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.)

stupid weather stupid roof stupid factors (stupid GHA)

We have a leak. In the roof.

I reported damp prior to the storms and asked someone to check the roof. I would be concerned that this would affect our building insurance claims, but the man from GHA who came to check told me there was no damp, so I guess we go with that and put the claim in secure in the knowledge that we checked it out recently.

The fact that he refused to go into the loft is immaterial for the claim, but could well explain why we now have water damage to our flat, and to next door's flat. Who knows what damage might have been saved with new blooming nails in those loose tiles.

They really are useless.

rubbish diets

feel like I'm getting nowhere this week.. Will persevere but it's easier when the weight's coming off. I have exercised a lot this week... but drank and eaten to balance it out I think. Oh well.

In other news: We are trying to organise a jumble sale for a week Sat - how can I get people to come?

I went to watch rugby on Sunday (where I drank & ate) and we were charged rather a lot for beer. I fired off an email to the club to complain - following it up with another when I found out that the beer was Carlsberg - a dreadful CHEAP brand that they were selling for over £6 per pint. I have just received an email from the club MD asking me to call him on a mobile number. Exciting... and I'm a TOUCH embarassed by my impulsiveness!

Brownies is back!

We took it easy tonight:

Started with a pow-wow where we took suggestions for what the girls would like to do this term. One of the helpers had told me that her kids had got so many presents they had games they hadn't even opened yet... so we discussed this and the Brownies are going to bring in any new board games next week so we can have a games night. (we'll also need to make posters for the jumble sale we're planning).

Spring cleaned the Brownie cupboards.

Played Tunnel Tig & The Princess & the Serving Girls.

Finished with a reminder to bring the games, Brownie Bells & HOME TIME!

ID

I have just been ID'd in a pub we've been drinking in for 14 years. 

I am delighted as I had been concerned that weight-loss was aging me!

Weightwatchers

Is it bad, when on a diet, to scrape out the nutella jar with a spoon?

Happy New Year!

This year I went to my in-laws house for Xmas.

My boyfriend's mum lives in England in my home town - 400+ miles South of Glasgow.

My parents live in Wales - 300+ miles SW, having moved from our home town a year and a half ago.

Last year we went to see both families. It was too much travel for me.

This year I was apprehensive. I had agreed to spend Xmas at HIS mum's but wondered how I'd find it and whether I'd miss my family.

It turned out to be ok actually. It was odd not having a home in my home town, but Xmas at his wasn't so different. 

We drove on Xmas morning, leaving at 6am with clear roads down.

We arrived & shared gifts around lunchtime.

The dinner (4pm) was turkey & ham with trimmings (delicious) followed by fruit pudding & cream.

By evening-time his sister was drunk so games were off but tv-watching was in order: Dr Who special, Eastenders special... Then bed.

On Boxing Day we met old friends and played games with various family/friends' offspring.

It was VERY nice catching up with people I had not seen for some time.

I would do it again.

Hope you had a great holiday. Happy New Year (when it comes)!

Merry Christmas!

apologies - bottle of champagne down....

Checked In....

Am in the airport with cereal and coffee. Full fat milk tastes GOOD!

This Xmas I am not going home, but I have now seen my sister and mother and all present exchanges are complete.

It was a great weekend - thanks dudes.

On Saturday night we went to the cinema to see the Strictly Come Dancing final in 3D. It was s brilliant atmosphere & watching dancing in 3D really does work.

Anyway - concert tonight. Xmas soon!!

Love my job

Trumpet one I mean. It's Messiah season.

The office job's in trouble - think we're all for redundancy in the next 12 months.

Insomnia

OK - this is MY blog... so it is really all about me.

I cannot sleep.  I can't decide whether it's the chinese take-away or the cold temperatures... whatever the reason, I am awake at 4am.  What to do at this hour?  Read my blogging friends' updates of course!

Expect me anytime soon.

Windy City!

We have gale force winds. I am scheduled for a rehearsal 60 miles away. Police have advised us not to travel. Train company said trains likely to stop at 9.30pm.

My conductor has not cancelled the reheasal. He has not given me the OK not to attend.

I am therefore stressed to the max with a splitting headache having made the decision not to attend (after avoiding several flying objects whilst awaiting bus outside bus shelter as inside shelter was even more frightening - creaking & bending!).

I feel guilty. Or lazy. Or cowardly. That should read AND rather than OR.

First snow this winter

Yesterday my Brownies and I went to see a pantomime: Peter Pan at the Pavilion.

We met at the church hall to get the train into the city centre.

The show was great fun - they loved it. They also enjoyed the train journey (although they tried to shut the doors while the last 4 of us were still disembarking which would not have been funny. My assistant held onto the train on the outside til they let us off!).

This morning I woke up to the scene below. It's 3am but look how bright it is with the reflected light.

I now feel ready for Xmas! Shame there's 2 wks of school & work to go yet....

Anyone else in the festive spirit just a BIT too early?

Adam Ant Tour 2011.

Tonight we are going to see Adam Ant!  See - something actually exciting (and a bit weird) to tell you.

This is to remind me really that I'd like to update the blog afterwards - I expect it will be funny.  I HOPE there will be audience members dressed appropriately.

To avoid any confusion from the uneducated please see the weird and wonderful Mr Adam Ant....

UPDATE:

It was amazing.  I really liked it.  He looked pretty good and the venue was huge so felt a bit empty but when I tried  a rough headcount it was maybe 1000.

He has still got it - he can sing well and the double drum-kit set-up means you feel the vibrations through your body as soon as the gig starts.  The songs are better than I'd remembered and the show overall was excellent.  He had 2 kits, 2 guitarists, 2 hot singing/dancing ladies, plus the great Mr Adam Ant with his pirate outfit in the centre.  I found I could sing along to more songs than I realised I knew.

Admittedly Adam Ant is physically a bit awkward - other than his Adam Ant dance moves his other dancing is as awkward as your dancing Grandpa.  Looking back at old videos I think that may have always been the case!

On a few occasions I was reminded of the film Music And Lyrics, in which Hugh Grant plays an 80's pop star still singing the same songs making the the moves the fans still want to see to make some cash after his career stalled.  Adam Ant has a new album out next year but he's definitely had a few career lows (and mental health issues).  I found I really did want to see the moves... my favourite moments were when they did Prince Charming and Puss in Boots.

I wonder if Adam Ant is going bald?  I think he must be.  His pirate hat was never removed, even when the jacket and shirt were (revealling his own gig t-shirt cut down to a vest then ripped down the front - Love that he wore his own current tour t-shirt onstage.  If the aim was to sell it succeeded, as he had a queue at the merchandise stand at the end).