Our lovely friends, Sarah and John, came to dinner and to stay last night, but not before I'd been to a poetry event put on by CABN (the Borders Creative Art Network). It was very good, if not a bit 'above' my level of poetry and an opportunity to listen to my betters talk about how to get an Artist in Residency slot. It was also an opportunity to connect with some poetry friends I met a couple of years back, and almost became an opportunity for complete embarrassment when I filled my bottle of water and didn't put the top back on properly and found myself with a wet patch in an unfortunate place. Thank goodness for my silky trousers, which had dried by the time the talks stopped and it was time to schmooze. Phew... that really was a close one!
I rushed home to get dinner ready. Sarah had already sent me a long list of things John - better known as JT, as Mountain Man is also John and it all gets a bit too confusing - doesn't like to eat, amongst which was shellfish. I'd already decided on a fish stew for main, but was stumped for a starter as JT isn't a veggie fan, so I decided on gambas al pil pil (prawns in garlic and chilli) for starter for 3 of us and eventually plumped on some chicken things on skewers from Sainsburys for JT.
And so it turned out as we tucked into our delicious prawn starter that JT doesn't like shellfish apart from prawns, and he likes prawns much better than he likes chicken on skewers from Sainsburys. But he's a trooper and ate his starter with no complaint. He did, however, steal one of Sarah's prawns just to make his point.
The rest of the meal went without incident, apart from drinking far more wine than I should have and there were some hilarious conversations about Sarah and my possible Commonwealth Games volunteering, Jedi NLPers and active feminists. This last due entirely to JT's work situation where he was faced with someone who actually called herself one on her application form. So we wondered (for quite a long, alcohol-fuelled time) what it would take to be an inactive feminist. I think it was one of those conversations you had to be there for!
It was a late night and a late rise this morning followed by more hilarity as JT had a go on my under-desk treadmill (not a favourite) and my e-bike (definitely a favourite). When they left I'm sorry to say MM and I collapsed back on the bed and decided the rest of this Autumnal Sunday would be spent in R&R and all the things that need to be done would get left for another day.
In other words, it's been a great weekend.
Sunday, 1 September 2013
Thursday, 29 August 2013
Call me shallow
I went out and bought a new pair of running shoes, which I happen to think are rather lovely.
Now I have to admit that I don't run and I wanted them for walking... and that actually is for walking around Bangkok when I go off on my hols in a few weeks. Does that qualify as cheating?
Well to argue my case they are ultra-light and I got a very good discount, but even more they have pink laces as well as white so I have 'two-look'shoes.
No? Not persuaded? Ok... you can call me shallow.
Well to argue my case they are ultra-light and I got a very good discount, but even more they have pink laces as well as white so I have 'two-look'shoes.
No? Not persuaded? Ok... you can call me shallow.
Caffeine overdrive
Yesterday saw the start of Old Lady Badminton - this is the one in Galashiels on a Wednesday morning where there's a coffee break half way through. However, as it was the start of the season, we didn't actually get to play badminton and just had the coffee break, and the good ladies plumped for going to the rather upmarket Marmions in Melrose instead of the sports centre in Galashiels.
For those of you who know me well also know that I'm quite reactive to caffeine and consequently only usually have one cup with my breakfast otherwise I get quite 'wired'. But hey... the beginning of Old Lady Badminton and upmarket Marmions saw me order a strong, black coffee. Major mistake!
I was so wired that when I went to order my baht for my trip to Thailand in a few weeks time, I somehow got my figures crossed and only ordered half the amount I needed, so had to go back to the Post Office in Earlston to order the other half. Derek the Postmaster's face was a picture.
As I was staying overnight in Edinburgh I had to go home and pack, which wasn't helped in the least by the caffeine overdrive. I actually left the house and started up the road twice before I finally made the journey as I kept thinking of the things I'd forgotten.
The problem with feeling wired is that by the end of the day I also feel tired, but tired and wired don't go together terribly well and thought processes don't seem to function at their best. And so it was that I ended my day playing Love Letter with my sons, a new game No. 2 Son had bought recently, which was very good, but with my mind all over the place I couldn't quite get the best way to play my cards and ultimately that lead to me losing rather spectacularly.
Lesson learned... until the next time!
For those of you who know me well also know that I'm quite reactive to caffeine and consequently only usually have one cup with my breakfast otherwise I get quite 'wired'. But hey... the beginning of Old Lady Badminton and upmarket Marmions saw me order a strong, black coffee. Major mistake!
I was so wired that when I went to order my baht for my trip to Thailand in a few weeks time, I somehow got my figures crossed and only ordered half the amount I needed, so had to go back to the Post Office in Earlston to order the other half. Derek the Postmaster's face was a picture.
As I was staying overnight in Edinburgh I had to go home and pack, which wasn't helped in the least by the caffeine overdrive. I actually left the house and started up the road twice before I finally made the journey as I kept thinking of the things I'd forgotten.
The problem with feeling wired is that by the end of the day I also feel tired, but tired and wired don't go together terribly well and thought processes don't seem to function at their best. And so it was that I ended my day playing Love Letter with my sons, a new game No. 2 Son had bought recently, which was very good, but with my mind all over the place I couldn't quite get the best way to play my cards and ultimately that lead to me losing rather spectacularly.
Lesson learned... until the next time!
Tuesday, 27 August 2013
Because it's not worth it
I've just finished The Casual Vacancy by J K Rowling and I have to say I was very disappointed. One dimensional characters, too much 'grim reality' and a slow plot led to a very unsatisfactory read for me. I was surprised and was hoping for better. And sadly, I can't really recommend it.
What I also can't recommend is a massage by a company called Vital Cosmetics in Edinburgh. I got a Groupon voucher, which meant that for £19 I got a treatment worth £49. Actually, thinking about it, I do think it was worth £19.
I was shown into an office block complete with officious receptionist who took 5 minutes and 23 seconds to open the door for me and then I was shown in to what was an office that had a massage table in it.
I started to feel a bit sorry for the masseur but then her phone went off just as she'd got going and she asked me if it was ok for her to go (all the way down 2 floors) to reception as the receptionist was trying to get hold of her. What could I say? I'm hardly going to say 'no' when I've got 55 minutes of my hour treatment to go. Actually I probably wouldn't have said 'no' even if I'd got 5 minutes to go... call me coward if you must!
Luckily she had turned off the overhead strip lights so she got plus points for that, but the massage itself wasn't what was expected. For the first time ever I started on my back, which meant that when I came to the end I had a lovely imprint of the face bit of the massage table on my face, which lasted for hours. I felt a right whatever walking around Edinburgh to get back to my car.
However, because I like to finish on a positive note: I'm now part way through Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns, a book that's definitely worth it.
What I also can't recommend is a massage by a company called Vital Cosmetics in Edinburgh. I got a Groupon voucher, which meant that for £19 I got a treatment worth £49. Actually, thinking about it, I do think it was worth £19.
I was shown into an office block complete with officious receptionist who took 5 minutes and 23 seconds to open the door for me and then I was shown in to what was an office that had a massage table in it.
I started to feel a bit sorry for the masseur but then her phone went off just as she'd got going and she asked me if it was ok for her to go (all the way down 2 floors) to reception as the receptionist was trying to get hold of her. What could I say? I'm hardly going to say 'no' when I've got 55 minutes of my hour treatment to go. Actually I probably wouldn't have said 'no' even if I'd got 5 minutes to go... call me coward if you must!
Luckily she had turned off the overhead strip lights so she got plus points for that, but the massage itself wasn't what was expected. For the first time ever I started on my back, which meant that when I came to the end I had a lovely imprint of the face bit of the massage table on my face, which lasted for hours. I felt a right whatever walking around Edinburgh to get back to my car.
However, because I like to finish on a positive note: I'm now part way through Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns, a book that's definitely worth it.
Monday, 26 August 2013
Good or bad? Who knows...
Today was the day of my long awaited ultrasound on my foot. It turns out I probably don't have a neuroma, which is good news, but the bad news is that I'm still under investigation as no-one knows as yet what the problem is. And it might turn out to be a neuroma after all, but one too small to detect.
In my view I think it's just too much scarring from the ops my poor toes have had that gets trapped sometimes. It wouldn't be so bad if the pain wasn't like someone had stuck a knife in my toes. But no matter, I will have to soldier on and hope it doesn't happen too often, but I have a fear that my wish to go on a trek in Bhutan will have to remain as a wish and never become a reality. We'll see.
But anyway, enough of that... here's a photo of our lovely veg patch with it's smart new paths and some of our not long planted winter veg, which is doing rather well. Looks great doesn't it?
In my view I think it's just too much scarring from the ops my poor toes have had that gets trapped sometimes. It wouldn't be so bad if the pain wasn't like someone had stuck a knife in my toes. But no matter, I will have to soldier on and hope it doesn't happen too often, but I have a fear that my wish to go on a trek in Bhutan will have to remain as a wish and never become a reality. We'll see.
But anyway, enough of that... here's a photo of our lovely veg patch with it's smart new paths and some of our not long planted winter veg, which is doing rather well. Looks great doesn't it?
Friday, 23 August 2013
Too tired to think
I think I've got a little bit too used to the 'retired' bit of semi-retired as I found my visit to Inverness for work matters this week very tiring. So much so that the very thought that I have to do it all again (for the second part of the training) in 2 weeks time is feeling a bit overwhelming. It doesn't help that I've got a workshop to deliver tomorrow in Edinburgh either.
On the other hand I have a feeling that Mountain Man is rather pleased I'm so tired, because it means I can't even be bothered to 'plan'. The latest plan, which he's had to execute according to my exacting standards, has been the veg patch and I think he's slightly worried about the extra work he'll have to do once my thinking is back in order and normal service is resumed.
On the other hand I have a feeling that Mountain Man is rather pleased I'm so tired, because it means I can't even be bothered to 'plan'. The latest plan, which he's had to execute according to my exacting standards, has been the veg patch and I think he's slightly worried about the extra work he'll have to do once my thinking is back in order and normal service is resumed.
Sunday, 18 August 2013
A seasoned hoarder
Way back at the beginning of the year I stated I was determined to get my house tidy and lose a goodly amount of the rubbish that I seem to have hoarded over the years. Of course the year has trundled on and I've not cleared half as much as I'd said I would, but the thought of a puppy joining us in approximately 10 weeks time has forced me into starting the big clear out.
So far my poor shredder has gone onto overload and our recycle bin, which is collected every two weeks and is due for collection tomorrow, is full to the brim with shredded paper bits from years back.
The big clear out was in full flow but is about to come to an abrupt halt as I make my way north to Inverness for a few days of teaching this week, and Mountain Man, who has done a sterling job on our utility room, is off to the Lake District for mountain matters.
My hope is, that by the time our puppy (which should be born within the next two or three weeks) is ready to join us, we will be living in a hoard free zone.
Some hope!
So far my poor shredder has gone onto overload and our recycle bin, which is collected every two weeks and is due for collection tomorrow, is full to the brim with shredded paper bits from years back.
The big clear out was in full flow but is about to come to an abrupt halt as I make my way north to Inverness for a few days of teaching this week, and Mountain Man, who has done a sterling job on our utility room, is off to the Lake District for mountain matters.
My hope is, that by the time our puppy (which should be born within the next two or three weeks) is ready to join us, we will be living in a hoard free zone.
Some hope!
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