140. Die Hard

Die Hard 2 was on the telly-box the other night. It's rubbish. Herself forced me to stay up while she watched it, so I played Scrabble on my iPhone. Anyway, watching the rubbishness of 2 reminded me of the brilliance of 1.

Brucie and his dirty singlet; Rickers and his German accent; 'Hans, booby, I'm your white knight'; the awful Bonnie Bedelia; it's all good, even the ridiculous sentimental stuff.

I bought my Old Man Die Hard on video one Christmas, and I think that's the copy the Parent still watches. She has a pash for Brucie - sensible woman.

It's a great one at Christmas. The others are rubbish. Die Hard - still fighting.

139. 'The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba' by Handel

I've got this ridiculous box of Christmas CDs - Christmas Crooners, Christmas Classics, Christmas Carols and Kids' Christmas - and the aforementioned melody is the first on the Christmas Classics CD.

I'm sure it has been used for a thousand adverts, for a thousand episodes of Antiques Roadshow and Songs of Praise, not to mention Highway, and I'm sure it has been used at a billion white weddings where the meringue has been dragged up the chilly aisle by one penguin and handed over to another and I'm sure old Handel would love it all.

I love it for its name, and for its sprauncy oboes, and its baroque charm. Also it's fun to do 'Air Violin' to.

I told Herself the other day that in a completely different life this would be what Small Brother dragged me down the aisle to - and then we both felt rather relieved that we could simply enjoy the nice tune from the comfort of our kitchen. No meringues necessary.

138. Nigella Lawson

Well, obviously. It may not be a popular opinion, but I am firmly in Nigella's camp.

First of all, in this bibliophilic blog, it is beyond doubt that the woman can write. Her style is her own, and I like it. As it turns out, she writes as she speaks; fluent, a little verbose, sometimes alliterative and polysyllabic, but what's not to like, says I?

So the books, with the exception of Forever Summer, which was written in sad circumstances, generally are very good. How to Eat and Feast are my faves, but they all have their high points. I have been enjoying Kitchen lately.

I think she is very beautiful, but in truth I'm not sure that she is arrogant or preening about her looks. And the fact that she carries a little spare flesh is a salve to the soul of all those unprepared to forsake food for fashion. Oops, getting a little Nigella-y there...

She's been through more than most people should have to in a lifetime, and she's only just 50.

There are moments on camera when you can see her shyness and hesitancy and it's adorable. After all, would I still be shy and hesitant if I were famous, rich and beautiful? I think it would be all too easy to turn into a monster, frankly.

According to those what have met her, she is charming, funny and as normal as a clever, rich, famous, beautiful person could be.

So I say yah boo sucks to the Nigella naysayers. Have a cupcake.

137. Tesco Finest Mince Pies

Homemade mince pies are the best, obviously, and both Herself and the Parent make killer mincies, but Tesco wins the shop-bought competition hands down. And yes, before you ask, my research is pretty thorough.

Sainsbury's mincies are pretty good, but the pastry is a bit dry. Duchy Originals mincies at Waitrose are full of candied peel (yeuch) which ruins them utterly. Although the dog will eat those, which is a bonus.

Tesco's mincies, however, have lovely buttery pastry, goodly amounts of really tasty mincemeat, they are not too sweet, and they're just the right size. So, they win.

136. Patrick Gale

Or, I should say, the work of Patrick Gale. I know Patrick a little bit, and he's a good man, but I don't love him.

I've read (pause for mental strobing) all the fiction Patrick has published, bar his recent book of stories. His two best, I think, are Rough Music and Notes from an Exhibition. I also have a soft spot for The Facts of Life.

But the point really, selfishly, is this: I'm aiming for Patrick. To be as good as he is. Which is really very good, but accessible and entertaining. There is a narrow band of fiction which falls somewhere between chick lit (so patronising) and literary fiction (so arrogant). Herself calls it 'chick literature'. Into this happy band fall such writers as Joanna Trollope, Mary Wesley, Elinor Lipman, Maggie O'Farrell and, arguably, writers like Kate Atkinson and even Patrick O'Brian. Perhaps provocatively, I would include Jane Austen and Charles Dickens too. And Patrick. And, one day, ME! Herself sometimes refers to 'Patricia Gale'. She's so funny.

We won't have the 'what qualifies as 'literary fiction' argument here, because if you're a literary fiction reader you'll already be sniffing at the list above, and if you're not I'd be preaching to the converted. Or you might be like my beautiful, brilliant Parent, who has read everything but is actually happiest watching Foyle's War.

Patrick's books are easy to read, but that doesn't mean your brain isn't working. He paints characters that are recognizable and yet uniquely themselves. He writes about families, love affairs and life. He has a light touch. These are books that you read on your way to work, or on a lazy Sunday afternoon in the sun. But, strangely, they are also books that you return to, like an iconoclastic friend - both comforting and new.

His books give me pleasure as a reader, and inspiration as a writer. Which is why I love them.

135. Being a Bit Behind

I am quite often a bit behind, when I come to think about it. A bit backward, poor thing. But mainly what I am behind with at the moment, is this blog.

It was meant to be the 365 days of 2010, give or take, but there are only 25 days of the year left (gulp) and I am on blog post number 135. Um...

So, the question is, shall I attempt to catch up, which would require me to write 9.2 emails a day for 25 days, or not?

It might be quite funny. For me, anyway. I'd have to discount Christmas Day and Christmas Eve because my mother's coming round which means cleaning one day and cooking the next. There's a couple of dangling modifiers for you, as an early Christmas present.

Hmm. I'll think about it.

The other things I"m a bit behind in? Where shall I begin?
I still can't dress myself properly. I haven't begun the revisions to my 'novel' yet because they frighten me. I haven't done my taxes yet. I haven't won a Best Screenplay BAFTA. I haven't read War & Peace or Middlemarch. I'm behind. Better go...

134. The Paris Metro

Ah, que j'aime le metro a Paris!

The stations aren't too deep so you go from pavement to platform in a short time. Not too many tunnels, not too much walking.

There are lots of stations, so you're never too far away from one and the journeys are quick.

There are lots of trains, so if you miss one or can't face jamming yourself onto one, there'll be another along in a mo.

It's cheap! €1 a go. That's about 85p. It's something like £14 to travel just in Zone 1 in London these days.

It's relatively clean. It's not too hot. There are people in the ticket booths. And, of course, you're in Paris so the ratio of pissed-up idiots eating Burger King and dribbling is low. You do, however, have to watch out for pickpockets. But this is true of all the world's underground systems.

The Paris Metro. Better than the New York subway? Discuss.

133. Unrestricted Carbohydrates

So, popped over to Paris to see the Monet, as you do. It was tres froid a Paris, so I ate nothing but carbs and protein for 48 hours. Bliss. Then we got home and discovered it was brass knackers in London too, so I have felt no compunction in keeping up my high-carb diet. It's true that for lunch I had soup, but I will be undoing that goodness with the garlic-heavy penne bolognese I have planned for my dinner.

I do usually try to keep an eye on the balance of carbohydrates vs other things in my diet as if left to my own devices I would eat nothing but potatoes, bread, flesh and cheese all day every day. Plus the odd egg and a very occasional rocket salad. Oh, and some chocolate. I would be 25 stone and covered in zits but HAPPY.

But this is the real world so I don't weigh 25 stone and I only have a few zits and I'm quite happy thank you but a period of freezing temperatures and otherwise hibernation-inducing weather means carbs and lots of nice things to go with them. Slurp. I will work off the calories playing tennis on the Wii. Honest.