Day 69: Belated Birthday Bash

Tonight was the repeat of the attempted birthday bash from last week. 

Thankfully, I was well enough to go, so we got dressed in our best party clothes and, after a wee domino cake presented by Megan at home (complete with a random tealight candle scavenged from the flat), we set off for the train station.

It's always enjoyable taking the train.

There are plenty of opportunities for banter, not least of which was the cool fish eye lens at the High Street Station. 

Pin and Megs are always good photo fun.  Mostly because neither of them like getting their photo taken, and both of them suffer with great grace the many photographic incidents I make them experience.  They smile on command, stand still when ordered, and (in this case) peer owl-eyed into mirrors if need be.  I do love them for that among many other things!

From High Street it was on to Maggie Mays, where we enjoyed a Scottish feast before heading downstairs to hear new gigs in the basement.  Pin had the haggis, neeps and tatties starter, which I helped her enjoy!, and I had venison stew for my main - and, of course, my favourite dessert known to the world, sticky toffee pudding.  "Is there no felicity in the world superior to this?"  (Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen)

Downstairs in the basement there were four bands playing, none of whom we'd heard before, all of whom we enjoyed.  They were The Foundry Men, UKreign, Selective Service, and Davey Horne.  I preferred, in order, number 1, 4, 2, then 3.  We all had differing opinions but overall truly enjoyed watching people in a place where the live music means that people's normal sixth sense of 'feeling' when someone is staring at them was totally gone, and so we could stare at people all we wanted.  I felt kind of invisible sometimes. 

We played the Celebrity Game, where you look around and figure out who looks either like a celebrity or friend, or vaguely like them.  For example, one guy standing all on his own looked very like Clint Eastwood, but was much shorter and thinner so we called him Clint Eastwood's dad.  We also saw the Jew's little brother and Matt Jess's cousin's second cousin.  (Long stories.)  Clint's dad had quite a pull, hooked up with a pretty hot girl, we were surprised he did so well.  Maybe it was the cheekbones.  We had comfy seats on the couches which we were loathe to part with, and Megs got hit on as she walked up the stairs to the toilet and back.  (I don't think he followed her into the toilets, but it sounded like he was interested in that option.)

It was much colder when we left at midnight and I was (as usual) very glad to get into my jammies and rest.

Walk length:  35 minutes

Day 60: PiN!!

My sister Pin arrived from the States today!  In honour of her coming, the sky was blue and the air milder than the last few days.  I went out in my white coat and hat and was thankful that the weather had decided to perfectly match my chosen clothing.  Pin arrived with little difficulty, and great tiredness, but was revived by a trip to my new favourite tea shop, Brewhaha.  They make fresh sandwiches and excellent soup, which we tried out while blethering on and on with great laughter and joy.  I tried the 'silver needle rose white tea', which was incredible.  It was like drinking roses.  Pin said it was like drinking perfume, and made kind of a funny face, so I think she preferred her darjeeling or ceylon, I'm not sure which one she went for in the end.

Once we got back to my flat, I went back to work and Pin took a mini nap (from which I woke her up after an hour, having learned the hard way that the worst thing in the world for jet lag is to sleep longer than an hour upon arriving in the UK!), and whilst she slept the rain came down and the hail came down and the wind howled and I was pleased to be sitting inside at the computer and not caught in a hailstorm!  Pin, having just arrived from Arizona, was sorry to have missed it.  

We were going to take a walk later tonight, but I'm well beat.  I'm going to count our walk in Glasgow as my walk for the day - we did walk from the car round in circles to the tea shop (I got a little turned around), and back again - and get to my bed early.  For some reason I haven't been able to fall asleep until about 2am the last few nights, so I think it's all catching up to me!

Pin made me dinner (chicken enchilada soup with a few fun extras, and random bits and pieces from my fridge), and I gloated over all the fun things she brought me from the States.  Now she is off for her own walk of the day, and I am off to bed!

Walk length:  10 minutes

Day 56: Everything Stops For Tea!

Went into Glasgow today for my British passport interview.  Had no idea what that was going to involve, turns out there were loads of questions about my application (many of which I stumbled over because I had had to look up the answers myself when writing it!), but I imagine they expect that people don't know all those answers from memory anyway.  Hopefully get my new passport in about a week.  At any rate, after the interview I stumbled across this beautiful little tea-shop tucked into a corner of Buchanan Galleries.  It's called Brewhaha and has these 50's drawings all over the wall, and happy little tables with comfortable and beautiful chairs.  (The tables really are happy - they just look contented to be there.)  I ordered a jasmine green tea and sat writing and thinking and resting and just generally enjoying some me time.  There are statements painted on the wall like "Everything stops for tea!" and I couldn't agree more.  I had plenty of errands to run but for the moment time just took a break and so did I.  It was very enjoyable. 

A lot of walking today - dropped the car off at the garage to get a puncture sorted, and then walked from there to the train station; then walking here and there in Glasgow, and then back to my flat.  I'll need to walk back to the garage later as well.  Again, just rejoicing in the fact that although a little tired, I'm holding up quite well with a good bit more walking than I used to do.  It did help that the sun was showing face today (a little shamefaced, I must say, and rightly so!), but still sharply cold -  I never took off my  hat and scarf, not even during the interview!  (I was a little surprised...I mean I could have just had a wig or even false head on under that hat for all they knew!)

Glasgow was its own inimitable self - a man in full Indian (or should I say, Native American) garb playing some kind of windpipes...a noble statue with an orange and white traffic cone on its head...the sun sparkling off the windows of tall buildings...people hurrying, hurrying...people doing nothing....people stopping in the middle of the walkway for no reason, or to check their phone...so many people on their phones...a building under construction that was wrapped entirely in blue, like a birthday present...people talking...snatches of conversation and snatches of many swear words...frustrated people, happy people, bored people, people who seem to be dead inside....friendly shopkeepers....a helpful security guard who noticed me trying to find a shop and helped me out...and me, winding my way amongst it all and being part of someone else's scenery. 

Took the train home, having to remember to actually get off in Airdrie now that the train goes all the way to Edinburgh.  Still haven't taken the Airdrie-Edinburgh line yet, but it's on my list! 

Walk length:  1.25 hours +

Day 17: From House to House

Today was another example of how this blog & challenge came through to encourage me to walk when I might normally drive.  I did a lot of driving today - to the next town to attend a funeral, then back home.  Dropping off a few Christmas presents.  Into Glasgow to a friend's house.   And I can say unequivocally that I can see why i am walking.  Driving makes me frustrated, ticked off, easily angered, keeping records of wrongs...all those things that love does not do, according to I Corinthians 13, my mind and heart want to do when I am driving in traffic!  

So once I got to my friend's flat in Glasgow, I realised that it was a 4 minute drive to visit another friend nearby - or, according to Googlemaps, an 18 minute walk.  Seeing as I hadn't had my walk yet, I chose that option. 

It was a very wise choice.  Perhaps because I was in Glasgow as opposed to Airdrie, but I found myself not needing my hat, scarf, gloves, and even my coat.  It wasn't just the walking - I've been walking every day in sub zero temperatures and not warming up!  There was a warmth in the air, which I attributed to the predicted snow.  I've learned from experience that when it gets very, very cold and suddenly, surprisingly, warms up - it often means snow is about to show up.  (I remember where I went to university this would happen.  I would leave my dorm and find it surprisingly warm all of a sudden, so I would leave my coat and set off to class, coming out less than an hour later to huge snowflakes falling, and me with no protection from them!)

I passed a Christmas-tree lot, hidden away in a corner of the street.  I wanted to stop and take a photo, but there was a guy standing there looking like a Christmas Tree Bouncer of some kind - he eyed me suspiciously as I crossed over to the other side.  I just wanted to smell the fragrance - the clean, sharp smell of fir trees.  I wish so often I could take a picture of smells like that.  It brings up all kinds of feelings and emotions - family, opening gifts, love, joy, baking cookies, sparkling lights, 'Silent Night' on the radio - all this passes through your mind in a moment as you walk past live Christmas trees.  I left others to purchase their trees, and walked on.

Also passed a place called The Church On The Hill.  It was beautifully lit, with that soft golden light glowing out of the windows.  Not used for a church anymore, as is sadly the case with many such buildings in Scotland, but a beautiful venue, and I never knew it existed.   

Made it to my friend's flat and enjoyed a lovely catch-up and some red wine, and then back out in the mild evening air to Chinese & Indian food and a rousing game of Trivial Pursuit, complete with Christmas crackers.  Then home to my wee flat, where all is calm, and all is...quiet.