my own private hidey-hole

in retrospect, getting home *after* karaoke and doing shots of polish vodka probably wasn't the best idea.

neither was oversleeping this morning. (still, despite only waking at leaving-the-house-o'clock i managed a shower, egg and bacon sandwich (NECESSARY) and only 25mins late.)

not convinced i have the stamina for my bristol / black plastic round trip this evening, but i shall give it my best vodka SHOT. i hope to see y'all at BP later, yes/yes?

songs sung:
land of make believe - NOT SUNG STILL BROKEN. BAD LUCKY VOICE.
don't stop - fleetwood mac
don't let me down - beatles
swinging on a star - big dee irwin
wonderboy - tenacious d

oh yeah, and for some reason dr hilary was singing 'sweet caroline' for dancing on ice this weekend. if you watch it, you may well see us swaying in the background. my price, if you are interested, is one large glass of red and some extra singing time.

some of you will be glad to hear there will be no porridge today.

today, demands a Big Bap stuffed with cheese and probably some crisps.

because yesterday there was some excellent karaoke with some excellent people and some excellent wine. (i did: half of 'i drove all night', 'the one and only', 'time after time', and 'swinging on a star'. i liked 'swinging on a star' best, i forgot how good that song is!) there was also excellent literal dancing, and excellent fun. excellent.

(i think they have done something to bloomsbury bowl. it seemed more hygienic. perhaps cleaned the windows. i couldn't work out what. hrm.)

the yo! sushi eat 10 plates get the 5 cheapest free deal runs out today, so if you fancy sushi, are a bit broke, and have a yo! handy, make the most of it. (i did this with charleston last night.)

***

today i am mostly waiting for lunch and browsing dawanda, which seems like quite a funky site. a bit like etsy i suppose - people making and selling. but in amongst the tat there are some quite nice pieces.

keeping me occupied at any rate...

(i am also looking at tiffany but we won't talk about that)

there is nothing better than singing.

there is nothing better than being in a room full of people who like singing.

there is nothing better than being in a room full of people who like singing, and are doing so.

karaoke last night was simply MARVELLOUS, and it isn't just the vin rouge talking. though that was pretty tasty too.

i think i could happily sing, and listen to other people singing while watching them enjoy themselves, forever and ever and ever and ever. we tried, but the karaokebox man eventually turfed us out.

i sang probably too much, but mostly with other people, so that's ok. um, there was:

♥ mr big - to be with you (with perfectlyvague
♥ girls aloud - biology
♥ macca - no more lonely nights (with mrs rhodri)
♥ nikki french - total eclipse of the heart (with charleston and too much jumping around and shouting BOSH!>
♥ carly simon - you're so vain (with jenny again)
♥ meatloaf - dead ringer for love (more jenny! i forgot ALL the harmony and gave up on it, rubbish.)
♥ eurythmics - sweet dreams (with super harmonising from wilteddaffodil who is Very Good At Singing.)

and i think that was probably it, from me at least. i demand more karaoke! NOW! ahem. my neck is crippling me today, i should learn to actually OBEY myself and not attempt to windmill headbang to bon jovi. honestly.

more tasty wine in various locations afterwards, though man, 24 hour drinking is hard to find in london, how ridiculous! managed to stumble home via liverpool street, hurrah for homing instincts.

***

it was BEAUTIFUL walking to the station this morning. sharp and crisp, yet blurred with fog. that sort of fog that you think if you manage to walk through it to the other side you'll find yourself leaving some battle ground in an alternative universe. or perhaps that's just me. anyway, this is my favourite sort of weather. i can't think of anything better.

except maybe KARAOKE. heh.

Now I appear to have some sort of function back I shall blather at you and my future self about the weekend just gone. Bullet points I think…

Friday

Vile mood.

Decided to stay in the flat.

Cut out some enormous swathes of denim.

Start making a wicked collar from bits of Mansun tshirt and denim.

Sewing project well and truly underway, but starting with easyish bits to, er, ease myself back into using a sewing machine accurately.

***

Saturday

Up early, shortly after D has left for work.

Hit the sewing machine, finish ace collar.

Discover magick denim stitch setting on sewing machine of glory, start sewing skirt bits together. (I think the skirt is going to be far too heavy. I *know* it’s going to be heavy. Instead of appliquéing the tshirts over the top, I think I shall cut out windows and sew them through from the back of the skirt, does that make sense?)

No Victoria Line and a dangerous looking accident mean I am almost trapped in E17. Woe! Manage to walk to Blackhorse Road and hop the Silverlink to Camden, phew!

Order replacement presser foot shaft from tiny secret Bernina shop I haven’t noticed before.

Wander up to Primrose Hill. Realise I have never sat up there before, marvel at the view. Blur were right!

Locate therealjo, whose birthday it was, and find rounders pitches.

Crack open the first (and second) Pimm in a Tin in a park of the summer. Aaaaah. Follow up with first (second and third) Gin in a Tin and veggies.

I don’t remember rounders being *that* difficult at school! Sad state of fitness. I think I went around 3 times, and we won, but people started talking about rules and lost me a bit ;) Still, lovely afternoon. Healthy!

Quick change in pub loo and onto Black Plastic to take up position as Steve Strange Door Whore.

What an excellent night! Ace atmosphere, ace mix of people, top music, aaaaah. Again please ladies!

Despite best yoga based intentions (honestly!) ended up seeing in Sunday at purplestuart’s at an incredibly lovely afterparty. Yoga? What yoga. Ahem.

***

Sunday

After some bag / bus / taxi trauma, eventually headed back towards the West End with green_badger about 2pm.

Dashed across Soho to Karaoke Box for some sweet hours of wonderful karaoke.

I love love love how nobody ever seems to do anything spectacularly obvious.

Me, I sing Band on the Run (sorry!), Let Loose – Crazy for you (haha oops), Blink 182 – All the Small Things (yeah!), and do the girlie bit on Danger High Voltage for Martin. And possibly something else. Where is my memory, hmmm?

After, I shoot off to Regents Park Open Air Theatre for Daniel Kitson.

Aw, but he’s just so BRILLIANT, isn’t he? First half is him reading a lovely story (which makes me weep) interspersed with Gavin Osborne playing songs that add to the story, and also make me weep.

[Last year he told several shorter stories, I think I preferred the longer, overarching / all fitting together thing. Also last year I wept a little too. I have a feeling I hadn’t been home the night before then either. Tsk, Kitson is clearly a bad influence. With, er, his straight-edge ways….]

Second half is the fireworks stuff we saw him previewing at the Hen & Chickens a while back, which has been polished up and taken to Melbourne and all sorts in between. Funny. Lovely. He really suits the open air. Especially in the latter half of the evening when it’s dark and the lights are twinkly. What a wonderful way to end a weekend :)

***

Monday

Yesterday I ACHED so much it was ridiculous. All joints and muscles seized up and shrieking. No Motley Crue for me :(

I deduce this must be the fault of rounders. My fitness level is clearly SHOCKING. My stupid body seems to respond to abuse 2 days after the occasion...

…which means today I am *exhausted*.

Yesterday also – Edinburgh planning began. Exciting goodness, eee!

Oh, and Happy Birthday catbo! If I get a wriggle on with sewing this evening and mostly finish huge skirt of DOOM, I’ll probably come out tomorrow, hurrah!

[Lord, I’m broke this month again. Is it payday yet? :(]

***

Haha, the new My Chemical Romance single (Teenagers?) sounds like “That’s Living Alright” which I thought was sung by Dennis Waterman and from a sitcom but it doesn’t appear to be.

*Takes deep breath*

Here goes!

( This entry is likely to contain overexcited babbling along the lines of 'FLUMES!' 'Bring the NOISE!' 'HELL YEAH!' 'Drink through!' 'Straight through!' 'I've been really irritating...' )

****

This is ridiculously long! I am making an editorial decision to put the rest of Saturday and Sunday in another entry. Blimey. tl;dr indeed!












* In my family, this means you've won. Won what, I don't know, but it's always satisfying...
** "Hardest working man in rock and roll" apparently! I'm pretty sure this is true, seeing as he did seem to be in 75% of the bands on in some way or another.....!
*** You all love me even though I'm REALLY annoying, don't you?
**** Alone Again Or, plus that one I can sing to you if you like but the only lyric I can remember right now is "....street, yeah..... Tell me!