Bowery Mural

Good Night and Good Luck

Saturday 27 February 2010












Moany Face

Right, I feel like I need a good moan.  But I don't want you readers to think that that is my constant state of mind or that I'm being a miserable sod.  So this is a warning post.  At some point I am going to have a moan because otherwise I really do think I'm going to crack.  Not sure when it will be, not sure how moany it will be, but it's something that just HAS to happen. 

I will compose myself beforehand though.  It won't be ranty.  For ranty is not what is required.  All that is required is a moan and for someone to listen and for someone to understand and for someone to say it's ok, here's what you can do and for someone to moan alongside me. 

Generally I'm a happy sort but i won't pretend I'm happy all the time when I'm not.  For I hate fakers.  People are not happy all the time are they, I mean are they really?  Anyway generally i'm happy but on the odd day something just comes over me and I can't quite explain it but thoughts race through my mind and blah blah blah.....  cos incase you hadn't noticed either I keep a lot of things hidden.  In the deep dark hallway of my ever racing mind.  But one day it's all going to come out and I'm not sure if that'll fall on the good or bad side of the fence.

Ocht anyway maybe I'm just like this because it's my birthday soon.  I always get like this around my birthday because it's another milestone.  Another year gone...

But this is not my proper moany post so I'll stop right now.

take care out there kids

Ange x

Fundraising - an update

Monday 22 February 2010

Today was a day off work.  A holiday after a busy week last week.  A day to have a slightly long lie in after a few late nights staying up to watch the Winter Olympics.

A letter dropped through the letterbox and it was such as surprise.  It was a letter from Marie Curie Cancer Care congratulating me on completing the trek and thanking me for the funds that I raised together with your help.

The long and the short of the letter is confirmation that I raised £4000 - yay!  And for every £20 we raised Marie Curie Cancer Care provides one hour's nursing care to someone with a terminal illness in their own home.  £160 allows for a full night shift.  I don't know about you but i think it was well worth it.  I think you've helped me make a few people's lives a little bit easier with care in their own homes at a time where all they might want to be is in their own homes and beds.  I always wondered what the money would be used for, and now i know.

Once again, many many thanks to all of you who sponsored me and helped me fundraise.  Together we have done something very good.

Ange x

For those who are new readers you can read the journey of my trek to Everest Base Camp in April 2009

Week of Weirdness

Thursday 18 February 2010

What a week!  It started off not too bad then deteriorated A LOT!  Until today when I was having a bad day.  I dunno why, I just was.  It was one of those days that you get when things are just getting to you.  Even down to the least wee thing.  I was totally dreading spin bike class but once I was there, it was excellent and really boosted my mood.  I'm now feeling refreshed and can't wait for the weekend to come along.

AND, to top it off Mr Mark Beaumont has finally finished his epic journey from Alaska to Argentina!  Well done him.

I've been somewhat lazy when it comes to exercising recently.  Only going to the two spin bike classes per week and have not been to the gym for months.  I was going to go back in January but then I was scared incase folk thought oh here she comes another one of the fairweather pretend to get fit folk and then i was going to go this week but the students are back at University so it will be mobbed.  I'll try it this weekend.  Spin bikes though is great!  I moved it up from one to two classes per week in December and it's been worth it.  Thursday night classes are run by Jamie and Andy and they are tough, so tough.  But the banter is good and they really motivate you to push yourself that wee bit further and i did just that last week and tonight.  Result!  

Yes this week started off rubbish and i was seriously dissappointed again by a few.  But there are others who can perk you up and when I look at this picture I just can't help but swell with pride as it melts my heart.



This is Ryan pre-haircut.  You see he won't let anybody cut his hair.  Until yesterday when he went to get his hair cut.  No fuss.  He's a great wee cheery guy with a razor sharp sense of humour and a great personality.  He's also got a vivid imagination with it being played out on our stairs with him and my Da just now.  They sit there for an hour and play Fireman Sam.  He gets an old belt of my Da's and ties it around his waist (the hose), he climbs his ladder (the stairs) and puts the fire out.  Then they go to Bella's cafe (the bottom stair) and have hot mexican chicken and chips and a cup of tea (a Wee Bru!) 'my mouths burning Angie' he says.  It's funny to hear them play this game.  I will never tire of hearing his enthusiasm and wit.  But one thing that has to happen is this, i have to call him Fireman Sam when he's on this mode, not Ryan.  Brilliant.

As you can see from the photo Connor is turning into a wee bruiser.  He'll be bigger than Ryan I think.  He's a great baby too who never seems to cry except when something is wrong.  He's very placid and sleeps great.  His own little personality is starting to come out too (which I think can also be seen in that photie).  I can't wait til he's able to walk and run about too, which if he's anything like his big brother it won't be long, Ryan was walking at 9 months!  Right, I'll stop gushing about my two nephews.  And i'll just say this...  This week has been up down and round about but I think everything's gonna turn out right in the end.  Thanks to all who have contributed to this weird week.

Ange xx 

Tyranusochilsrex

Monday 8 February 2010

So I was driving home tonight after my first spin bike class of the week.  It wasn't quite dark - the days ARE getting longer people!  And there I was feeling very lucky because I do have one of the best commutes to work in terms of time, distance and best of all, the views.  

The back road into my village sits quite high above the Carse and I can see all the way to the Oil refinery at Grangemouth and Knockhill Racing Circuit to the East and then all the way up to Ben Vorlich and Stuc a Chroin at Lochearnhead and all the way down and over to Ben Lomond in the West.  On a crisp clear day it's awesome.  At night you see the twinkly streets lights of the Forth Valley and Clackmannanshire.  But tonight...

It was there looming in the inky blue semi-darkness.  It's scales and rough skin was marked by the white slithers the ran down it's humped back.  It was still.  And tonight it was not for moving.  Occasionally I could see it open it's beady eye take a look around and decide that it was not for moving.  I breathed a sigh of relief and continued along the road to home.  Coming over the brow of the hill to stop at my driveway I seen it peaking over the houses at the front of mine.  One day I thought to myself... One Day...

One day I might be brave enough to march up to the beast, look into it's beady black eye and carry on walking up until i reach the top of it's humped back ridge.  Perhaps I'll wait until it's shed it's winter coat, which could even have been right up until mid May but these days more like mid March (depending on the weather of course).  This beast likes to hold onto those last slivers of whiteness with all it's strength and might....  the Tyranusochilsrex.  

I didn't dare stop to take a picture of the inky blue beast tonight but below is one where it almost has his full winter coat one...
Ange x       

Reason, Season, Lifetime

Saturday 6 February 2010

Have you heard the saying that people come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime?  I think this has rung true for me over the past year or so. 

I had lunch today with one of my oldest friends since school.  We've not seen each other for a while but it was nice to catch up and was just like old times.  She's heading off to Australia for a month in 3 weeks time with her family and I'll miss her. 

She won't thank me for this but the photie below is when we went on a school trip to Germany's Rhine Valley about... *whispers* ahem... cough... 17 years ago!!  Jees!  I think we're ageing well and my hair has calmed down a wee bit since then. 

In this photie is Julie (another great friend who emigrated to Australia 3 years ago), Wee Stephen Giannandrea (who is now an architect and lives in Brazil with his wife a 2 kids), Donna (who I met today for lunch) and Me.  On the end.  Hiding in the corner with my Umbro jumper on.  They were the fashion in those days - honest!

Ange x

Blog Flitting and Why I Love Twitter...

Monday 1 February 2010

Project Everest was going to go through an extreme makeover (of sorts) last weekend.  I toyed with the idea of moving the blog over to a new space.  A Square Space to be exact.  I spent last Friday night, Saturday and Sunday setting up a new blog over on Square Space.  I was even considering paying $8 per month to blog!  But after my illness last week I was mulling it over and decided that blogging for me is something I enjoy doing and I do not want to pay for it.  I blog about all manner of things and I don't want to have to pay for that hobby.  So for now Project Everest is staying right here in it's original home.  I may make a few changes to the top banner cos the one I made for the Square Space blog was pretty damn cool.  

However, if you are a more professional blogger (or have money to spare each month) then Square Space was very easy for a relative non-technical computer person to set up and it really did look rather professional.  I would recommend it.  I have played around with Wordpress but find the templates a bit dull or just not what I am looking for (and again I don't want to buy a new template).  In saying that if some nice person would like to design me a new simple blog template for Wordpress then I would consider moving.  I want to add pages to store things I like that I catch sight of (mostly via Twitter), I want to jot down some of my favourite websites and blogs and share with you guys here.  There's lists down the right hand side of this here blog but how many people actually check them out?  I think a dedicated page would look better and more professional. 

Although not very technical at computery type stuff I am a geek and like to have an eye on what's going on.  So to remedy me finding cool things that I'd like to share with you people, and not being able to set up pages on this blog, I am going to resurrect my Tumblr site that I set up in December 2008.  I would say Tumblr is a cross between a blog and Twitter.  A short blog where you can post blog posts, pictures, quotes, favourite links to websites... anything really.  You can find it here.  http://projecteverest.tumblr.com/  I'll try to link to it from this blog so that you can go check it out if there's anything I find worth sharing.

Which brings me nicely on to why I love Twitter so much.  Now is love a bit too strong a word to use?... for me the answer is no.  I love Twitter because first and foremost I am quite nosy and I like to know what people are up to.  I like the short little paragraphs that can, in 140 characters, give you a sense of what someone is feeling, doing, hating, loving or capturing on cameraphone.  It's also connected me to a load of cool people I would otherwise never ever have come into contact with.  I'm not talking about celebrities or anyone like that because lets face it @lancearmstrong is never going to reply to me or even read my Twitter timeline is he.  No these are just people on Twitter (no not Twits but Tweeps).  There are some people that I don't know why I follow them but I do because every now and again they Tweet about not bad stuff. 

I don't know if I'm any good at tweeting.  Sure I get replies but mostly from the same people I know will reply.  I don't seem to engage people in great debate or anything.  Well except when I tweeted about bacon rolls on Sunday mornings and got a new follower that all they do is tweet and retweet about eating bacon and the many different recipes that bacon appears in.  I didn't block this one... yet!  

But every now and again I get a nice new follower and I think to myself wow this cool person is following me! and it's kinda nice you know.

Another thing I love about Twitter is that it's been a means in which I have found loads of cool stuff through people tweeting links to music, art, walking, gear, outdoors just anything and everything really.  Like a very cool online village that I've become part of - when in ral life i probably would not have been part of it.  I've found gorgeous artworks and illustrations that now hang on my wall from @BenAndFi 


I've had info about bikes from @CliveAndrews  @owenp and @flyingfoxbikes   I've found lovely little trinkets of cross-stitching craftiness and handmade jewellry from people such as @misofunky @ladyluckrulesok  I've had inspiration from courageous and bold women such @AnnieBeee @cupcakemafia and @theclimbergirl  plus there are loads more favourite tweeters that provide me daily with amusement, replies and banter @1obster @MarkOfRespect  @cyclingtheamericas  @stewyphoto  @macrobert  plus loads more, I could go on but I won't.  Instead I'll create some new lists on Twitter and categorise people as I see fit, such is my want.

And that's it.  This blog was nearly on it's way to a new home but never.  And a few little reason why I love to tweet on Twitter.  Job done.

Ange x 

Musical update: 
I quite like the song Stay Too Long by Plan B  a nice wee tune.  Plus don't tell anybody but I love the songs from Glee!!  It's fabulous.  :o)