Friday 15 May 2009

Feedback Friday :: Northern Exposure


bulk :: I’ve no idea – I gave my scales to Oxfam in London! I’m free! Free, I tell ya!
exercise :: I bought a Wii Fit! Couldn’t get one in London. Got one here immediately. Have done a couple of sessions on that and am aching admirably. Intend to buy a bike in a week or two and ride down to the beach a couple of times a week.
booze :: Alma likes a drink and is keen for me to keep her company. So I do.
romance :: none. And something must be done about this soon. I'm beginning to wither.
feeling about the North :: very positive


So I’ve now been in the North East of England for one whole week, and apart from the fact that it’s turned awfully grim, weather-wise, I have to say it’s going rather well. It’s not as bad as I was expecting at all.

This weekend I’m going to venture out into town of an evening and just wander about amongst the natives. See how that goes. See how friendly they are then. Only if it stops raining though.

And this afternoon, as soon as I’ve posted this, I’m going to watch Benjamin Button with Alma. I’ve been meaning to watch it for a while, and I reckon it’s a film an old lady might appreciate. We’ll see.

So I leave you with a new Bookscan challenge. Quite an easy one this, I think. One of you must have a copy of this book. So, the first person to tell me the correct title wins a porcelain dog. And if you don’t know, you’re duty-bound to guess.





And if you can't be bothered to have a guess, at least tell me what you're up to this weekend. Come on, I miss you. Anything nice? I do hope so.



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20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Book: Salvador Dali's Sock Drawer

Weekend: Looking shite right now. Life!

Dermot said...

Oh, it's that lovely "I don't know the language but I'll have a pop at pointing at the thing I want" tourist phrasebook, is it not?

Anonymous said...

I've just watched 'The Visitor' (starring Richard Jenkins - the dead dad in 'Six Feet Under').

Oh my, what a lovely film it is. And suitable viewing for an old lady, I'd say.

If you haven't already seen it, then I insist that you do so,
toot sweet.

Wellington

paperbatty said...

I don't know what kind of books you read over there, but I have never had a good guess for any of your scans. It would be much easier if you had asked me to name the photos, in which case I'd say "Things you find in a first aid kit" followed by "Things I need to clean out of my purse."

I don't want to ask a favor, but as a copy editor I cannot NOT ask: Will you make apostrophes face the right direction? The idiot computer does not know an apostrophe from an opening quotation mark, but my brain does, and it screams each time it sees them reversed. I screamed three times this morning.

And now. I have not failed to notice that you are back on that getting healthy and productive kick, and I can't say that it looks as though it's going to be as interesting as what you have been doing with yourself, according to your own account. I like a few dirty thoughts with my tea. The fact that Alma favors a drink now and then sounds promising.

Andy said...

I'm making a Brazilian seafood stew with rice, beans and fried plantains.

To be enjoyed with friends. And wine. Oh yes.

Swineshead said...

When I moved to London (or ran away from Lincolnshire) I moved in with my Nan for two months. It was probably the most rewarding thing I've ever done. Watching Wimbledon, the World Cup and Countdown together... You are to be commended, I reckon.

Sadly Nan died two years ago so those two months resonate a lot more than expected when she's mentioned by family.

Catofstripes said...

Ah Bete, I'm in the pits of a despond.

The book is obviously "A trip around 100 handbags" a photo essay by a confirmed saddle sniffer, available on flickr if you can't afford the price on Amazon.

Anonymous said...

It has taken me a few days to get my thoughts together about a blog you made earlier telling us that you no longer live in a multi-cultural environment. It is not something to be ashamed of you know, apart from shipping in some darker faces or putting an ad in the a paper what can you do. I live in a village in the West Country where the only black face you see is from the sun when we get it. I moved in about two years ago and I can say without fear of contradiction that my wife and I are the only two Jews in the village. The village has now got a multi-cultural slant but alas, the only other person who knows is the Vicar.

La Bête said...

NK – chin up! Hope things pick up.

Dermot – you, my friend, are right. No title however, no win.

Cheers, Welly, I’ll look out for it.

Sugar, your final paragraph has left me wholly bamboozled. Maybe it’s the snowball I’m drinking. Oh, and the apostrophe thing too. What browser are you using?

Sounds super, Andy. Enjoy.

Congratulations, Hen. Go, foetus!

Cheers, Swiney. That’s a wonderful story.

Saddle sniffer? What on earth are you saying, Stripey? Has the world gone mad?

Hey, Anon. I’m not ashamed of it. I’ve just grown used to seeing different coloured people and hearing different accents, and I like it. I think it’s healthy.

Litha said...

Point it: traveller's language kit?

Anonymous said...

"Surviving the Apacolypse for Illiterates"

the weekend? quiet. some work. some major vegetation (alas, not the smokable kind), playing my guitar and making an honest effort to get laid...

La Bête said...

Litha, we have a winner! Now if you want to claim your porcelain dog, drop me an email. You should remember though, that if you do claim it, you will be forcing me to rob an old lady. I'm not saying I won't do it - I'm a man of my word - but the theft, and the broken heart that follows it, will both be on your head. Congratulations!

Daisy, bad luck. But good luck with the getting laid thing. I thought you were in a relationship though? Actually, the two are not mutually exclusive. I'll shut up.

annie.sh said...

Before Dermot got it right in theory, I had thought it was a memory game. I suppose you could double it up as that if you were bored on holiday.

This weekend: inbetween working, I will be
-coaching those less experienced than me in my field (this sucks away a lot of time but makes me feel surprisingly warm)
-getting waxed
-making some attempt to put my flat in order

I'm hoping success in the first two will balance out inevitable failure in the third

xa

La Bête said...

Better failure in the third than in the second though, surely. I flinch at the thought of waxing. But then I'm thinking vicious waxing. Maybe there are less vicious methods. Anyway, I'm sure you'll be fine. Good luck!

Selena said...

How to perform plastic surgery on fish who suffer from body dysmorphic disorder, for dummies?

Going to the beach, going to a concert, riding my bike to get beer and pizza, generally being merry with my friends.

Maureen said...

So when word gets out that an intelligent single man has come from London to take care of his Grannie, you will be Mr. Popularity for sure! Good luck and enjoy!

Anonymous said...

not in a relationship. a technicality. i'm in three 'arrangements'. none of them going anywhere relationshippy, which is fine. declared non-exclusive.

have had visitors for a week (of the non-laying variety), too much travel... and the calendars have been unkind scheduling-wise and the gents have all been busy or out of town... i seek relief.

Litha said...

So you offer a porcelain dog that isn't yours to offer. And than you try to make me look like the bad guy?!

You owe me Stan. You owe me one half of a porcelain dog. Your own that is. Not some old lady's cherished treasure. The other half you may send to Dermot who pointed me in the right direction. (I claim the front half!)

Misssy M said...

Weekend: All about dressing up like eejits for Eurovision last night. Feel like most of Norway this morning.

Beleaguered Squirrel said...

How blooy weird!

So... on page 13 is a picture of a collection of fish, arranged very carefully as though you were about to be tested on what you had seen... and then on page 44 it's a similarly-arranged collection of personal care items... probably belonging to a man? No hang on, just spotted the tampon and the lipstick... Wtf?

All I can think is that it's an Improve Your Memory kind of thing. Particularly as there are more items on p13 than on p44... cos by the time you get to p44 you've progressed to a level where you can memorise 30 items instead of 12. But... why the plastic frog? A tampon and a condom?

It's actually bloody creepy. The personal care items have a really sinister medical edge to them. They make me think of that Lemon Jelly track, Experiment Number Six, which reminds me I still haven't managed to find out what experiment their samples refer to. And it disturbs me.

I was bamboozled by Sugar's final para too, but I decided she meant that she didn't want you to get too healthy cos she likes your naughty thoughts, but she thinks it'll be all right cos your nan likes the booze. And I too was annoyed by the wrongwards-facing apostrophes - I'm on Firefox.

OK, I've read the comments now so I know the answer... but I still think it's bloody creepy.

As for the weekend, well it's over now but I spent it (a) presiding over / organising a 7-yr-old's birthday party, which was chaotic terrifying exhausting mayhem of the most rewarding variety, (b) failing to go to a close friend's stag party cos I was just too knackered / shell-shocked after the screaming children, (c) failing asleep in front of Eurovision and (d) putting the house half back to rights and still recovering from the party and (e) playing with 7-yr-old birthday presents and (f) playing with a very cute baby and (g) being beaten at chess by a 7-yr-old and (h) eating cake and sausages.