Okay, so not the worst birthday ever but def a new entry in the top five, and def worst "holiday" ever, and there is stiff competition there for the title. Whimper.
Books read: 0
Box sets watched: 2 (Merlin vol 2.1, which is only six eps so hardly counts, and Chuck vol 1)
Hours spent lounging on banana lounge in sun: 0
Films seen: 1 (Sherlock Holmes)
So yeah, spent my birthday cleaning the toilet. Why, I ask, why me?
Cake? We finally remembered the poor cake shoved in the fridge the day after so we had it for a late supper. It was nice, too, albeit a bit soggy. A wee from from DJ's food hall, doncha know. So it was cake and a much needed cuppa and watching back the episode of Chuck I'd missed due to ongoing plumbing kerfuffle.
We also went out for dinner, mainly because we couldn't wash up, but the local curry house was open and claimed a dining room but I think we're the first and only folks to eat there given the bemused 'tude of the staff. Which is a pity because it was a nice room and the food above anything I've tasted in the UK (but not quite the heights of the takeway near the railway station I used to haunt in my yoof) and I'd certainly recommend it as a cheap and cheerful curry house. Not exceptional but satisfactory and all I wanted was a nice dinner out sans the tedious commute and it fitted the bill quite well (I miss the old Thai place, though). We toddled home stuffed with curry and rice, in any case.
So, White Collar finale: Peter is the bad guy? Really? Not sure about that. I'm hoping it's a switch on a switch on a switch but White Collar just isn't that clever (unlike Maverick which makes my head hurt at times with labrythine plottishness). Damn distressingly confusing plot direction. Do we really need a conspiracy arc? Can't we just have caper of the week, like the good old days?
Meanwhile I've been enjoying Chuck (when not watching plumbers knock holes in walls) with the odd glimpse of Bomer, and I just enjoy Chuck full stop. It's sweet, cute and funny and vaguely Whedonesque, although I note the NYT is stressing over plot directions I am also stressing over, the same sort of plottiness that ruined Buffy, imho.
Also been watching Carnivale, to the point that Peter's gonna start punctuating every statement with expectoration if I ever finish that WC PWP (hours on new PC: 0, working software and net connection on new PC: 0). And what's with Peter's name anyway, unfortunately the punchline in a lame and ancient fake book title joke ("The Long, Long Trail" by Peter Bourke). Well, I said it was lame but I must be the only one as they can never get the character name right in the local programme guides.
Sherlock Holmes? I liked it, but I'm the only one so far. I liked the bits from the books and I think I'm too used to Murdoch Mysteries so it just seemed like a big episode of that, which I didn't mind, and I liked Jude's Watson and I dunno, I liked it. I don't mind turning him into a 19thC Boond, there are bits of the book one can point to for canon. Nope, didn't mind it at all.
Speaking of the Murdoch Mysteries, the last episode hilariously and totally owned their Due South influences with Dylan Neal doing a star turn as Not!Benton, an RCMP constable even more anal than Murdoch (for reasons entirely obvious). I loved it, and Dylan is totally wasted in Blood Ties (which I've tried to watch but have yet to finish a disk, let alone the box) and he makes a superior mountie. No, really, I loved it. Best pisstake since I saw Maverick's sinfully wicked Gun Shy the other week (Gunsmoke has never been the same since).
Anways, better go. It flashed sunny for a second, but I think it's spare room archaeology again over gardening. It always gets sunny for a bit until I step outside, then it clouds over alarmingly, but nothing ever happens. Arrrgh.
Maybe I'll just try having a shower (hot showers this holiday: 0).
'Sherlock Holmes 2' plans in jeopardy?
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a193822/sherlock-holmes-2-plans-in-jeopardy.html
Q&A: Viggo Mortensen
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jan/02/viggo-mortensen-interview
sssssnooooooorrrrt
http://underagereading.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/rainbow-boys.jpg
http://www.mattbomerfan.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=13&pos=7
And then the Aga broke down
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatpicturegalleries/6916844/And-then-the-Aga-broke-down.html
WC
http://twitpic.com/wgsrj
"White Collar" Press Conference
http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=gls====405269
Zachary Levi Visits "Late Show With David Letterman" - January 5, 2010
http://www.wireimage.com/ItemListings.aspx?cbi=14325&igi=409574&nbc1=1
Sherlock Holmes, Amorphous Sleuth for Any Era
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/books/06holmes.html?th&emc=th
Pulling Out All the Stops to Rescue a TV Hero (Chuck)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/arts/television/05chuck.html?ref=television
Robert Vaughn on the luck that has helped him to stay at the top
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-interviews/2010/01/03/robert-vaughn-on-the-luck-that-has-helped-him-to-stay-at-the-top-86908-21938801/
Neighbours of Billie Piper think she's a prostitute
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/2792834/Neighbours-of-Billie-Piper-think-shes-a-prostitute.html
The curious thing about Alan Alda
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-human-spark6-2010jan06,0,5425850.story
