New Year's Eve update

As it's New Year's Eve I thought I'd give you the pleasure of a quick coffee plant update. They have actually grown quite some in the past couple of months. All have new leaves, which are looking quite healthy, even though as you can see from the photo there are quite a few brown spots and curling on some of the older leaves. Still growth is growth and I'm grateful for that.

Meanwhile Mountain Man became Quite Sick Man yesterday as he was struck down by some mystery bug, which I'm pleased to report he has kept to himself. I'm all for generosity, but not where sickness bugs are concerned. Thank goodness he's feeling better today though as now we await the arrival of our dear friends, Shirley and Andy, for a New Year's food, drink and games fest.

So all that remains to say is Happy New Year to you all. I sincerely hope that 2012 is a good year for everyone. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that maybe this coming year will be the year my coffee plants have berries, but I have a feeling that might be a step too far. No harm in wishing though.

Have a good one!

Contacts and crocs

Just before I went to South Africa I broke my glasses. Nigel at the Opticians mended them for me in the nick of time, but also suggested I try contact lenses. In fact he couldn't understand why I'd never tried them before. I told him the reason... I don't like anything to do with things coming near my eyes. But I said I'd think about it and I'd catch up with him in December as my eyes needed testing anyway so there was no harm in thinking.

However, when I was in South Africa, Tracy Mc, who wears contact lenses, made me realise how convenient they were compared to glasses. The other thing was I went croc diving, and I can tell you that having braved that I felt I could brave anything. And so it was when I had my eye test in December I made the decision that I'd give contact lenses a go. I'm long sighted and can't read anything when it's close by without my glasses and was recommended to have daily ones and to start off with one eye for reading and the other for long sight and see how I get on.

I went back for a lesson in how to put them in and take them out, which was one of those experiences that are best left unwritten about. But the thing was... I managed it. The optician said I really ought to give it a go and she gave me some to practice with and the next time I'm in, in January, I can try varifocal ones and see which ones I prefer.

The first time I tried was in London. It took me just under 45 minutes to get them in and my sight was so odd that I thought I'd got them in the wrong way round and I wasn't sure I was going to make it. I left them in a couple of hours, but getting them out took ages and I'd poked and prodded so much my eyes were quite sore.

I decided to leave it a couple of weeks to allow my poor eyes to recover fully, and then on Boxing Day I decided to give it another go. My eyesight was still so peculiar that I felt like I was tripping when I looked into the distance. I spoke to Tracy who told me it would take at least 3 days for my eyes to get used to them as you use different eye muscles with contacts compared to glasses and to persevere. I did, and left them in for about 4 hours. Getting them out was still a nightmare.

Then yesterday I put them in again, but was getting a bit anxious come taking them out time and so looked online to see if there was an easy way... and I came across this great piece on YouTube by Akuno Tensai. It was so simple even I managed it first time and it took seconds.

And this morning I was able to put the contacts in within 10 minutes and I know I'll be able to get them out within seconds when I come to take them out, so I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself.

Of course I still need the ok from the optician when I go back in January... and it would be good to get rid of the woozy feeling whenever I go from reading to looking into the distance... but I've done it.

I can remember when I was about to go diving with crocs in South Africa thinking what the hell was I doing. I like to look at them, but up close? No thank you! They are damn scary at a distance, but let me tell you they are a whole lot scarier up close. But you know what... sometimes it's good to do something that makes you feel that if you can do that you can do anything and croc diving was exactly that for me. Hooray for the crocs!

Christmas came and went

I hope you all had as good and peaceful a Christmas as I did.

Mountain Man, Nell and I spent a lovely day relaxing, unwrapping presents, watching telly, drinking Prosecco (well ok that was me, I admit it) and eating when we could be bothered. Santa was very good to us all and we felt very lucky. That's Nell included, who just loves to unwrap her Christmas present - especially as she gets the same every year, but I think in her mind it wouldn't be Christmas without a seasonal ragger.

Nell enjoying her Christmas ragger

Our initial plan was to unwrap a present each every hour, but that plan got scuppered quite early when phone calls came thick and fast and we had to unwrap things at rather a pace to keep up!

We played games like we usually do, though without boys here it didn't have quite the same ring to it, but we managed to enjoy ourselves nevertheless.

Yesterday was another relaxing day. There were storm force winds in the Borders so we decided to stay home and enjoy ourselves. I went out for approximately 8 minutes, but having been almost blown off my feet I went back inside and there I stayed.

We decided to play the game I bought for the family - Pick-up-Sticks - and jolly good it was too. Mountain Man is extremely good at it and I can see I'll have to put in some practice. Something to do with having very steady hands and a technique honed when he was a child. Can't wait for the boys to come a-visiting so we can have a game.

So that was our Christmas couple of days, and as we have people coming for drinks tomorrow night there's shopping to do and appetisers to make, Wii Zumba (thanks No. 1 son) to get me in the mood, and a Vegan meal to try (thanks No. 2 son).

Enjoy the rest of your Christmas break everyone!

Post party report

Two days later and I'm still suffering the after effects of my work Xmas 'do'. It triggered a migraine and I had no medication with me. Eventually yesterday afternoon I put in an emergency call to my man in the Borders, who came rushing to my aid and who stayed with me til around 7 and then, because he still had things to do at home, decided to leave me to sleep and head back with an extremely reluctant dog in tow.

I'm only slightly better today and am taking my time before I get myself ready for my hour long drive to my Border home.

The party itself was good. We were at the Scottish Malt Whisky Society, which is a lovely central venue. We were greeted at the door with some warm, alcoholic concoction, which I'm pretty sure was whisky based. I think this was my undoing, as whisky anything on an empty stomach is pretty lethal. This was followed by quite a few red wines, a whole lot of water and a delicious meal. The Secret Santa was a bit complicated... don't ask me why a bunch of psychologists have to make such a simple concept as convoluted as they can, but trust me they did. Then it was the usual madness of team games of guessing things, singing carol games and generally having a laugh. We ended up in an Edinburgh drinkery, by which time I already knew I'd had enough, so opted for water, and then left after a wee while to negotiate my way to the nearest cab.

Mountain Man had been to his spinning class in Edinburgh and so was staying too. All good so far. At about 2 in the morning poor old Nell was sick on her bed. She slept the rest of the night on our bed, while we hardly got any sleep at all as she kicked and whimpered her way through. I can't honestly say her sleeping arrangements gave me a migraine, but it sure didn't help, but by the time MM and Nell left me in the morning I was already well in the throes.

Nell has always been allowed on our bed for a while before we go to sleep, but she's never been allowed to sleep on it for the night. I think her stint that night gave her an insight as to what her life could be like and so when she accompanied MM on his rescue mission with migraine medication, she jumped on the bed and had to literally be prised off when it was time to go. It was very funny watching the usually extremely patient MM determined Nell was going to go with him, and she in turn was equally determined she was going to stay put.

So that's it for this year. Another pre-Xmas party season negotiated and just about survived. I'm now looking forward to a relaxing Xmas Day and I sincerely hope that you all have a lovely, relaxing one too.

I predict a cold Christmas

No, not the weather variety, but the nasal sort.

After my stint in the freezing cold on Sunday, followed by 2 parties on Monday night where I went from outside cold to sitting in very warm with people sneezing around me, I think I'm succumbing to a cold.

This is not helped by No. 2 son, who has come to stay and seems to be getting over one, and finally Mountain Man, who is rarely ill, felt sick and dizzy yesterday and after a sleep woke up saying he felt like he had a cold coming on.

I'm just hoping I last til the day after tomorrow, because tomorrow is my work's Christmas 'do' and I want to go and get home again and enjoy myself too.

It's usually a much fun event - and this folks is where you let your imagination go riot - where 12 psychologists of varying persuasions (Clinical, Occupational and Health and Safety) and the support staff, who ably 'manage' us throughout the year, get together and eat, drink and be merry. Games are obviously of a reasonably sensible variety and even the Health & Safety guys join in without too much of a damper on the event, though last year there were mutterings about the number of stairs we had to negotiate after much wine and whisky was imbibed.

I will report back once the day is over, and hopefully when I'm back in the safety of my home, getting ready for the final Christmas Day preparations, which means actually going out and buying some food.

Because Mountain Man and I are going to be just the two of us this year, we seem to have been quite lax in making sure we have anything ready for the day. However, at this rate it'll probably be Lemsips at dawn and we'll take it from there. Would be a good start to have some in of course, so that'll be first on the list then!

I'm me

When I came back from South Africa with Air France I was asked by one of the flight attendants if I would like to become a Flying Blue member and get airmiles from the flights I'd just taken. Because I have friends who I visit in France and usually fly with AF, I decided it might be nice to get a free flight. So when I got home I went on to the site and duly became a member. It told me that I would get my recent flights awarded within a week or so.

I waited. Nothing came. I waited some more. Then went onto the bit on the site that said 'claim your missing miles'. I tried, I really did, but it just wouldn't accept me. Why? Because I didn't have my boarding cards (who the hell keeps a boarding card after they've been on a flight?), and I was booked under Mrs and I had Ms on my Flying Blue membership status. For goodness sake... I mean I have an unusual name, it's me, but would Air France believe I was me? Non, absolument non.

Yesterday I remembered that I'd booked the tickets through The Flight Centre, who'd been really helpful in getting the flights at the right times and as cheap as possible for my SA flight. A quick phone call and a few seconds later I had all the details I needed. And within 24 hours I had 17338 miles added to my card.

Hooray... I'm me... Air France says so, so it must be true.

How to get over a hangover

After getting back last night I admit to having a couple of glasses of wine. When I woke this morning I had a raging hangover. I think it was very much a case of the day after the day after. However, I'd promised Mountain Man that I'd go and help him fund raise for Borders Search and Rescue Unit of which he's a member.

I managed to get out of bed by midday and keep a piece of toast down, and then off we went to the BSARU garage to pick up the Land Rover in Kelso and from there to Jedburgh to hang out outside Edinburgh and Jedburgh Woollen Mills in 4 layers of clothes freezing my arse off.

We were joined by Kevin, the BSARU accountant, and there we were, the three of us, rattling our buckets at anyone who dared come near us. There were precious few people out and about in the treacherous conditions, but those that did make it were pretty generous.

I did have one rather strange moment when one elderly chap said, 'Well done son' to me, which I thought was interesting as I was wearing my rather fetching pink tea cosy hat (as you can see from the photo below) and thought I looked decidedly feminine, but obviously not!

The payoff for my 2 hours activities, apart from raising more than the other two put together, was that my hangover had definitely disappeared. I think it was frozen out along with the rest of me.