15 minutes till 24

Canada is great. Having cable in Canada is better. Getting to watch 24 before the peeps at home makes me feel special and privileged, as well I should for braving temperatures below -20 Celsius just to teach some Quebeckers how to speak properly...

Passing my time in one of my most favourite ways - no, not dying my hair - reading style blogs, I come across many many people bemoaning the prevalence of Uggs. My favourite part about the one linked to there is that it points out the shuffly nature of Ugg-wearers. If I was to do a Monday Rage List (Artur Boruc stylee @Miss Duck (oh the internets)) it would go something like this...

I REALLY HATE PEOPLE WHO DON'T PICK THEIR FEET UP!!!!!!!!!! YOU LOOK STUPID AND YOU DESERVE TO FALL OVER ON ICE!!!!!!!! AND BE IN PAAAAAIN!!!!! YOU LOOK ESPECIALLY STUPID BECAUSE YOU'RE WEARING YOUR MORONIC UGG BOOTS!!!!!!!! YOU NEED TO BE DROP KICKED INTO ALDO/OFFICE/RUSSELL&BROMLEY!!!!!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!! PEOPLE AREN'T TRYING TO BE WITTY WHEN THEY SAY YOUR BOOTS ARE UGGLY!!!!!!!!! THEY'RE TRYING TO HELP BUT YOU'RE SO BLINDED BY SHEEPSKIN YOU WOULDN'T KNOW!!!!!!!! SHEEP SHOULD EAT YOUR FACE!!!!!!

Also I forgot to say: I'm going to the 2010 Montreal GP. But Kimi won't be there. MS will. I'm still not over Kimi not getting a championship when he was at McLaren (I WILL CRUSH RON'S FACE WITH STOMPY STOMPY BOOTS!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!)

That was far too geeky. 24!

Lindy ate my life

Friday night went to Leeds for Lindy Fridays Stays Up Late - we lindy hopped until 1am - there were only about eight of us left by the end including some of the best leaders. Hurrah! Got home sometime after 2am.

Saturday King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys played the Foundry, supported by my beloved Carmen Ghia and the Hot Rods. It isn't that I stalk them, they offer up the information freely. I got to see my friend Tom who I'd not really seen since before Christmas. Carmen Ghia, swing music, dancing, good friends, alcohol - it was a lot to take. Then headed t'pub to see Mike's DJ set and meet up with some other people. Got home sometime around 2am.

Sunday went to see Pockets Filled With Matches at The Grapes and got to talk to the lead singer, Elie, and that made me feel cool. There's just something about these stylish female lead singers. Le sigh. She's like an angsty punk Joni Mitchell. It's amazing.

Tuesday, after Swing Dance, headed down to the Old House for a speakeasy - live music from the Dizzy Club. Dressed up flapper style and flapped at some people I don't know very well. Also discovered someone I'd briefly met before likes Kimi and doesn't like Lewis (for all the same reasons I hate him - hoo-bloody-rah!).

T'was Lindy tonight. Sadly Mike'll not be there for a while as he's been given a DJ slot in town on a Wednesday night and is keen to persue it as he's just starting out. Damn good though.

I'm not giving anything up for Lent. The only thing that really would mean something is Lindy and I need to get as much of that in as possible.

Ella says that music is her boyfriend. Dancing is mine but I'm cheating on it with shoes.

In these shoes?

It feels like something that may have happened some months ago but it was only yesterday that I met my Mum and sister and went to the Clothes Show Live.

Talking to Mum today we worked out that so far in 2008 I've seen my parents for less than 3 weeks. That's less than a short uni holiday. We predict that this trend is likely to continue as I grow up more.

With any luck I'll be running off to Quebec some time in August (2009) until sometime in June (2010) - best part of ten months.

Anyway, yes, the Clothes Show was on tv when I was little and I loved it. Mum always wanted to take me and my sister and has been waiting for us to be old enough.

I feel that I was pretty cunning about the shopping element of it: I got two items that I'd seen in town but couldn't justify at that price and managed to get them for considerably less. I got a pair of shoes that fitted a description I had in my head but didn't know existed for less than expected. Also they are Irregular Choice - a brand I've lusted over for some time. I got a handmade prototype one-of-a-kind top that just happened to be my size and my colour (has a bit of Westwood feel about it).

We saw the main show (from afar) introduced by Dave Berry and Alex Pettyfer, featuring the Saturdays (wearing two-tone tights). The models were accompanied by dancers including a bit to a big band version of Wonderwall - it totally worked.

There was another, smaller, show pretty much just with models but you could get a lot closer which was good as the clothes were the main event there. It featured Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, Gareth Pugh, Giles Deacon and some I've forgotten.

I walked home from the station. It was a really good end to the day - a woman outside Vodka Revolution wearing black with gold hotpants and a gold headband was firespinning - I didn't see a hat for collecting money but didn't get close enough to check. When I got to the Co-op I nipped in for Camomile tea thinking that I wanted it enough to pay 79p for 20 bags and then the label said £1.19! Fortunately when the girl bleeped it it said 79p and then we discussed the 50 pence piece I gave her. It had a soldier carrying another - I already had one like it in my small connection of coins with interesting pictures on.

Pretty darned excited at the prospect of wearing my new shoes tomorrow and SWING DANCE! It has been like nine days since I last did it. I'm gasping for a dance. Err?

Also feeling somewhat more smug about Christmas now that I've spent some money on other people (even if it hasn't been dispatched yet). At least I know what I'm doing. Well, not entirely. Don't know about housemates at all. Previously we did Secret Santa but it is different this year as there are very old and very new friendships within the house - don't know half of them at all well enough. I'll make cards. Soon. Yes.

www.cbcradio.ca/radio2 - Drive with Rich Terfry. Yes. It is keeping me up because I don't want to miss any but I know I need to sleep. Poetry on the radio.

Talking of radio, listened to Peach's show today. Started off very well but did go a bit downhill when they started sorting out their social life. Hello, audience *waves*!

Ten days left to get sorted before I go home for Christmas. It doesn't feel like long but I like the pressure.