What's going on?

2011-08-01T22:51:00.001+01:00

Bette Midler on WhoSay

2010-10-29T18:54:00.001+01:00

Even after almost 30 years I still absolutely love this song!

2010-05-16T18:57:00.001+01:00

Atlantic City Boardwalk

2010-03-16T20:29:00.003Z

All hail the GaGa. The most exciting artist to hit the entertainment world since the Icon that is Madonna:

2010-02-07T11:30:00.006Z

So after hours of trying I've finally managed to get into my friends wifi and it's all thanks to Barb Bowman on the Microsoft Community sites.

She has become my new internet goddess!

2009-11-01T18:39:00.001Z

OK... X Factor.

- Joe OK but nothing to write home about.
- Lucie OK too but it all looked so staged.
- Danyl was completely out of key at the start! It was awful!!! Predictable tripe. He looked so defeated and I think he's now realising he isn't as good as Simon thinks he is. He looked liked a child who couldn't have the toy he wanted. To be fair though he wasn't as terrible as...
- Lloyd. WTF was that? He is vocally worse than the Twins. Complete car crash. Too bad for words.
- Stacey was good but didn't like the song. But... I JUST LOVE HER!
- Jamie, can you turn it down a bit because people are trying to order at the bar. Predictable yawnfest. Pub singer that needs to go back to where he came from. Cheryl hit the nail on the head saying why Rock week was on this year. Louis was spot on too. Not in the least original.
- Rachel. Hmm. Not sure. Great vocal but bit muddled.
- The Twins. I just don't know what to say. Awful but I want them to stay! I'd rather watch them than Danyl, Lloyd and Jamie.
- Olly, brilliant. Take a crap song and make it work. He's fab.

2009-07-07T19:25:00.000+01:00

Waiting for The Goddess Madonna!!!

2009-06-29T23:40:00.001+01:00

Lou ran the Race For Life in 39 minutes for Cancer Research. Fab!

2009-06-27T14:29:00.002+01:00

A few pictures from when I went to see Beyonce:

2009-06-27T11:18:00.001+01:00

2009-06-21T16:45:00.001+01:00

Oh, if only...!!!

2009-06-17T20:05:00.001+01:00

Waiting for Britney!

2009-05-31T22:30:00.002+01:00

After all these years, The Golden Girls is still my all time favourite comedy show.

The four ladies are simply fabulous and I love the dynamic of the group. There's something special about the relationship between Rose, Dorothy, Blanche and Sophia that keeps me wanting to watch them over and over.

It's incredible to think that after all these I find them as funny today as they were back when they were originally broadcast.

2009-05-31T02:17:00.003+01:00

Susan Boyle was robbed tonight. That travesty of a show was ridiculous. Diversity, while mildly entertaining for about 15 seconds, will be completely forgotten about a second after the Royal Variety ends. Susan will go on to have a great career.

There's always something fishy about a result that could mean potential multi million pound losses to the bookies.

2009-05-24T21:31:00.004+01:00

The Original Bucks Fizz : Jay !!! Woohoo !!!

2009-05-17T01:35:00.002+01:00

You were robbed!

2009-05-16T23:21:00.002+01:00

Norway? How the hell did that happen? At least Jade came top 5.

Good on ya Jade and Lord Lloyd Webber!

2009-05-15T20:50:00.000+01:00

Waiting for Girls Aloud

2009-05-12T23:30:00.000+01:00

What an inspirational powerhouse!

2009-05-10T12:41:00.002+01:00

It's everywhere!
(Click the picture for a larger version)

2009-05-05T19:52:00.000+01:00

Waiting for Tina!!!

2009-05-03T22:05:00.001+01:00

Bank holidays... you gotta love 'em!

2009-04-19T11:45:00.001+01:00

Gadgets!

2009-04-19T09:50:00.002+01:00

The Gadget Show Live. Woohoo! Gadgets Gadgets Gadgets!

2009-04-18T18:24:00.003+01:00

Wow!!! How fabulous was Susan Boyle! What a fantastic voice.

Full YouTube clip

2009-04-10T12:52:00.004+01:00

One thing I can't comprehend is people who can't make even the most basic decisions.

Like today...

Standing waiting to pay at the supermarket and the twit in front of me sent her daughter backwards and forwards to change a pizza. In the end they had six to pick from and still no decision. Eventually the poor daughter came back with the wrong pizza and had to go change it. The idiot mother stood there saying how she was sorry for holding things up. She'd clearly had tons of time to pick the soddin' pizza while walking around as the original one was at the bottom of her trolley.

The stupidity of some people astounds me.

2009-04-09T12:00:00.001+01:00

Almost Easter. Woohoo!

2009-04-05T10:22:00.003+01:00

So this was my view yesterday at Dancing On Ice Live.

Watching Torvill and Dean perform the Boléro live was fabulous. They are such talented skaters. But the whole show is brilliant. There's no wonder Ray won this year as he's streets ahead of the others.

Roll on the next tour!

2009-04-04T12:52:00.002+01:00

Stations are funny places. They're not like airports which have many scenes of families and loved ones meeting up and hugging each other. Stations seem far more formal. Like a means to an end.

Airports feel joyful while stations feel functional.

2009-04-04T12:45:00.000+01:00

I love how stations have little to no space to pick up people.
Pathetic.

2009-04-04T01:17:00.002+01:00

Just tested Skype for iPhone. Love the iPhone but the Skype app isn't great to be honest. The sound is really poor but then again, that could just be wifi connections and the internet.

Skype... get it sorted!

2009-03-30T00:16:00.002+01:00

Now that's what I call a pie chart.

You know when you just can't be bothered? Well I've had one of those
days!

2009-01-24T02:06:00.002Z

They say some things are sent to test us. Sometimes I think that it could actually be true.

2009-01-07T18:06:00.007Z

Oh this is my favourite email attachment (the original is an animated gif but the normal version is just as cute!):

2009-01-05T22:11:00.003Z

Oh Carol does it yet again. This email joke certainly made me laugh:

HYPNOTIST AT THE SENIOR CENTER

It was entertainment night at the Senior Center. Claude the hypnotist exclaimed: "I'm here to put you into a trance; I intend to hypnotize each and every member of the audience."

The excitement was almost electric as Claude withdrew a beautiful antique pocket watch from his coat "I want you each to keep your eye on this antique watch. It's a very special watch. It's been in my family for six generations." He began to swing the watch gently back and forth while quietly chanting, "Watch the watch, watch the watch, and watch the watch..." The crowd became mesmerized as the watch swayed back and forth, light gleaming off its polished surface.

Hundreds of pairs of eyes followed the swaying watch, until, suddenly, it slipped from the hypnotist's fingers and fell to the floor, breaking into a hundred pieces.

"SHIT!" said the Hypnotist.

It took three days to clean up the Senior Center.

2009-01-04T13:32:00.003Z

I've just opened a Google document that I created about a year ago. And I was surprised to read the content and I remember that it was something that I did write and I did make some small changes. I think it's time to change again and take things up a notch. Here's the content of the simple document:

Oh my god. How bloody spooky is that?!?

I’ve just been on the telephone talking to Lee and we were saying how unfit we both are. We were saying that it’s about time we both did something to change our health and fitness levels. Then I sit down to a little bit of writing and open my book of ideas and inspiration to randomly get a buzz word or something and - bam! The book falls open and the page has one word on it: marathon.

I just don’t believe it. If that’s not a sign from somewhere then I don’t know what is. That’s got to be the spookiest thing that has happened this week. But isn’t that always the case. When you set your mind to something then it’s as though the cosmos sends you little words and nudges of encouragement in whatever way it can.

I’m not stupid enough to say that from tomorrow I’m going to be running London Marathons or anything as dumb as that (the notion, not the event itself). But I do know that I can start tomorrow. Actually, I can start right now. And I’m going to. Out goes the crap and in with the new. I can begin with breakfast in the morning. The fried stuff has to go. It doesn’t actually taste that nice if I’m being honest with myself. It’s just become habit. And habits are only habits until you break them. At least this time I’ve got someone who is as determined as me to start making a difference. I’m tired. Not only physically but of being as unhealthy as I am. It’s not about looks or anything as boring and trivial as that. It’s about being healthy and not wanting to have a heart attack or stroke, which is definitely the way I’m heading.

Wow. Writing that is bloody powerful I’ll tell you. Putting those words out into the cosmos is a scary thought indeed. Especially when you can see it on the potential horizon.

Shit.

------------------

But reading it back now I did make changes. Not dramatic ones but changes nonetheless. I do feel better for adding a little more activity into my life and changing some of my food choices. I also feel better for having finally gotten over (it appears, cross fingers) Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. So it should be up and up for 2009.

I want to do more to make sure I stand a better chance with everything I do. Health plays a vital part in that. My Dad passing away in December was a very sad event and made me think about how we make life what we choose it to be and there may come a time when your body doesn't allow you to make those choices any more. That's what happened to my Dad. That's why I think it's important to make changes now to keep body and mind in a state that allows you to have those choices for as long as physically possible. Who knows, the cliché of 'look after your body' may prove to be the key yet.

2009-01-02T23:02:00.003Z

Well a long time has passed since I did my last entry. This seems to be the recurring theme to my blog.

2008 ended on a very sad note and kept me away from the on-line world for a few weeks. But you have to get on with things and that's what I'm doing now. So...

Just watching the opening night of Celebrity Big Brother and nothing has changed for me; I'm still not into this programme. Considering that I used to be a HUGE Big Brother fan I now couldn't care less. In fact, I'm amazed that it's still being broadcast. It's so had its day and needs to take a break... permanently.

2008-11-09T16:03:00.000Z

Long time no post. But between my last post and this one... VEGAS HAPPENED!

Monkey Boy!

2008-09-20T19:37:00.001+01:00

Waiting for Lee Evans. Prepare to laugh so much you hurt.

2008-09-11T20:54:00.001+01:00

So fantastic! Come on Madonna!

2008-09-11T18:43:00.001+01:00

Greetings from Wembley! Just waiting for Madonna.

2008-09-07T23:18:00.004+01:00

Pop is back with a vengeance!

The Saturdays - Up

Let us pray that it never leaves us again. It's time for this kind of music to dominate the charts once more and get some of the crap that's in there out!

Praise be. I worship at the church of pop.

2008-08-31T22:14:00.005+01:00

Every so often I watch Girl Friday with Joanna Lumley. Today I decided to pop it into the VCR again.

When I first heard that Joanna was going to spend 10 days on the island of Tsarabanjina I thought it was a great idea. The end result was a quaint little piece that shows Joanna go from excited to dejected to really happy. Even though you know that Joanna had a little help and wasn't really completely alone (as she had a film crew who gave her apples and the odd mango) it was still very entertaining.

2008-08-31T11:21:00.002+01:00

OK... so I'm officially getting excited now!

Ich bin ein iconer!

2008-08-24T15:45:00.004+01:00

So the cooling towers have gone.

While I didn't actually like them it will be strange not seeing them there anymore.

2008-08-10T21:27:00.003+01:00

So I'm currently watching Channel 5 and they're showing 'You've Got Mail'. I've seen this film about a million times but I love it.

There's something about two people discussing their lives over the internet through email. I guess it's because I love the internet so much and see it as the ultimate communication tool and font of all knowledge.

And there's something else... the clicking keys.

OK, so this is supremely weird and geeky but I love the sound of the keys clicking when they type to each other. I guess it's because I love the sound of my laptop keyboard clicking when I type on it. There's something oddly soothing and familiar about it. I enjoy working on my computer and writing and connecting to the world and feeling part of some strange huge cyber family that, thankfully, I'm never going to meet. But watching Meg Ryan talk to her laptop screen while she's typing reminds me of what I do.

I know it sounds strange but I sometimes think back to what it was like before we had computers and the internet. It's not that long ago but it seems like a lifetime ago and I wouldn't want to go back. I use the world wide web for so much and it's part of who am I am now.

And that's one of the reasons why I choose to share my thoughts with anyone who wants to read it. Should anyone want to read it...

Well... it's raining!

2008-08-05T19:26:00.001+01:00

What a night. If you could only see how much rain is falling. Unbelievable. I'm so not getting out of the car while it's like this.

2008-06-24T18:10:00.002+01:00

Oh... this has become my favourite youtube clip ever:

2008-06-01T15:45:00.002+01:00

Well yesterday we [that's the royal we] went to see Sex and The City and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Sex and The City - fabulous.
Indiana - Could have been a lot better.

2008-05-25T16:09:00.002+01:00

Based on last nights show, voting and Russia winning Terry Wogan has announced he may quite Eurovision. Ain't got a problem with that. See ya Wogan. Next...

2008-05-24T17:37:00.003+01:00

Happy Eurovision Day !!!

Eurovision Song Contest - Belgrade 2008 Preview Player

Fabulous!

2008-05-21T13:02:00.001+01:00

Why can't all chocolate be this good?

2008-05-10T23:54:00.007+01:00

It's funny how, suddenly, I seem to have turned a corner. The health annoyances that have plague me for the last seven years seem to have disappeared. Today I've done something that, for me, is an amazing feat. My Saturday consisted of:

Going to the shopping centre
Shopping for birthday gifts
Collecting new glasses
Visit to bank
Grocery shopping
Unpacking the shopping (and it's still only 12:20pm)
Collecting Mum and dropping off at nursing home
Visiting a relative not seen in years
Getting a hair cut
Having something to eat
Collecting Mum from nursing home
Moving freezer at Mum's and checking the mobility scooter which has been in storage since Dad went into the nursing home
Cleaning the car with my pressure washer and wiping it down afterwards
Using my lovely new kitchen to cook a curry for the evening
Cleaning up afterwards
Serving up the, very nice, curry
Cleaning everything up again

So to most people that would generate a cry of 'so what?'. That's a pretty average Saturday really. Well it's not an average Saturday to someone who's spent seven years at the mercy of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. That little list would be enough to put me to bed for at least a month. Just the first two items on the list would have wiped me out before.

But something has changed. I don't know why or how, but the CFS appears to have suddenly vanished. Or at the very least gone into hiding. And I'm not complaining. I can't remember the last time I actually washed the car myself. The daft thing is, bloody loved it! Blasting with the pressure washer, covering it with the detergent spray, brushing it down, another blast then going over the whole car with the silicone wiper blade and chamois cloth. To many that would be a chore. For me, it was fabulous. Fabulous because I can do it again.

Touch wood... (go on, touch some wood) here's hoping the days of crashing are gone and I can start to do all those things that would have left me exhausted and simply wanting to collapse. You know, all those normal things that anyone reading this would do.

Tomorrow will be the real test. To see if it catches up with me.

2008-05-10T18:28:00.001+01:00

The 'Sticky and Sweet' Tour has been announced.

OH MY GOD!

My queen is touring once more.

Madonna - Goddess

2008-04-12T18:25:00.001+01:00

2008-04-05T19:06:00.002+01:00

Don't know why but Sis wanted me to take a picture of the chair at Joseph. She says it's iconic. I say it's a chair.

And it's official... I'm too fat. Mark took a picture today, of me and Jane outside the theatre, and I have no idea who that porker in my clothes is. Seriously though, I've never felt so depressed about my weight as I do now.

2008-03-28T23:50:00.003Z

I knew I was in the presence of greatness...

Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com

2008-03-28T20:52:00.005Z

Oh I've chosen my Eurovision favourite for this year already! Charlotte Perrelli for Sweden is just up my street. I'd love to see her win again. I loved Take Me To Your Heaven in 1999 when she won as Charlotte Nielsen but this, for me, is even better!

Go Sweden, Go Sweden, Go Go, Go Sweden!

Sweden have had some cracking winners in the past. In fact, they have my favourite winner of all time: Fangad Av En Stormvind by Carola

2008-03-24T12:24:00.004Z

This is one of my favourite joke emails. The worrying part is though, if it's all true, then the world is in heap big trouble:

ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.
__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?'
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan!
_______________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: Uh, he's twenty.
__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shittin' me?
__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: Uh.... I was gettin' laid!
__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS: Are you shittin' me? Your Honour, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Now whose death do you suppose terminated it?
__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Guess.
__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All my autopsies are performed on dead people. Would you like to rephrase that?
_________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
_________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him!
_________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Huh....are you qualified to ask that question?
_________________________________________________________

And the best for last:

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practising law.

2008-03-08T01:08:00.001Z

It's official... I'm knackered.

Just thought I'd share that with you.

2008-03-02T10:30:00.001Z

THE DONKEY

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the
animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon,
everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of
the well and happily trotted off!

So remember...

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to
getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of
our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember these five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.

3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less

Now...

Enough of that crap!

The donkey later came back, and bit the shit out of the farmer who had
tried to bury him. The gash from the bite got infected, and the farmer
eventually died in agony from septic shock.

MORAL FROM TODAY'S LESSON:

When you do something wrong, and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.

2008-03-02T01:12:00.002Z

Well the UK has done it again: we've picked a really crap song to go to Eurovision.

What the hell were the voting public thinking? Why has the Andy Abraham fan club had the cheek and nerve to interfere with my beloved Eurovision? What makes them think they can do that? How dare they put this no-hoper into my highlight of every year?

Disgusted I am; disgusted.

He's such a crap singer. Bland to the point of sending the audience to sleep and with a song that will certainly send the audience running to the loo or putting the kettle on at home come Eurovision night. You can tell he used to be a dustman familiar with handling trash. That's exactly what his single is: garbage.

He looks like an embarrassing uncle singing and dancing at a wedding whilst doing an impersonation of a club singer. Talk about cheesy. And who's fault is it that the idiot got into the sing off anyway? Terry Bloody Useless Wogan that's who. I object to my licence fee being used to pay the salary of this irritating oink.

I long for the day we get a decent song back into my favourite contest. But this year is going to be another bottom five position.

Gutted.

2008-02-27T01:20:00.007Z

Wow... we've just had an earthquake.

It may only have been a minor one but it was still a bit of a frightening experience. Lying here in bed the house shook, the bed shook and I could see things in the house moving.

BBC and Sky have just confirmed something has happened so it looks like it's official.

2008-02-23T01:31:00.004Z

If you've never watched it, you've got to get over to YouTube and view the Star Wars Holiday Special from 1978. It has to be the absolute worst piece of television ever broadcast. It's so crap you have to see it to believe it!

It's in about ten parts over on YouTube but it's worth taking a look at and if anyone actually thinks it's good, then you should immediately call for medical assistance.

Here's the link to part 1.

Oh what the hell, I'll embed it:

2008-02-22T17:42:00.001Z

Well now I have newly plastered walls. Looking good but can't wait for it all to be finished.

2008-02-10T22:41:00.000Z

I've spent the last two days clearing things out. It's amazing how much garbage one person can collect. Although, it's not really garbage. In reality it's my life. I've thrown things away over the last couple of days that I never imagined I would ever throw away. But throw away I must as my new kitchen is about to be fitted and it's the catalyst for the completion of the rest of my house. Throwing away so much of my past is very refreshing to be honest.

So about 15 bags full of my life later, and a host of other bits and pieces that have today been recycled or been sent to a land fill, I now enter a new phase. One in which I hope I will never again hoard as much as I have in the past.

It must be my star sign as everything I've ever owned, I still own. Well, that is until today. I can't say that any more!

Oh boy, I think I just grew up.

2008-02-06T19:51:00.000Z

I've decided - I want a Mac. I'm not talking about the burger either, I've just fallen for Apple Macs in a big way.

Since I bought my ipod as a replacement for my previous mp3 player, I'm addicted to them. The more I look at them the more I think "I love it". So it's official, I'm going Mac hunting. I feel the Apple store coming on.

2008-02-03T20:18:00.001Z

It's as camp as camp can be but I'm loving Dancing On Ice.

Almost makes me want to get a pair of skates and hit the ice. Almost. If I put on a pair of skates then that's exactly what I'd do... hit the ice!

2008-02-02T14:21:00.001Z

Is it sad to get so excited over the delivery of a new fridge freezer?

Oh, OK... I'm sad then.

2008-01-13T20:49:00.001Z

You know, it's so weird but with every passing day I love Vegas more and more! I'm going to have to stop looking on-line for Vegas stuff. I'm spending most of my surfing time looking at Las Vegas web sites and searching for Vegas history.

Viva Las Vegas!

2008-01-02T22:03:00.001Z

There are times when I want to write something but nothing springs to mind. This is one of those times. Actually, that's not true because so much has changed in the last month that in reality I just don't know where I am.

After many years of being 'on the road', I'm not anymore. And I love that prospect but at the same time I'm scared by it. I'm not used to being home! In fact, up until the last few weeks I've always felt that I had a house but it was never really my home. That's all changed. I'm slowly starting to get things together but it feels very odd. But I guess in a few months time I'll wonder what I was scared about as I settle into not being in a different hotel every week.

At the moment my head is just in a bit of a funny space. But it's getting a little bit clearer everyday.

2007-12-31T22:48:00.000Z

The Vegas photo's are finally all online along with Rome.

Don't expect to see loads of pictures with 'people' on them. I don't take many photo's of me or my friends as I know what they (and I) look like. I want to remember the place not a face I can see everyday!

Las Vegas 2006

Las Vegas 2007

Rome 2007

2007-12-30T20:29:00.000Z

If a certain person has given me their cold there's going to be trouble! I simply will not be presented to the Spice Girls with a sniffle.

I need vitamin C and I need it now!

2007-12-30T00:03:00.000Z

I've been uploading some new videos to my own YouTube site when I stumbled across this video and had to link it to my blog.

I just love this version of the song, it's the best and I love Las Vegas! The greatest place in the world. Turn up the volume and enjoy...

2007-12-25T21:30:00.000Z

Well today we brought my Dad home for his birthday and Christmas. He had a lovely day even though it was difficult to get him to and from the nursing home. It was nice to have him at home but he spent most of the day looking a little confused.

But the worst part was taking him back to the nursing home at the end of the day. I remember when we were trying to decide on the right nursing home for him. One of the people in the home said that the places could be upsetting and it would be hard at times to leave the home after seeing him. She said that we'd have to be certain in the knowledge that we'd done the right thing and chosen the right place.

Well, after 18 months it really doesn't get any easier. I know we made the right decision and I know it's something that we had to do. I also know that I made a promise to my Dad that should the moment arise when I had to move him into a nursing home, I would make the decision to do it. He asked me to make this promise to him when he was in a clearer frame of mind than he is in now. He said to me "Don't ever let me become a burden on your Mum. If I ever become that, you must move me into a nursing home. Promise me that." And I did. But today, when I had to take him back to the nursing home and he was confused about where he was going to and where he was when we got there, it was hard. I stood there for a while just looking at him. He was tired and he'd had a lovely day. But he just looked so alone. And the truth is, I began to doubt what I'd done even though I know it's right. But that was always going to happen and I know that there is no way at all that he can stay at home with my Mum but today it was difficult.

Walking away today was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I know that sounds dramatic but until you experience it yourself you won't understand. And if you have experienced that then you'll know exactly what I mean.

2007-12-21T19:18:00.000Z

I refuse to believe that the completely talentless Leon idiot won The X Factor. How could a guy who sang completely out of tune week after week be hailed as the winner?

I demand a recount and an apology from ITV for subjecting us to his awful tuneless voice.

2007-12-19T16:35:00.000Z

Well Meadowhell wasn't really hell today. What a refreshing change (as the cider advert goes).

I actually had a leisurely stroll around the shops buying not only Christmas gifts but also browsing for things for myself.

In fact, it was quieter than it is on a regular Saturday!

2007-11-27T22:57:00.000Z

I love it. The BBC website are currently reporting:

Amy Winehouse cancels all gigs for the rest of the year as her doctor advises her to deal with her "health issues".

Shouldn't that read:

Amy Winehouse cancels all gigs for the rest of the year as her doctor advises her to deal with her "lack of talent"?

2007-10-31T22:27:00.000Z

I don't know why but I ordered a CD of Novelty No.1s. And today... I played them all. Now I have a problem; I can't get The Chicken Song out of my head!

Hoooooooooooooooooollllllllllld a chicken in the air...

Oh I love this song! I remember watching the video when it was originally broadcast. I loved the old lady eating the ice cream who just splodges it in her face (at 44 seconds in) and the one playing the castanets kicking her legs in the air (at 58 seconds in but funniest at 1:14). Totally stupid but it was in the days when Spitting Image was seriously funny.

2007-10-28T16:33:00.001Z

Well it's official... I'm addicted to The X Factor again!

So who is my favourite? Well it has to be Niki. She's just fabulous. Her voice is superb and she deserves to go through to the final and win it. I don't think she will though as something like Hope will probably do it as the show is so definitely fixed.

But I've got to start with the first show:

- Poor Kimberley had the most appalling dress to wear. It didn't fit right, it had that dreadful 'lipstick' thing on the front and her hair... the worst. What were they trying to do?

- Andy looked like he was dressed to go to the country club. And if he looks all puppy dog eyed into the camera one more time I'm gonna puke.

- Beverley had the most dated rug on her head that was totally unnecessary. She'd have looked better in a trouser combination and her own hair.

- Same Difference were given something that looked 1950's but I kind of like them.

- Leon had the most badly fitting suit I've ever seen and his performance was dire. Total crap.

- Hope looked liked they should have been walking the streets. But they have potential.

- Rhydian looked like he should have been waiting for the bingo to finish before coming out onto the club stage.

- Emily may be young but why make her look about 8 years old?

- Alisha had the dress equivalent of a bin bag on (completely shapeless). Also... why is she in the contest? Her vocals are so thin that if they were paper they'd be tissue.

- Niki, Daniel and Futureproof managed to sneak past the stylist by all accounts as they looked OK. But Daniel was not great vocally.

Get rid of whoever is coming up with this rubbish and dress them properly. I thought the first show was a visual shambles.

As for show two...

Much better all round. After last weeks terrible injustice when Kimberley was robbed in favour of the not very talented Alisha, I was expecting another train wreck.

But someone listened!

The performers looked much better. I think they're starting to find the right balance for them all. Pleased Daniel went although I think it was a shame that he lost out to Alisha. He had to go but that must have made it feel twice as bad. How anyone could prefer her 'talent' (and I say that with a tongue in my cheek) to anyone else's is beyond me.

And to have Celine Dion as a mentor. WOW! I love that woman and am thrilled to have seen her Vegas show last year. What a performer. Breathtaking. The artists on the show can only wish to have a drop of her talent.

2007-10-28T01:15:00.001Z

2007-10-06T12:41:00.000+01:00

Well... even after a week of rest the 'whatever-it-is' still hasn't gone. Don't get me wrong, I feel much better than I did this time last week. I'm so glad I decided to stay away from work as I don't think I'd be feeling like I feel now if I had left the house. The cough was/is the most annoying thing and Wednesday was the day I actually felt the worst.

I think too many people go to work sick rather than taking a few days to fully get over things. I know some people have no choice and I'm lucky in that respect. But the only way to get over a virus is to rest. I'm pleased I did just that!

2007-09-26T22:41:00.001+01:00

The scary thing is... someone must have eaten some to warrant the sign.

2007-09-17T14:29:00.001+01:00

Not exactly Monte Carlo is it...

2007-09-16T23:37:00.000+01:00

Tonight, while drinking a sloe gin I wondered how people get addicted to alcohol. I like very few drinks out there and I only drink the ones I like the taste of and not because I actually want the alcohol.

But then again, I've never met a cream cake I didn't like. I'll even eat an apple turnover (gross) so who the hell am I to talk?

2007-09-11T22:47:00.000+01:00

MTV are trying their hardest to stop people seeing the Britney clip. You can't even watch it on their web site now. Do they, perhaps, feel ashamed that they put her through it?

Boy did she look confused, dazed and unable to dance or lip sync!

Shame, because I quite like the song.

SCARBOROUGH...

2007-09-09T12:52:00.001+01:00

never changes.

2007-09-07T23:38:00.000+01:00

I was looking at a Madonna forum today. What am I talking about... I was looking at THE Madonna forum, the official fan club members forum. And a really interesting thread has started:

Are you old enough to remember the days before internet leaks were common?
When you actually had to wait for the TV debut of a video to see it?
When you actually had to wait until you got home from the store on release day to hear an album for the first time?

And as much as I'm addicted to the internet it made me realise that I long for those days again!

Don't get me wrong, I love love love the internet and I can't imagine life without it now. But it has taken away the joy of waiting for news of a new single then keeping the radio on constantly for fear of missing it being played for the first time. Even before I was a Madonna fan I'd eagerly wait for songs by Blondie hoping that that new single would be played before I had to switch the radio off. I'd have my finger poised over 'play and record' on my cassette so I could tape it as soon as it came on (and hope that I'd time it just right so that I got as little of the DJ speaking at the end as possible).

And later, in the very early 90's, when I bought my first satellite dish I'd keep MTV Europe on (when MTV was actually a music channel and not the piece of crap it's turned into) waiting for the VJ to announce that Madonna would be played for the first time in that hour. It was usually Ray Cokes show for some reason as he always seemed to have the best music on his show. And I'd wait for almost the entire show before it came on and then sit in silence watching her new masterpiece for the very first time (hmmm, shouldn't that be touched for the very first time).

The internet may have given us a lot of things but it's taken away those magic moments!

AND MADONNA WEEKENDS !!!

Oh how I loved Madonna Weekends! Bliss.

Oh god I miss those music channel days. Music channels now are just so crap it hurts. I can barely bring myself to watch them. The only one worth watching now in the UK is Smash Hits as the rest are just total garbage.

One of the other fans on the site wrote that...

I miss going to the record store, and buying the single every time a song was released. I would always wonder what the b-side would be. I would always hope that it was an unreleased track. I also always wondered what her picture would be like.

I used to do that too!

Also (and this does start to show my age), I loved the fact that I was buying a vinyl record! There's just something about the whole vinyl thing that I absolutely love. I always have. It's the BIG pictures on the 12" covers that are just awesome. And I love classic extended versions. Not club mixes or endless thump thump thump version but a good old extended version. And if you got something you weren't expecting in it (like a different instrumental break or extra laugh or something) it was heaven.

I love CDs but they're just not the same. Vinyl has warmth and character. It's something that a CD just can't recreate.

Then we had the days before MTV and we had to rely on Top Of The Pops, The Chart Show or Saturday morning kids TV to show new pop videos. How different it was.

But for all the convenience the 'net has given us and access to all the fabulous information it holds, I'd love to be able to have those 'pop' moments back again. When it was exciting to finally hear your favourite band or artist for the first time having had to wait for that glorious moment when it came over the airwaves.

Tis a sad day indeed.

2007-08-30T20:07:00.000+01:00

It's official... I'm 12.

Well that's what I've decided I feel like. I've had a Sex and The City marathon and watching those 30-something people made me realise that I'm not a grown up at all. OK, so it's television but even though I own my own place and work and drive and yadayadayada.... I just don't feel like I've gone beyond 12 years old. OK, maybe I'm selling myself short there. Let's go with 13.

What is it that makes me still feel like a child even though I'm 36?

I think it's time to say bye to the old and start a-new. For starters, everything I've ever owned, I still own. Things from when I was young and a teenager can all be found somewhere in my house (especially the loft). Which means that everywhere I look there's a reminder somewhere of my childhood. And it wasn't that great a childhood!

OK, not true. I have parents that loved me deeply and even though I didn't realise it at the time (what kid does) they did a lot for me at their own expense. But growing up was something I did not like. School for starters was a hellish shit-hole that I never ever want to experience again.

So why do I still have reminders of my past when a big chunk of that past was so painful that I try to block it out? Maybe it's because we Pisces like to indulge in feeling low and melancholy.

Well this fish has had enough. It's time to get rid.

2007-08-29T10:40:00.000+01:00

I saw this on a web site today and it's so true:

The only reason some people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory. - Paul Fix

2007-08-29T01:33:00.000+01:00

I've also started another Blog which shows pictures from Las Vegas 2006.

http://vegasspirit.blogspot.com/

2007-08-27T12:58:00.001+01:00

I'm really into messing around with video clips and stuff now:

I still like YouTube but thought I'd try this new Blogger feature.

2007-08-26T21:14:00.000+01:00

The thing I like most about my ipod is being able to carry so much music around with me. It's something that, as a music lover, I can really appreciate.

I love music. I always have. It's got me through, well to be frank, a lot of crap. Equally, it's been there at some fabulous times too. And I'm one of those people that likes to be able to call on music whenever I need it. So being able to carry thousands of songs around in a little shiny object is just amazing.

I will always be a vinyl fan. Nothing will ever beat it. But thank god for the invention of digital music!

2007-08-26T19:45:00.000+01:00

Well I've decided to try Safari as my web browser. I just felt like a change. I don't like the new look Internet Explorer 7 and why anyone thinks Firefox is great is beyond me. It's probably the worst I've ever tried. It crashes all the time and doesn't display pages properly.

So it's over to Apple to see how they do. So far... so good.

Not happy...

2007-08-20T20:06:00.001+01:00

With this no Coke lark!

2007-08-17T08:14:00.001+01:00

What view do you have this morning? A beach somewhere exotic? A certain tower in Paris? The exciting Vegas Strip? Well this is my view!

Not the same really.

2007-08-04T10:18:00.000+01:00

2007-08-04T08:42:00.001+01:00

Andrew phoned me to say that Samuel is here! How fabulous and it means lots more sleepless nights for Andrew... insert evil 'Hooded Claw' type laugh here _______.

2007-07-30T20:36:00.001+01:00

It's official... I'm knackered!

2007-07-22T20:18:00.001+01:00

I'm listening once more to the Kahal and Kahal album and loving 'Show Me No' mercy more and more. I always loved Scarlet Fantastic and 'No Memory' is a perfectly formed piece of pop. But 'Show Me No Mercy' is superb. I think the chorus is just deliciously wicked.

I love it so much I need to put the lyrics on here:

Wasting my time
How could I go on
Living a lie
Looking for no-one

I had defences
Until I met you
You filled up my senses
I won't forget
You're shaking me
Waking me

Killing me sweetly
Feeling me deeply
Show me no mercy I can take it
No need to be tender
I will surrender
Show me no mercy mercy mercy baby

Lovers before
Nobody like you
Begging for more
Everything you do

Your love is relentless
Leaving me breathless
Rocked by your hand
No other man
Is shaking me
Waking me

Killing me sweetly
Feeling me deeply
Show me no mercy I can take it
No need to be tender
I will surrender
Show me no mercy mercy mercy baby

Killing me sweetly
Feeling me deeply
Show me no mercy I can take it
No need to be tender
I will surrender
Show me no mercy mercy mercy baby

I had defences
Until I met you
You filled up my senses
I won't forget
You're shaking me
Waking me

Killing me sweetly
Feeling me deeply
Show me no mercy I can take it
No need to be tender
I will surrender
Show me no mercy mercy mercy baby