The Night is Filled With Music

Instrumental written by Irving Berlin, 1938. From the film “Carefree” staring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers.

She looked so beautiful. Her perfect curls secured in place, her long eyelashes, and her sleeveless gown that revealed her elegant, slender arms. The handsome man in the perfectly tailored suit took her by the hand and they seemed to float away. Gracefully they swayed across the floor; the only evidence of their feet touching the ground was the occasional tapping sound in time with the music; her long flowing dress as fluid and light as their bodies.

“I wish I had a dress like that” thought the little girl. She was mesmerised as she sat right in front of the TV staring at the screen. The rest of the family were doing their own thing; this wasn’t to their taste at all. The end of the film was always a bitter sweet moment; she hated the fairy tale moments to end, but she couldn’t wait to run upstairs and create her own fantasies behind the closed door of her bedroom.

Drawing by Chuck Rose

In her room she could forget the madness of being part of a one parent family with 3 older siblings and 3 younger. Although she shared her room with her two younger sisters, they were too young to want to play in their own room. She had arranged the furniture herself so that there was a space in the centre of the room. Imagining those beautiful melodies in her mind she would drift away, skipping and twirling in her imaginary ball gown. There was even a patch of bare floorboards, right by the door, where the carpet hadn’t quite reached to the edge of the room, and there she would make up her tap dancing steps.

She loved all kinds of dancing and music and singing. Even now, 25 years later, that little girl still loves to sit and watch old musicals. They’re just so happy and gay and they take her away to a much simpler place in time – a time before she was even born. A magical time. A time that probably doesn’t even exist except on the silver screen and in every little girls imagination.

Just lately I’ve been watching musicals every night - hence the lack of posts. I go through these phases sometimes; it’s just something I need to do. I swear I was born 50 years too late.

Yabba Dabba Doo!

I had my slimming club meeting tonight.
“How much did you lose?” Mr Man asked.
“Blimey, he’s optimistic” I thought.

Unbelievably I did manage to lose some weight though. I say “unbelievably” because when you hardly sleep there are more hours in the day to eat food. And when you’re tired you can’t be bothered to cook so you eat any ol’ rubbish.

On my way home I popped into the local supermarket. I finally gave in and bought some sleeping tablets. They’re just herbal things so I hope they do something. I didn’t want anything stronger because I don’t want to feel drugged up all day. Right now though I don’t feel like I’m going to need them tonight. I’m resisting the urge to go to bed, because I know that if I sleep now I will wake up again in three hours time and then be awake again all night.

I wonder how many people I irritated tonight? When I’m tired I do everything in slow motion. I shuffle along with my trolley and every now and again I stop and stare at a shelf even though I have no idea what I’m even looking at. Strangely enough I drive really slowly when I’m tired as well. I have no idea why. I could understand it if I had a Flintstone car.

Man alive, I wouldn't look that happy if my car was leg powered. It's too much effort to press the accelerator.


Picture from Google images.

Today's Top Tip

Remember to look over your right shoulder when about to pull away from the curb in a motor vehicle. There really is a blind spot in your mirrors - large enough to hide a lorry, apparently.

Is there no end to the stupidity in this world?

Just when I think I have heard or read the most stupid thing I am ever going to hear or read in my entire life, ever, I come across something else that is even more stupid than the last stupid thing I heard or read.

I suppose the subject of this post on Mental Nurse is something I would usually write about in my other blog, and I have, but then people’s stupidity is usually something I blog about here.

Is there no end to people’s stupidity?

But maybe it works. What do I know? I’m only the wife of a Schizophrenic.

"Riddle Me This, Riddle Me That..."

- The Riddler, played by Jim Carey, in Batman Forever 1995.

Pop over to Trainee Paramedics blog where he has posted a couple of riddles for our amusement. No peeking at the solutions in the answers post though!


So, there's 8 balls...

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Lyric written by Sammy Cahn and music by Jule Styne in 1945. First recorded by Vaughn Monroe in 1946. Although traditionally thought of as a Christmas song, the lyrics in this love song contain no mention of Christmas at all.

“Oh, the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful…”

Ahh… is there anything better than listening to some old tunes while curling up by an open fire?


“And since we’ve no place to go…”

Actually, it's not so much having no place to go, but Mr Man has banned me from driving in this weather in case I have an accident. Also I received an email from a friend the other day asking me: “Have you crashed into anyone recently?” Blimey, knock down one telegraph poll and you never hear the end of it! Still, if I know I won’t be driving it means I can relax with a glass of Bailey’s by the fire, so…

“Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!”


I'm afraid I have to disagree with our friend Tom Reynolds (sorry Tom), who thinks it's stupid that schools close for the day and that the whole country comes to a standstill when it snows. It seems to snow much less than I remember as a child. I don’t think it snows often enough in this country for people to really know how to cope with it, and people certainly don’t know how to drive in it. I think everywhere should close for the day and kids should be able to stay home from school and make the most of the snow while it lasts. He's just jealous because his brother (who is a teacher) got a day off work and he didn't!

Spare a thought for people who have to go out and work in it too – like our postmen/women. Imagine them walking around in it for two or three hours while it’s still snowing; getting wet and cold, and trying to stay upright with a heavy bag of mail on their back.

Extra Extra! Read All About It!

I thought it was about time I updated my list of links in the side bar as I’ve been reading some very funny and interesting blogs of late, and as I’ve had another sleepless night I thought I’d give you a little explanation of each blog while I decide whether to go back to bed or whether to try to force myself to stay up until I’m so tired that I feel like death and I have to give in and go back to bed and then I would have slept too late in the day to be able to sleep tonight and I’ll be kicking myself and wishing that I went to bed this morning instead of trying to force myself to stay up even though it’s not really my fault because I didn’t know what to do because if I went to bed this morning I didn’t know whether I would actually be able to sleep or not. In the mean time maybe someone could Google “the longest sentence in the world recorded in the Guinness book of records” for me.

I’ve never really had a very high opinion of NHS Direct. I called one time for some medication advice and the woman on the phone wanted to send an ambulance for Mr Mans indigestion. I’ve never bothered phoning them again, but if I knew I would have this clever lady answering the phone then maybe I would. There is always two sides to every story, and for every stupid person you think works at NHS reDirect you can guarantee that this lady will answer the phone to at least 50 stupid people ringing them. It’s a very stressful job too, sometimes being the first person that a caller will speak to after experiencing traumatic events. Read the list of 25 random calls listed here and see for yourself.

I’ve been reading a couple of blogs written by Special Constables of late. Hobby Bobby has some very funny stories to tell, and SirBusy is a teacher in his “day job” so he even knows how to spell and like use proper grammar? And all stuff like that innit? I was like well impressed.

Another blog I’ve been reading is written by a copper who calls himself Grannys.Myth.Peeler, but he doesn’t write about his work. He has a very vivid imagination shall we say, and if you don't mind some swearing I guarantee you’ll be crying with laughter. His characters (real or imagined, I have no idea) really come to life. Men of Steel has got to be one of the best.

Has anyone ever come across any British FireFighter blogs?

TODAY'S HEADLINE NEWS

HUMANS BLAMED FOR CLIMATE CHANGE

Well whose fault did you think it was? Who the hell else is there to blame?