Dreams of Foreign Shores

Nothing much has been happening lately. Work, home, sleep, work, home, sleep. It's all been a bit Groundhog-like with countless days ever repeating. Already we're at the end of January and that stupid remark "Soon be Christmas" doesn't seem so stupid anymore.

I am steadily building a mental list of things to do. Everything from budgeting properly, so Christmas doesn't come as such a shock, to trying to set up a holiday fund so we actually get away this year. The nearest we got to a holiday last year was a long weekend in Glasgow. Although we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and can't wait to go back, it's not quite sun, sand and sangria. With all the stress I've been under at work the last couple of years, a holiday can't come soon enough for me or my workmates. They need the break as much as I do.

I would love to be in a position to just go out and book something. I envy the people that can. A neighbour was telling me yesterday how he's just booked three holidays for this year! I would have loved to have bragged back that we were also jetting off to some far off shore but I couldn't. I don't begrudge the man his holidays, he has worked extremely hard all his life to be able to afford them, but I couldn't help feeling a little pang of jealousy.

Good Dog!

BOOK CHALLENGE 7/1000

At this early stage in the project, I am starting to think that I really should have counted the books I had already read years ago just to get me ahead of the game. No, that would be cheating. Especially as I can't rely on my memory and there are books I thought I have read but instead I've only seen the film!

I am only thinking this because there was a little book shop nearby which was closing down and I bought a stack of new books at a bargain price and I am dying to get stuck into them. Oh well, I'll just have to alternate between one of my new books and one on the list or something. Anyway, enough of my musings, back to the challenge...

As my car is off the road this week, I'm getting lots of opportunity for reading on the 2 bus, 2 hour journey to work every day. For book 7 in the challenge I chose The Call of the Wild by Jack London. Another kid's book I know but I just warming up. I can't believe this book wasn't on any of the reading lists when I was at school. It is such a great book. Okay, boys would probably enjoy it more than girls but even so. It is beautifully written, descriptive without waffling on too much, heartwarming without being slushy. I fell in love with Buck almost immediately. I didn't know anything about the book before I started reading it and half expected it to be a kind of Homeward Bound kind of story, with Buck making his way back to his original master. I am so glad it wasn't. If I had to choose between recommending this book to a child or another classic such as Alice in Wonderland, I would choose Call of the Wild in a heartbeat. The language and writing style isn't as outdated as other classic children's books.

Vertically Challenged Muggles

BOOK CHALLENGE 5/1000

I haven't had a lot of time for reading in the last week so I had to pick something relatively lightweight. Book 5 is Little Women by Louise May Alcott. It was an easy choice because it is one I have read before. The only problem I had was finding my actual hard copy of this. I searched the whole house and can't find it anywhere. I had to resort to the DS version instead which I am not happy about because it only has the original first part. (Little Women was originally released as two parts). Regardless, it's not breaking to rules to cross this one off the list. Meanwhile, until my copy resurfaces, I have downloaded the complete version from The Gutenberg Project website along with a few other books that are on the list and a couple more of Ms Alcott's.

BOOK CHALLENGE 6/1000

Another quick one to get through and crossed off. JK Rowling's Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone is a quick and easy read (obviously as it's for kids). Like most people on the planet I have read all this series and I'm not ashamed to admit it. The first book isn't the best kid's book in the world or even the best book in the series but it is where we are introduced to the wizarding world and our hero Harry. One of the things I especially like about this series is the fact that the author wasn't afraid to have characters die. Not many children's authors include death in their plotlines, they would consider it too much for children to handle. Ms Rowling manages to juggle a little bit of harsh reality with a lot of fantasy to near perfection.

On a lighter note, after my birthday, I've nearly got enough for my Kindle. This will tie in nicely with my other challenge to declutter the house.

Squirrel Free Zone

I am a relentless hoarder. I stash all kinds of things away thinking, "That will come in handy one day". Of course, that one day never arrives and I have boxes of useless old tat all over the house. It drives C absolutely mad. He is the complete opposite. He would happily hire a skip and chuck out everything. I blame my Dad, of course. He is quite the squirrel himself.

I didn't really make any New Year's resolutions but I have promised that 2010 will be the year of the big declutter. With every room in the house needing streamlining, it is a daunting task but the truth is it's getting me down too. I've completely run out of places to put things! Every cupboard, every drawer is full to the brim. I refuse to just throw thing out though. I will try and recycle as much as I can via Freecycle and Charity Shops. Only the truly salvageless will be condemned to the bin.

I know I'll never achieve a fully minimalist lifestyle but it would be nice to open a cupboard and not have an avalanche of junk knock me to the ground.

Life begins at 40

I really hate pictures of me!

Hubby-to-be with sister-in-law-to-be

Me, Dad and little sis Clair


Me and Clair obviously comparing hair colour.
Hers is natural, mine came out of a bottle earlier that day.

This is the limit of photos I could salvage from what turned into a very drunken evening at O'Neal's, Richmond. Good friends, good music, good God I drank a lot of rum!

Dose Me Up

I am sitting here typing listening to the sound of Clint snoring. Isn't love grand!

The poor man has caught the lurgy I had last week and he is curled up on the sofa under two blankets. Meanwhile, I am still ripping CDs onto the laptop. I have a huge collection so it's going to take a while. I started a couple of days ago putting a dozen or so on at a time and I'm not even half way through the first case yet. I have discovered albums I forgot I had and a couple I thought I'd lost. I have also discovered that someone in this house (and it's not me) has a bad habit of putting CDs away in the wrong cases. It is one of my pet peeves, closely followed by not putting CDs and DVDs away in a case at all.

Off on a tangent, I have tickets to see Tom McRae in March. Tom is one of my favourite singer/songwriters and one of the few artists I have stayed loyal to over the years (I go off stuff easily). Anyway, Clint has agreed to come with me even though he hasn't listened to any his music. I don't want to go and be worried all evening about Clint enjoying himself. So I am playing a selection of Tom's songs whilst I sit here ripping, hoping that Clint will absorb it subliminally while he sleeps. I don't know if this sleep tape stuff actually works. I've heard him say "Dose me up" a couple of times but I think he's just talking about Beechams.

It's a Mystery

BOOK CHALLENGE 4/1000

I tried to take a little break from the reading challenge but I can't be without a book or two on the go. Am I the only person who is happy to be reading more than one book? Clint thinks this is strange but we all watch more than one TV programme and still manage to follow along so I can't see the problem. Anyway, The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins was my next choice from the list. My reasons were threefold, one, it's on the list, two, it's on the DS cartridge so I had it available and three, I haven't read it before. It has been very long time since I have read a mystery (I seem to have been reading a lot of Sci-fi/Fantasy in recent years) and I had forgotten how much I like them. From the first chapter I was hooked. Every free moment took me back to read some more. I couldn't wait to find out who this Woman in White was. I'm really looking forward to reading the other book on the list from Wilkie Collins.

I said I didn't want to race through the list and I wasn't going to set myself any time constraints. I am a little concerned, though, that at the current rate (average 2 books per week) this challenge is going to take me about 10 years to complete! I'd better start looking after myself a little better or I'll never complete it.

Old Photos

Jayne, Me and Karen at Runnymede. Karen suggested a few years ago that we recreate this picture, a kind of "then and now" thing. Maybe we'll get round to it one day.

Common as Muck

My name is Sally. Strictly speaking it's actually Sally Ann but we won't be pernickety for the purposes of this blog. Sally is not a popular name. I have only ever met one other Sally. Recently while in Glasgow a very nice, extremely drunk Glaswegian in Molly Malones seemed fascinated by my name declaring that he had never ever met a Sally and was convinced that the name only existed in songs. That got me thinking... I know that Sally is quite popular when it comes to music, it is the most used female name. I wonder exactly how many songs there are...

Here are a few. I welcome comments from anyone that can find any others.

• Beautiful Sally - Rick Price
• Sally Anne - Joe Brown
• Sally G - Wings
• Sally Go Round the Roses - The Jaynettes
• Sally Was a good Girl - Trini Lopez
• Long Tall Sally - Little Richard
• Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett
• Sally's Song - Amy Lee / Evanescence
• Sally is a - Shwayze
• Don't Look Back in Anger - Oasis (So Sally can wait, she knows it's too late)
• Lay Down Sally - Eric Clapton
• Sally MacLennane - The Pogues
• My Pet Sally - Blink 182
• Sally - Mika
• Sally Cinnamon - The Stone Roses
• Sally - Gracie Fields
• Be My Girl - The Police (My life is different since Sally came my way) Strictly speaking it's a poem with a bit of chorus but it is my favourite so I had to include it. Sally is a blow up doll!
• Sally - Carmel

I always knew I was nothing special, I didn't realise I was quite so common though.

Hurricane Warning 2 - A Change in the Weather

So I had to announce on Facebook today that my 40th Birthday bash has been postponed.

With all the best intentions it proved impossible to plan the party I'd hoped for so close to Christmas. With the weather we've been having lately, I actually think everyone's a little relieved. That smoking ban is not looking too clever right now amid all this snow and ice. I also had the added dilemma that a couple of my guests from work do this stupid resolution thing every year whereby they forego all alcohol for the month of January! I know I shouldn't be concerned with just 2 guests but I'm not exactly wealthy in the friends department and I need all the party spirit I can muster. Like I mentioned before, I don't want to be doing the Macarena all on my onesies!

So the plan now is for Clint and myself to work our asses off, build up a bit of overtime, pay off the two huge bills that landed on the doorstep just after New Year and look to rearrange it all once the old pennies are a bit more affluent.

It's not a situation I am happy with but I don't have any alternative. Who knows, with a bit more planning and cash, maybe it will end up bigger and better than I originally hoped.

Old Photos

I think we all cut our own fringes for this photo.

Shelby Sleeping

Shelby is a chocolate lab. She likes chewing anything she can get her mouth around, walks in the park, chasing bicycles, buses and cars, and waking me up at obscene times of the morning.

This is one of the few photos of Shelby being good. She was so tiny here. When we first got her you could pick her up with one hand.

Although she's almost full grown now, she's still a puppy mentally. She spends a lot of her time jumping around like a lunatic.

Florida Dreaming

Florida is my most favourite place on Earth and the only place where I am truly happy. I would move there tomorrow if I could.

I know that Florida is not a true representation of America. Contrary to public opinion, I am not completely stupid. I am fully aware that almost everything about the place is fake and posed but that doesn't matter. I love it to the point of obsession. Friends actually avoid mentioning anything to do with Florida because I can bore them to tears with endless stories and experiences for hours and hours.

I don't just trawl the theme parks each time I go. I like to try and find somewhere I haven't been or do something I haven't done before. Sometimes, I don't even bother going to the parks at all.

Old Photos

Things I know for certain:

Chubby cheeks and hand-knitted jumpers are only okay on children

For the Love of Feltham

Feltham sits just south of Heathrow. Although the town recently installed a tribute to Freddie Mercury in the town centre (he lived here for a few years), it's probably most famous for the local Young Offenders Institution. That's how most people have heard of it and what most people rate us by.

Feltham can claim all the usual stuff like a rich history of agriculture and a mention in the Doomsday book. None of that has any real bearing on the town today though. Recent regeneration has lifted Feltham's face a little but there is still a long way to go. The traffic regularly alternates between creeping along and grinding to a halt. The old Feltham Hotel, home to the Feltham Community Association for many years, sits empty and decaying at the end of the High Street in stark contrast to the newly developed precinct.

Feltham lost it's community spirit years before the Community Association closed down. Nowadays people don't want to know their neighbours, can't let their kids play out on the streets and are nervous to walk the streets at night.

I know that everyone looks back on their childhood with rose coloured specs but, in the seventies, this was a great place to grow up. Everyone knew everyone and most people got along. There was always a house party going on somewhere and everyone would chip in with booze and food. It was safe enough to walk to school because everybody did. The Carnival was the big event of the year and anyone that wasn't taking part turned out to line the route and show their support. The parks and ponds were well kept and cared for. If you were short of something, there was always a neighbour that would lend it to you.

Sadly those days are gone, never to return. My home town is now home to chavs and thugs. A few of the old families still live in the area and we all reminisce about how it used to be. Although it's really not as bad a place to live as people might think, we'd all still like things to be how they were years ago.

From Wonderland to Isla Nublar

BOOK CHALLENGE 2/1000

The book challenge continues with two more novels being crossed from the list.

After reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland I decided to continue on with Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass mainly to just get it over and done with. The story is much the same as the first, with Alice falling asleep and dreaming of Wonderland. New characters didn't do much for me and I soon got tired of the nonsensical conversation and settings. Maybe children like this kind of thing but I will be sticking with the film versions. (Can't wait for the Tim Burton movie). Even so, I am glad I have read them just so I can say I have.

BOOK CHALLENGE 3/1000

After reading two children's stories, I decided I'd chose something a teensie bit more adult. I didn't want to pick anything too highbrow or heavy as I am still full of cold and I didn't think my brain could handle it. I also needed a break from the Nintendo DS as the small screen was started to strain my eyes. So I chose Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. My old battered copy was pulled down from the dusty top shelf along with The Lost World. The sequel isn't on the book list but I decided that I might as well read both anyway. Of course, the books are always better than the films for obvious reasons. Although I agree in principal, I must say that I think the characters in the films are better than in the books. The author draws an intricate picture of the settings and storyline but doesn't really develop the characters as much as I'd like. I haven't read any other Michael Crichton books yet so I don't know if this is his usual style or specific to this series. I do like these books though. The condition of the copies I own shows how often they have been read over the years.

Not sure what to read next, I having a busy time at work at the moment and my brain is a little fried. I might have a little break and get back on it next week.

Spelling Bee

I am finding my job very frustrating at the moment. I love the work but my new boss is taking a while to settle in and earn our respect. With conversations like this happening almost every day, it's hardly surprising. However, as I would like to keep my job, I didn't want to disclose full names.


S (On phone to customer) - Yes, that will be via Le Havre

S (In reply to customer's question) - Okay, it's two words, first word L E, second word H A V E R

Me (Whispering) - it's R E

S - Oh no, hold on a sec, my colleague is saying it's R E

A (Righteously) - No S is right it's H A V E R

Me (Full of attitude) - No it's not

S (to customer) - Hold on a sec, I'd better check. Oh yep I was wrong it's H A V R E

A - Oh they spell it the French way!


Duh!

Karaoke Soul

I was talking to Clint this evening about how we both have such wide music tastes. We told each other little stories about how we had come across different artists and bands over the years.

Looking back it seems strange how my taste in music developed because I started off in such an insolar environment. I don't remember the radio ever being played in our house when I was a kid. We played a lot of music but it was all Mum and Dad's old 45's, mostly Elvis and other 50's and 60's stuff. I don't think I really became aware of the Charts until the Eighties. My eldest sister, Karen started taking me to concerts as soon as I was old enough (my first concert was The Nolans!). I had no control over which concerts we went to (if you know my sister, you'd understand) but I am grateful she did take me to so many because it introduced me not only to live music but a huge variety of music too.

Aside from my sister, there are two other influences which I attribute my eclectic music collection to. The first is a covers band called Panama (Picture above). During the nineties, I went to see this band a lot. It's probably worth mentioning that Panama were the house band at a club in Orlando. I was totally obsessed with them for years. Even though they were only a covers band, I still rate them in my top five of live shows! They knew how to work an audience better than most signed bands I have seen since. Almost all the band members took to the mic and it meant they could cover many different styles. Everything from Dobie Gray to Pearl Jam, REM to Janes Addiction, Gin Blossoms to Stevie Ray Vaughn, Journey to Greenday. Sadly Panama and the club I used to see them at are no more although some of the band members have since joined other Orlando bands.

Finally, my last big influence was Karaoke. I always think Karaoke is a bit like Marmite. You either love it or hate it. I love it. I ran a karaoke business for about fifteen years with my Dad. All of my Dad's family love karaoke and all of them have great voices. A lot of the music I now like, I first heard at a Karaoke. CDs I own by Dido, Jewel, Van Morrison and Staind were all were bought after hearing someone sing one of their songs at a karaoke.

Most of the music I own I can link back to these three sources. I have a huge music collection spanning decades and genres. I like songs that tell a story or provoke emotion but I especially like songs I can sing along to, I suppose that is the karaoke girl coming out in me.

Down the Rabbit Hole

THE READING CHALLENGE 1/1000

So I have set myself the challenge of reading all 1000 books on the Guardians "Novels you must read" list. Having checked the list a little more closely over the last couple of days, I have discovered that this may be considerably harder than I first thought. There appear to be quite a few foreign novels listed that I can only hope have English translations or I will never be able to complete the task. I suppose I will cross that bridge when I get to it. There are also a few items listed which actually consist of more than one book. For example, Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia and His Dark Materials. So the final total will be over one thousand books. For the purposes of the challenge, I will count these sets as one novel.

I am a fairly quick reader but I have no idea how long this is going to take. I have not set a time limit on myself as I actually want to be able to enjoy the books and not see reading them as a complete chore. That said, I already know there are quite a few I will struggle with because they are just not the type of book I would normally chose to read. Obviously, children's books and books I have read before I will be able to cross off a lot quicker. Whereas, something like Master and Commander, I will probably limp through because it is not a subject matter I am particularly drawn to.

Anyway, while I have been laid up sick the last couple of days, I have made myself a nice neat little spreadsheet and marked on it all the books I have immediate access to. Without trying too hard I have gathered over 200 so I'll be busy for a while.

First one to be crossed off is Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It's only a short little book written simply so I whizzed through it in one day while wrapped up on the sofa in a blanket. I always thought I must have read this as a child because I remember we had a big set of classic children's books in the house but the only parts that were truly familiar to me were the scenes that were used in the Disney film! I feel like I should have enjoyed it because it is a classic but to be honest I didn't. In film versions, Alice is usually portrayed as quite sweet and charming but in the actual book I found her to be brattish and annoying.

Still that's 1 down 999 to go.

Alone But Not Lonely

I had a very quiet New Year. Clint is on nightshift and this was the first year in many that I wasn't working myself. Although I had a couple of party invites, I chose to stay in. The thought of having to get dressed up and go out in the cold wasn't appealing at all. Besides I actually like my own company. I like being in on my own.

I spend a lot of my time doing things for the people in my life. I don't often get any time to be completely selfish so when the slither of an opportunity arises I grab at it.

What do I do with my "alone time"? Not much really. It's just refreshing to not have to consider anyone else. I can watch what I want on TV, listen to the music I like or just sit down with a good book and not be distracted or interrupted.

Of course, I wouldn't want to be on my own all the time. I love Clint and the kids too much for that.