A Series of Unconnected Statements.

Writing on a blog is supposed to excersise and thereby improve my writing skills. Personally, I suspect it has simply encouraged me to become more talkative, regardless of whether anyone is listening, or actually cares.



Randomly; this wee guy has taken up residency on my light switch.

 It isn't relevant, I just quite like the photo.

Quite excited having started learning a new piece on the piano. So far only gone as far as the third line, and reasonably slowly at that, but it's got to be one of the nicest pieces I've ever had to play. Looks a lot easier than it is; it's not getting the notes right (I think there are only two places in the entire piece where you play a chord), but playing them at the right speed which makes it difficult.

Solfeggietto, C.P.E. Bach

Following the break that was study leave, I have begun cycling to school (cutting down on travelling time leaves me free to get up later). I think it's something I might stick with doing. The route I take goes along the river and the weather is usually nice in the morning (NICE weather?!? In Scotland?! Woman, you're mad!).

Unfortunately for me this means that the time taken for required maintenance on the bike has increased. The tires are beginning to go flat and my breaks sound as though they've never met an oil can.

Cake

I made some! Well, tried to.

Result of over overestimating the capacity of the cake tin. The actual cake didn't look much better.

Fortunately I'd made enough icing to entirely cover the rest of the disaster -*ahem*, sorry, that would be cake-, and providing they don't look completely toxic, I can always feed my attempts at baking to Lev (the younger brother).

Talking of Lev, along with blogging today I made a brief return to art, sadly this was primarily for lack of anything else to do. Anyhow, drawing from this photo;

Aaaggh! Hideous isn't it?

I came up with something vaguely similar, namely this;

Personally, I'm reasonably chuffed. I'd like to think I've made it look more human (that was difficult enough. Trying not to cry while I drew it also presented a challenge). Sorry Levik. =)

On a different note, I've massively overdosed on raisins.

What I've been omitting to write about over the past few days.

I return, following a bit of an intermission.

The reason for this lack of activity on my part for once springs from an abundance of other stuff to do, as opposed to sheer laziness.

The Other Stuff

To miss as much school (we are doing nothing) as possible, I volunteered to help out at King's Meadow Primary School's (KMPS <---highly exciting) sports day... basically spent two days sitting in a field, ordering primary school pupils to excersise. This sort of work, I like. 
No photos, unfortunately (didn't even try to get any. I had a feeling that being spotted taking pictures of the kids, I would firstly have been attacked by the onlooking parents, then promptly conducted back to Knox (Academy) -or alternately, the police station-.

T'was fun, though.... not so much possibly for the wee girl in the three legged race who continued being dragged to the finish line having fallen over; maybe her partner didin't notice. More likey he didn't care. This is one of a few things I wish I could have captured on film.


Sunday... and with it came 'Race For Life'. I've never done anything like this before and I was a tad apprehensive; going with a friend (Bethie), we were meeting a host of her relatives in Holyrood Park before the event, running it with them, then heading over to one of their houses for food.

Also whenever I'm atending something which I've never attended before, I have a wholly unfounded fear of a) tunring up late b) turning up in the wrong place, thereby not turning up at all, and c) turning up in the right place, ontime, then finding everyone else has turned up late and in the wrong place.

You shall be please to hear, no doubt, that none of this however happened. 

My RFL number (mine, all mine, my preciousss...) and medal (rather less precious; everybody got one).

T'was all very pleasant and quite easy-going, more so than I had expected. People-wise, all appeared happy and eager to go (excluding those recently finished running the 10k, who just looked fairly exhausted and eager to collapse).

On reaching the finish line everyone was also handed a 'goodie bag' (not my favourite term), which among other things, contained two squares of kitchen towel and a small tube of toothpaste. Thanks. =/

(P.S. Somehow, a total of £50 managed to materialise on my sponsorship form in the two days between the moment in which I remembered/noticed it, and the start of the race. So, for all those who unwittingly promised money, prepare to be hunted down (and possibly eaten, although this depends on whether or not you cough up)  =I .)

A Short Post

Browsing around I chanced upon this;
Infamous Tabloid Headlines

I particulary like at the bottom: "ALIENS TURNED MY SON INTO A FISH FINGER ". Poor Woman.

Spud Wars

Angie coming around this morning yielded some interesting (and rather lively) results. Repeatedly changing our minds as to which film to have on in the background -"Fellowship of the Ring?", "Aww, not enough time!", "How about this, I haven't seen this one?" "Okay... oh no, wait! What about the Goonies? Then we can watch that next week..." Sounds good!" "Actually, hang on a sec..."- we settle finally on 'Son of Rambow' (one of my favourite films, but Angie hadn't seen it!).

This film can't help but give us ideas...

The Aftermath

Come 2 o'clock and the film finishes, we begin rifling through an ancient, half forgotten toy box. In an attempt to emulate the film, we don intruiging hats and following some futher fishing, retrieve a long-disused potato gun!

Dodie won't mind if we borrow a couple of spuds...

-Intermission-

(Chaos ensues)

A potato or so later, we retire to the kitchen having unintentionally but effectively blocked the gun. Now beyond usefulness, we proceed to mutilate said potato.

The result? Jeremy ^ (top left, lying bleeding on the chopping board).

Epilogue

I'm still discovering and picking bits of spud off the floor (and from of my hair). 

Angie left smelling distinctly more vegetable-y than when she arrived.

Jeremy eventually recovered and now holds major shares in Marks&Spencer as well as having become a successful business owner in his own right. He continues to attend counselling sessions for emotional trauma.

The gun is beyond repair.

The News

Last two days, have been very productive.

I have rescued my long-lost, much-adored mobile (it's crummy but I love it), which for the past few weeks has been left languishing in the First Bus Lost Property Depot in Dalkieth (where is Dalkeith!? I have yet to find someone who knows!)

At approx. 11.30am yesterday morning, salad was eaten Kesley's (bookshop) for lunch. In my exsistence this counts as a major achievement (the salad there is gorgeous).

.... In the same place, I obtained a new notepad;

 No such thing as too many notepads (and this one is beauuuuuutiful).

Slightly randomly, driving around in the countryside on a number of occasions it has struck me how similar the flight of certain small birds is to the 'helicopter game'?
» Helicopter game - ICM Joker Website - Funny Videos, Clips, Photos and Stories
i.e., flap a bit, drop, flap, drop.

Finally saw PotC, On Stranger Tides, by suggestion of papa and Sylwia. So good! Two criticisms only;

+ They might have called it something like 'Adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow' as opposed to 'Pirates of the Caribbean' as very few (four?) of the original characters were retained, and some scenes didn't take place in the Caribbean at all. Personally, a title like that would have appealed to me, without implying the joint presence of Keira Knightly & Orlando Bloom.
+ Also, the zombies. They seemed quite unnecessary and  irrelevant to the storyline. On top of the mermaids, I think they made one mythical creature too many.

Apart from that, just brilliant. Much thanks to P&S.

Running (early) tomorrow. I feel like crying, why do I arrange these things?!?

On A Posting Roll

Finally found both the time and inclination to do a tad more writing. This might have something to do with the end of exams (all of them. Ever. I wish =( . ) and possibly a touch of insomnia (coupled with a bedside notepad... so cool.).

My reading pile. There is more on the floor (as I'm constantly reminded).

Top of the list; attempting to read 'The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner'. This is proving increasingly difficult as I find it vaguely reminiscent of 'Emma', 'The Great Gatsby' and 'Twilight' (should I admit to having read this? =S); in the respect that I as venture deeper into the novel, I recieve a growing urge to whack some sense into the main characters. It is frustrating to the extreme.

Other Intriguing Titles include;
'Passing Time On The Loo'  (thanks papa),
'Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis'  (wonder what this is?),
'13 Things That Don't Make Sense'  (highly inconclusive)
'The Last Days of Socrates'  (note to self; return)
and finally, 'The Book of Useless Information'. Best described as useless.

Holidays Beckon!

Exams are finished! It doesn't seem possible.

And I'm very tired.

Well... it's been an interesting two days. The Haddington festival machine is switching somewhat rustily into first gear (it took me a couple of days to find out it was the festival week... we live in the centre of town), and we have not been shirking the celebrations.
Wednesday's Duck Derby provided an excellent opportunity to get out of the house for the evening. 

Admittedly not the most extensive of events, but fortunately we're all well versed in keeping ourselves amused.

Cataloging the events of the event;

 The raft race dissolves into a wading competition as rafts sink and survivors continue in a dash towards the finish line.

A policeman yawns.

... (According to Louise it is illegal to publish funny photographs of policemen.)

People (bees) fall (are pushed) in.

 

Ducks are herded to the finish line. My photograph gains an inexplicable pink stripe.

In a combined assault Angie and I force Beth (with her ice-cream) to the water's edge, and chuck her in. Beth (still eating ice-cream) appears indignant.

 

Having aquired a green inflatable guitar and a necessary pink hat, we leave the Derby in favour of a thoughtfully placed settee. Other photos depict my forcible eviction from this by Angie (right).

 

 

The day ends with a riotus two-man party, featuring juice and croissants, whereupon I try and fail to get up. Music courtesy of Queen.


.... done for the moment, I'll continue anything else when I write the next post....

Mostly on Food

One or Two Things I feel like mentioning:

3 down, 23 to go (though not all visible)

We are currently suffering from a chronic overload of bananas. No-one has any idea how this happened. Any banana lover wishing to help out is welcome to come and dispose of several for us.

Overly vigorous brushing of hair has resulted in the death of a fifth hairbrush. Jimmy died quickly and painlessly at approx. 8.00am on Monday morning. The chemist is making a fortune out of me.


Due to study leave boredom, I have become a baking NINJA.

Tackled so far;

Rock Buns

Meringues

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Flapjacks

Chocolate Cake

Various different variations on all of the above.

<---- Done (today) in preparation for Bethie's birthday (tomorrow). Happy Birthday.

Stuff that is Overdue & Oddments.

To Have Been Posted Four Days Ago

Despite finally having the opportunity to sleep in, something possessed me to ask Beth out running this morning at eight. Downsides to running with friends; I can with reasonably clear conscience decide to go running early-ish, then stand myself up when getting out of bed becomes too difficult. Ditching a friend, is sadly not on.

Church beckons tomorrow morning, providing the opportunity to sit in a happy stupor through the service, unfortunately even this can't quite compare to waking up the wrong side of eleven.

Plans to go swimming at the Aubigny with Nuala -the amazing Irish next-door neigbour- had to be postponed and revised following unsavoury and somewhat distressing news from Mark -said neighbour's husband- concerning someone having relieved themselves in the pool (I now understand why they pump the Aubigny so full of chlorine. Yuck.). Suddenly going there for a swim loses its appeal, and the decision is taken to drive instead to Northberwick and count on the pool roof having been replaced (else face a rather chilly plunge). This was promptly done; we were fortunate enough to strike lucky.

N.B. I have discovered the best carrot cake in entire East Lothian! Fenton Barnes cafe... mmmm...

In Other News

Бабушка (Grandmother) Larissa has had kittens. Well, at any rate, after lying down for a two hour nap with our Cat-In-Chief (Cheese), she woke up and found herself sharing her bed with more rather Cats than she remembered there being when she had gone to sleep.

Above: Cheese & Co. peek guiltily back at the camera- courtesy of Babushka, Much Abused.

'Small & Useless Wooden Item'

Also (though not quite so thrilling), the workshop is now cleared again and fit for human habitation. Consequently I am back to churning out small and useless wooden items (the hardest part of study leave has been finding how to fill my time).