One of the signs that I'm really tired:

I get way too excited about things! I think I've over-done it this time, it's 8.40pm and I was aiming to be in bed at nine, and I haven't even made my bed up.

But I'm still waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to excited!!!!!!!!!!!

My friend is coming here in less than a month now, and when she gets here I'm abducting her off overseas again before she can start work, and I've just been looking at places to go. I had been thinking Spain, the need for beaches is strong in me, particularly in long gloomy winter. Which is even longer and gloomier here. Seriously, it wasn't light until after 8am, and was getting dark by 4...

But then I had a look on lastminute.com which is a sure-fire way to throw your plans up in the air. The problem with Spain is that it is pretty general, mainly because really I want to see all of Spain. But then the idea of city-breaks came in to my head, and I figured that seeing as we can only go for about 4 nights anyway then we don't have enough time to see more than a city... Maybe we should be going to Luxenbourg! No, lastminute.com suggested Prague, and has now totally captured my imagination! It's not that I don't want to see the rest of the country, it's just that I can't speak any Czech then I would probably be a bit diabolical there at the moment anyway... so we could do a touristy bit which is STILL really interesting and not just full of tourists (I don't think even a thousand hoards of loud American tourists could hide all those pretty buildings). And delicious. And full of beer. We both like beer, this could go really well.

Ohhh I hadn't thought about the beer, just another reason we want to go to Prague. I should really just book it and tell her that's our destination once she arrives. I'm *way* too impatient to wait for her to say yes.

Okay that's all my ramblings for now. Time to go make my bed and stare at the ceiling for a while.

So apparently I have a sinus infection.

It's not currently as gross as it sounds, but the doctor said I can expect that to change once the anti-biotics start working.

Mostly it just really hurts. One side of my face really aches and is swollen. It hurts to chew anything which isn't quite soft (crusts on a sandwich for example... they were particularly memorable). Not that I really feel like eating anyway, thanks to all the Sudafed and Night/Day Nurse I've been taking my stomach is in a mess and isn't really coping with anything I try to eat anyway. I had a banana on Saturday, and that was okay. But it really wasn't okay Sunday. And marmite toast tastes particularly amazing at the moment, but is really not amazing with my stomach.

All in all I've spent most of the weekend in bed. I only got up today to go to the doctors. And yesterday because it was so noisy in this house I figured I could get some quiet if I went and fed my friends cats in a nice empty house of quietness. Oh, did I mention the pressure headache? It's really neat, head and face aching, stomach not able to cope with painkillers. I don't recommend it. I think I might risk some panadol later, before I try to sleep again. I think I might be okay with that, it's just neurofen that's really out to get me.

Okay, time to go and do some washing I think and then try to sleep some more. Just need to remember to wake up and take some more antibiotics. Tasty antibiotics. Well probably not. But anything that gets rid of this aching face deserves a positive adjective, and I can't think of many for a small, orange-yellow capsule.

So that's my life for the moment, and why there are no pictures.

There would be some of London, but the aforementioned plague and drug-taking kinda ruined my new years. I might tell you about the epic train ride home later though. Serious mission. I'm keeping the ticket as a souvenir.

Dreaming of a white Christmas...

Not so much dreaming as guaranteed a white Christmas. At work we had a good 4-5 inches on the ground, not quite so much at home. But it's pretty much been snowing all day, so I think we are catching up.

I've been struck down with a horrible bug, so am wrapped up in my possum and merino jersey and a long skirt. My lovely flatmate has gone out in the snow to the supermarket, so I gave her a list. I'm planning to not leave the house until Thursday if I can help it. I think gallivanting about in the snow over the weekend is probably what turned any old sore throat in to a cough. Blegh.

So London-Midlands have cancelled trains until further notice. They're my main trains to work, but there are others, just not as frequently. And I'm not due in there until Thursday. Heathrow is jammed full of people and won't take anyone in to two of the terminals. The Eurostar is also functioning only slightly better than the airlines, they've stopped selling tickets and are telling people to not even bother coming to the station today.

I'm so pleased I got home last night! I had to take a shift off sick, but still had to cover for a few hours (long, boring story), but when I got to the train station there was only one train on the board delayed, and none cancelled (I was shocked!). And my train's predicted time to arrive varied between "On time" and 2 minutes late. It was on time. It was absolutely freezing on the train though, ice on the inside of the windows, and snow inside the train. Don't ask me how they got snow on the inside of the train. I think they must have left the carriage out in the weather somewhere with all the windows and doors open. Seriously, it wasn't trampled in snow, it was a proper dusting in random little spots! And it didn't melt for the trip, until after we got stuck behind a broken down train in Worcester. Which, I must say I was very impressed with how they dealt with that. They moved our train out, got an engine to shunt the other one out of the way while they turned our carriages around, and then got out carriages back in at another platform and we were good to go within the space of five minutes. *muchly impressed* AND there were taxis at the station to get me home from there! My feet were almost completely numb by the time I got home. Letting them defrost was quite painful.

Okay, time to move from the sofa for a while. I need more Lemsip. Blegh, disgusting, but I do really need one.

I haven't *actually* moved to Sibera,

it just feels like I have. I have a new least favourite weather condition- freezing fog. Usually I like fog, it's fun and you have to guess what is where and it makes things look so dramatic! But freezing fog is SO cold! We've had quite a few days recently where the temperature hasn't even got up to freezing point! It was was fun when it was just snow, I took these pictures the second day after it snowed, we actually got several inches deep in the end, quite a bit more than in these pictures. It's mostly melted around home, but at work it is just awful. The snow only partially melted in the streets, and now it has all frozen again in to ice. Not just little thin sheets of ice, but several inches thick from the snow which didn't melt properly! It's like walking on an ice-skating rink just going to the corner shop! But apparently it's worse further north, I heard people got stranded on the motorway for over 18 hours in Scotland the other night! I have to admit I appreciate the central heating when the temperatures are fluctuating between -8 and -1 between day and night. I think it's might have warmed up a little today, the sun is actually out, but it has been awfully cold! And everything is still frozen in the mornings. I took some pictures on my cellphone the other day of the frost and ice, it was amazingly pretty. Hoar frost apparently, according to the weather presenter. That was the day of the freezing fog.

Some pictures of the pretty snow in the Malvern hills, when it was just a sprinkling.

Snow (hey oh!)

Like a dusting of icing sugar over a heavy frost.

It's absolutely beautiful!

And slightly dangerous if you don't like landing on your bum in the middle of the street.

Adds a certain something to greasy breakfast in the local pub before I get the train back to Malvern though. I think it is predicted to get to about 2 degrees today in Malvern... practically tropical compared tot he rest of the UK! Only -3 overnight tonight. It slightly bothers me that the temperature can change so little in the space of 24 hours! But I'm betting there will be more snow on the hills in Malvern, I can't wait to settle in to my attic room with my camera, I've got an even better view than the last ones I posted now, and it's all going to be covered in snow, yay!!!

Okay I don't hate winter quite so much as I say. I even almost wanted to go snowboarding again. Almost. But not quite. It's still cold. But then I am wearing a dress.

Pool of Liver!

I'm definitely going to have to give it to Liverpool, they've produced good music and they've still got an awesome scene... I am impressed! I was expecting the Beatles mania, and it was easily found. Hadn't realised how many awesome people had played at The Cavern Club (so aptly named)... seriously, the list on their wall just went on and on, everyone you've ever wanted to see has played there. Well, maybe not everyone, but almost everyone. Beatles (obviously), but also Bowie, Queen, The Who.... I couldn't bear to read it all. Did go in for a drink, barman asked me three times if I was from Australia and I couldn't make out a word of it, the Polish girl I was with had to translate!!! Totally bizzare... two native 'English' speakers and the one who has English as a second language was the only one who could understand both of us!

So in case you didn't guess, that's the Cavern Club above (it really put me in mind of Refuel for those who know it! Underground, chewing-gum stairs, live music, somehow seedy despite their best efforts to do better...).

That monstrosity to the right is Lambanana..... something something European Cultural capital.... something = the birth of Lambanana. Seriously, don't ask me how. Also this one is multi-coloured, and I don't know why that is, most of them were yellow, but sometimes they were in odd positions, or had things around them. I think they're supposed to refer to genetic engineering (not sure how that links to cultural capital...).

The River Mersey on a lovely morning in Liverpool. It had lots of boats and stuff. I *think* this way was looking towards the mouth of the river, but I'm not 100% on that one- it really is a good way up the river. There were millions of seagulls though, just as evil as seagulls in the rest of the world. Damn seagulls. I was going to go for a ride on the river, they were only about £5, but there was never anyone at the boat dock where you could *apparently* buy your tickets 20 minutes before sailing times. It was a lie. So no ferry across the Mersey for me. Just as well probably, it was really cold.

More random art from European cultural capital 2008! At least these ones were kinda neat, and double as

decent seating- there was actually someone sitting on the other side of that close stack when I took the picture! If you get up close you can read the luggage labels... Ringo, Macca, etc. Yay more Beatles worship! Nah, I actually do like this sculpture (?). Also, I had to wait ages to take a picture, there were lots of students going past on their way to lectures. Or escaping from a lecture maybe. Who knows. But there was definitely a lot of them!

Liverpool wins the prize for weird cathedrals by the way. This... thing was created in.... I forget. I think this design might have been chosen in the 50's or 60's, although apparently the crypt underneath was made around 1900 for an earlier cathedral which never quite happened. But I have to give it to the Catholic church, it make look seriously odd from outside, but it's lovely inside. The seating is circular, so that nobody is more than 25 meters from whoever is speaking, and it has all these little rooms coming off. I can't remember what they're called, but they have different saints, some are just for children to colour in religious pictures, or light candles for dead babies (hey I didn't make that up, they're really did!), or whatever you think you mis-deeds are. I don't like taking pictures inside churches, but its light was amazing, that whole top of it is stained glass. I'm still not sure about the whole 'King of Liverpool' thing though. Religion + politics = bad.

Why yes, I *have* been hanging around the men's bathrooms again! I figured if I was in there I might as well take a picture... they're a grade II listed building okay! See- wikipedia says so! Just the gentlemen's bathrooms as I understand, the rest of the pub is just pretty and famous, but not historically special. Sorry, it's not the best picture, my camera isn't keen on inside artificial lighting, but it makes up for it with good outside pictures, so I don't mind.

Finally, the Bombed Out church. It's a local landmark, and I totally love it! It's a pretty old building, and it has no roof since WW II. As I understand it got a bomb through the roof and it has never been repaired or restored. It gets used as a venue for open-air plays and performances, although someone was telling me you have to sign a disclaimer before you go in because bits might fall off the building! Interesting relic from the past though, left as it stands.

And I thought Yamyam was difficult...

Scouse is awesome. I was sitting next to a bunch of kids in Burger King the other night, and the only word I could understand of their entire conversation was 'Yeah'. Seriously, it was a good ten minutes of solid talking and I couldn't comprehend a word of it!

Anyway, Liverpool is neat. It's even colder and wetter than Birmingham. But it's a bit of student town, which I hadn't realised. I do like student towns. I haven't done much touristing to be honest, it's too wet to want to leave the safety of the pub. It seems like every time I go inside it starts raining, so I don't want to go out again. This would probably be less of an issue if my shoes didn't leak, but it seems that they do. The left one significantly more than the right. I'm planning on going to the museums on the docks tomorrow. People keep recommending the modern art gallery, but I just don't like modern art, so I think I'll give it a miss. Or maybe I'm just being contrary.

Oh and for those of you familiar with Red Vs Blue, it's got a whole different meaning here, probably enough to get you killed. Or at least in a lot of trouble. Yay football hooligans! Hilarious- red (Liverpool city) and blue (Everton) are really close together- other sides of the park or something ridiculous. I'm glad nobody has asked me about football. I think being a girl with an accent gets me out of a lot :D My answer is "I know nuzzing!!!"

Anyways, time to get going again, my feet are getting cold from sitting around.