The big, hulking, sexy, glossy black lump of 42" Samsung plasma has arrived . . .

. . . and it is beeyootiful.

Nuff said.

Big girls toys . . .

I am practically salivating with excitement. I feel like a small child at Christmas.

Why?

I am awaiting delivery of this gorgeous little thing . . .

Actually, not so little. More of a big, hulking, sexy, glossy black lump of 42" Samsung plasma. I can't wait!

Even more wonderful is that it more or less coincides with the release of Tomb Raider: Anniversary which is already on order! Particularly wonderful for me, who never played the original Tomb Raider, so this is a whole new world for me to explore. Although, for the ones who did play the first Tomb Raider, they have added some new puzzles.

I can almost hear the indrawn gasps of breath now. "A girl? Who likes gaming?! How odd!!". Well maybe not, but my colleagues certainly think that way.

Funny how I have no plans for next weekend, don'cha think?!

I didn't do nuffink

Why is it that I feel guilty if someone asks me what I did over the weekend, and I mumble "Well, you know, not much really. It was a quiet one."

I was discussing this with Lucy earlier, and as she said, you spend your weekend thinking "What shall we do!", when the truth is . . . you don't have to do anything if you so desire.

So from now on, I won't feel guilty if I have a day where I spend half of it in a dressing gown, watching crap TV, browsing the internet, reading a book and not even leaving the house.

I have weekends when I rush about inanely for the whole time and then feel knackered when I go back to work on Monday's, so from now on my new motto is:

"It's my weekend, and I'll laze if I want to . . . "

So there.

Pass me some earplugs . . .

The author would like to know WHY people think it is socially acceptable to sit at their desk and hawk up great gobs of phlegm from the back of their throat? I mean, really! It has to be one of the most repulsive habits there is.

I sit at my desk, day after day, listening to Señor Phlegm building up to his moment of glory.

First will be a couple of gentle coughs, testing the water so to speak. A few sniffs perhaps, to place said mucous in primary hawking position.

And then . . . . . urgh. A prolonged noise, like the sound of a blocked plughole trying to drain, which can last anything up to about 3 seconds. Doesn't sound much, but try counting it in your head and applying said sound effects to 3 seconds of time. It's an ETERNITY!

It's beginning to make me feel nauseous.

Oh God . . . here we go again . . .

Sparkly things

Lucy is getting married. Next year.

It was a secret for a little while but now it is all out in the open.

She wasn't going to have an engagement ring originally, but her fiancé has convinced her to get one, so for the last few evenings, everything has all been a bit . . . . sparkly. Trying to decide what to go for.

White gold, yellow gold, rose gold, platinum, titanium . . . .

Claw set, bevel set, rubover, tension set, trilogy, solitaire, cabachon, princess cut, baguette cut, brilliant cut, emerald cut, pear cut, heart cut, marquise cut . . . .

Diamonds, pink sapphires, amethyst, amber, aquamarine, pearl, champagne diamonds, peridot . . .

Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Contemporary, Classic, Unusual . . . .

The good thing is that from looking at all these rings, even though Lucy is still completely undecided, I now know what sort of engagement ring I want! Shame there isn't anyone around to give me one at the moment.

By the way, it's tanzanite and diamond set in white gold.

Something like this.

If you insist.

PS. Before you start thinking that I am a bit premature, I am a Libran. It is practically in the job description to go completely gaga over anything twinkly.

Chocolate Ecstasy

In the post-Easter, chocolate haze that most of us find ourselves in, I am thinking about the effects of chocolate. We all hear about it lowering blood pressure, reducing depression and being anti-carcinogenic.

But much more interestingly, apparently eating chocolate stimulates the same pleasure centres in the brain that an orgasm does.

And I can believe it. I eat chocolate in a way that some people find revolting, but I know I am not the only one.

1. The chocolate (preferably creamy milk chocolate - Galaxy for everyday, Belgian or Swiss for special occasions) must have been in the fridge. For reasons highlighted in a moment.


2. The chocolate must be eaten with a hot cup of tea. The differences in temperature, between the hot sting of tea and the cool hardness of the refridgerated chocolate provide a nice contrast. Aided by (and this is the bit that people find it hard to forgive) . . .


3. Dunking your chocolate in your tea. I only do this with Galaxy, as even to me it seems a little sacreligious to do this with expensive chocolate. There is something decadent about sucking the melted warm chocolate off whatever piece you are "dunking" and still finding cold chocolate underneath. Rarely done in public. But always with a feeling of guilty pleasure.


4. Dark chocolate is different - the higher the cocoa solids the better, and must be eaten straight from the fridge, but without dunking. It should then be left to melt slowly on my tongue. Hot tea has a different purpose here - to warm your mouth up to facilitate easy melting.

Recently, due to my aforementioned "healthy diet" (read, no chocolate, sweets, crisps, blah blah blah), I had my first serious chocolate "hit" in six weeks with Lucy's birthday cake - a chocolate cake from Thorntons, decorated with thick milk chocolate, filled with chocolate ganache and topped with whole Continental chocolates. Never having abstained from chocolate for that long, the pleasure hit was immense.

If chocolate affected me that way after not having had it for a while and it uses the same pleasure centres of the brain (I presume on a slightly smaller scale, but it probably depends on the man?!), I'm going to pass out with pleasure by the time I have sex again . . .

Of course, combining the two things together is the best way. Where's my paintbrush?

Nice Buns!

Just wanted to show off my first attempt at baking Hot Cross Buns - yes, I know they are meant to be eaten on Good Friday, but I decided to make them today!

Fresh out of the oven and with glazy bits on

Can't you just smell their cinnamony goodness?!

The crosses on them are a bit wonky - my first attempt at piping as well, but all things considered, I think they look quite yummy! I did cheat a little bit and used my beloved Panasonic Breadmaker to make the dough. I recommend breadmakers to everyone - I am eating quite a healthy diet at the moment and don't eat a lot of bread, but one of my weekly treats is a fresh French Loaf, timed to be baked by 08:30 on a Saturday morning. Mmmmmm . . .

Warm, buttered and ready to be scoffed

History of the Hot Cross Bun courtesy of Wikipedia

In many historically Christian countries, the buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, with the cross standing as a symbol of the crucifixion. Their ingredients mean that people who are following lent are able to eat them as they traditionally contain no eggs or dairy products. They are believed by some to pre-date Christianity, though there is no original evidence for a pagan origin, and the first recorded use of the name Hot Cross Bun is not until 1733. According to food historian Elizabeth David, the buns were seen by Protestant English monarchs as a dangerous hold over of Catholic belief in England, being baked from the consecrated dough used in making the communion wafer. Protestant England attempted to ban the sale of the buns by bakers but they were too popular, and instead Elizabeth I passed a law permitting bakeries to sell them, but only at Easter and Christmas.

Those pesky Easter bunnies must have thieving from my kitchen again