Chinese

I spent my evening with steven, karl and phil.
We took on the all you can eat buffet at dragons and lost.
I did not eat £12 worth of food.
I will try harder next time.

Priory marina & rainbows with Tats

Training & roller skate improvement

Today I went to training in Bedford,which was ace.
It was a good work out and awesome to catch up with everyone.
Fizz helped me to change my wheels, bearings and toe stops. Fingers crossed it helps with my lap time!
15.30 seconds.
It needs to.be under 12, but not awful considering how long i've been out injured.

Roller derby

I spent this evening managing the penalty box at a mixed co-ed scrim in Wiltshire.
A fine way to spend a friday night!

Surprise!

Today I had a present from my parents trip to Bruges over new years.
I have no idea where they found these, but I love them!
Kitch demonic reindeer!
It's a shame it's a year until Christmas!

Frozen Camden lock

As we were walking back to the station from the gig we saw that the ricer was frozen!
I've never seen a body of water so big freeze before- obviously it was only the edges, not all over but still really impressive!
It's cold outside tonight!

Not the north at the fiddlers elbow, Camden

You'll never guess where I am...

Wrestling

We went to the meca to see the wrestling because Traffs match was cancelled due to a licencing issue.
If he can't play wrestling he likes to watch it and pick up ideas.
The guy he's wrestling on Sunday wrestled at the meca so it's helped him with his match planning and the main event was kenny omega vs tiger ali. Tiger is in the wwe british champs so we saw him in.Blackpool. he's really good. Plays a good baddie!
And, we got to have pizza.

Roller derby

I.spent 6 hours of today on an.NSO course to.learn some of the positions I haven't yet done.
The only one that still scares me is score board keeper!
Eek!

The curtains

I know I said i'd post a picture of my new years day curtains.
It's only taken me 18 days!

I'm pretty proud of these!

The Outsiders Fan fiction

OK, I'm pretty picky (It transpires as this is my first foray into reading this stuff) I realise that my interest is almost entirely sequels, prequels and back story. I have honestly read more than 100 fan fiction stories now.
Some I finish because I've started them, but most I read a few chapters and give up. The charters aren't right, or it's too dramatic (The outsiders is pretty understated, you're left to do most of the imagining) or the relationships between the characters aren't right. Poor Steve gets a lot of shit in fan fiction. I couldn't imagine hating an imaginary charter so much- especially when he's not the bad guy! Some fan fiction is really out there.. Aliens, hover bikes, ghosts, male on male pregnancy.. so odd..

Anyway, from my 3 weeks of reading I have found a few stories that are worth the read, and actually would be good in their own right too.

I will add to this as I find more. (Theres 6 months until the next black butler, a few months until the black butler move and 6 months before the next Natsume's book of friends book is out and the new season just finished on Japanese TV.. so a few more months to wait there. This has taken over as my main source of reading and amusement).

I started by reading some interviews with S E Hinton, where she admitted to writing a number of fan fiction stories, but only from Darry's point of view "The older I got the more he resonated with me".

She didn't disclose her username or the site names, but she did discuss some other fan fiction that she personally thought was brilliant... So that was my starting point. She said in the interview that the top link- the christmas one "captured her characters perfectly" and that she "Couldn't have written better" so, this was where I started reading:

The Christmas after the book is set:
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6659373/1/So-this-is-Christmas

Ponyboy turns 21 (I relate to this so much more than her version- which I posted about before, I can't believe she'd kill off soda pop!) I can get on board with this one and it addresses some of the questions you're left with at the end of the book too, so it's cleverly written. It's pretty true to the times as well, whoever write it knows their history!
This one is current and looks like it will be updated.
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11967227/1/Dreams-of-the-Living-Dead

What would happen if Dallas never came to Tulsa?
Dallas is my favourite character in the outsiders. He's just so tuff. I love how his character progresses through the book and you're given a little bit more about him every chapter. Bless him, he's not just some cold, unfeeling hood. I still want to know how he bends up in Tulsa from New york. This kind of talks a bit about it but it's not enough!
http://ficwad.com/story/100520

Alternative ending: What would happen if Johnny wasn't the one who stabbed the Soc?
Usually I don't go in for this stuff.
It's a bit too self indulgent, but it's well written and it gives a platform to explore some of the characters a bit more so why not? I don't usually go in for the input of a higher power but it's entertained me whilst I've been sick, so I'll let it have a place on the list.
This one is also current and looks like it may be updated.
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12080261/1/Changing-Places

I also really like the movie. it's pretty sympathetic to the books and really well cast (All before they got properly famous but keep an eye out! it's on show box)

And an addition already!

Soda and Dally drop out of school:

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12325246/1/dividing-by-zero

I'm still looking- This one is 110% worthy of the list, It's an alternate reality- What if Pony was sent away by the state before anything else could happen, only, it made things far, far worse?

This is well written and current- Still being updated.

Write faster! I need to know what happens!

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12409013/1/

Blackpool day 2

Blackpool is only 3 and a half hours from our house- front door to seafront. Thats the distance I used to drive from Bedford to Cardiff twice a month. It's an OK drive too.

We wanted to spend a bit of time taking in the sights before heading home. In honesty, this was an error. Saturdays weather was cold but bright. Sundays was stormy and freezing cold (As Traff is illustrating in this beautiful photograph).

We walked along the seafront but everything was closed.

Piers

pleasure beach

arcades

rides

shops

pubs

you name it, it doesn't open in Blackpool in January.

Blackpool day 1

Traff took me up to Blackpool to watch the wresting- WWE British Championship wresting, the very one I'm sure you all watched on your TV sets over the weekend! (Kidding, it was only on the WWE network).

We went because he knows a few of the guys who were wrestling, some he's done shows with and others have trained with him at HOPE. we thought it'd be nice to show some support and see our mates doing well.

He booked us a hotel too, The Wilton, right on the seafront. The hotel was pretty nice actually and there was a full english included. The room was a bit pokey though, I sweat the shower room much have been the wardrobe at some point, Caravan bathrooms are bigger!

I've always wanted to go to blackpool to see the illuminations, Traff was so pleased with himself as he was excited that I was excited to see them.

The got turned off the weekend before!

Gutted! Well, not really gutted, as we can go back.

We had dinner in Coral Bay arcade which has a pirate ride monorail. I made traff ride it with me because we missed the illuminations. Then we went to Las Iguanas for Churros and duce du leche, rum coffee and then to the wrestling where we drank tia maria and coke! So classy.

Wrestling

It snowed!

The outsiders

I'm crazy about this book!

I took the copy Ray and I share (we were given it as children) on holiday to read on the plane.
When we got back I ordered my own copy and the film (which I didn't realize existed) from Amazon.

My new book has bigger font, so the page layout is different. It was weird actually reading it with emphasis in different places (because I guess the top of the page always has more of your attention than the last line).

Then there was an interview with Hinton last week.
The book was first published in 1967 (she wrote it in high school) so they were asking her about it's appeal.
Apparently there is more fan fiction written about the outsiders than any other book!
I did check some of that out on the internet and by god the inner workings of some people's minds scare me!

I came across a bit of another interview she did in 2006.
I guess everyone wants either a prequel or a sequel or both. She said she won't write either.

When asked what she thought happened to the characters, her answer was incredibly real for 1960s Americans living in.poverty:

Soda and steve join the army and fight in Vietnam. Soda is killed one week before his 19th birthday (that is only 2 years after the book is set!) Steve returns a heroin addict, has a string of failed marriages and eventually gets clean and works as a drugs support worker.
Ponyboy becomes a writes,but doesn't remain in America.
Darry owns is own extremely successful roofing company.

...no predicted future for two bit though.

I was surprised that she would let soda die, but she's a realist and that's what makes her writing so great. It's in keeping with his reckless impulsive character.

I always thought i'd love a sequel. But not like that! Those characters have suffered enough! I want a happy sequel where things finally work out a bit better!
I'd also really love to read the back story of Dallas (or two bit). I looked on some of the fan fiction sites but they were weird.
You know when you come away from something wondering if you both read the same book?
I could do a better job than that! Maybe I will try when I get the chance...

New plates

Today I went to paper chase to buy traff and I new lunchboxes. Mine because I seem to have a bazillion boxes at the moment and wanted to simplify, Traffs because his got nicked in the car.

I also got some new,black, flat work boots so that repeat injury is impossible!

I walked back through the farmers market, theres a guy there who runs vineyard pottery studios. Every week he has beautiful things that I can't afford. So I do some window shopping.

Today he was selling reject plates for £2.50 each.
He did me a deal, 4 plates, 4 side plates and 2 egg cups for £17.

Now I have a started collection I can just add bits every now and then.

Kitchen art!

Sushi 🍣

Well, the good news is that the rice cooker is easy to use!
It's incredible.
Tats put me on to it,most Japanese households have a rice cooker because it's quicker and you can't mess it up. Bung it on, leave it, ping, done.

Sushi rice is quite tricky to do in a pan, and I want to make more of my own sushi- and sticky rice balls etc so this investment was required to help me keep my healthy eating and more vegetables resolution.

First go, and it's a success. I have enough sushi to get to Wednesday for lunches... and I ate one roll and a fair bit of rice.
It's easy enough that I could do this every few days so that's a win.

Did smell a bit like melty plastic though.
Maybe that'll go with time.

Panto

Our family tradition: go to the panto every January.
It's always hilarious.

I actually think it's better as an adult. Soo much seaside postcard humour that goes over the kids heads.

Lunch with the uni girls 🍱

On Saturday I met Sah, Em, Steph, steph's mum, ceri and Amanda for lunch in Canton.
As with all things new year this was traff and I's first major cock up with car sharing. I thought I had the car, as did he. He had a wrestling show in Leicester so I got the train (and the short straw).

My train was delayed by an hour, so I was late for lunch (Amanda managed to push the time back for our table so that was lucky!) I almost didn't go, as I knew my being so late was putting everyone out but i'm really glad I did in the end.

Sah picked me up and we met Em in chapter, which was a blast from the past!

We met everyone else at happy gathering. It's weird because we see eachother maybe 2 or 3 times a year but it never feels like any time has passed.
It was ace to catch up and hear everyone's news!

The untimely end of my running resolution

Yesterday was a very bad day:
I was driving to work, there were parked cars on the other side of the road and it was my right of way. Some twat going too fast decides to try and get between me and the parked cars. He clipped my wing mirror and folded it in. So I.left it. Whatever. He followed me, blocked me into someones drive and shouted at me for 5 minutes. I got the car out and he followed me to work! Reported it to the police.
He got slapped wrists and a community order.

So, already stressed out and feeling rubbish with my mind elsewhere, I was walking to a meeting and slipped on some ice. I went down the hill on my knee, destroyed my trousers and lorna the technician put a plaster on my cut up.knee to stop it bleeding everywhere.

I didn't realize until I went to my first pt session after work and put my trainers on that i'd cut up my foot too.

So now I can only wear my ugly work shoes and no tights.
And i'd look pretty stupid going for a run in my work shoes.

Fingers crossed for fast healing so that I can get back to it!
And for a better day today.

Curtain saga

I have had a very productive new years day.
I did chores, sorted stuff for work, collected Ray and watched 'the outsiders' film.
I also finally made the curtains for our bedroom. Mostly motivated by jet lag, as any light wakes me up so the more that can be blocked out the better!

Making curtains genuinely took me about 3 hours (I know. Cut the fabric in half, hem both ends, attach curtain tape. Done).
If I wasn't so time confused and ditzy today (jet lag! Arrgghh) I would probably have done it in 20 minutes.

So. Done.

The return for my hard work is that we can only find 3 curtain hooks.
So we can't actually use my makings.

#fail.