Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Jojo, Hayden, Amanda

Happy Halloween!!!

Its been a long while since Joanna 'Jojo' Levesque has appeared on these hallowed pages of Squish. Its been a slow year in fact. She spent the beginning of the year touring Europe, then it seemed went on a US tour. Plus a lot of her fan site have disappeared from cyberspace limiting the the amount of outlets I have to gather photos (in addition, her own official website has sprung up since the toppling of some of the big fan sites, but it seems to only pay lip service to her). Also, I guess in an attempt to control her own image a lot of her recent photoshoots have been heavily watermarked or only available in LQ. (I hate LQ pics. Even MQ irks me. Its HQ all the way baby!)

I found these pics of her recently and have been wanting to put them here for a while, so now's my chance. I believe they come from Us Weekly's celebration of fashion week on 13th September 2007.





"Ouch!"

It doesn't just stop there. Oh no! Hayden Panettiere. What a fox! After spending the off season travelling the globe with her Heroes co-stars promoting the show and collecting award after award, she is now back filming season 2. Just a week and a half ago, yet another award show, the Spike TV Scream Awards, and she was in this fantastic gold dress. No photos yet of her red carpet arrival, but here is a few of her on stage during the show.




'Oh my!"

Amanda Bynes has recently moved into my radar but I had never actually seen her in anything, so this past week I watched her movie 'She's the man' on Sky TV. Call me a soppy git but I really enjoyed the movie and thought Amanda was a absolute riot! That DVD is now on my shopping list! Early August she had the launch of her new clothing line, and follows are a few pics from that day. I've read a comment on a forum that says she looks like a real life blow up doll! Hmmmmmm!




"My leg have just gone numb!"


I can't quite remember where on the world wide web I found this collection of photos but thanks to all original posters and uploaders.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Me, myself and I!

I hate having no money! It makes me feel worthless (which I suppose is the whole point). All I can do is sit as still as possible and conserve. Every action will spend money I don't have. Eat, watch TV. Use the phone or the internet, go out! I've now spent the last 4 nights (including tonight) at home, and I do feel lately that even if I had money it wouldn't of made much of a difference. Most folks these days seemed to be coupled up, so much so that they can't even be seen without partner. You can't have one without the other. But that only then dilutes the original to a pastiche. I can't get to enjoy the individual for who they are, but have to take the whole diluted package.

Why does it feel like individualism is just for kids, only to be cast away as one gets older; with life trying to force us into narrow preset channels. It feels like we have to be like everybody else, like cardboard cutouts. Why does life have to be a set of markers that you have to pass by a certain point in life, just because that's what everybody else has does before? Why does the world push us to follow the same path?

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

On tick

Thursday 18th October. This was the day that I spent my last earned penny of the month. My September pay packet contained my efforts from August, which was the month had 2 weeks off work; one of them being in Barbados. So I was unable to hit my monthly targets (and no, they are never adjusted by market treads or annual leave) meaning no target bonuses, also I was unable to progress any sales into an exchange of contract situation (the source of my commission pay) due to a multitude of conveyancing mumbo-jumbo. This resulted in my first ever flat month. I received so little that even the Student Loan Company took no cash off me this month. I think I was doing a paper route the last time I took home so little pay for a month's work.

So, for two weeks till October 31st, every single cent I spend will not be a penny earned, but a penny borrowed as I turn to my credit card to buy lunch, petrol even a newspaper! :(

CLAMPED!!


Wednesday is usually my day off but last week I had to change my day off because my company wanted to do a 'leaflet drop' day. Everyone in all the regions offices could come to work in civilian clothes and would spend the whole day pounding the streets canvassing, delivering leaflets to all our area rooftops to drum up business.

Myself and new guy Alex went out first and had the task of tackling all the purpose built flats in the town centre. On our very last development we parked up and hit the letterboxes. As with most new build the letterboxes were outside so it made things very quick and easy. However, in the 5 odd minutes it took us to return to the car, I had been clamped for parking in a resident's bay. Actually the clamp guy was just getting off his knees when we got back to the car.

I announced to him that I was the driver but told me he had already logged the registration number and I had to call the office. On doing so they told me that the release charge was £150 plus (get this) £50 to cancel a tow truck ordered to remove my car! I pointed out that my car was clamped not 2 minutes ago so the tow truck (if really ordered) had not even left the yard yet. The lady told me that the charge still stands even if cancelled!

Sadly I seldom have £200 of disposable cash so my Manager and Sharon had to dig into their own pockets, and bring the cash to pay the clamp guy. It took the guy about 7 seconds to remove the clamp, and for that he got £200! I felt so sick at the waste of money. My company have reimbursed Sharon and Alan their money, but have arranged to take £66.66 out of my pay over the next 3 months to cover the cost. What a total rip!

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Kimi Raikkonen - Formula One World Champion!!


Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari!



I couldn't even sit down for the last 15 laps! Kimi Raikkonen was the rank outsider to win the championship lying 7 pionts behind series leader, Lewis Hamilton and 4 points behind Fernando Alonso. Kimi needed to win, with Alonso 3rd and Hamilton outside the top six. With the year Hamilton has had, pretty much no one, especially, the British media thought he couldn't fail. But his luck ran out and he lost 30 seconds when his car developed a glitch, dropping him to 18th place. He recovered to 7th place by the flag, a lap adrift, but it was not enough though. Alonso never looked like beating the Ferraris finishing over 30 seconds behind them.



Therefore Kimi took the win and the Championship.
Kimi Raikkonen 110 points - 6 wins
Fernando Alonso 109 points - 4 wins
Lewis Hamilton 109 points - 4 wins



Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari!

thanks to wikipedia.org and raikkonen_design (for using his wallpapers)

Sunday

As briefly mentioned in my previous post (the one below), I had to blow out making my 10k run return. I haven't run a 10k in over a year and was really up for getting back on the wagon. But not having eaten properly for the 2 preceding days I would definitely not have the energy levels needed to run over hill and down dale for and hour at 10 in the morning!! I was majorly disappointed not to be able to join Jason that day, but I think he had fun.



Sunday evening I joined Danny B and Gregg, to see Al Murray, the Pub Landlord, at the London Palladium. I think the performance was 'Giving it both Barrels'. I met with Dan and headed into town where we met young Gregg, who was nursing an mouth ulcer. I was totally thrilled to be seeing Al Murray being a big fan of his from his TV show Time Gentlemen Please and had a good night out have I chortled the whole time!




Thats to wikipidia.org and thepublandlord.com

Feeling rough

This past week I've been feeling pretty under the weather. It started off last Thursday. I felt the icy fingers of a cold enveloping my throat, you know, your glands feel tender and the sinuses start to feel mushy. I dashed out at lunchtime and got me some Anadin, and some trusty Night Nurse (I do like that stuff).

Maybe it was the mixing of 2 potent medicines or maybe it just the cold taking hold, but Friday morning I woke up blowing bubbles like a baby and singing 'La la la', with the pixies that appeared at the bottom of my bed! Needless to say I did go to work that day and in fact it wasn't till around 2pm that day that the room stopped spinning and I was able to get something to eat. Just a boiled egg Friday as my appetite had been knocked outta whack.

Saturday I returned to work but felt week and only added half a chicken sandwich and a doughnut to my tummy that day. Sadly I had to pass on running a 10k with Jason on Sunday (more on that in my next post). I managed a half portion of dinner though. Then it took from Monday through Thursday for my appetite to return, I suffered lots of stomach pain and nausea on the way; the more I needed to eat, the less I wanted to. At work they shouted at me and forced me to drink soup! I passed on going to the gym all week, not having any energy to exercise, but I'm better now. Yay me!!!

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Lucy's birthday!!!!



First off, sorry to Lucy for this entry being so late and then sorry to Vicky for not uploading the photos sooner. She was expecting them the next day!!

I start this post the way most have stared recently.....
Two Saturdays ago (lol) I joined Lucy for the celebratory night out for the merrimentation of her 22nd since birthitude! Needless to say I was not the only one there that night; her boyfriend Richard, Vicky M and Catherine came too. And later that night, Charlene and Dave as well!

Romford, Brannigans, played host for the night and I hadn't personally been there since its refurbishment, but was disappointed that it was only a 'lick of paint'. It also didn't seem to be as busy as in the 'good ole days'. Lucy has always liked it there, probably due to her 'rock' orientated music tastes not being catered for in most nightspots, where Brannigans has a very broad musical palette, enough for anybody.

I do remember one point during the night where someone in the club must of had really bad guts or some crafty bugger had some stink bombs, but either way, me and Cat had to run from the dance floor to the safety of the r'n'b room while Lucy, Richard and Vicky were outside having a cigarette. We two stayed in the r'n'b room for the remainder of the night. Vicky found us, after Char and Dave had arrived and found us late on.

I hadn't seen Lucy or Char for months beforehand so enjoyed seeing them again, I'd also promised the jump up and down on Char's head for being out of my life for so long be never did. I still will though!




Hope you had a nice night Lucy. Love ya always xxx

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Cat shines


Last Friday night, songstress Catherine had her 1st showcase. It was held in the Bull Theatre, Barnet and featured all of her manager's singers on stage performing several numbers each. As expected, some were better than others, some performed better than others and I felt some let themselves down, respective to the amount of talent they had.

Sorry Cat, you were good, but I thought the best acts that night were the 2 bands. I can't remember the names, but one was a rock band and consisted of lead, keyboard and guitar, the other, again female lead, guitar and violin. There were many different styles of music on hand, probably more than I even know but it made for a very entertaining night.



Catherine's fan club of Me and Channa were there and both of us sacrificed dinner that night just to be there. We had our fun inside and outside the auditorium too; the lady behind the bar during the interval said we made her night, as most people she served were miserable but we were cheerful.




Big shout to you Cat, our lil pop star! xx

Thursday, October 04, 2007

A little beverage in the wharf

Last Friday myself, Catherine and Channa hit the streets of Canary Wharf for a little drink. The original plan was to check out the face-lifted Faces nightclub on it's reopening night but the night was only open to club members; £30 for men and £20 for women. That gave you the privilege to queue up and pay your way in. Needless to say that seemed a lot of upfront expense for just one night, so That's how Canary Wharf was born.

We caught the DLR down there to appease Channa's Tube and Underground fears, but it still upset Catherine because she just hates the whole public transport thing. She unsuccessfully tried to get Channa to drive.

We ended up in the Slug and Lettuce till that closed at 11, then shuffled across to Smollensky's till 12. I have to just say that the loos on Smollensky's where uni sexed, with 4 cubicles in one room; one male, one females, one both sexes, and one disabled and no urinals. Unfortunately 2 of the cubicles were out of order so guys and girls had to queue to use the remaining 2. It was all very weird! Anyhoo, photos of the night follow.




Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Freewheel London


Not many updates happening lately because...
1) I'm getting lazy.
2) It takes about 1 1/2 hours (on ave.) to do each post, what with writing it, prove reading it, editing; uploading photos then arranging layout. Only for a couple of folks to actually read it!
3) I've got a problem with Blogger not uploading video (for me anyway) and that's really ticking me off cause I've got some good ones.
4) I'm starting to feel like a reporter, always having to take my camera out with me to get snaps for the blog.

Oh well... necessary evil I guess.

2 Sunday's ago I took part in London's inaugural 'Freewheel' event: several roads in central London closed to all but bikes, cycling in peace passed some of London's landmarks. I say in peace, but 32,000+ bikes turned up! I had ultimately borrowed a bike from friend John, as my Mom still isn't happy about me owning my own, and his wife Lyndsey let my borrow her nogging protector.

On the day I met up with sis, Sarah, and her uni friend Ellie at Stratford station for our ride down to Victoria Park, near Mile End, where there was a 'hub'. Kinda like a meeting point for us to pick up the marshaled journey into London. I hadn't ridden a bike since I was about 17 and enjoyed the trip. I was very nervous at first being on live roads but I soon got comfortable. I was also keen to be a responsible cyclist, heeding the rules of the road; obeying traffic lights and crossings and junctions, and not weaving in and out of traffic unpredictably. When we got to the closed roads we could ride with a bit more abandon.




The 9 mile route was basically a blast up and down Embankment from London Bridge to Westminster, with a loop around St James' Park. Free sandwiches were on offer at the 'Festival' in St James' Park with entertainment too. a chance to park up the bikes and take a time out. We 3 where approached by a reporter for bikeradar, an online bike magazine and the article can be found here on their website. Ellie's helmet also had a lot of attention as it was in the design of a blue ladybug, complete we antenna! It was also only her 9th trip to London.




All in all it was a great day out and I can't wait for next year's one!

more photos on my Facebook here

thanks to John and Lyndsey, and bikeradar.com