Monday, June 27, 2011

Things I have achieved today

  • Not changing out of my pyjamas.
  • Finishing my latest book.
  • Brushing the dog.
  • Drinking a lot of Diet Coke.
  • Annoying the hamsters.
  • Untying some washing line for my mother.
  • Eating grilled cheese and onion sandwiches.
  • Not thought about work. Much. Although I checked my email a bit.
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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Not my problem

At which point is it ok to say, ok, that's not my problem? I'm thinking of work in particular. I feel so responsible when things go wrong, as they often do. Where is the line between my job and what I'm in control of, and getting overly involved?
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Sunday, June 19, 2011

Worlds within worlds

I've been rewatching Lord of the Rings, and so I've also been rediscovering the incredible lore Tolkein created as part of his writing on Middle-Earth.

I find the idea of whole worlds, cultures and languages being created by authors completely fascinating. It's so easy to get involved in a new world like that - I almost wish that I had discovered Lord of the Rings before Star Trek, because I spent so much time absorbing the world of the United Federation of Planets, and I could have been memorising all the kings of Gondor instead.

Oh well, it's not too late!
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Friday, June 17, 2011

A week from hell

What a truly shitty, horrible, stressful week. My stomach has been in knots. I've expected the sky to fall in at any moment.

And then, thank goodness, today emails flew around that cut people down to size, and offered actual solutions to problems, instead of petty slaps. And I got a lot done.

I feel better. Still no certainty. But I feel better.
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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Little Phoetus Philemon


Not to be confused with Curtis the Foetus.


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Monday, June 13, 2011

Boy oh boy

So The Sister and The Brother-in-Law and The Nephew found out today that it's another little boy on the way to be a part of their family.

So excited to meet this little person who is going to be joining us (and this time I won't have to wait a whole year before meeting him for the first time). And at least I know how boys work. But it's also going to be very strange, that there will be two instead of one. Strange, and expensive.
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Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Why not?

I think I'm going to set myself a little task, to read all the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winners. Some I have already read, and I've marked those. As I read them I'll update this post.

1910s

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

Entries from this point on include the finalists listed after the winner for each year.

1990s

2000s

2010s

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Monday, June 06, 2011

Music meme

1. Put Your MP3 player on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write down the name of the song no matter how silly it sounds!

In the week to come:


1. What will you achieve?
Fall at your feet (Crowded House)

2. What should your motto be?
Mockingbird (Eminem)

3. What’s going to be on your mind?
Lucy in the sky with diamonds (The Beatles)

4. What’ll your best friend be like?
Make your own kind of music (Mama Cass)

5. What’ll happen with the person you like?
Feel (Robbie Williams)

6. What’ll your job be like?
Summer Nights (John Travolta and Olivia Newton John)

7. What will you do with the person you like?
Streets of London (Ralph McTell)

8. What will happen with your hobby/interest?
The kids don't stand a chance (Vampire Weekend)

9. What’ll happen with your friends?
Welcome Home (Radical Face)

10. What’s your goal for the end of the week?
Golden Slumbers (Will Young)

11. How will you feel?
Nightingale (Laura Veirs)

12. What's your outlook on the week to come?
Caramel (Suzanne Vega)

13.What will family relations be like?
Yellow Submarine (The Beatles)

14. What’ll strangers think of you?
Torn (Natalie Imbruglia)

15. What’ll happen with your exes?
Horchata (Vampire Weekend)

16. How will your love life be?
Somethin' Stupid (Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman)

17. What’ll happen with your kids (if you have any)?
Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs (The Original Haughton Weavers)

18.What’ll your employers treat you like?
Don't Panic (Coldplay)

19. What occasions will happen?
Unwell (Matchbox 20)

20. THE SOUNDTRACK OF THIS WEEK:
A boy named Sue (Johnny Cash)

21. If you get drunk, you should get drunk to:
I melt (Rascall Flats)

22. If you have a party, its theme should be:
Sweet Disposition (The Temper Trap)

23. If you’re depressed, you’ll be depro too:
You're the top (Cole Porter)

24. What should you say if things go bad?
Caring is creepy (The Shins)

25. What's the first thing you’ll do?
The last day of the melting snow (The Leisure Society)

26. What will you post this as?
I am a man of constant sorrow (Alison Krauss + Union Station)
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Friday, June 03, 2011

Being fiction

I'm having a pretty ok day over here, feeling all right, working, doing my job. And then I went on lunch. I had a Spanish omelette with garlic green beans, a diet coke, two biscuits and a latte. For the first half of my lunch I had to talk to a co-worker who discovered me in the cafeteria and ignored my do not disturb signal. But for the other half I read a book called Suspect, by Jennifer Rowe. It's pretty good.

And then I went back to my office and instead of feeling ok and all right and working, I feel flat and uninspired and generally malcontented.

But it's not me feeling these things, it's Tessa, the detective in Suspect. She's on the trail of a serial killer and has just been dumped by her pratty boyfriend.

I was feeling pretty blue there, until I realised why. Does anyone else experience this?
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