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 One

'I don't cry wolf, I make wolves cry.'

(Leya Noir)

Happy new year! I can't believe how quickly the last one flew by. 2017 was a complete whirlwind rollercoaster (albeit a bloody great one) and as well as having a ball, meeting some fab new people and going on a record breaking twenty one plane trips, I can honestly say I'm really blummin' proud of myself. I learnt some valuable lessons which have changed me for the better, and in doing so shaped the year into what I wanted and deserved it to be. Here's hoping the theme continues and 2018 is just as badass. Track for this week is the return of the one and only JT, with a decent song, unlike the shite he returned with a few years ago.

 

2018 got off to a flying start with a substantial lack of hangover, pretty much a miracle for a January 1st. After a lengthy lie in, I spent the day lounging on the barge with Chris, eating pizza, watching Black Mirror and napping. I don't care what anyone says, a day like that is always going to be up there with my faves. His six year old niece Izzy came for a sleepover that evening, so we had proper hot chocolate, marshmallows and all, and watched The Goonies (which I am embarrassed to say I hadn't seen before). Fitting three people in a little double bed wasn't the ideal sleeping arrangement, but years of kipping at festivals and house parties stood me in good stead. 

The following day I went to my mum's to collect Ferryn, made cheese toasties for lunch, played some card games and Izzy taught me how to work my new record player (cheers to Chris for the hipster Xmas pressie). She's a top little girl, but boy were we knackered once she'd gone home - being at work again on Wednesday meant a bath and early night were necessary afterwards!

My first few days back were relatively painless, Aum had playdates on two of the three days which meant I still had a bit of time to get back into the gym, get some poetry up (read it here) and get my nails done. I had tea at Mum's on Friday, where she made a beaut parmesan and butternut squash risotto, and on Saturday I went to view three houses with her, one of which I REALLY liked, and am considering putting an offer on. In the afternoon my auntie and cousin came shopping with us in Stockport, where I absolutely cleaned up in Primark. I spent just under fifty quid and got a '70s style jumper, a khaki pleather pleated skirt, some tartan culottes, a pair of blue velvet boots, tights, underwear and some pj tops. Love a good haul! 

On Saturday evening I went out for food and drinks with Emily, Smeed and Jonny, none of whom I had seen over Christmas so it was fun to catch up. We had a cocktail in Victor's before eating at Sigiriya, the relatively new Sri Lankan restaurant in Hale that I have wanted to try for ages. Em and I shared a starter of spinach and cheese tikki (similar to croquettes), followed by two different seer fish curries; one with Sri Lankan spices and mustard powder and one with coriander, mint and chillis. I rarely eat rice so had a tandoor roti to accompany, and shared a bottle of red wine with Jonny. It was all gorgeous; flavoursome, a bit different and decent portions, but it did cost us forty two quid a head so I won't be going there every week!

We went for another cocktail in Riddles in Alty afterwards, and then to The Con Club where we stayed until closing. For a spontaneous night out that was only properly organised that day, I had a lovely evening, and Chris collecting me after he'd finished DJing, so I got a free ride home too!

Today I viewed a stunning house, but I think it will go for quite a bit over the asking price, which unfortunately would push it out of my budget. I popped to mum's for lunch, and then after a quick run around the footy fields with the dogs (and a bath for them both after they got covered in mud) we watched Will Smith's new Netflix film Bright, had paella, and I am now about to have a massage as Chris needs to practise his techniques from a course he did yesterday. It's a hard life...

Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Twenty

'Starting over begins with looking inward. It means ridding yourself of distractions and paying attention to that inkling you've been ignoring... the more stressful and chaotic things are on the outside, the calmer you need to get on the inside.'

(Oprah Winfrey)

This week has been another quiet one, filled with wholesome activities like baking, dog walks and yoga - miles away from the crazy busy past few weeks where I've been running myself into the ground, it's been bloody nice! On Monday I got a new poem up, read it and my one from Sunday here.  That evening I made a lovely turkey mince chili con carne for tea; it's been ages since I cooked something proper after work, and I actually found it therapeutic.



The track I've chosen this week comes from Camila Cabello, I heard it on the radio whilst driving home from work on Thursday and it has been my jam over the weekend - it sounds great super loud in the car! (FYI - radio edit starts at 1.45)

On Wednesday I took Ferryn onto the football field at around 9pm for a run around, where I managed to find a beautifully preserved (what I assume is a) fox skull just lying in the middle of the pitch - such a lucky spot! I am intending bleaching it to add to the collection on my hallway wall. I baked some shortcrust pies with some leftover chili as the filling when I got back, and took them to my parents' for tea on Thursday. It was Ferryn's first birthday so Mum had bought and wrapped up a few presents for her, she is SUCH a replacement grandchild, its ridiculous!

On Friday I baked a chocolate cake for Tasha's birthday, and finally finished Sex and the City, which I have been watching for the past few months. I woke up to gorgeous sunshine sneaking through the curtains yesterday and got ready to go for a spot of shopping at John Lewis with my mum, indulging in free coffee and cake once we had finished because we have a reward card each; it's the only reason we signed up for them! We got the strawberry and rose Victoria sponge, and the Earl Grey tea loaf and shared them. I am always impressed at the selection of goodies they have on offer, they are traditional but with a unique twist to keep things fresh.

Last night a few of us went to Hannah's in Knutsford to celebrate Tasha's birthday. We had nibbles to start, Hannah made a tasty paella for main, and I took the cake I had baked for dessert, washed down with some fizz. It was fun to have a chilled Saturday night in just catching up and reminiscing about our school days - though I'd like to think we are not past it just yet!

 Today after a rejuvenating early yoga class at the gym, I went into Didsbury to the Makers Market, a cute little collection of stalls that moves around various locations in Manchester and Cheshire, selling everything from vintage tea sets, to homemade ice cream, and dog collars to quirky artwork. We went quite late on so a lot of the food was already sold out, (probably a blessing for our waistlines as they have some incredible stuff on offer) and they had a live community band playing which gave it that quaint village vibe.  We settled for a coffee in Saints and Scholars before heading home to tuck into a pork joint that had been roasting away. Since getting home I have watched the first episode of a mini series I was recommended by Abi called Big Little Lies; if you are a Desperate Housewives/ The Affair fan check it out, I am totally hooked already!

Weekly Musings

2017 - Week Nine
'I love freaks, I don't care if you're a wild one, and me?
I, I'm not the prettiest you've ever seen, but I have my moments...
Not the flawless one, I've never been, but I have my moments...
I can get a little drunk... but on good days I am charming as fuck.'
(Moments - Tove Lo)

This week was a slow starter, I overloaded on pancakes on Tuesday, and got a new poem up on Instagram (read it here), but on Wednesday my mum took a random day off so we went for a spot of shopping at Crownpoint retail park in Denton. It has a varied selection of shops and I got some bargains as usual; two pinafore dresses from Dorothy Perkins at Outfit, one is a cute short, black cord one for daytime (below - £7), and the other is black too, but a longer pencil skirt style (£5) that will look lovely paired with a lace top or bodysuit under for a night out. We slummed it at good ol' Mcdonald's for a coffee afterwards before heading home.

That evening I got a phone call off W, who admitted that he didn't want to be seeing anyone at the moment. It could have been an excuse, but the fact that he rang instead of playing the ghost card or even just resorting to a text, certainly made it seem like a legit reason, and I had felt those kind of vibes so it wasn't unexpected. Considering we only had a few dates I thought it was decent of him, and it gives me hope that there are some guys out there who still have manners and respect.

This week's track is by one of my favourite bands of the last couple of years, PVRIS. I was lucky to see them at Leeds Fest in 2015 and again in Manchester last year and they were amazing live, but unfortunately are only playing in London, Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin this year, and I can't make any of the dates. I really like the contrast of the electronic aspects of their material with lead singer Lyndsay Gunnulfson's haunting, ethereal voice. I also think she is insanely hot - she has previously dated Alexa San Roman and Kristen Stewart - not a bad back catalogue. This is the stripped back version which I prefer to the original, but if you like a bit more of a punch, the original video is here.

On Thursday evening I went to Abi's as she had prosecco left over from New Year's Eve - I didn't need asking twice! I was lucky enough to have Friday off again as Aum was competing at Oxford University in a science quiz, so it was a welcome end to my working week.  I spent my extra day off as an advert for being a basic bitch: I had a lie in, did some yoga, got back on Bumble - I deactivated it a week ago as really couldn't be arsed -  took the dog for a very wet walk, had a lentil and chickpea curry with cauliflower rice for my tea, and then lit some candles, drank gin, ate a pistachio Magnum and chain watched Sex and the City. But you know what? Frickin' awesome day!

Yesterday I actually made it out of bed before 9am and went for an 8km run in the sunshine (never usually happens on a Saturday) then I went into Chorlton to have a tattoo consultation and pay the deposit at Sacred Art - all booked in for end of March, excited! I also popped into a few of the shops, and managed to get some gorgeous vintage satin cigarette trousers for £15 from Chorlton Art Market; they need a slight tweak on the back seam as they are a bit baggy, but they look like they've never been worn so were a fortunate find!

In the evening I had Abi, Tasha and Emily to mine for some drinks before a night out in Manchester. I introduced them to the secret bar in Cane & Grain (always good to keep spreading the word) where I had the Dry Ice Zombie this time, and then we met up with our friend Alice and her flat mate Laura in Terrace for more drinks and dancing. It was fun to have a girly one, and the classic r&b tunes in Terrace are perfect for getting nostalgic and having a sing along!

This morning I made a greasy old fashioned breakfast to stave off my impending hangover (including black pudding of course) and cracked on with some work and general adulting before going to my mum and dad's for a Sunday roast. I even managed a glass of red wine with food despite my lingering headache!

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 Two

'We cross our bridges as we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and the presumption that once our eyes watered.'

(Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead - Tom Stoppard)

This week has been a reminder of how incredible my friends and family are. Despite (luckily) feeling positive about the whole breakup situation, it always helps knowing you've got a massive posse of people who totally have your back (love you!). On Monday I de-exed the flat, by swapping pictures in frames over, extraditing anything of his into the spare room, and of course crucially removing the Facebook status. I thought it might have made me feel a bit weird doing it all straight away, but I actually found it really cathartic, and was so much more relaxed when I could sit down at the end of the night and feel like it was solely my flat again. My friend Natasha came for a coffee that afternoon before I did the school run, so I filled her in on the gossip, I feel like it's one of those situations I'm going to want to have a tape recorder to play to people soon so I don't get bored of saying the same things over and over!

On Wednesday my sister Jasmine and I went into Altrincham for some lunch. We were intending checking out the Con Club that has recently opened, but the menu was geared more for a big evening meal, so we kept it simple and went to the cafe at M&S instead. On Friday evening I worked late as my bosses were in London, so I took Aum (the little boy I am a nanny for) to Pizza Express for dinner. I sampled a Soho 65 Romana pizza, but my server suggested I add mixed Italian meat to it (it is usually a veggie option), which was the best decision ever, I thoroughly recommend!

 Due to my late finish I indulged in a lie in yesterday morning, or as late as I could before the dog insisted I take her out. That afternoon was Aum's birthday party at Manchester Climbing Centre, which is amazing! It is inside an old church in Gorton and has facilities for bouldering, and more traditional climbing with a belay system; seeing everyone having a go made me want to give it a try - it's now on the To-Do list.

That evening Natasha and my other friend Abi came to mine for some pre-drinks and a night out in Alderley Edge, where they have recently opened a branch of The Alchemist bar. We headed there for about 10.30pm, and it was busy - we waited forever for a drink which wasn't a great start, but a quick celeb spot of Misse from Housewives of Cheshire and Jake Hall from TOWIE kept us entertained; they weren't the freshest shall we say! 

It seemed to die down just after midnight, so we moved on to The Bubble Room, which was playing some great tunes for a dance (including the track above which I am loving at the moment, despite not being an Ed Sheeran fan), and I started on the margarita cocktails. We ended the night in The Botanist, where after some Dutch courage I asked one of the (seemingly surprised) bartenders who had been serving me all night for his number, and succeeded - always a boost to know I still have some skills after it seeming forever since I last dated! We won't dwell on the fact that after a few texts when I got home it was ascertained that he was 22; but still, I'm officially back out there!

Today I was pretty tired and hungover so delayed a trip to Ikea with Mum to another day as I really couldn't deal with the crowds and effort, and we just had a little mooch around TK Maxx and HomeSense nearby instead. I got home and Despicable Me 2 was on, which was great easy viewing, and I took another single step and joined Bumble, which is apparently the new Tinder. Purely for research purposes of course... watch this space!

Weekly Musings

2015 - Week 13 
'I'm searching for cheap thrills some way and somehow'
(Fluffy - Wolf Alice)

This week began with a Sofar Sounds on Monday, this time it was inside an office block on New York Street, and I took Jason as he has never been to one before. There were four artists who played: Danish Kristian Harting, a band called Glass Tides, travelling American Alina Ly and Benjamin Yellowitz. I personally loved the band as they used strings as part of their performance and, being a huge fan of Florence and the Machine for that reason, it added the same dreamy aspect that I love.

On Wednesday I went out for dinner with Laura at a Japanese place in Manchester called Samsi. We started with tempura vegetables and then I had a seafood udon noodle dish. It was nice to catch up, and even though the prices were reasonable anyway, the best part was the food was free as she had a voucher from Christmas!

On Thursday I saw Wolf Alice at The Ritz with my friend Lauren. They did a great performance, good on stage charisma and talented musicians. I was surprised at the large venue choice but they definitely did it justice, I am expecting big things from them.



Friday marked the official start to my week off work, woohoo! I started as I mean to go on with a fantastic brunch yesterday with Abi courtesy of the adorable Sugar Junction in the Northern Quarter (latte and pancakes with blueberries and clotted cream if you were wondering) followed by an event at Warehouse where we recieved cute little bracelets with our initials on and could have our hair done in a choice of 5 up dos. I was babysitting that evening so decided a hair style may be a little OTT, but it was fun watching Abi get hers done, complete with pastel pink chalked plait! 



Today I have had a nice relaxing Sunday, hangover free with some yoga and a good ol' fashioned roast at my parents. Bring on time off!