Birthday, Christmas and all that's in between

I know, I'm not even going to mention it again, time goes so fast, I forgot, blah blah blah..... you know the drill.
So since the last time I had another birthday, as did many other people, we have had Christmas and are on track for New Year.
Actually had a lovely birthday, I cannot understand these people who dread their birthday, its a fact of life we all get older so why not look forward to it and enjoy!!!!!!! As 'me Man' was away (think it was the football?) I decided to have a girly day/night with the lasses and I would get a Chinese takeaway and we would watch something girly, but as it happens my lovely peerie lass had her own ideas and had organised for the the lasses to come over earlier and bring food, so they all arrived and we had a proper tea party with cake, leading onto the Bubbly and we were joined by a kitchenful of young male company (Daughter's friends) which ended up with Big Sis teaching those same young men how to open and pour bubbly properly! and all this going on with the Burra Regatta in full swing outside the front door!

The following months were a blur of bears!! with a few parties in between, one of those being a big Sis special, the theme being evening dress, as I don't really do dresses I decided to go as the Man, and borrowed a Knockaboot suit, and if I do say so myself looked quite the part, it was a bit hot though, maybe try and borrow a dress next time?
So a few more months of what felt like 'Groundhog day', get up, cut, sew or finish bears, go to bed, usually not on the same day I rose then start all over again, I kind of got into a routine and about 3 weeks before Christmas I got out the Chistmas cd I compiled last year and listened to it on repeat for the next 21 days, it helped....... I think!
And in between all this 'me Man' got a degree, after a long 8 year Open University slog he now has a BSc (Hons) Tech (open), he is delighted to be finished with it all and just in time for the start of our new house, got the planning permission and the building warrant through, ready to start in the Spring of 2009! so anyone looking for a 3 bedroom, very tastefully decorated and well kept house with a garage, basement and workshop in the middle of Hamnavoe, please get in touch.

So here we are, December 29th another year over and a new one just about to begin ( I think that's from a song?) planning to have dinner on New Years Eve with family 'up nort' and then a drive around to visit everyone on the way home.
Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and are looking forward to a happy and Healthy New Year, xxx

p.s. if you look closely you can see santy in the tractor, who did his annual round through Burra on Christmas morning.

Edinburgh in July

OK, so I 'did' London with big Sis last year, and this year 'me Man' wanted to 'do' Edinburgh as he's travelled through there a few times with his work. Had to get a flight from Sumburgh in the middle of the night, well having to be at Sumburgh for 6.30am, means having to get up at 4.45am, and when you work from home, believe me, that IS the middle of the night!

The flight was actually OK, I think as I get older my fear of flying has faded, weird but good! or maybe I was still asleep?

We were in Edinburgh too early to check-in so we dropped our bags and went for a wander, had breakfast and got a really good coffee, when I was away earlier this year with big Sis in Aberdeen I tried my damnedest to get decent coffee but failed every time, I ended drinking tea and when that failed stuck to Bubbly, can't really go wrong!

So we wandered up to the Castle, not a good idea as Edinburgh is very steep wherever you go and I was still wearing high heeled boots, and it was hot and sticky.

Came back down the steep hill, and by this time it felt like teatime as we had been awake for 9 hours! so we stopped for Pizza & Beer.

Checked in at our hotel, The Glasshouse, lovely................ proper doorman, nice big room, nice big bathroom, lots of mirrors and lights (not like that one in Aberdeen me & big Sis stayed in), balcony etc. etc. etc.

Had a snooze then went out for a cocktail and then onto Bar Roma for a gorgeous meal.

The next few days we did the tourist thing, took an open top bus tour, visited the zoo (saw a momma jagwaar but no Dora or Diego!), saw the Scottish Parliament (?), went to Our Dynamic Earth and did an underground tour of old Edinburgh, bought a pair of Levis & a North Face Jacket. I am officially OLD, I know but I actually enjoyed it.

We did have some lovely meals, went to David Bann vegetarian restaurant and Restaurant Martin Wishart, now that was something else, it was like having a tour of food, probably the most expensive meal I have every had, but it was good!

The last day we went to Stockbridge and visited Sheila Fleet's new shop, bought a bottle of Port from Raeburn Fine Wines (recommended by the Sommelier @ Martin Wishart's) and also bought some smelly cheese from Ian Mellis Cheesemonger. We had to have a drink at the Oxford Bar (something to do with Iain Rankin & Rebus), it was like the Thule used to be and how it still should be. Who knows what the next city break will be, I've done London, Venice and now Edinburgh.

Going to bed with Jeremy Clarkson

OK, ok, not the real one (think he smokes!) but the paperback variety. I love watching Top Gear, it's not a girly programme but there is just something about it. So I was all set to buy the two books of Mr Clakson's columns from the Sunday Times, when big Sis mentioned she had just finished 'going to bed with Jeremy Clarkson' so I could borrow them, and they are worth it, I have to stop myself from laughing out loud and wakening up 'me Man'.

I fully intend to make them last as long as possible so I ration myself to a few chapter's a night.

You can read Jeremy's column online at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/jeremy_clarkson/

You could also buy the books The World According to Clarkson volumes 1 and 2, and you to could find the delight in 'going to bed with Jeremy Clarkson', go on , try it, I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Putting stuff on Ebay

Me and big Sis spent Sunday 'putting stuff on Ebay', she's done it before, I hadn't and to tell the truth I don't know if I ever will again, bloody hell, I thought it would be easy. We started early on Sunday morning, got everything photographed, which was fine, didn't take much time, although I did take the weirdest photos of my boots. Don't, whatever you do take photos of boots, when they are on your legs, when you are holding the camera because the angle makes it look like you have the biggest legs in the world ever!

Anyhow, we did all the photos then went to the computer to 'put stuff on Ebay', and found out the photos wouldn't download. After a very frustrating hour or so trying to get the photos off the camera, I gave up and went over to Peerie Sis's house and she got them off and onto a disc and we managed to 'put stuff on Ebay', but god it's a long slow process, trying to think up GREAT things to say about a cheap polyester trouser suit (actually that was one of the first things to sell).

So after about 25 hours, we did it, well we did mine, still have to do Sis's stuff.

And now I am embroiled in the seedy underworld of Ebay and getting emails from strange people asking me to send photos of my sandals, but with my feet in them! mmmm, I don't think so!!!

Hey what am I complaining about, already sold 2 items. If they want, what I don't, who am I to argue!

Long live 'Putting Stuff on Ebay!'

Future Chef

Me lass has been in the Semi Final of the Future Chef competition in Inverness, I went down with her and Mrs Dobson, her cookery teacher. It was at Inverness College, we went down the day before did a little light??!?! shopping and then had a lovely Meal at The Kitchen restaurant. The competition was the next day with an early start, everything went great, well except for the gas cookers breaking down about 3 times, but she did great and got a 3rd place against some very stiff competition, she was delighted and she got a set of Chef's whites and a set of rather serious looking Chef's knives, I actually didn't think BA would let us take them back on the plane, but they made it back to Shetland after a VERY bumpy flight, knew I should have taken the Valium tablets!

We have been Resumed!

Yeah! we found out recently that we have our bit of land at Da Sooth End, it's all been resumed or decrofted or whatever it is they had to do. So it's all go for the new hoose, and it didn't take too long for the land to go through, plans are in aside Da Cooncil, and we just have to wait now. But we can go and put up a fence, and I was thinking I might start planting cuttings on the site, but somewhere that won't get in the way of the digging, when it all starts. And we get a view like this! Fantastic!

Now I have to start the terrible job of deciding on kitchens, bathrooms, windows, doors, handles etc etc etc, its a dirty job, but someone's got to do it!

Another New Year

I think my New Years Resolution should have been to stop saying I am going to update my Blog on time, because, well I just can't seem to do that, along with saying I will do my accounts once a month, because that doesn't happen either, more like once a year, because I have to! to stop the B*****d Taxman taking even more money from me than he does already, god I hate January, oh look that's ok because it's already February!

Anyhow, New Year went great, we spent it with Little Sis and family on a perfect December night, it actually was, absolutely no wind, we stood out on her balcony with candles burning and took in the New Year to the sound and sight of fireworks over the voe, yes candles burning, and no I am not joking! We then visited Big Sis and got home about 4am, I was driving so had a little celebration drink when I got home, and sat up till 6am yappin. Also had a lovely New Years Day dinner back at Little Sis's house.

So far this year I have Spring cleaned (yes I know it's early, but you have to do these things as the mood take's you or it never get done)my wardrobe and the kitchen cupboard, yes that one, the one in the kitchen that has everything, plates, bowls, cups, pans and an amazing array of unnecessary plastic objects which have gathered over the years! Why do we have to own so many plastic tubs? Thank da loard that Tupperware is no more (or did I get that wrong?), well I suppose at least when it was Tupperware it lasted, unlike the cheapo versions, which melt and warp in the heat of the dishwasher (yeah OK your bored now!, stop with the housey talk!).