Space - The Final Frontier (apparently)!

How cool is Richard Branson??!! His new Virgin Galactic endeavour has opened up space tourism and given ordinary bods (with £100k) the chance to fly into a sub-orbit around the earth. Cheap compared to the £10m such a leisure trip will currently cost you. Cooooolllllllllllllllllllllllllll.

Alternatively, you could use your Airmiles. G - I reckon you'd have enough.

I just love Dickie's entrepreneurial spirit. How I would love to be like him. Come on brain, think of great money-making business idea. Hmmmm......[sound of my brain chugging]

Anyone know a good chiropractor? A couple of vertebrae in my lower spine really hurt when I reach down to the right. Thank goodness watching Grey's Anatomy requires no such movement. Saw it again last night - the quintuplets episode. I really don't like Derek (make your mind up you wooss) or Alex (since when did he have syphilis??). The female doctors are all great! So proud of my good friend H who is a 'real' doctor.

It Made Me Ball

It's been an emotional Ryder Cup weekend. We (I mean Europe, of course) won - hurrah! We played some great golf - too many great individual and team performances to mention. We stuffed the Americans. But, most of all, it was the presence of Darren Clarke, just six weeks after his wife died of breast cancer. His pride, passion, composure and play can only be marvelled at. The team would have been good without him but having there made them great!

I cried SO much. I laughed. Then cried some more. It makes you so proud to see such dignity, respect and support - oh no, I'm crying again!

Sob!

Just remembered this rather amusing synopsis of Robert Karlsson - focus on the 'Did you know?' section at the end. Them Swedes sure are funny!

Domestic Goddess!

Well, not exactly, but I am becoming a pretty good baker. I spent last night baking cakes, drinking tea and, finally, catching an episode of Grey's Anatomy - the Thanksgiving one. It was v relaxing. Earlier in the day I beat my PB by 50 with 1850 skips AND I didn't indulge in any cakes. How virtuous am I?!!

I have rediscovered the genius that is the 'New Scientist'. I couldn't put it down until 1am this morning. I wish I had it now; the afternoon is dragging sooooo much. Might look a tad unprofessional though hmmmmmmm.

Damn it, those cakes are looking at me. With their fluffy butter icing and sweet sweet sponge! Must resist....remember that virtuous feeling.....block them out!

Oh stuff it, I'm having one! (Imagine Homer Simpson drool face)

Did You Know?

In China they celebrate National Tomb Sweeping Day at the start of April. It's akin to spring cleaning (of the family tombs) but also honours the rebirth of nature. How nice? I wish we had public holidays like that.

Did you also know that Stephen Fry was manic-depressive? Sounds terrible but I'm kinda not surprised by the revelation. Last night's BBC2 prog was very enlightening, frightening, revealing and funny. SF spoke to other famous (and non-famous) sufferers like Robbie (again, not surprised) and Tony Slattery (who looked very very nervous or he was on uppers??). If I could choose one famous person to be my dinner party guest I would choose Stephen Fry. He is just so intelligent and witty and warm and engaging.

Must stop day-dreaming about the perfect dinner party and get back to the serious matter of eating my carrot cake mmm! With icing mmmmmmmmmmmm!!

Avoid Visible Fat

I've spent most of today debating the finer points of a low-cholesterol diet with my work colleagues, one of whom has a reading of 5.9; <5.2 I understand from my friends at Wikipedia is a healthy reading. It seems that I, and the e-Diet website, have been more helpful than the £200/hr doctor he saw yesterday who just said "don't eat red meat"! Anhyoo, it's amazing what you learn. Apparently lobster, oysters, prawns, scampi and crabs are all fairly high in cholesterol and should only be enjoyed in moderation. Arse! Some of my most loved foods relegated to the occasional nibble - boo hoo!

I watched a very thought-provoking documentary last night about a little Scottish boy who apparently lived before. It wasn't entirely convincing (not all the details were correct) but he knew things that can't just be explained away as a child's vivid imagination and watching him go back to the house he apparently lived in in his previous life was so moving. Mental note to self - must explore my own views/beliefs on this. I know I don't believe in a god of any sort but the idea of re-incarnation has always sat well in my mind. Who wouldn't want to at least dream of coming back as George Clooney's girlfriend??!!

I Didn't Know I Had Muscles There!

Ouch! How can lifting a few flat-packs around and assembling them cause so much agony? The pain in my thighs and shoulders made me virtually immobile yesterday and I hobbled around like an octogenarian. Not much improved today and the high heels I am wearing are doing me NO favours! Anyhoo, the flat is looking much swankier now the Habitat fairy has waved her magic (and painful) wand.

In other news, I have become obsessed with playing 'Dr Kawashima's Brain Training' on my Nintendo DS Lite. It's supposed to ensure a youthful brain and involves daily training to reach the best target brain age of 20. My brain is currently a rather middle-aged 31 but it was a spritely 24 last week. Could it be that working makes me more stupid? Or is it just down to tiredness and general fatigue? L's brain is 22 and there's a serious amount of cash on who reaches 20 years first. The ultra-competitive streak in me is now more of an overriding obsession. Dr K's programme also includes over 200 sudokus. G, you would love it! I'll give you a go at Crimbo.

In the real news you just won't believe this incredibly unethical story and, on a much lighter and less soul-destroying note, there's just something hilarious about being 'drunk in charge of a horse', especially if that horse is called Hendrik.

Post-Holiday Blues

Okay, so I'm depressed! I hate coming back to work after a long holiday. The huge Inbox to clear out, the once-gorgeous tan now fading, the miserable English weather. Harumph!

Holiday was wickedy wack, so much so that I fainted on the penultimate evening because I had just had TOO MUCH of a good time. A few ice-cubes, a couple of cute, attentive Spanish waiters and my man white-knighting me home sorted me out!

Our hotel room had beautiful sea views (photos to be uploaded soon) and we spent every early evening on the balcony drinking tea, eating Oreos and admiring the beautiful sunset before 'larging it' in the multitude of bars/clubs all night. My highlight would have to be The Don, Carl Cox at Space. Best club on the island, by far, banging tunes and plane-spotting all rolled neatly into one night. My lowlights would have to be the EXTORTIANATE drinks prices in all clubs - how on earth can a 250ml bottle of water be 6 Euros???? - and the occasional embarrassing Chav that we encountered.

However, Ibiza made me feel old and weary and, after three visits, we agree that we should move on to pastures new. Hence our 'spiritual journey' to Goa at the end of October!