Plaits are hot.,
originally uploaded by ebeth.

I'm just in the door from an excellent weekend at the World Horror Convention in Brighton. As promised, I did not a lot on the horror / books / writers / other people front.

I did spend time with some really fantastic friends (@airab, @nashg, @maybeitwasutah, @sianmeadowcroft, @snaxhanso, @apdunne, @linzidink, @demonchild6) and met some other (lesser well known to me)Twitter folk. It was a really rather mellow time and we all did whatever we wanted to do, crashing into each other every now and again.

The highlight of my weekend - sitting in my (very hard to find and rather out of the way) hotel room on my own, listening to music on my MacBook Pro, while getting stoned, eating Starburst and watching the ocean. That little jolly led to a most excellent nap. Actually, probably one of the best naps on record.

Both evenings were good fun - Friday night just about killed me so I was forced to seek a slightly different intoxication path for Saturday. Whatever pear cider I was drinking.. well, I'd like to marry it.

In other news, I have a helluva week coming up as I leave to go on holiday on Thursday. There is much to do in Corporateland™ before I leave town and don't even ask me about packing. Everything will happen but it's going to take some major one step at a time energy from me to get from here to there.

Worst case, I might have to bust out the valium prior to take off. I'm not above it, you know.

I think I have a brain that is incapable of standing still. Okay, yes, I know that is a bit of a silly statement. Brains don't have feet. Duh.

Instead of taking my usual approach of one step at a time, I seem to be leaping and bounding ahead. Well, mentally anyway. I'm well past Brighton / World Horror this weekend and now in a bit of a 'Wait, I'm not ready to go on holiday' jag.

Oh wait, I know what my issue is.. I don't want to go on holiday. You read that wrong, didn't you? I'll say it again, but slower.

I don't want to go on holiday.

Nope. No way. I'm not in the mood. I'm just finding my feet in my new role in Corporateland™ and for the first time in the week and a half since I started on this floor, I've only just made headway with what it is that I'm actually supposed to be doing. The thought of walking away from it for two and a half weeks kind of freaks me out. [eBeth fact number three: I love working. Weird, huh?]

I have, however, gone ahead and paid a visit to the lovely GP in the medical centre here who has ample prescription writing skills and is incredibly receptive to my Jedi Mind Trick regarding Valium. So I am ready for the 9.5 hours of flight hell that awaits. Even if I don't want to be there. Nothing like getting legally high at 39,000 feet.

I suppose the fact that I don't want to go on holiday is actually a rather strange sign that I just might need one.

Ponderful.

The Big Bang Theory - Tampon Talk

Sunday night. Man, I dislike Sunday nights.

In addition to the OCD bit of my brain that starts ticking over everything on the coming week's horizon, the 'ooh, what a lovely weekend I've had' bit keeps thinking about the ..uh..  lovely weekend I've had.

It kind of makes for a very busy brain. And seeing as how my brain just isn't that big to begin with, it makes normal mental function near impossible. So, see, I'm not just sitting here on the sofa in a coma-like state because I want to. It's sort of necessary for important things like, organ health and general survival.

The upcoming week will be interesting ... In addition to the usual [albeit new and therefore slightly more stressful] daily grind, the World Horror Convention is coming up at the end of the week. I signed up to go last April, wondering if I was still going to know all these really cool writery types that were planning to attend this conference I'd never heard of back then. I'm pleased to say that I still know all of them and absolutely can't wait to hang out with them in Brighton this weekend!

Of course, while I'm a fan of books and writers in general, I'm not super into horror as a genre. So I'm just sort of going along for the ride. I hear there might be a bar at the hotel that needs propping up!

I think WHC kicks off on Thursday and I'll be sliding in to the join in the fun on Friday evening. Bless the poor unsuspecting population of Brighton.

Okay. Back to my Sunday evening coma. There's thinking, remembering the 1% of my weekend I might've forgotten, work wardrobe dilemmas to ponder and finer week details to obsess about.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programme...

∞

Well - let's see. I've hit every other form of social networking this evening, might as well throw something up here as well. Just to put the final jewel in my Queen Dorktoria crown. 


You'll thank me. 


It's now 01:48am. I have to be up and in situ in Corporateland™ at 8am. You are not allowed to remind me that I've done this to myself when I complain in quantity tomorrow. Just rub my head and tell me I'm pretty. That'll do nicely. 


I've just spent an age watching @davesusetty ramble on Twitcam. I say I watched him ramble - I mean, I spent time trying to resist the urge to get on the next flight to Ireland so we could toast with something of the merrymaking variety. Any man that's willing to be a toilet paper ninja during an #ebethchallenge is a total keeper. (and that @delilahsnook is a lucky girl!)


Dave was incredibly kind when he noticed I was watching (I say watching, I mean staring and giggling like a 12 year old girl). He may not remember them tomorrow, but he said some really lovely things about me and Twitter. I was particularly touched when he mentioned that were it not for Twitter he wouldn't have any friends. Now, I'm certain he's embellishing the truth there .. because he's incredible. But I digress. 


It just caused me to pause and reflect on how much (and I'm pretty certain I'm not alone) I've been lucky to find via Twitter. This past year of hardcore tweeting has allowed me to be me for me and that.. well, friends.. that is pretty fucking awesome. 


#grouphug?

I've been feeling a bit lost lately.. Not that I'm wandering around Corporateland in search of my desk, mind you.

Although, having said that, I did spend a few weeks with two of them. That was a bit confusing.

I seem to be spending a lot if time in my own head at the moment. Lately, there is relatively limited access to others. I think my brain requires a security swipe card and high level clearance.

I'm sure it's just a phase. Maybe I'll grow out of it.

In other news.. I'm not as unhappy as I might seem. So there.

What a weekend I've had. Wait, it's only Saturday? Yikes. I think it might all be downhill from here.

I've just been reminded that a friend of mine from way back in the way back is going to be in London on Thursday. I'm talking like, University friend kinda way back. I think it's been about 16 years since I've seen him. There is no doubt in my mind that we'll pick up exactly where we left off so many years ago. But it might be slightly odd to see someone from the past in my current.


I'm really glad he reminded me that he's going to be in town... because apparently he's staying on my sofa for a night!


Lots going down in eBeth town this week.. this is my last week in my current role in Corporateland™. So my leaving drinks are tomorrow night (do stop by, won't you?) and plenty of lunches, cocktails and frivolity are also planned in my honour. 


Remind me to breathe a bit, will you?

Ooh! Ooh! Guess who didn't even have to weep openly?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I think today will be a good day. 

Today is the day I'm going to the Apple Store at Westfield with my best pouty puppy eyes. You know, the ones that say 'H-h-h-h-help me, Mr Apple Genius. I know I don't have an appointment but my iPhone is ever so slightly fucked. I'm just a girl and can't make the swooshy thing go swish and I don't know nearly as much as you do..' Hell, I think I might throw in a few lip bites, a wibbly chin and if I'm really desperate I'll start to curl my hair around my finger. 

Yeah, I don't think it'll get me very far, either. 

But I do think I'll walk out of there with a replacement iPhone and £139 not in my wallet. I've talked myself into replacing it by taking my emotional health into consideration. It's for the best, really. 

Other day highlights will include: a red velvet cupcake from Buttercup, double tall sugar free vanilla lattes from Starbucks, nerd shirt shopping at Uniqlo and of course, a viewing of Alice in Wonderland. 

Seriously, it's looking like nerdvana. Don't worry, the Apple Store is first stop so you'll be with me all the way. Right in my pocket, just where I like you.  Oh crap. I just realised in my last post I sweet talked a gadget. Now I'm loving up the entire fucking internet. 

I'm not normal, am I?! Wait.. don't answer that. Quick! Look over there.. porn!

Miracles do happen, friends.. Lobot (pay attention, that's my iPhone, remember?) managed to break the surly bonds of his restore shame spiral at some point in the middle of the night.

It was like leaving cookies out for Santa and finding nothing but meaty nerdtastic crumbs the next morning, I tell you!

So fingers crossed that he clings to just a little more life.. preferably until Apple release the next iPhone. I am incredibly tempted to just say fuck it and give Apple just a little more of my money for a replacement. Every time he dies (and it happens often) the emotional turmoil just gets that much more unbearable.

I'm running it in native mode plus a Twitter client. I'm cool not having any fancy apps on there for the moment. Oh, and I kiss Lobot every time I pick him up and have told him many, many times how beautiful he's looking today. Yeah, you know it - I'm sweet talking a gadget.

I think I need an intervention.

My iPhone is dead.

Lobot* had been rather unwell for the past two months or so.. Every now and again, I would sync him and he'd just sort of lay there. Syncing.  Then he'd fall over and get stuck in a pretty unexciting restore cycle.

I'd last managed to resurrect Lobot about two weeks ago. I carefully chose which apps to install. Heck, it was a nice two weeks. I even put some music on him.

Sadly, Tonight I was Ping'ing and checking my email and he passed away. I've not been able to restore him as I've always been able to in the past. I'm afraid it's curtains for Lobot**.

I'm guessing tomorrow I'll be finding an Apple Store and shucking out £139 for a replacement iPhone. Even worse will be spending any amount of time talking to a so called Genius.

Mr Smug will ask me all sorts of questions while assuming that I know sweet fuck all about computers. Is it because I use the phrases 'button thingie' (home key) and 'goes all, like, whoosh' (when you swipe between pages)? Geez. Some people just don't get my nerd cool vibe, huh?

So, to my fellow iPhone lovers / users / friends. Cuddle your iPhone extra tight tonight. Sleep with it next to you and realise how very special your relationship is. Think of those of us who are less fortunate.

Lobot, my man, rest in peace dude.

[*Yeah, I name all my gadgets after Star Wars characters. Doesn't everyone?]
[**motherfucker! motherfucker! motherfucker!]