Merry Christmas Everyone!

Since I am so rubbish at blogging I am being realistic and saying happy Christmas now - the chances are I won't be writing anything until 2009 now!
My weekend away with Theatre South Productions was a lot of fun - although I overdid it on the vodka! My virgin piece was a bit squeaky but glad to have it over and done with. I think I may have poisoned myself with vodka but all for the sake of theatre! I stayed up until 6am playing Mallet's Mallet and dancing - you can't beat nights like that!
Work has been pretty stressful the last month because I have been taking on too much. Ross has been away to Athens and Blackpool so not as bad as usual. I got myself a nice head massage to destress but remembered half way through it that I had forgotten my purse so that's stressed me out even more!
We had a lovely dinner out with David and Elaine to celebrate the birth of their son Ian. We went to the Mussel Inn and had oysters, mussels and sea bream - lovely! Followed by some drinks in Vronis, our fave pub.
At the start of December I headed to Inverness for a work consultation event and met up with mam, Donna, Sarah and Aileen. Sarah's new flat in Inverness is lovely and we helped put up their Christmas decorations. Aileen is looking fab after losing a LOT of weight.
The worst thing about going up North is that I got a terrible cold. It progressively turned into mild flu with achy bones, nausea and sore eyes, not pleasant.
So I took the Friday off and Ross and I went shopping and had lunch at Cafe Mao which was great followed by the Coldplay gig on the Saturday night. I LOVE Coldplay - they were amazing. The only disappointment was that it was all seated but we were dancing on our seats by the end of the gig!
Last Tuesday I went out for our annual Christmas celebration with my pal Reena. We got glammed up, drank cocktails then went to The Social and Karbon. I can't remember the last time I went clubbing on a Tues night - vodkas were 1 quid! Also, my new shoes lasted the pace - just!
My trip to the panto was a lot of fun, particularly the bit where a wee boy in the audience shouted out when the baddie was caught - "kick him in the nuts!". LOL.
Last Friday was my team Christmas lunch at Anarkali - a fantastic Indian restaurant near where I live. I didn't need to eat for 24 hours afterwards I was so full!
Another Sat, another gig - this time Primal Scream at the SECC. Ross is a big fan and I enjoyed them although I was still feeling a bit rubbish and getting covered in lager didn't help!
This week I am trying to fight off the illnesses but not succeeding. I gave in yesterday and went to the doctors to find out I was run down (no shock there) and have a bad ear infection (very painful). I also keeled over when giving blood samples so I'm not doing too well :o( I really want to get well soon for some pampering (tanning and hairdresser) before my works do on Friday and Amy Macdonald on Saturday.
Well, have a lovely Christmas and New Year everyone - thanks for reading! x

35 days til Christmas!

I did hope that life would get calmer after all my shows were finised - but not so!
I had a very funny night out with the girls to The Stand comedy club after a nice (but not amazing) meal at The Lansdowne in the West End. Most of the jokes at the comedy club are not repeatable on a public website but I would highly recommend it for a different night out.
Since I last wrote Ross has been away to Africa, London and is shortly going to Athens. It's not been easy, particularly because these are his last trips away so there are lots of parties to attend...
I have been doing my usual and filling the evenings with dinners out and various nights of entertainment. I've had lunch at Rogano (disappointing), dinner at Wagamama (excellent), dinner at the Griffin (more pot noodle flavour sauce - yum!) and ate Crocodile at Khublai Khans (enjoyable but I had to forget the episode of I'm a Celebrity I watched the night before!). I also went to see the Slava Snow Show which was recommended by a friend. It was the most bizarre show ever! It was aimed at older children and involved clowns doing funny and sad acts on stage and then the most amazing snow storm inside the theatre, followed by huge inflatable balls being thrown about the auditorium. It's very hard to describe but definitely worth going to see if you can get a ticket in the stalls.
I am also very excited at future nights out including Take That tickets (scream!!!!), various concerts at Celtic Connections in January (my pal Julie Fowlis is playing with a fantastic band called La Boutinne Souriante), Boogie Nights tonight at the Kings and Dick Whittington panto in December (oh yes it is).
I'm getting on very well with my Christmas shopping - I've thought of a great idea to solve the "what do I buy my dad/brother/brother-in-law" question but it's a secret! I did my annual trip to Livingston designer outlet (where I usually buy more for me than anyone else!) plus a fairly successful trip to Silverburn - although I am struggling to find anywhere nice for maternity clothes for my sis - anyone got any ideas?? She sent me through a 3D scan of the baby - it is the strangest and most amazing thing I have ever seen!
The weekend before last Donna, Neil, Ross and I went to my folk's chalet in Aviemore which was good fun. We played table tennis and went swimming and sauna-ing before heading back to the chalet for fajitas and X Factor (I can't believe Laura got voted off...). The next day we caught up with Richard and Xander and my folks before getting the train back to Glasgow and heading straight for my show auditions. I think I did OK although I don't want any speaking lines because my London accent was shocking! I have since heard that I got in so am really chuffed about that!
This weekend is our rehearsing away weekend where we all go to Crianlarich, rehearse all day and get drunk at night - sounds fun! But, we all have to do a performance in front of everyone (called a 'virgin piece') so Donna and I are going to sing a Gaelic medley.
A very drunken night was had last Saturday at our friend Trevor and Steph's house. Trevor made a lovely dinner and made sure our glasses were never empty. Thankfully we only live 1 street away so we stumbled home and crashed into bed!
Can I just say - I was astounded recently to find out how much a wash and blow dry costs in Glasgow! The cheapest I could find was £25!! All I wanted was a shampoo and blow dry!! I eventually went to Mcmillan's in the Merchant City who were very reasonable and I even got a glass of wine thrown in!
Anyway sending get well soon messages to my friend David who was in hospital recently for an op, and my pal Alex who is also unwell.
If anyone has any ideas for Hogmanay let me know! xx

Pimps and pregnancies!

Sorry, sorry, sorry! I have been neglecting my duties! It has been THE busiest month ever and it doesn't seem to be lightening up in the run up to Christmas. I have something on every weekend until the festivities and most week days also!
OK what's happened since I last wrote. Well, my first show went really well and I loved every minute of performing and dancing. I lost a few pounds with all the high energy and nerves but it was all worthwhile!
However the biggest shock of the week was my big sis announcing she is pregnant! I wondered why she was keeping her jacket on the whole time and feeling sick! She is due in April and I'm really excited about her and her hubby moving back to Scotland in February.
We had a great party up North when the whole family were home. It was planned to be a Disney fancy dress party but it didn't really happen until half the guests turned up dressed up so we all felt we ought to dress up too. I particularly liked Ross's pimp outfit!
After the parties were all over it was straight back into rehearsals for my next show - Oklahoma! Thanks to everyone who came along especially my granny who came all the way from Dingwall by herself on the bus. It certainly wasn't without drama - during the fight scene between the two principal characters one of them made contact with the other and broke his nose live on stage! We all heard it crack and there was blood all over the stage and people's costumes!
Since I last wrote Ross has been to Sweden and Johannesburg. However the good news is that he has a new job! Yes he starts with Scottish Enterprise in January so I can't wait to see more of him and travel on the bus together to work - lol!
I've eaten out at a few nice restaurants since I last wrote including Piccolo Mondo (an old favourite), Rogano (slightly disappointing), Barca (have been meaning to try for ages and was impressed by the value), Mulberry St (delicious macaroni), Red Onion (pretty rubbish), The Griffin (excellent pub grub - spicy chicken tastes like curry pot noodle, mmm!) and Fusion in Gourock (delicious monkfish and scallops!).
It's been busy busy at work just now with mid year reviews and prep for our programme on ITV in November. I also filled up my evenings when Ross was away with gym trips (body attack is excellent!), rehearsals for my next show (Boogie Nights in March 09!) and a concert by the Swingle Singers who are an amazing 8 piece group who use only their voices for all the sounds, vocals and instruments! Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQbO70Vp6Jc&feature=related to hear them.
I have also started my mentoring with a 3rd year pupil in a south side secondary school. She seems really nice and I hope we have a good relationship.
Last weekend was a bit of a drunken one with a work night out to Bread and Butter (nice place) on Friday night and a boozy night in on Saturday night. Eilidh, Donna and Clare came round for some X Factor and Singstar fun and delicious Bay Breeze cocktails and banana liquer hot chocolate - yum! I apologise to my wee sis as I was very hungover at her dress fitting on Saturday but the exciting news is that I think she has chosen THE one!
Sending happy 30th birthday wishes to Isla, happy birthday and congrats to Paul who passed his police exams and get well soon to my dad who has just had an op on his knee. L xx

Show week!!!

Aaaahhh can't believe my first show week is upon us already! Very nervous about the solo and the dance routines (and the fact I have people coming to see me every night!). Remind me again why I do it??

Anyway, the last few weeks have been crazy busy catching up with folks to give them their show tickets, working hard and rehearsing harder! Dinner at Eilidh's with Reena was great. I think the three of us could win awards for chatting - we could talk for hours without a breath of silence!! I am still laughing (in a nice way) about Reena's fear of cats. Here's a picture just for you Reena!! LOL, sorry!!

Since I last wrote three of my team members have moved teams or moved jobs (not that I'm taking it personally!) so I now have a core team of 4 very hard working officers. Let's hope it stays stable for a wee while anyway. We've had a few nice team lunches at Venezia and Ho Wong - I love eating out!

Last weekend Ross and I had a lovely night out together when we went for drinks at 'Mine', dinner at Red Onion and went to see Travis at the ABC who were excellent, very polished. Afterwards we went to Vronis (mistake!) and had a bottle of bubbly whilst talking crap to each other in that tipsy way!! On Sat night we stayed in for the first time in weeks and watched X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing eating Enchiladas - fantastic!

This week it's all show, show, showbusiness at Eastwood Theatre in Giffnock. Our technical and dress rehearsals went well apart from the pyrotechnics and smoke machines constantly setting off the fire alarms so we had to stand outside in skimpy leotards while the fire brigade checked the building!

Ross is away in Germany this week which has added extra pressure for me as we have houseviewers coming so I need to find time to tidy and clean! He has been a sweetheart though sending me flowers for my show!

I also had my away day with work where a few of us went to Riding for the Disabled (as featured recently on Secret Millionaire) to help groom the horses. It was quite therapeutic actually!

This week is also an exciting week as my sister and her hubby Jeremy are over visiting from the States! They are coming to visit this weekend and see the show.

Congratulations to Katy and Steph for their secret engagement before they went touring the world, and also to my friends David and Elaine who had a wee boy Ian William. Happy birthday also to my wee nephew who turned 3 this week.xxx

Sunny - I mean stormy - Stornoway

Bit of a catch up as I have been out of action electronically for the last few weeks. My laptop had to be sent back to the manufacturers as it was so riddled with viruses - poor thing! So, since I last wrote we have had Iona and Pete's wedding - which was a fantastic day in glorious sunshine! We partied until 4am at the Drumossie in Inverness and I got to wear my vintage dress so I was a happy girl!
Ross has been on travels again - back to Bulgaria this time - whilst I was hard at work signing up to be a volunteer mentor. I have decided to mentor a pupil at a high school in Glasgow which should be a rewarding experience and will hopefully help the young person going forward in their life.
We also had another house viewer who seems quite interested but I am not getting my hopes up at all! We have had 11,000 hits on rightmove since the flat went up for sale - so it's really disappointing that nothing has come to fruition yet.
I've had quite a few days off in the last few weeks as I had loads of holidays to take. I went for a couple of girlie work nights out to Arta and November (plus I introduced them to Victoria's secret which is no longer a secret!).
We gave Connect Festival a miss (long story which I won't go in to!) but actually I didn't have any regrets because seemingly the site was like a bog - I have no desire to camp for 3 nights in a swamp, thank you very much! So, instead we went through to Edinburgh for a day out. We visited the parliament which I didn't like and had a nice lunch sitting outside in the sunshine. Harvey Nics was also frequented but I managed to hold back opening my purse (thankfully!). We ate out at Zizzi that night which is still one of my fave places to go as you can people watch in Princes Square to your heart's content (and the garlic bread with cheese and caramelised onions is divine!).
On the Sat night we went to a fundraiser night for my theatre group. It was a 70's Boogie Nights party so we all got dressed up and boogied to a cool band playing oldies! We also got the bus home, which was definitely a bad idea as we were mocked the whole way home!
The 7th Sept was Ross's big day as he was running the Glasgow half marathon. I was very proud of his efforts as he completed the run in a very respectable 1hr 49mins! My friends Isla, David, Paul, George and Phil were also running - well done to you all! Afterwards we had lunch in the Granary and dinner in Anarkali where I had a delicious spicy curry - even some of the boys couldn't handle it!
Last week Ross and I went to Stornoway (via Dingwall) on a part business - part pleasure trip. I visited a couple of projects applying for funding but spent the rest of the time exploring Lewis. We got the ferry across (fine on the way over but gale force 8 winds on the way back - thank god for travel sickness tablets!) and had a hire car to get around the island. We went to the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse and some lovely beaches as well as exploring the shops, arts centre and eating/drinking establishments in Stornoway itself. We had dinner in a Thai restaurant (yes, Thai on the Western Isles - fab!) and I had a delicious banana liquer hot chocolate in a trendy bar called HS1. It was a long drive back to Dingwall (helped by a stopover at my folks house for macaroni!) but it was worth the trip.
On Friday night we went for dinner at Sarti (very good) and went to see Evita at the theatre (also good but I still love the film the best). I got a lump in my throat when they did 'You Must Love Me' as that is the song I am singing solo in my show in a few weeks - aaah! On Saturday night we went to our friends Katie and Stefs leaving do - they are travelling the world and said goodbye in style at the Buff Club.
Phew, other than that I have been trying to be best bridesmaid of the year for my wee sis Donna who has set her date for 19th Dec 2009 in a mansion just outside Inverness! She has completely surprised me by turning into Bridezilla overnight (sorry Donz!) but it is great to be talking weddings again. We went to Roberta Buchan for a try on session on Saturday and she looked stunning in the dresses she tried on!
Right better go - off to for dinner tonight with Eilidh and Reena - my biggest blog fans !! lol ;o)

Catch up - sorry it's so out of date!

A good weekend was had last weekend when my brother and his wife visited from up North. Babies and dogs were left with my mum in Dingwall so it was a grown up weekend and the chance for them to get a lie-in for a change! We went shopping at Braehead and I bought far too much as usual (M & S are doing great work clothes at the moment and I bought lots of garish clothing for my show in October - bright pink legwarmers - nice!). We also went to Xscape which is my brother's idea of heaven under one roof and then went to the Imax to see The Dark Knight (again) which was equally good the second time round. The biggest disappointment of the weekend was the quality of food we experienced both at Xscape and even more so when we went for dinner at a well known Mexican restaurant in Merchant City (naming no names but half of us had to send our food back because it was cold). We went for a few drinks afterwards (couldn't get served in Arta so went to Bar 91 and Citation instead) then went back to mine for a game or seven of Mr and Mrs, which always ends up in arguments!! However Ross and I won so we must be doing something right! Saturday night was also our claim to fame as we were on Primetime TV in the audience of 'This Time Tomorrow' the lottery show hosted by Tess Daly. Admittedly it is one of the worst shows on TV but it was a laugh nonetheless!
On Sunday we went for one of my favourite dishes in central Scotland - chicken sizzler at Kip Marina in Inverkip - yum! At nightime I started blocking my solo piece for the Revue Show (now called The Best of Broadway) which doesn't involve much at all, other than looking distressed and staring into space! At rehearsal last night we learnt a new dance for All That Jazz which is very sexy and seductive, and we will be wearing leotards and fishnets - eek!
Work is trundling along OK, still very busy but not as bad as it was. We had our team away day this week at Castle Semple outdoor centre. Considering it has been raining SO much in Glasgow we actually had a really nice day to play team games in the sunshine and go cycling.
Tonight I am theatring again (but this time on the other side of the stage). I'm off to see Flashdance - bring on the lycra!
Best of luck to my pal Iona and her hubby to be Pete who are getting married on Saturday. I can't wait for the big day - vintage dress is getting donned!

Back online (sort of....)

I'm finally back online after numerous virusses, trips to the PC repair shop, pals trying to fix things and re-installing everything which has taken AGES!
I will try and give a brief update but there has been lots happening! The last weekend in July we went up North to visit my folks and see my new nephew again (who is now crying much less I am pleased to say!). On the way up we stopped at Carrbridge to see The Accidental Death of an Accordionist. When I worked for the Highland Festival in 2000 I toured with this show, which was a hoot. If you get the chance, go and see it at the Fringe. It's an interactive murder mystery comedy - very difficult to explain but very funny, particularly if you are from the Highlands. It was a veru subdued weekend up North, spending Saturday night out on my dad's new decking playing keyboard and drunkenly singing! It was like something out of Phoenix Nights!!
The next week was a very busy one for me work-wise as I had three committee meetings for a large funding programme I am managing, which will be on TV the week commencing 24th November on the evening news. I did get a nice wee trip to ITV in Carlisle although it wasn't nearly as glamorous as I had hoped! The 31st July was my wee sis Donna's birthday so I took a half day and we went to the hairdressers together and drank wine and cocktails (had another Victoria's Secret in Metropolitan - still by far the best cocktail I have ever tasted!). Then we met up with the boys and went to Koolba for a curry followed by a viewing of Dark Knight at the Imax - which was FANTASTIC!!
For my birthday weekend I was whisked away to Dublin to relive old memories. The last time Ross and I were in Dublin was when we met 6 years ago! We went to some of our old haunts including Gogarty's and Break for the Border. Unfortunately Zanzibar was closed but we went to Cafe en Seine instead which was lovely. I had the best burger of my life at Gourmet Burger Kitchen in Temple Bar (chicken satay burger, mmm). To top off a fantastic weekend we met Calvin Harris at Spy Bar where he was playing a DJ set. He seems a nice guy - very tall and cool - but very pleasant also!
It's back to rehearshing full on now for my October shows. I now have two solos in the Revue show - You Must Love Me from Evita and the part of Cosette in One Day More from Les Miserable. It is sooooo hard (and high for my voice-eek!). Every night this week I am busy with rehearsals or meetings, I think I will give performing a miss next year so I can have a life!
Last weekend we went to my friend Alex's new house for a BBQ. Thankfully the sun came out and we had delicious food like tuna kebabs and steaks mixed with good company and Addlestones!! (my new fave cider of the moment!). But we were very good and left at midnight because we had to drive to Pitlochry the next day to celebrate our first year wedding anniversary!!! I cannot believe we have been married for a year already - where has the time gone??!! We stayed in Atholl Palace and watched the wedding party with nostalgia!
This week I planned to get back to my good gym habits however I have lunch planned with my friend David today, lunch with my pal Isla tomorrow, team lunch on Friday and my brother and his wife visiting at the weekend (there goes my one quiet weekend in August!!!).
Anyway, think that's all my news for now. Congratulations to Paul and Eilidh who got married in Dingwall when I was in Dublin. x

All systems down

Just a quick note to let you know that my laptop has broken so I have lost contact with the world! Well, actually I still have my mobile and my work email but I can't access things like Bebo, photos, facebook, yahoo and hotmail so I feel so out of touch! The annoying thing is that I have loads to update on but I don't want to until I have the accompanying photos to go with it!
So, please be patient with me - I hope to be fully up and running by the weekend! xx

Congratulations!!

A very big congratulations to my wee sis Donna who got engaged to her boyfriend of 7 years, Neil, on Thursday!! The proposal was made on a rock in Glenelg (a lovely west coast village we used to go to as kids). Not sure yet about wedding plans but I am going to be a bridesmaid - hoorah!!! xx

Spa delight!

A lovely weekend was had through at Norton House in Edinburgh. I won a voucher at work (see previous post) for a nights B & B for two at this handpicked hotel. Firstly it was GREAT having a day off work, pity the weather was so rubbish. Ross and I left Glasgow first thing Friday morning and went straight to the Spa for a day of pampering. I had booked the 'Ruby Experience Package' which involved full use of the spa facilities, a massage, lunch and a Rasul Mud Treatment. So, we went to the gym first and had the whole place to ourselves (having a work out first meant we got the hard work out of the way and didn't feel guilty drinking champagne later!). My favourite machine was the power plate which is a vibrating machine (oo-er!) where you tense your muscles and it's meant to be the equivalent of several mins work when you are actually just tensing for 30 seconds! We both loved it so much we checked out how much they cost when we got back home! (£3000 - £10000 - ouch). After sweating it out on the running machine (with my nike+ trainers that talk to you when you are running - it helps to keep me motivated!) we headed for a champagne lunch in our private 'amber dining lounge. Whilst letting lunch settle we popped into the relaxation room (a dark room full of beds and playing soothing music) followed by a sauna, steam room, swim, crystal shower and bubbly hydrotherapy pool. Then it was time for the treatments, firstly the rasul mud treatment. We were shown into our own private room with a table full of different muds and 2 heated seats built into the tiled walls. We were then basically left to it to cover our body, face and hair in mud (more like moisturiser actually) and then we pressed a button which released the steam. When the steam stopped a shower of warm water released from above us to wash all the mud off. What a novelty! To finish off the package we had a joint massage in the ruby suite leaving us exhausted! So we decided to stay in the hotel rather than go out because the hotel is quite far out of Edinburgh and it was still a rotten day. Plus the rooms were lovely (with more free bubbly and fruit) and a plasma TV.
We also ate in the hotel restaurant which was vey tasty.
The next day we had planned to go clay pigeon shooting but it was postponed so we will have to reschedule for later in the year. So, we went shopping instead! I bought some more gym gear and Ross treated himself and me to some under armour for Connect Festival - which is cosy skin tight gear (often worn by footballers and golfers). Not sexy but very warm!
At night we cooked steaks to perfection (rare - medium) and smothered them in A1 sauce which you can only get in USA so please bring us back some if you are ever over there as we are almost out!
This week is a busy one with Ross just back from Switzerland and off again to Nuremburg so I have my pal Reena coming over tomorrow and an opera meeting tonight. It's all go!

Love is in the air!

News this week - We had our first house viewing in weeks - a lovely end terrace only a few streets away from where we currently stay. It had potential but it really was too expensive in this current climate. Plus we are not rushing to buy a house any time soon when we have so little interest in our own place.
Ross is working away SO much at the moment, I hardly ever see him! He was in Coventry last week, Frankfurt and Switzerland this week and is going to Nuremburg next week! However it does mean I have plenty time to catch up with pals. Last week I met my friend Eilidh for dinner - we had a lovely after work meal at Pizza Express. It is great catching up with folks because come September I won't have time to do that because I'll be rehearsing 4 nights a week for my shows! Exciting news this week is that my friend Aileen got engaged!! Yes, her boyfriend Ross proposed on her birthday. I don't know the details yet but I am so chuffed for her.
I just had a lovely relaxing weekend because Ross and I were meant to be going to T in the Park but decided to go to Connect Festival instead so we had no plans whatsoever! On Friday Ross was golfing then we went shopping at the Fort followed by dinner in a wee Italian restaurant in Pollokshields we having been meaning to try for ages. The meal was very good - straighforward linguine in olive oil, pesto and chilli sauce (which we recreated at home on Sunday). It was also a great atmosphere with the Italian chef singing Volare from the kitchen and the Celtic footballer Massimo Donati was at the table next to us. I also had a good day of purchases (I know I don't need more clothes/shoes but the summer sales have started!). I bought 2 pairs of shoes, a black dress/top, 2 jumper tops, a belt and some benefit make up - result!
On Saturday I had a lovely long lie when Ross left to play in a golf competition then spent the morning tidying the flat as it was a disgrace! We had planned the pictures in the afternoon but decided not to rush and instead went for a leisurely cocktail in Merchant Square followed by a curry at Koolba which was great. The cocktail I had was delicious - fresh mint, lime, gin, fresh squashed raspberries topped with champagne! Saturday night we spent watching crappy TV, playing jenga and guitar and laughing out loud at Donna's air guitar playing! Yesterday's rehearsal was good fun, singing songs from Blood Brothers and learning our next dance to Jesus Christ Superstar which involves body popping - don't ask ! ;o)

Working hard but playing a bit too!

Well I've been quiet because I've been working like a dog the past few weeks. Work really is busy and stressful at the moment as I am still working with a team of 2 when I should have 6. Mind you, the 2 I have are fantastic so I probably shouldn't complain - and I have now recruited two more so things should be on the up very soon. Plus, it doesn't help that everyone is talking about their holidays when Ross and I had ours in March!Anyway, what fun things have I been up to? (I'm of the opinion that if I'm working so hard during the week I am going to blooming well enjoy myself at the weekend!). Of course I have been up North to see my new wee nephew who is a real cutie - I almost became maternal for a second :o) It was also Iona's hen night the same weekend so we travelled in style and got a limo to Inverness, followed by my favourite pasta in No 27, a few pubs and lots of dancing in Mr G's!! (Although it's not called Mr G's anymore, it has some new cheesy name which I can't remember!). It was a great girlie night - everyone made a big effort to dress up ganster style - and I'm really looking forward to her wedding in August.

Last weekend we went to a wine and cheese party at our friends Isla and Zain's in the West End. It was a great idea for a party as we had to taste and score all the wines - mind you their house probably smelt pretty bad the next day!

Last Sunday Ross, Donna and I headed to the BBC to watch the filming of the new Lottery show - This Time Tomorrow. Ross only went because Tess Daly was presenting it! It was really good to see how it worked behind the cameras - watch out for us in the audience when it is screened on Sat 16th August.

Last night we went to our friends David and Elaine's for dinner. We got to see their lovely daughter Sophie, played Jenga, and had a delcious beetroot soup, proper stew and a lovely fruit crumble - we definitely got our 5 a day! Pity I drunk so much wine alongside it - my head hurts proper today!

I've also had a few nice meals out including proper pub grub at Clockwork, Thai food at the Thai Orchid and Bar Soba, Cockburns Haggis and best of all, Ross's home cooked Chateaux Briande!

Rehearsals have been going well - we are now learning a dance to Can't Stop the Beat from Hairspray which is really fast and a total workout!

Happy birthday to my friends Lorna and Clare! x

I'm an auntie again!

Welcome to the world - Fergus William Shanks! Born at Raigmore on Tuesday 17 June at 10.30pm, 9lb 2oz. Mum, dad, brother Xander and baby Fergus all doing well. xx

Baby on the way!

Ha, bet that got your attention! Actually it's my sister in law Diane who is giving birth in Raigmore Hospital as I type! I may have some news before my post is finished!

News since I last spoke - we got our wee car back, it's looking good although I haven't had the guts to drive it yet! I was sorry to see our hire car go back as it was lovely to drive. I had my last Oklahoma! rehearsal before the summer break so it will be nice to get my Tuesdays back just for a couple of months before things get very hectic rehearsing for 2 shows in October!

Drama happened in my folks back woods in Dingwall when a fire broke out and the fire brigade had to be called! My wee nephew Xander loved the fire engine and the volunteer boys did a great job dousing the flames.

We got our house valued last week so it should be on the market some time this week, not that I'm overly hopeful as the market is SO slow at the moment. Mind you, the flat is looking GREAT since we spring cleaned so I'm happy to wait a few more months. We had another nightmare house buying experience last week where our offer was accepted, we moved to survey and then were told that the estate agents had decided to sell the house to another person who had previously put in an offer before going AWOL. Sharp practice if you ask me - and very depressing after all the disappointments we have had so far.

But, I had a lovely weekend which cheered me up. On Friday Ross was golfing in Dunfermline so I went for post work drinks at Grill on the Corner which was a real treat. Delicious cocktails! I then had a bite to eat in Bella Napoli with a couple of the girls from work. On Saturday we picked up our car and Donna and I went to the fancy dress shop to get organised for next weekend! Saturday night was a non-alcoholic night (yes it's true!) because Ross and his mate George were running the 10k on Sunday morning. They both did really well running it in under 49 mins. Needless to say they both had a beer in hand by 11am! On Sunday afternoon we went to the West End Festival which was great. The sun was shining, the streets were jammed packed and the drinks were overpriced - that's the West End!

On Monday Ross and I had a fantastic day off which included a lie in, a walk down the River Clyde, lunch in the sunshine at Waverley Tearooms, Atonement on the couch and a home made Thai curry - I could easily live a life like that! However I was promptly brought back to Earth when Ross left that night for Italy and I ironed my clothes for work the next day!

Mind you, work wasn't too bad today because I had a lovely lunch at Piccolo Mondo and went late night shopping buying a pair of gorgeous black strappy shoes and the most OUTRAGEOUS dress I have ever bought from my fave vintage shop! I've no idea where I will ever wear it ;o)

OK no baby news yet so I'm signing off! Happy Fathers Day Dad!!! xxxx

Into June already

So yes, I know it's been ages since I last wrote but my life has been unbelievably busy. I am quite pleased though that a few people have told me I'm slacking - it must mean that people still read my blog ;o)
My new job has been the reason for for the non blogging recently. It's been a varied start to my new role in management - challenging and exciting one day then very stressful and knackering the next. But I have kept up my social activities which counteracts the rubbishness of work (although doesn't give me much respite!).
Still no news on our car getting fixed which is fine as I am enjoying our hire car very much. My neck is almost back to normal now following a few neck massages at my gym. I'm back to my exercise (gym, circuits, swiss ball) but not managed a spin class yet as I want my neck to fully recover first.
Also nothing to update on the house front although we are planning putting our flat on the market in the next few weeks just to see if it gets much interest.
I've had a few fun nights out in the last month including a planned subway crawl (clockwork orange as it's known) which didn't get any further than The Social in town (oops!), a leaving do in Babbity Bowsters, dinner in El Sabor with my friend Rachael, lunch with Ross's folks at the Mussel Inn, our first drink in the Star Bar(!), drinks with pals in McSorleys and a catch up in the Merchant City with our newly engaged pals Isla and Zain who are back from their travels round the world. During this time Ross has also been to Greece and Cologne.
I've also managed a few gigs, films and concerts this month including Amy Macdonald at the Carling Academy who was very good, Dancing Queen at the Kings with my pal Clare and Sex and the City with 9 of the girls which was a hoot - AND I was sat next to and ended up chatting away to the one and only Alan Cumming at the cinema - aaaaahhhh, I love him!!
In late May my sister and I had our auditions for Theatre South Productions and we were both delighted to get in! Not only that, but I have to sing a solo song (another aaaahhhhhh!) so I better get practicing! I'll be singing 'You Must Love Me' from Evita as well as some other chorus parts from musicals such as Phantom, Sunset Boulevard, West Side Story, Wicked, Rent, Mamma Mia, Blood Brothers, Chicago, We Will Rock You, Hairspray, Les Mis, Miss Saigon and Moulin Rouge. The show will be 1-4 October at Eastwood Theatre and will benefit 3 cancer charities in Glasgow.
Finally, we had a brilliant weekend up North last weekend. It was my friend Angela's wedding in Dingwall which was lovely. I nearly set her off crying as she walked into the church because I was welling up when Highland Cathedral started to play, as that's what I walked down the aisle to! The rest of the weekend was spent with family - walking the Cat's Back and Fyrish, playing on Golspie Beach and having a delicious lunch at Foulis Ferry before driving back down the road with the roof off - bliss!
Happy birthday to Katie and Steph and sorry we missed your night out - after our hectic weekends we only made it til 8pm on your birthday and passed out like lightweights! xx

New job underway

I have now officially started my new job and talk about hitting the ground running! My days are filled with endless meetings and training and problem solving and handovers - what have I let myself in for! On a serious note, I am looking forward to the challenge and putting some of my studying to use in the real world.
Rehearsals continue for Oklahoma! and I have now also started attending rehearsals for a show called The Revue at Eastwood Theatre in October. It will be a mix of songs from well loved musicals such as Evita, Les Miserables, Mamma Mia and Wicked.
My last day in my old job was nice - I got a lovely orchid from my pod and taken out to lunch for Thai food - yum! I went for after work drinks at the Butterfly and Pig (£18 for a bottle of house wine - ouch!!) and ended up drinking far too quickly because we were told that our bid on a house in Pollokshield was unsuccessful. So it's back to the drawing board and on to offer number 4 - surely we will succeed sometime soon??!
On Saturday we took a trip to Greenock to see the poor car which we have now been told is fixable... £7,000 worth of damage is seemingly not enough to write off a car! The poor thing looked so sorry for itself all stripped down to its carcass. It was probably also jealous of the beautiful hire car we were given - an Alfa Romeo Spider. However ironically the electric roof didn't work so during all the wonderful weather we had we weren't able to get the roof off! I eventually complained (because we aren't going to get that many sunny days in Scotland!) and we were given a Renault Megane Coupe and thankfully the roof did work this time! Afterwards we went into town with Ross's folks and had delicious Italian pizza and people watched on Buchanan Street in the sun which made me think I was on holiday. Saturday night was a quiet one watching Mr & Mrs (which Ross are I are great at!) and Britain's got Talent (it was the Scotland episode but there was no sign of my sister and I in the audience - boo!). On Sunday I met up with my good friend Anna. We had many a good night out as teenagers dying our hair and drinking Hooch! Anna now has two gorgeous kids so we were talking lots of grown up things like marriage, houses, children and gardening! At night, my sister came to rehearsal with me so hopefully I've persuaded her to auditon in a few weeks (although we will need to practice the dance audition a few times to get it right!).
Today is a big day for Rangers fans - Glasgow has turned into a sea of blue scarfs and painted faces. I'm not sure whether to join in the carnival atmosphere or go home for a bath! Knowing me I'll join the party! x

Crash test dummies

So, it's been a very eventful couple of weeks since I last wrote. I went to London with Lyndsey, Claire and Billy from my work. We flew into London City which I love (you think you are landing on water) and we found our way round the DLR and tube just fine. At night we planned to have a quiet one in advance of our meeting with Business Development colleagues the next day however we ended up in a gay bar singing karaoke until 2am - oops! I was persuaded to go up and sing Mr Jones which nobody in London knew but it was fun nonetheless! I was exhausted at the weekend so we had a quiet one. Donna and Neil came round for some chilli and games - we played Mr & Mrs and Wii games before Ross fell asleep on the floor! On Sunday I helped out at my opera club auditions so we have now cast the whole show for Oklahoma! On Sunday night I went to the Radisson with my pal Aileen for the British Institute of Innkeepers annual black tie dinner dance courtesy of Aileen's brother Russel. We had a great night with a lovely meal and loads of free booze (thanks also to my pal Karen at the Radisson!). However I always suffer after a night out on a school night - in fact I was tired the whole week afterwards.

I did however manage to find a house we were both interested in which we have now both viewed and put in an offer for - fingers crossed! I'm not saying any more at this stage though because I don't want to jinx things - and we have been so unlucky previously (oh and did I mention how much I hate estate agents???)

Last Friday I picked up my wee sis in Ross's car and headed to Aberdeen for my friend Angela's hen night. BUT, we only made it as far as Perth because we were in a car accident. Yup, we were smashed into a Perth roundabout by a driver going far too fast and unable to stop in time. Their car was mangled and our car is still in Perth probably written off. A police statement, breathalyser test and ambulance trip to hospital ensued but we both lived to tell the tale! Plus, we even managed to get a train to Aberdeen for the last few hours of the hen night! I will post a photo of the mangled car if I ever see it again! Oh and I will also post a photo of my fantastic new dress I bought in a vintage shop for the 'sex and the city' themed hen night. I'm now back in Glasgow with a sore neck and feeling sorry for myself but at least the insurance will sort it all out.

Oh and nearly forgot some exciting news (which has been overtaken by the car crash story!) - I got promoted at work! I am now a Programme Manager with a team of 5/6 staff and managing several programmes including People's Millions on itv. I'm really chuffed about it because I had to go through verbal and numerical reasoning tests, presentations and interviews but I guess I need the extra money if we get a new house! Ross and I celebrated the promotion with a lovely meal at The Restaurant.

Today was a well needed public holiday and it was a glorious day in Glasgow. I met Donna for some dim sum and then lay in the back garden getting burnt! We also managed our first BBQ of 2008 - barbequed salmon, yum!

That's all my news for now. Sending love to my wee nephew who has a bump the size of an egg on his head after falling down the stairs! xx

Over the sea to Skye

It's been a busy week for me sitting tests at work, attending opera meetings and learning songs for Oklahoma! I went to circuits for the first time in ages last week and my thighs were killing me for about 4 days! The instructor called it 'explosive training' - I just called it agony. On Thursday I tried a new hairdresser (Toni and Guy) - this is a big deal for me you know because I dread the hairdresser more than the dentist - and was really pleased with the results. On Friday Ross, Neil and I headed up to Skye to meet Donna and my folks in Portree for my cousin Billy's wedding (almost running over several suicidal sheep). The weather was glorious and the wedding was brilliant! I also sat in the pub where I was conceived! It's called The Isles - hence why I was originally going to be called Isla, thankfully that didn't happen as now I would be Isla White! I've uploaded lots of photos from the weekend on to my bebo site - www.bebo.com/lornashanks1979. One of the highlights of the wedding was trying to cram as many people as possible in to the red phone box - much hilarity! On Saturday we drove over to Dingwall and picked up Ross's dad from the train station. At night we went to the National Hotel for dinner followed by karaoke in the Ross-Shire Club which was good craic. Of course I managed to drag myself up to the microphone for a bit of Mustang Sally! On Sunday it was my uncle's memorial golf tournament at Tain and Culbokie. Every year this is a great event, it was just a shame we had to leave to drive back to Glasgow. However, all in all it was a fantastic weekend of family and fun!

16 days condensed!

Where does time go when you are having fun (or are just so busy you don't have time to update your blog!). Even my friend Isla has managed more regular blogs and she is in the wilderness of Ashram passing salt through her nose as a cleansing technique! (Sounds interesting!).
OK where do I start. The first highlight was my trip to the RSNO to their movie classics night. It was great! They played songs from Mission Impossible, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and the Simpsons! Afterwards Ross and I had a lovely meal at Amarone as his pre-birthday treat. Ross went away for a few days golfing in Dumfries and Galloway so I went for after work drinks with the girls. Have I previously mentioned the joy that is Addlestones? Well, it's a cider that is so powerful you only need 2 pints before you feel it in your ankles. I had 3 and a half pints....
We viewed another couple of houses (one of which we had viewed previously) and still really liked the one in Dumbreck. It is detached, has a huge garden and lots of potential. It is empty at the moment so needs a bit of work done on it. So, we put in an offer for 20% over the asking price (which in my opinion is pretty decent in the current housing climate) and our offer was refused. Mind you, it still hasn't sold yet so I have my fingers crossed that the seller will realise he is being greedy in his asking price. I spent that Sunday doing some studying for tests I had to sit at work - verbal and numeric reasoning - what fun!
I had my usual hospital treatment last week and for the first time in ages, it was a bad one. I suppose I was due a bad one. I spent the evening in the bath nursing my body and feeling very sorry for myself. Added to that, work has been very busy, a wee bit stressful and very boring all at the same time so I wasn't my usual self!
Ross is doing so well with his training for the 10k and half marathon, so I have been trying to keep up with his fitness and weight loss by going to the gym or walking as much as possible. Mind you Ross nearly got run over whilst out running last week and returned with gashed knees so I think I'll stick to the treadmill - it's safer! My brother, brother-in-law and Ross have all applied to do the London marathon next year so I really hope they all get in - I quite fancy a weekend in London! In fact my wee sis went there last weekend to see Wicked the musical and she said it was amazing. My rehearsals have started up for Oklahoma! so I will need to decide whether or not to do the show with all my other commitments.
On the 12 April it was Ross's birthday so we had a birthday weekend full of treats. On Friday night we went to the Thai Fountain with his folks which was delicious. On Saturday we had a bottle of champagne in the house then decided to go out about 11pm to One Up (a bar/club in Royal Exchange Square). There were some interesting characters there so we had a hoot people watching! On Sunday we were meant to be going to see Calvin Harris but it was cancelled as they lost their luggage at Terminal 5!
Anyway happy birthday to my lovely husband and also happy 30th to my friend Louise! x

Quiet fortnight!

There is a reason for my lack of blogging - I haven't really done much! Mostly due to finances being low after America and the weather being too crap to do anything.
We've viewed three houses since I last wrote. One was overpriced, one had real potential but sold before we got the chance to view it a second time in daylight, and the final one we hope to go and view again this week.

The comedy festival has just come to an end in Glasgow and Ross and I managed to catch two events which was good. We went to Off the Bawl at the Theatre Royal - most of the men reading this will know what this is about, it's two Glaswegian sports guys talking about sport. I know you might think it's not my cup of tea (and I'll be honest I was dreading it) but I actually quite enjoyed it. My dad was going to be going with Ross but he was busy with work and couldn't make it down to Glasgow so I stepped in and actually got most of the jokes! The 'guest' appearance was John 'Smeato' Smeaton (the baggage handler who tackled the Glasgow airport terrorists). He was relatively funny but only because every second word he said was a swear word.

We also went along to the late night festival club at the stand with Ross's cousin Craig - do you think they look alike? Jimmy Carr turned up for a drink at the bar after his gig at the SECC but unfortunately he never took to the stage at the Stand.

Easter weekend was really quiet this year (but well needed). Ross bought me Thornton's mini eggs which were delicious. I bought Ross a Kit Kat Easter egg because it included a gift experience voucher for golfing, abseiling, canoeing, clay shooting, go-karting or sphering. I then bought one for myself so I could also go! I really fancy the idea of sphering or zorbing - hurtling down a hill in a see through ball a bit like a hamster - cool!

Ross was working away again last week - this time in Bulgaria - so I arranged an opera meeting and trip to the cinema to pass the time. I went to see 27 Dresses with my wee sis. It was cheesy and predictable but funny nonetheless and anything with a wedding theme still gets my radar going!

On Sunday I met my pal Eilidh for a great catch up - lunch in Princes Square then a wander round Glasgow's art fair. Some of the paintings were lovely although I didn't have a spare £5grand in my back pocket!

I had my half yearly check up at the dentist today which went well although I hate getting a scale and polish - it's cold and it really hurts! I did however find out that my dentist has expanded the range of services it offers - they now do BOTOX as well as dentistry! Maybe in a few years time I could be persuaded (and everyone will just think I'm getting a filling)!
Other news this week - happy birthday to my pal Sarah who has just entered her 30th year on this planet and congratulations to my cousin Billy and his new wife Emma who got married in Thailand.

I love California!

It's back to Earth with a Bang after our fantastic holiday in the States. There is far too much to write about it here but some highlights included -
* the quiz on the plane where you could play electronically against the other passengers
* seeing my big sis and bro-in-law and giving them their anniversary caricature present
* the bumpy landing in Long Beach California - much screaming and puking by other passengers
* the designer shopping outlet in Palm Springs
* the house we were staying in - spa bath and pool in back garden * the tram up to the top of the Californian mountain - glorious sunshine 25degrees down below and 4 feet of snow 5degrees on top!
* the Living Desert park - everything from cacti to Giraffes to blue frogs
* the desert golf courses - it was like being on a movie set
* Mexican food - it was freely available and delicious as we were only 90 miles from the Mexican border
* the golf carts - they were gold and funky with alloys, I could have spent all day driving them about!
* New York - generally, I just love New York - the shops, the buzz, the hotel, the geography, cosmopolitans * the Cheesecake Factory - banana and cream, mmm!
* the shopping - I bought 5 pairs of shoes, 3 dresses, 4 tops, hundreds of sportswear, jewellery, bags - I love Bloomingdales!!* the cliff walk in Rhode Island on our last day
* getting home to our bed after 29 hours of flying, 15 hours spent in airports and 16 hours spent in cars/buses!
Now that we're back I actually feel pretty refreshed and almost over the jet lag. Ross and I went straight back to work the following day which was pretty tough. At the weekend I went to see 42nd Street with my sister (which brought back great NYC memories!) then on Saturday Ross and I went round to theirs to play Wii. On Sunday we had to jump start the MR2 because the battery was dead - what fun! This week we're back in to the house hunting with a vengeance!
Sending congratulations to our friends Anna and Tony who had a little boy on Friday night!

Countdown to holidays (thankfully!)

I know that I called my last blog pre-holiday stress but double that by about 10 and that's how burnt out I feel at the moment. I haven't stopped all week and if I wasn't going on holiday in 4 days I think I would cry! Ross was away again last week - this time to Cologne so that meant I was left to do everything round the house at usual. I had a opera meeting in my house so had to get organised for that (I made sandwiches and everything!). We have so much preparation to do for our show but it's an interesting experience dealing with big theatres and trying to publicise a local amateur show when we are competing against all the big professional touring companies. On Wednesday I dragged my wee sis out to see a house with me. I was really impressed with it - 5 bedrooms(!), dining room and study on top of the usual public rooms. It really has an awful lot of potential - if I can persuade Ross because it is at the very top of our budget. The owner has a rottweiler and it was such a big cuddly friendly thing, it reminded me of my old dog Corrie, who was also a rottweiler. Afterwards we watched the Brits but I couldn't stop thinking about the house. I then started to think my mouth was getting sore so Donna had a look (she used to be a dental assistant) and said I had a wisdom tooth growing in. Perfect, I didn't want to be stuck with a sore mouth for my holidays so I got an emergency dental appointment the next morning and just said to them get the tooth out! 6 jags later the tooth was extracted (thankfully I didn't feel a thing) but I got laughed at something terrible when I went in to work afterwards as my face was all lopsided (I haven't had 1 day off sick since at started at BIG so I wasn't going to take a day off for a tooth!). Mind you, when it started wearing off I went rapidly downhill and my mouth still hurts today, 4 days later!
On Friday we went to the comedy club with my mum, dad, Donna and Neil - it was a good laugh. The best bit of the night though was catching up with my old school pal Juliet who was in town. Juliet was my best friend in primary school and I seemingly cried for days when she left in primary 3 to move to England! I hadn't seen her for several years so it was lovely catching up. To top it off, she announced she was 5 months pregnant! Really delighted for her.
On Saturday we went back to view the house, this time bringing Ross, my mum and my dad. My dad knows his stuff about houses as he is a painter and decorator (and general odd-jobber) and he was pretty impressed with the house. It does need a fair bit of cosmetic upgrading but it would be a great project for us. Ross was also taken aback at the size of it, but I'm still not sure what he thinks! Later I went to the hairdresser and got 5 inches taken off! I'm quite pleased with it because my hair looks a lot healthier but I miss my long hair! At night Ross went out with the boys and I had the girls over for cocktails before heading to the Buff Club for a boogie. My friend Reena brought round her cocktail fountain which was fantastic! It was great seeing the girls again, they are all a fab bunch!
On Sunday I caught up with my mum taking her for lunch as my dad is away to Portugal on a golfing trip and my wee sis is unwell (plus I will be away for Mothers Day next week). I took her round Xscape, she was all up for having a go on the robotic arm that throws you about the room! We then went shopping and bought a new PC as her computer is on it's last legs. She uses it mainly for her side job - running a genealogy company. See her website at http://www.heather-roots.com/. OK time to perk myself up, holidays are a-coming!

Getting pre-holiday stress now...

It's only 10 days until we fly to the States and I'm getting the usual "too much to do, too little time" syndrome when I feel that I don't have space to breathe let only get anything done. Work is majorly busy, opera meetings are happening all the time, housework isn't getting done, visitors are arriving, houses need to be viewed and every night is taken up. When am I going to pack/prepare for my holidays?? Plus Ross is away again so I'm left to do everything, ggrrrr. OK rant over.

Have viewed 3 houses since I last blogged - all of which had negative points which means we have struck them off the list. One was a lovely sandstone house in Shawlands but it was expensive for a terraced house. The second was a 70's semi in Giffnock which had a lovely big garden but didn't set the heather alight and it's location wasn't great for transport links. The third place was a beautiful upper conversion of a 1900's sandstone villa but it felt like a glorified flat and we really want a house with our own private garden. Oh well.

I spent all day Wednesday interviewing at work so was emotionally drained by 5pm however I was cheered up by having dinner with Donna and going to see the Wizard of Oz at the Kings Theatre. I love the Wizard of Oz and they had a real Toto on stage which was hilarious! A couple of my friends were performing in it so it was nice to see them on stage (and be on the other side for once!).

Thursday was Valentine's Day and Ross and I decided not to get each other presents so we could spend the money in USA instead. However we did swap husband/wife cards (weird!) and went for a lovely meal at Roma Mia. We probably drunk too much wine and champagne but I still insist the bubbly was dodgy as I felt terrible the next day!!

On Friday I caught up with my friend John who now works for Children in Need at the BBC and we had a lovely curry at India Quay. Then Ross and I headed up North in the wee sports car as it was a lovely day. Friday night was a quiet one catching up with my folks.

On Saturday I went shopping with my mum and then went to see my nephew Xander in Golspie. Unfortunately he took a tumble and had his first ever bleeding nose! However a bottle of beer filled with juice soon calmed him down! Afterwards we went to Tain Golf Club for dinner which was lovely. After a Sunday morning jog (only managed 6.5k- out of practice) and a visit to my granny (whose arm is almost better now) we drove back to Glasgow. This week is going to be so hectic as I have more meetings after work, mum and dad visiting, a girls night out, Ross's mum and dad visiting, as well as getting organised for my hols and watching the Brits - well I couldn't miss that could I?!

There isn't a lot to update you on this week. When Ross was working away last week I went to the cinema with my wee sis to see Sweeney Todd. I actually really enjoyed it although some parts were pretty gory. Johnny Depp reminded me too much of his Edward Scissorhands character, probably due to the Tim Burton white face-black eyes effect. We munched our way through Pret sandwiches during the film. If you like Pret then you really must try their new falafel sandwiches - amazing!
On Tuesday it was the AGM of my opera club Glasgow Light. I was voted back on to the committee so I will be very busy this year helping to raise money and promote Oklahoma! which we are performing in October.
On Wednesday I went to circuits for the first time in ages which was good but I did hurt the next day. I am enjoying varying my gym sessions mixing up spin, circuits, rowing, cross training, stepping, running and swiss ball. Ross has signed up to run the men's 10k on Fathers Day and the Glasgow half marathon in Sept - brave boy!
On Thursday we went to view two houses, both in Giffnock. Neither set the heather alight and both were too expensive for what was on offer. I preferred the first place as it had a huge garden and with a bit of cosmetic upgrading, could have been quite nice. Ross preferred the second place which had recently been done up to a very high standard - all LED lights, chrome fittings and a lovely conservatory with electric blinds. The problem is the house was tiny and not close to any transport links! Back to the drawing board...
The weekend was a very quiet one. Ross had bought me a facial, massage and reiki session for my Christmas so I had a fantastic pampering day. I had never had a facial before so it was a great experience. Seemingly I am a 'sun' persona which is probably true as I am a Leo (and I didn't tell her my D.O.B), I am outgoing but also nurturing! I am going to have regular facials from now on (or resort to Botox!). Seemingly we should be using an eye cream from the age of 25 - I only started at the age of 27, better than not at all I guess. My reiki session was strange but pleasant. She said she could feel/see red/hot colours around my head and my stomach - probably due to the fact my mind is always really busy and I can't switch off. My massage was lovely, she used hot stones which were very soothing. Afterwards she said she was dying to work out my knots in my shoulders but didn't want to hurt me - but I know my shoulders are bad so I'm going to go back soon for a proper swedish massage! On Sunday our friends Trevor and Steph came round. Poor wee Lacie their daughter has chicken pox so she wasn't herself. I am hoping I've already had chickenpox, have I mum?

Snow in Glasgow!

It has been a fairly low key week although that has been great for me. On Wednesday I got a rare day out of the office to visit some customers which was really good. I drove through Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway visiting projects that we have funded and monitoring how the money is being spent. I visited an arts community centre built in a disused primary school and a group who judge the best kept gardens in Dumfries. I also got to make my final 'yes' call to a successful applicant which made their day! I drove through Dalmellington where my dad was born and was surprised by how much rural Galloway reminds me of the Highlands. Ross and I have decided to go up North mid Feb to see my folks. We weren't planning to as our weekends are now very busy before we go on holiday but we want to try and cheer them up as I'm sure they are finding the house pretty empty now. I was mighty glad to get paid on Thursday - Jan is such a long month with no money! I went straight to the shops at lunchtime with the girls and we reated ourselves to a purchase to celebrate payday! I also went via a bureau de change and got some dollars in preparation for the end of the month. My sister sent me through a link to the shopping outlet we will go to - WOW - I think I might go mad buying Gucci, Prada, Nine West and Aldo shoes, heaven! I'm starting to get very excited about our trip although it will be a lot of travelling in 13 days (Glasgow - Amsterdam - Boston - Rhode Island - Boston - L.A - South California - New York - Providence - Rhode Island - Boston - Amsterdam - Glasgow!) We plan to stay in an amazing hotel in NY overlooking Times Square and go to the Rockefeller Centre and eat in the boathouse in Central Park.
On Friday night I went for a couple of drinks after work followed by dinner with Ross in the Thai Orchid. It was nice, but not as special as the Thai Fountain (they do the best sea bass ever). We were amazed to wake up on Saturday morning to find Glasgow covered in a white blanket of snow! Immediately I pulled on my waterproof trousers and dragged Ross to the park to watch the sledgers. The added bonus was that the Farmers Market was on so I had soup and Ross had an ostrich burger to heat us up and we bought some venison sausages for our tea, yum. The snow quickly turned to slush so we cranked the heating up and didn't leave the house for the rest of the day. Sunday's weather was much and such the same so all we did was drive to Gourock for lunch and home again for a night on the couch. I watched Million Dollar Baby for the first time which was surprisingly good. Ross stayed up to watch the Superbowl but I fell asleep on the couch and missed everything! My boy is away this week so yet again I will have to find things to do - what a pity!!

Teegan

The sad news today is that our dog Teegan had to be put down. She was a fantastic dog and had a great life, living well into her teens, and we will all miss her loads. RIP Teegstar.x

Meeting Simon Cowell!

Last week was a pretty quiet one. I had a publicity meeting for my opera club to start preparing for our show this year - Oklahoma! It will be running from 21st - 25th October 2008, let me know if you fancy coming. I managed the gym, spin class and swiss ball so did OK exercise-wise. It was my sister-in-law Diane's birthday on Tuesday so I sent her a nice John Rocha top which will have to be saved for her post-pregnancy wear. I'm very excited now about becoming an auntie again although I'm much better with kids when they are toddlers rather than babies. My nephew Xander is at a great age just now especially when he tries to say things like triangle - tri-on-galong-galong-galong!!
Friday night was a quiet one, watching TV which was great. We had a traditional burns supper and recited my mum's brilliant Burns poem - she's very talented! On Saturday Ross and I went to our favourite bar Vroni's and decided to try the food. Normally we only go there to drink - they do the best cava and if we are feeling flush or celebrating something we will treat ourselves to a bottle of pink Laurent Perrier. Put it this way, we very rarely leave sober! Anyway, the food menu was basic but great for Saturday lunch. Mostly it's baked potatoes and paninis but I went for the most adventurous sounding dish - Indonesian prawn curry - and it was delicious and nicely washed down with a shared bottle of cava!
On Sunday I caught up with my friend Clare and went to the comedy club The Stand. Every time I go to The Stand I remember what a fun night it is, some of the comedians are great (and very brave!). The only downside was that it was a Sunday so I limited myself to one magners.
Monday was an exciting day as Donna and I had managed to blag tickets for the audience on the Britain's Got Talent auditions in Glasgow. We saw Amanda Holden, Piers Morgan, Simon Cowell, Ant & Dec and other famous faces so it was a laugh. Plus I shook Simon's hand and he called me 'Sweetheart'!!! That's my best claim to fame so far! Turns out Scotland has very little talent whatsoever but be sure to watch the show later this year and you might see us waving like loony's in the audience!

Statistically the most depressing day of the year

Today is officially the most 'depressing' day of the year so I read in the paper today. It is true that the weather is diabolical, my bank account is well and truly in the red, it's Monday morning and I'm tired... However I did have a great weekend and I am going on holiday 5 weeks on Friday so it's not all bad!!
On Friday night I went to Strata for a couple of drinks after work to say cheerio to Laura who I work with who is moving to London. I stuck to Magners as I knew it was going to be a long night so my usual bottle of wine wouldn't have helped! I wore my fabulous favourite shoes (see earlier post for photo!) and a new kimono style top I bought in the sales with a Christmas giftcard (thanks Donna!). Ross picked me up about 6.30 and we headed down to Prestwick for a dinner party at George and Gail's house (George works with Ross). Scott and his wife were also there and we all got the tour of their new house - pretty amazing! Anyway dinner was lovely and much alcohol was consumed before the Wii games and karaoke commenced. At 5am I decided I needed my bed because my dancing to Michael Jackson was becoming embarrassing!
The next day I slept lots on the couch before reviving myself and heading to a local curry house on Victoria Road to try it out. It certainly was authentic in that the decor hadn't been updated for several decades and there was a nice buzzy atmosphere. What wasn't so authentic was the Indian waiter's response when I asked about the Parsee dish, "Sorry, I've no idea - I prefer Chinese myself" !! I almost fell over laughing. After our curry we headed to Donna and Neil's to play Olympics on the Wii - again lots of fun although we left when it was becoming a bit too competitive about 2am!
Needless to say my arm is aching today.
On Sunday we went to Ross's mum and dad's for lunch in Gourock before heading back up to Glasgow for my friend Julie Fowlis's gig at the ABC. It was a total sell out and she was great. Seeing her name in lights above the door was brilliant, she is doing so well for herself.
Other news this weekend is that our friends Trevor and Steph have got engaged! They have a gorgeous wee girl who I'm sure will make a lovely flowergirl. Love must be in the air at the moment. Congratulations!

Broken bones and burlesque!

Sending get well soon messages to my granny who took a tumble on the ice at the weekend. She has broken her funny bone (ouch) so is in a stooky but she is being very upbeat about it and still plans to travel to New Zealand in March (not bad for 88!)
My fitness plans have started well in 2008 - I've been out jogging, spinning and swiss balling. Jogging is not a good idea when it is frosty so I may be giving that a miss for a while. Plus I forgot to cool down and stretch afterwards so my thighs were killing me all weekend! I really am out of practice with my running. There was a while when I was running at least 3 times a week (and I ran three 10ks in one year, beating my PB every time) but in the run up to the wedding I didn't have time and started going to the gym at lunchtimes instead.
Today I went to a dance taster session at Sloans. I say dance, but the actual title was 'burlesque' dancing! It was fun - lots of bumping and grinding with a little bit of peeling! I did get worried when she started demonstrating the nipple tassling but it was all very decent and humorous!

STILL no news on the house so we have given up hope and started searching the property market again with a vengeance.
Other news this week is that our wedding photo was in the Greenock Telegraph (only 5 months late!) and it timed in nicely with the 'showings of the wedding album' - everyone is very impressed with the unusual format, even my boss (although he was mainly impressed with the Tiffany earrings my sister bought me to wear on the day!)
Ross still isn't feeling great, which isn't good because we have a busy weekend planned - plus I am looking forward to taking him on at Wii boxing now that we have another nunchuk to play the game. We have been playing Brain Academy recently and I was gutted that Ross beat me first time - I was sure I was more intelligent than him ;o) I'll be working hard on improving my score so that I beat him next time!
Tonight is the opening of Celtic Connections - a festival of Scottish/Highland inspired music - so I'm looking forward to going to some of those gigs and seeing some friends play.
Finally, I am planning a girly night out on Sat 23 Feb - drinkies at mine first then hitting the streets of Glasgow for some cocktails and boogying. Let me know if you're up for it!