School Night Antics

I'm kinda annoyed right now. I wrote this fabulously succinct post about 'school night antics', otherwise known as 'shirking responsibility', and Blogger decided to be an ass and not save my document.

Thus I now start again with less enthusiasm. Perhaps because I feel thoroughly robbed of the good twenty minutes it took to write the original post.
Anyway,  rant over.  I'll simmer in private,  victimize ants and kick dirty clothes all over the living room.
So 'school night antics' is a summation of my predisposed notions of tucking in at night,  eating peanut butter and watching television versus exploring other options despite the alarm clock due to blow my mind in four or five hours time.
Perhaps childhood instilled the deep seated need to be indoors from Monday to Friday rather than soaking up the possibilities of after dark entertainment. But the ill-conceived belief that my head might explode if I stay up past bedtime has been shattered.
I went out. On a school night. And the world didn't end. 
However, on this new journey of self discovery I've entered into in recent months,  it's become clear that although my body appears to be up to the task of partying me into the wee hours and still functioning like a sensible adult the next day, my common sense sometimes gets left behind. Thus a few delicious cocktails,  wine,  dinner and a barrel of laughs with good friends = I totally forgot I was my own designated driver. Needless to say that I now welcome the possibility of new experiences, explore options that may offer brief glimpses of belly-clutching laughs and face-changing smiles,  but the trick is not to get lost in the vastness of forgotten responsibility.
What say you? 
Have a good one everyone,

Kristy ;)

Kristy Berridge ... Just ... Gone

Christina & Me

Hello all, long time no post!

I've been wrapped up in author interviews, book releases and book reviews lately, so you haven't really had a chance to take a stroll in the whacky world of me.

Well, a lot has happened since we chatted last. My younger brother claims that I have finally become a woman since breaking the virginal status and claiming my first tattoo. And can I just say ... never again!

Aman & Christina

Don't get me wrong, I adore the design and can't praise my tattooist highly enough, but bloody hell, whoever says it doesn't hurt really is full of s@#$t.

Christina, Me & Chantelle

Okay, so besides getting inked up, something I took thirty-one years to carefully consider, I didn't exactly sit back and plan last Saturday night. I mean, you know me. I'm the girl that sits in front of her laptop, eats peanut butter and goes to the gym for fun.

Apparently not anymore.

Can someone say Vodka Soda?

Oh yeah. Mix calorie reduced alcohol with the infectious desire to have fun emanating from my single female friends  and all of a sudden I'm throwing on a black mini, tousling my hair, slapping on lipstick and heading out to a nightclub.

Pick your chins up off the floor! I know it's a foreign concept but I swear it happened and have no idea why I haven't let my hair down sooner. I honestly had so much fun it's ridiculous. The pleasant hum of too much spirits robbed me of inhibition and blighted the otherwise unsightly blisters formed from hours of dancing. I inhaled the cheap aftershave of men far too young for me and attempted to sing along to a band I'd never heard of until that night. Naturally I was insanely humourous and managed to avoid a hang over. All in all the night was a massive success  thanks in massive part to best girlfriends who refused to leave the Hobbit behind when it came to experiencing any and all illicit activity.

Next Saturday? I'll keep you posted.

Have a good one,

Kristy :)

Book Review: The Darkened Corner by Tom Hamilton

Let me start off by saying that The Darkened Corner is a very short story. At only 45 pages, I personally prefer a full length novel - a chance to immerse myself completely within characters and a story that hopefully continues into a developing series.
I must admit that this story took me completely by surprise. Though compact, the story is packed full of detail, a carefully constructed plot and unfolding timeline of events directly contributing to the rather lack-luster and entirely expected ending. But, I can honestly say that although I did not like the story concept, this is in no way a reflection of the author's talent - which is immense.
The Darkened Corner slips quickly through the life of a self-depreciating alcoholic. Starting in the early years we see glimpses of innocence and a small boy dominated by an abusive, con-artist father. Hope for change is but a fleeting sentiment for this boy, growing up quickly in the shadow of his father's influence, we soon see that the apple does not fall far from the tree. Not even the speckled glimpses of admiration he has for the dark-haired beauty known only as Katie Rose can not lure him from the depressing depths of his own sad eventuality.
Now suddenly a man, our protagonist shows no growth, no moral vestiges worth saving, and no hope to broaden the dream he has of romancing the idea of Katie Rose into the present. This is why I didn't like the book. I felt dejected, disappointed and a constant sense of hopelessness reading this novel. The character has no ambition to keep his head held upright, and, if this is as the author intended, then brilliance is the only way to describe this tightly coiled pocket of darkness - the title for this novella the perfect description of the character's emotional and mental state.
Despite my personal feelings about the direction this novella took, I can say with absolute certainty that the author lived through this character as though clawing at the very depths of despair and finding comfort in the familiarity of ever-present non-expectation. The dialogue was very limited, so I cannot make much comment there, but the imagery ... oh my goodness. Tom Hamilton is without a doubt a master wordsmith. Every sentence is so carefully crafted with perfection. Every word descriptive in a way that make any situation appear tangible within the reader's mind. I could not get enough of the creative language, and I'm sad to say, that as a fellow author I'm supremely jealous of the author's talent in this area!
Based on descriptive content and the intent in which I believe the author was trying to portray means that I will be giving this novella three out of five fangs. I would love to see more from this author - a book perhaps, maybe even a thriller ...

Synopsis:
The Darkened Corner cover seventeen years in the life of a traveller, con-man, self-hater, and hard drinker, and his continuing obsession with his childhood crush, Katie Rose.

The Missing Kristy

You may have noticed I've had a 'Fifty Shades of Grey' review posted on my blog for well over a week. Yes, I did enjoy the book, but no, I didn't leave it up to emphasize this point. I have been AWOL - at a wedding to be precise.
So for this wedding I have traveled far and wide, starting with Friday night, yet another Follow Friday meme I missed due to social engagements (look out, the Hobbit's getting popular). Anyway, the festivities kicked off with a great (but long-winded) dinner on Friday night. Mind you, with a three hour wait, I would have eaten the tablecloth and the bloody waitress by the time 10.00pm rolled around. Saturday morning I was up early to catch the boat to a beautiful Island off the coast. A quick laugh at a green mother, a friend who couldn't pull her nose out of Fifty Shades of Grey, and thirty minutes of fretting about possible shark attacks and we were on the Island. From there it was primping and preening, spack-fill for the wrinkles, and control-top panty hose for all the dessert I inevitably devoured.
Needless to say the wedding was absolutely perfect, and I did my best to ruin every photo with a crazy-ass expressions. So, I'm just going to let the pictures speak a thousand words and show you the short version of my unbelievably, non-alcoholic fueled shenanigans. Yes. I was sober.
On another note. I made my friends and family stars - you know, just to protect their identity. No one wanted to admit they were with me on the night.

Okay, so there are like a gazillion more where they came from. But, I'm not posting so you can point fingers, merely to provide proof of life. I am still here, back in business and ready to blog about useless crap once more *cups ear to hear round of applause*. Well ... anyway ... thanks for tuning in, and I'll see you all soon!

Kristy :)