It’s just over a month till the Great North Run (which I think will be my final race of the season this year in order to try and avoid the winter running slump – I have looked at a couple in October and November but I think it’s more sensible if I finish in September this year, especially seeing as I’m getting more and more tempted to take up the free guaranteed 2020 place that the London Marathon have gifted me for being a slowpoke).
As such, I’m building up my distances every week, and was back out doing 14k today, which is two-thirds of the GNR distance done already. 15k next week!
Geth and I went out for lunch afterwards and I allowed myself the post-run treat of waffles and ice cream. We’re going for an Indian meal out with the family tonight as well! Will have to be good again next week.
OOTD: it’s slightly chilly out there! Hoodie Gildan for Resistanz (2016), bag CXL by Christian Lacroix (2018), t-shirt Campus Crew for Toronto Blue Jays (2018), jeans Zara (2018), trainers Reebok (2013).
Today’s earworm playlist:
Mel & Kim – Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend) Duran Duran – Electric Barbarella Tyler Lyle – Lost And Found [The Midnight Remix] Dolly Parton – Jolene Devo – Whip It The Beatles – Drive My Car Duran Duran – Rio Trevor Something – Summer Love Sebastian Gampl and Tommy Reeve – Under Control
Just a quick update today as I’m still very busy with work stuff. Managed a nice long walk in the afternoon though! Looking forward to getting out for a run in the morning.
No outfit picture today because I forgot to take one and have already crawled back into the comfort of my pyjamas!
Today’s earworm playlist:
The Midnight and Nikki Flores – Jason Duran Duran – None Of The Above Debbie Harry – French Kissing In The USA Wham! – Young Guns Ultravox – Vienna Duran Duran – A View To A Kill Wilkinson – Afterglow Sebastian Gampl and Tommy Reeve – Under Control
And a bonus track that Geth was humming earlier:
Jona Lewie – You’ll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties
No Music Video Monday post again this week (I will do one next week, honestly!) because I’m busy with other things. The August/September work floodgates are starting to open, so I’ve got a fair bit of work to do this week.
Hoping to get a bit more writing done too now that all of last week’s submissions are out of the way!
OOTD: comfy casual outfit. Glasses Emporio Armani (2017), hoodie Gildan for Resistanz (2016), t-shirt Lauren Ralph Lauren (modern but bought from Headlock Vintage 2018).
Today’s earworm playlist:
Gunship – When You Grow Up Your Heart Dies The Power Station – Get It On Lil’ Nas X – Panini
This is my thousandth post on this blog! It’s not a particularly impressive one, I’m afraid, since I’ve been busy with work this evening so only have time for a quick update. I’m spending time with the family over the next few days as my brother and sister-in-law are over from Canada – it should be a really good week.
OOTD: a slogan t-shirt day 🙂 Glasses Emporio Armani (2017), t-shirt Katharine Hamnett (2017), skirt Calvin Klein Jeans (2004).
Today’s earworm playlist:
Thomas Dolby – She Blinded Me With Science The Smiths – Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Relax Lizzo – Truth Hurts Haircut 100 – Love Plus One Duran Duran – Save A Prayer Sebastian Gampl and Tommy Reeve – Under Control Gunship – When You Grow Up Your Heart Dies
I’ve spent most of today editing for a client, as a project came in that I won’t be able to do on Monday as I’m otherwise engaged. I wouldn’t normally do day job work on Saturday but I’m not going to complain given that work has been a bit scarce over the last month or so!
I’ve also been putting together some packages of DVDs, CDs, and books to sell on MusicMagpie and the like, continuing with my latest de-hoarding project. It gives us a bit more breathing room upstairs and helps with my stuff-related anxiety. I should have it all out of the house by the end of the month.
Ploughing on with work this evening in the hope that I can get it finished tonight!
OOTD: I’m still not enjoying the slight mugginess that’s in the air. Hoodie Gildan for Resistanz (2016), dress unknown brand (thrifted from Steff 2016), tights Primark (2017), trainers Reebok (2013).
Today’s earworm playlist:
Billy Idol – Eyes Without A Face Sebastian Gampl and Tommy Reeve – Under Control Duran Duran – Notorious Tears For Fears – Everybody Wants To Rule The World Sebastian Gampl and Tommy Reeve – Without You Culture Club – Time (Clock Of The Heart) Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
It’s taken me nearly a week to get round to doing this review due to all my internet issues earlier in the week. Better late than never!
South Tyneside Council puts on a lot of free gigs in Bents Park in South Shields during the summer, but Geth and I hadn’t been to one for three years. The last one we went to was the Proclaimers and Lindisfarne in 2016, on a much more changeable day that required both suncream and a brolly!
However, it was a no-brainer when we heard about this one – Midge Ure was fantastic when we saw him in November supporting the Human League, and neither of us had seen Nick Heyward before – so I bought early-access tickets (well worth it at six quid each, as it means you’ve actually got the chance to set your deckchair up fairly close to the stage) and we headed out to South Shields for the day with my beloved vintage deckchairs in tow.
I love these chairs. Around since my childhood (and probably before) and still going strong!
The support act were a local ’80s tribute band called The Breakfast Club. They played a lot of the most well-known pop hits of the decade, which went down very well with the dreaded ‘I’m wearing an ’80s costume’ crowd (those people are an absolute scourge – I see them at every gig now!). It got a good atmosphere going, and I might go see them again if they come across to Newcastle and I fancy a cheesy ’80s night out.
Their setlist included two Duran Duran tracks, and I’m still not sure whether to be pleased as a Duranie or annoyed as a setlist purist who was always taught when learning to DJ that you should never repeat artists within a set!
We hadn’t been organised enough to bring lunch, so we scraped enough change together for a couple of portions of chips from one of the food stalls. I need to remember to take some snacks with us next time we go to one of these things.
Nick Heyward was on next, performing a very well-balanced set of two big hits (‘Love Plus One’ and ‘Take That Situation’), followed by a bunch of stuff you’d have to be a fan of his to know, followed by another two big hits at the end (‘Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)’ and ‘Fantastic Day’). I really enjoyed this set, largely because the people in front of us weren’t standing up to dance during the middle bit so I could actually see! I’m not familiar with his catalogue other than the ’80s hits, but they were all very nice tunes and I’ll have to look into them some more.
Midge Ure finished the day with his usual hit-laden set – highlights for me included ‘Vienna’, ‘Fade To Grey’, ‘If I Was’, and an epic crowd singalong to ‘Dancing With Tears In My Eyes’. It was a slightly rockier performance than when he was playing with Electronica in November (Geth dubbed it ‘if Ultravox had been prog’), but I enjoyed it just as much.
Already hoping that there’ll be some exciting choices of artists for next year’s Bents Park gigs – it’s always a good day out when the weather holds!
One job application (for a magazine copy-editing position) and four submissions (for my working-on-it-since-2011 pirate novel) sent out today! I’m glad that’s the last of the batch done and I can start concentrating on getting some other projects finished at long last.
No New Hits Friday post today because…there weren’t any new hits in the chart, which is unusual.
Still appreciating having the internet back. Lots of listening to music this evening as a result!
OOTD: back in the garden on a rare non-damp day. T-shirt Stella Stanley for Beauty Of Gemina (2014), jeans Vivid (2018), trainers Reebok (2013).
Today’s earworm playlist:
Sigala and Becky Hill – Wish You Well Duran Duran – Ordinary World Duran Duran – Secret Oktober Duran Duran – Electric Barbarella Howard Jones – Things Can Only Get Better Peter Hames – Ordinary Man
I know I shouldn’t wish my life away, but today is the day I always start to get excited about autumn, my favourite season of the year.
It’s the first of August – just a month away from meteorological autumn – and while I know most people are still enjoying the summer (I’m not sure how, given that after last week’s brief heatwave the weather has since returned to a constant cool, grey dampness that means Geth can’t mow the lawn), I’m already dreaming of darker evenings and Hallowe’en chocolate and getting my ’80s jumper collection out again.
The BBC are starting to announce the first few Strictly contestants, and I’m stepping up my training for the Great North Run, and I’m already busy planning out my writing for all the fiction and poetry competitions I’m going to be entering from September to November. I’ve got a lot of gigs lined up for that period as well – it’s going to be a really great autumn this year!
In the meantime, I’ve got one last summer trip away to enjoy this month. It is Shetland, though, so I’m not hopeful for the weather (last time I was there, it rained the whole time).
A nice normal Thursday today now that we’ve got the internet back – Geth and I went to the earlier Slimming World group today so that we could be in when the new router arrived, and we’ve got boardgaming guests coming round this evening for more adventures in the Lord of the Rings universe.
OOTD: weigh-in top with added cosy hoodie due to the cooler weather. Glasses Emporio Armani (2017), hoodie Gildan for Resistanz (2016), vest top Primark (2018).
Today’s earworm playlist:
Haim Saban and Shuki Levy – The Mysterious Cities Of Gold Main Theme Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill A-ha – Take On Me Andy Taylor – Broken Window Lizzo – Truth Hurts Gunship – Dark All Day
