Are you a child of the 80's?

Oh the glorious 80's! The decade that taste forgot - but such great fun too. Kathy recommended this quiz and I just had to try it.

You Are 64% A Child of the 80's

Not only did you experience the 80s... you are practically an expert. You should be totally stoked!

Are You a Child of the 80's?

Hey, at least I have one leg in this millennium ;-)

I tell you what made me laugh though: the statement about my mum wearing shoulder pads. Forget my mum: *I* wore shoulder pads. And neon colours, batwing sleeves, tight jeans, hoop earrings, lace gloves, big hair & glasses - the works.

My fave was the sleeves-off-the-shoulder look. Total class.

Are you a thrill seeker?

You Keep Things Chilled

For you, the whole adrenaline thing is totally over rated. You'll take safety over an emergency room trip. This doesn't mean you don't break out of your comfort zone. You just don't stray too far from it.

Are You a Thrill Seeker?

Well, I knew I wasn't, but I can't resist a little test. What about you?

Guts and Balls - The Medical Distinction

We've all heard about people having guts or balls. But do you really know the difference between them? In an effort to keep you informed, the definition for each is listed below.

Guts - is arriving home late after a night out with the guys, being met by your wife with a broom, and having the guts to ask: "Are you still cleaning or are you flying somewhere?"

Balls - is coming home late after a night out with the guys, smelling of perfume and beer, lipstick on your collar, slapping your wife on the butt and having the balls to say: "You're next."

I hope this clears up any confusion on the definitions.

Medically speaking, there is no difference in the outcome since both ultimately result in death. Hehe.

Slow news day

On the front page of today's London Lite paper:

Lily [Allen] admits she doesn't know what day it is.

Big deal. I often don't know what day it is. Only today I had to ask three times coz I kept thinking it must be Friday (if only). And I wasn't even "absolutely steaming drunk". If you ask me, Lily had a darn good excuse for being confused, which I can't say about my good self.

It's been a hell of a long week and there's still more to go. Ho hum.

I want, I want, I want

I think I may have fallen in love with the red iPod Shuffle.

Has anyone got a Shuffle? Are they any good? Would you recommend them?

Must read: Wasted by Mikki Goffin

I bought Wasted when it was first published back in 2001, probably after reading a review in a woman's mag, as none of my friends have any recollection of it, and it's not the kind of book I'd have picked up in a bookshop, as I find neither the title, nor the caption ("a brilliant first novel about madness, addiction and love") or the cover itself particularly inspiring. Unsurpisingly, it's sat on my "to read" pile since then, until hubby picked it up and took it with him on hols earlier in the summer. He read it so quickly and was so taken with it, that I figured I ought to give it a try. I wasn't holding out much hope, but from the first few pages onwards I was hooked and simply couldn't put it down.

Wasted tells the story of 18-year-old Abigail and Jasmine, her elder sister who's a heroin addict and schizophrenic. Abigail leaves home to go to university, where she throws herself into a student life laced with drink and drugs. As she adjusts to living in halls of residence and struggles with a lack of motivation to do any course work, Jasmine battles to stay out of mental institutions.

At the heart of the novel is the complex relationship between the two sisters; their rivalry and their dependence on each other. The book is based on some of Mikki Goffin's own real-life experiences and superficially on the relationship with her sister Lynette, who suffered from mental illness and died in 1997.

Before reading Wasted, I'd not read anything else by this author, I'd not even heard of her, but I have to say this: the book rocks. It's hilarious and touching, simultaneously funny and sad, extremely engaging and very very realistic. If you can get your hands on it, I highly recommend it.

Time out

Just in case you're wondering where I am, I'm having some time off work to take care of personal/family matters, and also have a much needed rest, read lots of books etc.

At the moment, my internet access and my blogging mood are patchy to say the least. Please bear with me. I'll be back soon :-)