Seeking Xanadu

A little book blog blather.

Ok a couple of things. One is the team book review blog Unbound has undergone a new look, with image design by Andy Cryer whose email address I can let you have or who can be contacted via thin king media.
Here is his work (thanks Andy)

I love it, and really the blog is coming on fabulously so drop in.
http://hagelrat.blogspot.com/

Second, I will be cross posting thi because it's appropriate generally and bookily (not a word I know).

Ereaders/Ebooks
I don't have one. I want one because it's a gadget and therefore a thing I want.
As far as ebooks go, i'm a paperback girl, I love having them in my handbag or pocket and on my shelves, but as far as space saving and going on holiday with limited luggage space, or being a student and moving house every year I agree these thins definately have a place in our lives. Not replacing real books, but to support and compliment them. I would not, for instance, buy a book i really wanted in ebook form. I might buy a book I wasn't sure about this way if it was cheap tho. Also, if, say a paperback was £6.99 on it's own or £10 with a single user download license for the e version aswell then yeah i'd pay the extra to be able to load it up and take in on holiday. I would however, never want to pay £6.99 for a virtual book. So, I am not a luddite, I welcome the ease of access and additional portability, I welcome that people who have no space and people who are entranced by techno gadgetry might be dawn in by these, but I do not consider this the demise of the printed word. I will never stop valuing the look and feel and weight and smell of a real book. I will never stop enjoying that moment, after the book mark fell out that you find the book opens on the page you were reading. So here's to the techno wizards, may their ereaders be successful and beautiful and fine; and always second to paper.

WTA 8 weeks and counting

So, the wedding is nearly on top of us and I am enduring the usual anxiety, "he doesn't realy want tomarry me, he's gone off me, he's going to be an alcoholic and i'll have to divorce him" etc etc and yeah, this is pretty much standard operating procedure for me being close to a commitment. i am excited though, it is going to be fantastic! Still a bit weirded out about being Mrs H instead of myself if that makes sense.

Drinking expresso and eating cheese.

that has nothing to do with anything really. I eard it on telly and liked the way it sounded. Although honestly i'm more of a latte girl. I'm rambling, it's lack of human contact. Mark was out most of yesterday and i'm home alone again today, off sick, going a little crazy. Fortunately lots of bloggers out there for some semblance of human contact. Tomorrow night I am out for a beer at the local to say goodbye to a new freind who is off to australia. Gutted these guys are going, they are great people and we were becoming good friends. Sucks huh. Good luck to them tho. Mark would quite likeo head out too I think, but I am happy here and leaving the country has never been high on my to do list.

Mad Cat Woman

I was home sick today, just a cold but i'm a wuss and frankly driving home last night I was kinda wonky. Anyway one of the cats, the bad cat spent a good chunk of the day curled up on my lap snoozing. See, that's why she gets away with being the bad cat. The poor old good cat quietly lies around watching everything and behaving herself. I try to even the fuss out, but i'm sure she's short changed, on the other hand she doesn't get yelled at.

The joy of a bad movie

Sometimes a movie comes along that is truly terrible and yet somehow, charming in it's hopelessnes. This is how I felt about Vampirella some 11/12 years ago when I saw it. Has it really been so long? Anyway, as a fan of the comic I was looking forward ot seeing what they did with this under dressed Vamp heroine and the answer was.....nothing very much. The story was terrible, although in paert perhaps because what can count as plot in a comic may not transfer to a movie, the acting was wooden, the dialogue was pure cheese and the actress playing Vampirella must have been very cold, also, PVC, probably not the most comfortable option. Such is life and the dreadful flick still holds a special place in my heart, although not in my DVD collection. Also, the bat motif seems unfortunate in this format and in black.

 

leave a tender moment alone

I've been going through tenders today, with two other people, and it's actually more fun than it sounds. It's also taken up most of the day which meant I didn't have too much time to stomp about threatening dire consequences on development control .I did have time to send an email explaining in no uncertain times that I would from nopw on never be helpful again. I will do the job I am required to do and no more where DC are involved. I refrained from calling them names and actually telling them to shove it, but only just. Would you believe the anxiety, anger and angst caused buy a fricking bus shelter and you know what, the shelter was there when the planning application went in, AND IT ALREADY HAD PERMISSION!! Grrrr. *And relax*.

An odd feeling

Ok, before I start this don't feel bad for me, I don't need sympathy, i'm ok with this.

My Dad is actually my stepfather, but I was so young and he's such a great guy that it never mattered. My biological father is a man I knoew very little of. We met a few times as adults, and yeah, I get some o my physical features and some of my personlity traits from him (mostly the ones I don't like). I heard last week that Bio parent has throat cancer and he is dying. He's requested some photo, which is no biggy, i'm fine to send a few. Here's the weird thing. When I was told I felt nothing. It washed over me and I moved on to more intersting info, like work and wedding plans. I was a bit weirded out by the fact that i didn't feel anything (does that make sense) anyway I got loads of reassurance from a suitably dysfunctional friend.
Ok, so then the email comes through from my aunto to confirm all this, she mentions that their won't be a funeral, body to science, fine, none of us would have gone, none of us are rushing up to see him now, but it struck me as sad, because I thought, "ah, well that makes sense, after all he has no one to organise a funeral". This is a man who was married three times, had three children and a number of step children, has a sister who will see him if he lets her and a cousin who went out of his way to get back in touch. He has had plenty of people try to care about him and he has destroyed or cut off every single one of those relationships and is dying alone. Suddenly maybe it's not so much of a pain in the bum to go see a few old friends.

kind of just wanted to put it downand make it real. thanks.

Unbound!

it's still linked at the moment as hagelrat reading in my sidebar, but my book blog is evolving, it now has a team of reviewers and a growing colection of reviews. It also has heaps of links to other review sites, book blogs and authors own sites, so please come and pay us a visit!

Dream Car

Ok it's silly, i'm not really into cars, but i am a sentimental fool. When I was a teeny tiny little thing of about two or three years old, my dad sold the car he had had since uni (so for about 5 or 6 years) which was a ford escort mexico in dark green, with a black fabric interior and ummm dashboard lights nicked out of an RAF plane. Ok proabably not nicked, but that's where they had originally been. Anyway, my very very earlierst memory is being in this car, the smell and sound and sheer joy of this early shared experience with my dad. Add to that they were damn good rally cars in their day and are still often used by enthusiasts to knock about off road.
So there you have it, my dream car is a Ford escort mexico, and one day it will be mine.

this pic is lifted off tinterweb, there is one somewhere at my parents of Dad's actual car, but you get the idea.

scary face

Thought i'd post something tonight just because even i'm a little alarmed every time I click on and get giant cat head filling my screen. I am doing a presentation with a colleague tomorrow and I hate public speaking so send me chilled vibes if you can spare a thought.