The Farmstead

But I thought I should check in again! Thanks for all the birthday wishes last weekend. Life continues, and I have got into jogging and (bizarrely) Beauty (at least in terms of spending ages browsing shit and then buying nail varnish) as ways of destressing.

But on a shopping trip today I also bought this album, which made me very happy:

Electronic 80s 2 from the Ministry of Sound's Anthems series

I don't know what crap they had on the first version - this just keeps giving. I didn't even realise when I bought it that New Order's True Faith was on it, nor White Wedding!

I also have some Deep House Euphoria and a Maison Kitsune compilation of 'new faces'. But those are to think about later!

I also bought fruit. *is anticipating the nectarine season*

So, the sad news is that I had to take my spiky shoes back to the shop, because they were too tight and as it was I wasn't going to wear them enough that such discomforts in the name of IMPACT were worth it. However! The good news is that I have bought some other shoes instead... They are less exciting, generally, but intrigue me because they break a number of my general norms:

1. They are casual heeled shoes. I don't generally wear these, but I thought it was time to try (again, since terrible attempts in 2008). Because I'm grown up and shit / AW13 (which is looking very nice BTW) makes me think it's time to be a bit more dressy.

2. They have a big block heel like it's 1997. And a platform! (They are ankle boots, just for more horrors of such styling.) Now, when I was ickle and into the Spice Girls, I did indeed admire their stompy platform shoes. However, by the 2000s I like any sensible person realised that block heels are pretty bloody ugly, and never intended to find myself in anything that wasn't tapered nicely (don't like straight stick stilettos anyway... and that 2004-5 foray into sculpted heels that go in and out again is best left forgotten along with the T-bar brogues... yes; we can see why I don't really buy heels - and why I have to break rules if I'm ever going to buy anything.)

3. They aren't even real leather. And considering I was just harping on about this to Boggles, I think we can all appreciate how great a sin this is. Or how rarely serious my whinges are. Either way; they were the nicest style and they were cheaper, so I'll feel less bad if I banish them in the spring for being a huge mistake.

Anyway, I like them! And they do make my legs look very nice. The only problem is my skinny jeans - at least the burgundy pair I'm wearing now - are a bit obscenely tight, and while I usually just pretend that no one will notice that my bum and thighs are basically right there in people's faces, walking around with everything elevated off the ground a few inches seems a bit grotesque. Considering these four pairs of skinny jeans are (not even joking) the only bottom halves I have to wear on a day-to-day basis, I either need a lot more bum-covering tops, or some other trouser-based options. (But I tend to have issues with trousers, because my thighs are apparently large for the rest of me, so everything always clings awfully or I can't sit down or whatever... At least with the jeans it looks intentional - and they're stretchy.) I think midi/high-calf skirts are in and I kind of like the idea of them again. (Maybe a leather one. A vintage leather one!) But... Nowhere's selling them. Because apparently shops don't work out the implications of what they stock? Topshop have just got a bum-length jacket in, and if they had a nice material at some point I could probably live in that all winter. But there is danger ahead!

Oh, but they look really good with a coat I picked up on holiday that I may or may not have mentioned. So that is aces. :P

PS. I saw a teenager today doing the high-waisted-turned-up-baggy jeans with little trainers and a crop top (+ long sleeves) look today... She looked really great and I was jealous. :'( Not that I would have ever worn that look at 15 anyway. Although those jeans might well be the fashionable equivalent to big black Criminal Damage silly jeans...

PPS. The doctor reckons I have athlete's foot. :(

Gang, the peacock coat arrived!! It is even better than I could have imagined - rather than parka-type material (what do you call that? Calico is wrong, I'm sure...), it's actually a finer, silkier material, lined in black and ever so slightly quilted, 90s bomber jacket style! It's a completely different coat to my blue one, though the cut is the same, and I already want to wear it everywhere...

... !!

*OK, so there's other stuff as well, but this is the best/least stressful for the moment...

Helloo!!! I've got used to being as pithy as possible, so this is a little strange, but I am writing from a USB keyboard balanced on my lap, attached to my laptop on a high table. The keyboard was meant for the library, but I might have to keep it here and see how I get on with it, since my attempts to find an office chair were a complete failure and I'm not sure it would really have worked anyway. I have quite long arms, so I think the keyboard needs to be on my lap to write in the natural position... But it's strange how even changing that habit is making it feel very unnatural to be typing instead of talking. I feel like I'm dictating or something.

Never mind; also have one wrist support on my right wrist. Definitely need another (hadn't realised what a difference it would make, and fifteen quid seemed excessive for a tube of neoprene with some velcro - cheers, Boots), if only to wear them at home. I think it helps with typing position too.

In other I-went-shopping-today news, I have decided that Siouxsie and the Banshees' The Lord's Prayer is the only appropriate soundtrack for bra shopping. Nothing else conveys the sense of abject misery, hopelessness and profound ugliness that lingerie departments inspire. Never may you need to search for a plain black t-shirt bra. I ended up in Primark, just out of desperation, and should not have been surprised to find you can indeed get something for £2.50 that fits at least as well as the other basic options elsewhere (sitting between £16-£20 - or you can get 2 for £20, if you want some foul white/tan version to go with the black, which I don't). Bleck.

Watched Sleeper this evening. I think I must watch far too much comedy and reality stuff these days, because I couldn't get over how dark the whole episode watch, literally speaking with the light. I was looking for the 'increase brightness' button on my flicker, the way I reach for the volume when something's too quiet.

My inbox is a state. Forgive me if I'm really slow at answering everything. Don't want to blow things just because it turns out Saturday night TV is dramatically more boring than weekday afternoons. But hello again!

It is my birthday! It is also magnificently sunny, which is a strange phenomenon indeed. Thanks everyone for the good wishes and green_maia for the virtual gift!!

I didn't have a very exciting morning, because I had an appointment at the hospital about what will be my new hearing aids, which we did all the testing and calibrating for. I held my nerve and asked about the exciting transparent dark blue ones I'd seen on the internet, but they only had beige in, so they're going to have to send them to me when they've ordered some and programmed them up. But! I had the test ones on for a little while and they seemed to do enough to make me think I'm not wasting everyone's time about wanting to try them, though apparently it's going to take getting used to them before the world stops sounding like a bathroom. I hope they'll be OK; with both them and my glasses round my ears I felt remarkably cyborg-like, but you can't really see the tubes in my ear.

Because I am a creature of routine, I then went into the library, but thankfully found a few of friends at lunchtime with the presence of mind to tell me I should fuck off and go shopping. Also that there was more than enough time to rally at least the lit. people together for a drink this evening, so we will be off for Nando's and cocktails later! I really wanted to organise something with all the various disparate groups of friends I have, but I didn't get my act together at all... But I did have pizza with some other people last night, and was presented with four bottles of Jelly Belly soda (!!!! - Cyber Candy FTW)! Haven't tried them yet, but am looking forward to it. Maybe I should have one when I've finished my Coke...

I also had some cash from my family, so I did indeed fuck off for the afternoon and go shopping. The only problem is that, with the weather as it is, I'm feeling remarkably lacking in anything remotely spring like or slouchy-cool. This is partly because the two vaguely slouchy-cool tops I own need a wash and I'm stuck otherwise with tight t-shirts (all of which are getting really old). I didn't really solve this problem, but I did buy the palest jumper I've owned in a long time/ever(?). I also found a Whistles slouchy jumper dress reduced to £35 in John Lewis, which was a bit of a result. It's not really spring like in any respect, but it is burgundy and 100% merino wool, so I don't see how this can be in any way bad. It needs some leggings and boots, but then it will be joy!

Yay, London shopping tomorrow! I really wouldn't mind getting some new things, since I am very much in a rut of just owning Topshop things (it's the only actually decent shop in town), which means chatting to everyone and having people say 'I love your jumper; I've got it at home'. And it's a running joke among several of us that we all have the same top in different colours. (Oh, but so comfy and easy to wear and ridiculously modern-looking for something so shapeless.)

However, it's fun to browse places online before you go shopping, right? I think so. Unfortunately, this means I find myself on the Selfridge's website in exactly the place where I never want to be because I can't afford anything and, and... Matthew Williamson, what have you done; I love you and your coat is so beautiful and worth over five months' rent. Aaaaaaahhh!!!

And now I must sulk because I've chosen academia as a career and will probably never own clothes as nice as these. :( Alas!

(On a brighter note, however; thanks louise39 for the cute Halloween spider gift! It's so cute!!

This would be where I ponder why I haven't had much to say recently, but I think it may just be that things go that way sometimes... My master's course is rushing quite worryingly to the final deadline (three weeks on Tuesday), so that's taking a lot of my attention; otherwise I'm rather fruitlessly searching for somewhere to live next year (since it seems pretty likely I'm carrying on to do a PhD).

But now, dear gang, I come crawling back in need of your help! A friend of mine is getting married in August, and I don't really have any idea what to get her. She doesn't have a registry, and she and her fiancé comment in the invite that they don't want too much stuff, because they're still moving in and out of rented accommodation (they're both medical students), and really would prefer money (though they'd really value anything - aww...). Personally, though, I don't want to give them just money, if only because it is a wedding gift. They could use it wisely and beneficially I'm sure (not that I'm thinking of giving them enough to really make a dent in anything), but I would rather give them something that they might still find useful ten years down the line - they're both Christian and I'm sure the wedding itself will be important to them, so it seems right that they should have some souvenirs of the day, rather than just a reduction in what they have to shell out for rent that month.

Of course, I have absolutely no idea what would be the best thing to give them! I don't want to cause them hassle they don't want, so I'm thinking it'll have to be practical and non-breakable. My mum's thought was that if we worked out the right sort of thing by wandering around some department stores, then I could go to a quirky independent/antique shop and find something unique. But I've been browsing websites and am not sure I'm going to get very far. (No one really wants a pepper grinder, do they? But bowls and teapots will always need boxes and packaging.) Does anyone have any ideas?

Also, I think I've seen a couple of people mentioning Kiva loans in the past, which I think would probably be the sort of route I'd go down if I were to give them some money - as a supplement or on its own - so that they would still get the money (I'm all for charitable giving, but donations on other people's behalf just seems a little rude, unless you know that's what they want), but that money would still actually do something worthwhile in the process. I've never used the site myself, though, so I was wondering if anyone who has could explain it to me a little more from a gift-giving perspective. By which I mean the rather mercenary questions of a) how long does it take (generally) to get the money back (obviously taking into account the very slight risk it won't come at all) and b) how does that money come into your account - is it in useful increments of $25, or is it all trickly and hard to withdraw from PayPal? What are your experiences with it generally?

Cheers for your thoughts!

I still haven't managed to make myself watch the video gillo posted about yesterday, but as the Cambridge occupation enters its sixth day in town, I thought it was worth posting some links for balance. :D

PennyRed on Twitter has a great account of yesterday's protest in London, including amusing comments such as "Morning at UCL occupation. Scramble to clean up before the Guardian arriv. Are the Guardian now the strict parents of the British left?" [ETA: and this video, BTW, is what the Guardian made], "Protesters yell to hurry up: 'run,close the gap!' Two schoolgirls: 'close the pay gap while you're at it!' Amazing", "To the tune of 'coming round the mountain'- 'you can stick your big society up your arse!'" and "It's sleeting, I'm drinking tea in trafalgar square watching 3000 kids screaming to overthrow the state. Never felt more British in my life."

And, from the day before, a video of a UCL-organised flashmob having a protest outside Topshop (ah, rhetoric):



Students are not against 'Big Government' - 'Big Society', which they are against, is a daft Cameronian concept where services are increasingly decentralised into the private sector and 'volunteers' (because obviously the type of health and education services you receive should depend on where you (can afford to) live). They are against the increased levels of debt that will be pushed upon future generations of (possibly only) English students (Scottish students do not pay tuition fees) and the move towards a supply-and-demand model of funding in arts and humanities education.

Of on holiday early tomorrow, so shall likely be gone for the week. I shall miss everyone and try to catch up when I'm back! (Though I haven't been around much as it is - must remedy that...)

Went shopping today for holiday things, and have succumbed to the leggings. :O But also amusing jumper-dresses with cut-outs and the waist to show sneaky stripes from a vest! Picked up CDs of Fragma (oh so cheesy dance music, oh so wonderful), madrigals and raï (because it looked interesting - have yet to listen to more than a few seconds; anyone know anything about it?).

plot_wout_porn is happening soon, and I was having a bit of trouble getting the oomph to write anything for it. Seem to have settled on a post-S8#35 thing where Spike, Buffy, Illyria and Connor go on a magical mystery tour in Spike's ship to save Angel from himself. I'm hoping for rompy action adventure, but am a bit worried it's taking some rather dark turns so far. Will try to get it finished in time to seek out another opinion - hope it doesn't come out too weird...

Speak to you soon!

I came back to uni on the train today, which was an interesting experience, but mainly an exercise in working out how many bags etc. I could attach to myself and remain mobile. The total was one hiking rucksack (full of clothes and sundries), one laptop (in satchel-case), one viola (in case), one mini wheelie suitcase (containing a large handbag, folder, extension lead and sundry plugs) and one bag full of books (balanced on the wheelie suitcase). Not too shabby, I think.

Sainsbury's was a trove of delights as usual - they're peddling these ready meals that I think are supposed to be slightly more 'real' (about 50p more and they come in a round see-through plastic tray), so I got a 'Meatballs with chargrillled pepper and tomato sauce' pasta one as a treat. It's OK, but I had to add a load of chilli powder because the 'mildly spiced' tomato sauce measured about a 0.1 on the spicy scale. The meatballs are good. Tropicana also has two new flavours - Orange & Lime and Orange & Passionfruit, both of which, being orange-based, are 60p cheaper than the non-orange-based juices (until now Apple, Pear & Passionfruit was a favourite). So that's a win. I've opened the Orange & Lime and the lime isn't really coming out, though what it does taste like is actually biting into an orange and going through the pith to get to the juice, which is nice. And 6 packs of Coke are on 2 for £4! Hooray!

Due to Christmas and the sales I am now in possession of two shiny new bags - one, the aforementioned handbag, is sort of like a bowling bag with shoulder straps in floral leather (maybe florals are going out - Topshop seems to be doing floral printed jeans now and I believe these may well be the straw that breaks the camel's back - but I don't care) and one a big envelopey evening bag, also leather, with sepia newspaper print (I loves newspaper print). I also have a cropped motorbike jacket made out of BLACK VELOUR!! (Though this is still at home, alas.) Now I can pretend to be in the Ramones without trying and failing to pull off an actual leather motorbike jacket. Yay!

And I have to say that the more I watch the RSC film production of Hamlet (heh, my mum had got me the DVD as a surprise present, but had to tell me about it because I tried to give her the money and have her order it on her Amazon Prime account...) the more I really, really like it. It's not the stage version, but it has this wonderful sense of space around an actually quite intimate set, and the rhythm is still pretty much note-perfect. *basks* (Have yet to manage the whole thing in one go though. Three hours without an ersatz interval of Merry and Pippin wandering about is long.)