She makes dirty phonecalls ’cause it pays well, and she calls it the wages of love

Listening to: Mary Mac – The Blackeyed Susans

Quick question: would it be foolish to go and see Jeffrey Lewis by myself at the Scala? I’d be okay, right? I’m accustomed to wandering streets at night by myself, and it’s on a big main road close to Kings’ Cross St Pancras station.

I’m kicking myself for not checking gig guides sooner, because PJ Harvey was already sold out by the time I realised she was playing Shepherd’s Bush Empire in mid-April. Jeffrey Lewis seems like a nice consolation, but I don’t know London-at-night well enough to judge whether it’s a good idea.

 

If this is the future, I don’t want to know

Listening to: The Teller – Throwing Muses

I answered my own question! I’ve started listening to Slate Magazine’s Culture Gabfest and Spoiler Specials podcasts.

Also, I forgot to mention before that I quite like Stephen Fry’s Podgrams, too.

 

Close your eyes, stop your ears, shut your mouth

Listening to: Song of Choice – Roaring Jack

Do you listen to podcasts? Which ones?

My favourites are the Guardian’s Media Talk (not because I’m especially interested in the ins and outs of the British media, but I like the dynamic between the presenters) and BBC 4’s Friday Night Comedy News Quiz (which I love). I used to listen to Filmspotting, but I’ve gone off it a bit, so I’m looking for another – any suggestions?

(The F Word also did a couple of podcasts, but haven’t posted any new ones in over a year. I really enjoyed them.)

 

Oh, I could squeeze my lemon till my blues went away

Listening to: If I Had Possession Over Pancake Day – Half Man Half Biscuit

Remind me to try this pancake recipe – I’ve been using the recipe from Vegan with a vengeance and I like it, but it’s a bit cakey and American-y.

 

Buried neck-high in British snow

Listening to: (Sometimes) Pleasure Heads Must Burn - The Birthday Party

Ooh, choosing 23kg of stuff to live with for the next 3 months (143kg in total, forever, after I ship 3 boxes) is going to be tricky. Plus, one of those shipped boxes is going to contain my rollerskates, which’ll use up a big chunk of my weight allowance. Aiee. What’s a girl to do?

Here is an interesting article about Ikea product names.

 

Gotta have it every day

Listening to: Addicted - Juliana Hatfield

Help! I think I’m actually addicted to chocolate. It occurred to me the other day that I’ve been eating it every day for so long that I can’t remember when I started. It’s not good (for me or my budget), but I get all antsy when I can’t find any in the house.

How do you break this kind of habit? Advice, please!

 

Now I’m moving away, oh, you can come and visit me / Whenever you need / I’ll give you the biggest key

Listening to: Won’t Say Anything – Hello Seahorse!

C. had never heard of Stephen Fry, so I present to you the latest episode of QI available on YouTube (and it’s a pretty awesome one):

Episode 7: Fingers and Fumbs

 

Nobody will ever let you know, when you ask the reasons why

Listening to: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath – The Cardigans

I got all excited about the prospect of donating blood once I get to the UK, because I can’t give any here having lived in the UK before (and I love giving blood – I’d be the best donor ever). So I checked the National Blood Service’s website, and I might still not be able to give any blood, because they restrict people who’ve lived in some (undisclosed) overseas locations. Poo.

 

Home of the brash, outrageous and free (and me!)

Listening to: Hairdresser on Fire – Morrissey

I know, I know – what am I like? (This is the weirdest, Englishest expression and I expect to be using it a lot from now on.) I ask for comments, I get them (thank you!) and then I go AWOL. Hopeless.

But I have an excellent excuse – out of nowhere, the opportunity to move to London in April burst on the scene, and it’s been distracting!

The story is that my aunt C. (why does everyone I know have to start with C?) went there for a holiday last October and stayed with a friend, and since she found out that I want to move to England she’s been angling hard for Shepherd’s Bush (did you know it was the most exciting place on Earth?). I’ve been kind of “yeah, yeah, whatever” about it, because London is notoriously expensive and just seemed slightly too far out of reach, really. But then, a couple of Sundays ago, she came over and announced that there was a spare room going in her friend’s sharehouse (for only, like, 25% more than I’d been budgeting) and did I want it? And of course I did, even though it’s a terrifying prospect (what if I don’t find a job?).

Here are some pictures sent by the person whose room I’m taking:

I will have the downstairs bedroom while my three housemates sleep upstairs (how perfect is that?).

More details as they come to hand!

 

I’ve been waiting for the time when you will ask me what I’ve been up to lately

Listening to: Turn to Speak - The Andersen Tapes

C. and I and our friend Sue went for a walk and a picnic in Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens today. It was lovely. I ate a lot of snowpeas and we saw some weird small marsupial/rodent animal things (and possibly inadvertently killed them by letting them eat rice cakes) and the world’s biggest raven, and we basked in the sun/shade and we didn’t get lost.

I have a question (please feel free to answer! Even if all you have to say is “Hmm…I don’t know” – I am feeling comment-deprived!): do you wear thongs (the shoe kind)? Do you find them impossibly uncomfortable? Did you at first, but have since got used to them?

I don’t ever, ever wear them as a rule because they make me want to amputate my toes (seriously! How can so many people wear them? It’s awful!), but my mum gave me some very pretty ones and I’m wondering if there is a way to desensitise my poor feet.