It's not THAT bad...

I swear it isn't... you see, on freeview TV we have these channels... these... adult channels... Look. I'm not a porn watcher, but... I'm addicted to adult tv. there, I said it. On a Saturday night, when TV is rubbish, I put Babestation on and I laugh at the girls who jiggle. I do. It's not for any kind of sessual reason - I promise! (methinks thou doth protest too much) <-- shut up, accusing Shakespearean part of my brain!

My boyfriend and I like to put the channel on and see which girls are 'working' that night. And then we comment on their outfits and kind of do voice overs to match their actions. It's innocent, I swear! Haha. You know, if you're ever bored at night you should totally turn over just to see what it would look like to see a girl on all fours hoola hooping minus the hoop!

In other NONE adult TV related news - I FINISHED MY BOOK!

Yes, I am the official owner of a 71k manuscript. 1st draft, of course. This is going to be... interesting. I'm letting it sit for a month or so before I hit the 'edit' button, but I finally finished, and even found an ending I quite like, as suggested by Kathy, I left it open. I think it's ok, and not pending change at the moment.

That's pretty much all the news I have. I wanted to make this a picture blog, but... well... I think the only person who would have appreciated that would have been Mr. Gee.... hahah!

Peace out!

Sam

Ps. You will shortly be updated on my jewellery making skills, my attempts to make some cute aprons and website work. I know... thrilling stuff!

Madness.

I'm in kind of one of those moods where I don't know what I'm feeling, but it has something to do with wanting to be creative but not being able to. I can't really describe it very well.

I should be writing, as I set myself the challenge to finish the 1st draft of The Novel by the end of January, so I could start to chip away at it in March. February is going to be a month of forgetting about it and focusing on other things, like photography and trying to make cute aprons. Oh, and reading. Let's not forget that I have LOADS of reading to do.

This week I'm supposed to be reading Wuthering Heights.

Heathcliff, it's Cathy, I've come hoooomme, oooooowoooah!

I was going to start it today but I woke up all BLAH, so I'm forgoing the reading, I also didn't hit the gym this morning, despite my previously half heartedly made plans to do so. Well, what? I spent all day walking around Manchester yesterday, that's kind of like exercise, despite the long times spent stood still or else prancing around Waterstones like an idiot. Which is what I do, by the way. I also dance in HMV... well, they shouldn't play music if they don't want me to dance.

No, I should really get back to writing. Because I only have about 6000 more words to write and then I think I'll be home-free... except I don't know how to end the story. Ok, you guys can help me.

Should I end it on a happy note, on a sad note, on an open note? How would you end the book you don't know the story line of?

This could actually be an amusing topic for discussion...

Sam

Movies? What movies?

Yo!

I just thought I'd, um... big up my one of my other blogs...

I hate doing it, but it has no followers, see, and I hate writing for nobody! So... if you like films, and want to know what I'm watching you can head over :

HERE

I got to the cinema a lot, and watch a lot of DVD's so I'm going to try to keep up with myself. So far I'm up to date for this year... I'll try to maintain such things. I promise!

Toodles!

Sam

Random updates and tings.

Because you should pronounce the word 'thing' as 'ting' as often as you can. Honestly, it makes you feel better and snazzes up ANY sentence!

So - a thing happened. It isn't a very exciting thing, but it's a thing that's now meaning my whole year is going to be slightly better.

I'm going to America next year. For a month or two.

Now, if you've been here a while, you might know I went for 3 months a few years ago. I plan on doing the same kind of thing but this time with my fella rather than friend, so it will be less drinking and more actually seeing fun things and having amazing fun times with my best friend. We were going to go to comic-con this year, but the money he is expecting through from a house sale probably won't be coming through until the summer maybe, but in any case we won't have enough time to plan a trip, so we've decided 2013 we are doing it. This means we can plan all year. It will be amazing. I know all the places I love in the US - Seattle, San Fran, San Diego, Vegas, Chicago, Boston, to name but a few, but this trip is for him. I want him to chose the places so that should be fun.

I won't be going back to work after this trip, so the plan is to get my ass into gear and write this book, edit and submit to publishing houses ASAP. I'm not really sure how this process works per say, but I'll figure it out. If there's one thing I'm good at it's figuring stuff out... hmm... maybe I don't. Damn. Any advice welcome!

On another slightly related note, but hopefully not related in any way, I've been watching that TV show - American Horror Story.

If you like dark, supernatural, quirky, horror- drama's you should give it a whirl. I'm not far into it, I'm only on ep 5, I think, but I'm already hooked. SO good, such good story telling. So I'm trying to slot that in with my Fringe/True Blood/ Vampire diaries watching schedule. Which sounds easy, but when you watch those things with someone you don't see often enough and you're on mostly different schdules it IS hard... still, I'm trying.

So - have you been to America? Know any cool places? I'm making a list of places to go/ see so american viewers let me know, and UK viewers, you can still let me know. K, thanks, bye!

Sam :P

I'm saying this so I'll do it.

Tomorrow I'm working on my website, which I purposely ignores in December. The reason why? Well... I didn't have time to get it going after all, and also I was peeved that a well known tv actress started up a website JUST like what I was trying to do, and about a month after I set up mine. And seeing as she has the money/resources to do a better job, I was rather put off and annoyed, HOWEVER, I will be back working on mine anyway tomorrow. Sorting out the layout etc still because I can't decide what I want it to look like, then posting new content and trying to furiously find other people to contribute.

SO - if you fancy writing ANYTHING for it, do so and let me know. It really is just anything. Anything FUN - any fun videos you like to watch, favourite sites you like to go on, favourite books, music, cartoons - it's supposed to be a place filled with fun stuff to distract you from the miserable world out there!

Email me at theswirlingvortex@gmail.com

and as ever - the site can be found here

Toodles!

Sam

No more, cakes, no more.

Nah, I'm not stopping baking, but I am stopping the eating of the cakes.

I am, as of tomorrow, back on my slimming world food eating. Back to healthy eating and what not. I slowly introduced healthy food back into my diet, after a 2 week hiatus, last week. I ate mostly healthy things and was then eating bad snacks in the middle. I don't usually snack on bad things so I should be able to snap out of the habit pretty quickly. But yes, next week I am going to put a stop to this post-holiday madness.

I haven't really put on that much weight since the joyous days in December, probably about 5lbs - so if I work on it I could lose that in a week, 2 tops. Then I'm back in business. I started my new work out regime yesterday too and good god, my legs. MY LEGS! I'm kind of looking forward to the 2nd day burn that usually follows a bitch of a workout. I'm already hobbling so we'll see what happens. Eeks.

I'm also restarting my writing project tomorrow. Over 1000 words a day will be achieved just so I can put a lid on the novel, shelf it for a month (which will be Feb) and start to edit in March, most probably. This should give me enough time to look into how you go about sending into to publishers etc. Because that's the part my brain is foggy on. The correct protocol. Though I'm kind of lucky my course will explain all of this, so all I have to do is skip ahead several chapters and find what I'm looking for. This is the year of Sam, and the year Sam (who's me... keep up!) will finally realise her dream of writing.

And to keep you all posted, I'm on book 3 of 2012, so the challenge is going well. Just need to whack my reviews onto the other blog. I'll get that sorted this week, I swear!

Sam

11 Tag - Warning, Warning, Meme alert.

Now, you have to forgive me, because I don't normally partake in these kinds of things, but mostly because no one ever tags me into them so screw it! I'm going to do it! Thanks to Kathy for tagging me :)

Rules:

1. You must post these rules.
2. Each per­son must post 11 things about them­selves on their blog.
3. Answer the ques­tions the tag­ger set for you in their post, and cre­ate 11 new ques­tions for the peo­ple you tag to answer.
4. You have to choose 11 peo­ple to tag and link them on the post.
5. Go to their page and tell them you have linked him or her.
6. No tag backs.
7. No stuff in the tag­ging sec­tion about ‘you are tagged if you are read­ing this.’ You legit­i­mately have to tag 11 people.

Again, I'm sorry, but heeeere we go (and I promise none of these answers are going to be even a little bit enteraining. It's half 10 and I've worked a billion hours today and have a migraine! :( )

11 Things About Me

1. I class myself as a middle child, though I'm 1 of 4... but seriously, listen, I am the middle of 3 girls and the youngest of us is a boy so he gets spoilt as the only boy... making him in another league so technically I am the middle child... no? It makes sense to me.

2. I have set myself a goal of reading 50 books this year. That's, like, one almost every week.

3. I share a room with my sister. At the ripe old age of 26 I still share a room.

4. I'm ok with the above. I like having someone to talk to at all hours of the night and it means stealing makeup is easy!

5. I'm a qualified make up artist, and though I have done weddings I'd love to train in special effects makeup. But I probably won't ever officially do it, but I will teach myself.

6. I'm writing my first novel, which was something I've been mentally preparing for since I was about 15, but always thought I was too stupid to do. I'm not, and I'm doing it.

7. I actually am quite optimistic about being published.

8. I have a phobia of sand, and grain, and gravel and crumbs... anything thats gritty... ergh. It goes right through me.

9. I honestly worry I'm not a very intelligent person.

10. I don't like public speaking as I'm pale and afflicted by that horrible 'face goes bright red when I talk out loud in front of people' thing. Fun times.

11. I'm bad ass at karaoke and I don't have to drink to do it. In fact, I don't drink at all. Suck it, losers!

(Ok, I had more facts than I thought I would!)

11 QUESTIONS FROM KATHY:

1. If you could have one superpower what would it be? The power of stealing other peoples powers... mwahahaha.
2. What are your inspirations? Books, movies. Anything that's crafted. I'm inspired by people who have been inspired. 
3. What are your obsessions? Straight to DVD movies, coffee, books, American TV shows of supernatural theme, puppies. 
4. What's your biggest guilty pleasure? I don't know if I have a guilty pleasure... trying to play guitar? Because I'm not very good at it but it doesn't stop me. Either that or singing along to awful songs in my room like a 15 year old girl at a sleepover party. 
5. Where would you want someone to take you for a perfect date? That's a toughie. I honestly believe my first date with my fella was perfect - we sat in Starbucks and talked for hours with giant cups of coffee. 
6. What is your favorite memory? I'm rubbish at remembering things... I like to think my favourite memory is my memory for dreams. I can honestly remember dreams like it was real life... I know that's not what the question meant, but that's how I'm going to intemperate it. 
7. What is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you? I'll always remember the backhanded comment I got from a 'friend' once... 'you know, Sam, you're quite pretty really...' Well, it wasn't the nicest thing anyones said, but I remember thinking there and then that I was 100 times prettier than she ever would be because I don't have 'bitch' plastered on my face. (Or herpes for that matter...)
8. If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? To not sweat the small stuff. Not that I did, but it's a cool bit of advise. 
9. What character (books, tv, movies, etc.) do you think is most like you and why? Oooh, goood question Kathy! I think I see a little bit of myself in most female protagonists sadly, I tend to step into the lives of fictional characters easily, which worries me sometimes...
10. If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would buy? A FUCKING PUPPY! No one had bought me a puppy yet despite my constant pleading for one. Well, I'm not going to buy myself one... that defeats the point of a puppy present! 
11. What is one compliment you would give yourself? Just one? Well... I'm witty as hell. I like my sense of humour, what can I say? If you can make yourself laugh that's all you need in life. 

11 Questions from me

Ok, these are the questions I want others to answer:

1. What would your autobiography be called if you wrote one?

2. Who would play you in the movie of your life?

3. What is your biggest regret in life? And don't you know you shouldn't live with regret, life's too short!

4. If you could make ANYTHING by hand, as easily as you could write your own name, and sell it, what would it be? 

5. Where do you buy your food, by which I mean, which shop?

6. What shoes do you wear all the time?

7. What item in your house could you not live without?

8. If you could go back to any day in your life, what day would you choose?

9. Where would you live in the world if you could live ANYWHERE?

10. Is there anyone in your life you'd like to confront and what would you say?

11. What colour is your underwear?

OK... so now I have to tag 11 people... I don't even know 11 people. so I'll just tag some random folks who's blogs I read and let them know the good news! haha!

1. Lena

2. Amber (Hey, you didn't say I had to actually Know them...

3. The Gee Man
4. Miss MD
5. Kait (welcome back! hehe)
6. Suzanne
7. TV and Book Addict (I don't even know your name, but I love your blog)
8. Jenny
9. Shawna
10. Miranda
11. Abbie

Wow, that took forever!

Peace and love, folks, peace and gloves... I mean love... love... all you need is.. oh never mind!

Sam

2012... Oh God, the world... THE WORLD!

Look, don't panic! Don't panic I say! 

Everyone knows the world isn't really going to end this year, don't they? I'm not so sure. Because, you know people don't really believe in the Mayan counting system (well, not average people), or practise the ancient Mayan way of life, yet some 'Mayan Experts' have said that 2012 is the last year for us all. Any I think a lot of people, despite previous comments, might actually believe this in the back of their minds. 

Let's take a look at it, in a realistic point of view. Yes, realistic. That happens here every now and then. You see, the Mayans were good at keeping time. They were the shit. The best. They had a counting system which meant they could be pretty accurate with their dates and times. Never late to a tea party, and always right about when you were supposed to be getting to the airport. (But not really). Basically, they kept a calendar about events that the world would go through (based on their Mayan beliefs) and we are coming up the last part of the calendar so naturally people think this means they didn't foresee us living past December 2012. 

But that's a poor man's version of the truth. Because A. That's based on ancient religions we don't even believe any more and to do so would be ridiculous. Mayan religion is as outdated as Christianity will be in another 100 years or something. (Not religion bashing, but religions have a shelf life and that's just fact.). And 2. Well, if you were employed to write a calendar for the rest of time... wouldn't YOU fob it off so you could go and play a game with your best friend, or have a smooch with your beau under the waterfall. So what would you do? Keep writing a calendar for the rest of your life, doing the same repetitive counting and being 'the time guy' to everyone in world, or would you say 'Hey! Look, the world is going to end in 2012... who's up for garden Jenga?' and get your ass outta there? 

Well, I know what I'd do. But that's just me. And if it makes you feel any better :

"Contemporary scientists have disputed the apocalyptic versions."

And that's from Wikipedia, so we know it's going to be OK! 

Well, that's all for today - hope the new year is going well for you all. I'm currently doing what I do best and what I continue to do for the rest of time. Put off writing my assignments because it makes me feel bad about myself, and if there's anything I'm good at, it's making myself feel bad so I'm gonna keep at it! 

On a side note the book review blog will be back up and running soon. I'm tying it in with my GoodReads challenge of reading 50 books this year so... Toodles!

Sam