Hey There, Old Gal.

The time is 1.13AM and it has been 2014 for exactly one week. I have been 20 for 3 days. Time flies, huh. 

A lot has already happened and I'm already feeling pretty positive about the year ahead of us. 

The first week of the year is always a pretty busy one for me. Within the first day or two, my family usually bugger off back to their various corners of the country and it's back to being just me and my mumma at home which is, frankly, accompanied by a big sigh of relief. It's lovely to see the famalam but having us all together in a house that is too small to fit us is just frustrating. So then the christmas decorations are taken down. I know that mum would rather take them down on the 6th of January when the 12 days are over but unfortunately I ruined that with my oh so inconvenient birth. Whoops. She likes to have the decorations down before my birthday so that celebrations don't overlap or aren't confused or something along those lines. I'm not really sure. But they're always down which means endless trips for me up three floors and then a ladder climb into the attic. Needless to say, this is not my favourite way to bring the new year in. It's a pain in the arse.

But then it's my birthday! Yay. 

Or not.

My birthday sucks. By the 4th, everyone is poor. Everyone is hungover. Everyone is preoccupied with other things. Everyone is going back to school/college/uni. Everyone bloody well forgets! 

How they forget about the great day that gave the world me is beyond me but, they do. 

So I never really have a great birthday but hey who. It just means that I've developed that 'I don't really care about birthdays' attitude that adults have... yuch. Old before my time, I'm telling you. 

However, this year I made my way back to Bournemouth during the day and went out with some of my uni friends. It was a really good evening actually so I guess the crap birthday streak managed to end after 20 years....Yay?? 

Anyway. It's back to uni tomorrow and I have a tonne of work that I need to get done because, you know, nothing got done over the holidays. They're holidays for gods sake. Stop judging me. 

So it's 'goodbye' to Christmas Laziness and a lukewarm 'hello' to Reality. Nice to see you again, I guess. 

M x 

New Year, New Me.

One thing that really grinds my gears: people saying "New Year, New Me". 

There are a couple of reasons for this. For a start, how come someone seriously think that because the calender has flicked over to another year, they're going to mysteriously change into a better person, someone that they want to be. You can make as many new years resolutions. You can quit smoking, go to the gym, start a diet, become less sarcastic, stop biting your nails. Do what you want, but there is no way that a person is going to magically change so drastically that they will be a "new me". 

Also, if you know that there are things that you want to change about yourself, why do you need to wait until a new year to do so? It's not something I've ever really understood. Just bloody do it! Try and get over your ex now. Begin to get healthier now. Live for the moment and all that. 

But then again, I do actually quite like new years. Mainly because I love me a good firework display and there is no better display than the London new years one. I love watching it on TV and I would adore to actually be there (but that would involve waiting for bloody hours in the cold/rain/crowds so I think I'll actually stick to the TV). It also means that it's close to my birthday (4th of January. Don't forget :) ) and although it is literally the worst birthday you can ever have because a) everyone is broke b) everyone is hungover and c) everyone forgets, I quite like birthdays. Speaking of, here's a word of advice to all you people. If a friend - or anyone for that matter - has a birthday around christmas, don't get them a joint present. Seriously. The only exception if said joint present is larger than anything that you would expect for a single christmas or birthday, then don't bother. Because it's annoying. If I am going to go to the effort of buying you a birthday and christmas present, don't try to pass off a pair of socks as a 'joint' present. I don't know if it's just me who feels a piece of me die whenever I hear the words "I got you a joint present", but I'm pretty sure that it's not. Just because you're lucky enough to have a birthday not in December/early January, don't try and fob me off. I want presents!!! 

Is that bad? It feels bad. 

Anyhoo. I had a loooovely Christmas. The entire family was down and it was really nice to see everyone again. New Years was slightly less amazing, but still tip top! I hope that you all had a good'en and Santa was very kind! 

M x 

Christmas Tunes and Freedom

College broke up for Christmas today and words cannot express how happy that makes me. It's getting to the point where I really cannot stand to be in the place and the thought that I finally have some time to myself and don't have to get up at stupid 'o'clock is simply heavenly. There are so many people that I cannot stand to be around and I don't have to see them until next year!  Glorious! 

But anyhoo. This is supposed to be a cheery post full of Christmas joy and Yuletide happiness.

I really am looking forward to Christmas this year. The entire family is going to be home which consists of Mum, Dad, the sister, two brothers and the fiancée of a brother. It's all very exciting even though there will be precisely no room to move.

Here's the Ruddy household crimbo tree. 

Now, when it comes to Christmas shopping (or anything for that matter) I am rubbish. I always have so many ideas except that they never really materialise. I'm one of those people that have the very best of intentions and then never seem to get around to making them happen. Or I manage to get my Crimbo shopping done a week or two before christmas with a relieved sigh that I managed to finish it in reasonable time. But this year I have done precisely.... nothing. Not a single present has been brought or wrapped (which is the best part of Christmas shopping. I love me a good wrapping session) and I'm feeling pretty shame faced. 

Apart from the fact that I haven't brought anything, I have very limited funds to buy anything with. So I'm sorry if you're a member of my family/friend. You won't be getting anything lavish this year. 

But that doesn't matter. Christmas isn't just about the presents and one of the main things that I love about Christmas is the songs. Speaking of which, I  found an absolute gem this year from the Supereme Fabulettes with the video being directed by Boy George. Campness, scorned drag queens and christmas cheer. What more could you possibly want?! 

At my house, the musical selection at christmas isn't just your typical songs that are overly played around this time of year, I love the littler known ones. Stop the Cavalry by Jona Lewis is played and known, but I personally don't think that it's well known enough. It's such a good song and always gets me bobbing along. Jonas voice is so flat and deadpan that it just works even though it probably really really shouldn't. 

One of my all time favourite songs isn't really known at all. Hard Candy Christmas by Dolly Parton is a song from the 80s musical "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" (an incredible film, by the way. Dolly Parton running an old-timey whorehouse? Be still my beating heart) So technically it's not actually a christmas song and it's not the cheeriest of tunes, but it definitely reminds me of christmas and I only hear it at this time of year so to me, it is offically a crimbo tune. It's a slow and beautiful country ditty and Dolly sings it flawlessly. I love it. 

There really are a lack of good christmas tunes being released these days. Gone are the cheesy tunes that everyone pretends that they don't love but then belt out with the best of them. So I say down with cheap X factor covers.  Let us go back to the 80s and whack out some classic tunes that will be played in 30 years. Lets go all Wham! and have our 10's equivalent to Last Christmas.

I hope that you're all enjoying your build up to christmas! And if you're not then there really is no hope for you. Change your name to "Grinch" and go live in a mountain. 

M x