A $185 Coffee
Thursday, July 28, 2005
I just went out to get a coffee and somehow ended up spending $185. Oops.

I bought a couple of books, including the recent 2005 Deutz Medal for Fiction or Poetry winner, 'Tu', but Patricia Grace. It's the story of a young soldier in the Maori Battalion fighting in Italy in World War 2. My grandfather (and great a uncle) was in the 28th Maori Battalion and fought in Italy, as well as in North Africa. So I think this novel may have some resonance with me and my family's experiences.

I also bought a cropped leather biker jacket. Looks similar to this Rick Owen jacket...

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but it's in black. Oh, and it was only $100. A steal!

I also bought new undies and a bra for only $20, and feeling rather adventurous, I steered myself away from the black, the nude and the boring white and headed straight for the funky turquoise and purple striped set.

Can't wait to try this stuff on at home.

Oh, and I never did get that coffee.

Tart at 11:05 AM | 1 comments
Listmania
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Five TV shows that never fail to make me laugh.
  1. Little Britain
  2. Will & Grace
  3. Seinfeld
  4. Sex & The City
  5. League of Gentlemen
Seven favourite songs that I always sing along to.

  1. Spinning Around - Kylie Minogue
  2. Angels - Robbie Williams
  3. Numb - Linkin Park
  4. All the Small Things - Blink 182
  5. Sway - Bic Runga
  6. Scorpio Girls - Supergroove
  7. Unsent Letter - Machine Gun Fellatio

Bands that I listened to repetitively when I lived in London.

  1. The Charlatans
  2. Supergrass
  3. Oasis
  4. Echobelly
  5. Elastica
  6. Sleeper
  7. Radiohead
  8. The Verve
  9. Blur
  10. Lightning Seeds
  11. Manic Street Preachers
  12. Suede

Best looking men in sports.

  1. David Beckham (Real Madrid/England football player)
  2. Luis Figo (Real Madrid/Portugal football player)
  3. Daniel Carter (New Zealand All Black rugby player)
  4. Doug Howlett (New Zealand All Black rugby player)
  5. Marat Safin (Tennis Player)
  6. Bobby Skinstad (South African rugby player)
  7. Oscar de la Hoya (Boxer)
  8. Andy Irons (Surfer)
  9. Cory Hutchins (World Surf Ironman Champion)
  10. Dean Barker (America's Cup Yachtie)

Five films I have to watch every year.

  1. The Way We Were
  2. Grease
  3. Best in Show
  4. Pulp Fiction
  5. My Cousin Vinnie


Tart at 11:35 PM | 0 comments
News
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Lots of good gossipy news at the moment. All centred around a white-collar drug bust in Auckland that has two well known sporting celebrities implicated and charged with supply and possession of cocaine, cannabis and E.

They've been given name suppression, so the emails have been flying around with people trying to work out who these two sports stars are. My sources (finally, knowing a couple of journos has paid off!) have told me who they are and while one name doesn't surprise me (he's quite fucking dodgy) the second celeb did. I would've thought he was smarter than that.

Tart at 11:41 AM | 0 comments
Things I have an irrational fear of
Sunday, July 17, 2005
There are some things that I don't know why or how I came to dislike so immensely. Well, not so much dislike, more fear. These things just plain creep me out!


  1. Polystyrene. I hate this stuff, it's texture and consistency makes my skin crawl.
  2. Whistling. Just plain creepy. Once had to ask a bus driver on my morning commute to stop whistling as I thought I was going to be sick.
  3. Mushrooms. Euw, euw, euw!
  4. Long fingernails on men. It's just wrong.
  5. Moths. Bloody awful things with wings that just won't stop dive bombing my head. Bastards!
  6. Feathers. I inherited this dislike of feathers from my father, we both can't figure it out and subsequently, we both loathe birds.
  7. Blue vein cheese. Smells like urine and stinks like manky shoes. Hardly a pleasant taste.

There are a few more, but these are the one I can remember off the top of my head.


Tart at 10:33 PM | 1 comments
Mini-reviews
Just some brief thoughts on the books I read this month.


The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova
This debut novel had a bit of everything, mystery, thriller, suspense and showed some real meticulous research by Kostova. While I enjoyed the book, it did drag at times, but overall I recommend it.

Eleven on Top - Janet Evanovich
This was an average read. I'm starting to get bored with this series, and probably should've stopped reading at book 6. This was a rather lacklustre offering, the same jokes and situations regurgitated with few laughs. A real disappointment.

The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
A brilliant, eloquent and stunning novel with real emotional depth. It grabbed me from the start and I couldn't put it down.

Tart at 9:53 PM | 0 comments
Random
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
And this just made me laugh...


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Image from Gallery of the Absurd

Tart at 4:05 PM | 0 comments
Playing Nurse
I'm playing nurse at the moment. My boyfriend was in a snowboarding accident at the weekend, and is currently laid up at home, recovering.

I am not the best nurse - think Nurse Ratchet...


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I left for work this morning and set him up with everything he could ever need at his finger tips, TV, newspapers, a couple of my books (Hot Target by Suzanne Brockmann and Survivor in Death by JD Robb), water and some fruit plus the phone. The phone was the mistake. So far today, I've had 7 phone calls from him. He's bored. I'm hoping for a speedy recovery before he starts to drive me crazy.


Tart at 3:56 PM | 0 comments
Away
Friday, July 08, 2005



"I bought a toothbrush, some toothpaste,
a flannel for my face
Pajamas, a hairbrush, new shoes and a case.
I said to my reflection, Let's get out of this place."
(Tempted by Squeeze)


Yes, I'm all packed for the trip up the mountain this weekend. I'm off snowboarding with a few friends. I've got enough for a three week trip, and not including all the boarding paraphenalia, have packed the following items...

  • Four books - The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and Game Over by Adele Parks
  • Two Sudoku puzzle books. I am addicted to these puzzles now
  • Eight bottles of wine - 3 Pinot Noir, 2 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1 Chardonnay and 2 Sauvignon Blanc
  • Two packets of Arnott's Double Coat Tim Tams
  • Five CDs - Be by Common, Love is the New Hate by Shihad, Get Behind Me Satan by the White Stripes, Crusader by Scribe and Love Box by Groove Armada
  • A bottle of Baileys Irish Creme
  • Pack of cards
  • Sunscreen and lip balm (so to avoid a repeat of the panda eye incident of 2000)


I think I'm all set. Did I forget anything?


Tart at 12:04 PM | 1 comments
London Bombings
The terrorist bombings on the London underground and buses are truly horrific. My immediate thought was to my parents, who both live in London. Rationally I knew they'd be okay, they don't work in that part of London, but there was a small part of me thinking 'but what if'...

I had problems getting through via mobile phone or landline, but did managed to get an email out to my mum, and both her and dad are fine. Though one scary thought. Yesterday Dad was in Russell Square, where one of the bombs ripped through a bus, at the time the bombs went off today. It could've been worse. I feel for all those affected by it, but want to commend the actions of the emergency services, they seemed to do a wonderful job.

Tart at 11:22 AM | 0 comments
On a break
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
I haven't read many books lately that really moved me. So instead of wasting my valuable time on some really 'meh' books, I'm taking a romance book break. I've got a few magazines piled up, plus the odd mystery book that I'll read instead. Hopefully this self-imposed romance book break won't last long...

Tart at 7:47 PM | 1 comments
The 'meh' files
Friday, July 01, 2005
There's a list I have, a mental list, of those authors that others love, but I don't. I've tried and read several of their books, but I just can't see the appeal. I call them my 'meh' files...

My 'meh' authors:

  • Nora Roberts
  • Elizabeth Lowell
  • Jude Deveraux
  • Stephanie Laurens
  • Lori Foster
  • Christina Dodd
  • Elizabeth Beverley
  • Eloisa James
  • Celeste Bradley
  • Brenda Joyce
  • Sherrilyn Kenyon
  • Christine Feehan
  • Sandra Brown
  • Catherine Coulter
  • Danielle Steele
  • Angela Knight

I have another list, this time of authors who are on the verge of joining my 'meh' list... I used to love these authors, but have been disappointed with their recent offerings.

  • Jayne Ann Krentz
  • Judith McNaught
  • Rachel Gibson
  • Susan Andersen
  • Lisa Kleypas
  • Madeline Hunter
  • Julie Garwood
  • Laurell K Hamilton
  • Tami Hoag
  • Karen Robards
  • Linda Howard
  • Janet Evanovich

Gee, looking over the list. It's not going to be long until I list nearly every bloody top selling romance author. I obviously need to find some great, previously undiscovered mid-list author and hopefully read some new, interesting and wonderful novels.


Tart at 12:37 AM | 2 comments