Weekly Musings

2018 - Week Twelve
'Life is a comedy for those who think and a tragedy for those who feel.'
(Horace Wadpole)

This is another one of those weird posts where I am writing this on Friday, but then going to add my weekend antics to it on Monday as I am going on holiday (yay!). Aum has been really poorly this week with a fever and flu bug that has been going around, and was even hospitalised for a couple of days, so I was housebound looking after him for most of the week. Although it meant I had to cancel a few social plans, it gave me plenty of opportunity to stick to my reading goals and catch up on some admin work that I had been putting off. Track of the week below is just off an Apple Music playlist that I've had on recently as I've been podcast-listening so much that discovering new tunes for myself has fallen by the wayside, but this one caught my attention.

I started a book by Daniel Goleman called Emotional Intelligence, which although it is over twenty years old now, is a really interesting psychology based read about learning to recognise your own emotional state, but not allowing it to affect your responses or reactions to things in order to maintain better relationships, motivation, mental health and many other aspects of life. It is one of those books that requires concentration, so isn't the best for pre-bedtime, but I am thoroughly enjoying it thus far.



Yesterday I had my nails done and packed for my weekend away to visit my friend Amanda in Paris, as I thought I would be dashing to the airport pretty much straight from work, but I actually got to finish at 1pm today. We are doing Versailles on Saturday and Disneyland on Sunday, so I have given myself the whole of Monday before my flight home to wander around the centre as it is one of my all time favourite places. 

UPDATE: Yep, I still bloody love Paris! I arrived late on Friday night and Amanda and I just chilled and had some wine at her apartment in Boulogne Billancourt, catching up on all we had been doing since we last saw each other in October. On Saturday I had the first lie in I have had in ages, and then we got ready for a trip to the Palace of Versailles. It is somewhere I have always wanted to visit but have never got around to, and after watching the BBC2 drama set there a couple of years ago it amplified my desire. 

The sun was shining and it truly is a beautiful estate, so lavish and decadent. We spent a good couple of hours there exploring the rooms (my fave was the hall of mirrors) before walking to a bar nearby called No Water for some food. They didn't start serving until 6pm, so we HAD to take advantage of their happy hour drinks until then, disaster! As soon as the time came we ordered a few of the tapas dishes - nachos with guacamole  and cheese, potatoes with aioli, baked camembert with bread, and cheese and ham croquettes. We couldn't finish it all between us, but our stomachs were suitably lined for our antics that evening!

After a quick glam up and speedy wine back at Amanda's, we got an Uber to Le Bar à Bulles, a super trendy rooftop bar that was down an alleyway next to the Moulin Rouge. We met some of her work colleagues for a couple of bottles of wine before heading on to Le Bus Palladium, a club that cost an eyewatering twenty euro to go in, albeit accompanied by a 'free' drink. The music was supposed to be of the rock persuasion but ended up being very varied, although it was fun to have a dance and let loose. We stayed until 3.30am (the clocks went forward so we lost an hour) and hurried home to snatch as much sleep as we could before Disney in the morning!

Yesterday we were up bright and early, and surprisingly I didn't feel too bad to say I was running off 4 hours sleep. We got the metro and then the train to Disneyland; I forgot what a magical place it is, I was absolutely buzzing when I saw the castle. The weather was glorious again (t-shirt weather!) and we met a few of Amanda's friends to hang with for the day. 

As it was a weekend the queues were inevitable, but we made it onto Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Rock and Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror, and would have done Indiana Jones if it didn't break down ten minutes from the front of the line after an hour of waiting. It has been a few years since I did a proper thrilling ride, and I was bricking it for Tower of Terror, but once an adrenaline junkie always an adrenaline junkie! We had some quick photo opps in the Toy Story area of the park, and a gander around the shops in Disney Village before travelling back to the apartment where I collapsed into bed at just gone eleven, I was absolutely shattered!

Weekly Musings

2018 - Week Eleven

'When we were kids a year would last forever. Then we grew up and were told it was all over. Now we are old and the memories returning are like the last stars that fade before the morning.'

(When We Were Kids - Clive James)

This week I feel like I have spent a lot of time discovering and digesting new knowledge, a pastime which since uni has hugely dwindled. I was starting to feel really stagnant and uninspired; my magazine job keeps me up to date with new music, and I am a dab hand at Key Stages 2 and 3 from nannying, but I don't do a lot of learning just for myself. So I decided to make a change, and I now set aside time each day to enjoy a decent book. I finished John Williams' Stoner this week that I've been dipping into on and off for about the past year (!), and sped through the first in a tweenager fantasy series of three connecting trilogies that I love called The Edge Chronicles. I also discovered the joy of podcasts to fill my 2.5 hour daily car journeys, listening to everything from Intelligence Squared (episodes such as 'The Science of Buoyancy' and 'An Anatomy of Truth') to Savage Lovecast, a show based on answering questions that people ask on a sex and relationships helpline.

 

On Tuesday I had the afternoon off, so went into Altrincham with Jasmine to Common Ground, one of the many coffee shops to open there recently. We started with lattes, but then progressed onto wine - a spontaneous day off deserves a tipple right?! On Wednesday my new CHVRCHES vinyl arrived so I danced around the flat to that, and after work Chris came to mine and I had a full Swedish massage as I am one of the case studies for his course, girlfriend perks!

On Friday I stayed at the boat, and Chris and I popped out to Pizza Express in Poynton for tea. We each had a pizza; I got the Camponata with aubergine, olives and capers, and Chris sampled the new vegan one which he said was tasty, and we shared some polenta fries. Chris also tried Seedlip which is an alcohol free gin, mixed with mediterranean tonic; I was impressed at how similar to real gin it tasted, and would order it in the future as an alternative if I were driving. Good ol' Tesco vouchers meant the whole meal and a tip cost us less than a tenner each, definitely worth saving on the washing up!

Yesterday I had a proper cosy boat day, it was snowing and Chris was out teaching guitar lessons until lunchtime so I holed up next to the fire with copious brews and my book whilst the doggies dozed. I went straight from there to my mum's to get ready for a night out with my sister in town. We started in Dive as some of the lads were watching the football in there, and then ended in Hula in Stevenson Square for some dancing. Double spirit and mixers were an eye watering 8 quid though, so I moved onto tequila zombies, if I'm paying that much for a drink I want to feel it!

Today I woke up to news of road closures and potentially cancelled plans... Mum and I were booked in for afternoon tea at Shrigley Hall as a belated Mother's Day present for her, but the snow was chaotic during the night and a lot of the more rural areas of Cheshire were inaccessible. Luckily for us as our table wasn't reserved until 3.30pm, the majority of roads had been cleared so we managed to get there, with a quick swing by to the boat as it was en route and my mum had never seen it. When we reached Shrigley we had prosecco, finger sandwiches, homemade scones, macarons, chocolate cake, Victoria sponge and bakewell tart, washed down with lots of tea. It was really lovely to get my mum on her own for a natter; much as I love my sister some one-on-one time is always appreciated.

  

So yet another busy week! Although I still found just enough time to get a new poem up on Instagram here, and above, my track for this week is the return of Everything Everything, a band who I have seen countless times and always entertain me.

Weekly Musings

2018 - Week Ten

'She was a storm. Not the kind you run from; the kind you chase'
(R. H. Sin)



On Monday evening I went to Mum's for tea, and she made vegetable and feta filo parcels with fried kale which was delicious. I also got a new poem up here. My track for this week above is by Alison Wonderland who I stumbled across thanks to Apple Music, I enjoy how this piece feels punchy but a bit sorrowful.

I also went on a bit of a health kick at the start of this week. On Monday I joined a new gym, and then on Tuesday I started a '30 Days of Yoga' programme on YouTube. I enjoyed it and found it at the right sort of level, but still only lasted three days at it until I skipped a day due to time constraints, and now I am guilt tripping myself, trying to catch up. BUT, becoming a lot more self reflective in recent years, I have realised I try and spread myself way too thinly sometimes, and I just need to chill and take some time out instead of beating myself up about not hitting targets. What's the worse that could happen!

On Friday after work Chris and I went to try a new Lebanese restaurant in Cheadle Hulme called La Veranda. It is unlicensed so I got to take a bottle of prosecco with me, and the interior was really authentic and chilled, with a shisha terrace out front. We decided to share all our dishes, so for starter after complimentary olives we had cheese arayes (halloumi cheese sandwiched between two pieces of Lebanese flatbread) and mukmour (fried aubergine with tomatoes, onions, parsley, chickpeas, garlic and peppers) and for main we had bamiyeh (fried okra stewed in tomato, onion, coriander, served with rice) and mujadara (lentils, rice and spices topped with fried onion served with minted yoghurt). It was all really tasty, and portions were generous, but we still managed to squeeze in some baklava for dessert. Not buying booze there made a huge difference to the bill as well, bonus!

After food we went across the road to The John Millington pub for some drinks, and met Chris's brother and his girlfriend there. It was fun to have a few glasses of fizz and socialise, as it's something we don't do together that often, and I actually felt pretty drunk by the time midnight rolled around! Yesterday I had a suuuuper lazy day, and then went to visit my new house to take some measurements for furniture. Chris was on his massage course all day, and picked up his niece Izzy on the way home for a sleepover at the flat. It was cute to all get cosy on the sofa with popcorn and mini eggs watching a kid's film (The Road to El Dorado which Jas and I used to LOVE!).

Today has been lovely; after making a mountain of pancakes for breakfast Chris went off to teach, and later I dropped Izzy at Boho Utopia for her group guitar lesson with him. I then headed home to bake a lemon drizzle cake ready for my Mum and Jasmine coming over for Mother's Day. We had it with a pot of tea and I told her that I am taking her for afternoon tea next weekend which she was chuffed with. I am now tucked up on the boat with a brew, Chris cooked me a lush veggie tea and it's House of Cards time!

Weekly Musings

2018 - Week Nine

'Come closer than my skin, I'll show you what it's like to begin again.'

(Perry Poetry)

It has been bliss this week being back in the comfort of my flat with my trusty hound, and it's been a really easy one for me work-wise; Aum had barely any homework so I finished early on a few days, and I even had Wednesday afternoon off due to a school meeting meaning his mum collected him, bonus! My weird mood from last week quicky dissipated, I heard it was something to do with an unusual moon which really affected some people? My track for this week is CHVRCHES new one featuring Matt Berninger from The National, which I am obsessed with, it is almost embarrassing how many plays of it I have racked up this week, but I love the contrast of the band's classic upbeat '80s synth with the sadness of the vocals and lyrics.

Due to my spontaneous free afternoon, I ventured out to grapple with the 'Beast from the East' with Ferryn on the football fields behind mine. It was like walking through the tundra! The wind was howling and kicking up all the snow into swirls in the air, and stupidly I had chosen to wear gym leggings so could barely feel my legs when I got back; I swiftly prescribed myself a steamy hot chocolate to cure the affliction.

On Friday Chris came and took refuge at mine for the day due to the insane wind rocking his canal boat and blowing all the smoke from the fire back inside it. It was cute us both just cracking on with our work sheltering from the elements, and in the evening he made us vegan pizzas from scratch, so I treated us to some Sweet Octopus goodies - a mocha bean stack, and a chocolate orange mousse dome, which we ate whilst watching Crash, what a classic.

Yesterday my mum came 'round and we drove into Cheadle to the Maker's Market for a wander and some lunch. We shared a roasted veg, goat's cheese and chilli jam pizza twist, and a cherry cheesecake brownie for dessert. We then broke our Lidl virginity (anywhere that sells fresh chocolate hazelnut croissants for 45p has my heart) and she dyed my hair ready for a much awaited night out with the girls.

Tasha and Abi came to mine for a couple of predrinks before we got an Uber into Didsbury village to The Botanist. We had some cocktails whilst a live duo played, and then left at midnight to move on elsewhere before we realised there wasn't really anywhere to go! After a pitstop in a random pub to get out of the freezing temperatures we got another taxi to Burton Road and went to Hula. It seems to have the same playlist every time we go, is always rammed and takes about half an hour to get served for a drink, but we got to have a dance at least!

Today Chris and I both had the whole day completely off in the flat, which has only happened once in the entire time we've been together! We had a lie in, drank coffee and ate pastries in bed for breakfast, and have just finished eating an adapted roast dinner (toad in the hole) whilst chain-watching House of Cards. What Sundays are made for!