A boring pointless round up kind of post.........

Well there has been a large absence of blogging recently......... mainly because, unless I want to start sounding like broken record, nothing out of the ordinary is happening in this neck of the woods.

The usual routine of work, home, sleep, five days out of seven followed by a couple of days of altering work for housework and relaxing with a book or some yarn.... seriously, I am in fact the most boring person in the world.

Aside from that, no one wants to hear about the "drama" of sorting out dad's estate and dealing with the step mother......... I could rant for hours, but I won't, because I really don't like airing personal stuff like that in public and let's face it we are all grieving still so our actions are not really typical.

Work is work, critters are still evil minions of satan, I still have no heating, the winter is hopefully coming to an end and the days are getting longer........ and this is a totally pointless post........

So, we shall look forward -

I have a week booked off in April and need to find something fun to do

I am booked to attend the UK fiction meet, my sister has organised for me to stay at the hotel itself and I have a dog sitter brave enough to take on the mob........ I need to book my place at the gala dinner and choose something to eat (I say choose - in fact, I will have the veggie option.... well I doubt they'll let me have 3 desserts instead)

I am hoping to start yoga, but due to the whole body not working like the average person thing I have to go for an assessment session to see if I can join in the beginners class or need to go to the special class for those whose bodies don't work properly....... only the assessment isn't for another month and the special class is in work time so I won't be able to go anyway!

I am having lots of fun with my new washing machine - the novelty hasn't worn of ... it will... either that or I will get fed up of having to fight my way through the damp washing to get in any of the rooms upstairs.

and finally, the M/M group is starting to drop hints about the annual writing event....... I wasn't going to write this year - I think the fall out in other areas of goodreads that happened shortly after I submitted my story has put me off... but... that said, I have a real hankering to write a historical story........ so if there is a suitable prompt I might go for it!

Saturday Song....

Not entirely sure why, but this has been lodged in my head all day .... it has made the housework go faster though .........

*Snortlaugh* for a Sunday

Okay, so I went to the haunted pet shop today in my usual quest for essentials for the critters... and as I was browsing the shelves of dog toys a terribly helpful young man came up to ask if I needed assistance.  So I smiled and said I as just looking and that I tended not to buy dog toys as I hadn't come across one that rent a mob couldn't destroy.

He was terribly serious and started to helpfully point out some "indestructible"  toys I might like to try..... then he picked one up and I got the giggles... like seriously silly giggles..... I got a very perplexed look from the earnest young man as he was holding said toy in his hands, rubbing them up and down it, and occasionally bending and twisting it whilst telling me all about the soft but durable rubber it was made from .......

I bought it, I had to......

For  my gutter level mind it just didn't say dog toy.............

Saturday Song....

A flashback edition, one filled with home grown music (and the acoustic version)....  and a title that is just something that you never normally hear someone being called unless they come from this city....

Grey and Miserable........

Well that's mainly the weather, and really compared to other parts of the country I shouldn't complain as whilst we've had a lot of rain we've not had floods or the severe storms they've had on the south coast... but frankly I've had enough of it..... and my joints really don't like this weather... every time I stand or sit or actually just move something clicks, grates or creaks... seriously I sound like I am about 70 when I move!

I am trying to keep myself positive and look forward ..... SAD makes this quite difficult this time of year even when we aren't up to our, erm, shoe tops? in snow....

So, some positives.....

- I have booked my ticket for the UK fiction meet this year in Bristol. My sister has, for my birthday, paid for my hotel room for the weekend and I have a dog sitter booked - someone brave enough to come stay here for the weekend and supervise the hell critters.  It will actually be my first weekend away without the dogs in about 14 years.

- I have friends coming up to visit on Saturday - and they are bringing with them and fitting for me a new washing machine and gas cooker, at the cost of taking them for lunch and some petrol money.

- The days are getting longer. For the last few days I've got home and it's not been completely dark and, better yet, when I leave the house I just have to use sidelights not main beams on the car.  Roll on spring!

- I have nice flowers on my windowsill.  My mum always has fresh flowers in the house and I hadn't realised how such a small thing does actually make you smile until I picked up some roses the other day.  I don't have house plants as unfortunately the only safe from critters place for them is the kitchen window which is in direct sunlight all day and gets baking hot in summer so I am going to try and keep some fresh flowers in the house instead.

- I am keeping up with my challenge to knit an item a month. I finished socks in January and have so far made a hat in February and the first of a pair of socks.... I am going to go lurk in the lounge and cast on the second sock this evening whilst watching mind numbing TV.

Can I start today over please........

So... I got up this morning in a not so with it kind of haze... thanks to some rather over enthusiastic members of the local wildlife who decreed that 3 am was the right time to have a punch up in the middle of my garden... there is a badger set in the church yard nearby and several foxes that live on the park down the road - my garden appears to have some sort of right of way which they use regularly (and the dog fox is a cheeky bugger and keeps stealing the dogs bones and hooves out the run) but sometimes, when badger and fox meet in the garden, fur flies... literally....... then add in some owls that like to hoot loudly followed by the overly optimistic dawn chorus ... yeah... sleep wasn't so much an option after that....

I headed off to work and got there safely - despite the fact I completely failed to go buy petrol on the way - I was on autopilot and headed to the office without the diversion to the garage despite the dial being on empty....... parked up and forgot I was still in gear so as I switched off the engine the car lurched forward... into the metal barrier ... and cracked the number plate......

Work was typically Mondayish..... lots to do... idiots asking stupid questions they should really know the answers to and secretaries who think that I should do their work for them .... then shortly after lunch I managed to walk into a filing cabinet, well, sort of, I misjudged the gap and slammed my left hip into the corner...... sometimes my spacial awareness isn't so accurate!

Just before home time I went to put my file away... and nearly broke my wrist turning the handle to slide the cabinets across to get to mine because the minion had locked the handle on the other cabinets which meant that it wasn't possible to move them... yeah, I didn't register that till I'd tried to force the handle....

There was a queue in the car park from the paying machine, so by the time I got through that and into the car park itself I was eager to get home...... and turned left through the door and walked slap bang into the red and white barrier at the entrance........it's just at the right height to get my bust......

I got home and put the kettle on to make a large vat of tea and unwind............... and the whole of the downstairs electrical circuit went BANG with such a loud noise that poor Hope wet herself.......

It's all fixed now and I have tea.  I also delved through the back of the cupboard to discover a packet of Reeces Peanutbutter cups to make me feel better...........  I think after today I deserve them...

Books for a rather wet January...

So, the first month of the year is over... and whilst I've done a fair bit of reading it hasn't exactly been a banner month.

For some reason I think I may be falling out of love with the "happily ever after"... there are probably a few reasons for this but the main one appears to be my own perceptions that everyone has to end up with their prefect partner and that meeting the right one is so easy ... I think in February I shall try to find a few more non traditional romances or those that have only tentative happy endings.  I read The Blue Moon Cafe by Rick R Reed this month which gave me exactly that and I really enjoyed it.

That said there were some good books this month.  My favourite was Stormhaven - the third of the Whyborne and Griffin historical/paranormal series.  Honourable mentions to the runners up - Thorns by Feliz Faber, Blood Howl by Robin Saxon and The Boy Who Belonged by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock

1. Let it Snow – Heidi Cullinan
2. Stormhaven – Jordan L Hawk
3. Yakuza Pride – H.J. Brues
4. Pretty Poison – Kari Gregg
5. His Roommate’s Pleasure – Lana McGregor
6. The Boy Who Belonged – Lisa Henry & J.A. Rock
7. Greetings Cards – Tinnean
8. Thorns – Feliz Faber
9. Blood Howl – Robin Saxon

10. Hairy Harry’s Car Seat – Sue Brown
11. Bob, The Destroyer of Leads – Sue Brown
12. Hazel Takes Over – Sue Brown
13. The Blue Moon Café – Rick R Reed
14. A Private Gentleman – Heidi Cullinan
15. Inland Empire – James Buchanan (r)
16. All or Nothing – James Buchanan (r)
17. Three Traders – Rolf & Ranger (r)

18. Blood in the Sand - Robin Saxon

Onwards to February's reading - where I already have my bingo book, Fleeting or Forever book and Pick it For Me book to read this week..........