Houses.

The other day when taking a walk to the train station I realised that on my route I actually passed 4 houses that I have lived in. During the walk I was then thinking about all the houses that I have lived in, I wouldn't say it was a freakishly high number but I would say that it was probably higher than average for someone who is 21. I wanted to make a playlist of songs that reflect this and tell you something about those houses.

House 1 - The House I Lived In Until I Was 7.
I lived here until my parents got divorced, it was the house my grandparents lived in when they first got married and it was 3 doors down from the house that my great grandparents lived in. I think my mom was born in this house and then when she and my dad got married my grandparents moved out and they had the house. My dad still lives there so technically so do I, it would be weird if strangers lived in that house now.

House 2 - Casa de Grandparents.
I've lived in this house short term several times, when my parents first split up and on other occasions like when my mom has been in hospital. I have memories of travelling to school from here and it taking what seemed like forever and having to get up so early that I would fall asleep in the car on my way there only to be woken by my grandad when it was time for school.

House 3 - The House Full of Kids.
For a few weeks or maybe it was months, I cant really remember we lived with one of my mom's friends and her family. She had 3 kids and then plus me and my brother there were five of us, at the time it seemed like there were loads of us but I knew nothing of what was ahead at that point. I can't really remember much from this house other than having to get the bus lots to get to places.

House 4 - Lodgers.
After that house we moved in with a different friend of my mom's who had a room free in her house. My brother moved back with my dad for a short while at this point and it was me, mom, her friend and her lodger. He was Glaswegian and I never really got what he said but I coped. My Mom always describes that time as being a bit abfab and reflecting on it now I can totally see why.

House 5- Ghosts.
Years later and I still think this house was haunted on the plus side though we did have a playroom which when you are 8 or 9 is like the best thing ever regardless of if Casper is your room mate. That house also had a spiral stairs which still to this day I hate, maybe because I was forever falling down them and they really hurt.

House 6 - Alleyways and House Parties.
This might have been my favourite place when I was little. It was just my mom, my brother and me in our house with various add ons at times. We had a little black cat called Monpetit, several guinea pigs and a rabbit and everything was nice. I fell over lots and broke my arm and and I once got locked in a wardrobe, still I loved it.

House 7 - Extended Family.
Tonight I don't count some people in that and sometimes I still live here.

House 8 - Halls.
My first time living alone was at Uni, it was like having my own little bubble away from chaos. My flatmates and I were never really close but I guess I had a lot of experience of that anyway.

House 9 - Last Year.
Last year I lived with 5 people who I wanted to live with, we had a fridge of shame/fame and occasionally had ridiculous times. We were also a pretty good quiz team.

House 10 - Next Year
I just moved into House 10, so far I have only really had 4 days there but from what I can tell I like it and can't wait to move in properly. As I don't have a song for this one yet its going to be a future house song.


Week 12 - Houses.

This might be the strangest collection of songs I have put together to date but each one reminds me of a house in order. Sorry.

1. Domino Dancing - Pet Shop Boys
2. Moonlight Serenade - Glenn Miller
3. Basketcase - Green Day
4. Absolutely Fabulous - Mask
5. Love is All Around - Wet Wet Wet
6. Barbie Girl - Aqua
7. DJ's Got a Gun - Robots in Disguise
8. The Magic Position - Patrick Wolf
9. Cry Me a River - Michael Buble
10. Country House - Blur

Moving and Nostalgic Walking,
t xx

Less than 3, More than 60.

Today, well yesterday but lets not be pedantic, I went to a meal for my, well I guess, Step-grandparents diamond wedding anniversary. As much as I whined about having to be at a family reunion that I'm not really part of I had to go just because 60 years is a ridiculously long amount of time. Its weird to think that they were already married when they were my age and that they have been together for almost three times as long as I have been alive. I cant even remember last week properly let alone try and comprehend 60 years worth of memories with someone.

I've never really been sure of my opinion of marriage and at 21 its something that other people do, occasionally people I know but no so commonly which is nice as it doesn't scare me as much then. Thinking about this in a week when I have cried more than once or twice because I have felt let down or just because I have felt isolated scares me a little because although I'm not looking for the love of my life at the moment I just want people who are constants in my life rather than people who I am eventually no longer relevant to. I went to see Inception and I guess what I want is a totem.

So this week to counteract last weeks (well fridays but again with the being a pedant) list of music to make you want to sit in a dark room and this weeks blogging I want to give you a list of love in musical form. Songs that I one day want to be relevant.

<3
1. Enchanted - Patrick Wolf
2. Made Up Lovesong #43 - Guillemots
3. First To Know - Mystery Jets
4. Love Song - Tilly and The Wall
5. When I Go - Slow Club
6. Toothpaste Kisses - The Maccabees
7. VCR - The XX
8. Anyone Else But You - The Moldy Peaches
9. Well, Love Does Furnish A Life -  Fyfe Dangerfield (Larrikin Love)
10. The Modern Love - Bloc Party (I wanted the Final Fantasy cover of this)
11. I Do - Placebo

Diamonds and Dreams,

T xx

Well.

 I've been home for two weeks now and it's starting to get to me. I love being home for a visit and I love spending time with my family but sometimes it gets ridiculously boring and then when things get boring I get lonely. I miss being able to just wander off and get away from everything or just go and pester someone to entertain me for a while. I miss my other life. I live to0 far away from stuff to just go a wander and the friend situation here isn't the greatest and sometimes I feel like I am treading on eggshells far too much.

Two weeks at home have made me a whinger and so I'm going to bring you all down to my level this week with my playlist called "Let Me Bring You Down", it reflects the days when I just want to sit around and have a bit of a cry and feel sorry for myself. Well, er enjoy?

1. Knife - Grizzly Bear
2. Train Under Water - Bright Eyes
3. Not Ready To Love - Rufus Wainwright
4. What He Wrote - Laura Marling
5. Ari's Song - Patrick Wolf (this really should be replaced by a different track but spotify didn't have it and I'm not sure I want it on this list anyway)
6. Flowers and Silence - Sneaker Pimps
7. Abandoning - Parenthetical Girls
8. Creature Fear - Bon Iver
9. Biko - Bloc Party

I think I need a hug.

t xx

Musical Roadtrip.

Its a playlist that is meant to be topical as the day that I was intending on posting it was in fact American Independence Day. It obviously isn't anymore yet I feel the independence still goes on so hey lets make all the time an celebration (but not for me and I am English and one day that old empire will be reinstated and it shall be mine, just letting you know!).

Theme this week is American Songs which Mention American Places.

1. USA Boys - Health
2. Chicago (Multiple Personality Disorder Version) - Sufjan Stevens
3. New York City Cops - The Strokes
4. Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror - Jeffrey Lewis
5. Shores of California - The Dresden Dolls
6. San Francisco Song - Camera Obscura
7. Colorado - Grizzly Bear
8. American - The Soft Pack
9. Pittsburgh - We Are Scientists
10. California English - Vampire Weekend.

(i'm struggling with themes ok??)

blah and blah
t xx