NotJustAHatStand

Oh dear, I'm not doing very well with the old bloggeroo am I? I did intend to post regularly, but well, I didn't. As you can see.

I've even missed the start of NaBloPoMo. And (if I can just go off on a tangent here), I'm sorry, but that's just the worst name for a thing, ever. SURELY they could've come up with something better - something that makes a tiny smidge of sense, perhaps? Sorry, NaBloPoMo people, it's a good idea, but for anally retentive folk like me, who have to capitalise the N, the B, the P and the M, it's just irritating. I've already had to type it twice and it's annoying me.

Anyhoo, I've got numerous bits and bobs hanging around in my draft folder, but I've been lacking the will to hack them into something publishable (because really - I have some standards) but I might start posting the more polished ones when I remember.

Labels: blogs, tales from the draft folder, writing

Well, this is new. Ish.

I've not posted anything for a long, long time. For no particular reason, other than that I didn't have anything to say (well, that's not strictly true, I didn't have anything that couldn't be said in 140 characters or less), and frankly I just couldn't be arsed. I still don't really, I just felt like dipping my toe in the water again. It may last, it may not.

For the last week or so, I've been waking up in the middle of the night with this weird thing that feels like a cold. My nose runs, I sneeze and I cough. It lasts for an hour or two (during which time I can't go back to sleep because of the aforementioned runny nose), and then it goes away. It just... goes away. Then, just as I get settled down and sleepy again, the FUCKING alarm clock goes off! Excuse my French, but it's most annoying. I come into the office with eyes like two pee-holes in the snow, and people say 'ooh you look tired' and I have to stop myself from battering them to death with the three-hole-punch.

So, in conclusion, nothing much has changed.

I'm still lazy.

I'm still grumpy before 10am.

I still overuse parentheses. (They're just so handy!)

(D'oh)

Labels: blogs, Illness, writing

I've kinda lost my blogging mojo recently. Real life seems to have gotten in the way slightly, and I've not had much time. The time I have had, I've been, err, having a bit of a fling with Bebo. It just happened, I'm sure you understand. It didn't mean anything.

I am also a little freaked out about the whole anonymity thing. I've not long registered on Bebo and Facebook and I found a referral in my sitemeter that scared me - someone searching for me by name, and coming across this blog. And I'm not sure I like that.

#peers over shoulder#


I had planned to write a good long post tonight, with a topic and proper sentences and everything, but I had the beginnings of a migraine - I managed to head it off with some drugs (legal ones, natch), but they also made me feel a bit queasy and light headed. So the good long post will have to wait till tomorrow. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it gives me more time to think of a topic. And I know you'll be on the edge of your seat till then.

Labels: blogs, Fitness, Life, Wedding

Hm, the holiday pictures I promised last time may be some time. I've lost my camera. The camera that broke 2 days into my holiday. So when I eventually find it there's a good chance that there aren't actually any pictures on it. And if that's the case then I'll have to steal pictures from my mum. And she has lost HER camera.

So, yeah... Don't hold your breath waiting for the snaps.

In other news, I've been pretty much stressed out the entire time since I got back. There was the wood pigeon incident of course (I have a horrible suspicion it may be back as well, I heard cooing coming from the chimney last night), and then some wedding related stress which I can't go into (suffice to say that I'm maad).

Ack.

I've also become dangerously addicted to Bebo. I've been in contact with a few people that I've lost touch with. My productivity at work has taken a serious dent, but more importantly I've still not caught up with all the my blog reading.

It's hard you know, juggling this many balls.

Labels: blogs, randomness

Things I have been doing:

1. Planning a good long post, that has a topic and is thought provoking (ish). That is not this post.
2. Freaking out about the hee-uge list of questions our wedding venue expect us to answer.
3. Feeling quite smug about my every-other-day gym attendance, but rather dismayed at how much of my evening it takes up - I have to go to bed at a NORMAL time, and I have to be ORGANISED. These things do not come easily to me.
4. Shopping for gifts - my granny's 80th birthday tomorrow, and a cousin's christening on Sunday. And I'm effing rooked.
5. Realising that it's just over four months until I get married. FOUR. MONTHS. Jesus H. Christ.
6. Writing a To Do list that is actually almost as long as my arm. I do have short arms, but that is still A BIG LIST #whimpers#
7. Randomly capitalising whole words, apparently. This is not a good sign.
8. Planning a bit of an overhaul of the blogroll (lots of new people to be added) and possibly a whole new template. (HA! Like that's gonna happen anytime soon - Ed)

So, in conclusion - busy, tired, and a teeny bit stressed.

P.S. I have been keeping up with everyone's blogs, even if I haven't left many comments.

*Except that they don't show up in my template so I had to do a numbered list instead.

Labels: blogs, Fitness, Wedding

It's been a busy ol week.

I saw my mammy on Wednesday night, as I do every week. On Thursday night we had an unexpected trip to the vet with Coco, who was looking decidedly peaky.* On Friday I went to see Swan Lake on ice (which was spectacular), and yesterday afternoon we went to a lovely stationery shop and met the nicest girl ever, who's going to make wedding invitations like the ones I fell in love with, for a fraction of the price. I'm considering asking her if she'll marry me, instead of the Boy. She wouldn't fart in Tesco and blame it on me.

*She's fine now. In fact, she was fine about 10 minutes after we got her home from the vet, the little bisom.

Last night I went out with the Drama Queen, and what seemed like half the population of Brussels, to celebrate her birthday. I met the lovely Petifilou, and Phoenix (currently blog-free but hopefully not for long). It was the first time I've met other bloggers - Queenie doesn't count as she is a pre-blog friend - and it was lovely to meet them and put a face to the online persona. I was a little nervous because it's a unique experience - it's weird to know so much about people you've never met, and for them to know about you, and then to be in a room with them for the first time. But it's nice too, it kind of felt like the four of us were part of a secret society. Apart from Queenie and the Boy, none of my friends know about my blog so I didn't really know what to expect, meeting other bloggers in the company of people who don't know about this part of my life. But it was fine. And then of course, I had to start talking about farting didn't I - one area where my online persona and my real personality converge.**

**Honestly though, there was a guy in the pub on Saturday night that must've had some kind of condition. One drawback to the smoking ban - BO and other people's farts. Bleeurgh.

Today the Boy and I pottered about the house and garden and ate lots of nice food. I'm pleased to report that my carrots have sprouted. I went out to water them with my pink elephant today (which is not a euphemism, my watering can is shaped like an elephant), and was highly excited to see some green shoots coming through. Hopefully the shoots are actual carrots, and not weeds, but we shall see. I meant to take a picture as proof but by the time I remembered it was dark, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

My bed has fresh sheets on it, and I'm about to start a new book. If only I didn't have to get up for work tomorrow it would be perfect.

Labels: blogs, Farting, Garden, weekend

So one whole year ago today I popped my cherry and started this here blog.

Things I have done since then:

Moved house
Moved house again
Organised approximately 50% of a wedding
Alphabetised my bookcases

Umm....
That's kind of it. It's been a quiet year.

Things I have learnt:
Always read ALL the instructions on home hair dye kits
Never believe the instructions on home bikini-waxing kits
Even when you don't have anything to write about, you can still talk some random crap
Virtual friends can be just as lovely as real ones

And finally, when you can't come up with actual sentences lots of links* do just as well.

Here's to another year.

*That last one was just because. Oh. My. God. What. Happened. To. Harry. Potter.

Labels: blogs

We got a nice visit from the wee old man across the road last night. He lives directly opposite us, and occasionally has some trouble reversing his car out of his drive. When we moved in, one of the first things he said to us was to ask if we had a big car. Fiance, a little taken aback, told him he has a Renault Clio. Mr Neighbour was very relieved to hear this as the man who lived in our house before us DID have a big car, and Mr Neighbour always found it difficult to get his car out of his drive because of it. It would have had to be pretty big to stop him getting out of his drive on the other side of the street though - maybe it was a Hummer.

So it wasn't much of a surprise when Mr Neighbour came to the door last night to tell us that he was on his way out for dinner but that he'd 'had a wee bump' with the Boy's car. I think he must've got a bit of a fright as he was all red in the face, and he looked really embarrassed and a bit shaken. He's very nice, but he's in his mid-70's at least (therefore approaching the age where he should probably be thinking about giving up driving) and it takes him about half an hour to back his car out of his garage, up the drive, and out onto the street.

Anyway, Fiance went out to investigate and discovered a caved-in passenger door, and the trim-thingy hanging off. So it was quite a bit more than 'a wee bump'. But Fiance told Mr Neighbour to go out and enjoy his dinner, and not to worry about it. The boy thinks he'll need a whole new door.

In other news, I'm guest-blogger over at Drama Queen's Palace today.

Hopefully her readers won't tear me to pieces... Not straightaway anyway.

Labels: blogs, Neighbours

I saw this via Miss Zoot and thought to myself: 'what better way for the writer of a small blog with no real theme or meaning to find out who her regular readers are, than by asking them to leave a comment as part of De-Lurking Week 2007*'. There are the usual suspects of course, Drama Queen, Sarah, Elisabeth, Stacey, and Cat, but on the assumption that more than five people read my blog, I want to know who the rest of you are. Even you over there, picking your nose (I'm not fussy, I'll take anyone).

*which is an American thing but it's also a blogging thing so who cares'

So, if you read NotJustAHatStand, leave me a comment to tell me how talented you think I am, and that you are the head of a large publishing house and want to sign me up for a three book deal. Or... Not. If you're not going to offer me a book deal or a large sum of money, just say hello - that's fine too.

Because look! Look how much fun this lady seems to be having!




She's pretty and all 1950's-like, she has lots of virtual friends, and I bet her husband has a really big schlong.

If you leave a comment, I faithfully promise that I'll visit your site (if I haven't already) and leave you lots of comments too! We can all give each other a lovely virtual hug and maybe make a few new virtual friends in the process.

Labels: blogs

There's been a bit of soul-searching going on at the moment regarding blogging in general, blogging etiquette, effects on friends and family and so forth. Drama Queen, Elisabeth and Sarah to name, well three, and I've been thinking about the same topics.

In addition to Fiance, only two friends know about my blog. One of these friends was off work with a ruptured Achilles Tendon (oww!) and the other is Drama Queen. I told both of these friends as the topic of blogging came up in a 'maybe-I-should-start-a-blog' kind of way. Although I hadn't mentioned it to them or anyone else, I didn't want to start telling downright lies about it and revealed my secret.

But none of my family know. Not that I'm ashamed, or that I think they'll be offended by anything I've written, I've just never gotten round to telling them. When I started this, I just wanted to write something every day.* I never expected anyone to read it, and wasn't bothered whether anyone did - it meant I could write about farting without worrying what people think of me (I fart A LOT).

But now I feel like I'm keeping something from my rellies because this here blawg has become quite important to me. It's somewhere I can come and express my thoughts, opinions and feelings in a way that lets me EDIT. I sound more intelligent on this blog than I do in real life - I'm a mumbling, sputtering idiot in my day-to-day life. But also, it has got me writing pretty much every day - even if I don't publish what I write I save it. This means a) I'm learning to edit my own writing, and b) there's always a substandard post that I can put up in a pinch. I'm also starting to feel that it's another way to socialise and make new friends - albeit in a strange, virtual kind of way.

So I think over the next few days I'm going to do a bit of spring cleaning to make sure there's nothing too mortifying for me or them. And then I'm going to think seriously about telling my folks of the existence of NotJustAHatStand.***

*Well, every other day**

**Oh ok - as often as I could be assed.

***Let the record show that I only said I'd think about it.

Labels: blogs

Well, I finally managed to sort out my blogroll - as you will see if you look down and to the left a wee bit. And yes, I am THAT stupid that I didn't know how to do it before. These are in no particular order, other than the only possible order for someone who catalogues her books in an Excel spreadsheet by author surname - alphabetical.

Which means, unfortunately for Sarah, that her wonderful Whoopdedoo (which is her blog's title, not a euphemism) is waaay down near the bottom. So I thought she deserved a special mention, especially since she is my sole reciprocal link. Well, until Drama Queen gets me a mention on HER site, of course!

I intend to expand my Luscious Linkages of Love, but as we STILL don't have broadband at home (WAAAH!), I am somewhat limited in the amount of time I can spend searching for new blogs to read. They expect me to work, when I'm at my desk you see! Pah!

Any blog suggestions gratefully received for the Linkylove Extravaganza...

Labels: blogs, Links