My colleague Ray's baby, Max, turned one last week and there was much talk about how we had yet to wet the babies head.
I had completely forgotten it was on this week, but last night, post work, we made our way down to a little bar, the Ship & Shovel, adjacent to heaven. I have to confess I was a little confused that the celebration was supposed to be about the boy, but the boy was nowhere to be seen. I must have missed the point of it all. I thought we were meeting up to see him a year on and to toast the little chap. Instead it was just an excuse for the parents to get a sitter and go out for the night. Doh.
Needless to say, this unexpected night I didn't realise was in my diary, ended up being a way later than usual Thursday than usual. This morning we were all looking like we all needed 4 more hours sleep. I wouldn't have minded but I got 7 hours sleep. Must have been a long week.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my American & Canadian friends :-) X
Friday, November 26, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Why did I agree to this?
Some months ago my boss said that he would like to take a class on becoming a Spinning Instructor. He'd become rather keen on Spinning of late and has recently moved to a very swish gym near to the office. Somehow I found myself agreeing to go with him and signed up for the said course. I have to confess, I find Spinning rather boring as its all on a stationary excercise Bike and just find it very repetitious. That said, I always thought I may enjoy teaching it far more than I enjoy doing it.
Money parted hands, the course is booked and in less than three weeks I have to pass my exam on the Physiology of Excercise & complete the 48 hour practical training days at the Broadgate Gym. That's two full days of spinning learning how to teach it!
The problem lies two fold. Firstly, I have only ever done the class twice before and secondly, depite promising myself I will go every time I go to the gym, end up doing some alternative excercise instead. I mean an hour on the Treadmill, Cross Trainer & Stair Master seems more fun to me than 45 minutes on the bike. Like I said, hopefully I will enjoy teaching it more.
To ensure I have some practice, I agreed to join Ian at the gym this morning for a 715AM class! Was I mad? No gay men are at the gym at that hour. I suddenly remembered, as my alarm sounded at 5AM, why I stopped going to the gym before work. Its too hard to get up.
What's the betting that by the time I get to the gym I will have saddle sore? Will I get throught it? Check back later to find out!
Money parted hands, the course is booked and in less than three weeks I have to pass my exam on the Physiology of Excercise & complete the 48 hour practical training days at the Broadgate Gym. That's two full days of spinning learning how to teach it!
The problem lies two fold. Firstly, I have only ever done the class twice before and secondly, depite promising myself I will go every time I go to the gym, end up doing some alternative excercise instead. I mean an hour on the Treadmill, Cross Trainer & Stair Master seems more fun to me than 45 minutes on the bike. Like I said, hopefully I will enjoy teaching it more.
To ensure I have some practice, I agreed to join Ian at the gym this morning for a 715AM class! Was I mad? No gay men are at the gym at that hour. I suddenly remembered, as my alarm sounded at 5AM, why I stopped going to the gym before work. Its too hard to get up.
What's the betting that by the time I get to the gym I will have saddle sore? Will I get throught it? Check back later to find out!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Whats your faveourite App?
Okay, so I have had my iPhone a while now and totally into Apps. What's your faveourite app? What's it do? Lets discuss?
I'm a fan of both Ocado & Sound Hound which finds you a song from playing it to it or simply singing or humming it. A'int technology great? x
I'm a fan of both Ocado & Sound Hound which finds you a song from playing it to it or simply singing or humming it. A'int technology great? x
Chill out once in a while
Do you ever get that feeling that the weekend is not quite enough to fully recharge the batteries? That come Monday morning the alarm ringing is far from a welcome sound but a shock alerting you to the fact that you have five hectic days of work ahead?
Having been putting in extra hours of late in the preparation of the November launch, my hours, as always, have been going up up up. I think I put in almost 12 hours every day Monday to Wednesday this week. Sunday was scheduled for testing. Potentially we would all be needed to go in and help so to ensure that I had a enough time out, I booked Friday as a days holiday.
Thursday evening was the annual Gratzia 20% off on the whole of Carnaby Street. I went with Ian, Claire & Jo from work and both Emily and my dearest Dusan joined me. We did a few shops, got a few free drinks. Managed to get a bargain discount on a new Ben Sherman Man Bag (Suits you sir)! and then made our way to China Town for a slap up meal on Gerald Street. There is something about China town. You feel like you are getting real Chinese food and at the price, just £15.50 for the full 3 course meal. Was lovely spending time with Claire & Ian as always. Sometimes I forget to remind myself, your a lucky bitch remember?
Friday I was determined not to waste the whole day and do nothing so set the alarm for a decent hour and headed to town for a good 90 minute workout at the gym. My legs really started to feel it after an hour on the cross trainer. I then headed west on Oxford Street for John Lewis, determined to pick up a Delia Smith, Christmas Cake kit. Mmmmm. Of course it may have everything you need in the bag, but what I didn't have was either a Sieve or a Cake Tin. Still you are investing in your future and you have the added John Lewis bonus of Never Knowingly Undersold.
Saturday I had a lie in, then headed to town for another workout. I then made my way via tube to Notting Hill Gate to meet my dear friend Neil Sexton. I've said for weeks, i'll come over your way. We can both just chill. So I did. We started on Portabello Road and had a lovely Burrito in Santo's then headed to the Badger Pub for a few drinks. His lovely boyfriend(I so should say long term partner), the designer, Jasper Garvida, joined us and was lovely to see all three again. Jasper is on the verge of becoming a huge designer. I can feel it in my blood. I so wish him all the success in the world and can't wait for the suit he promised to design me, blends of Blue & Grey to match my eyes. Fabulous.
They saw me to my bus which would have been fine if I had not heard the automatic voice saying Ladbrook Grove and thinking they meant Notting Hill Gate, got off. Of course I was lost and finally, after some wandering, made my way to a tube station and eventually headed home.
My Ocado delivery, meanwhile, was due 2000 - 2100. Of course at 2000, on the nose they were there and I was stuck at London Bridge. Isn't concierge Fabulous? You can just instuct them to leave you delivery and voila. No need to worry. How do people cope without Concierge?
Today I woke up at around noon. Dusan was fast asleep. I missed Hollyoaks so flipped through the documentarys starting and came across one called America: A History of the USA. I didn't realise it was an 8 hour epic but it told the story of Americas founding fathers and their way westward in the new world until the mordern day. The inventions of Thomas Edison and the how the lightbulb saw the end to darkness. How cleaning up the sewerage saved thousands of lives. The building of the railways and the great Hoover dam. The interstate system and all about the American Dream. Maybe its in my genes and why I feel distanced from this land. Why do so many have such lack of dream, lack of vision? America saw the impossible and then put man on the moon. Was an amazing way to spend a Sunday, learning something about a nation as well as entertaining. Do I feel chilled out? Yes! Do I feel rested? No? Do I feel fabulous? like Duh! ;-) X
Having been putting in extra hours of late in the preparation of the November launch, my hours, as always, have been going up up up. I think I put in almost 12 hours every day Monday to Wednesday this week. Sunday was scheduled for testing. Potentially we would all be needed to go in and help so to ensure that I had a enough time out, I booked Friday as a days holiday.
Thursday evening was the annual Gratzia 20% off on the whole of Carnaby Street. I went with Ian, Claire & Jo from work and both Emily and my dearest Dusan joined me. We did a few shops, got a few free drinks. Managed to get a bargain discount on a new Ben Sherman Man Bag (Suits you sir)! and then made our way to China Town for a slap up meal on Gerald Street. There is something about China town. You feel like you are getting real Chinese food and at the price, just £15.50 for the full 3 course meal. Was lovely spending time with Claire & Ian as always. Sometimes I forget to remind myself, your a lucky bitch remember?
Friday I was determined not to waste the whole day and do nothing so set the alarm for a decent hour and headed to town for a good 90 minute workout at the gym. My legs really started to feel it after an hour on the cross trainer. I then headed west on Oxford Street for John Lewis, determined to pick up a Delia Smith, Christmas Cake kit. Mmmmm. Of course it may have everything you need in the bag, but what I didn't have was either a Sieve or a Cake Tin. Still you are investing in your future and you have the added John Lewis bonus of Never Knowingly Undersold.
Saturday I had a lie in, then headed to town for another workout. I then made my way via tube to Notting Hill Gate to meet my dear friend Neil Sexton. I've said for weeks, i'll come over your way. We can both just chill. So I did. We started on Portabello Road and had a lovely Burrito in Santo's then headed to the Badger Pub for a few drinks. His lovely boyfriend(I so should say long term partner), the designer, Jasper Garvida, joined us and was lovely to see all three again. Jasper is on the verge of becoming a huge designer. I can feel it in my blood. I so wish him all the success in the world and can't wait for the suit he promised to design me, blends of Blue & Grey to match my eyes. Fabulous.
They saw me to my bus which would have been fine if I had not heard the automatic voice saying Ladbrook Grove and thinking they meant Notting Hill Gate, got off. Of course I was lost and finally, after some wandering, made my way to a tube station and eventually headed home.
My Ocado delivery, meanwhile, was due 2000 - 2100. Of course at 2000, on the nose they were there and I was stuck at London Bridge. Isn't concierge Fabulous? You can just instuct them to leave you delivery and voila. No need to worry. How do people cope without Concierge?
Today I woke up at around noon. Dusan was fast asleep. I missed Hollyoaks so flipped through the documentarys starting and came across one called America: A History of the USA. I didn't realise it was an 8 hour epic but it told the story of Americas founding fathers and their way westward in the new world until the mordern day. The inventions of Thomas Edison and the how the lightbulb saw the end to darkness. How cleaning up the sewerage saved thousands of lives. The building of the railways and the great Hoover dam. The interstate system and all about the American Dream. Maybe its in my genes and why I feel distanced from this land. Why do so many have such lack of dream, lack of vision? America saw the impossible and then put man on the moon. Was an amazing way to spend a Sunday, learning something about a nation as well as entertaining. Do I feel chilled out? Yes! Do I feel rested? No? Do I feel fabulous? like Duh! ;-) X
Monday, November 01, 2010
Vicki & Jamie's wedding
After what seemed like she was planning it for an age, the date of Vicki's Wedding was finally upon us. I know how much effort she had put into the planning of everything from the dresses to the flowers and the menu for the guests, down to the sweets from the 1980s. There was of course the fiasco where she recieved a call from the dress maker who was responsible for making the Brides Maids dresses just two weeks before the big day. They explained that the dressed had been made but were however made in the wrong colour. Vicki was distraught but turned out that the simply had lost the order entirely and so, thankfully, they were able to make them once again in time for the big day.
My team were invited to the evening event, but as I had booked the following day off as annual leave so as to have a chance to catch up with family & friends. So I needed to leave work and go home in order to pick up the car. Colin, from Training & Competence asked if he could come with me as Ian, Claire & Adam were going via her parents. So Colin came with me, stopping briefly at home then jumping in the car just before 1900. Down the A2, through Blackwall tunnel and then down the A12 to the M11. We were fine till we excited and made our way down the A414 and eventually got lost in a no signal zone where even mobile phone GPS signals don't exist. People sometimes ask why I won't consider moving back to Essex. That's one of the reasons. No signal, no night life. Heck even the shops close at just after 1730! It's crazy. You run out of milk at 1800 and there is litterally nowhere that you can buy a pint! Anyway, back to the wedding. Colin & I got a little lost on this country lane but directions provided by a local pub had us back on track and despite a five minute detour were on time at the venue. Even beating Adam, Claire & Ian.
We wandered in and found Jamie in his full wedding suit and were lead through to the main bar. As Vicki turned around and spotted me through the bar you could see the happiness on her face and how wonderful she felt & looked on this magical day. Dressed in an amazing Ivory dress that was thin at the waist and fanned out like at the bottom, my first glance at her in this stunning outfit, complete with White Ostrich Feather wrap, was she looked so statuesq yet had a magical look, like when Ariel is dreaming in the Little Mermaid or when Bell dances with the Beast in the dance of true love.
Harriet was one of the bridemaids dressed fabulously in pink and we all had a dance with the Bride before making our way to the cheese & pate board for some snacking. I was being rather refined, driving so only had two shandies then switched to soft drinks and then headed back for a dance with the Bride & Bridesmaids. Adam stood, leaning on his elbow, trying to look sophisticated but not willing to dance. I don't know if he was trying to look cool or just didn't want to dance. Suddenly there were wispers that we should request they play Michael Jacksons Billie Jean and with that Adam was up on the dance floor putting together his Michael Jackson moves. This is the guy that has on many occasion called me a geek for writing a blog & running a virtual cafe. Meanwhile he studies the MJ dance routine step by step and practices late night. Pot, Kettle & all!
As I left at midnight and made my way the 45 drive back to my folks we all had a great evening. Its great that we could see Vicki celebrate on her big day and lovely to meet her parents too. Nice that I can enjoy social evenings with work friends too. Sometimes you realise how blessed you really are.
As Vicki heads off to Marekesh for her Honeymoon, we wish you all the very best as you begin to enjoy your happy ever after! x
My team were invited to the evening event, but as I had booked the following day off as annual leave so as to have a chance to catch up with family & friends. So I needed to leave work and go home in order to pick up the car. Colin, from Training & Competence asked if he could come with me as Ian, Claire & Adam were going via her parents. So Colin came with me, stopping briefly at home then jumping in the car just before 1900. Down the A2, through Blackwall tunnel and then down the A12 to the M11. We were fine till we excited and made our way down the A414 and eventually got lost in a no signal zone where even mobile phone GPS signals don't exist. People sometimes ask why I won't consider moving back to Essex. That's one of the reasons. No signal, no night life. Heck even the shops close at just after 1730! It's crazy. You run out of milk at 1800 and there is litterally nowhere that you can buy a pint! Anyway, back to the wedding. Colin & I got a little lost on this country lane but directions provided by a local pub had us back on track and despite a five minute detour were on time at the venue. Even beating Adam, Claire & Ian.
We wandered in and found Jamie in his full wedding suit and were lead through to the main bar. As Vicki turned around and spotted me through the bar you could see the happiness on her face and how wonderful she felt & looked on this magical day. Dressed in an amazing Ivory dress that was thin at the waist and fanned out like at the bottom, my first glance at her in this stunning outfit, complete with White Ostrich Feather wrap, was she looked so statuesq yet had a magical look, like when Ariel is dreaming in the Little Mermaid or when Bell dances with the Beast in the dance of true love.
Harriet was one of the bridemaids dressed fabulously in pink and we all had a dance with the Bride before making our way to the cheese & pate board for some snacking. I was being rather refined, driving so only had two shandies then switched to soft drinks and then headed back for a dance with the Bride & Bridesmaids. Adam stood, leaning on his elbow, trying to look sophisticated but not willing to dance. I don't know if he was trying to look cool or just didn't want to dance. Suddenly there were wispers that we should request they play Michael Jacksons Billie Jean and with that Adam was up on the dance floor putting together his Michael Jackson moves. This is the guy that has on many occasion called me a geek for writing a blog & running a virtual cafe. Meanwhile he studies the MJ dance routine step by step and practices late night. Pot, Kettle & all!
As I left at midnight and made my way the 45 drive back to my folks we all had a great evening. Its great that we could see Vicki celebrate on her big day and lovely to meet her parents too. Nice that I can enjoy social evenings with work friends too. Sometimes you realise how blessed you really are.
As Vicki heads off to Marekesh for her Honeymoon, we wish you all the very best as you begin to enjoy your happy ever after! x
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