Happy Thought

I know today is Monday, but I'm trying to be positive. The only happy thought I could come up with is:
Tomorrow is the first day of Spring, which makes today the LAST day of winter :-)

So I Gave in...

We have no telly, so we read lots. However, I have a small handicap when it comes to choosing books to read - I can't. I can't stand in a book shop for hours flicking through books. I usually default to picking a book based on how attractive it's cover is. If the cover catches my eye then the book gets more consideration than any other book in the shop. Suffice to say, on this basis, I don't read a lot of what might be described as literature - well except for Harry Potter.

Since reading the Harry Potter books I have found it even harder to find books I like. Rather than go out and spend money on books I may not finish I have just gone through every book in the house and read it (Jamie reads a lot of stuff I wouldn't consider, so I've lowered my standards).

Anyway, a couple of weekes ago we came to a very difficult point. The only books left in the house, that I hadn't read, were Terry Pratchett books. MGB has spent a long time trying to convince me to read these books, and since reading two of them, Jamie joined in. Anyway, I succumbed and have so far read Monstrous Regiment and Maskerade.

They are very entertaining books - Pratchett is a very witty man. Sometimes you really have to force yourself to keep reading cos it all starts to sound wierd. It seems that there is no point where he explains Discworld and when he introduces, for example, a troll or a vampire in very non-chalant way you have to convince yourself that it will be ok and make sense in the end.

Of course now I've finished the only Pratchett boks in the house, I may find myself buying a few more to keep me amused. The sad thing about all this is that one reason I got so desperate to read any book I could find isbecuase I'm avoiding reading my driving theory test book - silly girl!!

Civilisation

Is it a sign that I live in a relatively civilised town, if my StarBucks density is only 1? [via Alison]

Asparagus - HA!

Jamie was home from work before me yesterday evening. An unusual occurence, but a pleasant one as he will prepare the evening meal - hurrah!

When I walked into the living room I was greeted by a strange sight. I asked Jamie:
"Why is there asparagus in a jar?" [There was asparagus in a jar on top of the stereo unit. Some of you who know Jamie will be familiar with his... eccentricities, but I still find myself questioning little things like this.]

Jamie's response to this question was to turn on the living room light. At which point I realised that the asparagus were actually daffodils which have not yet opened.

He bought flowers, which have yet to flower. So within a week or so, the asparagus-in-a-jar will be lovely yellow daffodils. NOT asparagus!!

Live Music

Last night, I experience, for the first time in a long time, the joys of live music. Jamie and myself went to the Joiners in Southampton, with a bunch of his college friends to see a gig.

There were four bands playing, but the main reason to be there was the head line act - Karalta. The lead singer/guitarist is a friend of a guy that sits in Jamie's bay at the University.
The first band to play really impressed me though. Maybe it was the excitement at being at a live gig and getting swept up in it all, or maybe it was the just-stepped-out-of-a-salon hair the lead singer had, or maybe they were really that good.... they were called I am Jack. Good solid metal music was provided by these youngsters, and they knew what they were doing....

The next two bands - Idle Hands and One Man Rescue - didn't make any great impression on me. Actually Idle Hands struck me as a bunch of mid- to late-thirties guys who've been at this gigging lark for a while. I think I was distracted by Jamie's mates arriving and just chatting to those guys. But I paid attention again when Karalta took the stage. They're quite a good band, mainly metal with a hint of jazz funk. If they're in an area near you soon you should go see them. If not you can always wait for their album release in early March.

Live music is cool, I think myself and Jamie are going to have a New Year's resolution of going to more live music events.

My Day...

Today, is the feast day of Saint Hilary - the patron saint of snake bite victims. Alot of people seem to think that's ironic, what with me being a native of the land famous for it's lack of snakes.

I was actually named after St. Hilary, although my father will argue that I was named after Dr. Paddy Hillery the then President of Ireland (this annoys my mother no end, which is why I think he says it). But to some people in Ireland any member of the Fianna Fail party is a saint.....

It has been pointed out to me that St. Hilary is man. I have always been perfectly aware of this fact, but Hilary is one of those unisex names, it can be applied to boys and girls. So there, I'll have no more on that discussion now!

My mother always tells how the priest was refusing to christen me. In Catholic Ireland many priests would refuse to christen a child that was not being named after a saint. The priest had no knowledge of my namesake and could find no mention of him. But my mother persevered saying the name appeared in her bible at home, threatening to go home and get it, to prove the saint existed and get me christened. The priest didn't have time for this. You see, he was an ardent GAA fan, and Clare were playing Tipperary in a hurling match later that day - in Tipperary. Not to risk being late for the match the priest put the argument aside and christened me. So, basically I was christened thanks to the GAA. How many people can say that :-)

But the important thing to remember is... today is my day!