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I appear to have been neglecting my blog yet again. The only excuse I can offer is not that I have nothing to say (that’ll be the day) but that I like to keep things to myself for a while to mull them over before I post. I’m also going through yet another ‘what’s this blog for’ crisis! I like posting reviews and you will see I managed to catch up on a bit of reading over Christmas. I am actually considering dropping this part of the site and just putting on reviews. I sometimes feel that is the part of my life I want to share online and that with everything else there’s  a reluctance to say anything at all!

Also, I start the new job on Monday so I’ve been busy sorting things out for that as well as still trying to make up my mind as to which city I should live in. If anyone knows of a spare double room in Oxford available for rent please do let me know. I head down to London on Sunday and it’s likely I won’t be able to blog at all during that time. I might not even, gasp, be able to check my e-mail or go on Facebook. How shall I cope? It seems I will just have to content myself with wandering the parks and historical sites of London or curling up on my bed with a book.  It’s a sad life

Just a brief mention of Christmas telly as I feel I ought to say something on this point. The only things I really managed to see were ‘Doctor Who’ which was utterly stupid but great fun and did have some good one-liners. Thanks to Andrew for dangling before me the question of ‘ASTRID’ as an anagram. I hadn’t thought of that before. I am also slightly unnerved by the fact that I seem to have picked up on lots of film references in that episode that no-one else has noticed. Could it be I am now totally making things up?!

I also saw the first episode of ‘Sense and Sensibility’ and thought it was fairly crap so I am not particularly regretting the fact that I won’t be able to see the rest of them while in London. It was alright I suppose but they really messed up in two ways. Firstly, Edward was made out to be a dashing and rather cocky young hero which is simply not right. Secondly, it suffered from the affliction of modern TV that it completely lacked subtlety and made everything really, really obvious. At one point Margaret had an outburst at the dinner table where she pretty much said to Fanny ‘I hate you!’. The fact that she hates Fanny and why she does so is perfectly obvious, there’s no need to make her shout it. The joy of Jane Austen is that everything is bubbling away beneath the surface and the contrast between the characters’ true feelings and what propriety demands they say is what gives it its humour and tension. I did think the actress playing Elinor was good though and Colonel Brandon seemed quite the part.

I also confess I watched ‘The History Boys’ for about the millionth time despite owning it on DVD. It’s just so good I couldn’t resist!

The Tudors. Hm.

How does it manage to go from being chillingly gripping to hilariously crap and back again in one episode? Now Wolsey’s gone (and I’m sorry but, although it was superbly done, surely in reality he died of natural causes on the journey to London).  I fear his absence may leave more time for stupid forest sex scenes.

Since they’re in the mood for re-writing history can’t they just chop Anne’s head off now and be done with it. And make Jeremy Northam King. Even if he has taken to burning people alive he’s now the only one left worth watching.

Well, it’s finished. What did people make of it? I will be perfectly honest and say that I very much enjoyed it, even if I was a bit underwhelmed.

It’s unfortunate they brought back all the pretentious claptrap I thought they’d done away with. And a little less guff about love being all you need would have been appreciated.

That aside, it kept me well entertained for an evening, the performances were all good, it looked pretty, and (I think) most loose ends were tied up. There was the showdown I had wanted though it was a tad swift and to the point, the baddies were routed, and we did have to lose some of the Heroes.

Satisfactory though not exactly stunning. Might watch the next series. We’ll have to see.

I’ve got plenty to write on my blog but am limited by a necessary commitment to political impartiality. Let’s just say that I’m pleased about Australia generally and about its ratification of the Kyoto Protocol more specifically. And I am glad common sense has prevailed and Gillian Gibbons has been allowed home. I could say more on this particular topic but perhaps best not.

I am finding that television is really coming through for me as things I’ve been kind-of-watching and quite enjoying have all started to get really, really good. All are coming to an end this week. Tonight it’s the ‘Heroes’ double bill that brings the first series to an end. I expect epic battles, unforeseen plot twists and some resolution of the ‘who’s in charge? who are the bad guys? who’s on whose side?’ type dilemmas.

On Friday comes the last episode of ‘The Tudors’ which I am really getting into. Apart from the obvious but very small disadvantage that I know what happens I find myself drawn to it each week. Watching Sam Neill as Cardinal Wolsey as his power crumbles around him is gripping, as is the increasingly unpredictable and power-hungry king who dispenses with and destroys old allies and quickly makes new ones just so he can have what he wants -namely, Anne Boleyn. I still think it’s all a bit too clean and shiny and that a little too much 2007 pokes through but I’ll forgive that as the drama’s so good. Anyway, it’s only Wednesday and I’m already excited about Friday night’s instalment so it must be doing something right!

I’ve given up on ‘Planet Earth’, mainly because I kept forgetting to watch it but also I found it to be a little bit sensationalist. He’ll be saying something really interesting then we’ll break for a montage of volcano shots and dramatic music, then he’ll come back and say it all again (using only slightly different words) as though we might have forgotten in the meantime. But I guess if you like dramatic camera shots it must be good viewing.

I’m still following ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ though it is taking a toll on the nerves. This is a drama where no-one knows what happens. However, I like all four of the couples left in and would be happy if any of them won so that takes the edge off. I guess I’m rooting for Gorgeous Gethin but I wouldn’t go as far as to say he’s my favourite. The see-through top helped though… The costumes in general are proving very entertaining. Can’t say I’m learning much from it dancing wise but given I’ve only just learned how to Waltz around corners that’s probably to be expected.

I missed ‘Elizabeth’, this being the first week I’ve had the time and the money to be able to go to the cinema and no-one is longer showing it. Other than that I have only seen ‘Beowulf’ and that’s reviewed here. It’s been a very barren time as far as cinema and theatre go which is strange as there are quite a few things I’d like to see. Is ‘The Golden Compass’ out yet? I think it might be.

Done a bit of reading but not as much as I’d like due to being too busy… Almost finished ‘Cranford’ and it really is very good. I have caught glimpses of the TV version and that also looks very good but sadly I keep missing it. I am behind on my book reviews though so I’ll
post some on here tonight if I get the chance.

Anyway, what has been happening in my life? Lots and nothing at the same time. How do I manage to be constantly rushed off my feet and at the same time have no interesting stories to tell?I do have one, though. At the weekend I went to see Andrew. Apart from a nice meal and party for a birthday I also got a taste of what’s like to be a photographer’s girlfriend. For his course Andrew has to re-interpret a famous photograph. Never one to make things easy for himself he chose ‘Dali Atomicus’ by Philippe Halsman (the jumping pictures guy). Thankfully we weren’t using water or flying cats and instead substituted beads and toy monkeys. It took ages and ages but it was a laugh and actually the result is pretty impressive.

As far as other things are concerned I only have 12 days of work left in my current job and I am in a bit of a panic as I try to leave things in an organized, coherent state for whoever gets lumbered with it all after I’m gone. I spent three hours trying to balance an invoice today and still failed. I think the culprits may be the books I purchased in Icelandic Krona. Ah well, I will have another crack at it tomorrow morning. Numbers are not my friends though. Love words, not so much a fan of the numbers. We could get on Ok if only they weren’t such devious things. I made three attempts today to add up a column of numbers, using a calculator each time, and still came out with three separate figures. Ho hum.

I’ve had one viewing of my house and heard nothing so I assume they’re not interested. The letting agency said there was quite a lot of interest but when I phoned today they said that there were no more viewings planned for this week. Oddly, though, when I got home from work today my post had been picked up off the floor and put on my bookshelf. Nothing else had moved an inch. The letting agency have my key so they could easily have been round. I don’t mind too much only they said there were no more takers …strange.

Anyway, better go. I’ve written a list of things to be completed before Heroes. Writing my blog is only number one.

Have just (belatedly) seen the latest episode of ‘Heroes’ just in time to bring me up to date for tonight. I really feel it’s starting to get good. That was by some way the best episode yet.

It is starting to tie my poor little brain in knots though. I reckon I might have missed something. How come Claire was still alive in the future? I thought the whole point was that Sylar could not be killed and he could not be killed because he’d already killed Claire and taken her power. That’s why that’s what had to be changed about the past -”save the cheerleader, save the world”. So in a future world where they’ve failed Sylar would have already killed Claire, right?And am I right in assuming that when Peter Petrelli and Sylar commence their epic battle neither of them can die?

It seems I am going to be defeated. This was just not the right time to be taking on the 50,000 word challenge. I still want to finish the story but I may have to push the deadline ahead a bit. Maybe by Christmas? I just seem to be spending a lot of time tidying the house and sorting things into piles. I’m going to get rid of some clothes and nic nacs to the charity shops. Not that I should be obsessively clearing and packing given that my house has been on the market for almost two weeks and there’s not been the slightest bit of interest.

Ah well, there are so many money and property whinges I could indulge in but it’s all rather tedious. So, to the fun things I’ve been doing. I went to London at the weekend. I was fortunate enough to arrive in St. Pancras. Sorry, St. Pancras International. It’s absolutely gorgeous. The statues are good, especially the one of Betjemen and I love the way it has kept some of the original architecture and design and combined it with the light and glassy modern look. It’s great! It’s not too faffy or show-offy either. It’s a big, practical space that’s not ashamd to be aesthetically pleasing as well as utilitarian. It gets my thumbs up.

We were all set to go to the Couture exhibition at the V&A but when two of our group couldn’t make it I managed to persuade Andrew to go to the Millais exhibition at the Tate Britain instead. And what a treat it turned out to be. I really loved it, especially seeing how his philosophy changed throughout his career and how that influenced the different phases of style he went through. But it was all equally lovely. My favourites were, as always, Mariana with that oh so real stance and stunning blue dress, and Esther in resplendent yellow. I understand the catalogue may be coming my way for Christmas After that we went ice skating on the outdoor rink at the Natural History museum which was great fun despite the mizzle and the cold.

Anyway, that was last weekend. Onto now…

I am very cold. This is because I have no money and am being stingy about the heating. I am, however, surrounded by books as I decide what to keep, what to sell, what to read over Christmas etc. Not doing too well though. At the moment I’ve got about 25 books to read over the two week period that consitutes Christmas. I have found about four I’m willing to sell. Oh dear.

Things going a bit crazy. Trying to keep up with the writing but as you will see from the graph I am really falling behind. Still hopeful of a typical Abi-style last minute catch-up of epic proportions.

I can’t promise to get back to my blog until December. I also owe three book reviews to the site. I promise I will catch up.

Right now I have to iron some clothes otherwise I’ll have to do it tomorrow morning. I am watching quite a good, attractive-looking BBC offering about the history of the Earth so might do some ironing while watching the presenter abseil into a live volcano.

Then go to bed and write 2000 more words.

Sounds like a Tuesday night to me.

Up to 7188 words. Behind schedule but not feeling too bad about it. It’s difficult to find the time but at least I’m not suffering a block (yet). Once I get going I am actually rather enjoying it. I would much rather stay at home tomorrow and write the next few scenes!

I have found some NaNoWriMo groups on Facebook. I joined one only to find people posting things like ‘22,000 words so far’. 22,000 words! We’re not even a week in yet! I am trying not to dwell on it. As long as I make the deadline all will be well so it doesn’t matter how far ahead of me other people are. I’m just amazed they’ve found the time, that’s all.

Travel card for Nottingham-London:
 

7 day travelcard =£208.30

1 month travelcard =£728.50

 
Sinks that plan, I think.

So what to report this time? I have been ill. Was somewhat miffed when I struggled back into my miserable job on Tuesday morning to find that no-one wished me there, they all thought I was going to give them the plague (it was in fact a case of small-scale, well covered up shingles) and one or two were actually quite hostile. One said she had assumed I would be off for the next two weeks. I was greatly miffed not only at being ostracized but also because I could easily have taken off the next couple of days and got away with it. I could have done all the ironing, plenty of reading, writing …

On the subject of writing NaNoWriMo has now begun and of course I am already behind schedule. Not quite got to 3000 words yet. It’s very difficult, mainly because it demands you write in a linear style, you just write a sentence, then the next one, then the next and so on. I on the other hand write like this for a while, realise I am racing through the story far too quickly in an attempt to get everything down before I forget it, and as a result realise I have revealed four major plot developments in the first 1000 words. Then I go back and flesh out what I’ve written with the more substantial stuff. I am trained in being concise with my writing. Perhaps I should now unlearn it…

Anyway, there are many good short story ideas I have. Most of them are already started. The problem with these, though, is that they are designed for the 2000-3000 word magazine competition type stories and can’t really stretch to 50,000 words.

The one I have chosen may well prove to be a disastrous choice but I’ve started now and am going to stick with it. Basically, for years I’ve been dreaming about this set of events and characters and intend to write a trilogy based on them. The simple premise is that it’s about Britain about 60 years into the future. England and Wales have been taken over by an all-powerful President who has enormous wealth, power and inflence and whose power is growing alarmingly. Scotland fought back and is, at the beginning of the story, about to declare itself independent. My story follows the politicians, the Princess who is heir to a now defunct throne, and various characters throughout both regimes, but it also follows seemingly ordinary people caught up in it who at first don’t seem crucial but are by the end. One strand of the first book is one character whose family are escaping the regime and it follows their journey as they are hidden all the way up the country to the Scottish border. I decided, for NaNoWriMo purposes, to write this strand of the story and to make it run as a decent novella in itself. I can then write the other bits and tie it all together.

So that’s what I’m doing. And so far it is absolute crap. Ah well.

I have other worries (on top of the 1665 words a day, the shingles, and the unmoveable layer of plaster dust that seems to be coating my living room) in that I soon have to move and I need to be sorting it out. This morning a nice man from a letting agency came round. He likes my house, says it’s in good condition and definitely lettable. However, although in everything he said he confirmed what I already expected just talking it through made me see it all in a different light. Basically, if I rent unfurnished I will just about get enough to cover the mortgage payments (and as I’m in a fixed-rate period I am only paying interest not capital so it’s not like I’d be chipping away at my mortgage) . If I rent furnished I’ll get a lot more but it will be eaten up by home and contents insurance and maintenance costs so in the end I will, again, just about have enough to cover the mortgage payments. That’s when the house is let. When it’s not, and he assures me there will always be such times, I will still have to pay the mortage with no income to cover it which, basically, I can’t afford to do.

So …he did say that my house is unlikely to sell for more in three years’ time than it is now. I am not likely to make a profit on it by holding on to it.  Right now it is in good condition as everything I’ve had done to it is new and shiny. In two or three years’ time, especially if I let it, it won’t be quite so smart and new anymore. It might be worth considering putting it on the market now. Things aren’t exactly bouyant but I could hopefully get enough for it to give me £5000-£6000 profit after mortgage.

I am seriously thinking about it. I know I really need to leave Nottingham by January but I love my house and am not yet ready to go. I still think letting the spare room and commuting between Nottingham and London would be a decent short-term solution. If the house was up for sale during that time it would mean that I was financially about the same as I am now and that my house was at least on the market.

Wow. I really could do it.

I have mortgage lenders and estate agents to talk to. And the people at Nottingham Station with regard to season tickets. But I can’t stop mulling it over. It would give me time, at least, and I do feel I need more of that. The thought of moving out of here by Christmas does rather upset me.

On another note, dad posted me Alan Bennett’s latest offering ‘The Uncommon Reader’ to cheer me up, knowing it to be an ‘Abi-type book’. How well he knows me! It is a brilliant book in so many ways and very quick to read. A review will follow soon. I am also reading G.K. Chesterton’s ‘The Man Who Was Thursday’ and this too is very good indeed. I appear to have hit a good seam of reading matter. If only I didn’t have everything else to worry about. I think 80% of the time all I really want is to be able to curl up in a comfy chair and alternate between reading, writing, and eating.