Is it 2004 yet?

Look!
It's snowing!
I love snow and it hardly ever snows here. Even when it does it rarely lasts for any length of time, so I'm savouring it by peeping out of the window at 5 minute intervals.

~Tis the season to be snotty~
~Fa la la la laaa la la la laa~
~Stay in bed and feel all grotty~
~Fa la la la laaa la la la laa~

Tonight I was supposed to be going to Manchester to see the New Year in with lots of friends over there.
But then I got ill, and so did Porl and Jimmy.
So the fire is lit, and I'll be laid on the settee reading.

Happy New Year and all the best to all!

Hello, hope you all had a Merry Christmas. Our was jam packed full of food and friends.

Christmas Eve was good, we went to the pub next door, met lots of people Porl knew from school, they all came back here, we drank lots of spirits, we had no mixers, we played guitars, Shirokuma did a mini set, most people left, we played more guitars, I played bass, did some Daymaker classics, at 3am I went to bed, set alarm for 10am, Porl went to Matts to carry on drinking and got back at 5am.

Christmas Day, woke up just before midday, I'd slept through the alarm, ran downstairs to phone work and check it was still okay to come in a bit late, woke Porl up, showered, dressed, coffee, opened presents, (lots of books, undies, t-towels which I'd bought for both me and Porl, chocolate orange) went to the pub next door, had a coke, got a free whisky, Porl skipped the whisky, he was a tad hungover, went home, had a cuddle on the settee, the cats came and joined us, they're lovely, went to work, Porl went to his parents, at work gave clients their Christmas Dinner, ate mine, washed up, tried not to watch Stuart Little, spoke to my Mum and Dad, did general work things, left work early, went to Porls parents, opened more presents, (cardie, craft things, handmade glass vase, smellies, DAB radio, Noughts and Crosses drinking game), ate 2nd much nicer Christmas Dinner, came home, phoned Matt, lit fire, Matt, Robin and Cat came round, we drank port, ate cheese and played triv, drank champagne, ate chocolate, they left, went to bed.

Boxing Day, got up, put turkey in the oven, made stuffing, made vege casserole, went to pub, met Roger who I've not seen for about 18 months, came home, ate casserole with warm bread rolls, stilton and stuffing, Porl had Turkey butties, Rog came back, played on computers, ate casserole, Mark and Robin came round, ate casserole, Jimmy appeared, ate casserole, played on computer, ate casserole, felt ill, stopped eating casserole. Went to bed very late.

Yesterday I got up, lit the fire then spent most of the rest of the day laid on the sofa reading the first Invisibles book drinking tea and eating very little. Today has been just as lazy, and hopfully tomorrow will be too.

All in all it's been a reasonable Christmas. I didn't get chance to go up to Sheffield, I was shattered and needed a break, not to have to struggle with public transport at this time of year. I've had a few low moments, I miss my family like mad, and this is the first year since my Nan-nan and Grandad died. Thankfully my Dad is making sure my Mum's social life is busier than it's ever been and I don't think she's had a day at home yet this Christmas. I'll make sure I get a good few days up there in the next few weeks.

So Christmas is over, now to figure out what to do for New Year.

Christmas is coming, and I can't be bothered.

Today we braved the supermarket, luckily we timed it right and missed the queues (which stretched half the length of the place apparently). Our cupboards are full of nice things, but it all seems a bit pointless. I'm working Christmas Day, Porl will spend the day with his parents. I'd give anything for the day off and a traditional day with my family and Porl, but I volunteered for the shift, so I shouldn't complain. It will be good fun, but I can think of other places I'd rather be.

Tomorrow I have a few more presents to buy, and hopefully I can have a lazy day. Boxing Day will be when my Christmas really starts, we'll light the fire, cook the turkey eat cheese and have lots of butties. Roll on Boxing Day.

As promised pictures of Amy.

We went out for a meal last night at Le Frog in Ormskirk. Just me and Porl which was nice for a change. The food as always was lovely, I had the goats cheese parcel for starters, then roasted Mediterranean vegetables and cous-cous in a filo basket, then chocolate cheesecake for dessert. Porl had blackpudding and lamb thing for starters, then a shoulder of lamb for the main. It was washed down with a fruity white wine as chosen by Matt (our friend who just so happens to be bar manager at Le Frog), and we left feeling full and I felt quite tipsy. This giving up booze lark has really knocked my tolerance down.

Afterwards we went around to see Robin and Jimmy. Jimmy has got the lurg, it's doing the rounds, so far we're okay, but as the night went on I was feeling more and more achey so I came home hoping for an early night. It didn't happen but I got a good nights sleep and today although I still ache I don't feel nearly as bad. I'm so pleased it's only 4 days until the shortest day I hate these dark winter nights.

It's 8 days till Christmas and I've not finished any of the presents I planned on making, the thing which is closest being finished is crocheted, but I've lost the crochet hook and it's one of the few sizes that I've not got a duplicate of. Luckily tomorrow is market day and there are 2 possible stalls which might sell them, so I've got to get up early and go to the market before work and hope for the best. Generally on the presents front though a rapid re-think is in order.
I think Amazon may be getting some business off me.

We had another great night out on Friday at Amy.
When I first went a few months ago it was a big night out in a club in a strange city where we saw some great bands and met a few people.
Every time we go back though it feels more and more like a great night out catching up with friends, and meeting new friends. It just happens to be in a club where we see some great bands too.
It's also handy too that as soon as the drink sets in, so does the misguided assumption that everyone else must know each other, so I start introducing myself to people.
If I went to a night like that in Ormskirk I'd know everyone, so surely the people who live in Manchester all know each other.
Don't they?
Anyway, it's fun, and I'm making lot of friends.
We stayed at Joeladyboy and Eskimo Girls place Friday night, and woke up on Saturday morning feeling like I'd had the best nights sleep in weeks. No hangover, then a brisk, cold walk to the supermarket got us some lovely butty food and I felt great.
I haven't had chance to even download the pictures off my camera get, but when I do I'll put them online, maybe I'll do the pictures from the last Amy I went to as well.

In other news I've been playing with stylesheets and things again. It's hardly noticable to anyone except me though.
I've also changed my comments over to Haloscan in the hope that they might actually work, unlike enetation which seems to have died a death.
So go on people, comment, try them out, prove to me that all hits I get every week are from people rather than bots, because I'm beginning to have my doubts.

Yay I found my new hobby.
Spiders.

Inspired by a post on Livejournal (which i've lost but will find later). And also by my spider in the bath.

The spider is supposed to be a Christmas tree decoration. There's some German tradition apparently about an old lady cleaning her house before christmas, all the spiders scurried into the roof whilst she cleaned and put her tree up. When the spiders came back they really liked the tree, so to thank the old lady they covered it in their webs. Father Christmas came along and thought the spiders had done a great job, and so made the webs sparkly, and now we decorate our trees with tinsel instead and all Christmas trees should have at least one spider on them.
I think that's right anyway.

Anyway, this spider in the bath. It's been there for ages. Since about June. It's about the same size as the one I made. He's got rid of a few moths for me, the cats have played with him, he's even had a few friends visit him over the months. They've stayed for a while, then he's eaten them.
His latest friend was a 7 legged spider which I found at the top of the stairs (I think he may have had a run in with a cat). I introduced them, and they seemed to get along well for a couple of weeks. Then one morning I noticed the 8 legged spider had found something to eat. It was one of the 7 legged spiders legs. The now 6 legged spider was alive, just slower. Handily (or leggily) it still had 3 legs on each side, which I though was very considerate of the 8 legged spider.
Anyway, things carried on as normal for a few more days. 6 stayed away from 8, everything seemed fine. Then 6 died. Possibly through natural causes, although I'm not sure if having 6 legs when you're meant to have 8 is very natural. Or Gonzo may have got a bit too playful, or there could have been another fight. Either way it died, 8 had another good meal so he's not going to starve for a while longer yet, but he's lonely again.
Poor spider.

Just a few notes.

• I'm terrified of spiders. Anything bigger than a money spider and I get chills down my spine and I run like a girl. What with me being a girl and all.
  
• I can't kill spiders. Nothing to do with the vegetarianism thing, just the idea of the crushing body is ewww. I do however at times get the cats to "play" with spiders, then I clear up the mess before the cats can eat it, which is also ewww. The usual method of spider disposal is the glass and cardboard trick.
  
• I don't particularly like putting spiders outside, unless I can put them a long way outside, I'm too worried about them coming back in. So if I'm upstairs I will put them in the bath as I know they can't get out. Around August time the spiders had started spinning webs up the sides of the bath. I gave the bath a good clean and polish so they could no longer get a grip on the sides.
  
• We have a separate shower. We are not dirty people who haven't washed since June, we just don't use the bath, we rarely have done. It takes too long to fill and gets cold too quickly.
  
• I am not cruel and evil.
  
• I am not conducting some wierd "Island of Dr Moreau" style experiment with spiders in baths, no matter what Porl says.
  

I'm so unbelievably bored.
I need a new hobby. Yes I know I've got loads, but I'm fed up with them all.
I think I know why I'm fed up with them all though.
It's because I've set myself the task this Christmas of making loads of presents for people. But as the time is drawing nearer I'm beginning to realise that I might not actually manage to finish any of them.

Do you think there's any chance Christmas can be moved.... to about June.

I am making progress though on most of them, but too many people have net access so all I'll say is, the Indian cross-stitch I'm trying to finish for my dad is coming along well, and the *** for ****** is about a third done, it should be great becuase I'm going to make it look like a ******** ****. I've got some ideas about the *** for *****, and the same with the **** for ****, and I've nearly finished the ********* for ***, **, *****, and ******.

I'm ever so descriptive aren't I.