Poo.

Didn't get to see Sam Brookes in the end. He either didn't play or he was playing earlier than I thought. Also we're supposed to be going to Westonbirt Arboretum this weekend and the weather is meant to be awful.

I am officially sulking.

Watch this and thank me later

This here folks, is Sam Brookes. Now I know what you're thinking, "yeah, yeah, yeah. He's amazing, he's the next whatever until I listen to him and realise that he's actually shit", but you'd be wrong!

He really is as good as I say he is, so don't bloody argue ok? Seriously, give this clip a shot and you'll see what I mean. It looks fuzzy in the still, but it's not so don't worry your sweet heads about that. 

He's playing at the Uni tomorrow and I'll definitely be popping down to watch him which will make it the fourth time in three months...shit. 

Does that make me some sort of crazed super fan/stalker?

Oh heck..

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Relief, fences and Scrumpy.

Relief. It's such an underrated emotion don't you think? Granted the tension/stress/pressure that precedes it isn't so great, but has anyone ever not enjoyed the feeling of "ahhhh, thank feck that's over"? Exactly.

My relief came in the shape of finally finishing the bloody garden fence. If you've read my last post you'll know that weather proofing the fences is one of the things on my winter to do list and it's been one of the biggies that I've been dreading ever since I put it on. 

These things often don't take so long or as much effort in other homes. Perhaps the lady in question is lucky enough to have a bloke about who likes DIY or at the very least, willing to do it when asked. Or perhaps she's got enough moolah to employ a handy man to do it all for her. Unfortunately I have neither a man who is willing/capable and I most certainly do not have enough moolah. Dan will help if I need him to, but he doesn't enjoy it so doesn't make an effort to get involved and will usually go into hiding whenever he sees me with a paint brush/screw driver/hammer in hand.

So yes, I am feeling very relieved right now. And with help from a hot shower and my mate Scrumpy, I will soon be feeling very relaxed, woozy and eventually, asleep. On that note, I will leave you with a picture of my mate Scrumpy. 

Isn't he handsome?

Winter List

It's that time of year again folks. I've written out my list of things to do before winter comes a knocking and I'm more excited about this than is probably considered normal.

This year I've decided to include my list here so that I can blog about my progress. This makes me feel all kinds of happy and nerdy for two reasons.

One, I'm a sad muppet with an unhealthy love of lists and two, blogging about it will give me an incentive to complete the damned thing. Something I always have problems with.

So without further ado, here follows my 2010 winter list. Look see, it's got categories and everything! *happy sigh*

House

• Put foil behind the radiators (I tried this once and it bugged the crap out of me as the foil kept sliding off the wall. Still I've read time and time again that it's a good tip so I'll give it another shot).
• Make a draft excluder for the living room door
• Clean windows and window sills in conservatory
• Clean all windows in house
• Brush cobwebs from the external walls of the house
• Get boiler checked, check the insurance cover is up to date
• Make 2 door curtains - 1 for the kitchen/living room arch and 1 for the main front door
• Weather proof conservatory..or do the best you can - it's falling apart.
• Cover air vents in kitchen and bathroom with cling film to avoid draughts and spiders

Garden

• Collect conkers and put in shed to deter spiders (I've heard this works)
• Mulch garden bedding and pots
• Check fences and secure where necessary
• Varnish shed - DONE
• Varnish garden fences
• Pull up weeds from front of house and clear any rubbish
• Prune grape vines and mulch pots

Clothes

• Buy a pair of warm trousers for work
• Check hat/scarf/glove situation. Mend, make and/or replace as necessary
• Buy some more winter socks (mum's been slack and my stash is dangerously low)
• Get winter clothes down from attic
• Move summer clothes up in attic
• Get ankle boots re-heeled
• Sew up the buggering big hole in winter slippers
• Get a new pair of knee high boots

Car

• Add winter stuff to car - torch, blanket, ice-scraper, de-icer, wind-up telephone charger thingy
• Check the lights are working properly

Misc.

• Hunt down hot water bottle (it's somewhere in the attic)
• Stock up on candles
• Finish last year's crochet blanket
• Make a Christmas list..yeah, yeah I know. Shut up. I like lists remember?
• Make a list of winter meals to make and freeze
• Stock up on mulled wine sachets or find a cheaper alternative
• Make a list of soups to make and bring to work that don't bore you to death
• Buy a flask
• Stock up on containers for soups - margarine tubs?

Having now read through this list I see that I come across as a right spider wuss. I'm really not. They just piss me off. Especially after spending last winter sharing a house with so many of them.

By the way, if anyone knows if that conker thing really does work then do let me know!

Banana bread, shed and er..something else that rhymes with bread

So I made banana bread tonight. I was sat on the sofa with the smell wafting in from the kitchen, feeling all Nigella-esque. Then I checked on it and, oh dear..

I still tastes damned good though which is the main thing eh? So other than whipping up a storm, *ahem* I mean mess in the kitchen I also roped in a reluctant husband to help me varnish the shed ready for winter. This was how it looked before..

And this is how it looks now..

Ok so granted it's not a great deal different as the "varnish" had the consistency of green water, but it definitely looks tidier and is slightly more water proof than it was so I'm happy.

I made a list of things to do before winter and will at some point add it here. It's nothing exciting, just a list of chores that need doing around the house in order to get organised before the weather becomes too cold and wet.

All this list making and chore creating may sound like the least fun way to spend your time, but I'm getting sad, and a tad anal in my old age of 31. It just makes me happy to prepare for the winter months like this. I can enjoy the changing of the seasons while I get them all done and come December when it's cold and yukky, I can snuggle up indoors guilt free, happy in the knowledge that all the tiresome jobs are done and dusted.

So up next...varnishing the fences. Because that's just how I roll ma peeps.

Seed Harvesting

For the last few weeks I've kept a couple of sunflower heads in the conservatory to dry out and today I decided to stop putting it off and harvest the seeds for use next year. And I got a decent amount of the little beanies too..

And here's a little close up of the seeds, simply because I was that proud of my little stash.

..even if it did bugger up my finger. S'cuse the chipped nail varnish.

Et voila! Seeds for next years sunflowery goodness!