All creatures, great and small

So, I was walking along the road by my office en route to the post office during lunch yesterday, minding my own business, listening to Sergio Mendes on my trusty ipod, enjoying the searing heat although being slightly annoyed coz I had a black top on (bad fashion choice in such temperatures!), I walked past the lifeguard station and admired the bronzed bodies clad in their yellow t-shirts and tight red shorts...mmmm.... not really, they're all old men! ANYHOOP where was I? Oh yeh, so I walked past the lifeguard station (Very Baywatch - but this IS New Brighton!) and almost trod on the cutest little snail!!! I managed to avoid him and walked on, when I was struck with the thought 'what if someone else treads on him, I should move him' and then I thought 'Ok, if he's still there when I get back I'll move him' and then I thought how bad I would feel if I came back and he's been squashed and I could have done something about it. At this point, I kid you not, my eyes filled with tears at the thought of the snail being squashed, such was my sense of responsibility!

Obviously, by the time I had thought all this (bearing in mind it was so hot and one's brain thinks slower in the heat!!) I'd practically got to the Post Office! Yet, I was sooooooo convicted about this snail and worried about him I turned around and walked all the way back to where he was, picked him up, had a little chat with him and then placed him safely on a garden wall in the shade where there were plants and greenery so he would be ok. Then I had to go all the way back to the blinkin' Post Office. And THEN on the way back, I walked past my snail again and he was still sitting on the wall but had slithered (?) crawled (?) into a more shady bit so he wouldn't cook in the heat!

Clever snail, and a nice little lunch time adventure, allbeit with a slightly unnecessary overly emotional response!!

Right, I'm off to that London for the weekend, ciao bellas xxxxx

Introducing......

ABBI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(she's the one with the luscious locks NOT holding a can of Foster's...other lager brands are available...)

I thought it was high time I blogged about 10 reasons why I love Abbi, simply because she happens to be one of the world's best kept secrets. For those of you lucky enough to know or have met her, you are blessed indeed. And for those of you who haven't...read on. So here it is, 10 reasons why I *heart* Abbi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#1 - She was the chief co-conspirator and author of the now infamous 'Year of Naughtiness'!

#2 - We have been through thick and thin together - climbing mountains, the American summer, JT's chunky legs and death-defying LURVE, puking on planes, being drunk as Lords, arguments, fallings out, petty jealousies, makings up, streaking of hair with bleach, me trashing her room simply because it was too tidy, the list is endless...and yet in spite of all this, and actually now that I think about it because of all of this, we have a tried and tested, truly beautiful friendship that has stood the test of time and will last a lifetime. Like any relationship we have to work at it and sometimes we're pants at it BUT deep down, the love is there.

#3 - Abbi is truly the epitome of 'nice'. Now, some people think that word is crap, but to me it describes Abbi perfectly. Don't think this gal's all wet blanket - no siree. She's NICE. She listens to me and makes me feel super-important. She remembers little details that make you feel a million dollars. She has a way of offering a straight-down-the-line challenge in the nicest possible way that leaves you feeling loved and yet ass-whupped!

#4 - Her alter ego is named Bella. Mine is Liberty, and together with Heidi we've had many adventures. Tenereefee has been a particular favourite of mine...remember the Dog Poo Dessert Abbers??!!

#5 - She is really 'of another time' - specifically Jane Austen times where life was all 'Country Living' Magazine and serene, blissful and perfect. Her romantic soul sometimes gets naffed off in real life, but underneath she truly is all about dresses and ringlets.

#6 - She smoked 'Apple Tea' through a bong in Prague and still insists it was nothing dodgy. 'Nuff said.

#7 - She has a hardcore work ethic. She understands what it means to work your ass off and play damn hard too. All on the same day. Whilst wearing high heels. On cobblestones. Together, she and I single-handedly mounted a 400 strong children's Parade from St. George's Hall in Liverpool through the city to the steps of the Museum. All 400 kids were dressed as creatures made from recycled garbage. It was the 1st Annual GLitter Fesitval whereupon Liverpool sparkled. Straight after that we had a quick change Superman stylee, (not in a phone box, although very nearly almost!), and went straight to a Sugababes gig @ the Royal Court and from there to the post-GLitter wrap party, complete with 10 foot Trannys on stilts. Nice. It was a FABBALUS day and one in which we crammed an entire month's social calendar into 24 hours.

#8 - When she was little she thought when a congregation collectively said 'Thanks be to God' after a reading had been done, that they were actually saying, 'Thanks Peter God'. Now I cannot say those words in church without thinking of mini Abbi thinking God's first name was Peter!

#9 - On holiday we both had a different bikini for each day we were there, hence the now infamous 'bikini of the day' photographs! AND Abbi managed to tan the letter 'S' on her stomach.

#10 - She is destined to go so far in life and be so happy. And sometimes she doesn't know this and it's hard. BUT one day she will look back on the tough times and be all 'OMG all my dreams HAVE come true' and there will be MUCHo rejoicing.

And that's Abbi....I could actually keep going to about 100 things I love about her...but this will suffice for now. She is SIMPLY AMAZING.

Thought it was about time....

...I updated this blog. Don't really have anything to say though which is something of a problem. Would hate to be accused of blogging just for the sake of it. That would, in effect, be tantamount to spamming one's own blog!

I have mostly been a bookworm of late. Over the past 3 weeks I have read:
- Mum's at home - can't remember author
- If I were you - Julia Llewelyn
- Lifeguard - James Patterson
- Psychopath - Keith Ablow
- Fourth of July - James Patterson
- Second Chance - James Patterson
- Blindsighted - Karin Slaughter
- No place like home - Mary Higgins Clarke
- Honeymoon - James Patterson
- The Society - Michael somebody or other
- We need to talk about Kevin - Lionel Shriver

Frankly it's a wonder I get anything done! My most favouritest have been We need to talk about kevin, an epistolary novel about a mother writing to her estranged husband after their son kills 7 of his classmates. Very Clever, won the Orange award. AND No place like home which was a thriller. I seem to be in the missle of a 'murder and mayhem' read-a-thon, but I balance it out with a nice chick-lit easyread.

I like the thrillers but, like my mother, I invariably spot whodunnit very early on and ruin it for myself.

Maybes Lizzie should write a book...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

GOD BLESS 3 for 2 book offers! WOOT WOOT!

Is blogging over?

Well, is it??!!

Scally chunes

Rant: What is it with kids on their way to school playing the most obNOXIOUS 'music' aloud on their mp3 player phones. Gah, it's AWFUL! It ruins my trip to the seaside each morning where my office is. Boo to scally kids and their chuffing mp3 player phones. Who wants to hear that in the morning? Even in the glorious sunshine I am STILL not a morning person. No siree bob.

Tra luvs xxx