Blame It on the Boogie

Apologies for the regression. It's my indulgence in sad songs what does it. With a dose of Lily Allen to temper things on my more kick ass days.

In heavy rotation on the mp3 player:

Paolo Nutini - Last Request. Can't actually get through the whole thing.
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black. The song, and the album!
Aretha Franklin - Walk On By. The most beautifully sung lyrics ever?
Etta James -I'd Rather Go Blind. This is particularly to blame I think.
Lily Allen - Shame For You. This is on a good day.
George Michael - I Can't Make You Love Me. This is not.

It'd be okay if it was just sad songs; I'd avoid them. But so many songs we danced to remind me of him, that even a bloody soulless dance track can get to me. Anyone else cried over the lyrics I found a place / Where we can boogie?

*allows pause for tumbleweed*

No? For me it conjures up sneaking off with him at the Christmas party, being led away by the hand, the blue of his eyes, and his truly awful singing voice in my ear.

Beyonce moves me. Beyonce.

Did I mention it's been three months?

Fastest Fingers First

I set my alarm clock this morning so that I could get up and buy myself some beautiful, enchanted, mesmerising Take That tickets. I loaded up the ticket website, tried to log in before the tickets went On Sale at 9, to no avail. Bitch kept crashing. I'd completely forgotten my password, so I wanted to sign in early so that I could change it. No such luck. Should've done it last night like any reasonable person with half a functioning brain would have done. But no. Tried to buy tickets from 9 o'clock onwards. At 25 past, it finally let me through to the booking page, and I had there on the screen in front of me, two reserved tickets, for Block B.

Block B! I could have smelled Jason Orange's sweat from there. So, I gets to the log in page and ask them to reset my password, typing frantically. By the time I'd entered in the new 30 digit long (exaggerating) mess of numbers and letters they'd assigned me, my 60 second allowance period was up and the tickets were released. Released, from my sweaty little clutches!

Motherfucker.

I tried for a further two hours and it just kept crashing. The closest I got was the search page, which I sat and watched for about half an hour, before it crashed at a mocking 5 minutes to go. Then I gave up, because I had to go and meet my friend and give her some interview advice, because she's applying for a university library job.

I consoled myself with the idea that maybe they'd add more dates and I could be more armed and ready for the next ticket sale. This was not to be. In the time it took for me to walk up to the top of the street and back, have a quick chat with my friend, which took less than an hour, more dates were announced, tickets went on sale, and virtually sold out. I'm trying alternative ticket sites now for the few that seem to be left (the other ticket site have stopped selling them.) They're still crashing.

Woe is me. I'm never going to get such a good chance to smell Jason Orange's sweat again.

Amy Rocks the House

OMG, Amy Winehouse was AMAZING! I went to see her at the Liverpool Academy last night. The beehive was bigger than I've ever seen it, which was good because it meant more of her was visible to me, being a short arse (or three and a half apples tall, according to 'Muffin's measurements. Have to admit he has a good eye, guessing my vital stats in one, so I'll defer to his superior knowledge.) I had the usual problem of viewing the gig between the bobbing heads and various haircuts of those in front of me, and spending half the night on tippy toe. But it was plain to see from even my vantage point that Amy is getting Olsen Twin skinny. She has the tiniest little waist ever, and her arms are starting to look a bit Nicole Richie. Size Zero can not support all that hair, Amy, s'all I'm saying.

Anyway, the whole set was brilliant. She has the coolest and most enthusiastic backing singers in the whole wide world. I want to go again right now; I'd go just to see them. Her voice was amazing. She incorporated a bit of Lauryn Hill's Doo Wap (That Thing) into the show, and finished with The Zutons' Valerie. Girl knows her audience. I properly love her. Seriously: it's up there with Take That.

Her support act was rather good as well; Lila tried to get tickets just to see them. Check them out here: Mr Hudson and the Library.

After the gig, Boyf wanted to go to the bar where Mybug works ('cos if I've been somewhere he hasn't he sulks about it.) So off we toddled. I spotted him behind the bar but town was booming and he was really busy so I didn't say hi straight away. He looked kinda handsome.

"This is my church." - Faithless

We ordered some drinks and pinched a 'reserved' booth. A gang of girls joined us. Boyf is pretty trashed already at this point, since he has been drinking three times faster than me. He was trying to order some more beverages when Mybug walked past. I called out to him and he smiled, said "All right girl!" and dived on top of me. Girls looked bemused. He asked what we wanted and I introduced him to the Boyf. He brought us some drinks over - I was drinking £6 cosmopolitans! - and refused to take the cash for them. Then when Boyf went the loo he leaned over the bar for a little chat and a kiss. No tongues!

Had a giggle over Boyf asking the toilet attendant if he had any "Muscular."

Attendant: No... I've got some "Masculine."
Boyf: Oh... *realising that's what he'd meant* Nah, I'll leave it.

I realise that's a total location joke, but oh, how we laughed!

Taxi home, portion of chips, bed. Pure class, eh?!

Just Friends

I've been wallowing in my diva's recently, warbling along to Aretha and Etta and, um, Lily Allen, shamelessly. I am becoming more and more convinced that Amy Winehouse has had a fling with Alfie at some point in her life. Practically every song on Back to Black reminds me of him. Except that one about weed. Maybe I should fashion my hair into a beehive and drink lots and lots of Stella Artois. It seems to have worked for her.

The whole experience left me with the resolution that I would never ever ask a boy out ever again (we're assuming that I am single at some point in my future,) and that I would never advise a girlfriend to make the first move. Until about ten minutes ago, when I asked Mybug to the movies.

In my defence, he asked me first. And I really wanna see Pan's Labyrinth before it disappears from the cinema.

This is platonic, I assure you, in both our cases. But he does have rather a cheering effect on me :) Bring on the fun.

Jenny Don't Be Hasty

Trying to write a blog post with The Fratellis on top volume in your headphones is more difficult than you might think.

The boys get lonely after you leave.

So I've come to the conclusion that I need - it is necessary - for me to stop spending so much time and energy thinking about Alfie and to start putting that energy into more rewarding pursuits. Why, yes like shopping! How did you know? But also studying, since my part time hours started this week! Oh yeah baby! Oh yeah!

(She says as she slides in the Paolo Nutini CD.)

This does not mean that I am going to stop talking about Alfie. Sorry to get your hopes up. I also plan to be continuing the silly daydreams, like the one I had last night about seeing him on Christmas Day. SUCKER should be written on my forehead!

As I am oft bemoaning today, it is now a week since Alfie "asked me out" and he still hasn't suggested anything concrete. He began his new job this week so it is possible for me to convince myself that this is causing some distraction. The last text he sent me was about his new job and finished with the words: "Jude has arrived." I didn't text back and now I'm playing this stupid waiting game again which drives me nuts!

Grant my last request and just let me hold you.

Anyhoo. There has been more contact from Dedalus, and all kinds of plans have been made. I repeat: why is it so easy with everyone BUT Alfie? Have I just selected the most awkward person in the world to lust after or what?!

However much you want me I swear I'll make you want me more.

I may be speaking too soon on the Dedalus front anyway as he keeps leading the conversation towards "the past." I'm going to have to sit him down I think and, without being too aggressive about it, let him know that it's just not going to happen. I'm taken. And if I'm about to have an affair with anyone, well it's not with him! *cringe*

So, as I said, time and energy being spent on something else! Hmmm. Wish me luck.

Let's Go There

Last night I was far too indulgent RE my crush and listened to Paolo Nutini's Last Request about a hundred times. The song can actually make me cry, and writing about it now has brought tears to my little mascara-lashed peepers! I am a woman on the edge!

Think this is because he's going to a Paolo Nutini gig next week *sigh* Probably with the woman who shall not be named! Annoyingly, that has only just occured to me!

Okay, I just added a whole new dimension of sadness and longing to the frickin' thing.

Thankfully, today I have been pretty casual, just chatting to him about his job, although I am probably betraying a rather too passionate interest in his welfare. Told him his trouble is he's spoilt for choice and has far too many options!

This crush officially sucks today.

Oi, Beyonce, Noooooo!

And on a lighter note, I have been listening to a lot of Beyonce lately. I'm loving Deja Vu and Check On It. Lines like Boy I try to catch myself but I'm out of control / Your sexiness is so appealing I can't let it go, and You think that I'm teasin' / But I ain't got no reason / I'm sure that I could please you / But first I gotta read you, have a particular resonance with me at the mo.

But why oh why did they let her call her album B'day? Don't they know what a bidet is?

Love the Details

Some of you may notice that I've been blog-fishing recently, and added a couple of new favourites to my links. I spotted this on April's fun and quirky blog a few weeks ago, and have been working on it in dribs and drabs ever since. April, you're right, it takes some effort! In fact, it took me so long that I tagged Guillermo with it before I'd even done it myself :P As usual, join in if you feel like!

The Rules: Take 20 fairly standard and innocuous questions and answer them with music lyrics.


1.) Are you male or female?

Talkin' about you a man,
Always ready to go,
Now when it comes to movin',
Babe you awful slow,
And holler oh oh oh oh oh-oh-oh-oh,
And holler oh oh oh oh oh-oh-oh-oh,
I'm a W-O-M-A-N, a woman, a woman.
- Woman, Etta James

2.) Who are you?

I feel drunk but I'm sober,
I'm young and I'm underpaid,
I'm tired but I'm working, yeah.
I care but I'm restless,
I'm here but I'm really gone,
I'm wrong and I'm sorry baby...
And what it all comes down to,
Is that I haven't got it all figured out just yet,
I've got one hand in my pocket,
And the other one is giving the peace sign
- Hand in My Pocket, Alanis Morissette

I am he, as you are he, as you are me, and we are all together.
- I Am the Walrus, The Beatles

3.) Describe your neighbourhood:

In number 18 there lives a big butch queen,
He's bigger than Tyson and he's twice as mean,
In 666 there lives a Mr. Miller,
He's our local vicar and a serial killer,
Oh if you find the time please come and stay a while,
In our beautiful neighbourhood.
Who lives in a house like this? (who lives here, man?)
Who lives in a house like this?
Oh they want to knock us down 'cos they think we're scum,
But we will all be waiting when the bulldozers come,
In a neighbourhood like this you know it's hard to survive,
So you'd better come prepared 'cos they won't take us alive
- Neighbourhood, Space

4.) How do you look?

She's the face on the radio,
She's the body on the morning show,
She's there shaking it out on the scene,
And she's the colour of a magazine,
And she's in fashion, Oh Oh Oh,
- She's In Fashion, Suede

Everyday I fight a war against the mirror,
I can't take the person starin' back at me
- Don't Let Me Get Me, Pink

5.) What is love?

Down here the river meets the sea,
And in the sticky heat I feel ya’ open up to me,
Love comes out of nowhere baby, like a hurricane,
And it feels like rain.
Underneath the stars lying next to you,
Wondering who you are baby,
How do you do?
When the clouds blow in across the moon,
And the wind howls out your name,
Feels like rain
- Feels Like Rain, John Hiatt

6.) If you could say one thing to the person you love, what would it be?

It's been three years since I'm knocking on your door,
And I still could knock some more,
Ooh, boy, ooh, boy, is it crazy? Look, I wanna know now,
For I to knock some more.
You see - in life I know, that there is lots of grief,
But your love is my relief
- Waiting In Vain, Annie Lennox

7.) What's your secret?

I don't wanna talk about it,
How you broke my heart.
If I stay here just a little bit longer,
If I stay here, won't you listen to my heart, whoa, my heart?
If I stand all alone, will the shadow hide the colours of my heart;
Blue for the tears, black for the night's fears,
The stars in the sky don't mean nothin' to you, they're a mirror
- I Don't Wanna Talk About It, Everything But the Girl

8.) Are you strong?

Got brass in pocket,
Got bottle,
I'm gonna use it
- Brass in Pocket, The Pretenders

So what am I now?
I’m loves last home,
I’m all of the soft words I once owned,
If I opened my heart, there’d be no space for air,
’Cos I wanted you.
Weak as I am, no tears for you,
Weak as I am, no tears for you,
Deep as I am, I’m no ones fool,
Weak as I am
- Weak, Skunk Anansie

9.) Where do you wish you were right now?

Flocking to the sea,
Crowds of people wait for me,
Sea gulls scavenge,
Steal ice cream,
Worries vanish,
Within my dream.
I left my soul there,
Down by the sea,
I lost control here,
Living free
- The Sea, Morcheeba

10.) What do you think about your friends?

All of the moments that already passed,
We'll try to go back and make them last,
All of the things we want each other to be,
We never will be
- Try, Nelly Furtado

11.) Any words of advice?

Breathe, breathe in the air,
Don't be afraid to care,
Leave, but don't leave me,
Look around and choose your own ground.
For long you live and high you fly,
And smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry,
And all you touch and all you see,
Is all your life will ever be
- Breathe, Pink Floyd

12.) What do you wish you were doing right now?

Sittin' in the mornin' sun,
I'll be sittin' when the evenin' comes,
Watching the ships roll in,
And then I watch 'em roll away again,
Yeah, I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay,
Watching the tide roll away,
Ooh, I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay,
Wastin' time
- (Sitting On) The Dock of the Bay, Otis Reading

13.) What do you think about drugs?

If you think that I don't know about depression and emotional pain,
You're insane,
And you're a fool who hasn't paid attention to a word that I say,
In a way,
I can't help but feel responsible,
I always knew that you were insane,
With your pain,
But I never thought you'd be a junkie because heroin is so passe
- Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth, The Dandy Warhols

14.) If you could say one thing to your enemy, what would it be?

I don't care if you talk about me,
I don't care if you write it out in stone,
Whenever I fall I land on my feet,
I don't care, I just don't care now.
Mark the spot you hate with an X,
Then shoot your bow and arrow,
Do your worst get it all off your chest,
I'll hold my breath and swallow,
We hurt the ones we love the most,
It's a subtle form of discipline
- I Don't Care, Shakespeare's Sister

15.) What do you do on Friday nights?

I’m the kinda girl that hangs with the guys,
Like a fly on the wall with my secret eyes,
Takin’ it in, try to be feminine,
With my makeup bag watchin’ all the sin.
- Hey Baby, No Doubt

Hey, I wish I had my way,
'Cos everyday would be a Friday,
- I Wish, Skee-Lo

16.) What would you do if you won a million dollars?

Think what that money could bring,
I'd buy everything,
Clean out Vivienne Westwood,
In my Galliano gown,
No, wouldn't just have one 'hood,
A Hollywood mansion if I could,
Please book me first-class to my fancy house in London town.
- Rich Girl, Gwen Stefani

17.) How do you feel right now?

I look up to the little bird,
That glides across the sky,
He sings the clearest melody,
It makes me want to cry,
It makes me want to sit right down and cry cry cry, yeah.
I walk along the city streets,
So dark with rage and fear,
And I... I wish that I could be that bird,
And fly away from here,
I wish I had the wings to fly away from here.
- Little Bird, Annie Lennox

18.) Are you for World Peace?

The world is turning Disney and there's nothing you can do,
You're trying to walk like giants but you're wearing Pluto's shoes.
And the answers fall easier from the barrel of a gun,
Than it does from the lips of the beautiful and the dumb,
The world won't end in darkness, it'll end in family fun,
With Coca Cola clouds behind a Big Mac sun
- One God, The Beautiful South

19.) Where were you born?

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes,
There beneath the blue suburban skies
- Penny Lane, The Beatles

20.) Any closing words?

I don't think you're ready for this jelly,
I don't think you're ready for this jelly,
I don't think you're ready for this,
'Cos my body too bootylicious for ya babe
- Bootylicious, Destiny's Child

My Night with George Clooney...

There are so many things I should be doing instead of this right now. But I just have to update you on the little trip to Edinburgh I took with Guillermo this week. I was very kindly invited by him to go to the Murrayfield Live 8 concert, which he won tickets to, and after a frantic search for rooms and trains and the like (we only organised it all the day before) we were on our way. It was well bizarre since I'd just got back from France, hadn't even unpacked everything and it all happened very quickly.

So, the gig itself was amazing, it was a great atmosphere and just spectacular to stand there listening to Bob Geldof and Bono. George Clooney and Susan Sarandon made an appearance, and Eddie Izzard played piano for Midge Ure's rendition of Vienna! Lenny Henry was actually funny. And James Brown provided the finale.

There was so much I can't blog it all, but a few highlights for me were:

- Davina McCall and Chris Evans leading the crowd in a round of 3-second click, like the campaign ads.
- 70-odd year old James Brown dancing with Will Young.
- Annie Lennox.
- Eddie Izzard, I love him.
- Phoning my boyfriend during Wet Wet Wet. Total 'fromage'.
- Did I mention George Clooney was there?
- One Giant Leap with Maxi Jazz, Will Young and Neneh Cherry.
- The Proclaimers kicking it all off. Very popular in Edinburgh as you can imagine.
- Geoffrey Oryema blowing kisses to the crowd.
- Neneh Cherry and Youssou N'Dour performing 7 seconds.

So, the next day we heard about the awful goings on in London and saw some stuff on the news. Some of the reports were a bit sketchy at that point. Very scary. I don't like talking about serious things on here too much, but obviously thoughts and prayers are going out to those who have suffered. My family were all really worried in case anything happened in Edinburgh too.

When we got to Liverpool, we had a quick drink in Queens Square while Guillermo waited for his next train. After seeing him off, I went and met the boyfriend in Wetherspoons, still carrying a big fuckoff rucksack that had been weighing me down and giving me achey shoulders. He gave me a massive hug and said he'd been really worried. He and his best mate had got talking to these two blokes in the pub. One of them seemed all right and left pretty early, and as soon as he did the other bloke started going on about religion and tried to convert us, talking about Catholics as antichrists and lots of stupid things about Muslims. I shouted at him for a bit until my boyfriend called time on the conversation and led us to safety. He'd been going on about how he'd been a preacher and brought thousands to Jesus. He'd also impregnated many women as a milkman and had kids littered about the place, and claimed he was the true founder of The Blob Shop but couldn't prove it. Hello? Psycho much?

Anyway, we went to Modo's after that and then Jacaranda. The boys were now sozzled and I was swiftly joining them. I remember using the phrase 'honest to God' in a heart to heart with boyf's mate a lot, and repeating myself all the time. At this point there was a woman bouncing off the walls down the street getting kicked out of every pub, screaming, and collapsing on the floor. I prudently decided to switch to lemonade. When we eventually got the boyfriend into a taxi he kept trying to get the driver to stop at our local. He has no memory of anything from this point on, including phonecalls he made, getting home, and warmly greeting our current arch enemy Judas in the street. Doh.

Friday we nursed hangovers and watched the Big Brother eviction. I can't believe Maxwell went as I was loving watching the whole group dynamic with Craig and Anthony. Craig is just hilarious. And I also thought Davina was a bit too harsh and concentrated on a lot of negative stuff? He had good points too and was really good with people when they were upset I thought. And I hate that the silly girls got their way cos they're doing my head in. Not that I'm taking it seriously or anything :P

I'd better get some stuff done.

Na, Na, Na, Na-Na-Na-Na!

So much to talk about, and if there's one thing I've learned from my essays, it's that I suck at structuring. This is gonna be a garbled mess! I HAVE to start with the Live 8 business we listened to in the car for over four hours on the way home from Portsmouth. We had Radio One on, and even though we couldn't see the spectacle, the DJs were really excited, the sets were amazing, and it was all tres infectious. We just got off the ferry too late to hear Paul McCartney and U2. I love the Beatles and have been to see Macca in Liverpool, and am rather partial to a bit of Bono, ho hum! So I was sorry to have missed it. When we got home I was warmly greeted by Puppy, who I missed terribly, and we opened some red wine for my aunt who had been babysitting him for us. She filled us in on all the goss of the past two weeks, so we missed Scissor Sisters and Madonna. I have since learned from Guillermo that I also missed Will Smith bringing Jazzy Jeff on in Philadelphia and doing Summertime and The Fresh Prince theme. Gutted! Eventually, we got to see a bit of the concert on TV and the boyf was rather emotional about Pink Floyd playing together and Macca wrapped things up in style with a Beatles medley. Did anyone check out his drummer? I love that guy, he's brilliant! Then they showed some of the Philly concert but we gave up just before two since we'd been travelling from six that morning and were pretty well zonked. Boyf had also had one glarse of red wine too many.

Today, I have to call my place of work to arrange taking my passport in to prove I'm a British Citizen and don't need any special forms to work there. Yes, people, I got the job! Preliminarily (I don't think that's really a word, but nevermind) at least, if my references check out. I'm slightly worried about one reference as my old boss is quite unreliable when it comes to such things. If he's in a bad mood, I'm fucked. The interview could have gone better but I was reasonably pleased since I don't have a lot of interview experience and I managed to make them laugh a couple of times and saw one of them write 'Good' in their notes. The people there seemed quite friendly and I got chatted up while I waited to interview in a non-pervy way, which can be a good confidence boost. They called me that same night and said that I had it, which I was astounded at as I thought they'd make me wait ages. Since then though, I've been in France so I need to get things moving again. I hope it all goes smoothly as I really want those boots I mentioned and have already started concocting work outfits!

Anyway, the last two weeks for me has gone by in a heartbeat it seems, but I'm way behind with everyone's news! (Not to mention the fact that I missed three Big Brother evictions and am now left clueless as to why people don't like Saskia anymore. What happened??) I caught up with Guillermo a bit last night by talking into the wee small hours and had a couple of chats with my big sister. At some point, I'll update the blog with holiday tales, but I feel like I have everything to do at once at the mo. I arrived home to a letter from my tutor containing some marked work. I haven't even bothered to read it properly yet. Someone slap my wrists! I've forgotten how to end these things. A chorus of Hey Jude usually seems to do the trick.

Every Day I Love You Less and Less

Although I understand it’s difficult for anyone but me to appreciate the staggering nature of this next disclosure, I’m gonna relate it here anyhow. It all started with Guillermo sending me a Kaiser Chiefs song. I have to reference him or he’ll be all sulky, apparently he has some sort of musical taste property rights over me now :P Anyway, they played it on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway (he may want to distance himself from this paragraph now actually), and I was like: Ooooh Kaiser Chiefs.

Which prompted a chorus of: What? Who’s this? You like this?! Look at the state of them! Oh, I can’t BELIEVE you like these!

From my boyfriend. Fast forward to about two weeks later. We’re walking around the Dam with Puppy. The sun is glinting pleasantly off the water. We haven’t spotted one used hypodermic needle. It’s a beautiful thing.

Boyfriend: (sings) ohhhhh, and my parents love me, ohhhhh and my girlfriend loves me… I love that song, it’s dead catchy!

Even if you don’t know Kaiser Chiefs, I think you get where I’m going with this.

Word of the Day: Incredulity