The So How Was It For You? Post.

It wasn't the best of Christmases for me, due to arguments and the news (Woolworth's et al on one side, Prince's painfully accurate summary re death rates on the other). So let's think positive.

1.

Um... man, this is tough. It's still glum. Er...

Oh, I know!
1. Less than a month to go until the world's most high-profile case of denial finally leaves the White House.
2. Monica Bellucci topless.
3. Cindy Crawford, unfortunately not topless.

That's a start.

The Reason For Backtracking Post.

Because I'm going to be in St. Kitt's-Nevis next week and most of the week after, I don't know if I'll be able to change the video spots on Sundays like I usually do. So I set it for the Queen and Hayden (instead of just one of them). I'm so generous. :)

Now all I have to is pack, buy a new set of trousers, get some teabags for Mum, hope the EC$=pound rate stays favourable (at 9:15:36 UTC, £1.00 = EC$5.32 or thereabouts), set the video...

The Friday Night Post.

Feltz: Amy Winehouse covering Sam Cooke's (NOT Johnny Nash's) "Cupid" for Radio 1's 40th anniversary. And murdering it in the process... great if I needed to throw up, but otherwise doesn't this contravene human rights laws?

Cindy: Getting a letter from Abbey National with no withdrawal charges for once!

YES!

And many thanks to Louise Redknapp (the anti-Victoria), on behalf of MuffinMan. :)

The I Should Have Been Psychic Post.

I didn't stay too long at LFCC Day 1, because

1. I got there very early and wasn't that keen to wait around for the talks.

2. Though there were a lot of things there I wanted to buy (Jon Abbott's book on Irwin Allen, DVD boxsets of shows like Have Gun, Will Travel etc), I didn't have any money to buy stuff with.

3. Most importantly, Hayden's only attending on Day 2. Which is today. And if I'd waited until some time later to buy tickets...

At least that's less money to spend on snacks, right? Stay tuned.

Rubber bands.

One of the things I do at work is clean up (after a fashion). Unfortunately the workers on the polywrapping machine fling the rubber bands that keep the letters together on the floor - and there are a lot of letters. And a lot of bands. And it's usually your friendly neighbourhood muggins who has to pick them up in the mornings. And it drives me completely insane. So messy (the place generally is, but the bands are the worst). Cleaning up if I'm there late on Fridays helps get the weekend off to a really bad start, but at least when I go in there on Monday morning it won't be so fucking depressing. Maybe that'll be the thing that drives me to move on; I'm not really sure I should be a glorified janitor. Then again, keeping places tidy is nothing to be ashamed of, and it makes you feel better if it's straightened up a bit.

Meanwhile, my bank card's expired and my new one hasn't come yet (according to the lady in the Abbey National up on Muswell Hill - cough, spit - things have been delayed because of the flooding, and the Royal Mail strikes can't have helped). You wanna hurry up?

Going back to work, I'm on one of my listening-to-everything-I-have jags (go to and from work listening to tapes... yes, children, before iPods there was an invention called a Walkman which allowed people to listen to cassettes, and since I have a hefty amount of soundtracks on cassette a tape player is of more use to me... and CDs at work), but annoyingly I decided to try and synchronise the tapes and CD, subject-wise. CDs are up to the great Danny Elfman, tapes up to Bruce Broughton, and it's one disc a day at work until I catch up. And it's very painful to put up with playlisted Radio 1 (the other stations are even worse). Especially with Scott Mills, the twat.

At least the sun's out.

Morning, folks.

I usually wake up early, or try to. On Wednesday I woke up at 4:15, which is late by my standards; so I only managed to be online briefly before leaving for work. I blame my lengthy sleep on being uncharacteristically tension-free thanks to Abbey National writing to me to tell me they're only swiping £20 from my hard-earned next month.

In the evening part of the North Circular was closed off, making my journey home last from about 4:20 to 7:00. Thus shortening my online time before having to go to bed.

Still, it wasn't all bad - what with Jessica Alba being on the market again and Heroes arriving on BBC2 the day landed on the credit side. Now if we could just get Serena Williams to pose naked again without the flowers, we'd be good to go. (Incidentally, confession time: the reason I can't get into Ali Larter - apart from her character on the show - is that I used to work with a Pakistani guy called Ali and that really gets in the way. More so than it did with Ali Landry. Ah well.)

Weekend again.

So what's on my mind?

Well...

1. My boss. A definite case of the more I dislike someone the more I want to engage in rough, angry sex with them (see also C. Aguilera, J. Jackson, N. Campbell, A. Lavigne, E. Cetera). Weird.

2. "How To Stop An Exploding Man." And thus ends Heroes Volume One, the first time I've watched an entire season online before it gets to broadcast UK television, digital or terrestrial. And damn, it was worth it... not only has it managed to fill the Buffy the Vampire Slayer-shaped hole in my life that Charmed, Desperate Housewives and Lost never quite managed (keeping me going from week to week, thinking about it between episodes etc), but if you've seen the illustration you'll know where I'm taking this. Too bad about the Sci-Fi Channel losing first-run rights to Volume Two to the BBC (bigger reach, but they had it first...). And to everyone moaning about the finale; a) he couldn't fly away because he was too busy trying to keep from exploding, b) the guy isn't dead, and c) it's called putting characters ahead of flash. August 1 on BBC2, apparently.

3. The ComicCon has had its dates changed, so I have to readjust my holiday (brought forward a week). Better that than a cancellation.

4. Bridge to Terabithia. Probably a better book than movie. But a good movie. (Too bad about the trailer for Are We Done Yet? however.)

5. Yay for Sharon for getting a break from AOL! She was going to transfer from them but they cut her a deal because she's such a good customer. Now ease up her burden on other things as well, fate.

Current mood: gloomy.

Because on Friday we were all yelled at at work, for good reason I'll admit - there has been some difficulty lately. But, while none of us were singled out I felt the same way I always do when someone in my circle gets berated.... like it's somehow my fault. Even when it isn't.

Because it's still a week before payday and I'm utterly skint, with just enough for my Oyster card. Thank goodness for travel allowance, that's all I can say.

Because it's foggy outside.

Because the fridge still doesn't allow for longterm storage of food in the non-freezer section.

Because the worst thing about believing in cycles is that you have to wait for things to swing up again.

We could all use something to cheer us up. So here's another of my staff, Aria Giovanni. Enjoy.