Such a busy week and glad I am to have a nice quiet day at home lolling around and draping myself over my sofa in Anglo-Saxon attitudes. Tea at Bloomsbury report tomorrow complete with photo of Yours Truly grinning inanely alongside a more composed William Boyd will be up with my burblings on same. Bet you can't wait...
I am tidying up my blog this weekend, sorting out blog roll, checking out bits and pieces (blimey it has just started sheeeeting down and rain is hurling against my window) and, in order to keep an up to date list of books that have really stood out for me, I am instigating Book of the Month and this will be posted up at the top right hand column of Random at the end of each month. In January I had Magnificent Obsession by Helen Rappaport up as I had chosen her book as my book of the year in December 2011, this month I have flagged up Look Back with Love by Dodie Smith which I simply adored and read in January and I already have my February choice up and ready to go, unless something else turns up in the next week. Not exactly innovative or earth shattering addition but I just want to flag up slightly more prominently the books I have enjoyed throughout the year.
I am currently reading more of Dodie Smith's autobiography which I requested from my library and they arrived last week, battered and well worn and am simply loving them. Will write more on them later in a separate post.
Held a meeting last night of our Resident's Association and we are now finally in the throes of having Sky installed for the block. This has taken some time, in fact years, to get organised but as Sky have realised that a communal dish for flats will lead to lots of people taking out subscriptions, they have made the whole process much easier and subsidise each installation so it is costing us next to nothing. I mentioned earlier that I simply cannot afford to go to the opera any more, unless I win the lottery which is unlikely, and it may have to be a once a year treat, if that. Have cancelled my membership of the Friends of Covent Garden and so Sky Arts which shows lots of operas and classical concerts will be good to have. I am adding on Sky Sports as I simply must be able to watch the Test Matches which are no longer on terrestrial TV though I will admit that missing the last series against Pakistan was a blessing in disguise. It goes against the grain to put money in Mr Murdoch's pocket but it simply cannot be avoided. I do my best by avoiding The Sun (easy) and the Times (also easy as it is expensive and you cannot even look at it online without paying). I used to read the Times regularly until 1997 when the paper's integrity disappeared up Tony Blair's backside from where the sun shone brightly on Dear Rupert and I stopped reading instantamente. But I have to come to terms with the fact if I want Cricket and Tennis I have to keep Mr Murdoch in the lap of luxury. It hurts believe me.
I am also tackling the budget for next year and one of the benefits of forming this Association is that the management company can no longer just foist stuff on us - we have to be consulted and I am a demon with budgets having had to deal with them at work on a regular basis. So I am sharpening my quill as I write and will be presenting my budget for consideration to the company next week. Determined to get the monthly charge down to a reasonable level and as the residents are doing a lot more work now, can see no reason why this cannot be achieved.
OK incredibly boring post but I do like to write on Random even if I have nothing to say so grin and bear it. It is a horrid day outside now so I hope all Random Readers are warm and comfortable inside like me.
Au reservoir.
