Bloody Torchwood!

I'm so glad it's back. I missed it. And it has added attractions now, in the form of James Marsters (Spike from Buffy). I have to admit, he was looking quite good ;) I did feel that there was a big nod to Buffy with some lines in the new episode, and the Jack/John fight/kiss scene was very reminiscent of the Buffy/Spike fight/sex scene in the Buffy S6 episode 'Smashed'. There seems to be a lot more humour in it too, and I like the idea of a running storyline. The first series, although there were underlying stories that ran throughout, had episodes that were more stand alone. But I'm glad it's back, sports car driving blowfish and all.

Kirst was around today. We're not actually going to read each other's essays now, Kirst doesn't want to be influenced by what I have put in my essay. We also checked to see if her course materials had been sent out to her only to find out that DHL has supposedly tried to deliver them on 21 December. Well, how was Kirst meant to know when no card had been left? Anyway, DHL has sent the parcel back to the OU, so we had to contact them to have the stuff sent back out again. We also sent an email to find out when they were assigning us with a tutor, too. It's all a bit like pulling teeth at the mo.

Had a bit of a crap evening last night. The controller on my chair riser broke, leaving me without a seat in the front room. We called Social Services careline to report the fault, but it still left me stranded and having to sit upstairs in my room. Despite this, Principessa was very good this morning, sitting upstairs happily watching her DVD's on her little portable player, while every now and again jumping on the bed for a cuddle and requesting tickles. Strange girl! The Social called at around 10am to let us know that someone would be around to fix the chair riser at around midday. *Phew* is all I can say, I am glad that they fixed it so fast. I hate being stuck upstairs.

I still haven't done much writing. I seem to have completely locked out novel and story writing, but I have written a few poems, so I suppose all is not lost. I am glad to see that other writers do not write things that are meant to be full of symbolism. I don't think about underlying messages when I write and just write what I feel is right for the story. I found this out when I sent an excerpt from one of the stories in progress to a Japanese friend. When she wrote back to me, she told me what she thought of my writing, and what she thought it symbolised. It was so interesting to see what she had read into what I had written. It made me feel really good!

I have been reading a lot of Wil Wheaton's blog recently. Not only is it a good read, but it's interesting to see that he shares a lot of the same writing frustrations as lowly folk like me!

On the reading front, I am doing lots. I thought it was a more positive way to fill time while not finding the spirit of writing within me. Pygmalion is finished, I'm part way through 'Jane Eyre' and the Sandman graphic novel 'The Doll's House', and I have two Haruki Murakami books to read once I'm done with the other stuff. Then I'll have a read of 'Wide Sargasso Sea', the Sandman graphic novel 'Dream Country' and then Euripides 'Medea'.

*Phew!* That'll give me something to do!

Travels in time.

Since Christmas, Principessa has once again become enthralled to the Doctor of Who. At least four episodes every day. She is finally out of the Daleks and Cyberman phase, where we had to watch the respective episodes over and over and over again (and as we only have access to series two of the new Doctor, we only have four episodes). So today we are watching Dancing Doctor Who (otherwise known as The Girl In The Fireplace) and Chips and School Doctor Who (otherwise known as School Reunion). I love how Principessa changes the titles, although sometimes it is hard for me to decipher her code names!

I am made up that she loves Doctor Who (to the point where, about seven months ago, she actually said "Mummy, I love Doctor Who."), and she has even been watching some of the Tom Baker ones that have been replayed on UKTV Gold. But she still loves the Daleks more. "Mummy, I really like the Daleks," she said yesterday. I have to agree though, after all, they were given some of the best lines ever in Doomsday. I still laugh when the Dalek says "This is not war. This is pest control," when facing off against the Cybermen. In the words of Christopher Ecclestone's Doctor (possibly one of the worst Doctors, ever), fantastic!

I am very much looking forward to tomorrow evening. Torchwood starts again. Woohoo. Not so much travels in time than travels in Cardiff. But whatever, it is still all good. I am hoping that, now the foundation of the first series has been laid, the second series will be amazing.