Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Eight
'Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal'
(Albert Camus)

Since Wednesday this week I've been on 'house arrest' (living at Aum's whilst his parents were at a conference in America) so on Tuesday I went on another date with W to try and enjoy what little time I had free. We went for food at Solita in Didsbury and then to the cinema at Parrs Wood. I had (a margarita and) the simple chicken burger, which was huge - I have a pretty healthy appetite and it completely defeated me - but was delicious nonetheless. I also scrounged a cheeseburger spring roll off W's starter, which was AMAZING, like a Mcdonald's in a roll! 

We were so occupied chatting that we totally lost track of time and missed our cinema showing (we were supposed to be watching Lion) so ended up seeing John Wick Chapter 2 instead, as there wasn't much left on. I haven't seen the first one but don't think it mattered; it was your typical explosions, violence and fast car filled action movie, but to be honest I was brought up on that stuff so it was easy viewing, and Lion is supposed to be really sad, so at least it saved my mascara. There's also got to be a positive to us both being too busy to pay attention to the time!

This week's track is another mainstream chart tune I'm afraid, but I have such a girl crush on Dua Lipa (I'm trying to blag tickets to review her Ritz show in April for Candid) that I couldn't resist, and it has a great drop! I also posted a new poem on my Instagram page on Tuesday, a twist on a traditional sonnet, which you can read here.

On Friday Aum and I went out for dinner to try out the fairly recently opened Côte Brasserie in Hale. We went fairly early at 7pm as it is quite an adult oriented restaurant, and had a choice of tables. The atmosphere was lovely and staff were very attentive, taking our coats and orders promptly. I had a glass of white wine and Aum went for a cloudy lemonade, and we shared a couple of starters; the saucisson sec (like French chorizo) and the reblochon (cheese and thyme) version of the pissaladiere (flatbread with caramelised onions). I had a simple steak frites with Roquefort butter for main, and Aum had the duck with gratin potatoes and cherry sauce. Everything was cooked to perfection, Aum particularly enjoyed the potatoes, I've never seen him eat so much! Portion sizes were spot on as well, small enough to eat everything but big enough to fill you up, although we still managed to squeeze in dessert (I'm a sucker for a creme brulee). 

Yesterday morning we went to the Runway Visitor Centre for a tour of Concorde to help with his project (I don't half do some random things because of my job!). I honestly thought I'd be super bored and itching to leave asap, but it was actually interesting, the amount of buttons and levers in the cockpit was incredible, and the speed and times it took to get to places was totally mind blowing - we got a certificate to say we'd been on board and everything, geek!

 

In the afternoon we went to Oxygen Freejumping, a trampoline centre next to the Trafford Centre. I didn't take part as felt like having a couple of hours to read and enjoy a coffee by myself - entertaining kids is exhausting! Aum seemed to have a fab time though which is always the goal. We got a few small dishes to share for dinner at Pesto at the Trafford Centre afterwards and then just had a chilled night in.

Today I finally got released! After a quick brew at home I met up with a few friends for a dog walk at Styal Country Park followed by a good ol' roast at The Ship Inn, I love having them both on my doorstep. The roasts at the pub are insane, my friend Laura and I shared a lamb shoulder for two with all the trimmings, and then had room for sticky toffee pudding for dessert. There were seven of us and we ended up staying for ages, sheltering from the horrible weather chatting and having a laugh, lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I am going out soon into Wilmslow for a few drinks since I have basically been teetotal all weekend, looking forward to a cocktail or two!

Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Five

'Don't be a cartographer, be the explorer.'

(Girls - Ray)

This week I finally got my spare room back after three long weeks of it being a cargo store for all my ex's stuff! It feels good to have everything out of the flat, and I intend giving it a lick of paint and turning it into a reading/ yoga room to make full use of the extra space.



On Thursday I posted a new poem on my Instagram page, check it out here. It's the first time I've put one up since before Christmas, but I'm hoping to stick with getting one a week published like I used to from now on. I've also been taking advantage of the free 6 month contract to Apple Music that I got with my latest phone contract, I love the curated playlists they have on there, and have made my own featuring a few of my favourite upbeat songs, which includes the track above, it's great for before a workout/ night out.

On Friday I had my second 'date' with T and went to The Depot Climbing Centre in Trafford Park. It's an activity I've wanted to try for a while, and he goes regularly so seemed an ideal opportunity. I paid £16 which included shoe hire (£3) and a year's membership (£5) which gets you £2 off each time you go (£8 instead of £10 non member). I managed to complete green, white and blue routes, although the latter I did cheat slightly on by having help, mainly because it freaked me out being stuck so high up and realising I have awful grip. T was an encouraging coach though, and I returned the favour by being highly impressed at his skills, there's something quite primal about a guy exerting strength swinging across a wall, quite the turn on.  Overall it was a fun new experience, and I hope to go back to try and not be quite so bad next time.

With achey shoulders and raw hands we decided to go for some food at Chiquito in nearby Salford Quays. They let us order off the set menu despite it not normally being available on a Friday, and I got a margarita to drink (£5 on happy hour woo!) - although I wasn't too thrilled at the lack of salt around the rim, poor show. I got the nachos followed by a chicken enchilada, and struggled to finish as the portions were pretty huge, we even cancelled the churros we had previously ordered for dessert, and I am not normally a girl that turns down sugary treats!

It was quite liberating going to a restaurant in chalk covered gym gear with frizzy hair and not being self conscious; I think that's something I'm enjoying about spending time with T - he's one of those people that seems incredibly comfortable and doesn't apologise for being himself, and not necessarily in a cocky way. I don't feel the need to impress or like I'm being judged, which creates a chilled vibe where I can be completely at ease; it's so refreshing to just relax instead of feeling pressure and overthinking. Even if I never saw him again, it's been a valuable lesson in appreciating the moment.

Philosophy moral for the week learnt, yesterday I went into Stockport with my mum for a bit of a shop. I got a decent haul in Primark, including some new semi mesh gym leggings, a chartreuse velvet dress and some silver mirrored loafers, along with a velour hoody, some replacement pumps and a couple of new candles for my living room. We had a quick coffee and lunch in Costa, and then headed home so I could get ready for a meal with some friends.

A group of 8 of us went to Urban Burger Bar in Altrincham last night, for a catchup and some dirty burgers. If I'm honest the service wasn't the best, but the food and prices more than made up for it. I got a mudslide cocktail, two glasses of wine, the wild boar burger with bacon, cheese and barbecue sauce and shared some fries and my total bill was £25, absolute bargain.

Today I have had a lazy day, T came to mine in the afternoon for a few hours and we watched the rugby (though I didn't have a clue what was going on) and this evening has been spent binge watching more Girls, which I am now nearly on season 4 of, whoops!

Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Four

'That which men call virtue is usually no more than a phantom formed by our passions, to which one gives an honest name in order to do with impunity whatever one wishes.'

 (Rouchefoucauld)

This week started pretty slowly to be honest, filled with mundane chores like laundry, getting petrol and dog walking, snore. I did start watching Girls the HBO series with Lena Dunham though, so have now developed an unhealthy obsession with Adam Driver and the character he plays, further cementing my bizarre taste in men. Seriously though, I'd have his babies. 



Things perked up on Thursday when I went out for an evening meal with my parents and sister, to a Chef & Brewer gastropub in Cheadle called The Ashlea. It was really cutely decorated with velvet armchairs and exposed brickwork, which made it feel less 'chainy' than some of the others I have been in. For once I wasn't a designated driver so shared a bottle of white wine with Jasmine, which made me far more tipsy than it should have done. We ordered a few small plates for starters (maple bacon bites, pate, devilled whitebait and chicken and chorizo skewers) and I went with a good ol' hearty steak and ale pie with chips and gravy for a main, which was delish; sometimes you can't beat the classics. 

Friday was the day of my first Bumble date, who I will hereby refer to as T, for no particular reason. We've been chatting for just over a week, keeping it minimal, enjoyable banter. At his suggestion we headed to Twenty Twenty Two in the Northern Quarter for a few drinks and a game of ping pong, points for originality, even if I was shitting myself at never having played except drunk once on holiday. He was on time (we met at 7pm), taller than I expected (he had joked at being 5' 4''...) and legitimately hot (no further comment). He totally beat me at ping pong, but it was an ice breaker and I like to think I was a gracious loser, I did manage to get one shot into his drink too. 

We had a couple of cocktails afterwards (the Rhubarb & Custard Collins was amazing!) whilst chatting for a while, and it was obviously going well enough as we decided to head for some food. We went to Turtle Bay on Oldham Street as it was nearby and seemed nicely busy, and got on the espresso martinis. I suggested we got a selection of the sharing starters as I thought it was a bit more sociable, so we opted for duck rolls, whitebait, garlic and herb flatbread, cheesy jerk fries and bara roti; decent variety and it was all super tasty.

Conversation was surprisingly easy, and with only an hour left before my last train, and seemingly not sick of me yet, T asked the waitress for recommendations of something to do (major bonus for taking initiative). She suggested playing pool at Blackdog Ballroom, and seeing my chance to regain some credit after ping pong, off we went. (Un)fortunately there weren't any free tables until midnight, so we had to amuse ourselves with another cocktail and making out for half an hour in a booth in a darkened corner. If the smug looking emoji were to appear in a post, it would be here.

Yesterday my best friend Lydia who lives in York was down for the weekend, and in the evening we went out with all the girls to the new Bistrot Pierre in Altrincham to celebrate Abi's birthday. We got lots of starters to share, including two baked camemberts, and I had pork medallions with a honey mustard glaze with caramelised apples and Dijon mashed potato, genuinely a really lovely dish - I have been spoilt with cuisine this week! Afterwards we went to House Restaurant in Goose Green, and then Traders Tiki Bar for drinks, although luckily I was slightly more lucid than last week, I remember dancing to the Backstreet Boys and actually getting home this time.

Today once Lydia had left I went for a little wander around Gatley Carr with the dog and my mum, and then T came to mine this evening to watch a film and we had duck and pancakes. I wouldn't normally do a second meeting so soon, but he works a lot, I had nothing else planned, and I wanted to so why the hell not! 

FYI, the music track this week is one I was sent by a PR firm to review for Candid (click to read my latest article out this week) and I am digging it. I have since got hold of some of RYDER's other material, check her out, she's an absolute babe.

Weekly Musings

2015 - Week 8
'We can do whatever we want 'cos we're born young and free'

(Marmozets - Young and Free)

 

I had this week off work, which has been really cool, I've managed to have a couple of little trips away to recharge despite not getting to go abroad as I'd hoped. On Monday I met up with Abi and Tasha for a coffee and then had a chilled evening of yoga, and on Tuesday I drove to Laura and Dickon's in Aldershot near Guildford to see little Ernest for the first time! He's an absolute cutie, and so well behaved considering he's only a month old. We had pancakes for dinner as it was Pancake Day, and then on Wednesday we wandered for a coffee and cake before I headed back home.





On Thursday I had another date with Jason (guy from the last couple of weeks) - I was told to pack an overnight bag and a bikini and be ready for 1.30pm, very exciting/ nervewracking! Turned out we were going to Blackpool to see his friend perform in Saturday Night Fever there, and stayed at the Hilton so had chance to go in the sauna/ pool. Was such an awesome surprise; don't think anyone's ever done anything like that for me before! I guess it was quite intense considering it was our fourth date, but we really get on so it wasn't awkward at all. We went to Bella Italia before the show, where I had a chicken and spinach calzone which was incredible, and afterwards had a few drinks with his friend and a couple of the other cast members (the performance was so good!). Everyone was lovely and I ended up getting quite drunk, the hangover on Friday when we had to leave early wasn't pretty!

 

Yesterday Hana was back from Australia! The girls and I haven't seen her for over six months, some of them longer, so we planned a fun day together. I held a tea party at my flat for us all, and everyone brought food with them and we had some prosecco and caught up with everything. In the evening we all headed into Manchester for some drinks in Spinningfields at Grand Pacific, and then later on Jason joined us and we moved on to Soup Kitchen. So lovely to get everyone together, and despite the break it was like nothing had changed between us all - I'm so lucky to have such a gorgeous group of friends!

 

Today I had a nice lie in and then went to get my eyebrows tattooed! It is something I have considered for a while since I am an eyebrow connoisseur, and I finally decided to take the plunge. It takes two sessions, an initial consultation and first shape, with a followup retouch and final shape four weeks later. I am so happy with them so far, and it wasn't anywhere near as painful as a normal tattoo which I was surprised at considering it is on your face. Afterwards I went for another Bella Italia, this time with Mum and Jasmine (I had a barbecue chicken pizza) and now Jason is on his way 'round for a chilled evening.  

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 6

'Now my life is sweet like cinnamon, like a fucking dream I'm living in.'
(Lana Del Rey - Radio)

I've been replaying a bit of Lana this week, every now and then I get a real craving for her melancholy tones! This week has been far from melancholy though, despite crashing my car AGAIN on Tuesday, meaning I've gone from seven bump free years to two crashes in the past 12 months! 

That evening I ventured out on another date, but luckily this one didn't have the disastrous result of last time, in fact, it was pretty bloody good as first dates go! I was a little late due to unreliable trains, but we met at Deansgate and went to a place called Evuna for tapas - always a good cuisine option for striking up conversation and sharing food. Slight miscommunication meant we ended up with rose wine (I said it was the only type I wasn't fond of, he thought I'd said it was the only one I liked!) but I didn't have the heart to embarrass him, and fortunately it was actually decent tasting. Conversation was easy, we both had similar passions and taste in music, which is always a winner with me! He was genuinely interesting and had a great smile, dressed smart and it felt very relaxed - he got the bill as well which always helps!

Afterwards we moved on to Cloud 23 in the Hilton, quite a statement for a first meeting, but it didn't seem like it was done to show off, and I was actually really excited to go as I hadn't ever been. I had a gin and cherry cocktail and then moved on to just gin and lemonades, and we left after I realised I had missed my train and would have to get the metro home - definitely the sign of a successful date! I don't really know what I was expecting from it, but I think after last week it was reassuring to have met a normal guy who I wouldn't mind seeing again, and he was a cracking kisser too!

The following day I met Abi at Cafe Gourmand and of course filled her in on the gossip, and in the evening I went to watch Aum perform as Kaa the snake in his Jungle Book production, which was fantastic! MGS clearly pull out all the stops when it comes to school shows - the boys had amazing costumes, full hair and makeup, impressive lighting effects and microphones attached like popstars!


On Thursday I went to watch a band called Liu Bei at The Eagle Inn in Salford (great little venue) and have had a fairly quiet weekend: I babysat last night and went for a few drinks with family friends on Friday night, then have just had Mum, Dad and Jas round for Sunday dinner. I am now off to watch Interpol at the Albert Hall!

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 Update!

Awful Bands & Tinder Dates

This will only be a short one as I have spent this weekend in Dublin, which deserves its own post! On Monday I went for a coffee and catch up with Rick, and filled him in on the whole Mo situation amongst other things as it has been ages. I always have a laugh with him as he's like the male version of myself!

On Tuesday after eating sushi at the Country Club, I went to a gig at the Roadhouse with my sister to watch one of her friend's bands. Unfortunately due to me finishing work late, we only saw their final song as they were the support, and the main band were terrible! At least I got to have a cider after a stressful day though.

On Wednesday I went on my first ever Tinder date, which was an experience. We went to Sandbar off Oxford Road, and to be fair, it actually went quite well. There were no awkward gaps in conversation and we had a lot in common, and managed to go through a fair few drinks so I was pretty tipsy by the end. When I realised the time I had to make a mad dash to the train station, so ended up running with him there, giving him a quick peck and jumping on the train, so not the best end as I couldn't really gauge the situation, and I wasn't blown away with chemistry so don't think it will lead to anything. It hasn't put me off meeting people off Tinder though, and considering I've only ever been on two dates apart from ones with boyfriends, I think it could have been much worse! 

Thursday was spent packing and prepping for Dublin, and on Friday after finishing work a good 90 minutes later than usual I had a crazy dash to the train station to get to the airport on time, so was glad when I was sat in the departure lounge with the girls sipping wine and eating pasta!