Mullings...

I hate writting. Have I ever told you that? No? Well, know you know.

I havent been able to sit my posterior down and update my blog and my newsletter. My parents have been calling and asking for it and I tell them the same thing everytime... working on it. I am waiting to see when they will catch on to the fib.

But I have been rather busy. Preparing for family services, preparing for Sept 23 and trying to finish a few books I have started since days of yore. I have given up on 2 of them though... one is by Ben Elton and ther other is Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy. I must say, both are actually good books in their own right, but just that they are a bit heavy... Seth's book is 3 times thicker than my bible and Elton... well, I can't say he is heavy, but I suppose the profanity in every para just got to me. (yes... I know I sound like a prude but really... I am sure a book, movie or music can be equally enjoyable without all the 'french')

So now I am down to 4 books... 2 of which I am EARGER to start - one is sex in God's world and High Fidelity. Is it just me or is there a pattern going on?

And the other 2 are The Bible Jesus Read (Yacey) and the Wonderful World of Bras. As you can see, my reading materials are quire diversed.

I have also been watching a lot of movies... Grease 2 put me to sleep... Dirty Dancing 2 was really good. I think I have a little crush on Diego Luna - the leading actor, although I personally find the leading actress as interesting as watching a duck poo (seeing it once was amusing, second time is just a deep slumber waiting to happen). Other movies... Helen of Troy, finally watched Alexander, Brassed off (and english movie), Robin Williams on broadway and a few more. Alexander was a bit of a let down, simply because I have never been able to bring myself to appreciate Farrell's work but also because Jolie didn't do it for me this time. She always does it for me... but this time, I was just not there. *SIGH* Maybe it was the ridiculous accent she had or the fact that it was a pirated DVD and the visuals were poor.

Other things going on in my life...

Well I mentioned Sept 23 - It is an important day for the St Chads Voluteers. We are having an afternoon of discussion and sharing with other ppl in the diocese about our experience here and the volunteers who have been to M'sia are saying their peace as well. I guess in a way, this is a marketing excersice for the programme and to encourage churches here to want to have a volunteer. I have tried several times to invite my church members but the response has been far from luke warm. Frankly it has been freezing. I am quite dissapointed actually. To be honest, I think most of the church members don't really see the need for me to be here. They seem to think the vicar is Superman and lo and behold, all the grass in the church yard or the blubs and heater will be fixed by some magical creature. Some of them have no clue how the church is in dire need of assitance... not just financial but physical. It really does annoy me when ppl are so so keen to run for charity, bake for some social event or help friends throw a fancy anniversary party can't bring themselves to translate the same amount of passion to church activities. So honestly, I have no idea who is coming, but whatever it is, we are praying for the best. In any case, it would be nice to meet John and Joe - the boys that were in Malaysia.

I have actually met John some time back... and he is a brilliant lad. Full or life, joy and spirit... the right kind. Joe... only spoke briefly... but does sound like a nice boy... So do keep us in your prayers ya...

So what else... oh yeah... remember the game show 'The Price is Right'? No?

Well no worries..

Anyway... my friends invited me to join them and 24 other ppl to the recording of the game show. It was er... an experience. First of all, I didn't know anyone on the bus and I pretty much sat by myself trying to get some sleep and feel excited. I was worried I would be called out to play (they randomly pick ppl from the audience to play the game) But I wasnt... because I am not a british citizen.

Anyway... there is more to the story... because they randomly pick ppl from the audience to play, there are cameras flying all over the place trying to catch the audience. And therefore, we have to be seen as being excited and happy and high about the whole thing. I was not a happy pup. It is one thing to sit in a recording of a programme, but trying to look bothered about the whole thing, is another kettle of fish. (to be honest, I don't know why I wasn't really exicted about the whole thing...) I was acutally feeling a little stoopid after a while.

Moving along... I tried to look happy and interested... I tried to look supportive and excited. I really do think I tried very hard... but then again, as the old saying goes, we plan and God laughs.

So the first round, one of the members of our Telford Travellers (which was what we were called) was picked, the cameras were on us most times... catching footage of us supporting Mary. Mary... oh bless her... is about 70... smokes like a chimney but didn't look like she could hurt a nat. She didn't win, but Mary won everyone's heart... right down to the fancy costume clad army soldiers on the far end of the room.

Second round... this is where God decides to be funny.

Before I go on with my tale, I need to tell you something first. The way they play the game (maybe I should have said this earlier right? Anyway...) they call out 4 ppl from the audience and you have to guess the price of something... the closest one wins and moves on to the next round and the next... depending how good you are at guessing prices. The audience is suppose to scream suggestions to help them out hence the excited and gung ho part. So we have 3 poor sods sitting there... then we call another person to complete the 4, giving the 3 sods another shot at winning. One wins and move on, and another is called forward to have another go.

Then they get rid of all the ppl in the first round and call out another 4 ppl again and the cycle is repeated. The winners of each round then goes into a semi and then the finals.

So where was I?

Ah yes... second round... when God decided to flex His sense of humour. A name came on the screen and I clapped like a stoopid clown I was beginning to feel... and the person next to me jumped up and screamed! And then I mentaly screamed!

AAAARRRGGGHHHH!

Steve Frost, bless him... who won a laptop by the way was called to be one of the contestants and he was sitting RIGHT NEXT TO ME... and that can only mean one thing - the camera was IN MY FACE fliming me in all my glory! And for as long as Steve was playing, it was in our direction. You see... Mary was different, she was many many rows in front of me... but Steve was NEXT TO ME.

So.... in the next coming season of The Price is Right, you will see moi sitting there looking like a seal on drugs... (the kind that won't stop clapping).

But this is not the end of the tale... the actuall winner... I am not going to mention his name, is a gorgeous looking man. (observe, I used the word man and not boy) He looked absobloominglutely divine... bald, broad shoulders, didn't know if he had a 6 pack cos his shirt was hanging loose, sexy smile and a nice butt. He was sitting a few rows in front of me and I was so glad when he was called up cos I could now see more than just his back. Oh he looked so cute when he smiled.

But then it happened... the lights came on.. in my mind I mean.

Something about Gorgeous Divine Bloke was not right. He looked a bit too excited and cutesy at some point and the way he was always waving to his friend that was sitting next to him and the way Friend was waving back was rather unsettling. And the truth hit me like a tonne of duck poo... the man was playing for the opposite team! Haiyo... I knew it was too good to be true!

So I then sat through the rest of the recording clapping, cheering, being supporting, screaming and all that but my mind was going, 'SHITE, the man is gay!' over and over and over and over again.

THAT is why I felt so stoopid about the whole cheering thing becasue I could not get over the fact how 'happy' he was...