My head is all over the place but this song is so beautiful and it’s bringing a kind of stillness to my brain when I need it
You can listen to and buy more of Robin’s music at bandcamp
Categories: Uncategorised
Tag: Music
Now it’s easy when you don’t know better
Categories: Uncategorised
I’d never seen this video before yesterday (or heard the song actually) so that’s what I am listening to today.
Tiny things Tuesday #49
Categories: Uncategorised
I haven’t managed one of these Tuesday posts for a while but I was feeling particularly positive today so here goes…
1. A few weeks ago I devoured the whole first season of A series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix. I read (& loved) the books a good many years ago and I enjoyed the film but the rushed ending and part where they muddled up the timelines wasn’t great. I LOVE how the Netflix version seems to be so much more openly queer friendly with both Sir and Charles being explicitly depicted as a couple and the person of undetermined gender who appears to be playing it as non-binary. I’m excited for season 2.
2. Speaking of TV – I am also really enjoying Riverdale at the moment. I haven’t read the Archie Comics before so I’m pretty new to the story but the noir vibes reminded me of Veronica Mars which is always a good thing. So far my favorite character are Betty and Veronica (together) and Jughead. There is something about the way that it’s shot that also really reminds me of Life in Strange.
3. J got me this lovely Moomin cushion as a valentines gift. I love the print on it. I think I need to have a duvet days soon where I drink lots of coffee, make pancakes and read one of the books.
4. Tegan & Sara were amazing on Saturday evening at The Institute in Birmingham. You can see the set list here – I was most happy to hear Alligator and U-turn plus 100x because I knew it was one of J’s favorites. The tickets were part of my Christmas gift (tucked inside the CD of the latest album) and when I first opened them I was a little taken back because I hadn’t really listened to them in ages but as I started listening to the new album and re-visiting their old ones, a lot of memories started coming back and I realised how many emotions their music stirs up in me.
5. Stardew Valley – I brought this for my laptop about a month ago for around £12 and it terms of giving vallue for money, I cannot fault it! It’s a pretty simple game with a retro pixel art look to it that combines elements of Harvest Moon, Animal Crossing and other farming simulators I am finding it really relaxing to play (aside from when I die in the mines in the desert) Here’s a little article about how SV is an improvement on previous games of this type.
6. I got exciting post from Wanikani the other day as a reward for completing the first 3 levels. It was a magnet, hand written postcard and sticker. I’m a sucker for surprise post and I’m also still really enjoying using Wanikani to learn Kanji. It has given some structure to my days especially as I tend to use my bus ride to work to work on revisions and new lessons.
Some other bits and pieces that I have also been enjoying;
I’m really into this article from Rookie on how to be alone. I’m an only child and having alone time is pretty vital to my wellbeing especially since I started living with someone else.
Spring being almost here. The evenings are finally getting lighter and it helps my mood so much.
Looking at the tweets from the Cat Reviewer.
It’s Sheffield zine fest this weekend and I’m excited to go and see my friends and eat some tasty food. Last year I had the best salt and chili tofu that I had ever had and I still think of it about once a month. Ahh!
I had my fringe (and thge reset of my hair) cut a few weeks ago after not bothering since the start of October. It actually feels like it had a style now and isn’t such a pain in the butt to blow dry in the mornings. It shocked me just how much of an impact it had on my mood and I guess its a reminder to myself that these things I sometimes think are trivial can make a difference.
A mid-February update
Categories: Uncategorised
Life is…life, I guess. House hunting is slow and frustrating. It’s hard to imagine what you can have when all you have been used to is renting and making do with what you can afford, where will allow pets and where you’ve managed to get your application in first. Looking for somewhere to buy seems more exciting in some senses especially as it’s all so new but for the same reason, I am also feeling a bit overwhelmed and confused about it all.
I’ve treated myself to a Spotify paid account and that’s helping somewhat. I’ve spent most of the week listening to Tegan & Sara on repeat and discovering that I enjoy Sainthood much more than I thought I did when it came out. I’ve managed to hook it up to my very neglected last.fm account so you can see what I’ve been listening to here should you want to do that for some reason.
Here’s a picture of Cabaret because too much text in a row is boring
I’m trying to get better at managing my money. I’ve got a busy weekend coming up as I’m seeing Josie Long on Friday evening and then Tegan & Sara on Saturday – both in Birmingham. I need money for the train and food and I’m squirrelling away pounds in different accounts for both.
I feel like I am weighing up how much value I get from things. I had previously deemed a Spotify membership as too much of a luxury until I a) realised I could get a student rate and b) heard the same 1 or 2 adverts too many times in a row and wanted to scream. We’ve had an office move and being slightly closer to people is a bit of a struggle in terms of overheard noises so I’ve been relying on listening to music more to help me concentrate. I guess I’m only justifying this to myself at the end of the day.
This morning I also listening to the latest episode of Pomo Pain podcast which is an excellent podcast by my friend Ingrid. If you haven’t heard it, then you should listen. It always helps me to make sense of my own thoughts and gives me a different but helpful perspective on things.
Categories: Uncategorised
Not much is making me happy at the moment, but this video (and song) really is
“i’m sorry if i accidentally implied
i’m sorry if i explicitly promised
i’m sorry if i swore on lives other than mine
my cat my dog my sister
i hope they’ll be alright”
Back in the UK
Categories: Uncategorised
I’m back from my amazing trip to Tokyo. This isn’t the post where I am going to write about that though as I have been full of germs since my flight back and I’m feeling rough.
Small things that are soothing my poorly soul at the moment
♥ Wearing cozy slipper socks
♥ Burning lots of scented candles
♥ Taking warm baths with Lord of Misrule gel
♥ Knitting yet another pair of socks (this current pair I started on my flight to Tokyo)
♥ Making plans for the last 2 months of 2016
♥ Getting cuddles from a warm, fuzzy cat
I saw a short film the other night called Curmudgeons that Danny Devito directed and it really made me smile. I’ve also been enjoying browsing the animation category on Vimeo
I haven’t got great concentration at the moment but
I’ve also been enjoying the latest EP by Deathsex Bloodbath which they launched the day after I arrived back in the UK, which I may or may not have played some part in.
Now I’m back and my long planned for trip is over, I’m thinking up some survival plans for the rest of the year. I’ve booked tickets to go and see the Adventures in Moominland exhibition in London with a group of pals in December and I’m also going to the Los Campesinos! curated all-dayer in Leeds.
I also want to make another zine, sort more house stuff out and y’know…actually properly empty my suitcase which is currently still in the middle of the living room floor. Oops.
Tiny Things Tuesday #47
Categories: Uncategorised
Wow…it’s been months since I wrote a Tuesday post. I’m off work tomorrow for a day of admin and getting shit done. Before I get into my lazy evening, here’s some things I’ve been enjoying;
1. I’m probably a bit late to the party but I started listening to the My Dad wrote a porno podcasts when we were travelling to Luxembourg. For anyone who hadn’t heard of it – one of the presenters gets together with two friends to read out loud the self published erotic fiction that his father has written. Each week covers a different chapter of the novel which is called Belinda Blinked and honestly seems to be written by someone with NO knowledge of anatomy or what could possibly be sexy. It is ridiculously funny though. I was crying with laughter on the train to the airport at one of the episodes. I ended up finishing the whole of season 1 over the course of the holiday so I’m saving season 2 for my Tokyo trip.
2. I’ve been getting back into knitting socks lately – I usually get bored when making them when I’m on the second sock and don’t end up finishing them. I’ve tried making some slightly more complex ones and that seems to have piqued my interest again. Right now, I’m working on this pair of socks from this book and I’m really enjoying it. I’ve brought some bamboo needles and more yarn so I can knit some on my trip.
3. After procrastinating for ages and adding far too many links to my Pintrest boards – I’ve finally started a bullet journal! I’m using a cheap dotted notebook that I picked up from Tiger and it’s working out pretty well for me. I’ve been using it to keep track of things I want to do each month as well as my daily to-do lists and appointments. I’m also tracking some day to day health stuff and using it to make many to-do lists for Tokyo. Its also give me an opportunity to finally use some of my stash of washi tape and stickers too.
4. AUTUMN!! It’s gone from feeling like summer in the last few weeks to suddenly feeling really autumnal. I’ve been enjoying seeking out the squirrels that live by the cathedral in town and feeling them monkey nuts. They are so cute and friendly ♥
I keep listening to this song on repeat at the moment –
This is the official videa but annoyingly they cut out a lot of the intro so if you like, you can hear the full track here.
Till next time…
Tiny things Tuesday #44
Categories: Uncategorised
It was (pretty much) still daylight when I left work today. YES! Spring is coming.
I had a good weekend where I went to a gig in Birmingham on Friday to see T-shirt Weather, Okinawa Picture Show, No Ditching and Jesus and his Judgemental father. They were all really good live and it was nice to hang out with pals too.
On Saturday I slept a lot to make up for my late night (we got home at midnight which is pretty much now classed as a late night for me) On Sunday I went to the cinema to see Deadpool with J and we ate katsu curry at Wagamamas. I loved Deadpool (aside from that one really transphobic “joke” which pissed me off) and it was nice to have some ridiculous escapism on a Sunday afternoon. When we came out of Wagamamas there was even a few flakes of snow falling.
Here’s this weeks things;
1. Look at this valentines card that my sponsor owl Iolo sent me! What a cutie!
2. I was also treated to this cute mug from J (and made breakfast in bed) I had spotted it in town before but thought it was a bit egocentric to buy it for myself so I was happy to get it as a gift.
I feel like I don’t have much to write about these but that doesn’t matter. I’m filling out a gratitude diary each night that a friend sent me from Flow and it’s really nice to just write a few things about positive stuff.
Till next time…
Something else instead
Categories: Uncategorised
I went to see Martha play in Birmingham last night with Radiator Hospital and Okinawa Picture Show. I’m pretty rubbish at going out on weeknights but this was worth the effort. After a weekend of tears and feelings of “what’s the point?” I needed something to remind me that I can still feel ok, I can still feel like it’s ok to be me – awkward face, words and all. Going to gigs like this does that for me.
“Oh my heart, I try to keep it open,
Oh my heart, I try to keep it full,
There’s a world outside where I feel so broken,
But you make me feel mendable”
– six men getting sick six times
I’ve been playing this song over and over for the past few weeks. I would have loved to hear them play it last night but never mind. Go and download it here and fling ’em some cash because they are great and make things a little brighter.
Indietracks 2015
Categories: Uncategorised
Indietracks 2015 was a lot of fun – although the rain was a bit more of a theme than I was hoping for. I haven’t really been one for going to festivals as an adult. My experience has been pretty much limited to one ATP weekend, day visits to things and some all-dayer or weekend events where I have stayed in hostels/kipped on people’s floors. I went to indietracks for the first time last year and I had such a good time that I pretty much decided I would be going again the next year (and booked my annual leave as soon as the dates were announced)
I travelled to Derbyshire with Joe and one of my best friends, Kate on Friday morning. Kate has a car which means we could lug a lot more stuff than some of our campmates so I took advantage of this to pack every possible thing I thought may be of use. A light packer, I am not.
We arrived at Golden Valley campsite at around 1pm and met up with Sarah who had also just arrived. We put up out tent while it was spitting with rain but thankfully didn’t get too wet. We spent a few hours lazing around and making a nest of sleeping bags on the big double airbed in an attempt to get warm while waiting for the others to arrive. Aside from the School, I hadn’t heard much of any of the Friday night bands but they were all good.
Saturday morning we woke up pretty cold but to sunshine! I headed off to get a shower and then lazed around on the grass with the others drinking coffee and chatting. I wandered back up to the site to see Lost Pets who I had seen play in London before.
There was a lot of good bands playing on Saturday – we saw Desperate Journalist who blew me away, Coleen Green who I enjoyed despite not being able to her her set every well, Tigercats who were great fun and made me want to dance and Steven James Adams who closed the Church Stage on Sunday and lead us all outside for a final sing-along on the climbing frame. I also got some life coaching advice from Niall from Spook School in his workshop which involved celebrity appearances and throwing skips at people.
The pains of being pure at heart were lovely to watch as the sun went down and I had a bit of a dance at the disco before heading back to the tent to have a maple bourbon night cap before bed.
Sunday rolled around and a few of us went to get a cooked breakfast at the campsite café. So good and just what I needed at this point. Sadly, it started raining while we were in there and didn’t really stop for the rest of the day. I was pretty determined to make the best of it all the same. We headed back up to the site and took back in the quiz – we came somewhere mid table which was pretty respectable and I even got a few questions right. Here’s our quiz team – “the sea is a good place to think of the next line”
I didn’t see as many bands due to the “inclement weather” but Colour me Wednesday were great and worth braving the increasingly heavy rain for. I was sad to miss the Tuts as they were great when I saw them in Coventry but I did go to the indiepop speed dating workshop that my friends Sarah and Emily ran and that was fun. I met someone who has just moved to Coventry! thiw was actually the second person I met from Coventry over the weekend as I got chatting to someone while in the queue to the loos who turned out to not only also be from Coventry, but to work at the same place as me.
My favourite band of the weekend was of course Martha. I think this may actually have been the first time I have properly seen them play (last year I saw them play an impromptu set in the merch tent) they did not disappoint. Seeing them all decided to crowdsurf at the end made me stupidly happy. The train shed second stage was pretty much rammed by this point as everything had been pulled off of the outdoor stage and moved inside. After their set, we planned to stick around and watch some/all of the Go Team! but exhaustion and rain got the better of us and we headed back to the campsite to take down the outer part of our tent in the pouring rain and headed home around 11pm
Favourites parts; drinking shandy and eating dry roasted peanuts on the train bar, lazy Saturday morning in the sunshine, the Gopals curry I had on Saturday evening, dancing in the disco on Saturday evening, Niall from Spook School’s workshop (and later onstage performance with Martha) hanging out with pals, watching bands on the Church Stage, putting on snuggly socks at night in my sleeping bag and staying warm, singing along to Party Hard on the way home with the heaters blasting us dry.
See you next year!