Coldplay at Hampden park was good fun – although not as good as the SECC. Our housewarming/late 30th celebration was just perfect. Around 25 folk came throughout the course of the day and evening which was very manageable and our house stayed in one piece! The night ended with singstar and guitar playing so I’m glad we bought a detached house!
Then there was our holiday. Well, I could talk for hours about how great a holiday it was. It was even better than our honeymoon! Here is a quick synopsis –*Arrived in San Francisco, dropped bags off at Holiday Inn and went for a wander and a beer, checking out the seals along Fisherman’s Wharf. Fell asleep by about 8pm so never managed dinner!
*Had a breakfast burrito and hired bikes and rode across the Golden Gate Bridge to a little town called Saussilito. It was a glorious sunny day and we’re both sure we passed Ben Stiller on his bike. Went for dinner at The Stinking Rose where every menu item is laced with garlic – including the ice cream – yum!
*Walked around the Wharf to the most squinty road in the world, had drinks at the Cannery, went to Ghiradellis chocolate, ate clam chowder from a sourdough bread bowl and got a boat to Alcatraz for a night tour of the prison, spooky.
*Flew to Las Vegas and checked into The Venetian. I have never seen a hotel as special. We had THREE TVs in our room! We took a wander up the strip in the balmy air (past the card clickers trying to sell callgirls!) and had a few very large beers – which you can carry with you wherever you want – along the strip, into bars etc.*Took a wee plane to the Grand Canyon and saw the sunrise over the Canyon. We really wish now that we had also taken a helicopter ride into the canyon but it was still very special nonetheless. We were the first people to step foot on the Canyon that day and it was the most surreal experience ever. Ross didn’t like the plane ride and has since told me that those types of planes are over 30 years old and have a terrible accident record...! That night we went our separate ways to our friends hen and stag nights. Ross ended up in Hooters (quelle suprise) and the girls ended up at drag queen bingo (uh-huh).
*On Wednesday we walked the strip from end to end taking in a bit of shopping, drinking, eating, hotel wandering, gambling, roller coasting and a photo in front of the vegas sign. I would have liked to have explored more of the hotels as we only managed to wander through The Venetian, Palazzo, Stratosphere and Caesars Palace. I would have liked to have seen the inside of Paris, New York New York, Circus Circus, Luxor, Bellagio and Mandalay Bay. At night I had the best steak I have ever tasted.*The next day was our friend Isla and Zain’s wedding day. It was an amazing day, starting with the ceremony at sunset at the Valley of Fire, an amazing meal at the Bali Hai Golf Club followed by partying at the Venetian until 5.30am (including strip the willows in the corridors with live piper – until we got told off by security!).
*Before we knew it, it was time to head back to San Fran after an ‘all you can eat’ breakfast buffet in Treasure Island. As you can see I ate and ate and ate in America – Mexican, Italian, Chinese in Chinatown, American, Steaks etc – the food is soooo good.
*This time we stayed at the Hilton which was pretty noisy and a bit disappointing after the Venetian but we didn't spend much time in it! We shopped til we dropped at Bloomingdales, Macy's, Victoria's Secret and Forever 21 (love that shop). I bought a heap of Benefit make up, 3 dresses, 2 pairs of shoes and lots of work clothes. The weather had turned a bit colder but that didn't stop the partygoers at the Love Festival in their tutus and minis. one guy had nothing on except for a hat! To bring the holiday of a lifetime to a close we went to see Wicked at the Orpheum Theatre. It was amazing and I cried!
*In fact, apart from holidays we haven’t really eaten out this month except for a work lunch in the Radisson (not bad), a work dinner in Andiamo (very nice), room service in Birmingham (grim), Frankie and Benny’s in the airport (terrible service) and a celebratory cheap lunch deal in Red Chillies in Glasgow (very good value, tasty and the perfect amount for lunch).
Three days after returning from holiday, with body clock still all over the shop, I went to Birmingham for a Principles of Change Management course. It was hard work studying all night and drinking litres of red bull, but I got through it and passed with 93.3%!
Other stuff happening since have been a leaving do at work, Alison’s 30th (happy birthday!) and a performance for Cancer Research in Giffnock. I sung You Must Love Me and One Day More. We’re performing again at the Victoria Hospital next week. Finally, I have also been promoted on a permanent basis so I am now a proper Programme Manager (after 18 months of doing the job!) Hoorah! I will certainly be celebrating this weekend at our Halloween party.
Sending a big woop to Aileen and a big thanks for letting me come and see the 4D scan in Edinburgh – amazing! x
