It's okay, I've done it before.

Yup, it was awesome, I laughed and cried through the whole film. IT IS A MUST, MUST, MUST SEE - I'm not joking here, folks. The [true] story is amazing and the performances were flawless. The soundtrack, by Alexandre Desplat (whose name Potter fans will know), is evocative and simply gorgeous.

The viewing was made even more poignant - if that were even possible - knowing that along with the cast, Turing's family were in the audience with us.

We actually had tickets to the film the following day as well, and it was even better the second time around.

Had a brief, but nice exchange with The Man on the red carpet and again a little later after the show (and shook hands), and had the bestest time schmoozing at the after party.

( Here's a couple of photos )

Okay, it did occur to me that for the most part, the only celebs I mingled with were both CGI motion-captured characters from The Hobbit, but that was just kind of coincidental.

Tomorrow I'm off to London for a few bottles of lunch and a couple nice reunions.

IF I can be trusted with my phone (I've already sent messages to two random people this morning in a vain attempt to wish legolaslover77 a happy birthday - hope they like True Blood), I'll tweet/text some updates, and try very hard to make them topical and not just a continuation of my rant about ID fic, which I'm just now finding time to catch up on.

Not promising anything.

What's everyone else up to?

Hi all, I won't be around much in the next week - the kids and I are off to Edinburgh to visit my in-laws. And of course, I still have a million things to do. Rather inconveniently, Mr Nursedarry is currently sitting atop a wind turbine in the Irish Sea. What makes this particularly annoying (aside from not having him here to help pack) is that:

( Today is our 10th wedding anniversary! )

Some of you on LJ were coerced into attending the festivities in Seattle ten years ago, including my Wedding Diva kilter, two of my beautiful bridesmaids delphipsmith and ladyoneill, as well as ellie4prez, my officiant. (Who did what a lot of wedding guests do - got off with another guest - my brother-in-law. WOOHOO!) Thanks again ladies and everyone else who contributed to make the day a brilliant and very special one.

There are also two other big events in August that I need to acknowledge. On Monday, my dear old dad - and I DO mean old - is going to be 98. We're already planning the party in 2015. He's a wonderful man, and has so many great stories to tell. Since he likes to talk as much as me, I think I've heard them all now!

It's also my children's birthday next week. They're outgrowing shoes and clothes faster than I can get new ones and they have the most ridiculous smiles with mouthfuls of different-sized teeth. I've played Tooth Fairy in the last year more times than I can remember! (And when I say "played Tooth Fairy", I mean I say "Go get 50p from Mummy's purse", because I'm getting tired of staying up to do it and Mr Nursedarry always forgets!)

Anyway, here's a picture of the old man and the young man when we were visiting the States last year. My father is in a wheelchair in this pic as he'd just had a small op on one of his legs right before we visited. He's back up and around now, albeit slowly.

( I love how they both seem to have the same appetite, especially for chocolate cake. )

And because his sister will get jealous if I don't put something in here for her,

( here's the little SlytherPuff in the local paper from when we went to the town Fair a month ago. )

Finally, the contracts for the house have been signed and we hope to exchange in a few weeks - we need Mr Nursedarry home for that - and then YAY, that big, beautiful 218-year-old Georgian house is OURS! In a funny coincidence, the new-build house we were going to buy has been purchased by our vendor's father and the family whose house we're buying is moving into that whilst they house-hunt for another.

Anyway, all for now! No doubt I'll be drunk-tweeting most of you from bonny Scotland.

All the best people were born in May. Right? *dodges tomatoes* But these lovely people and I were, so yay for us!

naturegirlrocks, alovelycupoftea, stellamoon, mijeli, anisaex, rubytuesday5681, l3petitemort, khasael, megyal, kilter, bookwoman17nm, mayflo, magicalsibylle, sashaminx, selana1505, lotus_lizzy, eyesemerald, rickey_a, beckybrit, eloquent_toast, momenti_diversi, inkpenchantery, tealeaf523, starry_diadem, laila2605, pottermalfoyyum, bryoneybrynn, dysonrules, lillithium, sylentnighthowl, syrenslure

For us, I have some more cookies!



Yes, we're moving to the rhythm of life, of love, of spring. Okay, that just sounds stupid. Actually, I'M moving, hence I've chosen these cookies.

At the end of May, just after my big day, we're off to (sunny) Lancashire, where I'll be taking up the very same post of Screening and Immunisation Co-ordinator for the Lancashire Area Team. We're moving to a village outside Preston, closer to grandparents, where the kids already have places in the village school and we already have our eye on a lovely house that we can actually afford - YES! I haven't owned property since I saw that first ultrasound scan and promptly sold my flat in Edinburgh to buy a bigger boat car and two of everything!

For anyone feeling compelled to get me a present, please just vouchers from amazon.co.uk, iTunes or IKEA. Of course, anyone who'd like to get me one or more of my fandom boyfriends, that'd be cool too. Otherwise, I will be more than delighted with virtual hugs, sweets, kisses, fic, art, v-gifts and NWS photos. THANK YOU!

Attention everyone: Today is delphipsmith's *mumbles into hand*th birthday!

I do hope you have a wonderful SS, LM & HG-filled day!

A donation will be made to the apothecary, terror organisation, library charity of your choice. (Just let me know which one.)

I love you always.

Those of you who know me will know I have a thing for Allan Hyde. (Yeah, all right, shut up.)

Well, a few weeks ago, thanks to the wonderful staff at AllanHyde.com and the organisers of the Vampire Ball, the video-tastic jelly_baby23 and I got a chance to meet and interview him.

Clearly, I'm no pro: it's unlikely Mike Wallace ever asked about a favourite porridge recipe (luckily for you that's been edited from this version), and it's doubtful Kate Adie ever gazed into anyone’s eyes in order to see if all the fanfic authors got the colour right. (They did.) Thankfully, I also had some legitimate questions given to me to ask him.

So, here's the gorgeous Godric and my stupid transatlantic accent.

Note: spoilers for True Blood, Season 5

And I got mine today to see THAT CHEST *cough* I mean to see THAT MAN in all three of his races (T44 100m, 200m, 400m finals).

He's the sweetest nicest guy who tweets with his fans and is really grateful for all the foreign support.

I might have a spare ticket going for a couple races, so if you're keen to attend, let me know. All gone.

I’ve got that warm fuzzy feeling from being so well looked-after by everyone on my birthday.

I had a spectacular time with my girls in London, and I want to thank cassie_black12 (why not come out a window?), accioscar (wants ALL the Viking cock), cleo_jay (kind of like a tipsy Martha Stewart), delorispea (locked in the dungeon), mayfly_78 (now, can you draw me this and this and this, and that’s all, thanks), felidaeryl (new Appletini initiate), meredyth_13 (she got me Michael Biehn, yes!!!), phoenix_on_ice (and her breasts) and lkaet (OMG, I’m so drunk, FML!) for making the journey into town and helping me celebrate!

Behold, the cake cleo_jay made for me! With little hearts and glitter on it.



And whaddya know, Stolis DOES mix with everything. Which I had for breakfast. Then, rather inebriated but not at all anaemic, I went out and bought myself this, (which meredyth_13 and privatebozz will appreciate), since Mr Nursedarry keeps teasing me about how there should be one of these running around the house since my operation. Wanker.

But look! I also got fic and art about children’s television characters and shenanigans with hammers, and Aurors dressed in silk scarves, and wonderful engagement fic and argument fic, and a brilliant birthday card, yes!!

♥ Marv Absolutely Definitely Does Not Have a Tattoo by treacle_tartlet.
♥ God and Hammer by nicevenn.
♥ Shall We Go? by citrus_lime.
♥ Here’s the Thing by tigersilver.
♥ A Wilful Partner by enchanted_jae.
♥ Smexy H/D Birthday Card by mayfly_78.

This bunch of crazies all sent me comments, v-gifts, birthday wishes and fun graphics:
lillyrm, winter_june, jtsbbsps_dk, starry_diadem, moonlitdark, faithwood, bryoneybrynn, nenne, teganscrush, kitty_fic, steamyaffair, fancypantsdylan, queenie_mab, fire_juggler, goldlost, lijahlover, thepretender501, ariannagray, alisanne, frost, megyal, njphelps, subtlefire, oncelikeshari, frayach, wincest_drarry, wemyss, privatebozz, elkica, lady_of_clunn, pottermalfoyyum, blamebrampton, groolover and dysonrules tried to sing to me again. *sigh*

If I have missed you out, please spank me, then comment – I’ll make sure to amend this post. (Then spank me again.)

Hello everyone! Yes, some of this barely-controlled joy is pharmaceutically derived, but it's also the result of sleeping well, eating well AND FINALLY HAVING THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF CIRCULATING OXYGEN IN MY BODY.

I came home from hospital yesterday. It is very weird to think that exactly this time last week, I was on an operating table with a bunch of people's hands in my chest. I have an enormous scar now, but at least my heart is working like it should be! A good trade, I think. Evidently, it wasn't pretty: my heart had become "grossly enlarged" and my pulmonary veins were more of a mess than the angiogram and MRI had indicated. The surgeon fixing them was able to re-route them all to the left atrium. I had my mitral valve repaired (annuloplasty), with the aid of some Gore-tex sutures to replace a couple chordae tendineae and a synthetic ring (for which the other surgeon gave me the serial number - in case of recall, I guess - EEEK!) There's a chance that I'll eventually need the valve replaced, but not any time in the near future. They also performed a pulmonary vein ablation procedure to control my atrial fibrillation.

The following people should be sainted for acting above and beyond the call of duty with their visits, gifts and hand-holding whilst I was being jabbed and lines and drains were being yanked out of me: meredyth_13, accioscar, mayfly_78 and felidaeryl. sati_lotus kept me laughing and I even got a nice tweet from my favourite True Blood vampire - THANK YOU, ALLAN!

Huge thanks also goes to alovelycupoftea, vaysh11, groolover and dysonrules for finishing up hd_remix. I owe you my mod life, ladies!

Finally, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE HERE for your lovely messages, vgifts, e-cards, emails, healing thoughts, and well-wishes. I could NOT have got through this as easily as I did without my internet friends, and I thank god for all of you.

I'm still going to be lying low on LJ for awhile whilst healing and getting back fully into RL, but it should be back to business as usual in the virtual world in the next few months.

♥

Hi everyone, here's the latest:

After hearing nothing about my op, I rang the surgeon's secretary after yet another sleepless night, and cried down the phone at her - just call me Meryl Streep. I was absolutely exhausted and probably a wee bit over-wrought, but it worked and she rang back the next day to tell me my operation had been scheduled for the 4th of April. But when I went to the Heart Hospital yesterday for my pre-admission visit, I was informed it had been moved to next Wednesday, the 28th.

The hospital is very nice, not big, and I was able to meet a lot of people. Had a chest X-Ray, saw the pharmacist, the dentist – yes, you have to have dental approval for cardiac surgery, saw a doc, had bloods and swabs taken and got to see the cardiac intensive care unit. Had a good chance to ask questions and met the head patient-liaison nurse, who’s very nice, but who will be skiing whilst I’m in hospital - bitch. My blood tests all came back fine so I’ll stay overnight in London on Tuesday in hospital accommodation and then be admitted to the ward on Wednesday morning. I don’t know if I’m first or second on the list – I won’t know till the day before. I was first.

The surgery will last about 5 hours and there’s a very long list of drips and drains and various other machines that go ping I’ll wake up attached to. I should be up and sitting in a chair on Thursday and walking around by the weekend, when Doug and the kids come to visit - Doug's back tonight for however long I need him to be.

I’m in CICU for a few days and then transferred to the ward for a few more. I should be back home about a week after the operation. Then I have a long list of follow-up appointments and rehab. I think all of that is in Reading.

I’ll have my phone and my netbook and there’s WiFi access at the hospital, I think, so I’ll try log on to leave a short post to let you know I'm okay.

Thanks again for all of the wonderful support and messages! Wish me luck. ♥