'These sunless afternoons I can't find myself'

'They don't fear the wolf, but the wild within'

So. In Medway, one has the opportunity to do a course in 'The Art of Accessorising - Accessorise your outfits: jewellery and handbags' but not to study A Levels. Gee thanks, Adult 'Education' Centre. Oh hello misanthropy, I wasn't aware you'd be joining us this-evening! But look - there you are! For anyone who would ever choose the above course over an A Level or anything that requires a modicum of intelligence or thought: die, die, and double die.

The last few days have seen Joanna in several different places. Par example:

+ I have been lost in another world entirely whist watching Verdi Requiem in Cranbrook. James was there with his big bass drum. He wasn't playing in the concert - he just stood at the back with a drum he'd carted along himself...for fun. I must have enjoyed myself because when the show was over one of the violin players approached me and said 'your face when the Soprano hit her top C was an absolute picture!'. Yes, my face gives away all. The concert was in St. Dunstan's Church. The soloists were marvelous. And the whole thing smelt particularly middle class.

+ I have been to work a lot. Someone I work with has just broken her leg so I'm helping to cover some shifts. Because I'm nice like that. (I've just noticed that I mentioned the very same thing in my previous post but I'm not going to re-word this or change it because that fact that I've written it twice should give you a good idea of how forgetful and generally pointless my brain can be! Also, I can't actually be bothered.)

+ I have been to Covent Garden and 'done lunch' Italian stylie, and then to a Christmas Sing-A-Long at the Royal Albert Hall. This trip was for work so it wasn't all fun and games. I was lucky enough to have done the trip with Kay though who is fantabulous and had me in constant giggles throughout the day. One of my favourite quotes of the day (ooh, we haven't done that in a while, have we?!) was during 'We Three Kings of Orient Are' when Kay sang the line 'Frankinscense to offer have I' and then turned to me and uttered 'or do I?'. Now, I do not like Christmas songs in general and nothing was really going to top the Verdi Req' from the night before. There was a particular moment during the show when I smiled to myself and realised the confirmation that this wasn't reeeeaaaally 'my kind of thing', and that moment was when I caught myself looking around the stalls - during a watered down version of 'Winter Wonderland' sung by a woman with a large bottom and even larger stage-school bad habits and techniques to her voice - and thinking '...I wonder what the maximum capacity of this venue is...'. And may the gods bless those poor session musicians who have to work through that crap every night. We also saw the most glorious waste of energy: the Oxford Street Christmas lights. Okay, okay, it was quite pretty I suppose ;-)

+ I have also been to memory-land with Sonata Arctica when they randomly popped up on my playlist and, becoming captured by the sweet melodies and adorably bad use of the English language, I listened to almost every album of theirs I own.

One place I have not been to however, is the land of noddington. To bedfordshire. And oh, how I miss it dreadfully....I'm beginning to sound more and more like an Enid Blyton character....I'd better watch that.

'Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.'

'Away, and mock the time with fairest show'

'...Art thou afeard
To be the same in thine own act and valour
As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that
Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life,
And live a coward in thine own esteem,
Letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would,'
Like the poor cat i' the adage?'

Change or accept. Just don't sit in the middle complaining.

Oh hello there random song from Sweeney Todd - why have you suddenly appeared in my head? And why will you not leave?!

I had to take someone to hospital last week and I spent far too long chuckling about the fact that Medway Maritime Hospital has a 'Penguin Assessment Unit'.

Someone at work has broken her leg and so we're all scuttling around trying to cover her shifts. Finding a balance between all the important things in life can be difficult but if you love the things in your life it's all worth it. And if the things in your life love you back, they understand...yes, I'm half asleep and talking gibberish.

Gibberish is a good word. I should use it more in everyday sentences. Along with nincompoop, flabbergasted, and sesquipedalian.

Becca's birthday party was a classic night as always - even if she got so drunk that she thought she was having a stroke.

I'd like to take this moment to send out the following message into the ether: Thank you Chris Morris for 'Four Lions'. Just thank you. Right in the face. There was much hearty laughter ('Spark plugs! Jews invented spark plugs to control global traffic.'); there were tears; there were gut-wrenching moments of empathy and agony, especially for the families of the characters ('I'm taking my team up to the top floor now. I'll see you up there.'); there were knowing nods at the multitude of satirical references and painful truths that cleverly weaved through the entire thing ('These are real bad times, bro. Islam is cracking up. We got women talking back. We got people playing stringed instruments. It's the end of days!'). The characters were beautifully acted and the plot perfectly conveyed the messages intended by the filmmakers. ..I'm gushing a bit. And you can tell I used to be an English literature student by the amount of quotes used to back up my points. I'm so transparent.

Also...everyone hates 'How Not To Live Your Life'...from which I concur that everyone is stupid. How difficult is it to pick up on the subtle humours and sarcasms? The glitter of personality that sparkles throughout the dialogue? That program is not as one-dimensional as everyone claims or wants it to be. So there.

And that just about concludes today's inane ramblings. Congratulations if you made it this far! Here: have a biscuit.

More people smile at each other when they're trying to walk in snow..

..which to me seems the perfect little example of how the human race form tighter communities when they have something to fight against or struggle through.

Though I'm not struggling; I bloody love this weather! More snow plskthx.

Wigmore Park this very morn'!

Tales from a struggling support worker, nursery nurse, and writer.

My sister Caroline: 'Can you save all your poetry please? So that when you die an old lady at 87 (random) we can all sell your work and make a fortune?'

Charming! Also, I see a slight technical problem there, dear sister...you'll be 94 at the time.

And as a side note, I'd quite like to make the fortune from them myself before that! Who wants to be my agent and publish my stories and poems for free? Anyone?

No?

Bollocks.

The universe: 'Maybe you should actually start sending some of your work off to people again. That might help, you actual twat!'