DNC Fangirling...

I spent four days last week in a shattered fog from watching the Democratic National Convention. Yeah, don't @me,  I know it's mad. From 11.30pm, Monday to Thursday, I watched as much as I could stay awake for, then caught the rest the next day. And here's the thing... it was fab.

Yep, I'm banging on about politics again. This time, it's the DNC. Look, I can't help it. The personal is political and vice versa. Nothing new there. The fact I have a uterus and that the UK often follows US trends, means I'm particularly keen for Kamala Harris to quash the other guy's hate-fuelled dismantling of bodily autonomy for people that aren't like him. That's one reason I'm keen for a Democratic win. There are a gazillion more, but that's not why you're here. 

This is August's Long Ramble. Don't worry, we're being gently politics adjacent today. Pure vibes based. It's just that as someone who last week mainlined twenty plus hours of DNC content, I believe we can learn some lessons for the UK. Especially as we head into party conference season. Labour? Lib Dems? Greens? SNP? Plaid? Did you watch? Did you see? If not, this is what you missed. 

1. There was an overwhelming sense of joy. Who says politics has to be boring? The DJ-soundtracked states roll call proved that even a longwinded political process (where every state declares their delegate numbers) can be upbeat and celebratory. Let's have a bit of that in UK politics please. 

A tiny snapshot
from Threads.

2. I saw the whole thing on YouTube and according to Threads, lots of other people did too. It seems viewers are growing tired of network pundits and journos, spinning things to suit their employer's agenda. Wouldn't that be good here? Of course, to digest pure UK conference content for hours at a time, it'd need to up its game and bring the fun. No worries! The DNC has shown us how to do that.

3. There were excellent speeches every night. Both in terms of content as well as delivery. There was Gabby Giffords, the senator shot in 2011 and who's campaigned against gun violence ever since. Then there were members of the Exonerated Five - the innocent men that were jailed for rape as teenagers before being exonerated years later. There was also Hadley Duvall, a survivor of sexual abuse who addressed the crowd. It was powerful stuff. In terms of party political speeches, there were so many corkers. My particular faves were Michelle Obama, Hilary Clinton, Alexandria Orcasio-Cortez, Joe Biden, and Pete Buttigieg. They provided a master class in how to work a crowd. And of course the icing on the cake was Tim Walz and Kamala Harris. Exhilarating! Inspiring! Are you watching, UK politicians? 

4. The conference was perfectly organised. No mean feat considering a month ago, the nominee was a whole other person. Speeches were short and snappy. No one hogged the limelight. The continuous stream of speakers arriving and leaving the stage was slick and timely. Upbeat music filled any gaps. The audio was loud and clear. There was no dead air, nor opportunities for the crowd to flag. It was impossible to lose interest. Let's have a bit of that, UK, yeah?

5. The technical creatives who put together the video packages, did a cracking job. The messaging was direct and clear, whether it was pointing out the threat to democracy or celebrating Democratic Party talking points. Maybe UK political parties could do this. Hire the BBC people behind the closing titles of big sports events. You know the kind? Where the soaring music, the most emotive clips, and the expert editing punches you in the gut. That'd be good, right?

6. Abortion was defiantly, proudly claimed as a right. I've long known this to be true (see above mention of uterus ownership for the reason) but for a long time, it's been 'something we don't talk about.' Perhaps it's my Catholic education or because legal abortion was available so no longer deemed an issue. Who knows? But watching what's happening to women in states that have rolled back that right, is horrific. And that those laws also endanger people who have miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and much-wanted but none-viable pregnancies, is inhumane. Claiming back a talking point that has been negatively viewed for years, is important. Hey UK! How about we proudly claim back the positive messaging around immigration? We need it, the NHS and care system needs it, and the country is better when we stop othering a group of vulnerable people. Just a thought, but it'd be so good.

7. In terms of speakers, there were many rising stars as well as the big hitters. The symbolism of passing the torch was clear. Then there was the wide-ranging diversity. It was a pleasure to witness. So many women took centre stage. As did people of colour and LGBTQA+ voices. It felt more representative than is often the case. And the men that spoke? They spoke in passionate support of Kamala Harris. Their egos weren't so fragile that they couldn't do that. It flew in the face of the toxic masculinity of far right politics. The kind that has given a platform to Nigel F*rage, Stephen Y*xley-Le*non, or Laurence F*x. Non-toxic masculinity was on stage last week. We saw it after Kamala Harris began her campaign. Wouldn't it be good if that filtered over here. Loads and loads of supportive, progressive, straight, white men, standing up for other people and their needs on the national stage. The absolute dream! 

It's nearly time to wrap this up. I know I sound like a screaming fan. I don't mean to, I'm not naive. A President or political party is not perfect. There were pro-Palestinian protests outside the United Center where the convention was held. In her nomination acceptance speech, Kamala talked about the urgent need for a ceasefire, as well as the importance of bringing Israeli hostages home. It's ongoing work that'll have no chance of happening if the election goes the other way. And even without global conflict, there'll be tough times ahead. Even on good days, the thrill of last week will be replaced with flat, mundane governance. But like I said at the top, this isn't about politics. Only politics adjacent. It's the vibes I've loved. The feeling of hope, of being inspired, simply the buzz of the thing. Is that why people love the Olympics? Or why every May I get caught in the mad Eurovision frenzy? Perhaps I need a large-scale communal event to let me feel. What I do know is if I were a US citizen, I'd have signed up for phone-banking or door-knocking this time. Not once have I felt the urge to do that in the UK, not once. Funny, innit. 

To finally wrap up the August Long Ramble, let's try to pull together the key points. Is that even possible? It's perhaps the most rambliest of them all. Let's summarise. 

1. I'm a fan of seeing progressive politics face down fascism. 

2. I'm a fan of hearing from people who have historically been silenced. 

3. I'm a fan of hearing from people historically amplified, using their voice to support those that haven't. 

4. I'm also a fan of UK politics forgetting that we've a completely different political system and taking notes for putting on a show. 

When people are engaged, enthused and joyfully political, with leaders that seek to improve lives not sew division, they'll become active participants and take pride in their country. The good kind of pride. Not the populist, petty, small-minded type. The type that reared its ugly head in the recent riots. 

Look, November's still some weeks away. Anything could happen. As many speakers pointed out, the Democrats are the underdog. Even so, I can't imagine a stronger way to launch the Harris/Walz ticket. Joy? Keep it coming. And when the Labour Party Conference takes over Liverpool in a few weeks, I'll be more than happy to feel the buzz of political excitement here. It could happen? Maybe?

Have a lovely week, folks.

The Five Stages of Solitude, and Nuts...

For the whole of last week, I had the house to myself. Woohoo! Having lived with people/a person my entire life, a week of solitude is an absolute treat. The effect it has comes in distinct stages. What's that? You want to know what they are? Well, if you absolutely insist, here we go... 

The Giddy Stage

• Firstly there's the giddy stage. It's marked by a feeling of 'woohoo, I can do anything I want'. It's akin to being a teenager whose parents go on holiday and leave you in charge of the house. This is, clearly, a mad response to have as a mortgage-owning adult but it's still the first one I have. 
• Then there's the pampering stage. I gather my best PJs, any nice toiletries left from my birthday, and dust off my yoga mat. The week will herald the start of a whole new me. One that'll last thirty-six hours top.
• The binge-watching stage comes next. The lack of needing to compromise is a heady drug. No one's sitting at the end of the sofa saying, 'naaah,' at the streaming menu when I spot something that looks good. I realise I can watch anything I like, so I do. The liberation is intense! I hoover up all the TV shows I've wanted to watch for ages.
• Then it's the feral stage. Forget mealtimes, I eat when I'm hungry. At my desk, in my car, or most excitingly, in bed. There are crumbs and spills all over the place, but this is why I chose a colourfully patterned duvet cover. 
• Finally and most excitingly is the home improvement stage. The solitude is coming to an end and you'll be back to compromising yourself silly in no time. This is when it's time to mark the experience. I like to make small but clear changes to the home. This time, for example, I got round to putting photos of my nieces and nephs into matching frames. They're impractically lined up on the kitchen island, making it impossible to use the surface for food preparation or eating, but still, I've made my mark. I've also, in slightly bigger interior design news, bought a chair for the bedroom. I've been meaning to do it for ages and now it's done. Without the alone time, it'd still be on a vague 'To Do But Probably Won't list.

So my lovely week of solitude is over. But it wasn't all photo frames, feral eating, and nightly boxsets. Oh no, get a load of this...

Bulging and robust

...Writing News

Isn't great when you don't have to force yourself to write? When you sit at your desk and every single excellent idea falls out of your brain and onto the page? I reckon 99.99% of the time, that is NOT the case. But last week? Yeah, last week was amazing. It was DEFINITELY because I had the house to myself. I could devote all my time to my new WIP without distractions like convos, shared meals, or having to attend to basic cleanliness. The upshot is I now have a bulging and robust planning notebook, filled with brilliant ideas. Book Five, or Leeza McAuliffe Book Three, is taking shape. I've also - and this is hot off the press because it literally just happened - started Chapter One! Can you believe it? I'm having a ball right now. You see, this is the fun part. The bit where there are no wrong answers and all the stress is months away. I've laid the foundations and am building the first layer of bricks above the ground. What an absolute thrill!

Culture

Shirley on Netflix is a decent use of your time. Telling the story of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress and subsequently the first woman to run for President, it's a pacy biopic that depicts her journey well. All sorts of modern day parallels can be made, natch, but it's a compelling story nonetheless. In binge-watching news, I hoovered up the first two series of Loot, on Apple TV. Maya Rudolph plays the ex-wife of a billionaire tech-bro (lolz) who has to work in the real world after her divorce. Funny, funny funny, and real-life parallels once again. Finally, I've started reading Catch Your Death by Ravena Guron. It's a YA murder mystery, and I'm loving it. As a YA writer, I know that the Young Adult tag should never put Old Adults off. This book is sarky and smart, and so far, full of intrigue and suspense. It's a hard recommend from me.

Hello Lover!
Nuts and seeds, bound together with
sticky stuff, with chocolate on top.

Food and Drink

Once again, my eating habits are heavily influenced by Insta. Being a woman my age, means I'm bombarded with posts about collagen, bone-health, and supplements. I'm also shown a lot of recipes involving nuts. Well, I'm not made of stone so last week I succumbed. I mixed cashews, whole almonds, flaked almonds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds, with maple syrup. (Well the recipe said maple syrup but I used agave syrup. To-may-toes/to-mah-toes.) I mixed all that together, spread it in a compact chunky sheet on a baking tray, and baked for thirty minutes. When it was cool, l sliced it into slabs and drizzled them with melted dark chocolate. It was as easy as anything and properly nice. Kind of sneakily healthy - which we all know is the best kind of healthy. The recipe is here if you're on Insta.

Out and About

It's been a week of hibernation, to be honest. A walk first thing, up to my desk to bash on the keys, then my nightly feed of boxset brilliance. I did pick up my brother from the station. And there was an Asda shop too. That's been about it. When I'm full of the joys of writing, and filling my head with the fictional world I've created, I'm not bothered in the slightest about being anywhere else. Imaginations are great, aren't they?!

Have a lovely week, folks.

Digital Detoxes, Waffly Words, and Cop Show Capers...

Every so often, the guy that owns Twitter, will say something on Twitter that lots of people on Twitter consider beyond the pale. (Too many Twitters? It's not even its name these days, lolzzz) And when that happens, there's an influx of new users onto alternative platforms. It happened again last week. I'm not sure what the Twitter guy said this time. All I know is that I stopped scrolling not long after he bought it. 

Yep. Me too.

I took my particular brand of wit, political hunger, and book chat to Threads, which had just started. And you know what, Threads is pretty good. It's not perfect, but it's pretty good. The thing people don't get is that you have to train Threads to know what you like. You have to engage, post, and comment. That way, the algorithm learns what you're into, and suggests relevant stuff. Don't think of it as an echo chamber. Consider it a place where extremist rhetoric isn't pushed. I follow the people I like, and I see other suggested posts on the daily. (I also see the odd wrongun, but that's an easy block.) My algorithm is a mix of writers, news outlets, and politics. Pretty much like my Twitter timeline used to be. But why am I telling you this now? 

Me, from next week

Well, there are two reasons. Firstly, I heard a journalist talking on a podcast last week. She was discussing how Twitter is getting harder to justify using, but that Threads wasn't newsy or political so was of no use to her. So, that's wrong. She just hasn't trained her algorithm. She might not want to take the time or have the hassle, but it's definitely newsy and political if you want it to be. The second reason I'm bringing this up now is that I'm going to stop posting this blog on Twitter. It's all I use it for, every Monday. I don't scroll or engage, but I've continued to post this blog. That stops after today. If the ownership changes, and threats of violence and abuse are no longer platformed, then I could return. But for now, the app is deleted. Oooh, the detoxification! How healthy! I might do a face mask next.

Writing News

I'm still tidying up the planning document for the next book. (Leeza McAuliffe Book Three - working title.)  I've got a bulletpoint list of what happens in each of the twelve chapters. Right now it's running at 12,500 words - I have GOT to stop adding to it. The whole book will be around the 60,000 word mark, so this document is an absolute mofo. Madness! The thing is, now is the time I can see the whole story in its entirety. Once I start writing, it'll become sprawling and massive. When I'm 37,000 words in and writing chapter seven, I won't remember the tiny details I added in the second chapter, that I want to reference or build on. It'll all be too much. So before I get to the writing phase, I need every single important detail on the document. That's my excuse anyway. Seriously, 12,500 words is ridiculous for a plan.

McDonald and Dodds

Culture

The summer cinema listings are not for me. If I were responsible for the entertainment of children or teens then it'd be a different story, but my childfree, adult self is hanging on for Autumn. At home, however, I watched Anyone But You. It'd been recommended by a couple of people, and it was fun. A perfectly serviceable romcom. The reason I was eventually moved to watch, was because it was set/filmed around Palm Beach in Sydney - and I've been there! I didn't especially recognise the place but it bought back happy memories. And now in middle-aged news, I've got the news series of McDonald and Dodds stacked up on my planner. A bunch of two-hour crime dramas, set in Bath with an odd couple detective duo? YES PLEASE.

Today's packed lunch

Food and Drink

I'm back on the overnight oats, folks. Now I've restarted the writing routine, I need a packed lunch that I can eat at my desk. The days when I root through the fridge and rustle up something on the hoof are on pause. It's oats in a tub from now on. My current choice of fillings (do oats have a filling?) are yogurt, honey, chia seeds, cherries, and a seed crunch topping. Rock and roll. 

Me, December 2018, not
triggered, enjoying the
footpath near my gaff

Out and About

I was carless and housebound for a couple of days last week. The good news is that I was busy writing the mofo planning doc so that kept me busy. But it meant my daily walks were relegated to the loop around my house. Relegated sounds derogatory, and I don't mean to be rude. The immediate area around my house is perfectly lovely. There are fields, footpaths, and scenery. (For balance there's also motorways, traffic fumes, and overgrown, scratchy hedgerows.) The trouble is, that loop was my daily hour's exercise during the first lockdown. Rewalking the route today was mildly triggering. I'll be happier this week now my car is back and I can access my parks once again.

In the unlikely event that you only access my stuff via Twitter and you want to keep in touch, check out my Linktree in the profile. All my socials are on there. I'm most active on Threads and Insta. But you know what? Just subscribe to this blog in the box at the top. It's  loads easier, free, and you don't have to wade through hatred and abuse to find it. Win!

Have a lovely week, folks.

Have You Met My Inner Goddess?..

I couldn't find a GIF of Ally
and her Pips so here she
 is feeling embarrassed instead.

Do you remember the TV show, Ally McBeal? A nineties legal comedy drama about a ditzy lawyer trying to be her best self whilst  searching for Mr. Right? I'm not sure it'll have held up well and I don't want to ruin my memories by revisiting it. It was good at the time, let's leave it at that, yeah? Anyway, do you remember her Pips? When she needed to overcome her inner saboteur and feel supremely confident in her day to day life, Ally would imagine she had Gladys Knight's Pips standing behind her. Supporting her every move, backing her up, and singing harmonies to her melody. I thought it was an excellent conceit. I even tried it myself back then, although couldn't make it stick. As solitude is my preferred state, I'm not sure imagining a group of people singing behind me is quite the bolstering effect it initially sounds.

Nicky Bond, 
pleased to meet you.

So why bring up a late nineties TV show today? Well, it's all Snapchat's fault. Last week I spent the day with my niece. She immediately recognised the app on my phone (she's 4, lolz) and wanted to go through the filters together. We laughed ourselves silly (true story) at the old woman and bald man versions of us, as well as the one with nuts in our mouths and squirrels crawling on our faces to get them. But then I spotted it. My absolute favourite picture of myself that I ever did see. Full disclosure: there's a filter on it. Can you tell? Honestly, I don't look exactly like this in real life. But even so, this picture is the nearest thing I've ever seen to my inner self. This is the way I assume I look to anyone who encounters me. This is how I feel when I do my laundry, sit at my desk, or slob out watching TV. Snapchat has nailed it perfectly, I'm an actual goddess! And now I've got a picture of my inner self, I can embody her even more. Head held high, golden hair swirling, facing everything thrown at me with strength and dignity. Isn't that amazing! 

You know what, though? For so long, I didn't need a picture to feel those things. It's just how I encouraged myself to feel. So if Snapchat hasn't got your inner goddess quite right yet, don't worry. You can still imagine the swirling tresses and kick-ass attitude. Or get yourself some Pips. Imagine your own backing singers, following you around when you do the big shop. Or anywhere you like! Whatever works for you to fully live as your authentic, marvellous self. Go on, do it!

Me on Mumsnet

Writing News

I'm trying to find answers to loads of little questions that have sprung up during the planning of the next Leeza McAuliffe book. One thing I needed to know was how much a school trip to Germany would cost. I know how much it was when I was eleven but - can you even believe it - that was thirty-four years ago. I imagine prices have changed since then. So I Googled, and in no time at all, found myself on Mumsnet. Being childfree and unencumbered with the need to chat to other parents on the regular, means I've never spent time on that particular website. But what an eye opener it was. First off, I found a thread that answered my question straight away. How fortuitous! The original poster was asking whether £800 was a bit pricy for week in Germany for her Y8 kid. There were two, maybe three more comments that focused on answering the question, giving me a good sense of what's considered a reasonable price. But then I kept scrolling. After the sensible, informative start, the whole thing descended into open warfare. Everyone had opinions about all sorts of things, barely relating to the topic in hand. Some people were massive snobs and others buzzed off riling up the ones that took everything too seriously. The convo quickly got into private school versus state education. There was also some spirited debate about whether children on a school trip needed room service. One person was insistent that they did. The upshot was, I got the answer to my initial question, plus some excellent ideas for comical lines that I can make other characters say. Thanks Mumsnet. I'll definitely use you again.

Culture

I rewatched Tootsie the other night. Considering it's from 1982, it's held up pretty well. It constantly satirises sexism and misogyny, and the instances of homophobia and transphobia come off as the flaws of small-minded characters rather than the prevailing attitude. Rewatching it reminded me of the existence of this clip of Dustin Hoffman. On the one hand, he makes a valid point (thinking back to my inner goddess with gold hair, and all that) but on the other, I struggle to watch it without a huge eye roll about his silly earnestness. Oh, you're just realising you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, are you? Big whoop! Anyway, see what you think.

May 2020.
Wine, creased PJ bottoms, 
and an Angela Lansbury cushion.
A lockdown Saturday night.

Food and Drink

My sister stayed at mine on Tuesday so we ate tea outside. It really does give me lockdown memories when I do that. 2020's Saturday nights were all about outdoor teas. Mainly so I could pretend I was in a beer garden or on an outdoor terrace abroad. But back to reality. We had freshly-dug potatoes from the garden, BBQed veggie burgers, and some tokenistic salad. Oh, and a bottle of Kylie's pink fizzy wine. Plus, my niece had her first Cornetto. A true milestone for any four year old. For a Tuesday night, it was all surprisingly lovely. 

Out and About

I caught up with selected siblings, one sibling-in-law, and both parents over the weekend, when we had a couple of days in mid-Wales. I managed a few decent seaside walks, ate and drank well, and have come back home all refreshed and rejuvenated. How marvellous!

Right, we're knee-deep into the summer now. If you're loving it, good for you. Enjoy every moment and I hope it feels like forever. If, like me, you're fed up of being in a daily grumpy sweat, hold on! It'll be over before you know it. I'm longingly stroking the arms of jumpers, every time I open my wardrobe door. It's coming. Keep the faith, we're nearly there, you got this...

...have a lovely week, folks