Be Excellent To Each Other

Oh aye, last night/this morning was the first we've had proper clear skies in a while & I saw a couple of shooting stars (peak of the Orionids was a few days ago) while catching bait/lunch

Well I see I have missed a thoroughly unpleasant disussion today! It wasn't too bad until you started talking about hygeine deficiency. Gadz.

Also, clear skies Ooster? Did I miss our 10 minutes of nice weather for the month? Must have been too sleepy to notice, i've just left work and it's overcast

Mrs Z's birthday tomorrow and she didn't ask for anything in particular until last night when she made a comment about some new shoes. I've already got her stuff but thought it would be nice to surprise her.

Big fucking mistake, my lunchtime was awful. Wimmins shoes are bewildering, too fucking many and surely you need to try them on? What would she like? I felt like I was being watched as an amateur tranny at best and a foot fetish pervert at worst in the shops I blundered about in. Ended up with nothing.

Never again.

funnily enough, i've just shopped for MrsP's birthday prezzie. It took 40 mins, including the walk into town. Easy peasy!

All the other stuff was easy.

WIMMINS SHOES!!1111111

Get her a voucher for Debenhams, you'll never get the right ones... Ever.

See also: underwear shopping

Yeah true, but vouchers are shit presents.

"here's some money you can only spend there"

I fucking love voucher presents. Love them. Money I have to spend on toys and video games and don't have to put towards bills and groceries? Yes please!

Yeah, by buying actual shoes you're basically buying a bulky and inconvenient voucher from that shop anyway. Because they will have to be exchanged. Possibly several times.

Debenhams is a good choice as well because they do a lot of designers. House of Frazers is another good shop for shoes. I don't think I know any man who could buy their (female) partner shoes to her satisfaction.

I was doomed to fail.



Last time I try to be nice.

You know shit men, then.

Or your Mrs likes bowling.

MrsP loves the new debenhams in liverpool one. It's the only place I think of when buying things for her. That and anne summers...

We're not all perfect, Grimothy. But we strive for it

I knew you were goig to reply to that and I considered just as I was pressing post to change it to be clearer but i couldn't be bothered. I'm not saying no men could do it, I'm just saying none of the men I know could do it.
And actually, giving it some thought, I'm not sure any of my female friends would want their man to do it. I'm not a girly girl at all but I still like buying new shoes and trainers and I have a lot of very girly friends who I think would be dissapointed to miss out on the shoe buying ritual because their parner bought them instead.

Yes!!!

At which point do you cut the chicken's head off?

Craig could definitely choose me shoes I'd love.

I'm thinking as hard as I can but I really don't think any of the men I know would go and but their partner shoes. I think that most of them, if it was suggested to them, would look a bit scared and then laugh nervously or be really confident and think it no problem until they handed the shoes over and saw their girlfriends reaction. Maybe my friends are overly obsessed with shoes?

Right, up to date on de bits and bobs.

On the subject of hyphenating. When I read Strunk & White's Elements of Style, they mentioned how words can begin as two words, later become hyphenated, and then eventually reach onewordularity (my word, not theirs). Evolution of language, innit. And if it's good enough (and also old enough a rule) for Strunk & White, then it's fine by me.

Some of us settle for mediocrity.

Fuck striving, I've bagged mine. Time to let myself go. More.

I'm not too keen on voucher presents myself, but for some people they are exactly the right thing. My gran will always get my mother a voucher. For one my mother has a really odd-ball sense of dress - you couldn't predict what she might like. She also doesn't have much money to spend on herself - give her £100 and it will get whittled on food and bills - but if you give her a voucher for a clothes store she will go and find herself something to her taste which she will actually wear.

Likewise my little brothers. They are 15 or 16 (I know, I am suitable ashamed) and very sensible with their money. Perhaps too sensible. Give them £50 and it will go straight into their bank, so I give them games vouchers. Actually, this year I might get them one of those re-loadable cash cards so they can get whatever they want.

Tonighs dinner-haggis neeps n tatties. Yum yum yum.

I'm pretty sure I could buy at least two of my friends shoes and have them practically lactate with excitement. Also a ... an acquaintance bought a most excellent and perfect pair of shoes for a former friend of mine last christmas. They showed a great deal of thought and care and obvious fancyingness. I was impressed, and the woman in question practically pulled his trousers off right there in the front room.

I'm not denying that men are capable of buying shoes for women I am just saying that I personally don't know any men that would even consider attempting to buy shoes for their (female) partner. Although as I said this may be more down to the fact that my friends love shoes and love the shoe buying ritual of going round all the shops, trying them on, matching them with outfits etc. Although I have friends who aren't obsessed with shoes and I still can't think of any of their respectve partners going out and choosing shoes for them.

You guys are such hard work sometimes, it is literally impossible to make a throw away remark. I was just replying to Zardoz saying he couldn't buy his other half shoes.

There are people in africa who don't even have remarks, and here's you throwing them away. Disgusting.

Actually, I must admit I would probably have to bring a friend along either way. Just because clothes shopping is such a hideous experience that I'd need a lot of moral support. I felt like enough of a freak just casually browsing for a new winter coat last week.

Also you're right. I probably wouldn't even consider buying any women I know shoes, because they mostly have fucking millions of the bloody things already. And maybe one pair that actually fits.

*spits out half a cup of tea*

Yeah, that's really charming SA.

I think with something like shoes it's a personal thing. I wouldn't want anyone to buy me some shoes without me trying them on first, and I wouldn't expect anyone else to want me to buy them shoes because of that.

If guess if your know your partner well, and you don't mind taking them back if they are not comfortable (or whatever) then it could work.

* Something has broken here. Remind me to see if it's still a problem tomorrow.
* Please note that this feature is not 100% accurate, and uses data up to 15 minutes old.

Yeah, I pointed out to Grim... that it said I was playing Forza with gaz and itsallwater, when in fact I was at work, my 360 was off and I haven't done multiplayer with it at all. Then he started getting insane errors.

Tomorrow!

I finally saw the ending to Saints Row, and feel pretty stupid now for not having figured certain things out

Big marathon for me in TF2 with Pod. It's becoming 'Our Game', with a nice chat afters. We both rock.

Unlocked the 'Trauma Queen' cheevo, as well. Which pleased me. Some good demoman and medic play from me, some atrocious engineer play. Really bad.

Ooooh, PC TF2 has different achievements to eggbox version? Or just different names for them? What was that one wot you done gotted for?

Is it possible to get a few hugs over here, please?

What's up?

Is 'everything' an acceptable answer. No, it's just one of those things when you think that things are going to turn around and something good will happen, but then, instead, life just gives you another little slap around the face to remind you that you aren't one of the chosen ones. If I had a glass of wine I would be drunk and down, but instead I am just down, which is a better state to be in, but less likely to lead to deep sleep.

I'm going to just pit my head down and listen to Richard Dawkin's sneering voice on an audiobook and hope he suitably bores me to sleep.

((((((*hug*)))))

I'll have to delete it fairly soon though because it would ruin my sarcastic interweb dick persona to show sympathy for anything.

I have proof now

*HUG*

Sorry to hear life's being a dick again. As a fellow human prone to bleak thoughts and brooding, my sympathies are with you. Hope you have a good night's sleep, and a restful one, all the same. Extra *hug* again.

I'd offer you a hug, but as you don't know me, it might be a bit creepy. The thought is there though.

"Dr Gaywood Explains Sciencey Stuff & Shit (volume 98)" is a good way to relax, although I do find his insistence of constantly referencing the included laminated charts a chore.

Hugs! I've put some of my mum's marigolds on especially for this hug Mimi, since I'm told I can impregnate through clothing now.