Hello

I know, I know.  I've said this often but I really am back.  Really.

So many reasons as to why I haven't been posting.  Work.  Work.  More work.  One of the more exciting reasons, though, is because I'm in the middle of an Open University course, on how to write fiction which I'm loving.  It's quite time consuming but definitely worth it.  

We have many exercises to do and I've decided that I'm going to post those exercises here because I'd really value people's opinions, positive or negative.  These aren't full stories but rather observations.  I'll post one per day so that it doesn't become overwhelming.

Reasons to be grateful, one to five.

I'm struggling to get back into the blogging vibe so I thought I'd make a list of things I'm grateful for this week.  A reminder of how lucky I am, if you like.

The first thing I'm thankful for is the fact that I'm still working.  I know that sounds a bit strange but let me explain... 

Last week I was doing a corporate job in one of London's grand hotels.  There were major problems with the job, (someone had misread the plans, we were running behind etc) so everyone was under pressure.  It was horrible, tempers were frayed.  By the end of the rig day, I just wanted to go and find another job.  But you know what?  Everything was ok in the end.  The job went off fine, the client was pleased and I'm happy to accept more work.  The moral of the story is - it's never as bad as it seems. 

Image via http://memegenerator.net

The second thing I'm grateful for follows on from the first.  It's my job.  It's creative, it's practical and it allows me to see sides of London, of the world which I wouldn't have under normal circumstances.  Recently, I was on a coach driving through west London, gazing out the window, as you do, and I realised that, through the years, I'd done jobs in an awful lot of places along the route, ranging from car parks to office blocks to theatres.  I'm met some fascinating people too - celebrities, remand prisoners, royalty, refugees.  The job drives me mad at times but it's a calling and I wouldn't have it any other way.

The third thing I'm thankful for is my naughty little cat.  She keeps me company, demands food when I'm trying to take important phone calls and is an ace at chasing rolled up paper balls.  I love her.  If that makes me a crazy cat lady, so be it.

Not my actual cat.  Image via http://www.bandofcats.com

 

Fourthly, we're off to Spain soon!!  I can't wait.  We're going to Seville and Valencia.  Any suggestions about things to do, places to eat, etc would be very gratefully received.

Finally, I'm bloody glad that it seems to have stopped raining!  It's nice that popping out to Sainsbury's doesn't have to feel like you're on a North Sea trawler battling the elements. 

The one where I return

Well, it has been a very long time - about six months or so since I wrote anything on here.  Boo!

I think I've sorted out the log on problems which I mentioned previously, so fingers crossed that I'll be able to post more often now.  If I'm completely honest though, part of the problem was, that I just got out of the habit of writing regularly.  Anyway, I do miss it and I want to carry on.

So what's been happening?  Well, the long and the short of it is, I've been very busy work-wise which is both good and bad.  Good because, you know... money and bad because everything else goes by the wayside.  I've been doing a lot of corporate work which does pay well but isn't always the most creative.  I had to turn down Fashion Week jobs this year because I already had stuff booked in.  It was a shame but that's freelancing for you.

So, what's going to happen on the blog this year?  I know no one really cares everyone's waiting with bated breath to find out.  More beauty product reviews - I'm a beauty junkie.  More fashion pieces.  More musings on life. 

I bet you can't wait.

Logging into Blogger

Yea, I know.  I haven't posted for ages. 

The reason is, I'm having a lot of problems logging into Blogger.  In fact, every time I log in, I have to change my password!!  This makes logging on so tiresome and time consuming that I just don't bother.

 image via www.sodahead.com

The problem seems to be that 'one stop log in' thing that Google introduced a while back.  You see, I also have a gmail account and like any responsible internet user, I have a different password for that.  Unfortunately this seems to throw everything into a spasm and won't allow me to log on and forces me to change my password.

I'm seriously thinking of transferring my blog to Wordpress.  If anyone's done this, do let me know.

Anyway, enough of me.  How are you all?  Good summer, I trust?

I'm back!

It's been a very long time, hasn't it?

It's the usual excuses from me - busy, tired, slight illness etc...

We did go to Moscow in March which was fascinating and I am definitely going to write something about that.  In fact, I've had an unfinished post about it languishing on Blogger for months - my bad.

I'm also going to post more product reviews.  I like doing product reviews, primarily because it gives me an excuse to be a bit girly which is a complete antidote to the way I normally spend my days, (working with electricity, working at heights, carrying heavy stuff, rigging heavy stuff).

I've said it, so I have to do it now...

The funniest conversation I've overheard in a long time

Yesterday, my boyfriend and I were on the train coming back from Purley making painfully slow progress through the grimness that is south London.  We were seated at one of those double seats with a table.

Not the actual seats

Image via http://farm5.staticflickr.com

When the train stopped at East Croydon, two girls got on and sat opposite us.  They started chatting about this and that.  I recognised one of them as a minor model from somewhere or other.

So far, so whatever.

The conversation then moved onto what food they were going to buy for a party.  

I only hope that my writing skills can do this justice...

Girl on the left:  I think I'm gonna buy a sweetcorn and mange tout salad.  (I think it was sweetcorn, can't be sure)

Girl on the right:  Oh.  (Pause) What's mange tout?

G.o.t.L:  You dunno what mange tout is?

G.o.t.R:  Nah, I've never heard of it.

G.o.t.L:  You must know what mange tout is.

G.o.t.R:  (whispers)  Isn't that a rude word?

G.o.t.L:  What mange?  No, you idiot!  You're thinking of minge.

G.o.t.R:  Oh, yeah.  (Pause)  So what do they look like?

G.o.t.L:   They're kinda flat and green.  Like a really squashed bean but without the pods inside.

G.o.t.R:  No pods!  What's the point of that then?  (Fair point to be honest)

Now I'd gotten to the point where I was biting the inside of my cheek to stop myself laughing out loud.  I looked around the carriage and the three people who were sitting close to us were struggling to suppress their laughter.

G.o.t.L:  (shows the girl on the right her phone)  That's what they look like.

Not the actual image she showed her.

Image via http://www.bestinseason.ie

G.o.t.R:  (looks at phone)  Oh them!  Mange (rhyming with man - the adult male) tout.

G.o.t.L:   No, you fool.  Mange (rhyming with man - the adult male) is what dogs get.

Sadly by this point it was our stop and we had to get off.  Just as well, really, because I don't think I could have contained my laughter for much longer.

My only regret is that I didn't lean across the table and go, 'Please can I be friends with you?  Please!'

The elusiveness of creativity

What is creativity?  Where does it come from?

I've been sitting here all day trying to write.  Write more on a new script I'm working on.  Write something witty/informative/engaging for this blog.  Write an email to my freelance clients and let them know my availability.  Write, write, write.  Except today's output is just rubbish. Nothing 'flows'.  It's trite and stilted junk, no matter what I do.

Image via http://newhottopics.blogspot.co.uk

Usually I can write something personal and humorous to my clients when I'm looking for work - something that makes me stand out from the crowd.  Not today for some reason.  Today it was all, 'This is when I'm free.  Call me if you need someone'.  Urgh.

Where does creativity come from?  It's raining today and it makes me feel like my spirits have been smothered under a blanket of grey skies and dampness.  It's strange because I usually find rainy days intimate and introspective.

Perhaps creativity comes from good health?  I'm not feeling very well today and I can't seem to concentrate.  But that doesn't explain the myriad of artists like Honoré de Balzac, George Orwell and Chekov who had consumption.  Yea...  I can only dream about being in the company of Chekov and Orwell.

Maybe it's about life experiences.  I worked far too hard at the end of last year so I've awarded myself a little bit of 'taking it easy'.  Nice but sleeping, eating too much and watching DVD's don't give much material to work on.  Then again, I could draw on some of my experiences out on the road.  I can scarcely believe some of the things I got up to. There was that time when I was on tour with a very, very famous band.  We had a long drive from Warsaw to Dublin.  Partying hard doesn't come close to describing it on that drive.  All I really remember is standing in a puddle in Warsaw drinking vodka straight from the bottle then sobering up in Dublin watching a security guard chase the drum tech through the lobby of the hotel.  True story.  Yet, somehow, writing about that just seems like rock 'n roll cliche.  

My friend has sent me a link to some TED talks which she watches when she needs inspiration, so I'm going to make a cafetiere of coffee, settle down and watch a few.  

I should really go the gym but it's raining outside and inspiration is more important, right?  

Right?