Things That Make You Go "Ooh"...

So now the festive season has been and gone and another new year is upon us. I'm still trying to fathom where the last twelve months went, to be honest, and now I find another twelve looming large before me...I always used to laugh when The Parents said that time went quicker the older you got but, as it turns out, they were right. Who knew? But now Ye Olde Festive Merriment is no more and now we're all left surveying the leftover turkey, stale Christmas cake (seriously, why do we all bother making/buying one? No one ever eats it) and dying Christmas tree and wondering how it all went by so fast. I hope you and yours had a suitably jolly festive season; personally I err on the Grinchy side of all things Christmassy, but even I managed to raise a smile or two in the spirit of the season this year, which is surprisingly shocking. But then again I managed to get myself into the festive spirit a tad early this year by doing A Good Deed (http://www.amnesty.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=10673&gclid=CO-grpuHuq0CFVQLfAoduBR4AA) and this made me realise that, even though I am technically Katy Grinch, I have plenty to be thankful for at this time of year...

First there was Yule, which of course necessitated the yearly 'tah-dah!' present from the GBF. This year it was an education for a young girl in Africa, giving her a head start in life and hopefully going someway to help her break out of poverty by getting an education. From such tiny acorns great forests grow and, as always, I thank Lee from the bottom of my jaded heart for not only knowing me inside out but for also being there whenever the dung hits the whirly thing. Even though you have left me for Scouseland, I am terminally grateful for having you in my life. You do, in fact, Rule. (Now please come back from Scouseland because I miss our Duvet Day DVD Marathons!! :P)

Secondly, there was Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. This necessitated being en famille, and I am deeply and profoundly grateful for the whole bloody lot of them. I know full well that I can be the world's biggest pain sometimes, but they are always on my side, always supportive and always there for me no matter what; they say you can't choose your family and frankly I don't want to. There was a slight emotional hiccup, as there always is, but the family I did have around me are too wonderful for words and I love them all deeply. Words can never be enough. It was also wonderful having new family around, as we went to my brothers for Christmas Day; it was great to spend the day with him and his girlfriend, as well as her family, and hopefully this will be the first of many.

Thirdly, there were my friends. I am blessed to have some incredible people in my life who actively choose to associate with me - I keep waiting for them to see the error of their ways but so far common sense seems to have eluded them. I won't force the issue as I adore them all too much to lose them and remain humbled, honoured and incredibly lucky to be the recipient of their friendship. If I only make one resolution this new year (which I tend not to do as I fail miserably at keeping them), it will be to do my utmost to be there for my friends whenever they need me. I'm rubbish at keeping in touch and I can go for days without touching technology, but my friends are often the reason I keep going when the world looks too bleak and, without sounding too much like a Hallmark card (I hope), each and every one of them has touched me and changed me in a number of ways. I have laughed with them, cried with them, screamed at half-naked cellists with them and not a day goes by when I don't think of them.

So yes, there were many reasons to be thankful during the Winter Festivities. And perhaps that pre-Christmas letter-writing spree to try and bring a little hope and solidarity to the lives of others not as fortunate as I am was the catalyst I needed to remind myself that, no matter how dark I think the road ahead may be, I have an incredible family and wonderful friends to support me, a roof over my head and a bed to sleep in, and food and medical treatment to keep me alive. There are dark days out there, and there are emotional wounds that may never heal, but maybe I'm learning to become better at seeing the good instead of the bad; at finding the light instead of the dark. The people I wrote to offering my solidarity have witnessed the most unspeakable acts of man's inhumanity and cruelty to man and they have done so with a strength and a courage I can only imagine. Their struggles serve to remind me how fortunate I am, and so I make them all - the AWN, Fatima Hussein Badi, Natalia Estemirova, WOZA, Inés Fernández Ortega and Valentina Rosendo Cantú - my last reason to be cheerful. Their stories gave me perspective when I would usually be immersed in a sea of selfishness and Grinchyness, and for that I will be forever grateful...

On Board The Good Ship Friend...

...or in other words, I should have just called this 'on friendship' but I was being a smart arse.

I have the most amazingly wonderful friends in the entire history of the world. Seriously. My friends are better than your friends, and I know this because they are able to put up with me without wanting to strangle me with a sock. Or, if they ever HAVE wanted to strangle me with a sock, they've been awesome enough to keep it to themselves and never act on such an impulse. What can I say? My friends just rock.

Some of my friends I've known since forever, and it embarrasses me only slightly that they can still recall what I looked like at that school disco; bless them for their sweetness in never mentioning it. Others have fallen by the wayside but a very rare few are still hanging around. Quite WHY they're still hanging around I haven't entirely figured out, but it shows that I must be doing something right. I love you muchly.

Others I have only known for a couple of years or so, and this includes the mighty tribe of Forumbat, who are actually THE most awesome people you could ever hope to meet. Whenever I find myself in a down moment (which, lets be honest, isn't exactly a rare occurrence for a mardy cow like me), I just think of all the epic times I've had as a Forumbat and before you can say Robert is your mother's brother I'm laughing like a fool. Although apparently not everyone gets the joke and tends to look at you a bit oddly if the answer to their question, "er, what are you laughing at?" is the ecstatic response "squirrels with beards!!" What can I say, it's their loss...Anyway, I love you very muchly also and insist that you all remain as bonkers and brilliant as you are now.

However. Oh, but however. If there is one thing guaranteed to make me turn into a snarling, spitting, biting, scratching she-wolf (yes, one that's even worse than I normally am) it's anyone foolish enough to attempt to rain on my friends parades. I had fisticuffs in secondary school with a few people in defence of my friends and believe me, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. My friends are amazing people, for reasons that I couldn't even begin to list, but the main one is they put up with me and my madness and for that they deserve to be defended to the death. (Or possibly sectioned. Or a medal. Or all three). I can't stand it when my friends are unhappy, and although it's taken me a while to learn that sometimes I can't actually fix it and the best thing I can do is just be there for them, there's still an instinct inside me that makes me want to go charging into battle on their behalf. I fail to understand why anyone would want to do something to make any of my friends unhappy when they're such amazing people; it's complete anathema to me. I'm not saying they're perfect (sorry guys) because they're only human, after all, but actually they are pretty darn special and I pity anyone who can't see that.

So this is a friendly warning, a heads-up, a shot across the bows, if you will. If you are one of the foolish, foolish people who have ever dared to upset one of my friends, any of them, you better pray like hell to whatever-it-is you believe in that our paths never cross. Because let me tell you something, only one of us will walk away from the encounter unscathed and it won't be you. I can do things with plastic teaspoons that are hitherto unknown to man, so you better wise up and shut up if you want to keep walking the way you do. I don't intend to kill you, I'm not that soft, but you may well be left wishing I had. Don't say I didn't warn you.

And if you are one of my friends, especially the one who inspired this rant because of some morons pathetic opinion and complete lies, listen up because this bit is for all of you. I love you, I will always be there for you and even if I can't fix it I'll do my darndest to try. If all I can do is let you cry till snot dribbles all over my favourite jumper, it's a sacrifice I will gladly make. I won't even charge you for the dry cleaning. I can't fight your battles for you and I can't always provide the right answers, but even if all I can do is be at the end of a computer screen or a phone, I am here for you. We may argue, we may disagree over stupid things and I know for sure I'm not perfect, but I love you all and will cheris every single memory we've shared - even the not so great ones, where we fought over a boy in college or something equally stupid - until the day I die.

Thank you for being my friends and thank you for giving me so much love, laughter, inspiration, frustration, jealousy, pride and every other emotion possible. You are, quite simply, the best.

Love Kate xxx

The Wanderer Returns...

So I am back from the frozen and miserable wastes of Wolverhampton. And no, for once this is not me being melodramatic; it was bloody cold, wet and inexorably miserable up there. I can’t even imagine it being nice in the sunshine. And there’s not much to do, either…but I shall come on to that.

So why, I hear you ask, was a pathetic Southern softy like me up in the Midlands area when I was clearly so unimpressed with the place. Well, dearest blog-verse, t’was not my design, but I was there to see a band. And not just any band but the mighty and utterly fantabulous Apocalyptica. And, what is more, I went to said gig in said Midlands’s town with my Baby. It was, in fact, epic for many reasons…

Obviously, the most fabulous reason was seeing Gemma. Gem-Gem, you are such a warm and wonderful person that I can’t quite believe I’ve only known you a year. I always have so much fun when we’re together and Thursday was no exception. It’s also nice to know that I’m not the only dedicated/certifiable Apocalyptica fangirl in the gang; I finally rocked up to the party at about 3.30pm on the day after travelling up that morning, but Gem had been firmly in place at the front of the queue since 10am. Now that is dedication…I also got to meet the equally awesome Nick, Sophie and Tori, who had been queuing with the Baby since about 12, and I finally got to meet Imogen and Cez. Guys, you are all fantabulous people and you made queuing up in the cold absolutely hilarious. Whenever I see coach loads of slightly scared-looking school children, I shall think of you all and cackle hysterically. I haven’t had so much fun in ages and you were all awesome.

Once they opened the doors and we got inside, we managed to be right at the very front of the stage. We were on the right hand side, because the pesky VIP’s had managed to bag the centre spot, but as it turned out it was a pretty good spot. The first support band were called Awake By Design; never heard of them but damn, they were amazing!! Bassist was cute too…*cough* Anyway, they were really, really god; so much so that I bought their debut album after the show – best fiver I’ve spent in a long while, I reckon…

The next band on were Pain of Salvation, who I’ve heard a lot about (and heard Daniel Gildenlow sing on an Ayreon album) but I didn’t know their stuff especially. I am a convert. Daniel’s voice is even more amazing live, and he’s so charismatic on stage…they were brilliant. I couldn’t tell you what they played, but I’d see them again for sure.

And then, of course, there was Apocalyptica. I honestly think they are one of my favourite ever bands to see live, and this time I was right in the front. I got to exchange sticky-out-tongues with Perttu (sigh…) and was close enough to shriek at Mikko like a banshee when he came to join the other guys at the front. It. Was. Epic. And Gem had got some bags of wine gums for them (cos they like wine gums, apparently) and had stuck stickers on them so that there was one for each of the four guys from Gem, Cez, Imy and me. Awesome idea, sweetie, and Perttu certainly looked like he appreciated them!! All in all, it was a fabulous, fabulous evening and will go down as one of my favourite ever gig experiences. Thanks to Gemma, Imy, Cez, Nick, Sophie and Tori for making it all so much fun, and to Awake By Design, Pain of Salvation and Apocalyptica for making me completely deaf and spend most of Friday with my sexy husky voice after I screamed so much. It was appreciated.

Friday was spent wandering the streets of Wolverhampton like a vagabond, trying to find something to do before my train left at 7.45pm. There is a lovely art gallery that I wandered around very happily for two hours, and then I took the five giraffes Thelma, Louise, Brad, Butch and Sundance (sorry, Mooms, they’ll always be Butch and Sundance to me) down to the canals so we could take piccies of locks and ducks and things, but then it started to rain and I had to find something to do. Sadly, there isn’t anything to do, unless you like shopping centres. I went and looked round the church, which was very pretty, but it was a long, cold, wet afternoon. Still, I can now say I’ve been to Wolverhampton. Er, yeah…

On a brighter note, I am off to lovely Brighton tomorrow to see Hellyeah, Avenged Sevenfold and Stone Sour. Corey Taylor will certainly put a smile back on my face…marvellous…

Consider Yourself...One Of The Family...

Ok, so bad West End musical impressions aside (oh, Oliver, how I adore thee!!) the title for today's post springs from the fact that I spent yesterday up in The Big Smoke with my beloved second family, the Forumbats. It is absolutely astonishing to think that it was only really just over a year ago that we all met properly, although there had been months/years of peripheral contact and abuse on the Nightwish forum beforehand, and yet I genuinely cannot imagine my life without any of them now. From the first initial "um...wombat?" at Brixton Academy last March to the hysteria that ensued in the Science Museum yesterday, I honestly adore all of them. Yes, Raymond, even you...

We were only six yesterday, as some of the Forumbats appear to have gone missing in action; another one (Alicia) is away in the Frozen Viking Wastelands of the North; and two (Rich and Ryan - flange!) were otherwise occupied, but those of us who did make the perilous trek into the capital reverted to type in our natural habitat of Hyde Park and spent hours talking about anything and everything, observed some very weird goings-on (a woman doing some bizarre form of Tai Chi, a couple who really needed to get a room and several strategically positioned corpses) before the so-called British Summertime became too much for us and we retreated to the warmth of the museums. After dragging the boys round the costume section of the V&A, we went up to the Cast Courts and technically went halfway round Europe. Next time I go away, I shall dispense with my camera and just take a whole truckload of Plaster of Paris with me...Having 'returned' from our travels, we spent many a happy hour shoving small children out of the way impatiently as we took our own child (Baby Forumbat GemGem) round the wonders of the Science Museum. I think I can confidently say that we learnt absolutely nothing from the experience, but we had a damn good laugh the whole time, so I would say it was a successful outcome!

Sadly, we had to lose Holly a bit early (well done on your A-levels again, sweetie; I am soooo proud of you!!) and GemGem and Owen too were gone by six (love you lots, my clever, fabulous daughter, and Owen, you are a complete genius). That left myself, Ray and Hannah (happy birthday for today, Hannah!! Love you!!) to stuff ourselves with chips before heading off to the Crossbones graveyard...

Crossbones is a patch of unconsecrated scrub ground which, back in medieval times, was designated the final resting place for the so-called "Winchester Geese"; the prostitutes licensed by the Bishop of Winchester to ply their trade in the area around the Clink. Over time, it became a place where all those too poor or 'shamed' to be given a decent Christian burial (not just prostitutes) were buried. When the Jubiliee line was being built, it was rediscovered and 148 bodies were removed; since then, it has become a place of pilgrimage and a memorial, not just to those who were and are still buried there, but to the many women within the sex industry today who have been murdered. There are memorials to the five women murdered in Ipswich, to the three women killed in Bradford and other cases that don't make the national news. I heard about it a few months ago and, as I potentially have an ancestor who was a sex worker (she was known as a 'seamstress', a euphemism for prostitute and as she only had one hand I'm a little dubious as to the exact brilliance of her sewing ability), I became intrigued. It was deeply moving and a very sombre end to the day, but I'm very grateful that Ray and Hannah came with me and I hope it wasn't too depressing for you both.

So all told, yesterday was a marvellous day and I love my Forumbat family more than life itself. Holly and Owen, good luck as you head off to uni in the next few weeks; I'm very proud of you both for your epic A-level results and know you'll both be brilliant. GemGem, my Baby and my treasure, I love you to bits and I am so pleased you came on Halloween and are now part of the family. And Ray and Hannah - what can I say to you that I haven't already said? I love you both more than I can say.

Forumbat meets will be harder to organise as even more of our number are off to university and the big wide world, but I can guarantee that whenever, wherever the next meet-up is, there will be much laughter, much love and complete chaos. Sorry, citizens.

RA RA!!