Random Musings Of The Collison Kind:

* Advice for anyone that uses hired books of any kind, the pages of which that they have to make notes on: do NOT cheap out when buying an eraser. All that will happen is that you will find the cheaper eraser to be useless in some way or another - generally by being too harsh for the paper, which tends to be delicate; particularly the kind of manuscripts used by orchestras and choirs - and you will end up buying another more expensive one anyway, thus wasting whatever money you spent trying to avoid it.
    ...Nope. I'm not bitter.
     =sighs as she throws yet another lesson learned into the bin=

* It turns out that during my week off the biggest accomplishment I have made is to clean some skirting boards and disinfect the fridge.
     Go me.

* Fish and chips tonight.
     Whee!

* Really, middle-to-old-aged lady that we walked past on our way to the doctor's office to pick up a prescription; really? Right outside the door blocking everyone's path is the place that you decided would be absolutely perfect to stop and put on your coat then sort out your handbag? Really?? Right there??

* Finally found out what was wrong with my last lot of bolognese sauce. Mother hadn't been able to detect a difference (or at least so she said), but I could. It wasn't a massive difference, but there was definitely something wrong, something missing. I couldn't figure it out.
     Fast forward to today; I am getting things out of the cupboard to make another batch (I make it in bulk, enough for three generous 2-person portions per time), and it was when the assorted cans and jars were lined up neatly that it hit me. Basil!
     I use these little jars of seasoning, you see. Two of them. One of them is called called Italian Seasoning - and does, in fact, have some basil in it, but not an awful lot - and the other is dried basil itself. And as I stood there staring at those two little jars, I could picture myself making my bolognese sauce the last time. I used the two cans of chopped tomatoes as usual, and the jar of pasta sauce, and the two red onions, and the crushed garlic, and the mince, and the Italian Seasoning...but not the basil.
     I have no idea why on earth I did (or rather didn't do) that.
     But now I know what had been missing last time, I feel a lot better.

* Suzie decided to yowl on and off for around an hour and a half this morning, between 6:30 and 8-AM. I have no idea why, but I do know that the only reason she was allowed to live was because I was determined not to get up until my alarm went off, and so there.
     By 8:05-AM when I finally moved myself and staggered downstairs, I saw that she was curled up on mum's bed blissfully asleep.
     I was so incredibly tempted to go and yowl in her ear.
     But I didn't.
     Because I'm nice.

*  While I was...well, concentrating on my ablutions, shall we say, in the bathroom yesterday I was startled by a shiny black beetle scuttling its way down the wall just a foot or so away from me.
     It had a long body and even longer antennae and quite fierce looking pincers.
     Very impressive.
     I told it that I'd make it a deal: if it stayed away from me, I would return the favour.
     It appeared to agree.
     It made no attempt to come any closer, anyway.

~ and yes, I am aware that I should have attempted to catch it and release it outside, but it looked so delicate and skittish; I feared any attempts of rescue would end in disaster and death (the beetles, not mine).

* Bingo has slept in my room every day for the past two weeks. I think (for whatever reason) that the ritual has been restored.
     I am very happy about that. I'm not sure exactly how he feels, but Bingo seems happy enough too.

* Did I mention that we are going to be having fish and chips tonight?
     'cause we are. And t'will be nice.
     Whee!

* The 13th of May is Squidgeum's birthday. She will be 3. As my present to her, I have purchased a DVD of Cinderella. She loves all of the Disney Princesses, but Cinderella in particular; so much so that she has worn her mother's old copy out.
     So I have brought a new one. Well, a second hand one, but it was listed as "like new". A normal everyday DVD (as opposed to a video or something called "BluRay", which Emma says won't work on her DVD player) of Cinderella, as it turns out, is rather difficult to find - even more so than the bloody pearls, actually - so when I saw one in the CEX pawn shop, I snatched it up.
     That should be alright, shouldn't it? CEX has a good reputation for only selling items in good condition (same as Amazon), so there is little doubt that it will work. And Squidgeum won't care that it isn't new, will she? All she will care about is that it is CINDERELLA!
     That's what will be important, right?
     New or used; doesn't matter, right??
     ...and can someone tell me why I am so agitated about this?

* Choir practice last night was brilliant fun. I followed it better, too.
     I still can't believe that we are singing from a Gilbert and Sullivan play. Absolutely marvellous.

* MJ asked me if I had watched the DVDs yet yesterday, so I was given the opportunity to point out that I felt his behaviour was unreasonable. Which I did.
     Surprisingly, he actually agreed and apologized!
     Wonders will never cease.
     That, plus his assistance in the saving of a group of ducklings stranded in a window box has lifted him a peg or two in my estimations. A few more and he might make half way decent.

...Oh God, I am such a bitch.

* Bingo is staring at me. I have no idea why.
     He has a white streak on his nose.
     I don't want to know how it got there.

* Did I mention that we are having fish and chips tonight?
     'cause we are. And t'will be nice.
     ...There will be ice-cream as well.
     That will be nice, too.
     Whee!

Alice x