December 2009 – Page 4

3BT – cool blue, crumbs, joining the Parade

1) The doorbell rings and it’s the smiling postman with a long awaited eBay purchase – a 50 year old big blue enamel bowl. I’d bought it intending for it to be a planter but it’s so pretty in the flesh that I want to use it for something grander. It’s delightfully cool to the touch.

2) The toast atomises with each delicious bite.

3) The Gillroyd Parade hosts another fine evening of entertainment at the Packhorse in Leeds. The crowd is smaller than usual but kind, the music beautifully lilting and the lyrics clever but fun.

Last week’s Tweets (up to 2009-12-13)

13/12/2009 / louisa / 0 Comments

thinks this is a rather lacklustre posting for her 2000th tweet but not really accomplishing a lot today. sigh. #
is having a slightly surreal evening in bingley. #
has itchy eyes this morning. Uncomfortable. #
@tim_waters ooh, such luxuries. where is said house? in reply to tim_waters #
is so tired she's having to use cats and cushions to prop herself up on the sofa. Being sung to sleep by Mr Nick Cave. #
is stuck in bingley again. Lost my scarf, having to wait nearly an hour for the bus and the bus stop is full of teenage boys' gob. Unple … #
does not like to hear loud warning beeps followed by the bus driver saying 'shit' several times. #
"delicious mini cakes … perfect for sharing". pff. sharing is for losers. #
@Kate_McP the market maybe? in reply to Kate_McP #
is really very sleepy. we definitely need a futon at the office. #
has been like a worried parent today – it's been LAMDA exam day for the drama group kids: I hope everyone (but my set especially!) did well! #
is now suddenly full of cold. bah. #
is ill and bored. Feeling nostalgic for World of Warcraft, fancy an afternoon of mindless gameplay but will have to settle for Fable II. #
@thattommyhall hey, you enjoy moscow? got a sleeper carriage or are you just in seats? has anything frozen and fallen off either of you yet? in reply to thattommyhall #
is zapped after just a couple of hours cleaning at the old house – too ill for hard work really but it was good to get started on it. #
has been shivering for 3.5hrs now despite spending the last hour under a blanket, covered in cats, with a stove blazing. Why aren't I warm? #
got distracted by cute cats and missed out on winning the @Folksy Sue Ryder button dog auction, boo. Won another one though. Hurrah. #

3BT – next year, jokes, chilled

13/12/2009 / louisa / 0 Comments

Felt awful again this morning but starting to feel more human again now. Just in time for Monday and work. Two weekends in a row lost to Team Peach illness now, boo.

1) After a day of health-promoting rest, I have a long soak in the bath. I find myself thinking about what herbs and vegetables I’d like to grow around the garden and house next year. We’ll still be limited by sunlight to some degree but not as much as before. The possibilities are exciting.

2) Carla stays at my side for most of my time in the bath and as I’m just about to get out, she moves from her safe, comfortable spot on the steps to the side of the bath itself. Her tail is looped around her side and starts aloft, but gradually drops down until it’s skimming the water – then suddenly, completely submerged. I don’t say anything because I think it will be funny for her to get a wet tail but the joke is on me – as soon as she notices, she flicks it upright – showering me in the face with all the absorbed water. I laugh and wonder if cats have enough planning capability for practical jokes.

3) Chilled by winter, water fresh from the tap is the perfect temperature for soothing a still raw throat.

3BT – surprises

12/12/2009 / louisa / 0 Comments

Still ill. Boo. So just two again.

1) I unwrap the foil from around the takeaway-cafe sandwich and am pleasantly surprised by the quality of the bread. The tea is hot and sweet.

2) Hidden out of the way on the first floor, we spot a set of vintage Kilncraft Bacchus crockery. We already have most of the set – my mum started our collection with the set my family used when I was small – but we’d like more small plates and bowls. The man says it’s not for sale, they rent out things on the first floor to TV and film production companies, and we’re disappointed but relieved because we thought from there, from a salvage yard that calls itself an antique shop, it would be too expensive for our tastes. Afterwards, we find three saucers and two bowls in a super-cheap charity shop around the corner.

3BT – yellow, Leeds, ill

10/12/2009 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. The vivid turmeric in the curry turns their lips yellow and we laugh.

2. A combination of a large lunch and a warm office make me feel incredibly sleepy by mid-afternoon so I decide to go for a walk around the playing field at the front of the office to wake myself up. After I complete the first side of the rectangle, I turn to find a view of Leeds I’ve never seen before, glorious in the dying light. The buildings on the hill to the north of the city centre – the university’s Parkinson building, the churches and the rust tower – are most prominent but the sea of new tower blocks to the east are visible too. As I become more distanced from Leeds, I can see how much it’s grown and transformed during my time there.

3. It turns out my mid-afternoon sleepiness is also because I’m getting ill – I started to feel rough in the office but during the journey home, it fully blooms. It’s John’s cold from last weekend so now it’s his turn to look after me. In the evening, we eat soup and watch cartoons. The momentary relief after a sneeze or sinus shift is heavenly.

3BT – a riddler, the magic hour, backstage

9/12/2009 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. My feed reader empty for a change, I’m at a loss for something to read while I drink my post-lunch tea. I stumble upon an audio slideshow about a riddler on the Guardian’s website. The style of the narration grates at times but the pictures and process are fascinating. My tea goes cold as I watch.

2. Naked trees stand silhouetted against the still bright sky. Two plump-breasted birds converse.

3. I wait in the dark backstage for the girls to finish their piece. It’s only a rehearsal but I don’t have to be anywhere else so I wait. The light of distant illuminations dances on the obscured glass windows – red, blue, yellow and white sharp against the black night.

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MonthDecember 2009