I'm almost ready to come out of my self-imposed annual November- April disappearance (and thank you coast ghost whoever you are for even remembering me at all) - please suggest something fun! (and it doesn't have to be secret gigs in a far flung city as long as its real and right here at home). I've got to do this slowly or I'll end up with some sort of impulsive major purchase or a broken heart or embarrassing stories of unexplained behaviour (bear with me)... spring cleaning starts here tomorrow, updates soon...

I've just had the front end of my car smashed in by the diabetes society truck (while parked "safely" outside the house) ... "so sorry I've ruined your day, miss" ...you *know* it will be written off, don't you?

... and just as an aside, the police came to my door about half an hour after I dropped it off to have the damages appraised, seems someone saw it in the lot and thinks I was involved in some sort of hit and run accident ... whoever you are, young man with a backwards baseball hat in a white car with a smashed in front with flecks of brown paint these people are after you, and in the meantime anyone else with a damaged white car should be warned as well b/c apparently the police seem to take these sorts of (why don't you just check every white car b/c maybe it was involved in an accident) calls quite seriously ....

Just got back and am the most ill I've ever been. I would *not* recommend the cheap hostels in London (ashlee house- sterile without being clean & staff really unhelpful, "smart" camden?- stench of vomit in the room and only window opened up on to 4 storey drop from my bunk which would have meant certain death, oh & again obnoxious staff). I would highly recommend the Albion_France in Paris (especially if you are staying as their only visitor, lovely room on 5th floor and they cancelled breakfast b/c I was still in bed) which will spoil you for anywhere else. I'm going to put most of my pictures from the shows here because there are too many (I'll leave a few of my favorites on this page). Here are a few photos from along the way (Bath- the roman baths of course & the abbey, London- Tate & Picadilly & me and Olivier (7) on the subway after Sunday Libs show, Paris- Sacre Coeur & Seine & Luxembourg gardens & les deux magots & the graveyard at montparnasse & metro stop st georges & the view from my room at the hotel & Martin and Belgium Olivier after B&S):


a few rock photos (pete libertine in Glasgow, libs in bristol & london, B&S in paris, mr airplane man at artrocker):


and I feel I must apologize to mr. doherty (elsewhere of course)...

I've just remembered why I hate London. Feeling exhausted & drained (the icky hostel is not helping). Three shows down & one to go ... Bristol was amazing, right up front, could count Carlos' chest hairs had I wanted to;) acoustic seven deadly sins something I'd never thought I'd hear. Sat in the balcony last night and got slowly tipsy, Gary jumped in to the crowd (Pete and Carl had done the same in glasgow) and met kirsty(s) -albion fan club girls, who said that a north american tour is likely, just as soon as the record is finished (by summer). Did not get to the afterparty (couldn't find girls from Lancashire had met at goose before show, although apparently was at duke of clarence which I should have expected) but would have been too much money in the end to take a cab 2 nights in a row (so freaking expensive). And here's a recipe for salad from Carl (courtesy of the boys at the Bristol hostel who'd followed the band backstage & been given their tobacco): red onions, black pepper, new potato, worchestershire sauce, mayo ... try it & tell me if its good... (ah the lovely carlos):

The hair has been fixed (topcuts at glasgow central station), the first show last night at Barrowlands was amazing, but incredibly violent. Was blinded temporarily as a full glass of beer was dumped over my head, and the kids were so packed in (the first few rows) that I couldn't move my arms to wipe it out of my eyes for 5 minutes or so. A talll man next to me elbowed me repeatedly in the throat and the top of the head and I had to escape to almost the back of the crowd to get away from the overenthusiastic hooliganism. Heading to Bath tomorrow am, then another show at Colston Hall tomorrow. And I did meet Peter Libertine, but I'll be saving that story (for the most part) until I get home (he has lovely soft hands ;) ...