The bf went to a magician's convention in Blackpool the other weekend, and this was in the programme. I can't think of words brilliant enough to do it justice...

OK, so I'm so over the Siemens SL55. Reviews panned it for breaking down constantly, so cherry red and titanium seductive sleekness is just not enough. I've stuck with my creaky Alcatel for the time being until I can be bothered to upgrade again.

But now I'm suddenly itching for an iPod mini. It comes in pink! And I could get it engraved! Ooooooooh. The perfect portable home for all my 60s girl group vinyl.

Only available in the uk from late April though, unless you want to take your chances with an eBay seller. Not that I can justify it at the moment - one for down the road I think. But it is so pretty...

So I was checking out possible hotels near the venue for a show I'm doing in London in late March, and came across this self-penned description which made me laugh:

The Hotel is a very pleasant, friendly, but unpretentious hotel situated in Hammersmith. No1 Hotel on the road. Finest rooms, unchallenged locally. Try the newest and cleanest rooms in the area. The relaxed atmosphere of the hotel ensures that visitors are made to feel welcome. There are many good restaurants pubs and cinemas plus Apollo nearby. Please try us as we are the best and can prove it whether you are an individual or a group, no one in our road can match or beat us.

Awwww. It's only a fairly bog-standard chintzy b&b stylee place, but nice to know you're welcome!

Somehow the bf & I managed to drink three bottles of chardonnay between us last night. Hic. And now I'm quite hungover, and tired too because I woke up at 5:30 am feeling ill and couldn't get back to sleep. I'm sure I'm getting punished for having fun on a school night...

I haven't written much lately due to being generally tired from work and a bit uninspired. But a few bits & pieces:

I'm Actionetting tomorrow night at the Water Rats in Kings Cross - more tipsy 60s glamour and glitter, with two packed sets with singing, dancing and all the usual girl-only DJing in between. Good value for your £4!

I scored a long sought-after girl group single on eBay last week by brit girl Judi Johnson, which prompted me to do a bit of web searching for some info as little was known about her. I stumbled across a tribute page put up by her daughter, which sadly came about since she passed away in 2002. There are some amazing photos though, and you can listen to both sides of the single I found too.

In other sad news, Dusty Springfield's cat Nicholas recently passed away. He survived Dusty by 4 years and was about 17 - a nice long life for a very lucky soul puzzah. Read all about it on Simon Bell's Dusty News page. (scroll down...)

Manchester is the only place I've lived where the city buses let you ride for free because you're trying to pay with a fiver and they haven't got any change. You can't buy standard tickets any other way, so it's get on and see what happens. But seeing as they *never* have change, maybe I should always try and pay with a big bill! You also often see people desperately haggling with the change-less drivers: "I've got £1.20 and some pennies, ok?"

Come to think of it, it's amazing how often any bus I catch is missing something - laminate backings for weekly passes, friendly drivers, ventilation, upholstery, brakes...

But at least it's not like Toronto, where the streetcar (tram) or bus drivers don't carry any change. You can buy strips of tickets from just about any corner shop, so the attitude is there is no excuse for not paying to get on. I remember one passenger only had a $20 bill - and the driver told him with a straight face that he would have to put that in the farebox or get off. Bearing in mind a single fare was $2 at the time...

Happy, tired and sad all at once.

Happy because my work launch party went amazingly well last night in every way. People seemed genuinely moved by the charity's work and there was a really nice atmosphere in the reception afterwards. It was also really nice to explain and show what I do to so many people, from the business side of things (out of town colleagues, supporters) to the personal (my bf.) Usually I try not to "bring work home" as it were, but it was cool.

Tired because, well - a big event is always draining. Plus I'm not always that comfortable with doing the meet & greet thing for hours on end, even though I'm actually pretty good at it. It usually hits me afterwards as I just go into overdrive while it's all happening.

Sad because I had some terrible news this morning about the death of one of my friend's good friends. My tired state meant that it hit me pretty hard.

I felt pretty hollow this morning as I sloshed into work through a batch of cold winter rain. As I walked through the Arndale to get to my bus stop, all the shops seemed too bright, forcibly cheerful and pointless. I made it to my office and had to have a good cry.

But... it's the afternoon now and I'm feeling better. Lots of nice calls and emails about the event and a big M&S picnic lunch courtesy of my manager, and I reconfirmed my bookings for a little sejour this weekend in Brighton with the bf. It's good to focus on the positive I guess - but what a very up and down day.