Saturday, May 30, 2009

Don't you just hate it when you wake up early at the weekend?

After the most manic of weeks, by rights I should be asleep. Alas I am not. I am up, sorting out my finances for the month, and preparing to go to the gym or to swim before my driving lesson.This should be an interesting day. Whilst my darling boy sweats in the exam hall, I shall be praying and hoping. I have my driving lesson, then I must go to town to try and change all my addresses. The hair dressers beckons next, where I will spend a good 3 hours hopefully ending up mightily more attractive.The early evening is devoted to the lovely Amelia, and planning her wedding hair and her veil. Finally I will see the boy in the evening, and celebrate the end of his University career. Before actually sleeping I hope.

Mainly though, right now, I want to be asleep. Lula and I had a late night watching the Twilight film. In which nothing happens. The books weren't the best thing in the world, but they were pacey. The film? The film, just ugh...

We did have nice food at La Margherita before though, :o) I had some aubergine/tomato penne dish. Very yummy. Lulabelle had seabass which came in a creamy garlic sauce and with a side of a spicy spaghetti. I would have had a plate of that spaghetti on my own I could.

Don't you just hate it when you wake up early at the weekend?

After the most manic of weeks, by rights I should be asleep. Alas I am not. I am up, sorting out my finances for the month, and preparing to go to the gym or to swim before my driving lesson. This should be an interesting day. Whilst my darling boy sweats in the exam hall, I shall be praying and hoping. I have my driving lesson, then I must go to town to try and change all my addresses. The hair dressers beckons next, where I will spend a good 3 hours hopefully ending up mightily more attractive. The early evening is devoted to the lovely Amelia, and planning her wedding hair and her veil. Finally I will see the boy in the evening, and celebrate the end of his University career. Before actually sleeping I hope.

Mainly though, right now, I want to be asleep. Lula and I had a late night watching the Twilight film. In which nothing happens. The books weren't the best thing in the world, but they were pacey. The film? The film, just ugh...

We did have nice food at La Margherita before though, :o) I had some aubergine/tomato penne dish. Very yummy. Lulabelle had seabass which came in a creamy garlic sauce and with a side of a spicy spaghetti. I would have had a plate of that spaghetti on my own I could.

Posted via web from Alex E Jones

Saturday, May 16, 2009

The B Team

"Hello, you're through to the B team.

Are you having a sewing emergency, do you need to be told how to sort out your life, help filling in a job application or work on your CV?

Press 1 for Alex.

Do you need to be told to man up? Do you require practical assistance, transport or an English gentleman to take you to dinner?

Press 2 for John.

Do you need someone to listen to you, a shoulder to cry on, a good cup of tea, a sonoderous voice or general chemical supplies?

Press 3 for Andy.

Do you require a meal cooked for 50+ people, smaller scale transport, events management, advise on canon law, a lack of tact or a sommeilier?

Press 4 for Tom.

If you require drugs, press the hash key. You will then be subjected to lecture."



BEEP!


"You have pressed 2."

"For self service MAN UP advice, press 1. For transport, press 2, for bridge building and other construction concerns, press 3, to be taken to dinner by a handsome young man, press 4, for annoyance please hold. Handsome young man may be delayed by a few days if young man is up a mountain, or may not be the young man advertised."

BEEP!

"You have pressed 2."

If you require a small car, press 1, a large car, press 2, a van press 3, or a tank, press 4. If you require a van or a tank, there may be a delay of up to a week. A large car may require a few days. Press the Star key to go back to the menu."

BEEP!


At least, this how it's supposed to work. When one of our circle of friends has an emergency, it's always us who get the phone call. And if we're having an emergency, we call John. Tonight, we were the secondary emergency supplier. Girl A, contacted Andy, finding herself stranded at A and E, having escorted Girl B there in her moment of need. Andy had the cab fare. Tom had a car. I had a plan. Well I went to supervise. Money changed hands, all is now well we hope.

Crisis adverted, the B team to the rescue again. We did consider calling John, but we decided we had it under control.

Then we went to Tescos and bought, cake, wine and champagne. Not just any champagne, Tattinger. Honest.

I tell you. Could my life get any weirder?

The B Team. If you have a problem, maybe you shouldn't call.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Transfigurations--Transgressing Gender in the Bible by Peterson Toscano, a Review

Last night I went to see Transfigurations--Transgressing Gender in the Bible by Peterson Toscano (Blog, Twitter) at the University of Southampton.

The evening had been organised by SCM Southampton, as part of their radical, challenging, inclusive and aware mission to students at University.

Peterson, a Quirky Queer Quaker according to his Twitter, had put together a both funny and moving performance that delved into lives the gender transgressive characters in the Bible. The solo performance saw Peterson cycle through a range of characters such as Deborah, Esau, an enuch from the court of King Xerxes, who were all woven together by a character narrating through extracts from the Gospel of Thomas. The bible characters and their stories were embellished with lines taken from interviews Toscano had conducted with modern day transgender people.

Toscano is an accomplished actor, who switched seamless between the different characters. I was very impressed with the way he created a believable world with the bare minimum of set and costume. His vocal abilities were also outstanding, each accent believable and authentic.

Whilst his reading of certain bible characters as transgender is only one of many ways to see these treasured stories, it was refreshing and a pleasure to be reminded of the radical and inclusive nature of the teachings of Jesus.

We were also treated with exerpts from his other works and a question and answer session. Highly recommended.


Wednesday, May 06, 2009

All the Small Things

I've been watching "All The Small Things" on BBC iPlayer.

...and I love it!

I don't get much chance to watch telly anymore. Most of it doesn't interest me. 

But this, this? It fills with me with joy. It's about warring choirs and their members, the conductors of which are an estranged married couple. That's beside the point.

What I love about it is that it's about a church! A living breathing church full of members of all ages. Who band together to help members of the community. Such as when an immigrant couple decide to get married, they all chip in help with the big day. 

It's what church should be. It's what I want church to be. Let's make it happen!