"sometimes I spend too much time volunteering"

Last night was the premiere of The Office. I think I speak for many people when I say Jenna Fischer looked really cute.

I don't have much to say about the show, but I do want to say that TV with commercials just sucks. They are so distracting!

Ooh Pasties!

No, not pasties, pasties! Pervert.

Specifically, Cornish Pasties. This weekend is the Mineral Point Cornish Festival and Palmer, M, and I are heading out Saturday to enjoy the culture, primarily through food.

There is a Miner's buffet featuring Beef Pasty, Beef Pie with Dumplings, Beets with honey and horseradish (yum), and something called figgyhobbin, which absolutely intrigues me.

Why Cornish Fest? Well, firstly there is almost no reason to miss cultural celebrations with food, but more importantly, my youngest is a bit Cornish (indeed, his grandfather has visited the town which bears their surname - I've seen the picture), and I like the idea of learning more about that part of his background. Plus, FIGGYHOBBIN.

Mineral Point is just far enough away to seem like a drive and close enough to not feel too far away. It has a bunch of old buildings and I'm looking forward to seeing people dressed up in 'traditional' Cornish gear.

Oh what a night

So IRL I've been mired in my bio/brain nightmare and having trouble dealing with the unfeeling bureacracy at school, but on Tuesday night, I kicked up my heels, killed a few brain cells and had a great time which I only half remember.

First things first: I'm officially a big fan of Capital Breweries Oktoberfest. Tasty stuff, and at happy hour at the High Noon, 2-for-1. Secondly, not eating dinner and then drinking all night means a hangover. Nothing more to that. On the up side, not eating means less queasy stomach. It also means smelling like booze the next day, which I'm sure was fun for the moms I drove with to get to our kids' field trip. I chewed gum, but I know when I'm beat...

Thirdly, I have absolutely no idea who played (that is, what show I was supposed to be there watching). I know it was more dirge-y and emo than I could handle, so I spent a great deal of the evening outside talking loudly to strangers (hi everybody!).

And lastly, Gomeroke ROCKS.
I love it, both as a participant and and audience member.

It was fun to talk to people, say inappropriate things to strangers and new friends alike, and general party like I just didn't care. It's been a while. Of course, now I remember *why* it's been a while, because I feel sheepish for being so drunken and insane, plus I'm still tired even after a nap yesterday and a pretty good night's sleep last night.

Oh well, I wasn't driving, and I needed a kick in the pants.

I've got questions.

All I want are answers.

Suicide Prevention Week

So I've missed blogging on Suicide Prevention week - or to me more precise, NEARLY missed it.

It's Suicide Prevention week (until midnight tonight*). A fact which has kind of got me down. Maybe because I've got three of the six warning signs (four if you include the bottle of Spanish Red I'm thinking of tucking into)? I dunno.

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center is a good place for lots and lots of info on helping prevent suicides.

I know that when I was trying to get help for someone in my life who was threatening suicide it was very tough. The system is pretending to be on the side of those who need help, but honestly, is made up of individuals who can be as petty and unhelpful as any of us. So if you are in need of help, don't stop looking for it.

Sometimes we ask for help from people who are not able to give it to us, and we need to keep looking. Words to live by.

*You get Sunday off to prepare for National Singles Week, National Rehabilitation Week, National Farm Animals Awareness Week, National Pollution Prevention Week, and National Surgical Technologist Week.

Oh, hell no

I've had 12 hours sleep over three nights...

So damn tired I can't see straight.

Every time I lay my body down for just a wee bit of a nap?

Nada.

I haven't even had any coffee today, in the vain hope it will help me fall asleep.

I know alcohol is actually bad for deep sleep, but I'm seriously thinking of trying to induce sleep with some red wine...

Wish me luck.

Viva Blackpool!

I'm in the midst of watching Blackpool, which is absolutely fantastic, and it strikes me what romantics many of us are without realizing it.

On the surface, I don't think of myself as romantic at all, but some things just hit me a certain way (read: in my gut) and I think it's because of that very romantic vein inside me. I suppose it's that romance, like anything else, comes in different flavours, but passion, love, and devotion are (nearly) universal.

The series is very nice, it reminds me a bit of The Sopranos only with less swearing, fewer strippers, and musical numbers. And much less 'whacking'. And...much more endearing characters.

And David Tennant.

Appled out

Palmer and I visited an apple orchard yesterday, and I have been eating apples ever since. The orchard in Poynette has little DIY kits: Apple muffin mix, apple pie filling in a jar, and what I picked up, a caramel apple set which consists of caramel goop and some sticks. I usually just make my own caramel goop, but this set looked so easy and fuss free, I went for it.

There are no pictures, we only made a few, and then we ate a few, while we watched 'Revenge of the Sith'. I will never ever like that movie, but I will always love the General Grievous/Obi-Wan fight scene, always secretly wishing Grievous would win. I won't get myself started.

Today I think I'm going to throw a mess of apples in the slow cooker for apple sauce. We've got to get these apples eaten as Palmer has designs on returning next week for cider!