What do you get the Cheesecake who has everything?

Merry Festivities everyone! I hope today is treating you well. As has become traditional over the last few years Mrs Cheesecake and I have spent the day, just the two of us, in our little house. The wind may be blowing outside but inside all is cozy and very relaxing.

Later we have the twin delights of Dr Who and Downton but before the tv takes over my day entirely I thought I woud share details of all the fabulous presents I received.

• A new wallet (I have to admit my old one was getting a little ragged looking around the edges)
• A TARDIS iphone cover 
• A Kindle
• Thermal socks (I'm wearing them now and can confirm they are very toasty)
• A leatherman multi-tool
• 5 ebooks
• Some cash toward Project Cthulu (I expect some genuine movement on this plan in the New Year, stay tuned)

Quite a haul eh? I know I am an extremely lucky Cheesecake. I hope everyone else got what they wanted. I certainly did. 

Have a spectacular festive season. Be good, look ok for one another and read stuff.

Later Xmas Chums

Pablo Cheesecake and The Game of Shadows

Though we finished work last Friday today was our first proper official day off for Christmas. What did we do then?

First off a trip to the cinema in a very wet and miserable Nottingham. We decided to see the new Sherlock Holmes. My overall impression was extremely positive. The additions of Stephen Fry and Jared Harris to the cast were perfect. Harris makes a wonderful Moriarty (I kept catching glimpses of his father in his performance, all a bit spooky) and Fry is just as good as Mycroft. I going to go out on a limb here and suggest this is a better film than its predecessor. The scale is much larger than before and Downey Jr and Law have a rather marvellous chemistry/bromance going on that is very evident on screen. You never question the two performances for a second.

After the cinema a huge Chinese buffet beckoned (I am still full now hours later). We also did a bit of last minute shopping. Mostly for ourselves it has to be said. I got a Gruffalo pen and a new notepad. I dont need either of them but I did crave them.

No it's not a self portrait....cheeky.

Once we got home I decided to do about of online shopping. I have received a few Amazon vouchers so it was time to load up my new Kindle with some choice items. After a bit of browsing I have 5 new ebooks and a Leatherman multi-tool.

Finally to round off the afternoon I sat and watched Laputa - Castle in the Sky. I am a huge fan of Studio Ghibli and this is my favourite. I just adore it. If you haven't ever seen it I suggest you seek it out now. Go on, bugger off......Now, I mean it....

Bye bye

An Elementary Cheesecake


 

This Made My Year

This morning I cracked open my review copy of Hell Train by Christopher Fowler. I've been looking forward to reading it but have managed to hold off starting it because I had other books to read first. Bottom of the first page I saw the following

Woot!

Mrs Cheesecake will tell you I came over all emotional (I am a big softie really). My little review website is on that page and just look at the other names on there. I was genuinely stunned (still am truth be told).

Here's a link to the original review I wrote of Roofworld.

.....Thats all really, I just wanted to share.

Cheerio

An Extremely Pleased Cheesecake

Been Far To Long Again Hasn't It

Honestly I really do like writing a blog. I know that may seem like an out and out lie but it really is the truth. I have just been pretty busy of late and whenever that happens the first thing to suffer is my Mid Life Crisis. I promise I will try harder next time. Anyway on with the latest (long awaited?) update.

A Fat Man Busts a Gut in 2011

The finish line is clearly in sight, only 500 sit-ups to go. Another arse spankingly daft personal challenge very nearly complete. Side effects of this nonsense? weight has dropped from 17st 8lbs down to 15st 11lbs. The crazy thing. I plan on doing something just as fucking stupid next year. I want to lose another couple of stone. What epic foolishness have you got planned then? I hear very few of you cry. Ok I am going to run 500 kilometres. I shit you not. I have my gym induction booked for next week and everything. I might even by some new trainers. 10km a week for 50 weeks should do the trick. I even get 2 weeks off for good behaviour. I'll update this topic again next year when I am up and running (Oh suit yourself).

Tis The Season To Be Cheesecake

Christmas is just round the corner. I am looking forward to it. Two weeks off work and lots of tasty treats. I am a big fan of Christmas. My usual grumpy demeanour is slightly less grumpy than normal. I do hope there is snow (one of my earliest memories is of snow, always warms the old cockles). I have also have snagged a crackin gift for Mrs Cheesecake. I think she will like. Some nice lateral thought has gone into this one. My main gift is going to be a Kindle. Hmmm gadget-tastic. There is bound to be more swag on the day. I'll probably post about it.

Lets not forget though, Christmas isn't just about presents. There is some crackin TV to watch as well.

Only Scotland Could Do This

So it was a bit windy the other day back in the Auld country and needless to say the social networks were abuzz with all the action. What did the cheeky young scamps christen this weather related phenomena? #HurricaneBawbag. Yup, only Scotland could name a hurricane after slang for the scrotum. I salute the entire country for the best hashtag in the history of Twitter.

Till next time

Adios Amigos

Oh before I go. I forget to mention Brian Blessed is now on Twitter. Follow him, you know you want to.

CHEESECAKES ALIVE!!!

The name is Cheesecake....Pablo Cheesecake

Music is a huge part of my life. When I was young I had a bash and lets just say I didn't set the world alight with my efforts. Enthusiastic yes, talented less so. That said I still have a strong appreciation for good music done well. Irrespective of the genre, type, style as long as it is performed well it has the ability grab my attention and maintain it.

Let me try to give you an example. Earlier today I was sitting down to write a book review. I tend to chuck iTunes or Spotify on in the background as a bit of  music tends to get my old brain working. Half way through I realised that I have stopped writing and instead I'm day dreaming about being a spy. Where had this thought come from? The book I was writing about had nothing to do with spies but some how Bond had managed to sneak in there.

Before I go any further I should clarify when I talk about Bond I mean this guy. 

Sir James Bond

What do you mean 'Who is that?' Dude it's only David Niven as Sir James Bond from the 1967 version of Casino Royale. The closest thing you'll get to perfection my friend.

The music though is the key. If it is done well I am so easily distracted it is frightening. The track in question was this marvel.

This is a work of Burt-Bacharachien genius. Brashy and ballsy but also delicate. Jazzy and epic at the same time. I adore the multi-layered sound. I can't drive but this always makes me day dream about driving a sports car along a long stretch of winding road somewhere in the south of France. (I have no idea where this comes from either. It's good though isn't it).


The Return of The Curse of the Brown Trousers

A while back I wrote about my panic after buying a brown pair of trousers. After their arrival and I tried them all appeared to be well and I thought that chapter of my life was over. NOT SO. After a only a couple of weeks this happened.

Fucking Annoying

I bent over and bloody things only ripped on the arse. Weird thing is I dont even have that big an arse. If anything my arse is somewhat lacking. The good news is that fortunately Mrs Cheesecake is a dab hand with a needle and thread and she swooped in and fixed them. I'm pleased to report they haven't ripped since.

Coffee

I have a love/hate relationship with coffee. If I drink to much it gives me a headache and makes me a a bit narky. So much so that I made a decision about a year ago to stop drinking it. I have over the last couple of weeks I have start to dabble again but on a much smaller scale. Why? Because it is time to get myself down to Starbucks and get myself a redcup. The Eggnog Latte will be mine. Oh yes it will.

And Finally


I got these in the mail this week and I had to share.

Awesomeness in book form

The only question.Where to begin?

Enough of this light hearted procrastination.....onwards!

Toddle Pip

The Venerable Sir Pablo Cheesecake

Pablo Cheesecake vs That There London

It's not very often that Mrs Cheesecake and I get the opportunity to head of to the big city but yesterday we had a perfect excuse. Mrs Cheesecake is a rather huge fan of Michael Sheen (don't believe me? check out www.michael-sheen.co.uk, all her own work don't cha know). Anywho, we had scored some tickets to go and see Himself (that's what he is known as in our house) as Hamlet at The Young Vic.

As the show wasn't on until 7pm we decided we would check out a bit of the city we hadn't experienced before. I should state for the record I was also jonesin for a Starbucks Eggnog latte and figured I could cater for coffee habit along the way.

So prior to the show - Borough Market. Awww man this place is food porn of the highest order. Every direction you turn there are loads and loads of specialist vendors hawking their wares. It is a blissful assault on the senses. Within the first 100ft we had walked past someone making grilled garlic king prawns, someone else selling hot mulled wine and another selling pates, relishes and many varieties of salami. Best part, without a doubt, LOADS of free samples. I just didn't know where to start.

Eventually, after much umming and ahhing,  we ended up joining a queue for a stall called Roast to Go. The queue was pretty long but I took this to be a good sign, turns out it was totally worth it. I got a salt beef, mustard and pickle sandwich while Mrs Cheesecake had turkey and cranberry. It may have been the best sandwich I have ever eaten (and I really do mean EVER!)

More wandering about and I got to try some splendid cheese, an exceptional terrine and a great wild mustard relish. I think that if we had the time, the cash and the inclination we could have spent the entire day at there.

The evening found us at The Young Vic and we had pretty epic fucking seats, 4th row ain't at all shabby. We've seen a good modern take of Hamlet before, starring the Tenth Doctor and Jean-Luc Picard, but this interpretation was a different class. The performances were all mesmerising but Sheen was exceptional. Nothing better than a bit of live theatre.

I reckon that'll do for now. Much as I enjoyed visting that there London. It is nice to be back in our little house, fussing the cat on the sofa. I have some serious mooching about scheduled so best be off to do it.

Laters Taters

Ohh by the way, before I forget,  after such a hectic day it may not be a massive surprise to discover that I completely forgot about, and didn't manage to get, the coffee I was hoping for. Perhaps next week.

A Week of Cheesecake

This week a bring you a random assortment of the stuff that has happened in our house

The Seven Day Sandwich

Mrs Cheesecake and I enjoy watching Man vs Food. I you haven't ever seen it I strongly advise you check it out, it fucking rocks. Anyway it got us to thinking about all the strange a delicious looking foods that our American cousins have access. How easy would it be to replicate this sort of culinary adventure in the UK? We decided we would give it a go. We set our sights on creating a Reubens. The primary ingredient is salt beef. Just to make things interesting we thought we would have  bash a preparing our own salt beef. Turns out this takes the minimum of seven days. The beef has to be soaked in water that contains various herbs. Was it successful? We will find out tomorrow. I am hoping for something along these lines.

Paging Dr Cheesecake

A few months ago I entered a competition to appear in a book by the publisher Abaddon. Bugger me if I didn't go ahead and win. The prize was to have an academic named in one of the appendices in the novel Savage Knight by Paul Lewis. I decided the nominate Mrs Cheesecake instead and today the book arrived. I had a rummage and low in behold on page 279 the following....

This may be the coolest fucking thing ever. I'm sort of jealous I gave the prize away now. She'll be in print forever. Immortality achieved at last.

2011 Challenge Update

We are well and truly in the final stretch. After nearly 10 months I have managed over 16000 sit ups. Less than 4000 to go. Happy days. Actually that is not entirely accurate. I have to think of what I am going to do in 2012. I've done the huge cycle trek (500km in 2010) so I am looking for suggestions for next year. No not chin ups I am to tall for that. Perhaps I should come up with some sort of weight training program? I'm sure I can come with something. Hey you never know one day I may not be fat anymore. Stranger things have happened. Admittedly I'm unsure what these stranger things are but you get the gist.

Ohh before I forget, if you feel the urge you can still donate to my just giving page. Well I say mine. It is one that I share with my amigo @Seabrie. Together we are Two Fat Men. Impressive non?

Sunday Night Whimsy

I am a creature of habit. After a long hard week I enjoy putting my feet up and giving my self over to the Lords of Whimsy. What, you may ask, is this? I have this theory that someone, somewhere invented a rule that every Sunday night there has to be a lavish looking TV show on. Disagree? I submit the following as evidence. Hamish Macbeth, Monarch of the Glen, Lark Rise to Candleford (known as Lark Rise to Bumble Fuck in our house - I don't know why either), Spooks, Downton Abbey. Now don't get me wrong. These shows ain't Shakespeare but but sure as hell are entertaining.

Oh well enough of this jibber jabber

Stuff to do

Laters Taters,Adios

Mr C

UPDATE

Just realised this my 150th post. Can't let this go by without a Fuck Yeah! I can also pretty much guarantee that there will be 150 more. I mean where the hell else am I going to waxy lyrical.