Well, that's another one over with :)

In the end it was a quiet Christmas Day, just me, mum, step-dad, my sister and her boyfriend. We all ate too much as usual but there was the minimum of fuss.

I still find the festive period quite difficult, with my Dad living so far away and my former step mother denying access visits to our half brothers. Not even a card this year........ I'll stop there before I get too cross or cry. I may blog about it at another time.......

The gift haul was impressive this year. I got a soft modded X-Box which is fab so I can play *cough* DL'd games and DVD's with no fuss. I fear that my social life will be over though......the controller extends far enough for me to play Project Gotham Racing 2 from the comfort of my bed. I also got a Spencer Tracy/Katharine Hepburn DVD boxset, a new winter coat, a lovely print of photo from a trip to the Lakes in the summer, a Hello Kitty t-shirt (yes, I am a big kid) and Hannibal Rising in hardback.

I read Hannibal Rising in 6 hours. It is.....................dreadful. A massive disappointment. Lecter should have remained an enigma.......I also think the reasons behind him becoming a serial killer are lame. Why do we need to justify his actions? Can't he just be evil....or do we need an answer in order to make us feel better? If you want to read a book that really gets into the mind of a serial killer than find a copy of Silent Terror - Killer on the Road by James Ellroy. It's a truly terrifying read.

It's nearly Christmas! Hurrah!

13 days (my maths maybe wrong) and it'll all be over and I won't have to hear Wizzard singing that bloody song again, or Slade or Paul McCartney for the matter.

Yes, I am not a big fan of Christmas, in fact I am beginning to hate it. Not the present giving and christmas dinner eating, it's everything else. The office party, queuing, crap telly, queuing, christmas card writing, queuing, silly santa hat wearing and bloody queuing.

Why do people do that whole thing of standing in the doorway when you are trying to get into a shop....and why do they tut at you when you try to get past? Why are all supermarkets full of people buying enough food to last 3 weeks rather than 2 days? Can we really not cope with all shops being closed for one day? What is it with people wearing Santa hats? No, I will not smile and be bloody festive!

The one phrase I do not what to hear said to me at all is 'Cheer up, it's Christmas'......I maybe force to stab someone if I do.

Now, if you'll excuse me I have some presents to wrap.

PS - I work for a bunch of tossers - I'll will tell all tomorrow (otherwise I'll get worked up, go grrrrrr and not get to sleep for hours)

I've been away and just come back. I went to Newcastle. It was ace. I spent some time with a lovely friend, ate cheese, went see the Spanking the Monkey exhibition at the Baltic, finally saw the Angel of the North (after dodging 4 lanes of traffic), ate even more cheese, drank cherry beer, watched a puppet show and went to look for vampire rabbits.

I was the perfect tonic, work is very stressful and if I hadn't have got away I think I would have gone bonkers.

PS - The Killers were crap....not the band but the sound. Hull Arena should not be used as a music venue....ever. Have you ever noticed that no band ever plays there twice.........

PPS - I passed my driving test on Friday.....hurrah.

I'm off to see the Killers tonight. It was highly unlikely but I've managed to get on the guest list.......how very random.

*peeks round corner*

Ah.....that's where it is!!

*blows 4 inch layer of dust off blog*

I am, of course being sarcarstic. I knew were it was all the time, it's just i've been a lame ass when it comes to blogging.

Work is quite frankly, well, dull. Dull, dull dull dull dull.

Rancid last Sunday, rocked. They rocked so hard that I didn't have proper hearing until Wednesday :)

Casino Royale was a surprise. I hated myself for liking it. The stunts are real too....which makes a change from the usual CGI pap.

Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny was so funny I wheezed.

I have the week off work. Normal people would go on holiday. I have stupidly decided to stay at home. It's 2.38pm and I'm already bored out of my tree. Daytime telly has sucked the life out of me and replaced it with a complete lack of motivation to do anything.

Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow.........If I can be arsed.

On Friday, as any newly qualified first aider would do, I went to London. It was great. I discovered the delights of Wagamama, the slides at Tate Modern and took lots of pictures, one of which is below.....(there are more here too)

I also realised that Kevin Spacey is, in fact, sex on a stick after seeing his perfomance in Moon For the Misbegotten. Colm Meaney was superb too, well worth £28 of anyones money.

Whilst in London I bought - a lovely grey felt bag from the tate modern, 3 Otis Redding Cd's for £6 from Fopp, Life Wasted by Pearl Jam on 7" vinyl for £2 and I spent a small fortune in Paperchase.

In Wagamamas I ate - ebi katsu, gyoza, yaki soba, chicken tama rice, white chocolate and ginger cheesecake and peach iced tea.....not all in one sitting i hasten to add!

Last week I became a first aider. Oh how I larf. I can now deal with chemical burns, scalds and possible fracture.....sometimes only with the aid of a baked bean tin and some string. The downside is, it's made me rather anally retentive as I've been though all the first aid kits at work and made a list of what is missing. I've also composed an email telling people that if they want a plaster then they'll have to fill out an accident form......or go to Superdrug and buy some themselves.....the cheap skates. I think that turning 30 may have turned me into an officious old cow.

All play and no work makes Kate forget to blog.
All play and no work makes Kate forget to blog.
All play and no work makes Kate forget to blog.
All play and no work makes Kate forget to blog.
All play and no work makes Kate forget to blog.
All play and no work makes Kate forget to blog.
All play and no work makes Kate forget to blog.
All play and no work makes Kate forget to blog.
All play and no work makes Kate forget to blog.
All play and no work makes Kate forget to blog.
All play and no work makes Kate forget to blog.
All play and no work makes Kate forget to blog.
All play and no work makes Kate forget to blog.
All play and no work makes Kate forget to blog.
All play and no work makes Kate forget to blog.
All play and no work makes Kate forget to blog.

Today was a normal day. A grump ruined it.....not mine I hasten to add (but I eventually caught it, grrrrr).

Anyway, I now have a migraine. Yes, I know I'm typing but I have sunglasses on so I can. Cunning, huh?

I think I've got Mondayitis.....the sink is full of washing up, I have a small mountain of ironing to do, there is something that smells funny in the fridge and I need to empty the bins. Even knowing all this doesn't make me want to leave my duvet to do it. I think I may need to hibernate.

On other matters, many thanks to ASDA for breaking the rules and selling Ian Rankin's new 'Rebus' novel, The Naming of the Dead. It's not due out until the 18th......I bought it on Friday. It's a little cracker.

Yesterday, I found myself in Blackpool



I can safely say that I will never visit that hell-hole again. I apologise to the residents of Hornsea and Withernsea to whom I have been harsh about in the past. In comparison to Blackpool, both towns should be part of the Italian Riviera.

On the way back we got stuck in traffic on the M62. Some bright spark decided to close junction 31, just as thousands of Hull FC fans were heading back home from Old Trafford after losing to St Helens. The diversion took us AN HOUR AND A HALF!!!!! I think it was planned by a disgruntled Leeds Rhinos fan, cross at them not making the final.

So Google have hammered the final nail in the coffin of YouTube by buying the outfit for $1.65 billion. It really annoys me when big business buys something popular and then squeezes every last drop of soul it has out of it. I personally can't understand how Google are going to get all their cash back.......maybe they'll put a whole heap of adverts before each video.

Off to the theatre tomorrow - The History Boys. I have high expectations and hope I won't be disappointed.

My new favourite blog site is cunextthursday over at 20six.co.uk. I especially like the 'unsolicited cocks' section. Having been a member of a dating site, I am still trying to grasp why a guy would think that sending a picture of his 'la-di-dah' in a 'happy state' would lead to a date or any form of relationship......other than with a psychiatrist or probation officer.

Boo!

Did I scare you....? Didn't think so but it was worth a try.

It's getting worse at work - so I am choosing to ignore it as I am a chicken shit and hoping that if I don't address the problem it will just go away.

Anywho, today in a fit of boredom I bought a second hand Pentax P30. Only £30 and as my mate Adam pointed out, it's always good to have a spare. I keep on getting outbid on 28mm lenses though, grumble grumble.

I think I've forgotten to mention that on the 28th October I'm off to see this.......*at this point there should be a picture of Kevin Spacey in Moon For the Misbegotten but as blogger is being a pain up the arse it won't post it*

On November 12th, I'll be off to Nottingham Rock City to see these guys........*damn blogger and their crappy upload service! So if you can all just imagine a picture of the band Rancid, that would help lots*

2 things i learnt over the weekend,The Departed is a very good film, in some ways it is as good as it's original and always wear wellies when venturing onto Beverley Westwood.

Fucksocks is the best way to describe today. I'll spare you the details but I am rather grumbly with work at the moment......but fuck it, it's friday, Rebus is on the telly and I have chocolate.

Of course the other thing to ask is.......why no blogging? Well, my days are so monotonous it would not only bore me ridgid recounting it, reading it would be just as bad.

Having said that my driving is coming along nicely - managed 3 parallel parks in a row and I've had no practice since Monday. I think I may have turned a corner, hurrah!

Another thing, I can't understand......why do the people who make trailers insist on using Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones on trailers for Martin Scorsese films?

This weekend has been a bit of a bore. Did next to bugger all.

Watched Broken Flowers, Shaun of the Dead and Ong-Bak on DVD. Went to the cinema and saw 'The Queen' - excellent film, Helen Mirren is fantastic.

Caught up with Extras and Rebus, thanks to utorrent.

Watched Arsenal beat the scum.......oh how I laugh.....ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, it's almost better than Leeds nearly being bottom of the Championship.......ha ha ha ha ha ha.

Nose back to the grind stone tomorrow.....I already can't be arsed.

Are my eyes deceiving me?

Hull City.....winning......on the telly?

WAHOO!

WOW!! 2 posts in one day.......here's a pointless list......if found this somewhere, it kept me amused for 5 minutes.

WHAT CURSE WORD DO YOU USE THE MOST? Arse biscuits

DO YOU OWN AN IPOD? Yes.......and i bought it before everyone else jumped on the band wagon!

WHAT TIME IS YOUR ALARM CLOCK SET TO? 05.00.....yes that early.

HOW MANY SUITCASES DO YOU OWN? 3

DO YOU WEAR FLIP FLOPS WHEN ITS COLD? Of course.

WOULD YOU RATHER TAKE THE PICTURE OR BE IN THE PICTURE? Defo take.

WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Right on Your Doorstep - fucking hell it was dreary and badly written

DO ANY OF YOUR FRIENDS HAVE CHILDREN? Yes

HAS ANYONE EVER CALLED YOU LAZY? When I was 12

DO YOU EVER TAKE MEDICATION TO FALL ASLEEP? No but I should do.

WHAT CD IS CURRENTLY IN YOUR CD PLAYER? Back in Black - AC/DC

DO YOU PREFER REGULAR OR CHOCOLATE MILK? Chocolate - in particular Hershey's Cookies and Cream milk, mmmmm

HAS ANYONE TOLD YOU A SECRET THIS WEEK? Yes......it involved ninja badgers and cupcakes

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HAD STARBUCKS? A world record 3 weeks ago.......the White Chocolate hot chocolate from McCoys is toooooooooo good.

CAN YOU WHISTLE? Yes......and I hate bloody whistling.....fuck off with your cheerfulness

WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My Dad

DO YOU THINK PEOPLE TALK ABOUT YOU BEHIND YOUR BACK? Defo, but I don't care.....I probably talk trash about them too.

DID YOU WATCH CARTOONS AS A CHILD? Abso-bloody-lutely

ARE YOU SHY AROUND THE OPPOSITE SEX? Depends if I fancy them or not

WHAT MOVIE DO YOU KNOW EVERY LINE TO? Star Wars, Top Gun, Dirty Dancing, Parenthood, Ghostbusters and the Wizard of Oz

DO YOU OWN ANY BAND T-SHIRTS? Yes, Dropkick Murphy's x 2, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Pearl Jam, The Who and the Sainte Catherines

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SALAD DRESSING? Ranch

IS ANYONE IN LOVE WITH YOU? Not that I'm aware of or been told.

DO YOU DO YOUR OWN DISHES? Yes

EVER CRY IN PUBLIC? At work, totally by accident.

ARE YOU ON A DESKTOP COMPUTER OR A LAP TOP? Using a HP Pavillion dv1000 - bought in Oct 05 - love it to bits

ARE YOU CURRENTLY WANTING ANY PIERCINGS OR TATTOOS? No

WHATS THE WEATHER LIKE? Dark

WOULD YOU EVER DATE SOMEONE COVERED IN TATTOOS? Yes, never judge a book.......

WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE THIS? Ate some biscuits, chatting on MSN

ARE YOUR DAYS FULL AND FAST PACED? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

DO YOU PAY ATTENTION TO THE CALORIES ON THE PACKAGES? Yes, I have no idea why either

DO YOU USE SARCASM? All the time.....it's now ingrained in my soul

HOW OLD WILL YOU BE TURNING ON YOUR NEXT BIRTHDAY? A lady does not divulge her age

ARE YOU PICKY ABOUT SPELLING AND GRAMMAR? Yes, but I'm hardly a saint.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO SIX FLAGS?Texas - 1984 (I have pictorial evidence too)D

O YOU GET ALONG BETTER WITH THE SAME SEX OR THE OPPOSITE SEX? Both

DO YOU LIKE MUSTARD? It is satans spunk

DO YOU SLEEP ON YOUR SIDE, STOMACH OR BACK?A combination of all three

DO YOU WATCH THE NEWS?It would be impossible not to in my line of work.

TELL ME ABOUT ONE OF YOUR SCARS - Cupboard door, aged four, being nosey, lump out of forehead

WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU MAD?I couldn't name names......sorry

DO YOU LIKE ANYBODY?Lots and lots

WHY DID YOU DO THIS SURVEY? Boredom, sheer boredom

I wonder if there is a self help group for DVD addicts....if so I think I need to join.

So far this week I've bought, The Philadelphia Story, Shaun of the Dead, Ong-Bak, The Fisher King, Broken Flowers, Manhattan and Pretty in Pink. Oh dear.

On a different note I am in a grump today and I'm actually getting cross with myself for being in a grump. Grrrr.......

I currently stink of developer, the smell is ingrained in my hands. No biscuits for me tonight then, *grumble grumble*.

Not much of a weekend really, had to work on Saturday after saying goodbye to a workmate on Friday. It meant no drinking but I really wasn't bothered.

Went to see A Scanner Darkly on Saturday evening. Weird little film, as you would expect from a PK Dick adaptation. Good script from Richard Linklater, some very funny bits (the bit with the 18 speed bike is priceless) and this is a shocker - Woody Harrelson in decent acting scandal, he's very well cast as stoner Eddie.

Saw Right At Your Door on Sunday. It's about a 'dirty' bomb attack in LA. It was crap. Written with a stick, the characters changed their tone in almost every scene. I found myself questioning what they were doing and mentally saying 'they wouldn't do that'. As for plot twist, if you pay attention, you'll work it out about 30 mins from the end.

Hopefully will catch Little Miss Sunshine, The Queen and an advanced screening of Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby on Thursday. Not sure that I'll see the Black Dahlia. One Scarlett Johanssen is in it and I find her annoying, Two as a massive Ellroy fan I can't help but feel that I'm going to be disappointed.

What a shitola blogger I am. My problem is I forget.

In my head I form a witty, interesting post.......five minutes later I have a mental fart and it's gone.

Anywho, a quick round of the last 2 ish weeks (blimey, has it been that long!?!)......

Work - bloody hell, I'm bored with it, I really honestly mean it. The first part of my escape plan* has fallen into place. I passed my driving theory test on Monday. It's only the third time I've had to take it......after letting the last expire. Twit. It won't happen this time, I have a lesson tomorrow when I'll be assessed and told when i can take my test. Should have it cracked in time for Santa's visit. To make things worse, a close friend from work leaves for London tomorrow *sob*.

Play - The only thing I'm really concentrating on at the moment is photography. Love it. Could happily do it all day. I couldn't make it a career as I'm not good enough but it has given me a creative outlet......something I am lacking at work.

This is my favourite picture at the moment.......if blogger would upload the fecker....anyway it's here if you want a look.

Other than that I've been to the cinema lots, alphabetised my DVD collection which took an hour and a half, threw away all my old video tapes, argued with a bunch of chavs on the bus, re-read and got freaked out by The Handmaids Tale, went to London for a union meeting......oh and i finally got broadband :) In the first 48 hours I managed to *cough* acquire 33 new albums. It's soooo much fun.


*by escape plan I mean I know that I want to run away but have no plan

This is currently the colour of my face after a stupidly sat outside on Sunday. I am rather confusled as it was cloudy and threatened rain most of the day. Ouch!

For the first time ever I made a proper complaint ---- and actually got a result!!

My phone didn't work when I went to Germany. When I say 'work' I mean that Orange didn't tell me that they have NO 3G networks in Germany. I spent 45 minutes on hold racking up a huge bill in an internet cafe to be told that. I was rather grumbly.

Anywho, I emailed a complaint to them, it was polite but firm. I didn't think I'd get anywhere until I got this.....

"Thank you for your reply.

I am sorry to hear of the amount of time you were holding to speak to our Customer Services team from abroad.I would like to advise that I have placed a credit on your account which will cover the cost of the call you made to us and this amount will show on your next bill.

I apologise for any inconvenience caused"

Hurrah!! Am rather chuffed, I wasn't expecting a refund, just an apology. I think I should complain nicely more often.

I don't seem to have grasp this whole blogging thing properly. It would help if I posted more than twice a month!

Anyway, this made me chortle :)

A girl on work experience asked me today 'what ecuador was'.

Dumb ass.

Crocs....what can I say. The 'fashion accessory of the summer' according to a number of style magazines. I beg to differ......they are quite simply

FUCKING AWFUL

(and dentists wear them....a very sexy profession, not)

If you see a pair, burn them.

If you own a pair, then fuck off you sad twat.