Yum

Rundown of tonight's imbibements and the establishments in which I imbibed them.

The Finnieston - lager (Coors Light which autotexts to Footage colder course floral doors coordinate).

Korean Restaurant Shilya - lager (Hite) with food: dumplings, scallops, chilli chicken, squid & pork... Yum!

Brewdog - lager (77 lager) in a stinking bar with a contrived faux-warehouse decor. Not good.

Cafezique - coffee (no complaints - liked the place).

Jellyhill - white wine (good wine but not a sensible choice after coffee and beer) - cafe/bar pleasant.

Epicure - gin fix cocktail - awesome. Contained gin, lemon, elderflower liqueur. Delicious.

Now home with a cup of tea and tv on. Very enjoyable evening.

In other news;
I have messed up and have not got tickets for the county Thinking Day event (misunderstood instructions but didn't really think about it either as deadline fell over tax weekend. Might have queried/checked things if I had not been more pressingly engaged.)

It is only 6 weeks til we head across the Atlantic once more.

My sister came to stay and we had a great time culminating in a visit to the SECC to see Strictly Come Dancing's live show. Fun.

Ill

I am still loaded with a cold but the fever that developed on Tues has passed.

Gross and snotty now instead.

Oxford Street

I then walked along Oxford Street before the shops opened. It was very quiet and very pleasant.

At 9.30 when the majority of shops opened, I returned some items I had bought my brother which didn't really fit properly, and got a tube back to Victoria station, then a train (expensive) back to Gatwick Airport, then a flight back to Glasgow, then a taxi to my house as I was due to teach in 20 mins.

I made it home in time and taught one lesson. Unfortunately by this time, despite eating sorbet for lunch in the airport in an attempt to sooth my vocal chords, I had very little voice. It proved very difficult to teach voiceless, as the boy couldn't hear me when I tried to stop him (to correct a fingering for piano scales for example). If you wait until the end of a scale it is harder to correct, as you follow a pattern and if you can stop the pupil where the error occurs they can work out what they're doing wrong and then practise doing it right.

I then cancelled my remaining pupils (bar one whose phone number I had incorrectly in my phone after my phone was stolen - thought I'd recovered all contacts), had some chinese food and an early night.

I woke up this morning to find my voice is worse, so I'm off school too.

Expensive trip to London, but definitely one worth making. The snow topped it off nicely.

How considerate of the weather to make it fun at the weekend but clear up in time for all the Mon-Fri workers.

(S)wanky

Man at table opposite me looked like a businessman.

Man who came to join him looked like a businessman if you jumbled one up with a footballer: white trainers, suit, white decorated shirt, slicked back longish blonde hair in a ponytail.

Add people in overalls, delivery men and a chatty owner & this breakfast off Bond Street is very enjoyable.

Hampstead Heath in the snow

I got used to the size and volume of people quickly.

Then it snowed. Lovely!

Home tomorrow.

Arrived in London.

It's so big! I haven't been here for a while & found Victoria station a bit overwhelming.

Exciting too.

WARNING! Proud Brown-Owl Moment Coming...

This weekend my Brownies held a Jumble Sale to raise money for a Rainbow called Karis (who's cousin Rachael is in my pack) as she needs to go to America for surgery to help her walk.

http://www.sdr4karis.org/

We collected jumble for a week, then held the sale (with LOTS) of baking in the Church Hall.

Despite the sub-zero temperatures (the church did not put the heating on for us), the kids had good humour throughout and had fun outside singing and dancing and keeping warm whilst drumming up some more trade, selling cakes from the car park!

We raised..... £300!! And I have been fund-matched at the office for another £250.

SO proud. We had support from people from miles away after a wee article in the local paper too.

(In other news: This week 1st Aid Badge went well. I have done my tax... Yeah! Fuss free this year!! I go away to see friends and family this weekend. Was offered a terrifying but exciting badly paid gig this week... not sure if I can do it yet. Enjoyed the Blues Radio Show of Mr Vinny Marini this morning before work. It's all good.)