The Duck Pond
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Happy Birthday to me! One year older. I checked the mirror for wrinkles and things and there were great bags under my eyes. Rather worrying although it could just have been lack of sleep, instead of the rapid decline to Barbara-Cartlanddom. I was very impressed with my willpower this year. Usually I open all my cards and presents as and when I get them, often resulting in me having nothing to open on my actual birthday. This year I managed to save everything up and opened them this morning when I got up. Not really doing much tonight, having a lazy evening with a DVD and a bottle of wine.
My party was actually on Saturday although you can't really call it a party as such as my flat's far too small which meant firstly we all had to go to the pub and secondly I couldn't have many people stay over. Firstly went to a pub and had a couple of orange juices. Ah gone are the days where I'd start drinking at midday and carry on through until I collapse at 2am. Far too old and paranoid about making a tit of myself for all that gubbins now.
The meal was lovely. Went to a restaurant I've never been to before after discovering the restaurant I usually go to is known to the police for card skimming. I really liked the new place and will definitely go again. Food was splendid, service was amusing (being shouted at for asking for rice too early) and the price wasn't too bad, I'm told (everyone was kind and paid for me).
Went on to the Snooty Fox, big shocker there as that's where we always go. Unfortunately, it being cup final day, even the Snooty Fox was full of hammered townies making fools of themselves. The guys were happy though as there were two girls at the next table getting their norks out at every opportunity!
Then it was on to Gordons where cocktails miraculously kept appearing in front of me. Must have been some sort of tequila sunrise pixie. Burt gave me a piggyback home (bloody stilettos) but he dropped me on the pavement. Got home finally, drank lots of tea to fend off inevitable hangover and then went to bed.a>
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Today I went to Beale park and saw ducks having sex. It all seems pretty dangerous to me.
We also saw less dirty ducks, ducklings, pigs, piglets, sheep, llamas, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, owls, chickens, kids(the goat kind) and of course kids (the horrible kind). There were other animals that I don't remember.
I keep thinking it's Sunday, probably because Matt has just left to go back to Aber. We worked out that this is the last time he'll ever have to "go back to aber" as he finishes in less than 2 weeks. Hurray!
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Everything's been in a bit of a turmoil lately but everything is starting to smooth out.
** Matt don't read this yet, it'll spoil HHGTTG for you **
I had a good weekend. I went to see HHGTTG which, to be honest, I was rather disappointed with. I'm not saying this because it's not like the book either. I read the book once, years ago and can only vaguely remember it. Similarly I haven't heard the radio series or seen the TV series. I simply thought the film was rather dull in places, but did have some splendid comedy moments. The casting was interesting; there were some splendid choices such as Alan Rickman as the voice of Marvin but also some rather bad ones such as Sam Rockwell as Zaphod Beeblebrox. I found Zaphod rather irritating and hard to watch, especially the way they did the 2 head thing. Not sure who I would have cast as Zaphod though, hmm.
*** Matt you may continue
The rest of the evening was spent the usual way to spend an evening in Newbury - down the pub. My phone decided to give up the ghost. I remember when I got my first mobile phone and I was very resistant to the idea of it and never used it. Now I feel really cut off from the world because I don't have one! Just imagine what I'd be like if I got a car, eurgh! Anyway I'm waffling. The phone would switch on but it wouldn't register any key presses. I can take the case off and use a pin in the holes for limited and frustrated usage but that's about it!
The next day I went to an uberhippah picnic with a friend to see the uberhippah people I went skiing with. It was really nice to see everyone again and Goring is such a lovely place. I'd love to live there although I doubt I'd ever be able to afford it. It was amusing how everyone assumed the bloke I went with was my boyfriend although I suppose it was a reasonable assumption if I turn up with a guy.
Friday, May 06, 2005
How depressing. First of all I felt like the whole system was a sham and that, as a voter, I didn't have any power at all: the party I wanted to vote for (not that they would have won) didn't even stand in my area so I was "forced" to either spoil my paper or vote Tory or LibDem, depending on who I wanted to get in least.
For a while I was slightly tempted to vote Tory as I dislike Labour but as it all came about I grew to like the Tories even less. Our local candidate based his whole campaign on bitching about the LibDems like a child. Nationally they weren't acting much better. I almost spoiled my paper but decided that anything that wasn't a vote for LibDems was a vote for Tory so much as I dislike tactical voting, I voted tactically.
Pretty depressed now that the Tories are in. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe they will do well locally but as far as I can tell their current policies are to reverse everything that the LibDems did, regardless of whether it was good or not, just for the hell of it, and to turn Newbury into a giant carpark. Only time will tell though, I guess.
I heard an interesting discussion on the radio about "womens issues". Apparently our "issues" are solely childcare, child benefit and maternity leave. What is this? The fifties? I certainly don't plan to be a baby machine any time soon. I was speaking to a female friend about this and she said "Yes I do care about all these issues. I care that I'm working hard to support myself and at the same time paying for women who don't know how to use contraception properly". Very good point, I thought. I'm not saying that every woman who has a child is trying to screw the system. I know mothers who had children because they really wanted to be mothers and who try the best to provide for their children while getting very frustrated that they'd be better off if they dumped their husband etc. I'm just annoyed that women who have other interests to producing a multitude of sprogs are still treated like freaks in society.
In other news, my rodents are still adorable.
