Spoiler Alert...or not

Anyone who has access to a TV or the internet over the last couple of weeks has probably seen something about the most wonderful Game of Thrones.  A recent episode sent shudders throughout the series' fan base and set the media alight....two days after its showing on UK TV however the free newspaper Metro published a story about the episode, which detailed the event that caused so much controversy.  (I was lucky enough to have watched the episode already so wasn't bothered myself!)

I guess they had a vast number of complaints however as the next day they published this article. It amused me, seeming to be a tongue in cheek not-quite-apology to hit back at the complaints.

But this does raise a valid question...how long to leave it until you can reveal a storyline without getting hassle?  Personally if its on TV then its fair game to discuss it openly in the same week...I'm a heavy Sky+ user but if I'm really taken with a show I'll keep up to date!  Movies are a bit harder to gauge...I remember a friend of mine reveling the ending of the movie Armageddon as he returned from seeing it at the cinema - I was livid as I was planning to see it myself a few days later...I didn't bother to watch that movie until fairly recently when it was being shown on TV!

Arrrrgh!

Matey! I know its a little early, because talk like a pirate day isn't until September, but a with a little planning (and cash) you can go the whole hog thanks to Dress Like A Pirate.com Their range even include rum barrels of varying shapes and sizes and other piratey accessories like dubloons and feathers.

All kidding aside, they have some lovely stuff for the alternative dresser too!

Clean up your garden - it'll save you from the bugs!

A recent study has found that another species is nearing the endangered list, but its not some lovely animal that we all want to save this time...its the Pubic Louse - or lovingly also known as Crabs.

 These ugly parasites are being wiped out because of the Brazilian - or maybe a Hollywood if you prefer.  Yup, you got it, people (especially women) having their *ahem*..private gardens cleared has resulted in The Sydney Sexual Health Centre in Australia reporting it had not dealt with women suffering from crabs since 2008 and cases in men had decreased by 80 per cent in ten years.

So, today's conclusion: however much it might sting when that wax strip comes off, every inch of that rainforest you destroy with a Brazilian is saving you from these...

Ewwww!..I hope you weren't eating

The Obligatory Festive Posting...

Can you actually believe its January again already?  2012 went extremely quickly, I guess my lack of posts kinda proves that....*whistles*

I've actually had an excellent time this festive season though, a nice quiet time mostly spent relaxing around the house with Mr B...we both had a cold (I've still got mine unfortunately!) so didn't really get around to getting out very far but we are both a little reclusive so that suits us just fine!

We had a fair bit of excitement when it came to our gifts though....I got the best present I could ask for of a new computer. There was much jumping around and clapping when I opened it!  I've always had hand me down machines from other people and never actually a nice new one of my own (not since I was 10 and I got an Amstrad for Christmas! - you know the ones with the tape deck in the keyboard)   Everything is all nice looking and shiny on the interwebs now and I've been loving turning up the graphics on all my games at last! Anyway..enough of my gloating, I should just say I was very spoiled. 

After a huge amount of food and a couple of family visits, suddenly new year was upon us.  Again the reclusive side of me would be quite happy to sit at home in the warm, but we had been invited round out for some drinks and movie watching instead...Apparently we all got bought slogan t shirts for Christmas too... 
  

As an odd choice of "festive" movies we watch Nude Nuns with Big Guns (I know it sounds like an adult movie but it wasn't completely (Gurn argued this vehemently as it was his choice!)...I wouldn't however recommend anyone adding to to their must watch list!) and after the bells had gone and we had hung out the window watching fireworks we watched The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  B and Lorne had never seen it so have obviously been begging for the education :s...They both seemed quite amused and weren't too put off by the rest of us singing along and joining in with the audience participation so that's something!

Another new year is here now though...lets hope that 2013 is a year of peace, love and happiness...but doesn't fly by quite as fast as 2012 did!

There's always a drawback..

I've not been well this year...since my trip to India in January where I caught a nasty bout of india-belly I've struggled to regain any appetite or eat more than a small child in any one sitting.  Those of you who understand my love of food will know just how terrible this has been for me!  Many people have commented on the plus side of it however...that I have dropped about 4 stone (and still counting at present) without even thinking about it. I've even taking to eating higher calorie foods in order to take in a decent amount!  It's not been a  fun and healthy way to lose weight but it has had that outcome. 

So, I'd be happy about that right?...Surely thats every womans dream, to be able to eat chocolate and still lose weight..

Kinda.

Theres always some huge downsides to losing weight like this...

1. I've had to buy new clothes...OK so to most women this isnt a chore, but I'm terribly picky and have a very specific style, so clothes I like aren't always that available (or cheap!)...and I'm still shrinking so the ones I bought six months ago are already a size too big.  That sucks when you do get something you really like!

2.  It's baltic all the time! I just can't get warm and stay that way, I've been wrapped up like a yeti since the weather turned and everyone around me thinks I'm crazy...I also haven't gotten around to buying many winter clothes that fit me yet either so more shopping required! (boo hiss!)

3. I have bones...they stick out and hurt when I bump into things.  I'm pretty sure they were there before but with a helpful squishy covering to soften the bumps!

Don't get me too wrong, I'm not completely hating the weight loss, I do have a nice figure thats emerged from beneath my old insulation...I'm just writing this post as a warning to all those people out there desperate to lose weight thinking that it will be the answer to all their problems...just remember, once the weight has gone you have more fun to look forward to!

Travelling Barbie

I've never been much of a traveller.  When I was very young my parents took me to the states a couple fo times but other than that I dont remember any other family holidays.  This last year has kinda made up for that though!

At the end of august I went to Colombo in Sri Lanka.  It was pretty amazing, and I hope that I get to return at some point and see a bit more than I did this time.  It was a work expedition so time off was pretty minimal, but I managed to make the most of it anyway.   I get rather spoiled when I'm away with work as its all posh hotels and high class restaurants (not that I'm complaining at all!) but it does mean that you can get an slightly skewed perspective of a place, so I try to get out and see a little for myself too.

View from a hotel walkway...

Rainy season wasn't quite what I expected...10-20 mins of heavy downpour and then back to wonderful sunshine

My Uncle asked me to visit a temple for him...this one.  apparently it was a favourite of my grandads when he was in sri lanka...(I never knew about this until he asked me to go.  It felt kinda special to follow in the footsteps of my grandad like that)

It was a big temple!  Unfortunately closed when I went but work the hours walk anyway, I got to see a lot of local culture during that trip!

Sickening isn't it? this was the view from my hotel room iteself

The hotel gardens were beautiful too..

and I love these trees...I took more photos of trees that anything else!

I took a trip out in a tuk-tuk round some local temples, the driver took me round as a guide and it made for a really nice afternoon, one of my only real touristy moments!

The baby elephant kept at the temple was in Kandy, but they have the old one still there for prosperity...(it was stuffed but still a tad daunting as you can probably tell by the look on my face!)

This is one of my favourite photos from the trip...on the way home I decided to open the window blind when we were somewhere over the middle east and was greeted by this amazing sight

Don't Panic...Yet

Apparently the zombie apocalypse is not yet upon us.  Says the CDC.  Has the panic and rumour really been enough for them to make an announcement like that?...well, personally I'd say no, the stories of the recent outbreak of bizarre crimes and hazmat team investigations across the US (mostly centered around Miami) haven't been widely reported or hyped in the media.  There has been some viral activity of the stories, but nothing anyone was really taking that seriously...so are they really trying to tell us something different?

Fear not however dear readers!....I think that thanks to a recent TV ad that I have already identified the "lead zombie" (they have those right? ;-) ) .......this woman has not aged anywhere near enough in 30+ years that she's been popping up on my TV screen!

Ester Ranzen when I was very young...

And today!