I am a total wuss when it comes to horror films. Real blood doesn't
bother me, I can watch surgical documentaries without a second thought
but horror films are a totally different kettle of fish as far as I am
concerned. I jump at all the jumpy bits and I close my eyes at most of
the gory bits.

Last year I went to see Creep.
and I only jumped once and only squirmed once (at the gynecological
scene) and I didn't break any of the fingers of those sitting next to
me. Overall I was more amused than scared and after less than 10
minutes I was rooting for the monster and hoping the girl would be
dispatched promptly.

This lulled me into a false sense of
security. Maybe at last my brain could understand that it was all make
believe and I would be from then on able to see other horror films
without crushing anybody's fingers or hiding everytime the predictably
scary/horrible/gory moments come along.

Not so.

Last night there was freshly made popcorn and beer and good company and a horror movie. And I only managed to watch about half of it. The main difference between Creep and Wolf Creek
is that in the latter the filmaker takes the time to introduce the
characters in a way that makes them quite likeable. The girls make
stupid mistakes, but instead of grinning as I thought "you don't want
to do that, the monster's gonna get you, and about time too" I thought
"you stupid, stupid girl just shoot him". Of course I knew that if if
she did beat his brain to a mush when she got the opportunity then it
would make for a terribly short film, the plot could not allow it, but
I didn't want her to be stupid, I didn't want her to get caught, I
wanted a happy ending before the bad bit happend so when we got to the
first really gory bit I couldn't watch any longer.

Yes I am a whimp. I wonder if I'll manage to watch the copy of The Birds which I bought a while back and has been sitting on the shelf since.
3.3.06 22:48



Seals on a beach in Norfolk

This week-end I have learned or had confirmation that:



  • Bison grass vodka does smooth the rough edges (I love the way they ask you to key in your birthday to prove you are 21 before entering the site, because of course it is a well known fact that people never lie from behind a screen).
  • When a 6am departure is planned the next morning it is probably not too wise to stay up until the small hours just because the conversation is easy. There is only so much caffeine will do.
  • In the time it takes to go from South London to Cley Next The Sea (no, for once it's not my typo, there is no to in the name of the town) and back, in my not so high performance car, with a little bit of site seeing in between, there is enough time to play 184 songs.
  • The power of entertainment of hideous soft toys is almost unlimited.
  • Mussels are a great food. So are crabs.
  • I need to stop underestimating how much the cold can stop other people's enjoyment of the outdoors. Just because fidget power means my body gets used to the cold after a few minutes doesn't mean other peole will find being on a boat on the North Sea while it is snowing enjoyable at all. Next time I want to take somebody seal clubbing watching, I will make sure it is going to be when the weather is more clement.
  • There are times a single look can tell you that unzipping your fleece, no matter how warm you feel is not a wise move, unless you want your frozen travelling companion to be faced with having to choose between throwing you overboard or killing you in a way which would allow them to stave off hypothermia by using the warmth emanating from your freshly slayed entrails.
  • Driving through London is not half as challenging as I thought it would be, though that may have something to do with having people to give me directions and picking times where the roads are almost deserted.

Thanks to Fimb for the Norfolk travel tips.


boat with seals in the background
14.3.06 20:56


It's a pet peeve of mine. Yarn in skeins. Why when even cheapest and
nastiest 100% acrylic  is  sold as a  centre pull 
ready to knit ball, slightly more expensive brands feel need to
differenciate their product by making it less convenient for
thecustomer?


I am an instant gratification junkie. When I buy yarn I want to be able
to start knitting it now and when I get to the end of the thread I want
to be able to join it to the next now. I do not want to have to ball it.

It
is irrelevant that the yarn may have sat in a corner of the room for a
few months before i decided to put it on the needles and I could have
balled it instead of ignoring it. It is also irrelevant that the
project may linger on the needles untouched for days or weeks at a
time. If I am not in the mood for knitting I am even less likely to be
in the mood for balling.

I could understand it if I was buying
some lovely handspun product but Rowan will not have me believe that no
machines were involved in producing the Summer Tweed
which Him Indoors bought for me after Christmas in the John Lewis sale.
Instead of having somebody tie those really annoying knots to hold the
skein together couldn't they have just made the darn things ready to
knit?

Maybe I need to go back to bed for a bit. Maybe start the day over again in an hour or so and see how things go.
18.3.06 10:23



sign at Brixton Academy
26.3.06 19:08


What do you do when you have been busy enjoying the extra hour of
evening daylight by spending some time in the garden trying to catch
the first weeds before they grow huge and generally got busy messing
about with mud and realised a bit late that fresh air may be great at
putting a rosy glow on children's cheeks it doesn't do much for
their stomachs? When you look at your watch and realise it's a bit late
for anything elaborate? When the first plan of pasta with a
simple tomato sauce falls flat because you remember suddenly that you
wrongly believed there were plenty of tins of  tomatoes left in
the cupboard the last time you were out shopping?

Warning people who feel warm tinned tuna is a crime should avert their eyes now! Easy peasy, you make
tuna macaroni cheese.

Step one
grated cheese
While boiling some water for the pasta, ask your willing kitchen slave to grate a chunk of cheese.It
is wise to first ensure said kitchen slave has removed all traces of
previous hard labour in the garden before being entrusted with food
handling.
Step two
pan full of boiling water and macaroni
let
the pasta boil away and if you fancy adding a bit of colour to the dish
throw a handful of peas in with the pasta and imagine Antonio Carluccio
groan with disapproval
Step three
roux in a pan
In
the meantime get started on the cheese sauce. Melt a chunk of butter
and mix with a good tablespoon of flour and a crumbled stock cube and
imagine the disapproving look of St Delia. Warm some milk in the
microwave. Stir till you get a shiny lump of dough.
Step four
milk added to roux
Add
the warm milk and stir like crazy. Check the kitchen slave is not
cutting himself on the edges of the tin of tuna he volunteered to
open.
step five
makings of a cheese sauce in a pan
Stir some more and keep adding milk
Step six
cheese sauce in a pan
When
the sauce is just the way you like it (thick enough that it will coat
the pasta, not so thick it will fall from the pan in a big lump rather
than a gentle flow) correct the seasoning and add chopped chive which
you couldn't resist picking on the way in from the garden since it's
the only thing that looks lush and fresh rather than neglected in the
veg and herbs beds at the moment. Add drained flaked tinned tuna steak
(we use the one in water)
Step seven
dish of macaroni cheese ready to be grilled
Assemble, ie drain the pasta and peas, pour in a dish, mix in the sauce, sprinkle the cheese on top ang grill.
Step eight
dished up macaroni cheese with salad
Dish
up and watch easily pleased child wolf down while savouring the
knowledge he has diddled an extra half an hour before bedtime out of
his mother.
28.3.06 00:22


Role reversal


After the usual daily "have you seen where I put my keys?", this morning, The Boy declared "we need a rule in this house that all keys go on the key rack".

29.3.06 10:50


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