I never feel entirely comfortable at hen parties (batchelorette). I don't know why. The one on Saturday for Kate was tremendous fun. We had cakes and drinks in the garden, all of us in summery dresses, and then we went onto a great place called Funstrokes where you buy something to paint, like a bowl or a statue. It was really a lot of fun. And there's the wedding in two weeks, on my birthday, which is really exciting. Plus I got to catch up with Emily V who got engaged after dating her fiance for only two months.

Websites have been screwing with me. Trying to book train tickets on trainline is very difficult sometimes as they remember the last account used and send everything through that account. So Anthony got all the insurance emails, even though I'd signed in and used my account. Well, I paid for the tickets themselves and they should arrive in the post soon. Fingers crossed.

Got my mind blown when I realised that the school strategy event this week is actually on Wednesday, not Friday, as I'd thought. So a full day of work for me as I'll work in Bill's place in the morning and then go to the event in the afternoon. There is a free lunch though and if its as delicious as last time, it will be worth it.

Bought a new pair of shoes! Very cute black leather with a decent heel and buckle straps. A little bit school-marmish but also make me think of Paris. They are my new work shoes. Unfortunately, over the past couple of years, I have developed a weird way of walking with my right foot as the heel of all my right shoes ends up worn down on the right-hand side. It ruins shoes for me and makes me very self-conscious and it's already started on this new pair. *frowns* I'm trying to correct my walking, but no luck so far. I've no idea how the whole habit started either, which is so frustrating.

Me: Did you seriously just compare masturbation and sex to making a cheese sandwich?!
Anthony: I was trying not to be disgusting!

One of the reasons I love Anthony - we really can talk about anything, there's no boundaries there. He also pointed out that he's been very tolerant as I have refused to do more than kiss him. I know this may seem incredibly cruel and very weird to some people but I'm just not comfortable with anything else. My last two relationships were based way too much on the physical side of things which just wasn't healthy and left me feeling vaguely dirty and ashamed. Seriously, I adore both of my exs so it's not their fault. I just wanna enjoy a relationship that's based soley on our emotional and mental connection. I'm never going to get bored talking to Anthony or spending time with him and he loves me fangirling. It's all I can ask for really. We just fit together very well.

I have been feeling more asexual the older I get too, curiously. I'm just not interested in anything like that right now and I'm completely comfortable with that. I did, however, reassure him that I hadn't taken a lifelong vow of chastity. I am remaining a virgin until I'm married, not afterwards too. He was relieved at this LOL.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Or as we used to say in Uni, Happy Jesus Loves You Day. Much more snuggly I think. Makes me feel all warm inside.

So Anthony and I went out to lunch. TGI's was rammed so we went to trusty old Frankie and Benny's, where our waitress was awesomely chatty and sweet and the food was soooo good. Cards were exchanged and then we went shopping. In HMV, he got The Best of the X-Division: Volume 2 (a wrestling DVD in case you didn't guess lol) and I got Ultimate Rangers: The Best of the Power Rangers (to replace the old VHS copy I have) and The War Machines, a William Hartnell Doctor Who. Then we trawled Forbidden Planet, best shop ever. So much geekery to love and cherish. I desired far too much lol.

Looks like we're going to the Christ Church Ball next week. Though it shall be fun as there are rail replacement buses for part of the train journey and then we're gonna have to change in the church bathrooms into our posh clothes. So not how I imagined it all to be. Very glam lol. I may wear the dress on the train with my jeans underneath. Just to be super stylish. Not my high heels though. That would be really painful.

It's like a fairytale outside. It's like living in a Christmas card, snow everywhere and kids throwing snowballs. It's the strangest feeling to walk out there, clothes getting covered in snowflakes. It looks beautiful - I just wish it wouldn't mean my bus to work is cancelled cos it means I've got to get myself a taxi to work. I am hoping that the snow will ease up real soon. At least it's not snowing now, it melts by midday, and my bus was on the road today, hurrah.

Demons comes to an end this Saturday and we still don't know if we're getting a second series. It's muchly frustrating. Six episodes is not really enough time to explore and flesh out characters and establish a mythology. The audience figures haven't been promising either.

On the flipside of this, I have been enjoying a lot of kids programming recently. CBBC are really delivering the goods, after a long time of nothing halfway decent being broadcast. There's Climate Control and Raven and Hot Rods and Little Howard and really a lot more. I am very impressed. Kids programmes have always been super important to me, I've always enjoyed them more than adult stuff. At last it seems, the BBC are putting effort into their programming and producing something interesting. It's so important to give kids quality programming, I think. It's well worth the effort.

I am slightly overwhelmed by the flood of good wishes that have slid my way since the big announcement of my engagement. Thanks guys, for all your kind words and sparkles and great enthusiasm, it's really made me smile. I don't feel grown-up enough for this at all, but I feel that way about every big step in my life so no change there. All we know so far is that we're definitely marrying in Southampton, no ideas on dates yet. I'll keep you posted.

Mum got tearful on the phone when I told her, saying she needed a lie down lol. Dad was cool and calm and very happy and Ali wanted to know what colour her bridesmaid dress is gonna be before I even asked her to be my bridesmaid lol. Anthony's family, both sections, are very pleased about the thing too. Baby Mel, his sister, has been super lovely about it. Also all friends back home in Cornwall have been delightful, it's so touching to recieve such joyful messages from people I've known almost my whole life, and my work buds too. I don't think it'll feel real til I get the ring on my finger properly.

It looks like we're heading to Winchester next month, the day after I get back from London trip with my folks, for the Christ Church Ball. Which means I get to see my Winchester friends before Kate and Lerys wedding on my birthday this year. That day is gonna be chaotic. Poor Anthony's not gonna know what's hit him :)

I'm sat in the dimly-lit kitchen, hearing my sister chatter to her boyfriend whose staying the night (parents not happy about that, but realistically, there's not much they can do and they are still jet-lagged). My parents are in bed and my brother is in Thailand and I left my boyfriend in Warminster.

This year feels like something of a blur. It started with my Grandma's death from lung cancer. Granny K, and her magnificent house and garden so chock-full of memories and ghosts is still greatly missed. It blew my Dad's family into splinters and he fell spectacularly off the wagon. Two firsts - the first time we had to call the police (to locate my missing father) and the first time anyone in this family had to go into the Priory. It did my Dad the world of good and he's been dry ever since.

My brother left for Thailand around Easter and has disappeared into a world of delayed phone calls, mosquito bites, and rice wine. I hope he will return to us next year. He needed to leave though and I'm thrilled he got the chance to jump into the deep end at last.

This was a year of so many wonderful fandoms and shows. I fell truly in love with Stargate: SG1 this year, especially Richard Dean Anderson and Jack/Sam and actually the whole team (all versions, especially the original) because it remains a shining example of friendship and love and a bond tighter than blood. There's been Ghost Hunters, a show I never thought I would love so much, Cha$e, Leverage, all three relaunched versions of Gladiators (American, UK and Australian), Dog the Bounty Hunter, and the sheer bonkers genius of The Middleman. I have grown closer to Criminal Minds, which has thrown me into a love of behavioral analysis and the minds of serial killers and dissecting what makes them tick. These are the things that matter most - when I look back over my year, my first thoughts are shows and characters and fandoms and fic.

And there's Anthony who both frustrates me and enthralls me at every turn. Kinda what I need I think. I'm never gonna deal with conventional. My family feels like it's back together. I am certainly closer to little sister than I ever have been before. I like to think that can continue :)

Happy New Year everyone. I raise my water to you all and thank you for the delights and friendship you have given me. My year would not have been as enjoyable without you.

I feel ridiculously spoilt. Christmas was a lazy day, filled with presents and food and TV. Anthony, Mel and I went to the Christmas service at the local Baptist church which was led by a marvelous Irish vicar who made us all laugh and I got to sing all the festive hymns I'd be singing at home. Then back at the house we all opened our stockings, they'd even got me one, and we all had chocolate fondue sets with chocolate and marshmallows so we'll be having a fondue night sometime lol. Mum and Lee got me a soft toy sheep identical to Mel's one that I've always loved and threatened to steal, I am supremely pleased with this and have been carrying him around most of the day. Mel got me The Dark Knight on DVD which I've never seen before so yay! Anthony got me an awesome black jacket with angel's wings painted on the front and back, The Killing Joke graphic novel, and MacGuyver Series 1 on DVD. Ah, how well he knows me :)

Christmas lunch was massively awesome. I don't think I've eaten so much! And I had a lovely phone call from my family who are loving Thailand, though the immense heat means it doesn't feel like Christmas at all so it's very surreal for them. It was so lovely to hear their voices and I can't wait to see them on New Years Eve.

Went out into the fresh air today, for a walk around Salisbury for the sales. Claire and Mel went clothes shopping whilst Anthony and I wandered round the DVD stores. He bought a Thundercats t-shirt, I bought Clueless and Garden State on DVD - combined they were under £10. I love the sales. At home in Southampton, I have a huge container of Celebrations from Dee and an Amazon gift voucher and a big box of chocolate biscuits from the Braithwaites to enjoy. I feel supremely blessed.

Huge blessings and love to all my f-list especially. Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night! :)

Wow, is it Christmas Eve tomorrow already?! I can't quite believe it and seem convinced in some part of my brain that it really isn't so close to Christmas lol. Yet, I have been to many carol services and seen the Braithwaites decorate their house and wrapped the presents for everyone in my life and sent off the Christmas cards to those I can't see and hug personally. Also I got to hold baby Kendra for the first time on Sunday. She was wriggly and I was afraid I'd drop her but she was beautiful and only a little bit sick, she'd only just been fed after all.

Then there was the Ash Bash yesterday, the Christmas party for my landlord's company and I got to go and eat Thai food and a really delicious cheesecake dessert. Also I went for a long overdue night out with Jess and Andy on Saturday to Dungeon for Nick's birthday. I got to thrash about in a dance kind of way to the music that I love, though it was unpleasant to be around so many people who smoked, even if it was confined to outside. I forgot how gross it makes clothes smell.

Oh and I finished a Power Rangers Jungle Fury fic! A short Fran-centric piece, kinda about her and Dom and kinda not. I like it.

Title: Intertwined
Fandom: Power Rangers Jungle Fury
Rating: G
Characters: Fran/Dom, JF team and a couple of OCs
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Spoilers: Anything after 'Maryl and the Monkeys'
Summary: Fran is so glad she found Dom and that she found a family.

 

( Intertwined )

1. Railcard renewed and hissyfit over lol. Booked my last train journey that I needed to, for my return after New Year. Once that arrives, I will sigh largely with relief that all is sorted.

2. The putting away of washing-up routine has changed in our house, and I wasn't told so now I get people banging on my door telling me to put stuff away. I am working on my telepathy lol.

3. One of our cats, Barty, was missing for several days and was located last night - up a 35ft tree and unable to get down lol. He is an exceptionally stupid cat, but we love him anyway. Then I was getting ready for work today and he was winding around my legs, desperate for some company. I waved to him as I left, he was sat in my window enjoying the sunlight.

4. Have watched the first two episodes of The Crow: Stairway to Heaven and have very much enjoyed them. Mark Dacascos looks errily like Brandon Lee when in make-up and, being the talented martial artist he is, does kickass fight scenes. I wish it had gotten more than one series.

5. The Brigadier in the series two finale of The Sarah Jane Adventures! It was so very wonderful to see Sir Alastair and Sarah Jane's closing message made me smile. That's what Doctor Who supposed to be about. I think it captures the spirit of classic!Who better than the new series does and for that I am forever grateful.

It's been one of those days when I really feel like I've accomplished a lot, which seems kinda smug and arrogant, so I'm settling for feeling a warm glow in my belly instead. I did a ridiculous amount of shopping this morning (almost all Christmas gifts bought and a card sent to a special someone in America), changed my sheets and washed my dirty ones, scrubbed my window sills clean of black mold, cleaned the windows, and finally scrubbed the egg off the window (outside) that some bugger threw there on Halloween - not cool, people! There's something about physical labour that really invigorates me - like I always feel better after cleaning my room, it's metaphorical somehow. Like cleaning some part of yourself out too.

Tonight, we journey to see Hannah perform as Nancy in Oliver! The production's being put on by her amateur dramatic group in a real theatre and she's so excited about it. Steve and Jane had flowers delivered here for her first night and Alice B made a cake and iced it with an image of Hannah in pink and green. It's all very special, Sophie's come back from uni for it. It's gonna be a real family outing. Must remember my camera.

I am once again grateful to femalephenom for the exceptional Christmas mix CD she sent me several years ago and which every year is a joy to listen to. I have no clue who some of the artists are but it has 'Fairytale of New York' (best Christmas song ever) and other true delights, every one a gem. Thanks love, I am forever grateful. Your taste is impeccable, lets chat again sometime soon please!