In defence of Notting Hill

I've been found guilty of enjoying Notting Hill. In my defence I offer the following;
....it was included as a guilty pleasure - I'm aware of my slight perversion
....most of it is bad, very bad - the whole Horse and Hound thing! - but I did say that some scenes and characters were good
....good characters - those played by Emma Chambers (ditzy sister) and Hugh Bonneville (loveable but slightly dim friend)
....good scene 1 - when they go around for the meal - yes I know it leads to the truely awful pleading for the brownie (bucket time) but I like the way the friends react when not only has he brought a date, but a famous film star
....good scene 2 - the tracking shot following the sister as she walks past the market and the seasons of the year play out in the background. Short but technically really good. It also gets the passage of time across without the hands on a clock going round super fast or a caption saying 'ten months later'

I realise that the above can only be offered as a vain attempt to reduce my sentence - but I haven't (yet) resorted to a plea on the grounds of diminished responsibilties or insanity.

Blimey - these were only the guilty pleasures I felt able to confess to.............

Evolution v Intelligent Design

Currently this is a big issue in the US, particularly in school boards and academic circles. For me the answer can be found in the duck billed platypus.

Why would such a creature evolve? Why would you design such a creature?

Guilty pleasures

Went to see the latest Harry Potter film yesterday afternoon. It's OK but is all getting a touch hormonal with Harry, Ron and Hermione - I think they could be the new Dawson, Pacey and Joey love triangle........ Anyway, there is something wonderful about toddling off to the cinema in the afternoon and indulging in a couple of hours of the cinematic experience. Then you tumble out - often back into the daylight - and realise you've still got a hefty chunk of the day left - lovely.

Other guilty pleasure include....
....The OC (c'mon, it has Jim Robinson in it)
....Pringles (more an addiction than a guilty pleasure)
....Alias (post modern feminist James Bond anyone?)
....Charmed (fight evil with cleavage)
....Kit Kats (fingers, chunky, special edition - no discrimination here)
....4 Weddings and Notting Hill (yes, longs periods of crap but are some great scenes and characters)

I know - enough already.....

Stop!

....Hammertime

More about my secret vice

If you're looking for the really juicy stuff you're going to be so disappointed. (Maybe later??)

Was told the 'thirtysomething studmuffin' post sounded 'desparate' so back to the weird world of country music. The annual CMA (Country Music Association) awards were on over the weekend and I recorded them for my later, private viewing pleasure. Tip - always record award shows, you can fast forward the really boring bits (in the case of the CMA awards the endless 'hat acts') and just watch the highlights. The performance by Alison Krauss and Union Station was the only bit I really watched, honest (perhaps a case of protesting too much?).

The show seemed to be more surreal than usual. This is the annual country music awards ceremony.....
Location? Madison Square Gardens, New York City.
Artists performing? Those well know country acts - Paul Simon, Norah Jones and Bon Jovi.
Finale? A duet of ‘Imagine’ performed by Dolly Parton and Elton John. Yep, that’s right, that well known country artist and good ole boy, Elton John!

However, there we occasions when it did revert to type - the title of 2 songs performed were;
.....Cheatin’
.....Twenty years and two husbands ago

Country music – no sense of irony or shame - you couldn’t make it up.

My blog, my rules

Oooh, I can be so domineering!!

Just to say thanks to all who've fed back comments and emails to me - some people are actually reading this which is very humbling, quite amazing and slightly scary.

Just to clarify - a few rules;

Rule 1 - No, my blog is not an excuse to not stay in touch or meet up. If anything it's the opposite; if you read this you may fear for mental wellbeing and might wish to check up on me!
Rule 2 - it's not a 'normal' blog - reading this will rarely give you an insight into what I've been doing. It may occasionally give you an insight into my mind - I refer you back to rule 1.
Rule 3 - stuff you say/do is highly unlikely to appear in this blog (unless you want it to - you sick lot). Anything private will not be shared and this blog will never contain names - it doesn't even have my name on it! I'm very private and respect confidences. This blog is, and will remain, superficial, banal and hopefully funny - usually at my expense.

I'm only intending on running this until April 2006 and then we'll see whether to continue - your pain will be shortlived!

Here endth the rant.

Thirtysomething studmuffin with gsoh.....

Friend’s 30th birthday bash at the weekend – very enjoyable evening. Apparently I have a ‘reputation’ for ‘eclectic’ gifts (a polite way of saying weird/naff?) so a bit worried about the gifts but they seemed to go down OK (many thanks to those who I bounced ideas off).

I probably said something stupid at some point during the evening. If you’ve read any of this blog you realise that the odds are pretty stacked that I would have. Had an interesting chat with a friend about how men and women feel at hitting these milestone birthdays. Friend said women probably worry about turning 30 more than men as it is more of a landmark. The thinking seemed to be if you’re a single woman in your 30s you are seen as being in some way past your prime – almost entering spinster/old maid territory – I thought this was way off target. We’re in the noughties, the 21st century, have were learnt nothing from Bridget Jones Diary? And I don’t just mean that sequels are a bad idea.

The person (female and sober I hasten to add – not some mad semi drunken bloke mouthing off – honestly it wasn’t me) then said if you’re a bloke and still single in you’re 30s, you are looked upon as being ‘a catch’ (such a quaint phrase). Now, I’m thirtysomething and single so this person is clearly making sense – what wise and sensible people I know! Finally, I have confirmation of what I’d always know – I am ‘a catch’. Just a little bit more work and who knows, maybe I could make it into that ‘studmuffin’ category.

Let’s not vote on that.

S is for Sudoku

What's the point?

D is for dolphins

No idea how I know - natural history programmes I think, your honour.

Note to self - learn to wait a decent interval before answering bizarre questions.

Pointless knowledge

As many of you know I possess a lot of completely pointless knowledge - 1980s television, movies, general rubbish. With the growth of the internet the value of this is even less than it used to be - with Google you can easily find pointless bits of trivia.

Just occasionally though my knowledge is 'useful' - say in a trivia quiz. Did one on Friday evening and strangely the team I was in won - though that I wasn't there for the vital tie break question probably helped - I didn't even know we were joint leaders.

Still, during the quiz I think I answered the following question a little too quickly.......

"Apart from humans, which is the only other species who has sex for pleasure?"

Answer above.

K is for kettle

A kettle uses electricity to heat water. Let's think about that - water and electricity.

How many people were injured in trying to invent the kettle? After the first electrocution why did they return to it?

You know you're getting old when.......

Vicars are younger than you.

I moved across London a few months ago and so have been settling into my new neighbourhood. A key element for me is finding a local church which - somewhat ironically - I find soul destroying.

Recently went to a large, vibrant and young church and both - not just one, both - of the vicars were younger than me. Church notices are often funny - will no doubt be more of this later in the blog's life - and one notice at this service was that the following Sunday evening the church were going to have a film night. The film to be shown was The Truman Show - a film which could, no doubt, spark lots of debate about our roles in life, how much we control our destiny, freewill v. God's plan, and even theological issues of predestination.

However, the main question I would have is, "If God exists, and there is already so much suffering in the world, why does he allow Jim Carrey films to be made?"

I sense me and this church are not on the same wavelength.........

Knowing me, knowing you.......

I seem to be turning into Alan Partridge.....

Last weekend I had no plans - completely free - relaxing, different, slightly boring. Found myself saying to someone it had make me think "I'm like a shark - I always need to keep moving, to keep doing something." Not even an internal dialogue - I said it out loud.

It's only a very short step to looking at myself in the mirror each morning and going, "Remember, you're a tiger you are, a tiger. Grrrrrr!"

I feel so ashamed........

Sordid confession.....part 1

Earlier I commented on there are certain things you can’t public admit to – here is one of my confessions. Ready?

…I quite like (some) country music….

There, said it – it’s now ‘out there’.

Yes, a lot of it is dreadful, it can be corny and too many songs contain lyrics about dogs dying. But in my defence I offer the following chorus from one country artist’s album;

“Well it’s perfectly clear, between the TV and beer,
I won’t get so much as kiss.
As I head for the door, I turn around to be sure;
did I shave my legs for this?
Darling, did I shave my legs for this?” (Deana Carter, 1996)

How can you not like a music genre which has lyrics like that???

C is for Cow

Walking to work the other morning I needed to remember something very important – buy milk for my tea and coffee.

A few thoughts occurred to me;
· Who first decided to milk a cow and why?
· What other animals did they try before cows, or was it first time lucky?
· Why did they stop at cows – or did they?

Today, Trisha, I will mostly admit to…

Confession is ‘good for the soul’ and these days people can admit to all sorts of things; often on national daytime television complete with sofa, drapes and a baying audience. I could admit to,
…believing in the healing properties of crystals…
…being a love rat…
…having all sorts of plastic surgery…
…spending weeks in rehab overcoming my alcohol and drugs problem….
Most people wouldn’t bat an eyelid at any of those.

Yet there are certain things people find it difficult to admit. At one level its stuff like admitting our children are terrors (they’re ‘hyperactive’ – yet curiously remain overweight!), you enjoy trainspotting or you liked Cliff Richard’s last single.

However, on another level people find it impossible to admit certain things – being lonely or not being able to afford something. Why would admitting that you feel alone elicit a stranger response from people than saying you had a transmitter implanted in your tooth by the CIA and you are now receiving messages from aliens?

It may be some things are too real or personal, too private. Perhaps realities are harder for other people, including family and friends, to deal with than trivialities. If so, somewhere our priorities have gotten messed up.

What am I doing??

Sought some wise counsel from a friend before I really commenced this blogging lifestyle.

Me: Am considering entering the world of blogging. Any worries?
Him: YES...definitely a cry for help.
Me: In a good way?
Him: Is there a good way?

Once Upon a Time.......

So, welcome to my blog. As someone who has been quite dismissive of this whole blogging idea there is one key question - What the hell am I doing starting one?? To be honest I don't know.

...perhaps it will offer me a chance to share amusing anecdotes...
...perhaps offer witty comments and observations on life...
...perhaps a chance to show that my life is interesting, no honest......

Who knows?? Though I have real doubts about the last idea.

This is the start of a bit of journey for me. Where it leads I don't know - but I hope that I'll be honest, as open as I feel I can be, and occasionally funny - whether intentional or not. May be this becomes our guilty little secret....

Above all, I figure it'll be cheaper than therapy. I hope you enjoy.