Dubh Artach

The Rules:

1. Answer each of the questions below using flickr.com
2. Choose a photo from the first three pages.
3. Copy the URL of your favorite photo into this site: bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php
4. Then share with the world.

( pictures hereCollapse )

I have discovered a solution to my 2 eternal problem of eating out (which are - a bottle of is just TOO much for one person and well, it's not the healthiest thing ever)

The solution? Barbarossa. 50 min round walk from the flat and 3 pages of wine by the glass.

Perfect

Eventually got round to organising my delicious.

All my Torchwood recs are there.

As I was wandering yesterday I saw a chair outside a charity shop. ( Here it isCollapse )I had a look at it, a wee sit down (very comfy) and despite the brown cushions I quite fancied it. So I checked in the home furnishings place on my street (2 doors down from my flat) and they said they could recover the cushions for me.

So today I went and bought the chair, carried it home, left it at the foot of the stairwell and took the cushions into the shop. 10-15mins later at the most, having decided on a fabric I go back to take the chair up the stairs.

It's not there anymore...

Rubbish collection is not due today (and anyway, the piles of black bags are still in the close). Someone has taken my cushionless chair!

I bang on the 2 ground floor flat doors, dogs bark at me, no one answers. I cancel the cushion covering. And leave a big note in the stairwell saying it was my chair.

And voila! It is back at the foot of the stairs when I come home 6 hours later.

I was being good and catching up on the EMJ today. Which would not be noteworthy except for the article on page 217

Potter’s potions

A C McGregor, M H MacMillian, J Ferguson
Emergency Medicine Department, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, UK


"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"1

Thus began Harry Potter’s first potions lesson at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. What is the difference? We report an incident involving poisoning with monkshood and wolfsbane presenting to an urban emergency department. ...

They got to use Harry Potter as a reference! I am jealous.

Link to article

2 fics that Adrift made me think of.

Folded by unmikely
Note: 1.Planes. 2.Rifts, flying into. Yes, it is as heavy handed as it gets.

Lost and Found by kaneko
The rift likes red pens and bananas, toffee crisps but not snickers. also, medical equipment. But it's never taken a person before.

Lyrics from Future Gods and Past Kings - Colin MacIntyre
Screencaps here

010203
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Ok, they are up and running now and I am officially hooked.

Which is unfortunate since I can't watch most of the, um, George Michael bits due to my embarrassment squick.

This means I make more noise during episodes of this than I do during Torchwood.

5 = Matter - Iain M Banks

Huh. First time in a while I've been disappointed in one of his genre novels. The changing POVs caused me not to actually give a shit about any of the main characters and there was a nagging feeling that there was something being said about the Culture that the reader should be able to figure out (or even just that I should know one of the characters already).

10 Numb3rs icons from Breaking Point. Screencaps by mustangcandi
2 SGA icoms from Outcast. Screencaps by txtart & sheafrotherdon5
15 Torchwood icons from To the Last Man. Screencaps by cowboyhd & inthekeyofd &hollycore & Here

..

( Numb3rsCollapse )

( SGACollapse )

( TorchwoodCollapse )

I may NOT succeed since I've only managed 4 in January.

4 = The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif

I liked this when I started it but as soon as I put it down, damn, it was difficult to get back into. I really felt my lack of knowledge of early 20th century Egyptian history (and given other reading, especially the first Palace Walk book) I did not expect to feel like this lack impaired my enjoyment. But it did.

The main love story was compelling, the modern day one and other threads felt neglected.

Screencaps by mustangcandi and calapine

( Torchwood 01-07Collapse )
( Numb3rs 08-10Collapse )

i_naiad explains what this is all about. And says to feel free to share so since I have I've mirrored it.

Download link here

Master and Commander (2) Quotes
Numb3rs (19) screencaps by mustangcandi and yvonnebobby
Torchwood (14) screencaps by rivier and letsey_x
SG1 (3)

Using images from up to the end of season 4 of Numb3rs and episode 202 Sleeper of Torchwood

000000

( rest under hereCollapse )

Lets try this again. I used to manage nearly 100 books in a year. Now I'm lucky if it hits 25. Damned internet.

1 = Far side of the World - Patrick O'Brien
( spoiler cut!Collapse )

2 = Amber - Stephen Collishaw
( thoughtsCollapse )

It is worth a read and was an interesting contrast to the next read.

3 = A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
( spoilersCollapse )
Overall The book lacked the imagery and originality of Kite Runner but did manage to draw me in - I finished it in an evening.

1) It is bad to want to vid Winchesters to Summer of 69 yes? Yes, it is. Damn

2) Oh god, why can't people use email properly? If there has been a successful group email sent out for WEEKS (lets ignore the ONE PERSON who can't manage either their spam filter or their inbox) why do we need to redo it? LONGHAND? And why can't someone ELSE integrate it? Why why why?

2b) Then again these *are* the people who were very impressed when I used *right click" during a presentation so ...

24 hours of my life.

First there was the lad who happily announced to the department that his boyfriend was the fool responsible for his injury - and I realised that he is possible the first person I have heard/seen out himself so unselfconsiously to a whole bunch of strangers in a non-social situation.

But then there was the lady I saw, examined, treated, discussed diagnosis, options re admission or discharge and reviewed about 3 times who said as I was letting her go home "so I don't have to wait to see the Doctor then?" ARGH.

Finally the slightly surreal experience of watching, god, it was like a vid - real footage of UK/peacekeeping forces on deployment/fighting in Afghanistan set to an Eminem song (it's bugging me that I can't remember *which* song) as part of a presentation at a professional meeting. Huh.

Also, could the Supernatural torrent take ANY LONGER? Huh? Damned thing. But I realised that I still had an episode of Heroes to watch, so I did, and it rocked.

Well done fanaticize_d - winners of the first 3 month challenge at fanaticize

barkley
cedarlibrarian
daegaer
florahart
robin777
hefourthvine
vimeslady

Congratulations to all of you.

I can't recall ever having been to one of these before and I suspect this one was not typical ( it was on the 3rd of February, for a start!Collapse )

Burns Supper

..

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Credit if you use any, ta.

Fastnet Force 10 - John Rousmaniere
The Nightwatch - Sergei Lukyanenko
The Daywatch - Sergei Lukyanenko
Border Princes - Dan Abnett
Light - Margaret Elphistone
Slow Decay - Andy Lane
The Testament of Gideon Mack - James Robertson
Invisible Islands - Angus Peter Campbell
Ysabel - Guy Gavriel Kay
The next big thing - Michael Russell

Melusine - Sarah Monette
It's Superman - Tom DeHeven
A brief history of the dead - Kevin Brockmeir
Black Powder War - Naomi Novik
The Tenderness of wolves - Stef Penney
Damascus Food/Travel book
The Steep approach to Garbadale - Iain Banks
Blue Man Falling - Frank Bernard
Another Life - Peter Anghelides
Black Swan Green - David Mitchell

Restless - William Boyd
Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell
Treason's Harbour - Patrick O'Brien

To read
A Civil Campaign


To buy/consider
Harry Potter!
Shark Tales
Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policeman's Union

Ken Macleod
the engines of light trilogy is more SF and less politics, but still political
23:44
learning the world is a stand-alone, politics-light, forst cntact book
23:45
newton's wake is a stand-alone SF as well

5 months, 23 books, I'm on track I guess, yay.

Congratulations faaticize_f, fanaticize winners in November,

elishavah
manna
pensnest
robriki
rosefyre
scapeartist
wickedwords

Congratulations fanaticize_f, August winners.

abandonada
anoneknewmoose
cedarlibrarian
dzurlady
fabu
florahart
skripka

Well done to you all.

Out dancing tonight.

Hooked on a feeling by Blue Swede comes on.

There is a moment of "yay! Reservoir Dogs"

Then there is contemplation of the fact that this film came out fourteen years ago.

when I was sixteen

And there are people here, dancing, who would have been born only 2 years before Reservoir Dogs was released. And it is likely that a fair proportion of these people have never seen the film.

I feel old.

So, um, it's a Nigella cake, which may be a disaster. While one of the cakes I make a lot (guinness cake!) is hers more often than not, even if followed to the letter, there is a problem. Overcooked/burnt/soggy/dry etc. But, almond/marzipan, mmmmmhm. There was a lot of marzipan left over from the wedding cake and Easter is not for a long time.( 4 pictures and recipe hereCollapse )

Details about the recipe tag can be found here

anoneknewmoose
ephemera
lydiabell
manna
robriki
vimeslady
zing_och

Won fanaticize in July. Well done!

I may be a bit rusty at this. Look! New obsession!
( 6 Michael icons under hereCollapse )

Screencaps by mercscilla and ispahan

There has been a lot of talk recently about fandom and spoilers ( no spoilersCollapse )10 years ago I was a Trekkie. < disclaimer> - am still a trekkie < / disclaimer> Yup, July 1996, I was totally into DS9. I had a ship (Garak/Bashir) and everything.

How did I, a person in the UK, in 1996, see Season 4 (I think) of DS9?

Well, there was a person. And that person had a friend. In America. That friend taped episodes of DS9 (and TNG). And sent them (snail mail!) to their friend in the UK, who had someone who could convert to VHS. And lo, there was a UK compatible video of the recent episodes. This video was shown, to a group of fans, who paid money to gather, every month, in a scabby horrible hall, to watch up-to-date DS9 and TNG.

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And most of me is drunk. Wheeee!

Congratulations fanaticize_e! Winning June's fanaticize with 198 points!

cascahawk
catrinella
florahart
vimeslady
rosefyre
robriki
katie_m
phoenixphire
ephemera

Last work night out
I get stood up. Bad colleagues.

Tonights night out
(which is in some part a payback for the last one)

Fight on the dance floor. Someone presses the fire alarm. Some bloke gets a minor head wound and has a panic attack. 3 fire engines and 2 police cars turn up. Club is evacuated. I get cold. Just as I am debating the wisdom of trying to persuade the firemen that I really *do* know one of their colleagues (note to self, find out Stephen's last name) 2 ambulances turn up. Get to sit in front of ambulance. (further note to self - memorise the codes for the departments, much fun could have been had with the radio). No one getting back in though. Early night. Damn.


Further note - I owe Chris £6 for the taxi.

Farmers market this week - got the smoked mussels again - heated them up with sweetcorn and leeks and the left over coconut milk and served with pasta - lovely. 2 salmon fillets were stretched to 3 meals, the first 2 being with guacamole (had avocados left over), spinach and tomato salad and some of the gorgeous rye bread (this was lovely fresh and fab as toast later in the week - nicer I think than the stout and oatmeal from last time). Bought eggs again too - made scrambled eggs with spinach on Sunday morning and used 2 in versaphile's Banana bread. The banana bread was a hit at work.

Also got lots of veg - the already mentioned leeks, a bag of beets, bag of carrots and a couple of neeps. Had onions left over and didn't think to get tatties.

Then I came home, planned and went back out to supplement - a sweet potato, lots of fruit (white plums and mangos on offer and too many berries - the blueberries lasted, the blackberries barely made it to Mon and half the strawbs were dead by then), spinach, tomatoes, some dates (yum, dates, I loved that in Morocco), tatties, red onion.

Pasta and winter rats - 1
Roasted 50g sweet potato, 50g parsnips, 50g carrots, a red onion, 2 garlic cloves (actually, chopped the top off a bulb, little bit olive oil and added that to the pan). Spray of oil, drizzle of honey, rosemary sprigs. 20mins at 200oC. Into pot, added 200ml passata and 60g pasta (cooked already).

Very filling, reasonably tasty but nothing special

Parsnip and blue cheese soup - 2
Fried an onion, garlic, 2 parsnips 5-6mins. Added 570ml stock, simmered 15mins. Added 150ml double cream and 110g blue cheese. 5mins. Blend.

Interesting flavours, way way way too much fat! Could probably use skimmed milk instead of cream and about half the blue cheese and get a similar effect. Needs something else too though, as is a bit bland

Salmon and beetroot
Boiled a beetroot for 8-10mins. Peeled and drained. Griddled 1-2mins each side. Also griddled the salmon and a bunch of spring onions

Quick and easy, interesting mix of flavours, didn't need carbs, a hit!

Cottage Pie - 4
Fried an onion, 2 carrots. Added 400g mince and browned. Added 400g tin tomatos, 2tbsp puree, 300ml beef stock, bayleaf, thyme. Into oven at 190oC for 30mins. Made mash with 600g tatties, 250g parsnips (and a sneaky neep), 2tsp horseradish. Spread this on the top, into oven for 30mins.

4 huge portions. Had first with roast neep (as the seller advised - did it just with frylight, honey would be nice too) and the second with steamed leeks and carrots. Bit dry on the second night but HP sauce helped. And reminded me of Dad coming in late from work

Borscht - 3
Boiled up 4 beets for 25mins. Fried an onion, a carrot, 250g tatties, garlic for a while, added tabasco (lots!). Saved the beetroot cooking water. Chopped the beets, put it all in a pot with a stock cube (enough cooking water to cover though needed more). Simmered for 25mins. Blended, added juice of half a lemon.

The scrapings from the blender taste lovely!

So, am on nights at the weekend then off to Oslo for 4 days next week. Come back Thursday afternoon, on 12-8 Friday and long days Sat and Sun. Then nights again. Have enough frozen stuff (lunch (2 borscht, 1 parsnip and blue cheese, 2 curried parsnip, 1 pearl barley soup, 1 squash soup) and tea (2 cottage pie, 2 mushroom pilaf, 2 greek bean stew, 1 moroccan roast veg and, and, damn, maybe the winter rats pasta?)) to get me through the nights. Need to consider the weekend - need quick stuff that I can make on Thu/Fri night really.

Last weeks eating included

Seeded Loaf - AWT
325g plain flour, 25g oatmeal, sachet of yeast, 25g sunflower seeds, 25g sesame seeds, 25g pumpkin seeds (and 25g linseeds which I missed out), 12.5g LMS, salt. Add tbsp oil and 300ml warm water, mix. Into bread tin, let rise for 30-60mins then bake at 200oC for 40 mins

Moist, filling, 1.5 points per slice (16-§8 per loaf), made it at the weekend, was still fine for toast on the Friday. Very very easy too.

Simnel Cake - Nigella
Cream 175g butter, 175g caster sugar. Add zest of one lemon.
Mix 225g plain flour, tsp BP, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4tsp ginger, 25g ground almonds.
Add 3 eggs alternately with the flour to the butter/sugar. Add 2 tbsp milk.
Fold in 100g cherries and 500g mixed fruit.
Roll out 400g marzipan to cake tin size and put that in the middle of the cake.
Bake 30mins at 170oC then 90mins at 150oC.
Apricot jam onto the top, second 400g circle of marzipan, 11 apostles (100g marzipan)
Brush with egg white and blast with blowtorch!

Lovely! Moist yet crisp and chewy on the edges. Used the 500g block of marzipan I had and that was fine

Banana muffins - Nigella
Melt 30g butter, 2tbsp honey, 1/2tsp vanilla.
Mash 2 bananas.
Mix 150g flour, tsp BP, 1/2tsp BOS, 1/2tsp cinnamon and salt. Mix bananas and butter then everything.
Makes 12! (more like 8)
Bake 190oC for 25mins

Hmm. Would an egg help here? I used wholemeal flour and added sultanas and these were fine, if a bit dry. Nutmeg would be a nice addition, as would nuts or chocolate

Steak, bean mash and versaphile's green beans
Beef coated in pepper or dry fried coriander etc and charred. (125g steak)
200g beans heated with 50ml stock, mashed with yogurt and coriander.
Green beans, roasted with salt at 230oC for 10mins (On foil - great idea!)
Mix tsp honey, 1/2tsp vingegar, 1/2tsp soy, 1/4tsp garlic powder, add 1/2tsp water.
Drizzle over beans, sprinkle with 1/2tsp sesame seeds and rst for 15-20mins more.

Bean mash made with random white beans - lovely, the roasted beans were *fantastic* and really easy. She suggested onion powder which I did not have. I used RW vinegar but suspect balsalmic would be even better. Maple syrup instead of honey would be interesting too

Parsnip Soup - Delia
Dry roast 1/2tsp coriander, cumin and 3 cardamon pods worth of seeds - crush
Fry onion, garlic, spices, 1/2tsp tumeric, 1/2tsp ginger
Add 350g parsnips and 600ml of stock.
Simmer for 1 hour
Blend, reheat, add 1/2 a grated apple

OK, not the best parsnip soup I have ever had and a bit thick so use all the stock next time!

Squash soup
Onions, garlic, chilli flakes, a squash, a sweet potato, 600ml stock, 30 mins, blend.

Lovely! Still not quite the taste of the one I remember - thyme maybe? And there was certainly a cream thing in it but I don't think that matters

Stir fried greens
Fry ginger and garlic in sesame oil
Add greens, fry, then soy and oyster/fish sauce.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds

Very nice

Mushroom pilaf - from food_porn Serves 4
Fry cup of mushrooms
Add spring onions, a cup of brown rice and stir for 3 mins.
Add 2 cups of stock, salt, one chopped preserved lemon, tsp thyme
Simmer 45-50mins. Add wine as extra broth, add 1/2 cup sliced almonds, parsley and pepper and serve

Nice flavours, don't need the almonds, far far too sticky - seems like a cheats risotto - and the mushrooms don't need this much cooking. Could try adding more of a moroccan hint maybe with harissa - fry onions, add harissa, add rice? Would prunes add anything? Make this as a proper risotto (goats cheese?) or as a pearl barley one with the 45-50mins spent in the oven at about 200oC

Broccoli and pasta
Steam broccoli
Add to 60g pasta with garlic, chillis and 30g goats cheeese

Very simple, very nice. Roasted garlic may help, even easier use cream cheese with garlic

Greek Bean Stew - Zest - Serves 4
Fry garlic, onion.
Add 400g tomatos, tbsp puree, 500ml stock, 2 bay leaves, 2 tbsp parsley, S&P, 1/4tsp paprika, tbsp sugar, dill.
Simmer. Add 600g beans and leave for 10mins.
Add 100g feta, simmer 5 mins.

OK, very very soupy - needs lots less liquid. Not a very interesting taste really

Moroccan cafe salad - Zest - Serves 4
Roast 2 aubergines, courgettes, parsnips in olive oil, thyme at 200oC for 30mins
Add 200g cherry tomatos - 10mins
Whisk 2tbsp evoo, tbsp RWV, tsp dijon with tbsp of sultanas which have been soaked with a pinch of saffron in 2tbsp water
Pour over dressing, scatter pine nuts

Again, not much of a *taste* to this though very nice. FAR too much oil though. And 4 would be as a starter, not a main. Froze some, will see how that does

Beets
Roasted - one cubed in skin, one whole, one halved. At 220oc. For 50mins.
They were getting awfully dry so added 1/2 cup water and covered with foil at about 30mins.
Cubes - very crispy - nice snack.
The others, barely cooked on the insides.

Pear Pancakes - 2
Beat 25g marg (melted), 25g SRF, 25g WSRF, 12.5g oatmeal, tsp sugar, egg, 140ml buttermilk.
Cook 3 pears (cubed) in a splash of water with a pinch of cinnamon.

This kept (batter and pears) in the fridge for 3 days and was just as nice - the pears were brown but tasty

Plums
Simmered in stem ginger syrup and served with custard or yogurt - lovely!

Other plum ideas
With sugar, orange zest and juice
Top with 25g oatsm tsp DMS, tbsp cream (or melted marg) - 30mins at 180oC
Poach or bake with honey, maple syrup, cinammon, balsalmic, vanilla sugar, lemon
Muffins - 85g flour, tsp BP, 35g c sugar, 27ml milk, 35g butter melted, egg, 1/2tsp vanilla, 1.5plums, 25-30mins at 200oC sprinkled with Demarara

Make agains?
The seeded bread, the simnel cake (next easter!), the steak/mash/BEANS combo, a varient on the squash soup, the fried greens, the brocolli, a varient on the pilaf, the pancakes (yum) and try the beats again.

Sue Lawrence
8-10
230
Sift 2 scant cups SR flour, tsp baking powder and salt. Add 2 tsp caster sugar. Rub in 70g butter. Add 2/3 cup of milk.
Bake for 12-15 mins.

Variations
1 cup buttermilk - moist and spongy
Add 1/4 cup dried fruit
Add 1/4 cup choc chips and 2-3 pods worth crushed cardamon seeds
Add 2 tbsp dessicated coconut, the zest of one lemon and about an extra tbsp milk
Use 1/2 cup cheddar instead of the sugar
Use 40g salami
Add basil/thyme etc

Can freeze on the day, reheat in a loose foil parcel in a low oven

Make a cobbler - top poached fruits with unbaked scones and cook at 230 for 20mins.

Nigella
12
220
Sift 300g plain flour, 2 tsp bic of soda, 4.5 tsps cream of tartar. Rub in 75g butter. Add 300ml milk and mix.
Bake for 10mins

Variations
Add 75g dried fruits
Or 75g dried sour cherries +/- orange zest.
Add 75g cheddar

Citrus Salad
Mix - half grapefruit, half orange, peach, handful blueberries. Couple tbsp yogurt, scatter mixed nuts, tsp-tbsp maple syrup

Pearl Barley and Vegetable Soup
Makes 4 servings
Fry onion, add 2 carrots, 400g tomatos, tbsp t paste, 110g pearl barley and 1000ml veg stock. Boil, then simmer for 30mins. Add 100g frozen peas, simmer 2-3 mins, add 100g baby spinach (shredded) and 1/4 cup mixed herbs and simmer 1-2mins.

Thick and filling, more interesting taste than a "no points" version would be. Have tried freezing some for future lunches

Carrot Mezza
Serves 2
Cook and mash 3 carrots, grate another 2. Mix.
Add - 6 chopped dried apricots, slice of wholemeal breadcrumbs, 2 spring onions, half tbsp sultanas, 1 and a halftbsp pine nuts, chilli flakes, orange zest, mint and dill.
Dry fry.
Serve with yogurt with red onion and coriander and salad

Very nice, a bit messy and time consuming to make, stores well though. Needs bread with it I think.

Pan-Fried Lamb salad with tzatziki
Serves 2
Grate 1/4 cucumber, squeeze and dry. Mix with 125g yogurt, garlic, lemon and mint.
Fry 250g of peppered lamb. Slice.
Mix rocket, spinach, cherry tomatos, 1/4 cucumber, 40g peas, red onion and red pepper.

Nice, filling, didn't need carbs, second portion kept well in the fridge for 2 days


Pearl Barley Risotto with trout
Serves 2
Fry some garlic and an onion.
Add mushrooms.
Add 110g pearl barley, tbsp BBQ sauce, 400ml stock.
Into oven at 180 for 45 mins.
Put 300g trout on top, back into oven for 15 mins, mix and serve, with lemon and dill.

HUGE portion, really nice (at least on the day), fairly like risotto but so so simple. I've increased the amount of water cause mine got really dry

Chickpea, aubergine and prunes
Serves 2
Chop up an aubergine and grill for 10 mins
Fry garlic and ginger in seseme oil, add a bunch of sliced spring onions, add the aubergine.
Add 200g chickpeas, 200ml stock, soy sauce, 90g prunes.
Simmer for 10 mins.
Add tsp cornflour to thicken if needed and coriander +/- chilli

Lovely, rich, thick sauce, interesting tastes. Small bowl but filling

Recent bakes

Gingerbread - Sue Lawrence - too dry, not spicy or gingery enough.

Carrot Cake Cookies - see memories- use VERY small dollops! The first batch are HUGE. If made small then I reckon I could get 20 full cookies out of the lot. Half the wet stuff (esp the cream cheese - using light phily may not have helped) in the frosting.

Breakfast bars - GI High Energy Cookbook - very nice the first day, go soft and uninteresting very quickly, even when kept in a tub. Wouldn't bother again.

Fruited Teabread - AWT - very nice, need to soak fruit overnight, rich, moist but not too heavy.

Breakfast muffins - The Low GI Diet Cookbook - the allbran is an interesting addition. I used some dried apple and strawberries and blackberries as replacements and those were fine. Seemed to keep very moist but I ate too many on the first day so didn't fancy them after that!

Since I have a song that might be considered a song of the month for both January and February this *might* be the start of something. Maybe. Possibly.

January - Walking to Hawai - Tom Mcrae turn the bow into the wave boys has indelible memories of the Friday boat crossing to Easdale. I did actually think I might fall overboard at one point.

Febrruay - Grow - Kubb. Yeah yeah, lots of people have been mentioning this (well, hackthis did) but really, I had heard it on the radio already. Apparantly they were shit live at King Tuts. Which is good, cause I missed it.

30 years young. Hmph.

The actual birthday passed off without cermony. I didn't even get a cake! (The Royal guys got me a cake for my 28th. Bah.)

The there was the weekend.

I was awake from 1900 on the 19th until, um, about 0130 on the 21st. That is, let me see, 30 hours.

We knew things were going to be interesting when I screamed at Rach saying my name as I packed in the morning. Breakfast at Tribeca, uneventful drive up to Oban, shopping with an emphasis on games and booze (boxed wine, how classy are we?), short stop at Argos to buy speakers (and batteries), more insane drive (an engle in numbland, hey, spoonerisims are me) then stopping at the top of the hill to let Rach and Mike have their first ever view of Easdale. And my first ever sight of the sound in a north easterly wind. Well fuck, I see why the ferry gets cancelled. Apparantly if it is cancelled they turn on a red light in the ferry shed on the island. Yeah, I know.

Luckily not cancelled. But stormy, vaguely wet, slightly scary, lets cut the engines and drift out of the path of the waves. Fun fun fun.

Colin's cottage is really gorgeous, I was kind of aware of the tree trunk table (a Mike original) but had no idea about the wet room/under floor heated/free standing bath/old fashioned toilet bathroom. Gorgeous. The bedrooms were fab too - one yellow, the one me and Rach took blue. I made chilli then tried to sleep. Failed. Missed Doerte turning up with flowers and scaring the others though.

The final 4 arrived after dark so were fairly wet. We had tea, started drinking and made a list of things I should do in my 30th year. I still haven't opened the book to see what was decided. Sandra came round, then Mellon and we went to the pub at about 10pm. Fiona was busy playing solataire. The rest of them played dangerous darts (not a new game, simply a comment on their aim) and I got very very drunk. Have no recall from about 2300 onwards though do remember thinking karaoke was a *great* idea, luckily for the next night.

Woke about 0300, got lost in the room, thought I was on a spaceship. A stargatean spaceship. Damn.

Hangovers = bad. Muffins = good. Chiris slagging off my preplanning = bad and no muffins for him.

Saturday. Oban. Galleries. Kitchen Deli. Club sandwich to DIE for.

Quiet Saturday night, can't remember if people said they would come and were avoiding me due to the extreme drunkeness or not. Presents (beautiful necklace and Ann Summers goodies from S&M and wine from Mike and Lynn) unexpected. Killer is a good darts game.

Walked round and up the island on Sunday after more muffins, drove to Inverary, met up and had lunch at, um, Bramble cafe, then on to Glasgow and dropping off of Rach etc. And it was all done.

Oh god, there are seasons and seasons of this. And I have fallen *hard*

Not expecting much interest given how far behind I am but here, have at the icons.

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Hmm. Last year I said that I doubted I would ever have a Hogmanay/New Year like that again. It appears I lied! ( tales of hogmanay hereCollapse )

Then work today - bad nights sleep, cramps and tummy pain, made it to work, standby coming, had a small glass of water and, well, yeah. There is officially winter vomiting going around so got sent straight home and have to take tomorrow (and maybe Friday) off. Would have loved the chance to catch up on LJ and TV and DVDs but feel generally crappy even when I am not rushing to the toilet and have a headache. So it has been a crap day.

Ask iTunes questions. Watch iTunes mock you.

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I found my text muse! It is a combination of Hey now now - The Cloud Room, Elim Garak, Renegade Fighter - Zed, Battlestar Galactica, All for believing - Missy Higgins and Asylum - Mull Historical Society.

Teasers
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( more here, credit if you use any please and thank you kindlyCollapse )

I comment that I am quite fascinated by Brutus.

galenmikef says that was predictable (having already mocked me for my unhealthy interest in barely legal sociopathic blonds)

I admit surprise and ask for clarification

I get this :-

dark, broody, but with a sardonic wit, who's a bit of a bad boy, but probably good intentioned deep down

Damn.

That's accurate.

Woe, I have no Rome icon to use.

8 icons and a wallpaper. All from caps by tx_tart for sprat and displayed in an entry at ds_recs!

I am having a total blank on text at the moment. So most of these are textless.

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