Brownies, cats and dinasaurs

The past week has seen me skipping down a new side street, not a full blown different avenue, but down a fairly safe passage slightly off from my usual one wearing my new red shoes of course, if one wants to do some serious path changing one needs to have the correct footwear.  On Saturday I went out and met up with a new group of girls and had a very nice evening, chomping on noodles (which unbeknown to me were still all over my face the entire time I was out!) we then went for a drink, all 10 of us, and it was there that I discovered that some people buy entire cocktail pitchers filled to brimming with shots and syruppy sours and other stuff, and they drink an entire pitcher themselves!!! Ok now thats a new route I'm not going down, I stick with my vodka and diet thanks very much.  Anyway, they seemed to like me and one of them has invited me to join her in annual Race for Life event which takes place in our home town.  (Sponsored event for Cancer).  Just one other occurance of interest would be that of the cat.  Took cat to vets to be neutered and left cat there only to receive a call from veterinary nurse to say that cat have no uterus, cat already done.  Think cat should have mentioned this before!!  Vets tried to get me to buy special food, litter stuff as cat not to leave house for 10 days and buster collar for cat.  I refused all of it and left cat to its own devices, eating what it always eats, full access to the garden and full access to it's very nasty wound which it can lick it it wants.  I am not cats keeper!  For goodness sake.
Finished Life of Pi, is marvellous, didn't want it to end and am now ploughing my way through the Brownie Badge Book.  Thing two has done her writers badge, hostess badge, crime prevention badge and is with much encourage ment from me doing her Star gazer badge, which will involve trip to Greenwich Observatory, her art badge - have got her started on that and we will also be doing book badge and gardners badge.  You have no idea how much I want to be a Brownie, I was one when I was young but gained no badges and stopped going because I always had to walk home on my own and one night as we were leaving the Brown Owl said "We've been told by the Police that you should all be very very careful and not walk home on your own and to go with an adult".  Great, this left me in very difficult position as I knew perfectly well that no one was coming for me...so I ran like wind and never went back.  Anyhow, last week when I collected thing two we were given a sheet about the Great Dina Snore, which involves Brownie sleeping in the great dinasaur hall at Natural History Museum but only 10 places to go round 30 brownies, so I have jumped queue and tracked Tawney owl down at her workplace with the money to secure Thing two's place - I am that determined that she should not miss out...in truth it is I who wants to go and lay on floor for giant exciting sleepover.
Have also joined book group.   But have not been to meeting yet.
xx

I'm walking down another street

I have to confess to having had a rather nasty dose of the January blues, which may account for the humour deficit in the last few posts. I'd rather have a full on cold to be honest.  Being in the grasp of an unknown greyness is pretty grim.  BUT it has lead me to take a look at my life, I was trying to work out what was wrong...you'd think if you felt crap you'd know why wouldn't you, but its not been that obvious to me.  I have had to dig very deep to crack this and very high to find a solution. 
I've been flying round my front room to music, I've been to the gym, I've been on my wii,  I've bought clothes, (check out my new shoes!!! Ar thy not soooo sooooo cute), bathed in baths with bubbles up to my neck, I've wached my favorite dvd's, had my hair done, eaten my favourite foods, had quality tme with the things, cleaned up, all the usual things that one does to give oneself a lift.  To no avail. (except the shoes, they have made me happy) So, I'm looking at my relationships, not just secret lover  (who is a turd) but all of them, and I'm thinking to myself, I was let down on New Years Eve, I was an option.  Worth remembering that the the last time someone went out to party with no care for me they were served divorce papers.  Of course this is different..there were other reasons for the divorce and I'm not married to the person who let me down,  but I feel devalued.  Time to evaluate things.  My mother gave me this.

1) I walk down the street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I fall in.
I am lost...I am hopeless
It isn't my fault
It talkes forever to fnd a way out.

2) I walk down the same street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I pretend I dont see it
I fall in again
I can't believe I'm in the same place
But it isn't my fault
It still takes a long time to get out

3) I walk down the same street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I see it is there
I still fall in...it's a habit
My eyes are open
I know where I am
It is MY fault
I get out immediately

4) I walk down the same street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I walk around it

5) I walk down another street  
by Portia Nelson

I've been trying to find the author to ask permission to share this with you but so far I haven't gotten that permission...will keep trying, in my search I'm finding some inspiring stuff.

I have not spoken of this to any of the people concerned...not a good idea at the moment - or probably ever,  facetious comments may roll from my mouth like a fast ball in a bowling alley or a cuckoo springing from its clock. Actions speak louder than words.
xxx
ps today I had more dentistry at great expense, whilst there I was laying back relaxing when the dentist said to me, can I have my thumb back and could you try not to bite... I'd sunk my teeth into him without even realising....perhaps there is hope for me as a vampire yet. 

What's Hot and What's Not

What's Hot on Wednesday 13th January
Certainly not the weather!
In true Let's be Adored spirit (actually I was bored stupid and had nothing better to do but it does say in the How to be Adored book that being charitable is cool - think Angelina Jolie) I have organised a race night for Thing Two's school - gonna raise some cash for not sure what but it'll be good anyway. 
Hot is that I made a start on my new dress with the help of my mother, who supervised. I did take a photo of it but for some weird and wonderful reason all that's on my camera card are photo's of thing one in various poses.  Odd that.
I purchased the book on the left when I bought my sewing machine in the summer and can't stop looking at it...it's fabulous for beginners and goes into sew (he he) much detail.

I have also had some dentisty, which will ultimately give me a better smile, but mouth feels like I got spikes digging into lower lip..which is exactly what I've got...spikes.  So that's a double edged sword as well...isn't it all?

Hot is that Thing one and thing two both have lovely new haircuts.  Took them both to what I describe as boutique salons..where all the stylists are 22 and have purple hair in same haircut...where everything is shiny and smells like a cross between a mango and a banana with some jasmine chucked in for good measure and the mirrors actually make you look good as opposed to those in Next and New Look which make me look so bad I want to run screaming into the street shrieking there's an alien in my changing room!!

Hot is that someone knocked on my door in the middle of the night (I know this sounds positively cold - but it might have been HIM) I didn't answer it but heard a car drive away a few minutes later.

Hot is my latest read Life of Pi, only on page 50 but am hooked already.

Not Hot

Is the earthquake in Haiti - so utterly dreadful, any little gripes I have pale into insignificance compared to how those poor people have been dealt such a cruel blow to their already difficult lives.

I am missing HIM like you wouldn't believe...the night that the knock came I cried myself to sleep...pathetic to be pining for that fascist but he's in my heart and I just can't help it.
That's it...the weather seems to have ground us all to a halt and there's nothing much going on but IT. Am staying indoors doing stuff I wouldn't normally do - such as downloading music and embedding ipods into my blog..not something I'd have time for ordinarily.  And a good playlist it is I thinks though one song woulda done the job - you'd have to hang around on MintDelight for a long long time to hear whole lot.
I so hope to write something more exiting next time...
xxx

Snooooow

Hello and Happy Saturday, yesterday my new book arrived and I've been dipping in and out of it as its the kind of book you can do that with.  I've temporarily shelved Adrian Moles Lost Diaries because and I know this wont sound plausible but I seem to be misplaced them...yes, I've lost The Lost Diaries.  If you saw my house you'd understand how this is possible. Back to How to be Adored.  Love it and am going to start doing some of the stuff it suggests, will start small I think - perhaps by remembering peoples birthdays - am going to update birthday book today and move all birthdays into diary.  Soon I shall be so adored I'll be judging dog shows and being invited to attend red carpet events.....  Am also unsure that still being in bed surrounded by books and checking out other more worthy and gorgeous blogs than mine is conducive to my first steps of being Adored.  Should probably get up and make big entrance to my living room in full ballgown and satin stilleto shoes a' la Sophie Loren. Trouble is there is snow everywhere and I'm not likely to be going out.  Was supposed to see the Prawn last night but couldn't get in touch with her all day apart from by text.  Am most suspicious, she not been to work since snow arrived and is now claiming to be ill, suspect she not at home at all, suspect she been spirited away by Steve the Snake.  He landlord of village pub out in the sticks miles away and he no plans of getting together with Prawn but just likes to use his snake from time to time, if you know what I mean.  Here are some snow photo's.  One is of the snow fairy from my garden and the other 2 were taken on my walk to work. Ps the thought of judging a dog show is making me reconsider being adored...can't think of anything worse than all those howling canines licking up to me. yuk. xx

What was hot and what was not for the year 2009

Ok brace myself for split summary of last year.

What was not hot

Being burgled - having my laptop and phone nicked from my front room whist away with boyfriend who was converted muslem who had annoying habit of getting exceedingly drunk and quoting stories from the quoran at me whilst listening to very loud hip hop and trying to hug me whilst I drove down the M6 (180 miles of it) in a blizzard.  Barrel of laughs... oh and I fell over in a big puddle landing on my bum.

Having my car vandalised/window smashed whilst it was parked outside friends house, they took nothing as there was nothing to take..so why bother..what's the matter with people? Total laughter riot...

Being in a confined space in a cabin on a ferry between the islands of Lanzarote and Tenerife with two spectacularly badly behaved children hellbent on killing each other - well we're all still here but wow that was not good.

Secret Lover teaming up with a friend and the consequential fall out that ensued.  The less said about that the better. 

Discovering that Secret Lover was not just Secret Lover but also Secret Hitler fan as well.  Secrets are bad.  People with secrets could be concealing other things as well.  Bad things.  

What was hot

Barbados - take me back....now!!!  Want to feel the sand between my toes and swim with the turtles

The Black Eyed Peas...want them in my bed with me

Mums Wedding - most momentous occasion

My party - that was good too...but not doing another one.

The Summer Ball - loved it!! Top people over at High Wych

Tracey's birthday party - think it was good....from what I can remember

My ever growing book collection
Work - well do you ever read my complaining about that?...that's cos its all good
My new blog - shame bout the old one, but starting afresh is ok, just felt weird at first
Me - I am hot and very very fortunate to be in a position to do any of the above. Thank you , thank you, thank you!

Of course I could write more in each section but you'll just have to read the blog as it's all recorded here.  My experience dumping area.  Just in case I should ever lose my memory.  Or, get flattened  by big red truck...then my children would still have a pretty good sense of me.

And in case you're wondering about the cat...of course you weren't, but anyhow, we got the snow we were expecting and I had to cancel the cat appointment.  Have had lot of spare time today and have begun reading new book see link.  Have got 2 other nice new books winging themselves to me from Amazon...will report on them when they arrive.

xx

What's Hot and What's Not - for the week

I may have to do two What's Hot and What's Not's - 2009 I'm saving for tomorrow, but just for now we have
What's Hot
My new magnetic spice pots.  They are currently dotted about over my washing machine as Ikea didn't have the metal strip that they are meant to sit on.  Quite like them on washing machine.  Had to sort spices out - found one from 2006!  Obviously, a job that I don't do enough.

Christmas decorations are cleared away....hurrah...it's funny isn't it that I couldn't wait to put them up but was in an even bigger hurry to get them down.

My bargain Christmas tree, 6ft and gold.  Tis gorgeous.  Cost of £7 reduced from £30 in Sainsbuy's.  If your going to get an artificial tree no point pretending its real... might as well go for something glam.  Going to pimp my decorations next (oooops it's not next is it?  no...it's this year!)

I've bought fabric to make a dress...oh yeah, oh yeah, I'm going to get sewing this year and be super creative. 

What's Not
When I deliberately employ environmental saving tactics by putting my carrots in the trolley loose and the girl at the checkout puts them in a litte seethrough bag anyway and ties a really tight not in the top...and then looks at me blankly when I point out that I'm avoiding plastic bags??!!  Has she never heard of carbon footprint.

The weather - we're expecting about a foot of snow overnight.  It's gonna be chilllllly brrrrrrr

The fact that my phone called someone 8 times all on its own due to fact that it pressing against interior of my handbag....guess who that person was?  None other than Tony from New Years Eve... Epic Cringe Factor.    He sent a text asking me why I'd called so many times and not spoken.  Had to send text explaining that it all a huge mistake. I am not speaking to my phone....how could it do that to me!

My stereo died and has been taken to the tip.  But looking forward to getting something, either ipod based or cute and retro.  Cute and retro me thinks and I shall keep it in the kitchen

My new blinds that I bought in August are still in the cupboard.....must chase ex-husband to come and install them.

Thats all for now folks.  Big day for the new cat tomorrow - she's going to be neutered, thats assuming I can drive, which depends on the weather.  I've bought her a pink leather collar with tiny little flowers round it.  She so beautiful but very bad tempered.
xxx

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Minutes Flat

Survived New Years Eve.  Bizarre thing happened first thing in the morning.  Two of my neighbours knocked and said they had no power.  My house was the only house in the street all day with electricity.  I did offer several neighbours opportunity to get ready for their evenings in my house, use my kettle, my oven etc but they all declined. Can't believe how lucky I am.  Thank you God.  It was during this time that Secret Lover called, which I did mention in previous post.  He said he was calling to wish me a Happy New Year and to check I ok, although he said he knew I OK as I always OK and I bomb proof. Bomb proof eh?  I resilent chic.  I'm not really, I just give a good impression of one. Secret Lover and I, well I can't put my finger on it but we seem to have unbreakable bond. Think we just talk for now....we have some major differences.
Spent afternoon gluing individual lashes on.  Some of them are still attached but most keep landing in sink, on pillow, in dinner.  Then went out and had wicked night out with the Lainey Chick.  Photo's are on other laptop, will download tomorrow.  Lainey Chick and I consumed entire bottle of bubbly before going to The Chequers where there was a DJ, a buffet, her sister and her sisters friends. Could not distinguish between any of them, they all seem to have same styled black hair, short black dresses, high heels, very long lashes. They like clones. Not an awful lot of attractive men all bar one who we named number 8, (8 out of 10) but I attract the attention of other man with nice smile (Tony).  Got exceptionally tipsy (not obliterated - that would simply not be goddesslike!) Tony had a cigar (very cheap one by the look of it) and he suggested that I take a puff on it at Midnight which I agreed to do, and did actually do, also agreed to go out with him and even gave him a kiss, exchanged numbers, he nice enough man but not setting my world on fire - just the cigar.  BUT when I got back on the dancefloor number 8 made beeline for me and we had a very lively and intimate dance.  Whey hey.  Number 8 far more attractive than Tony...hmmm.  Unfortunately Tony watching all this and when I went back to speak to him less than ten minutes later he say "Why would I want to talk to you, I see you snogging that guy!" So I said "K" and walked away.  Bloody cheek though, he'd spent his evening with another lady till he hooked up with me at midnight AND I did not snog anyone AND I do not remember agreeing to be in an exclusive relationship with total stranger on the only NYE in 13 years that I've been in a position to have fun.  And fun is what I planning on having this decade/year for ever more. No one on this planet is going to tell me who I can and can't dance with.  Not now, not any time soon. Tony can stuff his date.  Stayed at Lainey Chic's house and she made me breakfast in bed next morning. So glad I went out with her she really good fun and very nice with it.
Mint xx
PS Having looked at the photos from NYE Number 8 has been renamed number 5.
PPS Thing one who is still only 13 had whole load of alcohol whilst at her Dads.  I very very unhappy about this and plan to tackle him when time is right.  Teenagers and alcohol do not mix!!!!