Weekly Musings

2018 - Week Twenty Four
'Honour both the crazy and the peace in you. You will need one to create, and the other to ensure you do not destroy what you create.'
(Erin Van Vuren)

IT'S BIRTHDAY WEEK! It started with a very pleasant trip to Tarporley on Monday, a quaint little village in Cheshire. The weather is still amazing so Emily and I decided to go on a roadtrip somewhere and Tarporley has been on my list for a while. We had a wander, got some lunch at Chestnut Cafe (formerly No 6 The Tea Room) and relaxed in a park before heading back so I could do the afternoon school run. I had onion chutney, stilton and grapes on granary toast, which was a great taste combination, with an iced coffee. It was so nice to make the most of a day! 

On Thursday it was the big day, and although I was working I treated myself to getting my nails done and having a hair cut. I decided to take the plunge and get '70s style bangs cut in on a centre parting, which is taking some getting used to but I really like the change and have had loads of compliments on it, which is never a bad thing! I also got a birthday themed poem up on Instagram here.

I didn't finish work until half 7, but when I got home I was in for a surprise! Chris had the Love Island theme tune playing in the communal corridor (sorry neighbours!) and had put candles by the doormat and a sign on the door... The candle theme continued throughout the whole flat, and he had a bath ready for me with chilled prosecco on the side, a paneer curry bubbling away for tea, and a caterpillar cake for dessert! He had put so much effort in I was so touched, and to top it off he wore one of my favourite shirts of his, and bought me a new fancy yoga mat and the Stories for Rebel Girls book of short stories which is ace. Massive boyfriend points all round.

The following day I met up with Lydia in Lymm for a bridesmaid dress fitting and a quick coffee afterwards. Wearing the actual dress was so exciting (we had previously only tried samples of it on in different colours) and I can't wait until it is all adjusted and ready for the wedding day, I'm sure it will come around in no time. That evening Chris and I took the dogs to Levenshulme night market to meet up with Timna and her boyfriend Sam. We had some tasty dumplings and spring rolls from Rockin' Buddha, gin cocktails and salted caramel brownies from Lush Brownies - heaven! I love the community spirit in Levenshulme, and am keen to support local businesses whenever I can; the market is always buzzing and full of good vibes, and usually lots of super cute doggos too!

Yesterday I started another week of living at Aum's whilst his parents are away, but since I had already made plans for birthday part three I took him to his Grandma's to stay the night so I didn't have to sacrifice my partying! I met up with a few of the girls and Smeed at Altrincham Market for a couple of drinks, before moving on to The Cellar where Tasha's sister Genevieve also joined us. It wasn't a crazy one, but it was lovely to all get together for a catch up and a few bevvies, and the girls bought me a new Pandora bracelet and some charms which are beaut. I could definitely feel the alcohol buzz when I was walking home, and the house behind Aum's was having a mad party in a marquee with a full band when I got in, proper cool to bounce around the room getting ready for bed to!

Today I had a bit of a lie in and then went to collect Aum, and we have had a quiet day at home, which has been blissful after a hectic week, albeit for all the right reasons. Track for this week is the new single from Lily Allen, who I have never previously liked that much, but this tune is a real ear worm and I can't get it out of my head!

Weekly Musings

2018 - Week Twenty Three

'Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.'
(12 Rules for Life - An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson)

This week has been super quiet in comparison to the last few, but I'm not complaining. On Thursday I got a poem up on Instagram after having a week off last week, read it here. On Friday Aum had the day off school, and he had to do some Geocaching as part of a project. It was so much fun! For those that don't know, it is where an app on your phone is used to locate millions of hidden vessels known as geocaches on a map of whatever location you are in. They are placed in secret by fellow geocachers and contain a logbook to record the lucky finders, and often items for 'swaps' such as trinkets and hair bobbles etc. It is a craze that anyone can be involved in and is completely free, basically the world's largest treasure hunt! It was a top way of getting outdoors and having fun without spending any money.

We stopped for lunch at The Little Deli Co next to Stamford Park; Aum tried their croque Monsieur on my recommendation and loved it, whilst I went for the special: a 'grown up' fishfinger sandwich with fish goujons and homemade tartare sauce on wholemeal toasted bread. We went home afterwards and I spent the evening on the boat once I had finished; with the blessed return of Love Island this week I have managed to get Chris hooked already!

I adopted this weekend for early birthday celebrations, and yesterday some of the uni crew came out to help. We met at Hatch, a gorgeous little gem hidden on Oxford Road that is perfect when the sun shines. It is a hub of foodie pods and shops with a DJ and bar and pretty outdoor seating. After a couple there Chris headed home to babysit the doggies (being teetotal he had been warned of our impending messiness and decided to save himself!) and we went on to The Flour & Flagon, formerly The Pub and then had one in The Refuge inside The Principal Hotel which is serious #interiorgoals.

Feeling peckish we moseyed over to Grub, similar to Hatch but on a much larger scale, and I had a sundried tomato, cashew and spinach blend bagel by Schmear which was delicious. I'm not going to lie the night gets very blurry from that point! We had a few in The Shack, including multiple Jaegerbombs (thanks lads) and ended the night dancing in Bar 21. Shoutout to my boys for looking after me as I woke up with personal possessions fully in tact in my own bed this morning!

Christ I have been hungover today. I managed to hold it together long enough to force down some mac and cheese at my local pub and wave the boys off at lunchtime, before getting back into bed for a few hours! This evening was birthday celebrations part 2, a meal at Yara, a Lebanese and Syrian restaurant in Altrincham with Chris, my parents and Jasmine. As there were a few of us, we ordered loads of starters and mains and shared most of them (Mum and Dad are meat eaters so we couldn't share everything). The food is always so good at Yara, and it has the added bonus of being BYOB which makes the bill a bit cheaper, especially in a big group. I managed to take one for the team and have a glass of cider, the hair of the dog worked a treat.

We have just got back to the flat after pressie opening and homemade Victoria sponge birthday cake at Mum and Dads, in time for Love Island on ITV2 +1 - winner! A smashing weekend with some of my absolute favourite people. I am such a birthday whore, but for me it is not about the presents or a fancy meal, I just love everyone spending time together (being the centre of attention has absolutely nothing to do with it of course). Track for this week above is by a band I discovered via Candid called grandson, a bit of a banger if I do say so myself!

Weekly Musings

2018 - Week Twenty

'Understand the nature of impurity. If your key is bent, the lock will not open.'

(Rumi)



This week started with an embarrassing and almost very unfortunate accident; the tyre I thought I had been all bad-ass-independent-woman replacing myself nearly came loose! Thankfully I heard a strange clunking as I was driving so took it back into the garage where they informed me of my lack of mechanic skills - I was mortified but thankful that it hadn't resulted in more disastrous consequences.

On Wednesday I met up with my mum who had a day off, and we went shopping in Altrincham, where I absolutely cleaned up in H&M. I got two black lacy tops, a high-waisted black tulle maxi skirt and a bright red mushroom style skirt which I couldn't resist despite it being slightly bizarre. All four items came to just £22 in the sale, and then we went for a quick coffee and some Tim Bits at Tim Horton's, cracking little day. I also heard the old school tune above on the radio on the drive home, I have selected it as my track for the week, as it is a belter I had completely forgotten about.

On Friday I had tea at my parent's house, and yesterday I spent the day sunbathing on the roof of the boat whilst Chris erected his new flag (no, that's not a euphemism, see the picture above!). In the evening I met up with Tasha, Hannah and Emily to celebrate Tasha's birthday. We had some prosecco at The Con Club first and went for food at Sugo Pasta Kitchen, which was incredible as ever. Emily and I decided to share a starter and main between us, and then I shared a dessert with Hannah; it was the perfect opportunity to sample three courses without feeling stuffed afterwards. We started with the mussels, followed by a pea, mint, chilli and ricotta orecchiette and finally ended with a blueberry frangipane and ice cream. I don't usually get excited at Italian restaurants, but the food is so fresh and authentic at Sugo that I love trying their latest dishes (the menu changes with the seasons).

Today I met Chris in Fuel Cafe in Withington after his fortnightly kid's guitar lesson, Make A Ditty with Chris. His usual venue had let him down for the third time, but luckily the weather was so amazing this week he held the lesson in the park, which the kids buzzed off. The food at Fuel is lovely (it is also all vegetarian), and fortunately they have a room upstairs that they use for gigs that they offered for future lessons free of charge, so it was obviously meant to be. I had the enchiladas and Chris had the halloumi 'fishfinger buttie' and we both went for iced lattes to beat the heat.

This afternoon we have been back on the boat making the most of the rays, and Chris went for a jaunt in his recently acquired canoe! My parents popped in after walking the dog around the Middlewood way, and we went for a pint at The Boar's Head, a two minute walk from Chris's mooring. We had a bit of a dilemma when the gas canister ran out this evening halfway through cooking tea, but Chris managed to salvage the food using a portable camping stove and it turned out really well despite a lot of swearing. We are just starting the new crime thriller Netflix series Safe, which was filmed in Manchester and apparently in my old school of all places, bit of a nostalgia trip!

Weekly Musings

2018 - Week Thirteen

'I hope to arrive to my death, late, in love, and a little drunk.'

(Atticus)



My week started on the gorgeous streets of Paris. As Amanda had to leave for work early and I had specifically booked an evening flight to make the most of my last day, I went for breakfast at an adorable little cycling cafe I found online called Le Peloton. I had waffles with walnuts and nutella, and then went on the dangerous expedition that is solo shopping. When I'm indulging in some retail therapy with other people, I find that it is more about the social aspect, and I don't really go in with my game face on. As such, I nearly always come back empty handed. Shopping alone gives me zero distractions, no time scale to stick to and, most importantly, noone to talk me out of a particularly zany buy (you should see the haul I have come home with).

I got some black and white checked 3/4 length trousers from Stradivarius (LOVE this shop), and from Zara, an oversized orange sweatshirt dress, a bright purple velour hooded top, a black crossover bodysuit, and a black bondage style dress with gold clasps that makes my boobs look fabulous (seriously, I sent pictures from the dressing room to Chris and my sister in awe). Fitting it all in my hand luggage was a challenge, but definitely worth sitting on my case for. The weather was beaut again so I stopped for lunch on the steps outside the Pompidou Centre and then read my book in the sunshine before heading to the airport for my flight.

I was back at work on Tuesday and we just had a chilled day at home as Aum was still off school ill, although he was much better than last week. On Wednesday I got a new poem up here, and I went to see MØ at The Ritz with MC, Ellie and Jade. She was incredible on stage, she had so much energy and her voice was top notch live, and I was also diggin' her sports luxe outfit, new girl crush. My track of the week above is my total fave of hers.

On Thursday Aum was feeling much more himself, so we ventured out to get his hair cut and stopped beforehand at Sweet Octopus for a coffee and cake, I finally tried the Hello Kitty one! After I had finished work I met Rosie in Chorlton for what was supposed to be a few drinks in Brewski and Dulcimer; but ended up being 5am, 3 bottles of wine down at a gathering at a random guy's house doing yoga in the living room. At least my life isn't predictable! I did manage to leave my Pandora bracelet there though which was a major bummer when I woke up at home the next day, but more on that later...

On Friday, unsurprisingly I was hungover to all hell, but dragged myself out for brunch with the girls at Toast in Altrincham. Hannah had left bunches of daffodils on all our place settings, bless her, such a cute idea. I had crayfish on sourdough and a much needed coffee, and then went back to bed for a few hours to recuperate! In the evening I went into Manchester to meet Bex who had come to stay with her friend Lucy for the night. I didn't fancy more booze so drove in, and had a couple of rhubarb lemonades at Allotment Bar, which is all garden themed and uber Instagrammable.

Yesterday had been planned for a long time, as it was to celebrate my mate Jonny's 30th birthday. A big group of us went to Gaucho off Deansgate for their 'Electro Brunch' - a two hour all you can eat and drink feast. It isn't cheap at fifty quid, but we well and truly got our money's worth, with smashed avocado on toast, eggs florentine, salted caramel french toast, banana pancakes, and steak, salted beef eggs benedict and chorizo with eggs for the meat eaters. All of that washed down with my first ever Bloody Mary (surprisingly tasty!), an Aperol Spritz, and nearly a whole bottle of fizz, and that was just me! Emily made a great 'pancake' cake that had M&Ms and skittles in the centre, and we took advantage of a couple of happy hours in Hold Fast and The Whiskey Jar afterwards, and then I toddled off to catch the train to Poynton where Chris collected me from the station for a night on the boat.

Today has been a much needed chill day. We had our first morning sans alarm in about three months, cooked a lovely little brunch, watched some House of Cards, and now I am back at home bingeing on TV whilst Chris is out DJing for the night. Another bonus day off tomorrow, I can't wait!

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 Eight

'The way light and darkness mix under my skin has become a storm. You don't see the lightning, but you hear the echoes.'

(Anna Peters)

 This week I have been in SUCH a weird place. I have been in a constant swinging state from super emotional with random outbreaks of tears, to feeling proper resentful of everything and wanting to throw stuff around. I have been overly nostalgic and wistful, and obsessed with going over tiny details. Nothing has changed; I've had no bad news, not adapted my diet or exercise regime, not watched any weird documentaries, been sleeping plenty and no, it's not my period (eye rolls). Anyone feel free to diagnose me, for now I've taken to dealing with it by toting rose quartz around everywhere in my handbag and frantically writing poetry, check out newbies on my Insta account here.

It has probably been a blessing therefore, that I've been living-in at Aum's this week as his parents are at a conference in Idaho. Little chance of socialising and mixing with as few people as possible at least prevented me from sabotaging any personal relationships, and gave me time to reflect and calm the hell down. Thankfully for me, Aum is in his own world 90% of the time so barely even noticed my mood flux!

I met up with my sister for lunch in Altrincham on Wednesday as she has had the week off work, and we checked out Tim Horton's, the Canadian coffee and doughnut joint that has just opened five sites in England. I had the French vanilla coffee, a vegetable chipotle wrap, and shared a ten box of 'Timbits' (mini doughnut balls to you and I). It is a welcome inclusion to Altrincham's already impressive gastronomic selection - quick, cheap and yummy!

On Friday Aum and I went out for tea to Sushi Kimchi, which during the day is The Oxford Road Cafe, in Altrincham. It is somewhere we have both wanted to try for a while, being big sushi fans. We each got kimchi jun for starter, an oriental pancake made with kimchi which is a pickled cabbage; I had the prawn version whilst Aum opted for chicken. For main we shared two platters of sushi, tempura prawn uramaki and spicy tuna norimaki. It was all delicious, and I especially appreciated a glass of prosecco as a treat for basically single parenting all week, I may get paid to do it, but it doesn't make it easier!

Last night after a day spent chaperoning a study group with Aum and his two friends for a project titled, 'How can religion be controversial?' (yikes) I took him out for food at Chiquito and to the cinema to see Black Panther. I got three little tapas style dishes to eat, a mini roasted veg and beetroot enchilada, grilled breaded halloumi, and a tomato and mushroom sort of stew that had a definite kick to it! We watched the film in the new 4dx screen at Parrs Wood, which has moving seats, flashing lights and blows air, smells and even water to give a fully immersive experience. The film was top notch anyway, but the 4dx gave it that added extra and we came out raving about how amazing it was. Bonus being that I got to invite Chris along so I could have some adult company and, you know, actually get to see my boyfriend for the first time all week, which was pretty great.

Today has been relatively chilled; amidst supervising maths revision and being a taxi to sports sessions, I managed to sneak in a quick brew with my parents, and a wander into Hale in the winter sunshine for a chai latte and some Pinterest-ing in Costa whilst Aum was at cricket. I'm starting to feel a little more back to normal as the week draws to a close, so for now, shoutout to all the other kooks who don't understand their own heads, and hope you enjoy my track of the week from Frenship at the top of the page. We got this!