Candid Article 31

Disclosure - Settle

Here's the link to my latest article (I'm pumping them out at the moment!) a review of Settle, the new album by Disclosure:

http://candidonline.com/review-disclosure-settle/

Traveller's Tales...

Hull

On Sunday, I drove to Hull with Mo to go and see Lydia. We had a pretty easy run and arrived at around 7pm. She made us a spaghetti carbonara for tea which was really nice, and then we got ready for a night out. We had people round to predrink and then walked to a bar called Tofts Lane Bar & Grill on Newland Avenue where we had one before moving on. It was pretty chavvy and mega sweaty so was glad to go somewhere else!

Next we had some cocktails at a bar called Zest. I had a Cucumber Collins, which took them forever to make but was really tasty, Hendricks and cucumber = yum! We stayed until about 1am and intended going to a Scream bar called The Piper, but unfortunately they weren't letting people in any more so we went home. Mo and I were pretty tired to be fair, so I was glad of a not so late night.

In the morning we slept in and then had a cooked breakfast in the garden as the weather was beaut. Afterwards we went to Pearson park and chilled out in the sunshine for a couple of hours. I had a cider lolly which took me back to primary school days! We drove to the train station to drop Mo off as he was back at work the following day, and then Lydia and I went for a wander around the shops and had a Starbucks.

We went home, had some amazing brownies and mooched around for a while before driving to Pizza Express in Beverley for some tea. We shared some dough balls and then I had a Superfood Salad that was really tasty - it had squash, beetroot, lentils, pine nuts, chicken and salad leaves with a balsamic dressing, and was not only really filling but had less than 400 calories! We went back home and went to bed after watching Made In Chelsea, really tired!

The following day Lydia had her knee operation, so I took her into hospital and then went shopping for a while before driving to see my grandparents who live nearby. I had a roast dinner (including homemade cheesecake!) and looked through some old photos with my little cousins who were staying there. Then I drove back to collect Lydia, who apart from being a little woozy from the anaesthetic was very well, and then dropped her back at home before driving back to Manchester and staying at Mo's. Last day off today!

Weekly Update!

The Waterside, The Belmore, Taps & The Old Ball - Pubs Galore!

This post may seem incomplete, as with this weekend being a bank holiday (and for me a 5 day weekend), I am technically only halfway through it. The rest I will do a post of on Wednesday when I return from my jaunt to Leeds and Hull.

On Monday I met up with Tasha and we went for a drink and cake at Gastronomy in Hale. I had a latte and a millionaire's flapjack which was really tasty, and a nice variation on the traditional shortbread base. The stodginess of the oats really complimented the gooey caramel and smooth layer of chocolate. In the evening I finished an article I had for Candid (see previous post) and sent it off ready for publication.

On Tuesday I ate at the Country Club, this time opting for the Club Roll sushi, which had tuna California rolls, with a centrepiece of prawns, cod and squid in a tangy miso sauce. The dish was amazing as usual, although I didn't rate the sauce as it had an unusual strong taste rather like horseradish, which I can only assume was a type of wasabi. Luckily it was only drizzled over the middle bits of fish, so didn't engulf the whole dish. After work I met up with Rick A for some drinks at the Waterside in Sale. I haven't been in there for literally years (in fact I think I was underage the last time I went in!!) and it was a pretty nice venue - chilled out atmosphere with good value drinks and plenty of comfy seats for a relaxed vibe. I was driving so had a couple of spritzers, but still stayed out until gone 11pm, so I was knackered when I climbed into bed!

Wednesday and Thursday were quiet, although I babysat for one of Aum's friends on Thursday which was a nice change, and wrote another article for Candid (see previous post). On Friday I finished a little early as the Khuranas were going on holiday so I picked Aum up at 2pm and once I had dropped him at home I could finish. I went to pick up my final cut dress for Laura's wedding (yay!) and then went to the gym before Mo came round for the evening. We had some lovely ribs and homemade chips for tea, and then wandered to The Belmore pub on Brooklands Road for a few drinks.

On Saturday I got to choose my kitchen and bathroom tiles for the new flat which is exciting, and then I travelled with Mo to Leeds for a night out with Jas and her mates. We went to a pub called Taps for some cheap and cheerful food for dinner (I had chicken and ham pie with chips, good ol' favourite) and then we went to the closing party of Evolution which was actually pretty good, and nice and cheap!

Today Mo and I met up with my cousins for some lunch at The Old Ball in Horsforth, which has recently been done up and is pretty nice. It is now a pizza kitchen, so I had barbecue chicken and bacon pizza while Mo got the meat medley, which had every type of meat (even meatballs!) on it. We stayed outside in the sun chatting until 4pm, and are now just about to set off for Hull to see Lydia - roadtrip weekend!

Candid Article 30

30 Seconds To Mars - Love, Lust, Faith & Dreams

For my latest article, a review of the latest 30 Seconds To Mars album, click on the link below:

http://candidonline.com/review-30-seconds-to-mars-love-list-faith-and-dreams/

Spring Reads...

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton - 4 stars ****

This book has taken me forever to read, but not due to it being boring, simply because I barely have time to pick up a book nowadays! I bought it from a charity shop as I have read Kate Morton's previous two books and loved them, although this is probably her weakest if I'm honest. This isn't due to anything other than the superiority of the others, and it is still a very pleasurable read that I would recommend.

It is predominantly about three sisters (Juniper, Serafina 'Saffy', and Persephone 'Percy' Blythe) who live in a big castle called Milderhurst in the English countryside. They have been there their entire life, through wars, deaths and drama, and are now very elderly women existing in a state of disrepair. 

A publisher called Edie is asked to write the opening to a book called The True History Of The Mudman, which was written by the sisters late father Raymond Blythe. Despite being a creative genius, he was a troubled man, who suffered with delusions and attacks of paranoia, something that was passed on to his daughter Juniper. Edie is particularly fond of the book, and she unearths a major coincidence when she discovers that her own mother was evacuated to the castle during the war. She visits the area to question the sisters about their lives, and so begins a tale that flits between past and present and from character to character in order to explain their individual stories.

This book was brilliant in that every character was completely different and had very realistic personality traits, showcasing their flaws and secrets perfectly, and the language used is quite beautiful:

'And it had seemed to Tom, as it still seemed now, that Juniper was just like that flower. An object of unfathomable perfection in a world that was breaking apart. It wasn't only the way she looked, and it wasn't only the things she said. It was something else, an intangible essence, a confidence, a strength, as if she were connected somehow to the mechanism that drove the world. She was the breeze on a summer's day, the first drops of rain when the earth was parched, light from the evening star.'

It takes a while to get into as there are so many different scenes that must be set, and because of this it is broken up into five separate parts each addressing a different person within the story.

This book really does put you through emotional turmoil. It is traumatic, moving, shocking, endearing, tragic and very intricately woven, so it leaves you connecting all the pieces until the very end, and indeed afterwards. I can't wait to read Morton's latest masterpiece!

Weekly Update!

Surprise Days Off, New Places & A Very Dirty Dress!

Monday started off well, as I was supposed to be starting work at 12pm, but got a text at twenty to saying I wouldn't be needed - result! I had a lovely lazy day after my triathlon, and in the evening Mo and I went to The Slug and Lettuce in Altrincham with a big group of friends for a couple of drinks. As I had a sober weekend I actually got quite drunk despite only having a few wines, and we went home at about half ten to watch Game of Thrones and eat nachos!

On Tuesday I had a swim wth Aum and we ate at the Country Club; though I wasn't too adventurous this week and just had the house salad with a prawn skewer on top. It was a lovely salad though, with green beans, spring onions and a refreshing limey vinaigrette as well as the usual carrot/ rocket etc. 

On Wednesday Aum's drama was cancelled so we went to The Cake Gallery as a treat instead. I chose an amazing raspberry and oreo cake, which had whole raspberries and cookie bits in the sponge, sandwiched together with raspberry jam, with oreo buttercream icing garnished with raspberries. The combination actually worked really well, although the jam did taste very sweet, almost like ice cream syrup, which together with the thick layer of buttercream made it very sickly. I still managed to finish it with a cup of tea, and Aum had a chocolate cupcake with a Malteaser on top.

On Thursday I had my nails done a really bright coral red colour as I thought it was time to crack the summer shades out (even if the weather refuses to) and in the evening I babysat just for a couple of hours then stayed at Mo's. On Friday I went for lunch with Abi which was lovely, so nice to catch up with her London antics! We tried a new place for once, Cafe Pronto on Hale Road, which I have eyed up a few times but never got round to going into. It is owned by a lovely Italian man and his wife, who were very chatty and welcoming. I had a cheese and ham jacket potato which was huge and rammed with filling, and a latte, as I needed waking up. I think it is mainly used for takeaway orders, so the prices are super cheap, definitely a future Costa contender! 

In the evening everyone was busy, so I stayed in and dyed my hair and got an early night which was a nice change.On Saturday my grandparents came to stay for the weekend, so I took them to see my new flat and afterwards we went to The Romper in Wilmslow for lunch. I had tomato and cannellini bean soup with (free) chips, and a glass of wine. On the way home I got dropped at Mo's as Khumbu was up for the weekend. We just chilled at his for a bit, and then went for a drive to what will be my local pub, The Tatton Arms. It seems like a really nice little pub, quite old fashioned but recently updated, with an impressive homemade food menu and pretty cheap drinks, can't complain!

I got a lift home to have some dinner, and then got ready for a night in town. Khumbu and Mo came to mine for a few to begin with, and then we all went round to Ellie's for a few more and to get a mini bus into town for Laura's birthday. We went to Venue, and the night gets blurry from there! I woke up on Sunday next to a very dirty dress from falling over so much, and a pretty sore head! The day was spent lounging around until 3pm, when I took Aum to his friends birthday party, and Mo and I grabbed a coffee in Costa whilst he was there before taking him back. We had a full pork roast with the parents and grandparents which was really lovely, and then I went to Mo's where we had a relatively early night as we were absolutely shattered!

Candid Article 29

Jagwar Ma - Howlin

Please click the link to read my latest article, a review of Jagwar Ma's new album 'Howlin':

http://candidonline.com/review-jagwar-ma-howlin/

First World Problems

Finding the Perfect Dress

It is my friend Laura's wedding on July 27th, and for the last few months I have been desperately on the hunt for a dress for the occasion. As it is the first wedding I have been invited to as a 'friend of the bride' as opposed to 'daughter of the couple we're actually bothered about seeing' I have given myself a comfortable budget of £150. This is with the premise that the dress must be exactly what I want, and make me feel like a million dollars, as the event is not only to celebrate the lovely union of Laura and Dickon (who I am crazy excited for) but also a mini university reunion (including an ex) as well. 

I like to think of my personal style as being quirky, so I want a garment that reflects it, as opposed to opting for a traditional wedding style knee length muted coloured floral dress from a generic department store. My first trip was in March, and I thought I was being pretty prepared beginning to look then, but I am glad I did. I tried on three dresses on that jaunt:

1. A navy blue structured bodycon from French Connection with thin straps, £130. I was happy at the fact that I managed to comfortably fit into a size 8, but unhappy at the dress's complete lack of proportion for my body - the parts to cover my boobs were so nipple grazing I felt like an extra in a porn film.

2. A pale rose textured shift dress with a full skirt from Reiss, £159. This was a little over budget, but looked really expensive as it was made out of good quality thick material, and I loved the 50s style skirt, which was quite puffy due to a two layered underskirt. Again I fitted into a size 8, and it clung really nicely in all the right places, giving a lovely silhouette. Unfortunately the pink shade did nothing for my colouring, making me appear slightly like a Barbie who had been put in the tumble dryer and had her brightness turned down.

3. A pastel blue, yellow and peach pleated dress with a waist tie from Ted Baker £129. I originally saw this in John Lewis before Christmas, and had been coveting it ever since, so was excited to try it on. I love the colours, as they are bang on trend and also apt with the wedding having a Summer date, but I was disappointed with the shape as it was quite sack-like. Even with the waist tie (which was too thin to actually pull anything in) it didn't accentuate my middle enough, which coupled with the high neckline and past knee length, made it seem almost matronly.

After that unsuccessful attempt, which was in Manchester city centre and ended with wine in Harvey Nichols (which is always a good way to drown your shopping sorrows) I gave up for a while. My next go was again in Manchester, this time with fellow wedding attendee Claire, who has had her dress for ages, just to rub it in. 

I didn't even see a dress I wanted to try on until we were in the last shop, Zara, but the £39.99 price tag made up for it. It was a lovely bright orange/coral colour, which I have quite a few things in as it suits my skin tone and hair colour, and although it was a plain shift shape, it had a completely cut out back, which I thought jazzed it up a bit for the evening party. I tried on a Medium, and couldn't do the zip up, so didn't even bother with a Large, as I knew the proportions would be wrong then (too big on the chest and legs, but snug on the hips). It is a problem I often have with Zara dresses, which are clearly designed for European girls with boyish frames.

At this point, I was nearing surrender and considering just wearing a dress I already had. In a last ditch attempt, I tried online shopping earlier this week, and went a bit crazy, spending £352 on four potentials using my credit card, and fully intending making use of free returns! Two were from ASOS, an electric blue floorlength jersey dress with a low cut back, and a navy blue silky cotton shift dress with two pleats at the front. The first was nice, just not very formal and looked quite cheap (it was only £30) and the second fitted really well, but was quite plain and didn't really have the wedding factor I wanted, so they were swiftly returned.

The other two were from House of Fraser, one is a navy French Connection shift dress (there seems to be a pattern occurring) with a pink faux collar and jewelling detail at the centre that was £112 in the sale, yet it is made of linen so doesn't look that expensive, and it doesn't fit me snugly enough around my back and waist. The final one was a purple Phase 8 number with cream swirly piping detail that was £140 reduced from £175. The latter was my favourite upon purchase and when I first tried it on, as it fitted really well, and was quite unusual and felt like it was my kind of style. However, the more I look at it, the more I feel it is a little old for me, and also as the detailing on it is cream I feel I would need cream accessories, which I don't think I would make use of again. I swayed back to the former, before eventually deciding to return it and stick with Phase 8 unless I find something better or change my mind in the two week cool off period, in which case I will start from the drawing board again.

The search continues...

Days Out...

Triathlon!

This morning I was up bright and early at 7.30am for my triathlon, which took place in and around Wilmslow. Although my start time wasn't until 9.35am, I had to be there in advance to register, put my equipment in my transition space and apply my temporary tattoo numbers (!).

The first leg of the race was a 400m swim which went OK, I did it in ten minutes fifty two seconds, which isn't a personal best, but I was happy with it. It was mainly as I was held up a little as a couple of the people in my lane were pretty fast, and so overtook me which involves you being tapped on the foot and having to wait once you finish that length for them to swim past. I managed to lose my goggles last night as well! I wasn't the last one out of the pool in my lane though, which was encouraging.

Next was the cycle, so I had to run out of the leisure centre where the swim had taken place, and rush to put my leggings and t-shirt on (pretty difficult when I was soaking wet!) before mounting my bike at the specified point and setting off. It was a 24km ride, which was pretty daunting considering I went on my bike outside for the first time in about ten years only a couple of days before. It was actually much better than I expected, despite a horrible hill in Ashley which nearly defeated me. The route was very pleasurable to ride along, it was mainly country lanes with little traffic, and there were lots of cute animals along the way. I went past the pub I used to work at, and some local families were outside their gates cheering people on which was very sweet.

After jumping off my bike at the dismount point, I wheeled it to the transition section and had a quick drink and grabbed a cereal bar to munch as I began my run. My legs were getting stiff after all the cycling, so the change to running was hard, especially as about two minutes in there was a footbridge with loads of stairs to climb! When I reached the 2km mark and there was a steep hill afterwards I had a bit of a lack of confidence and thought I would end up walking some of it, but I pushed myself and carried on, and found running got easier the further along I got.

It seemed to take forever from 3km until the next sign, until I realised it was for 5km, so I either missed one, or they did it on purpose to spur you on! I had to go back up the footbridge at the end before crossing the finish line, which was a great feeling, and loads of people were there clapping and cheering once I'd completed it. It was better than when I did the Manchester 10km last year, as less people took part, so I finished by myself, which makes it feel like more of a sole accomplishment.

You could type in your race number to a computer and it gave you all your times, but unfortunately mine messed up a little as I must have missed one of the timing pads at some point, but I had my overall time (2 hours six minutes woohoo!) so they could estimate the transitions and cycle.

I actually really enjoyed competing, and though I have been training for over three months, I thought I would struggle more than I did. It gave me a massive confidence boost getting a much better time than I expected, and I was really grateful of the good weather (it started pouring down shortly after I finished!) and the support from my mum, who also took the photos!

Weekly Update!

Font, Haircuts & Bike Rides!

This week I've not done a great deal, Monday was spent still in Leamington (see previous post) and then in the evening I stayed at Mo's and we watched Game Of Thrones. Tuesday was spent writing an advertorial for the practise that the family I work for own, to go in Cheshire Life which is quite exciting, and great coverage for me. In the evening I went for a swim whilst Aum had his lesson and then we ate at the country club. I had salt and pepper squid with chunky chips as I was craving some comfort food, and I was pretty impressed that the squid was actual tentacles rather than just calamari rings, which I find can sometimes taste a little processed.

On Wednesday after I had dropped Aum off I went into Manchester as Claire, my uni friend that lives in Paris, came to visit for the day whilst on a trip to England. We went around a few shops, though all I bought were some neon earrings and a hair doughnut, and then met up with Mo and had some lunch at Font Bar on Oxford Road. I have mentioned it before, but I love the place, as it is really chilled out, does quality food at good prices (my meal was only £6), and has a friendly student vibe to it. It does get really busy on a weekend though, probably due to the riduculously cheap cocktails! 

I had a Philly Steak sandwich with mushrooms and blue cheese served with fries and salad, Mo had a standard burger, and Claire got a burrito that was huge! I also indulged in one of my favourite cocktails, a Bramble, which is gin with lemon juice and blackberry liquor, a bargain at just £2. Afterwards we hit a few of the more expensive shops in a quest for a dress for me for Laura's wedding, though it was unsuccessful, and I drove back at 2.30pm to collect Aum from school.

On Thursday I finally got around to having my hair cut, which now seems really short, but at least it is healthy and my layers are a bit more under control. I also paid a deposit for the tattoo I am planning on getting, and they booked me in for June 21st, all very exciting! I cycled to and from the gym and did a run whilst there, the bike was an experience to say the least, as it is probably the first time I have properly ridden one on a road by myself ever! It was fine though, and built up my confidence for my triathlon on Sunday - good job really. I stayed at Mo's in the evening as mum had all her friends round for coffee and I didn't fancy getting in the way.

Friday was a fairly standard day, although I sacked off the gym which was a little naughty, but I made up for it by going on a bike ride with Mum yesterday. We did around the airport and stopped off to see my flat, which is actually beginning to look like a liveable home, if you ignore the rubble and scaffolding. Saturday evening I couldn't go out due to an early start today (7.30am!), so while Mo went out with his mates in the Northern Quarter, Emily came round for tea, and we watched rubbish Saturday television and had a McFlurry. Could be worse I suppose!

New Tastes...

Homemade Chimichangas & Chocolate Cake!

As it is my triathlon on Sunday, this weekend I have been reduced to finding fun things to do that don't involve staying out late or drinking, which when it comes to me, is a diffucult task! Mo came round last night, so I decided to make us something nice for tea, and after consulting a few cookery books, decided on chimichangas.

I have had them before in a restaurant, and they seem pretty easy to make, so after a quick trip to Aldi for a few ingredients, I got cooking. The good thing about this recipe is that it can be made in advance, so if you know you will be in a rush when you get back from work etc, they are simple to cook quickly yet still appear that effort has gone in.

I decided to make some chicken and some beef ones, so first of all I fried off the meats in separate frying pans, then added equal amounts of mushrooms and peppers to each (onions could also be added at this stage). I split a packet of Old El Paso fajita sauce mix between the two, and added some garlic and salsa as well just to give it a bit more moisture. Then I got a tortilla, put about a spoonful and a half of one type of mixture in the centre, and made them into envelope shaped parcels, folding first the bottom, then the two sides, and finally the top section inwards. 

At this stage they can be left for as long as necessary (folded edges faced downwards to prevent them springing open again!) before shallow frying the same way down in about 4cms of oil (the recipe said palm oil, but I used vegetable and it was fine). I'd recommend microwaving them before frying if you leave them for a while though, as because it only takes 2 minutes maximum, the centres can remain lukewarm unless reheated.

I served them just on their own with guacamole and sour cream to dip them into, as they were quite big and therefore filling, but you could serve them with Mexican style rice or with nachos on the side if desired.

For dessert I made a simple chocolate cake, though substituted the butter for oil and milk as I find it makes the end result a bit more moist. I put white and milk chocolate spread in the middle (it is pretty cheap from Aldi, and is AMAZING!) and topped it with melted chocolate. The perfect accompaniment to a glass of white wine whilst watching a film on a Friday night!

Traveller's Tales...

Leamington Spa (Part 2)

The following day we were woken at 9am to the delightful sound of a foghorn courtesy of Pete, and so went downstairs where we were served a full cooked breakfast with pancakes and waffles, delish! We went back to sleep for a bit afterwards, and then at around 2pm we went out to a place called Burton Dassett Hills Country Park for a wander around. A few people had left, but there was still a decent group of us. The weather was gorgeous so we had an ice cream and then walked up to the top of a massive hill where there was a weird metal map of the surrounding area.

Afterwards we got some food and booze at Sainsbury's, then went back to Khumbu's and spent the afternoon lounging in the sunshine listening to music and drinking gin. It was pretty bloody perfect! More people came back in the evening and we got a Chinese (the prawn toast was the best I've had in ages!) and then stayed in playing drinking games. We watched Not Another Teen Movie and followed drinking rules we found online, then played a board game called Shag, Marry, Kill that was a little tedious, but good fun. Eventually I headed to bed at 2am, much the worse for wear after a 12 hour drinking session!

Today everyone stayed in bed pretty late, and a few people got off home just after midday. Khumbu, Mo and I walked back to the park we'd been to on the first day, and chilled on the grass for a couple of hours in the sunshine before setting off for home at 4pm. A good run back followed by Game of Thrones and homemade chicken macaroni cheese; great end to a really fun weekend!

Traveller's Tales...

Leamington Spa (Part 1)

The lack of blog posts for last week is due to a little jaunt over the bank holiday weekend to Leamington Spa with Mo to visit some of his friends, mostly from university. We set off at midday on Saturday and managed to get to his friend Khumbu's house where we were staying within two hours, not bad considering the traffic was stood still on the opposite side of the motorway!

We were some of the first to arrive, but once everyone was there, we walked into town to a park where you could hire boats, and got a couple of rowing boats and a canoe. It was a lovely day and we all had a laugh messing around on the water; I was in a rower with a guy called Mike and a girl called Lucy and we each took it in turns to row, I was pretty impressed with our speed and technique compared to the other boat, which had a great relationship with the bank and bushes!

After we had got back to the 'dock' we walked home and then drove to a really gorgeous pub called The Red Lion in a place called Hunningham. Inside it had comics all over the walls which was cool and the food was delicious. I had pigs cheek in barbecue sauce with spinach and mash for main course, which I had never tried before but it was tasty, the meat was quite stringy and strong tasting and really complimented the sticky sweet sauce. I got a glass of Pimms to drink to suit the hot day, and followed my main with a white chocolate, almond and amaretti cheesecake. I am not normally a huge fan of cheesecake as they can be quite sickly, but this one seemed to have a more mousse-like consistency on the top, and the base being amaretti biscuits gave it a bit more crunch rather than soggy digestive.

We sat outside in the sunshine once we had finished eating, before moving on to a beer festival in a village called Long Itchington which was very pretty, with a village green and a pond with ducks on. Because it was getting on for 7pm when we arrived though, there were a lot of drunken people stumbling around (it started at midday), and a few of the ales had run out, so we didn't stay too long before heading back to Khumbu's to carry on drinking for free!

The girls got ready and then joined the boys downstairs playing drinking games, which is always fun in a new crowd. We got taxis out at half eleven and had a couple in a bar called The Clarendon before ending the night in a club called The Assembly which played some really good music and was pretty packed. We got taxis home and eventually got to sleep at around 5am, good first night!

Weekly Update!

Mortgages, Krispy Kremes & Catchups!

This post doesn't really contain much because the majority of exciting things will probably occur this weekend on my trip to Leamington to meet all Mo's uni mates (see next two posts). However, on Monday I had a meeting with the financial advisor, who is sorting everything to do with my mortgage ready for my flat, exciting stuff! Everything went well, so it is just a case of waiting to hear that everything is approved before moving forward.

On Tuesday I did a run during the day, and then went for a swim whilst Aum had his lesson; then we ate at the country club. I had Tom Yam soup (which was really spicy, and had lots of coriander in, so I wasn't a huge fan) but it did have huge pieces of squid in, so I just picked that out to eat. I also accompanied it with one of the specials - swordfish with crab and avocado, which definitely made up for the slightly disliked soup, as it was amazing!

The following day I went into town originally for lunch with Mo, but a meeting he had overran, so we went for a coffee and Krispy Kreme instead, not complaining! I went shopping for a bit afterwards and got Claire a birthday present for when I am seeing her next week. In the evening I dyed my hair purple again for the first time in about two months, was a welcome change.

On Thursday I did a 7.7km run, which is the longest I have done for a long time! I rewarded myself with a tasty mushroom omelette when I got home. In the evening I was babysitting, so as we weren't in a rush to get home I took Aum for cake and a drink at Cafe Gourmand after school. I had a Bakewell tart and pot of tea, but the cake was a bit dry and didn't have enough jam in for my liking, whilst Aum stayed safe with his usual gingerbread man and apple juice, which you can't really go wrong with! Mo came round in the evening once Aum was in bed to keep me company which was nice, and I finished by half ten yet still got £30, not bad.

On Friday Mum and Dad went to Bilbao for the weekend for their wedding anniversary, so I had the house to myself (although I was away most of the weekend anyway!). I got my nails done and eyebrows dyed after work and then went into Hale for drinks with the girls in the evening - Abi and Lydia were back from London/ uni for the weekend so it was lovely to catch up and all get together. We started in Hale Bar and Grill and then went to Piccolino's. We were sharing wine, and I had four glasses - I actually felt a little more drunk than I realised!  

This morning I've been up since 9.30am to finish packing (I'm grateful I made sure to drink tea and eat crumpets before going to bed last night!) and I'm driving to Leamington with Mo at quarter to twelve for a weekend away (see previous post).