Bowery Mural

The people of 2011

Saturday 31 December 2011

As a new year draws closer I wanted to .... pay tribute?.... no. Recognise. I wanted to recognise and acknowledge the people who have listened to me, chatted to me, laughed with me, given me wise words, cooked for me, taken me places, watched movies with me and have made me smile in 2011. I thank you all and hope there's more of the same in 2012.



Laura Woods. A wonderful lady and I'm lucky enough to now call her a friend. So glad to meet her, twice, in 2011.
Linda. My colleague and friend. Baby Kai's mummy is her new name. I've certainly missed our random and funny conversations a work. Hurry up and come back! 
Neil Fox. What can i say. Inspiring is what I'll settle for just now. A great great man destined for many great things. My friend Neil.
Karlie MacGregor. Lovely lovely lady who I've got to know the past few months and I'm glad she has appeared in my life. Always there with the right words and girly chat. Oh and a fellow email chatter, which I love. Hey Laura, another one!
Jonny Rose. Smiley Jonny Rose. He had me at tweeting me a picture of an array of ice cream tubs from his freezer when I couldn't find Ben n Jerry's Fairly Nuts anywhere!! Ya little scamp!


Adam Morland. One of the good guys and with two gorgeous boys too. Solid. 
Matthew Smith. Otherwise known (to me) as the guy who works on xfactor but has absolutely no influence on the final votes whatsoever. So he tells. He also let's me win at Words with Friends. Good lad.
Ian Daniels. The Surf Punk. Lovely, kind, generous, sings a mean Beyonce, drives too fast, first in the great Mac'n'Cheese off of 2011! Watch out, Ian, I will regain that title in the grudge match of 2012.
Adam Lannon. The next James Bond or at least Colin Firth. Keep an eye on this guy. He's got stars in his eyes.
Rob Green. Not been around much lately. He calls it 'being a grown up'. But he was there a few months back when I needed some things sorted from a guys perspective. Good man.
The two elves. Simon and Fraser. Finally me them a few weeks ago and I can confirm they're really lovely guys. Who won though?... :)
Photo credit: Simon's phone. I added the effects! hehe...
Sir Chris Hoy and Chris Sacca. The former tweeted me once, the latter tweeted me a few times and favourites some of my tweets! YO. And both those things make me smile.
Pyllon. A rock steady friend and always there. Always. A true gent and brilliant inspiration. He has a busy few years coming up I believe and I know he's gonna do great.
Mr Geoff. Idle Bull. Hadn't had a Milkybar in years til 'Santa' (me) brought him some the other week. Lucky fella.
Craig Zielinski. Lovely Zee. He's not around Twitter as much but these days but good to know he's still there. Somewhere.


Miss Smidge. That's not her real name but i'm not sure her real name is anywhere so i won't add it here. A fellow blogger who i met only a few weeks ago but so glad i did. She's ace. Her blog is ace and she's one of he few people who comment on here. Bonus points!
Lilacswizzle aka Nicola. A lovely lady who gave me good advice this year. I took it, the situation never worked out the way we wanted but still, it had to be done. Thanks Miss!
Illegal Jack. I don't think he's really called Illegal. You'd have to ask him. I can tell you he cheats at Words with Friends, but it's a laugh. Ok, ok so he doesn't cheat so much as places tiles and guesses at words. More often than not he wins though. Cheers dude.
Kevin Gilmartin. Forever now known to us as Gok, for his acute sense of ladies fashion (from nothing other than one twitter conversation). 
Lovely John Heath (@hejmusic) who I met on my trip to London in April.
Andi Kis. Wonderfully chatty, fun and a great raconteur. I could listen to her stories all day long. Someone who you'll never forget.
Wee Bri. My cousin. He's currently probably laying on a floor in a Sydney apartment somewhere after already celebrating the turning of the year. He's was my spin bike partner in crime until he left in September. I've kept him one though, at the front, for when he comes back!
Catherine Anne, Kelly Anne, Karen, Ryan and Connor. My family. They're here. Even when they're not. Those boys are my angels.


Maw and Paw. Aka Kate and Jimmy. Couldn't really ask for a better pair to be honest.


Thanks all for making 2011 what is was.

Angela x

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Five Things...

Friday 30 December 2011

So I opened up twitter this morning and there was the usual mix of morning/breakfast/exercise/travel/weather tweets. If you can navigate your way through this river of greige, you can always find a few gems hidden. Like, there was also the much tweeted link to the little ditty played by Zoe Dechanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I decided to watch it and it was sweet and nice. I've followed both people here, well over on Twitter, for a while. They're quite good value.

In addition there was a post over here by @Whatleydude. Have a read. I decided that I'd try the five things list on this blog, after all, yesterday in my Mission 2012 post I did say that I'd like to get this blog going again, make it huge, and we all know I like a list! So here it is... Except it's not quite five things, it's from the past year so it'll be a little longer than five. Next week will be the five things list. Ok enough. Let's go...

  •  Multicolour trousers - mostly from Topshop. Awesome. 
  • Ryan starting school and getting on fine, what a relief. 
  • Meeting Miss Laura Woods. An amazing person and friend. Also on that same trip south in February I met lots of Twitter people who really we're lovely. It can happen. 
  • Getting fitter and losing weight. 
  • Hello size 8 little black dress. Okay dresses. Plural. I bought two! 
  • Three beaches in one day with Surfpunkian. Awesome awesome day. Thanks dude. 
  • Finally meeting MisAKis. Fun, bubbly and lots of great stories about social media 'darlings'. Haha laughed so much. 
  • My first Illegal Jack's. I'll be back. I did. A few times. 
  • Loving painting my nails. With glitter! Me! Glitter! WOWSERS how times have changed. 
  • Cycling 55 miles from Glasgow to Edinburgh. Fantastic feeling. 
  • Giving blood for the first time. 
  • Becoming unofficial aunty to baby Kai. Gorgeous. 
  • Weekend cinema trips. A sanctuary. The cineworld card has been a godsend for me. 
  • Favourite movies: Drive. Sherlock Holmes. 50/50. The Hangover part II (obviously). 
  • Elemis skin nourishing body cream. Smells gorgeous and keeps my skin soft and err nourished. 
  • Twitter. My love affair with it will never end. Not for the foreseeable future anyways. 
  • Baking cupcakes. Several good attempts. 
  • Seeing brilliant Twitter friend @pyllon finish one of his races. I was going to say "for the first time" but what I'd mean is I saw him race for the first time. He's raced loads. And done very well, thank you very much. These are no ordinary races, oh no, they're across tracked up and down hills and are usually never any less than about 50 miles!! No mean feat. 
  • Meeting Miss Karlie MacGregor. A wonderful person. Damn straight. 
  • My love of spin bike class. I can't miss any now. Except I am right at this minute missing one, but you get what I mean. 
  • Seeing Mr Neil Fox (@drgonzolives) perform at the Edinburgh Festival with his fab Great Brain Robbery comedy mates. What a laugh! 
  • Finding fabulous blogs to read, like Whatleydude's. I've nearly finished reading all the away back James!
  • New Red Converse. Only my second pair in two years. I think I deserve another and I think I found them today! 
  • Buying my iPad 2. Finally. Although it may be going on sale soon. I love it but... The screen thing still irks me a little. 
  • The joy I had doing my walk with Instagram back in October. Me, my iPhone and Instagram. Walking around Edinburgh. Good day. 
  • Taking the boys and my sister to the National Museum in Edinburgh. They had a ball. 
  • Seeing Kings of Leon at Murrayfield in June. Sounded just like the cd. Great gig. 
  • The Killing (Danish version). I love that programme! 
  • My trip to London in April. Three days exploring that fab city. The weather was brilliant too. I'll be back.
  • My trip to Philadelphia in August. Ok ok it wasn't the real Philadelphia but Glasgow. The film set for a new Brad Pitt movie. Hope it's good when it comes out. 


So that's a few of my most memorable good things from the past year. Next week it'll be just five things from the week. It'll hopefully be a regular post. If not, shout at me!

Angela x
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Angela: Mission 2012

Thursday 29 December 2011

Here they are, ten things that form part of Mission 2012 for me, Angela. 

 1) to have a dinner party at my house. Not a fancy smarmy all singing all dancing fake Michelin starred affair, but rather a nice bunch of people, eating good wholesome food and plenty of decent chat. That's it. 
2) to do something for Sport Relief in March 2012. Not sure yet what form that will take but I have to do something to help those vulnerable kids in Africa and here in the UK. 
 3) just keep on being me. But with a little added confidence. With all my flaws and insecurities and naïveté's I think I'm still a much better person than a few people I know. 
4) sort out my CV and perhaps land my dream job. After all I did have a vision that I'd be spending next christmas in New York and a humble administrators wage isn't going to fund that now, is it. I will get this one. I will. 
5) which leads me on to number five. Get more international check ins on Foursquare. Simple. 
6) Sort out my blog. Find a purpose for it. Categories. Subjects. Turn it into something big. Huge. Massive. I can and will do this. 
7) find someone to share my experienced with. A person who will like me just the way I am and won't want to change or mold me into something that I am not. Someone who can make me laugh, make me feel special, whom I can spoil, who I can make feel special, who i can make laugh - although not promising on that one, not a comedian! 
8) wear a dress once a month. This may not sound like a huge deal, but it's been about 3 years since I actually wore a dress in public. I have three lovely dresses to begin with. Two are classic black styles that fit like gloves. One is a gold sequin stripe affair that can be dressed up or dressed down depending on the occasion. I've ordered it from Harvey Nichols online. It's my first designer dress. Michael Kors no less! Oooooh. (edit: I've seen this dress in person today and I might send it back. It's quite long. It's not meant to be. Dilemma!) 
9) kinda like number eight this is to wear heels more often. Apart from anything else they give your legs a nice shape and once you master that art you can walk with an air of confidence. At least that's what it looks like. 
10) have a holiday. Preferably somewhere guaranteed with a bit of sunshine for 50% of the time. I've not had a natural tan since the summer of 2000 when I went to Florida. Aaaah a wee trip to FL would be ace right about now. 
11) gather a group of friends and celebrate my birthday. I never really celebrate it with anyone that's not related to me. Usually it's a gathering of the closest family with a cake that I never eat and it's fat and all but I'd like to bring together friends and family and food that I like to eat. Another simple one. 
12) go on a date. Still haven't fulfilled this one from my December to do list. It's a pity. I have so much to give. Oh shit no, not in that way, not on a first date! But this is a big thing. It hasn't happened in a while. Not see why. I'm quite a fucking catch, for the right person, dontchyaknow! 
13) ah number thirteen. Unlucky for some. Not for me. I don't tend to believe in all that mumbo jumbo shite. I figure you make your own luck, or not. It's all about chances isn't it? And taking those chances. And losing the fear about grabbing those chances with both hands and shaking the life out of them until you can't anymore, that's what it's about. Not saluting some black and white bird and saying good morning mr magpie. They tend to come in pairs anyway, don't they? I mean, have you really known anyone whose had a boy after seeing four magpies? Really? God sake there's a fifty fifty chance anyway is there not. See, there's that word chance again. It's all about talking them.... 
14) Should I stop here at number fourteen? Ok then I will. For now. Check back soon, there may be numbers fourteen to twenty appearing soon. Wink eye face. 

 Angela X .

Merry Christmas

Saturday 24 December 2011

Just popping on to wish you all a Merry Christmas. Hope your day is filled with family, food and fun.
Take care of each other,
Love Angela x

Stop December, let's catch our breaths

Wednesday 21 December 2011


I did promise I was going to blog more in December but it hasn't happened, as you can see. After my chance meeting with Barry I was all blogged out last week. I couldn't think what to write about and to me it should be natural and not forced. You shouldn't be wracking your brain giving yourself a headache because you must blog four days out of seven in a week. That's not the way I work. Since its getting to mid month I decided I'd tell you a little bit of what I've been up to recently. I've been quite busy to be honest. I finally finished my Christmas shopping at the weekend, phew. Now all I need to do is wrap it all. I quite like that part. Friday I was meant to be going out but it was cancelled, however I ended up spending two hours in a toy shop on a Friday night with mum and dad. We were looking for toys for the boys for their Christmas. We managed to get a few things. It was good.

Saturday I headed into town. Didn't buy much except a few bits from the pound shop. Essentials. You know, like cheap cans of Cola and sweeties. At night I headed to Edinburgh to meet lovely Karlie MacG. We had a bite to eat at Illegal Jacks then headed to the cinema to see New Years Eve. A proper girls night it was. Chat, about stuff, you know... The film was good. I'd heard a few folk say it was disappointing but I quite enjoyed it. Lots of stories that intertwined like Love Actually, without the posh accents. It wasn't Love Actually but it was about love and new beginnings and forgiving and love. Did I say that already? There was an array of stars in it from Ashton Kutcher to Jon Bon Jovi and an almost unrecognisable Michelle Pfiefer. Hey I even forgot that Zac Efron used to be in high school musical. I liked his character in this film. There were really touching moments as well as moments that made you smile. All round a lovely movie.


Sunday I headed through to Glasgow again. THIS was to be the day when I did finish my Christmas shopping. A few bits from Hamleys and Fraser's and I was done. I headed home in the dusky early evening light.

Monday night I headed to the #XmasEdtweetup that was organised a few weeks ago. It was in Edinburgh in case you didn't know. It was busy and hot with the wearing of my Christmas jumper, but a really good night. There were faces old and faces new, or rather faces I knew but had never met yet. As usual they were a total delight in person, including @Miss_Smidge whose blog I read on a regular basis. Also a treat were the two elves, otherwise known as Fraser and Simon. They gamely took part in the Christmas jumper wearing too. I was torn though. Simon's jumper was fab but Fraser's hat was the best Santa one. Simon's effort was more of a gnome one. Sorry but you know it's true.

Sometimes when you meet the people behind the avatars, you get a surprise because sometimes they are a bit awkward or not very chatty or they are exactly as they appear on Twitter and that's not a surprise but a great delight. The new people I met were totally that, a delight.

I headed home on the train. This time there was no Barry.

My plans now are to get things tidied up at work (almost finished exam processing - yay!) and then finish up on Friday. I'll be heading out to spin class tonight and Friday night too. Then the big day will have arrived. I hope to have a few blog ideas written and typed and published soon too. But they may come to nothing. Ideas are all very well in your head. When you put the words on the screen sometimes they just don't jump out at you. We'll see.

Angela x

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Path: find yours

Tuesday 20 December 2011

Do you have a Path? Or should that be Path? No, I don't mean some great journey in life that you were always meant to follow, no. I mean another social network. Oh no not another one I hear you cry. Yeah. Another one. I actually joined Path on 17 November 2010. I know this because Path tells me this. I don't think people took it on and so I was left on this Path on my own. No real updates, just a few photos I uploaded. Then a few weeks ago it kinda burst onto the scene again. I'll have to actually find out the reason for this. Probably to do with a new round of funding going around Silicon Valley, or something like that.

Anyway I decided to give it a go again. There's been a few updates but still no iPad app yet. That would be lovely. I like Path. And here's a few reasons why...

Path has a timeline, since way back last year. Not sure who thought about that idea first. Was it Facebook, or was it Path? Who knows. So what's different about it then. Well it's a much slicker interface I think. You have your own Path (let's say it's the Wall if we're to compare it to Facebook). On your Path there is all your photos, check ins, comments, everything you've done on your Path. All dated and timed. Yes! Timed. There's a really cool little feature that appears when you scroll up or down your Path. A little bar and clock appears down the right hand side. You can actually see when you uploaded your update. Pretty neat I think.



Click on your Home page and you can see all the updates from people you share your Path with and who share with you. What i like here are the little icons you see in the updates. There's check ins with knives and forks, coffee cups (a nod to Foursquare perhaps). There's also little sun and moon icons that appear when you change your Path to sleeping and awake.

In the bottom left hand corner there's a red circle with a plus sign in it. Click on that and out spring 6 little black circles with various icons in them. This is how you update your Path. Set your status so to speak. There's photos, people, check in, music, thought and the moon sign. See the picture here. Click the camera icon and your camera pops up. Only, there's quite a few different lenses and filters to play with. Very nice in app feature. Take the photo and you then get the option to leave a note with it, say who you're with, check in/location and then you can also share it to Twitter Facebook etc. All in all a very good feature and the camera filters are lovely.



Click on the person icon and this is basically you saying who you are with at any one time. The check in icon is pretty much the same places that there are on Foursquare. I know this because I added a secret place on Foursquare and it appears in Path too. Again clicking on a place means you can leave a comment and add who you are with. Cool. 

The music icon lets you say what you are listening to. It gives me some suggestions. I don't know where they come from. I've never really used this feature to any real extent. Actually, just tried it. Type in your favourite band and it will give you a list and then you can add it to your Path. A window appears in the middle of the screen, the music plays for about 20 seconds and you have the option of buying it. Hmmm. But I've already got those tunes on my phone? Yes, I think this just gives you the option of letting people know what you're listening to. Oh but in the Home page (timeline) a little orange musical note icon appears. Nice. These little circular icons are a real favourite of mine. No kidding.

Next thing, click the speech bubble. This is your Thought. But again the question is 'what's on your mind?'. This is very much your status update. Go and update it. Again the option to check in and say who you're with is there.



Last of all we have the moon icon. Click that and you get only 2 options. Go to sleep. Or I'm awake. Click on these at the appropriate times and wow! you say your going to sleep and the Path change colour, disappears and a moon appears in its current state - full, half, quarter. Pretty awesome. It also gives the time and then a button to click on Awake when you...well, wake!

Click on that button and you are taken back to your home page. And there's little icons in your Path letting people know when you sleep and are awake. 
The best part I like is that at the top of your Home page there's the option to set your own cover picture. This is like the header photo in your new Facebook page. But the standard Path ones are quite nice too, in fact so much so I haven't changed mine yet.

In the Activity tab you can see who has looked at your Path, who has commented and who has smiled at your check ins, photos etc. Yes for you can also add little smiley faces, sad faces, winky faces and hearts to your friends' photos, check ins, comments etc. These are also little cute features I like.



All in all Path is another social network and you're probably wondering why you'd need it or want it. But I like it. The only downside is that not many people have adopted it yet. Well, not here anyway. I have four friends on there just now. So come on over and join me. If you want to that is. I mean how may social networks do we actually need? I sometimes wonder if too many social networks are making quite unsociable? That will be for another post though.

Angela x
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Barry, my chance meeting with an angel

Monday 12 December 2011

There I was minding my own business, sat in a seat on the quite busy train. Checking Twitter. "Hiya, d'you want a can?" said a voice from the aisle in a thick Glaswegian accent. No thanks I replied. That was to be the start of one of the most bizarre and very funny chance meetings I've ever had in my life. After moving up and down the aisle, his friendly voice chatting all the while, he eventually sat in the seat next to me. I budged over and moved my bags to give him room. I'd been in Edinburgh hoping to finish my Christmas shopping but all i seemed to have bought were sweeties from the newly opened Hotel Chocolat in Frederick Street. A bit small but nice all the same.

Anyway, "are you sure you don't want a can? I'm Barry by the way". "No thanks. Angela" I replied. "Nice to meet you Angela, what you been up to?". I proceeded to tell him about my day. And then he launched into what can only be described as a cross between a therapy session and a weird other-world dream like scenario where he seemed to be able to tell every little character trait and nuance I have. His banter was good though. He'd been to the Hibs V Rangers match and was now heading home. Well, Stirling wasn't his home but he was a student at the Uni (where I work!) and had lived here for 4 years. "I like your wellies, are you an outdoors kinda person? do you go hill walking?" Now, granted, my outfit that day probably gave that away since not many folk outside the outdoors scene may not recognise my Rab down jacket. "I've done the West Highland Way" he told me. 5 days it  had taken them. "Bet you've not done anything like that Angela...?". "I've been to Nepal, trekking the Himalayas, I think that's 1-0 to me". "Naw, I've done the WHW it's 1 each". We laughed. He took another swig from his can of Tennents lager. It's strange. I normally hate drunks, especially drunks on the train. But Barry wasn't drunk. Yes, you could tell he'd been drinking but not that full on leaning over slurring your words drunk. Just merry and apparently totally happy with life.

B: "Is that you going home to watch XFactor and get your dinner? What you having?"
A: "Steak"
B: "What fillet, rump, ribeye...?"
A: "Fillet"
B: "Oh get you!"
...... rare moment of silence.....
"Oh here's the ticket wife coming. She'll gie me a row for having a can. I'll just put it on your tray. Here" and he set down the can on the fold down tray in the seat on front of me.
"she'll chuck you off instead of me, haha!"
A: "I don't even drink"
B: "WHIT?! What not ever? not even when you were 15 and your pals were all getting drunk and being sick, never?"
A: "nope. Never"
B: "wow that's...em...good, and bad..."

B: "I can't believe you've never had a drink"
A "I've got my orange juice" I'd bought a bottle of fresh orange to tide me over until I got home.
B: "Aye you wi your orange juice and your wee bit fillet steak for one. What a life!"

I laughed. It was funny. It WAS funny, but at the same time it had started to make me think.

B: "Let me guess, you're single Angela" WTF! "you don't really like the soaps...but you catch Emmerdale every now and again".
A: "yep"
B: "you don't really read books nor magazines either"
A: "correct"
B: "What DO you do Angela? apart from walking up hills and cooking your steak"
A: "I go out on my bike" Admittedly i was stuck. What do I do? Really? WHAT? "Anyway, what do you do?"
B: "I'm a student. I've been a printer, a [something else I can't quite remember] and i did the taxis. Then I decided I was too clever for that and believe it or not i want to be a teacher".
A: "ooft"
B: "don't you think I'd be a good teacher? I think I'd be great"

By this point the conductor had come along. I'd seen on her badge she was called Liz. "Here's Liz coming, better get your ticket out"
B: "do you know her?
A: "no, I seen her name on the badge".... we laughed again.

B: "Awright Liz hen, how are you?"
Conductor: "fine thanks!"
She drew a squiggle on our tickets and was gone. Meanwhile Barry was checking that everyone around about us was okay and were they sure they didn't want a can!

B: "see that's the thing Angela pal. Folk just look at me weirdly, they don't make eye contact. But all I want to do is just chat to people. I'm a happy kinda guy".
A: "Happy as Larry"
B: "Naw, happy as Barry, hahahaaa".

I was warming to Barry. It was surreal. At one point I said i might have to punch him to see if this situation was real. He said not to punch him but offered his arm for me to pinch it. And in true Barry form said "aya, that was my sore tricep". I swear, it was like a scene from a Christmas movie where a ghost (or something) is sent to guide you through and take you through a sentimental journey of your life so far and help you to change what you should've done years ago.

There were other topics we covered on that train journey. I don't want to share here. Lets just say Barry was like a gift from above who'd been sent to enlighten me on a few things. I told him this. He said "Angela, I was with my family at Edinburgh festival in the summer and we did the tarot readings. The guy told me i had the gift. I could read people" and he could. Barry read me like a book. Granted, some things, like the outdoors thing, could probably have been guessed from the look I was projecting that day. But others, well, I thought to myself that I must carry my life with me in my every face twitch, smile, frown, gesture. "are you nervous?" I was playing with the label on the now empty orange juice bottle. "No, me, no". I wasn't nervous, but I was antsy, and a little bit overwhelmed by it all. The only thing he didn't guess right was my age. He had me at 28. I gave him points for that!

Although I heard my phone buzzing away in my pocket, I never checked it once, so good was Barry's company. He'd gone to the toilet, so out the phone came. A few Twitter notifications. He returned to his seat and opened another can. His last one. "Aw look, you've got an iPhone. I never had you down as having an iPhone Angela. See, there's more layers to you than meets the eye. We just need to unravel them".

I almost cried in his face at this point. Instead I looked out of the window into the darkness and mentally gave myself a kick up the arse.

The train pulled into Stirling and Barry's friend joined him. "This is my pal Angela" he told him. "Hey she goes hill walking, we should all go up a munro" Are you coming for a pint Angela?"

"no thanks guys".

And with that I left Barry and his friends at the ticket barrier in Stirling station.
I felt weird. I was smiling, my jaw ached with laughing in fact. I felt sad that my life seemed to be etched across every last wrinkle free inch of my face. But i felt invigorated having had the pleasure of spending an hour in the company of Barry. My friend Barry.

I'm now in the process of unravelling those layers to make Barry proud.
"See, there's more layers to you than meets the eye. We just need to unravel them".

Angela xx



Ticking off a list

Friday 9 December 2011

Could this be the weekend when i fnally tick something off my December To-Do list from here. Mainly number one has to be done. So I'm looking for any recommendations from you for tasting a tasty, lovely hot chocolate with marshmallows and perhaps even some cream on top. Where do you go on a cold bright weekend afternoon to shelter from that biting wind? Where do you drink a nice hot chocolate whilst chatting away for hours? Does it have a fire? is it cosy? where are these places?

Let me know.

Also, while you're at it, chekc the rest of my list out on the post above and see if you want to help out there too. Go on! You know you want to.

Angela x

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Birthdays and friends...March 2012

Tuesday 6 December 2011

This is a bit late to be blogging but I forgot to do it, and I was wrapping Christmas presents earlier so that's my excuse. December 6. Three months til my birthday. I want to celebrate that birthday in style. Not a full on mega party or that but a gathering of some of my favourite people. I've still to work out the exact details and the exact date yet, hey I may even have two dates for you, but I'll let you know. Not all of you obviously but my favourites of course. I haven't really celebrated big birthdays before. I think I've blogged about this somewhere else. I've never had a 18th, 21st nor a 30th so next year I want a gathering, a small do if you like.

I'm feeling like this because now I feel that there are people in my life I want to share these special occasions with. Every year we normally just celebrate as a family, gathering at the house. There's chat and cake (not for me, I'm not a birthday cake fan. Jam, yuck). But now I want you all to share my day with me. Perhaps two days.

So it'll either be March 2-3 or March 9-10. My actual birthday is somewhere in between those days but those are the weekends I'm deciding upon. Keep them in your diaries, or at least the back of your minds. I'll let you know the details and the secret codes (!) once I figure them out. I'm thinking nice food, good chat and some dancing. You gotta dance!!


Angela xx


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It's all The Killing and Facebook

Monday 5 December 2011

Look at that we're a quarter of the way through December already. Technically we're not but those days between Christmas and New Year don't really count do they. The snow has fallen. Not that bad yet. Thankfully the sun has come out and it's probably all melting. Bad news for the photographers, good news for me as i won't need to do my Bambi impression when trying to navigate my way across the ice that's been left by the stupid campus tractor scraping to top layer of snow off in the car park. Follow all that? good...

By the time your read this I'll be deciding if I either go sweating my arse off in a spin class or I'll be at home watching Home and Away. I'm scheduling this post you see. It's what we bloggers can do on this here Internet.

How was your weekends? Good. Bad. Indifferent...? I spent most of mine in shops buying stuff that wasn't for me. But we've been through that so i won't go over it again.

Yesterday, when I came home I jumped on my bed and watched The Killing II from Saturday night on the iPad. It's such a great series. In case you don't know it's a Danish crime drama/thriller series showing on BBC4. I'm loving the relationship developing between Lund (the main female lead character) and her colleague Strange (a detective working alongside Lund). He's very lovely in that 'you would for an older guy' kinda way. Anyway, I'm not going to give away any spoilers but i'm on episode 6 and can't wait for 7 and 8 next weekend!!

I then played about a bit with the iPad. I don't think i can get over how much the screen resolution disapoints me. I don't knwo what i expected but it was something a lot better than that. Especially now i have the iPhone 4S. Perhaps the new iPad will have that, along with a hefty price hike no doubt. I do like having it though as a peaceful calm has been bestowed upon the sanctuary that is my bedroom now that I no longer need to fire up the 2007 Dell Inspiron laptop with it's constantly whirring fan! Thank goodness.

Later I watched the programme about Facebook. The one that in the trailer you got a whole load of Zuckerberg talking and in the actual programme you only got about another 5 minutes of him talking a bit more. It was a lazy programme. I learnt more about people actually entering their credit card details to buy silly things on Farmville than i learnt about the Z-man himself. Oh and for good measure they threw in a question and the VP on policy (or something) looked flummoxed and of course the programme makers kept in the huge gaping awkward pause. It was a cheap shot. She was asking the question of whether a person clicking the 'Like' button were being used to advertise the brand or product they had 'liked' without their knowledge. (In case you didn't know, you can see recommendations or rather 'sponsored stories' usually on the right hand side of your news feed page and your friends may appear there some times. In fact you might appear on your friends pages as a sponsored story / advocate for that brand. Effectively, you are advertising it). The guy wasn't keen on her using 'advertising' as a word. He paused. A huge pause...Massive pause. I'm sure he paused several times during their conversation but it was only this pause they chose to show. Personally I have no problem appearing as a sponsored story on someone else's feed. I choose the brands I 'Like' with care. Therefore I reckon that even the simple act of 'Liking' that brand page is a message in itself. I wouldn't 'Like' something if i didn't really 'Like' it in real life and so I'm not bothered if folk know that. Are you following this? If you didn't see the programme you may be a bit lost. Apologies, go check it out on the iPlayer or something. Anyway... I didn't want all that from the programme.

I wanted an insight into Mark Zuckerberg, the man. His thoughts. How he decides what to do next. Everything. What i found out was that he wears the same jacket nearly every day. But it isn't the same actual jacket, he has several of these jackets in his wardrobe. Insightful! I also found out that hey! The social network is a movie. A fictional movie that may or may not have events embellished so as to make it a box office hit. I knew this already and always wonder at those people tweeting... "watching the social network again for the 50th time. I want to be Zuck!" Ok ok so they don't tweet that but you get the idea... I sometimes think people take The Social Network as being the gods honest truth forgetting the fact that its a Hollywood film. Oh, we also got a whole load of shots of Emily Maitlis strutting around downtown Palo Alto in a vest and jeans. I think she must've only spent about 10 actual minutes in the presence of Zuckerberg. The rest was simply rubbish. Well, it wasn't all rubbish. We got to see Margo from Southend-On-Sea peddling her 'business' around local shop owners. "I can set up and look after your Facebook page" said Margo. "I can do your banner". FFS! Whit?! I about fell off my chair laughing at this point. It was so crude and frankly amateurish. I'm sure they could've gotten a better example than Margo, I mean f*** knows there's plenty of them around.

Anyway, there's only one MZ. We'll probably never get to know the workings of the boy, the man, the brain of the thing that has changed our world. But I'm sure there'll be plenty trying.

Oh btw, the wife wasn't called Margo, nor was she from Southend-On-Sea but i can't quite remember so for the purposes of this post, that's who she was.

Did you watch it? What did you think?

Angela XX

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It's all snow and nail polish

Sunday 4 December 2011

The snow never really came to much today. Thank goodness! I mean I like snow and the but this time last year when the snow fell for what seemed like months, it was monotonous. It practically brought everything to a standstill. It was nice, for about a week. After that it was a pain. A menace. It made me not want to do anything. It set back my spin and gym class schedule last year. Okay okay that s my laziness but when the snow is thick on the ground and you can't even get t your street in the car for fear of being stuck outside the weirdos house, then you just don't really want to do anything. But, not this year. It won't be stopping me this year. Admittedly, Stirling was not my destination when I left the house today but it ended up being the place I went for for of the being stranded on the motorway in the snow. Ever the optimistic eh!

Anyway I thought I'd finish my Christmas shopping this weekend. I haven't. I've still to get something each for the boys, the two angelic nephews. It's so hard though. They have lots of toys already and truth be told the things they turn to most and play with every day are wee cheap cars. Loads of them. So I'm not sure what to get them. I'll keep thinking on.

I bought some more nail polish yesterday. To metallic shades from Topshop. I've had Topshop nail polish before and it goes on smoothly and the pigment is nice. I got a dark by silver metallic that's a bit blue too, then I goth nice dark raspberry link metallic. Lovely. I meant to try the blue one today but so far haven't gotten around to it. I'll add pictures when I've done it. The other week I purchased a new Chanel polish. It's a winter 2011 edition. Not sure if it's a limited edition but when I saw it I fell in love with it. It says Christmas to me. A red with a shimmer running through it. Goes on good in one coat but two coats will be perfect.

I realise this post isn't much without pictures so check back soon and I'll have some pictures up. 

Angela xx

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Nothing

Saturday 3 December 2011

Here I am sitting in the couch typing away on the replacement ipad2. It arrived yesterday at work. All very quick since I only called about the scratched one on Wednesday night. Nice. Pleased with this one but still a little disappointed that the screen isn't as clear as the iPhone. Oh well, can't have it all. Today I'm going to try to blitz the Christmas shopping. Off to Glasgoe in a bit and I'll probably buy some stuff for myself from mum and dad. The routine is the same each year. No real surprises. She practically has an internal list of stuff she gets me. Like perfume for instance, even though I said no don't buy me Eternity, I just bought myself a new bottle a month ago and it'll last me a while. But no she bought it. I know this cos she told me. Like I said, no surprises. I'm not that keen on surprises to be honest but I'd just like to be a ke to get a present that they've thought about what interests me without me actually having to give directions to the shop!! Anyway I sound ungrateful, I'm not. I appreciate everything, hence the reason I buy myself all the big items, iPhone, iPad...I'd never ask my parents to buy me something that expensive. Pensioners now you know. This is really a nothing post. A post because I have a few things to say and don't know how to say them. What I have to say isn't what's written in this post. I'll probably write it later and then leave it sitting in the drafts for til god knows when. Maybe it'll be published maybe it won't. Sometimes it's just in the writing isn't it... But i'll leave you with this thought. When you come into someone's life, you consume them, they consume you, that means something right? Then you leave, drop them like a hot tattie, imagine that....for a second...dropped, just like that. You've drawn them in, they're in, then you go... How do you like them apples? Angela x .

December Begins

Thursday 1 December 2011

Here we are! Welcome to December. It's going to be great!! This is the first of my post every day in December posts.

I'm sitting here on my bed typing away at this post on my new iPad. Yes. I took the plunge and treated myself to an early Christmas present for me. Only trouble is, it's being collected tomorrow by a courier as the metal back panel has visible signs of wear and tear. Little scratches and marks. They're only little ones but still, I pad for a brand new iPad and this looks to me like a refurbished one. Disappointing. Give them their due though, at a quick call to Apple, and a chat with a nice young man all the way over in Austin, Texas, my new one is already on its way. Phew!! I've been playing about with it since Tuesday night and it's good but.... Yes, there is a but... I think the screen on my iPhone 4S is a lot better. Clearer. Sharper. Did you all know this? I mean it is handy. I will be keeping it but the screen clarity is very noticeable, to me anyway.

Anyhow, December. Wahey! It's come around so quickly hasn't it. For the first time in a few years I am rally looking forward to December and all that it's going to bring me. I don't me presents. I mean fun, days out, time spent with great people, laughs, tinsel, twinkling lights and a HOT CHOCOLATE! Who wants to meet for a catch up and a hot chocolate? Say Aye!

what are you looking forward to in december? Spill the beans...

Angela xx
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Last Day of November

Wednesday 30 November 2011

It's the last day of November. the 30th. St Andrew's Day, and yet I don't really know anyone that puts much effort into this Scottish day. Do you? Do you even know an Andrew? whose a saint...

It's also a day when most people at work seem to be on strike. Over pensions. And the Government. I don't really understand it. All I know is the I can't afford to take a day off work so i'm here. And it's my right to be here just as much as it is their right to be out there, striking on a picket line, or alternatively shopping. Because in my building alone there are about 85 people and there's only about 8 of those we've seen on the picket line... That's not to say others aren't elsewhere but really? i don't think so. Anyway this post wasn't going to be about that. But i shall say this. I've been thinking about cashing in my pension for ages. It's quite a big hit off my modest monthly administrator's wage. Plus, by the time i retire, the age will have jumped up to 85 or 90, the money won' be worth half as much and i figure i could actually use the money i have sitting there to out a deposit on a house, or something more practical like that. Couldn't I? I hate having to pay something into a pot of money that will probably go down and down and down until i retire. And prices will inevitably go up. Should I plan that far ahead, or should i just say to heck with this and live a life now? These are the decisions I think about. It's a big one. Do we need a pension? My mum retired after paying into a pension for years with the council. She gets a pittance back. Rubbish.

Anyway, like i said, this post wasn't to be about pensions. Oh, wait, I've got another thing to say. There are some posting things from high on their pulpits about public sector workers not thinking as much about the people they are serving as they are on strike. How about you walk in their shoes for a few hours on their wages and see if your opinion changes then. ok. Right, that was my last word on that subject.

So it's the last day of November. Only 32 days until 2011 ends and 2012 begins. I've done a lot of things this year that I'm proud of. But the list goes on and on of exciting things I want to do. And with you by my side I will do them. Do we have a deal? Well do we?!!

We have December to look forward to with all its glitter and tinsel and Christmas cheer (well some of us are cheery). We have January to look forward to. The nights start to get lighter (honest, they do. I timed it each night in January last year), the year is young and fresh and we start to plan for the summer. We have February, the month of fake love day. the day when couples feel obliged to do something together. If you're a couple you should be doing things like that anyway, or else where's the fun in that! March. Lovely, lovely spring green March. The month of my birthday (get it in your diaries), the month of breaking out your spring wardrobe (mine never changes!), the month of impromptu mini breaks (well in my head there is). The best month of the year in my opinion. Then we have April. A transitional month. When the nip in the air becomes slightly less nippy, you could even go out with out a jacket on if you're lucky. Then we fly ever faster into May. Generally nice weather. Day trips. Heck perhaps there's even a trip to a beach with a picnic, now wouldn't that be nice. June and we're rollerblading head on into summer mode. Pink skin a-plenty. New hair. Summer fun has well and truly started. July comes hot on June's heels. More summer fun, more hotter days (we can dream!) and more and more days out. Remember, we're all going to Alton Towers in July - get that in your diaries too. August bumbles it's way into your life and you're not nearly all summered out but your getting there. The street lights are noticeably on earlier, you can sit out the back and with your cardi thrown over your shoulders but goddammit it's still summer so you ain't putting a jacket on. Here comes September. All browns and yellows and drawing in nights. We like September too, don't we. There's a little bit of wind but still time for adventures, back to that beach maybe. Then we hit October. All blacks and inky blue skies but the stars never stop twinkling so we like that too. We can buy new winter coats and wrap up in them whilst walking through a duvet of crinkly freshly fallen leaves that are just waiting to be jumped in. And there we go, we're back to November again. All sparkling fireworks and wind blown hair. What a year we've had. What a year!

Let's make it a good one, shall we :)

Angela x
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Fabulous December

Sunday 27 November 2011

Occasionally I tweet a few #Angefact's on Twitter and the other day someone tweeted back to say they weren't sure my Ange Fact's were true. Well, they are true. Every single one of them. Perhaps it's because some of them are a little silly? Here's what it was, I said I'd never had a hot chocolate before. That's true. I haven't, but that got me thinking...

I decided that in December there are loads of things going on and loads of stuff to do but i always seem to just Christmas shop my way through it and then kick myself for missing out on the fun. I figured, like i usually do that I'd blog about all these things and turn then into AngeFact's that i have actually done! Good idea eh. And if i blog the list of things i want to do then they're sure to happen, right? So here goes...

1) well it has to be have a HOT CHOCOLATE! This may seem silly but I've never really liked the idea of hot chocolate. Mostly because I'd only ever seen that light brown powdery stuff in the purple tin tub (you know the one). My idea of a perfect hot chocolate would be something along the lines of nutella, but a little more runny. Not bitter stuff mind you. That would put me right off. Can you recommend anywhere that sells nice lovely tasty hot chocolate?

2) wander around the Christmas markets in Edinburgh. I've only ever had a flying visit. Passing through sort of thing on the way to somewhere else. It wasn't enough time to stop and browse and buy little goodies you can't find elsewhere. Want to come along?

3) following on from number 2 is have a go on the big wheel in Princes Street (or George Square). I'm not fussed. Note, if it's windy I'll probably pass up the opportunity.

4) take a long exposure photo. I've always wanted to learn how to take one of these photos. Winter seems like the perfect time to do it. With all the car lights, spinning big wheels, torch words! Let's do it!!

5) blog more. I've totally been slacking of late in the blogging. But I'm going to (try) blog every day in December. I'll try not to put too many photo only posts up.

6) make plans for January. January is a strange month. It's like limbo. Post Christmas blues set in and it seems like there's nothing to do except wait on the new series' of TV programmes to begin. So, I'm trying to add things to my diary to do during this limbo month. What are your January plans? Anything exciting?

7) not go and panic buy more presents on or around 21st December. I plan on having all my Christmas shopping done by mid December at the latest. I've got a few bits in already so that's good.

8) have a night out in my new dress! It's a gorgeous little black dress that I've never had before and i love it. I'd never have worn it a few months ago but now, yes, it's time to get the glad rags on and go out for a night out. Wahey!

I'll leave it at 8 for now. But i may add to this list. Are there little things that pass you by? Things that you might think nothing of doing but never seem to get around to it? Let's all do them!

Angela x
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O2, Apple and The Continuing High Data Usage Scandal

Monday 21 November 2011

Ok, I know you don't care that much and it's only a scandal to me, but still...

If you follow me on Twitter you'll notice that lately i've been less than happy with the amount of data my new iPhone 4S appears to be using. For the past 2 years I was on an unlimited data contract with O2 (who, by the way i've been with since the very early days - previously pay as you go). Mobile companies got wise to the fact that they'd missed a trick and could/should be charging for data or at least cap it. And so most introduced different rates or levels depending on what you needed. 100MB, 500MB or 1GB per month. Now i've read a few tech blogs and most say that an average person won't need more than 500MB per month so that's which option I went for this time. Only it didn't quite work out like that. I got my new phone on 14 October and by the 5 November I had used 80% of my data allowance. What?!! That can't be right surely. I called O2 and spoke to a girl with a distinctly northern accent, i can't quite place it though. She preceeded to tell me that the data usage was in fact correct(!) and that I could purchase more data if i wanted(!), that her friend had a new iPhone 4S too but she swapped it for a Samsung Galaxy thing because and i quote "the 4S updates every night and uses all your data. She was using too much data too so she swapped. I wouldn't have gotten a 4S if i were you" (!!!!!) I just hoped that O2 were indeed recording this call for training purposes as that wasn't a very professional thing to say, was it?

Anyway I let her ramble on. Asking me if i was streaming YouTube videos or tvprogrammes (WT actual F?!) Of course not. I have a laptop and a tv for that. Was I using it any more than normal? NO! Did I have location services turned on? YES. Turn them off then. What is the actual point of having a smart phone if you have to turn off most of the services you bought it for in the first place? It was a frustrating conversation and I left with no answer to my original question - why were my data usage stats to high? Surely I can't be in that top 2% (or whatever the latest infographic shows) who have a higher data usage. Surely?!! She suggested i go to an Apple store or...wait for this... go to an O2 shop to speak to a GURU! (as when i asked if there was a tehcnical helpline she said no, they just deal with billing enquiries etc on the phone). NOTE: later whilst browsing the O2 website buying an extra 100MB data bolt on i saw they also have a Bolt On for monthly technical help, it'll cost you £7.50 though! I mean WT actual F two??

Anyway not satisfied with that i went on the phone to Apple. The guy talked me through all my settings and suggested that i turn off Cellular Data Network. I do that at home now but what if i'm out and about? I won't get the internet if i'm walking down a high street. "No you won't" so again, what is the actual point of a smart phone if you cannot do this?! These people were missing the point... Anyway, the Apple guy emailed me a copy of the user guide and made sure my settings were all turned on / off in the right combination. I'd try this out to see if the data usage went down.

Three days later (yes, only 3 days after the original 80% data text from O2), I got one to say I'd run out and that i could follow a link to buy more. I was seathing at this point. I phoned them again and caused great hilarity in the office at the lack understanding at the question I was asking O2 (yes, I was on the phone to them again). We went around the houses. I was still using too much data, according to them. Yes, but there must be a reason for it? I don't get more than 15 emails per day MAX, I never use it for YouTube. I only downlaod songs or apps at home on a Wifi signal. All I really use it for is Twitter, Facebook and Words With Friends. That'll be it then, she said. WTF?! At this piont i am losing patience. That night i go home and check my bills for the past two years. Maybe i am a large volume user? Maybe i am in the top 2%? I'd never actually checked my data usage since it was always unlimited, have you?... I sat down, logged in and started going through my bills... Previous bill prior to getting 4S circa 175MB for the month. Next one - 380MB. One before that 250MB. I scrolled back and back and back and the only bill i found that had me anywhere close to 500MB was from April 2011, which coincided with my trip to London. I was out and about wandering without wifi so of course the data usage was higher but still not above 500MB. SURELY THERE IS SOMETHING NOT RIGHT HERE??

I made an appointmewnt with an Apple Genius. In the meantime i searched all the forums online and it seems this is a common problem. And the solutions appear to be the phone companies blaming Apple and Apple blaming the phone companies. I don't care who's fault it is i just want it sorted. I don't want to have to be buying extra data each month! Oh and also, Appled released the new version of iOS which was meant to help the battery life. Since my 3GS days i've always got a day's use out of my battery. Not a full day mind you but if i charge it at night use it all day, i don't need to charge until about 8pm. This was the same for my 4S, which is meant to have a better battery(!). Anyway i installed the new version and that night the phone was on standby and had only dropped about 2% during the night. Before it would've been about 15% drop. However it seems that this hasn't fixed the battery problem, which i'm not sure I have anyway. I'll await a next release. The high data usage is a much bigger concern to me.

So the Apple Genius was nice and again checked all my settings to make sure I had it set properly and he said that O2 must be charging me for using data that I'm not. I told him what the 3 different people on the phone have said and he said "yeah they would say that". He said to monitor it and if it was still overly high then i should go back. Frankly I'm fed up with the whole saga. My new allowance began yesterday and according to my bill i've used circa 800MB of data in the first month of having an iPhone 4S. It means i'll probably have to up my bolt on to the £10 (1GB) per month extra instead of £6 (500MB). Now you might think that this is a whole lot of palavar for just an extra £4 per month, but it's the principal of the thing. How come before I wasn't using anywhere near 500MB per month but now with the new phone I am? In my head there's a dodgy deal been done between the phone companies and Apple. We'll make it use data, you can start charging! or something like that *wink*.

Whatever it is, it's certainly not making for a good experience. More and more i'm hearing stories of high data usage being recorded, which weren't there before. I mean in theory i should be able to read half a million emails on 500MB.

Anyway... It's a shame as before this i'd never ever had a bad word to say about O2. And I absolutely love the phone. It keeps me connected. And the girl who quipped about how i should've got a Samsung Galaxy can run to the hills!! So that's it. My story. I had to get it out there. I can now put it to bed and succumb to the grip that O2 has on me and pay that extra £4 per month for data. You could say i'm playing right into their hands.

Angela x

The One About The Shoes

Tuesday 15 November 2011

I want to blog more. I've slacked the past few weeks. I just don't know what to write about. So this is the post where I ramble about what I've been up to the past few weeks. Not much really except it seems shopping and cinema-ing.

Let's start with the shopping. A few weeks ago saw the most wondrous shoes on a website. They were so awesome I immediately wanted them. Pink suede Sam Edelman 'pumps' with spiky jewel encrusted heel area. Look... wouldn't you want them too?!!

Now these shoes aren't cheap a little shy of £200 but if figure that I don't buy 'going out' shoes that much. In fact the last pair of 'going out' expensive shoes i bought were from Topshop about 4 years ago. I was overdue new fancy schmancy shoes. I decided upon first viewing, that they were to be mine.

I scoured the web and realised that perhaps the closest place to sell them (that i could actually try them on) would be Harvey Nichols in Edinburgh. I'd get round to that eventually. I headed off to Glasgow one Sunday to the cinema with a customary scoot around the shops and allowed myself to be drawn to Fraser's on Buchanan Street. I'll just mosey to the shoes department to see if they have anything else in that would catch my eye. Lo and behold. There they were. They shoes. Sitting at a jaunty angle that enticed me ever more closer to them. I grabbed it from it's stand and checked the size 5/36. American sizing. I knew a 36 was a 3 1/2. Tried it on. Oooohhhh how lush was it. The sales assistant came over and asked if i need any help. I promptly asked her is there was a fresh pair. This one now adorning my right foot was a bit manky and i could see it'd been tried on a fair few times. "I'm not sure but you can try them on and we can order you a fresh pair". Deal.

A few minutes later. Come to think of it, it was a good five minutes later that she brought the box out. It wasn't a fresh pair but she handed me the left foot. Shite. The right foot had obviously faded from sitting on the shelf, understandably. I tried them on as a pair. I was in love. Official. I hoiked my jeans up so i could see them better. They were so awesome. Feminine with the perfect amount of rock chick. Perfect. Only thing was the heel was 4 and a half inches high. Higher than i am used to considering i spend most of my time in a beat up pair of Converse. Boys - this is a high heel! "how do they feel?" was the question from the sales assistant. "they're killing my feet but they're gorgeous" was my reply. It would take a lot of breaking in for me to get used to almost walking on my tippy toes in this new pair of shoes. I wanted them. I bought them. Right there on the spot. In my mind i had them already worn with three different outfits.

I took them off while the sales assistant went to order me a fresh pair from the computer. Two minutes later she was back "I'll just get you over at the till to pay for them". I handed over my card and felt a little guilty. Was this my gut telling me something? Should I be spending this much money on a pair of shoes, which, let's face it, would spend most of their time in a box on top of my wardrobe? Hhmmm.... The shoes should be here within the week and i could collect them whenever i wanted.

Two weeks later I headed back to Fraser's to collect my new shoes. My new sparkly, awesome shoes. Dis-a-pointed was an understatement. I headed into the busy shoe department, the designer section as my shoes were from there. Told an assistant i was here to collect shoes. She took my receipt and headed off. Five minutes later she was back. I noticed the box was a bit...bashed. Hhhmmm. She opened the box to reveal a pair of the shoes in a size 5/36 (3?). There was something not right immediately. The paper inside the box was ripped. The shoes weren't wrapped in their own piece of tissue paper. The plastic rod you get to keep shoes on shape was in the bottom of the box. Around the peep toe they were a bit dirty. There was a green mark on the side of the left shoe. The soles had clearly been used. Not used as in stepped outside but you know when you can tell they'd been stood on and walked in? that!! I was not happy with this. Spending nearly £200 on a 'fresh' pair I'd expect them never to have been out the box! Wouldn't you? I questioned the things i mentioned above and this sales assistant (note: a different one than who originally served me, she was lovely, this one not so much). "No, they've not been worn". Clearly they have I said, look at the soles. "Nope it's not possible". Look at the soles i said. There's a mark on one of them. They're a little bit faded. The box has obviously been opened and they've been worn. "no, they haven't. I can give you a refund". Well actually you know what. Just do that. Her customer service skills were lacking. Perhaps it's because she thought I'd taken her away from another customer who was just about to spend £5million pounds on a pair of Jimmy Choo's!!! A smile wouldn't have gone amiss either. The refund was back on my card within minutes and I was out that door quicker than you could say Sam Edelman. It's such a shame and a disappointment. Shame the shoes weren't a NEW pair and such disappointing service from a high end department store.

I couldn't stop thinking about the shoes. They were truly awesome. But as luck would have it I wondered up Buchanan Street and into New Look to find some clothes for my sister. I called her and she asked me to look for a pair of shoe boots for her. I wondered around and lo and behold (yes I've used this twice now) i saw a gorgeous little pair of red suede shoe boots. I was immediately drawn to them. Looksee below!!

New Look shoe boots
And at £25 they weren't going to break the bank like those spiky pink ones. Plus they are a much more manageable heel size. With the money i had left over i bought a pair of black skinny Levi jeans and a cool little black top. That's my outfit sorted. I now need somewhere to wear it to! *wink wink*

Now, i'm away to practice walking in them... could take a while.

Angela xx
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No Words Wednesday

Wednesday 9 November 2011

Saturday evening sunset, raindrops

There's not...

Happy Halloween

The Duo of Wonderful Nephews

Self

Another amazing sunset

Spinning Self

Saturday morning mist

Loch calmness

Mirror

Bridge

Angela xx

The Simple Things

Thursday 3 November 2011

Last week was a week of polar opposites. It started brilliantly with meeting Miss Andi Kiss in Glasgow. She is fab. We walked, had dinner and lots and lots of chats. So fab. I'd say a 10 out of 10 day. Tuesday came and went. I needed a relaxing day. Saw a friend at lunch, had a wee catch up. Played with Connor at home. Nice. Wednesday was my Instagram walk. Great fun. Nice day too, weatherwise. Good. Thursday back to work. In itself fine. Friday last day of the working week (although i cheated with only actually two working days). As the day went on something came over me. Not sure what. A feeling.

I went to spin as usual. It was good. Hot bike boy was there. I mused how his tattoos do not seem to match his personality. He seems to be a bit quiet. Won't look you in the eye, that kind. Anyway, distracted there...

Got home from spin and that feeling was still hanging around. I had a little exchange, a talking to you could say, from a generous and lovely lady who is really very positive, even when things perhaps aren't going her way. An admirable quality that I like. I had a little cry. It's good to get it out sometimes don't you think.

Saturday I decided to just chill out. Relax. Try to get my mind of things. I did that. Sunday was a day out with my sister and the boys. She was going shopping for an outfit. I just wanted a day out. The boys only wanted something to eat. We passed a few toy shops but no...food was on their minds. It was a nice day out if a bit stressful.

By this time I was feeling much better. A few thoughts were still swirling around in my head like autumn leaves blowing in the blustery winds. Round and around they went, these thoughts. They're still there now. Their swirling is not as severe as the other day, as you see, I've got a few things sorted. I thought let's strip everything right back to the bare bones and find out the simple pleasures in life again. Those little things that may not even be thought of until they are over with. And so that's what this post is about... the simple things. What do you like? Here's a few of mine.

  • Warm fluffy towel when getting out the shower.
  • Clean fresh bed linen.
  • A smile from a loved one.
  • A tweet from a friend.
  • A text from someone you cherish.
  • The first drink from a can of Irn Bru.
  • Home made macaroni cheese. It's a hug on a plate.
  • A line from a song.
  • Random acts of kindness, that really aren't random. More on this later. In fact I'm going to write a whole blog post about those.
  • Crafting. Making things with your own hands. 
  • Taking your shoes off at the end of the day and putting your feet up.
  • A memory that comes to you at the strangest of moments and gives you that warm fuzzy feeling and a smile on your face. That. 
Those are some of the simple things that I love.
What are yours?

Angela xx




Instagram Worldwide InstaMeet - #InstaWalkAnge #InstaWalkScotland

Friday 28 October 2011

Wednesday 26 October was the 3rd Worldwide InstaMeet day. What's that you say? Well Instagram is an iPhone photo app (one of my favourites) and an InstaMeet is a group of people who get together and chat, take photos all relating to Instagram. Well, that was the idea, but despite countless calls and few people saying yes, they'd come, I ended having a day to myself walking around taking pictures and posting them to Instagram, and Twitter.

As you might guess this is a picture heavy post so look away now if you don't like pictures. But I wanted to mark the day, my day, in pictures. I decided that i'd go to Edinburgh for this day that on Instagram and Twitter I called #InstaWalkAnge #InstaWalkScotland  I'll explain... The hashtag for the day was #InstaMeet - check the Instagram blog - with the name of the city attached to the end. But since there weren't many takers i thought I'd name it after our beautiful country. I mean surely we have enough going on in the wee nooks and crannies of our cities to capture. Yes we do and that's what i did.

I hope you like the photos. There will be more days like this soon so give me a shout if you fancy tagging along on the next one.

my pillow - the morning of Worldwide InstaMeet day

Connor - one of the angels

Stairs

Scott - The Scott Monument, Edinburgh

Never Ending - Princes Street, Edinburgh

Already Christmas

Occupied

Abandoned

Highland Dress

Pedestrians - Royal Mile

Tea Break - Hula Juice Bar

- - - , Greyfriars Cemetary

Rooftops

Skull and crossbones

Words, Sir Walter Scott

Edinburgh Castle

Castlebarns Steps

This one isn't an Instagram but these shoes kept me walking all day in comfort

White Building - Royal Lyceum Theatre

again, not an Instagram but a picture from food stop at Illegla Jack's

Stained

Castle by night

Door. Pillars

Trains

Last one of the day. Me. Ange

Hope you enjoyed my walk with Instagram. I certainly did. You can follow my photos on Instagram by looking for my username @Ange77H
And a big thanks to @Drgonzolives @CaesarLopez @Cheakodaman @littleembot @abzquine @nickdixon8 @ for the likes and comments on my pictures. Thanks for walking with me, virtually.

Angela x