4 days...

...until this

" The domain covers an area of 10,000 hectares which includes 248 km of linked pistes extending over an altitude range of 2,230m. The top station, Pic Blanc ( 3330m ) offers breathtaking views of the Alps including Mont Blanc, Mont Cervin and the Meije and on a clear day a fifth of France can be seen from this point.
The Alpe d'Huez slogan is L'ile au Soleil or Island of the Sun and this reputation is well deserved with almost all slopes south facing. The national meteorological office further confirms this with average figures of 300 sunshine days a year consisting of up to 7 1/2 per day in December and 11 per day in April. "

My Hero

TONY HARRISON is going to be reading in Cambridge to coincide with a newly released collection of his poems. I am beside myself with excitement. AND what's more, a rep promised me a finished copy today. You can keep your celebs and sports stars, TH rocks my world.

ecriture

Today I bought some splendid 'Fold and Mail Stationery'.

I am already the proud owner of Emily Fold and Mail

Something I have only ever seen at 311.

Pick your design and I will write you a hippy trippy peaceful message or a downright grouchy letter with attitude.

Kasper

The Enigma of Kasper Hauser.

Werner Herzog.

http://film.guardian.co.uk/Century_Of_Films/Story/0,,96504,00.html

A most extraordinary film I watched last night. Real brain food about socialisation and a host of moral questions.

3 cherries!

got it. 6 month secondment. pretty chuffed.

in other news i got to share the surprising delights of Isla Negra with the borrower and her computer generated boyfriend and Alimal this evening. Uncanny resemblance on the golf course.

to answer your "?", big dog, i'm liking ghostwritten. some parts are really gripping, others are very readable but not earth shattering. it will be interesting to see how the threads join up. i can see why you mixed it up with murakami. lots of similarities. well one or two maybe. if you need a prompt think of the cultural revolution, a ghost girl in a flat and a freaky terrorist religious group trying to purge the world!

who says?

Who said having teenagers was relentless hassle? I'm sat on my computer while mini-me is downstairs dipping peppered chicken breasts into beaten egg and coating with an interesting mix of crushed crackers and parmesan ready for dinner. Yeah, it's really tough being me this evening. Ahh, back to my reader.

freaky monday

What a weird day...had an interview this afternoon for a job I only applied for on Friday, after I had found out I had the interview. I was mediocre. No question. Official result Wednesday.

Actually spent this evening doing something I really wanted to do rather than prep for interview at short notice or speed read kids books for review. So I sat down with take out pizza, Chianti, my hound and 'Jimmy Corrigan. The world's smartest kid.' Finished 2/4 of them.

gourmet-a-go-go

...and last night he made Paprika Pork which I have to say was amazing. Really sizzling and yummy. He decided to sprinkle sage into the rice. Damnit if it wasn't delicious!

the uncommon cold

damned if i can't taste my red wine properly with this awful cold.

Got home tonight and mini-me was planning dinner. he made me bacon pasta with spinach and pine nuts. he seems to have this uncanny knack of throwing something else in that just works. it was meant to have lemon but we didn't have any so he chucked in a couple of cap fulls of red wine vinegar - it went great with the bacon and gave the dish a bit of extra kick that the lemon would have. hmm.....if the animation doesn't work out for him ...!

i provided pudding and the evening's entertainment. a small chocolate easter egg each and an hour in front of planet earth!

i've already bought ingredients for the dinner he's making tomorrow! he laid the table with wine for me tonight so i'm looking forward to getting back from my late shift already :)

snow patrol

MIDWINTER IN MIDSUMMER >

< NO BATHING

< STARLING

ICE CAP >

35

Friends, wine, chocolate, lights, jokes.....

...not a bad way to see in middle age.

Coming in May

Moths by Karl Manders.

Well worth picking up. I finished it in the small hours. I need to write a review for it so will post here later.

Am in the depths of another 10 or so books to review for work. Kids fiction. Currently on 'Skulduggery Pleasant' which is fun for a 10 or 11 year old.

what do you say?

"Excuse me, do you sell those things that you stick on other things?"

12

Every night at midnight nothing happens and yet i still seem to wait up for it...?

hospital visit

visited the world's best sister in hospital today. i am so fed up of her having to struggle with ill health. it's not fair. she deserves so much better than this.

wine b(l)uff

Running out of adjectives to describe the reds in my wine journal without sounding pompous. One day I'm going to write out a description of something as having rich plum flavours and a lingering taste of lemon then turn the bottle over and 'sweet mother of pearl, i've got it word for word!'

Casino Royale

There's probably not a lot i can say about this film that hasn't already been said.
Enjoyed the twist of male/female roles and the psychological background to 007.

Was surprised at how much I enjoyed this film considering how much I've hated
James Bond in the past. Was it his vulnerability and possibility of failure or was
it the big blue eyes. I don't know!

red-crested pochard

Saw one of these as I ran.

half marathon? ha ha ha. oh my aching sides.

Ran 3.1 miles with stops. Rubbish.

tuesday's with me

writer's group yesterday, which i think ought to be given a literary name like lawrence or arnold or something, was really good but i so hadn't put in the effort beforehand. all that has changed. sat for my whole lunch time making plot notes. would having lots of stuff going on be the same as having a plot? not convinced!

K left MK today :( will miss her good humour and bad language.