I don’t think I’ve ever quite said..

…how much I love Talking Heads. Well I do. That’s all.

Mini

So far, today has been a good Friday indeed. I have been watching an ace photography documentary series my parents told me I’d love ( and that’ll hopefully get me into the right frame of mind for my dissertation), making hair bows and am currently waiting for my apricot flapjacks to finish baking. Then tonight, Slow Club at Lee Rosy’s. Mmmmmmmm. They are lovely lovely.

I had lots to talk about, no time, no time. I saw last night that The Go! Team are coming. Oh, ace. I shall dance dance dance my merry little socks off.

Toasty warm

Things that are good: Cashew nut bread- the king of nuts!

Things that are not good: 1) People who write pointless things in library books so their comments are distracting. 2) People who write in very hard pencil so said comments cannot easily be erased. 3) People who write inane comments in biro. Gah.

Also procrastination, it’s not good.

I’ve heard surprisingly good things about Juno, but it has the girl that was awfulawful in Hard Candy. Hmmmm.

“In addition, I am at the moment writing a lengthy indictment against our century. When my brain begins to reel from my literary labo[u]rs, I make an occasional cheese dip”.

A Confederacy of Dunces is wonderful. Ignatius bemuses me so. Though he is in many ways larger than life and supposedly the kind of character ‘we are not accustomed to observe every day’, he still manages to remind me of several people I know, even myself at one point- though thankfully only once. Yet for the rest, I read it with a knowing smile.

Which reminds me, I forgot to mention how much I am in love with a couple of Robert Olen Butler’s short stories I read a while ago, namely ‘Love’ and ‘Snow’. The latter is my favourite, but the former can be found here.

They’re both from ‘ A Good Scent From a Strange Mountain’, which I fully intend to purchase as soon as I have time to read things that aren’t course material, sans guilt.

Anyway, tomorrow I’m taking a break from the academics for the sake of my own welfare. And on that note, I leave you with some loosely Brat Pack related glee:

Mmmmmm so bad/fun.

I’ve also just been watching the Sigur Ros Culture Show special that my father painstakingly dvd-ed for me. Hopefully now as I dissolve into slumbers, I shall be thinking of dancing and dreamy Icelandic landscapes rather than theories of the Southern grotesque and images from Deliverance.

What is it, to be smitten?

So today whilst working up to joyous revision, I ran a quick search to have a listen to The Smittens (http://www.smittens.com/home.html) and instead I found THIS.

Slightly disturbing but hilarious, mittens to hold hands to…or something. How many times Tom has stretched my mittens when his fingerless gloves left him cold. These ‘Smittens’ are incredibly creepy looking, but the concept behind them is most excellent and makes me chortle. Ho ho.

n.b.- Smittens is also the name of my favourite Lush handcream ( mmmm almond). Fact.

Mmmmm Somerset

I’m hoooome! Ho ho ho.

To the land of sloe gin and cider brandy butter.

And look! There’s a television here! Mmmmm novelty. And Hitchhiker’s is on! It’s quite bad but but Zooey Deschanel, I lovvve her.

Last night was fun, we went to the DSFAR xmas party. The bands were wonderful and people showed up I didn’t know were coming. Lovely stuff. Sadly I had to leave pretty snappy- a Lush 8.30 start was calling. Ugh.

Why oh why…

…are people *still* wearing Ugg boots? When they are as ugly as the day they first came over which must be at least 6 years ago now. In fact they aren’t just ugly, they’re vileuglyuglyugly. Especially the tan ones. Actually I’m despaired at English student fashion in general at the moment. Tiny denim skirts, black cropped leggings, pashminas and utterly contrived bedhead hair still? Really? Yet the scenesters have me in utter dispair as well. But then I suppose they’re one in the same really. Angst. Off to seminar now

Busy busy busy bee

Yellow.

I just realised I never wrote about End of The Road. Well it was wonderful. A few of my favourite bits were The Twilight Sad’s extra show, seeing Darren Hayman’s bluegrass sideproject in the garden bit, whilst eating pie I believe and the whole thing ending with Jen’s ‘You Are The Light’. Special. There were lots of other wonderful bits too but we’ll leave it at that for now.

Things seem to be mighty mighty busy for me at the moment, but all is well.

I’ve settled back into Nottingham quite nicely, though still having North American pangs but it’s nice to be back with everyone.

I’m also working in Lush. Aces. They told me when I applied that they get hideous numbers of applicants so I didn’t think I had a chance- I was worried I’d be forced to head to some depressing place that would make me want to hurt myself. But yay It’s hard work but lots of fun, the people are friendly, I get lovely job perks, plus I smell pretty sweet at the end of the day, literally.

Other fun in the past week has involved seeing Control ( though it made me rather dislike Ian Curtis, but I think it was partly down to the main guy looking more like Pete Doherty to me…though the film did make me see him more as mean than misunderstood or harsh but unapologetic for his actions etc. I’m not sure that was the intention? ), the high soc gig with Dave’s band at The Art Organisation, the aforementioned Bobby Mcgees/ Butcher Boy gig at Lee Rosy’s, going to Kathleen and Lily’s again to buy pretty bows, Tom and Alex’s belated birthday party on Saturday complete with my magical peanut butter cookies, going for pub roast and walk along the marina/nature reserve post- party.

Anyway,  sushi tonight. It’ll be the first time I’ve had it since coming back to fair England. Will it compare me wonders?

Almond Cream tea is magic.

I love the way…

….that Callahan’s ‘The Wheel’ ( in the manner that he speaks each line before singing) reminds me of two things:

- A primary school singalong.

- Gospel choir.

Both of these are good things.

Oh and um, forgive me I know I’m not normally a gusher but: I love them. Even Vancouver’s otters are the nicest in the world. I gushed a-plenty when I went there, golly, around this time last year actually. My favourite thing is the CBC news report asserting that they aren’t in fact in love, it’s a survival instinct. Gee, really? Don’t tell the kids……..though on second thoughts probably best if you don’t tell me either.

Everything’s Gone Green

I’m streaming Everything’s Gone Green online. It’s this sweet little indie film we saw at the Vancouver International Film Festival, with a screenplay by Coupland. He was there when we saw it, as were the cast and it was an amazing night. It makes me feel weird watching it again, but also all glowy. I don’t think it’ll ever be a popular ‘indie hit’ because, particularly in retrospect, it’s a very Vancouverite in-joke sort of film, but I love it possibly for that reason.

Speaking of which, I read this wonderful essay the other day by Denise Blake Oleksijczuk. It was one of those frustrating moments where you have all your thoughts clear in your head and then realise someone else has beaten you to it. But then I read she took a phd at UBC, so it makes sense. Great minds, eh? I’m excited to get back to Nottingham but at the same time I’m worried that UBC has spoiled me academically. The whole learning environment was far more my style- really interesting profs who actually knew what they were talking about, knew their students’ names and encouraged people to challenge whatever they said, classes with people who were actually interested and enthusiastic, and the way that everyone would sit in morning lectures with granola bowls and coffee and noone would give them strange looks.

Today has been a really really good day. I won’t go into details but it’s involved lots of Kate Bush, Lunn buns, nostalgic memories and feeling optimistic and happy about life in general. Hurray! What a wonder.