SUNSHINE!

It has been a while since my last post. In that time life has continued as usual.

Events of note:

This week I bagged my first munro!

Yesterday I helped at the Glasgow Rainbows' 25th birthday party - great weather and a very enjoyable day for the kids! (I enjoyed it too)

We've been to a Eurovision party - I was Germany and he was Romania.

Today my friend has come to stay as she's working up here for a week - lovely!

10K- Never imagined myself doing that!

We had a crunchie split between us at 6K and the promise of another at 9K (didn't eat it though).

Our target was to beat the time set walking by Michelle McManus! (we did)

I am so surprised by how much fun it is. You get a real sense of cameraderie and people were our all along the route cheering us all on. There were musicians too set at every 500m(ISH) which meant you wanted to carry on to find out what the next one would be.

I really enjoyed it.

For training we'd (my friend and I) been for a 10k walk the day before as well - which we did fairly fast actually. I really enjoyed that one too, but for very different reasons - beautiful countryside, seeing a train come under a bridge we were on.

Another fun weekend - I have a charmed life at the moment, eh!?

Westerton Woods

We have been to the woods with Brownies tonight. We got the train (always exciting) and went just one stop to Westerton where we met some friends who showed us their woods.

They had organised a treasure hunt and trail for us - which was absolutely brilliant.

On our way home, 22 very happy little girls chattered excitedly about the fun they had had. (One was picked up before we left - 23 came on the trip)

It was the first Brownie outing for 5 girls, and I am delighted that we were so lucky with the weather, and that the woodland group were so clever in their planning of the walk.

They made a secret code for us... I'd hate to let the secret out, but it spelled a very cool message for Brownies!

Weight Watchers

I have been doing Weight Watchers for a year.

Over the year we have got through Christmas, several parties and celebrations, and a long trip to America. I put on a few lbs but nothing disastrous.

I decided at the start of the diet that I was happy to do it, but would not do it at the expense of having fun with my friends.

It has been easy to work that out. Even when on occasion I've splurged - this weekend I went to a party where I drank FAR too much wine, then had a McDonald's Big Mac. Somehow the diet is still working! I tracked it and dug over the front garden to make up for it. I am being more careful today, but still managed to lose 2lb this week.

Love it.

And We're Back!

I am going to bore you a little bit with some holiday photos.  Can't resist!!

We started the holiday in Memphis - which was good fun!  We stayed in the Vista Inns motel - just off Beale Street.  I had read a few reviews about people feeling threatened in the 'dark streets' walking round the corner back to the motel.  We felt perfectly safe.... but we live in Glasgow and I wouldn't really wander round parts of MY city on my own unless it was broad daylight.

We went to Graceland - much better than expected!  I have more respect for the Elvis phenomenon having seen people's reactions to his home.

Memphis is a city that's difficult to visit without a car.  2 days there and we felt like we'd done everything we wanted to, but we heard good music and ate good bbq pork and enjoyed our visit.

After picking up the hire car at the airport we drove to Vicksburg.  I had been nervous about this part of the holiday, but I loved driving in the USA!  We stayed in Cedar Grove Mansion Inn.  I have linked it's website but it's a bit misleading so don't expect any of the extras.  It is a beautiful house and our suite was lovely - very old and atmospheric, a little creaky and full of character.  I woke early and sat on the porch watching the sun come up over the gardens.  The sounds were lovely and it was quite exciting for me seeing all the different birds & animals.

 


We left and took the Natchez Trace Parkway after a trip to the National Military Park in Vicksburg (really good - worth a trip).

The Natchez Trace Parkway made a much more pleasant drive than the Interstate - so I am glad we took that route.  We stopped a few times - saw a waterfall and the Sunken Trace which is where the path has been worn down by footfall.  It was lovely.  We also saw more new animals: wild tortoises, turkeys, hawks, porcupine... lots.

From around Natchez we headed across back to the main roads and drove directly to New Orleans.

New Orleans was as good as I remembered.  It is a beautiful city - unlike anywhere else I've been.  The pace is relaxed, the people are friendly but not intrusive.... it's just amazing.

Music oozes out of every nook and cranny in New Orleans.  We stayed in the Creole Inn in the Fauborg Marigny area.  It feels like staying in a village.  There are lovely cafes and bars, and the walk home from the city centre takes you past a variety of old colonial wooden properties, each one with a unique feature. I really love it.

We spent a few days seeing sights - we visited the swamps - we took a trip up to City Hall... And that's us married.

All in all - best holiday ever!!!

Trip

On Thursdsay we go to America!

Am I excited?? Just a bit!!!

We fly to Memphis on Thursday (10hr flight... sure it'll be worth it though...!).

We hire a car and drive to New Orleans with a stop-over night in Vicksburg on the 8th April.

We spend a week or so in New Orleans.

We fly home.

There are SO many things I want to see. SO many places I want to go.

I will post photos - no doubt about that!

What's been going on

Well if I needed any further confirmation that the Blogging magic has gone it is in my current situation.

I am angry with my mother. Because my blog is public - and the parents know of its existance I can't post about it here.

What is the point of a blog when you can't write what you want?

So the options are: start up a new one and don't tell any family (it was my bro that let it slip that I had this one)... or stop... or carry on as I am occasionally posting without any personal information or anything meaningful.

I don't know which I'll choose.

For now - I will be away for a few weeks and I will post on my return, perhaps.

Au revoir x

Visits and busy times

I have been working over the past 3 wks with very little time in the house and very little time online.

It looks as though this is to continue.

Update

I have been getting out walking more because we have had some stunning weather. Lovely sunshine. Still blooming freezing, mind!

These are from walks this week.

Last night I went for a walk in the dark (between dinner & concert) and almost trod on a frog. Didn't though - it's all cool.

There may be a chocolate tart picture too. Its in a cake tin because I don't have a tart one with a removeable bottom & it was a fridge recipe not a baked one. Tasted good!

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!