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.

Bad Blogger

Yup, I’ve been terrible about updating since way before Christmas!

Our night out in Glasgow was lovely. The hotel was amazing, even if the drinks in the hotel bar were ridiculously expensive!

We went out to a very smart Indian restaurant where the food was delicious, and then went to a pub for a few drinks before Frazer’smate and his partner had to catch the train home. It started to snow really heavily on our way back to the hotel - it was really pretty and romantic, but bloody cold! We went back to the hotel bar and had a few more drinks and just sat and chatted. We woke up kind of late the next day and missed breakfast!

We had a lovely wander around Glasgow on the Saturday. I’d never been to the centre of Glasgow before, and always imagined it as kind of icky! It is nice though, and I would even go so far as to say that the shopping is better than Edinburgh! I didn’t buy very much except some card making stuff, but it was a great day.