Sunday 17 March 2024

Reasons Why... II

 I'm not sure how to start this post, so I'm just going to dive right in with this lightly edited response to a very kind email from Mr Mago:
 
 "There a few reasons for my blogging absence, but, sadly, bumping into Mr Adonis on the beach* is not one of them.  Time (as in "lack of") and work are the main culprits I think, and the Winter darkness hasn't been conducive to making any particular effort either.  Combined, these reasons have culminated in the loss of my blogging "mojo".   I've sat down with Blogger open now and again, but can't muster up the enthusiasm to write anything - even posting images seems like a big effort.   I've visited other blogs now and again - including yours, of course - in the hopes of getting the wind back in my sails, but I can't even think of anything to say in the comments.  Plus, I've missed so much that catching up with everything seems like a chore - and it shouldn't be!  (That's work's influence.  Work has been relentless for the past year or so, and sitting in front of my PC doing something other than reading feels like work, so I end up aimlessly following links until I get fed up then go and watch something fun on telly to get over it all - such as Bluey, those Australian animated dogs from my previous post.)
 "However, I have nearly two weeks off work from the middle of next week with no plans except for gardening & sorting out the allotment, so I'm hoping the extra time and the brighter days will help in getting that blogging mojo back!  I do miss it and you and the rest of our little community - and I even have some Star Trek art I can post until something else catches my attention that's worth blogging about."
 
 So, I sat down to finish this post which entailed opening up YouTube to get the code for a new song I like (see below), but that meant I had to listen to it all as well (and "Wicked Game" by Girls Aloud).  Then I remembered that Ms Scarlet had emailed me with some questions of a highly personal nature that I'm not going to share here, so I opened up my emails to reply before I published this post, but clocked a notification from Wonky Words about the NEW POST Ms Scarlet had threatened to publish in her email so I had to read that (I didn't send the rook, by the way.  I can manage a jackdaw and occasionally a crow, but rooks are out of my comfort zone).  And then the washing machine beeped its shrill annoying beeps to let me know it had finished turning my bed linen inside out (how does it do that?!?) and that I had to empty it RIGHT THAT MOMENT!  So, down the stairs I went to decant the pillowcases and duvet cover and the like from the washing machine to the tumble dryer - turning everything the right way around as I did so.  But as I type this, I'm thinking I should have left it all inside out because the tumble dryer also turns everything inside out - if it doesn't twist it all up into a hot, tight, damp little ball first (why does it do that?!?).
 Oh, and my coffee is going cold and is almost finished so I'm wondering if I should go and make another one or finish this post first?  While I'm dithering, here's that new music I mentioned:

Bright Light Bright Light & Ultra Naté - Every Emotion




* There is a Mr Adonis at the pool, though: The handsome, surly, golden-brown fox of a lifeguard who sits in his lifeguard observation chair looking bored and/or slightly angry and, therefore, very sexy.**  There hasn't been any bumping, though.

** Description taken from a previous post in which I made excuses for not posting, funnily enough.  Oh, and his name's Ryan.

P.S. While I was searching for that description of Ryan-the-Foxy-Lifeguard, the tumble dryer insistently beeped at me, so I had to go down and untangle the hot, damp, tight little ball of bed linen and set it going again!

P.P.S. I didn't reply to Ms Scarlet's email!  Must do that next.

Sunday 25 February 2024

"I Slipped On Mah Beans"

 I think I've been in the Winter Doldrums - although, if I have, I seem to be coming out of it now thanks to two things: Janet & Rita, and new growth in the garden & up the allotment.

 First, old ladies Janet and Rita - AKA Bluey and Bingo Heeler from Bluey, a cartoon my youngest niece, vom Smallhäusen, introduced me to while I was babysitting a week or two ago.  They are hilarious!  The costumes, the voices, the shoplifting, the driving, the absolute glee with which Bluey and Bingo portray Rita and Janet - and the reactions of their parents Chilli and Bandit - all combine to form a delightful two or three minutes of fun that had me almost crying with laughter.
 There's a snippet of first appearance of Rita & Janet in the first minute of the video at the end of this post, but the video below is of the whole Heeler family having some fun:

(It didn't take many episodes for me to want a smoochy kiss with Bandit Heeler, either!)

. : .

 Anyway, enough of adorable Australian cartoon dogs, let's have a look inside my allotment compost heap, shall we?

Thursday 8 February 2024

Sunday 28 January 2024

Cold


A prickly Mahonia up my side return
 Somehow, a cold virus or somesuch has managed to get through the Host's bodily defences and take hold.  I don't know how it happened because his immune system has been trained over the last few years with dirty, germy urchin nephew & nieces jumping all over him and smearing their filth & pestilence everywhere!  I am not amused.
 
 Anyway, after the paracetemol and ibuprofen kicked in earlier this morning, I took Bitey out for a walk and we ended up wandering along the prom - from where I took the photo above.
 
 The rest of the photos are from the grounds of Hexenhäusli Device, and show what few flora - and fauna - can be found at this time of year.

A male muntjac on the embankment behind the South Lawn

A female muntjac.  Sorry about the poor quality - this was taken through dirty glass

Snowdrops (and sprouting daffodils behind them)

Hellebore somethingorother

 Oh, almost forgot: The point of the flowers in this post are as a little prompt to get you thinking about this year's Infomaniac Garden Photos Event.  Is there anything Event-worthy in your garden - be it a frozen wasteland (Very Mistress?) a boggy mudscape (Ms Scarlet?) or tropical jungle (Dinah?) - at this time of year that it's worth taking a few photos of now before it's too late?
 Don't worry if not as I will be nagging haranguing reminding you about the GPE regularly througout the year!

Friday 19 January 2024

"I'm never gonna let you see that part again"*

 Just popping in to drop off these few bits & bobs - Hopefully you'll find something you like amongst them.
 And think yourself lucky as this was almost a Star Trek fan art post!

ReReading
Record of a Spaceborn Few, by Becky Chambers ~ This must be the third of fourth re-read of this lovely story from the Wayfarer's series.
 
 
Watched
What We Do In The Shadows (S4) ~ The BBC has finally picked up season four, so of course I watched what my favourite vampire housemates had been getting up to as quickly as I could.  Now I can't wait for season 5!
 
Rewatched 
Ghosts (Series 1-2 so far) ~ Because of course I'm re-watching it.  Again.
The Sound of Music ~ The Winterval holiday season just isn't complete without either Mary Poppins or The Sound of Music.
9 to 5 ~ I didn't remember the corpse stealing, but then it has been an absolute age since I last watched this fabulous film starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton.
Ghostbusters 1 & 2 ~ More Winterval telly favourites.
Here's the Howard Huntsberry version from the clip above before we segue into the original.

 
 
Heard
The original Jackie Wilson version of "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" (which is also heard in Ghostbusters II) that was playing at the pool while I had my morning swim on Tuesday.

The marvellous, wonderful, and really rather sexy Bright Light Bright Light's brand new release "You Want My..."
It sounds a little earlyish Pet Shop Boys to me, which is no bad thing. 
 
* Post title from this song
 
Inspired by either Mr Tonking or Mistress Maddie (although I'm pretty sure it was at Mr Tonking's that The Blue Nile was mentioned.  Maybe?), I thought we'd finish with Annie Lennox's sublime cover of "Downtown Lights":


Sunday 7 January 2024

Yes, You Did Win Yet!

 Well, with nearly three of you esteemed Blogorati taking part, I declare the "Did I Win Yet?" Grand Quiz of 2024 an unmitigated success!
"Success"?  Is that the word we're going with?
Yes.  It is.  And just leave it at that so we can get on with this, hmm?
Fine.
 Before we get to the winner, here's a reminder of the questions, with the answers (almost all of which were from 2023's end-of-year round-up The Year of Looking Glam Even Without Nail Varnish) provided by The Host:
 

1. In which month did LẌ visit The Very Mistress from beyond the grave?  And for a bonus point, which two posts was he first at?
The answer is February.  And if you'd clicked the link to The Very Mistress's Infomaniac blog, you will have seen that the two posts were "Keep Your Pants On" (22 March 2010) & "Filthy Friday - Holiday Photos" (18 March 2010) and would have gained a bonus point.
 
2
. We all know that Dinah looks glam even without nail varnish, but what couldn't she do without in order to look like movie star, Joanna Cassidy?
This one may have flummoxed those of you who have not seen 1982's Blade Runner.  Joanna Cassidy's character, replicant Zhora, is an erotic dancer and performs with a snake.  And so, in April's photo of Dinah wearing nail varnish, it's the carpet snake that she needed.
 
3
. How many freckles are there on-  No, just kidding!  How many men did Mistress Maddie-  Ha!  Kidding again. 
 Really this time: How many ducks - rubber or otherwise - feature in The Year of Looking Glam...?

Monday 1 January 2024

"Did I Win Yet?" Grand Quiz 2024

 Happy New Year to you all!  We hope you had a splendid night whatever you did - whether you went out celebrating, stayed in and slept through it, or had your head down revising for this "Did I Win Yet?" Award/Quiz/Competition/Event/Festival thingy!
 I was at my sister's - Indescribable's - with a couple of friends drinking gin & cherry vodka and playing some convoluted card game.  However, I didn't drink so much that I wasn't able to drag myself out of bed and pop down to the prom this morning to make sure the New Year arrived on time.  It did, as you can see in the photo below.  I've got some more photos (of course) which I will share in a few days time as this post is all about the "Did I Win Yet?" Grand Quiz in honour of our dear, departed friend, LẌ.
 

 
 The "Did I Win Yet?" Award/Quiz/Competition/Event/Festival thingy can take any form, but I have chosen to do a quiz again because it's quick & easy (easy to put together, that is - although you might find the actual quiz is easy, too), and I left it too late (as per) to come up with something else.  (Ms Scarlet's The 'Did I Win Yet?' Competition/Award back in January 2021 had a quiz bit and a creative bit, for example). 
 
 As with my original 2020 quiz, almost* ALL ANSWERS CAN BE FOUND IN THE YEAR OF LOOKING GLAM EVEN WITHOUT NAIL VARNISH POST WITHOUT HAVING TO CLICK ON ANY OF ITS LINKS OR WADE THROUGH THE ENTIRETY OF MY POSTS FROM 2023, but you may need to embiggen one or two images.
 
* One answer can be found in a November post, and one bonus point answer requires clicking a link in The Year of Looking Glam... to find.  The other bonus point has no "right" answer - the point will go to the most amusing/creative/smutty response.


  There is no prize as such, but the winner will have the honour of hosting the next "Did I Win Yet?" thingy whenever they see fit.  Oh, and Ms Scarlet did create this elegantly calligraphed quote by LẌ which the winner will have the exclusive right to display on their blog sideboard.

 Right, I can tell you're all eager to flex your mental muscles and get on with the quiz, so here it is:
 
1. In which month did LX visit The Very Mistress from beyond the grave?  And for a bonus point, which two posts was he first at?
 
2. We all know that Dinah looks glam even without nail varnish, but what couldn't she do without in order to look like movie star, Joanna Cassidy?
 
3. How many freckles are there on-  No, just kidding!  How many men did Mistress Maddie-  Ha!  Kidding again. 
 Really this time: How many ducks - rubber or otherwise - feature in The Year of Looking Glam...?
 
4. Who has a sideboard even more beautiful than mine?  (Bah!)

5. In which comic strip does Suzie Derkins feature?
 
6. On what page can the instructions be found?
 
7. What did Jon go all the way to Sitges for?  And for a bonus point, what do you think [the answer] was describing/measuring?

8. What is Full Moon Fan Dance Rutherford's cybernetic implant set to?
 
9. Which super powers did Ms Scarlet gain at the expense of no longer having birthdays?


 Please email your answers to me by Saturday 6th January, either to this blog's gmail address which can be found in my profile on the Sideboard, or to the Host's personal hotmail account.  You can also leave your answers in the comments if you like, but then everyone will be able to see what they are...

 Good luck, and Happy New Year!

Saturday 30 December 2023

The Year of Looking Glam Even Without Nail Varnish

 As you may have noticed, we haven't been around much this year.  Certainly not as much as I'd've liked, and not even as much as in last year's Lazy Baggagery!  So that means that our grasp on the year's happenings and your reportings thereof is weak at best.  Sorry.
 However, there was certainly enough memorable stuff (and things I'd thought to make a note of when they happened) to create this end-of-year extravaganza!
 Extravaganza?  That's pushing it, don't you think?
 Nah.  A sprinkle of glitter (thanks to Jon) will cover the cracks and gaping holes in this rather haphazard (as always) round up and turn it into the Event of the season!
 If you say so...  Shall we get on with it, then?
 Yes. Oh, hang on!  I've got to add a bit at the end about the return of the "Did I Win Yet?" Award/Quiz/Competition/Event/Festival thingy!
 Well, you'd better hurry because I'm launching this thing now.  Be ready with your Champagne flutes all you glamorous Blogorati!

 
 Oops!  Wrong signage.  Try this one:


 Strap in.  Here we go!


January
Quote : "My smut well has almost dried up." ~ What a way to start the year: The Very Mistress answering a question nobody asked.

Event : The 6th January was National Cuddle Up Day, apparently.  Although I'd want to cuddle up to those freckles EVERY day!  Adorable. 
 
 Thank you for bringing this auspicious occasion to our attention, Mr Tonking.
 
 
Art :
Nouveau, of course.  I love the fantastical, soft intricacy of Art Nouveau, and don't indulge myself in it as often as I should.  Fortunately, Maddie popped up with a themed Mood Board this month which hit the spot.
 
Hot Totty : When it's cold outside, guests at the House of Borghese are offered furs with something hot inside

Tuesday 26 December 2023

"She doesn't want to see Fanny on camera"

 Just popping in to drop off a few things before returning at the weekend to wrap up the year and stuff it in the Sideboard along with all the previous years.
 
 First up from the 21st, I had a wander down to the promenade where the North Sea waved to me rather enthusiastically:
 


Tuesday 12 December 2023

The Freakin' Green Elf Shorts Make America Great Again!

 Yes, the Freakin' Green Elf Shorts are back! 
 
 The 29th winner, Janie Junebug, is holding the FGES Caption Competition RIGHT NOW!  So, why don't you pop over to her place and leave a witty/pithy/disgusting caption to be in with a chance of winning the detestable polyestables for yourself and joining the elite few whose nether regions have been where no one has wanted to go before!

A little tease of Janie's FGES photo


 And look!  The current FGES Travel Map:

 And, yes, I've informed Rimpy, the Official FGES Historian, so we may get an updated Continuing History of the FGES quite soon!

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

EDIT 21 December 2023 : Rimpy has only gone and won the FGES!!!  Congratulations, Rimpy!!

Mr Tonking, you had a very lucky escape!

Here's the updated FGES Travel Map (1st 2023 edition):


Saturday 9 December 2023

"... or shall I just whip out the Cock Soc?"

 It's almost the end of the year, so here are most of the things I've read, watched and listened to since my last updates back in July and August.  Unfortunately, I don't have much time to spend on this as I need all the time I can get to work on the end-of-year roundup - which I've barely begun - Eeeek! (The observant amongst you will notice that I copied this intro from last year's end-of-year update because it's still relevant.)
Hmmm... Is anyone else having deja vu?
 
Read

GHOSTS: The Button House Archives by Mat Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard, and Ben Willbond  ~  This utterly hilarious accompaniment to the TV series is the only new book I've read since the summer.  Written as it is by the creators/actors of the Ghosts TV series, The Button House Archives is absolutely true to form and packed with letters, articles, historical documents, and transcripts (by Alison, the "Living" who can see and hear the ghosts) which expand upon the lives (and deaths) of the ghosts.
 Here, Martha Howe-Douglas who plays Lady Fanny Button, reads an excerpt in character:

Re-read

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers  ~  Just as delightful and warm and emotional and tense as on the first read.

The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers  ~  Because I couldn't stop at just one of Becky Chambers' Wayfarers novels.
 
 
Watched
 
No Activity  ~  I found this Australian police comedy on iPlayer after having watched Colin From Accounts earlier in the year.  Amongst others, it stars Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammell who created and starred in Colin From Accounts, so that was the main reason for watching it.  And also because Patrick Brammell is a fox!

Ghosts, series 5  ~  Perhaps not quite as funny as previous series', this final series makes up for that with more emotional and serious themes.  Plus, we finally learned how both Kitty and The Captain met their ends (The Captain's nearly broke my heart).  And the Christmas Special is yet to come!
* The post title comes from The Captain wondering "Are we still playing Food Club, ..."
(Cock Soc is short for the N.A.A.F.I. Home Forces canteen Cocktail Society)

[In lieu of the Christmas Special, here's March's Comic Relief sketch featuring Kylie]

Wednesday 29 November 2023

GPE 2023 : The Finale

the 2023
 
I N F O M A N I A C
 
Garden Photos Event Finale
 
☙❧
 
 Hello, and thank you all for -

- coming.

 Sorry about that.  The Official Hexenhäusli Device Woodsman is clearly keen to get going with my wood and couldn't wait for me to finish the introduction.
 
IDV's Eucomis comosa "Sparkling Burgundy"
 Anyway, where was I?  Oh, yes: Thank you all for taking part in the Garden Photos Event this year!  Whether you opened your gardens for the event or just visited and made approving noises in the comments (or just to yourselves if you didn't comment), we hope you enjoyed the show and maybe took away some inspiration for your garden/courtyard/balcony/windowbox/windowsill next year.

 Oh, before I forget, two years ago Mr Tonking suggested a little music to accompany these GPE recaps.  I don't know why I didn't make good his suggestion last year, but I've picked three tunes for this year. 
 First is "Since Yesterday" by Strawberry Switchblade - one of my favourite 80s songs.  I picked this to go with Ms Scarlet's and Mr Tonking's strawberries (and mine!) - as well as those lurking behind Melanie's pitchers.
[Strawberry Switchblade recorded a demo track suitably called "Trees and Flowers" but it's a bit wishy-washy for my tastes]