Weekly Musings

2018 - Week Seven
'Fall for someone with an air of mystery and wildness in their bones, but with the kindest eyes and a thousand beautiful stories woven into their soul.'
(Nikita Gill)

 It's always difficult to kiss goodbye to the end of a week off work, but I have had such an amazing time I almost don't mind (almost). I had a super lazy Monday and started watching Gossip Girl; how I managed to let it slip past me when everyone else was bingeing on it back in 2007 I will never know. It's trashy and far fetched but deliciously entertaining, the perfect fodder for background viewing whilst pottering around the house. Tuesday was pancake day, so I thought I'd be a bit experimental and devised a recipe all of my own - a spinach, mushroom and squash baked pancake stack which turned out really well (and we still had room for sweet ones for dessert!).

On Wednesday morning after swapping Valentine's day cards and presents with Chris I headed to a yoga session at InHale studio. I have been fitting in an hour or so every day this week so far and really enjoy how invigorated it makes me feel. The class was a bit more difficult than I am used to but I thrived off the challenge, and knowing I had avocado bruschetta waiting for me for brunch at The Garden afterwards definitely made it worth the extra effort. I grabbed a quick coffee at Abi's 'round the corner and then headed home to get ready for my date that evening and pack for a late night roadtrip to Wales for a few days.

As a surprise Chris took me for tea at HOME in town, followed by a viewing of the live stream of Twelfth Night from The Globe in Stratford-upon-Avon. We shared a flatbread platter for starter (with tapenade, beetroot and cumin, and aubergine and yoghurt dips), and then I had a North African 'Buddha bowl', with chickpeas, courgette, spinach, kale, seeds and Cajun fried halloumi on top. The food is top notch at HOME, they have so many options (tonnes of veggie and vegan stuff too), a cracking drinks menu and the atmosphere is super chilled. The play was fab; I am hugely biased as an avid Shakespeare fan, but I felt very lucky that Chris sat through it with me, as he admitted afterwards that he didn't have a clue what was going on! We drove straight to Chris' family house in Llangynog, Wales once it had finished, with a quick pitstop to collect the doggies from the flat, and arrived just after midnight.

On Thursday morning after a lie in and some breakfast we set off on an amble up the side of a mountain. We totally misjudged the wind though so had to turn back after about half an hour - a cliff edge, a bouncy cocker spaniel (Ferryn) and a very lightweight ball of fluff (Lola) seemed like a recipe for disaster. We grabbed a coffee in the local pub and then snuggled up back at the house watching House of Cards instead. That afternoon Chris' mum and her friend Maggie arrived and we got on the wine after eating a lovely homemade lentil lasagne, and his stepdad got to the house later on to join in. It was nice to get to know them all a bit better - definitely one of the most relaxed and enjoyable 'meet the parents' I've done!

On Friday (feeling a little worse for wear!) we drove to nearby Oswestry to a vegan restaurant called The Fat Rabbit for lunch. The choices were so good that Chris and I got two to share: mushroom and white wine gnocchi, and tamarind gyoza with edamame and rice noodles. We also got a raw Snickers bar with ice cream for dessert, oh my gosh it was all incredible! We had a little mooch around the market and shops, before heading home as Chris was DJing that evening. Beautiful little Welsh jaunt!

Yesterday I was up bright and early to head into Manchester for another yoga class, this time with a few friends to celebrate my mate Emily's birthday. It was a reggae version at Hyper Island in the Northern Quarter, and it was HARD! We did core work, inversions, loads of hamstring stretching poses, and ended the class with headstand practise, which I gave my all, but it will be a long time until I have perfected it. A few more joined us for brunch in Trof, I had a couple of soya lattes (needed the caffeine boost!) and the vegan brekkie but with added halloumi. I saw a few friends that I haven't caught up with for ages so didn't get home until mid afternoon, and then I went to Chris' boat for an amazing Swedish massage as I am one of the case studies for his current college course.

Today was spent cleaning the house and cooking in preparation for my parents and Jasmine coming for tea. As Chris makes an awesome paneer curry, we did all Indian themed food - we had poppadoms and I made onion bhajis to start, (that actually came out pretty well for a first try) followed by the curry with chapattis that Chris homemade, and my mum made a raspberry and cherry pavlova for dessert. A gorgeous evening with some of my favourite people. Proper stuffed now!

FYI - track of the week at the top is one of my old faves, and upon googling it to stick the original on here I found this absolute gem of a live version filmed just last September. The epic drum solo (seriously listen to the recorded version) has been replaced with piano and it is so delicate it completely melts my heart. 

Weekly Musings

2018 - Week Six

'Love in such a way that it haunts the hate in others.'

(Christopher Poindexter)

This week was mostly spent waiting around until Friday when I finished work for ten days, woop! I got a poem up on Monday, view it here, and enjoyed a chilled afternoon as I didn't need to collect Aum from school. I started watching Luther (over ten years late to the game) and managed to finish the whole series in a few days; though in my defence it is only sixteen 50 minute episodes so not the worst case of couch potato-ing.

On Wednesday I met Timna in Kro on Oxford Road for some lunch; she too has just bought a house about ten minutes from mine, so we both had a proper chinwag about our plans and Pinterest boards. I had avocado and eggs, which were delicious, and gotta love a student gaff - I paid just over 8 quid for that and a large latte, and discovered free two hour parking around the corner so will definitely be back! That evening I heard the new release from Editors, one of my favourite bands who have been truly missed, check it out as my track for this week below. 

  

On Friday Jasmine and I took Mum to The Clink as a belated Christmas present. It is a restaurant at Styal women's prison based in an old church entirely staffed by the inmates. All food is cooked and tables waited on by the prisoners as part of a scheme to help provide valuable job skills and qualifications to reduce the percentages of reoffending upon release by offering them the chance of a career. We had the four course gourmet set menu which was £39.95, and it was honestly some of the best food I have ever had! 

I started with the seared venison carpaccio with picked red cabbage and toasted pumpkin seeds, followed by an intermediate dish of beetroot and maple cured salmon sashimi, pickled horseradish and fried capers, and my main was prosciutto wrapped tenderloin of pork served with black pudding mash, rainbow chard, apple gel and sage jus. So many incredible flavours and the dishes were really beautifully presented, the starters even had edible flowers on! 

 

For dessert we chose three of the four options and shared them all - caramel custard tart with coffee and mascarpone ice cream and pecan crunch, ginger cheesecake with a warm orange and winter berry compote and a ginger and orange tuile, and a good ol' fashioned cheeseboard which came with a selection of three cheeses, crackers, grapes, chutney and crudites. We even got homemade chocolate truffles with tea and coffee at the end; our feedback was to sell boxes of them in the shop they were so yummy! All the staff were exceptional, their attention to detail and friendliness added to an already amazing dining experience. I am looking forward to going back with Chris at some point as he seemed pretty envious when I told him we were treating Mum for Xmas.

Yesterday I forked out a small fortune to get all four of my tyres replaced and went for a look around the HUGE Next that has opened (probably a while ago, I don't go there very often!) and Outfit in Handforth. I got a sexy little maroon double breasted silk blazer for twenty quid in the Topshop sale which made the trip worthwhile. In the evening Chris and I went into Manchester to meet up with all the girls and respective partners at Crazy Pedro's in the Northern Quarter. We had a half and half Summer B (wild mushrooms, spinach, garlic ricotta and truffle oil) and Nacho Libre (chili sauce, American cheese, jalapenos, tortilla chips, guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo) pizza, and then went to Bluu bar afterwards for a couple of drinks. It was the first time Chris had met most of the group; we had a top night and it was great to get everyone together for banter and bloody tasty scran.

Today Chris was teaching his fortnightly Make a Ditty lesson at Boho Utopia in Withington, so I met him once he had finished for their signature vegan goods. I had the fishless finger butty (it was my first time trying a fish substitute and I was impressed) with cheesy chips, whilst Chris had the mac and cheese hotdog. We have continued the junk food theme with nuggets, sausage rolls and chips for tea as well, whilst binging on House of Cards - we are hooked now!

Weekly Musings

2018 - Week Four

'What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create.'
(Buddha)

I was a bit naughty last week and didn't do my Instagram poem, so I put one up on Monday instead, read it here. My track for the last seven days is a golden oldie by my Queen, Lady Gaga, as my 2009 record store day exclusive vinyl copy of The Fame Monster arrived on Friday so I have been spinning it all weekend, this is my favourite tune off it.

On Tuesday I had a very grownup mortgage meeting and then went to visit the house I have bought again, this time with Mum and Dad who hadn't seen it before. My mum definitely saw the great potential it has, even if Dad was a little dubious; probably due to being more realistic with how much work and money is involved in renovating!

On Wednesday Aum had a random day off school, so I took him and a friend to see Paddington 2 at the Trafford Centre and for lunch at KFC. It was the cutest film ever! Such a heartwarming watch, I came out of the screen feeling all mushy and fuzzy inside (totally didn't tear up at all...). That evening a few of the girls came 'round to mine and I made us a Thai green chicken curry. It was lovely to have a natter as I hadn't seen Hannah and Tasha since before Christmas, so I filled them in on all my property plans and listened to their life updates.

On Thursday night I went to The Eagle Inn in Salford with Chris to watch his friend's covers band, Ron Direction. I had a few wines and it was rammed with supporters; The Eagle Inn is one of those proper cosy old fashioned pubs so it was a fun way to spend an evening together, even if on Friday I felt far too ill for the amount I'd had to drink. I stayed on the boat that evening and Chris made us a lentil and spinach lasagne that definitely hit the hangover munchies spot. We watched La Haine, which has been on my 'films to see' for years, but we have devised a list that we are gradually working our way through from imdb's recommended 250. It was gritty and the French subtitles took a bit of getting used to but it was well worth a watch.

Yesterday I met Abi in Manchester for a spot of day drinking. I was digging my outfit even though it was pretty thrown together - a combo of blue velvet & faux fur boots, wide legged culottes and a crop top, I felt like I was in a hip-hop video! We started in Convenience Store which is on the old Keko Moku site in the Northern Quarter, and apart from an outfit/ theme change it is set out the same. It is no longer a tiki hut but, as the name suggests, styled like a US newsagents, complete with neon signs, posters advertising American cereal, and confectionary counter from which they serve tasty cocktails (as you can tell, it is still just as hipster). I had the 'Cheeri-fucking-o Kiddo' (*rolls eyes*), which was made with vanilla ice cream, vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur, milk and topped with whipped cream, cheerios and cinnamon crunch cereal, mad. I did have an early breakfast though, so it was basically a liquid lunch!

Afterwards we headed to Turtle Bay and The Whiskey Jar to take advantage of their happy hours (2 for 1 before 7pm) where we stuck to some classics: a mojito and a French martini. I must admit, I love getting doled up and going on a night out, but there is definitely something satisfying about having a few cocktails in the afternoon and being back at home for some decent grub at tea time instead of cheesy chips at 3am! I had been well domesticated and pre-prepared a sweet potato veggie shepherd's pie to whack in the oven for Chris and I when I got in, which went down a treat.

 

This morning I had Aum's party (two months after his actual birthday!) which was at Inflatanation in Trafford Park. I didn't go on the inflatables, mainly as the prospect of being ganged up on by 15 eleven year olds didn't appeal too much, but it looked incredible, and I will totally venture back just with him at some point to give it a try. I am now on the toasty boat again after a very pleasant walk along the bridle path with the doggies and Chris; I've been in one of those pensive, nostalgic moods this week and my head has been a bit all over the place, so the fresh air and a bit of a vent about how I was feeling gave me a boost. Starting next week detoxed with a clean mind!

Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Twenty Six
'I'm not for everyone, but once you taste my energy, you'll always be thirsty.'
(Sylvester McNutt) 

Most of this week was spent getting organised for coming to America with work, I dyed my hair, researched stuff to do (helped greatly by re-watching Made in Chelsea: LA) packed, and managed to cram in a couple more dates with F. The first was on Tuesday, where we met in PLY bar in Manchester and then moved on to Lost in Tokyo. Again, I had a great time, we spent the majority of the night laughing which is always a positive, and the time flew by. We saw each other again on Friday evening, he came to my flat and we had some food and a couple of bottles of wine, and watched and bitched about Love Island (!) it was a really welcome break from the stresses of holiday prep and helped me to switch off and relax ahead of the mammoth journey ahead.    

This week The Maccabees were in Manchester for two nights for their farewell tour, and although I didn't manage to make it to either gig, I haved loved them ever since being dragged to watch them at Benicassim in 2012 so felt it necessary to pick my favourite song of theirs for my track this week, gutted that they have disbanded but I'm crossing my fingers that a reunion won't be too far away. 

Yesterday I was up bright and early as I had to be at the airport for 10am as Aum and I flew to LAX at midday via London Heathrow. After a quick pit stop brekky in Costa my dad nipped down to see me off as he was working which was a nice surprise. The 17 hours spent travelling actually passed fairly quickly and I managed to get a bit of kip, as well as watching Collateral Beauty (oh my gosh, such a weepie) and the new Beauty and the Beast, which was easy viewing. It was about 3am UK time by the time we had touched down, collected bags and caught a taxi to Westwood Village where we were staying, so after greeting Aum's cousin and his nanny Jen who we are sharing an apartment with, we collapsed into bed pretty much as soon as we could!

Today we woke up super early as we were still on English time, so we were up, dressed and out for breakfast by 9am, crazy for a Sunday. We walked five minutes around the corner to the main shopping street near us and stopped at The Corner Bakery for food. I had pancakes with eggs and bacon, drowned in butter and maple syrup - the brunches and breakfasts here are a major part of what I look forward to on our U.S trips!

This afternoon the boys had their orientation at UCLA for the summer camp they are here for, so once we had sat through a talk Jen and I were free until 9pm, some much needed downtime after nearly 48 hours of non-stop children-watching. I spent the time unpacking and had a bit of a nap, and we grabbed some sushi for tea on the way home from collecting them that was just from the supermarket around the corner, but it is all made fresh and tastes incredible. Desperately in need of some sleep now though, it's 7am in the UK!

 

Weekly Musings

2015- Week 7

'Even while your widening smile was shaking in the smoke, your head was full of hope'
(Benjamin Francis Leftwich - Butterfly Culture)

This week has been lovely, I've had dates two and three with the same guy from last week, and introduced him to a couple of my favourite chilled acoustic artists/ bands - one of which was Benjamin Francis Leftwich, the other Fleet Foxes, hence the lyrics above and video below. On Monday for date two, it was my turn to return the favour of planning, so we went for food at Home Sweet Home in the Northern Quarter (I had pulled pork with sweet potato fries, jalapenos, BBQ sauce, salad and pico de gallo!) followed by drinks at Apotheca, which just happened to have an open mic night on which was cool.

I had lamb rump steaks with a gorgeous goats cheese salad at the Country Club on Tuesday, and I went to The Little B in Sale on Wednesday with Kelly for a catch up over a couple of drinks. On Thursday it was date three; though we both weren't feeling great so I invited him over for dinner at mine so it was more chilled. I made lasagne from scratch which seemed to win him over, and he brought me flowers, chocolates and a card for an early Valentines Day present as we're both busy at the weekend - it was such a surprise, noone ever gets me flowers! Major points.

On the 14th I went for a stroll around Entwistle Reservoir near Bolton with Mum and Aunty Sarah, the weather was fine and there were quite a few people milling around. It was good to get out in the fresh air and have a natter. On Sunday after a relaxing yoga session, Mum, Jas and I had a trip to The Trafford Centre, and for once I actually came home with a decent haul! Dinner at Mum's after marked the end to a perfect week!

Weekly Musings

2015- Week 5
'There's more to living than being alive'
(Anberlin - Alexithymia)

This lyric is from one of my all time favourite bands, who I always seem to return to on my iPod, and has been relevant this week as I feel that I have taken a few chances, which I think is important to do now and again.

After a double whammy of Country Club food on Tuesday, the first instance of taking my chances was a date I went on on Wednesday. The man in question (who will remain unnamed) stopped me in the street whilst I was on my way to the gym. After the initial shock of being asked out whilst makeup-less, frizzy haired and in gym gear had worn off, I had a decent conversation with him, and agreed to meet up with him. I don't make a habit of accepting date offers from random men, but thought I'd give him a chance bearing in mind he'd had the balls to flag me down in public. Two weeks later I met him in a bar called Embrace in Altrincham.

There were, however, warning signs. Firstly, I need to point out that on the morning of the arranged date, he had messaged asking if I wanted to go to his for dinner instead of a bar due to the awful weather. I politely declined as thought that pretty inappropriate for a first date, and gave him the benefit of the doubt. But then, on the night, though conversation was flowing and it seemed to be going well, he had a habit of touching my leg whilst we were sat down. Now I am far from being a prude, but fondling on a first date when I barely knew the guy is a little OTT. When I pointed this out, he agreed that it was forward, yet didn't apologise or remove his hand. Awkward. 

At the end of the night I made a point of seeming disinterested, and didn't send a followup text, yet the following afternoon I received a (very much unwanted) sext, causing me to reply with sarcasm and delete the guy's number. From this experience I have reached the conclusion that people who stop you for dates in the street aren't so blown away by your good looks that they HAVE to pluck up the courage to ask you out, but are in fact probably just stark raving bonkers. At least I gave it a go!

The second (much more successful) instance of me pushing my boundaries was on Thursday, when I went to Common in the Northern Quarter to meet with all the people I have been working with through Matter of Sound that I have previously only spoken to via email. I am by no means shy, but going to a bar I had never heard of, alone, to meet a bunch of people I didn't know was still slightly daunting. However, we got cider and Mexican food and had a good chat and it was all lovely (which is probably a good thing as I'm not sure I would continue leaving my comfort zone having two bad encounters in a row!).

 

After present shopping and a nice meal at Tampopo in the Trafford Centre on Friday with Tasha, and an awesome night out last night for Abi and Dave's birthdays, today I ventured out for my third and final try at something new - a roller derby. I watched groups of hotpant-clad ladies skate around in circles, jostling and fighting each other to stay on their feet for a couple of hours at Manchester Academy with my mate Amanda. Not your typical hangover cure, but enlightening. Two out of three ain't bad.

Weekly Musings

2015- Week 2

'I was a king under your control, and I want to feel like you've let me go, so let me go'

(Years & Years - King)

After talking about my relationship situation in last week's post, Monday was the day for 'that' conversation, where we finally called time on whatever it was that we were. This week therefore has been spent in a bit of a haze, albeit the majority of it a positive one, but me being nostalgic and a massive thinker is always a bit of a curse after a breakup, and the lyrics in Years & Years' 'King' have therefore really resonated with me. Plus after hearing 'Desire' at the back end of last year, I am besotted with the lead singer's voice!

'A stain I'll always remember, a stain that stays with me'

(Aquilo - I Gave It All)

I am a firm believer that all relationships mould you into the person you become, and am lucky enough to be on amicable terms with all of my exes, so I don't have a problem openly talking about my past experiences. I hate admitting defeat in anything, and it seems to be a recurring theme after a relationship has ended that I feel guilty, or like I've let myself down because I've failed to make it work. But I focus on the thought that at a certain point, it was what felt right and made me happy, and if it no longer does either, then it is time to move forward. No amount of trying can fix something that isn't meant to work.

This weekend has been a great one for reminding me how awesome my friends are and how much fun I have with them. I had a full flat of all my uni crew (Joe, Brian, Geoff, Rick, Matt and Chris) and on Friday we headed into town to Walkabout and The Temple, where Laura and a girl called Rachel who Rick is seeing joined us for a few bevvies. Saturday I cooked us all brekkie and then we had a bit of a day session in The Green sports bar and The Northern in the Northern Quarter, and a Chinese and some predrinks back at mine before going back in to Tib Street Tavern and ending the night in South.  

Today, to ease the pain of a horrific hangover and a flat that looks and smells as you'd expect after six boys have spent all weekend here, I booked the flights to Paris for Jasmine, Mum and I on March 13/14th, so I have something to look forward to now!

Nights Out...

Jasmine's Birthday!

It was Jasmine's 22nd birthday on Monday, so she had a night out with all her mates last night, and I decided to tag along with Abi and Emily. We predrank at Mum and Dad's first, before getting a minibus to the Northern Quarter where we went to Terrace. We were quite lucky that we managed to get in, as it is always really busy on a weekend. They were playing some absolute tunes and we had a good boogie altogether, we even managed to grab a booth when a large group left which gave us space to keep our drinks and have a rest now and again!

Terrace shuts at 2am, so afterwards we left and went to Bar21, though we had a bit of a delay getting in as we were waiting for Emily to get a lift so missed last entry and had to sweet talk our way in! Mo and his friend from uni came and met us in there as well as they had been at a wedding and ended up in Blackdog Ballroom. We left at about 2.45am and had a stop at McDonalds in Broadheath for some much needed sustenance - I managed to devour twenty chicken nuggets, fries and a chocolate milkshake!

Weekly Update!

A&E & A Food Fight!

This will be a fairly short post as I've just done one on the weekend away that I have just returned from. On Monday I ended up sat in A&E with Mo as he needed to get his leg and ankle looked at after he had a fall on Saturday night in London. Luckily nothing was broken, just bad bruising and ligament damage - puts him out of action for a couple of weeks yet again though! He stayed at mine that evening and on Tue

sday we made a nice brunch, and then I ate at the Country Club in the evening.

On Wednesday I went to Sofar Sounds (see previous post) and on Thursday I went shopping in Manchester and got some Christmas pressies, and in the evening I popped to my parents' for a lasagne as some of my relatives were over for the night. On Friday I went to this event in Manchester called Friday Food Fight run by the same company that did Up In Your Grill that I went to in summer. 

I went with Amanda and a friend called Nadina who I haven't seen since university which was fun. I had a hotdog from a stall called Piggie Smalls which had beef brisket, crispy onions and barbecue sauce on it, and a cocktail that was a variation on a mojito. Afterwards we went for a couple of drinks in Bar21 in the Northern Quarter before I caught the train home so I wasn't hungover for my drive the following day. The rest of the weekend was spent in Leicester and Birmingham (see previous post).

Weekly Update!

Crumble, Dress-up & Perusing! 

This week has been a proper chilled one, as I had Monday afternoon and Friday off so plenty of time to enjoy myself! After Carluccio's on Monday (see previous post) I met Jasmine for a drink in the Moss Trooper and then had a quiet evening at home.

On Tuesday I went with my dad to the Adidas factory in Stockport and got a few bargains, including some new neon vest tops to stick with all my other bright gear! I went to The Cake Gallery on Wednesday with Jasmine and had a slice of rose and pistachio cake, which is my favourite one that they make, and then I babysat in the evening before Aum broke up from school on Thursday.

On Friday I had my nails done and then Abi popped round for some homemade crumble in the afternoon, before I headed round to my mums for some tea and to go out with Jasmine and her friends for Charlie's birthday. We had predrinks at his house, and then went to Cane and Grain in the Northern Quarter before moving on to a more clubby place afterwards. I met up with my mate Benn who was out in town and we went for a drink in a cool bar called The Gas Lamp that was underground and quite Victorian in style.

The next day I was so hungover, and had a family party to go to at my grandparents in Leven, Yorkshire. We picked up a McDonalds on the way and then I tried to sleep it off, which didn't really work! It was my cousin's 8th birthday so we had some bits of food and took some funny photos with a kit my mum had bought which had a big photo frame and then accessories to change your appearance, like moustaches and hats, funny lips and noses etc, was good fun. I drove back that night and we got a Chinese for a late tea - lovely healthy hangover day as usual!

On Sunday Mum, Jas and I went to the new Altrincham market which is lovely, it has lots of vintage and handmade craft type stalls with illustrations, jewellery, fur coats and lots of knick knacks to pass a lazy Sunday. We got a 'New Yorker' panini from one of the food stands that had pastrami, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on it, and I bought a brownie to take home with me. Jam packed week but lots of fun!

Weekly Update!

New Experiences & Bad Decisions!

My first week as a singleton has actually been not only easier than I thought, but also not that different to my last few weeks in a couple, as I was barely seeing Mo anyway. The key has been keeping busy, not too difficult to acheive when ive been struggling to fit all my writing in with having Aum full time and gymming.

On Monday I did a yoga class in the evening, and Tuesday I ate at the Country Club where I had tempura prawns and Dragonfly sushi (yellow-fin tuna maki roll wrapped in lemon sole topped with crab mayo and baked with spicy ponzu). On Wednesday I was brave and went to my first gig solo (see previous post), which was a scary experience, but I'm glad I went, even if I drove there and literally stayed for the forty minute set and then drove home!

On Thursday I met up with Abi for a coffee and cake at And The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon in Didsbury, I had a toffee popcorn cupcake which was very naughty but I deserve it this week. On Saturday I lounged around for most of the day, and then went out in Manchester with Laura and her flatmates (her new house is amazing!), and Tasha came along too. It was nice to meet some new people and go to a couple of different bars in the Northern Quarter - Kosmonaut and Guilty, which both turned out to be pretty good, but then you can't really go wrong in that part of town.

On Sunday I made the stupid decision of doing Go Ape! with my sister whilst hungover (see previous post). The venture has probably scarred me for life, but luckily I had a nice dinner to go back to at my parents, before catching a (sort of) early night.

Candid Article 60

Max Jury

For my latest article, a review of Max Jury's gig in Manchester's Northern Quarter, click the link below:

http://candidonline.com/live-review-max-jury/

Weekly Update!

Partying With Freshers & Hospital Visits!

To be honest, this really isn't going to be a long post as I've had a pretty boring week! I ate at the Country Club with Aum on Tuesday and had the crunch roll as fancied an old favourite. I went for a nice run on Thursday and then in the evening met up with Rick for a few drinks in Manchester. We started in Cane & Grain, a new bar in the Northern Quarter. It was quite expensive, but then everywhere in that area is, and the inside was nicely decorated in an industrial style with skateboards on the wall! It had three floors but we just stuck to the one, apparently each is themed differently though, and the food coming out of the kitchen looked good.

We then moved on to Dry Bar, where I had a very fortunate text saying I wasn't needed for the school run in  the morning - dangerous when I'd already had three drinks. We hit the jaegerbombs and decided to stay out and go to 42s after a quick last one in Night & Day Cafe. 42s was full of twelve year olds (we'd forgotten it was Freshers Week!) but the tunes were awesome as ever, and drinks were ridiculously cheap. I eventually got a taxi back to Mum and Dads at 3am, and was suffering for it all day Friday!

I had a quiet weekend; on Saturday I tried Crossfit for the first time which I really enjoyed, it is a shame most of the classes are in the evenings or I would seriously consider joining with it being so close to my flat. The rest of the day I spent in Altrincham Minor Injuries unit after my finger had become infected after Tough Mudder! It was fine though, and then Mo came round in the evening to chill. Today I've done lots of work including writing an article and am enjoying a relaxing Sunday evening before work tomorrow.

Weekly Update!

Burgers & A Four Day Weekend!

This week has been quite exciting as I started a new role at Candid Magazine. I am now their Online Music Editor, so it is my job to source all of the material for articles from press releases I am sent, and then find writers for them all. It has been hard work as there have been lots of introductions to be made and stuff to learn, but I find it really enjoyable and it means I get to stay on top of loads of fab new music!

Aum has been off school for half of this week, so we had a chilled day on Monday, then went to Applejacks Adventure Park on Tuesday (see previous post) and on Wednesday we met Abi for some lunch at Gastronomy. I had eggs pesto which were delicious, and then in the afternoon we got Aum's hair cut and uniform ready for his first day at Manchester Grammar School.

My workload was really building up at this point, and I was getting a little stressed, but then luckily I had Thursday and Friday off as his mum wanted to take him and collect him from his first couple of days at his new school, so it gave me time to catch up. On Thursday afternoon Mo and I went to the Trafford Centre for a mooch around, and then he stayed afterwards. He went home the following morning, and then we met up for a late lunch at SoLIta in Manchester. I had the KFB which was a beef burger with Monterey Jack cheese, bourbon barbecue sauce and Kentucky fried bacon, and was supposed to have jalapenos on too but I chickened out and asked for it without! In the evening I had an article to write so had a quiet one and chilled out.

Yesterday I cleaned the house, and then in the evening Ellie, Emily and Laura all came to mine for some predrinks before we went out in Manchester. We went to Terrace in the Northern Quarter, which was a cool place, if rather expensive (£7.40 for a double!). Music was good, and we stayed until half 2 before getting taxis home rather merry!

Today I got ready and have just been shopping in Stockport with Mum, got a few much needed bargains from Primark (a white dress, two going out tops and a cute knitted top for work) and then I came home ready for Mo to come round for some dinner and to stay. Very much enjoyed my four day weekend!

New Tastes...

Home Sweet Home, Northern Quarter

Today, Jasmine and I took a trip to one of our favourite cafes in Manchester - Home Sweet Home. We went at around 2pm, but didn't get there until 3pm as the traffic was awful. We decided to shop first (just a couple of quick trips to Primark and H&M) so eventually sat down to eat at 4pm.

As it was nearing tea time, we decided to have a full meal. We started with shakes - I had the Cookie Monster whilst Jasmine went for a nutella one that was really nutty and delicious, and surprisingly not too rich. For main course I chose chicken tenders in buttermilk batter served with seasoned fries, and Jas had a halloumi and falafel wrap. Mine was so huge I struggled and had to leave a couple of pieces, and though Jasmine wolfed hers down neither of us had enough room for dessert so we got our cake slices to take away.

I ordered the chocolate mud fest cake, a homage to Glastonbury taking place that weekend. It was multicoloured vanilla sponge with chocolate buttercream and decorated with chocolate 'rocks' which were basically super sized smarties! I was still so full later on that Mo ate most of mine, but I tried enough to know that it was amazing as usual, you can't beat Home Sweet Home for inventive looking cakes that taste great.