NS October 12th, 2007
I love October more than any other month on the calendar. The crisp air; the reddening leaves; the taking down of jackets and jumpers from storage (and hoping to find some cash in the pockets!); boots instead of sandals; not having to shave as often (not so good for the Noble Husband); the sightings of autumnal and winter ales in shops and pubs the land over; warm, hearty casseroles and soups; golden sunsets streaked with pink; crackling fires; carving pumpkins; Halloween parties; NFL Sundays; the last throes of sunshine and casual strolls, before the frost of winter hunches our shoulders and makes us quicken our strides, eyes cast down and collars up.
Every day this month, I will walk out the door breathing in the air of another October day and relish it, filing the memories, sights, sounds, smells and feelings away for when December comes and the orange leaves shrivel and harden to shades of brown and grey.
NS October 10th, 2007
Tonight on Channel 4 News, from anchor John Snow after hearing a live report from a field correspondent who was having to shout over traffic passing by in the background:
“That was _____ reporting live, over a rather frightful din.”
A frightful din. Who says that?
NS October 10th, 2007
Seeing as I’m in the middle of painting my dining room
brainstorming ideas for my latest article
and watching my toddler alternate between throwing her dinner defiantly across the room and rubbing it over her hands like lotion (oh, and stuffing it down her shirt too, that’s a new one)
I thought I’d do another nice n’ easy meme. This one is from Strawberry and it requires me to regale you with seven facts about me. I will try not to reduce you to tears of boredom. Here goes.
- I have been trying to finish Bill Clinton’s autobiography since February 2006. I’m only halfway there and it is really interesting, but it’s a funkin’ HUGE book and it’s not easy to lug around in my handbag or to different rooms when I’ve got my arms full of child or to relax with in the bath. Bill, you might need to come out with the Cliff’s Notes version for people on the move, yo.
- My left knee has been popping in and out and acting funny and just generally aching and it’s bothering me because it is making me feel a bit old. I know, I know, I’m practically a zygote to some of you and have no right to use the O word when I haven’t even cracked three decades yet, but some days I just think I should start eating Shredded Wheat and chasing kids with canes and be done with it.
- Sometimes I use tv as a babysitter for my daughter when I need to get something done. And sometimes, even when I’m not busy, I can’t be bothered to play or pretend that I’m interested in getting the milk out of the fridge for the 19th time that day or looking at pictures of cats and shouting “MEOW!” with unbridled glee and so I kind of ignore her and just make her get on with it while I laze about or write in my blog or do some menial household chore. Let the bad mother awards start coming in…
- I don’t like eBay that much. I just don’t. I use it occasionally but all that feedback back and forth bullshit and the possibility of getting completely ripped off is not appealing.
- I almost shed a tear today thinking about not being right down the road from a Starbucks this holiday season because that means I won’t be able to get my eggnog lattes on a whim. Costa sucks goat balls.
- I sometimes pretend to have an issue with my looks or body just to make a friend who is complaining about herself feel better. I feel like if I don’t bitch about myself I’ll either make her feel bad or be considered a snob. In reality, I’m happy with myself most days.
- If I won £10,000 today I would spend 1k on a kick-ass camera, 1k on a kick-ass computer, 3k on a car, 2k on improving our house, 2k on a long holiday and stick 1k in an IRA.
Oh, and not to be a total spoilsport, but I’m not tagging anyone else. I know a lot of the same people as those who have already been tagged and don’t want this going round in circles. Plus, the kid is squalling to be let out of her sweet potato prison and I think there’s some stuck up her nose.
NS October 9th, 2007
I was tagged by Charlotte to do this interesting meme, so here goes.
My five writing strengths
- I’m funny. I know how to describe a situation or person in humorous detail, injecting brevity and laughter into places and spaces where others might not have thought to. I attribute this to being a middle child and having a bit of MCS (middle child syndrome)
- I know the importance of tone. I know how to build up to a crescendo and structure my posts so that interest is peaked at the beginning and keeps my readers going. As a journalist and blogger, I don’t do plot twists and dialogue, but creative non-fiction can involve just as many storytelling aspects and skills as its more highly-regarded literary sister.
- I don’t censor myself. I write how I talk a lot of the time, peppering my writing with phrases I say in real life, either out loud or in my head. I don’t worry about who is reading or what they might think or wonder if I’m sharing too much. I just go for it and put myself out there, as I am. It’s a very freeing thing.
- I’m not afraid of controversy. I will write about topics and situations that others might shy away from for fear of not expressing themselves well or creating a stir or being proven wrong. Even if I’m not an endless fountain of knowledge on a particular subject and raises my ire or grabs my attention, I will speak out and try to learn about it through bantering with others.
- I respect words. I know how much power they have had over me since I learned to read and how much they have influenced my life and the lives of countless others. There isn’t anyone alive who hasn’t been touched or affected by words. I believe that stories are the last art capable of saving us from ourselves and our last hope for global connection, just as our ancestors did with oral history. Words can change a person’s outlook or even their life, forever. The greatest honour I could ever receive would be to do this for someone through my writing, and this is what keeps me inspired to write passionately, intelligently, humorously and creatively.
I tag Jen to do this meme.
NS October 8th, 2007
This story reminds me of why I don’t like shopping and why I find people who treat shopping as a competitive sport pathetic.
Feverish shoppers ripped clothes off shop mannequins during a bargain store sale which ended in trouble and police being called.
One man was arrested when trendy fashion retailer Clockwork Orange opened a store at the Junction One retail outlet in Antrim.
About 2,000 people arrived for the opening and tempers frayed as people tried to jump the queue.
The shop opened at 0500 BST on Saturday for a “beat the clock” sale.
Bargain hunters were lining up for the promotion, where the cost of an item is based on the time of purchase.
Feverish shoppers ripped the clothes off of mannequins. What is wrong with people?
