Thursday thinking and Tuesday blues

So much to think about just now. Haven't blogged for a few days. There'll be my usual Friday Five tomorrow. I have got a post lined up on another of my favourite photo apps, Camera+. I did have it set to go live last night then i noticed someone else done a post on the same thing so for now I'm holding it back.

I feel a bit bleurgh just now due to eating too much chocolate fudge and sweeties whilst sitting in the cinema for an hour on Tuesday night and not a film to be watched. Disaster. Well, maybe a bit annoying really. Booked tickets to an RBS Film First preview screening of Haywire. It was at the Odeon on Lothian Road in Edinburgh. I met Karlie for a lovely catch up lunch at Illegal Jacks, went for a wander around then headed to the cinema around 6.15. I handed over my ticket. He never checked it against my bank card, which they're supposed to do to make sure you are who you say you are. Anyway I headed in and it was screen 3, small screen which was already half full. I sat in the back row. I like to sit quite high up so I can see the screen properly through my glasses. Anyway, I opened my crisps and ate them. It was now full. I swigged on my juice. The lights went up. The lady told us due to demand that more people had turned up than they thought would and RBS generally over subscribe the screens in case no one turns up. I suppose it's a good idea in principle but in January when its cold and people have less money of course they're going to go along to a free cinema screening.

Anyway we moved into screen 2 which was much bigger and sat down. I opened my chocolate fudge ate a few pieces, then a few more. The music suddenly came on over the system. By now it was 6.45 and the film should have started. About 5 minutes later the lights came up and the lady came in again to say the film would be another 10 minutes (7pm) as it was taking time to load onto the servers. (Is this how they do films these days?)...

7.10 still no film. We were now onto All Saints greatest hits album over the speakers. People were getting tetchy. I saw a few people go out and then come back in. A lady told a few people what she'd been told and they got up put their jackets on and were leaving. Around this time i was tweeting and sending comments to the RBS facebook and twitter pages. Someone else who was in the same cinema was doing the same. A reply came via Facebook that they were trying to find out what was happening. After about another good 10 minutes I decided I was leaving. My plan was to watch the film and be out to catch the 8.38 train home to Stirling. If the film only started now I would be catching the 9.38 train and not getting home til gone 11pm. I decided to cut my losses and leave and a few others did too. It didn't really matter to me. I can see the film free on my Cineworld card but still, that wasn't the point. By the time i got out (with a free cinema ticket from the lady at the door, but no explanation) i decided to try and run to Haymarket. It was no use. I wouldn't make it so i double backed on myself and walked along a creepy empty Princes Street to Waverley. By now too my phone was completely dead. I had the iPad but its Wifi only. I arrived at Waverley with 40 minutes til my train was leaving - the 8.33pm. I managed to log onto The Cloud wifi - 15 minutes free. Then headed for the train. Good job i had my wee iPod to keep me company. I'd have looked like a right knob sitting with the iPad out listening to music haha.

That was a longer post than i'd planned. I bought more Haribo sour cherries tonight and have eaten half the packet already so you can imagine how bloated i feel. Spin class tomorrow though and i'm going to totally blast it. Friday night classes are my favourite. Oh and i'm double dipping on Wednesday. Two classes back to back from 5.45pm til about 8. Phew. My thighs will definitely look like Chris Hoy's at the end of this. Or maybe Cav's.

Angela x

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Five Things...

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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Instagram Worldwide InstaMeet - #InstaWalkAnge #InstaWalkScotland

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

What an awesome week!

What a week! Feels like I've been on a whirlwind merry-go-round that i never want to get off but i have. And what i've been left with is a stuffy nose, a dry cough and a throat so tight it's taking all my effort to drink my tea. This week has been filled with fun, excitement, nerves, aching-gut worry, cinema, music, birthday, lunches, dinners, baby and the most excellent friends a girl can have. And mostly all thanks to Twitter, and me of course.

Tuesday saw a long overdue lunch and window shopping in Glasgow with gorgeous wonderful friend Nicola (@Lilacswizzle). I really have to thank her for the much need confidence boost and wise words I would never have thought of under the circumstances. I have so much to thank her for this week, you don't even know!

Later on Tuesday I ventured cross country from West to East to Edinburgh, where I was attending a preview screening of new movie Warrior, via RBS Film First. This time it would be a solo trip as cinema buddies were busy. Panic started to set in on the train when the battery indicator popped up like a looming message of doom... 20% battery left. Argh! how would i find my way without google maps?! How would I check in on FourSquare?! How could i review this movie afterwards and let the whole of Twitter now how it was?! But still i continued to refresh my timeline. The train was nearing the East and the signal is really fucking patchy isn't it. So all I had was the O2 O of doom and no 3G. Panic, panic. I sent out a desperate tweet: Edinburgh, where can i find a bite to eat and (more importantly) a plug to charge my phone?!! Refresh.... Refresh.... Switch off... No signal... BUZZ! a reply! "well @illegaljacks of course. Ask nicely and you might get to charge your phone :)" Yay. I immediately sent a tweet, asking nicely of course, and the reply was yes, it would be waiting. Phew, what a life saver. Safe in the knowledge that my phone would soon have juice in it, i settled back to enjoy the remainder of my journey with plenty in my thoughts. Well as much settling back as you can do on a Scotrail train seat without thinking about all the other heas that have touched that spot where yours is... yes this is what i think about?! *shudder*. I digress...

The train arrived and I made my way to Illegal Jacks. It was a lovely not-quite-autumn-but-getting-there evening, a bit windy but the sun was still shining and embracing me in his warmth. Wandering along the street it occured to me that I seemed to be heading in the complete opposite direction to the masses. Rush hour. There were suits, numerous. All shades of dark. Navy, Grey, Black, Charcoal. Suits. But what I did notice that stood out were the sensible women who'd opted for trainers and suits when running to catch the train. I mused how they must've had a pair of work shoes hidden under their desks like me. Just in case, you know...

Anyway I reached Illegal Jacks and ordered from the menu then sheepishly asked if there was a plug. I was pointed towards the window, sat myself down and plugged in. PHEW! It really is a disaster when your phone runs out of battery but all was now well. A few minutes later my very tasty cajun spiced chicken wings arrived. They were hot, hot hot and spicy hot. Lovely. I sat and recharged and watched the world go by out the window. I do love a good people watching session! I exchanged tweets were back and forth from various people and then what a lovely surprise that Kelly (@Macfack) had dropped by to see me. (She saw i was checked in on FourSquare). We had a wee chat then it as time for me to head to the movie. This was the purpose of my visit afterall. I unplugged, 73% battery should see me right.

I walked along to Cineworld, not too far really, and headed into the cinema. The screen wasn't ready yet so we waited about 10 minutes before being let in. I had a wee chance to think a little. I'm always thinking. I was wishing that i had a companion with me, it would've been nice. Sadly, not this time. They opened the screen and we filed in. I checked in - obviously and tweeted a few people. Then the ads came on and it was time for the film. Thank goodness there weren't any noisy popcorn eaters in my vicinity. It was bad enough on Sunday.

The film began. Warrior. I thought it was about boxing but it was in fact about cage fighting. It was shot nicely and leads were Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte and Joel Edgerton - who you may remember from that Australian programme that used to be on BBC2 years ago, The Secret Life of Us. I loved that show but they never showed it again here. Anyway, Warrior. It was good. It was kinda predictable towards the end but well shot, nicely acted and the emotion caught me a bit at the end. Loved it really. I'd recommend it. Here's the trailer...

Out of the cinema i was a little bit scared walking these strange streets at night. There were one or two people around but as soon as i got back to the train station i was fine. I was freezing cold but. Shivering. And there was still a half hour wait on my train, darn. I was kept company by a few lovely people on Twitter. It's so great for that eh. Soon enough the time passed and my train would arrive on 5 minutes but not on platform 4 like what was on the screen. It always gets moved at Haymarket to platform 2 at the last minute! Grrr very annoying. Anyway the train was warm and I enjoyed a little convo with a totally awesome person via DM. There was something I wanted/needed to tell them but somehow the right words didn't come out. It would have to wait.

Platform clock

I woke on Wednesday with a dry mouth and chesty cough. Bugger it. I was heading out tonight, again! and there was no time for petty ailments. But I smiled when I checked my phone and had a wondrous text. Lovely. headed to work for another busy day answering loads of emails from students and every other thing that needed doing. But i didn't care. For tonight was a surprise do for Lovely Ian, the Surf Punk (@surfpunkian). Today was his birthday!!

The Mayor's Birthday

He'd told me previously he didn't like surprises but i was sure he wouldn't mind this one organised by one of his friends. I left work early at 4 to catch the train and headed through again. Fast becoming a regular jaunt for me. I arrived at Illegal Jacks a little after 6 and a few people were there. He said he was surprised and didn't have an idea. Nice. And he was parading about with a FourSquare Mayor t-shirt, a present from someone. Cool. By such a coincidence, a lovely girl, Andie (@MissAKis) i've followed on Twitter for nearly 2 years was in town with her work and she would be in Illegal Jacks for dinner too. I couldn't wait to meet her and when i finally did she was chatty, bubbly, lovely and such a warm person and a totally brilliant raconteur. Loads of stories. LOADS. Great.

All too soon it was time for me to head to my train and so I said my goodbyes to Andie, she was recounting her days spent in and around Newcastle to the group, and had a little chat and said goodbye to the wonderful birthday boy. I think he had a good birthday...

Heading home i had a few things on my mind. I wanted to kick myself, for a good reason. I wanted to turn back the past few weeks and do a thing differently but you can't can you.

Thursday i woke and was feeling pretty rubbish to be honest. Tired. Knackered. Flu-y. Coughy. Still had work to go to, boo. But i was visiting Linda and baby Kai tonight for a good old gossip and dinner. It was a good night. We had cheesburgers and chips and tea and juice and sticky toffee pudding. A treat indeed. I filled her in on everything from work to me and my past few weeks of fun. All the while Kai snoozed, fed, played on his mat and farted loads. I mean loads. For a month old baby he was farting like an old man. haha so funny and so beautiful. I headed home about 8.30 for an early night but i had a sinking feeling in my gut. You know when you get that? Bleh. I was glad to get to bed that night.

Friday was work and then spin class. And full on flu symptoms. I couldn't even eat the packet of marshmallows i've had for about 2 weeks. What's wrong with me?! I must be sick.
So that dear readers was my full on non stop crazy exciting wondrous gut-achingly massive week. It was emotional...

How was yours?

Angela x

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My BucketList, an update

My bucket list if you'll remember from here, was somethings from my bigger bucket list for the year that I wrote way back here in May 2010. It was something to spur me on to get out more and to do new things or things i haven't done for a while. Well, it's safe to say that I haven't really been doing anything on it except i have seen more movies at the cinema (hello Cineworld Unlimited card!!). I really really want to score a few things off the list but they are mostly things that can't, no, shouldn't be done on your own. As a little reminder, here is the summer list....

1. I want to see a real life piece of Banksy art, if you know where there's one please shout out now! Even better, come with me, YO!
2. I want to go to Alton Towers. I've not been to the funfair for years and I want a blow-out I'll be scared and scream but I want to go! Go go go go go.......
3. I still ache to walk along a Scottish beach, be it sunny or windy or rainy or whatever. I will do it.
4. Another trip to Londontown. I like it and it will help when doing the first thing on this list. Won't it?
5. Climb more hills. Well at least one. Which will be one more than last year. Yes it's been that long.
6. Seeing lots more new films. I've not been to the cinema for a couple of few but that will be rectified this weekend with a cinema fest.
7. go to Edinburgh festival to see a friend perform. Can't wait for that. My first time at the festival!

So number 6 is so far the winning bullet point. In the past month i've seen Bridesmaids, Horrible Bosses, Captain America, The Devils Double, and i'm sure another but can't remember. All good films in my opinion. The first two were great for a laugh and to take your mind off other stuff for a few hours. Go see them.

Number 1 and number 4: Hhmmm well the trip to Londontown will have to wait until early next year i think and so unless Mr Banksy comes a paints some art on the hut in my garden, the chances of me seeing one in real life before the year's out is slim. But i can wait. More time to research their whereabouts!

Number 2!!!!!! Alton Towers, a theme park! I so want to go. Before the weather turns too bad. Will someone come with me please?!! we could hire a minibus and take a few bodies too. Come on? for a fun filled day out. Let's do it, dudes!! (Sorry for the excess use of the exclamation mark).

Number 5. Yet another that i long to do. But i'm reluctant to go off up the hills on my own. I just won't do it. I'm a fearty.

Number 7. Aah Lucky number 7. The Edinburgh festival is in full swing and alas I still haven't been. But, but, but, I'm off for a long weekend from this Friday and hopefully I'll be popping along to see the wonderful Mr Neil Fox in The Great Brain Robbery. Now running daily from 1.45pm for an hour at The Caves. Get tickets here!! If you wanna come along on Friday with me, tweet me @Ange77H.

And finally number 3. Well his time next week i should be able to blog about this. Fingers crossed the weather is nice. I'm looking forward to that mini adventure!

Now, enough with the things i haven't quite done yet and onto the stuff i have been up to. Well mostly working and spin classes. I'm averaging 4 spin bike classes per week but things aren't quite going to plan. I do think I need to pick it up a bit and do other forms of exercise. I'm just so nervous about going into the gym though. I prefer to go at quiet times but the gym is so good that it's mostly busy up until about 8pm. Is that too late to be gyming? I tend to find that once i'm home I can't quite get the motivation to go back out again. It's just laziness probably. Definitely. Since the gym is but a 10 minute drive away.

Spin class

Results aren't too bad but could be better.

I've recently become obsessed (nah, not really obsessed, what's another word for it?) with painting my nails in loads of different colours. Tropical Paradise pink, Strawberry Margarita, electric blue, bright purple as well as Glitter in the Rain - a fave. Previously, i was a barely there pink kinda girl but that's changed.

What else? Let me see....Well, I've met new people and have even visited Illegal Jack's in Edinburgh. Very nice it was too. Although my use of a fork and knife to eat a burritto was mocked. There's a way to eat it apparently. I also dined at Jamie's Italian on a lazy Saturday afternoon. It was nice. Except the cotton napkin appeared to be all fluff which ended up all over my purple trousers. Not a good look.

Jamie's Italian - Carbonara

Illegal Jack's - burrito...with fork and knife! AND ice cream as my fellow diner had just become Mayor! :)

Overall it's been a fun summer. But could've been a lot better. Now i have to go and draw the window over. The crisp early autumnal wind is blowing in.

Angela x

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