Goodbye to the old, hello to the new

I am feeling a little sad. Lucy moved out last night, and in with her fiance. I suppose we couldn't be flatmates forever, but I did feel a little woeful. We have shared two abodes for more than two years.

And now she has to go and live with a boy.

I now have to get used to a new flatmate (something new to me, as I have always shared with people I already knew). Sam is younger than me - eight years younger, to be precise, and from The North. She is very tiny (less than five foot), blonde, and seems to be very sweet.

I'm broody . . .

. . . for a baby.

Not the sort of baby you think (well, yes actually - but that's been going on for years, and if that happened at the minute, they'd have to write an extra chapter for the Bible . . . ).

I'm broody for a puppy. Namely, an English Cocker Spaniel puppy.

A little bundle of fluff that's something like this.



I'm obsessed. I've wanted one for years, and it's never waned. I must look like a nutter in the street when I spot a spaniel, as I gaze wistfully after their little waggy tushes.

I know. It's pathetic.

And the sad thing is that I couldn't even have one if I wanted. Current financial situations mean that although I live reasonably comfortably, I cannot afford a dog walker to come and walk my pup halfway through the day, as it is cruel to leave them for a whole day without any company. And currently, I also live in a flat with no garden. Wouldn't that make housetraining a joyful experience?!

However, in two years, I will be able to have both.

Two years. That's not that long, is it?

Stuff of nightmares . . .

Quite frankly, I find those Triple Velvet "Love Your Bum" toilet paper adverts disturbing.

You must have seen them - the one where the boss of a factory is a baby. Wandering around in a suit, looking like a miniscule 80 year old, saying (out of sync) "This is the stuff dreams are made of".

It's just wrong. It's probably meant to be cute, but I find it plain repellant.

Which shows just how wrong it is - I love babies!

I think it would make a fantastic villain in something like Doctor Who though . . .

Harry - the final chapter (Spoilers within!)

Well, I finished it.

I am known for being a fast reader, but I managed to eak out the first third of the book by reading a chapter a day for the first 10 days. Then on Tuesday night, I started reading as normal . . . and couldn't put it down. I finished it at 1.00 in the morning.

Well, what a read. Quite possibly my favourite one out of the series (that position was previously held by Prisoner of Azkaban).

I found it heart wrenching in places - when Dobby died I had a few tears in my eyes, especially when Harry was dressing him so carefully in clothes. However, I was most affected by Harry's walk to Voldemort with the Resurrection Stone. Those simple childish words "Does it hurt?" - had to wipe my eyes somewhat at that point. Maybe it's partly because I have lost my own mother, but I think the majority of people would have been moved by his mum telling him how brave he was being as his parents walked side by side with him to his inevitable death.

And then its glorious conclusion with Harry and You-Know-Who. Unexpected for me at least - I never thought that Harry would die, but never foresaw that finale. I thought there was definite Christian overtones in it as well, in a The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe kind of way. It will be interesting to see what the anti-Harry Potter Christian fraternity make of it.

But yes, I loved it. Its threads of relationship, family, trust, love, loyalty and self-sacrifice for "the Greater Good" are, I think, refreshing subjects to read about - especially in children's literature.

The only gripe I had was the epilogue - I read the last three words, turned over the page and went "Is that it? . . . . ."

Specialis Revelio!

It's arrived at last! And I promise . . . no spoilers here.

And hence will begin a weekend of not moving whilst I devour the last Harry Potter offering. Turning myself occasionally to prevent sofa sores.

And not before time too, I might add - there seems to be a hoarde of people out there, determined to try and ruin it for everyone. You can't move for spoilers! No more though - the time has come for me to find out for myself!

This time though I will try not to injure myself. When I got Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I sat for hours on my bed, cross legged with the book in my lap. When I sat up straight, something in my back gave way. After managing to stand up, I fainted. I won't be repeating that one . . . .

Feel the Pinkness!

OK, I have a little confession to make.

I know I bought a new plasma recently. And that was very extravagent.

But I have bought one more small gadget. I promise, it is small. And I did get a bonus last week.

So I bought something. Something shiny. Something pink. Something FUN!

Have you guessed what it is yet?

Yay - it's a Nintendo DS Lite! In PINK!



I love it. I am being sensible and buying (a couple of) games on eBay as it quite frankly is shocking how much those little cartridges are in "normal" shops. And my gorgeous Filofax, which is getting used every single day by the way, has come in very useful in listing the vast number of games I want to play, so I can cross them off as I find them for an absolute bargain on fleaBay. And it told me today on More Brain Training, that my brain is 28 years old! Impressive, considering yesterday it was 49 . . .

However, the pronounced girliness in me has espied this. A DS Lite that has been dropped into a vat of Swarovski crystals.



Now, this is a little excessive, even for me. But I crave a little sparkliness for my DS Lite. Just a crystal butterflly, or heart, tastefully done of course.

Any suggestions on design ideas?

And any suggestions on good games?!

PS. You wouldn't be getting the impression that I like gadgets? And girly things? Especially when said gadgets look girlie. Would you??!!

Right, this has gone far enough!

In my new, back to paper efforts, I am now eyeing up fountain pens for my Filofax. Two fountain pens. The cheaper one is a Waterman Harmonie in Cashmere Beige, at about £40, with a solid silver nib and silver accents. And a perfect match for the inner soft beige suede-y stuff in my Filofax.


The other one I have been lusting after is the Parker Sonnet in Verdigris, with an 18ct Gold, Rhodium Plated nib!! That's correct, a solid gold nib. If I got bored with the pen, I could melt its nib down for a nice pair of earrings perhaps? Multifunctional . . .

. . . and this retails at an approximate, cool £100. Much as I love its green shimmery inner glow (which would match the greeny outer cover of my Filofax), I cannot justify spending this much on a fountain pen. Even if I can get it for £50 off eBay. I have important things like Xbox 360's to save up for.

So I am sticking with the Harmonie, which I have seen for a titchy £25 off eBay. If I buy it, I will post pictures of it in all its creamy fabulousness.

Fountain pens seem to be remarkably popular still - there's a whole forum of users (sounds like a drug habit) over at the Fountain Pen Network!

Now I just have to decide what colour ink I want. Hmm - Black? Blue? Blue-black? Redgreenbrown, VIOLET! Sigh . . . too many decisions.