visiting bonny whitehead

well it's not been that long since i last visited the 'head and as per usual not much had changed. trangers still say hello, kids still play in the streets, random guys still fish off the rocks, outsiders still come on sundays to walk along the promenade, the shopkeepers still know your name, commuters still complain about the trains etc etc.
A few things had however changed
1) my mum has a new sporty car - note the front skirt, tinted rear windows, spoiler and the obligatory dice in the mirror! it drives beautifully and is great for driving round car parks with music blaring!

2) it was sunny! last time i was there it was really grey. we got to spend some time sitting outside in my nana's garden on her new bench - i hope you like my gremlin impersonation (it was sunny ok?!) .

3) there is a brewer's fayre restaurant in carrickfergus. with news like that we had to go testing and i must say it was very yummy. i got a pick of me and Alan outside infront of carrick castle.

I got to spend some time with Alan despite him having just done an all nighter on the fri and his having to take 2 church services on the sunday. He made quite an effort to make time for me which i really appreciated. its always so good to see him!

In the midst of such tumulteous change it was good to see that some things will never change...

lousie's wedding

well I was back in norn iron for lou's wedding bash last weekend. It was such a lovely day - I haven't cried at a wedding before - i was just overcome with happiness. I might have been overly emotional but it was just SO amazingly brilliant to see Lou so happy and so beautiful and so in love... the tears are welling as I type. The service was very real and you could feel God's presence and feel him smiling down on the whole thing.
For those of you who like pics of dresses etc...


I'm really looking forward to getting to know Andy - he seems a really great guy!
It was good at the wedding to meet up with some old school friends. Erin's wee boy Ethan is 2 now and very cute...

I still find it shocking that someone I was at school with has a two year old but i guess nowdays most school kids have two years olds!
I must also say that the classic tracks hitting the dance floor were fantastic. It was really funny dancing to 2unlimited and gala - it brought back good memories - even if i couldnt strutt my funky stuff as much as I'd have done in years gone by.
It was nice spending time in whitehead too - i'll try and post some pictures soon.

???

just wondering why tablets for arthritis are so hard to get out of the packets??

great friday!!

well i'm glad i wasn't relying on you guys to come up with ideas for my day off. thanks to phil who actually replied - and sorry we didn't make it round to yours.
we had a really fab day. we went to loch lomond - it's so beautiful there and the sun shone the whole time. we took the scenic route (through airdrie!!) and arrived at lunch time for a picnic on the beach. then we spent hours throwing sticks for Cara (what do people do without dogs?) then we went for a walk up a bit of the West Highland Way. It has given me a taste of walking again.
I used to be really into hillwalking but havent been able to do much the past few years. Am thinking if i can get anyone who will be passionate enough to go walkng and patient enough to wait on me that I'll head for the hills again soon!!












It was so good to be out and about - to see beautiful things and new places and to have a laugh!

After Loch Lomond we fancied some fish and chips so it was off to Anstruther. It's a wee fishing port near St Andrews (East Coast of Scotland) that's very famous for its chippy. SO famous infact that you have to queue for quite a while... an hour and a half to be exact!! long enough to read that Tom Hanks has been there lots of times (and to hear all about the woman behind me in the queue's marriage issues). but boy was it worth the wait!!
hmmm I'm just wondering when I can get myself back there again for another!
Anstruther - it was getting dark by the time we got out! - the famous chippy (note the queue)

So all in all it was a great day out. we didn't go to any church things to remember Jesus dying but I reckon Jesus wants us to enjoy the good things like beautiful places and having fun with the people we love and fish and chips :-)

some peter kay...

here's some snippets from peter kay's stand up courtesy of the great Bagger... enjoy...

• I saw a woman wearing a sweatshirt with 'Guess' on it. I said, "Thyroid problem?
• "When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bike. Then I realised, God doesn't work that way, so I stole one and asked him to forgive me
• I've often wanted to drown my troubles, but I can't get my wife to go swimming.
• I was doing some decorating, so I got out my step ladder. I don't get on with my real ladder
• My Dad used to say 'always fight fire with fire', which is probably why he got thrown out of the fire brigade
• I saw six men kicking and punching the mother-in-law. My neighbour said 'Are you going to help?' I said 'No, Six should be enough'
• If we aren't supposed to eat animals, then why are they made out of meat?
• I think animal testing is a terrible idea; they get all nervous and give the wrong answers

Peter Kay's questions...

• Why does your gynaecologist leave the room when you get undressed?
• If a person owns a piece of land do they own it all the way down to the core of the earth?
• Why can't women put on mascara with their mouth closed?
• Is it possible to brush your teeth without wiggling your a*se?
• Why is it called Alcoholics Anonymous when the first thing you do is stand up and say, 'My name is Bob, and I am an alcoholic'?
• Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?
• Why does mineral water that 'has trickled through mountains for centuries' have a 'use by' date?
• Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp no one would eat?
• Is French kissing in France just called kissing?
• What do people in China call their good plates?
• Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don't point to their crotch when they ask where the bathroom is?
• What do you call male ballerinas?
• Why is a person that handles your money called a 'Broker'?
• If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?
• If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?
• Why is it that when someone tells you that there are over a billion stars in the universe, you believe them, but if they tell you there is wet paint somewhere, you have to touch it to make sure?
• Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Spaghetti?
• Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out of the window?

Peter Kay's Universal Truths...

• Triangular sandwiches taste better than square ones
• At the end of every party there is always a girl crying
• One of the most awkward things that can happen in a pub is when your pint-to-toilet cycle gets synchronised with a complete stranger
• You've never quite sure whether it's ok to eat green crisps
• Everyone who grew up in the 80's has entered the digits 55378008 into a calculator - then turned the figures upside down
• Nobody ever dares make cup-a-soup in a bowl
• Rummaging in an overgrow garden will always turn up a bouncy ball
• You always feel a bit scared when stroking horses (note this one kirsty!!)
• Every bloke has at some stage while taking a pee, flushed half way through and then raced against the flush
• Old women with mobile phones look wrong
• Its impossible to look cool whilst picking up a Frisbee
• Driving through a tunnel makes you feel excited
• There's no panic like the panic you momentarily feel when you've got your hand or head stuck in something
• No one knows the origins of their metal coat hangers
• Despite constant warning, you have never met anybody who has had their arm broken by a swan
• The most painful household incident is wearing socks and stepping on an upturned plug
• People who don't drive slam car doors too hard
• You've turned into your dad the day you put aside a thin piece of wood specifically to stir paint with
• Everyone had an uncle who tried to steal their nose
• Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad

all apologies

sorry its been a while since i posted. i have been quite tired and not up to much. (not that that usually stops me blogging!) the highlight of the week has been jamie trying to folk up some top nirvana tunes - very funny :-)
the neighbours kids are off school just now and have been causing a rucous. i feel like an old fuddy-duddy (how do you spell that?) but seriously they have made a big crack right across our ceiling from jumping off their bunk-beds. im sure they could think of something more fun to do at 7.30am!

gracemount - our beautiful view

work has been a pretty big low point. it has been pretty tiring and quite emotionally draining. it feels like a bit of a losing battle just now, putting loads of effort in and seeing very little reward. So... i have booked some annual leave wohoo!! i am off tomorrow - good friday - and the weekend. jamie and i were going to be going to some friends in glasgow but that has fallen through so anything goes. anybody got any suggestions?? i would quite like to get out of edinburgh and do something different... answers on a postcard...

masacre

Have you seen the advert on telly for those chocolate lindt bunnies? The ones you walk past in airports and fancy shops and so desperately want to take one of them home to care for (...and then eat ears first). But you tell yourself you could buy 20 dairymilks for the same price and walk on past feeling their eyes staring at you as you leave them to their unknown fate.
I have always wanted one. when people ask the question "what would you do if you won a million quid" my mind wanders and the wee golden bunnies jump past as I drive my jeep across the african savanah and of course give the money away to a good cause (whilst eating said chocolate bunnies).
So imagine my sheer joy to be handed a bag at church on sunday containing none other than mr hoppy, a beautiful golden rabbit (a big thankyou to Paul and Elizabeth!). As his big eyes stared up at me and his wee red bell rang out, I knew it was love. I brought him back to the flat and he set up home on our top shelf in the living room. Just close enough to remind me of the impending joy and far enough away that i wouldnt be tempted by his smell to kill him prematurely. Many a night I have looked at his beautiful shiny gold coat wondering if tonight is the night... only to tell myself sharply "not yet mrs wilson not yet". The anticipation was mounting. Until... i returned home from the gp to find... (those of a weak disposition should look away now)

the remains of mr hoppy

The dog was looking very sheepish (can a dog look sheepish??) and tried to guzzle down as much of Mr Hoppy as possible before I could get at her. Needless to say there weren't many words spoken between us that morning. After a tearful phonecall to Jamie I cleared Mr Hoppy's remains, as memories of watership down came flooding past... old bright eyes is gone.

Jamie says that Cara must have been hungry but I think it was motivated by jealousy - she could see how much I loved Mr Hoppy. A little bit of me is gone forever.

a sheepish dog

Ali's Hen Do

well last saturday was Ali's long awaited, much talked about hen do. ali is a friend from good old whitehead. we went to play school and primary school and secondary school together. we worked in the spar, climbed mountains and shaved old ladies... aah the memories! it was really cool to be there this weekend to say goodbye to Miss Alison Orr although i'm sure Mrs Armstrong will be equally up for a laugh :-)


may i introduce the women involved... (all disguised in pink wigs to hide identity)

miss alison orr ... hen extrordinaire









karen... the hen do organiser

jennie












caroline









jill


jennifer










the gang at cloisters.... pure... and miss orr on a limo

sorry girls it's taken me some time to get these posted. hope you enjoy them!
for further hen girl antics check out karen's blog (see link) - not for the faint hearted!!
i had the best time! we had lunch in Cloisters Pub, pampered at pure, and then limo-ed to victoria st howies, after some dancing in why not it was home time - the end to a fab day :-)

spring has sprung

it doesnt feel much like spring - the rain is falling, the ground is muddy, the sky is grey... but hang on a minute that sounds exactly like spring in the UK! So here it is. i must say i am enjoying the extra hour of sunlight and seeing the daffys poke through always makes me smile. Not because im an avid botanist (us zoologists pity the poor botanists) but because it reminds me of a fancy dress competition when i was 6or 7. my nurses outfit had been used the year before and so my mother saw fit to dress me up as a daffodil. i had a big yellow funnel of crepe paper round my face and my body was the stem. i guess it looked kindof cool - especally with emma dressed as a poppy beside me (oh i wish i had a photo of that!). It must have looked pretty realistic too because i remember standing quietly crying (yes i used to be shy) because several wasps had flown into the yellow funnel and were swarming round my face... very scary!! the teacher eventually saw my distress and had to rip my costume apart to free the wasps. So daffodils always make me smile... but i have only just talked myself into wearing yellow again recently :-) the pic is of the first daffy in our garden to survive our dog and the great edinburgh weather - ain't she beautiful!

mother's day

my mother : the great isabel wright

my mum brought me and my brothers up to be independant and not caught up in traditions and materialism. well that really came to bite her on the ass last sunday! Last sunday was, "mothering sunday" or mother's day as the rest of the world calls it. My mother received... one card... and it wasn't from any of her three children!

I'm sure you may be slightly concerned with this... why didnt she get cards from us... and who is sending mother's day cards to my mum??

Well... Iain has been busy moving house and did make a phone call to say that flowers were on their way. Alan bought mum some fluffy dice for her new car (a classic gift well done alan!). I did send mum a card, (hand made at that!!) but it arrived late - damn royal mail! The happy mother's day card that mum did receive on mother's day was from her deaf friend - (it's a whole other world!) maybe she knew how useless me and my brothers are!

... I hang my head in shame!

it's ok....

daisy - i found this beauty in my back garden in amongst the rubbish and mud

I don't have much time because i need to get ready to go to the pub (Kirsty leaves for africa tomorrow). I just had to make a quick entrance to let you know that I am over my grump. I have left the virtual black cloud of hospital behind me and am facing onwards to brighter skies and happier days :-) rock on pretty world. may we all find beauty in the ashes and treasure in the darkness.

i take it ALL back!!

well i take my last blog back. i deserve every sympathy. that was a very horrible experience for several reasons... (cue large rant/moan...)


1) mavis (name changed to protect individual) one of my room mates who insisted on talking all the time - i quote "i dont see the point in not talking" . you would not believe it. she woke me up in the middle of the night making lots of noise - i turned over to see her sitting fully dressed in her chair eating fistley sweeties. she then proceeded to ask my opinion on sweeties. oh and her insistance on using the comode without pulling the curtain -euuuuuwwwww!!! she also complained about the seriously ill girl who had to call nurses to get to the toilet saying that she was just looking for attention!! raaaarrrr!!

2) taking a reaction to the anti-sickness drug that resulted in me passing out while saying "i dont feel so..." and then coming round to the nurse telling me to stay with her and calling for the on-call doc... and then passing out on him! was all very ER. I was fine after being put on oxygen for a few hours (man i gotta get myself some of that!!).

3) the pain and sickness of the treatment is do-able. you just have to crawl under the covers for most of the day. avoid as much food, light and sound as possible and you get through it (easier said than done with a room full of oaps shouting at each other and 2 teenagers dancing to westlife, and nurses coming to check your obs every 30mins). Its not fun - but at least it works. or does it?? i finished my 3rd day and looked down at my hand to see it was still blue - aaagh!!! so another day was organised. the helpful doc pointed out that there wasnt other options but it might be best to cut my losses after 4 days. it has worked a bit - hopefully enough for me to keep my fingers on my hands for a while longer :-)

4) junior docs who cant find veins but insist on keeping on trying because they are too embarassed to ask the anaesthetist. thanks to the doc i now have 11 puncture bruises on my arms. it means i gotta wear long sleeves to work or my drugees will think i have been taking work home with me.

well... i'm fed up moaning. at least we have the good old NHS. it always amazes me that they provide it all free of charge. what lucky people we are!

a wee holiday

this is the exclusive wgh clock-tower resort. my accomoation is on the

second floor - complete with room service

well i'm off for a wee holiday. 3 days in ward 15 at the western general hospital fun fun fun!! its so that i can be given some vasodilator (vein opening stuff) by drip for 3 days or so. It should mean that my hands go back to being pink rather than the usual blue. I had the same stuff last september and it worked really well so i am pretty hopeful.
i wouldn't want to stop any sympathy or special treatment i might get because of this... but it's really not that bad. i get 3 days away from my job, housework, all responsibity in general. i get to kick back, read a book, listen to my nano, chill out. I know most of the nurses now and there's always some entertaining grannies around laughing about their arthritis. No need to cook - they even bring you a cup tea to your bedside! so all in all i can't complain... but i will lap up all the sympathy that's going :-)
hope the vomiting and miraines don't start - i would hate to feel sick when I'm in hospital!

beautiful??

carberry towers - i tea-leafed this picture off another site

it doesnt really do the place justice it's amazing!!

i was away last weekend with folks from bec (my church). we stayed at the most amazing castlelike house thing called Carberry Towers, just outside Edinburgh.

We talked a lot about creativity and did loads of creative things. There is something very weird about being told to be creative... it's like being told not to smile or not to think about the number 5. It was very cool to use my imagination for the first time in years! when i was at primary school we used to do loads of creative things... i remember very clearly making a model of Kilroot Power station out of boxes and straws. i wish i had a picture of that! i do however have a picture of the house we made out of boxes and cellotape on friday night.

i am strangely proud of this monstrosity -

like an ugly child I think its beautiful just because its mine!

i took some pictures of the scenery too. here's some pretty snowdrops from the grounds.

i don't know what you think - but i find beautiful nature scenes peaceful but slightly boring. I feel like I am just embarking on the whole photography road... so much to learn! I need to read the instructions to my camera so i can work out how to change aperture and shutter speed etc etc. but I'll leave that to some day when I have more energy and less pain.

START... again

so i started this blog back in november but it never really took off. largely because i didnt blog anything! as they say - every day is a new begginging so today i resolve to write my blog more regularly!
maybe i'll get some of my photos on here soon (i need to upload my camera). in the meantime i'll give you a picture taken by Kirsty of Mel when we were at Loch Tay. Enjoy ...

boredom leads to bizarre things

welcome one and all!

never thought I would ever create a blog. Especially not when I am doing nothing... maybe if i was traveling the world or involved in some great project or other. But, I am not. I do however have lots of time and very little energy which makes spending time in front of a computer a more regular part of my life.
So hear I am prattling about nothing much. I plan to use it a bit like a diary, juicy gossip and all! I'll probably find it mildly amusing - you might find it more interesting than typing your name into google, or other ingenious internet time-wasters, but I doubt it!
i have to credit kaz for introducing me to this weird world - an inspiration as always

Ali