The Year of Looking Glam Even Without Nail Varnish

 As you may have noticed, we haven't been around much this year.  Certainly not as much as I'd've liked, and not even as much as in last year's Lazy Baggagery!  So that means that our grasp on the year's happenings and your reportings thereof is weak at best.  Sorry.

 However, there was certainly enough memorable stuff (and things I'd thought to make a note of when they happened) to create this end-of-year extravaganza!

 Extravaganza?  That's pushing it, don't you think?

 Nah.  A sprinkle of glitter (thanks to Jon) will cover the cracks and gaping holes in this rather haphazard (as always) round up and turn it into the Event of the season!

 If you say so...  Shall we get on with it, then?

 Yes. Oh, hang on!  I've got to add a bit at the end about the return of the "Did I Win Yet?" Award/Quiz/Competition/Event/Festival thingy!

 Well, you'd better hurry because I'm launching this thing now.  Be ready with your Champagne flutes all you glamorous Blogorati!

 

 Oops!  Wrong signage.  Try this one:

 Strap in.  Here we go!

January

Quote : "My smut well has almost dried up." ~ What a way to start the year: The Very Mistress answering a question nobody asked.

Event : The 6th January was National Cuddle Up Day, apparently.  Although I'd want to cuddle up to those freckles EVERY day!  Adorable. 

 

 Thank you for bringing this auspicious occasion to our attention, Mr Tonking.

 

 

Art : Nouveau, of course.  I love the fantastical, soft intricacy of Art Nouveau, and don't indulge myself in it as often as I should.  Fortunately, Maddie popped up with a themed Mood Board this month which hit the spot.

 

Hot Totty : When it's cold outside, guests at the House of Borghese are offered furs with something hot inside. 

"She doesn't want to see Fanny on camera"

 Just popping in to drop off a few things before returning at the weekend to wrap up the year and stuff it in the Sideboard along with all the previous years.

 

 First up from the 21st, I had a wander down to the promenade where the North Sea waved to me rather enthusiastically:

 

The Freakin' Green Elf Shorts Make America Great Again!

 Yes, the Freakin' Green Elf Shorts are back! 

 

 The 29th winner, Janie Junebug, is holding the FGES Caption Competition RIGHT NOW!  So, why don't you pop over to her place and leave a witty/pithy/disgusting caption to be in with a chance of winning the detestable polyestables for yourself and joining the elite few whose nether regions have been where no one has wanted to go before!

A little tease of Janie's FGES photo

 And look!  The current FGES Travel Map:

 And, yes, I've informed Rimpy, the Official FGES Historian, so we may get an updated Continuing History of the FGES quite soon!

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

EDIT 21 December 2023 : Rimpy has only gone and won the FGES!!!  Congratulations, Rimpy!!

Mr Tonking, you had a very lucky escape!

Here's the updated FGES Travel Map (1st 2023 edition):

"... or shall I just whip out the Cock Soc?"

 It's almost the end of the year, so here are most of the things I've read, watched and listened to since my last updates back in July and August.  Unfortunately, I don't have much time to spend on this as I need all the time I can get to work on the end-of-year roundup - which I've barely begun - Eeeek! (The observant amongst you will notice that I copied this intro from last year's end-of-year update because it's still relevant.)

Hmmm... Is anyone else having deja vu?

 

Read

⸰ GHOSTS: The Button House Archives by Mat Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard, and Ben Willbond  ~  This utterly hilarious accompaniment to the TV series is the only new book I've read since the summer.  Written as it is by the creators/actors of the Ghosts TV series, The Button House Archives is absolutely true to form and packed with letters, articles, historical documents, and transcripts (by Alison, the "Living" who can see and hear the ghosts) which expand upon the lives (and deaths) of the ghosts.

 Here, Martha Howe-Douglas who plays Lady Fanny Button, reads an excerpt in character:

Re-read

⸰ The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers  ~  Just as delightful and warm and emotional and tense as on the first read.

⸰ The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers  ~  Because I couldn't stop at just one of Becky Chambers' Wayfarers novels.

 

 

Watched

 

⸰ No Activity  ~  I found this Australian police comedy on iPlayer after having watched Colin From Accounts earlier in the year.  Amongst others, it stars Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammell who created and starred in Colin From Accounts, so that was the main reason for watching it.  And also because Patrick Brammell is a fox!

⸰ Ghosts, series 5  ~  Perhaps not quite as funny as previous series', this final series makes up for that with more emotional and serious themes.  Plus, we finally learned how both Kitty and The Captain met their ends (The Captain's nearly broke my heart).  And the Christmas Special is yet to come!

* The post title comes from The Captain wondering "Are we still playing Food Club, ..."

(Cock Soc is short for the N.A.A.F.I. Home Forces canteen Cocktail Society)

[In lieu of the Christmas Special, here's March's Comic Relief sketch featuring Kylie]