I feel it's about time for a more upbeat post. And what better time, now we're heading into summer and all that gorgeous carefree weather (I say, writing that very sentence just after having switched on the central heating - God bless England in June!)
But this post's title and attitude has been inspired by my having received Chris(topher) Brookmyre's new book 'When the Devil Drives' in the post on Friday, precipitating a Bank Holiday weekend of glorious reading time, and even though I'm currently two-thirds of the way through the seminal 'The Golden Notebook' (which I am incidentally finding to be extremely well-written, interesting and captivating if not necessarily enjoyable), I have a mantra that I always adhere to, reading-wise: "everything stops for a Brookmyre". And so it did, and so I have just finished his latest book, and so I have that familiar pang of utter bereft-ness I always experience after reading a book in which I was so thoroughly engrossed. However, at least that feeling meant I enjoyed it; making me reflect on a couple of other things I have enjoyed recently, too...
...the first being the Eurovision Song Contest, which I have adored every year in its gaudy glory since 1988, when from the comfort of my Mum's new water bed I watched Scott Fitzgerald wrestle in melodic, glittering mud with Celine Dion for the pointless title. And it is pointless, but to paraphrase Freddie Stevenson out of context, "isn't it the pointlessness that makes it sublime?" I read an article in the paper last week in which a journalist spouted on about how she was sick of the detached irony people in this country display when they watch the Eurovision Song Contest; watching it as they do to laugh at the contestants and to feel superior. Well, that isn't the reason I watch it. I watch it because it's a complete one-off and absolutely not to be taken seriously in any way, shape or form. The contest is just utterly bonkers, full of fun and it makes me smile. I laugh with the contestants mostly, and some of the songs have even made it onto my hallowed playlist for the gym - there's not much better than running a 10k on the treadmill with 'Dancing Lasha Tumbai' drowning out the grunts of the weightlifting blokes in the background.
...the second being the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Though I didn't quite enjoy said celebrations literally; I didn't go to any street parties and I didn't wave any flags...drinking room-temperature rose wine out of a paper cup and waving a plastic Union Jack flag in the rain aren't really quite me, darling. I'm neither republican or royalist, so that gave me quite a nice vantage point from which to enjoy the celebrations as a detached observer. The concert was my favourite part of the whole thing; not for the acts but for the planning (who decided that the Queen wanted to celebrate 60 years on the throne by watching JLS and Cheryl Cole display their insipidness like a peacock losing its feathers?) and the inspired decision to project a council estate onto the front of Buckingham Palace as Madness performed 'Our House' on the roof. Plus, why did Stevie Wonder sing 'Happy Birthday' and why did Peter Kay get everyone to sing "we are family...I've got all my sisters with me" up to the Royal Box when the Queen's sister is no longer with us? I can't believe the Queen really enjoyed that concert, but then it wasn't really for her, was it?
...the third being Season Five of 'Mad Men' which is utter, utter, utter quality TV heaven. I've been watching all the old episodes on DVD too; for some reason something about that show sates my feeling of longing for better things to happen now. Maybe because it just expertly transports me away from 'normal' life whenever I watch it, whilst at the same time immersing me in it.
So there you go, then; just a couple of things that have lifted the greyness of life for a few moments before swirling it all back into depressing focus again. More to follow.
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