Happy New Year!

Happy new year! I wrote a grand total of 4 blog posts in 2010. New year's resolution: to write more posts in 2011. This is part of a larger new year's resolution: to get a better work-life balance in 2011. I probably invested myself too much in my work life in 2010, and this year I will try to do more of what I want to do. Which firstly means getting a new job... as I don't want my work-life balance to shift too much in the opposite direction this year. However, I feel a cautious optimism for 2011, a year full of new beginnings, new possibilities, friends, family and cupcakes!

Peter and Princess

I happened to see Peter Andre & Princess from a distance promoting his new perfume when I was out shopping recently.

I'm not usually interested in celebrities, and didn't stay very long as it was strange to be surrounded by so many screaming girls, and VH wasn't very impressed. However, I enjoy watching Pete's ITV show - because whatever he's like as an artist, he's a good Dad and has beautiful kids. I find Princess really cute; she was jumping around, signing autographs and looked really happy. It's a strange childhood she and her siblings must have growing up in the public eye. It's a shame I couldn't see Junior and Harvey too.

Lake District

I haven't blogged since I was 'marooned in Montreal' and a lot has happened since then. I travelled around the country -Manchester, Reading, Newcastle, London, Nottingham (all for work) and my favourite by far - the lovely Lake District. We saw lots of sheep, water, mountains, museums and plays, and ate delicious cream teas.

The Lake District is so beautiful (we stayed in Keswick) and I really want to go back. There are so many fantastic places to visit in England, I love it here!

Marooned in Montreal

What kind of name is Eyjafjallajökull for a volcano? Here is how to prounounce it if you are curious. There is something quite surreal about volcanic ash from this impossibly named Icelandic volcano causing chaos throughout the world. Airlines are losing money, many people including Prime Minsiters and Presidents are unable to travel, or stranded, and it is affecting the economy.

On a much smaller scale, here I am, marooned in Montreal, whereas I should be at work in England... I was meant to travel back home Thursday 15th April, but instead I am (fingers crossed!) flying back on Wednesday, nearly a week later than planned. Perhaps I should have felt happy about the volcanic eruption- yippee an extra week of holidays! - but surprisingly being trapped somewhere out of your control isn't as fun as it may appear to be. I feel a little bit like Dorothy must have felt in the Land of Oz, except I don't possess any ruby slippers to help me return home. At least I have somewhere to stay, and for that, I am grateful.

The weather here is sunny at last so I can make the best of it and extra, unexpected holidays.

Proper blog post at last

I haven't blogged properly for a while. I didn't even blog about my Breton Christmas. Actually it wasn't very 'Breton', but it was celebrated in Brittany with family including Sky. We gave her a new toy reindeer which she loves. Sometimes she picks it up and throws it in the air if she wants to play. She is good at human manipulation, and has recently developed a little 'cry' she uses if she wants attention. As in the news today, dogs are actually very intelligent. I am not sure how many words Sky knows, but it is quite a lot. Recently however, she only seems to respond to them if you there is the possibility she may get some food in return. As I said - she is clever.

Now unfortunately it is back to reality, back to work, and back to the snowy weather. It was snowing before we left, and it has been snowing again since yesterday. Heavy snow too. Unlike VeggieHubby, I am no fan of the snow. Yes, it is very pretty but it just causes problems with travel to work. The roads were pretty treacherous last night as I was driving home from work. Even though there were gritters out my car span out of control onto the oncoming traffic and I was lucky that both me and my car were fine. The roads are much worse today as there is much more snow now, and it will get worse tomorrow as more snow arrives, and the snow starts turning into ice.... I think I'll be working at home again.

Little reflection on the "Naughties"

As the "Naughties" draws to a close, I am amazed how much my life has changed in these past ten years. I am no longer the single, teenage student as I was at the start of the decade, but a married and working 20-something. Ten years has made such a difference in my own life, and of course, in the world.

The highlight of the decade for me is of course meeting and marrying Veggie Hubby. Getting my degree would rank quite highly too, as would fantastic holidays in Canada, Greece (Olympics) and France, and seeing some amazing sights in the USA. Although doing 'Camp America' in 2000 was one of the lows of the decade for me, it was like a miserable couple of months in a prison camp.

I tried to make a list of my favourite things of the decade: favourite song, film, book etc., but I can't manage to do this. I think so many songs for instance have special meanings in their own year, it is difficult to pick favourites. Can you?

Wishing any readers of this blog a very Happy New Year and decade ahead. xx

SNOW BABY!!!

Hi everyone, i thought i would check in and let you all know that i had a little baby boy on friday 18th december at 3.48am, weighing 6lb 7oz! He is teeny and cute! Not to mention the fact he chose to come just as a snow blizzard was starting!! And lucky he came then, as 2 days later everyone was snowed in!!!!
x

Yeah or Nay?

Things currently on my 'yeah' and 'nay' list..

Yeah :-)

• Weird food combinations e.g. pineapple cottage cheese with filled pasta!!! (dinner tonight)
  
• I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here is keeping me entertained most evenings at the moment
  
• Pub lunches
• Graze boxes (when they don't contain nuts)
• It's nearly Christmas
  

Nay :-(

• The inept and slow Home Office
• Estate agents' extortionate 'administration' fees
  
• Working overtime
• Nuts
• Strictly Come Dancing (it's 'dull, dull, dull' this year in the words of judge Craig Revel Horwood)
  

The Graze Craze

There is a new craze going around my office, called grazing. Using the Graze website, you can order boxes of healthy dried or fresh treats to your desk or home to snack on.

On the website you can look through all their products and rate them as items you 'love' 'like' 'want to try' or 'bin'. They arrive in postbox-sized recyclable boxes. I have tried one box so far, it contained a dried pina colada mix (2 portions of fruit), delicious chili rice crackers, dairy free chocolate beans (like Smarties) and yoghurt coated apricots. These are based on things I like, other boxes I've seen have been healthier than mine, containing nuts, seeds and more dried fruits. I would have taken a photo of my box, but thought it would have looked a bit odd in the office if I did that! Here is a pic from the website.If you go on the website and enter the following code you can get a free Graze box.
Free graze code: 2TXJBKQ
It would also give me a pound off my next box, or a pound to donate to the Rainforest Alliance. Following the free box, the next box is half price (£1.49) and following boxes are priced at £2.99. I don't know for how long I'll get these boxes, I think £2.99 is quite expensive, but actually I've had a look and similar products can be quite expensive in shops too. P.S. I am not on commission for Graze - honestly!

Trapped!

I have come to a realisation that I am trapped in England. The Home Office has my passport and have had it for 1.5 months whilst processing VeggieHubby's visa. I don't know when I will get it back, it could be up to 6 months and we are not allowed to contact them. I want VH to get his visa more, but also I want my passport back! Even my dog Sky has a pet passport and can travel. Friends and colleagues seem to be making quick winter escapes, and I'd love to do that too. I just don't want to be trapped here for Christmas when I thought it would be the first Christmas I would spend with my family (who I haven't seen for nearly a year) since I got married.

Not only I am trapped in my country, I am also trapped because of the heavy wind and rain currently battering the south of England. It just makes me want to stay indoors. Having said that it is a good weekend for this severe weather; because it is the first in over a month where I had no real plans. There is also something quite nice and cosy about staying inside while it is raining outside - so I will make the best of my weekend in with my friends the X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing.

Putting a giraffe in the fridge

I heard this short quiz on the radio today. How well do you do? Disclaimer - the wording below is not my own!
1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?

















The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator, insert the giraffe, and close the door.

This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.

2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?

Did you say, "Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the door"?

Wrong answer.

Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door. This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous actions.

3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals attend except one. Which animal does not attend?

Correct Answer: The elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. You just put him in there. This tests your memory.

OK, even if you didn't answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your true abilities.

4. There is a river you must cross but it is inhabited by crocodiles. How do you manage it?

Correct Answer: You swim across. All the crocodiles are attending the animal conference. This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.

According to Anderson Consulting Worldwide, around 90% of the professionals they tested got all questions wrong, but many preschoolers got several correct answers. Anderson Consulting says this conclusively disproves the theory that most professionals have the brains of a four-year-old.

Christmas on Carnaby Street

I now have a new favourite street in London: Carnaby Street. I can't believe I've never been down this street before. It is a really funky, hip little street with quirky off-beat shops. The Christmas decorations are up already, usually I would find this irritating with it only being early November; but these decorations with their message of love, peace and joy are forgiven. The decorations may be inflatable but they are not tacky like inflatable Santas. Well perhaps the pink reindeer are just ever so slightly tacky, but I love them all the same. If you're ever in London I would recommend that you take a walk down this fun street, and hopefully you will love it too.