Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Eighteen

'Embrace the glorious mess that you are.'

(Elizabeth Gilbert)

So I would have liked to begin this week's post by recounting my fantastic day/ night out to The Oast House and Revolucion de Cuba on Sunday, however, it is all rather blurry, and I woke up fully clothed and covered in multiple mysterious bruises at my mum's on Monday morning without the foggiest how I got there, and £130 worse off, whoops. I was later told I was put into a taxi by my friend Jonny at around half midnight as I could barely stand, and we had lost everyone with no phone battery between us. It was end of November that I last got blackout drunk, and unsurprisingly it is not something I ever enjoy. It usually occurs when I am playing catchup (check) and haven't eaten much beforehand (check). Slap on the wrist for me, and gold stars to those poor souls who had to endure/ look after me!

Since that debaucle, we have stepped into the lovely month of May, which now means I can say it is my birthday next month (those who know me are used to my over-enthusiastic countdown). With the added bonus of the Bank Holiday Monday off this week, I finally feel like I have had a chance to slow down and recuperate a little after a crazy (albeit fun) last few weeks. Despite the lingering hangover, on Monday I managed a walk around Styal with Ferryn and Mum before an evening of much needed junk food (mac and cheese is my ultimate cure), doggy cuddles and vegging on the sofa.

Speaking of cures...this week's track is from another of my absolute idols - the one and only Lady Gaga. I love her boldness, her outlook on life and pretty much her entire back catalogue, and this song is gold.



On Wednesday lunchtime I met with Hattie and Emily, the two girls I used to help out with at the Matter of Sound YouTube channel. We went to Ezra and Gil in the Northern Quarter for a coffee (and salted caramel shortbread) and to discuss upcoming plans as I want to get more involved. We are running a new monthly event called Band and Bean - click for details - at Grindsmith coffee shop in Media City. The next one is this Tuesday and it's free, so those in Manchester pop along! 

On Thursday after a week falling behind I managed to get a new poem up on Instagram (read it here) and did another overnight stay at Aum's; and then on Friday it was fancy dress time for Emily and Smeed's Sten - Stag and Hen - do. Now most girls (myself included) usually try and find a costume that is a bit sexy, or at least still makes you look half decent for a night out; but that went out of the window for me as I donned a labcoat and geek specs and went as Dexter from Dexter's Laboratory (the theme was the '90s). 

We started in good ol' Footage where we used to sneak in underage at 16/17 and hide in the toilets when the bouncers came around, and followed it up with Mudslide cocktails in Font, which miraculously are still only £2. A few of us then ended up in The Salisbury doing fireball whiskey shots (it will always be a dive, but is still a laugh for the memories) and finally in Zombie Shack, as it was the only place still letting in at 2am and cocktails were £5. Everyone made a big effort with costumes and a good crowd was out so it was a top night.

Yesterday I went to a housewarming party in Altrincham. Abbey and Laura are sisters the same age as Jasmine and I and we went to school together and grew up around the corner from each other. They have bought a house between them that Laura now lives in with some of Jasmine's close friends as Abbey lives in London. Our parents are besties as well so we went as a family and it was a lovely day; there were some tasty homemade curries, the sun shone and it was cool to mingle with some new people as there were lots of different friendship groups there. We played party games and ended up boozing until the early hours - lots of fun. 

Today two heavy nights (along with all the rest) have caught up with me, and I am hungover, shattered and to put the icing on the cake I think I am getting poorly too. I am off to watch some trashy TV - a big blanket on the sofa and some hot vimto is calling me! 

Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Twelve

'Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, charm to the sadness and life to everything.' 
(Unknown)

My parents have gone to Sri Lanka on holiday for a couple of weeks this week (lucky buggers) so I went 'round to theirs for tea on Monday evening before they left, I'm going to miss having them around the corner when I am at a loose end/ need a natter! I had a quiet couple of days after that, I put my latest poem up on Instagram on Wednesday (read it here) and babysat for Aum that evening, I am penny pinching at the moment so the extra money was gratefully received! 

The track that I have chosen this week is one by a young girl from Oslo in Norway that I was sent to review for the magazine. I think the progression from the delicate vocals at the beginning to a more punchy electro feel is bang on trend with other current successful artists such as Purity Ring and MØ, and I have been playing it a lot recently.

On Thursday I met up with Hannah, Tasha and Abi for a meal at Cote in Hale, as I was owed a bottle of wine (a lovely Bergerac Sauvignon Blanc for £24.95 - not bad for a freebie) for joining their rewards program last time I went. After a complimentary pea-puree starter as an apology for running out of mussels, I had the pork belly, which came with savoy cabbage, baked apple, thyme and calvados jus and a separate ramekin of gratin potato, and for dessert I had the praline pancake (sans caramelised banana, anyone who knows me knows my hatred for the fruit!). All tip-top as last time, seriously impressed with the quality of the food considering it is a chain restaurant, albeit a higher-end one.

On Friday evening I stayed in, and after taking the dog for a little walk, I baked some blueberry muffins and enjoyed a glass of red wine and a couple of said muffins in front of the telly (watching The Replacement on BBC iPlayer, SO gripping!). I don't often give myself down time - I can't stand being bored so try to fill every second I am free - but sometimes a chill-out at home is needed.

Yesterday the weather was glorious again, so I decided to get out of the flat and took the dog to Wythenshawe Park. I packed my book, a thermos of tea and some more muffins and literally just sat and basked for a few hours whilst Ferryn ran herself ragged. My friend Ellie and her boyfriend Jordan are in the process of moving into their new house just across the road, so they popped in for a while for a chat and a break from the chaos of unpacking which was welcome.

I got my review of last Sunday's Little Comet's gig up (read it here) in the evening, and then babysat again until 11pm before an absolute mad rush to drive home and get changed - I wore the pencil skirt pinafore I bought a few weeks ago with a lace tube bra underneath - in time to catch the last train into Manchester at 11.30pm. I just made it, and met up with some friends for my mate Jonny's birthday in Dusk 'til' Pawn, before moving next door to Noho for a boogie. With the clocks going forward the night flew by, and I eventually got in at 6am, a valiant effort!

Today aside from being completely knackered and hungover, I actually managed to make it to a gig at Sound Control with Rosie. We had a drink (latte!) at Font Bar beforehand, and then saw Lewis Watson, who is very Ed Sheeran-esque, so wasn't too raucous for our sore heads, my review of the show for Candid will be up on next week's post. I had to go via Mcdonald's on the way home for much needed late-night sustenance, and now I am off to bed; it has been calling me all day!

Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Eleven

'Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished'

(Lao Tzu)

I had just about recovered from the weekend's hen party on Monday, but still had a quiet few days at the start of this week. I went to watch Aum in his school concert on Tuesday evening which was very sweet, lots of super talented young boys there, two kids did James Arthur's 'Say You Won't Let Go' on guitar/ vocals and were really something. On Wednesday the sun was shining so I took the dog for a run around on the football fields behind my house and I got my latest Instagram poem up, read it here.

I am so thrilled Lana Del Rey is back with her single 'Love', I was originally going to post that for my track this week, but then I watched this again and my God, that opening monologue just kills me. For me she is the epitome of a babe - skating the line between vintage and modern, empowered and fragile, feminine and badass; I could go on but I'll spare you the fan-girling. I saw her out on a date in an Italian restaurant in East Village in New York a few years ago, she is just as stunning IRL. I read a comment on YouTube (unusually, there was only one negative comment out of over 100 I read) where someone had said 'I think the reason Lana is so loved is because she represents this freedom that we all want but yet this vulnerability of wanting to be loved and making mistakes.' Absolute word.

On Friday I booked a holiday with my friend Bex, for a week in Palmanova in Mallorca in June, so excited! I can't wait to have some sunshine and lie on a beach, and we got a great deal on an amazing looking hotel 5 minutes away from the centre so it should be lots of fun. After the positivity of the day it would have been rude not to continue it into the evening and partake in a drink or two to celebrate St Patrick's Day, so I headed to Chorlton to meet my friend Rosie. It seems a common theme when it is the two of us that we end up getting absolutely hammered, so sure enough 4 bottles of prosecco later (in Oddest, Chorlton Tap and Electrik) I found myself sleeping in her loft instead of taking the last train home; successful catching up!

Yesterday after a horrible early tram/ train ride back home (to be honest I think I was still steaming) I had a lazy, chilled day and then my mum came round in the afternoon with not one, but two different types of cake (carrot and lemon for anyone wondering), did the washing up and dyed my hair, what an absolute star. In the evening I met up with my friend Phil, known to our friends as MC, in Font Bar which is an old haunt where we all used to get very drunk on £2 cocktails when we were underage! I was driving so just had the one, a mudslide which was my signature choice back in the day. We then went to watch a band called Club Drive at Sound Control, which I was reviewing for Candid, you can read my article here.

Today after a much needed lie in, a decent breakfast and a hot bath, I finally felt a bit more alive. Benn came to mine to chill out for a bit in the afternoon, and we went to the cinema to see Get Out,a thriller/ horror that was actually much better than we both expected. After watching the trailer I thought all the best bits would have been shown, but I would recommend it, it was original and had a few surprises. 

This evening I went to Manchester Academy with Laura, where Little Comets were playing, again to review for Candid (article coming next week) it was a sold out event packed with people bopping away, which kept the energy high for a Sunday evening!

Weekly Update!

Metafit, Kangaroo & Laser Quest!

This week has been pretty jam packed. On Tuesday I tried a new gym class called Metafit, which was similar to circuits in that it involved a series of exercises in timed routines. It was fun but quite difficult; I would do it again though. That evening I ate at the country club as usual -  I had Thai fishcakes with soy-chilli edamame beans, while Aum had pork and prawn fire sticks. Mine was delicious, I'm glad they got rid of the coriander that was in the previous recipe.

On Wednesday I went shopping in Manchester. I met Mo for lunch at a place in the Northern Quarter called Pie & Ale, which had some amazing pies including the one I had which had kangaroo and black pudding in. Mo opted for a rabbit and black pudding one which was similarly yummy, although I would have felt bad eating it with Saffy at home! They also did variations with camel, horse and chicken with chorizo; definitely tempted to return to try one of those. The pastry was incredible and service very fast, I would recommend it to anyone in the area after a hearty meal. On Thursday I met Abi for coffee in Costa,  and then had my nails done a bright teal colour.

On Friday after a few drinks in Font Bar, I went to see Editors with Amanda at Manchester Academy (see previous post). They were amazing and played a solid 90 minute set. I stayed at Mo's and spent Saturday lounging around at mine before going to Warehouse Project, where I got very drunk and came home at 1.30am (see previous post!).  Today was Aum's party at Laser Quest in the Trafford Centre followed by Pizza Express nd an awesome Mario cake, and now I'm at Mo's having a lovely pork casserole for tea. Wasn't the nicest party when I felt so hungover, but was nice to enjoy the day with him!

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!

Weekly Update! (part 1)

Summer Days, Patisseries and Primark!

This week has been a busy one, and because of this I've decided to split it up into two parts (also because I am lacking something to write about next week!). Monday was quite quiet, but on Tuesday I went to the gym and then for lunch at Abi's. She made us a lovely salad with avocado, emmental and peppers, and then we had some of her homemade summer berry New York cheesecake for dessert. It was a gorgeous day so we sat outside to eat; it felt like summer! 

In the evening I went to the Country Club for dinner and had the prawn crunch roll, which was incredible, and really filling. It was a bit of a mad rush after work to get ready for the Bastille gig I went to with Lydia and Lizzie, but I managed to sneak a quick meet up with Mo in whilst I was in town so he could have a break from working late. I met the girls afterwards and had a quick drink with them in Font before we headed to the venue, the gig was awesome!

On Wednesday I wrote an article on the gig for Candid, and then went for lunch with Emily in Altrincham and we had a wander around the shops. We ate in a new cafe called The Fab Patisserie that has opened on The Downs, where I had a pesto and mozzerella toastie and we shared a rainbow cupcake and a pot of tea. The food was nice and it was very reasonably priced, but it was a bit thrown together (empty shelves, bad paint jobs, cardboard price labels etc) so I don't think it will be competing with the likes of Hale for a tea room!

That evening Abi and I went to see a band called Tokolosh at Soup Kitchen in the Northern Quarter; I had been given free tickets, and they were really good. We both said we'd be interested in going to Soup Kitchen for a night out after going there for a gig as well. 

On Thursday I did a monster cycle in the morning, then met Mo for lunch in Manchester. We went to a place on Oxford Road called Alibi, where I had a really tasty jacket potato that was filled with chicken and bacon in a creamy barbecue sauce. I went to Primark quickly afterwards to pick up a few bits, including some really nice quilted studded pumps for £10! After I had got Aum from school I went for a coffee with Abi at the Country Club whilst he had his boxing lesson which was nice. On Friday I did my usual Body Combat class and then in the evening I dyed my hair, had a lovely red Thai curry for tea and then Mo came round. (see next post for continuation). 

ReUNIon!

Manchester

This weekend, a few of my old uni friends/ flatmates came to stay to make the most of my current free house. There were six of them altogether, travelling from Guildford, Oxford, Crewe, Northampton, Newcastle and good ol' Stretford. Given the distance, as you can imagine we don't all meet up that often, in fact the last time this many of the group all got together was at Timna's 21st on New Years Eve 2011, which I spent in London so couldn't make, so it was lovely to see so many familiar faces.

Everyone arrived late on the Friday so we stayed in and had a (relatively) quiet one, although that still involved sleeping at 3.30am! On Saturday I woke up earlyish to give Laura a lift to the met stop as she was going to meet one of her bridesmaids in town for lunch. The rest of us slowly surfaced, and had showers etc before Chris made us all a weird egg/pepper/mushroom/salami omelette kinda thing, which was super tasty!

We headed into the city centre at around 2pm, and had some lunch at Font bar, an old fave. I had a chicken burger with cheese and bacon with chips, and a gin cocktail (diet out the window for today...) and then afterwards we moved on to Temple Bar which is a tiny place down some inconspicuous stairs off Oxford Road, and used to be a public toilet! It did loads of the flavoured beers I've had before in the Belgian bar in Altrincham, so I chose cherry Kriek, one which I love.

We stayed in there for a while, and then Joe went off to meet Laura for some shopping while the rest of us went on to Brewdog bar, which is famed for all its ales (lots of which are ridiculously strong!). I had a 'raspberry' beer, which really wasn't good. The rest of the boys chose various concoctions, none of which they were impressed with, so we moved swiftly on. We were heading in the direction of Hard Rock, but time was getting on and it was a fair walk, so we decided to stop in Wetherspoons on Deansgate for a last one before heading back to mine. We met up with Joe and Laura who had done quite a spree, and then all got the met home where we ate lots of pizzas and started getting ready.

By the time I had spruced up it was getting quite late, so we started playing some drinking games to get a bit merry before going out. We got a taxi at 11pm to The Alchemist in Spinningfields, but Geoff didn't get in (casual T-shirt issues!) so him and Chris went to a pub while the rest of us enjoyed some cocktails. I had a Garden Martini which was Hendricks gin, rose liqueur, St. Germain elderflower, lemon juice and was topped with lavender foam and cucumber, and then I got a French Martini which had vodka, Chambord and cranberry juice in topped with pineapple foam and raspberry dust - I could have drunk them all night. Laura and I also got shots of this green stuff called Akwa, which is apparently made from the same plant as cocaine!

At just gone midnight we moved on to Venue to finish the night which was good; decent music and £1.60 vodka mixers - can't complain! We got taxis home at 3am, and attempted to carry on drinking but failed miserably, favouring bed instead.

The next day we were slightly later rising, and enjoyed a cooked breakfast (thanks Geoff!) before everyone started getting their stuff together ready to leave. The last lot went at half 2, leaving me with a very quiet, and surprisingly un-messy, house to myself. I really enjoyed the company and doing lots of catching up; probably the next time will be at Laura's wedding in July, which is very exciting!!

Weekly Update!

Bar Crawling, Sunny Walks and a Messy Night!

This week has been really lovely, although I have done practically no work, which doesn't bode well! On Monday I worked, and then spent some time with my family before they left to go back home after spending the weekend with us. On Tuesday Chris came to visit, and I met him in Manchester to do a little bar crawl. The weather was still gorgeous (though I'm sure it will end soon) and we started in Dukes 92, next to the canal. It is quite an expensive place, but I really like it as it is in Castlefield, perhaps my favourite part of Manchester, and the interior decoration is beautiful; all oak panels and brocade armchairs.

After we had been there, we went to Rain bar, again a short walk along the canal. We didn't stay there too long, as we were getting hungry, and had planned to visit Font bar for a cocktail and some cheap food. I had a delicious variation on potato skins, they had literally scooped all the potato off them and fried them until crispy, almost like actual crisps. Then they had layers of cheese, bacon, guacamole, salsa and sour cream on top. It really filled me up and was an absolute bargain at just £3. I accompanied my food with a tasty gin cocktail that tasted of elderflower. We then went to Dry bar for a final drink before catching the train home. I really enjoyed spending the day going around bars rather than the evening, as it was less busy, and meant we still had the whole evening to do something when we were home.

On Wednesday we lounged around for a while, before going for a meander around Dunham Massey, taking advantage of the weather while it lasted. Chris left in the evening after a tea of fajitas courtesy of Mother Miles, and it felt like we had spent a nice couple of days actually doing something rather than just staying at home for once. On Thursday I did the shift from doom, a ten hour long 7am start til 5pm. Afterwards, I felt like doing very little, so just sat and caught up on Desperate Housewives!

On Friday it was of course The Royal Wedding, which I watched in envy of the expensive frocks and gorgeous hats adorned, before getting ready to go to Crewe for Chris' friends 21st party. I stole a pretty blue dress from my sister, and caught the train at 3pm, ready for an early starting drinking session with a barbecue. I had a brilliant time, though not so much the following day, as I was ridiculously hungover. It was soon sorted with a long nap and an Indian meal though (see previous post).

Sunday involved an ample lie-in followed by some errand running, some creative writing, and a shift at work. Quite a nice week I'd say!