Two Vodkas Two Beers

So that's what I've had with dinner (that's a Southern dinner - evening - and not a Northern dinner - lunchtime) which makes it sound better. So I'm in the mood for blogging.  Who's with me?

Anyway, I'll start with the most recent and then work backwards as that's more likely to produce an accurate account... So today I've done fuck all beyond washing, gardening, drinking, cooking, eating, watching ROYAL FUCKING BABY stuff on the TV, catching up with emails, tweets, texts etc (I'm so IT media literate I sometimes amaze myself :-))  I also watched that Burton/Taylor thing on BBC4 tonight.  I really enjoyed it.  I thought Bonham-Carter was particularly good which I was pleased about as I'm fed up with her doing her standard Tim Burton mad as a box of frogs stuff. Timothy thingy was also really good as Burton.  Is his name Timothy?  No its not, Dominic West is his name.  Was in The Hour with that guy DD drools over.  Anyway, he was really good too.

Also caught up on some Luther which I'd recorded.  Oh My God.  I would so jump Idris Elba.  He's fantastic.  Loved him ever since The Wire.

Fig left this morning and has arrived home safe and sound in (rural) Brighton - Saltdean actually.  I LOVED having him to stay and I love him dearly as do you all.  He is unique and fabulous and I'm so glad he's in my life.  Incidentally his new nick name is Enormous Big Bunny Warren.  You had to be there... Although he'll always be Pushkin to me :-)

Last night was the Showcase at The Lowry.  OMG.  Really, words don't suffice.  A hundred am-dram companies all on stage singing their star-struck little hearts out.  Highlight for me was the ultimate song in the "Memphis" segment.  Fig found it derivative and hated it.  So go figure.  He hates Rent and I love it so you know to trust my judgement and not his.  We walked home afterwards.  I know.  Walked.  The trams were missing in action so we had no choice but we amused ourselves by being very amusing during the journey.  Fig had a step counter on and walked 14,000 steps.  This is good apparently.  But in The Lowry bar after the show everyone who had been on stage was acting as though they were on coke.  The adrenaline rush was amazing and just really good to experience.

I'm listening to my party soundtrack on shuffle as I type.  Daddy Cool has just come on.  I love Boney M. And just for Mr T, Howling Wolf has just followed it :-) Happy Birthday Mr T by the way.  Hopefully you met him at my party (he was there briefly early on) and here's hoping he comes to next year's party (21/06/2014 - put it in your diaries now). And now for Michele, Bob Dylan, Lay Lady Lay.  Hope the cafe sorts itself out soon.  Readers, you should get your arses to Uppermill for Michele's Cafe.  The place is fabulous and since Michele catered my party you know the food is going to be delicious.

So yesterday has been dealt with (apart from the showcase we did some shopping - Fig bought, I didn't, and met DD and Glynis at the Radisson - cute twin barmen).  Saturday was, of course, Macbeth.  What we'd been waiting for all festival long. Leaving aside the fact that DD again proved she's human and fallible (who knew?) - i.e. we got lost getting there - it was a fabulous show.  There were one or two minor things that didn't work for me (the weird sisters for instance) but having processed everything I realise I was wrong to pick on these things and not focus on the things that were fabulous about it - Kenneth (stunning), Alex (a revelation), the staging (visceral), the venue (inspired), the mud (er, muddy) etc.  I loved it and am glad I gave it a standing ovation even though at the time I only did it because everyone else did it. Incidentally, Divine has just come on the soundtrack singing Native Love.  Divine was unsurpassed.  May she rest in peace.

Had food in Avalanche after the play (only place we could get in) but it was fine.  Liked the food. OMG Amii Stewart.  Its been so long. Knock, knock on wood.....

Friday.  Hmmmmm.  What happened on Friday?  Not really sure.  I know Fig and I ended up in Napoleons talking to Jan/Ian who liked to "dress" as a whore.  Only in Manchester.  How often can you go out and meet a guy dressed in bra and pants (with washing instructions on display) in a bar? Not often enough in my opinion.  Meatloaf and Cher.  Love. Oh fuck off Amy Winehouse...

And I think that"s about all.  Got a load of Macmillan stuff coming up, an article to write for ARC News,  a weekend in Poulton-Le-Fylde and the Lakes etc.  Phew.

Keep safe and keep clean (anyone seen the stuff on HPV and oral cancer recently?) and tune in for updates later in the week.  And stay out of the fog.  Love you all.  J x