100th post joke...

... just heard on a Radio4 show called "Ha Ha Science":

A neutron goes into a bar and orders a gin and tonic. When the drink arrives, he takes out his wallet, but the barman says "for you, no charge"!

Quote UnQuote Shock...

... a few years ago, I heard Quote UnQuote and was horrified to find myself enjoying it (this will only make sense to those who are familiar with I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue !).

and it's just happened again! I'd even go as far as to say that I will actively try to listen to it in the future... I don't know if this means that QuQ has suddenly got funny, or that Humph is wrong... I'm assuming the former, as to believe the latter would mean a serious paradigm shift that I'm not willing to contemplate!

newsnight...

... if anyone missed newsnight this eve, the whole programme can be watched online here. It was fab - a special, live debate with all the candidates for the deputy leadership.

now, I'm supporting Harriet Harman, so I may be biased here, but I found it really interesting that the camera went to her a lot for reaction shots whilst others were speaking, and I didn't really see it go to anyone else... not sure if this means that newsnight sees her as the front-runner...?

also - I've realised what Hazel Blears reminds me of - a jack russell terrier! (apologies to those strange friends of mine who are supporting her...)

lovely music!

had an early morning (for me, anyway!) but it was worth it. I went to one of the coffee concerts at Wigmore Hall and saw a brilliant string quartet play some Mozart and Haydn (yay) and some Dvorak (very dramatic, but I always find it over done).

definitely a great way to spend a Sunday, even if it did mean missing the Monaco GP!

having never been to Wigmore Hall before, I have to say I was impressed - the acoustics were amazing. On June 12th I'm going to see some Bach violin concertos, but am going to try and go again before then!

finger memory and co-ordination...

... I've started playing the clarinet again (only a few mins a day until I'm better) and am really looking forward to getting up to a decent standard again (probably about a year away).

two things have amazed me so far:

1) finger memory. Even though I can't remember what all the notes are called, or sight-read properly, I can still remember how to play the first movement of the Mozart Clarinet Quintet (albeit very badly...)

2) co-ordination between tongue and fingers. This one sounds strange, but when you play the clarinet, you sometimes 'tongue' each note. This means that rather than just blowing, you bring your tongue to the reed at the start and end of each note. It sounds really simple, but I've just tried playing a basic scale at speed, and it didn't work! My fingers and my tongue were working at different tempos, so I either had 2 identical notes in a row, or missed out one...

oh well, just one more thing that I'll need to re-learn. I've also got to get used to the pain again - my right thumb, my lower lip, both wrist at the moment! - and get my embouchure good enough to get over the second break, into the third register!

new discovery...

... about my lappy.

even though it is being totally rubbish and over heating at the drop of a hat I can, in fact, watch movies and tv programmes on it - I just have to be sat out on the balcony like I am now!

it seems that it is happier whilst there is cooler air and wind, so for now (i.e. whilst it's not too cold out for me, or too hot for the lappy), I have a solution!

grrr...

... I spent yesterday feeling not great (itchy throat, sore eyes) and had real probs sleeping last night. More of the same today, combined with itchy skin and a general feeling of something being not right. I put it down to continued illness-thingy.

it was only when I was out earlier having a coffee and overheard someone talking about hay-fever that the penny dropped! So, having Ok'd it with my doctor, I've just taken some piriton.

bloody typical - if I'd been well and had these symptoms, I would have known what it was immediately...

I think that there should be some kind of rule, where if you have an ongoing illness, you should not have to deal with things like hay-fever...

I'm really going to pay for it tomorrow...

... but have just had a fab evening. Went to a seminar hosted by Involve, all about engagement and participation in politics and meet some great people. Hopefully I'm going to do some stuff with some, about engagement of youth in particular!

then went to the pub for a few drinks (non-alcoholic!) and debated everything from Spin to the Middle-East to choice in hospitals in schools... my throat is now quite sore, so I'm going to have to be quite for a few days!

also - the wonders of facebook, not only has everyone I know joined in the past few weeks (including me), but I've also just had a text from an old school friend (Jane Currie), seeing if I'm on facebook and am going to meet up with her soon as well! I heard tonight that there have been about 50,000 Londoners join facebook in the past 2 weeks... doesn't surprise me!

I know I should have gone to bed already...

... but just as CSI finished, I flicked over to ITV2 and A Few Good Men was on. Even though I love the West Wing (and have watched it far too many times to be healthy), I sometimes forget quite how amazing Aaron Sorkin is. And even though Tom Cruise stars, it really is one of the best films of all time.

and it was the first play Sorkin ever wrote...

sunday nights...

... not sure when this happened but I've realised that, even if I was well, I'd be unlikely to go out on a Sunday night. Reason - 5 hours of CSI on FiveUS! Very sad I know. It's not even like I'm a huge fan, I just don't seem to be able to do anything but watch it when it's on!

my lappy is being stroppy again...

... and the worst of it is that the mouse pad keeps sticking.

this doesn't sound to drastic, but I've just finished a game of Civ2 and it stuck on the high score page, so that when I clicked "ok" to exit, it actually wiped all the high scores (button to the left).

I had my highest scores ever on this computer (they were all over 130%) and now I have to start all over again... not a happy bunny.

don't know why it's misbehaving again - it had been really good for the last month or so, but it's overheated and shut down twice today... either way - BAD LAPTOP...

I have a strange head...

... am listening to an episode of Clue to go to sleep, and they had "one song to the tune of another" on. In the half hour since that round, I've been going through "Tipperary/Pack up your Troubles" in my head, including singing out loud the alternate lines of each song, as in:

It's a long way to Tipperary
Smile, Smile, Smile
It's a long way to Tipperary
Smile boys that's the style
Goodbye Piccadilly
It never was worth while
It's a long long way to Tipperary
Smile, Smile, Smile

and:

Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
It's a long way to go
While you've a lucifer to light your fag
To the sweetest girl I know
What's the use of worrying
Farewell Leicester Square
So, pack your troubles in your old kit bag
But my heart is there

well, I'm going to go back to trying to go to sleep now...

still ill...

... but if there was ever a day to be in bed listening to Radio4 between dozes, it was today! and tomorrow, I'm going to have to do what I haven't done for a very long time, a sweep of the broadsheets - just hope I have the brain for it!

just caught the end of Newsnight, which was fab - a round-table debate with the likes of Alastair Campbell, Michael Howard, Charles Kennedy, David Hare and Polly Toynbee - don't you just love the beeb!

Blair's speech earlier was fab - I only have the transcript on email (can't find it on the interweb yet) - if anyone wants to see it - let me know and I'll forward it on.

bed now - but have just heard that Radio4's audience has risen over the last 3 months to 9.6m per day - second only to Radio2 - so Yay for the beeb again!

damn...

that feeling ill thing I was having last night has turned into tonsillitis...

have been to A&E and have some lovely antibiotics and am now going to hide under a duvet until I feel better.

urgg....

... am ill again.

hopefully not too bad or long lasting - but my glands round my neck are up and my right tonsil is not looking so good....

good things and bad things...

on the bad side - had the most rubbish date ever with a complete wanker.

on the good side - Mel is here, we've had lovely, healthy food. We're watching Cat Stevens on telly and will probably watch some kind of chick-flick after that.

so - all in all, the balance is on the good side!