Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedom

hello everybody. Its been a very very long time. We've both been absolutely snowed under with the ridiculous reading demands of our course and also writing dissertations (gasp) but they are now done *one woman mexican wave*
SO now i have some free time. which feels weird. Expect some sport and movie updates soon.
As I said life's been work-centric of late but i have managed to watch a lot of Glee (the best show on TV seriously) it makes me want to cry with joy, i spent the entirety of last night's episode cheering. I've also been enjoying the new season of dancing with the stars. I love Derek as always but Markie really came back back into my affections this season before being cruelly injured very early, although he has made appearances playing flamenco guitar (wow, just wow) and choreographing. I'm Also enjoy Maksim Chmerkovskiy and partner (erin?) he has been very very good (i'm sure she has too) and my early favourite is Evan Lysacek THE cutest, dorkiest figure skater ever. He's adorable and if i could vote for him i would. ALso True Blood has been outstanding. I won't spoil anything but one of the scenes between Godric and Eric was one of the most beautiful things i've ever seen on TV (clue it took place on a roof)
And i've been listening to the radio a lot lately. I like Professor Green's song, because INXS will always rule. And that dance song with accordion in it (because as my mum says i'm a sucker for a bit of accordion.) I bought a semisonic album lately and i'd forgotten how awesome they are, i urge you all to look up secret smile, it is impossible to not feel moved while listening to that song. SO there it all is.
Love to everyone. Ciao
Ruth
Also check out Nicola's blog on Ethical Omnivorism!

Updates

Hello everyone. its been a while. I've been super busy with boring uni nonsense of late. I'm currently in the middle of reading the Moonstone and Northanger Abbey and I'm about to move on to Middlemarch. I'm also thoroughly absorbed in the business end of the footie season, Arsenal play Chelsea on Sunday and I'm looking forward to it (i think.) I've been watching far too much TV of late and I'm particularly enjoying Nurse Jackie on BBC 2; a brilliant dark comedy/drama set in a New York hospital, catch it if you can its quality. I'm also still loving Got to Dance and I'm developing a (slight) crush on Ashley Banjo who is an absolute giant but also very very sweet. Its a great show very entertaining. Also I saw Cheryl Cole's new video yesterday and I was absolutely blown away its totally fabulous and she does the most amazing ballroom routine with the one and only Derek Hough (of dancing with the Stars fame.) I have a seriously ridiculous obsession with that man and I very nearly hyperventilated while watching the video. So that's my life of late. More to come soon.
Spazibo
Ruth

Welcome to 2010!

Well well, here we are. I'd like to welcome you all to not just a new year but a new decade. How very exciting. I celebrated New Year in a low-key way with dinner at drinks at a family friend's house and of course Jools Holland's Hootenanny. We had a good laugh and I'm very much looking forward to all the new year has to offer. So everyone raise a glass and say cheers to a fabulous, shiny new decade.
Well in other news I've been writing furiously both my novel and an essay for uni so today I took a well earned sports break and watched my lovely Arsenal boys complete a 2-1 FA Cup win. I'm also in full on dance mode having watched So You Think You Can Dance last night and now i'm in the middle of Got to Dance (totally loving Adam Garcia and Ashley Banjo.)
So back to the essay now and look out for a possible review of the year/decade and look ahead later!
love to everyone. Spazibo.
Ruth

I love NY

Well the excitement didn't stop there for me. Just a few short days after my Arsenal adventure I set off on my holiday to New York. First we stayed overnight in the Manchester Airport Hilton which was amazing, very swanky. Then it was a seven hour transatlantic flight which was an interesting experience, you get a pillow and blanket and a screen with movies and TV shows to watch. I watched GI Joe which was fun, Friends, the Big Bang Theory, The Assassination of Jesse James which was less fun and the Moto GP race from Brno. Then the city itself. I honestly do not have enolugh superlatives to describe how truly wonderful and breathtaking New York city really is. Walking around the city makes you feel like you are constantly in a film and everywhere you look there's something amazing to see. We visited the statue of Liberty which is as iconic as you imagine it to be, the Rockefeller Centre which has incredible views of the city, Times Square which is mind-blowing, the Empire State which is really pretty inside, I went ice skating in Bryant park, played the Big piano in FAO Schwarz, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, went to see the Lion King on Broadway, met Santa in Macy's and shopped in Bloomingdales, SoHo and Abercrombie and Fitch which is THE most wonderful shop I've ever been in. So it was a totally fabulous trip and I feel very very blessed that I can say I have seen and done all those things.
Spazibo and love to you all
Ruth

Ruth's Sports Desk - Special Edition

Here's my super special London edition of my sports desk. A couple of weeks ago I won tickets to go and watch Arsenal play Standard Liege in the Champions League at the Emirates! I was super excited and somehow between screaming, dancing and nearly crying I managed to organise a return trip on a bus and I was soon on my way. Well it was an incredible night, a dream come true. When we (me and my dad) arrived we got the tube to Arsenal tube stadium which was exciting enough in itself then walked down the road to see the old Highbury. Then we went to the Emirates itself. The stadium is breathtaking, absolutely huge and looks just beautiful. Its lit up with big 'emirates' lights and has massive murals on the sides with pictures of four players in a row with their backs to you and the names of Arsenal legends like Rice, Brady, Bergkamp,etc on them. There's big, old cannons at the front (from when it was actually an Arsenal) and I got my photo taken next to them. The gift shop is unbelievable anything you can think of to put an Arsenal crest on, they have. Then we went inside the stadium and when we walked out to take our seats I nearly cried, its so incredible that I just filled up with emotion (I know that sounds OTT but seriously it was like nothing I'd ever seen before and I have been wanting to go for so long.) Our seats were fabulous, bang on the halfway line and with a perfect view. We saw the players warming up (with Pat Rice!!) which was beyond exciting and discovered that the Arsenal song is 'the Wonder of you.' The match itself was great, Arsenla totally dominated and with slick passing and very sharp play. Alex Song was absolutely immense, Bacary Sagna was tireless on the wing with Kieran Gibbs also very energetic. Andrey Arshavin was very impressive as was Samir Nasri. And Tomas Rosicky played for about 20 mins which made me absolutley delighted and over excited because I love him, he is one of my absolute favourite players ever. So all in all it was a magical night.

London Calling/ New York, New York.

Well I know its been a while but we've been pretty busy with our uni work of late. We're now on the home straight with only our review portfolios (the majority of which we have already written) and our essays to go. In other news, on Friday I received a phonecall telling me I've won tickets to go and see Arsenal play Standard Liege tomorrow night! So I'm currently bouncing off the walls with excitement preparing for my trip tomorrow.
Then at the end of the week I'm off to New York for a few days. So mega exciting stuff this week and frantic attempts to finish my uni work in time.
Spazibo and look out for my London updates!
Ruth

Ruth's Sports Desk - Moto GP Season Review

Here I am officially bereft for the Winter so as part of the coping process I'm writing my 2009 season review! And what a season its been, there may have been ups and downs but it was never anything less than thrilling, exciting and of course utterly STONKING.

Best victory- Dani's win in Laguna Seca. It came off the back of difficulties and DNFs and on the day he totally stormed it. Plus his unrestrained joy (and Vale's able assistance) on the podium was the cutest thing ever.

Best celebration - A tie between Vale's chicken and Jorge's space helmet and moonwalk.

Most exciting moment- Vale's last minute overtaking on the last corner on the last lap in Catalunya. Adrenalin rushes don't come better than this.

Biggest 'nightmare in a bubblecar' moment - Dani's crash in Mugello. Already injured he slides off at a corner and curls into a tiny, heart-breaking ball and has to be stretchered off. Cue wailing and tears in my house.

Best off track extra-curricular fun- a tie between legendary, stick-man Loris riding an elephant and the Yamaha crew's 'day at the office.' Colin Edwards has missed his vocation in life as a hardcore security guard/all round comedian.

Sweetest Moment - Senor Toothpaste himself Toni Elias giving Dani a lift back to the Parc Ferme after his bike ran out of gas. And every single time Dani and Vale are anywhere near each other.

Special award for all round dorkiness, adorableness in the face of adversity, biggest fanboy, hardest worker, Miss Congeniality and biggest smile - Andrea Dovizioso.

Best Race - Donnington for drama, Malaysia for joy and giggles, Brno for unpredictability, Valencia for a perfect joyous season finale.

So raise a glass and says 'cheers' to an awesome season and 'for suuuuuuure' an even better one next year. Huggy Dani and Vale wish you a happy off season and look forward to (ahem) doing it all again in 2010.