I want your money!

I have rather foolishly signed up for the 20 mile 'Ribbon Walk' in aid of Breast Cancer Care on Saturday 21st June, and would be very grateful for sponsorship! If you would like to sponsor me, please go to http://www.justgiving.com/eleanorsteele

Thank you!

Courtesy of Popbitch

'A customs test at Japan's Narita airport last week placed a quarter of a pound of cannabis in a randomly chosen suitcase on its way to the baggage hold.
'Sniffer dogs failed to detect the cannabis and the officer could not remember which bag he had put it in. Anyone finding the package has been asked to contact customs officials.'

This once happened to me, albeit with a much smaller amount - in a sealed box of Smarties from a Brighton newsagent...

Sex and the City

I went to see the new 'Sex and the City' film with about 4 million other people last night (and that was just in the same cinema - they were showing it on 2 screens every hour!). Beforehand, I was excited, but also worried about whether it would live up to the expectations of everyone who had loved the show. Could it be as good? Could it translate to film? Would I secretly find Carrie exceedingly self-absorbed and sometimes want to give her a good shake (just like when watching it on TV)? Luckily the answer was 'Yes' to all these questions.

We all laughed, cried, and felt that the time had gone by in a flash, and I came out of the cinema with a smile (and a bit of smudged mascara) on my face. Even though some of the characters, especially Charlotte, lost some of their personality and became almost caricatures, it was still captivating. And best of all, along with the film I enjoyed a fair number of dolly mixtures as a retro treat. Yum!

Psychic

Please don't laugh, but I think my iPod is psychic. On a number of occasions, I have been talking about a film with iPod playing on random in the background, and a song from the soundtrack has started playing. This is a pretty big coincidence as I have 8.7 Gb of music on there - enough to play continuously for days.

At the weekend, I listened to a CD in a burst of traditionalism. Today at work I wanted to listen to the same CD on my iPod, but scrolling through the tracks I just couldn't find it, so I selected something similar and got on with my work. But which album did my iPod choose to play me after the one I initially selected? The one I had wanted to listen to in the first place.

Business as usual

After a couple of weeks of sunshine, warmth and blue skies, I was beginning to get a little suspicious. This didn't feel like Manchester! I was no longer certain where my umbrella was!

Luckily, I woke up this morning and the weather had reverted to type. Grey skies, proper rain (not the weedy little 'showers' we've had to make do with most of the month) and temperatures low enough to necessitate finding a scarf. And my umbrella? Still in my bag from last time, thank goodness...

Writing is Dangerous...

... and should not be done when there is a pan of potatoes boiling in the other room. This way lies kitchen fires.

Luckily I smelt burning before there were actual flames, though I think I'll have to buy some potato salad to go with tomorrow's dinner. Oops.

On a more positive note, I've written over 2000 words this weekend!

Я не понимаю*

While doing some writing today I needed to check a Paris street map, so I googled, oddly enough 'Paris street map'.

I clicked on the first image that came up.

It was Paris, but it looked a bit odd.

I zoomed in to try to work out why.

All the street names were in Russian...

*'I don't understand' in Russian

A washing-up hum

I hum and sing a lot. This afternoon, while washing my lunch stuff at work, I had a little hum, which turned into a little sing. Luckily there was no-one around to hear, as it went something like this:

'Mmm mmm mmm, la la la,
How luckeee I am,
Living on the sea bed
In old Amsterdam.'

I'm just hoping it wasn't my subconscious having a global-warming related premonition.