THAT'S not what you said in the Jeffries' Tube

I just noticed I haven't posted an actual post for ages and it's all been linkspammy, probably because I've been spending most of my Expressing Myself spoons on drawing things and putting them on instagram, so I thought you'd all appreciate a little update

• Item: I am standing in the council elections. Again. The last 2 years I got exactly 103 votes. I am hoping for a modest increase to 104 this year, because Alisdair will be able to vote for me, living in my ward as he does now.


• Item: Mental and physical health things are more-or-less under control at the moment (she says, hoping not to jinx things).
  Mentally, I've had less than the usual hiding-under-the-duvet days since surviving The Februaries, and I'm managing to mostly stick to my exercise-away-the-mentals schedule. These things may or may not be related. I am now at the level of fitness where it is almost impossible for me to consume the number of calories I am burning, so the weight has started dropping off again. I may be able to fit into nice clothes by autumn conference, which will help with self esteem and things. We shall see.
  Physically I'm still having some debilitating pain days, but not so many, and managing to at least swim, even when I can't manage the weights because of a pain day. I am lucky that if necessary I can work from home, so it doesn't actually impact work. Speaking of which...


• Item: Job continues to be good, and interesting. Every day is a different thing. I approve of this. A lot of what I get to do is research things so that the boss can spend 5 minutes reading my summary email, rather than three hours googling. I now know lots about various things I never even considered knowing about before. Yay learnings!


• Item: Daughter appears to have developed some bits of executive function; she's by no means perfect, but is getting into the routine of wake - shower - breakfast -brush hair and teeth - get dressed - go to school in a morning, and come to mummy's office - do homework - go home - get changed - eat tea in an afternoon. It's only taken nearly two years...
  (Seriously, given how awful I can be with executive function, I am incredibly proud of her. At this point in my career at the same school I already had the school detention record under my belt; she's doing WAY better, and it's not entirely due to having a diagnosis).


• Item: Doggies continue adorable. As do boys. Mum and Dad are both good...

I think that's about it, really... Hope you lot are all good. I do try to remember birthdays and stuff but I'm pretty rubbish at that.

*big hugs for everybody*

(especially you, Duffett, I know you're out there)

OMG YOU GUYS IT'S HERE!!!



(picture taken on old phone LOL)

Note to self: still have to do laundry and tidying and sorting out computer stuff for James today. Must not spend all day playing with new toy.

* immediately goes to App Rec post to start checking things out *

And here is the proof:



This time yesterday it had over 2000 messages, 483 of which were unread. I feel a warm glow of acheivement!

Also I have tidied up my links list and sundry other sidebar items (look to the right of your screen), made a post to my audio blog on tumblr, tidied up some of my blogging tags (although this is still very much a work in progress) and spent an hour on the phone to the mobile phone company, which while initially frustrating has resulted in them promising to send me my new phone out forthwith.

Who knows, the way today is shaping up, I may even get dressed!

Lots of people have already written about special conference, so I'm not going to rehash everything that's already been said. I do want to thank po8crg for being such a lovely chauffeur, and buying me breakfast. It was lovely to see so many of the Lib Dem Massive, even if there were a lot of white heterosexual blokes in suits called David (some of them far sexier than others - my my, doesn't djm4 scrub up well?). There were loads of people not called David* too, and I lost count of all the hugs and kisses I got from people who I really do consider to be part of my family these days.

Ros chaired with her usual grace and humour. Evan moved a brilliant amendment (which I signed! :)) complete with Woddy Allen reference, as did the gravelly-voiced sex pot and Dave Page, the world's most activist activist. But my wildest cheers were reserved for djm4 and sashajwolf's amendment on the Digital Economy Act, Daddy Alex's fabulous and witty intervention, and everyone's favourite eMP Lynne Featherstone, who did an absolutely barnstorming speech about working on the Equalities brief. I'm afraid I giggled through Simon Hughes's speech because he sounded more and more like Davros as he carried on, and the fact that the person next to me (who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty) saying ... and with this coalition, I SHALL HAVE THAT POWER!!!! in Davrosian tones did not help stifle my giggles.

Anyway, I came away from the conference feeling pretty euphoric, despite being ripped from the bosom of my family by an impending shift at work. We're not in any danger of losing our identity, or being subsumed by the Tories. We've not lost our radicalism, our integrity, or our sense of humour. We're a vibrant, diverse party with a determination to do good that I have never seen in any other organisation. I think the guys at the naughtily-named Nick Clegg fan blog said it best:



Whatever the eventual result of this coalition, I'm proud that we've taken the risk to get our policies implemented, I'm proud to be a part of this family, and I'm proud to have voted in favour of the main motion and all of the amendments to it. We're doing the right thing, and it feels good.

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* aside from all those mentioned above, shouts going out to El Presidente and Lady Mark; Sian, Emma and Manny; Adrian, Jason, Romer, Crofty and the rest of the stewarding crew; Mummy Helen, Daddies Richard and Alex, and Millennium; Tessa Munt, Lynne Featherstone and Linda Jack; Susan Gasczack (one day I shall learn to spell your name) Jon Ball, Ian and the rest of the FCC and FE gangs; Ali G, Dazmondo from Bracknell Blog, Mark Reckons, Lloyd Harris, Andy Strange, James Blanchard and Gareth Epps; and most importantly of all the smallest conference delegate, Steph Ashley's daughter Alex, who is AMAZING and very cool, and I want to introduce her to Holly as soon as possible, because I think they would get on like a maison en flambé.

The game has changed, but most of the dead tree press and the BBC are still playing silly buggers despite the fact that on Thursday night Nick Clegg threw a six. Another YouGov poll has us is first place today. This is not an isolated blip any more. This is a sustained pattern. The Tory media outlets are shitting themselves.

The Tories are in meltdown, terrified that we might actually get STV in and they'll never see an outright majority again. Labour are boasting that even if they come third in the polls UNS still gives them the most seats like it's something to be proud of. Lots of media outlets are attacking us, and even the beeb is repeating the old vote Lib Dem, get Labour/Tories canard, even though the VoxPop on the Today programme is telling them that the electorate are seriously considering us.

How about this?

Vote Lib Dem, get Lib Dem.
Vote for change, get change.
Vote to totally shake up this country's cosy political system, get a new political system.

It's been a truism for years that if everyone who leaned Lib Dem actually voted Lib Dem then we'd win. This time it might actually happen. Nick Clegg's conference speech is starting to look less like mad posturing, and more like prescience. Imagine Vince Cable as chancellor. Imagine Lynne Featherstone doing Harriet Harman's job. Imagine David Laws in charge of education. Imagine a science department under Evan frigging Harris. Awesome, isn't it?

James Graham had a fantastic article in Comment is Free this weekend:

What is needed at this stage is not nuanced psephological arguments but a clear, disruptive, brutal message: vote Liberal Democrat and change the system.

When my computer starts doing odd things, I don't spend hours faffing about trying to debug the operating system. I hit the reset button. When my phone jams, I hit the reset button.

Courtesy of Nick Clegg's phenomenal performance this week, a vote for the Liberal Democrats has just become the equivalent of a bloody great big reset button. You can either press that button on 6 May or sit there in your respective comfort zones complaining about nobody has any real power to change things. It really is up to you now.

World? The time has come to push the button.

... but I had a really good day today. It started with me getting my new bra, took in a nice time with amazing_holly and a fun karate lesson and a rather enjoyable and wideranging conversation with the Duracell Bunny, and ended with a viewing of The Wicker Man in tribute to Ed Wood Wood Wood.

Also managed to get some stuff sorted out with a few people, and set up my dad's new laptop on t'intarwebs.

Most satisfactory :D

The thing is, I don't want to go to sleep now, because I am enjoying the lovely warm feeling today has engendered, and I know tomorrow can't possibly be as good...

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This blog is proudly sponsored by

I have climbing chalk under my fingernails, and my arms ache like buggery, and I smell like a yak has been nesting in my armpits. Yup, daddy and I went climbing for the first time since matgb moved in with me, and it was fab. I am a very happy bunny right now. Will definitely be going again next week.

Secondly, those of you who have been wanting a proper logo to link to your position in the Total Bollocks Botties can feel free to use this one, what I made:



Simply copy this code:

<a href="http://www.libdemvoice.org/top-75-lib-dem-blogs-the-total-politics-list-15984.html"><img src="http://pics.livejournal.com/miss_s_b/pic/000sw02h.png"></a>

... and paste it into the relevant coding area of your blog's template. Obviously if I make the overall chart I'll be *ahem* amending the logo for that too.

Oh, and for those of you who haven't seen the full list? It's ( under the cut )

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This blog is proudly sponsored by

First ticket I have bought in ages, at least a year!

OK, so I only won £20, but still. I'VE WON THE LOTTERY!!! Woo-HOOO!!!

... two things.

1, On the way to the recording matgb and I picked up a freebie London paper. For reasons which needn't be gone into here he was spanking me with it at one stage. Then when we were in the drill hall it was on the floor at our feet... And Marcus Brigstocke picked it up. And read it. And then shoved it in Hugh Dennis's face, repeatedly. I therefore have in my possession a newspaper which has been in close physical proximity to my (clothed) bottom, and has been touched by Marcus Brigstocke's hands and Hugh Dennis's face. The bidding starts here.

2, Wearing the Forbidden Planet T-shirt was definitely a good idea. I got an impressed eyebrow raise and eye contact with Mitch Benn.

* fangirly swoon *

Also, Mitch was by FAR the funniest person there and doubtless half of his funniness will be cut.

* suspects that Mat will have something to say about that last with regard to Sue Perkins *

But yes, I laughed so hard my belly hurt and the company was great and I had eye contact with Mitch Benn. I am a very happy bunny.

And that's without even going into activities before the show, which I am sure you can all imagine, so I won't bore you with the detail but good god he's fantastic.

* feeble attempt at innocent expression *