Elbow and after

Wednesday of this week was a very special evening.  Elbow - the best band in the world, ever, without question (no -this is not open to debate and everyone is entitled to my opinion!) - played Newcastle Arena and for a couple of hours on a cold misty drizzly night in March I was transported to the foothills of heaven.  The after-glow lasted until today - now I just wish I could repeat the experience.  My brother and I have seen them play live four times in a variety of venues and every time it's magic. Even the barn of a building that is the arena didn't manage to dim their brilliance.  I came out smiling and walking on air.  Fabulous.  We started off the night in a Persian restaurant which was delicious so cake of the week has to be the baklava we woolfed down in record time - sweet, sticky, cardomum-y - yummy!  Not too worried about the calories - I think I probably danced, sang and clapped them off before the night was over!
http://elbow.co.uk/

40 days and 40 nights...

I couldn't get through my front door tonight.  There was a big parcel wedged behind it with the Society of Theatre Research's annual publication in it.  STR is a wonderful organisation for theatre history junkies like me because they send you a gorgeous hard back book every year as a present - it price is paid for by your annual subscription.  Thisyear's offering is about Pantomime and I'm drooling already at the prospect of starting it.
It's come at the right time: Lent starts today and once again, I'm giving up buying books.  It makes sense: I need to find homes for all the volumes that have wandered in since Christmas and give the postman a bit of a break from the endless Amazon deliveries.   
It isn't going to be a problem. I can do this. I don't need to buy books.  I really don't.  I've got plenty to be going on with.  In fact, my final spending splurge from the weekend should be arriving any day now...