The Good, The Bad, and the Nifty.

Gym time!

2012-02-02T04:14:00.000-08:00

So one of my main goals for the next couple of months is to lose some of the extra weight I have put on in the last couple of years. I won't go into the shameful details but lets just say I've never been this size before, and it's really starting to hit my confidence.
It's not going to happen over night, but every week, I'm going to post what i've done to lose weight, and get myself fit again. I am going to be eating better, and hitting thr gym more than once a week (my attendance has dwindled of late), and see how it goes :)

An unexpected journey!

2012-01-27T02:24:00.000-08:00

So, actually this is a very expected journey, as I booked tickets around two months ago, but the unexpected part (for others at least) is that i'm not only getting the train the whole way for once, but I'm in first class! Picture that, me in first class :)
I am getting some slightly funny looks, but that might be due to the fact that everyone else in the carriage is wearing a shirt and tie, while i've blatently rolled out of bed and into a checked shirt and some grubby jeans. Maybe knitting will convince them I'm not a gatecasher ;)

Knitting Adventures!

2012-01-25T10:10:00.000-08:00

Hey all, I know I don't normally blog about shops I visit, but The Knit Studio was a while different experience. For a start, the place has the most amazing selection of yarns. I could have spent all day just looking around and trying to work out what I could make out of all of it!

After I'd been browsing for a few minutes, I'd managed to pick out what I wanted. Darren's grandparents gave me some money for christmas, so I treated myself to some lovely italian yarn to turn into a jumper. I also bought some really soft yarn to make mittens and a scarf out of, and some smaller double pointed needles to feed my sock addiction. I was very good and didn't add to my stash of sock yarn though :)

And then, while I was just having a look around, I was offered a cup of tea! A cup of tea. In a shop I'd never been in before? Amazing!
So, even though at that point I'd been ready to pay up and leave, I ended up staying for an hour or so, chatting and drinking my cuppa. Anne, who runs the place, also let me have a go at knitting with square knitting needles. It took me a while to get used to, but I quite enjoyed it.

They have a knitting group on thursday and saturdays I want to start going to as well, I feel like I've discovered a whole new social thing, rather than just a shop. I am so pleased!

Chillaxing :)

2012-01-24T11:16:00.000-08:00

So the last couple of weeks have been non stop work; and this one is where I'm meant to be packing for the big move. However, after sleeping in today I've written the day off. Aside from popping to Morrisons for cat food and cereal, I've done nothing apart from rock in my chair, watch friends and crochet. I've even taken a day off from my knitting to play with a tiny hook and some cotton I bought a while back!

In lieu of real news, here are some things I want to knit over the spring :)

Cupcake Mitlets!I got a pair of these from my friend Becky for my birthday, and they're ace. I want to knit a pair myself, I've got a really soft bamboo yarn which I think would look awesome!

Buttony SweaterThis reminds me of a jumper I had when I was a kid, so fancy! I'd like to knit in blue, but not as bright as this. Or maybe a nice olive green.

New rug for my bathroom
Because we need one, essentially. So I get to make something for my house! Also, it's only once in a blue moon I manage to get Dazy to let me knit something that he'll use.

Pretty flowers
I like pretty things for my house!
I want to make lots of these to put around the living room, but I doubt Dazy would approve :p

This is how I feel so many days.

2012-01-14T14:26:00.000-08:00

New years resolution: Blog more!

2012-01-09T10:09:00.000-08:00

So the main reason for my absence has been panto, as I'm fairly sure ten weeks worth of posts going "I did some shows today, it was alright" would get more than a little dull!

However, as the run is coming to an end, I have some exciting news: I'm moving house!
I've kept this under my hat for a while as it's taken quite a while to get sorted out. But Daz and I are escaping Walker to live in a nice little house in Whitley Bay! It's a bit smaller than our current place, but I don't really mind. If I'm in by myself I tend to feel like a pea in a cup at the minute as our living room, dining room and kitchen are all connected; so I end up spending the whole day in bed.

The new place is really cosy, it totally reminds me of my grandma's old place in Bath, and I'm really looking forward to settling in there. I've already planned my knitting for probably the next six months making things for the house, my favourite project being this:

Shiny new toys!

2011-12-13T03:10:00.000-08:00

So I've discovered a new website to play around with: Ravelry! It's essentially a site for people who like to knit and crochet, with lots of patterns, advice and tools :)
The best part is you can input all the wool in your stash, so when you look at a pattern you can see instantly whether you have enough of each colour! :D

I like new things so many!

I've also dyed my hair again, I now look like this:

2011-12-12T14:52:00.000-08:00

So, I've not posted in what feels like an age, to be honest, my life is almost exactly the same as
it always is. Though a few small changes have improved it significantly.

For a start I've all but given up smoking. It's like to say I have in fact given up, but I still have the odd one after a few pints or a stressful day. I've also started going to the gym every couple of days. I won't lie, I'm not really seeing any improvement, but it's nice to be able to push myself :)

As you may or may not have guessed, this is in aid of my third stab at NRG Fresh Meat - starting in Jan. T STOPS, 25 IN 5, LATERALS AND HITS, I AM COMING FOR YOU!!

Also; this is my first ever christmas tree of my very own.
BEHOLD...

Also; speaking of christmas: Techie Christmas is not on this year. If this saddens you, then blame the dozen or so people who texted me rubbish excuses on the day after I'd cooked them dinner, or just plain didn't turn up. Doing it once is rude, doing it twice is inexcusable - especially when I've given up my early finish/day off to cook for you.

Oh hai, internets :)

2011-11-11T15:49:00.000-08:00

So, it's been a while since I've blogged. Well, I've written a lot of drafts of posts, just never got around to publishing them!

I would like to have some kind of super fancy reason for this, but I have really just been kinda busy, and pretty lazy.
So here's a run down of what I've been up to this month, the interesting bits anyway:

NaNoWriMo
Well, I started, I've got to about 10K (I should be on about 17k to be on track), but I'm actually really enjoying the story I'm writing, and I think I'll carry on with it regardless. What is it? It's a western, with a few cameos from plots I never finished over the last few years, train crashed with an Ennio Morricone soundtrack. I don't know if any good can come of this, but it's been a fun few days trying to make it work!

Knitting
This is a new thing by all accounts, but I'm now pretty much a solid convert from crochet!
Currently I am making this:

[Tom Baker not included]
This pleases both my crafty and geeky impulses, so I'm very pleased!

Tattoo
I actually only got this today!
Here is me showing it to Echo :)

Work, work, work
In the last month I've flown shows, spotted shows, loaded in, loaded out, done stage covered, covered stage door, been a dresser and looked after props over more than one venue. Busy life is grand!

Adventures!

2011-09-10T06:14:00.000-07:00

So, today I embarked upon a seemingly simple quest: take Sandstorm to the vets.

People who have visited my house, or spent a lot of time with me over the last few weeks will no doubt already have heard my grumbling about him peeing on all of the clean laundry, and in increasingly inappropriate places - including inside Darren's PC tower!
So, finally I reached breaking point this week, and took Sandy to the open clinic at the vet. Turns out getting a cat into a small box with a tiny door is pretty tricky. Especially when you get him outside and your house-cat discovers he hates traffic noise.

Everyone on the bus was very nice about it though, and he soon calmed down after a lot of people gave him plenty of attention :)

Sadly this didn't last once we got off the bus, as by the time we had walked the 500ft from the bus stop to the vets, he had decided it would be a totally great idea to have a wee in his kitty box.
Fyi: this is never a good idea.
The staff at the vets were very nice about it, and let me use a little room to clean him up, and wipe his box down. Unfortunately they didn't factor in how cats like to wander. Therefore I had to do a lot of apologising and mopping while the vet looked on with what I can only hope was sympathy!

Long story short: he's not seriously ill, his bladder seems to be fine anyway, but he's very constipated (though the vet said he wasn't too worried about this, but recommended a change of diet) and it looks like he's had an accident at some point that has damaged his nerves.

We're hoping at this stage it's just something that the 2 weeks of steroids he's been given will help heal, and he's got some antibiotics just in case...

Personally I reckon once his new food kicks in he'll be okay, as I can't remember him having an accident or fall :/

A song for the mood....

2011-08-24T07:22:00.000-07:00

Space and Socials

2011-08-24T07:03:00.000-07:00

So, my posting has been pretty lax over the last few weeks, and this has been due to a variety of reasons. To be honest, the largest one is just that I have spent so much of my time distracting myself with other people's lives and problems and issues that I've not had time to stop.
While this is an ace way to get through day to day life, it is not very healthy for me. (Did I mention I'm back on happy pills? No. Oops).

So today I've finally run myself down to the point where I've had to take a day just for me, to create some space for myself in my house. Because don't get me wrong, I love our house, but the bedroom has always just felt like somewhere I sleep, rather than somewhere I live.
Today I decided to change that, I only put a few posters up and changed the way the bed faces, but it means I have a little corner that is just full of my things.
Considering Daz had a whole dark room and study at one point, you can kind of see why this is a big deal for me.
It's also given me an excuse to get all of my things out of JP's room as I've made room for them in here now, so I don't feel so scattered across the house.

Happiness is sometimes just a place of your own ^_^

Funniest. Comment. Ever.

2011-08-04T12:36:00.000-07:00

So, I've got a bit lax with posting recently; but to be honest there's not all that much to tell, I've mostly been a poorly little bean today. However, I noticed today I had a little (1) next to the spam label my comments section. I don't tend to look at my comments that often, making the fact that someone left a wall of text all the more laughable.

Backstory: In June I got a message from someone I really don't like contacting me, who on several occasions I have told not to contact me. This person then set up a twitter account to follow me, under the impression he was being dead stealthy (protip: use a different username or picture).
This also made me review how much information about me is on the internet, and put up a short but ranty post.
I probably could have said something meaningful about how much we reveal of ourselves on the Internet at the same time, but I was too angry to prolonged introspection.

So....Here is the comment itself. I lol'd.

let me teach you... Internet IP isnt reliable so hackers use an internet proxy and we can bypass internet proxies too. You can use the browser to change proxy settings that is called Manual Proxy Configuration. You just enter the IP address of the proxy server and port into the fields for HTTP proxy and SSL proxy. Oh btw, you have to restart your browser and starts surfing the web. But you will notice that your connection to the web seems to be a bit slower unless your bandwidth and the proxy server bandwidth can reach the heaven. You can now access sites and your IP wont be recorded by a provider. But ofcourse there is no perfect proxies. Look at china. They blocked facebook. So what the people do there is to search/move to another proxy but then the government can trace the proxy and block it again. And for your information, these asian people are better than whites in terms of hijacking and hacking. Chinese students even hancked google! Last november 2010 UK internet traffic was hijacked by China. Well I won't go deeper cos you won't understand it anymore as it covers internet terms that you dont know that exists. Another one is to use a circumventor. It censors internet content but this wont work on all country. You can call a friend from a different country and you tell him/her to set up a circumventor for you. But be careful as some countries have high internet censoring. Then the last one is Onion Routing. Not the one you use when you are cooking. You can use Tor that provides a high degree of anonymity. Its package contains one desktop software and one for firefox toolbar. Now what is onion routing? is still has the idea of proxy server but instead going to one computer, it goes through two to 20 computers so it will be hard to trace where the original request came from. It is also encrypted making it hard to trace more. So if you think you are savvy enough and spent 10 years with your computer, you might consider rethinking to edit your blog and remove the techy and savvy words you mentioned as other techy people might laugh at you and insult you. so dont be arrogant. actually your blog isnt worth reading as you said you talk mostly of rubbish. I only read this post as it gets my attention on IP. I just found your blog on google and i have no intention of reading the succeeding content as it is mostly non of my business. i just want to tell to the people who think they know more than Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn that they should do a lot of researching before posting silly topics like what you have on their blogs. And of course the "quite up to date thing" you mentioned isnt that "quite up to date" anymore these days as most people who is more ignorant than you knows that. Anyway you can block as many people as you like cos who would waste time with an ignorant lady like you. You arent FBI who has the tools to track down anyone. So if you think that the people/person that you know where they are doesnt care at all. Cos you are just a COMMONER who cannot afford to track down people. Besides you arent a celebrity. So for your happiness, you can take the heaviest measure that you can do to prevent people from tracking you. And ofcourse you have the option not to post this comment cos it is an insult in your empty head. maybe the best thing to do is to hide this blog as it is embarrassing or you can edit your post so the not much techy people might get something useful rather than rubbish post. oh by the way I am mark. nice meeting you

WALL OF TEXT!
Seriously though, this guy has to be a troll. Nobody would post something that long and riddled with typos for srs right? Who knows.

Highlights of this comment:
Well I won't go deeper cos you won't understand it anymore as it covers internet terms that you dont know that exists
OH NO TECHNICAL SPEAK <--I think this was supposed to be my reaction.

Then the last one is Onion Routing. Not the one you use when you are cooking
brb guise going to kitchen to make the man a sammich.

i just want to tell to the people who think they know more than Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn that they should do a lot of researching before posting silly topics like what you have on their blogs
And apparently I'm arrogant? Pahaha :)

This has to be the best part though:
maybe the best thing to do is to hide this blog as it is embarrassing or you can edit your post so the not much techy people might get something useful rather than rubbish post
I can't even work out what he's really asking here. Must be because I'm a commoner with an empty head. I take comfort from the fact my grammer is good enough to pass spam filters! :)

Geordie Finishing School For Girls: A Southern View

2011-07-28T02:22:00.000-07:00

*dusts off the soap box*

Three years ago I moved from a privileged family to Elswick, one of the rougher bits of Newcastle (within sight of the Women's Centre actually!) - and now I live in Walker, right round the corner from where the girls on the show stayed. They go into the same shops as I do to buy milk.

So why all the fuss? While I've not always enjoyed living in the rougher bits of Newcastle, I've never been scared. I've never felt the need to take of all my jewellery in case I get mugged. In fact in Walker, nobody's ever bothered me on the street except maybe to ask for a cigarette. I'm not scared of walking through Byker Wall at night (and used to do so on a regular basis) - and the concept of having £59 a week after bills etc is pretty shiny given at the minute my income is all based on casual work.

So I'm very interested to see how these southern girls adjust to the world I had to adjust to.

I'm also very sceptical...I found it very easy to build a life for myself here. Well, not easy, but not so hard I was crying all over the place. Hmm.

Bad things come in twos.

2011-07-15T13:50:00.001-07:00

And so do good things! Yesterday I skated for the first time since I broke my collarbone. Never thought skating round a tiny rink in Byker would have me so excited about anything! Just putting my skates on and having a roll around was just what I needed to break up a stressed out week hoping the pills kick in soon!

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Polly Pyro is BACK

2011-07-07T04:52:00.000-07:00

And ready to kick ass!

So, to keep you in the loop, I've spent three months off wheels due to breaking my collarbone; so as I'm sure you can imagine I've been pretty frustrated. So, realising that the new intake is not this month but next was a bit of a blow.

But, I am refusing to let this set me back any more then it has to. I am going to roller disco, and skate outside, and go to merby, and work my way up to being the amazing skater I know I was well on track to being.

Housemoving Adventure!

2011-07-01T06:26:00.000-07:00

So when I woke up planning on a lazy day yesterday and got a message saying this:
HUGE EMERGENCY AND I NEED MANY HELPS.

Basically I was told that I had several more weeks to get my things out of my old house, turns out, I don't. Currently we don't know how long we have these keys for, at least until tomorrow morning, but I haven't even packed or anything.

SO. If anyone can come help me throw my shit into boxes, either today or tomorrow, or if anyone has access to a car, that would be amazing, I promise I will pay you back somehow, I just need help right now because at the moment I am homeless from tomorrow. If people can bring suitcases, boxes, etc, or can store some of my stuff at theirs, that would be brilliant.

Just let me know what if anything anyone can do, please.

...I got out of bed and trundled over to Sarah's expecting to spend a couple of hours folding clothes and making tea and generally trying not to be totally useless. Fast forward two hours and I've packed up her kitchen, started cleaning things and signed forms saying I'll be Johnny's guarantor (I don't even really know what that means, but it meant that Sarah could get keys to the new place yesterday instead of today and avoid being homeless). As friends go, I'll go as far as saying I'm pretty good :)

Though please don't make me help you move house in one day again soon guys, I'm shattered today!

And still have thousands of things to do round the house that Daz could have done yesterday but, no, he bought junk food and watched Stargate isntead *grumble*

A Note on Privacy Settings and Such

2011-06-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

So, I'm generally quite up to date with just how much information people can find about me on the internet. Which means when someone I don't really care to speak to finds me on a couple of social networks, I tend not to worry too much, block them and get on with my life. On job sites with my CV, I can trace the IP of anyone who's looked at my profile. On social sites, you need to be my friend to find out anything about me. And on here, well, I mostly talk rubbish. And I refuse to make this blog private.

You know who you are: rest assured I know exactly where you are, where you've been finding me on the internet, and what you think you know. And if you try to contact me again, I'll be taking heavier measures than blocking you.

Oh yeah, you missed the ten years where I got computer savvy didn't you? Your loss!

ktnxbai

Oh hai USA!

2011-06-29T05:41:00.000-07:00

So, it seems more and more people over the pond are reading my blog (I like nosing at my stats page, it makes me feel important!) - though I only see countries, so I have no idea if it's the same American's, or if you guys are just the ones googling tron tattoos, matt smith being nifty, and other things I post that may as well be a googlewhack.

But yes, hello :)

(No really that was it, I'm baking today so there's nothing to tell.)

Pear cake?

2011-06-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

So I had a kitchen experiment today for the first time in ages and I made pear cake :)
I pretty much just made a regular cake (though I used 1/3 gluten free flour and 2/3 self raising as that's what I had in the cupboard), added a load of spices to it and popped some caramelised pears on the top (though I didn't know they'd sink during baking).

Om nom nom :)

Tattoo Shops I have been to...

2011-06-27T03:41:00.000-07:00

Because people ask me a few times a month, either where I got my tattoo's from, or where I recommend. So here is my so far definitive list, in chronological order rather than anything else.

Steel Paintbrush - Hexham January 2009.
This place has been shut down now, and I can see why. While everyone's friendly and I had a good laugh while I was there, there is no professionalism and the tattoo I came away with is pretty poorly down. We're not just talking little bits of ink missing, we're talking a LOT of scarring, ink leaking under my skin, wobbly lines and bruises on my arm the next day.
That said, this is still my favourite tattoo as it symbolises my time in Borneo :)
I'll give them one star, because I never go infected or caught any diseases, so at least they were doing that right.

Hype2 - Newcastle November 2009
After my first (horrible) experience, it took me a while to get back in the seat and get inked again. In all honesty I think the guys at Hype2 are my favourite tattoo people. They never made me feel stupid when I had to take a break, or asked questions. And when the pain was getting to me, they offered me a lollipop :)
Some of the linework isn't great, but if you're working on the side of a fidgity teenage girl who squishes a bit, it must be pretty hard to get perfection.
They get a 3.5/5 - mostly for being great crack rather than the artwork though.

Inkslingers - Newcastle January 2011
When I booked in at Inkslingers, after seeing their work online etc, I was certain I was in for the best tattoo experience ever. I wasn't,, I've already posted about them before, but it sucked. The art is mediocre, they tried to charge me £120 for being in and out of the shop in an hour, and I was generally treated like I knew nothing about tattoos or anything else for that matter. The guy who tattooed me was pretentious and whiny, and spent the whole session pushing me to get something I didn't really want.
1 star out of five.

Cock A Snook - Newcastle May 2011
I went for their Friday the 13th event, so I can't comment too much on how the shop is run or what anyone was like, as I was sat there from 8am - 4pm reading and chatting to other people waiting. I will say it seemed pretty disorganised that people weren't told when there were delays, and a lot of technical difficulties slowed things down.
However, Kerry Anne was lovely, put up with my terrible small talk and had a beautiful little key on me within five minutes of me sitting down (and when you consider they charge by the hour, speed is important!)
Four stars out of five.

I have noticed...

2011-06-26T17:44:00.001-07:00

....mostly via my fancy tag cloud that I don't talk about Daz very much these days (mostly because he works lots so I don't see him much as I'm playing house!)
So here is a picture of him from holiday; disproving the theory that is impossible to wink with a sad face.

I love him <3

Oh and by the by...

2011-06-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

New Layout!
Mostly as someone mentioned to me that the design features have been heavily upgraded (and they were right!)
The whole thing reminds me very much fo the website's we'd visit at 14 to create myspace layouts for ourselves and our friends. Though I was the sort of nerdy kid who would build mine from scratch, pretty much just so when someone said it looked good (I had fancy overlays and everything) I could be all like "Well, I did code it myself."

Ahhh, teenage smugness.

Small & Tired

2011-06-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

I am neither of those things but I like this song atm, and I'm hardly large and alert either.

I'm in one of those moods where I'm constantly posting things on people's pages, etc, but actually have very little to say for myself. Probably because I drank a little (read: a lot) too much last night and it was nearly noon before I could make my brain fire on all cylinders again; and promptly put all that power to shame by watching Desperate Housewives.

However, I also wrote things today. I wrote fiction! Yeah.
I'm not sure how I used to churn out pages and pages of things on a daily basis in my younger days (hark at me), when now I have to plan and consider and plot things. I remember when I'd be somewhere and words would just appear. I got a bit of it back in the spring, but I think whatever part of my brain these things come from gets pushed aside in favour of cue lights and headsets and cables.

Back in the game!

2011-06-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

So, for those who haven't seen me out and about waving at everyone in sight, I've been discharged from the fracture clinic!
I have not one, but two working collarbones once more. I still have quite a dent in the bone, but I'm told that it's just where the bone is still healing, and this will go away in time (still six weeks until I can play derby. Boo).

I've got enough motion to not need physio, so I can wave, gesticulate, and so on and so forth :D

This has probably contributed to the best week I've had in ages.

On Monday I got discharged from the Fracture Clinic, and spent some time in the People's Theatre green room drinking pints and discussing future projects.

Tuesday I went to Aly's where we got merry and painted her house. Sarah did fish in the bathroom and they are fancy.

And on Wednesday I can't remember for the life of me what I did in the day time, but I baked things and listened to David of Clockwork Orange fame on the radio.

Thursday I CV bombed the town, and went to see Pitmen Painters with Sally (also of Clockwork fame) and said yes to SM'ing PIAF at the People's.

Friday I mostly slept and watched Desperate Housewives, it was great :)

And today, I went to Heaton Festival with Lewis and Jimmy (yet more clockwork folks!), chilled with David and Jo and celebrated Daz's birthday.

Best week in ages, spent the whole time with a smile on my face and a cup of tea in my hand which shouldn't be exciting in it's rarity but is none the less.

"There are shop boys, and there boys who work in shops"

2011-05-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

Titling my post this simply for the sake of the five people who goggled that quote last week and found my blog. Sorry chaps!
In fact, said search of google only yields four results, and two of them are me. My word.

Also did I ever mention I don't have a tron tattoo? Mentioning both these phrases in a single post seems to lead google to believe I do.

I don't really have that much to say right now, getting ready to fly down south for a whole ten days. Ten days!
I haven't spent that much time in that house since before I went to Malaysia. Craziness.

I'm running out of words. Here is a picture of Daz in a hat.

I love him :)

Long Time No Post

2011-05-29T16:55:00.000-07:00

Three weeks to the day in fact!
Which shows not only that time flies, but how totally incident free my life has been of late.
Never the less, I'll bring you up to speed as it's 1AM give or take, and I'm waiting up for Daz to get home and give me cuddles :)

Clockwork Orange is over. I'm a little sad, a little more relieved. The run went very well, and as a bonus we all went for some pub quiz action on Thursday which ended with Jake, David, Tom and I sat in the Head of Steam until 1am.

We didn't win.

I spent Tuesday with Sarah and Aly watching this:

and trying to keep my sarcasm to a minimum. Turns out that's tricky so late at night. Who knew. We also watched Dr Who last night, fancy.

Unfortunately my little post-clockwork-bubble has kind of been spoilt by some family stuff I have to fly down and deal with on Wednesday. Boo.
I'm not sure how long I'll be down south for, but shouldn't be longer than a week and a bit. So, if you have a pressing need to see me before then you have until the end of the month!

Weekend mintage

2011-05-09T05:43:00.000-07:00

So after a fairly productive week I've had a nice little weekend: work on friday, Alajammer on Saturday and rehearsals/set build on monday. Hurrah.

Proper post to follow.
when I can be bothered.

Living in the Wild

2011-05-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I went to the park. This excites me as little as it's been a good year or so since I went to a park in anyway shape or form, and it was sunny. I swear the sunshine always makes everything better by at least a factor of three.

The short version of the story includes Sarah forgetting her keys, locking us out of her house. So we did what any sensible person does when locked out: sat in the park and showed the world we didn't need a house. We could live in the wild on a diet of ~~berries and roots~~ bagels and sweets, yogurt and chocolate spoons. Not to mention there was a swing that was the bastard child of a tyre swing and a hammock. Turns out crippled people can partake in swinging too ;)

Oh and we watched some DVDs and smoked until I was late for rehearsals (Sorry!).
Fun times all round :]

So....

2011-04-30T15:38:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit special. And broken my collarbone.

Long story short, there was a lock in, a bicycle and a downhill bit of road. the world span and I was a few feet away from my bike and in pain. I got back on, manned up and wobbled home through the mist. It wasn't until early afternoon the next day I realised I should hit A&E to get it sorted. A cheeky x-ray later confirmed the worst and I've been in a sling since.

I can't skate for three months. I have to have physio in a few weeks. I have a broken bone.
It doesn't hurt unless I forget I can't move my right shoulder and the bits of bone move about. Owww. But there's codeine for that!

On a lighter note: Daz has blogged RE: new kitten. She is gorgeous and her and Sandstorm get along just fine now.

Erm.

2011-04-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

This terrifies me.
I knew this boy. I knew him inside out. We went to school together, drank relentless and climbed trees, we were in a band, we were together, we had probably the most civil teenage breakup ever seen, we shared friends and dreams. In my sixteen year old way I thought I loved him for one summer. In the way you only can love someone when you're sixteen and you hold hands and play guitars and hang out on the grass of the beach. It was the summer we finished school when the sun shone every day, we jumped trains and the world was ours.

And then sixth form happened, we went to different places and drifted apart. I don't think we've spoken in four or five years. After all, this happened after I moved to Newcastle.

I read the article, it all goes in, I know the girl, and I know for sure she wouldn't lie, but it sticks in my mind that it's Kenton.

Add this to an already fucked up day and my head is spinning like a top.

Time to up my game.

2011-04-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

So the squad for the may B team game has already been put out there, which means I have about four weeks to sort myself out and get myself on that team.

Here's an update on my progress:

Realised I missed derby glides off the previous post. Ooops.
I can crossover, winner.
I have cut down on my smoking to the point where I'm only having one if I'm with other smokers, or on the drink.
I cycle to town and rehearsals whenever I go. However, I draw the line at cycling to Denton for practice!
I can glide round the straight and the turn on my left foot. I've lost that little bit of plastic from my right skate again (I really need to find out what they're called and find a new one) - so I can only do a straight on the right leg. Almost there though.
I still can't T stop, not for want of trying :/

In short, this leaves me with laterals, and the contact stuff to master.

And now I'm off to find out what the hell that plastic bit in my truck is called, and fashion an alternative out of gaffa tape.

Also, did I mention we have a mixed scrimmage in a fortnight?

Beginning of the End

2011-03-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

So, without much warning, the last week of BlueGiro is upon me. It's come as a slight surprise to be honest. Such a surprise, I'm now in a bit of a panic about what I'll do next as my work at college has just fallen through (seriously, who takes you off the books and doesn't tell you? Rude).

But it's been a fun ride, food poisoning excluded (being sick mid show is nobody's idea of fun!) - and I'll be sad when it's over. For the last ten weeks the show has been my life. I do a 8-12 hour day, come home and write a show report, and fall into bed; there's no time for anything else!

The day we met a meerkat. Cutest thing ever, I think so!

Starting a countdown.

2011-03-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

So, for those who blates pay no attention to my life ever, I play a sport called Roller Derby.

Well, I don't actually. Because to play in a game you need to have passed a written test, and shown you can do certain things to enable you to be safe on track. We call these the minimum skills - and until you can do all this cool stuff, there's no bouting on the menu for you whatsoever.

I've yet to pass my minimum skills, over the months I've edged closer, but I've still not made it (working evenings hasn't helped :/)

But, here's the thing.
There's a B team game in June.

I am going to play in this game.

There's not been any roster selection (this happens about 4-6 before the game itself) - and I still have to show off my skills in the following:

Crossovers - which is all good as I can do these (I actually thought I had them crossed off until I looked at the googledoc!)
25 in 5 - speaks for itself. My PB is 22 laps.
T stop. ARGH
Laterals.
Hitting people.

But that's a lot of stuff to learn by May, what will you do?

I present to you readers and spambots: the plan

Ditch the roller derby workout plan

This seems silly on the surface of it, but I'm sick of struggling through a stupid workout five times, and spending the next couple of days aching and feeling lame. Instead, while I'm going to push myself with home circuits, I'm not going to cripple myself for the rest of the week.

Cycle every day

Can't do 25 laps if after ten I'm wheezing like an old man after all, can I?

Cut down on smoking

See above. I like air in my lungs.

Sleep more

Half the time I go to practice I can hardly keep my eyes open. Which means I'm not pushing myself, and I'm making silly mistakes. Not exactly what the coaching squad are looking for!

Drink more

Word is a 1% loss of water, makes me lose 10% of skating ability. I'm surprised I even manage to go forwards!

Roller disco

Because practice makes perfect.

There are no good pictures of me skating, so look at my sexy team.

The story of an undercut.

2011-03-01T13:24:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday me, some scissors and a set of clippers embarked on an adventure.
I have to own to being a little nervous.

*fast forward plast much pinning, snipping and clipping*

Tadaaaa

Not as full of win as I had hoped, though this picture is with it all pulled back to show off my baldy patch.
I left a bit in the front coz I've always secretly wanted a Chelsea :)

When it's all combed forward I look a bit more like this:

The last few weeks

2011-02-26T15:47:00.000-08:00

have flown by...
I've spent probably 90% of my time working, and the other 10% has been split between the pub and trying to find a day when Darren and I are both actually free to spend some time together.

Injokes and slightly shorter (and pink!) hair aside, very little to report. But I'm still alive!

Ah, tech week

2011-02-05T17:02:00.001-08:00

I love and hate tech week all at the same time.

On one hand I get to watch the show come together, pull all the strings and get everything moving. And if I get it right, it's a pretty satisfying feeling. Especially on the Friday night when we open and everything goes beautifully.

On the other hand, I hate the way it looms over the rehearsal process, waiting for us like the sand pit at the end of the long jump track. I hate the stress as I thrive on it, I crave late mornings in bed, and nights out, and wear the same jeans all week because there's no time for washing (and I never remember to do it the week before!). I get sick of wearing black, and think I'm a rebel for wearing white trainers or a red vest top under everything. Tech week is when I miss my red converse.

That said, this is a tech week with a twist for me. Three days to tech a two hour show, while I've put in three days' worth or hours to tech a show this length before (or on one occasion a 45 minute one!), it's been over two days at most, coming in at 8am and finishing at half twelve. So coming in at half nine to be ready for ten, getting a real dinner break and being home and in bed for eleven has my feeling excited.

For non theatre folk I'll put this perspective. Tech week for panto I worked over 100 hours for a set weekly fee. This was for a decent sized production company. I'm now doing the same job with a different company (a charity none the less), where I'm getting ITC/Equity rate, meal breaks (never heard of those on panto!), I have a set amount of hours (44 during production week) and I even get overtime.

The very best bit though, I'm actually treated like a person and not a voice behind a desk. I get breaks and cups of tea, and legal working hours.

*happy sigh*

It's true what they say, all theatre companies are equal, but some are more equal than others.

Wierd

2011-01-28T13:23:00.001-08:00

I just found this on my photobucket.

I look like a totally different person :/

“is @neilhimself talking about you?”

2011-01-25T12:31:00.003-08:00

…sorry, no.

I got this tweet in various forms several times this morning, which is quite a strange thing to wake up to, as famous authors tend not to mention me as a matter of course. Though it would be nice if they did, such is life.

Seems to have arisen from said author (Neil Gaiman for those of you who aren't part of the twitterverse) walking past a girl with a tattoo and realising it was in fact a tattoo of one of his more famous quotes, which happens to be the same quote I have on my shoulderblade.*

Sadly, this was not my tattoo, and was the whole quote in a typewritten font. Lovely ink, so it is, but not mine. Other significant differences include the fact that I'm not in Sydney, and mine includes a trio of birds which I'm already pondering adding to as the piece looks a little unfinished.

As I found while in the process of thinking about this tattoo though, I found a lot of people on the Internet (and I mean a lot) who have the same quote inked on them.

I'll move on before I ramble; it got me to thinking about why do so many people identify with these words? Are Sandman fans more likely as a group to get tattooed? Maybe. Are People who read a lot more likely to get a quote etched into their skin for life? Perhaps.

But maybe it's the words themselves that resonate; Sometimes when you fall you fly. It's a line that speaks to many people, whether they're falling, fell once in their past, or are just too afraid to climb just in case.

Because there is always a third alternative. Even if just a dream.

*Well, actually I just have the end "Sometimes when you fall you fly" – as it's been one of my favourite quotes since I discovered Sandman in my teens (I love being able to say "teens" now I'm the ripe old age of twenty, I feel awfully old think I'll be twenty two this year). I love that whole scene with the man trying to climb the nigh-impossible mountain, and if I'd gone for the whole quote, I wouldn't have known where to stop. Being concise was never my strong point.

Week Three

2011-01-25T12:31:00.001-08:00

So, week three of BlueGiro is already underway! It feels like I've been here for five minutes and five years all at the same time. On one hand the set is here and we're edging towards production week, on the other the cast are learning lines and we're still tweaking bits of blocking as they find new facets to their characters.

I also never realised before what a nightmare PRS and PPL can be! Suddenly I need to time tracks, check them on iTunes to see if we can use them (Sony tracks are a big no no), get all kinds of info on them I wouldn't even consider that significant. What a strange world we live in.

Still, I'm having a ball here. Everyone's really chilled out, we have a debrief at the end of the day, all the things that you hear are meant to happen and never quite seemed to with other companies I've worked for. It's really nice to actually be involved in the creative process as well, even if it's just giving pointers on how crew move flightcases!

And I have weekends. I'd almost forgotten what those felt like. I got to go to town on a Saturday, have coffee and shop with the lovely Clare. I haven't felt like a normal person while working in so long that this is awfully nice :]

Oh, and my new ink is healing quite nicely, thanks for asking. Just working through the last bits of that annoying flaky stage. Will be glad when it's over and I stop finding little black bits on my shirt when I get ready for bed, urgh.

Tron, Tattoos and Tea

2011-01-17T13:24:00.001-08:00

So, as seen by my frenzied picture posting on here and twitter, I have new ink. How exciting, yes?

So, as it's my first time at Inkslingers, I'll give a brief review of the experience and what I've learnt.

First lesson: Don't get inked by the new guy.

Okay, that makes it sound like I had an awful experience and I really didn't, but the lesson remains. When you're paying extra for the fact you're at one of the North East's top studios, it stings a little to get inked by someone with less than a year's experience. Even after I mentioned my quote was for a larger colour piece, I still ended up paying £90 for an hour's session. Ouch.

That said, he's obviously had a busy year as it was the most pain free tattoo I've ever had (Didn't have to stop once in the hour long session!), and it looks amazing, which is worth the money in the long run, as I'm going to have it for life. However, I don't think I'll be heading back to that shop again. Which is a shame because it has a good name, but I think their communication between the guys on the desk and the artists is very lacking, which wasted a lot of time.

Next up: Tron!

I loveloveloved Tron when I was a kid, despite such things being 'for boys', and was stoked to see the sequel. And a soundtrack by Daft Punk? What wasn't to like?!

So needless to say I was bouncing about like a wide eyed puppy by the time we hit the cinema, and only slightly annoyed when I found out we had to buy 3D glasses. Yeah, you heard, we had to buy them. I was a little annoyed by the fact that there isn't another option; I know people stealing them is a pain too, but the option to leave a deposit would have been nice.

However, the film didn't let me down. I really enjoyed it (especially as there were only about 6 other people in the cinema!), definitely one of the better films I've seen of late. If you haven't seen it, you should. That is all :)

And the tea?

Well, I couldn't think of anything else that corresponded with my weekend and began with a T. Everyone likes a little alliteration, eh?

However, I have been drinking superhuman quantities of tea at rehearsals for BlueGiro, which is shaping up very nicely. The set is built out of flightcases, which is the best idea I've seen to date, as everything opens or closes and becomes something new. A toilet becomes a bar, a flightcase becomes a bed, you get the idea.

So, life is pretty good right now. Even if Darren is leaving me for a week to go see his parents *pout*

New Ink!

2011-01-15T07:49:00.001-08:00

Not sure of that's it finished yet, or if I'll add to it soon. Colour would be nice though...

Worst Read of 2010. Easily.

2011-01-09T07:57:00.000-08:00

So titled because I started it in 2010, even if I did only finish it yesterday...

I won't go into massive detail because the charaqcters actually really annoyed me. Ruth is a blatent Mary Sue (totally hot, super witch powers, three people in love with her, you know the drill), Church is good to the point I just want to pass him a beer and a pack of tabs and tell him to chill out. His sword is also on fire. All the time.
Then we have Mallory who is basically a non-character. I seriously don't think he does anything memorable at all apart from get it on with Sophie, who cheats on him with a celtic fairy wench. Possibly the most grating part of this was that said cheating is never mentioned again, and the next time we see Sophie she's just worried about Mallory getting it with Caitlin, the MPD girl(s).
Hunter and Laura have fallen in love as well while we're here, but that doesn't make their dialogue any less annoying. While Chadbourn should get credit for trying to write a slightly less high-brow fantasy, it's not really worked.

At the end we all go off to battle the lesbian fairy and find that Jack is the Libtertainian, but that's revealed in the space of a page, no biuld up, no nothing. This sort of sums up the novel really, individually most of the elements are half decent. Together, the whole thing is a mess.

A good trip

2011-01-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

So, I go home to see my parents a few times a year, not as often as every student/graduate, granted, but I try my hardest to do so as often as I can.

The thing that's got to me though, even during my first year is how little of a place I seem to occupy in what used to be my house. And over the last couple of years this has intensified as my sister moved down into my old room, and the two little boxes full of things I've never got round to taking to Newcastle have been relegated to the attic.

Now hen I come down, I sleep in the spare room, I fit around the schedule my family has planned and often end up just spending days watching tv and playing on the internet.

This year was the first time I've managed to accept this, and consequently have had the best trip home since I started uni back in the day. I've not made real efforts to see people (and learnt who my real friends are by who made efforts to see me!), and have generally just chilled out, felt naughty smoking out of the attic window and atched DVDs with my mum.

And you know what? It's been the best trip home I've ever had!

December? where?

2011-01-06T03:03:00.001-08:00

So of late I've been horribly busy with pantomime. It started nicely with rehearsals and things. But after a week of that we were thrown into the worst tech week of my life. I worked 98 hours, was treated like crap and had to fight to get us all out of the building in time for the last metro.

The cast however, were amazing throughout. I won't lie, it wasn't all roses and sunshine but there wasn't ever a moment where they decided to make our lives difficult :)

But now that's over and I'm off on a mini tour with OpenClasp with a show called blue giro. It promises to be most exciting!

.....now if only I had time to skate :(

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Resolutions

2011-01-01T12:33:00.000-08:00

So, I've been hella busy of late, as Pantomime is a cruel mistress.

But, my new years resolutions are as follows:

Improve my relationship with food (No more eating when I'm bored, and definately no more doing 16 hour days without eating anything!)
Skate harder and faster
Play in a bout
Spend 2/3 of the year or more in work. (Already got half of that sorted out!)
Get another kitten :]

Does it Offend You, Yeah?

2010-12-02T08:05:00.000-08:00

So, according to some web bot out there somewhere this blog contains what it simply calls "inappropriate content"
Sorry, what?
I haven't even said any naughty words in a while.
Hmmmph.

The Roller Derby Quilt

2010-12-02T08:01:00.000-08:00

I want in on this :]
There's a few girls from the league interested, so I may whip up some kind of league themed sqaure and see what people think.

....Or wait until we finish debating the various team logos!

BBC's Day of the Triffids.

2010-11-14T13:19:00.000-08:00

So, I finally got round to watching the new version of Triffids today. For those who aren't familiar with the book: Triffids are poisionous plants who produce very valuable oil; enough that fish oil and other various types have all been repleced by it. When the Earth's orbit takes it into the path of green comets that light up the dy like fireworks, the next day pretty much everyone wakes up blind.

In this adpation Bill Masen is played by Dougray Scott of Hitman fame, who suffers a sting to the eyes and has been in hospital with his eyes covered in bandages, saving him from permanant blindness, ironically.

In this version I found him far too centred on the triffids from the off, which eradicated all chance of plot development. It was simply spelled out form the start.

This with the attempts to modernize the concept of a farm, the removal of any reference to the biological weapons to blame for the world's blindness in the novel, and various other breaches of the "show don't tell rule", amek the whole thing feel a bit half hearted - as if they were delibrately trying to dumb down an already very simple concept.

Overall, the efforts to bring this 50's classic into the 21st century just seemed contrived. When I was fourteen, and even when I reread it the other day, I found the book terrifying, but all the things that did that: the way the triffids communicated by rattling their sticks, a clattering kind of noise, Bill's slow realisation that nobody else can see, the various types of attempts to rebuild and redfine humanity. All this has been lost, in favour of Bill engineering a new super triffid to emliminate the ones we already have.

In short, another amazing novel that was still relevant today given the TV treatment with devastating effect.

And my license fee paid for this twaddle >:(

I love my kitty

2010-11-13T14:41:00.000-08:00

November is a funny month for me. And when I was sad today, my kitty cuddled my arm and didn't let me go :)

He didn't even bite me :)

Skills of the week

2010-11-11T14:34:00.000-08:00

This week I'm going to get better at the following:

Crossovers
Get a better PB on the 25
Balancing on one leg to things like derby glides and T stops init

I'm gonna do my written test as well :)

:D

2010-11-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

^ Worst post title ever, I am aware.

Today, I popped my Derby cherry with some top notch scrimmaging action. I played pivot (and actually found out what a pivot does!), and I jammed, and I scored four points :)

Also: I experienced one of the proudest moments of what will eventually be my Derby career. I was jamming, and trying to make my second pass through the pack. There was a wall of blockers in front of me as their jammer had already popped out, and I was all they had to worry about, so I grabbed the only skater in front of me who was on my team and took a hip whip. There was a surprised/excited murmur from the inside of the track, and I was scot free, out of the pack ready for another pass.

The pride mostly comes from the fact everyone seemed to be taken by surprise (in a good way) by this, and my ref was all like "good pass". I applied a skill init.
The surprise of this information was then enough to make me wobble on my wheels a little and nearly go on my bum. Turns out pride really does go before a fall!

Also, I found the source of the funny noise in my skate - there's a little plastic collar that lives inside my truck that had popped out. It's cracked down the side, so I figure I can just superglue it shut again and pop it back in! :)

Mission of the month update

2010-11-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

So tonight I ticked off the following skills...

Sticky skating
Laterals (cutting track three times on the straights and twice on corners)
Some of my falls (and I sort of learnt how to do a baseball slide, w00t)
Stepping
Jump (I know right? They put a broom on the track and the first few times I fell but than I was like, Oh holy shit, I'm jumping!!)
Hops L-R and R-L (Easy!)
Outside and inside whips
Hip whips
Pushes
Leaning(?) - Not sure if this one was signed off or not yet.

...On a side note, there's a wierd squeaking noise coming from my skates that only started tonight. I'm going to give my bearings a clean and see if that helps. Al tightened my wheels up which didn't solve it (but did make me feel way more stable and confident, so thanks!) but made me faster. Hurrah.

Also, a lot of people have been asking me about my new skates at practice. I seem to get a few people finding their way here from the NRG forums so I'll put a review up once I've done my NaNo for the day!

Tomorrow

2010-11-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

I am going to make my christmas cake. I am excited, I've never made a christmas cake before :)

It starts in two and a half hours...

2010-10-31T14:25:00.001-07:00

This is Halloween, red and black and slightly green.

2010-10-31T11:16:00.000-07:00

So, halloween this year I'm not going out, as I'm saving all my monies, for rent and a new tattoo. So I'm sitting in listening to Orson Welles on ze internet and drinking a glass of wine. I think I actually prefer this to the musical version :)

I wish I got invited to parties.

2010-10-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

That is all

Getting back into those jeans....

2010-10-30T07:33:00.000-07:00

Is so far proving harder than I thought.
(Okay I know I don't want instant results, but at least some acknowledgment that my thighs have heard the warning would be nice?)

On the plus side at practice on wednesday I did 20 (and a half) laps in five minutes. I'm so nearly there!
I reckon I'm going to get at least 23 next time though as I'm starting to nail my crossovers and I wasn't very steady on my wheels on wednesday night. I'd just got them back and was all like, yay, must put wheels on now to get on track, nom.
I then had to adjust them after one lap as they were wayyy too loose, but when I got home I realised that the roll was varied from 2 to nearly ten seconds. Holy crap, I'm amazed I made it to 20. Ooops.

Also, did I mention part of my hair is pink now? :)

They say nostalgia is a bad thing

2010-10-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

that will drag one down into the past.
But I've actually found the thoughts of my past over the last few days refreshing. Over the last two years I've settled into a mundane life. I get up, I do house work, or I work, or maybe I just watch TV, I eat, I skate, I sleep. I don't have day dreams anymore (and those who knew me in my school days would be shocked. I was constantly being told to come back down to earth) - and I lost a lot of ambition.

Over the last week a lot of that has come flooding back. Don't panic, I'm not going to run away on some mid life crisis, I'm still going to do the same stuff, I'm just a little more awake in the head :)

And maybe a little more daydreamy :]

Hmph.

2010-10-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Yes yes yes, I know curvy girls are pretty too, thanks guys.
But my muffin top isn't, haha.

Made a pact with Daz yesterday - no cakes, biscuits etc for us! Also, trading cooking lunch for myself for a cup a soup or hot chocolate. Om nom.

Blast from the past

2010-10-27T10:17:00.001-07:00

If you want money more than anything,
you will be bought and sold.
If you have a greed for food,
you will become a loaf of bread.
This is a subtle truth.
Whatever you love, you are.

Monthly resolutions.

2010-10-26T04:38:00.000-07:00

So, I've been having a little think of late, mostly about things I keep meaning to change and never have.
Also, about the new years resolutions I made and cant even remember, let alone know if I kept...

So lets take a look shall we?

I'm going to eat more vegatables (ie more than none)

Not so much, fresh food is the first thing that gets cut when money's tight.

I'm going to be funny independant in the summer. Even if it means joining the dole queue.

Fail.

I'm gonna buy a bike

Done!

I'm going to pass my driving test

Done!

I'm going to pay off some of my overdraft every time the loan comes in

Done, but I'm nowhere near debt free.

I'm going to be the best DSM I can be :)

Iffy, but I'll go for yes. I made it on tour over the summer, and I have a panto this year :)

...

So, I'm going to make one resolution a month instead.

This month *fanfare*
Im going to fit back into my favourite jeans.

I dont know if Im just not doing much at the moment, but I'm creeping up the scales (or I would be if I had scales) - so I'm gonna get a bit lighter, and hopefuly jiggle less when I walk.

Also, if I get any bigger my tattoo is gonna morph and get gross.

So, here's the plan - I'm gonna leep a food diary (I have no idea why this is meant to help, lol), drink at least 2l of water a day and do at least half an hour of activity. Im also gonna push on with the 200 squat program which fell by the wayside after a week the first time round.

Holy balls

2010-10-22T09:58:00.001-07:00

I just got 37 pageviews out of the blue.
The internet is wierd.

I'm doing it!

2010-10-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

So, I wrote a really angsty post a few hours ago about jobseeking and being poor. Fuck that. I actually realised the other day that some people actually read this (and it can't even be the college marketing dept now I no longer work there!).

So, here's my pledge, in shiny pixels for you to hold me to: I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year, and I'm going to complete it. After all, it's not like I have no time is it?

Those who have known me for a long time will know I used to write a lot. And then I just....stopped. So rather than upload a post bitching and moaning about how I have nothing to do, I'm going to write a novel. A complete reboot of the attempt I made when I was fourteen, before I really knew what a satire was, and I'd just read Orwell.
I want to have a go at recapturing the spirit of those years when everything was easy, before I started worrying about boys (and girls), before exams, before coursework, before I ever had to worry about money and my cleaning job was the closest thing I had to responsibility.

Wish me luck guys, coz this is going to be a bit more important to me than hitting the word count. This is me conquering the cloud that's been hanging over me for a good couple of years in the only way I know how, getting so into something else it stops mattering.
There's only so long I can stare at an empty screen and wonder where my life is going.

Mission of the month...

2010-10-14T16:07:00.000-07:00

..is passing the rest of my minimum skills!

We're having a christmas party bout, and I really want to take the chance to show the coaching team what I got without having to worry about getting selected for the team, etc, and have a bit of fun!

I made loads of progress last night with Marie, so hopefully it's not as far off as I think!

So, here's what's left to do:

Crossovers - I'm nearly there!
25 in 5 - Hit 20 last night. Almost :)
T-Stop - Hahaha, no
Plow stop - Not on my new wheels :|
Derby glides - Not quite confident on this one yet
Sticky skating - Just need to get a coach to look at this one :)
Cut track 3x on straights, twice on turns. - I suck at laterals.
Falls - Need to get these looked at. I'm well good at falling over :p
180 knee fall - Never even tried this one!
Four point fall - Done and done :)
Stepping - God no. I just roll away!
Coasting straight aways - could blates do this with my new wheels.
Squats and propels - that sounds like I need to poop on track. Ew.
Jump! - God no
Hop L - R - I shall improve my balance first, you see!
Whips of various types - No. Giving a whip is like impossible. Think I skate too tall :/
Pushes - I can take them but not so great at giving them
Skates while leaning - Holy balls that's hard
Recovers from bumps without falling - I'm getting better.
Can take hits without flailing - Rights I can! :D
Hip and shoulder checks - Not yet. Marie is hard to hit when she skates so low!

So, I take back what I said about the Diablos...

2010-10-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

As they are just a tarted up R3.

However, the dream of new skates has been realised. Watch this space for my excited face!

Fitter. Happier.

2010-10-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

So I've had a goood day today. I've started a workout plan (I know right?), cooked some food that was approximately twice as healthy as normal, and popped to Morrisons to hand in my application and do a bit of shopping.

So, workouts? People who knew me back in the day will be shocked and amazed. For people who haven't known me as long, I was fat and into Lord of the Rings. That tells most of the story by itself!

But as of today I've started the two hundred squats plan. It really is what it says on the tin, a training plan to get me in reach of 200 squats with minimal pain. "Most excellant stuff, Pyro!" I hear you cry, "But why would you want to do 200 squats?!"

Well, I don't. However, I want to build my lower body and core strength for a sexy derby stance that doesn't leave me walking funny the next day. And don't even get me started on sticky skating!

But in my initial test today I did 45. That's already about 20% of the way there :)

Also. I have been listening to a LOT of Daft Punk the last few weeks. It's storming up my Last.fm charts. So far seconded only by Fink in the last week. Oh lawds.

Polly Pyro's Craft time :)

2010-09-23T02:38:00.000-07:00

So, I've had a productive morning making some little flames out of felt for my skates. Check them out:

"But, Pyro," I hear you cry, "How do I make such finery?"
Don't panic, it's very easy :)

Step one: Find your template. I just used a picture of a flame I found on google images and drew round it.

Step two: Cut out your felt in whatever colours you're using. This is the slightly tedious bit as I was using huuuuge scissors.

This is where you get to play about and see what works with what, don't be afraid to chuck away bits that don't work, or don't look right.

Step three: Sew it all together. The fun bit, where you get to see it all come together.

I put a couple of loops on the back as well, so I can thread my laces through them to make sure they're securely fastened to my skates and won't come off on the track.

I've also stiched my derby name into them. Polly on one, Pyro on the other!

Boooo

2010-09-21T05:19:00.000-07:00

So, I got fired today. I've never been fired before - I thought it would be a bit more dramatic!

So, no new skates for me. No new pads. No anything really. Back to skintsville and the soul numbing job hunt :(

"Fuck off"

2010-09-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

Yeah a lot of people said that to me today.

Turns out I'm pretty crap at campaigning. My pitch is okay (apperently), but I just can't get people to stop and listen.
Also, some woman had a go at me, it was cold and my head was really hurting, and I decided to pick then to have a panic attack in the middle of Newcastle. Thanks, bitch.

Also, the more I think about it the wierder her whole routine seems, she told me it was against her human rights for me to stop her, said something about posh kids standing on street corners, and how I didn't vote for a party that would raise taxes. I shrugged, let her get on with it and struggled to breathe the second she got round the corner, lol.
Embarassing much?

Still. How the hell are you meant to stop a grumpy geordie in the street when it's cold, it's raining and they have a train to catch? Especially when they've been coming down past five more of you on the road?

Still, tomorrow is a new day, and I'm signed up to do this for three months whatever the crack. So let's see if I can get better....

tequila!

2010-09-13T06:10:00.001-07:00

why is there always tequila?

had a very good night last night though I may have had too many shots of tequila and one pint too many...but still, many good times.

oh stowford press you really are a vile drink disguised as a tasty cider.
on the plus side I am having work training today (currently on a break!) which is rocking so far. I think I shall like this job stuff.

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Polly Pyro

2010-09-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

So, a while back I got all excited about some cheap(ish) skates I bought on the tinterweb to kickstart my derby career...Remember?
They're going to be upstaged within the next few weeks by these bad boys:

Awww yeah :)

Love at first sight? I think so!
I really am jumping up and down for the day I can afford these...Then I'll really be Polly Pyro ;)

I am fully aware they're pretty much just R3's but painted red, but I'm lame enough to consider that worth the extra few pennies.

Oh, did I also mention I'm employed now? Yeah boiiii :)
Life is awesome right now, I'm not gonna lie.

go go rollergirl, look at that girl roll...

2010-09-05T10:20:00.001-07:00

Today has been a good day, chilled out all morning and then hit the make and mend with Newcastle Roller Girls. Can't say it was all I thought it would be but I had fun and it was cool to do something social for a change. Even got a compliment on my skating, which is nice as I never quite feel like I am getting anywhere with it just yet...

Have decided to get more involved with the league as a whole, its not like I like selling tat, I just love the fact that I am seeing more girls than boys on a daily basis for the first time since I was at girls school! I even bought a dress today :)

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hides under duvet

2010-09-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

So my job interview got moved today, and I ended up drowning my sorrows in a donner and chips. I feel gross. I've not even had any booze, so eating such things should be illegal. Eurgh.

Also, my CO keeps trying to contact me about my no show on Friday.
I know the mature thing to do is man up, say hi and apologise but I just want my whole commitment to cadets to go away.... :/

Also, I want a laptop that works so I *can* hide under the duvet with my kitty and facebook....

It's 5pm....

2010-09-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

...and I should be getting ready for cadets.

So why do I have this urge to crawl into bed and watch a DVD and blow it off for another few days?
I haven't not wanted to go somewhere this much since I was having piano lessons.

On jobseeking and hobbies.

2010-09-03T04:42:00.000-07:00

So, I started applying for day jobs a few days ago, and I'm lucky enough to have a couple of interviews over the next few days, good times, eh?

So I've been having a little think really.
Don't get me wrong, I love theatre, and I've put hell of a lot of effort into trying to make a career out of it. But I'm just digging myself into debt, and now I don't have a student loan to fall back on there's a rather unpleasant reality to contend with: I'm in a lot of debt. I have to pay rent and eat. I have a cat who depends on me and my partner. Darren gets plenty of work, but not enough to support us both.

So, it's day job time.
After all, I've not got a panto (again *sadface*) which means I'm not going to get much in the way of work until panto season finishes. Joyous.
And I'm sick of sitting in the house doing nothing at all and generally wasting time.

Also: I really don't want to go to cadets tonight. I didn't miss it once when I was away, I don't want to iron my uniform, or smart myself up for the benefit of a few ten year olds, I don't want to teach them about cloud types or ropes. I honestly just feel like it's a fucking chore, the same as the washing up or the laundry, and I think I have more enthusiasm for the laundry.

So I'm back :)

2010-08-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

So, I'm back, and fighting my way back into the loop.On the plus side, I got to go back to Derby last night, I *really* missed my skates while I was away and I don't seem to have forgotten everything in my absence!

I had a slight dilemma when derby moved to wednesday, but I made my mind up that it gets to become a derby dayand I'm cutting my cadet attendance down to just Fridays. Maybe until I get my minimum skills and can skate on Thursdays, maybe forevers. We shall see.
It's becoming a chore twice a week, so maybe just going once will make it fun again?

And, having not typed up anything longer than a risk assessment in the last six weeks, I'll finish up now. Toodlepip

Double Rainbow all the way....

2010-07-10T10:05:00.001-07:00

Also, swallowed the fear and got myself excited for this tour now.
This is really happening. I'm making it :)

On impending touring.

2010-07-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

So, just in case you hadn't notice from my last post, I'm going on a mini tour of three places this summer.
I'm amazingly excited. This is the first job I've really got with my own merits, without anyone dropping my name in or helping me slip my foot in the door. This is the first step to a career!

But I'm also a bit emotional. The last time I went away for five weeks and left my life on hold, there wasn't much of a life to leave.
Now I have cadets. Roller Derby. Darren. Sandstorm. A really nice house that is my home.

But you need a career to have all these things. So, now I leap into the unknown and do it gladly.

The thing I am most conscious of though is the number of people who have helped me get this far. The people who would never let me give up, and kept pushing me. The students who put on fantastic shows (which were the cincher to me getting the job anyway!), and the ones who made up my crews and the ones I crewed for, the tutors who taught them and taught me.

Does every graduate do this? Or am I over reacting?

I'm going on tour!

2010-07-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

Yeahhh.
I'm excited, I really am. I got offered the job formally today - despite having never met anyone from the production team (they like my CV that much, holy shit), and I leave on Sunday night to start work bright and early at 11am monday morning. Yes, this means I will be missing graduation, sorry folks.

Buttt. I'm going on tour :D

If you're in the area, definately come see the show. This is my rough schedule - I can't tell you anything about the show so far, only that it's going to be a blast.

JULY 
12/07/2010 Start rehearsals at South Hill Park  
16/07/2010 Community kids start at SHP  
23/07/2010 Open at South Hill Park
 26/07/2010 Night off  
31/07/2010 Last night at South Hill Park   AUGUST  
02/08/2010 Get in, start rehearsals Frensham Heights, Farnham 
04/08/2010 Open at Frensham Heights  
07/08/2010 Last night at Frensham Heights  
09/08/2010 Get in, start rehearsals at Quex  
13/08/2010 Open at Quex Gardens, Margate  
14/08/2010 Night off  
21/08/2010 Night off  
22/08/2010 Last night at Quex Gardens

You are a pirate!

2010-07-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

Ahem.

So yes, I'm off camping tomorrow, and while I will be back just in time for Cadets on the wednesday I'll be missing Derby on the tuesday.

It's my first holiday since Daz and I went to Plymouth in November though, which seems like a thousand years ago. And I love camping. So I am justifiably excited.

This isn't even dampened by a slight ear disaster.
I started stretching my ears when I was 16, and by the time I was 17 I'd moved up to 4mm. So the other day after about two and a half years I bought some nice plugs and decided to go up 5mm.
I think I've slept on it funny, as I took it out to clean it today and it's being a little bitch and bleeding everywhere. I've ordered a steel plug for it, but it's not arrived yet, so I'll have to do my best with it for the week, eh?

Just a quick hello...

2010-06-30T06:16:00.000-07:00

...to Newcastle College's marketing department, who I am told are avid readers!

(I suspect I was informed of this as I slagged off my course on here. They have eyes everywhere!)

insert witty title

2010-06-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

So, I'm just sharing my uber excitement....That my new skates are on their way!
One day when I'm super good etc I'll get Reidells. But until then these'll do :)

Included in the post are a set of (mediocre) pads to see me through my falls, and a shiny black helmet. It was a toss up between black and red, but we do play in black after all...

*excited face*
:D

Well, that's how I roll...

2010-06-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

So, I've had some super good times of late. I've been home to visit my family for a few days (sitting about doing nothing and drinking nice tea - om nom nom!) and stopped over in London to watch the world cup, drink beer and mount clean up operation of the century to the banging tunes from the church next door. Seriously, it was proper happy clappy...I chuckled to myself as I cleared away a mountain of paper plates and packets of crisps.

I then managed to miss my train (wood green to paddington is a proper mission when the circle line is shut!) and was delayed by an hour on my way home, however, I still made it by about 4pm in time for sunday dinner :)

I've also had an amazingggg weekend this week. Went out after work on friday night for Darren's birthday - including a late night trip to powerhouse. I've not had a non drinking night so good ever. The light up dance floor was what did it for me :D

Saturday was a pretty naff fair with cadets, we left them on the bouncy castle and did some senior cadet training upstairs. Also went out that evening with Lauren and Michelle for Lee's bithday and had a rather spiffy night. Didn't even get that drunk :)

Polished the weekend off with a trip to the Hoppins with Darren and Essex, and a lazy day today. For the record, blonde hair dye is not what it says on the tin...

but, to my main point....Roller derby!
I read about it a few months ago, but really looked into it today - how class? I've emailed the Newcastle team asking what to do as a n00b, lol. I've finally found why I have a massive arse :)

Buses, tubes and trains

2010-06-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

So, I always take a convoluted route down the country to see my parents, it's just the cheapest if least convenient way to do it. If I could I'd drive down, or get the train the whole way, or fly to Brizzle and then get a train. But the Megabus is only about a tenner each way after all, and it means I can chillax in the coach station for an hour or so, grab a coffee and people watch. Maybe read some kind of trashy magazine that I'd certainly not want to be seen with!

Yesterday, just to add a twist I went to go see Max, one of my Borneo buddies to indulge in barbeque times, beer times, and football times. Lots of fun, met many crazy people and mounted cleanup mission of the centuary. Winner.

Tomorrow the plan is to go into town with Roger and get my phone fixed, and maybe do a bit of window shopping. In short I have three days in the Westcountry to fill with fun things - give me a shout if you're around :)

Eat. Work. Sleep. Work. Eat. Sleep.

2010-06-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

So yeah, I'm back in that work and nothing else mode that I whinge so much about with one significant difference: I'm loving it :)

I'm in the wonderful situation where I'm making a living getting paid to do something I love. What a winner. Tinged with sad times though, as this is my last *ever* day in the Peter Sarah Theatre - le gasp.
I did all my "real" growing up in this building and I'm quite sad to leave.

But at least I'm going out with a bang, four shows a day starting in ten minutes. Training up a DSM and two followspot ops, and a ten minute turnaround.

-2 shows and a ten minute turnaround later-

Pheww. Shattered now. Plus the excitement of a ten minute turn around has worn off now and I'm just tired. Two more shows to go and then an early night I think.

Too much too young too fast?

2010-05-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like I take on altogether too much for one person. The Sea Cadets, a show a week either at work or college or the peoples (sometimes more than one), trying to finish my college work, working at college, trying to work out what the hell I'm actually going to do when I leave college, and if I'm even going to pass this year?

That enough stress for you yet?

Then there's having to leave the kitten every day (not that it cares, it blates loves Daz more than me), trying to organise a camping trip, working out when I'll next go see my parents and siblings, if I can get down to Plymouth again this year, missing my country lanes and giving up smoking.

And the worst thing is I know I should be really grateful for the things I have, amazing boyfriend, job I enjoy, nice house, cute kitten, etc etc etc. And I feel guilty for not giving Sandstorm enough attention, or leaving mess in the house, and does that help? Not a jot.

I just want to shut the three of us away for a couple of days and forget about everything else. No college, no being skint, no rent, no bills or tax, just me, Daz and little Sandstorm <3

If I knew you were coming I'd have baked a cake.

2010-05-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

Well, of course I knew Darren was coming home tonight given we live togehter. But I thought I'd be nice, and I've made cheesecakes :)

There's the nice looking one with fruit etc on it. and the diabetes-in-a-cake-tin version where even the biscuit crumbs are stuck together with white chocolate!
Just the solution to a long day's plotting, I reckon. And now, I'm going to power through my sound file. Winner.

Oh, and....

2010-05-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

....Ashes to Ashes finished last night.
I have to admit I may have shed a little tear when the premise became (somewhat) clear. Poor Gene Genie looking after dead coppeds. Still it explains why Ray and Chris haven't aged a day since Ashes to Ashes...

I get the basic gist of what was going on there, but really? Really? Yes, everything was neatly tied up, but I found all a bit too neat. Especially making Jim Keats the devil - whose whole plot arc was flimsy at best. Hmmph. I was unimpressed.

However, it was still a good ending, even if it tried to cram in a bit much plot for a series that's floundered about for several episodes at a time in that department. Confused parties may wish to read this article supplied by the guardian that'll give you the run down and the logic behind it.

New hair :D

2010-05-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

I got a hair cut today, not a major (or common) even in the normal scheme of things (My god, I can't type today at all). However, I've gone and done one of those things I only have had the balls to do a couple of times in the past, and normally gets left for a good couple of years before I do anything else with it.

Behold, blogosphere:

...Also, Sandstorm is dragging one of my socks about the floor. Adorable to the max :)

You know we got a good thing going...

2010-05-10T14:08:00.001-07:00

...and I don't want to see it end.

So - I know I bitch and moan about my college course, a lot, and for the most part it is a pile of balls. We get messed about, our tutors are about as suseful as a chocolate kettle (with a few significant exceptions) - but I've had some really good times at Newcastle College. I've made some amazing friends and had some great laughs. So here's my top five bits:

5. Macbeth

Simply becuase it was on FE Fest for the most part. That and Rob fanning the haze from the machine over the stage with a wet floor sign. Which then broke. FE Fest in general = amazing times. I've never had so much fun doing twelve hour days in my life, whether I was sat in the tech box stealing people's newspapers or trolling Pete with Sam. Not to mention Rob's mum ;)

Sam Gives Rob's Mum a cheeky blow.

4. Tilleys With Pete and Neil.

I'm fairly sure most students don't drink with their lecturers. I'm not even sure why we do to be honest, but it never fails to lead to amusing times, eh? :)

3. My 19th Birthday.

the above reason is a factor in this as well. But this was the best night out I'd had in ages. Even with Tom cooking all my food and Jonathan threatening to throw up ina taxi (I kid you not).
Monents of the night: Walking into the pub to a rendition of Happy Birthday by Neil, Pete and Andy Main. Also Darren bringing loads of people a as surprise.

2. Live Across Newcastle 2009

This was the few weeks I just set up home in the Theatre Royal Learning Space, and had a great time. I board op'd, I Stage Managed, hell, I even did costume. Not to mention the epic one woman crew that was me on A Man Call Will. This is when I really got into working with the lovely John and Gavin. I wish my tutors could be half as supportive, hah.

1. RENT
You all thought I was going to say getting with Daz didn't you? :)
But this is a college blog not a 'omg he's so amazing' blog. I do lots of those if you want to read them. I love him <3

Now, those of you who were in contact with me at the time of Rent would be shocked to see this here - but let's be honest, it was epic type two fun. From the immpromtu knitting club in rehearsals to getting mashed in the green room after the get out (actually, just getting wrecked in the green room every night!), to seeing my parents and having to pretend I hadn't been drinking and smoking all week...

Here's to a great two years, I spent this last year desperate to escape but now I'm so sad to leave.

<3

designing ink, watching TV and fighting round the world!

2010-05-09T06:52:00.000-07:00

So this week has been a challenge - two shows in one go, and then a shitload of paperwork on top. So i'm now trying as hard as I can to catch up on it all.

Still, I've found a few ways to amuse myself in this period. I've been out, not once, but twice (woohoo) and I've given up smoking (Day four and counting). I'm on my way to becoming all productive and shit, wahey.

That said I've spent today drawing on myself with biro (I've still got the new ink itch), watching 4od, wanting a cigarette (for the first time in the four days actually) and trying to do a jigsaw. Hmm.

Also, it's hair cut time, do I carry on growing it long or do I be brave and just cut it all off? Answer me blogosphere :)

Sad day for the Corps....

2010-05-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

Today is a sad day for the Sea Cadets as a young cadet fell from the rigging of TS Royalist, our tall ship, and died. I don't think there is a single person in the Corps who is not thinking of the cadet's family at this difficult time, not waiting for the results of the enquiry and the fate of our beloved ship.

Since I was a young cadet I always wanted to go on the Royalist, but due to the cost (a very reasonable £240 quid for the week), I never quite made it. But for those cadets who did, it was the week of their lives. A lot of mischief was made, but nobody ever seriously hurt themselves...And when I went on board back in 2004 when she was undergoing refit (no sailing, just insulating the hull and writing my name on it!) it was the same. When I climbed that mast I wasnt even scared, because I was wearing a harness, everything had been that explained to me, and I was confident that the staff knew what they were talking about.

It would be a terrible shame if this oppourtunity was taken away from every cadet present and future because of one unhappy accident.

I'm not for one second trying to trivialise what happened, don't get me wrong, standards need to be looked at if a cadet has fallen not just into the sea, but from height, but it would be a mistake to let this cost the Royalist....

Say hello to Sandstorm...

2010-05-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

I bought a bike!

2010-05-01T04:31:00.000-07:00

So today I had my first experience at recyke y bike - a friendly little collective of people who fix bikes, and sell them for charity. I had a word with a very friendly chap who pointed me in the right direction for a hybrid bike (the speed of town bike with the comfort of suspension, genius!) and helped me find one the right size. I'm now the proud owner of a very bright green bicycle, lock and puncture repair kit, all for the princely sum of forty quid!

If anyone in Newcastle is after a bike on the cheap, these are your guys. They're dead helpful, offer cycling lessons for beginners, courses in basic repairs and every bike comes with a three month guarantee and has a slip attached telling you how much spares are (tyres, brake cables and the like).

They don't even let you buy it without taking it round the trading estate first - lucky for me otherwise I would have ended up with a bike too big for me! - and when something goes wrong, they won't fix it for you, they'll teach you to fix it yourself. Even more impressive when everyone there is a volunteer, and because they only sell bikes one day a week, really busy.

So now I can pedal between the Theatre Royal and college with no problems, and save a fortune on parking at the same time!

Geeky side note - my bike is now the Green Lantern. Win :)

Shopping :)

2010-04-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a long time since I bought any comics (and I mean coming up on a year, eek!) so I took a meanader on amazon today (sorry Travelling Man, but you shouldn't have ditched the online shop. Plus the guy who works there probably thinks I stalk him as I used to drink in a pub he works in, and have worked on shows with his band, haha).

So, winging their way to me in the post as we speak I have:

Sandman: Endless Nights.
I give up on the other half of my collection. It's either lost in Somerset or elsewhere and either way I don't think I'm going to see it again any time soon. Shame, I bought those when I was like 15 - first comics I was really into.

Ignition City - Warren Ellis
WWII interrupted by martians? What's not to like?

Aaand something that's been a long time coming: The Green Lantern: Secret Origins. I loved the Green Lantern when I was a kid, so let's give this rebirth stuff a bash :)

Depending on what my shifts are like (ie if I have the cash) I may have to invest in some Tank Girl as well. Read a bit while skulking about waiting for Daz to finish work. I think I'm in love <3

Plans plan plans :)

2010-04-18T04:09:00.000-07:00

So right now, I'm planning for the Fringe - how exciting!

This is mostly mundane little things like buying new tools and preparing things for the cadets in my absence. However, there's also big things, like stepping up the kitten search so Darren isn't left by himself, looking at cheap B&Bs for us to hide in on my days off and trying so hard not to buy clothes (though I need new ones) and books (which I just really want!). I'm used to saving etc now, to the extent that I actually feel guilty buying things I need! Bad form.

I'm also planning for January, I really want a Musa tattoo, I emailled him yesterday asking if he was in the UK before tattooo freeze 2011, maybe we can arrange something :)

Things I want to do in the Real World (zomg)

2010-04-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

So, I've just landed my first real industry job by myself. No reccomendations, no people putting my name forward or putting nice words in for me. Just me, an application form, and a telephone interview. What's not to like? :)

I also have a whole six weeks of the "real world" - no cadets, no college, no tyne theatre, just me and the Fringe.

So here's what I'm gonna do...

Look at getting a new tattoo (my tattooist doesn't feel comfortable trying to imitate Musa's style as it's so far from his own it would just lose the movement/ Booooo.)
Dye my hair a crazy colour (I'm thinking blue)
Pretend to be teetotal (just to see what it's like)
Spend as little money as I can (£50 a week isn't much....)

I feel the need to pop to Prague all of a sudden....

2010-04-17T04:30:00.001-07:00

...as I *really* want to get myself inked by a guy called Musa who does gorgeous bird tattoos...Like this.

Seriously, look him up, he's called Musa - beautiful work full of energy. I'm gonna take photo along to Lee and see what he can do for me, but if it's not got the same feel to it then I may be booking flights yet.

Who's up for a trip to Prague? :)

I want new ink....

2010-04-15T11:53:00.001-07:00

More specifically the idea of a half sleeve is appealing to me more and more. I'm not hardcore enough for that sort of shit though, haha.

I know I want colour, and I know where I want it, I'm just not sure what I want...Argh.