Holidays approaching!

It is only a week now til I go away on my exciting trip to New Orleans (that I have pestered all people I meet day to day about for a month but have kept relatively quiet about online).

I am excited!

We are having a BBQ party (which seems even more optimistic than before as we are in snow again today) just after we get home, and my pal suggested we pick up some real New Orleans BBQ sauces while we are there. I think this is an excellent idea.

Post Costco Cooking

Well, after my Costco experience I attempted yesterday to make dinner from as many of my purchases as possible.

In retrospect this was a mistake.

Our dinner of linguini with tomatoes, artichokes, wild mushrooms and smoked trout was just a bit weird. I ate it... but I won't ever make it again. Leaving out the fish would have improved the meal immensely.

glasgow is ace

Yesterday was lovely. Today we went to Costco for the first (and last for a good while) time. It was an experience!

I spent a ton of money on things like artichoke hearts, pickled peppers, spicy sauce. It was fun, but I couldn't go too often.

FUN

Our plan for today:

Get up (I have done this bit)
Have breakfast
Get bus to Kelvingrove Art Gallery/Museum
Walk along river to shops
Buy cheese and fish (stinky I know)
Go to Peckhams and get cake and wine
Go home
Make and eat fish pie
Drink wine
Go out for some drinks
Boyf will go to comedy gig while my friend and I will drink and explore
Meet up again after gig for drink
Go home

Tired!

Today I have done 2 shows and taught at 2 schools.

However I only have 2 days left of the busy bit, and I'm a bit sad. While it's tiring rushing around so much, playing the trumpet is really good fun.

People annoy me

Life would be very easy I think, if it weren't for other people.

I like my job!

Especially when it takes me to the seaside.

update on me gob

I have a virus. Nothing can be done about it. Brilliant.

mouth hurts

I have had a really sore mouth for days. Finally I have booked a docs appointment... Find out tomorrow why. The roof of my mouth is puffy in places - and my gums are receded. I floss and brush and mouthwash as directed by my dentist. Methinks infection. Pah.

Fantastic day.

Today began early. 6.30am I left for work having scrabbled around last minute for some clean clothes.

I found a pair of trousers in my room and thought to myself "I love these trousers. Why have I stopped wearing them?". On finding no obvious flaws I donned the troos and headed off to school.

Before teaching I nipped in for a toilet break... and realised that I had stopped wearing the trousers because the zip was duff.

So I then grabbed a needle and cotton from my bag (as all good Girlguides know, one should always 'be prepared'!) and sewed the fly up.

I then got on with the day.

As I went to put petrol into the car I opened the boot, locked the car, placed my keys on the parcel shelf and took my wallet out of the boot. I then closed the boot. With the keys inside.

If you take a look at my 'example week' below (which may in fact be this week), I don't have much time between school and my rehearsal some distance away.

So I duly called the RAC, and the man came. He was great - tried 5 different ways to break into a car and managed to break in eventually. It is quite comforting to know that it is actually very difficult to break into a Hyundai Getz!

Anyway - loooong day over and I got home 1hr early, so it's not all been bad.

working week.

I thought I'd give you an example of my working week to explain how I get confused.

Monday:
6.30am - leave for work.
9.00am - teach at SchoolA (52 miles from home)
10.20am - teach at SchoolB
1.00pm - teach at SchoolA
4pm - rehearsal (70 miles away from SchoolA)
7.30pm - dress rehearsal
11.00pm - home.

Tuesday:
7.30am - leave for work
9.30am - teach at SchoolA
3pm - finish & head home
7.30pm - gig (20 miles from home)

Wednesday:
9am - leave for work (takes 40mins less after rush hour!)
10.20am - teach in SchoolB
2.45pm - play piano for a pupil's music exam (nr home)
7.30pm - gig

Thursday:
9am - office job
7.30pm - gig

Friday:
9am - office job
7.30pm - gig

Saturday:
2pm - rehearsal (86 miles from home)
7.30pm - gig
Stay with friend who lives nearby.

Sunday:
2pm - rehearsal (53 miles from gig on prev day)
6pm - home
9pm - pub quiz.

Total 555miles. 55hrs not incl. commute.

should've done more practise!

Today I tried the whole piece I was practising (half-heartedly) very late last night. It's got some tricky bits! Oh well... just have to do it all night today instead.

work work work

I have so much work on that nights in are the most exciting thing to me just now!

Tonight we are having a night in. I finished work just before 8pm, and then made dinner. It was delicious. I wish I'd taken a photo... but it didn't look as good as it tasted.

Very simple: Salmon baked with lemongrass, ginger, lime, red peppers and leek, served with plain rice.

I want to eat it again. (The stumbling blocks here are that we don't have any more, and I am full.)

After this I have made banana loaf - which is cooking for tomorrow.

I should be practising. I may start now (with a practise mute of course, at this time of night!).

excited

This is the most excited I have ever been about a holiday. I can't wait! And I have had trouble getting to sleep on the last two nights because my brain has been racing around.

I have also woken up all week feeling hungover, without having drunk any alcohol. Might as well have gone out and had some fun!

Last night we had Brownies. I didn't want to go... but of course had ideas for the night organised anyway. Anyway - I had been a bit fed up with Guiding. On Thinking Day only 1 of the 9 kids who had returned permission slips actually turned up. That really annoyed me, although I wasn't there for long as I just got back from Cardiff that afternoon.

Then last weekend's residential training was cancelled at the last minute (due to the weather which isn't anyone's fault) but I had rearranged work at a fair cost... annoyed again.

SO I was seriously fed up.

But the week I was off, the kids started making adverts for tv about 'growing guiding'. They didn't have time to film them, so we practised them again this week for filming next week (the other Guider was off - she owns the video camera). Anyway - they had all come up with something different but the number of 'I love Brownies because....' sentences really perked me up.

Thankfully.

So tonight we go round to a friend's for dinner. As ALWAYS I can't really be bothered, but I know when I go I'll have a great time with some lovely food and ace company.