A Day in the City complete with mini rant!

It seems a bit daft to go into Edinburgh for a day out when I work in the centre of town every day! But, I never actually do anything in town, I get the bus into town, spend all day in the office, and then go home. So, yesterday we decided to spend some time in the city and maybe start a little bit of Christmas shopping.

Frazer had been curling with some mates in the morning so I got the bus up to Edinburgh to meet him - seemed daft to take two cars. We had lunch in a Chinese buffet - tried Saigon Saigon this time and it was excellent. I always think it must be a sign of a good Chinese restaurant when Chinese people eat in there! It was delicious, and, as normal, we had far too many of the startery things and ended up too stuffed! We had a wander through Harvey Nichols - mainly because I had never been in there - and saw the view from the restaurant at the top, which is stunning. Unfortunately, there were people sitting right by the window, so I didn't get a picture. Harvey Nicks was pretty amazing, but you'd need a mortgage just to buy half the stuff in there!





We walked past the protest camp in St Andrews Square a few times. I've looked up why they're protesting, and I do kind of get it, but I'd have more sympathy for them if they wen't just a bunch of immensely middle class students with enough money to buy brand spanking new smart massive tents to be extremely comfortable in. We saw one of the protestors wandering around chatting on his mobile which kind of gives off the wrong signals! I don't disagree with the principle, what I disagree with is that some of the people protesting are people who have quite clearly benefited from rich mummies and daddies and they're basically just looking for attention. Yes it's very unfair that the rich (and the banks) get richer and the poor get poorer - I think that's basically it. However, there are always jobs out there for those who want them - as long as you are willing to do anything to earn a penny. It's constantly in the news how there are so many unemployed graduates now - why are they hanging around waiting to jobs to present themselves to them, and why aren't they doing temping jobs (of which there are many if you look at temping websites) or working in Tesco or somewhere? I'm sure prospective employers would look far more favourably on a CV which states that someone has been temping for a year in a bank than being unemployed for a year claiming the dole. However, I digress...! Go ahead and protest if that's your thing - they do have a point after all - but don't be hypocritical about it and do it just because you're jumping on the bandwagon.





Anyway, from one extreme to the other...we went to The Dome for a drink, although we didn't actually manage to get one. The Dome used to house e head office of the Royal Bank of Scotland, but in 1993 the bank moved all the business to the St Andrews Square building (outside which the protesters are camped) and the building was transformed to what it is now. It is absolutely stunning - on a summer's day when you walk in, you feel as though you should order a Singapore Sling! In the winter it is full of lights and garlands with cinammon attached so not only does it look Christmassy, it smells it too! It is beatifully opulent! It was packed out though, so I just took some photos and we went back to the car slightly disappointed, but we had a really lovely day, just the two of us.



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Location:Edinburgh

Isobel's Coconut Slice

I made this today for the first time in years. My dad's cousin Aunty Isobel used to make it, and she would always bring a big tin full of it every time she came to see us. Yummy :-) A word of warning though - blind bake the pastry first otherwise the botom ends up soggy, as I've discovered today!

Under the Weather

I've been feeling a little below par for a while now. Really since the first gallbladder attack at the end of June. I haven't felt well since then, and I'm weary of feeling ill. I just want to be well again.

As you know, I had my gallbladder operation at the end of August. I thought that would fix me - I thought it was just a case of recovering from that and I would be back on track again. But my body obviously had other ideas. Last Friday I was at work, and about five minutes before my lunch hour started I started to get pain in my stomach. I waited until my lunch hour startedand went to the toilet thinking maybe I just needed to go. Within minutes I was again in intense pain, like the first attack, and I started panicking. My team leader came in and I managed to tell her I needed to go home. I told her what was wrong and how it felt, and she went off to get our first aider who, it turned out, had had the same problem herself so she understood every bit of it. I phoned Frazer to ask him to come and get me, but within five minutes an ambulance had been called, so I let him know to meet us at the hospital. Our first aider came with me, and it was a huge comfort to know that she understood everything I was going through.

It took ages to get to the hospital, and every bump in the road (Edinburgh roads are in a dreaful state) hurt as the morphine hadn't kicked in yet. When I got there they stuck me in a cubicle in A&E and left me for a while. A nurse came in to help me get changed, then left. A doctor came in eventually (she was about 12!!!) and asked a few questions and left. Another doctor came in after a while, asked some more questions, and left. I was left on my own, in pain for about four hours, bar maybe three visits of about 10 minutes each from doctors who asked the same questions again and again. Within that time they took me for an X-Ray. Eventually they allowed Frazer to come in - the first aid lady from work had had to leave by that point. The morphine had started to work by this point and the pain had eased a little. They took me down for an ultrasound, but couldn't find anything. My stomach was really hurting from all the prodding.

When I got back to A&E from the ultrasound there were no cubicles free, so I spent the next two hours in a corridor. I was less than impressed. Edinburgh Royal Infirmary has only been open about 5 years, and whoever designed it should be shot. They do not have the capacity to serve a city and they do not have enough staff. The service I received at Borders General Hospital when I was rushed in there was FAR superior. And yet you would think that it would be better in a brand new hospital in our capital city wouldn't you?

They gave me some more painkillers, and eventually decided that it would be better for me to go home, and request an MRI scan from Borders General. They think I still have a gallstone left inside, but it didn't show up on the ultrasound which is why they want the MRI. We waited another hour while they typed a letter for the doctor and a prescription. Despite us saying we had to get home to Isla they still did not stir themselves to get a move on. Unimpressed.

Anyway, I had every intention of going back to work on Tuesday after I had seen the doctor on Monday, but she signed me off for a week. The paramedics had said that I probably went back to early, and the doctor said that because of Friday, and because I am constantly tired and haven't been well for months that she would sign me off to "take things easy"! So, obviously now we have a pristinely clean house, I'm cooking interesting and never done before recipes, and I've made all my Christmas cards! There's organisation for you!

I'm still not feeling brilliant, but mymum and dad are coming over at the end of next wek for my mum's 60th, so I'm looking forward to that. Sometimes all you need is a bit Mummy hug!

Cranachan

This is not the most diet friendly of desserts, but oh my god it is delicious!! Save it for a special occasion!

100 Fun Questions Survey

100 Fun Questions Survey from Quizopolis.com

Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? - Closed
Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel? - Yes
Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out? - Out
Have you ever stolen a street sign before? - No
Do you like to use post-it notes? - Like is a bit of a strong word but I do use them
Do you cut out coupons but then never use them? - No
Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees? - Neither!
Do you have freckles? - Yes, on my back and shoulders
Do you always smile for pictures? - Yes
What is your biggest pet peeve? - Misuse of the apostrophe!
Do you ever count your steps when you walk? - Yes, all the time, a legacy of my grandma teaching me to count by walking up and down stairs!
Have you ever peed in the woods? - Yes
What about pooped in the woods? - Probably!
Do you ever dance even if theres no music playing? - No
Do you chew your pens and pencils? - No
How many people have you slept with this week? - 1
What size is your bed? - Superking :-)
What is your Song of the week? - Don't have one this week
Is it okay for guys to wear pink? - Kind of
Do you still watch cartoons? - Yes
Whats your least favorite movie? - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - I hated it
Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some? - Not telling you - you'd know where to find it then!
What do you drink with dinner? - Diet coke or pepsi normally
What do you dip a chicken nugget in? - Garlic mayo
What is your favorite food? - Steak
What movies could you watch over and over and still love? - Anne of Green Gables, Love Actually, Mamma Mia
Last person you kissed/kissed you? - Frazer
Were you ever a boy/girl scout? - No, but I was a Brownie and a Guide
Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine? - If I was skinny, maybe
When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper? - Oooh, a long time ago
Can you change the oil on a car? - I can check it and top it up, but not change it - that's what garages are for!
Ever gotten a speeding ticket? - Yes
Ran out of gas? - Yes
Favorite kind of sandwich? - Ham or smoked salmon
Best thing to eat for breakfast? - Tattie scones and marmite!
What is your usual bedtime? - Around midnight normally
Are you lazy? - I definitely can be!
When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween? - I was a vampire once
What is your Chinese astrological sign? - Dunno
How many languages can you speak? - 2 - English & French
Do you have any magazine subscriptions? - No
Which are better legos or lincoln logs? - Lego, cause I have no idea what the others are
Are you stubborn? - Oh yes!
Who is better...Leno or Letterman? - Neither
Ever watch soap operas? - I used to, but I recovered :-)
Afraid of heights? - Yes
Sing in the car? - Yes
Dance in the shower? - No
Dance in the car? - No
Ever used a gun? - Yes, but only an air rifle
Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer? - Never
Do you think musicals are cheesy? - Nope, love 'em!
Is Christmas stressful? - No, I love it
Ever eat a pierogi? - Don't think so
Favorite type of fruit pie? - Apple
Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? - Teacher ewwwww
Do you believe in ghosts? - I wouldn't like to say they don't exist
Ever have a Deja-vu feeling? - Yes, often
Take a vitamin daily? - No
Wear slippers? - Only in the winter
Wear a bath robe? - Yes
What do you wear to bed? - Nightie
First concert? - Never been to one
Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart? - Asda or Tesco
Nike or Adidas? - Nike
Cheetos Or Fritos? - Neither - ick!
Peanuts or Sunflower seeds? - Neither
Ever hear of the group Tres Bien? - No
Ever take dance lessons? - Only when forced to at prep school
Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing? - Yes, being a civil engineer cause he is one!
Can you curl your tongue? - Yes
Ever won a spelling bee? - Yes
Have you ever cried because you were so happy? - Yes
Own any record albums? - Many!
Own a record player? - Not any more
Regularly burn incense? - On the very odd occasion - it's been a while though
Ever been in love? - Yes
Who would you like to see in concert? - Dara O'Briain
What was the last concert you saw? - None
Hot tea or cold tea? - Hot tea I suppose
Tea or coffee? - Tea I suppose!
Sugar or snickerdoodles? - Sugar
Can you swim well? - Yes, very
Can you hold your breath without holding your nose? - Yes
Are you patient? - Definitely not!
DJ or band, at a wedding? - Band
Ever won a contest? - No
Ever have plastic surgery? - No
Which are better black or green olives? - Neither, they're foul!
Can you knit or crochet? - I can knit, if someone casts on or off for me!
Best room for a fireplace? - Sitting room
Do you want to get married? - Yes
If married, how long have you been married? - Not married but been together 2 years now
Who was your HS crush? - HS? Dunno
Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way? - No, not my style
Do you have kids? - Yes, 1, Isla
Do you want kids? - Yes
Whats your favorite color? - Purple
Do you miss anyone right now? - My mum and dad
Did you watch, Next Great American Band on FOX? - No

Take This Survey at Quizopolis.com
http://www.quizopolis.com/survey/4769/100-Fun-Questions-Survey/


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Honey & Lime Marinated Pork Chops

We seem to have a big of a pork chop theme going today!! This one is truly delicious!

Pork Chops With Mustard Sauce

Flowers

My mum and dad sent me a big bunch of roses this morning - aren't they beautiful! Made my day :-)

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Jobs and Ops

There's lots to tell you today!

The first thing is that I have a job...it's working for the same company through the same agency, just in a different department, so I only had about ten days out of work. I have to say that the recruitment consultant has done a sterling job and I really appreciate all her help. I can't tell you much more about it as it's working for a bank, but I think I'm going to enjoy it. I'm working in the middle of Edinburgh now, rather than on the outskirts, so I have to use the Park & Ride. It's a brilliant and convenient service, but I don't think I'll ever be convrted to being a public transport lover!

The second piece of news is that I had my operation yesterday! I had been told it would be the middle of September, and when I got the letter from the hospital it said the 25th August, so I was all prepared to go in last Thursday, having organised time off work etc despite only having started on Tuesday! As I walked out of the office on Wednesday afternoon the hospital called to tell me that there was now an emergency booked in for Thursday so could we delay until Monday. It was a bit of a disappointment having got myself all psyched up for it, but it did mean that we could have a nice relaxing weekend with more than a few drinks on Friday evening!

So, at 7.30 yesterday morning we prresented ourselves at Borders General Hospital in Melrose. We spoke to two or three different doctors and nurses to fill in various different forms, and I was informed that there was a good chance they would have to perform open surgery rather than keyhole, so theere were a few tears as I had got myself a little worked up by that point! I was meant to be second on the list but got moved down to third, so I had to sit around in the most attractive get up you've ever seen! 1) a hospital gown, 2) Frazer's dressing gown, 3) surgical stockings - white and 4) my red slippers! Highly appealing! They let Frazer stay while we were waiting, and then they kicked him out as it was only a day ward and there was nowhere for him to wait. He walked me down as far as the theatre doors then we had to say goodbye. That was scary. They put me into a little ante room, beyond which was thr theatre itself. I had to remove the dressing gown and sit on a trolley while they did blood pressure etc all the while flashing my bum to the world through the back of the hospital gown! I was having a lovely little chat with the quite handsome nurse while he put in the venflow etc, and the next thing I knew was waking up in the recovery ward!

It hurt...a lot! I kind of drifted for a while - no idea how long as I wasn't exactly with it - but after a bit the surgeon came to see me. They did manage to perform keyhole surgery luckily, but the surgeon said that the gall bladder was extremely big and full of stones. Sometimes when there's something wrong with you you're not quite sure if you actually are in that much pain or if you're being a bit of a hypochondriac, so it's quite a relief to learn that there was actually something quite wrong with me! Strange logic perhaps, but it makes sense to me! Apparently the operation took about 2 hrs which is a long time for keyhole, and the nurse had told Frazer that because of the time she thought that it was probably open surgery. But no, they just had to hoik out a massive gallbladder!

Frazer and Isla came to collect me in the evening. I could have stayed in if I thought I needed to, but I thought I would be better off at home in my own surroundings and with the people who love me. And there was a bunch of flowers waiting for me! I never stop thinking how lucky I am!

So, I'm in quite significant pain, on a scale of 1 to 10 it's probably around a 6 having taken painkillers. So, I'm just taking it easy! I stayed in bed watching rubbish this morning, and sat on the couch watching rubbish this afternoon. Isn't daytime tv rubbish! I have got a bit addicted to Come Dine With Me though! I love how bitchy they are behind each others' backs, I love seeing what they consider to be fine dining, and I love love love the narrator!! He makes the programme! It's mindless nonsense that requires no brain power to watch - perfect recuperation watching.

I have a freezer full of home made soup, and am going to give Isla some cooking lessons over the week so I don't stretch myself. But doing nothing is boring...oh well, hopefully recovery won't be long!


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Banana Bread

On The Hunt Again

I had my pre-op appointment at the hospital yesterday. Apparently I'm fit and healthy enough to go ahead with the op, and it will happen mid-September but they can't be more specific than that just now because the bloody surgeon is on holiday. Ah well, I guess I'll find out soon enough.

After the hospital, which took all morning, I went up to Edinburgh Airport to collect Isla, my nephews and their mum. I had to take them into town to Waverley Station, which was immense fun at rush hour!! Trying to find my way around the new one way system in Edinburgh (due to the bloody tram works) with three bickering children in the back was less than fun!

After we dropped them off, Isla and I went to the cinema, just the two of us. We went to see The Smurfs, which was pants! Don't bother with it - it's one of those family friendly typically american supposedly heartwarming saccharine sweet movies! We had fajitas afterwards and then came home! It's nice to have Isla home - I miss her when she's not here! It's too quiet without her and I miss her huggles!

I felt a bit crap this morning after the doctor poking my stomach about yesterday, but I got up to go to work as normal. When I got there, the team leader asked to have a word and it turned out that they had had word from head office last night that the work was running out and they had to lose some staff, one of which was me. Today. As I was feeling 100% I didn't take the news very well and couldn't stop the tears, although I did try. I did feel a bit sorry for them though, as this one sprung on them last night, and it wasn't fair on them to have to give people the boot today with no notice. They did say I could go home and they would still pay me for today, so I did. Why stay after being treated so shoddily? The problem was that I was the first one they told, so when I went back to my desk to collect my things, everyone was asking me what was happening and I couldn't tell them because it was going to happen to some of them too but I didn't know who. They asked if I'd been transferred to another team and all I could say was "in a manner of speaking"!! I did tell them to facebook me to tell me what else happened today.

We always knew that the job was only going to last until the end of August, mid September at the lastest, so we were expecting that, but we weren't expecting at any point to come in to work and be told that was it on the same day. It's a crappy way to treat people.

I left the building and had a cigarette before I did anything else! I wasn't feeling at my calmest! I phoned Frazer and told him through sniffles, and he told me to come and get him fro, work and we went to a local pub for breakfast - sometimes there is nothing like a roll and sausage to make you feel better! We sat and had a chat, and I felt a little better. Got a big hug too, which was the main thing I needed!

I phoned the agency when I got home, and there is the possibility of another job in the centre of Edinburgh in a few weeks, but there's no start date yet, so I'm not counting on that. I have also applied for ten jobs today, which I think is a good start. I hope something comes up soon. I've got road tax to buy at the end of the month!

So, watch this space. The dole won't give me a penny because Frazer has a job, which I think is crappy considering all the lowlifes who live completely on benefits, but hey ho, such is life. No point moaning about something that's not likely to change any time soon!

I do have a couple of recipes for you that I will upload over the next couple of days. They're not diet ones, as they were tried before the diet started, but they are yummy!

So until then guys...happy jobhunting!


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Flipping gall bladder!

Well, I've just had another day off work sick. Honestly, I can't wait to get this gallbladder out now - it's got to the point where I don't ever actually feel well, I have a constant aching stomach. Some days are better than others, but I am so fed up of feeling like this. Doesn't do much for the bank balance either as if I don't go to work I don't get paid. I have an appointment at the hospital next week - a pre-op appointment, where I should find out when the operation is going to take place. Sooner rather than later I hope.

On the plus side the weight loss is still going well. We had a bit of a naughty weekend, but it was Frazer's mum's birthday so we didn't stint on anything. I don't have the figures to hand, but when I post this weeks (we're doing it on Fridays now) you'll definitely see some improvement! In a way the gallbladder thing has been a blessing in disguise because due to the fat free diet I have to be on, it's pushed us into dieting, which we both need. It is immensely boring though! Although, Ben and Jerry's do low fat frozen ice cream, and it's £2 per tub in Morrisons at the moment! Happy days!

Isla's back on Thursday next week which will be good. I've missed her, and the house seems awfully quiet without her, although she's far from noisy! I cleaned her bedroom today in oreoaration for her coming home - not something I plan on doing often! Three hours, one whole load of laundry and a full black bin bag later and I was half way there! In the future she is going to clean her bedroom every single weekend before she's allowed to go out with her friends, and her pocket money will depend on it! Grrrr!

Will update over the weekend with this weeks weigh in.


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Monday's Measurements

We've done not too badly at all this week. Had a a couple of wobbly moments, But that's normail in any diet.

Today's weigh in was:
Catherine 114.9 (-2)
Frazer 110.0 (-1.6)

Not bad for the first week. Long may the good work continue!


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Sunday Scales

Right, due to the gall bladder problem I have to have a fat free diet, so we have decided to make the most of it and go on a serious diet, as both of us have a few stone to lose. We have joined the gym at Peebles Hydro and plan to go at least twice a week and once at the weekend. We have also set a challenge that whoever loses the most weight in the first month is treated to a nice meal (but still diet friendly) by the other. Neither of us are any good at diets on our own, so the competition will help us.

So, the first weigh in was today on a brand new set of scales.

Me - 173cm tall and 116.9 kg
Frazer - 175cm tall and 111.6kg

My goal is to be a size 16 by the time my best mate gets married next year. Let the competition begin :-)


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Journey Home

I woke up on Wednesday morning with terrible stomach pains - they eventually went away with the help of painkillers and Gaviscon, but I didn't get any more sleep.

We got up at 6am, and left at 7am for Carcassonne to get our lane home. The kids had been given the choice of coming in the car or staying in bed...guess which option they chose!!

We both snoozed a bit in the car - great travelling companions for my mum! We got to Carcassonne with time to spare, we had checked in online but still had to join a massive queue to get our hand baggage weighed! Some woman tried to barge in front of us, and Frazer said no to her, but she barged in anyway! The Ryanair woman told her not to barge in, she told her she'd asked us, and Frazer agreed that she had, but he'd said no - she was then told to join the back of the queue like everyone else! The Ryanair woman was quite impressed with Frazer and told him that what he'd said was "almost french" - high praise indeed!

Anyway, we got through to the waiting room bit, sat there for about half an hour and no one seemed to know what was going on. Eventually someone said that the flight had been diverted - one of the passengers that is, not one of the Ryanair staff - so Frazer went to see if he could find out what was happening. Apparently the tannoy was only working at one end of the airport - it turned out that our plane had been diverted to Perpignan due to bad weather, and so had the next one. The weather was cloudy and a bit rainy, but not worth divting a plane for, and we'd just watched another plane take off for East Midlands, so it can't have been that bad. We were all herded outside, but still no one told us what was happening, so I went to find a Ryanair official who confirmed that our plane had been diverted so we were all being bussed down to Perpignan - a 2hr journey - to catch our plane. We were starving so I got some cash out of the machine as I'd given the rest of my euros to my mum, and we went and got a ham baguette which was deadly boring but marginally edible! We were eventually told over the tannoy that our bus would arrive at 11am, but at no point at all did any Ryanair official tell us anything directly apart from when I actually asked them. The bus eventually arrived at 11.30, it was almost 12 by the time we left after all the farting about getting on the buses. We were packed in like sardines, and managed to snooze listening to Pink Floyd on the iPad. Perpignan was hot and windy, the airport was a bit crap, there were no lights in the toilet, and again, no Ryanair officials to tell us what was happening. Eventually they told us on the tannoy when our plane was leaving, so we sat down at the cafe to have a drink. There were tons of flies, so we ended up outside having a cigarette. By the time we boarded the plane we were frazzled to say the least! Thank goodness they didn't play the lirrle fanfare at the end of the flight otherwise there might have been a mutiny aboard!

Although we eventually got home safe and sound, the service we received from Ryanair was nothing short of shocking. The flights weren't particularly cheap, but even if they had been I would still have expected some sort of customer service but there was none. To put it in a nutshell, Ryanair will certainly not have our custom again.

Once we landed at Prestwick we got a taxi back to Lyndsey's to pick up the car, then went to pick up the cat. Bloody mad cat woman had a moan because we were about ten minutes late, tried to charge me again until she realised I actually had paid when I dropeed him off, and eventually gave me the cat! He was very cross with us, and miaowed and yowled ALL the way home - all 2 hours of the journey! We got home, had a struggle lighting the aga, had a pizza for dinner from Francos in Peebles, and went to bed!

We had a fantastic holiday, despite the shitty journey home, but it is always nice to come home. We had a couple of days at work before the weekend, so we're having a good chillout today, groceries and a car boot tomorrow, and then back into the regular, normal routine on Monday. Next up is the gallbladder operation - just waiting to find out when. Watch this space!


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It's all going swimmingly :-)

We just tried frogs legs for the first time! Frazer and my nephew were desperate to try them, so we bought some, cooked them, and I have no idea what all the fuss is about! The texture was a lot like chicken, but they were pretty tasteless! My mum and Isla really didn't like them, but Frazer, my dad and my nephew really did. I didn't mind them, but I certainly wouldn't bother again.We've had a lovely day today all in the swimming pool playing with a beach ball and swimming some lengths. It's the last day of sunshine before we go home so we thought we'd all make the most of it. I need to make sure the tan is top notch before going home too!

We got back from the mountains on Saturday evening and webhad a lovely time. When we got to St Lary Soulan there was a night market in the town and there was a lovely atmosphere. We had dinner at one of the pizzerias, had a wander around the market and then went back to the hotel. On the Thursday we decided to go across to Spain for the afternoon. It was a bit overcast, but the views were still stunning. We had lunch in Spain, bought my mum some cigarettes and my dad a monster bottle of Glenfiddich and then headed back into France. When we came through the tunnel though, the clouds had come down and we emerged into deep fog. Not fun when you're negotiating hairpin bends on the side of a mountain! We got back to St Lary and went out to look for a nice restaurant. We found a so-called Irish pub and had steak and chips and a litre of wine each and had a really lovely evening...at least until we got back to the hotel and my dinner decided to make a reappearance! Friday, by necessity, was a very gentle day! We had a lovely stroll around St Lary and just chilled out all day. We went to Carrefour and bought some bits and pieces and spent the evening watching rubbish on youtube - it was really nice actually.
Saturday was our last day away by ourselves, so after we checked out of the hotel, we went across to the Spa pool and spent an hour or so in there. It was really cool...they've made it all cave like in there and there were bits with jacuzzis, waterfalls and a sauna and steam room. We came out feeling brand new! We went back to the pizzeria we went to on the first night for lunch, and then we went up on the cable car. That was a white knuckle experience! It was cool, and I was determined that I wanted to do it, but it was still quite scary. Frazer took some video of us going up, and kept panning round to show my scared face - ratbag! It was all worth it when we got to the top - the view was stunning...it felt like being on top of the world! We had a nice walk around the deserted ski resort, had a drink at the only open bar, and then went back to the cable car for the descent, which was scarier than the ascent. I'm really glad I did it because the view from the top was so outstanding, but it was a tad scary!
After that we headed back home. Frazer got himself all comfy with a pillow and his feet up on the dashboard while I drove! He's a useless travelling companion as he's like a child...the car makes him fall asleep! Got back and had dinner and then an early night because I was shattered!

Sunday was a bit of a wasted day, as the excesses of our few days away caught up with me, and I spent most of the day in bed with a very sore stomach. I'm going to have to be good and self disciplined from now on unfortunately. I did revive myself enough, however, for Frazer and I to give my mum and dad another good thrashing at Trivial Pursuit in the evening :-)

Which brings us back to today...lazy day by the pool and in the pool, playing and topping up the tan, trying frogs legs, blogging by the pool, and then we're out for a barbecue at Matthew's this evening which will be nice.

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60 Questions People Dont Ask Survey

When's the last time you ran? - Can't remember!
Do your jeans have rips, tears, and holes in them? - No, and when they do, they get thrown away or cut down to shorts.
What are you dreading right now? - An operation to remove my gallbladder.
Do you celebrate 420? - Dunno what 420 is so no.
Do you get the full 8 hours of sleep a night? - Normally.
If anyone came to your house on your "lazy days" what would ya'll do? - Sit them down, have a chat, and watch rubbish together.
Who last grabbed your ass? - Frazer probably!
Have you ever been on your school's track team? - No, swimming team though.
Do you own a pair of Converse? - Nope.
Did you copy and paste this survey? - Nope.
Do you eat raw cookie dough? - Oooh yes!
Have you ever kicked a vending machine? - No.
Don't you hate it when the radio ruins good songs by playing them over and over? - Yes
Do you watch Trading Spaces? - No
How do you eat oreos? - Take them apart and lick the creamy bit off first!
Have you ever stayed online for a very long time waiting for someone? - Yes, but don't have to any more as we live together now.
Are you cocky? - Can be
Could you live without a computer? - No!!!!
Do you wear your shoes in the house? - Yes
Who or what sleeps with you? - Frazer
At what age did you find out that Santa wasn't real? - About 6/7
How many phones, house phones and cell phones are in your house? - 6
What do you do when you're sad? - Mope about
Who would you call first if you won the lottery? - My mum!
Last time you saw your best friend? - Last week
Are you in high school? - No
What jewelry are you wearing? - None
Is anyone on your bad side now? - No one out of the ordinary! How's that for diplomatic?!
What's the first thing you do when you get online? - Check facebook!
Do you watch Grey's Anatomy? - No
How do most people spell your name? - In an intesting variety of ways!
Would you wear a boy/girlfriends clothes? - Yes
Where do you work? - In a banking office
What are you doing tomorrow? - Going to the Pyrenees
Is Justin Timberlake becoming the next Michael Jackson? - Dunno
Favorite name for a girl? - Arya
Favorite name for a boy? - James
Will you keep your last name when you get married? - No, probably not - if we do get married
When was the last time you left your house? - Last Tuesday
Do you return your cart? - Nope, I have a 12 yr old to do that!
Do you have a dishwasher? - Yes
What noise do you hear? - Frazer snoring next to me :-)
Would you survive in prison? - Probably
Who is the youngest in your family? - Only child :-)
If all of your friends were going on a road trip, who would most likey overpack? - Me probably!
Do you know anyone with the same name as you? - My ex step sister in law had exactly the same name as me but it was spelt a little differently
What's the last thing you purchased? - Cigarettes yesterday - last big purchase though was an iPad
Do your siblings ever pay for stuff for you? - N/A
What brand are your pants right now? - Ummm, Carrefour!!
Ever been to Georgia (the state)? - No
What irritates you most on the internet? - Adverts
What brand is your digital camera? - Olympus
Do you watch movies with your parents? - Yes
What song best describes your life right now? - The Lazy Song is how I would LIKE my life to be right now!
Do you own expensive perfume/cologne? - Yes, but not too expensive
Are you taking college classes right now? - No
Do you like sushi? - No, I hate fish
Do you get your hair cut every month? - No
Do you go online everyday? - Yes
Will you pass this survey on to 5 people? - Probably not

Take This Survey at Quizopolis.com
http://www.quizopolis.com/survey/4725/60-Questions-People-Dont-Ask-Survey/


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Back to France

We're on our holidays! They let me out of hospital on Monday and we set off on Tuesday! We were flying from Prestwick, so it was a crappy drive across there, we dropped the cat at the cattery, and then spent the night with a friend in Irvine. We collected my nephew from his mum, and we all had a great evening playing a game like Guitar Hero on the PS3 - it wasn't Guitar Hero, it was a Lego game which included guitar, drums and singing - Lyndsey and I did the singing - we were amazing!!

We got a taxi to the airport at the crack of dawn on Wednesday and we flew Ryanair - never again! We only brought hand baggage because they charge you £40 to put a suitcase in the hold! And, what's more, they've started to weigh your hand baggage! Mine was over weight, so after an argument with the officious wee eejit, and a little reshuffling we we fine! We sat the kids together in front of us because I had put a couple of movies on Isla's iPod Touch for them to watch, and we sat right behind. No leg space at all! I had never flown Ryanair before, and I won't again! We managed to get comfyish, and sat and watched The Mighty Boosh on the iPad during the flight. It was cool!

We got in at about lunchtime, so went straight to Macdonalds as we were all starving. I had a couple of wraps as I thought they we probably the most fat free, but I suffered terribly in the car from indigestion type pains afterwards. It's just proved to me that no matter how much I fancy something I'm going to have to be really careful from now on and stick to the fat free diet as the doctors said. It won't hurt, and it's pushing us both into dieting, which isn't really a bad thing, it just sucks a little to know that I can't even have a wee treat now and again because I will suffer hugely for it.

Anyway, as soon as we got home (France home I mean) the kids were into the pool! We had a lazy afternoon, with a bit of a snooze and then got up again for dinner. We lasted admirably I thought, considering we had been up at 4.30 that morning! The next couple of days were beautiful so we spent lots of time by the pool, and the kids have hardly been out of it! My mum and dad took the out for the day on Saturday, so we had a really lovely and relaxing day by ourselves in and out of the pool.

On Sunday we had Isla's birthday party with all her French friends, and she had a ball! Even my nephew did well as he managed to get on well with the boys that came with his little bit of French, and their little bit of English! We had a party for grown ups in the evening, and I managed to catch up with all my favourite people, it was great!

Frazer and I took the kids to Accrobranche in Auch yesterday, as it was a bit overcast, and not really pool weather. They really enjoyed it, but I think they wimped out at Level 5! We picked them up, went shopping, came back and made fajitas for dinner, and then wiped the floor with my mum and dad at Trivial Pursuit! Great day!


Frazer and I are off to the mountains for a few days tomorrow which will be lovely. He's suffering a little from overheating at the moment, so the mountains will be a little cooler for him. We're also planning a day of exploring in Spain just over the border, so looking forward to that.

Will let you know how it goes :-)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Galling!

We've had a bit of a difficult weekend! Frazer was really ill on Friday, and starting to get better on Saturday when we went out for a friend's lunch. When we got home I had a headache, and by about half past ten was in serious pain with stomach and chest pains - I felt like there was someone standing on my chest. We went to bed, but I only stayed ere for about half an hour because I just couldn't get comfy anywhere. The pain got worse and worse, I threw up, and Frazer came downstairs, took one look at me and phoned NHS 24 who insisted on sending an ambulance due to the chest pains. The paramedics arrived and decided that I should be taken to hospital in Melrose of all places! Never been there before! They gave me some morphine which didn't actually stop the pain as much as stop me caring about it!

We were in A&E for a while and at about 6.30am they took me up to the ward and sent Frazer and Isla away. I kind of dozed in between bouts of pain, nurses doing obs, and various nurses and doctors coming in with questionnaires and forms to fill in etc! They wouldn't allow me even a drink of water for quite a long time, but eventually I was allowed "comfort sips"! They took me down to have an ultrasound which showed up that I have gallstones which had obviously flared up due to me catching Frazer's bug.

All the time I was there I kept telling them that I had to be better because I was going away on Tuesday! I think they's have liked to keep me in a bit longer to be honest because I was on IV antibiotics, but they've given me some tablets and let me go yay! I'll have to go back in a few weeks to have the gallbladder hoiked out, but apparently they can do that with keyhole surgery so I'm not too worried about it. The only bugger is that I have to have a fat free diet until then - sucks to be me!!

Also, I'm excited because this is the first post written on my spangly new iPad using Blogpress so hopefully it'll work!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Housewarming

We celebrated out housewarming and Frazer's birthday on Saturday. We had had about three weeks of glorious weather, but as soon as the barbecue was lit the heavens opened! Such is life! I met a whole load of Frazer's friends who I hadn't met yet, a couple of my friends came up from Dumfries, and we had a housefull! Tons of people, kids, dogs and one very perturbed cat who's not too keen on dogs. He's going to have his nose put well out of joint when we get one!

I'm still working, and in fact I'm starting another job on Monday - can't tell you too much about it, again for data protection reasons, but it's for a bank. Monday to Friday, 9-5, and I couldn't be happier about it. I've been working six days a week for the last months and it's really taken it out of me getting up every morning at 5.45am. Even on Sundays I can't seem to sleep in, and am still waking up at the same time. At least this way I get my weekends back, and it's a slightly shorter journey each day. Also, on days where Frazer doesn't need to be out and about we can even car share, saving fuel money. Liking that idea!

I managed to get him the best present - I'd been wanting to get a kindle, but at £111 they're a little pricey. Isla and I have had one since Christmas (well...it's really Isla's, but I think she's only read one book on it, I've had it since January!) and it's brilliant, and Frazer has been making the odd mutterings about it for a while now. So, that was my plan, until I went on the Asda website and found this. It's a Binatone Homesurf 7 Tablet computer and it's cool. It was £79, and I reasoned that not only could he use the Kindle app on it to read all the books we have, but he could also use the browser, music player, video player etc. So, it was a better deal than the Kindle because it can do more. The only slight drawback to it, is that it doesn't have the AppMarket widget thing on it, and in order to install apps you have to search for the .apk file online, download it to your computer, transfer it onto the tablet and then install it. Slightly irritating, but no biggie - there are a few sites that tell you where to find the files.

So, he's a happy bunny. He certainly wasn't expecting it, and he loved it so much that I found him downstairs at 4am (because it had finished it's first full charge) lying on the spare bed trying to figure it all out. And he has all of Terry Pratchett's books on there too. Happiness knows no bounds :-)

All Change!

Well, we moved at the end of March and we’ve been a little busy since then! I ended up having to give up my job in order to move – I couldn’t get any more time off for interviews, so I had to be here to find a job. So I finished on the Tuesday, came up for a couple of interviews on the Wednesday and Thursday, back down to Dumfries for lunch with the girls on the Friday, and then moved up lock, stock and barrel the following Tuesday! Massively stressful!

As I wasn’t working to start with, it didn’t take too long to get the house into shape. Isla had a couple of days off school, and then started her new school, which she seems to be enjoying. Frazer’s getting used to a slight commute, but loving living somewhere that’s nicer than the centre of Edinburgh, and I’m enjoying having a nice big garden to sit out in on a nice day! We’ve had a few little teething problems, but nothing insurmountable – we’re both used to our own space, and Frazer’s never lived with a child before but we’re all finding our feet. It is lovely all of us being together all of the time, and not having to think about doing THAT journey every weekend!

And I have a job! Ok, it’s only a temping job, but it’ll do for now. It was originally just a 3 week contract but they’re keeping me on longer which is good. I’ve had a lot of interviews for permanent jobs too, so a lot of it is just wait and see. I was only actually unemployed though for 3 weeks, which isn’t too bad. I was panicking about being able to find something. The job is more boring than my last one, but an awful lot easier, the only bugger about it is that’s it’s an hour’s drive each way, but it’s a job! A better one will come along soon.

The house is lovely, and we’re all finding our own space in it. We’ve pretty much got it the way we want it, apart from Frazer’s study which he can sort out himself! There are piles of boxes and some of it is paperwork and such – not my department! I know where all my paperwork is – I’m great at filing!

The weather has been amazing since we moved, so I have been out and about with my camera the last couple of days just making the most of it. Peebles is a beautiful little town, with a couple of great ice cream shops! It has a real holiday feel when the weather is good. I will close now and give you some pictures of Peebles to have a look at, and will be back with you soon – a lot sooner than last time I promise!

Lemon Curd Cake

Tough Week

I’m having a totally relaxing weekend this week. Frazer stayed in Edinburgh and I stayed here. We had a girly drunken night on Friday, which was great, and then lots of catching up yesterday.

I’ve needed a weekend with nothing planned, as I’ve had a bit of a tough week. I had the dentist on Monday (thanks to him I no longer have a chipped front tooth!), a telephone interview on Tuesday for a job in Edinburgh Hospital working for the same company, a job interview near Penicuik on Wednesday evening and a house viewing, and the MOT for the car on Friday!

By the time Friday evening rolled around I was in desperate need of some total relaxation! I picked up my best mate Joocey, went to Tesco to buy booze and party food, came home and we were joined by the mum of Isla’s best ate, who shall henceforth be known as Snickers as she’s just changed her name and it’s a combination of the two as I never get it right!

We had a really great evening, drank too much, ate unhealthy food, and had a good laugh! We had a late night, and crashed out pretty much straight away.

Another friend from Castle Douglas came over yesterday and we had a brilliant catch up, and then I went in to town a bit later on so Joocey could catch a bus home, and Isla and I picked up a Chinese take away!

Today I am doing nothing apart from watching Arrested Development, catching up with blogs etc, chilling out, and missing Frazer.

Nothing planned next week, apart from signing the lease in Peebles on Friday. It’s all getting a little bit real, a little bit scary, but very exciting!

Moving

Plans have changed somewhat. We’ve found a house, but in an entirely different place from as planned! We are now moving to…Peebles! It’s in the Scottish Borders, still within commuting distance to Edinburgh, and absolutely beautiful. We were looking in West Lothian, but it was impossible to find what we wanted within the right price range. Peebles will be a bit of a bugger if either of us has to work in the west, but for Edinburgh it will be fine, and for me it means that I can look for jobs not only in Edinburgh, but also in Selkirk, Galashiels and Peebles itself.

Frazer’s moving in a couple of weeks, and I’m trying to find a job as soon as possible so we can move up as well. As soon as I have a job, I can give a month’s notice on my job and my house, and organise the removal! Frazer needs to get a couple of bits and pieces for the house straight away as the flat he’s in at the moment is furnished, so it’s going to be a bit bare until I arrive with a house full of furniture!!

The house is about 5 minutes from Peebles High Street, apparently in the posh bit of Peebles! It’s got 3 bedrooms, a study, an amazing kitchen with a beautiful aga, a bathroom and an extra toilet, which is highly important living in the same house as a girl rapidly approaching teenagehood! It’s very cottagey, despite being in the middle of a town. It’s got a titchy front garden, which will look great with ports of geraniums and things, and a long back garden which only really needs grass cutting.

I think that once we are in there, with all the furniture, it is the sort of place where we can be really happy. I have visions of us spending most evenings sitting in the lovely large kitchen, by the aga, drinking glasses of wine. Note to self – learn to like wine!

Happy New Year

We didn’t do much between Christmas and New Year, mainly because we couldn’t get out of the village. We eventually tried to go to town on the Wednesday, but we passed two serious accidents within about 3 miles of the village and turned round and came home. As we drove into the village, I tried to get the car up the steep hill that is Main Street. I got about half way up, and the wheels just started spinning. Frazer asked me if I wanted him to have a go, so I agreed, put the handbrake on, and we both got out of the car to swap places. Only the car decided it didn’t want to stay where it was, and started moving backwards. I hadn’t shut the drivers door, so tried to get back in, only because the road was so icy, I couldn’t get enough purchase on it to get myself back into the car, and spent what felt like an hour, but must only have been about ten seconds, trying to get back in. Eventually I did, and slammed on the foot brake as well, and the car did stop. We managed to slide it into a parking space, and went to the pub. We couldn’t drive anywhere, so we may as well get pissed! It was an interesting walk home, up that same steep Main Street, but we managed it eventually – I think being drunk helped actually!

For Hogmanay we went back down to the newly re-opened pub and had a fair few drinks. Isla’s best friend’s mum joined us, and we had quite a laugh down there. We went back up to her house where we collected her boyfriend and the girls, and came back up to our house in time for the bells. We had a good old sing song of Auld Lang Syne, and Isla’s friend stayed the night with us, while her mum and boyfriend staggered home! The girls had been listening to music when we collected them, and we heard Ellie Goulding’s rendition of Your Song (which is actually not bad), and on the way home Frazer was singing bits of it to me. Very sweet, quite drunk and very romantic!

We had a couple of days to recover from New Year, and then it was back to work and normality. Almost! We had plenty more snow during January, and I missed another couple of days work due to bad roads. We’re now spending our time scouring property websites to find somewhere to live around Linlithgow, and I’m job hunting again. It will be great when we’re all living together, it’s just getting to that point that is difficult!

So, 2010 in a nutshell – life changing.

2011 will be our year.

And Happy New Year (although belated) to all of you.

Christmas

December was snowy all the way through. It started that weekend in Glasgow, and steadily got worse through the month. I missed a fair few days at work because the roads were just too snowy and icy. As you may remember, had two accidents in the snow last year, and there was no way this year that I was going to put myself, or my new car, at risk.

I managed to get two weeks off work, and so did Frazer, which was lovely. He actually got down here two or three days before I finished work, and the night he came down, I met him at Tesco to do the big Christmas food shop! That was an experience I am happy to repeat only once a year! It cost a fortune between us, but we were going to make damn sure we weren’t missing anything!

The day I finished work, I met Frazer and Isla in Castle Douglas for a Chinese. We sat down in the restaurant, and noticed that everyone else in there was still wearing their coats. It turned out that their heating wasn’t working, and they only had one little convector heater in there for a large restaurant. We decided to get a carry out instead, and when we got it home, we discovered that a couple of the things on the order weren’t even correct. We weren’t very impressed, but it was tasty anyway.

The next day was Christmas Day, and we tried hard not to be too busy as we wanted to enjoy it. Frazer’s parents were due to arrive late afternoon, and luckily I had already cleaned the house through thoroughly and made up their bed. Frazer started to make his trifle…the first time he’d ever made it, and it was an ambitious attempt, with different coloured jellies to give a traffic light effect! We lost the packet of Dream Topping that we had bought (I was very disappointed as I hadn’t had that for years) so we used whipped cream – probably better anyway! It was a triumph, but it was massive and there was too much, even for five of us!

Frazer’s mum and dad arrived, and we just had cheese and biscuits etc, and then lots and lots of drinks! Frazer and his dad were in the kitchen, and I was chatting in the sitting room with his mum. I can’t even remember what we were talking about, but I said I’d like more kids one day, and she was delighted! We all ended up in the kitchen talking and having a few more drinks, and then they went to bed and we stayed up for a bit. I mentioned to Frazer the conversation I’d had with his mum, and I can’t even remember how it came about, but he asked me to move in with him!!! We talked about it for a while longer, decided it was the best idea we’d ever had, despite being slightly scary, and went to bed after deciding there would be kids sometime too!

Christmas Day didn’t dawn too bright or early, and there was still snow on the ground which was lovely. Isla knocked on the bedroom door with her stocking, so we got sorted, I got Frazer a cup of tea, and she sat on our bed and opened all her little stocking presents. We then got up and got showered etc, and Frazer made breakfast, and then we sat down in the sitting room and opened all our presents! I had come up trumps for Frazer – he had said months ago that he fancied a coffee maker, but they were about a hundred pounds, so I had said no chance. But…then I found one on Tesco Direct at half price, so he got it in the end! Isla got him al the little coffee, cappuccino and hot chocolate pods that go with it. I got a terabyte hard drive from him, which was exactly what I wanted, as my multi media one is only 500mb, and I keep having to delete stuff! I got Isla a new mobile phone, and some new, really good speakers for her desk upstairs. Frazer gave her a Scotland rugby shirt, and £20, and she also got a kindle from my uncle. Amazingly, she loves it! Frazer’s mum and dad seemed to enjoy themselves too, and I think it was the first year off his mum had had, so she enjoyed relaxing.

We were meant to be having a very big roast chicken for Christmas dinner, but when I got the chicken out of the fridge it had gone off! I didn’t panic though, as we’d also bought a big pork joint for Boxing Day, so we had that instead. We had prawn cocktail as a starter, then roast pork, roast potatoes, parsnips, veggies and, because they always have it, mashed potatoes as well!! We then had the triumphant trifle for dessert. It was all yummy!

We didn’t have a very late night, as we’d been really late the night before. It was lovely to have a proper family Christmas, even though I couldn’t be with my own family.

Boxing Day was pretty chilled out. Frazer’s mum and dad went home early afternoon, and we just chilled out for the rest of the day.