I may be unpopular for saying this, but I freaking hate football. And when I say football, I don't mean soccer (that game actually involves some skill).
So it's footy season in Australia, and this thuggish game of kick the egg-shaped ball around the paddock in teeny tiny shorts has overcome the nation. In lounge rooms everywhere televisions are boasting AFL and NRL in wide screen and high definition. Teenage boys are slapping their mates on the asses and girls are swearing like troopers. Families are gathered to fist the coffee table in support and the die-hards are wearing nothing but striped t-shirts and stubbies (otherwise known as the teeny-tiny shorts).
Meanwhile, people like me try to commandeer the remote or simply turn the television off. But what do you do on State of Origin night when the entire neighbourhood is screaming 'go you stupid, f@cking idiot, kick the ball!' in super high volume? Do you play ABBA? Do you slam windows and doors closed in the hopes they get the message?
I suppose you could pull a Julie Andrews and belt out 'The Sound of Music' from your balcony or driveway, tap on the front door with a loaded shotgun and then cock it when their over-cheery face greets you with surprise.
No. You simply suck it up, cringe through every outburst and then write a scathing post about it.
Football blows.
*knock knock*
I suspect that's someone at the door now, coming to offer rebuttal.
Have a good one, even if it's the football,
It's been a slow few weeks on the blog. A few personal issues have popped up along the way and broken my ability to write a decent post, let alone read a book or slap up a review. So apologies for my lackluster attentiveness to the written word and my casual ramblings of bullsh@#t.
I'm starting to get back into the swing of things, though, organising my paperwork, re-shuffling priorities, saving orphans and ... cleaning my car.
Apparently this is something you need to do regularly. Who knew?
On the stern advice of my father, I have spent at least twelve hours getting my four year old Mazda 3 up to scratch. Things were living in the carpets, the windows wouldn't go down because of the grit in the rubber seals, and I have so many paint chips on the bonnet that it looks like a pimply teenager's face.
Needless to say I have hoovered, washed, scrubbed, polished and ruined my God damn fingernails in an effort to make my car look brand new again. With success now a story I'm blogging about, I have to wonder when my laziness will once again reign supreme and my poor little Mazda will inherit take away rubbish, muddy mats, and a drunken bum living in the backseat.
My blue bucket of steel is the second home I can't live without, now possibly cleaner than than a hospital ward. So will I nurse it to continuing health, or will it fall victim to those little bastards who write 'wash me' on the dusty paintwork?
Time will tell.
Meanwhile, I'll be enjoying the shiny new polish, clean upholstery and ridiculously loud music pumping through my sound system. Yes, I'm that girl singing with reckless abandon at the traffic lights.
Have a good one,
Yes, it’s that time of week
again where bloggers unite to participate in the Follow Friday venture. The
idea behind #FF is to promote traffic to your own blog, make new friends with
other like-minded bloggers and discuss new and interesting topics each week.
Participating is simple.
First you need to follow my blog because I’m totally awesome, then you can
follow me on Twitter @kristyberridge (actually you don’t have to do this, it’s
wishful thinking), but do follow my blog or assassins will get you …
Then you must follow our
illustrious hosts Rachel of http://www.parajunkee.com/ and Alison of http://www.alisoncanread.com/ If you want
more details on how to enter your own blog in the follow and hop, all
directions are on their webpages
Now,
once you’ve followed, check out my answer to this week’s questions and don’t
forget to leave a comment so I can do the right thing and follow you back!
This week's question: What is your guilty pleasure as far as reading? Is it a genre, or is it a certain type of book?
My answer: Okay, no real surprise here, but I love a bad boy, someone you want to slap around, but also secretly long to pull against your ...
I also like hardcore action and descriptive violence. I want to be able see vivid imagery dripping from every written word.
Yes, I know, I'm late in posting my Saturday blog again. Ironically, I'm never late in life. In fact, if anything, I show up a few minutes early to occasions. I'm one of the most organised people I know - except when it comes to a Saturday. I don't know what it is about Saturdays but I take one gander at my laptop and for some mysterious reason, opt to go to the video store or invent other reasons to avoid responsibility instead.
Last night, I left you all hanging for a vampire movie with Alicia Silverstone - hold the judgement please, a movie I can't even remember, and one about a hotel in Jaipur hosting a welcoming deathbed for the elderly (that one was actually quite good).
I know, I am pathetic, but I think I might like to watch bad film and television almost as much as I love to read. And, I also love to design and decorate - another reason I missed posting my blog yesterday. Not only is the book-nook area now complete, but I put aside my previous three year state of bar-humbug and donned the Christmas spirit.
Anyway, speaking of lacking organisation, or as the case may be - lacking a pair of bifocals, you will be shocked and dismayed to learn (possibly not) that my newly purchased and erected Christmas tree is not colour coordinated! This may not be a big deal for some of you, but I come from a design background and this is likened to a decorating disaster - one of those moments where I'm certain the world will end because it doesn't match everything else.
I bought the white acrylic set-up to match my coastal look home, and even humored my hubby when he suggested buying a tub of new LED lights to match. Imagine my frustration when we got home, decorated the tree and switched them on only to discover I'd accidentally grabbed the fluorescent blue ones after hubby and I had a massive show down in Big W because I wanted white ones and he wanted coloured ones.
The magical Christmas dance with clapping hands and glee-driven cheers filled the living room - hubby having a field day persecuting me for my blatant mistake. In the end I think we both lose because we have an ugly tree. Hubby thinks it's beautiful. I think it looks like a bug zapper.
Alas, I will suck it up because it's Christmas.
I will also be first one through the door at Boxing Day sales to nab up a bunch of colour coordinated half price decorations for next year.
The blue LED lights may even mysteriously disappear ... just saying.
Happy tree trimming everyone and sorry about the late posting!
Hey guys,
I'm trying something new - a blog tour stop in support of another author, and to top it off, she's a fair dinkum Aussie just like me, so yay!
Anyway, You all know that I am a massive fan of the supernatural/paranormal romance genre, but I have to say that I quite enjoyed stepping out of the box and reading "Impossible" by Komal Lewis which is more of a contemporary/YA romance.
So stick with me this week guys, because I have a full load for you! On Wednesday the 28th of November you are going to get the author interview with Komal Lewis, followed by a Saturday post which will be the book review of "Impossible". There's also a tour-wide giveaway that you probably don't want to miss, so make sure you bounce back for that one on the 26th of November!
Have a fabulous week guys, support an Aussie, promote good Karma and like my blog while you're at it to receive great big air kisses via secret technical blogging support.
Yes, it’s that
time of week again where bloggers unite to participate in the Follow Friday
venture. The idea behind #FF is to promote traffic to your own blog, make new
friends with other like-minded bloggers and discuss new and interesting topics
each week.
Participating is
simple. First you need to follow my blog because I’m totally awesome, then you
can follow me on Twitter @KristyBerridge (actually you don’t have to do this,
it’s wishful thinking), but do follow my blog or assassins will get you …
Then you must
follow our illustrious hosts Rachel of http://www.parajunkee.com/and
Alison of http://www.alisoncanread.com/If
you want more details on how to enter your own blog in the follow and hop, all
directions are on their webpages
Now, once you’ve followed, check out my answer to
this week’s questions and don’t forget to leave a comment so I can do the right
thing and follow you back!
This week's question: Are you thankful for a fellow blogger? Tell us about him or her.
My answer: This is hard because I love so many people in the blogging world. It still blows my mind how helpful and sweet the relative strangers of this interconnected world of internet communication are. I sometimes think that most of my advertising support for my writing career comes from the word of mouth from my blogging buddies.
So I have to give a shout out for Miss Arianne Cruz of Romantic Maidens Blog Tours and her own personal Site, Arianne Cruz. Not only do I get constant support from this girl, but she also offers me opportunities to blossom in the blogging world - Thanks Arianne!
Okay,
so I’m a crazy person participating in yet another blog hop and on the same
night that I already roll around with the Follow Friday crowd. But, I’m a big
believer in trying new things and since I’ve been tagged as an awesome author,
I’m not exactly going to say no, cause let’s face it, I am freaking awesome
*shrieks with laughter*.
So
the name of the game is to answer the five questions below and then tag another
five awesome authors and hope the random spamming doesn’t encourage a slap on
the forehead from my writer buddies.
Here
we go:
What is the
working title of your book?
I’m
going to roll with my up and coming release “The Damned” for these questions.
Where did the
idea come from for the book?
I’d
already written The Hunted, the first in the series but naturally, my wayward
fingers kept on going and before I knew it, a second novel was staring at me
from my laptop screen. Freaky!
What genre does
your book fall under?
Young
adult horror
Which actors
would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Okay,
I’ve actually done a massive blog post on this before so I’m going to be lazy
here and insert a link. There are just too many to write down!
Yes, it’s that
time of week again where bloggers unite to participate in the Follow Friday
venture. The idea behind #FF is to promote traffic to your own blog, make new
friends with other like-minded bloggers and discuss new and interesting topics
each week.
Participating is
simple. First you need to follow my blog because I’m totally awesome, then you
can follow me on Twitter @kristyberridge (actually you don’t have to do this,
it’s wishful thinking), but do follow my blog or assassins will get you …
Then you must
follow our illustrious hosts Rachel of http://www.parajunkee.com/and
Alison of http://www.alisoncanread.com/If
you want more details on how to enter your own blog in the follow and hop, all
directions are on their webpages
Now, once you’ve followed, check out my answer to
this week’s questions and don’t forget to leave a comment so I can do the right
thing and follow you back!
This week's question: What do you hope to accomplish with your blog? Is it
to one day become an author yourself, just for fun, maybe get some online
attention, or maybe something very different?
My answer: Truthfully, I just think it's great to have a voice that people actually want to listen to. It still boggles my mind that people actually care about what I have to say (even when rambling crap).
I am an author, so a blog is great exposure, but I also very much like to read and appreciate the written word of others, posting reviews that are fair and impartial.
Oh yeah ... and thanks for stopping by my blog and promoting it further - have a ripper weekend!
Yes, it’s that
time of week again where bloggers unite to participate in the Follow Friday
venture. The idea behind #FF is to promote traffic to your own blog, make new
friends with other like-minded bloggers and discuss new and interesting topics
each week.
Participating is
simple. First you need to follow my blog because I’m totally awesome, then you
can follow me on Twitter @kristyberridge (actually you don’t have to do this,
it’s wishful thinking), but do follow my blog or assassins will get you …
Then you must
follow our illustrious hosts Rachel of http://www.parajunkee.com/and
Alison of http://www.alisoncanread.com/If
you want more details on how to enter your own blog in the follow and hop, all
directions are on their webpages
Now, once you’ve followed, check out my answer to
this week’s questions and don’t forget to leave a comment so I can do the right
thing and follow you back!
This week's question: What would you do over if you were to start your blog again from scratch?
My answer: Nothing!! I freaking love my blog! So much so, I totally ignore my website which is super sad because nobody really plays with it anymore. But you can play with it if you want ... if it doesn't freak you out! Kidding, it's an author site - not "exorcisms are us".
Have a great weekend all, and don't forget to check back tomorrow night, I'm going to have an absolutely awesome competition starting for those of you that are fans of my 'Hunted Series'.
Sometimes I hate Saturday posts. I've barely just finished doing the Follow Friday meme before I drag my tired ass off to bed and then boom, it's Saturday, I have to work and then pull down the post I just put up and a erect a new one.
Yes, I sound like a disgruntled council worker, but truly, on a Saturday, sometimes I'm brain dead and really have to scrape the bottom of the barrel for a decent read for you all. Alas, today is no different. My rather uneventful life has thrown yet another mediocre week at me that I feel obliged not to bore you with. So, in light of the fact that I am truly uninspiring this week, I thought I'd post about a friend who consistently makes me laugh with her urban tales of foreign room mates, and her unashamed deluge into foot and mouth disease.
I'm going to call her "Danger Mouse".
So Danger Mouse has a way with words, sentences recently erupting from her mouth like; 'I'd slaughter an orphan for parents like yours', and 'I'll give you five cents to saw my foot off'. Although, nothing quite beats, 'Agh, my cat scratched my palm and now I look like the Easter Jesus'.
Other stimulating conversations with outsiders have included:
Stranger: 'You should have seen my son when he was born. He was two pounds nothing with long legs like a frog.'
Danger Mouse: 'So did you take lots of photos of him among shrubbery?'. *deftly shows how small baby could have hidden in dense foliage with long spindly legs*
Stranger: *laughs politely, looking for exit*
Danger mouse has also informed a gay man that 'no sucking is allowed', scared the crap out of her boss by hiding in storage cupboards and screaming 'boo' in an effort to see how quickly she can cause angina, and I hear, confused someone who has narcolepsy with a necrophiliac.
Um ... yeah.
I love Danger Mouse. She is a petite showstopper with a seemingly endless stream of irrational thought and an honest to God deranged sense of humour. I'm not sure how I'd cope Monday mornings without her. Thanks, Danger Mouse - for giving me a Saturday blog I can reflect on, knowing there's an excellent chance you might kill me next time I see you in some weird and wonderfully "Dangerous" way.
Happy Saturday all,
So, is it? Is Music good for the soul?
I'm going to have to say yes, except in any circumstance where ABBA or Country and Western music might be played with zealous enthusiasm. That shit just makes my ears bleed.
Apologies to the true believers ...
Anyway, there's just something about having your chosen boom box (look out, I'm going old school) turned up extremely loud to belt out your all time favourite tracks. Unfortunately, music also sometimes reminds you of the morose moments, almost like a bad smell in an elevator, the taste of cucumbers (hate those little green bastards), or the sight of your beloved pet crapping in the middle of your expensive Persian rug.
So, I was trolling through Itunes this afternoon wondering what songs I could add to my playlist. And, just what exactly did my collection of tunes do for my soul? What memories could I recall with certain songs, and which ones left a bad taste in my mouth?
1. One of my first boyfriends (who I was mighty keen on at the tender age of 14) declared that our song would be forever known as "Truly, Madly, Deeply" by Savage Garden. Alas, after he picked such a mushy track and dragged me off to the movies to watch Madonna in "Evita", I should have seen the writing on the wall. Alas, I'm now told this memorable boyfriend now has one of his own.
2. I'm not one for cleaning the house at the best of times, but I have to tell you, every time I hear Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl", I simply have to whip out a mop and go to town on the kitchen floor. *flies freak flag*
3. My husband who I have been happily tied to for over twelve years declared that our 'song' was Bachelor Girl's "Buses and Trains" - a song about disastrous relationships. It stuck for no other reason than it was the sound track to most of our bump ugly sessions when we first hooked up. *puts hands over parent's ears*
4. Don't hate on me, but I'm a massive Nickelback fan, and, every time I hear "Savin' me" in the car, I revert to a pimply teenage boy in a beat up old ford with way too much muffler resonance, and a mysterious confidence that makes me wind down the windows and share the experience with other drivers. Yes, for three minutes I think I'm King Shit in a Mazda.
5. There's a moment when I sometimes go for a walk. The sun is either rising in the distance or setting behind the hills as the warm breeze tousles my hair. I look over my shoulder, check for spectators, and then throw my arms out wide, toss my head back and sing Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" because at that precise moment I think life is just swell and filled with endless possibilities. Naturally the accompaniment of my IPod makes me sound awesome.
I can think of plenty more, but these are just some of the most prominent that still often run through my mind. I'd love to know if anyone else has similar experiences with music. Make sure you comment so I can laugh at your expense too (kidding).
Have a great weekend.
