Imperfect theories

I've been noodling about with an imperfect theory for ages now, turning it over in my mind, unable to make it work but unwilling to let it go.

I had a thought that really the best thing we can do is make the best of what we are given. So in any given moment, have a job and enjoy that job. Go and see a movie and enjoy that movie. Live in a house and enjoy that house. But as my Zen-Like Friend reasonably pointed out (damn you, reason, damn you), that implies that you shouldn't then be grasping for anything else. So, essentially, you're living in a house with a bunch of morons, but you're making the best of what you're given, so you have to enjoy that house, really make it work for you, rather than frantically finding a different job and saving like mad in order to escape the house you're supposed to be making the best of.

You should just be happy with what you have.

I'm not sure where to go from there. Are the ideas of being happy with what you have and working for something better mutually exclusive? Should they be?

This brings me to another theory I used to have, which is that the ultimate goal should be contentment. The moment you feel content is the highest achievement the world can offer. The Best Friend called that boring.

So now I have two imperfect theories, and a desperate desire to move, and I only know what I know: that I'm coming up to a year of living in Milton Keynes and while I dislike it for so many reasons, I have a wonderful job, a good salary, and a great car, and those three things make everything else less, well, shitty.

I don't know. I really don't.

I'll tell you what you can do with your Wavin' Flag

Has any song ever had lyrics more inane than the Football World Cup song?

"We all say/When I get older I will be stronger/They’ll call me freedom/Just like a wavin’ flag/And then it goes back"

What?

Tropic Thunder

I was going to say that this was the best movie that Tom Cruise has ever made, but then I remembered I love Jerry Maguire. But the latter is despite Tom Cruise, rather than because of. So I stand by my opinion, Tropic Thunder is the best movie Tom Cruise has ever made.

In which I survey my kingdom

About the only good thing about the house I live in is that I have double doors that go out onto the patio. The patio looks out onto a half mown lawn because my landlord got bored half way through mowing it. But I'm definitely thinking that on Friday, when I get paid, I'm going to invest in some patio furniture. So while I don't actually have my own place, at least I'll have some furniture to take with me.

Oh wait, I forgot about my three bookshelves. They'll go with me too.

Oh, and I have the chair I'm sitting in.

And a green footstool.

So I have three bookshelves, an armchair, a green footstool and some patio furniture.

Wow, am I all grown up or what?

Dear Mr Twat in the BMW

I was not going slowly! I was going 60! I probably should only have been going 50. So please slow down, do not follow me, and do not attempt to cut me off at the roundabout.

Liz

I think I might be the only person in the world who actually likes the new Doctor Who

I can't help myself, but I do. I don't think the writing has been as top notch as it could have been - some of the plots are just wound up way too easily - but I've enjoyed most of this season.

But the Pandorica...I'm really interested to see how they resolve that one.

Tales from The Nephew's world

I spent my holiday last week taking care of the ever more precocious Nephew. He was in fine form - everything was either amazing, terrible, heartbreaking or boring. No middle ground with this kid. I enjoyed it, but man am I knackered.

Some gems included us going on "a bear hunt". Cue Auntie Elize's flat rendition of Teddy Bears' Picnic, which had to be sung multiple times. Then I tried to get him turned around so we could get home, and had to pretend to see a bear wearing trousers and a hat disappearing into the distance.

"NO, Auntie Elize, my sense of direction says the bear when that way," he answered, pointing in the direction he wants to go in. No, no, no, I say, my sense of direction says he really did go round the corner towards home. Eventually he agreed and I mumbled: "I've got your sense of direction right here." "No! Give it back! I need my sense of direction."

We then went to The Parents' place, so he got to hold my ipod and skip the songs he didn't like (all of them). But then he got to Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries, which he immediately fell in love with. "Let's listen to that scary song again. I like scary songs. Where's the scary song? Is there a scary person in the scary song? On the television, there's a scary person in the scary movie. Let's listen to the scary song. Oh, that's very scary. I like being scared. I can't hear the scary song. Make it loud! No that's too loud. Oh, the scary song is done, let's listen to it again."

On the way to The Parent's place in Reading, you have to cross a teeny little toll bridge over the Thames, in a town called Pangbourne (it's gorgeous there). Anyway, I couldn't find my wallet and I didn't have the 40p toll loose with me, so the woman let me through. I told her I'd pay double when I came back through (and which I did).

"Auntie Elize! You didn't pay the lady! That's wrong, you were supposed to give the lady the money! Why didn't you give her the money?"

Then, when he saw The Father: "Hi Papa! Auntie Elize didn't pay! That's wrong, isn't it?"

Tattle-tailing little brat.

The biggest reason why living with somone wouldn't be such a bad idea

If I woke up starving on a Saturday morning, but too lazy to do anything about it, he would be conveniently placed to make me french toast and a cup of tea.

Lessons I have learned from sushi

1) Wearing a white shirt is always a bad idea.

2) Nigiri falls apart when you forget it in the bowl of soya sauce because you're reading.

3) Too much ginger can give your tongue blisters.

4) Count the dishes as you go.

5) The good stuff always appears on the conveyer belt as you're getting up to leave.

Greeting the morning with a song

Or should I say, an earsplitting rendition of Fall at Your Feet by Crowded House. I wish I could sing, but I can't. I am very, very atonal, flat, and can't keep to a melody to save my life. It's like one of those cartoons, where I open my mouth and all these little crooked notes come out in a speech bubble and then all the windows shatter.

But I do love a good song, and singing along to a good song, and no-one can hear me in the car. I hope. At least I didn't do jazz hands. That would have been unsafe.

Banks are the Enemy

Arrgghh! Stupid bank!

I have two accounts with my bank, and they're interconnected.Two weeks ago I cancelled the debit card on one, because I got paranoid about Amazon. No problem, Ms Ellis, we'll issue you a new one and you'll have it within 5 working days. Two weeks later and the card isn't here, in the mean time I've been using the debit card on the second card. Today I called the bank to say that the replacement card hadn't arrived. No problem, they say, we'll cancel the card we ordered and order you a new one to go straight to the bank branch, that'll keep it safe. That'll take 5 working days. Wonderful.

So this evening I toddled to the atm to get out a little money, and...yes...that's right...those idiots have cancelled the card for the second account. So now I have no debit cards. I can go into the branch tomorrow with two forms of ID and a statement and plead my case. The new card will be with me in...5 working days.

I'm betting right now that they've managed to order cards for the same account.

Idiots!

Note to Self

Find spellcheck on Blogger and USE it.

Three years

Today, I've been in the UK for three years. I've moved a lot, seen more of my family, met a lot of people, liked some of them enough to make proper friends with, cemented older friendships, seen a lot of movies, read a lot of books, worked at a lot of jobs, and travelled quite a bit.

I've also lost a perfect job, been on disasterous dates, lived with some very unpleasant people, and been diagnosed with an incurable disease.

But today, today is the point. Today I'm happy. Today I'm looking forward and backward with equal amusement, and my anxiety is only a tiny voice in the background. Today I think about all the good things, and ignore the bad things. Today I decided to stop looking back quite so much, because even when you're looking back with no regrets, too much introspection gives you a migraine and a vague feeling of discontent.

Today is the day that matters. Tomorrow will take care of itself.

Monday politics

I just had a fun morning - last Friday an email went round saying that a senior cabinet minister would be delivering a speech on the economy this morning on campus, and to apply if we wanted tickets. I did that, and got my confirmation this morning, and went off to the university library to find the place crawling with journalists and police, because it was the prime minister.

Of course, the speech was basically his version of the old song, We're Screwed, So Screwed, So Very Very Screwed, with a rousing chorus of It's Not Our Fault We Have To Make Major Cuts, Blame Gordon Brown, but it was fascinating to watch. A good start to Monday!

Surreal conversations with The Sister via Facebook

21:40 Juanita

hi, do you have mum and dads home number please? also, did i leave my charger there? (possibly plugged in behind your bed side table)

i know you are thinking it's typical!! haha

21:41 Me

It's 123456789

And yes

:)

21:42 Juanita

pants. thanks

21:42 Me

have you ever watched peep show?

it's brilliant, really brilliant.

21:44 Juanita

nope, is it worth a look is it?

21:44 Me

it's on 4OD on youtube, and I would definitely look.

But then, I have a deep and abiding love for David Mitchell.

Who I think I may be turning into.

Why am I turning into a 40 year old man?

Why?

21:45 Juanita

ha!

21:45 Me

No!

Not ha!

No, no, Elize, don't be silly.

You're not turning into a 40 year old male comedian.

You're imagining things.

not HA!!!

21:46 Juanita

i dont think you are turning into a man, whatever you may think

21:47 Me

Thank you.

21:47 Juanita

i am multi tasking and talking to mum so i cant type lots.

21:47 Me

No, that's fine.

21:47 Juanita

i will reassure you properly in a minute :):)

21:48 Me

Too late!

21:48 Juanita

don't be like that

21:48 Me

Sniff!

21:49 Juanita

boo-friggin-hoo :-)

It's raining

Fat drops of cool water on a warm afternoon. It's not dark, or overcast, the water is just falling from a perfect summer sky.

I love the rain, because it feels a little like a miracle every time it falls. Because it has a hundred faces, and as many emotions. The water falls and we receive the smell and luxury that comes with it.

But rain always makes my heart ache. I never feel more alone than when it rains. I stand on a balcony, or a stoop, or a street, with my hand stretched out, feeling the cold drops land.

Romance

"I'm not a romantic. I'm very practical."

"[You're] an insatiable romantic. A woman who combs her hair on a moonlit beach, wears filmy white, and treasures a valueless memento thrives on romance."

"I also clip coupons and watch my cholesterol."

Nora Roberts - The Right Path

Last night's episode of Dr Who

Mawkish, very mawkish indeed.

It's time for another Ipod 10-Track Experiment

Recently someone told me I had a lot of love songs on my ipod. This is more amusing than the person who told me this possibly realised, as The Best Friend, who has long bemoaned my ability to turn even the happiest song into a funeral march, can attest. But in the interests of scientific research, I have dusted off Der Fuhrer's Ipod 10-Track Experiment in order to come to an unbiased, objective opinion.

And so the 10 randomly shuffled songs are:

1) She's Got Her Ticket - Tracy Chapman
2) Superfly - Harris Tweed
3) Doo Be Doo - Freshlyground
4) I Have a Dream - ABBA
5) Portions for Foxes - Rilo Kiley
6) I Stand Corrected - Vampire Weekend
7) All You Wanted - Michelle Branch
8) Scarborough Fair - Simon and Garfunkel
9) Poker Face - Lady Gaga
10) Feels Like Home - Chantal Kreviazuk

Ok, ok, that last song is pretty sappy. So sue me!

Gone

the wind
took you to where
It wanted to
go.

it swept your self
to hidden
places
away
from the place you called home.

it swept your self
and it took you
and it left you
here.
here.
here.

where nothing grows,
but those who cling
Live.