Wednesday 31 December 2008

Out with the Old....

So today is out with the old, and in with the new. At midnight we welcome in 2009, and say goodbye to 2008. Even though there is an extra second added on tonight at midnight we will all still stand round the TV, watching the piper on top of Calton Hill, before the camera view change to Edinburgh Castle where we watch the clock that is projected onto it count down to 12:00 and then the firework go off and everyone toasts the beginning of 2009.
Tonight David and I are going round to a friend's house to have a bit of a party and bring in the bells.

Thought this would be a good time to look back over the last year.
January:
I was working at a Cafe in South Queensferry.
David and I went on a winter break to Majorca with his parents
The day we came back we had a work ceilidh which was great fun.
February:
Finally took the leap and went self-employed.
March - April:
Just worked
May:
Got taken away to Lanzarote for a week in the sun
June - December:
Lots of work, a few night out and not enough time seeing friends.

Happy New Year and see you in 2009
x

Tuesday 30 December 2008

Hurry Up 2009..

I am so looking forward to 2009. Not because of what I discussed in yesterday's blog but because of the great films that are coming out. January and February alone have 4 films coming out that I want to see. January is a quiet month with only "Bride Wars" to been seen, but February I want to see "He's Just Not That Into You", "Confessions of a Shopaholic" and "Dance Flick". OK, I know, I am really sad and only interested in Chick Flicks, but hey, they are great. There is no thinking involved and what more do you want from a trip to the cinema. Last night we all settled down and watched "Iron Man". It was good, but I just a little predictable. Knew what was going to happen before it did, even discussed it as it was on to prove it wasn't just me that could work it out. Only surprise - the main character (Robert Downey Jr) announces right at the end of the movie that he is Iron Man (never done to maintain the secret identity of the super hero). I have even managed to convince David to come with me to see Bride Wars, admittedly by bribing him with a visit to Chiquitos first but hey, it didn't take that much discussion and I did offer to go with my mates instead.

Bring on the movies.
x

Monday 29 December 2008

Welcome to Monday...

So, today is Monday. Now not sure what you think but I think it feels nothing like a Monday. Maybe because I have been confused as to what day it has been over the last week, what with Christmas falling a Thursday (didn't Christmas always fall on a weekend when I was younger?) and therefore the "weekend" ended up being busier than the normal working week. Also not many people were travelling to work today when I left the house and therefore getting to work took me about 5 minutes instead of the usual 15 minutes. So, many people are taking advantage of the week in between Christmas and New Year and therefore there is no point in working a 3 day week so have a holiday. Chill out, relax, visit the family you haven't seen since Thursday cause god knows when you will see them after the New Year when life returns to normal.

So, you looking forward to New Year? You setting any resolutions? I am resurrecting the ones from last year, to lose weight, finally sort out the finances and get some money put away for the upcoming wedding. The finances are almost sorted out - just got David's overdraft to pay off then the only big thing we will have to pay off will be the car finance. This means that we can definitely put money away each month for the wedding fund. The weight loss is also under control as I am beginning the Lighterlife diet again in January. I started this diet back in June but because of the financial constraints of moving into the house and everything in July we couldn't afford for me to continue then but in getting my overdraft paid off we can definitely pay for the diet again. I think that 2009 is going to be the year that everything comes together and David and I can finally sort ourselves out and prepare for the best wedding in 2010.

Roll on 2009
x

Sunday 28 December 2008

It is only 4 days to 2009



Hi All
So, hows your weekend been? I have actually had a pretty hectic weekend, with working security last night. I am looking forward to Hogmany (New Year's Eve). This year David and I are going to a friend of mine for a bit of a party so it is an excuse to get dressed up again and have a wee glass of champers to bring in the bells.

The reason for this blog entry is to show you the amazing gifts that I got from my in-laws. The pictures you can see here were taken by Alan, my father-in-law when he went on a photography course and I have been meaning to get a copy of them from him so that I could get them mounted on canvas and put them up in my living room but as usual time escaped me and I never got round to it. It was a great surprise to open my Christmas present and find these. I made David put them up yesterday. I wanted them up sooner but we really didn't have the time with everyone coming over then working yesterday. Aren't they great?

Will try and get a few more blog entries in this week, before we welcome in 2009.

Have fun

x

Saturday 27 December 2008

Merry Christmas

Hey

Merry Christmas everyone. Sorry it is late, hope you guys had a good day. I had a great time. Christmas officially started for me on Christmas Eve when David, me, Craig (my bro) and Becky (Craig's other half) went round to my Dad's. We were only going for a couple of hours, due to all the stuff that was still to be arranged for Christmas day but once we all got together and got chatting we never noticed to clock chime 11 so were there for most of the night. It was good getting together with Dad and Miriam, something that needs to happen more often that it has been, and we ate pizza and chatted about stuff that had happened since the last time we had all seen each other. Once we got home, David and I exchanged presents. Realising that we were both adults, and no need for Santa Claus yet we decided to swap presents at night and have a long(ish) lie in the next day. I was stunned as I had already received my DS, therefore not expecting much more but I got my Jack Vettriano Calendar (he is one of my favorite artists), another game for my DS, a CD, the Dawn French autobiography and The Tales of Beedle the Bard (I love Harry Potter and have ordered 2 other books today). David also liked his presents, especially the dressing gown I got him, he has never had it off since.

So, Christmas Day was a relaxing day. Well not really. My lie in finished at 6 when I got up to put the turkey into the oven. Then we finished tidying up the downstairs before setting the table and then visiting David's parents and sister before getting back to the house 10 minutes before everyone arrived for drinks before opening presents and then starting the traditional stuffing of oneself which went on until about 10pm. We had some breaks in the day when we played with the Wii that Robert had bought my mum. Eventually everyone went home about 11.30 and we went straight to bed.

Boxing day was almost as busy as we were expecting David's parents round for dinner. Most of the day was spent tidying the house from the previous day and setting the table for the dinner - as well as cooking an amazing roast beef (even if I do say so myself). That went to plan as well and we had another great night.

So, how was you Christmas? Did you get what you expected?

x

Sunday 21 December 2008

back again...

so, having finally loaded all my CDs onto the iTunes, thought it was time to listen to some Christmas tunes. Now my previous entry was telling you about a CD I bought the other day, and how there were cover versions of the songs, anf how I didn't like it. Well now I have listened to it all I can say is I LOVE IT! My word, there is a great version of "Driving Home for Christmas" on it. Now this was the one I mentioned in the earlier blog because it is my favorite christmas song of all time. Well done Michael Ball - it is great. He sounds so like Chris Rea that you dont mind that it is a cover, not at all.

So now that is all cleared up. Writing this blog listening to the instrumental version of "Last Christmas" by Wham!, I like it - you cant look foolish for getting the lyrics wrong if there is nothing to compare it too. Counting down the hours until I get to go home to my bed. 7.5 hours and counting. Please someone come and let me away early.

x
Yeah, we made it. Just got another 13.5 hours to go then we are free from work. Woo Hoo. It actually hasn't been all that bad. I have managed to reduce my brain age by almost half on Brain Training and this morning I have decided to back up all my CDs onto iTunes, so that will take me forever. I have brought around 100 CDs up to the caravan where I am sitting just now, so that will keep me mildly entertained for the rest of the day. Starting off with a festive number, Now That's What I Call Xmas. Bought it the other day - I have a habit of buying Christmas CDs every year to bring on the Christmas magic whilst putting up the Christmas tree. I love it so much. This one is slightly different to all the others in that there are a few cover versions of the all time classics. Fore example "Drving Home for Christmas" was originally sung by Chris Rea, but on this CD it is sung by Michael Ball. Now I dont mind when people do cover versions, but I wish they would put the original version onto CDs like this as that is what you are wanting to buy. Of course a litle bit of variety does you good - but not at Christmas - leave the clasics to the original recording artists.

Thats all for now, might be back later if I think of anything else to say

x

Saturday 20 December 2008

Me again ...

So, it is now a more dignified 10.30an on Saturday - did you have a nice lie-in? I have been awake since about 4, although I might have dosed off a couple of times whist surfing the net.

I thought this might be a good time to tell you a bit more about what is going on in my life at the minute. I am currently engaged to David and am planning our wedding for August 2010. So far we have booked our venue, photographer, videographer and celebrant. As well as that I have bought the flowergirls' dresses (all 5 of them), my shoes, my jewellery (except my bracelet), the flowergirls' flowers, the bridesmaids' flowers, the mens' button holes and have found my flowers although I need to have them shipped from America. I have chosen to use silk flowers for the day, much easier, and much much cheaper than the real thing. The flowergirls' have lilac roses, the bridesmaids' have white roses and I will be carrying either purple roses or a mixture of white and purple roses. We also have one of the bridesmaids' shoes and bag and know what colour they will be dressed in so we can look for everything to match that. We have decided on a humanist wedding, as neither of us are religious but dont want the mundane, standard alternative to the religious ceremony.
In preperation for going wedding dress shopping in August I am also beginning the Lighterlife diet in January. This is a great way of loosing weight. It is completely supervised by the medical profession - you need a dosctor's consent to go onto it and are reviewed every 4 weeks whilst on the plan. It works in the same way as drug or alcohol addiction is treated in that you are completely abstinent from food for a minimum of 100 days. You are not completely starving though as you are given milkshakes, soups and their own cereal bars to live on. It is expected that you will loose on average 1 stone per month. I have already tried it back in June but because of financial reasons had to stop. I have seen the great results that my friend has had on it and she is my inspiration for getting back onto the diet again. Well that, and the fact that I lost 1 stone 9lbs in the first 4 weeks I was on the diet. I want to be slim for the wedding, but more than that I want to be slimmer so that the chances of conceiving naturally are improved as well. David and I want to start a family soon, and there is definately a better chance of conceiving if your BMI is as close to what it should be.

So you are going to hear more about what life is like on the diet, how grumpy I get in the beginning as I miss the food, but also the great resuts I am getting on the scales and how my body shape is changing so that I can go wedding dress shopping without having to have extra panels put into a dress so I can guess what it will look like before ordering my very own one.

Have a good Saturday

x

weekend off - never!

So, it is 4.45am. What you doing? The normal response would be sleeping, No? Well not in my case. David and I have started our mammoth work weekend, working from 6pm Friday right though to 11pm Sunday - fun eh?!? Bet you wish it was you, no? So was allowed to sleep from 20pm last night through to 4am this morning when David woke me as he was practically falling asleep himself. So now he is all snuggled up under the duvet in the bed and I am here, posting a blog entry to let you all know how interesting my life is at present.

On the other hand it does let me get fully aquainted with my new Nintendo DS Lite. I absolutley love it. I am finally getting the hang of the brain training exercises, although my brain age actually went up by 2 years in one day instead of down but hey ho, never mind. Practice, practice, practice. I am so looking forward to getting new games for it. I want to try the Imagine Figure Skater Game, cause I used to figure skate and I want to see how easy it is to make everything look realistic (well as realistic as possible on an animated game).

I know I keep asking, but how are the Christmas preperations going. I finally remembered to pick up some prawns today, the vital ingredient in the starter of prawn cocktail! Who would have guessed that you need to remember them when buying everything else you need for the Christmas lunch. Also we managed to get a hold of the last few presents that had to be bought so everything is covered. Just hope that M&S don't run out of turkeys befre Christmas Eve when I go to collect mine. Then have to arrange when to put it in th oven so that it is all cooked and healthy, dont want people ill after my first experience of cooking the Christmas dinner from scratch.

Enjoy and speak again soon

x

Thursday 18 December 2008

7 days and counting...

So, this time next week we will all be tucked up in bed, having completely gorged ourselves all day on all the fab food that is accossiated with Christmas Day. I cannot wait (incase you never guessed). Santa has actually visited my home early. Today I was presented with a Nintendo DS lite. It is what I have wanted forever. I love the brain training game on it, it is exactly what I need for getting myself re-aquainted with mental arithmitic and such things as I want them for a project I have later next year (more to follow). So I was so excited, but what makes it even better - it is PINK! The only thing that could be better was if it was purple - but they dont come in that colour. So I have been trying to train my brain, so far I have the brain age of 68 - not bad considering I am 26! Never mind. How much do I love my lovely fiance David for buying me that for Christmas? Words cannot describe just how much.
Now though I am starting to panic. These little computers are not cheap. I haven't exactly been frugal with David's presents, but I am not sure exactly how much I have spent. There are other presents from David as well, he had lots of carrier bags with him when I went to collect him tonight from the town centre and he says thay are for me but they will be my Christmas Day surprises. Maybe I will hit the shops on Christmas Eve, which is payday and pick up another few little things.
How is your shopping going? I am now completely finished - well apart frm the little extras I might be picking up for David on Christmas Eve. I have even done the food shopping. All I need to collect on Christmas eve is the Turkey, fresh bread, prawns and the box of chocolate biscuits from M&S.

x

Tuesday 16 December 2008

How long now?

So, how are you? Getting in the Christmas mood yet? I am kind of over it - weird seeing as how it hasn't happened yet but hey ho! So been working loads over the last couple of days. Yesterday drove down to the Scottish/English border, to a wee town called Dunfries. Today I was down a little bit further into England to the city of Newcastle. Now normally I love the Geordies, the accents is great but today I seemed to get surrounded by a group a chavvy school kids. I went into the local supermarket to get a bottle of water for the journey back up the road and I kid you not that these group of about 15 kids were there, screaming at one another up and down the length of the shop about buying each other chewing gum. Then when I was leaving the shop they were racing each other up and down the escalators, nearly knocking a little old lady over in the mean while. I am not sure what school these kids came from, but it defiantely doesn't teach charm or manners.

Rant over now, sorry to anyone reading this from Newcastle.

Enjoy the rest of the day

x

Monday 15 December 2008

10 days and counting...

So, today is the official 10 days count down. We only have 10 days until it is Christmas day. That means only 9 more shopping days to go. Have you got your shopping done yet?
Now normally at this point of the year I am completely paniced as I haven't yet started my Christmas shopping yet and not normally getting paid until the 21st of the month means that I normally have just 3 days to do all my Christmas shopping but not this year. Nope this year I am completely organised, well apart from the food shopping - and the presents for the in-laws. We know what we are buying the in-laws but we have not got the presents yet due to running out of cash this weekend because of the purchase of the Wii Fit that I bought on Thursday.

On another note, how good was this weekend? I had the best time, sleeping, eating, socialising with friends I hadn't seen for ages. My friends all met up in Edinubrgh and we swapped christmas presents, ate a really good Spaghetti Bolognese (which was meant to have been cooked by Lea, but was actually cooked by me in Lea's kitchen) and we started to watch Mamma Mia, however that was dumped when we remembered that it was the final of the X Factor. Did you see it? So we watched that then all headed home, giggly from all the chat that was had. On Sunday we stayed in bed sleeping until after lunchtime. Then it was round to the in-laws so I could put up the Christmas tree. Then everyone came round here for dinner, so it was full house for the evening which was really good.
I love weekends like that.

x

Saturday 13 December 2008

Finally, it is here...

So, today is my first day off in about 4 weeks. Apart from the Sunday where is was too ill to get out of bed that is. So, you ask, what could I possibly do on my first day off in so long. Well I got up at 8.30, showered and took David to work before going into Edinburgh to get an eyebrow wax from my friend Sara. Now I am back home, and watching Back to the Future part 3 and deciding on what part of the house to start cleaning first. Exciting eh?!?

Tonight is a bit of a girlie night, with Laura, Lea and I meeting at Lea's house tonight to exchange Christmas presents and have a meal and watch Mamma Mia. We have been waiting ages to see it, we were all meant to go together to see it a few months ago when it first came out in the cinema but then Lea ended up seeing it with some people with her work so it meant we ended up seeing something else and so we (being Laura and me) are still waiting to see Mamma Mia.

So, going to get moving now, got to clean house before getting ready to go out tonight so will blog later.

x

Friday 12 December 2008

comfort at last.....

So, this is so much easier now we have moved onto the new web space. I am now able to write directly onto the blog. Previously I had to write my blog, then ask David to convert it before adding it to the old blog site. This is definitely a much easier system. Now I think that there will be much more posts added, on a regular basis as I am in total control of it.
Over the next few blogs you are going to get to know me much more. I will be discussing all aspects of life, from being totally unhappy with my weight to working full-time for myself to going to the gym and how that is going to the diet and how that is going and also the planning of my wedding which is happening in August 2010. I am planning on using the blog like an online diary, and I hope that through the comments fields you can communicate with me and let me know what is going on in your life.

x

Thursday 11 December 2008

14 Days To Go......

Okay, sorry for the totally unoriginal names for these blogs but hey it is nearly Christmas, and it only comes round once a year and it is exciting. I have been out Christmas shopping again today and have finally managed to get my hands on a Wii Fit. I have been trying to purchase one for a few months now - and until this morning I was resigning myself to buying one online for about £120-£130 plus postage and packing but thanks to an impromptu shopping trip this morning, suggested by my mum I was finally able to get one for £80. It was lucky that I was actually able to buy it as the sign in the window of the shop advertising that they were back in stock was about the size of a postage stamp.
I was also able to get the last of David's Christmas presents in, well that was until we went to Asda tonight and he saw the DVD of the new Batman film and so I bought it for him as another part of his Christmas. He is going shopping next weekend for my presents, once I get paid. Cheeky I know, him using my wages to buy my Christmas presents but I used all of his wages to buy his presents so it is only fair.
Have you done all of your christmas shopping? What imaginative presents have you bought for your friends and family? We are going for the old, original vouchers for most of the family this year - got no working brain cells to think of exciting presents for them.

Wednesday 10 December 2008

15 Days to go.......

Well, sorry it has been a couple of days since I lasted posted a blog entry. There is no reasonable excuse, except that I have been working, and because I have worked the last 3 or is it 4 weeks without a day off it all caught up with me last night and I fell asleep at about 9pm, only to be woken up by David at 11 so I could move off the couch and go to bed – just what I waned when I was in a deep sleep.

On a seasonal related subject, how is the Christmas prep going? We have kind of come to a halt here in the preparation stakes. We have the tree up, we have the table built for Christmas dinner and some of the presents have been bought, wrapped and under the tree but drawing blanks as to what to buy for some of the other members of the family. I wish there was a free service where people could put up a gift list that you could buy presents from, like a wedding gift list. That way you know that what you are buying is what they actually want without resorting to the usual, reliable gift vouchers.

Will be back soon

x