Shaun of the Dead

Ratboy had been lent this DVD my a mate, and what better to watch on Halloween that a horror?

I was a bit unsure about a Romantic Zombie Comedy but it is funny. Our 'hero' Shaun is a bit of a hopeless case, he has a dead end job, hangs out with his slobby best mate and eventually gets dumped by his girlfriend. However, he fails to notice that the world has been taken over by Zombies. When he, and slobby flatmate Ed, finally realise this they decide to go and rescue Shaun's mum (who has revealed that his step-dad has just been bitten) and then Shaun's ex-girlfriend, before retiring to their local to see out all the fuss. Obviously this is not that straight forward an adventure and there are some excellent comedic moments along the way (plus a few to make you jump). There are the odd gory moments, but it is not too bad. Overall I was pleasantly surprised. My favourite scene is probably the one where they go through Shaun's 80's record collection deciding what ones to use on the zombies.

X Faxtor Update

The standard is getting tighter in the show. Simon hired a gospel choir for his team, Sharon got some kiddies to come on stage with Tabby, only Louis didn't use any gimmicks. This week the bottom teo cats were 2 To Go and Verity. Both were better than last week for me, but at the same time were the weakest links in the competition in my opinion. With the final decision down to the judges, Sharon was left with the deciding vote and she sent Verity home (I would have gone with 2 To Go). Siomn has two very talented acts left, Verity was holding his team back. Louis is now the only manager with all three of his acts in tact.

SCD: Natasha and Brendan Split

There are various new reports around this weekend, stating that Natasha Kaplinsky has split with her dance partner (and boyfriend) from Series One Brendan Cole. In the Sky report she has reportedly called it off, but according to the News of the World, he called it off and is currently pursuing his ex, fellow dancer and SCD competitor Camilla Dallerup. He has been held up somewhat by his flirting with current partner, actress Sarah Manners.

Oldie but Goodie

Found this classic joke on another blog that I like to read occasionally. I have heard it before, but I still love it.

Apple Comes to London

Apple have announced that they will open their first European Store on London's Regent Street. As well as expert advice, competitions and free T-shirts for the first visitors they have a rather intriguing offer of 'Lucky Bags' worth over £700 for £249. There is a limited number of 300 available but the products are likely to be only Mac compatible, not PC compatible. I guess I will be leaving my credit card at home that day....

Apple have also got some new iPods (how I love my iPod...) with a new photo version that can be bought as either 40gb or 60gb and could contain up to 15,000 songs or 25, 000 photos....Also there is the new special edition U2 version which is black with a red click wheel and features U2's autographs on the back. I am not such a U2 fan for this to appeal to me, but I like the colour.

Harry Potter 5: The Order of the Phoenix

What a huge book! I am wondering if Ms Rowling has forgotten her junior readers, as this is asking a hell of a lot from them. As an adult it kept me pretty much entertained. It is easy to read, and you can get lost in it for a long time, but it does take ages to get through as it is far to heavy to take on the train. We meet the same characters again and this time (as everybody knows) someone dies. However, this is a small part of the book, and you are not left waiting around for anything to happen. As with any book this size, the reader can often find parts that could have been edited. The book does rely heavily on the reader having knowledge of the previous books, and if you haven’t read them for a while (as I hadn’t) you may miss some subtleties. You have to admire Rowling, as the planning to interlink all these books must have been a mammoth task, and again I wonder if this is not lost on younger readers. Overall, Harry Potter fans will love it, but then you won’t need me to tell you that though will you?!

Strictly Come Dancing: Week One

Due to inconsiderate scheduling by the BBC (mind you, it is not like they had anything else to show other than repeats of Only Fools and Horses), I have just got round to watching the first week of this show. Comedian Julian Clary kicked off and I was surprised how wooden and uncomfy he looked, I expected him to be much lighter on his feet. Following him was TV presenter Carol Vorderman who was slightly better, but not a great dancer. Next was TV gardener Dairmund Gavin who was very poor. TV presenter Esther Rantzen was the first to be praised by the judges for her waltz. Motoring journo and presenter Quentin Wilson was worse than Dairmund, whilst Casualty actress Sarah Manners was quite good (her partner was Brendan Cole who won last series with Natasha Kaplinsky). Athlete Roger Black was up next, and was the best celebrity male by far, he was followed by fellow athlete Denise Lewis who eventually won the judges vote. Next up was former chorister and TV presenter Aled Jones who was also good, as was EastEnders actress Jill Halfpenny.

Quentin Wilson was last in the judges votes, just behind Dairmund Gavin. He was not a big enough name to pull the public support (and was the poorest dancer) so was eliminated.

Top Ten iTunes

This is the latest list of my most listened to tracks according to iPod and iTunes. There is not a great deal of change since last month, it is harder and harder for new tracks to get listened to enough to make it in to the Top 25 or 10 as I use it more often.

1. Supergrass - Moving
2. The Lightning Seeds - Marvellous
3. Supergrass - Pumping on Your Stereo
4. The Lightning Seeds - What if...
5. Muse - House of the Rising Sun
6. Paul Weller - You Do Something to Me
7. Skunk Anansie - Hedonism (Just because you feel good)
8. Skunk Anansie - Brazen (Weep)
9. Sugababes - Killer
10. Al Green - Heaven Help Us All

Mario Kart:Double Dash

We have had this game a while now, and have almost completed it. Although there are several games to play in the game, the best one by far is the Grand Prix, either against the Cube or with a friend. The early ones at 50cc are quite easy and it gets harder and harder as you go through the different cups at the three speeds, and gain new characters, cars and races. You can make of each game what you will if you are playing with a friend – sometimes we race against each other for fun and the kudos of winning, sometimes we race strategically to try and win a cup (this is especially worthwhile when you are having trouble with a certain cup/level). The characters are familiar to those that have played any Super Mario games before, and the cars are fun. What sets this game apart from other racing games are the weapons. Well thought out red shell chucking can win or lose you a race and ultimately the cup. Not falling off a bridge can also help!

Celeb speed dating

I like this bit of gossip. I'm a Celeb 3 winner, Kerry McFadden has been newly separated. She and her mates are going speed dating to celebrate a friend's birthday. I imagine their will be a lot of guys there keen to meet her and a flirty night out will probably lift her spirits no end. Go Kerry!

Legal Music Downloads

As has already been mentioned on this blog I have an iPod and use iTunes, so I was pleased to read this report this afternoon. That is not to say I have not got any tracks that were not paid for, but generally I find that pirate tracks are of a poor quality, and at least half the time are blank or not the full version. That is assuming the track that you downloaded was the one you wanted. Thus, more and more, I have been downloading from iTunes some albums, singles and odd little tracks that I have discovered that I would not get anywhere else. These include Snow Patrol singing Crazy in Love and Scissor Sisters' version of Take Me Out which was on the Mary CD single I believe.

This increase in legal downloads (although I suspect most of it is in the US where they are shit-hot on illegal downloading) is a good thing for music fans as it will make the price of legal downloading come down and widen the selection of tracks available. One bugbear I have is that the different formats are not necessarily compatible, thus tracks downloaded from iTunes cannot be played on any non-Apple mp3 players. Tracks downloaded off of HMV may not be compatible with my iPod etc. Sony's music catalogue can only be played on their players also. Let's hope that one day, all machines can be compatible which will really make legal downloads cheaper as the competition is wider. Thankfully Apple provide theirs at the cheapest price currently.

My Summer of Love

I don't go to the cinema for ages and then go three times in ten days....

This time, I was not so keen on the choice, we went to see My Summer Of Love a quiet, British film set Northern England one summer. It is a BBC produced, coming-of-age style movie and the story is based around two girls in their late teens, from vastly different backgrounds, who meet up, become friends and eventually fall in love one summer. Mona lives with her born-again Christian brother who is trying to convert the family pub into a place of worship. Manipulative Tamsin, who has been suspended from boarding school, spends her time rattling around the family mansion with little or no parental interference. The scenery around their Northern country village is beautiful, the music is good and the acting superb. The two lead actresses were excellent and I hope we will see more of both of them. The thing with coming-of-age movies (I'm not talking American Pie here) is that they are quite slow moving, and compared to the two fast paced movies I had enjoyed recently, this one suffers by comparison. The story is better than many however, and the ending very good. The story also reminded us of Heavenly Creatures somewhat.

Catherine Zeta Jones

I have always been a fan of this actress's work, having first seen her on stage in 42nd Street way back in 1988. However the girl from the Welsh Valleys has got litigious tendencies. She and husband Michael Douglas have sued Hello! magazine after they published unauthorised wedding photos, and now she is suing a strip club who unwittingly used her image on their website having found it on a free image site. Ms Zeta Jones is also seeking an order barring the use of her "highly valuable" image.

Seems she will go to court over everything and anything these days. Perhaps she should just graciously accept the club's apology and move on.

X Factor: The judges battle

The new twist in the X Factor show has upset Simon Cowell's fellow judges. Louis Walsh has threatened to quit at the twist, and Sharon Osborne has also said she will walk off, plus is also claiming that Simon Cowell (whose production company Sico is making the show) has rigged it so that he wins.

X Factor Update

Last Saturday was the first live show of the series and all nine acts performed live. Voices With Soul kicked off with Ain't No Mountain High Enough and I thought they were bloody good. Roberta from the Under 25s group sang next. I though a Carpenters choice an odd song for someone her age, as many of her peers would not appreciate it. Fab dress though. The first Over 25 soloist to perform was Verity who sang I will Always Love You. She seemed to overcome her nerves OK, although the other judges thought she was too fragile for the show. It was a tough song to sing, not a favourite of mine, but I thought she did well. Next up was Due " to Go who did a romantic duet - it was OK, their performance was good but I just don't like that kind of music. Cassie from the Under 25's was up next and sang Alfie, again a strange choice for one so young, and an odd outfit. Sexy Steve from Simon's group followed. He has laringitus so was not at his best. I was a bit disappointed with the song choice - Percy Sledge's When a Man Loves a Woman, he suits rockier numbers I think. G4 the classically trained men were up next and did an impressive version of Everybody Hurts, they were followed by Rowetta from Simon's group who was the best for me singing You don't have to say you love me. Mad Irishman Tabby closed the show with a Kinks' number and he was better than I expected, as I had not rated him before.

After the break the show was drawn out even longer. The two acts with the lowest votes had to do a sing off just for the judges. These two were Voices With Soul and Roberta. Louis voted to keep his band and Sharon voted to keep Roberta. That left Simon to have the deciding vote and he sent Roberta home.

The Throwaway Daughter by Ting-Xing Ye

This novel is about a Canadian teenager who was adopted from an orphanage in her native China, as a baby. Each chapter is written from a different perspective, such as the girl herself, her adoptive parents, and her birth family. The story unfolds well, it is very simply told, and we understand the anguish and frustration that Grace feels as she comes to terms with her abandonment, and the conflict of being the only Chinese person in her hometown, and her eventual decision to go to China.

This type of story is easy to romanticise, but it hasn't been. The simple style may not appeal to everyone, but I enjoyed it. It is a very quick book to read, for those wanting a more deeper insight into China at this time (early 80s) there are plenty of autobiographies and novels around, but this is still a very enjoyable one.

Strictly Returns

I was pleased to discover that one of my favourite reality shows - Strictly Come Dancing is returning this Saturday. The sad fact is that they have scheduled it head-to-head with the already popular X Factor. The ten celebs appearing this time include athletes Denise Lewis and Roger "phwoar" Black, camp TV presenter Julian Clary, Esther Rantzen, Carol Vorderman, Aled Jones and soap actress Jill Halfpenny. Great program - shame about the schedule. I am going to have to get someone else to video this on Saturday as I am out and we can then video X Factor.

Bride and Prejudice

Earlier this week I went to see this Bollywood musical, that has crossed over to the mainstream. The actors' singing is dubbed but the dancing, costumes and scenery are fabulous. The storyline is based on Jane Austen's' novel and it features a Mr Darcy and a beautiful Indian heroine. Recommended.

I'm A Celeb 4 - Rumours

Rumour doth has it that Princess Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell, is one of the people signed up for a visit to the jungle next month for the top show.

The X Factor

Having got quite sucked into this reality show before I went on holiday, I am now hooked again. The show is being billed as battle of the managers as well as artists. However, I don't rate Tabby or any other of Sharon's under 25's group. I like Louis's group, G4, four classically trained singers who sound fab when singing contemporary tracks. Also Two to Go (or something) who are like the Seventies duo Peters & Lee (blind chap, lady with straight blonde hair), although Voices With Soul the family gospel trio are less appealing to me, I think he should have gone with one of his boy bands. Maybe becasue I am in my thirties, I prefer Simon's artists in the Over 25s group. One cheeky chappie Steve is my favourite, plus barmy Rowetta who is a real diva with the voice to match. The weakest of his selection is Verity, a quiet woman who has a pretty voice but majorly lacks confidence. The live show is next week (and I am out - Bah!) so it is down to the public from now on.

The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad

A fabulous insight into the life of an Afghan family. The author stayed with this family over a period of several months and observed their lives and listened to their stories. They are not a typical Afghan family; in fact they are quite wealthy and relatively well educated. We see how the younger sons struggle having to do their father or older brothers’ bidding and how the family’s women suffer when the younger brother’s frustrations are taken out on them (fortunately verbally). We see how the family patriarch Sultan runs his business and his family, what the life is like for the wife based in Pakistan compared to the one in Kabul. Women’s issues are still not taken seriously in this part of the world; it will be a long slow process. This book is not trying to change the world, just bring us a verbal snapshot, as the author saw it, at the time after the Afghan war. Highly recommended to all fans of biographies, but I feel that this can cross over and appeal to anyone interested in the country, people or culture, or even general current affairs. This is probably one of the best books I have read this year, so far.

Layer Cake

Went to the cinema last night, for the first time in ages. We went to see the latest Brit gangster flick, called Layer Cake, directed by Matthew Vaughn.

It was at times quite violent, but not necessarily gratuitous. It has its funny moments, and was well acted by a quality cast including Daniel Craig in the lead role of a cocaine dealer, taking on one last big job. He finds he has been set up and double crossed and must find a businessman's crackhead daughter, whilst trying to offload some stolen pills, whilst the original Serb owners want to behead him. Craig is excellent as the dealer who isn't used to getting his hands dirty and he allows you to feel some sympathy for his character and the mess he is on, which is not his fault. However he rectifies this situation (in a not so typical way) and moves up the 'layers' of the cake in the drug dealing world. The ending is excellent, and suitably unexpected.

Essexgirl's Californian Exploits - Part Seven:The Pacific Coast and back to LA

We drove into Monterey the next morning. It was still a bit foggy but we had heard that the Seventeen Mile Scenic Drive around the Monterey peninsula was fabulous, so we decided to give it a go anyway. We paid $8.50 admission which is a bit steep when you consider that most National Parks are $10. The drive isn't 17 miles along the coast (which we had hoped) but a circular route that takes you past many of the exclusive golf clubs in the area. $8.50 is a lot of money to drive 10 miles and look at golf clubs. Admittedly if was a grey day, but the coastal scenery was quite disappointing. When we moved back onto Highway 1 South, we saw much better coastal scenery than we did on this Scenic Drive. We also had a nice picnic lunch. We made it down to Hearst Castle at about 3.30 but had missed the last tour. We had hoped to see this, so decided to stay in the area that night and drive back there for the 8.40am (ouch) tour the next day. We stayed in San Simeon State Park that night, we walked to the local beach which was nothing special, but it was a nice area. The facilities were limited at the site, but we cooked a meal, saw some TV and played Los-Angeles-in-a-Box again, and this time Ratboy beat me.

The next day we had an early start to Hearst Castle. It was a fascinating place and great to see what too much money can do for your taste! The indoor pool area was fabulous, we saw dining rooms and guest rooms. There are actually five tours that you can do, but we only had time for one tour, for the beginners. Ratboy wouldn't let me stay for the included film as he wanted to get on, as we needed to get back to just outside LA tonight. We managed to get a spot in Malibu with a sea view which was nice. There were some fabulous houses to be seen.

The next morning we had a paddle, it was very hot in the sun, but the sea was quite cold. Then we drove back through Santa Monica to drop off the RV. We got caught in some traffic and were a bit late, and had to wait for a taxi for a while. We still had plenty of time at the airport though, before getting our flight. The entertainment system on the plane home was even better than the one going, although it crashed several times (the entertainment system - not the plane!) and I watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (crap) and Along Came Polly (fab and funny) and tried vainly to sleep. At the end of the day - there is nothing better than your own bed!

Amazon Recommendations

I have just checked out what Amazon thinks I would like to listen to. Bear in mind I have only ordered about 4 CDs from Amazon in my entire life, some of them gifts.

1. Dido - Life for Rent
No. No way. Never. This is one of the most boring artists on the planet. I am insulted.

2. Keane - Hopes and Fears
I have liked the singles I have heard of theirs, but not over enamoured.

3. Katie Melua - Call off the Search
I listened to a friend's copy, and whilst I liked the single The Closest Thing to Crazy, no other track grabbed me at first hearing

4. Norah Jones - Feels Like Home
I couldn't name a single song on this CD, some of the songs on her last album Come Away With Me were OK, but that is about it.

5. Scissor Sister - Scissor Sister
Now you're talking! I own and love this CD and make it my best of the year to date, for me.

6. George Michael - Patience
Ratboy has this CD. We both agree that it is over-rated. There are some cracking tracks on it, and some surprisingly poor ones.

7. Joss Stone - The Soul Sessions
I liked some of her songs, but thought it could get a bit samey. May consider her latest offering Mind, Body & Soul however.

8. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
I loved their debut single Take me Out and the subsequent Matinee was OK, but I have it on good authority that they were by far and away the best tracks on this album. I have CD buying/downloading phases, and this one missed the boat in favour of Maroon 5 and the Scissor Sisters.

9. In Time: The Best of R.E.M 1988 - 2003
I have seen them in concert and have a couple of their CDs anyway. Why would I duplicate? I quite like REM but they are not big favourites of mine.

10. Avril Lavigne - Under My Skin
What???

This Recommended list stuff must be bollocks. Specially when you consider the rest of my top 15 included Jamie Cullum (where did they get the idea I liked this easy listening kind of stuff? Is it because I am over 30?), Gareth Gates and Westlife *cough*splutter* Am I more offended by this or Dido it is hard to say?

Essexgirl's Californian Exploits - Part Six:San Francisco

After a failure to get anyone in the San Fran area to fix our wing mirror in the next week, we proceeded (still with our temporary one) onto The Foggy City (which it was). After losing the glass plate in the microwave going over a pothole (don't ask) we arrived at Candlestick RV park on Monday lunchtime. It was one of the more expensive parks at $44 per night, but had a shuttle bus ($10 return) into the city, and all other RV parks were quite away out of the area. We got the 3pm bus into town and decided to have a look around the shops first, and do the touristy things the next day. I had great fun in Macys where half of the third floor was turned over to petites. I bought two pairs of Ralph Lauren jeans, and two jumpers from INC (whoever they are) and was very pleased with my purchases. I also bought some Ralph Lauren sunglasses. Ratboy bought a few things in the Men's store too, and we browsed some of the other stores that were around there, it was quite a chilly day so we gladly sat down in one of the many restaurants in Chinatown. I was disappointed that they did not serve vodka (or did not understand what we ordered), the spring rolls were fab and Ratboy liked his beef main. My main was a bit tasteless (although the menu stated it was spicy). After this, Ratboy bought some tacky T-shirts for his dad and got us lost on the way back to the bus. He rushed off ahead of me and I lost him and was mildly panicy as he had the map. I decided to wait on the junction I was at until he came back for me. Eventually I saw him waving to me at the end of the street.

The next day we got an early bus to the city and rode the streetcar/trollybus to Pier 39 where you catch the ferry to Alcatraz. The tour was very illuminating and we saw infamous criminals cells and heard lots of stories before getting the ferry back to the mainland. We had a fab lunch in an 50's themed burger bar (complete with mini jukeboxes on the table) before getting a tram back to the centre, where we caught the bus up to the Haight (the hippy district) and the Castro (the gay district) before heading back (I bought a poncho) to the bus and a quiet evening in the RV.

The next day, Wednesday, we left San Franciso via Stanford Shopping centre (very expensive) and onto the Monteray Peninsula and the Pacific Highway. We parked the RV just outside Monterey early that evening, so that we could get a good start the next morning.

Brainy Beckham

Last Saturday was an England Football World Cup qualifier against Wales. Captain, David Beckham was booked. He has subsequently claimed that this was deliberate stating "I am sure some people think I have not got the brains to be that clever". Beckham was playing under a yellow card, one other yellow meant that he would face a ban for the next match. Beckham said that after a tackle he was aware that he had sustained a rib injury similar to one he had had before, and knew that he would be unable to play for another few weeks. He decided to deliberately tackle Wales' Ben Thatcher and get his one match suspension out of the way when he could not play. He then boasted of his brain power to the press. He has now received a bollocking from FIFA and has been forced to apologise. It has been rumoured that he may still be punished to some extent for this, due to his admission that it was deliberate. Smart move, David. Very smart.

Essexgirl's Californian Exploits - Part Five:Yosemite

After the cold night, we were surprised how nice the weather was the next day as we drove into Yosemite. We took the long, one way trip up to Glacier Point which was very steep and narrow for the last few miles for some of the most spectacular glacial scenery. Magnificent rocks and cliffs, tall trees and rivers. We later spent some time in Yosemite Village. There was a nice cool stream running by with a natural beach. We wished for more time so that we could have spent some time chilling out by it, but we had already discovered that there was no accommodation available in the NP that night so we decided to see how far we could get outside the park. We took a short walk to Lower Yosemite Falls but they had dried up , which was a bit disappointing.

It was a long drive to get out of the park, the road went on forever climbing up and round hills and mountains, then back down again. At dusk we arrived in Oakdale which appeared to be one of the bigger towns on the area outside Yosemite and on the road to San Francisco. There was a Trailer Park there rather than an RV park but they were full. They directed us to one by Lake Woodward which was just out of town on the right. We spotted the Strawberry sign that he had given us as a point of reference, but did not see a road signposted for this lake (which was on our map), so we drove back and went down the road nearest the sign, but a few miles down the road it turned to gravel and was marked 'Private'. There was no sign indicating an RV park or the lake (which we later discovered was used for a lot of sports so should have been easy to find/be signposted). By this time it was very dark, and we had driven up and down Oakdale several times. We called it quits and went to stay in a Ramada Inn for the night. It was $73 so a lot more expensive than an RV park, but we had a huge bed and a good night's sleep.

Essexgirl's Californian Exploits - Part Four: Sequoia and King's Canyon

We had an early start for along drive to Death Valley National Park. Unfortunately when we got to the junction into the park it was closed due to flooding earlier that month. Last time I was in California, (nine years previously) Yosemite had been closed due to flooding, I never knew there was so much rain in the region! According to a local who stopped to re-direct all the lost-looking tourists, a whole section of the park was wiped out and the roads impassable, we needed to go further North and then go round the top of the park and come back down. Effectively this was three sides of a square, but there was nothing we could do but add this extra distance to our journey. Unfortunately most of it was decent highway, so the time was not too horrendous. Although we could only get a taste of Death Valley on this trip (I had been before) it was as hot as I remembered, and the scenery was spectacular in an unusual, almost barren, way. It was coming on for late afternoon as we exited the park. We always knew this would be one of the longest days on the road, sue to having to circumvent the Sierras mountain range, as you could not go through. We hoped to make Bakersfield by early evening. The road was quite long and we were getting low on petrol. The shortest way to Bakersfield was through part of Sequoia Forest, but Ratboy was concerned we could be stuck without any petrol, and that we were better heading further down the highway where there were a few towns. It was along drive and we had seen no petrol stations since Stovepipe Wells in the heart of Death Valley. Eventually we found a place in Mojave, by which time it was dark. We got into Bakersfield late, and with no torch, got quite lost (the local map did not show all roads and was quite misleading - and actually wrong!), this caused a row. We parked up at about 9pm in the RV park and with no inclination to cook, walked to the local Jack-in-the Box for dinner. Bakersfield seemed to be a distribution centre as there were lots of articulated lorries and fast food joints in the area.

The next day, we made a more leisurely start a drove into Sequoia National Park which is also connected to Kings Canyon NP. The roads were windy and narrow, but we saw some spectacular forest scenery and the General Sherman Tree. The Americans claimed this was the world's largest living thing, but I believe that to be the Great Barrier Reef. Anyway, it was a bloody big tree. The roads took us quite high so we got some good views of the park. The little we saw of Kings Canyon was comparatively disappointing. The most disappointing thing of all was that some German tourists in an RV, coming the other way hit our mirror which smashed chucking glass into the cab at the front of the RV (we had the windows down because of all the fabulous fresh air). We cleaned it up and some other RV-ers found us and the Park Ranger was called. As there was nothing we could do that night (the emergency contact given to us by the RV company was an answerphone) we drove to Azalea campground in the park (which was where we had planned to stay anyway) and camped there for the night and I cooked dinner and we played Los Angeles-in-a-box, which I had bought at the Farmer's Market in LA and was basically a LA monopoly rip-off. I beat Ratboy quite easily.

The next day we drove to Fresno to try and get the wing mirror fixed. The breakdown firm we had been given could only get it looked at on the Monday (this was a Saturday). We were not sure what to do and I did not want to miss Yosemite again. Fortunately I spotted an AutoZone which we found had plastic temporary mirrors which would do us until San Francisco, where we were sure we would get something done easier. We carried on into the direction of Yosemite, but due to the intense faffing that morning we were not going to get the park done that day. As the previous night had been spent with no TV, electric or water hook-ups we decided we didn't want that two days in succession. By chance we found a fabulous little RV park called High Sierra just outside in a town called Oakhurst. We took a little ride out to Bass Lake for a few hours before having a relaxing evening and night. The area was 96 degrees centigrade in the afternoon, but went down to 46 degrees that night!

Essexgirl's Californian Exploits - Part Three: Las Vegas

We managed to get an early start when we left San Diego as it was going to be a long drive, back past Los Angeles, to Las Vegas. The road, at times, was very much The Road to Nowhere and went on forever, with no signs of towns. We pulled up at a rest area on the edge of the Mojave Desert for a picnic lunch. This was one of the best things about the RV. We had bread, cheese, salsa relish, fruit and crisps (Ratboy had some meats), plus potato salad or bean salad and had a really nice meal sitting at the table in the RV. We got to Vegas (we were also staying at a KOA attached to one of the big casino-hotels: Circus Circus at about 4pm, and set of out for a walk. We looked into getting scenic flights to the Grand Canyon, which we managed to get for Wednesday (we arrived on Monday) so we had to stay an extra day which we didn't mind. The trip would be $199 each. After wandering in and out of some casinos for a bit, we ended up at Treasure Island which had a tropical-themed restaurant called Kahuna (or something). We were starving so we had dinner gratefully. I had a stir-fry which was nice, drinks were expensive though. When we came out a wind had picked up and it was freezing. People were waiting for the free show which happened outside the hotel, several times a night, but as it was so cold, and we had not brought jackets with us, we decided not to wait around 20 mins for it to start and went back, as it had been a long drive.

The next day we caught the tourist trolley bus up to the Mandalay Bay which was one of the newest casinos-hotels. It took quite a while as the bus went all around the back of the hotels. The hotel was quite smart, and we caught the mono-rail to the Luxor next door. There we played on the camel racing game and had an all you can eat buffet lunch for $13 (I think). The salad bar was fabulous and I could have filled myself up on that. The main courses were divided into 'themes' such as Italian, Mexican, Roasts etc, I went to the Italian and had several different pastas with sauce and a disappointing vegetable lasagne. I also had an ice cream factory for dessert. Completely stuffed, we went for a walk around the casino/hotel and went on one of those I-Max simulator rides which was very good (but possibly too soon after the food). We looked at some other casinos and saw the fountain display outside The Bellagio, and saw penguins at The Flamingo before getting the painfully slow trolley bus back to our end of The Strip. After a brief rest we got a taxi downtown to Fremont Street where all the original old casinos like The Golden Nugget, The Pioneer and the Golden Gate were. There was a canopy over the area that turned into a fabulous light and music show for six minutes every hour, which we thought was excellent. A small pizza for dinner and we got a cab back to the RV park.

The Wednesday was a very long day, we were picked up at 6.50 outside Circus Circus and caught a (delayed) flight to The Grand Canyon. We flew over Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and part of the Canyon. After we landed we got a coach which took us to a couple of look out points where we had the opportunity for photos of some spectacular scenery and a few short walks. There was a buffet lunch included which was nice, before getting a flight back again. It was quite bumpy going back and we both felt a bit queasy. As lunch had been late we just had some snacks before going to see An Evening at Le Cage at The Riviera. The show was presented by 'Joan Rivers' who wore a different assortment of gowns to introduce each act. All the performers were males impersonating female stars such as Cher, Madonna, Britney, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson (the exception!). Quite where the Cher impersonator put his whatnots in that skimpy costume I shall never know! We then went up to the Straosphere Hotel where we went to the lookout point and James went on the rollercoaster 1200 feet above the city (not for me!). We got back about 1.30am - it had been a very long day having been up since 6am but we had really enjoyed it.

Essexgirl's Californian Exploits - Part Two - San Diego

On the Saturday morning, the RV (recreational Vehicle) arrived, that we had hired. We headed off out of LA towards San Diego. There was quite a bit of traffic heading out of LA on a Saturday lunchtime so it was quite slow going. We were very surprised that the roads were in such poor condition and it was a bumpy and rattley ride. We stopped off at Laguna Hills, an out-of-town shopping centre for a late lunch in McDonald's and then carried on to San Diego where we had got ourselves booked into a KOA campground with full hook up facilities (electricity, water, cable TV). We also did a spot of grocery shopping and had a relaxing evening (we were slightly jet-lagged) in front on the TV.

The next day we caught a bus and tram down to the Mexican border. We then walked over the bridge into Tijuana. There were quite a few traders about selling blankets, novelties, hats and God knows what. There were also quite a few beggars. Most of the traders were happy if you just shook your head as you passed, they didn't hassle you as bad as they would in North Africa, for example. After strolling through the town (and the zillions of pharmacies selling viagra and other such medicines over the counter) we found a lively looking restaurant for lunch. I had a huge plate of nachos for lunch and some 2 for 1 margaritas which were lovely. The restaurant played old disco numbers and it was a hot day and a very pleasant lunch (Ratboy had a few 99 cent Coronas). The toilets in the restaurant were a bit ropey however. We headed back to the border and I bought a fun, stripey blanket for US$13 (which I was glad of on cold nights). There was quite a queue to get back over the border, but once over the other side, we got the tram all the way to Downtown where we had a wander about an visited a few shops. I bought a lovely, stripey cardigan in Macy's for about US$40.00. We had another quiet evening in and a light dinner in the RV. Had we had more time, I would have liked to go to Sea World or the zoo, but there is a lot to see in the next two weeks.

The Apprentice

Whilst in the States we caught a few episodes of a the second series of a Reality TV show called The Apprentice. 16 business people are divided into teams according to gender and perform various business related tasks (such as running a restaurant, buying and selling, negotiating) for Donald Trump, and the winning team get sent out for a top night out. The losers go to the boardroom, where they can slag each other off, and in the end the nominated project manager for that task gets to take two people back in with them, to face off with Mr Trump and in the end he tells one of them "You're fired" and they must leave. The first series of this is currently being shown on BBC2, weeknight, at 6pm. Ratboy and I are quite addicted. Checking out the BBC's website, I note they are planning a UK version of the show with Sir Alan Sugar.

The Farm

Channel Five, not known for quality programming at the best of times, has started its own reality show called The Farm that features footballer Stan Collymore, Paul Daniel's wife and assistant Debbie McGee, Margi Clark, Vanilla Ice and a few other 'Z-List' celebs. I tried to watch it but found it all a bit dire. However missed one episode that caused some fuss, that of Rebecca Loos (another one famous for nothing - other than allegedly having an affair with David Beckham) helping a boar to relieve himself. Details here. I think I am very glad I missed this.

Fame for fame's sake

Quite why Abi Titmuss is famous, is beyond me. She went out with a TV presenter who was accused of being Ulrika Jonsson's date rapist (but cleared). Up till that point she was a nurse. The next thing we know there are kinky sex tapes of her going around. After going on Hell's Kitchen (Gordon Ramsey Reality Show) she now presents a show on an adult channel. The latest news being that she is going 'on tour' to promote her fitness video and calendar. Then launch her lingerie and clothing range. Obviously all you need to do to be famous these days is bonk someone famous and get your tits out at the first opportunity.

Essexgirl's Californian Exploits - Part One: Los Angeles

I have just returned from my holiday in California with Ratboy. We flew Virgin Atlantic to Los Angeles. Virgin is definitely the way to fly - great movies, own TV, games, in-flight goodie bag with socks, eye mask, notebook, pen etc. My veggie meal was a veggie curry with rice, Bombay potatoes and two mini-naans, I was very impressed.

We landed in LA at about 3pm, which was 11pm UK time, so we were quite tired by the time we got to out hotel The Hollywood Metropolitan. It was quite a nice hotel, although there was hardly anyone staying there it seemed (apart from a tattoo convention at the weekend, which made for some interesting sights!). The area did not have much to offer, it was a bit seedy, but the hotel was fine and we could see the Hollywood sign from our room. As it was still late afternoon, we decided to walk to Mann's Chinese Theatre and the Walk of Fame. The people at the hotel thought we were mad as it was quite a long walk. Anyway, we set off and saw lots of stars in the pavements of people we had never heard of. Apparently celebs have to pay about £1500 a year to keep their star clean, until they die, when it is done for free. We tried out our feet in the footprints at Mann's Chinese Theatre (which was actually owned by a chap called Sid Graumann, who was not Chinese, I think he just liked the Chinese style). Arnold Schwarzenegger has huge feet, although most of the ladies, like Katherine Hepburn were quite petite. By this time we were very hungry. Ratboy bought a tacky mini Oscar for his dad and we had out first meal in the Pig 'n' Whistle, an 'English' pub/restaurant that sold Newcastle Brown amongst other UK and local beers. James loved his meal, but my veggies in dressing and cheese was a bit bland. After Ratboy left the stupid Oscar in the restaurant, we got a cab back to the hotel and crashed out for the night.

The next day we booked an afternoon city tour, and decided to get the bus to Venice Beach. It seemed quite straight forward - get a bus to the end of Sunset Boulevard and then go down the coast. However, it took an hour and a half to get to the end of Sunset, as the city is so much more vast and sprawling than we had anticipated. Mindful of our afternoon city tour, we went to get the bus back, but had to walk (uphill) a good couple of miles to find the stop. Back in the Hollywood area we grabbed a quick lunch before picking up our tour. We had a very informative guide, and went to a good viewpoint of the Hollywood sign and the Hollywood Bowl, we saw Mann's theatre again (and Ratboy got to buy another Oscar), Rodeo Drive (very nice - shame no time to go into the Louis Vuitton shop...), The Farmer's Market (food stalls as well as a smart shopping and entertainment complex), downtown and a Mexican enclave etc. Our guide also pointed out other places of interest, such as the place where Hugh Grant picked up the hooker, Divine Brown. It was a long day but we thoughroughly enjoyed it. We thought we would like to go to the Farmer's Market for dinner and a film, but it was too far away from where we were staying, so we went to an Italian chain restaurant nearby and had an early night.