Alphabeat - Fascination

This post is about ear piercing, working in a shop and family love.

I work in a shop opposite another that sells accessories (it's probably the one you're thinking of) and it also does ear piercing. When I get bored at work because it's not very busy or there's a lull, I get to people-watch and it's the most fascinating thing ever.

An adorable little family went into the shop before, a mum, a big brother, middle sister and little brother and the sister wanted to get her ears pierced for the first time. Mum spent a long time picking out the girl's very first earrings with her and when they settled on the right pair, the shop assistant spent a long time chatting to the little girl, putting her at ease and making side glances and winks at Mum to check she thought everything was okay.

The assistant draw the target marks on the girl's ears and the girl started to look a bit scared. The assistant invited Mum to check the blobs were even and the two other brothers checked too, the big brother coming up really close and putting his eyeball right up to both ears one at a time. He nodded firmly, and sister calmed down a bit.

The piercing gun was brought out and the little girl seemed to get scared again. It reminded me of when I got my first ear piercings and the dread of what it will feel like, then feeling the hot flick of the jewellery being stamped into your ear. Little brother handed his sister his teddy: a treasured possession of his in order to make his sister feel better. It was such a cute sight to see. Sister cheered up and the little brother looked so proud of himself, Mum praising him for being such a lovely boy.

And all of a sudden, the ears were pierced! The girl offered her little brother the bear back, but he kissed her cheek and let her keep it a while longer.

So sweet.

Led Zeppelin - Tea For One

So, I just spent the best part of an hour making a birthday cake for my Dad (yes, I decided to bake at midnight, what of it?). I like to think that it's because I'm nice and lovely and a good daughter, not that I have no money to buy him a real present.
Yes, good daughter, that's the ticket.

Anyway, it was one of those rare times when everything goes perfect, you whip the cake batter together and instead of making cake sludge, it goes all light and fluffy and there is no gloop or goo or general nastiness. I lined the tin and spooned the mixture (Victoria sponge with a hint of ground ginger - Dad likes all things spicy) into said lined tin and popped it into the oven on Gas Mark 7. I'd left the cake to cool on the side and all was well, it was a beautiful golden browny beige colour so I set to work making the icing.

I went to take the cake out of the tin and put it on a cooling rack and plop! It fell on the floor.

Now I know what you're thinking 3 second rule, it'll be fiiine , right? No.
It broke into pieces and accumulated an unsavoury amount of dog hair on it.

FML squared. I could've cried if it didn't look so fucking funny, beautiful pieces of cake smashed up on our kitchen tiles.

So sorry Dad, your birthday cake *was* going to be fabulous, ginger flavoured and fluffy and light. It was even going to have sprinkles and candles.

Instead there's a kitchen with every single utensil we own covered in cake batter. At least there's no crumbs on the floor though, but our cocker spaniel has gained approximately 14 stone.

Happy birthday!