Some people might think it’s lame that the most exciting thing I’ve done today, so far, is walk around three different food markets. However, as a Foodie, I think I can safely say: “They just don’t understand!” Foodies enjoy excursions to places that sell food, particularly places they don’t ordinarily go, like a supermarket in a different part of town, or a health food market. We like to look at products from all over the world, but especially ones that are locally made and that hardly anyone else knows about. We love to buy these treats, bring them home and turn them into a mouth-watery delicacy. Even if it’s just oven fries!

Today I went to the chain of supermarket I usually shop at, but in another part of the city because it just so happens to be up the road from gourmet supermarket, Nosh, and health food supermarket, Huckleberry Farms. The most delightful stop being at Huckleberry Farms because it’s the only place I can pick up a vegan pie or where anyone actually knows what a vegan is. No bug-eyed looks there! Nosh was…posh…and expensive, but they did have this stuff called liquid smoke, which you add to food to give it a smoked taste. I need it to make tempeh “bacon” (yes, this is very exciting for me!). Of course, the regular supermarket was, well, regular, but it wasn’t overly busy and thus I did not want to ram my trolley into anyone.

And, before I go, I want to recommend Teza Iced Teas. They come in great flavours such as Peach and Passionflower, Lemon and Mandarin and Velvetberry, and are delicious, fresh and thirst-quenching. Yummy!

I haven’t done a Music Monday post in ages, partly because I’m lazy and partly because I’m not inspired enough by any music at the moment to share. But mostly it’s because I’m lazy! Actually, I’ve been an all-round lazy blogger, lately, partly due to being sick the week before last, and an Unfortunate Event last Sunday (not yesterday, the week before).

You see, I had been sick with some sort of cold that suddenly turned into an upset at both ends, if you get my drift, on that Sunday morning. The discomfort in my bowels coupled with the nausea made me feel light-headed and I actually ended up fainting after I stood up. I was out cold on the concrete floor of our bathroom, head jammed at an odd angle against the outside of the shower—not the actual door, but the solid moulding of the shower. Luckily, my mum was close by and knew I wasn’t feeling well, so heard the crash and came to the door. When I regained conciousness I managed to get myself up onto my knees so I could open the door and let her in. She recalls me being extremely pale and “like a ragdoll”. I landed clean on the left of my face and also grazed the left side of my upper-lip, which bled a little and felt about 20 times bigger!

After mum got me into an armchair, I started to feel extremely sore in my neck and back. So, to make sure everything was ok, she took me to A&E. Everything was fine, though the doctor said I had a bit of whiplash in my neck and would need physiotherapy, and that the fainting was likely the result of the abdominal discomfort and nausea.

A week later I am pleased to say that the left side of my face is no longer noticeably puffy, my lip is almost back to normal and my other bruises are fading. My neck and back are still sore (I seem to have good and bad days) but the physiotherapy is helping. It was a weird incident because I experienced only the one bout nausea and bowel problems, and a little bit scary to faint like that. Before I fainted I felt really terrible, very sick and I just remember wanting to sleep. I hope it never happens again!

1. What is your favourite girl’s name?
Tallulah. Has been for six years; will be the name of my first daughter, should I be blessed with one, regardless of what her father would like. It’s really non-negotiable, I’m afraid.

2. What is your favourite boy’s name?
I don’t really have one anymore. I used to love Oliver, Max and Leo a lot, but I there isn’t one I love in the way I love Tallulah.

3. What is the weirdest/most obnoxious name you’ve ever given to a pet?
The only non-human names I’ve given animals were Lucky (cat), Salt (mouse) and Pepper (mouse). All my other animals have had human names, such as Lucy (dog), Molly (cat), Lola (cat) and Skye (cat).

4. What is/was your favourite pet?
I only have Molly and Lola, plus the family dog, and I love them all equally. I have an extra-special bond with Molly because she’s been with me since she was 3 weeks old (found her in the garden).

5. What is your most cherished dream for your future?
A family of my own. As I get older, and I’m not that old, I realise that really is the biggest thing I will ever do, and the one I am most looking forward to. It’s followed very closely by getting a degree in psychology and being a clinical psychologist.

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

1. Grab your current read.
2. Let the book fall open to a random page.
3. 3. Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
4. You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!Please avoid spoilers!

I’m reading three books at the moment, so you get three teasers this week (possibly to make up for the lack of Teaser Tuesday posts lately!).

One:

His father had been our ambassador at Madrid when Isabella was young and Prim unthought of, but had retired from the diplomatic service in a capricious moment of annoyance on not being offered the Embassy at Paris, a post to which he considered that he was fully entitled by reason of his birth, his indolence, the good English of his dispatches, and his inordinate passion for pleasure. The son, who had been his father’s secretary, had resigned along with his chief, somewhat foolishly as was thought at the time, and on succeeding some months later to the title, had set himself to the serious study of the great aristocratic art of doing absolutely nothing.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

This is a re-read. The first time I read this, I was about 15 or 16. This time around I’m getting the subtleties more.

Two:

Emma made no answer, and tried to look cheerfully unconcerned, but was really feeling uncomfortable and wanting him very much to be gone. She did not repent what she had done; she still thought herself a better judge of such a point of female right and refinement than he could be; but yet she had a sort of habitual respect for his judgment in general, which made her dislike having it so loudly against her; and to have him sitting just opposite to her in angry state, was very disagreeable.
Emma by Jane Austen

Emma is not my favourite Austen character based on the film adaptation of the story, so I am really interested to see if my opinion changes from reading the book.

Three:

They were two fish out of water, hideously uncomfortable and terrified of making a faux pas. Why is it that we commit our worst sins in a spirit of charity?
The Touch by Colleen McCullough

I’ve only just started this, so I’ve no idea if I like it or not.

Ferdinand, a frog my mum found in her plant nursery.

I’m in bed, in my pyjamas, blinds down with a roll of toilet paper, Strepsils anaesthetic lozenges and a Vicks inhaler on my nightstand. And I am not moving from here. I have a cold! (No, not swine flu. ) I guess my immune system has finally given in after months of fighting all the colds and flu everyone around me got. I feel generally icky, but the worst thing is the pounding head. There is not way I’m gonna get any research done with this thing.

I suppose the best thing to do today is rest to speed up getting better. Tomorrow is a combined birthday for my grandmother and uncle, which I don’t want to miss, so I might as see today and a blessed opportunity to be thoroughly lazy and nap.

As a sidenote, for anyone interested in the title of this post: I have a habit of calling animals very regal sounding, or old-fashioned, and just typically human names. My cats are Molly and Lola — I could never call them Muffin or Fluffy — and I just like Harry, Harold, Norman, Ferdinand, Mabel, Gertrude and Penelope for animals.

I’ve decided to adopt out all my fanlists and namelists. I’m no longer as interested in them as I once was, and the cost of renewing hosting for my PrettyBloomers domain is more than I am willing to pay. My heart just isn’t in keeping the sites I have hosted there going. I’d much rather have just this one. I am going to keep the domain name ‘prettybloomers.com’ though, as I may use it again in future.

Anyway, if anyone is interested in the following fanlists and namelists, please send an application. Include you name and URL (preferably to a collective of fan/namelists, if you have one).

Please contact me before May 15. My hosting expires on the 18th, so I would like to have it all sorted before then.

• Angel by Massive attack (TFL; Songs: Bands/Groups)
• King Arthur (2004): Gawain (TFL; Characters: Book/Movie)
• The View (TFL; Musicians: Bands/Groups)
• Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci (TFL; Arts)
• Annabella (TNL; A)
• Noah (TNL; N)
• Romeo (TNL; R)
• Tallulah (TNL; T)

I’ve been quite absent from blogging lately, mainly because I’ve had assignments due, and owing to my habit of leaving things until the last minute, I’ve been completing them in a mad flurry. The one due tomorrow is in two parts: an essay and three paragraphs on three subjects. Today requires revision of the paragraphs and composing the essay, which is fortunately a descriptive, personal one and therefore doesn’t require any reading or references. So, because I have been busy with all that this week, I didn’t blog about my birthday drinks that I had on the weekend.

I spent Saturday night in great company, new and old, having a fabulous time and enjoying a part of the city I hardly ever spend time in at night. I was staying at the Sky City Grand Hotel with my cousin (and her boyfriend) so we didn’t have to concern ourselves with rides home after a night out. It was a great solution because the bar we ended up at was in easy walking distance from the hotel. I think it’s safe to say we all had a marvellous time, as the Flickr set shows.

We finally stumbled back to the hotel in the early hours and I became intimately acquainted with room 1222′s toilet. Obviously I had more to drink than my poor body was used to, add to that the variety I consumed and, well, you get the result of it needing to all come back up again. That’s right, I’m a classy broad! But I am comforted by the fact that I am, apparently, a very composed drunk, and that no one really knew I was that drunk until I made a dash for the bathroom.

Suffice it to say, I had a very bad hangover on Sunday and was not able to enjoy breakfast at the hotel as I had wished. I think if I had been in a better state I would have requested a nicer vegan breakfast option. The buffet was substantial and there were some vegan items, such as baked beans, and fruit and nuts, as well as breads which I was not sure were vegan, and an array of spreads for them. When I asked to have something hot prepared, I got a vegetable stir fry that was tasteless and so oily I was only able to eat a couple of bites before giving up altogether. The breakfast was the major disappointment of the hotel, and to a lesser degree, the woman who checked me in on arrival, but other than that it was a pleasant, albeit short stay. I’m sure if I had had longer to make use of all the facilities, I would go there again.

All-in-all, any disappointments experienced were far outweighed by the lovely time I had with my friends. I can honestly say that my 21^st birthday has been the sort of celebration I had hoped for. I had apprehensions of it being a let-down, or somehow regretting not doing enough, but I know I will always look back fondly and think I made the best of it.