Inspired by escapism

The Many Faces Of Skye McKinty (part 1)

I am twenty one, and will be for the next two hundred and twenty six days. The celebrations that took place for this supposedly momentous occasion were mediocre at best. There were plenty of guests, that wasn’t a problem. Sending hand-made invitations out two months before meant few could deliver believable excuses for not attending. It gave the impression of being special and unique, perhaps echoing what my parents thought of me.

The atmosphere was just wrong though. It was awkward, confused. Like a children’s clown turning up to a fortieth birthday and performing anyway. I felt false and exposed. People came from afar expecting an amazing event, when really it was the same party as every year, except with an upgraded cake and a forced thankyou speech. Even then the cake was still shop-bought, just from a specialist bakery, it’s not like it was made with love and effort like a real birthday cake should be.

Everyone bought me a gift, and it was a pretty good haul, I just felt slightly guilty at not providing the chrysalis to butterfly transformation that my guests seemed to want from me. It was as though old family friends, not heard of for a decade, thought I would have changed from the gawky, not-quite-pretty teenager into a beautiful woman. I hadn’t.

I stood there, warm white wine in hand, telling people of my plans for the future after university, when a voice in the back of my head was simultaneously shaking my brain, saying, “Why are you doing this?” I ignored it.

I am an only child. This is a fact I came to accept gradually, after years of praying for a brother or sister to play with had not come to fruition. There was to be no comrade in the fight against the pair in power. I actually quite like it now that I’ve got used to it. I never had the annoying older brother to play pranks on me, or the younger sister stealing my makeup. Having a mum and dad in the house was enough company for me, a girl who ultimately enjoys spending time by herself.

I can wile away the hours just lying on my bed thinking, or with my nose stuck in a book; a dreamer, some have said. This is always regarded as a negative trait, the explanation as to why I haven’t done my work, or how my hamster died from starvation, but I think it has benefits. I can shut off when in the midst of an argument, and if I forget my book on a train, I’ll amuse myself. That’s how it all began actually.

I was travelling home for Christmas after another term at university, armed with a suitcase of dirty washing and not much else. It was a commuter train, and I was sat next to a middle aged woman. She had pearl earrings in. Whenever we went through a tunnel, the last glimpse of light caught on the one nearest me, so it looked like a mini crystal ball. She must have caught me staring and felt uncomfortable, so she started a conversation to ease the tension.

“Busy today, isn’t it?” She smiled, and I saw remnants of coral coloured lipstick on her teeth.

“Yeah.” I looked down at my tray table where a can of coke stood. I started following the can’s lettering with my eyes, but it made me go cross-eyed, so I gave up. The woman gave a small sigh, and I got the impression she had mistaken my short attention span for ignorance. Willing to give me a chance to redeem myself, she continued.

“On your way home are you?” She glanced over at my suitcase that was so full it looked bloated- a clear indication that I had packed in a hurry.

I could have just told the truth, but at that moment, it seemed too predictable.

“I’m moving back to my mums.” I sniffed pathetically and began twisting my hands in my lap. “My boyfriend told me he’s met someone else, and I had to leave his flat.” I suppressed a smile at the look of surprise on the woman’s face. “It’s this woman called Stacey who works in his office. I cooked us all dinner when she got divorced a few months ago.” Another sniff. “Turns out the reason they got divorced was nothing to do with her ex not wanting kids. And I sat there and lapped it all up, thinking I had the perfect relationship.” Then I brought out the big guns. I mustered up a few tears, that promptly slid down my face, painting faint lines in my makeup.

I don’t really know why I felt the need to spin a fanciful story, and perhaps if I had been sat next to somebody else, I wouldn’t have bothered. I think it was the crystal ball earrings that did it. Their combination with a sneaky peer into her bag to reveal a Tupperware container of pasta salad and a copy of Red magazine had told me that she was the mumsy type, even with her city slicker suit on. Mumsy types love a good sob story, and a young girl to comfort. I had a journey to fill, and couldn’t be bothered talking about my own uneventful life, so it seemed a fun idea to make one up. Being an only child means my acting skills are impeccable- after all, there’s only one person to be the dragon, the princess and the knight if you’re playing pretend on your own.

Weekly Update!

Return to Lancaster (& a Mexican!)

This week started slowly, as I worked an eight hour shift on Monday, from 9am until 5pm. It perked up when I got home though, as I went to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean film with my family (see previous post).

On Tuesday I went into Masquerade Magazine again, probably for the final time due to some complications which is unfortunate. In the evening we had smoked haddock in a cheese and chive sauce which was delicious, and then I decided to chance watching the new MTV show, Geordie Shore. I can't recommend it for quality of viewing, but it certainly made me laugh, as some of the characters on it are tragic!

On Wednesday I had a much required lie-in followed by a nice run and then did a spot of shopping, ready to return to university at the weekend. I had a gorgeous salad for tea, so felt like I had a very healthy day overall! Thursday was another early morning ready for work at 7am, but afterwards I did some packing and sorted out some food to take on my return to Lancaster.

I worked Friday morning as well, but it went really fast as I knew it was my last shift until I finish uni for good. After a quick nap and packing the last few bits, I set off with my mum at around half six. We left it until later as we had heard that there was a crash on the motorway, but we still managed to hit traffic, and it took us nearly two and a half hours to get there! I was driving, and it is definitely the worst traffic I have been in before, but at least it gave me some clutch control practice.

Yesterday I went onto campus to use the gym for the first time in ages, and I loved doing a good ol' workout, though I was rather stiff this morning! After some lunch and a shower I started getting ready for my first Lancaster night out in 11 weeks. I left the house at half eight, and got a lift to Crows Restaurant to celebrate my friend Natasha's 20th birthday. I had the Chicken Santa Fe, which was strips of chicken breast in a spicy barbecue style chipotle sauce with peppers, served in a deep fried tortilla basket with mexican rice and sour cream. It was my fourth visit to the restaurant, and I've tried something different each time, so thought I should stick with tradition. I also shared a jug of white wine sangria, which I hadn't heard of, but it was lovely and helped to cool my mouth down after the hot meal!

After the meal we went for a few shooters and a boogie in Hustle before finishing the night in Sugar, where I met some other friends that I hadn't seen since before Easter. It was the perfect start to the summer term!

Spring Reads...

A Mistletoe Kiss by Katie Flynn- 2 stars **

This was another book that I got as a Christmas present from my Auntie. It tells the story of Hetty Gilbert, an orphaned canal child living with her Aunt and Uncle in Liverpool. Though the book was quite long (it follows Hetty from being a young girl through until she is a late teenager), it didn't have a very complex plot which meant that overall it lacked something for me.

The main premise is that a young Hetty forms a friendship with a middle-aged librarian who is dissatisfied with life, and so begins an unlikely pairing . There were obviously other minor storylines throughout it, including a couple of romances, and tackling some of the difficulties of living through the second world war, but I don't think any were detailed enough for them to have any real emotional impact on the reader.

Upon googling the author I have found out that Katie Flynn is quite old and has written over 90 books, some under a pseudonym. This helped me to understand the way the novel is written, as it is quite methodical and straightlaced, using very simplistic descriptions and remaining uptight about more private issues such as love and sex. This reflects traditions of other authors that I would class as being within the same genre such as Catherine Cookson and Maeve Binchy.

Overall, I found aspects of this book interesting, as they taught me about certain events that I did not know a great deal about, and the relationships were endearing, if a little stereotypical. However, I think that the ending felt rushed, and the plot was overdrawn for how predictable and simplistic it was. One for Grandma I think.

Spring Views...

Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides- 3 stars ***

Yesterday I went to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean film. I was really excited, despite being slightly disappointed with the last one (At World's End).

At the beginning of the film, the audience is thrown straight into the action as the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) tries to escape capture for his usual crimes against the crown. It worked well as it showcased the main character in all his mischievous glory. As the film progressed, some other favourites popped up, including Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and Mr Gibbs (Kevin McNally) as well as newbies Penelope Cruz as Sparrow's love interest Angelica, and Ian McShane as her father, the merciless Blackbeard.

I'll be honest, the plot was very loose. It basically involves a race between several ships to find the fountain of youth. Blackbeard wants its water as a prophecy has foretold of his death, but the Spanish want to destroy the site as they believe it to be against the work of God. Barbossa wants to kill Blackbeard, and Jack wants to reclaim his ship, the Black Pearl, that is in Blackbeard's possession. So all set off on a jolly jaunt across the ocean.

Despite the departure of screen totties Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom, this is still a film well worth watching, if not just to enjoy another fun filled instalment to the pirate saga, as the visual aspects are brilliant. The addition of some sexy yet sinister mermaids, led by ex-supermodel Gemma Ward, creates another dimension to the film, and the relationship between one of them and a religious prisoner on Blackbeard's ship throws a romantic element into the mix.

The end was left open once again, with another 'lost treasure' being mentioned, so who knows if a fifth will be in the pipeline...(I have just Googled it, and theyre planning a 5th and 6th!) I just hope it doesn't get to the ridiculous levels of films such as Saw, now on its seventh release. Quit while you're ahead Disney!

Weekly Update!

Moules, & a night in the toon!

This week was much better than last week, as aside from working, I also got to see my boyfriend, go out for the first time in nearly three weeks, and catch up with some of my girlies from home. On Monday, Chris came to stay and we went shopping in Manchester, and then on Wednesday I went to see Water For Elephants with my mum (see previous posts). After we had been to the cinema we had a lovely tea of mussels in white wine for a starter, followed by herb crusted pork chops with crushed roast potatoes for main course. It was delicious!

On Thursday I did various jobs that had been mounting up, before dying my hair with the toner I bought in Manchester. It went well, although my hair still wasn't light enough all over for it to have a huge impact. It did give me some cool purplish/ white highlights though, so it wasn't a completely wasted attempt.

On Friday I worked in the morning before catching a (three hour long!) train to Newcastle for my friend Tasha's 21st birthday. There were three of us from home that could make it, so it was a nice chance to get together and catch up. We pre-drank at Natasha's house with some of her friends from uni, and

then went to a club called The Den. Unfortunately not going out for a while, together with champagne and the triple measure spirits available there meant I was rather drunk, and definitely felt it the following day on the three hour drive home, followed by a five hour shift at work- yuck!

Today I had a slight lie in before another shift at work at twelve, and then came home to a gorgeous chicken roast dinner followed by rhubarb soufflé, which was amazing!

Spring Views...

Water For Elephants- 4 stars ****

After reading the book of this last summer (it has a post on here somewhere!), I was really excited when I learnt Water For Elephants was being made into a film. Not being a huge fan of Twilight, I was a little disappointed to learn that Robert Pattinson would be playing the lead role, as I had a soft spot for Jacob Jankowski in the book. However, his performance was miles apart from slushy Edward Cullen, showing he is a talented actor that has managed to break away from his stereotype role of teenage heartthrob.

The film is set in 1930s America, and tells the tale of Jacob, a veterinary science student at Cornell University. In the middle of his final exams he learns that his parents have been killed in a car crash, leaving him with no home or business due to his father's philanthropist ways of charging for animals' treatments. Alone and homeless, he leaves town and jumps a train, which turns out to belong to The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show On Earth. Due to his vet training, he is employed to look after the animals, and so begins his life in a travelling circus.

He meets a number of new friends, in particular Camel, a fellow Polish immigrant, and Walter, a dwarf who performs with a Jack Russell called Queenie. Due to his wealthy background, Jacob is also thought highly of by August, the circus ringleader. He has a beautiful wife called Marlena, who is the star act of the show. She rides a troupe of horses, and performs with an elephant called Rosie when she is acquired from another circus that goes bust. But August has an awful temper, and abuses the animals and his wife if things go wrong. When Jacob falls for Marlena, disaster ensues.

The book has a strong plot which translates to the screen very well, and Christoph Waltz as August is brilliant, portraying the perfect combination of aggression and desperation that makes the audience both pity and loathe him. The circus scenes are beautiful to watch, capturing the nostalgia of the era gorgeously, and you get a true sense of community amongst all the workers and performers.

The only negatives I have of the film are subtle. The film begins with a supposedly 93 year old Jacob telling the story. However the actor, Hal Holbrook, despite being 86, looks quite young, and still seems very nimble for such an age. The chemistry between Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon (who plays Marlena) is lacking at times, which I think could be due to the significant age difference between the actors (he is 25, she is 35) but it is not so cringe-making that it seems fake. Also a number of the acrobatic scenes have quite clunky transitions, so it is difficult to ignore the fact that there are separate people doing the stunts and acting. However, in such an action-filled film, I suppose this is to be expected.

All of these negatives do not mean that my overall view of the film is a bad one, though. I think it is admirably loyal to the book, something that is rare these days, and the emotional scenes really include and affect the viewer. It gives out some good messages about overcoming domestic abuse, and discourages animal cruelty, which is so often associated with circuses nowadays. Well worth a watch (and a read!).

Traveller's Tales...

Manchester... again

Yesterday my boyfriend was here to visit, and I fancied a trip into the city. We arrived just after 1pm, so had plenty of time to wander around. Our first stop was Cow Vintage, which I had still never been in despite it being open since summer. I tried on a couple of things; a red shirt with black trim and shoulder pads, and some high waisted navy blue culottes. Unfortunately the shorts were just that bit too long, and the shirt was far too Dynasty for my liking!

Next, we went to Afflecks Palace, which I could literally spend hours in. I bought a new tongue bar; a 'discoball' which is purple with little silver gems in. It is much less tacky than it sounds! I also got some blonde toner for my hair, in the hope that I will finally get it to the shade I want. I plan on doing it tomorrow, so fingers crossed. After Afflecks we went to Urban Outfitters, as I was searching for a present for my friend's 21st birthday. I found the perfect gift, so I was very happy we went in on the off chance.

By this time, we were quite hungry, and so went to a little favourite of mine called Cafe Metro. It is hidden away on a corner just next to Debenhams, but is well worth a visit. Despite only being open during the day, it has a restaurant-feel menu, serving pasta and roast dinners as well as standard lunch time food such as salads and sandwiches. They always have a soup of the day, which is served with bread for £3.45, and this reflects the overall value of the place. I opted for a jacket potato with bolognaise and cheese and a pot of tea, while Chris got the soup, which was mushroom. I pushed the boat out and also got chocolate fudge cake with ice cream as a dessert, it's been a while since I've had the money to be able to treat myself! The whole meal for us both came to just under £15, which I think is a bargain for the quality of the food.

After lunch, we tackled Primark. It normally takes me at least an hour and a half to go round its vastness, but the lack of eye-catching designs meant I'd done the women's section in about twenty minutes, and hadn't seen anything that I was so much as tempted to buy. I went downstairs to the men's section to meet Chris, and saw the most amazing blazer, that would be perfect for him to wear to a wedding we are going to this summer. It was in the style of a Barbershop singer's jacket, and was white with blue stripes. Unfortunately the £30 price tag was too much for us broke students, although it was worth it if we'd had the money!

We then parted ways, Chris to get a train back to Lancaster, and me to head back to the carpark to drive home. Some good, albeit cheap purchases, and a lovely present for my friend, meant it was a successful day all round. I love Manchester!

Weekly Update!

Takeaways, Therapy & TK Maxx

This week has been very uneventful, due to all of my friends being back at uni, and me coming home to get some shifts where I work. However, all was not lost, as my friend Hana was back for a few days, so on Monday we went for a drink at Wetherspoons, which was a nice catch-up. On Tuesday I drove to Wilmslow to spend the day at Masquerade, only to find out that no-one was in for the day so I had an extra day of doing nothing which was good.

On Wednesday I was a domestic goddess and cleaned the house ready for my parents return from their holiday. After picking them up from the airport in the evening, we all got a takeaway from Pinocchio's, our local pizza place. I shared a pepperoni set which has pepperoni, ham, mushrooms and olives on- it was tasty!

Thursday was work day, so I did a shift in the morning, and then went shopping in Sale. The weather has been awful this week, so I was as quick as I could be to avoid the lashing rain! In the evening I watched the first couple of episodes of 'Game of Thrones' which was awesome. I am very much looking forward to catching up with the full season, and would highly recommend it to fans of Lord of the Rings/ historical dramas.

On Friday I had a lovely lie-in and pottered about the house before going shopping in the evening with my mum. I am really disappointed with the current selection of clothes available on the high street though. Fair enough it was only Matalan and Asda Living that we looked in so hardly the height of fashion, but I usually get some good bargains from there. It is all so bland at the moment!

Yesterday I worked a killer ten hour shift, although it went surprisingly quickly. For five hours of it I was working with my sister who has recently got a job where I work, which made it a bit more interesting than usual. I spent Saturday night watching the Eurovision and eating Haribo with my mum and sister- what losers! It was fun all the same.

I have just got back from another bit of retail therapy, this time at TK Maxx. I got a lovely new bikini for my holidays this summer, a black and multi-coloured gingham affair by Billabong. It was only £10 and fits really well, so makes up for the bad shopping of the rest of the week. I topped the good experience with a new Oreo Mcflurry from Mcdonalds. Mcflurries are my ultimate vice, I just can't resist them, and this is a particularly good flavour. Unfortunately I am now back off to work, but it is my last shift before a four day break, so I'm not complaining!

Inspired by a need to laugh

The Frog

There was an old man from Quahog,

who swallowed a troublesome frog.

Asleep in his bed

it fell on his head

while hiding away from the dog.

The frog was well known about town,

for being a bit of a clown.

He took up a wife

(the rumours were rife)

but the couple settled right down.

The Frog-Wife prepared for attack,

to get her poor Frog-Husband back.

She thought up a plan

to hurt the old man

and rescue his unforeseen snack.

She found his nice hot cup of tea,

and slipped pepper in it with glee,

he drank it so quick,

it made him feel sick,

and he shouted, ‘How can this be?’

The old man could stand it no more

and threw up all over the floor.

Out jumped the frog,

a cat and a dog,

and all took a run for the door.

The two young frogs ran far away

The poor old man died the next day.

Some said it was shock,

some said ‘Poppycock!’

And the frogs yelled, ‘Hip hip hooray!’

Novel In Progress...

Q - Part 8

Cleo sat at the back of the lecture hall, twirling a pen between her long fingers. She didn’t know why she continued going to them anymore, as she couldn’t understand anything the lecturer said. She had an inbox full of unanswered emails asking her to explain absences in her tutorials, but she couldn’t face being asked a question in front of everyone that she simply couldn’t answer. For a while, she had considered talking to her parents about quitting university and starting afresh the following year, doing something completely different; but she had worked so hard to get a place, the thought of having to do it all over again was worse than remaining anonymous in the lecture theatre each day.

She kept her eyes fixed on the clock above the presentation screen, timing her breathing with each movement of the second hand. It made her slightly lightheaded, but gave her something to focus on that didn’t remind her how undeserving she was of filling a seat. She thought back to a couple of months ago, in the last seminar she had attended, when Tanya Letching had caught up with her after class. She had asked if she wanted to join a study group that a few of them had put together. The thought of sitting in silence while her classmates went through their work had made her feel dizzy, and she’d run away without answering. Tanya had told the rest of the group, and together with her absences, they now thought something awful had happened to her. They looked at her with such pity, that Cleo had taken to sitting right at the back so they didn’t know she was there.

Just ten more minutes and she could leave and go to the coffee shop. The bitter dark liquid waiting for her would burn the back of her throat, giving her a reminder of what she had to look forward to the next day with every swallow once she had left.

The screen went black, and people started rustling their belongings, clearly in a hurry to get out of the room. The last few words the lecturer uttered became lost in the cacophony of noise that signalled students’ social lives restarting. Cleo put her notebook and pen away, sighing at their inactivity yet again. The crowd enveloped her, and much as she flinched with every person that touched her, she was glad to avoid being spotted as ‘the absentee’ in the dregs of people left.

A short walk later and she reached the narrow alley that ran towards the purple door she was so familiar with. She straightened her skirt, and combed her thin hair with her fingers, then suddenly felt embarrassed at the burst of effort. She swore to herself that she would ask him his name today. The bell knocked against the stone wall when she entered, and she was engulfed in the familiar smell of roasting coffee beans and felt the warmth from hundreds of pillows of steam that had accumulated over the day. It was the one place that made her feel relaxed.

With a deep breath, she walked to the counter. But there was no cup of coffee waiting for her. Confused, she looked around, only to be greeted by Nancy, the elderly lady who managed the shop.

“Hello lovie, you’re Q’s fancy piece aren’t you? Did he not say he’d got the day off today? Gone out with a friend of his from university apparently. Can’t tear a man from his friends can you?”

“Erm, I’m sorry, I don’t know who Q is, I’d just like a black coffee please, with no sugar.”

“Oh, don’t play games missy, I’ve seen you from the storeroom, he always has your coffee waiting, I could have guessed that would be what you’d order. I thought it would be you he was out with, when he said a friend I thought that was code for a date, I know you youngsters! My mistake. I’ll let him know you called in, shall I?”

“No, no, thankyou. I’ll erm, I’ll tell him myself.” She lied. She fiddled with the zip on her jacket, as Nancy shrugged and went to use the coffee machine. Cleo felt humiliated that she had been so presumptuous and geared herself up for nothing. Of course he had days off, what normal person wouldn’t? Lots of people spend their days off with their friends as well, it was to be expected. She pushed aside the empty feeling in the bottom of her stomach. She hadn’t been excited enough about anything for a while to feel disappointment.

Weekly Update!

A gig and lots of scribbling!

This week started with a lot of fun, and then descended into chaos as I frantically tried to complete my creative writing portfolio!

On Monday I headed to Sheffield with Chris and a couple of his friends, for a mini-music festival that his friend's band were playing in. We got there at about 3pm, and went straight to the Fox and Duck pub where the event was. They had a beer and cider festival on, so I definitely had to pace myself, or I'd have been drunk by 6pm!

We got a Subway for tea, and then went back to the house to get changed ready for the evening to continue. Soul Happening (the band we were there to see) were the headliners, and came on at 10pm after a band that did some really good melody arrangements that I loved, and an indie-style band that despite having a pretentious frontman, were also well worth watching. I was disappointed that I missed Jack Rabbit, who were apparently similar to Florence and the Machine, and I love Florence!

Soul Happening were easily the best (despite the possible bias) and did a commendable range of material that catered to a wide audience. After being encouraged by friends, I threw a pair of my knickers on stage (clean obviously!) which got a good reception!

After we had seen all the bands, we went on to Sheffield's Student Union for a night out there. It was quite empty, but the drinks were cheap and it did get busier as the night progressed. Unfortunately the long day had taken its toll, so I was pretty tired, and the people I was with were a little worse for wear!

The following day after a substantial lie in, we went for a meal at the local pub. It wasn't great, but it was cheap and certainly filled the hole, as I was starving! We got a train home in the late afternoon, and then I drove back to Lancaster at 9pm so I was back ready to work.

I spent the following two days crazily writing, and trying to become inspired, but it was a huge relief when I handed my portfolio in on Friday. That evening was a chilled affair as I had been up late the night before. I cooked a curry for me and Chris, and then some friends came to mine for a catch up and cups of tea. Early the following morning I drove back home to Manchester, ready to work back at Spar, while all my friends have their exams!

Spring Reads...

Welcome to my World by Miranda Dickinson- 1 star *

This was a novel that I got for Christmas from my Auntie, who I had asked for books as I have borrowed them from her before and she has a similar taste to me. Unfortunately, this one wasn't up to the same standard as usual, despite it being 'The Sunday Times Bestseller'.

Welcome to my World probably would have been an average read for me a couple of years ago, but now that I have expanded my literary scope it just didn't cut it. It is a story about Harri, a twenty-something year old woman, recently orphaned, who works in a travel agency in a little village but dreams of exploring the world. She is very happy in a long-term relationship, and has lots of close friends and family where she lives. After going away travelling, Alex, the son of a family friend, moves back to Stone Yardley and him and Harri become best friends, bonding over their love of culture. Harri enters him into a magazine competition to try to find the girl of his dreams, but it sadly backfires when he becomes smitten with a Jordan-esque girl called Chelsea.

The plot doesn't sound too bad (maybe...), but it was highly predictable (it turns out the long term boyfriend has been cheating, and Harri and Alex shack up) and it isn't even compensated for by being particularly well-written or innovative. Another thing that was rather annoying was that each chapter started with a paragraph depicting Harri locked in a toilet cubicle crying, but we don't know why. This was intriguing to begin with, but baring in mind there are twenty-two chapters, you can see why it may become a little frustrating. A great deal of the characters were hugely stereotyped and/or unrealistic, and the story as a whole was just far too twee for my liking.

Needless to say, I won't be reading another Miranda Dickinson, that is presuming she gets published again. Probably the best thing about this book is that it came with a free lipgloss. Sorry.

Novel In Progress...

Q – Part 7

“You’ve given him quite a stir,” Nancy’s shrill voice rang out, much louder than was necessary for speaking on the phone, reminding me how old she was. “He’s not used to men ringing the house. What can I do for you pet?”

“Well actually, I was wondering if I could have next Thursday off? I know it’s short notice, but I’ve not taken much holiday for the past couple of years and… I understand if there’s no one to cover though, it’s not really important.”

“Oh don’t be silly, I’ll be fine on my own. There’s no need to sound so scared about asking, I’m not going to bite your head off. Bill, on the other hand is giving me some nasty looks right now; silly bugger, I think he thinks you’re his younger model! I best be off before he cuts my housekeeping money.” She rang off with a chuckle. I instantly regretted asking. I suddenly remembered some of the past nights out I’d had with Alex Woods, my bigoted flatmate from second year. They hadn’t been the most enjoyable. A day off was a day off though, so I decided to make the most of it. Even if it meant I would miss out on a day of seeing Cleo, I would get considerably more conversation from Woodsy.

“Think that’ll be a no, don’t you?” I said, as I walked into the living room.

“No, No, No.” Came the reply as I went into the kitchen and opened the cupboard to get some seeds.

“Cleo’s much nicer than Woodsy, isn’t she Maynard? She drank her coffee today you know, the whole cup. Maybe I’ll throw in a cake tomorrow if she speaks to me.”

Maynard was moving his head from side to side, but I knew this was a habit rather than a negative answer. I opened my hand to reveal the seeds and he started running his beak along the edges of the bars on his cage.

“Eee oh, eee oh,” he shrieked, and I hoped this was a noise he’d heard on the radio and wasn’t a result of how often I’d mentioned Cleo’s name. I tossed the seeds into his cage and he hopped down from his perch, and scrabbled around on the sandpaper to eat them. It was nice to have another character in the flat, even if he was purely an extension of me, echoing things I said. It was certainly better than listening to my own footsteps, or going back home to the shrill voice of my mum; and apathy of my dad. Stuck in their little house by the sea, it was mainly because of my boring childhood that I’d decided to go to university in the first place. My life may have transferred to the coffee shop, but the familiar lack of opportunity made me wonder if I was somehow not meant to achieve anything in my life, regardless of where I went.

Weekly Update!

Bar Crawling, Sunny Walks and a Messy Night!

This week has been really lovely, although I have done practically no work, which doesn't bode well! On Monday I worked, and then spent some time with my family before they left to go back home after spending the weekend with us. On Tuesday Chris came to visit, and I met him in Manchester to do a little bar crawl. The weather was still gorgeous (though I'm sure it will end soon) and we started in Dukes 92, next to the canal. It is quite an expensive place, but I really like it as it is in Castlefield, perhaps my favourite part of Manchester, and the interior decoration is beautiful; all oak panels and brocade armchairs.

After we had been there, we went to Rain bar, again a short walk along the canal. We didn't stay there too long, as we were getting hungry, and had planned to visit Font bar for a cocktail and some cheap food. I had a delicious variation on potato skins, they had literally scooped all the potato off them and fried them until crispy, almost like actual crisps. Then they had layers of cheese, bacon, guacamole, salsa and sour cream on top. It really filled me up and was an absolute bargain at just £3. I accompanied my food with a tasty gin cocktail that tasted of elderflower. We then went to Dry bar for a final drink before catching the train home. I really enjoyed spending the day going around bars rather than the evening, as it was less busy, and meant we still had the whole evening to do something when we were home.

On Wednesday we lounged around for a while, before going for a meander around Dunham Massey, taking advantage of the weather while it lasted. Chris left in the evening after a tea of fajitas courtesy of Mother Miles, and it felt like we had spent a nice couple of days actually doing something rather than just staying at home for once. On Thursday I did the shift from doom, a ten hour long 7am start til 5pm. Afterwards, I felt like doing very little, so just sat and caught up on Desperate Housewives!

On Friday it was of course The Royal Wedding, which I watched in envy of the expensive frocks and gorgeous hats adorned, before getting ready to go to Crewe for Chris' friends 21st party. I stole a pretty blue dress from my sister, and caught the train at 3pm, ready for an early starting drinking session with a barbecue. I had a brilliant time, though not so much the following day, as I was ridiculously hungover. It was soon sorted with a long nap and an Indian meal though (see previous post).

Sunday involved an ample lie-in followed by some errand running, some creative writing, and a shift at work. Quite a nice week I'd say!