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Time for a mini-hiatus, I feel.
Posted on January 28, 2005 | Comments (3)
Competition time
Anyone want to win some random photo-related gubbins plus moderate fame and glory for their photographic skills? If you took any snaps over the new year period that you'd like to enter into my wee comp over at LomoManchester, feel free to email them to me before Saturday. I've opened it up to photos taken with any camera and am still looking at an embarrasingly small selection to present to my chosen judge at the end of this week. Go here for more details (just ignore competition rules 1-4!) and send your pics to me at contactlori[at]gmail[dot]com if you fancy it. Would love to see what you all got up to.
Posted on January 19, 2005 | Comments (7)
Gadgets or luxury?
My IXUS's digital macro function had a bit of a workout the other night and you can see the rest of the results on flickr. Much as I am enjoying my new camera, I'm enjoying another gift an awful lot too. I can't quite work out why I should be so thrilled to have a handbag, but this is no ordinary bag... it's so posh that it comes in its own branded drawstring bag, with its own branded leather polish and cloth. Perhaps I'm enjoying it simply because it's so luxurious and hints at a world I will never inhabit, where the guy who went past me earlier in the Aston Martin with the personalised plates lives.
Posted on January 14, 2005 | Comments (2)
Stupid? Yes. Evil? No.
The media has found its first thing to be outraged about in 2005, knocking stories of tragic deaths from the front pages. To hear and read some of the ranting you'd think that a most hideous crime had been committed when, instead, a 20-year-old simply acted without thinking. I'm convinced there was no malice in Prince Harry's choice of costume for the party he recently attended, because I once did something similarly unbelievably stupid myself. Looking back, I can't even begin to imagine why nothing in my tiny brain stopped me from doing what I did, and that it took me so long to realise that I had offended someone. I don't know why, but I am sure that exactly the same thing happened to Harry. He got carried away with the whole fancy dress idea and, I suspect, it only dawned on him how bad his choice was when he saw (or was told about) the news coverage. Yes, it really was stupid, but I can't agree with Lord Janner that it was evil.
If the prince does what people are requesting and apologises in person for TV and/or radio reporters, I hope everyone sees there was no malicious intent. After all, how many of us under the age of 60 can really honestly say that we fully comprehend just what that swastika means? I try to, but no amount of films, documentaries and books could possibly help me understand the horrific effects on others when it hasn't affected me or anyone I know personally. I have that to be thankful for. If that sounds selfish, I don't mean it too, but I could probably cry myself to sleep every night if I started thinking about all the horrible things that have happened in the world during my lifetime alone, and all the innocent people who have died as a result. Just because it's not at the forefront of my mind all the time, doesn't mean I don't care.
I suppose as a royal he should have known better, but perhaps we should cut Harry a little slack. After all, he probably just takes after his grandfather.
Posted on January 13, 2005 | Comments (5)
Photos are now in the gallery
Posted on January 11, 2005 | Comments (2)
The morning after the weekend before
The party went very well. Despite my initial fears that no one would turn up, the room didn't look empty for most of the night and it was lovely to welcome a few family friends who I hadn't seen for a while. However nice the venue, balloons and guests were though, the night would not have been a success without four people who completely and utterly made my evening. The band without a name only started rehearsals in December but Chris (vocals and guitar), Julian (keyboards and bass), Dan (bass), and Jon (drums) gave a wonderful performance and managed to get a terribly reluctant crowd on their feet with a selection of covers ranging from I Believe In A Thing Called Love to Sweet Home Alabama.
I'm glad the initial nerves eventually gave way to enjoyment for them as it was the best birthday present I could have asked for. Made up for a few other things which I shall keep to the extended entry so as not to lower the tone (if you don't like self-indulgent 'therapy blogging', just don't go there). So a thousand thank yous to everyone who came along and bought me a drink/card/present, and special thanks to Jon for being the best boyfriend in the whole world ever. At the risk of sounding like Natasha Bedingfield... I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you!
OK, so now to the part where I offload some stuff in order to make myself feel a bit better. I wouldn't usually, but I reckon it's a bit like clearing the out-of-date stuff from the fridge - if I don't do it now it'll fester for days until it's too gross to deal with. Although I had a wonderful time on Saturday, there were a few things that have left me feeling sorely disappointed... actually, make that a few people. I know everyone who didn't turn up had a good reason and I'm not pointing any fingers or getting at anyone for being ill or having a life outside of knowing me, but my party was missing practically every single person who I would have called a good friend. People who have known me for only a year or so made a real effort and made the night wonderful for me, but people who I have known for almost a decade were all missing. I know, it's mean and selfish of me to dwell on it, but I am still quite upset by the sheer number of people who couldn't be there.
As I said before, I'm not getting at anyone as it is a bad time of year to expect any movement out of people (and I wouldn't have wished an extremely windy motorway drive, festooned with overturned HGVs on Sarah and poor Dave the Citroen), but when a girl I worked with for only a few months over the summer could come along for most of the evening despite setting off early on Sunday to drive back to uni in Hertfordshire, it makes me wonder why some of my oldest friends couldn't come. Oh well. A good night was had by all and I feel a bit better now for writing this. I hope you all understand that I don't mean to be a bitch, I just wanted to get this off my chest without resorting to expensive therapy!
Posted on January 10, 2005 | Comments (4)
Still no photos...
...but the camera is great! In fact, that should be plural as I have two more to add to the collection; a Canon IXUS 40 from my parents, and a Horizon 202 from Topper. Once we sort out the USB hub it'll be easy for me to plug the IXUS in and share those photos with you here, but you'll have to wait a bit longer for the panoramic shots from the Horizon. I think I need to plan day trips and weekends away to places across the UK where I can get exciting photos with it. Mmm.
In addition, I'd like to thank those lovely Uborka types for the book they bought me. Once I make time to finish the one I borrowed from a woman at work, I shall get started on Catch 22. Now there's a new year's resolution - make more time to read. (Yes, Topper, I can actually read.) Now I shall begin the final preparations for my birthday party tonight and will share the photos with you once I've recovered.
Posted on January 08, 2005 | Comments (1)
Happy(?) New Year
Due to maladies on the part of both myself and Topper's server, my first post of 2005 finally comes rumbling along now... five days in. Well, I can only hope that a Christmas and new year accompanied by a cold so bad that it's worse than man flu* is a sign that, as D:Ream sang in 1993, things can only get better. My recovery has been aided in part by the arrival of a package from Amazon that I stupidly opened straight away (despite not having ordered anything myself from them lately) only to discover a birthday gift that had been lovingly purchased from my wish list. I won't reveal what and who yet as technically I should have set it to one side for tomorrow, but it raised a big smile and so I wanted to say thanks. Have to use this, my (hopefully) last day off work, wisely and try desperately to finish my current book now.
So, what does this new year hold for us? Well, I could get some people to come up with dull predictions like the BBC seem to do every year, but that would be a cop out. Besides, I think you guys could come up with something far better than 'goodbye bling'. Not that I'm trying to get you to write my blog for me while I get on with finishing my book... oh no. I want you to come up with the ideas while I think of what to have for lunch. Can't keep taking the pills on an empty stomach now, can I?
*Can women get man flu? I suspect that's what I have as Topper says I moan too much, but if I don't sniffle and whinge he wouldn't know just how bad it is as I don't actually look halfway as terrible as I feel.
Posted on January 05, 2005 | Comments (4)