'Just be a tough act to follow; a free spirit, with a wild heart.' (Simple Things - Miguel)
So my little puppy Ferryn had her first haircut this week! I'll be honest, she is pretty skinny and I was worried I'd go and pick her up and want to cry because she looked like a rat, but they did a great job (cheers Dog Beauty in Timperley). I was obviously real jealous of her looking all cute and trim because I went and had my own hair cut on Friday (though at Bellisimo in town, not Dog Beauty...). I dyed it beforehand, using Schwarzkopf Live colourant in shade 035 - Real Red. I also put another poem up on my Instagram, so far sticking to my plan of doing it weekly - check it out here.
I'm going a bit old school with the track this week, I don't quite know how Miguel hasn't made it onto my radar more before. I Shazammed this record off the TV and then got the album and it is completely badass, like an amalgamation of The Weeknd before he went mainstream, mixed with Prince and a bit of Lenny Kravitz. The bass on this single has had my car vibrating all week, and Gigi is in the video, which can only confirm it is quality.
On Friday evening Tasha, Abi and I went for some much needed drink at Victor's in Hale. Tasha was working the next day so couldn't make a full night of it, but it was great to catch up and have a giggle. Abi and I stayed out and got talking to a couple of guys - one had already caught my eye from across the bar - and we ended up on porn star martinis and dancing in Suburbia, Hale's closest thing to a club. I think spontaneous nights always end up being the best; I got his number and we're going out next week so check back for an update!
Yesterday I felt like I was dying for the majority of the day, and only eventually made it home to mine at 5pm. Benn invited me to the cinema (he was in a world of hangover pain as well) but there wasn't much on and I honestly couldn't face leaving the flat, so he just came round and we watched crappy Saturday TV, I think any kind of company is always appreciated to calm the post-alcohol anxiety after a night out! This morning I went for a lovely walk in Alderley Edge with Emily and Smeed and the dog, but it was bloody windy at The Edge, it definitely blew away the cobwebs! Ferryn of course chose all the deepest muddiest bogs to jump and play in after smelling like flowers all week, but she was having fun so I'll let her off.
This afternoon after dropping the dog off at the ex's, I met Laura in The Laundrette in Chorlton for a 'coffee' which turned into a cocktail (I had the soap sud caipirinha) - there's a precedent to adhere to when we get together! I drove us back to Didsbury where she lives and we had some wine in Mary and Archie, it had been ages since it was just the two of us, so we had a proper laugh catching up. I had cod and chips from Ida's Fish Bar to soak the remaining booze up so I could drive home, which was a lucky decision as I got a very dramatic phone call after Ferryn had a funny turn at Jason's, so I had to take her home. She is now fast asleep; panic over thank goodness, though secretly I think she was just missing her mummy!
'We cross our bridges as we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and the presumption that once our eyes watered.'
(Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead - Tom Stoppard)
This week has been a reminder of how incredible my friends and family are. Despite (luckily) feeling positive about the whole breakup situation, it always helps knowing you've got a massive posse of people who totally have your back (love you!). On Monday I de-exed the flat, by swapping pictures in frames over, extraditing anything of his into the spare room, and of course crucially removing the Facebook status. I thought it might have made me feel a bit weird doing it all straight away, but I actually found it really cathartic, and was so much more relaxed when I could sit down at the end of the night and feel like it was solely my flat again. My friend Natasha came for a coffee that afternoon before I did the school run, so I filled her in on the gossip, I feel like it's one of those situations I'm going to want to have a tape recorder to play to people soon so I don't get bored of saying the same things over and over!
On Wednesday my sister Jasmine and I went into Altrincham for some lunch. We were intending checking out the Con Club that has recently opened, but the menu was geared more for a big evening meal, so we kept it simple and went to the cafe at M&S instead. On Friday evening I worked late as my bosses were in London, so I took Aum (the little boy I am a nanny for) to Pizza Express for dinner. I sampled a Soho 65 Romana pizza, but my server suggested I add mixed Italian meat to it (it is usually a veggie option), which was the best decision ever, I thoroughly recommend!
Due to my late finish I indulged in a lie in yesterday morning, or as late as I could before the dog insisted I take her out. That afternoon was Aum's birthday party at Manchester Climbing Centre, which is amazing! It is inside an old church in Gorton and has facilities for bouldering, and more traditional climbing with a belay system; seeing everyone having a go made me want to give it a try - it's now on the To-Do list.
That evening Natasha and my other friend Abi came to mine for some pre-drinks and a night out in Alderley Edge, where they have recently opened a branch of The Alchemist bar. We headed there for about 10.30pm, and it was busy - we waited forever for a drink which wasn't a great start, but a quick celeb spot of Misse from Housewives of Cheshire and Jake Hall from TOWIE kept us entertained; they weren't the freshest shall we say!
It seemed to die down just after midnight, so we moved on to The Bubble Room, which was playing some great tunes for a dance (including the track above which I am loving at the moment, despite not being an Ed Sheeran fan), and I started on the margarita cocktails. We ended the night in The Botanist, where after some Dutch courage I asked one of the (seemingly surprised) bartenders who had been serving me all night for his number, and succeeded - always a boost to know I still have some skills after it seeming forever since I last dated! We won't dwell on the fact that after a few texts when I got home it was ascertained that he was 22; but still, I'm officially back out there!
Today I was pretty tired and hungover so delayed a trip to Ikea with Mum to another day as I really couldn't deal with the crowds and effort, and we just had a little mooch around TK Maxx and HomeSense nearby instead. I got home and Despicable Me 2 was on, which was great easy viewing, and I took another single step and joined Bumble, which is apparently the new Tinder. Purely for research purposes of course... watch this space!
'I should be over all the butterflies, but I'm into you'
(Paramore - Into You)
This week has been a chilled one, I went to the Country Club on Tuesday where I had yakitori chicken skewers with sweet potato fries, and other than that apart from taking my car in for repair on Wednesday I didn't get upto much in the evenings. On Friday I went to the Royal Exchange Theatre with Hannah to watch a performance of Scuttlers, a play about gangs in Manchester during the industrial revolution. It was really good, and we managed to get a deal for people under 26 where the ticket was only £6 so it was a great alternative to a usual Friday night.
On Saturday after a lovely breakfast at Jason's we drove to Alderley Edge for a walk around (and an ice cream). We also went to Tatton Park, and then stopped at The Plough and Flail in Mobberley for a late lunch before going home. I had the chicken and mushroom pie with chips which was so huge I couldn't finish it, and that's saying something for me! It's so nice being with someone who wants to get out and make the most of having time off, and we have lots of similar interests so I'm enjoying spending time together; it just seems very easy for a change! That night I went into Manchester with the girls which was loads of fun. I wasn't feeling well so left quite early, but we went to Poptastic in the Gay Village, where they were playing lots of classics including the song the lyrics are from above, and the absolute tune below - The Futureheads was Emily and I's first ever gig so we got into the spirit and were singing along in an empty room!
On Sunday I was hangover free for once due to my early departure, so I met Laura at The Beagle in Chorlton for some brunch. I'm really enjoying discovering Chorlton recently, there are some great little bars and eateries, I should have checked it out sooner! I chose three little dishes off a tapas style menu - nachos with salsa and cheese dip, popcorn shrimp lettuce cups and lime chicken quesadillas, all for a tenner which I thought was a bargain, and it was all super tasty! I spent the rest of the day chilling out at her house, perfect end to a great week!
Cocktails, Catchups & Chinese! This week has been a great week for socialising with lots of different people, my favourite kind of socialising! On Tuesday I went for a coffee and catchup with Rick in Altrincham, and had dinner at the Country Club. On Wednesday I had a good chatter with Laura in Didsbury, we went for a cocktail (mine's a margarita) at The Drawing Room, and then a fruity cider in Folk. Lovely filling her in on all the gossip in my life right now! On Thursday Brian from uni came to stay as he had an early interview the next morning so needed somewhere to crash. We had a nice casserole for dinner and then sat around talking for ages, pretty deep for a weeknight! On Friday I went to watch my other friend Rick's play in Manchester with my mum and grandpa (see previous post) and then yesterday I did a lovely yoga class before the Miles foursome travelled to Leeds for my cousin's 21st birthday party. Stephanie had hired out a bar near to their house called Medusa, and we stayed there all night drinking wine and jaegerbombs as they were four for £10! Today we woke up and had a big cooked breakfast (much needed as I was desperately hungover, and Mum was throwing up all night!) before travelling home, and I am now safety at home after a roast dinner in Alderley Edge (see previous post), chilling out before getting a Chinese later when Mo is home from London.
Today I arranged for all of the girls and their boyfriends to go to The Botanist in Alderley Edge for a Sunday roast. It is somewhere I've heard is really nice, and I knew after my cousin's twenty first birthday last night that I would be in need of hangover food! We had booked a table for 3pm, and when we arrived it was pretty much full, and the atmosphere was warm and lively - they had a singer/ guitarist on in the background playing some decent tunes. We were in a corner around a big square table, which was a little bit of a squash but nothing we couldn't deal with. We ordered our drinks and then food shortly after - we all went for the roast except Emily, who opted for sausage and mash. There was a choice of beef or chicken, and it came with a large Yorkshire pudding, potatoes, stuffing, lots of veg and gravy! Apart from a few hiccups with our orders (mainly as we asked two portions to be kept on the heat as Tasha and Tom were arriving later) the experience was a good one, and I think a roast of such quality for £11.95 was a real find, especially for Alderley Edge. I'd definitely go back again, and am tempted to try the food there on a normal night as well after it was so tasty!
Karaoke, Plant Pots & Meatballs! Mo had this week off work, so it was nice to spend a bit more time with him than usual at the start of the week before he went on a roadtrip on the bike. On Tuesday I ate at the Country Club and had a bok choi, cashew but and cucmber salad with a king prawn skewer on top, drizzled with a garlic soy dressing. It was really nice, although there was slightly too much dressing for my liking - it is pretty sweet which overpowers the subtle taste of the salad leaves. Aum and I shared the brownie for dessert as well, which is served with pistachio ice cream (my fave) and is incredible! On Wednesday I went to Mudcrab for lunch (see previous post) and after work I popped round to see Hannah which was nice. On Friday Laura, my friend from uni came to stay for the weekend, and we went to the opening of the new Zizzi in Piccadilly Gardens that evening, as she works for them (see next week's post). Afterwards we ended up going to Orchid Lounge, the Chinese karaoke in China Town, which I have never done despite going out in Manchester for over eight years. It was such a laugh, and super cheap! We stayed up chatting until 6.30am so didn't get up on Saturday until well after midday, which dashed our plans of going for a spa day at the Country Club as it wasn't really worth Laura paying for a few hours. Instead we had a wander around John Lewis and Didsbury, and then got cakes from And The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon to eat back at home as it was nearly closing time! That evening Tasha, Abi and Dave came out to Alderley Edge with us. We started in The Botanist, where Laura and I had an amazing cocktail served into plant pots by a watering can. It was a gin drink, with lots of fruit and herbs in the cup, definitely something a bit different. We then moved onto The Bubble Rooms, and the time ran away with us, we ended up getting back at gone 4am again. It was mostly due to the clocks changing though, so we weren't such dirty stopouts! Today I dropped Laura at the station and then went on to Ikea with Mum. I got lots of stuff for the flat (again!) and then Dad and Mo came round and we all had meatballs for tea. Best weekend I've had in ages, was so cool to catch up with Laura, and both nights I felt really chilled and carefree and just had an amazing time!
Sunny Walks, Steaks & A Carvery! This week started in Majorca, but sadly we had to return to reality on Tuesday. Wednesday was fun though, as Mo had a half day so we went to Styal Mill (see previous post). On Thursday I bought a private numberplate as a treat to myself since I'm now moving into my flat two months late (equals two months of mortgage money to spend!). In the evening Mo came round to stay and we had meatballs which were tasty. On Friday I was pretty bored, and then got invited to Wythenshawe Park in the afternoon with Ellie, Dom and others. We lounged around and had a little picnic, listening to music and chatting which was nice, and then we went home at around 6pm. Mo came in the evening and we sat in the garden until pretty late and had a few drinks. On Saturday we decided to go on a little trip to Alderley Edge. We took my amazing rucksack which has a full picnic set inside and a coolbag section, and after a little walk we had cheese twists, brie, blackberries, custard tarts, crisps and tapas herb skewers, and then stopped for a glass of wine at The Wizard Of Edge, the pub just next to the car park. In the evening we bought some gorgeous steaks and had them, then watched the third Harry Potter as Mo has never seen them! Today after I had to collect my sister from the airport at 6am, we lounged around all day, watched the fourth Harry Potter then went to The Hare and Hounds for a carvery for tea. It is a bit more expensive on a Sunday, but still only £6.79 and the portions are massive. We each had a dessert as well, I went for the chocolate brownie pudding with ice cream, and after that I was so full! We have just finished watching Get Him To The Greek, which was surprisingly good, and now I am off to the airport again to pick up my parents, taxi service!
Ceilidhs & Chippy Tea! Another fairly quiet week, but it's been good as I've had a couple of easy days at work due to it being Diwali on Tuesday so I finished a few hours earlier (and I got given a huge box of Thorntons Continental!) and Aum having a playdate at a friend's house on Friday so I dropped him at school and finished for the weekend! Aside from working at the pub and doing the usual gymming, I didn't do anything sociable on weeknights week, which is probably for the best as I'm running very low on pennies at the moment! On Friday Abi decided to come home from uni at the last minute, so the two of us went out in Alderley Edge to The Botanist for a couple of drinks. I drove as was leaving early on Saturday morning for Devon, but it was nice to get out of the house to somewhere with a bit of atmosphere. We were home by midnight which was ideal, so I got a decent sleep despite having to get up at 8am! It took us just over 3.5 hours to get to Brixham in Devon, but Dad was driving so I could have a nice snooze on the drive there. We went to say hello to the Smiths (no, not the band) the family friends we were staying with, before going to our families house to catch up with everyone. There was definitely a house full! We then went back to where we were staying to get ready for the party, as it was my great auntie and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary. We had been told it was a ceilidh (where an irish band play music and the guests are shown dances and then perform them) but weren't told about the 'barndance' dress code, so we were all in nice dresses whilst most were in cowboy boots and checked shirts! I wasn't too bothered though, I am often overdressed for family occasions, it's not like I shy away from attention! It all kicked off at 7.30pm, and everyone quickly got into the spirit of things dancing away. I have never been to anything like it, but it was so much fun, and made the night very social as everyone spoke and danced with each other. As the night progressed everyone was more and more drunk and making mistakes which was hilarious! We had a break in the middle to eat some food, which was amazing - there was a choice of chilli, beef stronganoff, curry, a prawn and salmon creamy casserole and a couple of pasta dishes which you could have as much of as you wanted, and then there was chocolate torte, pavlova, fruit salad or trifle for dessert, and a cheeseboard! I was very full afterwards, and had to sit out the first dance, much to the compères dismay, as he'd taken quite a shine to me, and was ridiculing me in front of everyone! The party ended at midnight, and we all took some cupcakes home to eat in the taxi which were delicious. I was really tired so pretty much went straight to bed, but the 'adults' stayed up until the early hours quaffing wine - I felt very clear headed compared to them this morning! We had bacon sandwiches and packed up, before saying our goodbyes to both houses and setting off for Timperley. It took us a little longer on the way home, but we were still back by 4pm, ready for a chippy tea and I'll be indulging in an early night I think!
Catchups, Corsets & Housewarmings The start of this week was BORING! I did absolutely nothing until Friday apart from work and go to the gym, which meant by the time it came around, I was desperate to do anything entertaining. During the day I went for a coffee with a guy I used to work with, which was really nice. I hadn't seen him since I was about eighteen, so we had lots to catch up on! In the evening I had Tasha and Emily to my house for a few drinks, and then we went into Alderley Edge for a change. We started at a bar called Botanist, which was very lively and had a great atmosphere, and surprisingly wasn't too expensive. Despite not intending on having a particularly late one, we then moved on to Panacea, another bar but with a bit more of a clubby vibe. We had a really good night, and then got a taxi home which was unfortunately £40 compared to the £20 we paid on the way there. On Saturday I had intended going to the gym, but chickened out as I had a horrendous hangover. I spent the day sleeping and eating rubbish food before jumping in the shower ready for another night out, which I really didn't feel up to, but it was my friend Hendo's flatwarming in Manchester, and a few people had cancelled so I felt I should make the effort. I drove there as I was staying over so had to take my airbed etc, and parked up before getting back on the alcohol. There were quite a few people there, including my ex Chris and his friend Jess who have just got back from travelling. It was slightly awkward, but I guess that's to be expected, especially as they had been on a coach for the past 22 hours so weren't in the most sociable of moods.
I was on the gin, and there was also skittles vodka going around, so no surprise that I was in quite a state, the photos are awful! We went out to Revs, and that's about as much of the night as I can remember... Today has been a worse hangover than yesterday, I only drove home about three hours ago - clearly I can't handle two nights out in a row anymore, sad times!
Alderley Edge After finishing a horrid early morning shift, I was pleasantly surprised upon walking out to feel the sun on my face for the first time in what seemed like weeks. Taking advantage of this sudden change in the weather, my boyfriend and I decided to go to Alderley Edge for a wander around the National Trust site there. I have been a few times before as it is only a twenty five minute drive away from my house, but the view from 'The Edge' never becomes boring. Looking out over the landscape, you can spot the Hilton Hotel in Manchester city centre as well as the beginning of the hills of North Wales and the Peak District in the background. We sat and had a picnic while admiring the view, before embarking on what turned out to be quite an eventful walk! We chose to improvise a route rather than following a planned out one, and ended up going along roads, through fields and at the end up a very steep mud bank, that nearly defeated us! Having not planned for anything too strenuous neither of us had proper walking shoes on so we did quite a lot of sliding around on the peaty forest floor, if it wasn't for the sun that had dried it out we would have been in a very messy situation. Finally finding our way back onto a marked path, we stuck firmly to it until it brought us out at The Wizard pub next to the car park. It had a lovely beer garden that was perfect for us to enjoy a drink in whilst sat in the sun. Being a Sunday it was quite busy, and from what I saw the food looked delicious; a three course set menu was on offer for £15.95, which I think is quite reasonable for a pub in such a nice area, especially given that a glass of wine could set you back £6!
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