Ticking Time, Golden Oldies, and Breadstick Banter...

It's the 12th December! Yes, we're on the home strait. We've reached the 50th Monday of the year, the 346th day of 2022, and the 82nd day of Fall. (At least that's what this US website is telling me.)

Christmas Eve viewing!

With so little festive season, and indeed year left, I can only assume we're full whack into the Christmas Movie schedules. No more saccharine Netflix or Channel 5 cannon fodder, the big guns are coming out! Look, I can't lie. A weapon-based metaphor to describe something fun-filled and twinkly does seem a bit much. Please adjust the imagery in your head. But I have a valid point. It's time to go big. There's no point saving the likes of Elf, Home Alone, Miracle on 34th Street, or It's a Wonderful Life for much longer. Actually, strike that. Reverse it. It's a Wonderful Life is reserved for Christmas Eve alone. But it's time to embrace every other classic film. What are you waiting for? Stop putting off the inevitable and make yourself merry!

 

Writing News

I've definitely wound down for Christmas. I've gone into my Book 4 draft a few times over the past weeks, and I know what I need to do. I just haven't done it yet. My To Do List come January says things like, 'Beef up the Poppy thread', or 'Check Jake's story isn't too tropey.' Lots to do when the time comes. For now, my weekly writing consists of this blog and the witty insights I'm contributing to social media. Back soon, with a vengence. Defo.

I mean, she's a fully grown
woman being called a kid, but
I'll let that pass.

Culture

I've got a new Christmas film to add to the canon. Yep, Spirited is in cinemas and available through Apple TV. A song and dance spectacular, it's based on A Christmas Carol with Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds hamming it up brilliantly. Worth adding to your future festive viewing lists. Also, Helen Skelton doing Sally Bowles on Strictly will live forever in my heart. A perfect, F-You performance. I've mentally channelled it most days since. Finally, for its 80th anniversary showing, I watched Casablanca at the cinema.  I'd seen it before but only once, and it was stunning. A big screen ramps every film up to a million.  

Food and Drink

Not sure why in this weather, but I've been all over Spanish omelettes. With dashing about and squeezing in lots of quick teas, they've hit the spot and filled me up. I also made hot chocolate (Dairy Milk chunks melted into hot milk) served with a shot of brandy. Yeah, I know. Take it in. Delish! It was a Christmas miracle. 

It's Breadstick Man
Stick Man!

Out and About

For reasons that will become clear, I watched a live performance of Julia Donaldson's Stickman in Warwick Arts Centre, yesterday. It was a birthday present for my three year old niece and I went with her, and her ma. I've had a running joke with my niece - wait for it, it's piss-funny - that the story we saw was called Breadstick Man. I know! I'm hilarious! Sadly, my niece has found this wordplay more irritating than amusing. She just doesn't get me. After repeating the 'banter' regularly since her October birthday, I've now retired the joke.  But luckily, through its inclusion on this post, it will live forever in the Blogiverse. (That's a thing, right?)

So as we get through the 346th day of 2022, let's look forward to the 347th, the 348th, and all the rest to come. They'll be here whether we like them or not. Let's get onboard!

 

Have a lovely week, folks