02.06.06
Random ramblings
I enjoyed the ‘Miss Marple’, but I didn’t find it as interesting as the others I’ve seen. Nice Thirties & Fifties clothes and stuff though. I love Thirties & Fifties style – my two favourite decades design-wise. Ideally I’d have a Fifties themed kitchen, and an Art Deco room somewhere, but as Mum says, I need a four-bedroomed house to put all my ideas into practice. There isn’t much scope here. Mind you, since the flat is so small it’s dead handy if I have to rush to the loo! Too much information, I know!
I’m still struggling with that domain name. I’m torn between something ‘clever’, which will probably irritate me after a while, or something boring that will suit whatever I put on the webspace. Boring is probably best, but everything I come up with seems to be taken. Maybe I’ll think of something in the morning. I think my brain is going to sleep now – possibly because I’ve just taken 150mg of amitryptiline!
I’ve been thinking about my plans for the new webspace and I think I’m going to work on finding out as much as I can about the health problems I have and compile all the links and information in a website, including a little bit about my own problems over the last few years. Then there’s my blog, and I’m tempted to do some sort of personal website too. Plus I get a photo log, so that would be a great incentive to start taking photos again.
To be honest, one of the reasons I’m going to get my own webspace again is to give me something to occupy my mind and hopefully drown out the intrusive thoughts. I like fiddling with the techie stuff too, as long as it’s not too techie! I understand computer stuff (well webpages and that) much better than televisions and videos. I still can’t get the subtitles up on the tv I swapped with my Dad. I find it very difficult to hear it properly unless I’m here on my own.
Anyhow, I’m off to bed now. I’m tempted to make myself some toast to counteract all the veggies I’ve eaten today, but I don’t know if I can be bothered. Maybe I’ll just have some for breakfast instead. It’s nice not to have to set two alarms tomorrow. Once I’ve taken my morning meds I can go back to sleep. Lovely!
02.05.06
The one foot tall hamster
I like animals but I’ve never been very keen on anything smaller than a rabbit, although I guinea pigs are growing on me after seeing the Egg adverts. Anyway, I bought myself a new calendar with cute animals on it. A nice little cat for January – lovely. When I turned over to February I had a shock. It’s a hamster! Not only that, but it’s a big calendar and it’s a one foot tall hamster!! I don’t know if I’ll be able to stick it out until March! Next time I’ll check all the pictures before I buy a calendar!
I’m feeling a bit wisht, as we say down here. Mentally things haven’t been great for the last week or so, and I’m also quite achey, & very tired physically, which is a pain as I want to mess about online and I’m too knackered to sit here for long. I’ll probably toddle off and watch the new Agatha Christie ‘Miss Marple’ in a bit, and maybe I’ll get back online later. I’m planning a lie-in tomorrow morning so it won’t matter too much if I’m late to bed.
I’ve decided on my blog host (thanks for the suggestions), and am still trying to come up with a domain name. I just used one of those name spinners and typed in ‘cat’ and ‘chaos’. Two of it’s suggestions were ‘catboweldisorder’ & felineskindisorder’! How nice! Maybe I’ll suddenly be inspired by watching ‘Miss Marple’! I’m frustrated because the domain name is all I need to get everything up and running, but I don’t want to rush and choose something I’ll get fed up with.
02.01.06
Criticism or insult?
What is this thing on television about having judges who are downright nasty to the contestants? Some of them make Simon Cowell look like Julie Andrews! I was watching ‘Masterchef Goes Large’ last night. I actually had to cover my ears a couple of times because I couldn’t bear to listen to them criticizing the food. Surely it’s possible to make constructive criticisms without being so unpleasant. And while I’m on the subject, if John Torode and Gregg Wallace are so important in the world of food, why had I never heard of them before the first series of this programme, even though I watch a lot of food programmes?
It’s not just cookery programmes though. The judges on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ and ‘Dancing On Ice’ have been equally unpleasant. I actually heard one of them tell Dame Kelly Holmes that she looked like a bloke (which she doesn’t)! She stood up for herself and told him that he could criticize her skating but there was no need for personal remarks.
Another person I find difficult to watch is Gillian McKeith, the self-styled diet expert. I read online that although she calls herself doctor, her doctorate is actually in linguistics, and nothing to do with diet or nutrition. I don’t know if that’s right, but she winds me up – a lot! Quite apart from her habit of analyzing people’s poo on television, she’s unnecessarily nasty in her remarks to people. I watched her reduce someone to tears last night.
Anne Robinson on ‘The Weakest Link’ I can’t stand, and I suppose it’s her and Simon Cowell we have to blame for the influx of nastiness, but some of these new programmes can be absolutely cringe-making. Gillian McKeith makes Trinny & Susannah seem like your favourite auntie. I can only assume that people like watching other people being criticised. And yes, I watch some of these programmes regularly, so I’m just as bad.
01.29.06
Dad & shopping
When I rang my Mum earlier I also spoke to my Dad briefly, and he was up and about, but still feeling pretty rotten by the sound of it. He’s going to see his own doctor tomorrow. I enjoyed my wander around the town. I needed to buy a couple of birthday cards and other odds and ends. I found myself a new hair brush too. A Denman one (a good make) and only £1.38 in the sale. It’s pink with pictures of ribbons on it, in aid of Breast Cancer. I also bought the next instalment of the ‘Midsomer Murders’ partwork. I said I wasn’t going to, but it’s still cheaper than buying the DVD on its own, and I thought I’d treat myself. I’m hoping that I’ve videoed an Agatha Christie Miss Marple mystery this afternoon, but I’m never quite sure until I check the videos. Recording from the terrestrial channels isn’t a problem, but the digital ones seem to be sometimes. I don’t expect living in a basement helps either! I’m going to watch and/or record ‘Lewis’ this evening, and see whether I like it. I like Kevin Whately and I enjoyed watching ‘Inspector Morse’, but I wonder if I’ll like this programme as much. Anyway, I shall spend the rest of the afternoon until the boys arrive watching television, apart from a quick in and out of the shower (cold bathroom!) and some tea.
01.26.06
Thursday thoughts
Well, my tummy is definitely feeling better. I thought it was yesterday, but didn’t eat until mid-afternoon so I wasn’t sure. Thank goodness for that. It was really uncomfortable and sore. It still feels a bit tender, but it’s much better. The other aches are much as usual, apart from a particularly sore left shoulder and end of my collar-bone. The trouble with fibromyalgia is that you get pain in such funny places!
I’m meeting my friend for coffee this morning, and will get any bits and pieces that I need while I’m in town. Mum is coming down this afternoon. I didn’t want to go out twice today so we’re going to do a few jobs. I had a nice surprise yesterday. Dad told me that I still have some Christmas money left from my parents, so that will pay for my new cutlery and I can have it now, rather than waiting for my birthday. I think we’ll be clearing out the cutlery drawer this afternoon! It will be nice to replace the ‘marital’ cutlery.
The last day or so the OCD has been even worse than usual, which is saying something. I know it’s just from coming off the venlafaxine, but I’ll be glad once I get onto the fluvoxamine and back to ‘normal’. I can’t really complain about coming off the venlafaxine though. Until now all I’ve had is one evening of feeling odd and now this. I’m disappointed that I couldn’t stop taking the other tablets, but I should have learnt by now that I’m going to be on a certain amount of medication indefinitely, and lithium probably for life.
I watched ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ last night. It’s a fascinating programme tracing the family trees of various celebrities. Last night it was Stephen Fry’s turn. People think of him as rather aristocratic, but in fact some of his ancestors were in the workhouse. He’s also someone who seems to be quintessentially English, but a lot of his ancestors were Jewish, and they came from Austria, and what is now known as Slovakia. Many of them died in Auschwitz and other concentration camps. I felt quite choked watching him revisiting the places where his ancestors lived and breaking down as it made their plight real to him. It’s a brilliant programme. Well worth watching.
12.29.05
Miss Marple rocks!
I’ve just spent an enjoyable two hours snuggled up in bed watching one of the Joan Hickson Miss Marple mysteries – The Mirror Crack’d From Side To Side. I really enjoyed it. It’s a shame that the murderer turned out to be manic depressive, but I’m getting used to that, and at least Agatha Christie had an excuse. There was even more stigma attached to mental illness in her day than there is now. Anyhow, it was a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. My brother and I gave my Dad the full set of Joan Hickson Miss Marples for a joint birthday and Christmas present. I wonder if he’d lend them to me – lol!
I hoicked out my halogen heater and got it going in the bedroom. It doesn’t seem to emit a lot of heat unless you’re right in front of it, but the nice orange glow makes the place feel warmer! Son 1 will be down in a little while, so I doubt that I’ll be online again this evening, unless I can’t get to sleep again. I’m pretty tired and achey. I’ve just got out one of the Miss Marple books that I’ve been collecting, so I’m going to see how I get on with it. I’m not in much of a reading mood at the moment. For some reason I find it hard to concentrate on reading when I’m feeling a bit low. Talking of which, I’m going to write some posts about the title of my blog, why I chose it, and how it reflects and relates to my life. Not tonight though – too tired!
