Space, the final frontier

Did you know that at the moment on a clear night you can see the International Space Station streaking across the sky? I geekily found this really exciting, but doubted I'd manage to spot it, but I just did! If you go here to the Johnson Space Center facility then click on your area, and then on to your nearest city, you'll get a list of times and positions when it should be visible overhead. You can also use the NASA skywatch for more accuracy.

When you're spotting, remember it moves across the sky which makes it a little easier to distinguish from a star or planet.

It orbits at an altitude of approximately 350 km (190 nautical miles) above the surface of the Earth and it's travelling at an average speed of 27,700 kilometres (17,210 m) per hour.

Nothing like being reminded that we're a spinning planet in space.

Wonder Year Meme

Been memed by Laura here to decide that if you could go back to live in any one year from your lifetime, which one would you choose?

Hmm I've been mulling this one - and mulling, and mulling some more. Difficult one. My instinct is to choose 2008. It was the first year that I felt like I truly knew what I wanted to write. I've always written, right since tiny - I can even remember sitting on the living room floor pre-school, and being SO proud that I'd managed to write my whole name out for the first time. Anyway 2008, I transferred from the MA to the MFA at the Screen Academy, and began the course terrified and worried that I didn't know what I was doing. And then, I just sort of suddenly realised I did know. There were stories I needed to write on the course, that would become screenplays, so I started writing. And they happened. And it didn't hurt. 2008 was also the year that certain friendships solidified, certain fears disappeared, and things just sort of felt right. They still do - thanks 2008!

Roll on 2009 - I hope it (and yours) is even better.

Life

Writing is a funny thing - we document our lives and our experiences, our emotions and sadnesses, sometimes our desires and sometimes even the fact we've cut our fringe or bought a new mug or made something good for tea. I've been writing a lot recently and it feels good to be doing so. I've also recently been feeling a bit sorry for myself what with a stonking asthma attack during 'Australia'* (Hugh Jackman I hold you responsible for inflaming my innards so much with your overtly manly showering in the sweaty outback) but am now recovering with lots of steroids and some rest. I haven't taken to my bed or gone all Jane Austen, but just been feeling a bit dismal, tired and tense as my lungs get back to normal. Thing is though, and forgive me for stating the obvious, my lungs will, get back to normal that is - it's taken me 4 years since I had anything similar - that one was due to me holidaying in Brighton in a house with 2 strange dogs and assuming that the wheeziness would go away. It didn't so I ended up in hospital. This time, I didn't bother to have a chest infection checked out after 3 weeks of coughing my head off - my own stupid fault - so fast forward to the cinema where I corpsed at the first sight of a damp Jackman bicep, couldn't breathe, got a bit scared and ended up at the GP.

So what's the point of that tale? To flag up how lucky I am. To flag up how sometimes you get caught up in the minutaie of life and forget to remember what other people are dealing with - without a choice. To flag up how little I know about some things, like Motor Neurone Disease, and the web-site of an amazing man, Neil, and his family who are bravely documenting his experiences with such a unremitting disease. I'm sure he'd hate to be described as 'brave' but he is. I'm sure he didn't intend to make total strangers feel empathy for him, but he has. I wasn't having a resolution for 2009 on principle, but I have one now, a passionate one at that - be grateful for what you have, and who you have around you, and try not to, for one second of the year, to disregard or fail to embrace any tiny bit of joy that sneaks up. Enjoy your life, breathe your deepest while you can and never, ever tell me that you don't think you matter - because I'll hit you with whatever is to hand. If you want to learn more about MND, donate or just read about the experiences of Neil and his family, go here.

* I will be revisiting this film just for that very scene, once well.

THAT is what I get for being all chirpy-like in my last post. I'm now waiting in for a plumber, and just heard I didn't get into the Athena Lab - can't say it's much of a shock as I knew the application was a bit last-minute - but the plumber, damn, he was unexpected.

2009

Happy New Year!

I celebrated with fiery Jamaican root ginger beer, and an early night - rock'n'roll! Actually I was working, but in principle I LOVE Christmas, but just don't like New Year very much - but I do LOVE the idea that a hopeful, clean slate of a year stretches out ahead. Mind you, if I think back to the worst new year I had, it was stuck in a farmhouse with a bunch of ruddy-faced people I disliked, being made to drink too much and push the sofas back so we could 'have a dance' and THEN having to do the kissy thing with aforementioned unlikeables. It was like 'League of Gentleman' without.... actually it was just like 'L of G' full-stop. Never again - not without a tazer anyway.

No resolutions this year - in a positive way. I know what I'm doing, and I'm ready to embrace change - bring it on! As a radioactive Mr Burns once said, "I wish you love".

I've just uploaded pics I took over the festive season, and this was one of them - either I have successfully taken a pic of aliens, or.... well who knows... I'm ready for change... but maybe not aliens just yet... not without a tazer (just in case).