Very end of 2006

Hope that everyone is well and is excited for the New Year revelry that is to come.

Having lived in Scotland now for a LONG time the expectation for a massively fun New Year party has rubbed off on me. Up North Hogmanay is one of the most important times of the year and it should be celebrated accordingly.

As I am down South I have done what any sensible person would: I have searched out the best Scots residing in the Shire, and have purchased tickets for the party that they are holding in their pub.

So we will be spending New Years eve in The Mitre in Buckingham with John and Alison. Wanted to show you how cool the pub is but can only find a tiny picture!

Only other news: I have bought boots.... and shoe/boots. They're lovely of course - I will post pictures when I am home (& when I have my digi camera available).

Venturing into a new city!

Had a lovely evening yesterday - met some old friends from school (who I hadn't seen since school) which was nice.

Today we are braving the sales in Milton Keynes. I'm not excited - dreading it really but I want my Christmas present from Paul. He promised me new boots.

Slightly the worse for wear today as my folks got home around midnight after watching their play, and immediately cracked open the champagne and liqueurs...

Bad day over now

Well it's done - Kandinsky has gone. We took her to the vets this morning and they told us the cancer had spread to her intestine. She had also dropped her weight from 3.5kg on 14th December to 3.2 today - which is quite a big drop really proportionately over two weeks. So there wasn't really a choice.

Many thanks to everyone for helping us. It was the most horrible thing I've done - we loved her and it's very difficult to let go.

This afternoon we just abandoned ship and went down South together - nothing left to hang around in Glasgow for and we needed something to do. So this is me on my Dad's computer. It's the first time I've seen the blog on a different PC and it is strange that it looks so different. I'd never really thought that people would see it differently.

My neighbour then phoned to tell me that our organic vegetable box had been delivered and should she check there were no perishables. I said to her to take anything she could use and she rang off saying she'd leave the box in our house. About 20 seconds later PANIC STRUCK! We have left our house an absolute pig sty. I haven't swept the kitchen floor since Christmas Eve and there are actually star shaped icing sugar remains on the surface from where I made gingerbread cookies the other day. I WAS SO EMBARASSED! I tried to call and ask her just to take all the food and we'd come and collect it from her but she'd already left her house. AAAAGH!!!!!!! At least I'd done the washing up before we left.

I'm off now to have get ready to pop out for a bit. Going to head into the town to see some old friends - not drinking as I suspect it wouldn' t take too much to set me off again!! Mum and Dad are out tonight at the theatre (gone to Stratford to see the Royal Shakespeare Company... how posh!!) so I'll see them when I get back.

Anyway: Thanks again x x

Thursday Thirteen #7

Thirteen things I've found in my Mum's kitchen today. Not a lot of thought into this one - sorry but priorities elsewhere x

1. Tito - their tabby cat 2. Chicken breasts 3. Smoked salmon (yum) 4. Salad 5. WINE (and lots of it!) 6. Swedish Meatballs 7. Pork pie (partial) 8. Ham which looks ready for cooking (and made me excited at the thought) 9. Baileys (more booze) 10. A pig that grunts when you open the fridge. I've only been home a couple of hours - it didn't take me long to find the pig.... 11. TV 12. Stereo thing (wee one) 13. Sherry (you may notice there are a few different types of alcohol here. It's by no means the whole list!!)

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Tax

What could make today even better? I thought to myself this morning.

I know! I could fill in my online tax return.

Then again - I could actually find that because I haven't activated the account within 28 days my logon details have expired so I must re-apply. As the deadline isn't til 31st January I've left myself plenty of time. Or not.

So instead I have reapplied to file my online tax return and then I've played some games and pestered the cat. Fine use of a day!

Off now to channel hop for a bit. Might crack before long and go for a walk as I'm really quite bored now.

Thanks to everyone for their comments about the cat - she's booked in to the vets now for tomorrow. Bit of time for me to check she's not going to miraculously recover (from her terminal cancer)... And give her lots of cuddles and strokes.

No improvement

Hello - well Kandi is still in the drawer.

She's been up this morning (early) for some tuna (about a tablespoonful) and a drink & toilet break. And then she was back in the drawer again.

I've been to say hello and give her a stroke and she barely broke out a purr for me. Perhaps it was partly due to the previous 5 minutes in which I had tried to persuade her to take steroid pills (used ALL the tricks that usually work) and eat a cat treat chew bar thing.

She doesn't seem in pain but this really isn't right. (She's only 7 yrs old. For anyone who doesn't already know she has lymphoma - it's spread from her cheek to her abdomen - lymph nodes and kidney)

Many thanks to all the cat bloggers at who sent her lots of love & good wishes. She needs them.

does anyone know whether you need to make an appointment at the *whispers* "vet" if you're taking a pet to be put to sleep?

Cats on Tuesdays

Cat update (playing this week because she's held on til Tuesday and I'm not sure how many more Tuesdays we'll have her):

Fat Cat has not shifted her bum from my bottom drawer since yesterday. I actually have a suspicion that she's been outside for a toilet trip, but other than that - not moved.

I have hand fed her a cat treat stick thing... and I've brought food into the room in case the effort of going to the kitchen is too much. But she's turned her nose up after a quick lick of the gravy (while I was holding the food IN the drawer).

To be honest I'm quite worried. She hasn't been for a drink either and she won't take her steroid pills, although there's not much point in them really at this stage.

We had hoped to go home (about 400 miles South) for New Year but we can't leave her like this. My boyfriend also needs to see his family and deliver their presents, so the current plan is that he'll head down tomorrow/Thursday and be back for New Year.

If the cat is this ill though I'm concerned that he'll head off home and I'll have to have her put down by myself. Not keen on this idea as I am a total wimp but think it's quite a strong possibility.

Anyway - no point worrying about 'what if's'. I'll let you know what happens.

Smile for the camera! (she said no... )

Merry Xmas!

never imagined I'd be blogging on Xmas day, but I was given Broken Sword (computer game) by my wee brother for Christmas and I can't get it to work. So while I'm fiddling at midnight on Christmas day I thought I'd stop and wish you all

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tag from Annelisa

Merry Christmas. Hope you all have a great one.



...'Tis The Season (tag from Annelisa. I'm not tagging coz it's too late).

Favorite seasonal movie?
Scrooged (Bill Murray)

Song you most enjoy this time of year?
Stop the Cavalry

Holiday Greeting?
I don't even understand this question... Merry Xmas?

Decorate, inside? outside?
Inside

Do you make a list? If so, how many people are on it?
No

How up to the last minute do you shop?
Christmas eve eve this year. Not doing any shopping today!!

When do you open your gifts?
Christmas morning.

Holiday food you most savor?
Ham that my Mum makes. Trying to copy it this year but I know it won't be up to scratch.

Favorite holiday book?
Eh? Is that just 'favourite book'? Or do people actually have books for Christmas?

New Year Resolutions?
Never - can't stick to them. No point pretending.

Relationships

Annelisa's bald... voluntarily. Nutcase.

A friend of mine has started an affair. Her partner found out yesterday and told me.

AGH! Dumbass.

If you are in a committed relationship is it ok to have an affair?
	Yes - you can't help who you are attracted to.
	No - this would be wrong.
pollcode.com free polls

Thursday Thirteen #6

Thirteen things I'm looking forward to this Christmas in Scotland.

1. Sleeping in my own bed 2. Watching whatever I like on TV 3. Not having to play trivia games with my family, as I hate them (the games - not the family!). 4. Having the option to stay in my PJ's all day long should I want to. 5. Seeing my boyfriend actually ON Christmas day. 6. Being able to keep an eye on Fat Cat & make sure she's ok. 7. The real possibility of snow. 8. Going for a walk. The scenery for walking is so much more spectacular up here. We're really really close to some beautiful hills and lochs. 9. Watching my boyfriend cook his first Christmas dinner. 10. Restraining myself as far as possible from interfering with the cooking processes. What usually happens is I watch and think 'why are you doing it like that, when it's much easier to..' by which time I've dived in and done it myself. (Cheating here- not sure this is a positive) 11. Having some time in the flat to relax with NOTHING to do. 12. Drinking as much booze as I like guilt-free. 13. Being allowed to open presents WHATEVER TIME WE LIKE! (from 0.01am on the 25th)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

always on the run

As ever I'm about to shoot off elsewhere but I thought I'd just try to jot down a few things that we've been up to before I forget them all... (I'm a true believer that my head has a capacity, after which all new memories must push out some old ones.)

So: Saturday - Newcastle Baroque gig - Gabrielli, Bassano, Monteverdi. All Saints Church, Quayside Newcastle
Sunday - Ludus Baroque - Christmas Oratorio (Bach), Canongate Kirk Edinburgh
Monday - rehearsals for Praetorius gig, Sherbrook St Gilberts Church Glasgow
Today - Dunedin Consort - Messiah (Handel) Queens Halls, Edinburgh
Wednesday - Not sure who the choir are - Praetorius stuff Sherbrook St Gilberts Church Glasgow

Thursday - RELAX
Friday - Shop like a maniac
Saturday - Get sorted out food-wise for Christmas (need to buy bread for the sarnies)
Sunday - RELAX (?)
MONDAY - XMAS!!!!!!!!!!

Mum's visit is going well I think - it's nice to see her. I can never actually tell whether she likes the music I play though... she tends to say stuff like 'your dad would have loved that'. Does that then mean it's not really her cup of tea? Fair enough if it isn't - not everyone can like early choral music.

Anyway - many thanks to you all for your comment re: Fat Cat. She's perked up a bit since last week so I think she's pretty comfortable & happy enough. Keeping a close eye on her.

I chatted with my next door neighbour yesterday who is quite upset that Kandi isn't well. They have developed quite a friendship with fat cat following my neigbour loyally around in the hope of attention and possibly some biscuits.

In this picture it appears that our cat has no eyes... she does in fact have eyes. Just in case there was any confusion.

Away for a bit

Hello - just to let you know I might be away for a few days. Nothing wrong - busy gigging and Mum's visiting.

not so fat cat

Quick update.. Not good news.

Fat cat's tumour has grown and spread to her abdomen. It has also started to affect the nerves in her face, so we've now to keep a close eye on her as she's not got long.

Am sad... glad she doesn't know!

Thursday Thirteen #5

Thirteen things I'll miss this Christmas as we're staying up North this year (in no order before anyone gets offended!!):

My wee sister dressing up as the Christmas fairy to give out the presents. OK, so she hasn't actually dressed up for years but I loved it when she did. Bucks Fizz at breakfast!! Santa bringing my stocking in the night, although last year he was a bit frightening as he'd included a CD called 'bedroom baroque' which had baroque music and massage oils packaged together with a promise to.. um.... well - make you a happier girl! Somehow wrong from the fat man in red. Mum's bread sauce & ham. Obviously Mum & Dad themselves. My folks putting up a dead Christmas tree worthy of Phoebe's tree saving episode in friends. Last year's was particularly noteworthy. My sister colluding with me to persuade Dad to open as much wine in one day as humanly possible. My brother & his games & DVDs. He's a veritable library! Playing trumpet/piano with my family as a group (realise this is geeky & sad). Usually from the books Mum buys us as presents. The Mitre, my old local. (pub) My schoolfriends who are usually around for a pint or two over the holidays. The assortment of festive food! I don't even want to cook xmas dinner for us this year. My boyfriend's generous offer was that we could have sandwiches. Not "I'll make us sandwiches..." so I assume I'd be making them myself. Board Games. Actually - maybe not as they're usually really dull and I am a bad loser.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

rain rain go away. ending it there as I don't want you to come back at all

Stupid Glasgow and its stupid weather!

I was due to be playing trumpet with an equally geeky colleague but we've wimped out due to p'ssing rain and high winds... neither of us can be bothered to leave the house until later on when we have to!

Cornett rehearsals tonight. I've come down with a cold so playing is uncomfortable and I'm feeling sorry for myself.

My boyfriend is at work in a flooded plant area selling Christmas trees in the rain so he's got it worse today. I should think about that & stop moping about here.

On browsing I found Maryam has a meme I want to play... so I've nicked it. This blog thieving is becoming a habit!

The meme is as follows:
1. Grab the book closest to you.
2. Open to page 123, go down to the fifth sentence.
3. Post the text of next 3 sentences on your blog.
4. Name of the book and the author.
5. Tag three people.

Book: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne

"Certainly not," said Conseil; "but will you tell us now by what means they extract these pearls?"
"They proceed in various ways. When they adhere to the shell the fishermen often pull them off with pincers; but the most common way is to lay the pintadines on mats of the sea-weed which covers the banks....

Tag Annelisa?, Coco?, Dunc?

Didn't post this on time - not sure if I should post anything.

Kandi has a funny eye today. Her lower eyelid (the one that moves sideways that you don't see) has stuck across her eye and her cheek seems more swolen than it has been. She doesn't seem bothered at all - but it worries me. Will call the vets... She has a tumour on her cheek, so I suspect it's grown.

slip one in there...

Received this by e-mail today. Sounds about right!

Off now to finish calendars for my brownies & record all my christmas cd's onto tape so they can dance without the music skipping (party tonight).

Stormy Weather

Gonna just post a quick one as a thunder storm has started so I need to turn the computer off!

Can't believe how bad the weather has been recently - can't remember a day that it hasn't poured.

Senior band gig was OK - and my junior band got to watch, which I was pleased to see. Thought it wasn't going to happen for a while which was ridiculous as they rehearse in the same building.

Busy gig week fast approaching so this is my last week to practise.

Plans for today:
PRACTISE!
Decorate Christmas Cake for my friend
PRACTISE!
Teach piano pupils
Go to friend's house for pre-Christmas dinner!

My boyfriend's working late for the whole of December pretty much and seems incapable of rearranging any late shifts at all, so he will need to come later or just not come, depending on what time he gets home.

click & comment Monday

Cat has been promoting Click and Comment Monday - well to be fair Cat hasn 't really been promoting it lately as far as I can see, but I'll leave this up for a while just in case anyone wants to play.

"I am also posting this to remind you how important it is to comment on other blogs. It truly DOES increase your readership and you most often gain regulars that will visit your blog day after day."

If you'd like to play: click on a link in my sidebar. Then, you comment on the blog and click their renter or someone on their blogroll. Then you comment on that blog and click their renter or someone on their blogroll. Do this for as many blogs as you can. Sometimes they go full circle, and you end up at the originating blog, then just look up a blog in the blogroll and start the cycle again.

So, let’s get started! Comment here & use Mr Linky to add your details.

Cat suggests aiming for 5 blogs & comments.

Thanks and enjoy Click and Comment Day!

Christmas

WARNING - IF YOU DON'T HIT STOP OR TURN OFF SPEAKERS CHRIS DE BURGH WILL START SINGING.... (fixed it now)

Hello - teaching day today and I'm covering for a friend afterwards in the senior band Christmas Concert.

Am very excited - MORE CHEESE TO PLAY!

No gigs tonight so might also go and watch the Glasgow Guiding Christmas Concert this evening.... Depends how practising goes.

A Spaceman Came Travelling
By Chris de Burgh
BestAudioCodes.com

Friday Feeling

Woke up this morning with another case of Friday blues...

Then I went bloghopping - and came across http://www.nichtszusagen.blogspot.com. Watched some reindeer singing for a while and forgot that I have to go to the office today.

Anyway - reality has returned so I'd best get ready fast, but it was nice while it lasted!

Thursday Thirteen #4

Last week I was in too much of a hurry to think about my TT enough. So this week to make up for it I'm drafting this on Sunday...

This is a list of 13 things I actually already knew about carrots. And it probably just tells you that I am interested in weird stuff. I was at work a while back and thought 'what shall I do this lunchtime? Go for a stroll, buy a sandwich? No - I'll look up the history of the carrot'.

Thirteen Things about Carrots actually... but it is written by Badjokesandovenchips... 1) Carrots didn't start out orange - naturally white/purply red (might as well start with my favourite fact!) 2) They were bred orange when the Dutch who were world renowned as leaders in horticulture in the 18th Century - much as they are now - wanted to develop a nationally coloured vegetable. And they did just what you might guess - they used a red carrot and a yellow variety to breed an orange one! 3) In Britain a year or two ago they tried bringing back the original purple/red carrots. However it seems this was not a success. I never actually saw the purple ones in the shops or I would have bought some. 4) Carrots may be pictured in an ancient Egyptian painting (which you can see if you click on number 13's link) - but it might be a parsnip so don't get too excited. 5) Carrots are closely related to parsnips/parsley and HEMLOCK - which you don't want to be eating. 6) Maryam might be keen to know that it was Morrocan and Arabian travellers who brought a variety of coloured carrot seeds to Europe. So without them the Dutch could never have nationalised the veg. 7) I have grown carrots in my garden this year - they came up lovely but I was a little impatient and dug them up early. 8) Carrots don't help you see in the dark. This one was thought up by the Government here during the war as a ploy to make kids eat more veg. 9) Carrots through history have been used medicinally for a variety of things. eg. the leaves were used to put on cancerous tumours though I'm not sure this would have done much. 10) Carrots were thought (can't remember but think this was in Teheran) to be an aphrodisiac and to increase a man's sperm count. 11) 3rd US President Thomas Jefferson grew carrots and was a keen botanist. 12) There are 35 calories in a medium carrot. 13) When I told my friends on an evening out that I'd been reading about the history of the carrot they laughed.. and laughed. When I tried to pass on the facts & information - they laughed some more. This is the link to an online museum which tells you anything you could need to know about carrots and their history.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

6 Weird Things about Me... or things I've done...

OK then Annelisa - you've asked for it!

1) I play the cornett - and love it!
(me actually playing it... only for a few seconds in between verses...)

2) My second toe is longer than my big toe/first toe. I didn't think this was weird til a Brownie pointed it out one day when I turned up in open toed shoes. You learn from these things though - I have not worn such shoes to a meeting since!

3) I have a terrible memory for the locations of my purse, phone etc. For example: I have left a trumpet in Argos in Manchester, the cornett in a Chinese takeaway in Glasgow and my purse has been all over the place (including a public loo in Chicago). My phone was dropped on a beach in Broughty Ferry (which is a stunning place to visit). All of these have been found/returned to me... which only adds to the weirdness I think!

4) I judge songs within about 3 seconds. If I don't like the opening - off the stereo goes. This is not a good thing - and I'm sure if I were to listen to whole tracks they might grow on me.

5) I have only a passing interest in the news today, but give me the history of a random object and I'm fascinated.

6) I hate long fingernails. And by long I mean longer than 1/2 millimetres above the finger. It drives me nuts and I feel like I want to wash my hands all the time til I cut the nails off.

And I've no doubt that my family & offline friends could add a good hundred more things to this list!

As for tagging folk - Any chance 6 people would like to volunteer? Click on the linky thing - I'll stop it when/if I get to 6

XMAS TREE CONTEST!

Today I have finally obtained the Christmas spirit!

I've baked 3 cakes, made cookies for my Brownie pack to decorate up into tree hangers later, and have done my tree.

I've entered it in the 2006 Christmas Tree Decorating Competition.

And though I have not decked my halls with it... I spotted next door planting a holly bush in their garden, which will be lovely.

Blogrolls

Hi - quick question:

Do you all manually add links to your templates? It seems to take ages so I tried a blogroll tonight which I don't really understand.

Have to go now as a woman crashed into my car on my way to Brownies and my arms & back are sore (think it must have been when I tensed up as I saw her coming).

Cats on Tuesdays #2

This meme's from Gattina

The early years of our time with Kandinsky. (Affectionately known as Fat Cat. She's really not fat though.)

She was abandoned as a kitten-cat at Glasgow Dog & Cat Home, along with another cat presumed to be a brother.

We took her home and fed her tuna and chicken as she wouldn't eat at first. She also growled when you stroked her or when she was eating (which made me laugh a LOT as is sounded like she was saying 'yum yum yum' as she ate). And she walked with a cowboy swagger and farted rather a lot.

About a month or so after we got her I woke in the night to the sound of squeaking from the wardrobe. I wasn't sure if she had maybe caught a mouse... but a little bit of me thought 'no! surely she hasn't...'

But she had - There were kittens in the bottom of my wardrobe. And she'd chosen my black concert jacket to give birth on (fallen off the hanger).

Unfortunately she was too young to have kittens and they were all premature. Also one kitten wouldn't come out so she had to go in for an emergency operation to remove it along with her womb.

She then proceeded to hamper all efforts to look after the kittens, by hiding them at all possible opportunities under furniture.

Sadly her kittens all died - we weren't able to keep them warm enough.

Diversimode

Hello - I've spent HOURS working out how get tracks uploaded onto the internet. Just click on the links & hit the play button (maybe twice).

The recordings are by Diversimode - the early music group I play with. We've entered a competition and have chosen these pieces... Recording quality not ideal but given our resources it's not too bad.

This one's called Genius of England - it's by H. Purcell for trumpet, soprano & continuo.
http://www.maketunes.com/audio/1-genius-of-england

This is called Sauny the Scot. It's music from a theatre piece by D. Purcell. This is two short songs that follow each other in the play. It's based on the Taming of the Shrew. In the first piece a Scot (cleverly called 'Jocky') knocks up the maiden. In the second she laments becoming involved (and pregnant).
http://www.maketunes.com/audio/sauny-the-scot

This is the dodgiest. It's a set of variations called 'Simon ye King' from the Division Violin - played on Cornett, running into another piece for 'cello and continuo called 'Hit her on the Bum'.
http://www.maketunes.com/audio/old-simon-ye-king-hit-her-on-the-bum

click and comment Monday

People who visit here seem pretty good at leaving messages anyway but I can't see the harm in posting this.

Cat has been promoting Click and Comment Monday.

"I am also posting this to remind you how important it is to comment on other blogs. It truly DOES increase your readership and you most often gain regulars that will visit your blog day after day."

If you'd like to play: click on a link in my sidebar. Then, you comment on the blog and click their renter or someone on their blogroll. Then you comment on that blog and click their renter or someone on their blogroll. Do this for as many blogs as you can. Sometimes they go full circle, and you end up at the originating blog, then just look up a blog in the blogroll and start the cycle again.

So, let’s get started! Comment here use Mr Linky to add your details.
Cat suggests aiming for 5 blogs & comments.

Thanks and enjoy Click and Comment Day!

Click & Comment Monday Participants

1. Cat 2. Caylynn

3. domestic_slackstress 4. Turnbaby

5. Crusty

Get the C&C Monday code here
View More C&C Monday Participants

Powered by... Mister Linky's Magical Widgets.

Messiah

Hello - just back from doing a Handel Messiah gig in Kirkcaldy which is a good hour & half drive away from here.

It was pretty good - enjoyed it and they fed and watered us so I can't complain.

AND because I was clever and bought my lovely shoes in black I get to wear them ALL THE TIME now for concerts - hooray!!

Weekend Cat Blogging

We're in the middle of a bad storm here which means Kandinsky can't settle. She's decided to kip on the stairs tonight to guard her catflap from the strong wind.

I'm impressed by her bravery. Now I know we'll be safe.

Morning After

OK - firstly the big news is: No Hangover!

I've got a lot of teaching and gigs before Christmas so a night off at the moment is a big deal. And I'm taking advantage of them - no wasting time.

Last night was the Christmas party from my office job. Out of about 40 people in the teams, only 5 from the department came out. (hundreds of bigwig fund managers etc were there though)

It was held in the Science Centre (see photo) and for me was IDEAL. You arrive suitably attired (I had a black&pale gold v-necked camisole top under a black jacket & black trousers with the previously lauded 'beautiful shoes') then you go up the escalator to the actual science centre floor!

You are presented with champagne on arrival - then left to play with the toys. There's a cool display that has buttons in a circle. You press the buttons and a noise plays - as you press around the circle it gets higher or lower (clockwise/anti-clockwise). The cool part is: It never seems to end - it just gets higher and higher and higher... but in reality the note never changes. Weird!

So a couple of champagnes down I head for the spinning roundabout. This one you stand on and you have to roll a ball. Couldn't work out what you were supposed to discover from this so ended up on the roundabout for some time. And felt MOST lightheaded when I climbed off!!

So I'm guessing by now you've got the picture. TC happy playing on fun toys with booze.

They then fed us - fishy starter followed by the obligatory turkey dinner. It was ok. Desert was just being served when a man picked up a microphone and said 'Could you all please stand up. Now I want all of you to either put your hands on your head or on your bottom..'

Now - I don't mind games but I HATE office party type games with people you don't really know. And I had been offered another party to go to. A friend was playing in a band locally and was raising money for charity with a party in a bowling club....

So as I heard the words 'Everybody with their hands on their bums - sit down' I legged it. Properly scarpered.

The second party was in full swing when I arrived. Many thanks to my boyfriend for his taxiing service!!! The band had played but were scheduled to play again. So I found my friends, sat down, ordered my last drink and sat listening to good music, thinking about how cool my pals are and what beautiful shoes I have.

All in all - a great night!

p.s. photo from www.ervarium.nl artpro.net/freegrafix/fish.html

Night out

Been out tonight in beautiful shoes.

Love them.

Tired so going to bed - Goodnight!

Thursday Thirteen #3

OK Bond - I'm in a hurry and inspiration has not yet hit. So I'm stealing... outright. I am very sorry and will never do it again. Promise.

My top 13 Films

1. Labyrinth
2. Calamity Jane
3. Snow White (Disney classic.. have to fast forward through a fair bit of the singing though these days)
4. American History X
5. O Brother Where Art Thou (for the Soggy Bottom Boys' singing)
6. The Black Cauldron
7. Prince of Egypt
8. X-Men
9. Schindler's List
10. Billy Elliot
11. Amelie
12. Pirates of the Caribbean
13. Top Hat - Fred & Ginger film.... love them!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1.Coco
2.Gattina
3.Dixie
4.Anndi
5.Bond
6.Starrlight

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Hello - hope you're all well today. I've been working at a childrens' theatre tonight so am just off to bed but before that I thought I'd play the game that's going round... so I've posted the results below.

Received an invitation to a wedding today. Everyone I've met on the blog scene seem quite family oriented so you'll think I'm bad for this but I'll post it anyway. Dad - just turn the computer off now.

My cousin's getting married next year ON my birthday. I don't know her - having only met her once since we were 10. She's issuing an invitation to my family (mum dad and siblings).

I'll go... family obligation. But I can't help feeling irritated as I'd really like a few years of happy birthdays after a really bad one a couple of years ago.

I don't suppose for a second that she's even thought about me (so gives a monkey's whether I'm there or not) but my Pa wants me to go.

Rah. OK think that's the ranting over. Will acquiesce now and go nicely.

Things You've Done Instructions are - Copy, bold the things you've done and post. Typically I can't just do as I'm told so I've highlighted red the ones I've done... and coloured grey the ones I never want to do.

Having looked back at this I think it's probably as boring to read as I suspected (having read someone else's briefly - not anyone who's ever commented on my blog so please don't be offended!!) but it is quite good fun to do yourself.

So my advice would be - don't read the rest of my post today... just highlight it, copy it and look for yourself to see what you've done already.

1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with wild dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone - sorry... just not a romantic.
8. Said “I love you” and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long(or all night short... 4am last year on my birthday the sun came up... and we were still celebrating post barbecue in the garden with friends) and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (baseball in USA - Rugby in the UK... don't know which was better).
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa - not done this but have been to the tower... not sure it was possible to go up.
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s nappy
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne (terrible when you find it easier to think of a drink you haven't got drunk on)
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse of the moon
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country - I'm just not a fan of dancing.
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken (had to touch wood when highlighting this one)
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie - would be in as part of the soundtrack but would hate to be on screen. Can't even cope with photos.
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house (assuming a cottage flat counts)
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror (would do this happily as part of the band..)
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery (technically...)
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth (WATCHED cat give birth in the bottom of my wardrobe right on top of my black concert jacket - then took her to vet after it all went belly up & she had to have an operation to remove the kitten stuck in her womb....)
112. Won money on a T.V. game show - would NEVER wanna be on TV
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari - hunting for photos? Sounds exciting.
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes - no but have turned them into homemade chutney.
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (fish)
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life