ZOO!

Yesterday we went to the Zoo with a couple of mates and I am now exhausted! Who would have thought that walking around looking at animals would be so tiring. We saw EVERYTHING though which I'm quite pleased about. I've come away thinking that I would quite like some meerkats and definitely want some otters. We saw the otters last and they were brilliant. They seem to love people and do a lot of jumping up and down and squeaking.

I'm on another day off today and my new book arrived. The visitors have been packed off to the town centre and I plan on reading a few chapters this afternoon because I'm so excited about it coming.

Secret projects

Now, I've promised to make five people something thanks to a Facebook meme and I've been quite excited about it. The idea is that you promise to make something for the first five people who reply to your message. I didn't expect anyone to respond but in the end seven people did. I knew exactly what I would make for four of them. And so I have. They will be posted out soon and I am looking forward to seeing what people think....

Home Alone

Even though I am on earlies and dog tired it took me forever to get to sleep last night. This is for several reasons, not least because I had worked myself up into a paranoid frenzy about being burgled whilst I was home alone and so stayed up to watch a programme about Holloway prison. Very interesting as it happens. Some of those women whilst may committed heinous crimes have never known a life other than that. There was one who was quite clearly doing bad things whilst banged up because she didn't have anything or anyone on the outside and staying in prison would mean a better life for her. What a waste of a life.

I digress. I finally got to sleep only to be woken by a loud crash. This made me start out of bed and then think oh my god we are actually being burgled! (See earlier point about me working myself up). I stayed really still to see if we were and then when I heard nothing else I just presumed the cat had done something.

I went back to sleep then the horse racing started up and down the stairs. I got up to see what on earth Poppy was playing at and she followed me into the bathroom. The look on her face read, "oh look she's up! let's play" and she started purring and circling my legs. I was less than impressed at this and told her to be quiet. Went back to bed and then after what felt like minutes the alarm went off and I had to get up. She better behave tonight or else!

Oh and the loud crash was the ironing board falling into the bookcase....Madam Paws at work.

Match of the day

I'm back on earlies for a few days this week and as a result need to make sure I am asleep from about nine until getting up time. Well, last night it was not to be. Firstly, because there is no carpet on the stairs it sounds like an army is marching up them in hobnailed boots even if it's someone walking up them in socks and secondly because Madam Paws found a piece of paper to play with in the wee small hours. I can't believe how much noise one small cat can make. I had to get up and turn the light on to find out what she was playing with, and then it was a case of closing my eyes and trying desperately to get back to sleep when all the time a little voice in my head was saying "come on, you've got to be up for work in a few hours."

Tomorrow a friend of ours is coming round to give us a quote on the living room. I'm hoping it's not going to cost the earth because I really, really don't want to have to do the work ourselves. I'm really dreading taking the upstairs doors off to gloss them. He's currently pulling all the old nails out of the stairs ready for me to do all the skirting boards.

In other news, they've been trying to deliver us a parcel for two days, they first brought it on Friday when no one was here. He rang the freight company who said they would bring it today after 2pm. When I got back today it had been delivered at 1pm when there was nobody here again. This time I rang them, and asked them to deliver it to my work tomorrow, so we shall see what happens. It's the spare part for my deckstand which I don't really want, but we have paid for it, so I want it to hurry up.

Tonight has been spent watching TV, how come no one on Albert Square has a washing machine? Surely, it costs a fortune to use a launderette in London? Doesn't it? I am also amazed at how much money they seem to spend in the pub. You wouldn't think there was a recession on. I've also been looking at Mixmag's new releases. I've been looking for the cheapest place to buy MP3s on now that I've taken to the CD players.

More progress

The old stair carpet is up and at it's new home (the tip), and now we're (he) is repairing the broken wood. We're buying a new carpet because Poppy was ripping the old one to shreds. I'm hoping we've chosen one that is less claw friendly. It's also a bit darker than the old one and apparently stain resistant. This is particularly important because Madam Paws has a terrible habit of vomiting on the stairs. This is usually after going outside in the yard and eating weeds. And more importantly, we're getting it from a contestant of Come Dine With Me. We only went into his shop because of that programme and it's turned out to be the cheapest!

I've spent today in work, and then spent some of this afternoon making chocolate brownies and sunday dinner. I'm also watching a terrible version of Wuthering Heights on ITV3. It's incredibly wooden and the acting (from an all star cast) is all long stares and moody brows. I do love Wuthering Heights and do so hate it when these things are ruined by bad adaptations.

Comic Relief

I've just finished a 6 day week and am preparing to enjoy my one day off this week. Tonight will be spent not going out (and being jealous of my friends who have all gone out together) and watching Comic Relief. Before you ask, I've donated using that text thing they've developed this year. I have to say though that this trip up Kilimanjaro did seem like a vehicle for some of the celebs to make themselves look good, rather than the spirit of raising money for charity. Yes Cheryl Cole, and Fern Cotton, I'm looking in your direction. I would also have given money to NOT see a collaboration between Little Britain and Catherine Tate.

Eating

I am regularly on a diet, and so is one of my friends. We swap rubbish tips from time to time, but neither of us really takes the whole thing that seriously. She recently went on the Cambridge Diet and it does seem to be working for her. This evening I was watching Supersize vs Superskinny where they've been following a group of anorexics. I can't imagine what it must feel like to have that kind of a relationship with food. The same friend and I were also talking recently about pro-ana websites and tonight I've kind of upset myself by reading some of them.

It's so sad that these girls (and they are mostly girls) think that 90lbs (6 stones 4) is too fat. They also encourage each other by saying things like "remember how disgusting you felt when you ate that bar of chocolate, that'll stop you eating one in the future." One blog even talks about 3 days of fasting and then drinking four cups of salt water to bring up anything that could still be lurking in the stomach. The thing is, there does seem to be a whole community vibe about it all. No one seems to be on these sites out of malice, but I cannot help but think that this is one giant self destruct button. What I really hope is that all these girls get the help they need and eventually become well.