Tag: Strictly

Back in the toon

Dee Leave a comment

I travelled back to Newcastle first thing this morning (although I didn’t go to Slimming World because (a) I had a few last-minute clients with urgent deadlines today and (b) I’m really struggling with my cold today – wish it would just go away now). Have had a nice quiet day playing my ukulele and catching up with Strictly episodes!

Tomorrow will be all about staying in the house and trying to knock this thing on the head!

Concert ukulele
Not an OOTD: after a whole term of only playing my soprano ukulele (because it was the one I was using for class and I thought it was probably better to keep practising on the same one), it was nice to dig out my concert uke today. I’m hoping I’ll have a gig bag for it soon so that I can carry it around more easily!

Today’s earworm playlist:

Jennifer Rush – ‘The Power Of Love’
Coca-Cola – ‘Holidays Are Coming’
Lewis Capaldi – ‘Someone You Loved’
The White Stripes – ‘Seven Nation Army’
Gary Glitter – ‘Another Rock ‘N’ Roll Christmas’*
Kuana Torres Kahele, James Ford Murphy and Napua Greig-Nakasone – ‘Someone To Lava’

*I KNOW. You never hear it anymore (because… Gary Glitter) but it’s on the That’s Christmas compilation album from 1994, which I listen to every year when I’m doing Mum and Dad’s decorations, and it’s REALLY catchy.

A recovery day

Dee Leave a comment

I still feel pretty rotten, but having had a day on the sofa today, I think I’m just about starting to recover from my cold now. I’ll be out in the open air again tomorrow, so fingers crossed it won’t be quite as frosty as it has been recently.

On the plus side, I did get a lot of online Christmas shopping done today!

Christmas decorations
Not an OOTD: the Christmas decorations are out if not quite up yet! Bonus Strictly catchup on the TV too. I’ll get a bit of decorating done tomorrow before I head out.

Today’s earworm playlist:

Duran Duran – ‘Falling Down’
Ariana Grande – ‘Thank You Next’
The Police – ‘Don’t Stand So Close To Me’
Sailor – ‘A Glass Of Champagne’
Slade – ‘Cum On Feel The Noize’

Might be marginally distracted by the TV

Dee Leave a comment

It’s been a bit of a piecemeal day today as we had an electrician from our utilities company arriving for a scheduled visit, which meant our power was out for a couple of hours.  Still, I’ve managed to get a lot of easily-procrastinated jobs ticked off the to-do list, which is something.  I’ve also been able to catch up with Strictly this evening for the first time in a week, so I’m happy.

Tomorrow is Geth’s and my wedding anniversary.  It’s going to be a fairly busy day as we’ve got parkrun in the morning and then Geth is interviewing an author onstage at the Newcastle Book Fair, so it’ll be the evening before we get to celebrate with a nice meal!  Looking forward to it.

Strictly results show
Not an OOTD: Tess and Claudia’s expressions here sum up my anxiety while catching up with last week’s results show!

Today’s earworm playlist:

Adam Ant – ‘Puss In Boots’
Duran Duran – ‘Hungry Like The Wolf’
Jamie Madrox and Jimmy Urine – ‘Hungry Like The Wolf’*

*This is a cracking industrial cover by members of Twiztid and Mindless Self Indulgence! I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it, but I did.

A slightly sunnier Wednesday

Dee Leave a comment

More admin and housework this morning, and then I got a bit of writing done in the afternoon (including a bit of work on my NaNo – which I’m just about keeping up with!).

A good ukulele class this evening, and I’m now back on the sofa catching up with Strictly.

Hoping for another productive day tomorrow – I’ve got work to do for a client, plus a bit more writing and housework to get on with.

OOTD 13th November 2019
OOTD: the second of my new ’80s jumpers! Jumper Sunset Highway (vintage 1980s, bought at vintage fair 2019), leggings Primark (2019), boots Clarks (2016).

Today’s earworm playlist:

Tiësto and Mabel – ‘God Is A Dancer’
Starship – ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’
Whitney Houston – ‘Saving All My Love For You’
Andy Taylor – ‘Love Or Liberation’
Georgia – ‘About Work The Dancefloor’
Bronski Beat – ‘Hit That Perfect Beat’
Traditional – ‘Bonnie Ship The Diamond’
Duran Duran – ‘Hungry Like The Wolf’
Keala Settle – ‘This Is Me’
Lauv and Troye Sivan – ‘I’m So Tired’

Ever onwards

Dee Leave a comment

I felt a little bereft this morning when I finally had to put my Hallowe’en decorations away (Bonfire Night and its associated endless background bangs and flashes now being over)…but as ever, it’s a very busy time of year. I’m nearly a week into NaNoWriMo (I have no idea where that time has gone), and Geth and I have lots on over the next couple of weeks, so it’ll be December and the run-up to Christmas before we know it. Today is the first day of the year that I allow myself to think about Christmas, so we’ll be sitting down this evening and starting to make plans.

I’ve not had much time for NaNo-ing today – there’s been a bit of day job work, and I’ve still got a lot of admin to catch up with from last week. I really enjoyed ukulele class this evening though, and am now catching up with a few Strictly episodes.

Ukulele notation
Not an OOTD: we learnt another new song in ukulele class tonight! Really enjoying this term.

Today’s earworm playlist:

Squeeze – Up The Junction
Duran Duran – Hungry Like The Wolf
Jackson Browne – Rosie

Pixel hunting

Dee Leave a comment

I’ve had a good day working on my text adventure today. I’m starting to create the graphics now, which is really relaxing! I’m not really any good at drawing but I’m enjoying making my wee pixel pictures.

Now catching up with a few episodes of Strictly and am about to get my steps in with a quick walk on the treadmill.

Pixel vampire bat
Not an OOTD: it looks a bit odd as I had to take a picture of the screen (the pixel art is too small to post online!), but here’s a vampire bat I made for a minigame that takes place within the main game!

Today’s earworm playlist:

Michael Land – The Brimstone Beach Club
The Sugarhill Gang – Apache

Settling into those cosy autumn evenings!

Dee Leave a comment

It was bright but a bit cold today. It’s starting to get dark around six now, and so I am on the sofa tonight with my blanket and a marathon of Strictly episodes to catch up with. May start lighting a few candles once I get a bit more organised later this week!

I’ve mainly been getting on with admin today – it’s going to be a quiet week (as far as I know!), so I’ll have a really good opportunity to catch up with everything. I’ll also finally be able to do some more work on my text adventure game!

I will get out for a run or a walk (or both if I’m up early enough) tomorrow – much as I’d like to snuggle up in the house for the rest of the season!

Strictly: It Takes Two
Not an OOTD: all the episodes of It Takes Two on the digibox for me to watch!

Today’s earworm playlist:

Slade – Coz I Luv You
Duran Duran – White Lines
Duran Duran – Come Undone
Revo – Ship Upon The Open Skies
Traditional – The Big Ship Sails On The Ally-Ally-O
Wamdue Project – King Of My Castle
The Knack – My Sharona
Trevor Something – Miami Nights

The running begins

Dee Leave a comment

I went for a shakeout parkrun this morning, which was nice – it’s always a good atmosphere at Newcastle parkrun on GNR weekend. Felt really comfortable and absolutely ready for the race tomorrow now.

After catching up with some admin, Geth and I played a couple more missions of the Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle Earth boardgame, and I’m now settling in for an evening of Strictly and Puzzle Pirates.

I’ll update about the race tomorrow evening!

Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle Earth
Not an OOTD: gratuitous token shot for the boardgame.

Today’s earworm playlist:

Philip Bailey and Phil Collins – Easy Lover
Mike & The Mechanics – The Living Years
Duran Duran – Girl Panic!
Rizzle Kicks – Mama Do The Hump
Muse – New Born
Michael Land – Jojo The Monkey

Great North Weekend

Dee Leave a comment

I’ve spent all day doing editing work for clients and sorting out my to-do list, but I’m finally done and Great North Weekend is here! It won’t be as intense as it usually is as there’s no CityGames athletics to watch on the Quayside this year (they’ve moved the event to Stockton-on-Tees for some reason), but I’m still looking forward to a shakeout parkrun tomorrow morning, eating all the pasta (may have started already) and watching the Strictly launch show before getting an early night ready for the race on Sunday.

In the meantime, it’s another evening of escaping into my videogames. I’m finding that it’s really helping me to relax at the moment.

Tetris
Not an OOTD: Geth has found a version of Tetris on the Switch that has the best upbeat dance version of the classic theme tune. Can’t watch the screen, though, ’cause I just keep getting frustrated by his placement choices!

Today’s earworm playlist:

Michael Land – Woodtick
Arcadia – The Flame

Bouncing ahead

Dee Leave a comment

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 1st August 2019
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