Ten on a Tuesday - 120

Chelsea's questions this week, a mixed bag as usual. 


1. Should we keep doing Ten on Tuesday?
I’m on the fence.  I don’t play along as much as I used but do like to occasionally.  What do you guys think? 


2. How do you pick out your sunglasses?
My nonprescription ones are many and varied and they’re usually just cheap ones from wherever I am when I realize I’ve left mine at home.  My prescription ones are now 4+ years old and I wouldn’t choose them again but as the prescription is still correct, I’m being tight on replacing them.


3. Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
Not always but not opposed to it. I didn’t this year.


4. Name 5 movies that you will never get sick of.
Empire Records, 10 Things I Hate About You, Beaches, Before Sunrise, Love Actually


5. Name 1 book that you will never get sick of.
I really can’t.  I’m terrible at rereading books.


6. Do you know any sign language?
Some but not as much as I use to.  We had a profoundly deaf school in my grade 6 class so we had twice weekly lessons.  Since I haven’t actively used it in the last 19 years, I remember only very little.  Besides the alphabet the only words I remember are know, love, toilet, and is.


7. What is your favorite kind of Girl Scout cookie?
n/a as they’re not a phenomenon to have reached my life but my favourite all time biscuit is the tim tam.


8. Are you handy? (Can you fix or build anything?)
I can deal with Ikea stuff but I’ve never really tried anything beyond that.


9. In what form do you prefer your potatoes? (Baked, mashed, au gratin, hashbrowns, twice baked, etc.)
Probably French fries but I like them scalloped, roasted, cheesy champ, hashbrowns etc.  I like me some potatoes.


10. Do you believe the saying “actions speak louder than words”?
Yes, they do, but I still think words have currency so be mindful of that.

Monday moments

This morning I was a real cranky pants.  No real reason.  Well, no justifiable reason.  I had a great restorative weekend where I didn’t do a lot but what I did do, I enjoyed (or at least enjoyed the result of when it comes to the houseworky stuff).  I woke up feeling good about the day.  As good as you can on a Monday at least.  I think that the sun was beating down on the window helped.

And after getting ready for work, I set off.  I can get to work a variety of ways – walk, bus, train or DLR.  All are about the same amount of effort/time.  I tend to default to walk if it’s sunny or bus if it’s not. Today was sunny but I was running late so I opted for the bus.  Mistake.  TFL has this little page so you can check the status of your bus – it’s ETA.  When I left home it was 9 minutes away (meaning I’d have about 5 minutes dead time at the stop – about the most I’m willing to still opt for the bus and before walking becomes an all round better option).  Got to the bus stop, waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Eventually it was a 22 minute wait (plus walking time to the stop).  It’s really set me in a bad mood. I know by world standards, that's fine.  But by London standards?? I kept thinking of walking but then sod’s law, I expected the bus to come as soon as I left.   It’s silly that something as little as this can give me the cranks.  Maybe it was because I was running late already?  I don’t know (and it’s not actually an issue at work).

Tomorrow? I’m walking to work

Since I got to work though, things have picked up.  Today is a glorious day in London. 

My coffee this morning was free (loyalty rewards) and served with good chat.  Can't fault that. 

My lunch wrap (avocado & herb from Pret) was free because it had a Monday sticker on it.  I don’t really get it and was baffled when the server just kept repeating free. 

My lunch was eaten with a  friend in the sun by the water. Can’t fault that.

My nails are green.  Nails Inc Haymarket to be precise.  They’re the only colour I’m wearing today (the rest of my outfit is black and white) and every time I notice them, I love them. 

My spin class shattered me in the best possible way and was followed by some major stretching.  The feel good feelings of a post work out stretch can not be underestimated.

So whilst this morning I was annoyed, and then annoyed that something so little had annoyed me, it pleases me to know that equally little things make my day. 

Also – tonight, gastro pub dinner with friends and a quiz.  Today is excellent. For a Monday. Fingers crossed for no physics rounds or we're doomed.

Valencia–Las Fallas Part 2

I can’t believe it is a year since I was in Valencia, enjoying all the crazy of Las Fallas.  The thing is, I mentioned its, crazy and shared the lead up to it but never shared pictures of the fallas themselves, in their natural state or on fire.  I am incredibly jealous of a friend there this week.  Incredibly jealous.

The fallas are statues built in each neighbourhood in the month leading up to the fires.  Where there is a big one, there is usually a smaller one nearby, to be burnt at the more child friendly time of 9pm.

I can’t really begin to explain these, the how/why/what but I can share what I saw.  These cartoonish, often rude, statues are all over the town,usually in the middle of an intersection.  They’re up for about a month and then on the night of the 19th, they’re all set on fire, bring the festival to a close for another year.  I’ve done some googling to try and understand more but nothing really explains it clearly to me.

Here are some of the fallas.  To give a sense of scale, the largest ones are around 7 storeys tall. 

And then at night time, when they get lit (setting of fireworks and crackers in the process), it is just crazy.  The heat these generate is unbelievable and suddenly those that had pushed to the front during the wait wished they hadn’t as the crowd surges back.

These pics above are of a large fallas whilst the one below is of a childrens one (for the children, not by the children).

Here’s the video of this children’s one burning.  I think it’s pretty clear in it just when I get hit in the face by debris.  This festival is seriously unlike anything I’ve been to before and I’d go again in a heartbeat.



Are you a pyro? fan of all things fires and fireworks?