Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Early night spiders in the bath books.

What a manky day today. Raining constantly, though in the afternoon it plateaued into Billinge rain, which was nice. Reminded me of home. Ha ha. For those of you not familiar with the wonder of Billinge rain, it's that really fine stuff, that comes down in curtains. It's like walking through mist and it soaks you right through to the bone. Delightful really.

Oh well, I kept my kids happy with DVD's. We had a cinema day watching a bit of Wall.e and Robin Hood. He he. At least something good came of the rainy day.

Oh, I was so annoyed last night. I was home alone as A was in Paris and after a gruelling marathon photo printing session for work, I finally settled on the couch for a supposed long night of writing. But of course, by 9.30 my eyes are closing. I blame my ridiculously comfy couch and wonderfully warm flat, but really it's just that I'm constantly knackered from lack of sleep and a full-to-bursting head, that just won't switch off.

So against my better judgement, I go to bed around 10-ish and read a chapter or two, praying for an 8 hour sleep or as close as. But in typical Helen fashion, I wake up at 12.30, having had 2 hours sleep. Then I wake up at 4.30, then I wake up at 5.40 and give up as my alarm was going off at 6.00. I was soooooooooo annoyed. I might as well have done my usual, bed at 2.00am, up at 6.00am. At least I'd have had a solid four hours. So whoever said going to bed early was good for you, was obviously just talking out of his or her ass.

Needless to say I was a tad on the sleepy side today, but the rain kept me awake. Ha ha. Do you know what annoys me most about the rain? The fact that it impairs my walking-whilst-reading tradition. And when I'm well tuned in to a book, like usual, I just don't want to have to pry my eyes away and put the book away for fear of it getting wet. So, I propose that adult bath books be produced, along the lines of baby bath books. You know the type, waterproof, tear proof pages. That way, you can read when it's raining, you can read in the bath or shower and maybe even whilst washing up. I think it's a winning idea, if only for me, though I bet it'd cost a pissing fortune.

Oh, and finally, the scary moment of the day. I was tidying things away whilst the children were washing their hands for lunch (northern translation, dinner) and I felt something on my arm. I figured it was one of my three billion hairs but as I glanced down it was a freakin' spider. I screamed and flapped around like a bloody moron and managed to flick the eight legged monster off me, but with just a tad too much force and it died on impact with the floor. Eek. And right in front of the kids. Way to teach them about the beauty of God's creatures hey? Ha ha. But then, one of my Kids came and stamped on it, just to make sure it was dead. And who said chivalry was dead? Bless him. He was protecting me from the hideous beast. But then one of my staff made it worse by saying, "Urgh, do you think it was on you the whole time we were watching the film?"
And I started flapping and screaming again. Joined by a few of the kids. Ha ha. Never a dull moment!

I am slightly pathetic when it comes to the old arachnids but it was particularly embarrassing in front of all the staff and children. Ah well. It's fun to freak out sometimes.

Well, It's taken me a while to write this as I've been perving on the old Salvatore brothers at the same time. Ha ha. Vampire Diaries season 2 arrived today. Awesome. And no, I'm not planning on growing up anytime soon. Muhahahahahahahahahahahah.

Have a great rest of week. I will be older in a couple of days. Lovely. It better not be pissing raining on Thursday. That coupled with the fact that I have to work my birthday is likely to put me in a foul mood. So beware..... Ha ha.

Have a good evening.
Helen
xxxx

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Dirty, striped, dancing, denizens of terror.

Hi guys
Have lapsed back into the once a week blogging malarkey, but I think you'll cope. There's only so much ranting you can listen to, right? Especially from such a bitter northerner. ha ha.

Well, not too much to report. I assume we've all mostly recovered from the craziness of last weeks' riots and the nonsensical morons that made us scared to leave the flat after cover of dark. What a bunch of dicks! And since then, as always, normality has resumed it's usual London pace and the tourists have crawled out from whatever rock they were hiding under, making my tube journeys unnecessarily busy again. Urgh! Was slightly enjoying the heightened police numbers and sense of doom. It kept people off the streets and made the commute a lot nicer. I actually had occasional bouts of personal space. Sporadic, but welcome all the same.

Ah well.

But don't get me wrong, I am distinctly pleased the reign of terror is over. It was a scary place to be for a few days, as too was Birmingham and the Greater Manchester area. And I'm just glad that there weren't too many injuries and fatalities just because of a minority of ass holes.

Oh, and get this. I finally watched Dirty Dancing for the first time last night, all the way through. Maybe I can be classed as a fully fledged Woman now, like I've earned my vagina or something. (Ha ha, yes I did just type vagina. Twice. You can't take me anywhere, can you?). And whilst it wasn't amazing (again apologies to countless millions of women and gay men that undoubtedly love it and worship Swayze), it wasn't anywhere near as terrible as the majority of romantic comedies now. And there was some awesome sexual tension. And I actually drew a few parallels with Twilight for the unnecessary topless shots. He he. Jacob and Swayze just couldn't keep a shirt on between 'em. Ha.

And some of the dancing was just awesome! I swear I was a dancer in another life or something, because even in the shittiest of films, if there's an amazing dance sequence, I get goose bumps. I think the idea of someone throwing you around and doing the lifts and stuff, is just mind boggling, and with me, possibly impossible, due to a love of all things food! Well, I guess that's what dreams are for. Ha. But yeah, it was good, I've finally watched it and people can stop frowning at me now. Especially Ch and D.

Oh yeah and how evil are wasps?????? Extremely evil, I hear you cry! One of my poor kids yesterday was stung twice by a wasp, that had somehow found it's way inside his top. It was well harsh and he just started screaming! Luckily he didn't flip out and have a reaction or anything but it took him quite a while to calm down. Bastard stripy things. Just leave my kids alone! It wasn't even like he was bothering the wasps. He was just minding his own business, playing volleyball with one of the teachers. Whoever made up the lie that if you keep still wasps don't sting you, was obviously on some sort of drugs, or just simply enjoys lying. They are striped omens of evil and they'd better not try and hurt another one of my kids, otherwise they'll face the Helen wrath. Big time!

Oh well, there you go. It's Tuesday again. How the time flies. Eek. Almost time for another birthday, another step closer to the mystical 30........Eek! But as they say, age is just a number and when you have a ridiculously young face and even younger inner age, people tend not to believe you're anywhere near your actual age. Which works nicely for me.

So, have a great rest of the week and I will blog you soon.
Definitely time to put tea in the oven. Am hungry!!!!!!!

Helen
xxxxxxx

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

When the city is crumbling around you, the only thing left to do is watch Aladdin.

Well if riots 5 mins walk from your house don't spark a blog, I don't know what will.

I join you in the midst of the London riots which now seem to be spreading up and down the country. At first it was easy to distance myself. It seemed to be just in Tottenham. Confined. But then yesterday it kicked off big style. I got home from work and popped the news on and it was all buildings on fire and looting and cars on fire and riot police and pandemonium really. The headlines were in Peckham and I have a friend near Peckham so I was straight on the phone to check she was alright. Thankfully she was home and safe!

It just seems so pointless. They're destroying their own neighbourhoods. How is that going to solve anything? And as usual it's innocent people baring the brunt. And if you think you're big and hard by looting your local stores and scaring local people, then take off the bloody masks and show yourselves, you cowardly scum!

Anyway, luckily we were in last night as it all kicked off in Camden and Chalk Farm just before midnight and that is about 5/10mins walk from our house. I received a worried text message from D asking if we were okay. We were oblivious and in bed but it just sort of brought home the threat. This wasn't confined, this was spreading like a disease an incurable chav disease and who knows what or where will be targeted next.

I got to work fine this morning, avoiding Chalk Farm at all costs, using my usual Kentish Town station. The streets were quiet and the roads seemed eerily quieter than usual. There was a definite sense of apprehension amongst the commuters this morning. I busied myself with Cassandra Clare and the Fair to Midland album. There's nothing like some young adult fiction and a rockin' album to push you through the worry.

My manager from Ealing was particularly traumatised due to Ealing being hit badly last night, but all the staff bar one made it in, so we did fairly well. Being in our little bubble with the kids all day, you could possibly forget what was happening, except that all the parents and carers picking up and dropping off, wouldn't shut up about it. I didn't really like discussing it in front of the kids. I felt like they should be sheltered from it and I did it with style. I did a cinema day with them today. We watched the pixar short 'Boundin', a little bit of The Little Mermaid and a bit of Cars. We made tickets and everything. They had a great time as did the staff, because of course they only had to sit down and watch.

Coming home was kinda weird. Everyone was moving even faster than usual. I mean there's always a speed to the London commuters and it takes a while to get in sync with that, but today there was a greater urgency, that everyone wanted to be home before anything had a chance to develop. I didn't even see that many tourists which was probably a good thing....they may have been flattened. Ha ha.

Getting back was fine and Kentish Town was exactly as I'd left it, except for the shops being shut, with all their metal shutters down. It seems strange that Sainsbury's and The Co-op and Iceland being closed sets your teeth on edge and really hammers it home that something is wrong. But yeah, pretty much everything on Kentish Town high street was closed and I just hurried on home, putting the news on as soon as I got in. I watched it for a while until everything started repeating. I have my favourite quote from Isabelle Webster at BBC News.
"The mobs were feral, unabashed and they ruled the streets."
I loved that they were referred to as feral, wild, almost as if they'd been raised by wolves or something, like they didn't know how to play with others. A pretty true description it would seem.

Well, to conclude I'd like to wish everyone a safe evening, not just in London, but those experiencing problems in the midlands, up north and anywhere else that the ferals strike. Let's just hope that 16,000 strong Police force that they keep wittering on about, can actually do something to help.
Stay safe people. We're the good ones. We need more of us, to eventually over run the ferals and set our cities safe again.


Love to all
Stay in, watch a disney film or a feel good film and wish for a violence free night.
Helen
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Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Peeling off your skin. One layer or two????????

Eek, am getting behind with my blogs, but it's for a good reason. Am writing Book 2 of the series and it's going swimmingly at the moment. Am already four chapters in and going strong. And for the moment, I actually like it.
I know absurd, right?

Anyhoo, not too much to report really, as I've had my head stuck in the book so much, but I wanted to touch base, as they say, so you didn't think I had nothing to rant about. There's always something to rant about. Ha ha.

Like, for instance, the annoying leggy woman that was barely wearing anything on Sunday in Camden. She had one of those short suits things on, playsuits? I dunno, but let's just say the shorts were barely covering her modesty and she was leaning over the Camden locks bridge, exposing herself to all and sundry. but I guess what was more annoying was the fact that her legs were amazing! Bitch! And she was all tanned and colourful. Urgh! At least if it'd been some fat bird that really shouldn't have been wearing the shorts in the first place then it would've been kinda funny, but no, this was just darn right unfair. This was her saying I love myself, especially my ass and my legs, now everyone rejoice in my ass as you walk by. Come on. Bow down and worship me.

I of course did nothing of the sort, just strode by and made some sarcastic comment or other. Jealousy really is a disgusting emotion. Ha ha.


Oh and just a quick update on the tube status. Yeah, we progressed right past vest and knickers weather, rolled on by naked weather and we are now on peeling off layers of skin weather. I swear it is so hot on there you would be uncomfortable in your own skin. So tourists beware. And if I see anyone with a jumper or coat on I think I may have to consider slapping a random. It's gotta be done.

There's lots of things going on at work. I can't delve too much into it, the spies are everywhere, but I was offered something and turned it down to remain in the classroom with my kids. Because let's face it, they're the only reason anyone would want to work in childcare in the first place, not to sit in a box of an office, being hassled about fees and projections and bullshit like that. So, I remain in my classroom with my little cherubs and cherubinas, writing every moment I get and singing through the day. Though I get asked all the time, "What are you singing, Helen?" "What's that song?" Nosey little things.

Now, it's Harry Potter tonight with C and I can't wait. I didn't really take it in the first time. I was too giddy and worked up, but this time is gonna be wicked! Plus I haven't seen C in ages, so am looking forward to a good chin wag.

Oh and I forgot, one of my kids left last week and guess what my present was.......A song she'd written and recorded for me. It's amazing and called The Helen Song. It's the best present ever! I love to influence my children and get them being creative and it's such a lovely thing to remember them by.

Anyhoo, gotta skoot as book 2 is calling. I love being on lates, I get so much done in a morning.....
Have a great middle of the week.
And remember, no coats or jumpers, or you might get a slap!

Love Helen
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