Making Time

After two exams, sorting out what EMS I'm doing during (read: throughout) the Christmas and Easter breaks, making panto props, and Han-Ley's 21st, I think I actually have time to sit down and not do anything for a while.

Of course, since I want to update the blog, I now find I honestly feel like, somehow, I've done nothing. Certainly, nothing today - all that's happened today is the usual out-of-synch with time zones that usually happens when people stay up til 5.30am or later, so it's not been particularly productive.

The previous few days have been more about making things than anything else. I'll just throw out the warning now that much of the following section is boring exposition on baking and BluePeter-ing up some props. I'm aware of this fact, but also aware that I've done little else of note lately other than fsck up my sleep clock, so this is what you get.

I was somewhat foiled in my attempts to make an awesome birthday cake in that the tried-and-tasted (and amazingly good) black forest gateau recipe I had planned doesn't work quite as well when the only tinned cherries available came in the form of cherry pie filling. The tinned cherries are something of a secret ingredient in that the cherry syrup and kirsch is mixed and used to soak the cake layers, transforming it from something decent but a bit dry into something sweet, moist, and slightly alcoholic [insert your own innuendo about someone's mum here].

I learned that while the sugary goop the tinned cherries came in can be diluted to make something closer to the thin syrup tinned cherries come in, even diluted down by a factor of four it was still too thick to do a good job of soaking into the sponge cake. Thankfully all present still judged it to be "delicious cake must have moar" or "delicious noms" (yes, these are direct quotes), but it was still a bit disappointing for me that it wasn't as good as I knew it could have been.

On the other hand, the "tapeworms" I've been making for the vet panto *are* turning out as I'd hoped. Photos will follow after the panto's run, but for now, I'll just say I've finally managed to put a childhood of Blue Peter, Art Attack and SMart to good use in the form of improvising these metre-and-a-bit-long puppets from wooden poles, bullroarers, paint, paper drinks cones and cotton wool balls with a bit of paint and PVA - a grand total of about £2.50-£3 per puppet I think. Neil Buchanan would be so proud of me...

Most people in the rehearsal were cracking up once the prototype worm appeared onstage (mostly due to Aimee's comedy puppeteering). I hope that carries through to the live show as well. :)

I still have some bits to stick on before the remaining puppets will be completely ready, but for now I'm just enjoying the feeling of having time to myself. Admittedly that feeling falters slightly when I look at tomorrow's 9-5 timetable, or think of how soon I'm leaving Cambridge for EMS, or how much I have to revise so as not to look like a tit on EMS, or... you know, sometimes it's better if I don't let myself think too much.

I think for now I'll just focus on tea and reading (for pleasure) and leave the worries for another time.