Flaming Zinc

This week has been rather strange. I have written umpteen drafts of posts – some full of self pity and others up beat. The tail end of September is, in general a bumpy time for me, the juxtaposition of blissful and painful anniversaries. But, this week has really taken the biscuit. At times I felt as if I was being hounded by the furies, but on reflection have decided that instead of chasing me, they caught and knocked a bit of sense in.

In short, my tale of woe; I transfered funds to my UK bank account without checking the exchange rate and discovered that Dick Turpin was running the show, I was offered an unsolicited job which was then rescinded within the space of 12 hours and discovered that I can’t apply to NYU’s school of continuing education as I already have a degree. But, there is a silver lining as well as a pot of gold at the end of this story.

All this angst has spurred me on to contemplate leaving my current job and to re-join the real world. So I shall start looking for a part-time admin role in a marginally interesting environment forthwith. On that note, it looks as if I may be volunteering at Doctors Without Borders (as well as my current gig at Channel Thirteen), so hopefully that may lead some thing.

Now, education – do I really want to return to full time student life. Is my desire emanating from a reluctance to return to the glamourous world of admin and the vain hope that it might improve my career prospects or do I just have something ‘intellectual’ to prove to myself? I think it is the latter, so I have started investigating correspondence degrees, not the dodgy ones you get in your spam but some thing along the lines of OU but with the University of London instead.

Before I dash off to meet Alex at the cinema (Shaun of the Dead if you are interested) i wish to share. Yesterday, I wrote some haiku , as you do, and emailed them to my mum for approval. This is the one she liked the most and will be, proudly, displaying on her classroom wall. It was written in honour of this weeks drive to become more of a domestic goddess and the move into autumn (okay – maybe I made the last bit up post humorously).

Wet clothes circling.

Damp clothes blowing overhead.

Dry clothes neatly stored.

I have just got back from an awful shift, flopped on the sofa in front of People’s Court and gulped down an ice cold glass of chocolate soy milk. I wont rant about my day instead, I shall focus my aggression on the movie version of Vanity Fair that I saw earlier this week.

Oh my, what a disappointment. I know you can’t compare a 912 page novel or a six hour miniseries to a two hour twenty minute film. But, there was no need to bastardise it and spin it into dull and dumber version. The characters that they chose to include, as there are some notably exceptions and truncations (Jos Sedley and the moral watchdog to name but two), are all wrong and in some cases positively bipolar in their actions. Becky, is neither a vixen nor a brain (in fact she has no bite since they removed her teeth for a PG rating). I am assuming they gave her a social conscience and played down her disinterest in her son in an attempt to modernise the gal. But, by doing so the plot jerks and jumps about leaving the viewer confused. Becky Sharp is a controversial character, she maneuvers about society like a man and is not a victim. Her childhood friend, Amelia Sedley was given a dose of girl power. So, she becomes an assertive lass, when she is meant to be the passive and proper, to mirror Ms Sharp. Amelia’s beau, who later becomes her husband, George Osbourne was wonderfully played by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers but he took it too far. An obnoxious, bounder he may be, but he still has to have a touch of humanity otherwise why would he marry his childhood sweetheart, who’s family is now bankrupt? Becky’s husband, Rawdon, should be dim but devoted. So when he finally sees the true nature of his wife it is all the more devastating, but by smartening him up the pivotal scene plays flat. I can’t even bring myself to tell you what they did to Dobbin.

There were only two characters that i like: George Jnr, throughly obnoxious just like his dad and Lady Jane Sheepshanks, who stole every scene she was in. A surprising choice in casting, as Natasha Little played a very spirited and alluring Ms Sharp on the BBC miniseries. Now, I have to confess that I left five minutes before the end and I was the only person in the cinema. I nearly left twice before then (once when Becky cried non-crocodile tears and then when she helped Amelia in France) but what finally pushed me over the edge – David Archer as the German Casino owner!!!!!! So wrong, surely Ruth and cattle are missing him?

So that is the film that I don’t recommend, here are some that I do:

Bright Young Things – Loved it. Love Stephen Fry. Love the cast. Love Evelyn Waugh. Love the era.

Wimbledon – Don’t let the primary billing of Kirsten Dunst fool you, this is the gorgeous Paul Bettany’s film. The plot is silly, but dialogue is as smashing as the tennis.

Garden State – Directional debut for Zach Braff (plus he wrote it and stars along side Natalie Portman), it is edgy, uncomfortable, but funny and therefore brilliant.

I feel much better now, i think I can turn off People’s Court and turn my attentions to ‘Application of supply and demand analysis’ - yummy!

In front of me I have – other than the infinite nature of the internet – Orlando by Ginny Weasley Wolf, a chapter on Elasticities and Price Demand or The Cupboard Full of Life by Sandy McCall Smith.

Tough.

Like medicine, I know I should buckle down with my studies and then expand my mind with some taxing prose. But, part of me just wants to curl up with a good mystery and a hot beverage.

NB. McCall Smith book was an unexpected present from two very dear friends back in merry old England….it’s either a very, very late birthday present or a very early one

The mist of being a proud flat renter had descended upon me earlier this afternoon. So I decided to give our two and a half rooms a through vacum. Now, as I was on my hands and knees with the hoover extension thing getting into the nooks and crannies I start to smell something strange. I turn to look at the vacum cleaner behind me to see ’smoke’ billowing out.

Being a level headed lass, even though I am a housekeeper with slightly slovenly habits, I turn it off and open the windows. On closer inspection I discover an over full hoover bag. So the flames of death may have been dust and what not reversing polarity and getting the hell out of dodge.

Now do I risk turning it on again or wait till Alex can be around to ’supervise’ and be on hand with the bucket of water.

I don’t know where to start. I have a list as long as my arm of things to do (some fun, some grimy). I think my hay fever has mutated into a trans-seasonal cold, in short, how much I accomplish today will dictate how successful the remainder of the week is. Example – last Monday I had the hang over from hell, I spent the day watching re-runs of CSI and napping. Therefore by Tuesday I was already behind and still feeling lousy. I never caught up.

So today I set out these promises for the upcoming week –

*I shall tackle the reorganisation and cleaning of the kitchen area (esp. the cupboards of doom).

*I will not allow the laundry to mount up again and will iron key items before putting them away.

*I shall work my arse off and finish the first units of work for my courses.

*I will not watch any tv, or go to the flicks, till I have completed that days tasks.

*I shall try to sort out tennis lessons for October, ideas for Christmas cards, holiday to DC and comedy nights out.

Armed with a venti hazelnut latte and Women’s Hour blaring in the background I am optimistic.

Finally, tackled the laundry mountain that has been threatening to consume our flat (not to mention the inhabitants). Compared to the majority of my friends, and other apartment dwelling in the tri-state, we have it easy, as there is a washer/drier conveniently located next to the bathroom. No hauling our dirty smalls to the basement communal laundry or out into the big wide world. But, still I let it grow. I think it’s because I loath putting the clean clothes away. Our wardrobes are rather titchy, yes I got the larger one, but it always seems to turn into a logistical nightmare. Were after ten minutes, I break and start cramming my tees higgledy piggledy. Ideally I like to separate my tees into – plain, dressy, graphic, plain vests and graphic vests.

Moi, a tad anal…never!

Generally when I am sorting the clean laundry I put the Archers on. Tonight I had the pleasure of listening to yet another sport ideally suited to being covered on the radio soap. In the past we have had card games, riding, micro lighting, darts and now tug of war!

Woken up by the torrential rain outside. The sky is grey, reassuringly, menacing and punctuated by lightening bolts. The sharp drops pierce the skylight above me and the weather threats to stay, like an unwanted house guest, all weekend. The perfect excuse for a temporary hibernation with hot chocolate and plenty of carbs. To catch up with reading, television, blogging and over due assignments.

Unfortunately, I have to prepare myself to accompany Alex up to mid-town where he goes to the gym and I loiter in Starbucks till brunch. Perhaps tonight we can stay in, play scrabble and order in Chinese food.

The arrival of a new set of shelves has spurred me on to ‘de-clutter’ and give things a jolly old tidy around the flat. The particular area that is the main cause for concern is my desk in the bedroom – where the shelves shall be setting up home – all summer it has been threatening to turn into an EU paper mountain.

Now, the only music which I could get down and dirty to whilst accomplishing my task is an old favorite, Meat Loaf. And, yes I have to sing along as I go. As the closing verse of Bat Out of Hell purrs out of my ipod, I am taking a moment to step back and share with you my work area.

Ahhh… I think I shall enter it into the Turner Prize.

My geek side is having a hissy fit, all be it a silent one as Alex is still asleep (someone was up late playing Trout 14 or Storm Cloud 7 or something), I got my Friday night scheduling wrong….Joan is clashing with Archer!!!!!

The choice is easy, my dedication to the federation comes above all others but if Enterprise had been given the 21:00 slot then, well, at a later time period couldn’t things have got a bit hotter more dramatic.

Hey ho, lets turn that frown into a smile and I’ll remember that I can always catch up with the going ons in Arcardia on repeat nights or next Summers hiatus, and of course it’s only television show so it’s not really that important……

Live long and prosper