I'm back!!!

I'm back! Yay! (deafening silence from audience)

Fine, be that way, I don't care. :P :P

REAL LIFE

Had a good few days at my Mum's house. In short:-

THURSDAY
- Caught up with my friend Ben over pints of Carling and Carlsberg Export in the local pub. He has changed so much from the Ben Evans I used to know it's untrue. It's change for the good as well which is always good to know!

FRIDAY
- Had hangover from mixing this cheap vodka lemon drink I had two bottles of before I went out with Carlsberg Export. That lasted most of the day, despite paracetamols. (Why are there no pills in the jungle? Because the parrots-ate-'em-all).

- Went to see a flat my Mum was interested in buying. It was fantastic. All modern design, black/gray/white colours, spotlights in the rooms, stylish bathroom and so on. It's cheap too. The only problem is my Mum can't put a deposit on it or anything as the British Hosuing Market doesn't allow that. So she has to pray her house sells before this flat is snapped up by someone else. What a stupid system.

- Got some new slippers. Yeah, you didn't need to know that but now you do so tough!

- Was in bed for 7. Slept for a while then was wide awake so I watched a few eps of Season 1 of the 'The West Wing' (see below).

SATURDAY
- Read more of the Dark Tower VII (which I'd been reading off and on anyway). Mum went to Granddad's so I had house (and fridge full of food) to myself. SCORE!!!!!!!

- Read some more of 'Real Crime Scene Investigations' (thanks Bonnie!) Some of the simple stuff in the is really impressing me. For example, the question of who goes first to investigate a murder scene. Is it the pathologist? Or will his examination of the body disturb evidence the the Scene Of Crime Officer (SOCO) could do with collecting? Should the bloodwork guy/gal go in first to avoid losing evidence to careless footsteps? Shouldn't the fingerprint guy/gal go in first to avoid any strays being collected? I never thought of that. Probably because CSI, in it's clever style, has its forensic guys handle everything.

- Got drunk with my future housemate Sally (who I still have a soft spot for) and a friend of hers from college Dom (who I tried to show up all night, yes I'm shameless). It was a good night, we had a good laugh and moving in with Sally should be fun. If for no other reason that it should bring me out of my shell more (and she's more attractive to look at than my current housemates!)

SUNDAY
- More West Wing (see below).

- Finished Dark Tower VII (see below). Need something else to read now!

- Watched TV - So You Think You Can Teach and Collateral Damage (with Arnie in it!)

- Watched 'The Crow' on DVD on my Mum's lovely widescreen TV. Yum!

- Yeah, Sunday was dull.

Over all 3 days I texted people more than I had done before I think! The only downside being I could only get reception upstairs and the widescreen TV & DVD player is downstairs. Meant lots of rushing upstairs!


ENTERTAINMENT

DARK TOWER VII
Stephen King has taken my breath away with the Dark Tower series. They are just amazing books. Their scope is unimaginable, the reach beyond this series to his other novels, to real life itself at some points. The world that King has created is a living, breathing world with characters that I felt I knew (I could SO predict what Eddie was going to say next, I could I'm telling you). I've picked up some of the phrases used in the book because I just like them:

Person 1: "Hail [your name]. Long days and pleasant nights."
Person 2: "And may you have twice the number."

Such a good way to great people (but people would think I was mad). I was up until 2 am finishing the last instalment and I'm already looking forward to the day in the future when I go back and read them again (not for ebay these books, no sir). And the more Stephen King books I read, the more I understand about the Dark Tower series (yeah, shameless promotion on King's part but it works for me!)

The West Wing Season 1

On a different note I'd forgotten just HOW good season 1 of TWW actually is. The lines come thick and fast, the characters come alive and the events seem plausable and proper. I have a few stand out moments from what I've watched so far that I'm going to list in the order they come to me:

- Josh being nagged all day by the fact that he's got this pass onto Air Force 1 or into the underground bunker in the event of nuclear attack and his collegues and friends haven't.

- Josh giving up said pass.

- Zoey appearing on the show, yes she is cute! Plus Charlie calling her "Ma'm" is pretty funny.

- The scene in the bar. Josh, Sam, CJ, Mallory, Charlie and Zoey. Charlie goes to defend Zoey, gets into some trouble, Sam comes next (and I think he could've actually kicked some butt) then Josh comes, makes wisecracks which are shortly followed by FBI/Secret Service agents coming in and ACTUALLY kicking butt. The scene is well acted, Charlie's lines are good, as are his reactions to the people around him ("Do you think any of them know I'm not in college?" "It's Charlie Young jackass and if that bulge in your pocket is an eight-ball of blow you're going to be spending spring break in a federal prison.")

- The scene following this where PB (President Bartlett) scares Zoey into seeing sense. It's a superbly acted scene with Martin Sheen in full flow and Elisabeth Moss seemingly terrified at the possiblity of the events her Dad is describing actually happening.

- "Like most people I'm an absolute nut for Chinese opera and what with your promise of no sex I don't see how I can say no." <------------ WHO SAID THAT? :) I KNOW - DO YOU?

- "There's literally no-one in the world I don't hate right now." Toby at his miserable best! :D

There's more but I can't think of any right now. Feel free to submit your best of TWW S1 quotes/seasons as a comment!

The Crow
As for The Crow I think it's a great film. It's an action film with some great set-pieces (Eric Draven blowing the hell out of a room full of crime lords just for starters) but it's got some well written sentimental bits too and some jokes that help dram you into the film (everyone pointing out that Eric Draven looks supid in his make up for one, the characters always complaining about Eric's disappering skill for another). It's got syle, characters, set-pieces and a hard-hitting soundtrack. What more could you want? One of my favourite films ever.

I'm behind in Alias right now so that's on my list of "Things to do" this afternoon.

Right, I've run out steam. Well done to all who have read this far, you can have a cookie (if Mrs Landingham let's you!)