Video WOW of the week!

I was out last night for gay work drinks...great night but it left me feeling a little fragile this morning and so I stayed in bed much longer than I should have done and whacked on a dvd instead...Mamma Mia.

I once heard someone say (I think it was Jo or Lori) that Mamma Mia the movie should be handed out by the NHS to cure depression - so true - the film is AMAZING!

Admittedly it takes a little while to get over the sudden bursts into song and the pretty tragic dancing but when you get through that wall...and you take it for what it is (an uber camp knees up) it's genius!

The clip I've chosen is one of my favourites - don't you just wish life was like that? - You're walking down Oxford Street and then all of a sudden everyone in unison joins in the same dance routine, people would be so much happier! Just look at those recent TV adverts where "Plain Clothes Dancers" all start dancing in busy stations with no warning - oh how the people laughed!...*sigh*

Anyway...I'm up, dressed and ready to face the world now, one song at a time.

Starbucks Review No.5 : West End Lane, NW6

It's been over a month since my last Starbucks Review! I've visited (obviously) but actually I'm proud to say that I've cut down a lot!! Think of the pennies that I'm saving!

In fact, the other day I was shopping and I saw these rather cool Thermos flasks, I came up with the fantastic idea that I was going to make coffee in the morning and take it into work, it was going to be the next way that I was going to save money! I already take my lunch in to work from home, so this felt like the natural next step...I then decided that I liked Starbucks too much and that I don't smoke and don't do drugs so should be able to treat myself. My thoughts then evolved, I could buy the cool thermos and pour my Starbucks into it for the office? That's when I realised that I'd gone full circle and it was best to walk away.

This evening I must admit I did pop into Starbucks; my local in fact. I jumped off at West Hampstead, walked down the road and there it is, right next to Costa (never understood that). I would normally show you a map now but the Starbucks website is all confused and isn't pinpointing it...so I haven't, take my word - it's there.

I took note from past experiences and didn't opt for my usual caramel macchiato as I knew it would keep my up all night. I've had a few mega busy days at work and so trying to think calm thoughts I went for the soothing "Calm" Tazo Tea. "A herbal infusion of camomile blossoms, blackberry leaves and rose petals" blah blah...it tasted good, I felt quite healthy sipping it, there was one point when I felt sick but it was just a wave.

Now the important stuff...how do I review this branch? Well clientele (a new judging factor) gets a thumbs up, its near enough trendy West Hampstead to attract the young, beautiful professionals and even sometimes celebs ( I saw that guy from Harry Potter in there the other week, I always think his name is Rick Mayall but it isnt....hmmm...Alan Rickman! that's him!) The place was very clean and the staff very friendly, my "Barista" was smiley and asked if I wanted two 2 tea bags or 1 (I'm greedy, I said 2) very attentive. The atmosphere was chilled but still had that cool London buzz and it is a mere five min walk back to the Penthouse (tm) so that's always a bonus...I give this Starbucks 8 mochas out of 10...a record I think!?

I don't visit this place enough!...It's going to be my new local haunt. I'm go to become one of those cool, cultured, chilled people, I'm going to get up early on the weekend, take a walk up the road, get my coffee and peruse through a newspaper, smiling at the regulars as they come in, perhaps I'll even make some friends? Perhaps join a Starbucks book club?

You wanna be on top?

My My, it's been a whole week since my last update! Do I say I've been mega busy and far too busy to sit down at my laptop and type an entry? or just admit that I just didn't really have very much to say?

The past week has been pretty damn busy but I had many an opportunity to sit down and write a small snippet...thing is...nothing particularly life changing has happened that I felt the need to write about nor have I seen anything on the news (or tube) that I felt the need to use this, my little space on the web, to voice my feelings on so I kept quiet.

That is until tonight...Jo and I sat down to watch the launch of the new cycle of ANTM (that's America's Next Top Model to those not in the know!) I have a feeling it's going to be a good'un!

I guess I should set the scene for those of you who have never seen it. It's a programme hosted by the fabulous Tyra Banks.

Tyra shares my love of windmachines

Tyra (a model herself) along with Miss Jay (who is actually a man who teaches catwalk) and Mr.Jay (who is a creative director, a man but doesn't really act like one) choose a group of girls who are competing to be...America's...Next...Top...Model. The girls go through various challenges and have a photo shoot each episode. Each week the judging panel deliberate and eliminate one of them...The winner, signs a modeling contract, has a front cover photo shoot for some crap magazine and gets the title of "America's Top Model" that is until the next series when it starts over again.

The usual suspects rocked up, a mormon girl who was entering to break free from the shackles of her religion, the uber pretty but uber bitchy girl, the token plus size girl, the slightly butch one and then the NYC Brooklyn "Yeah-that's right girlfriend...I'm black, beautiful and you b*tches might as well leave as I am the next America's Next Top Model - hey!" girl, very predictable.

However, this year also something a bit different Isis, a model who was born a man but lives her life as a woman and is waiting to have the snip. She was spotted last year when she was an extra in the "homeless" shoot, not sure if she was actually homeless or not but that's where she came from. You just couldn't make this stuff up!

I've already got a favourite..Hannah from Alaska! They "don't even have billboards" where she's from so she's pretty excited to get through! A highlight of the show was this random girl, I've forgotten her name already, who was nothing but a cow...she really had an issue with Isis and was saying how everyone tells her that she should be a model and she is willing to stomp out anyone who gets in her way and that Isis shouldn't be in the competition because this was a competition for girls...blah blah....she didn't get through the first round! She broke down in tears...haha great TV!

If you've not watched it...you must! It's on Mondays at 9 o'clock on Living, or 10 o'clock on Living +1 (for obvious reasons). Its got something for everyone, the comedy of Tyra, mixed with the seriousness of the business (it's cut throat I tell thee) and then the fantastic back-stabbing bitchy girls - amazing! Now, I'm going to go to bed now as I need to get my beauty sleep but before I go I have two words of advice for you...firstly never google ANTM as America is a season ahead and you'll ruin the surprise and secondly in the words of Tyra...Keep the face pretty!!

2 capsules to be taken with a drink of water every 4 hours.

Saturday it happened, Saturday night whilst waiting for the number 243 bus, I got a cold! I remember it clearly, Tim and I had just been to our mate Laura's birthday in Farringdon, we were stood huddled under a bus stop with the rain blowing horizontally (no really), the roads transformed before our very eyes into flowing rivers, mini rapids dashing away to a land unknown...oh the scene was dramatic, poetic almost.

I fought through today, and right now I'm very tired and I really want to be in bed but I have a problem, I took my last tablets at 7 o'clock and I'm only meant to take them every 4 hours - as I don't want to over dose, I'm playing it safe and waiting for 11 o'clock before I pop my last pills of the day.

So I'm killing time, thought I would try and analyse a dream that I had last night. I never remember dreams so the fact that this time I did, surely means its important? Either that or it simply means that my night-nurse kicked in and messed with my head.

I was out in the country with my Dad, for some reason I got out of the car, he was going to drive onwards and I would catch up with him a bit later. I faffed around in a field a bit, then decided that I would go and find him...I couldn't, I found the car but Dad wasn't there. I asked some villagers for some assistance but they either ignored me or lied to me. Anyway, I'm obviously getting slightly worked up over this, I decide that these villagers are clearly mental and hide in a ditch, just before I wake up I ask a baby field mouse (now look who's the mental one!) to go and find my key that I left in a nearby field as I need it.

I consult my "Dictionary of Dreams".

Car journey - "symbol of desire or sexuality. There should be particular importance placed on whether the dreamer is driving or being driven, since this is a reflection on the dreamers sense of independence". - I was being driven, meaning I can only assume that I can't really look after myself?

Fields - "a dream of fertile fields denotes prosperity according to gypsy folklore".

Walking - "dreaming of walking in the dirt symbolises sickness, walking in the night denotes trouble". I was walking on a clean road during the day - bloody useless book!

Villagers - "a dream denoting carefree gaiety". haha

Lying - "to dream of lying may be spurred by a dishonest action, or one which is out of character in walking life"...but they were lying to me!!!

Baby Animals - "all of us still have certain needs for nurturing which we will never grow out of, we all need to be cared for alternatively baby animals could represent immaturity".

Mouse - "a dream of mice denotes envious slanderers and poverty" - but I was in a ditch next to a lush field? That means prosperity does it not?

Key - "A key can indicate the solution to a problem. Alternatively it may be that which has been locked up within the dreamer. A third possible meaning for the key is sexual, the key possibly stands for the penis". I've read enough! Well...It's clear isn't it?...

I'm a prosperous symbol of desire that can't look after myself. I live my life with gaiety and am perhaps in contact with slanderous people who lie, I need to be looked after and above all I am on the search for a penis in a field? How did I ever get by without this book?

Be a star, film a corker with "Video Stalker"

Who's heard of the half-bakery? It's brilliant! It's a blogging website where people share their innovative ideas and inventions.

I don't really know why people actually add to it because surely putting your ideas online for any Tom, Dick or Harry to read and potentially copy isn't the best of ideas but ho hum...well I have an announcement to make...whilst at Pizza Express tonight I came up with my own little gem. before I tell all...watch this...



"VIDEO-STALKER"

Ever been sat with friends and thought, how did the MTV hit show "The Hills" come about? Who sat down and thought it would be entertaining to watch these nobodies (all be it beautiful nobodies) go about their every day lives in Hollywood!? Why can't we do this? Why can't we have a show about our lives showing all the funny bits, the conversations we have, the places we go, the people we meet?

Well now you can people, oh yes! Now you can! Why not hire a "Video Stalker".
This professional cameraman/ woman will follow you round non-stop all-day and record your own TV show all about you! Yes all-day..how many friends would be willing to do that!? Through a mixture of covert and un-covert (is that a word?) shots the cameraman/woman will piece together a true snapshot of your life.

Worried that you're come over a little boring and dull?...no sweat! After the filming you relax in our ultra modern studio whilst the team edit the results as you want them.

Then for the fun bit...you're video will be uploaded on to our popular social website for the rest of the world to see.

Go on...Be a star, film a corker with Video Stalker.

----

Brilliant huh? I'm going to be rich!

Video WOW of the week!

Just because!..Yes I still know the dance.

I'm never drinking again...

...I hate it when people say that, because you know for a fact they will, but the way I'm feeling now, this very second, I agree - Never again is a little extreme perhaps, I am not going to drink for the rest of January! I have never never never felt this wretched in my life! Actually there was this one time when I was 17 and ended up going clubbing in Basildon, that wasn't a particular high point but I digress.

Martin, Rich and I went out last night. Looking back now the night didn't start off particularly well, we popped open the bubbly here at the Penthouse(tm), I put the disco lights on, put on a bit of "tune-age", so far so good...After a glass of fizz we then thought, no actually Rich thought, it would be a great idea to make a cocktail, to be precise Cava, Bulmers Cider and Absolut raspberry vodka, we called it Absolut Bull-something or other, I forget. Slightly merry by this point.

We left the flat, got the bus down Kilburn High Road and went to the Westbury, lovely venue, not been before. We stayed about an hour, we had a chat with Andrew (we were there for his birthday) had a bit of a dance, had a shot of jaegemeister, oh yes! shots - WHY?! Rich hadn't finished his glass of wine so smuggled it out the bar (come on we've all done it) We got the train from Kilburn High Road to Euston, en-route we went into drunk uni student mode and thought it would be clever to do some train gymnastics, like you do! I am ashamed! What's the point in banning alcohol on public transport when you just get morons (us included here) tanking themselves up before they board? I'd like to point out that we were the only people in our carriage...OK that doesn't really make it any better does it?

At Euston we got the nothern line to Camden Town, making a bee-line for our chosen venue of the evening "The Black Cap" I always think it should be called the black cat, but it isn't. Whilst here, yes you've guess it, we has a few more to drink, I think we were onto Rum and Coke by this point..I really didn't need anymore.

I nearly had a fight with this disgusting looking man, he helped himself to my drink, no he actually did, he poured half of my drink into his glass, in hindsight he was probably doing me a favour...I politely ask him not to steal my drink, he denied it of course and started to walk over, Britney's Womanizer kicked in and I was outta-there. I must have slipped into my alter-ego (international popstar) at some point as I thought I would take centre stage to dance...on my own! Martin suggested we leave when my colour drained and I was just stood up there swaying drink in hand. I don't think we even said bye to Rich, I do that, I have a tendency to just leave...I'm not proud.

Amazing! I can't remember her name, I can't remember her act but amazing!

After stumbling up and down the road Martin and I managed to hail a taxi, a short journey later we got home and I fell fully dressed into my bed at about 2.30 this morning...Martin went to get some greasy "chicken cottage" or something equally as gross, I went straight to sleep.

I haven't been able to leave the flat all day, every time I stand up I feel sick and considering I've actually been sick three times I don't want to risk it - instead I've but the SOS out to my flatmate Jo and I'm hoping she returns with supplies soon!

I decided to blog about the episode, not because I'm proud, I'm really not, but for the following reasons. Firstly this will stay online and act as a reminder that I have wasted a whole day and secondly I now have witnesses that can remind me of my new coven - thou shalt not drinketh in the month of January.

Opium of the people

It was Friday morning (just gone), had a busy day ahead of me but it was nearly the weekend and had a bit of a spring in my step, well as much as I could muster at 8 in the morning, listening to Britney on my Ipod; cold but happy. That is until I set eyes on a certain advertisement on the tube..you know the adverts that I'm talking about, if you live in London you tend to miss them, they are normally advertising phone offers giving you 100 minutes to phone Uganda for just £5! YAY! Anyway this one was different...


This is obviously not taken on the tube - it's the same message on a London bus.

How depressing is that? Don't get me wrong I'm not the most religious in the world (I've not been to church since I decided that the vicar at my church was actually the devil in disguise and also I learnt that being gay wasn't the most accepted of things) but I am by no means a fully fledged atheist, I guess I just don't really think about it either way - I'm probably more ignorant than anything else.

I hate having religious folk ram the bible down my throat and it's common knowledge that religion has caused many a war in the past and continues to do so but for a lot of people (including some of my family and close friends) it is still something that keeps them a float, something that helps them deal with life and all the manure it throws at you sometimes.

I don't get what an "atheist campaign" is setting out to even achieve? Are they hoping Mrs.Smith, 72 years old who has outlived a lot of her friends will look up and think"gosh they have a point, I'm not making any more jams for my church fete...oh no...all these years I've been fooled" - what would that gain?

What makes it even worse is that it smuggly states at the bottom that the adverts have been paid for by public donations - is there not a more needy cause?!

Anyway I am at risk of going into rant mode and well I don't want to, I don't want this blog to turn into some sort of political sounding board - I think you can all gather that's not me, it would also make me no different to the atheists or religious nuts.

I just want world peace and everyone to get on and...actually my mate Martin has just got here so I want to crack open a bevvy..."There might be a God, there might not be, so stop preaching either way, have some more free minutes to Uganda and have a great day" - Now that's what I want to read on the way to work.

First gym trip of 2009..and it's just as pants as in 2008

I left the office with my gym bud Shiana just before 6 this evening, we got to the gym at around 6.20 (after getting the bus down Oxford Street...why walk?) when we got there it would appear that the whole of London has had the same (un-imaginative) new years resolution to "get fit in 2009 and join a gym"....my frigin gym!

I joined back in July of 2008 and if I'm perfectly honest I can't wait until my contract finishes! I used to love it, got a buzz going, worked up a sweat...now it is nothing but a pain in my slightly more toned arse. My original mission was to build and tone up, now my mission is to make sure I turn up so the money coming out of my account every month is not wasted.

The first thing that you notice when you enter my gym is the smell, I wont describe it but I'm sure you can use your imagination. I go into the changing rooms...nice...fat hairy sweaty men..and they're naked...HOT! I get changed avoiding eye contact with everyone (the place is quite near gay soho and cruising in gym lockerooms is not my thing). I get out into the main gym area (quickly)...some of the machines aren't working, some of them are too sweaty to even think about sitting down at and some I don't even know how to use and the sad thing is I have no desire to even learn.

Shiana and I always do the same routine, perhaps that's the problem? We do 10 minutes on the bike to warm up. There are two types of bikes, the normal ones and then the "disabled" ones...we use the latter. After that we do 20 minutes on the cross trainer, then I do some pectoral weights for a bit whilst Shiana holds my ipod, then we do 20 minutes running on the treadmill and then 5 minutes on the bikes again to warm down, or should that be cool down?...and that's our lot, change and then were out of there. I've always wanted to go and use the free-weights in the corner near the changing rooms but I've since nicknamed this area "muscle beach" and well...if you're not muscly I get the impression you have no right to be there.

See, even reading that back fills me with dread, it's a similar feeling to that which I used to get before PE and swimming lessons at school and this time no "asthma attack" is going to save me! I wish I enjoyed it, I really do...I just don't, along with saving and driving it just doesn't interest me.

I mustn't be entirely negative there are some benefits to the place, these I repeat in my head over and over again as I'm "working out"...firstly Shiana and I do have a laugh and it's good to spend time with my work-wife out of work. It stops me going out on the town thus giving my body and my wallet a break. The whole gym concept is, whether I see it or not, helping my body and general fitness levels which I'm told is good. The Limeade from the drinks machine is first class and finally there are some really funny characters who I think I would miss if we didn't go.

Oh our fellow gym members - There's Stomper, who (as his name would suggest) could do with being a little more dainty on the ol' running machine and then there is the newly discovered "Nuttela" so called for the fact that she is a complete nutcase, I don't mean that in a nasty way she genuinely is a bit of a fruit loop...her running machine is always too fast and the incline always too high which just means she looks like she is running up a mountain being chased by some mountain goat, no, not running...stomping, she doesn't run, she kinda stomps and her fringe gets in her face and she talks to herself...no really, we've heard her giving herself pep talks "come on...you can do it! come on!".

I thought about it today actually, Nuttela might be a little odd but she is certainly getting more out of this experience than I am...perhaps I should hire her as a personal trainer? I'll try and stick to my new years resolutions and visit the gym at least twice a week but when July rocks up I am outta there!

Operation 2009

New Year’s Eve was a hoot! Haha Ben and Heather were host and hostesses with the most and mostesses.

Ben had made a rather questionable punch that I decided would be my tipple of the evening - Amazing, the first time we went to the bowl it was an pink/ orange colour but this then evolved to a green/blue tint through out the night…I think in total there were 3 “punch upgrades”…haha needless to say my head was banging the next day!

They also fed us until we couldn’t eat anymore – was great! If the whole table of food wasn’t enough, Ben and his mate then fired up the bonfire thing in the garden and we all went outside and toasted marshmallows as the fireworks went off around us – magical! ;o)

So for 2009 my first thoughts of resolutions were the usual boring ones…drink less and eat healthily – rubbish! I was still drinking punch (edition 3) at 1 in the morning (officially at this point it was 2009) and then later that same day I did something that I am still ashamed off…I bought a McDonalds breakfast! Great! 2 resolutions broken already - Panic not, I came to the conclusion that the January 1st doesn’t really count and things start afresh on the 2nd …today….so here goes.

Overall the plan is:

• Save some money every month – I’m thinking £20 is a good place to start?
  
• Aim to visit the gym at least twice a week.
  
• Only go out on the town once...OK, twice a week.
  
• Read more books
  
• Keep my Fraser-card on zero balance
  
• Eat healthy balanced diet.
  
• Take more photos.

Mum also came up with brilliant idea of coming up with a list of things that I want to do this year, activities that I can tick off as I do them…much more of a positive spin to new years resolutions rather than just ruling out things that I actually like doing, in no particular order...

1) Have a clear out (both London and Essex house) and EBay /charity shop stuff I don’t need.

2) Sign up for French Lessons.

3) Watch the sun-rise over London from Primrose Hill.

4) Go for dinner at Yauatcha, Soho

5) Visit Scotland.

6) Go and play Bingo.

7) Visit Buckingham Palace.

8) Learn to cook dim-sum.

9) Re-visit roller disco.

10) Organise a University re-union.

11) Go on a bike ride.

12) Buy and keep alive a goldfish.

13) Sing at Karaoke

14) Go and have a drink in the North London Tavern with Jo and Lori.

They are all achievable, well except maybe the goldfish one (I don’t have a very good track-record). I can work towards them realistically.

Hmmm…where to start?