The Used have a new DVD/CD out next week. I've been watching the previews over on their myspace page for the last few weeks so am suitably excited about getting it. It's called Berth and is all live - yum. It sort of cheers me up after I couldn't see them at the gig in Birmingham cos it cost about £50 - and that's just tickets alone. Being poor sucks sometimes.

I've also missed out on seeing my other favourite band - Thirteen Senses. They're not playing Wales (boo) and I can't see them when they're down in Bristol cos Jem's already bought tickets to see The Deftones for two days before! What are the odds of that happening?

I'm missing my gigs. I haven't been to a proper gig since last October. I'm missing seeing my bands live. Why are they not touring?

That's my New Year's Resolution: go to more gigs! Of course that means my favourite bands must make their own Resolution: to tour Wales! I hate it when my favourite bands all disappear at the same time.

Labels: gigs, music, the used, thirteen senses

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It was Ray and I's eight-month anniversary on Thursday. We went out for a drink and ended up leaving halfway through after getting into a huge fight. We finished the argument in the car and I ended up going home early. That was the biggest argument we've ever had. Trust it to be on an anniversary! Not to worry cos we made up again the next day. I kind of love arguing cos I love the making up.

That day was also SARAH'S 24th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!. I hope you had a great day :D

Saturday I spent the morning arguing with Jemma. Then Mammy brought home her new car, which is bloody huge! It's a stupidly big estate thing. It's very pretty but, damn, it's big. I'll have to get some pictures of it. It's her new baby so I let her drive me around in it for a while to keep my mind off the fact that Ray hadn't come over to see me. But while we wer driving about Ray texted to ask if he could come over :)

So we all had pizza and chips for dinner mmm. Once Daddy got back from the pub Ray and I sat downstairs and laughed at how drunk he and Mammy got and all the random things they were saying about things on the TV. I ended up watching about half of crappy BLADE II. Mammy fell asleep, Ray went home so I put Mammy to bed and then myself.

Yesterday was nice. Ray and I spent the whole day together. Everything is fine between us again. I say again: I might pick fights just so we can have the making up part again :) I bought myself some new hairdye and some ink. I sent off letters to six publishers/agents and I have another two to try once my ink has arrived and I can print out the letters and sample chapters. I also had to buy Ray some gas for his blowtorch cos B&Q wouldn't sell it to him cos he's not twenty-one, which everyone has found very, very funny. That cheered us all up actually after Ray's sister said a tearful goodbye (she's moved to Manchester to live with her boyfriend).

This last week has been such an emotional rollercoaster. I'm hoping for a nice quiet, boring week this week...

Labels: anniversary, birthday, family, ray, writing

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(I'm getting bored of the blog. I think it'll pass soon enough but just in case the posts disappear you'll know why.)

I've started reading The Libertines: Bound Together. I've wanted the book since it was released and I was lucky enough to get it for Christmas. So I finished reading the other book I was reading (Gary Barlow's autobiography, which was great) and abandonded the other one (Stephen King and Peter Straub's "Blackhouse"). It looks great. It's the hardback version so it looks that extra bit pretty. The photos are great. Butr this guy they've got writing it - Anthony Thornton - is awful. He writes these fantastical nouns to push how excited he was/is by the band and it just comes across as ridiculous. He keeps calling Pete Peter for some reason - probably because he wants people to think he knows him that well. Considering in all the interviews Carl calls Pete Pete I really don't see the sense in this Anthony fellow not doing the same.

Aside from his clearly butt-licking writing, the way he talks about the band is not based in any kind of factual world. He has them down as the most ground-breaking band the music has ever seen, Pete and Carl are the most influential poets and together they saved British music. What country was he living in? I think the Libertines are/were great. They were original and their lyrics were honest and pretty. But let's not build them up to be something they were not. They didn't change British music. They were an original band who fucked it all up by getting high too many times and growing to hate each other. I adore Pete but I know he's no poor broken angel who needs saving. He's a self-obsessed git who thinks he's better than everyone else.

Ask most people who they know: Pete Doherty or the Libertines and they'll say Pete. That's how much The Libertines changed British music: they gave the industry a young man who's known more for his drug consumption and famous druggie girlfriend than for any songs he's written with or without Carl.

All this sounds as though I don't like Pete or The Libertines - on the contrary: I do - very much. I just hate it when people try to claim that musicians have changed the world, or saved the music industry from collapse when it's all lies. No one denies The Libertines were good and very, very original but they didn't make that big an impact. And anyway considering they only split a few years ago how the hell can you look back on them already and claim they've made these amazing things happen?

I dunno, maybe you have to be in with the NME cool gang to understand it. I certainly don't.

Labels: books, drugs, music, Pete Doherty, The Libertines

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This weekend was typically different to how I imagined it would be.

It was a Saturday morning so I assumed I'd be going down to the rugby. It was an away game, though, so unless Daddy was going with his car there'd be no way we could get down to the game. Turned out Daddy was going with the 2nds instead, or the Youth; I can't remember now. Yep, three years of running their website and not one player or committe member offer us a lift. We know the deal now. So we just didn't go.

Instead Ray and I took Sweepie down Llyn Llech Owain (I do have pictures but I'm working so can#t upload them - typical). It had been a rainy, muggy sort of week so the ground was quite soft - in the places where they hadn't dumped heaps of huge stones on the paths anyway. Considering they're meant to be preserving the park I can't understand why the walkways are covered in huge stones, which not only hurt dog's feet but make it impossible to ride horses there. There was also the usual array of cut down trees. One tree had blown right across the path and no one had cleared it away. So we ventured into the woods, nearly lost Sweepie in the undergrowth and then emerged on the other side. By this time Sweepie had black-black feet from the mud.

We went round to the lake and planned on sitting down on our bench. Well, I say our bench but it's not ours legally. It's just where Ray and I liked to sit in the summer when all we did was walk and walk and walk. But where our bench was was flooded! So we hopped over the big puddle and continued along the path. We let Sweepie off the lead cos she's a good girl now and can be trusted and continued on our way. There was the usual tinkling sound her disk makes against her harness and then a big SPLOOSH. I turned around to find Sweepie up to her neck in water and looking up at us waiting for one of us to help her out. She wasn't panicking at all - I was, naturally, considering all the signs that say "Stick to the paths; boggy land." She jumped out (with a little help), shook herself off and carried on her way. She thought she was it then, didn't she? Poor thing was quite cold by the time we got back to the car so, typical OTT mother, I wrapped her up in a huge throw that Ray has in the back of his car (it's the bosses car and the throw is a dust sheet apparently). She looked adorable.

That night we all went down the pub to see how the boys had got on. Apparently they won. As usual, the boys we're friends with didn't stick around so there was no one to talk to. Then the resident hardcore druggies started arriving in droves. Due to the owner of the pub kicking out some of the other druggies, the others have moved back in. Druggies United and all that. So I got wound up (I really don't like those guys and they really don't like me either) and we left. We went to the other pub instead where they serve my favourite - Tango. Mmmm.

The decision was made that night: Jemma and I are quitting the Tumble RFC website. We've been threatening to since the start of the season but we always talk ourselves back into it but this week we just stopped talking. I emailed the guy who likes to think himself in charge of these things and told him he needed to find someone new or else it would be closed down when the domain/host packages run out in March. I bet he can't wait to get his hands on the site - he's been sure he could run it better than us for months. So now's his chance. As from March onwards I will just be an ordinary supporter once more. You should have seen the email I sent him - it was great! I quote: I'm sure you're aware of the problems the club/team has, which neither myself nor Jemma wish to be associated with in an official capacity any longer. I can't wait to finish with it all. The only thing I'll miss is how damn pretty that site looks right now.

Today is Sunday and I'm working. Isn't that a sin? I hope not. So far I've written a letter, looked up about seven or eight UK literary agents/publishers to send my work to and eaten way too much yummy food. Oh, and I've even seen a brand new episode of "The Simpsons". I usually just catch all the repeats on Channel 4. I don't have Sky so when I come here I'm like a Sky Dork and watch every episode of "Futurama", "The Simpsons" and "Malcolm In the Middle" I can find; not forgetting all the Star Trek shows.

I've just noticed I keep typing words that look similar to the ones I'm meant to be typing but aren't the right ones. I wrote either instead of eight and eaten instead of even. How weird. I must be getting keyboard dyslexia.

Labels: drugs, nerdiness, rugby, sweepie, tumble, websites

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That's not some innuendo about my libido. My knife is actually back. A couple of months ago Ray bought me a JML knife. I know it's not the most romantic of presents but it was something I really wanted. He knows how obsessed I am with JML and their products and the fact that I cut a lot of cheese and salad and so need a good knife. He was going to engrave it and everything but never got round to that part. Well, it went missing a few days ago. I looked everywhere for it but couldn't find it and was really upset. Then I just went to cut a roll and there in the drawer was my knife! I don't know where it had been but it's back now and I am really, sadly, very happy :)

I'm not sure if you noticed but I got my first hate comment yesterday. It was on the previous day's post and it was from my little sister. Yes, my first hate comment came from my baby sister. Says a lot for the type of person I am, huh? Hehehe, no, no I'm not a horrid person - honest. I'm not really sure what I said wrong. I'm not even sure if it was what I said that pissed her off anyway. Sometimes I wonder if she just gets pissed at me cos I'm not as devoted to her as I used to be. Not to get into the dynamics of the past or anything, but there was a good five year period where she was my only thought and I pretty much treated her as if she was my own daughter. That of course got me into trouble with the rest of the family when suddenly parenting became the in thing again but I didn't care really. Sounds soppy but she was worth the hassle. I know we'll always, always have a different relationship to most sisters but for the past year things have gone sour. This time last year she had me not sleeping cos she just completely turned against me and was quite calculated in her bullying - I'm not sure if that's the right word but it was something like that. I ended up having two panic attacks in the space of about an hour and so called things to a head. We talked, got it sorted and I thought everything would be okay. But when I started dating Ray she turned on me a bit again. Looking at it objectively, I guess I could say that she's upset that Ray's my main priority now. But the only problem with that is she didn't seem to even want my attention before he came along anyway. Ahh, I don't even know. Maybe it has nothing whatsoever to do with that and I just simply annoy the crap out of her! I should probably just talk to her but I hate confrontations and I just know I'd either end up pissing her off even more or else upsetting Mammy or Daddy in some way. Why are family's so messed up? They're meant to be the easy side of relationships, aren't they?

Actually, I'm going to talk to her now. I'm an adult and can cope with confrontations now, right? Right.

Edit: A hug later and everything is fine. Lovely. I can go to Pizza Hut tonight without worrying about it :)

Labels: family, jml

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Sweepie did an impromptu photo-shoot yesterday morning:













Too cute for words, isn't she?

I've also done my back in. I'm not sure how. It hurts when I cough. Actually it pretty much hurts most of the time now. So I either pulled it coughing (which is very possible considering how much coughing's gone on lately), playing x-box (well, you never know, do you?) or lifting Sweepie or her big brother. It bloody hurts either way. I'm going to wait 'til I get back from my pet-sitting job next week; if it's still bad then I'll go to the doctors, I guess. Is that what you do with a bad back?

Labels: illness, photos, sweepie, xbox

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The weekend was good.

I didn't have to go to the rugby. I was planning on going but Jem was really ill and then Ray got ill as well so I didn't. I spent the afternoon looking after them both while playing Halo 2. Yes, I've completed 1 and have already moved onto 2. I don't know what I'm going to do once I've completed this one cos there is no 3. I'll have to find a new game to get obsessed over.

I didn't think I'd end up going out Saturday night but Ray got better at about 9ish so I suggested we go for a drink. We went down to see the rugby boys but there weren't many left. In fact, only the middle-aged ones were - and I don't get on with them well. I walked in and one of the more disgusting ones walked around behind me and said something about how I hadn't been shagged up the arse yet! I'm curious as to how he'd know such a thing just from looking! Understandably, Ray got pissed off with him, especially when he continued being an arse. In the end his friend took him away. We only stayed for one drink cos there was only the kids left. I don't mind being there with the kids, they're decent enough, but I'd already exhausted that avenue of conversation the night before. The kids are quite slutty, you see, and like to sleep with one another on a rotational basis. I didn't understand how it all worked so Ray told me what he'd learned from them during his stint of working behind the bar. I was fascinated, to be honest.

Anyway, we decided the other pub would be better so we went there. And it was. Much better. Even got a free drink off Ray's boss! In fact, we were so deeply engrossed in conversation we didn't notice the pub had emptied and the barman had even cleared away the bar. Oops.

Sunday we took Sweepie for a long walk. We're teaching her to come back when she's called. Her main issues is with cars. She just doesn't like them. When they drive past her she lunges at them. And if she's off the lead when they go past she chases them! Which is no good at all really. She was surprisingly very, very good. And she's quite slutty - she found about four different boyfriends during her walk. She was exhausted by the time we got back to the car and slept on my lap all the way home. Aww.

It was great when we got back cos Mammy had cooked dinner so I didn't even have to cook! It was funny cos Daddy pulled the table out and set place-mats down and stuff just cos Ray was there. Usually we all eat in front of the TV! It was quite sweet really cos they're both trying to get to know Ray now cos I think they've just worked out he’s sticking around - took them seven months to figure that one out! Plus Daddy's been a right arse to me lately so I think he's trying to make it up to me by being nice to Ray. My younger sister didn't take to it all very well at all and ended up stomping around, pushing Ray very rudely out of the way. By the time I'd figured out what she'd done she'd already ran off again so I couldn't even tell her off for it. It was too good a day to spoil arguing anyway so neither one of us could be bothered to argue with her about it.

We were gonna go down the pub again last night (like, the fourth day in a row now I think!) but it was closed so we just headed back to Ray's to say hello to everyone.

Today I got back to my writing. At last, it's all working again! I hate it when I can't write. (read more) It doesn't happen often but when it does I panic like hell. And tonight I'm getting food cooked for me by Ray so that's my second day without having to cook. I could get used to this. . .

Oh, and I was lucky this time: the tonsil only hurt for a couple of days. So hopefully there'll be no more tonsil ache for the rest of the year!

Labels: family, halo, illness, pub, rugby, sweepie, writing

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How the hell is it a new year already? I didn't get the Chrismassy vibe, and it certainly didn't feel like I was ringing in a new year. It was a weird festive period this year. I enjoyed, though, it was just enjoyment in a different way to normal.

I have the usual new-year-illness now. Tonsillitis. Bleurgh. I've had a cold-ish thing for the past week and then this morning I woke up to find my left tonsil huge and veiny in the back of my throat. Mmm, nice. Never mind. It's not like I don't know how to handle tonsillitis, is it? It's like my specialist sport in illnesses really.

I'm still not back to my usual routine. The writing won't happen for me yet (probably cos I'm ill), I'm barely online. I haven't updated any of the sites in ages. I'm in a lame-ass mood at the moment. Blame the tonsil. Ray's brought round the xbox so I've become newly obsessed with Halo. I tried driving a car in it yesterday and spent about half an hour in floods of tears cos it was just too funny how bad I was at it!

I've given up trying to customise a Live Journal layout. I tried and failed. Hehehe. So I've gone for this look now. So expect more updates there once I get myself back into routine.

I'm just feeling so sluggish at the moment. It doesn't help that Daddy's started a new job and isn't feeling very confident in it so keeps picking fights with me. We're barely talking at the moment and I hate bad feeling like that. I've spent the last week either hiding at Ray's house or else going out for food, taking Sweepie to meet the in-laws and, of course, playing the xbox.

Never mind. Once the tonsil shrinks back to size I can get writing again and all will be normal again.

Hope everyone else's new year has started better than mine has! (Don't worry, although I haven't been commenting I have been keeping up to date on everyone's blogs/journals :) )

Labels: halo, illness, live journal, new years, websites, writing, xbox

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I'm still not online much since Christmas.

In short: Christmas was a non-event but I was spoilt rotten and got far too many presents off Ray :) I drank a lot of vodka-lemonade. New Year's was fun and I didn't get into bed 'til about 6:30am.

Back to writing again next Monday so I'll probably blog again then. I've gone on one of my anti-internet kicks. It'll pass soon.

Labels: blogging, christmas, internet, new years, vodka

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