“Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul” Plato

So when I came back down from Manchester, I was sent with a great book in my hand. High Fidelity. I'd seen the film and i'd read the first part of the book and loved both. Paul was shocked and horrified that I hadn't read the whole book and decided to lend me his copy.

When I told him I had finished it, kindly volunteered to send me one... For fun and also for politeness I said I would send something back to him and decided on a compilation CD. Then I recalled the following quote...

"The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention. Then you got to take it up a notch, but you don't wanna blow your wad, so then you got to cool it off a notch. There are a lot of rules." Nick Horby - High Fidelity

I have no idea what to put on the mix. Do I put the music I truly love? or do I put the music he will truly appreciate?

Music says so much about who we are, and about how we feel and I certainly do not want to give the wrong messages, or really too many of the right messages. Uh oh. I'm at a bit of a loss here.

We discuss music a lot and while our tastes both centre around the same music, we go off in completely different directions in the more 'alternative' (man, I hate that word) genres.

“Music does bring people together. It allows us to experience the same emotions. People everywhere are the same in heart and spirit.”

I want to make this mix a good one...

Action point for Melanie - Any ideas for tracks? You always seem to be good at this kind of thing.

“Unreal City, Under the fog of a winter dawn" T.S. Elliot

I woke up on Monday morning with my Kiwi flatmate beside my bed jumping up and down with excitement saying that no one was going to work and that I shouldn't bother getting out of bed because over night over 12 inches of snow had landed on London.

Its amazing that something as simple and natural as snow can take us all from stressed out, workaholic caffeine addicts one minute to being excitable 7 year olds. (even when woken from blissful slumber). London had changed over night. It had changed from a busy, anti-social city, to a place very similar to my home village - people saying hello, children out playing with parents, building snowmen and enjoying each other's company.



10 years since my last snow day and I loved every minute of it! Snow ball fights, snow men, snow angels - hazelnut coffees, mulled wine. Amazing.

It really did top off the amazing weekend I spent in Manchester visiting a lovely man from Northern Ireland.

I had originally met Paul in November 2008 in very random circumstances. To cut a long story short(er) My parent were visiting and we were in the pub, Paul arrived with his friends, the only seats were beside us, we got chatting with him and his lovely friends. My parents left, Paul insisted I stay out, later he walked me to the bus stop and we kissed.

The next day he invited me out again and again we had a lovely time kissed and said goodbye. He left for Manchester.

I was invited to see him in Manchester and I VERY reluctantly said yes. Thank goodness I did. I had an amazing time and i'll hopefully be seeing him very soon. It was a weekend of lazy days, late nights and probably a little too much wine.

On the way back to London (by bus - euch) I felt my heart sink a little. After a great weekend this was the last place I wanted to be. Back to reality, back to work and further away from home.

Thankfully a snow day is great to lift anyones spirits!!