Hey, by the way, it’s my birthday. Oh, did I mention that already? Well, no point being coy about it. Just one year to go before the big 4 oh (or 30-10 as Julochka would say). A time to take stock, reflect, wonder where the hell time is going and a dawning realisation that ‘this is it, it’s not a rehearsal’ isn’t just an annoying phrase smug gits say.  I’ve got all kinds of things floating around my head in terms of things I’d like to do, achieve, see etc so I thought I’d make a list and blog it. Because once you blog it, it’s The Law isn’t it? Someone else has done this recently and I can’t remember who. I’m so sorry, but thanks for the inspiration.

Here goes, in no particular order and they aren’t earth shattering…just a little list of should-be-achievable-but-it’s-too-easy-to-put-it-off…

1. Learn how to use a sewing machine (February)
2. Learn how to crochet (January)
   
3. Make a blanket from crochet granny squares – work in progress as of 8.2.10
4. Go to Sutton Hoo
5. Go to Cove Hyth
6. Have a family holiday somewhere hot (March)
7. Have a night away from the boys with MrSpud
8. Take the boys to Banham Zoo (April)
9. Complete all my Christmas shopping by the end of November
10. Make my boys’ birthday cakes – one completed (7.2.10)
11. Learn how to use the Lensbaby (6.1.10)
    
12. Visit my family Up North
13. Make a wedding photo album
14. Join a choir
15. Replace ancient framed photos in the house with more up to date ones (photos not frames)
16. Make a photo wall in the kitchen
17. Decorate office and install Craft Corner
18. Go to Lavenham
19. Learn how to use flash
20. Get 5 mentions for my client in the Financial Times (boring, sorry) – three done
21. Take the boys on the train for a day trip
22. Go to the cinema with MrSpud
23. Give Chez Spud a makeover (cheating, this is work in progress but who knows given previous track record) (19.12.09)
24. Ride a horse - (21.3.10)
25. Sit on a beach and read a book on my own – August
26. Ditch o2 for Vodafone – after much thought, stuck with 02 and upgraded my phone. V boring.
27. Make biscuits for the first time (yes, really)
28. Take a ‘star trails’ photo
29. Take a ‘smooth’ water photo
30. Drink a peach bellini (make that 4, in quick succession might as well finish up the bottle right?)
31. Watch 5 films I haven’t seen before – five done
32. Do the Secret Blog Project I’ve had in mind for a while
33. Have a pedicure (22.3.10)
34. Sleep in a tent in a location other than the garden (sigh) – done (August)
35. Go to a fireworks display
36. 50 photos in Explore on Flickr -  done (August)
37. Make felt figures (May)
38. Buy a summer dress and wear it (june)
    
39. Learn how to use our alarm clock. We’ve had it 2 years. It’s probably time.

Then turn 40 and give up.

Hmm, ponders adding ‘crop hair super short again’ as a bonus no 40? Answers on a postcard please.

Following on from yesterday’s Three Colours: Red…

Garden Clock

Garden path

Wedding dress

Ikea bowls

Julochka’s lampshade

Diggy’s curls

Tide Mill in our local town

Heavy frost down our lane

Frosty garden gate

Local animal food store

Fishing boat, Aldeburgh

Snow, also red for yesterday!

1. If you leave a vast pile of boxes in the garage with a leaky roof  for ‘just a few weeks’ (um, 9 months ago) you can expect some of them to have rotted away, taking their contents with them.
2. It doesn’t matter how many times you say, ‘That’s IT! I’m never moving again!’, some day you will.
3. It’s depressing spending an entire day decanting slightly damp possessions in to plastic crates ready for storage. We haven’t missed any of that stuff for 9 months. Do we really need it? And, while we’re at it, do we thus need any of the stuff in the container (yes a ship container) full of stored furniture etc that doesn’t fit in to our current home?
4. If you want to hide an annoying toy, say, a drum…you need to actually remove it from the premises. Shoving it in the leaky garage is only a temporary solution. Somehow the music gods protected said drum from getting wet and the Megaboys are overjoyed.
5. When you are 4 years old you can just lose yourself in the music, and not mind the vast pile of rubbish and moldy boxes around you.
6. The necklace I thought I’d lost finally showed up, under a pile of rubbish in the garage. How did it get there? Alas, no sign of the £50.00, sausage pie (bleargh), bottle of wine and e-reader which have mysteriously vanished from our house in the last year however.
7. We have toads living in the garage.
8. The Killer Cat left a mouse to decompose in the playroom. The playroom is so untidy that I didn’t notice it for days. It left its insides on the carpet when I picked it up to dispose of it. I really need to tidy the playroom. And clean the carpet.
9. When you move house, you really should empty the bins and the laundry basket before ‘temporarily’ stashing them in the garage. Dealing with 9 month old dirty laundry and rubbish isn’t pretty. Especially with your neighbours looking on giggling, tee hee!
10. MrSpud finally conceded an argument that started in August 2003 when I proposed the best way of tidying out my garden shed was to take everything out, sort it, then return what I wanted to keep to said shed. He maintained for 6 years that this was a foolish approach. I noted with interest yesterday that his chosen tactic for the Great Garage Clearance was to take everything out, sort it, then return what we needed to said garage.

I WIN!!!!! I WIN!!!!! I WAS RIGHT AND HE WAS WRONG AND IT EVER SHALL BE THUS THE END AMEN.

I’m such a modest and graceful winner. It’s one of the many reasons MrSpud married me. That, and my superior external buildings clearance techniques.

Here are my boys‘ Trunkis which I think are the perfect size for the trip. One for essentials, the other I will take empty and then snaffle a couple of friends to take home with me.  I don’t have any many local buddies and at this point my options seem to be (a) knit my own or (b) steal some. Well, I’m not at all crafty (so don’t be expecting any of that crochet nonsense from me, I ‘might’ manage finger knitting?) so (b) it is.  The case is kind of small. Must remember to take axe to dismember Blog Camp attendees so I can squish them in my Trunki and then reassemble Chez Spud. Ta da!

Inside one I’ve packed all the essentials:

1. Blog Camp T shirt
2. Standard issue Converse
3. Entire lens/camera stash
4. Bottle of white wine (for the journey – will send 10 cases ahead. Each)
5. Dressing up kit
6. Wig (just in case)
7. MacBook
8. Passport
9. iphone (for non stop Tweeting)
10. Grudge Book (never leave home without it)
11. Stones for Julochka in case she needs a fix. They are special ones. From my driveway.

Still to be packed:

1. Spare liver
2. Funnies
3. Bleep Revision Notes (so I don’t boob and call everyone by the wrong name)

On the final point, I am aware that I am a Woman of Mystery due to my penchant for dressing up. I don’t want my fellow BC victims attendees to worry about which one I am. So I had my name printed on my Blog Camp T shirt. Thoughtful huh? So, ladies, when you spot the bearded, googly eyed, blonde swishy wig, habit wearing one…you’ll know it’s me.

Gremlins! Oh no, I 'think' they've spotted me?

A week or so ago I spotted a little ‘nugget’ on The Fragrant Muse’s blog, where she’d jotted down a few of her ‘gremlins’ with a view to banishing them, or at least giving them a glancing blow, by putting them down in writing.  I admired her honesty for sharing and started musing on whether I have any gremlins and if so what to do about them? Treat them like a pet, or vermin? Feed them or swot them? So I took her gremlin catcher openers:

I do not have enough…
I will never…
I am too…
I should…
If only I…
I ought to…
I must…

and then completed the sentence to identify any gremlin presence Chez Spud. I did it fast as I thought that was the best way of luring those little critters in to my trap. Stealth is my friend.

And this is what I got:

• I do not have enough patience
• I will never wear heels again
• I am too chatty
• I should sort out a roofer who will actually call me back/turn up
• If only I had more local friends
• I ought to sort out a redesign for my blog
• I must book my ticket to Paris

I like this, a couple of meaty gremlins in there (lack of patience, lack of local buddies), couple of things that are lurking on my to do list which need urgent attention, couple of statements of fact which I am cool with. I’m sure it’s a good exercise to do every now and again, and that it’s interesting to compare the list against previous gremlin catching attempts.

Give it a go, share them gremlins if you feel like it. But if you catch some juicy ones, be sure to ZAP them.. the little ones can be returned to the wild…or tamed and kept as a pet.

A couple of 'semi' tamed gremlins

Entirely random photo in keeping with the theme of the post

Goodness, at this rate there will be nothing left to share! Everyone will have had their bit of me and Chez Spud will have to shut up shop because, finally, I ran out of things to say.

So the sassy Jules of Just Jules tagged me for ’7 random things about me & a pic too’. Go check out her blog, she takes wonderful photos and is currently playing a brilliant ‘Tell me a Story’ game which I can’t play as I’m rubbish at imaginative writing. Sighs huffily. So go and check out her blog and then come back here to see if I’ve managed to think of 7 random things, ooh it’s tough timing though as my 30 secrets in 30 days project is nearing conclusion and I’ve still not settled on the remaining few. I might have to start lying.

OK here goes, random but not that interesting things about me in case I need them as secrets:

1. I have 4 piercings only 2 of which are now fully operational.

2. I don’t eat fish. I just don’t like it and, yes, that includes smoked salmon and seafood. If it’s fishy I don’t do it.

My idea of hell

3. I am a hopelessly lapsed Roman Catholic and my confirmation name is Colette (chosen entirely because I thought it was very elegant).

4. I once emailed my boss, in error, and told her that she was annoying me so much I wanted to stab her.

5. I’ve been married twice. This time I’m playing for keeps xxx

6. As a child, I lived in a village where inbreeding was rife. All the children had white  blonde hair and deep blue eyes…one of which turned in slightly.

7. When I was 18, and thought I knew everything,  I turned down a place to study at the Royal Academy of Music in a fit of pique because it was for singing and not flute.

Oh and a picture, and a bonus random thing which is that I love marmite! My lips really really stung taking this shot, don’t try this at home kids.

My mate marmite

So, with thanks to the impatient one for some really fun questions, here goes:

1.What is your most precious of all childhood memories, one that will stay with you always?

This one had me thinking! Being sent a vast, and I mean gigantic, bouquet of flowers by my grandmother when I tuned 7 “because you are a grown up lady and grown up ladies like to receive flowers”. I was so blown away, no one I knew sent or received flowers by Interflora and the whole ‘you’re a grown up lady’ thing was right on a money for a 7 year old. I’m surprised I cherish this memory as my grandmother was a difficult character, to say the least. But clearly there were times when she was very special to me.
2. When you’re invited to a party do you (a) make a big loud entrance (b) slide in and look for someone you know or (c) fall over the threshold ripping your tights and swearing out loud because your pre-party, party was fabulous?

Easy, it’s (d) stay home and blog all night because I’m too ancient to go to parties. Seriously, I never ever go to parties any more – apart from children’s parties but they don’t count as they are mainly torturous. But in the old days it was (b) as I’m not really a big party kind of gal. Small and intimate is my thing. Say, just like Blog Camp ;-)

3. What’s your ideal vacation spot and who’d be your ideal companion?

Hmm, well I’ve been all over the world but the places that have stayed with me are Pathos, a tiny Greek island, and South Africa (where I honeymooned with MrSpud). I think if I had to choose it would be Pathos, for its unspoilt beauty and quietness. Of course ideally I’d be there with Michael Palin, but if he wasn’t there I guess MrSpud could come along. But NO CHILDREN. We’ve not had one night away from our children yet and it’s taking its toll. We neeeeeeeeed a little holiday!! So who wants my kids?

4. What was your very first gainful employment?

Washing dishes on a Saturday night in a pub, it was awful. I worked from 6.30pm until nearly midnight for £5.00 (about $8). Non stop dishwasher loading and unloading, and washing pots by hand. Hideous.  I think I was 14?

5. If you were asked to do something risky or illegal would you hesitate, jump right in or just run for the hills?

Ha ha, so easy…run for the hills. I’m the world’s biggest goody two shoes EVER! Damn, you’ve actually uncovered one of my secrets. Grr, because I’m running out!! I’ve never smoked a cigarette, never taken drugs, never done anything remotely ‘dodgy’ and I never, ever ‘risk it, it’ll be fine’. Well apart from conceiving second child by mistake but that’s not my fault, I was drunk. Hmm, perhaps not ‘quite’ so goody two shoes. More like goody one shoe?

A bit 'take a letter Miss Freak' - no?

So, I only like to watch films I’ve seen before. It’s not as daft as it sounds; watching a film takes a couple of hours of my life and I need to be confident it’s going to be worth the bother. Naturally there is a ‘bit’ of a flaw here in terms of actually watching any new films and getting them on to the Approved List. Generally I stick to the following categories:

1. Films with a near identical plot to a film on the Approved List
2. Films without Keira Knightly in them
3. Films which are sequels to those on the Approved List
4. Films of books I have read and loved (VERY dicey though, trade off between ruining my love of the book v safety net of knowing what the plot is)
5. Films with Michael Palin in them

Films that I categorically refuse to watch:

1. Anything MrSpud says is ‘an absolute classic’ (dong: hear that? that’s its death knell)
2. Anything involving war, violence, subtitles, conflict, horror, hobbits or sci-fi
3. Anything with dead horses heads in it
4. Anything with John Wayne in it
5. Anything involving historical reenactments of any kind

I’m perfectly happy with my Approved List but not so MrSpud who has tried to instigate Movie Night, each Saturday, in the desperate hope of him being allowed to watch something not directed by Mike Leigh. I’m not that keen on the idea as I think the list is just fine as it is. One or two new films have slipped through the net despite my best efforts at distraction, but for the most part the Approved List remains reassuringly static.

Occasionally I allow MrSpud to watch films that are not on the Approved List, as long as he doesn’t try to make me watch them or engage me in any kind of discussion about his movie du choix. The absolute exception to this rule is the Lord of the (sno)Ring trilogy which I cannot abide.

MrSpud having a turn with 'the eyes'

When I very first met MrSpud I got hoodwinked in to trip to the cinema with him and his extended family to see Lord of the Rings. I really thought that film would never, ever end and that I would be stuck forever in some kind of recurring nightmare involving Shires and people with bad ears and a terminally poor grip on reality. Three hours of misery, contemplating ripping off my own arm and eating it to alleviate the tedium, whilst trapped between a couple of Nanas who slept soundly throughout. Straight in to the Grudge Book for MrSpud for that little jaunt – he has a whole page to himself you know…

Spuddles

Oooh, it’s a game and it’s all about me. Two of my best favourite things. Here are five questions put to me by the fragrant Extranjera.

1. How has the transition from a flicking gal to a bloggin’ babe been? How are you settling in?

I’m settled right in thanks. I’ve moved on from an initial ‘oh crap, should I have gone Blogger not WordPress’ panic and am wittering for England. It’s like a cork coming out of a bottle (mmm, let’s all take a moment to savour that thought), I can’t seem to stop blogging. Once I’m through my 30 secrets in 30 days project I will attempt to restrain the wittering to once a day. Maybe – although I do a photo 365 project so who knows? It’s been an easy flickrgal/bloggergal transition; as Julochka cleverly noticed in her shy making Blog Crush post, I’d actually been blogging on my flickr photos for a while. So it’s been a very natural and easy transition and I love it, can’t think what took me so long to join in…so shove up lovely bloggergals… is there room for another on the Chatty Sally bench?

2. The costumes…?

I know! Such a surprise to me too. I’m quite ‘proper’ and English and reserved, don’t like to make a show of myself and all that. This ‘New Spud’ that prances about in costumes in front the neighbours is quite a surprise to me. And MrSpud too. I think it’s partly to do with having recently moved out of London for ‘the country’. I’m so much happier and thus more relaxed than I’ve ever been in my life. I am waiting on two ‘props’ for a further two secrets at this point. I’m worried Andy the Postman thinks I fancy him, since I pounce on him every day and inspect his wares. [snigger]

3. What do you think Mr. Spud thinks about this whole blogging deelio?

MrSpud is cool. Well, clearly he isn’t since any last vestige of cool that he was desperately clinging on to was cast aside with the revelation of his ‘hobbit dancing’. What I mean is that MrSpud is on board, and is really enjoying spending all evening sorting out my blog. He really revels in a daily 12 hour working day, including 4 hours of commuting, and then coming home and, erm, programming some more. He loves it, he’s MAD for it. He’s a little bit crazy like that. Seriously, he’s very supportive and doesn’t bat an eyelid at my antics. I knew I married him for a reason.

4. Name 3 things you can’t live without and why? (Family and such excluded)

1. wine 2. wine and 3. wine. Oh but then what about Michael Palin? Oh no, not enough choices.

Wine booze...yum

5. What is the story behind your ‘name’?

Excellent question! It’s my family nickname, I’m generally known as Spud. The origins are lost in the mists of time somewhat. My maternal grandfather used it as a nickname for my mother. But no one knows where it comes from. Alas he died long before I was born otherwise I’d ask him! I like it, it’s very unique and very ‘me’. I’ve never met another Spudballoo. I like that, it pleases me.

Baby Spud

So come on, join in…who wants 5 questions? I’d love to interrogate learn more about you!

Love from Spud x

Having established what it is  I pushed on and rose the not insustantial challenge of Molly’s 5 random favourite things. My list is a bit of a disappointment, a little bit…’lightweight’ shall we say? I’m now thankful that I’ve already fessed to being an intellectual lightweight, otherwise the secret would be well and truly out.

I am resisting the urge to witter on and comment on my choices as there are at least two forthcoming secrets in the 30 secrets in 30 days series contained within. So, here’s the list…

Favourite Songs:

1. True Love Ways – Buddy Holly (walked down the aisle to this)
2. Keep the customer satisfied – Simon & Garfunkel (walked back up the aisle to this)
3. Angel – Sarah McLachlan
4. Steal Away – The Furies (taking a moment to howl and sob)
5. Northern Sky – Nick Drake

Favourite Films:

1. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
2. Love Actually
3. Le Divorce
4. Hans Christian Anderson (shared love with my boys, watch bits of it daily)
5. Amelie

Favourite Books:

1. Dance to the Music of Time – Anthony Powell
2. The Music of the Spheres – Elizabeth Redfern
3. Four Letters of Love  – Niall Williams
4. Everything by Barbara Trapido (I know, I cheated)
5. The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins

Favourite Crushes:

1. Michael Palin
2. Michael Palin
3. Michael Palin
4. Michael Palin
5. Michael Palin

Favourite (Random) Things:

1. Brown paper packages (tied up with string of course)

2. The smell of a stationary shop

3. The bottom of the laundry basket

4. Time on my own

5. Belly laughs

Hmm, so I tag…any 5 people who read this and want to play. I think that’s cheating?!