In the midst of procrastination

Bah!

I was supposed to be writing my assignment today. And that's what I did. Kind of. I still have to finish it up but this was one of the toughest ones yet. I was writing, or AM writing, about the tradition of the string quartet for a particular composer. It's tough, but I chose it because... well... with things like the arts you can throw in technical words and build sentences around them and appear smarter than you are. Not that I need to sound smarter, but it helps, doesn't it?! :) hehe.

I still have to finish it off, I basically spent 5 hours trying to write a crappy draft which makes no sense and has no flow to it. So I will be spending Wednesday trying desperately to make it better, and then Thursday will be editing day. Yeay!

Anyway, I was going to write about procrastination. Which is one of my favorite past times. It's true. I am so good at it. I was starting this entry and then remembered I had to look up upcoming films for me and my friend to see. So I started doing that. And then after I had done that I realised I was going to write this. It's not even something I do intentionally, it's just my natural state is to procrastinate. Ooh, poetic.

So my procrastination project today was writing. Sometimes its TV, sometimes music, and sometimes writing. My assignment is supposed to be 1200 words. Not that long, but its hard to hit your points and keep them clear with restrictions like that. In the time it took me to write my intro (which turned into my conclusion and was then moved to the bottom of the page), I managed to throw out around 1270 words of a random story I started writing. Which I think could actually go quite well if I continue it. I don't know what it's about, but I was really getting into writing it. So my procrastination might turn into a short story. Which I'm quite happy about, so IN YOUR FACE procrastination God's. Your intervening failed.

Listening to:

Brooke Waggoner - really helpful to write to because her songs are so pretty and ethereal and calming.

Film I watched this weekend:

From Dusk til Dawn. Something I missed out on because I was too young when it came out (I was 11... I like to point out to my boyfriend that he was 17 at the time to make him feel old!). I finally saw it on TV and it was hilariously good!

Picture of the day:

I just found this quite sweet and romantic.

I have just realised these people could be having sex... I didn't see it that way, but if that's what you like... ;)

I don't know what I'm doing!

Meh!

I just got back from my slimming world group (late, may I add, as I was talked into weighing everyone!), and only lost 1lb this week. Or last week even. Which has bummed me out totally! I know any kind of loss is good, but I was really hoping for 2lbs at the least, as that would have taken me over the half a stone mark in 2 weeks. But I guess I should learn to take a victory no matter how small, even though I hardly ate at all last week because I didn't really have an appetite... humph. Pissed off, but I'll get over it! At least I didn't put weight on!

I am not just going to talk about that though. For today... today I start a new book. And I'm quite excited about that. I have been mourning the end of the last book I read for about a week. I was really gutted it ended (it wasn't just one book, it was the last of a series), so I was all sad about not reading about the characters anymore. But after some self reflection, I have come out of the other end of the depression with a new lease of life and a new book in my hand from the pile of books I got for Christmas.

This weeks book is The Strain, by Guillermo del Toro (writer and director of films such as Pan's labyrinth and Hellboy II). I was really looking forward to getting this book when it first came out and am really peeved I didn't make the effort to get it from waterstones in Manchester, as he was doing a signing, but oh well. At least I have it now, and can get on with reading it. I don't know much about it, but it seems like it will be a thriller, mystery with vampires? I didn't want to Google it and ruin it for myself, so I am going in blind. I can't wait.

I have recently been to the cinema and also watched a couple of DVD's! (me? watch films...? well that almost never happens... not!).

I saw The Dilemma - which was ok and kind of funny, but not as hilarious as I would have liked.

I saw Black Swan - which was great. Sad, depressing, a little scary and rude. But pure brilliance and so clever and captivating.

I also watched Dog Soldiers on DVD, as it was £3 and my dad said it was quite good so I bought it. It was ok. Werewolves were scary as hell but the film was hilarious as it was so... strange. You'd think werewolves would make people scream... lots of screaming in the film... people being scared and confused.... but there was none of that. Which was odd, but made it even more amusing! And for such a small budget film it was pretty incredible!

I think that's all from me. I don't have anything to say that's slightly entertaining etc. So live long and prosper, and if I see you in a dark alleyway any time soon, I'll be sure to drain your blood and leave you for dead... wait... did I say that out loud? Too many vampire stories for me!

Sam

Picture of the day

GOT to try this makeup! Natalie Portman = girl crush. There, I said it.

a little less weight and a little more light

Ahhh!

How much do I love it when it stays light outside for longer?! VERY MUCH is the answer. The fact that I walked home at 4:30, when it is usually pretty dark, in sunshine, is saying something. It makes me happy inside to see it light and see blue sky when its after 4:30... because soon it will be light after 5, and then 6 etc. and then SUMMER is here. I can't wait for summer. So much so that I'm already daydreaming about picnics that will never happen, road trips I'll never take and barbecues which I will definitely inflict on some people!!! I love barbecues. As a vegetarian I feel I have really perfected it. As you can't get ill from Quorn not being cooked properly - all you do is heat it and you're done in about 6 or 7 minutes. I recall last year I had a BBQ with some friends. I had had a hot dog and a burger (with delish relish and salad), before they had even heated up their sausages. HA! Well, what can I say? Vegetarians know what they're doing, even in such a meaty situation. Ooooh, meaty situation. I don't think I will ever use those two words together again. That was just wrong!

Speaking of food and the title of my blog! I went to Slimming World tonight for my first week weigh in and I lost 5lbs. Which is pretty good for the first week, when I went out for dinner on Saturday and baked a damn good Victoria Sponge cake on Sunday. Mmmmm. I'm still reeling from how good it was. My baking is getting damn good!

So on to this next week. Who knows what I'll lose, but I'm optimistic, as I have control over what I'm eating, and know what's good, and what I can eat without putting on weight. It's simple. (famous last words).

I was having a little think earlier about my blog. Always trying to adapt and change it etc. And I was thinking I might merge all my blogging ideas into one. You see I wanted to do a review blog (but not a proper one, just a me, saying what I saw and how good it was/ wasn't), and a baking blog. But I really haven't been bothered to start them up properly so I might just inflict you with pictures and recipes perhaps (If I ever get around to it) and little blurbs on the films I see be they in the cinema or on DVD. I won't make them long. Just little bits of writing, as I hate reading people talk about films for pages and pages just to learn it was mediocre.

So yes.

Hope everyone who passes this way is well.

Sam

ps. don't you just love it when you hit spellcheck and there is nothing to correct?!

Picture of the day:

Oh to be in this picture!

Books and Tv - the things that shape my life!

Oh yeah!

It's Monday -and unlike most people, I look forward to Monday's because I don't work 'em! I have the pleasure (although the pain of a crap wage) of being part time at the moment; so as I can do my uni work. And Monday's offer me a lie in, and a chance to prepare for Tuesday. So Tuesdays are now my Monday's - but it still makes me feel great!

On to bigger and better things. There is nothing I like more than books and TV. At the moment there are a lot of tv shows which have been born of book series first and there is always that question - should you read the book before watching the show? Now, I am a huge reader (you should see how many books I got for Christmas!) and often will read something before its released onto the big OR small screen, however I hate jumping on band wagons and so will never read a book series if I have already started watching the show. Just one of my many stupid character traits!

I am hooked on many shows at the moment. Mostly fantasy drama's - and if it has vampires in it and its American (I loath British supernatural dramas as much as I loath period dramas from any continent) then I'm there! At the moment I am watching a few things (thanks to my family listening to my rants and buying me a load of boxsets for Christmas) - Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Doll House among other things, like Glee and 90210 (what? A girl gotta watch her teens!!), and I think people think I watch it for the fella's. And sure, the guys are all quite attractive, but the girls are equally attractive and I think that's part of the allure. I like looking at attractive women as much as men (ok, not as much as, but you get what I mean). Pretty girls will always make a tv show watchable, which is not sad but totally true. I know it's not a huge epiphany but it's not supposed to be :)

As for books - I read teen fiction -there, I said it. I read Twilight years ago (before the films thank you very much! <--- annoying trait #1 exposed), and I am in the middle of a couple of series which no one I know reads and that's the way I want it to stay. You see, much like my annoying trait #1 where I like to read things before they become a massive movie success - I have an annoying trait #2; I like to read book series and not tell anyone about them so that they don't start reading them and start liking them and start talking about them. I'm a book hoarder. And I know, if I like a book I should want others to like it too, so we can talk about it and the author will get more money etc. But... I just don't work like that. No one else is allowed to know the characters. No one else is allowed to know about these worlds I find. I really can't help it. Gosh... I could never join a book club, it would drive me mental!

Well -that concludes my rant about TV and books. I was inspired by the pile of Christmas gifts in front of me! :)

Happy Monday everyone!

Sam

Picture of the Day:

All the things I said I would do last year, I will do this year instead!

So...

It's not like I want to make resolutions, because it's so silly to think it takes the turn of they year to start doing things differently in your life. But I always make them so here is the mandatory blog of the things I say I will do, but won't!

Start writing something. A book... anything.

Write letters to friends. With a pen. And post them!

*Read more!

*Watch more films!

*Lose about 2 stone in weight and generally start exercising again!

*Try to make people happier

*Stop stressing, and chill out more.

*Blog less, but with better content.

*Get a new job.

*Figure out what I'm doing with my life... as per usual.

*Bake more.

*Draw more.

*Do more make up artist work.

That's about it for now. Not much to do... But I will attempt it. :D

As for this blog, I will continue to throw colour at it (As per request from Matt (start the blog man!) - and try to blog about more interesting things (not that I have anything interesting to say. hehe).

Happy New Year to everyone in the whole blogverse. Hugs all around.

Sam

Picture of the day:

Love these!