QI

It’s typical that with a nice long bank holiday weekend coming up and with lots to do, I end up with a head cold. But that kicked off on Saturday and Friday was the really important day.
It’s ‘im outdoors birthday this week and as a surprise I managed to get tickets for us to watch them film BBC2’s QI. This is a programme we watch a lot, to be honest one of the only programmes that I’ll bother to watch, so to see it live was amazing. Hosted by Stephen Fry and on this occasion featuring Alan Davies, Ross Noble, Jeremy Clarkson and David Mitchell.
But not only was it 3 hours of funny discussion, it was also their 100th episode, so we all got a special badge and got to sing the programme happy birthday – not strange at all.
Most importantly I managed to keep it a surprise until we got into the queue, quite an achievement as I’ve been planning this since Jan, and ‘im outdoors really enjoyed himself. Now to start planning for next year…

A363 – Done

Today is the deadline for getting the final assignment for A363 – Advanced Creative Writing to the OU.
As I posted it on Monday I’m kinda hoping it’s there by now. I would cry if they sent it back unopened because it didn’t get there in time.
My story in the end was 22 pages long, double spaced, and called ‘Blast from the past’. I don’t think it is a bad story, although ask me that again in a couple of years and I might think differently.
To be honest right now I am just enjoying the freedom of no homework to be done and no deadlines to be aiming for. Of course I’ll be keeping myself busy – I’ve a large list of things I want to do, for instance making stuff, improving my book binding skills and maybe a bit of swimming on a Sunday morning.

But now I need to decide if I want to join another OU course. I’m quite tempted by EA300 – Children’s Literature, which includes some of my favourite children’s books as set texts – Tom’s Midnight Garden, Northern Lights, and Swallows and Amazons, amongst others. Would reading them in this sense spoil them for me or enhance them? Do I really want to write assignments about them? Do I really want to spend another 9 months studying? (and its not going to be just 9 months is it? If I do this one then I’ll want to do another 2 to finish my degree)
So many questions. Luckily ‘im outdoors is being his normal supportive self, so I know that whatever I decide, he’ll be right there with me, and checking my assignments if I need him too.

Ad Free Site

You might have noticed over the last week that I’ve added a little red icon on the right saying ‘Art not Ads’.
By showing this icon I’m stating that I am opposed to the use of corporate advertising on blogs (and to be honest in general – surly if I need something I’ll be able to find out about it without it flashing up on every webpage I visit).

So you can be sure that if I talk about something on this blog, its because I love it or have an opinion about it, not because I’ve been given any money to advertise it there.

36 Arguments for the Existence of God

This is the book the nice people at Mslexia have just sent me.
In the grand scheme of things I’m a lucky person; I have a lovely partner; we have a lovely flat plus garden; I’ve got a job that pays me well, etc etc. But when it comes to competitions etc I’m not so lucky. Not, I should hasten to add, that I’m moaning. But when I do win something it’s very unexpected and a nice treat.

Mslexia have a competition every edition of their magazine for a book of some kind. Some times it’s a work of fiction like this one, sometimes a book of poems, but I always enter as I’m always interested in writing which is new to me. Imagine my surprise when I received an email to say I’d won! To be honest I’d completely forgotten that I’d entered.
I’m looking forward to reading it, but it’s on my bedside table reading pile for now.

Fears and dreams

On Thursday night I stayed late at work as I was meeting some friends in town. Taking Keri Smith’s advice I decided to try out being a guerrilla artist.
As I didn’t have any chalk, and to be honest I’m a bit worried about someone seeing me and getting in to trouble, I decided to make up flyers and post them up in the (girls) loos at work.
It’s one of my favourite quotes/sayings and in the lead up to exam time at the university I thing it is appropriate.
I just hope it inspires someone.

Only a week left before I need to post (snail mail for this one) my final assignment for A363. I’m just over the word limit with more story to go, which is amazing as normally I find that incredibly hard to get to. 4122 words so far!
I can’t wait to finish. I’ve really enjoyed the course and learnt lots, but it has been hard work and I’ll be very glad to get my Sundays and evenings back.