Monday 25 February 2013

Just had to share!

Saw this and just had to share! I would do nearly all these! It would be HIL - AR - IOUS!!!!! How many would y'all do?

Bouncers.... in Tesco?!?!?

Yeah so I bet you guys are all sort of going wtf?! (water the flowers.... of course... any investigating parents)....

I was like that too! So I was at my friends school for my history class and I went out for lunch with her... being teenagers the obvious unhealthy and relatively cheap choice was Tesco's for crisps and chocolate and Pepsi.... I know I know not the ideal diet! We came round the corner and there was a bit of a backlog of kids from the doors and I just sort of thought whatever it's just kids hanging out waiting for their friends. SO I made to go past them and my friend grabbed me by the shoulder, quite roughly I must add, and hissed 'That this is a queue you eejit (I am censoring the word she used) we need to wait here'. And sure enough I noticed the evils I was getting from some of the kids....At the top of the queue was a check out girl manning the doors preventing the crowds of kids from going in but allowing normal customers to go in freely. The kids meanwhile had to be counted in meaning there was only a certain amount of kids in the shop at once.....When we finally got to the door my friend whispered that this was the nice bouncer..... I was all YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE BOUNCER?!?!?!? IT's BLOODY TESCO! Well I suppose I wouldn't want to have to man the door every lunchtime it's probably best to take it in turns... It's probably the duty no-one wants to do and the Tesco staff would rather, say, clean the toilets after a bus load of old people had come then be a bouncer on a school lunchtime.....

Anyway I thought I'd share the account of the Tesco bouncers with you, I found it quite funny and bizarre!
Hope y'all had a good weekend and didn't find Monday to strenous!

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Friday 22 February 2013

The Gypsy Caravan Theatre

This is my family's old gypsy caravan which my cousin has renovated into a travelling theatre that's going to go around Britain performing. Please share as I think it could be really good fun and it would be nice to make sure people know about it! X

Thursday 21 February 2013

Yallo

Heyyy everyone!

I have been mega mega ridiculously horribly amazingly busy!

I have..... I'll deal in episodes....
a) started driving
b) went to a party Saturday night.... and got to know Carlisle very well :P
c) was horrified by the horse meat crisis in UK
d) stalked my friend's potential boyfriend's facebook page as requested so I could agree on his 'sweetness'
e) been told off by my best friend for 'emotionally investing'
f) gone back to school after a very short half term
and lastly
g) took my horsey for my first ride in almost two weeks!

So,

A) Started driving
It was horrifyingly scary! I'd driven once or twice before up my drive.... but this was my first official lesson ever! My instructor took me down a little one track road and had me drive up and down for about half an hour before suddenly instructing me left where I found myself on the main road........Eeeeeek! That was very very scary... especially with huge lorries coming towards me! I must say I was a little glad to get out the car!

B) Partaaaay and Carlisle
So we, my family and I, spent our half term in Carlisle. We were visiting family and friends and we attended a girl who used to go to my school 18th birthday party... to be honest I'd been a bit worried about the idea of a ceilidh in England.... but it worked surprisingly well.... I mean, yeah, the English put a weird little twist on some of the traditional Scottish dances but they were really good fun. The only downside was that 'cos some of the people there weren't used to dancing ceilidh they were sticklers for the instructions... they didn't really vary from the instructions given by the very enthusiastic band members! So the party was great and the girl looked pretty darn amazing.....I was rather jealous! Her dress was pretty amazing and it was nice to see her surrounded by so much family and friends..... again jealous!
Seeing as we were down there for most of the weekend  we got to know Carlisle quite well....... but there isn't much to get to know.... to be fair we were more around Penrith area which I suppose is smaller... We did visit one cool ancient site called Arthur's Round Table which got me very excited as I thought it was to do with King Arthur (despite the fact he was almost certainly situated in Wales!) but it was just a snazzy stone age/bronze age meeting place! We also visited some of the lakes in the famous Lake District though this visit was a little dampened by the fact we had to listen to the Arsenal v Blackburn game on the Radio.... not a good result for us, may I hasten to add!

C) The horrific horse meat crisis.....
Bas*ards Bas*ards..... Poor Horses!!!!!!!! Grrrrr! I am very annoyed and passionate about this subject.... it's not that I'm against eating horses I'm against the conditions in which the horses are transported to slaughter houses and how they are treated..... especially the horses that have ended up in these beef burgers and beef lasagnes as their welfare won't have been monitored as they weren't meant to be in them! The investigators keep going on about how it's dreadful that they were mislabeled etc which it is but the conditions of the horses needs to be investigated and sorted out as well.... My solution we close all the food companies who produced the mislabeled food and the abattoirs who slaughtered the horses..... simples!

D) Facebook stalking
Now who can honestly say they haven't used Facebook for a bit of harmless, or obsessive, stalking! I was employed by my friend to do a little bit of stalking on this guy she has a crush on. Mainly because, as girls like to, they want approval from their friends..... I happily complied and proceeded to stalk him..... Stalk I must say is a bit of a exaggeration I merely extensively viewed his available photos and tried to discern whether he was a psycho, had any psycho ex-girlfriends who might harsh on my friend, and basically whether he was good enough for her.... The verdict: 1) he's not classically good looking so that means he's unlikely to be vain, lusted after by loads of potentially thieving girls, or shallow. 2) he seems sweet 3) he goes to a relatively posh school..... anything that'll get my friend out the sh*thole drain our school is! So yeah I like him and I've given her the go-ahead!

E) Emotionally Investing
So my best friend has accused me of emotionally investing in a friendship that she thinks is bound to be tricky....... apparently being friends with a guy almost instantaneously means you a) fancy him b) just want to get in his pants or c) are too in 'love' with him to be able to see the potentially disastrous results of the relationship! I think she thinks its unhealthy to develop friendships through electronic devices.... for instance I met this guy and saw him two days in a row, a couple of weeks ago, at a school event and we got on really well.... so we made friends on Facebook and started texting.... but it's all only friendly, there's a bit of flirting but only casually.... if you get my drift.... and I feel he's the sort of guy that if I met up with him again we'd just get on as well as we did before and have some good banter..... So my darling best friend if you're reading this I love you but I don't believe I'm dangerously investing my emotions in this friendship.

F) Half term - and back
Half term was NOT long enough.... 3 days off does not sufficiently recharge my batteries Scottish Education System, change it immediately I Tabitha James demand it of you! Also because my bestest friend was leaving this week for France I spent all the half term I had that wasn't in Carlisle with her so by the time it was time to go back to school I was absolutely exhausted after two nights spent watching DVDs, gossiping, being told off for 'emotionally investing', and playing intense intellectual games of Bananagrams.

G) Riding my gorgeous horsey
So I went out on my horse today for the first time in two weeks at least! It was so worth it - yeah, she was a little mental but that always makes it a bit more fun! :P

So that's my update for you all..... hope you can have a little giggle at some of my escapades..... it's definitely one of my longest posts yet! I'm off to make a yummy hot chocolate, topped with marshmallows and cream, probably a million calories but heck I'm not counting!

Fingers Aching Scottish Lass Out!
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Thursday 14 February 2013

The Scorpio Races

This book combined everything I love, horses, the sea, romance and determination. Maggie Stiefvater has managed to weave a beautifully intricate story that will entrance you from the beginning. I was amazed at how well Maggie manages to capture horses through out this novel,  normally authors have a tendency to anthropomorphise horses making them seem less of an animal than they really are. I think the harshness and deadliness of the capall uisce helps keep the animalness of the horse intact. Part of what really attracted me to this novel was the interesting way the seahorses were portrayed as lethal animals, but it stresses that this is because they are animals, they do not consciously make the decision to be vicious instead they are like the sea from which they are borne. Unruly, beautiful and completely its own, I enjoyed the way the magic of the sea was portrayed as neutral and ancient, it is what it is, nature/mother earth itself.


Thisby the island on which the novel is placed is woven with it's own unique magic, seemingly the only island to have the capall uisce. Thisby is beautiful and I loved the way it is part of the sea, Maggie managed to make the boundaries between land and sea minimal, the islanders respect the sea and are aware more so than others of the strength and power of the sea. Thisby itself is almost a character of this novel, it's beauty and presence in the decisions of the characters as well as their developments qualifies it as a character really!

Puck
Puck is great, a tom boy, determined, stubborn and in love with her island and her home she'll do everything she can to save her home even f it means racing in the Scorpio Races against the deadly capall uisce on her island bred pony. She is a great character to follow and, oh you will, you'll be willing her to come through, to win, to do what's right, and figure out what's right. Puck's got a hell of a lot on her shoulders and someone needs to help her lift..... and in comes Sean.

Sean
Sean is basically the human equivalent of the sea. He feels it, he moves like it, he is fluid and graceful, and he loves the capall uisce: he recognizes their danger but he is attracted to them and has more control over them than other people. Sean is also stubborn and passionate, he has had to fight for himself for so long that he finds it hard to trust other people, yet he finds himself attracted and interested to the determined whirlwind that is Puck.

Although individually Puck and Sean are great, together their romance is amazing. It is gradual and sweet and based on deep attraction and trust. Their mutual respect for each other is so endearing, that you'll wait, practically drooling, for the next sweet advance in their relationship. Their romance was so sweet you didn't need them making out every second in fact that would have ruined the powerful magic Maggie manages to weave through this novel.

I've read Maggie Stiefvater's The Wolves of Mercy Falls and I have to say this surpasses them by far. And they were pretty dead awesome. A solid 5 out of 5. This book was amazing and you really can't afford to miss it.

It's published by Scholastic and you can and should and will get it from Amazon for £5.99. A late Valentine treat for any fellow single people out there or a belated present to ask for from your sweetheart!

Good Reading!
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Depression comes in small doses....

Right guys, who can honestly say they haven't had one of the those days when small things just gradually get at you, building up until you feel totally depressed!
 So obviously I'm having one of those days/periods...... lets list the factors culminating in my downfall which has left me drinking hot chocolate by the pint and watching comfort harry potter :P

- two of my best friends are leaving back home for France (I've had them for two months while they tidied up stuff in Scotland but they're off next week.... I'm missing them already like a hole in my heart!)
- my head is aching like mad
- Freddo bars are now 20 fricking pence
- it is extremely expensive to visit France
- I'm off for a weekend away which is sure to be lovely but it means I miss their last weekend here....
- the weather is crawful....

Anyway so Harry Potter is saving my backside though I do think I've chosen one of the more depressing ones to watch (Order of the Phoenix) but I love Dolores Umbridge, the biatch, and I love Dumbledore's Army!

Well, I've got a few reviews to get up so they should be up as long as Harry Potter doesn't distract me too much.....

Oooooh I hate Lucius Malfoy..... grrrr!

Sorry for neglecting you'se all again!
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Friday 8 February 2013

ID'd and Neglection.... C'est mal

So blogdudes blogettes I totally seem to have neglected you. I can only think of one reason and one reason alone why I would neglect you lovely people: Sims 2........

I'm sorry but there is something incredibly fun, and I know a little sad, creating families, (Lily and James Potter are a very cute couple might I say). It's one of those games that if you think about it you sort of go what the f*ck am I doing, this is so boring........ but then the Grim Reaper will knock on the door or something else equally thrilling and you'll be dragged back into the simulated Sim world.

But about me, My day, My books.... not much has happened. I've had my birthday OFFICIALLY 17...... have acquired a car (to be shared with my gran... cool I know ;) ) his name is Bertie.... I do not care for your accusations that cars are conventionally female: Bertie is a dude and he is fricking awesome. :D I am in love with a car that has yet to pull up in my driveway (he's getting a timebelt replaced at the moment.... hope it doesn't hurt.... I would hold his hand but I think his wheels, car equivalent of a hand of course, would be a little heavy for me!)

My books are ticking along, a review for Skinny and Survive have gone up - read it and get them they are good, fun books. I'm currently reading Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgewick - I normally love his work but I'm finding this really convoluted and a bit weird to be honest! I'm having great fun reading it though trying to puzzle it out if you're interested!

My days are pretty crap. I'm pretty conflicted inside - I can not wait for the life of me for school to finish, for me to be able to leave behind the pettiness, the bitchiness, the school rules etc.....but on the other hand I don't want to leave home! I'm taking a year out so I'll be able to stay home a little bit, before going off to tour the world with my best friend (this is going in this post ON THE INTERNET so I can immortalise my friend's semi-promise and produce it in front of her to make sure she comes! The internet legal contract of gap year travelling) yay yay yay :D

And today I was ID'd for buying a lottery ticket... I was ID'd once while I was 16 and the minute I turned 17 I'm ID'd!!!!! I hope I don't look younger than 17, I personally like to think I don't... So I produced my provisional driving licence and he had to check to find my birth date.... I mean come on! I can't get a provisional driving licence unless I'm bloody 16 - the age of buying a lottery ticket... Why does he need to check?!?!?!??!

Anyways I have to go make a salad for my friend and mine's lasagna .. Sexy mince, dressed with bechamal sauce and dusted with a sprinkle of cheese woven amongst scrummy lasagna pasta sheets... Oh yeah we're good ;)
Love you'se
Small, obviously looking under 16 years old, Scottish lass
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Saturday 2 February 2013

Survive

Woah Woah Woah, this novel was deep. Alex Morel's debut novel packs a hefty punch! First of all it throws you in with a suicidal main character something I've never experienced or read about before. For me this book challenged the definition of life to various people and how in the face of death even the people who want to die will strive to live. It outlined the point that people want to be in control of when they die, for instance the main character was happy, even looking forward, to dying when she was arranging it but when death was offered and presented, practically forced upon her, on a silver shining plate by the wilderness she was not up for accepting it.

It made me really think about life and how everyone interprets their lot in different ways. Jane, the main character, comes from a family where suicide is practically a tradition, three generations before her have committed suicide including her beloved father. Following her own attempt on her life Jane was institutionalised in a rehab centre and the novel begins as she prepares to visit her family for Christmas, leaving the hospital for the first time in a year. However Jane doesn't intend to reach her family instead she intends to take a lethal dose of pills on the plane heading towards her home.

Someone will find us soon, don't you think?
I wouldn't count on it?
But they always find people when they crash. They must know we've crashed.
Not in a blizzard and on a mountain in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Even if they know where we were, it could take days or weeks to get climbers up here.. With this amount of snow, we might not be found for weeks, maybe months.
Bob what?
Bob Marshall Wilderness. There are no roads. It's two hundred and fifty miles of roadless mountains, and I think we've landed somewhere in it.

The novel really begins after the plane crashes and Jane and one of the other passengers, Paul, are the only survivors stuck on a snowy mountain range miles from the nearest village. And Paul begins to challenge everything all of Jane's previous life values, as they both fight to survive in a desolate terrain.

Jane
I grew on Jane as the story went on and more of her past life was revealed. At the start of the novel she appears to be a spoilt, bizarre, sad girl whose life values are pretty messed up. However towards the end she has really developed and the primitive love relationship between Paul and Jane that has evolved is touching, and rather emotionally testing on the reader! As Jane begins to accept and embrace life, just as life seems to begin trying to elude her the reader becomes very proud and rather upset by the horrific ironic twist in the whole situation with Jane.

Paul
Paul is annoying, egoistical and a little spoilt, but despite this outer attitude he has his heart in the right place. What I really liked about Survive was the relationship between Paul and Jane wasn't whimsical it was based on something deeper - trust and the understanding that they really need each other to survive. In the real world they probably wouldn't have been romantically involved even probably friends but because of the circumstances they do fall in love gradually. He helps show Jane what should be important in her life and why she shouldn't want to end it.

Survive is a heartbreaking account of two plane crash survivors struggling to survive, fighting for their lives. I cried several times, especially at the sad bitter end, again a unique feature of this YA novel - not necessarily a completely happy ending. The reader can really see Jane change as a character and although the story itself is depressing Morel weaves it sweetly and calmly, there is no rush to the pace of the plot despite the desperation and need for hurry in the story. It is planned precisely and carefully, well thought out and really easy to follow and read. Although Survive doesn't quite achieve stunning Skinny rating it definitely gets a solid 5 out of 5 and is one I'll revisit.

It's published on the 4th of February (Monday!!!!) and is honestly worth every penny of the £5.24. It's published by Electric Monkey an imprint of Egmont and for a debut novel is absolutely amazing!

En Bon Lu!
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