The Ideal Home Shambles

I'd gotten free tickets from work for the Ideal Home Show - Christmas. I've always found it hard to say no to free tickets, so yesterday I and the flatmate braved the TFL weekend chaos (engineering work overrunning, apparently, which resulted in a 30 minute bus Odyssey) and trekked over to Earls Court to check out what all the fuss was about.

Now, this is probably a good time to mention that I love home improvement shows, especially Grand Designs, which despite having the most critical and negative presenter (who, in the end, always is full of surprise that the people building the house actually did it) is amazing. So there was I being all starry eyed, expecting something like a mahoosive Ikea showroom with all kinds of Christmas shinies.

It was nothing like that at all.

In reality, it was a giant sales thing of all kinds of rubbish. What the f**k has jewellery to do with home furnishing??? Tarot reading, anyone?? How about a bit of fashion show?

There was a bit of furniture and a tiny bit of Christmas decorations, but there was an awful lot of other shit as well. In the end we acquired a wreath (£8.50, not the most amazing thing but it'll do), I got a tasty vegan curry and some chocolate marshmallows. Nicki went all out and bought loads of stuff, including my birthday present (which I'm already looking forward to).

It wasn't the worst way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but Ideal Home it was not.

Eyeball Tracking

Today I've done some art. My brain feels nice and satisfied and happy now. I like if my brain's happy :)

I've grabbed the flatmate and met up with another friend at the Hayward Gallery to check out an exhibition by Pipilotti Rist. It started with an underwear chandelier (ahem) and went on to be quite awesome with video installations that you could walk through and sit down in. Comfy AND inspiring. Included in the ticket was entry to Condo - Mental States which was, erm, a tad mental and disturbing. Interesting, but really weird. We had to go down and sit in the pretty video landscape for a bit afterwards to get the happy back. Got drawn in by a press photo exhibition in the Royal Festival Hall on the way back, which was good, and then got some food and a tasty brownie at one of the Real Food market stalls. That's what I call a good Sunday!

Yesterday I trekked over to North London to meet up with some friends and do some art (well, I didn't, they did) and play a bit of Kinect. I really, really want a Kinect. And a big TV. And a living room that's big enough to play it. There was sociability and tasty foodstuffs and loads of jumping around. Came home happy and a bit exhausted.

Next week might feature two trips to the movies and a visit to the Ideal Home Christmas Show.

Last week I went over to Germany for a long weekend. It was mostly relaxing, as visits to my parents usually are. I've bought new glasses which I'll collect when I got back at Christmas. I also went to my German gynecologist for a long due check-up, which apparently was pretty due - I got told to stop taking the pill as I'm too old now (over 37 the risks seem to go up considerably) and I also seem to have a myoma in my uterus. As such, this is not dangerous and 1 in 4 women have it, it only gets unpleasant when it grows too big. Mine seems to be ok for now, but I have to go back for 6 monthly checkups. I don't particularly like the idea that there's something inside me that's not supposed to be there, but before the ultrasound I didn't even know it was there and the doctor's not worried so I probably shouldn't be, either.

Other than that, all is fine and I'm looking forward to some busy weekends.