Happy Mondays: Speechless
Hello,
1. I've been mostly sick this week. Bleugh. Called in sick on Monday with the intention of moving that work to another day, but turned out that was the day I felt the most well. Really choked up and headachey and that sort of sick where you just want to cry, but then feel pathetic and also can't properly cry and wail because your vocal chords are messed up, so you just hide a bit. I've been feeling better over the weekend but am still very sore-throaty. It's annoying because I think it's the first time in my life where I have had no 'revelling in being sick' time at all. I'm too busy. I had to postpone work on Monday, cancel a production meeting on Wednesday, re postpone the same work on Thursday and postpone other work on Friday - and that's the set hours stuff. The rest of the time I intended to catch up on other stuff, which I didn't do, and I can't really do it this week because of having to do all the other stuff postponed from last week. Agh!
2. Still snowing: cons: It stopped snowing over the weekend and started to thaw. Everyone thought it was over. Then a blizzard arrived. Fresh snow fell upon melting snow that had subsequently frozen over. The roads are treacherous this morning - buses aren't even running (or weren't last I checked). Last week when it was snowing everyone said to themselves 'Ooh, it's snowing, I had better stay in / work from home / not go shopping / visiting / studying. I'll stay home and be safe'. This week people seem to be saying 'Yes yes that's all very well, snow snow, whatever, I have THINGS TO DO. There were many more cars out on the streets today, and mostly they were sliding everywhere, spinning their wheels or, in one case, abandoned half way up a hill. I was an hour late for work today and only 20 minutes of that was my fault for sleeping in.
3. Still snowing: pros (skip if you are in the con camp) We went sledging on Arthur's Seat on Saturday, with Marvin, Siân and Johnny's excellent new sledge. We nearly died. There were all sorts of crazy and inventive sledges up there, with queues for the best hills. Some people had actual skis and one guy had a bike, from which he had removed the wheels and attached little boards (maybe skateboards without wheels?). Awesome. We also made a snow Ashley and a snow Lorna, in honour of the folks that got engaged last week, this was Siân's idea for an engagement present. It was very fun.
I'm also fascinated by how beautiful snow is. Even in today's minging conditions, people - particularly foreign people - were walking around with looks of happy amazement. It's actually kind of odd - no other strange and dangerous phenomenon really has this wide-reaching positive effect.
4. Had dinner at Andy and Julie's on Saturday. I mean, technically it was at Erin and Brian's house but it was transformed into Andy and Julie's for a few hours whilst they cooked us AMAZING dinner in a dwelling where, unlike their own, there was a floor for everyone to stand on. It was really lovely. I think I'm very much moving into the phase of my life where I'm less about crazybusy parties and more about intimate gatherings. Already planning what I might cook in a reciprocal dinner party. Yep, I said dinner party.
5. Ooh yes I managed to finish Nanowrimo. It was a fascinating exercise. The book is mostly bollocks but has some interesting themes that I might pull out into a short story. Not just now, but it's time will come.
6. It was our anniversary on 1 December (Wednesday): six years together. Normally we go to the Christmas market and drink mulled wine and ride the ferris wheel. This year, I lay in bed coughing and Ari worked on her assignments (which she had to get in by Friday). On Friday, in a burst of 'let's not let this cabin fever claim our lives' we managed to get out to the market and eat a sausage.
7. Fortunately, this revived me enough for the Society of Young Publishers' Christmas event, which was very successful, especially considering the snow - one speaker had to cancel as she was coming through from Glasgow. The other too did grand though and I think the night was well received - thanks to all who came.
8. Oh and it was Dr Sketchy's Nigella Christmas Specialon Sunday. I only went for the end but it was very fun and I had my first - I doubt my last - taste of Winter Pimms.
9. Saw Emsie and the kids this afternoon. Seth is sick but still does excellent cuddles. Toby tried to feed him some cake. Toby is extra cute at the moment too. I missed him cause for a while there it was all about the baby and Emily but we've had a couple of excellent playing sessions recently - he made a muddy puddle train and a tiger dress (both can be fashioned from large brown cushions) and I convinced him that no, those really were my shoes. He is my homey.
10. Now I have a sore throat and appear to have lost my voice again. I have to go and have a long hot steamy shower please. God, I've missed having a bath this week.
Bye, kids!
Lxxx
1. I've been mostly sick this week. Bleugh. Called in sick on Monday with the intention of moving that work to another day, but turned out that was the day I felt the most well. Really choked up and headachey and that sort of sick where you just want to cry, but then feel pathetic and also can't properly cry and wail because your vocal chords are messed up, so you just hide a bit. I've been feeling better over the weekend but am still very sore-throaty. It's annoying because I think it's the first time in my life where I have had no 'revelling in being sick' time at all. I'm too busy. I had to postpone work on Monday, cancel a production meeting on Wednesday, re postpone the same work on Thursday and postpone other work on Friday - and that's the set hours stuff. The rest of the time I intended to catch up on other stuff, which I didn't do, and I can't really do it this week because of having to do all the other stuff postponed from last week. Agh!
2. Still snowing: cons: It stopped snowing over the weekend and started to thaw. Everyone thought it was over. Then a blizzard arrived. Fresh snow fell upon melting snow that had subsequently frozen over. The roads are treacherous this morning - buses aren't even running (or weren't last I checked). Last week when it was snowing everyone said to themselves 'Ooh, it's snowing, I had better stay in / work from home / not go shopping / visiting / studying. I'll stay home and be safe'. This week people seem to be saying 'Yes yes that's all very well, snow snow, whatever, I have THINGS TO DO. There were many more cars out on the streets today, and mostly they were sliding everywhere, spinning their wheels or, in one case, abandoned half way up a hill. I was an hour late for work today and only 20 minutes of that was my fault for sleeping in.
3. Still snowing: pros (skip if you are in the con camp) We went sledging on Arthur's Seat on Saturday, with Marvin, Siân and Johnny's excellent new sledge. We nearly died. There were all sorts of crazy and inventive sledges up there, with queues for the best hills. Some people had actual skis and one guy had a bike, from which he had removed the wheels and attached little boards (maybe skateboards without wheels?). Awesome. We also made a snow Ashley and a snow Lorna, in honour of the folks that got engaged last week, this was Siân's idea for an engagement present. It was very fun.
I'm also fascinated by how beautiful snow is. Even in today's minging conditions, people - particularly foreign people - were walking around with looks of happy amazement. It's actually kind of odd - no other strange and dangerous phenomenon really has this wide-reaching positive effect.
4. Had dinner at Andy and Julie's on Saturday. I mean, technically it was at Erin and Brian's house but it was transformed into Andy and Julie's for a few hours whilst they cooked us AMAZING dinner in a dwelling where, unlike their own, there was a floor for everyone to stand on. It was really lovely. I think I'm very much moving into the phase of my life where I'm less about crazybusy parties and more about intimate gatherings. Already planning what I might cook in a reciprocal dinner party. Yep, I said dinner party.
5. Ooh yes I managed to finish Nanowrimo. It was a fascinating exercise. The book is mostly bollocks but has some interesting themes that I might pull out into a short story. Not just now, but it's time will come.
6. It was our anniversary on 1 December (Wednesday): six years together. Normally we go to the Christmas market and drink mulled wine and ride the ferris wheel. This year, I lay in bed coughing and Ari worked on her assignments (which she had to get in by Friday). On Friday, in a burst of 'let's not let this cabin fever claim our lives' we managed to get out to the market and eat a sausage.
7. Fortunately, this revived me enough for the Society of Young Publishers' Christmas event, which was very successful, especially considering the snow - one speaker had to cancel as she was coming through from Glasgow. The other too did grand though and I think the night was well received - thanks to all who came.
8. Oh and it was Dr Sketchy's Nigella Christmas Specialon Sunday. I only went for the end but it was very fun and I had my first - I doubt my last - taste of Winter Pimms.
9. Saw Emsie and the kids this afternoon. Seth is sick but still does excellent cuddles. Toby tried to feed him some cake. Toby is extra cute at the moment too. I missed him cause for a while there it was all about the baby and Emily but we've had a couple of excellent playing sessions recently - he made a muddy puddle train and a tiger dress (both can be fashioned from large brown cushions) and I convinced him that no, those really were my shoes. He is my homey.
10. Now I have a sore throat and appear to have lost my voice again. I have to go and have a long hot steamy shower please. God, I've missed having a bath this week.
Bye, kids!
Lxxx