I do try really hard to keep my blog updated but it's easier said than done! Last week was a very busy and exciting one for me. Ross was working away in Finland so I filled my days with work, gym and socialising!
On Tuesday night I went for dinner with my friend Rachael who is now Director of a well known arts organisation in Glasgow. Rachael and I have a lot in common but mostly we spend our time eating, drinking bubbly and bitching about the world in general. We had lovely mussels in the Mussel Inn and I tried squid for the first time. Hmm, it was OK but the thought put me off more than anything else! Afterwards we went to Vronis for sparkly stuff but we managed to get home at a sensible hour as it was a school night after all (although the dancing was becoming more and more tempting as the night went on!).
On Wednesday Ross returned just in time to go and see a house for sale. I really liked the house - it was a cottage in the middle of the city, very unique and right up my street. However Ross wasn't keen on the area or the parking situation so that was a no-go.
I had been looking forward to Thursday night for several months because Donna and I had tickets for TAKE THAT!! Yes, I hadn't seen my boys perform since I was about 14 so it was a joy dancing and screaming like mad women over 4 middle aged men! To top it off we then bumped into Billy Boyd as we were walking out of the SECC. Donna was going crazy (silently) and was too scared to say anything but I walked right up to him and asked if I could take his photo with Donna!
Before I knew it, it was Friday and I finished work early to go to the bank for a meeting with a mortgage advisor. How easy is it to get loans for things?? The amount of money they offered us was insane - we wouldn't have a life if we agreed to that much! Afterwards I joined my work colleagues at The Golf Lounge for a mini-work tournament. I had a surprisingly good time whacking golf balls into a screen and was even more surprised when I won the 'best female score' prize! We left fairly promptly when my boss decided to replace one of the golf balls with a joke ball filled with talcum powder - oops! Ross and I then snuck off to one of our favourite eateries Wagamamma for some japanese food to soak up the alcohol consumed.
On Saturday I did very little during the day then went to get my hair put up for my do at night time. It was the final centenary celebration of my opera club - a dinner and cabaret at House for an Art Lover in Bellahouston Park. It was a lovely night, helped along by the good company, singing, entertaining, nice food and free flowing wine! Ross was delighted to get another chance to don his new kilt and I wore my long ivory and gold cruise dress which very rarely gets an outing these days. In fact the last time I wore it was to a charity ball that I went to with my friends Isla and Zain and they've been in Oz for a year!
I was glad to relax on Sunday and all I did was go for a nice long walk, eat pizza, go to the supermarket, bathe and watch TV, Fab! I've also started reading again and am getting into a book called Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult which is challenging my thoughts on religion and suspending belief. It's great having time to do stuff!

I'm slipping up with my blog writing but there just isn't enough hours in the day! No major news from last week - I enjoyed my Pilates, Synergize and Swiss ball classes but I'll have to get back to the higher impact, sweaty stuff this week!
On Thursday we went to view another house but it wasn't a patch on the first one we viewed (hence why it was £50,000 cheaper!). It needed a bit of work done and it was miles from the nearest train station. I've got it really easy at the moment with a 10 min bus ride to work but I refuse to sit 50 mins on a bus to get to work!
On Friday I went for a few drinks with the folks from work which was good but I didn't stay too late because I had to tidy the house for Ross's folks coming on Saturday. Thankfully Ross had made some lovely broccoli and stilton soup so lunch was sorted!
On Saturday I went to see The Producers with Ross's mum and Ross went to the pub to watch the football with his dad. The show was quite good, better than I expected, but I found Joe Pasquale's voice irritating (and he couldn't sing for peanuts!) but the rest of the cast were very good. I was itching to get out though to hear the Scotland score and was jumping around like a maddie when I heard we scored. Every pub was hoaching, you couldn't get in the door!

But as everyone knows it was short lived and we were robbed in the last seconds. Enough said on that. At least the Italian restaurant we went to for dinner was quiet, and the waiters weren't rubbing our noses in it! Donna and Neil popped round to get changed before hitting the town. I was tempted to go with them (as Ross was in bed drunk by this point!) but decided to save my money instead - plus I didn't want to be having to find my way home from the west end alone!
On Sunday we viewed another house which was even worse, we're really not having much luck but we are quite rightly being fussy about what we want! Ross then took me to the golf range which was really good fun. I'm seriously thinking about getting lessons before going to the States in March. Sunday night was a quiet one spending quality time with Ross before he left for Finland. I chatted to a few folks on MSN (you know who I mean - hope you are doing OK!) then curled up on the couch to watch 21grams. However my mum phoned so I decided to give the film a miss and watched Ewan Macgregor's Long Way Down instead. It was fascinating - basically he is riding on a motorbike from Scotland to Cape Town so you can imagine it was pretty amazing. It's just so refeshing to see a celeb getting down and dirty. I was then going to head to bed but a programme came on about Bulgarian children in institutions which I was compelled to watch. It was perhaps the most disturbing documentary I have ever seen. I can't believe that a country which is part of the EU can treat children so badly. They were malnourished and had no stimulation whatsoever so they just sat naked on pottys all day and rocked. Unbelievable. I have since donated money to Unicef because I found it so harrowing. You can sign a petition here - http://www.tbact.org/root.aspx?pointerid=3773acbb514248069099b93f4140d1d1
I received some good news on Monday though when I heard I had won a staff competition. We had to describe a living landmark which was important to us so I said the Hector Macdonald monument in Dingwall. The monument is a 100ft tower built in memory of local military hero Sir Hector MacDonald in 1907. It is memorable in an ironic way for me because the monument is in the middle of a cemetery (therefore you might not think it is an entirely appropriate 'living' landmark!). However when I was younger my friend got leukaemia and a few of us decided to raise money for leukaemia research by spending the night in the tower on Friday 13th! It was the coldest night of the year, with several inches of snow and the tower windows had no glass in them. However we wrapped up in sleeping bags and the whole community rallied round and sent us their support (some even brought us hot soup and bacon rolls!) and we made it through the night without panic or hypothermia getting the better of us. We raised hundreds of pounds for a worthy cause and, best of all, my friend made a full recovery. So, we all lived to tell the tale!

After the nightmare of cars and money last week I decided to forget about it and enjoy myself this weekend! On Friday Ross and I went up to Dingwall. We decided to leave it until later to drive up in order to miss rush hour (not good with dodgy brakes!) however we almost didn't make it out of the car park because the battery was dead! Some silly plonker (Ross) left the interior light on by mistake and, as we don't use that car much, it sapped all the battery life out of it! Thankfully our friend Trevor saved the day and brought over 2 pals who knew how to jump start a car without jump leads (it's quite easy to do so I learned).
On Friday night we caught up with mum, dad, Donna and Neil and on Saturday morning I played with Xander when the brakes were getting fitted on the car. Ross got an 'erotic haircut' as he calls them - he is convinced that hairdressers in Dingwall are taught to thrust their chests into poor unsuspecting blokes when giving them a haircut! I never heard Ross complaining.
On Saturday afternoon we headed to Aviemore and got checked into the chalet before I took Xander swimming. Luckily I used to be a lifeguard and a swimming teacher because Xander was fearless! He loves the water and was jumping in and splashing about with no armbands on! At night Ross and I had a lovely quiet night in watching X Factor and the like.
On Sunday we drove to Craigellachie to visit Ross's best man David who has just bought a fab new house there, we were very jealous! Then we went shopping for winter clothes in Aviemore and bumped into a few folks we knew from Dingwall. I managed to persuade Ross to go for a jacuzzi, sauna and steam room before we headed to a lovely Italian for dinner and off to Glenmore Forest for the highlight of the weekend. I booked tickets for 'Between Two Worlds' which was described as "a night-time forest journey into a hidden world that will captivate your imagination. Light and sound reveal the mystery and beauty of the historic Glenmore Forest and bring its ancient legends to life." It really was beautiful and made me proud to come from the Highlands. We had taken Monday off work so grabbed the opportunity to explore more of Strathspey by going for a walk. It was an amazing blue sky clear day so we managed to drive all the way back down to Glasgow with the roof off. I had to be back earlier than planned because of an opera club committee meeting but was glad I went as we were all given a bottle of champagne for our hard work this year!

Well the RSNO was fantastic, particularly their last piece which was the theme tune from Star Wars - sounds great played live! I must go to their next concert which is songs from the films. Claire and I grabbed a quick bowl of soup in Dinos (a Glasgow institution) and the waiters were hilarious. They kept calling us beautiful and asking for our phone numbers! All banter of course and complimenting a lady is always a good way to ensure a tip!
On Thursday we packed our tiny suitcases for the weekend. We are taking the MR2 up to Dingwall and Aviemore because the brakes need fixed and we have a contact up there. It ties in nicely with my folks timeshare in Aviemore so we'll get a couple of nights in the chalet with lots of walking and swimming (maybe even cycling!). However can I just say - don't ever have 2 cars in a 2 person household or change your name when you get married! In the last week we have had to fork out over £1000 to get the brakes fixed, MOT, tax, service, insurance renewed, petrol and get my name changed on my passport! I can't believe you have to pay £72 to change your name on your passport (even more annoying when I still had 9 years left on it).
Anyway the other exciting news today is that Glasgow have won the bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2014! Hoorah!
Here is a wee photo of my brother at the finishing line of the New York marathon - Well done!

Home sweet home

I've realised that writing a blog makes it seem like the weeks are passing in a flash! My aim was to write something every day but I simply don't have time because the days are going in so quickly! On Monday it was fireworks night. Now I'm not a big fan of fireworks (they're expensive, over too quickly, dangerous and scare animals) however I wasn't going to be a party pooper so I went for a walk with Ross up the hill at Queen's Park (he was the typical excited boy!) and actually I was pleasantly surprised. We had a panoramic view of Glasgow and there were fireworks erupting EVERYWHERE! It was almost as good as a couple of years ago when we watched the fireworks from our friends Isla and Zain's roof garden in the west end (except we had alcohol there and sparklers!).
On Tuesday I was going to go to Spin but my shoulder was still sore after my massage so I decided to stretch it out in Pilates class instead. I really am not flexible at all. Oh well. Tuesday night was very exciting as Ross and I went to see a house for sale! It was the first one we had requested to view so we went with high (but pragmatic!) hopes. We weren't disappointed. The house was lovely, very unique. It was a semi detached with garage, driveway, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, living room, front and back garden and a cellar! Plus, one of the bedrooms was a huge coverted attic with ensuite and walk-in wardobe (WOW). However out hopes were soon dashed when we asked the owners what they were realistically looking to get for it, and it was almost 40% over the asking price so out with our price league. booo. I HATE the 'offers over' scandal that operates in Scotland. Why don't people just ask for the price they want???? So I went home a bit disappointed and Ross poured me a very large glass of wine. I wonder how many disappointments we will have before we get our ideal family home?
I managed circuits class on Wednesday which I was chuffed about and tonight I am going to see the RSNO play classic shorts. Hopefully that will help me relax!

Well I had a lovely weekend. It was so nice to have zero plans and just take things as they come - bliss! My massage on Friday was lovely - quite tough as it was a deep tissue massage but relaxing all the same. She worked mainly on my shoulders, neck and arms (never had my arms massaged before!) as I think I am getting RSI from sitting at a screen all day using a mouse. The soreness on the left side of my neck disappeared however it was replaced with a sore right shoulder as I was manipulated so hard on that side! Oh well. I spent a couple of hours browsing for old pals on Facebook and found a few old faces so it was nice to hear from them. My boy arrived back late Friday night after a delay in Paris. It was great seeing him and he brought me back a gorgeous Benetton handbag from Bulgaria - thanks Ross! He said it was a gift to celebrate 5 years together (on Halloween it was 5 years since we met on that plane - how time flies!).
On Saturday I was a bit of a wreck because I had sore shoulders after my massage and sore stomach muscles after core stability class but I still managed a bit of shopping (naturally). Ross and I went to Debenhams to spend some of our wedding vouchers. We bought a Royal Doulton bowl to match our set, Royal Doulton brandy glasses and flutes and we each treated ourselves to a new pillow. You may think this isn't very exciting but believe me, it is! I spent £60 (yes £60) on ONE pillow!! It is a special orthopaedic one which has memory foam and is fab for your neck! OK I admit I'm a sad married woman getting excited over a pillow but it is really is the most comfortable thing ever! Ross was happy with an anti-allergy pillow for a tenner but he is now very jealous of my purchase lol! We then bought some steaks from M & S for dinner and went to Tiger Tiger for a drink. Saturday night was full on terrible TV (but I love it!) with Strictly Come Dancing, X factor and some Diva-esque programme where I sat and slagged off beautiful woman like Myleene Klass much to Ross's amusement. Then he did his usual trick and asked if I wanted to lie on the couch where I promptly fell asleep and he watched Match of the Day in peace!
On Sunday we had another long lie, did the housework and the shopping and watched a bit of the New York marathon. My brother did really well - he ran it in just under 4 and a half hours, but said it was the hardest thing he has ever done (and he was in the Marines!). I'll hopefully speak to him today to congratulate him. I think they are off to see Wicked the musical tonight in New York - lucky beggars! On Sunday afternoon Ross and I went to the Golf Lounge which was really good fun. Basically you hit a ball into a computer screen and can play courses like St Andrews. I wasn't very good at all but it was enjoyable, and has made me want to get some golf lessons. Of course, I would need to go shopping for some outfits first! ;o)

Friday already and it's been a quick and very busy week! As Ross was in Bulgaria I filled my evenings with activities and events - like the social animal that I am! ;o)
On Tuesday night I planned to stay in all night and bathe for as long as possible however my brother texted me in the afternoon saying "what's for dinner tomorrow night?". Then I realised that he was coming to visit with his wife Diane on Wednesday. I had always known he was flying to America on Thursday but I thought his flight was around lunchtime so didn't think I would see him (he lives up North and has a wee boy Xander so leaving him with granny and granda wasn't easy!). But, turns out their flight was 5.45am so they came to stay with me Wednesday night. So, Tuesday was spent tidying up and going to the shops for supplies (and in fact no beers were drunk because Richard is off the booze in preparation for running the New York Marathon on Sunday for children with leukeamia - go Rich!). However I managed a quick relaxing bath which was great.
On Wednesday I headed straight from work to the Royal Concert Hall for the RSNO Halloween Classics concert. I was helping to sell raffles so put my witches hat on to join in the occasion - there were some great outfits!
On Thursday I was quite tired from being up late and getting up in the middle of night seeing Richard and Diane off (I made them get a taxi to the aiport though!) however I still managed Spin class (after getting an injection!) and headed out at night to see my friend George's band The Side play at a pub called The Box on Sauchiehall Street. They were really good, much better than the other 3 forgetful bands that played. George is a brilliant pianist/keyboardist and I'll never forget his grand piano playing until 4am on the night of my wedding! My wee sis Donna and pals Clare and Katie came over to my flat before we headed out I got a FAB belated wedding gift from them - a magnetic notice board with lots of photos all over it of Ross and I from when we were babies - aaahhh! I love personal presents like that, they hold so many memories! All in all a great night, I'll post some photos and a video on bebo later.
Oh and I also joined facebook this week. I swore I wasn't going to join yet another online social network site but my nosiness got the better of me so I'll be doing some digging for people tonight before Ross gets home! My other achievement this week was getting my necklace engraved which I've been meaning to do for ages. Ross got me a beautiful Gucci chain with dog tags on it for a wedding present so I had it engraved with our wedding date on, cheesy but nice!
So today I'm a bit beat but still managed my core stability class at lunchtime and can't wait to go for a massage after work - yippee! Ross and I are planning our last quiet weekend of the year - we're staying in ALL weekend and doing nothing - bliss!