I finished that bloody book! I included it in my list because I started reading it months ago, but couldn't get into it at all. I wasn't sure what made this book quite as amazing as I kept reading it was. I was determined to find out what it was all about and so I just continued ploughing through it.
I'm so glad I did. It was great. I did figure out what the "end" of the story might be, but the book didn't suffer for it at all. It was absolutely worth every minute of the time I put into it.
The basic story is that Kevin is a high school massacre-er. I know that's probably not the word I'm looking for - hell it's not even a word, I'm sure - but I do like to coin a phrase. Each chapter of the book takes the form of a letter from Eva (Kevin's mother) to Franklin (Kevin's father). I'll not reveal anymore than that because if you're interested, I'd urge you to give it a go. If you're not, then it's irrelevant.
And I'm now down to 48 items to go.
Monday, 23 January 2012
Saturday, 21 January 2012
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Schindler's List.
I watched a film from the IMDB top 20 today. A prize if you can guess which one. It's easy. Nope, too late. It's the one in the title of this entry! Yay!
It was an horrifficly good film (did I just make up a word? It doesn't look like a real one, yet it's sounds alright and is rather apt so it's staying). About five minutes in, there is a scene where a youngish Jewish man is surrounded by German soldiers and they're teasing him and cutting his hair. I choked a bit at that and it just got progressively more horrifying but compelling from there. Now, I must confess to being neither a film buff nor an historian because I had no idea it was a true story, which just served to make it more heart-breaking and warming at the same time. A 10/10 if ever I saw one.
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Lazy cow...
It's been a few days since I updated this, but then it feels like it's been a few days since I've done anything. In actual fact, I'm still on track, but because the things I've been doing feel so "every day" it doesn't really seem like an achievement! I made some spiced lamb steaks with cous cous and roast vegetables the other day, which was a new thing. I once tried making cous cous years ago, but I don't remember it being anything special, but this time I made it with stock, rather than just plain water. I don't roast vegetables normally. I steam them, as a rule, but I fair enjoyed it. The lamb steaks were great, but there was nothing new about them. I have managed to use very nearly everything in my spice rack though. There's only curry powder left to use, and while it might have been tempting to chuck some in somewhere, I think there was quite enough already going on without adding to it. The real achievement of this meal though is that it wasn't a standard meat and three veg or meat and rice or meat and ragu and pasta type of affair AND my husband both ate and enjoyed it.
I've picked up a few new cookery books recently (they're new to me anyway, I'm sure most people have come across Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals plenty by now), so I'll get a bit more adventurous with my next one.
My photos are proving to be a challenge purely because there's been so little worthwhile taking photographs of. Of course there's the kids, but there's only so much they want a camera to the face and it's a surprisingly small amount. Charlie won't have his picture taken unless he can see himself on the small screen on the camera. I'm sure you can imagine, it's a bit problemmatic. Thankfully, we'll be spending this weekend in Bristol so he'll have other children to play with and I can snap away while he's distracted. The weather also seems to be getting better (I don't think we had a dry day between Christmas and last Sunday) so we'll get out and about soon.
I've picked up a few new cookery books recently (they're new to me anyway, I'm sure most people have come across Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals plenty by now), so I'll get a bit more adventurous with my next one.
My photos are proving to be a challenge purely because there's been so little worthwhile taking photographs of. Of course there's the kids, but there's only so much they want a camera to the face and it's a surprisingly small amount. Charlie won't have his picture taken unless he can see himself on the small screen on the camera. I'm sure you can imagine, it's a bit problemmatic. Thankfully, we'll be spending this weekend in Bristol so he'll have other children to play with and I can snap away while he's distracted. The weather also seems to be getting better (I don't think we had a dry day between Christmas and last Sunday) so we'll get out and about soon.
Friday, 6 January 2012
Aw, balls.
Didn't get a photograph yesterday, but in my defence, I had bugger all to take a photograph of, other than the children sleeping, and I've already done that. I don't much want an album full of photos of Charlie dribbling into his pillow and it's been pissing down for days so it's not been park photography weather. I'll try and make up for it next week when I'm in Bristol.
I listened to my new artist of the week today. Now, I must first explain that when I say "new" artist, I don't necessarily mean a new artist, I just mean someone I've not listened to before. So, today I tried The Electric Soft Parade. I'd grant them a "hmm, aye, ok". Far from terrible, but I didn't find anything outstanding about them either. Listenable, certainly, but I don't think I'd buy an album. Thankfully, I've got a Spotify subscription, so I don't have to.
I listened to my new artist of the week today. Now, I must first explain that when I say "new" artist, I don't necessarily mean a new artist, I just mean someone I've not listened to before. So, today I tried The Electric Soft Parade. I'd grant them a "hmm, aye, ok". Far from terrible, but I didn't find anything outstanding about them either. Listenable, certainly, but I don't think I'd buy an album. Thankfully, I've got a Spotify subscription, so I don't have to.
Thursday, 5 January 2012
Another tick.
My first book of the year has been You Know Me, a collection of photos of Mr Robbie Williams and his thoughts on them, complied by, erm, well I can't remember to be honest and who really gives a shit? It was the Williams boy I was looking at.
We're on our way.
I've not got an item actually completed yet, but I haven't let myself down by missing out any ongoing ones yet either.
I've taken a photo every day, either with the real camera or my phone. They haven't all turned out great, but that's not really the point. I'm meant to be trying stuff out, so they can't all be successes.
I'm planning my next trip down south to see family very soon, so hopefully I can incorporate a visit to my auntie in that. I normally struggle to fit everything in that I want to when I visit home, but that is because I have to go and visit my parents and spend seemingly endless hours there drinking tea in the kitchen and watching the telly. I intend to put my time to better use for my next visit. I think that I put too much effort in to please mum and dad, but it wouldn't hurt them to get out of the house and come to me for a change!
I've watched two films this week: Get Him To The Greek was great. Stroke the furry wall was a particular highlight for me. Today I watched Paul. A very predictable film. I'm about to post a spoiler now, so if you've not seen it and don't want to know, just ignore the rest of this entry.
It was obvious that Zoil was going to be Paul's man on the outside, just as it was obvious Paul was going to save Graeme in the end (it was perfectly set up from the beginning), but it wasn't any less enjoyable for that. I loved Blythe Danner's "Get away from her, you bitch!" line. I'd give it a 6/10
I'm not planning to roll over these things. Watching two films this week doesn't mean that I don't have to watch one next week. That seems a bit like cheating, especially when I've got a Sky+ box half full from Christmas. It should be more challenging once the Christmas TV season is officially over (which it seems to be for normal programming, but someone's forgotten to let Sky Movies know). A film a week might seem like a breeze to some, but trying to squeeze in a couple of hours straight watching the television with two children to look after, plus letting them have their turn with the television, along with a husband who is a bit of a telly addict that also got Goldeneye for Christmas, let's just say, it's hard work trying to get a shot! 52 films in a year seems like a marathon right now.
I think now I might have a read through a Nigella or Jamie Oliver book and plan what my "new" recipe for the month is. Please, God, let it be a cake...
I've taken a photo every day, either with the real camera or my phone. They haven't all turned out great, but that's not really the point. I'm meant to be trying stuff out, so they can't all be successes.
I'm planning my next trip down south to see family very soon, so hopefully I can incorporate a visit to my auntie in that. I normally struggle to fit everything in that I want to when I visit home, but that is because I have to go and visit my parents and spend seemingly endless hours there drinking tea in the kitchen and watching the telly. I intend to put my time to better use for my next visit. I think that I put too much effort in to please mum and dad, but it wouldn't hurt them to get out of the house and come to me for a change!
I've watched two films this week: Get Him To The Greek was great. Stroke the furry wall was a particular highlight for me. Today I watched Paul. A very predictable film. I'm about to post a spoiler now, so if you've not seen it and don't want to know, just ignore the rest of this entry.
It was obvious that Zoil was going to be Paul's man on the outside, just as it was obvious Paul was going to save Graeme in the end (it was perfectly set up from the beginning), but it wasn't any less enjoyable for that. I loved Blythe Danner's "Get away from her, you bitch!" line. I'd give it a 6/10
I'm not planning to roll over these things. Watching two films this week doesn't mean that I don't have to watch one next week. That seems a bit like cheating, especially when I've got a Sky+ box half full from Christmas. It should be more challenging once the Christmas TV season is officially over (which it seems to be for normal programming, but someone's forgotten to let Sky Movies know). A film a week might seem like a breeze to some, but trying to squeeze in a couple of hours straight watching the television with two children to look after, plus letting them have their turn with the television, along with a husband who is a bit of a telly addict that also got Goldeneye for Christmas, let's just say, it's hard work trying to get a shot! 52 films in a year seems like a marathon right now.
I think now I might have a read through a Nigella or Jamie Oliver book and plan what my "new" recipe for the month is. Please, God, let it be a cake...
Monday, 2 January 2012
Are we sitting comfortably? Then let's begin.
So the challenge as been set. For 2012, a list of 50 things to be done. All of them totally achievable, nothing impossible, even if some of it is going to require some effort - but then it wouldn't be a challenge if it was easy.
1. Finish "We Need To Talk About Kevin"
2. Make my own profiteroles
3. Start updating my blog.
4. Learn how to use my camera and actually start using it
5. Finish at least one month with money left over!
6. Run a 5k
7. See 3 films at the cinema
8. Clear out the cellar
9. Organise a wine-tasting
10. Go to a karaoke bar
11. Learn some more Italian
12. Give blood
13. Go on holiday
14. Walk on a beach
15. See a live comedian
16. Complete an online learning unit for my degree
17. Take the kids swimming
18. Listen to one new band/artist a week
19. Read one book a month
20. Take the kids to the zoo
21. Visit a country I've not been to before
22. Get my passport
23. Pass driving test
24. Watch a new film a week
25. Cook one new recipe a month
26. Wear my Irregular Choice shoes out.
27. Take a photo every day and...
28. ...make a photo album
29. Watch The Usual Suspects
30. Visit my auntie
31. Audition for X-Factor
32. Go on an open top bus tour
33. Visit Edinburgh Dungeon
34. Visit a Scottish Island
35. Send a message in a bottle (it's just a brilliant idea! I may decide to attach a message to a helium filled balloon instead though)
36. Go on a train journey to anywhere
37. Have a DVD all-nighter
38. Watch Schindler's List
39. Complete a game on Xbox or Wii
40. Watch a sunset
41. Have a go at Urban Exploration
42. Read a newspaper a week
43. Spend a weekend somewhere north of Glasgow
44. Use each item in the spice rack at least once
45. Grow some basil
46. Watch all the DVDs I got in 2011 that I haven't watched yet
47. Write a music/book review
48. Go to a live music gig
49. Complete the IMDB top 20 (I've got 7/20 so far, excluding ones that I've started watching before and haven't finished, because they don't count)
50. Write a short story
I'm off to a flying start by watching Get Him To The Greek yesterday. I loved it, and that's my film for this week watched. I updated my internet blog shortly after midnight too so I am thus far doing alright. I took a photo of the baby last night - or several in fact because he's a bugger for not looking at the camera, and I don't think any of them are that great for that reason, but I did it.
So, I'll update this as regularly as I can and let's see if I can't get this list done. I hope my future updates will be a bit less rushed too.
1. Finish "We Need To Talk About Kevin"
2. Make my own profiteroles
3. Start updating my blog.
4. Learn how to use my camera and actually start using it
5. Finish at least one month with money left over!
6. Run a 5k
7. See 3 films at the cinema
8. Clear out the cellar
9. Organise a wine-tasting
10. Go to a karaoke bar
11. Learn some more Italian
12. Give blood
13. Go on holiday
14. Walk on a beach
15. See a live comedian
16. Complete an online learning unit for my degree
17. Take the kids swimming
18. Listen to one new band/artist a week
19. Read one book a month
20. Take the kids to the zoo
21. Visit a country I've not been to before
22. Get my passport
23. Pass driving test
24. Watch a new film a week
25. Cook one new recipe a month
26. Wear my Irregular Choice shoes out.
27. Take a photo every day and...
28. ...make a photo album
29. Watch The Usual Suspects
30. Visit my auntie
31. Audition for X-Factor
32. Go on an open top bus tour
33. Visit Edinburgh Dungeon
34. Visit a Scottish Island
35. Send a message in a bottle (it's just a brilliant idea! I may decide to attach a message to a helium filled balloon instead though)
36. Go on a train journey to anywhere
37. Have a DVD all-nighter
38. Watch Schindler's List
39. Complete a game on Xbox or Wii
40. Watch a sunset
41. Have a go at Urban Exploration
42. Read a newspaper a week
43. Spend a weekend somewhere north of Glasgow
44. Use each item in the spice rack at least once
45. Grow some basil
46. Watch all the DVDs I got in 2011 that I haven't watched yet
47. Write a music/book review
48. Go to a live music gig
49. Complete the IMDB top 20 (I've got 7/20 so far, excluding ones that I've started watching before and haven't finished, because they don't count)
50. Write a short story
I'm off to a flying start by watching Get Him To The Greek yesterday. I loved it, and that's my film for this week watched. I updated my internet blog shortly after midnight too so I am thus far doing alright. I took a photo of the baby last night - or several in fact because he's a bugger for not looking at the camera, and I don't think any of them are that great for that reason, but I did it.
So, I'll update this as regularly as I can and let's see if I can't get this list done. I hope my future updates will be a bit less rushed too.
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