to conserve the juices wherever possible, and write my ass off the rest of the time.

Culture

A real life museum exhibit for you this week. You know, like, PROPER culture, not just me banging on about the TV I've watched? Last Sunday I went to the Holly Johnson Story exhibit at the Liverpool Museum. It was marvellous - filled with  art, costumes, album covers, and with Frankie Goes To Hollywood's tunes blasting throughout. Scarily, Holly - icon of my childhood - is now 64 and having a bit of a resurgence. I've got tickets booked for his tour next year and now I've immersed myself in the exhibition, I'm well up for it.

It's not bad, 
ya know

Food and Drink

In a vague bid to be a touch healthier, I've been investigating non-alcoholic wines for use on an odd evening, now and then. I've tried this before. Several years ago, I turned up at a house party that I was driving home from, with a bottle of non-boozy red wine. It was gross. I drank it because I'd bought it and that was the plan, but urgh! It was like the warmest, weirdest berry juice you've ever tasted. I assumed that was to be my first and last foray into non-alcoholic beverages. UNTIL NOW. Kylie's only gone and done it. Minogue not Jenner's fizzy pink non-wine wine is actually pretty good. Would I mistake it for the real thing in a blind taste test? No, course not. Have I had several bottles over the past few weeks and enjoyed them regardless? Hell yeah! In related news, Guinness Zero is actually delish. For real. Taste testing would be genuinely interesting because I'm not convinced I'd spot it.

Widnes looking good

Out and About

The recent weather has been OPTIMUM for morning walks - where I'm located, at least. Bitingly cold but with bright sun emerging mid-route. Some mornings require a scarf as well as the hoody, and these days we're at the point of wearing T shirts underneath. It's a thrill to get out of bed right now, so long may it continue.

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, whoever you're doing it with, remember what Frankie said? Relax!

Have a lovely week, folks.

Spotlight on Boston...

Last week my brother was in Boston for work, and it drove me mad. Honest to God! His Insta output and regular photo dumps on the family WhatsApp were making me DESPERATE to visit. And why? Well, judging by his pics (and his flatmate's excellent vlogs) there's an overwhelming amount of pumpkins, orange floral wreaths, and general autumnal cosiness going on in Boston right now. 

And what have I got here? Well, I rewatched Spotlight in the week, to try and feel the Boston vibe. It's an excellent film but more focused on the investigation into the Catholic abuses scandal than seasonal autumnal cosiness. And I've also learnt that the character of Ray Donovan is from Boston. I've seen a few episodes but never felt the need to dive in. That left only one option. I hotfooted it to Tesco and The Range to buy 'Cosy Autumnal Tat'. I've made a feature of the fireplace, you see. What with an actual fire being uncool due to gas prices and climate change, I've repurposed the space. It may not be Boston but it's cheered up my cosy-vibes-needing heart, no end.

Aiming for autumnal
cosiness and not a KS1
nature table.

Writing News

It's been a slower week than I'd planned. Maybe if I'd been less preoccupied with recreating an homage to American fall in my home, I'd have got more work done. But let's reframe this. I've had a few days space from the draft so I've been able to let the story brew. It's always a good sign that my characters stay in my head when I have a break. It means I'm excited to get back to them. And that's exactly what I'll be doing this week.

Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses

Culture

I TOLD you the telly was going to get good, didn't I? Is anyone watching Ludwig? It's a BBC series with David Mitchell, being nerdy and introverted but solving murders with his puzzle-setting mind skills. It's GREAT. All on the iPlayer now for your amusement. Then on Netflix there's Nobody Wants This. It'd be a perfectly standard rom-com without the casting, because the two leads have chemistry. That's chemistry with a capital C. Kristin Bell and Adam Brody are great together. Fans of the OC will particularly enjoy lovely Seth Cohen all grown up and sexy. I've absolutely devoured the new series of Heartstopper, and once again lamented the fact it didn't exist when I was at high school. It tells a compelling narrative of high school friendships whilst providing essential information about eating disorders, mental health, teen sex and sexuality. It's surreptitiously educational and I'm here for it. And then there's Slow Horses. It received nine Emmy nominations recently (winning one) and I'd never heard of it. Now, I'm two series in and have also started the books by Mick Herron. All marvellous. Finally, I finished Richard Osman's latest book. I thought it was great.

Food and Drink

What I'm about to write will make me sound smug and ridiculous but here goes. Last week I ordered my Christmas turkey. I KNOW. I'm an absolute dick. The thing is, by the time I usually get around to ordering it (the end of October in previous years) the size I need is sold out. I have to order a smaller one and come Boxing Day, make various family members promise not to help themselves to meat until it's obvious there's enough. I don't need the stress. So this time, I've got in early. I've ordered the Marksies turkey that feeds 12-14 people and I won't have that particular worry this year. In related news, if you're into festive food porn, the Marks and Spencers food brochure is a cracking read. 

Out and About

Inspired by my brother's mate's Boston vlogs, I tried to make my own. My plan was to film bits and pieces of my day last Thursday, with a view to putting them together in a video. It didn't work. Mainly because quite early on, I forgot. I've got footage of a train pulling away from the station (not even the train I was on, but I filmed it for effect) and I've got a sweeping view of the pub, with the disembodied head of my friend flashing past at the bottom of the shot. My final clip was quite nice. It was of me, drinking my pint, in the red glow of a bar. I quite liked the way my face looked, so in a moment of self-confidence, I put it on my Insta feed. I won't be making a vlog of my Thursday any time soon, but I did have a good night out.

Have a lovely week, folks.