Monday 14 October 2024

Relax, Conserve Juices...

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

Stevie from Schitt's Creek is shaking her head, looking blankly shocked, and saying, 'No.'
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.

Me - a white woman with brown hair and blonde fringe - wearing a black top and looking into the camera, about to speak,
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.

A large navy blue wall, with the neon-lit lettering of The Holly Johnson Story illuminated. Next to the words is a large, bigger than life-size black and white photo of Holly Johnson. He's wearing a black leather jacket and a white t shirt, and has dark hair.
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.

A bottle of rose fizz on a plain white background. The label has the brand of KYLIE - written in a signature style handwriting. The label is white and has the smaller word of Minogue written underneath. Under that, it says Sparkling `Rose, Alcohol Free.
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.

An early morning photo of a pond in a park. There's a mist hovering over the grass but the sun is shining through the trees, dappling the paths. The sun light is also reflected in the water so it glows orange.
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.
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Monday 7 October 2024

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. 

A gallery of quick moving photos of scenes from Boston. By the waterfront, some architecture, a plate of seafood... they scroll fast and give an overall impression of the city.
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.

A brick fire place - the hearth and mantel are made from chunky grey bricks. There is a string of white fairy lights across the mantel, and there is a black wood burner-style fire, which is unlit. On the hearth around the fire, there's a garland of orange leaves and red berries and pine cones. It sweeps from the mantel on the left, down and across the hearth to the right. There's candles in jars dotted across the heath and a couple of small pumpkins on the far right.
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.

From Slow Horses TV show. Jackson Lamb, played by Gary Oldman is speaking. He's hot collar length hair, a dishevelled air, dirty coat, and loose tie and collar. He is saying to someone, 'Bring you up to speed is like trying to explain Norway to a dog.'
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.

A wooden coffee table with a magazine on it. It's called M&S CHRISTMAS and has a tower of mince pies on the front, against a dark blue/grey background. They're dusted with icing sugar and sitting on a bed of icing sugar that looks like snow.
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. 

Me, a brown haired, blonde fringed Caucasian woman, drinking a pint of beer, with a red glow of a cosy pub light. I'm wearing a black v neck top and have a couple of silver pendants on show.
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.
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