Lasagnarama

Following a recent drunken suggestion by my friend Biz, I had a few friends over for 'Lasagna Night' last night. I'm chuffed as I think that was my best lasagna yet! I think the secret was using real butter instead of crappy 'spread'... Biz brought a homemade salad that was gorgeously fresh and complemented the 'sagna perfectly, and we had Mars and Snickers ice cream bars for pudding! The couple of bottles of red I got bought went down rather well, too.
It made a nice change from going to the pub: it's cheaper, sociable, fun, and we all get a turn playing host(ess).

Dining in the Living Room

Day two of the exhibition, and what I hoped for, happened. We had dinner at The Living Room, an awesome restaurant off Regent Street that I went to a few years ago, and have always wanted to go back.
It ticks all the right boxes for me: atmosphere, price, food (of course), decor, portion size, staff, wine... all excellent here.
I had dauphinoise potatoes that were so good I could eat them forever, with pork medley: a fillet wrapped in cured ham, ham hock stew and sweet and sour pork belly, and The Wizard had roasted duck breast with fresh, spicy noodles and crisp mange-tout. Just the right sized portions that filled us up but left us wanting more at the same time.
I'm so glad we went; glad that the food is being claimed back on Wiz's expenses, and that it didn't disappoint. It remains high on my top restaurant list and I'll be looking forward to next time.

Meet and Greet

I'm in London, back working alongside The Wizard for a few days. We first met while working in the same pub at uni, and now he's got me a few days (paid!) work at a security technology exhibition that he has been busy organising at work.
I'm the first port of call: meeting and greeting clients, dishing out their name badges and goody bags and pointing them in the right direction. It was good today, at least three times more clients through the door than last year, but I got sick of printing name labels pretty quickly. How is it that I can work a computer in so many ways, but when it comes to printing there is so much that can go wrong?
I've got a gorgeous old desk to sit at, with an expensive vase of fresh lilies, and people keep coming out and offering me chocolate, so it's not all bad.
It's nice to just get away for a couple of days, even if the accommodation is this basic and the view uninspiring. At least the room, food and travel are paid for. And its always a laugh when travelling with my sidekick/partner in crime.

Old Bag

Another day, another 'green conference', this time at the Sustainability Centre in a rural village near home. It has it's own woodland burial site, a campsite with tee-pees and yurts, a coffee shop (that served us amazing organic chickpea and spinach curry for lunch) and a publishing office, from where several 'green' books are published as well as a quarterly magazine called 'Permaculture', all about living sustainably. Right up my street then, as that's pretty much the same content as Thrift - the magazine we created at university. I wandered in and showed my interest, offering my services for free should they ever need it, and have emailed my CV over...

Delegates received a goody bag at the end of the day, and I had to fight to get a spare one. It wasn't the contents I wanted, but the bag itself; beautifully crafted from recycled water bottles and scrap fabric by Paulina in Ghana, who pinned her name into the bag for me:

Graduation Official

I've just booked my mortar board, gown hire and official photographs for my graduation on 6th November - a grand total of £90! Not to mention the cost of Grad Ball tickets, hotel, dress, dinner, etc...
But it's going to be such a good weekend: everyone I ever met at uni, wrapping it up in style. The Wiz's football/next-door neighbour mates are all graduating the same day aswell so it's double the fun, and the Grad Ball line-up looks awesome: Freddie and the Freeloaders will be providing live, brassy motown and soul, and Does It Offend You, Yeah? are providing the grunge, before Mistajam takes over the decks with our local weekly favourites, the Infamous Request Junkies. (partypartypartypartyparty)

Maybe I'll be more employable once the degree's official... and with the new brunette hairdo I'm contemplating...

School Trip

Today I helped with an event at a nearby agricultural college, as part of my internship. Selected 'eco-warrior' pupils from local secondary schools came together for a day of activities aimed at raising awareness of their individual carbon footprints, particularly where food is concerned.
They had to work out the agricultural, transportation and manufacturing processes of a pre-packaged bacon sandwich, build a model hydrogen fuel cell car and work out their carbon footprint online; but of course their favourite part of the day was visiting the piglets!
It was exhausting, and the smell of the pigs really put me off eating my lunch; but the kids were so encouragingly positive, and had really sound ideas to put into practice when they got back to school. I still have the utmost respect for their teachers though, who gently steer 30 unruly children in the right direction all day, every day.

(Not a lot to do with my media-related internship really, but I guess that's just the nature of a charity organisation...)

It's a Boy!

Happy Birthday Gemma! And what better present to get than your very own BABY! Haha, I KNEW that today would be the day; I suppose if your due date is so close to your birthday you have to wonder...

So he's a beautiful baby boy, called Thomas, born at 8.50 this morning after just four hours labour with only gas and air for comfort! I'm so unbelievably proud of Gemma, and happy that everything went smoothly for her.
Little Thomas has got the best Mum in the world, a perfect Daddy (hello Jim!) and five amazing aunties - the rest of the Wilton Avenue student house clan: Katie, Lorna, Elizabeth, Natalie and myself.

Can't wait to meet him!

Fitness First

Yesterday was 15 weeks since I've had a cigarette. Not one Marlboro Light (or other well-known brand) has touched my lips, nor do I particularly miss it.
At first it was quite hard, but from previous attempts at giving up, several years ago, I knew that cravings are sneaky little beggars - lasting for only five minutes or so, although it can seem like an eternity. In that five minutes your patience will be tested again and again as the nicotine receptors in your poor, abused brain go a bit mental. So the trick is, I've found, to distract yourself. Go for a walk, make a cup of tea, talk to the cat, ANYTHING to take your mind off lighting up. The craving disappears, and you can pat yourself on the back repeatedly until the next one rears its ugly head. It gets easier, I promise.
Now, the occasional craving I get is purely psychological. For instance when I'm getting ready for a big night out: music blaring, wardrobe spewing out in all directions, hair straighteners, lipstick, cigarette..... not any more. But I smell nice, my hair and breath and car smell fresh, and I'd be rich if I was actually earning anything in the first place!
Downside? Half a stone magically appeared about eight weeks in. I thought I'd escaped the dreaded weight-gain scenario, even though I'd got my taste buds back three-fold (and I like food enough as it is). But all of a sudden, after never having to worry about where those Creme Eggs were going, there it was. Time to shift it, I thought.
I had a discount swim card as a student, at a swish swimming and diving centre in town. I made alright use of it, but never really appreciated it until I took it up again locally. The nearest council-run pool has lots of old people, babies in swim-nappies (are they really waterproof?), slackers holding up the lanes... and to top it off? Bits of coloured foam floating around from the various school swimming lessons. Somehow I didn't feel so refreshed afterwards. And it costs enough that I care about these things.
So I've been alternating my 64-length marathons (thats a whole mile - it's easier since quitting the fags!), with a Ministry of Sound workout DVD in the living room. Oh, I never thought I'd see the day. But its cheap and cheerful, and you can jump straight in the shower afterwards. I've even been trawling eBay for some different ones, to mix it up.
It's an uphill struggle, but one I've avoided for a long time.

Thrifty Picnic

As my search for an ever-elusive job continues, I've been gathering up bits and pieces for my portfolio.

My housemate and I made a beautiful magazine for our final project at university, called Thrift, all about saving money whilst saving the planet at the same time - "a modern magazine for making the most of what you've already got" was the tagline. Thrift contained: recipes, instructions for making your own clothes and growing your own food, features, eco-fashion, reader's tips, and 'crafty' entertainment for grown-ups and children - all with a home-made ethic and hand-drawn illustrations throughout.

I really want to make Thrift into a website. I've barely started but it's definitely on the agenda. I'm enrolling on a web design crash course as soon as I can afford it. Internet millionaire? Easy.

Here's our Thrifty Picnic: made of cardboard cut-outs, stuck in our student house's lawn with sticks, and a few teddy bears...

Prize Pig

Good job we're not vegetarians. But then, if we were, we wouldn't have won the meat draw at the pub.

I took the Wizard to a 'proper' independent pub in the next village, that I haven't paid a visit to in a couple of years. The same old manager was there, who happens to be the father of an old friend, and an intensely passionate Italian. As he flitted about behind the bar, shouting orders to staff and customers alike, he kept adding the words "118" to the end of every sentence, thinking he was hilarious.

We enquired about the meat draw, after spotting the long list of winners/prizes behind the bar. "Oh it's only for regulars, they always win 'cos they buy all the tickets," he said. So we left it.

After folding up all the little green raffle tickets, he came creeping back. "One pound per strip," he said.
We had two, the second of which contained the number, yep, 118. Hilarious, or so manager Tony thought.

Anyway off we went for a curry, thinking no more of it, when an unexpected phone call towards the end of the meal notified us of our victory: second prize. Two kilos of prime gammon joint, to be boiled for over an hour until tender!

I've already run out of inspiration as to how to eat the damn stuff, and we've hardly made a dent in it.

Getting Something for Nothing

Hello, The Wizard here, just thought I'd take some time to vent a little frustration thats been brewing for the past few weeks. 


I am now an active member of a number of local 'Freecycle' groups. For those of you not familiar with Freecycle, here is a brief overview: Freecycle started out as a small number of people in America that decided, rather than throwing away perfectly re-usable items, they would offer them to people in the surrounding town for free. The idea grew and grew, and even made it across to little old England. Most larger towns now have a group available. All you need is a Yahoo e-mail account, then search Freecycle groups in your area via Yahoo groups. 
I thought this would be the perfect way to do my bit for the environment, and pick up a few little gems for myself at the same time. After all, one mans rubbish is another mans treasure...
Once I'd got through the strange 'acceptance' stage of application (whoever is running the group has to approve you for some reason), I began looking for items that would benefit myself and dear old Pinchy. Nothing major, but we could use a new chest of drawers....
You wouldn't believe some of the things that these people give away! A colleague picked up a full sized pool table - all that was wrong with it was a small tear in the cloth. Someone else was giving away two perfectly good mountain bikes. Living in a small village in between Freecycle groups, it is interesting to see how the surrounding areas differ in what they give away. The posher area to the north of us, where the house prices are astronomical, will give away three piece suites less than 5 years old, nearly new games consoles and full garden furniture sets. (Have these people never heard of Ebay??) The area to the south of us, however, where single mums wear velour tracksuits and pierce their kids ears, seem only to give away unwanted bricks, 'various baby equipment' and small portable TV's.


These are not the frustrations which have been brewing though. What has, is that it is near impossible to get a response from any of the people giving items away, let alone get an item. Fair enough if there's a 'first come/first served' ethic, but how hard is it to send a short reply, something like: 'thank you for your enquiry but the item has already been taken'? Its just bloody manners! Then there's the people that must sit refreshing their screens all day, that bag all the best bargains. Give a brother in need a chance! The only thing I have managed to acquire so far is a groovy old armchair, that was so badly in need of re-upholstering that I passed it on to the local junkyard anyway.


Which is why I am getting increasingly despondent with the whole process, and on the brink of saying UP YOURS FREECYCLE! 
(I will however be continuing to use these groups as I am skint)

Green Credentials

I've now officially started my 3-month internship with the local climate change action group. We are a registered charity, and also partly funded by the Council and partly by the local university, where our offices are based. (Actually, little more than a broom cupboard with two computers.)
The lady in charge - and only person on the payroll - is energetic to say the least: an intellectual who fires on all of her slightly skewed cylinders at once and flits from topic to topic before you've had time to draw breath, but with a heart of pure gold and a sharp sense of humour. You can imagine that its going to be an interesting ride. In fact, it has been already.
Last week I helped out at a screening of a film by Mark Edwards, called Hard Rain. Mark has travelled the world as a photojournalist since the 1960s, and in 1969 was rescued in the Sahara by a nomad after becoming lost. Back at base camp, tea was brewed for him by a fire made with sticks, and a cassette player was produced which played Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall". At that peaceful moment, Mark decided to put pictures together of 'our headlong collision with nature', inspired and accompanied by the words of the song, to send to every world leader in the hope of instigating a change in attitude to the pressing problems facing the environment. The film was certainly moving, and sparked fiery debate amongst the audience afterwards.
Today I attended the quarterly meeting of the action group's business members. A representative of the university discussed how they are cutting their carbon footprint by a third, by spending to accumulate and properly managing their stock of old buildings. It was interesting to see just how much energy they currently waste every day, and that this is just one organisation in a million, but this can only improve, surely. A very high-profile scientist, who we are lucky to have associated with the group, also presented the latest scientific data in greenhouse gas concentrations and temperature fluctuations (which didn't look good).
Interestingly for me, I am currently reading State of Fear by Michael Crichton, which attempts to discredit the scientific findings of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) by presenting opposing data showing 'global warming' as a myth. It is a very convincing book, but then climate change is a very complex science. The world is ever evolving and climate is always unpredictable, but our actions are undoubtedly influencing certain trends. We don't know for sure what will happen, even just 100 years into the future, but the time to start reversing the trend for excessive consumption is NOW, before it really is too late.

Kissy SOLD Out

Oh My Dayyyyyys... I'm more in love with Kissy Sell Out than ever!
I'll always be a huge fan of Kissy's 'rock n rave' mash-up DJ sets, but Kissy & Ko live really impressed me. It could have been the fact that Kissy, Cousin Dan and a bezzie girl-friend were literally two feet away from me, or it could have been their dynamic and energetic set, but there really was something special about seeing them rock it out on stage, that just doesn't come across on the album (for me). Maybe it was the sight of Kissy's toned self busting out of his shirt while playing his ultra-cool synth, or that trademark infectious grin of his, but I definitely have a renewed crush (sorry Wiz).

Cash in the Attic

We've been loosely discussing making our millions on Ebay for some time now. We had a couple of quite successful car boot sale sessions when we moved back home from uni, and we spotted some worthy-looking knick knacks while we were there. One man's junk is another man's treasure, and all that ...
Well we've had a couple of results now: a designer jacket that didn't fit (and was a present anyway) fetched a grand total of £22, and a dress I got in a sale, that also didn't fit, went for a fiver. So we've well and truly got the bug! Currently selling a lampshade found in a skip, my old personal minidisc player (they seem to sell for quite a bit) and an unusual board game. The beauty of PayPal is you have to physically withdraw the cash to your bank account, so it's working well as a Christmas savings scheme.
Back to the car boot on Sunday to scout out cool, quirky and easily postable items!