But your toilets scare me.

I asked birdseyeview to write this post because I was worried about making it interesting enough. She refused, so blame her. And yes, I will know if you don't read this properly.

Fourteen of us went to NYC for four days - colleagues, friends and a spouse and son. It was a fab trip. Just long enough to feel that we'd done quite a bit but not long enough to feel that we had to fit everything in. The weather was generally perfect for sightseeing - cool and breezy and dry. It was quite hot on the Saturday but perfectly manageable.

One of our group had volunteered to share a room with Mrs X, a colleague who is known for having extreme social problems - very very needy and nervous and verbose. Guaranteed to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. I was praying I would be able to cope with her and not lose my temper/will to live. My problem is I'm scared I'm too like her. I was desperate to make sure that I wouldn't end up being with her too much, and yet I didn't want to upset her by being unsubtle about it.

Thursday:

Arrived after a seven hour flight (why was it seven hours there and five back? It makes no sense). The immigration and customs was easy and the passport guy was friendly (and cute.) We grabbed a couple of people carriers at JFK and were driven in. It's weird how things look the same and yet are so different - it's like being in bizarro world, where everything is just slightly different and yet the same. The cars are on the wrong side of the road, the driver's seat is on the wrong side, signs aren't the standard wording and design and yet it's in English and I've seen it so many times before.

We got our first view of the NYC skyline from the freeway/highway (?) - I noticed the Empire State and Chrysler in particular. We stayed in a nice little hotel in midtown (38th and Madison). Since one of our group had their son with them they took a 3-bed and I had a double to myself, with a view of the Empire State (ESB cos I can't be arsed to type it from now on). The traffic noises outside never let up, but that just meant it even sounded like NYC all night long :) Plus, I had earplugs.

After settling in and meeting in the bar (where I gave my first tip, as advised by all my american friends and the guidebooks) we broke up into smaller groups. One group went off to the ESB and the rest of us went for a walk. We ended up walking for miles through midtown, including seeing the ESB and Times Square. After a while we realised it was past midnight for us so we started to try and find somewhere to eat. We wandered up and down and across (this being NYC) but didn't manage to see anywhere we could agree on. I fancied trying a Korean place but noone else was keen. The other places we saw were either strip clubs or looked too seedy or empty (a bad sign at 8pm).

I'm ashamed to say we ended up going to the Hard Rock cafe - yes, I know, it's a chain and a tourist trap, but it was 3am for us! Mrs X made me shout at her for the first time in the trip when she criticised the waitresses grammar. To. Her. Face. Luckily it was the Hard Rock so the waitress didn't hear her and Mrs X didn't hear me when I told her to shut up.


Friday

Woke up to a misty day. I was amazed at how the clouds came right in to the heart of the city. It was quite stunning.

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island trip first thing in the morning. It was cold and grey so I gave up taking photos and just appreciated the view instead. Lots of school kids wearing neon foam Liberty tiaras.

A few of us went to Union Square for a quick drink and then on to The Players - a gentleman's club in Gramercy Park. No, not a strip club as catch22girl and shoroko first thought. Had a lovely and interesting tour from the Director, arranged through a friend of a friend, and held a real skull, used as 'Yorick' by Booth. I didn't know that John Wilkes Booth was an actor. His brother was also an actor, and so successful that when he withdrew from performing after Booth assassinated Lincoln his fans demanded his return.

Coming up! Saturday! Stay tuned!

Ziggy - after David Bowie or Sigmund Freud, I'm not sure.



Bella the Jungle kitten



Nina the vomiting psycho kitten

You remember them...the ones who gave me pot-scourers and the ugliest pair of free glasses ever seen.

This is what they cook on...



...an old gas ring from the 50s (ish) with a plastic pipe connecting it to the gas supply. Out of shot is the asbestos mat they put hot dishes on.

I feel so normal by comparison.

All her own words, or those of the doc. No commentary added.

Biggest fear - lose someone i love
most important quality - morals (in men), generosity (women), tolerance (friends)

elder of 2 sisters, she was 'supposed' be to a boy called Simon John (?)

only member of family to go to church, struggles with faith, is 'doubtridden' about a lot of things, including God

sister 2 yrs younger. good relationship

mother ill with MS from (JKR) age 10/11, diagnosed at 15. no treatment, no drugs available. died when JK was 25. (she'd been writing HP for 6 months by then.) death didnt change the plot but it got deeper and darker, avenging a creature who wants to make himself immortal.

difficult relationship with Dad - scared of him, made desperate attempts for approval. hasn't spoken to him for several years now.

HP is a giant attempt to reclaim a lost childhood

truth is always easier than lie or evasion - easier to deal & live with. wanted to see mum's dead body. dad said no. still regrets not seeing her

moved to Portugal. married. broke up when kid was 2. got clinically depressed. existed entirely on benefits 'as near to homeless as possible'. bad time. kept expecting her daughter to die. inspired 'dementors'

finishes book as she was being filmed - says some people will loathe it. but for some to love it others have to loathe it. couldn't ever match expectations of hardcore fans. people watching may right now be throwing things at the TV screen but she's very pleased with it..

loves talking to people who have read her books but hates 'stagey' events - not a natural showy person. gets uptight. feels like a prat. knows she comes off strangely on TV sometimes but thinks she is getting better :)

love is the strongest power there is. couldn't have Harry not living that at the end of the book. climbing back to normality after trauma is a massive task. would be neater ending to kill him, but a betrayal, so he did the most noble thing - came back from war and built a normal life both for family and the world.

Victoire - named because born on anniversary of final battle
charlie never married. not gay, just more interested in dragons.
percy married audrey, thinks its a v suitable name for percy's wife.
george - readers want to know if hes alright. of course he wouldnt be, he would feel that part of himself died, but he married fred's ex - angelina.
Lily's middle name is Luna
luna marries rolf. they live globetrotting and interesting lives. happy.

Reports that she has £570 million are 'bollocks' but she does have 'loads' of millions.

Is v angry about social deprivation and exclusion, especially people who have no idea what its like to live in poverty. things like crime and drugs have roots in terrible injustice - drives her to fury. Has given away millions of pounds. Started a charitable trust - mainly supports MS charities and women & children charities.

Goes back to flat in Leith where she wrote 1st book. V emotional. Cries. 'Became herself' there. It was 'back to the wall' time.

Some days seems unreal, might all disappear. Never would have known 10 years ago that she would come back there with a film crew and see her published books on someone else's bookshelf.

Life was v hard. coming back is full of ghosts. Didn't know there would be a fairytale resolution.

Now writing a political fairytale. Not in a hurry to publish, had lived with deadlines for 10 years. Wants to enjoy the sole possession of the book.

Happiest - birth of children
Biggest regret - not keeping Mum on the phone longer for their last phone call
Wants to get better
She has felt like a fraud in the past but getting better, is a born trier, loves and needs writing

Not my picture, more to see here.
The photographer's write up on the 24um.

Had a lovely weekend st the LondonExpo meeting up with old and new friends and going to 24 cast sessions. By chance my friends were staying in the same hotel (Mandis and her husband for 24umers) and so we saw quite a lot of 'Logan' and others at breakfast and dinner. My tip? When going to fan events take along a cute woman and an older man who doesn't watch the show. He will reel in the celebs by looking completely normal and un-fanlike and they will stay for the drinks and the chats with the wife. (Srsly folks, the entire population of Canadian actors seemed to be lining up to say 'Hey cutie!' to Mandis. Of course, they were just too awestruck to talk to me, Yis. ;)

Gregory Itzin was very warm and friendly, seeking out Mr Mandi at the events to chat. I met CB and chatted for a while. Soon after I left the party at midnight he bought Mr & Mrs Mandi drinks and they chatted for a long while about their respective dogs and families (pets come first people, every time.)

MLR was v nice and kept the Q&A sessions going when they flagged. Kim Raver was also great fun and v nice she and MLR seemed particularly friendly.

I asked whether Morris would be coming back and got shouted at by the whole panel for being a pirate. *is proud* They were joking. GI came and told me so at the party, and I assured him that I watch the show on TV and buy the DVDs. He just grinned and flapped his hands and said 'Oh, don't worry about it, seriously.'

I'll have photos soon I hope.

ETA: Oooh! The dalek, how could I forget the dalek! He chased me down the aisle (Call me, Dalek! You were cute!) and spent the whole day being stopped by kids wanting to pose for pics. One of my favourite memories of the weekend will be of the dalek begging photographers to get his good side, and shouting 'CHEEEEEESE! CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESE!' as he posed.

I think my cats have been watching too much 24.

I have two female kittens - Archie (thought she was a girl. She ain't) and Bella. I took them to be spayed this morning. My delightful adorable little girls turned into biting, scratching, hissing balls of vengeful fur as soon as I tried to put them in the carrier. In the end I had to separate them and put Archie in an suitcase.

I managed to get Bella in the carrier eventually but only after she drew blood on both arms and hands, including one spectacular 5 inch trail of blood and torn skin. Turns out she's got great aim. She nicked the main vein on the wrist 10 times.

Bless them.

I was scared to collect them from the vet. What if they've been plotting revenge all day and will eviscerate me as soon as I turn my back?

So, I trekked off to the vets and the nurse apologised. Bella had escaped and was terrorising the recovery room. Growling and spitting - claws fully extended and flailing. It took three people 20 minutes to catch her.

She also mentioned that they were confused as they thought Archie was a boy. Perhaps I should rename them she said.....

Suddenly it dawned on me - deadly accuracy, escaping and maiming others while still under the effects of anasthetic. My darling girl really needs to be called Nina, right?

Yes?

Archie's name could change to Bella, and Bella would be renamed Nina. Nina means graceful and beloved daughter in Arabic, and she certainly is that.

'Nina' is the all black one. 'Bella' is black and white.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4322624.stm

http://www.redcross.org/article/0,1072,0_312_4723,00.html

30,000 dead, 42,000 injured. 4 million left without shelter.

Children have been particularly badly affected.

'There were hundreds of girls and boys in classes when the earthquake struck. Many of them have died.

At the Balakot boys' school, rescuers - most of them local people - have been finding their bodies all day.

Many of them are now bloated as they decompose, the smell grows heavier in the air.

It's a terrible sight when relatives arrive and find that the distorted form before them is their son.

I watched boy after boy being pulled from the rubble of the school.

By late morning, there were 30 bodies laid out on what remained of the basketball court. Many have now been buried in a large grave dug in the school grounds.

It was the same scene at the Balakot girls' school, up the hill from the centre of town. Local people say more than 100 bodies have been brought out so far.'

From la_petite_singe

[ ] Witchcraft (does playing around in a half-assed way with a ouija board 20 years ago count? No? Oh good.
[ ] Murder (Spiders and ants don't count, right?)
[x] Having an affair (I was an adulteree, is that a word? And they were already seperated, but apparently if I were really pure I wouldn't even have thought of seeing him. *thinks of him again* *mentally squidges his bum and kisses him inappropriately in a PDA* Yum.)
[x] Pride
[x] Wanting something that belongs to someone else! (I covet my neighbours ass bigtime)
[x] Stubbornness
[x] Homosexuality (Gay) (Not that I've ever, actually, as my lesbian sister says 'got my face wet' but I'm never gonna rule it out. Better an aspiring homo than a closet homophobe)
[x] Hate
[x] Filthy Talk (And? This is wrong somehow? I don't do it in front of children, parents or neurotic lapdogs. I have standards for God's sake.)
[x] Shacking (I'm going to guess that this is 'shacking up' i.e. living in sin.)
[ ] Incest (Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. No.)
[x] Stealing (well I just stole this from la_petite_singe, and I can hardly lie about it can I?)
[x] Selfishness
[ ] Playing with the occult (How is this different from witchcraft? Less committed perhaps? Hmm?)
[x] Ignoring God (Trying to anyway. And anyone who tell you they haven't ever done that is a liar. And lying is a sin. *nods smugly*)
[x] Drunkenness
[x] Worshipping false gods
[x] Lying (see? Told you it was a sin.)
[x] Lust
[x] Hating parents
[x] Swearing
[x] Unbelief (unbelief? Is that a word now?)
[x] Envy

86.9% Not bad at all.

Watching 'Josie and the Pussycats' The first song sung by a boy band is 'Backdoor Lover'. I thought of you 0:-)