Auld Lang Syne

Ho Ho Ho! No wait... That's over now isn't it. Yes. Sorry!

So I haven't updated in four months (you're not even a little bit surprised, are you?), and my apologies for that, but I will tell you why in a little bit. 

So we're in the in-between Christmas and New Year period, and I always find it a bit befuddling as an adult. When we were young we'd be on holiday so there wasn't all this hassle about who in the office in getting what holidays, is there enough cover, "...but they got Christmas off last year" bonanza. Also I find myself in a great quandry with regards to food. Purely because I can't eat any more! I've been stuffed with various selection box chocolates, crisps, cakes, pork roast, turkey, three kinds of potatoes, and on and on and on. How is any person meant to cope?! Although I will take this moment to gloat over having lost 3 lbs over the festive season, but we shall see if all the merriment has caught up with me when I get weighed next week ;-)

In Denmark and Norway we call the in-between bit "romjul", and in the modern Scandi languages "rom" means.. well.. it can mean space (as in a living space, the space between two objects, etc, not "Space... the Final Frontier", astronaut space) or rum.  As in the booze made from sugar. I was always a bit confused about what either had to do with anything Christmassy or Yule-y (Space Christmas? Rum Christmas? What's going on?), but when I looked it up I was educated. Well, possibly educated, as the entry is from Wikipedia, but it seems legimate enough! Apparently the word stems from an Old Norse term which means "days that aren't quite as holy" or "half holy". The Christmas traditions in Denmark, Norway and Sweden in particular are quite fascinating as they are a cool blend of various traditions, including an Italian-Catholic one of St Lucia Day on the 13th of December!

And now on TV we get all the various Countdown style shows. Best/Worst Songs, Couples, Breakups, Get Togethers, Events, Fashion, bla bla bla. While I do enjoy the occasional re-cap of cool things past, I get annoyed when they get to events that happened a couple of days before. I know it's the end of the year, but that just literally just happened, I haven't had time to miss it yet! I also feel weird coming in to a new year as suddenly things that happened a few days ago happened "last year", and I get confused. It will take me until March or April 2014 for me to accept that "last Christmas" was Christmas 2013, and not Christmas 2012, hehe.  Anyway, before we move on, a shot of THIS year's Christmas tree:

This year's beast was a Scottish Fraser Fir, and it was also slightly crooked, but we loved it anyway! I'm not a massive fan of artificial lights, mostly because it seems like too much hassle, so I opted for illuminating the room via other means, hehe. 

Similar to the End-of-Year Countdowns are the Annual Letter to Tell Everyone How We've Been. There is a lot of hate against those letters, but I rather like them. In an ever globalised world it's nice to get a letter that sums up a person or a family's hightlights of the year. It makes a change from just "liking" each others Facebooks statuses and sending each other Candy Crush requests (don't get me wrong, I like to "like" AND candy crush, request all you want! ^.^). My 2013 has been good, and hopefully the blog posts up untill now have reflected that! In August, shortly after my last post, a huge thing happened in my life, a milestone for a contemporary couple, Man of the House (MotH) and I bought our first house together! And subsequently discovered the costs of new flooring, and just how shattered a body can get after painting a whole room three times. I still get weird moments when I'm walking from one room to the next where I think "this is MINE, I can do what I want, I could...  I could.. graffiti the hallway! If I wanted to, which I don't, but still. MINE!" - And let me tell you, after a LIFETIME so far of renting... being able to swing a hammer without having to worry about a landlord getting miffed is amazing. 

Later, in November, some of my best friends came to visit me, all at once! I have known these girls for 9 - 10 years and even though I don't get to see them as much as I'd like, I have a great time every time I *do* see them.

I also got to catch up with some of my family earlier this year in June, which was also lovely. This is the hard part about being a supposedly "international" person. A lot of people think that maybe my type is selfish, or we don't *want* to be close to our families. While it is true that I maybe don't want us all to live on the same street, I genuinely do wish there was a way for us to be closer, geographically. But life doesn't always work that way so I try the best that I can to visit. It doesn't help that my parents + brothers and the rest of my family are living in two different countries either! Hehe. 

Health wise it's been a bit turbulent, for myself and family members. While I won't divulge family details here, I'm not so shy about myself. I've had high blood pressure for years and this year I finally decided to take the bull by the horns and start taking my medication properly. High blood pressure is weird because you don't feel it (at least I don't). There's no noticable difference between taking the pills and not taking the pills (apart from when using a blood pressure monitor, obviously), so if you're like me and are fed up of tablets, it's all too easy to just.. forget.. for a long time... But no more. Apart from actually taking my pills, I have also lost about 39 lbs since September, which is around 17 kg. I'm somewhere between ⅓ and ½ of the way to an initial target weight, but every kilo helps, hell even a half kilo helps.

While I was at the Doctor's getting slightly scolded for being bad, he showed me the results of some blood tests I had had taken the week before. They showed low iron, which made him order another test, which came back positive, which resulted in me having a camera shoved down my throat. I had two choices: Get a numbing throat spray or sedation, which will drug you in to forgetful co-operation. I chose the throat spray, who needs sedation, eh? For the love of Sonny Jesus, choose sedation! The throat spray made me feel as if my throat was tightening and I couldn't breathe (even though I could), and they don't tell you that numbing your throat is not the same as telling your Gag Reflex to stop working. It works just fine, and was ever so unhappy at this camera tube getting in the way. So I lay there on my side, biting down on a plastic gag, crying, gagging, a total slave to uncontrollable reflexes my body has used since the dawn of time to survive. I felt VERY sorry for myself and would not go for another unless my life depended on it. The end result? I have Coeliac's Disease. "Oh Goody" I thought, "another thing to add to my list!". In brief, Coeliac's Disease is an scarily common ailment which causes the body to attack and damage the stomach lining and villi of the small intestines when a person eats anything containing gluten. So, no more cakes, breads, pizzas, etc. It's not an allergy or intolerance, but an auto-immune disease which can lead to malabsorbtion related ailments such as low iron and osteoporosis. Apparently I have a mild form, but there was still sign of damage done already. I've joined the Coeliac UK organisation and will be going gluten free as of 1 January 2014. It does make me worry though. This is the 2nd auto-immune disease I've had in my life, and I'm being tested for a third around March 2014. Does my body really hate itself that much? Clearly I need to sit down with myself and have a talk about how I'm actually ok! :-)

Ugh, what a downer Miss Sophie, lighten up! :-)

Yes, indeed! I am genuinely looking forward to 2014, to all the old and all the new. To the birthdays and anniversaries and babies and Easter and Summer and Halloween and right back up to Christmas. I am looking forward to planting stuff in MY garden (yes, I have a garden, yes I'm going to join the grow-your-own brigade, yes it's going to be messy!), to making this house my own one shelf at a time,  seeing my friends and family, all that good stuff. 

One of the things MotH and I did recently was visit the new Hydro venue which has just been built in Glasgow. They hosted a Fantasia - Live in Concert Event, featuring clips from Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 with a musical accompaniment by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. Anyone who knows me even a little will know how excited I am about Fantasia, so I *had* to see this. MotH purchased tickets for us as a present to me, which was very kind. I managed to get one shot on my phone during the intermission:

Music has always hit me right in the most tender parts of my brain and feelings, tears welled forward for some songs, other times I was grinning like a mad person sharing a really happy memory with an old friend. For some songs I was so excited I had to claw MotH in the knee to stop from bouncing on my chair like a small child. But for more familiar pieces I found myself looking at the conductor. I think conductors are awesome (musical conductors more than train conductors, really), I love how they love the music, and if I could live my life over, THAT is the job I would want. 

I... might have to go watch Fantasia again... So... Auf Wiedersehen, Adieu and so on. I hope everyone has had a nice holiday time and that you have a lovely New Year's Eve. I will be back in 2014 with more stories, I am sure! :-)

Update and some questions about Confidence

Hello ladies, gentlemen, folk of non-specific or extra-specific gender orientations!

I apologise for not posting sooner, but I've been kinda drawn in to a whirlwind event which requires a fair bit of energy on my part, and has left my will to write a bit deprived. I shall tell all about these events soon I hope, I'm just waiting for the last details to slot in to place, but gee-whiz, it's gonna be a whopper!

Where have I been? Well. First off, a shout out to one of my friends who let me stay with her in LONDON! Oh you beautiful city, filled with things and stuff. I was there about mid-June and I learned a valuable lesson: You only get what you pay for. "Why Miss Sophie, whatever do you mean?". Well, gentle reader, I'll tell you. The Megabus happened to me. 

Now, I'm not a girl with stockpiles of cash, so when a transport company tells me I can get a return trip from Glasgow to London for less than £15, who am I to say no to that? I thought I'd be real clever, jump down on the nightbus on a Friday night, pack in the action on Saturday and Sunday and pop back on Sunday night fighting fit for Monday. Unless you are a very short, nimble type of person who can sit down for great lengths of time, don't repeat my mistake! I am clearly not as energetic as I used to be. On the trip down I was lucky and caught a window seat, success! But more and more and more people packed on this cursed vehicle, and it got hot and smelly in a jiffy. Someone brought a baby on with them, need I say more? Never mind, London was awesome, I saw a comedy show about happiness (learned a lot, I did!), bought roasted almonds, saw Piccadilly Circus (STILL disappointed it's not a real Circus, bloody Romans) and visisted Scandinavian Kitchen, a haven for a homesick Scandi if ever there was one. Fun times were had, unfortunately I forgot my phone on both days and am thus sans photos, but we had a good time with very little rain. Thanks again to my friend for letting me crash in her room, it was FABULOUS! The trip back was less successful. Here I, despite being at the bus station rather early, was too late to score a window seat and got an aisle seat instead, next to an actor/director man (for true, he has an IMDB page) who was a light sleeper and so utilized meditation music to get more out of the little sleep he did get. I just couldn't get comfortable at all. My legs twinged, my hips ached, and I felt bad for shuffling around in case I woke actor/director man! Ah well. Lesson learned: Spend £50 more for plane tickets next time, they're not exactly expensive either. 

Next stop: Copenhagen! Lured by BMI Regional's delightful price offer, I bagged a trip across to one of my homelands. It had been two years since my previous visit, so some catching up was essential. Again, many thanks to family and friends who provided accommodation, company and food ^.^ I had a marvellous time, and my trip ended with a wee trip to Tivoli, an amusement park right smack in the middle of town. If you ever visit Copenhagen, go there, I've always loved it!

Not a recent photo I'm afraid, but it still looks the same!

In Tivoli they have something called the Tivoli Guard, a marching band really, who march around and the procession ends with Harlequin, Columbine and Pierrot. The latter three are characters in pantomime shows (slightly different from UK pantos, as no one shouts at the stage as far as I'm aware, hehe), which play several times a day inside. 

Pierrot marching along at the end

Needless to say it's been a good summer; when I came home to Glasgow that was the beginning of all that lovely hot weather, which I think we were all glad of. Nothing like some Vitamin D to boost all the happy feelings!

Today has been a bit of a lazy day, and I decided to take a walk down memory lane and look at all my photos. It made me realise that I actually feel LESS confident now, at the tender age of 27, than I did in my late teens. Naturally, I feel slightly cheated by this, I thought I was meant to gain more confidence in time, find myself, be myself, blah blah blah. Sure, back in high school I made questionable choices, particularly where hair, make up and skin care were concerned, but that didn't matter. I made myself be more confident than I sometimes felt, and anyone who had a problem with me either didn't speak to me anyway (so no loss there), or they were busy taking the piss out of someone else who didn't have my sassy backtalk skills. 

Now... Now I just feel.. meh. I worry about if I look fat in something. Which is a completely pointless question, by the way, because I am overweight so I'm going to look it in anything I wear. I worry that some teenager (and their pack of friends) is going to yell at me because I'm wearing something they don't like. I get fed up with judgemental looks if I'm wearing anything too... "something" [insert: gothy, preppy, shabby, corporate, whatever]. I didn't sign up for that. And it's not even always about appearance. I actually have to tell myself on a daily basis that life is not a race. There's no prize at the end of this show. I am not unemployable or unskilled because I don't have a degree (even though a lot of employers would probably like to think so). I have to remind myself that even though life led me down a different path than I thought it would, I've managed to get to a good place now. I struggle a lot with anger at myself for some decisions I've made in the past, I struggle with envy and jealousy against those who have what I think I want, which then makes me feel guilty because it's totally unfair on those people. I don't like feeling that way. I want to be confident enough that the successes or downturns in another's life don't affect how I view my own achievements. I want to be confident enough so that in my personal time I can wear what I want and how I want it, without worrying about what others may have to say about it.  So there's some work to be done! Let it begin!

Steaks and the Heimlich

Salutations and good afternoon to all!

I realise it’s been a while since I posted last, and for that I apologise! Life has a habit of getting in the way of things, hehe. 

I know my last update was in February, but seriously, time is ticking by at an alarming rate, I do not approve! In the mean time I applied for another job, but didn’t get it. I got a temporary transfer/secondment opportunity at my existing place of work, though, woo! It’s... interesting, and let’s leave it at that! I had a birthday, then Man of the House had a birthday, then we had an anniversary (yay!) And then Denmark won the Eurovision!

It was a competition full of interpretive dance, interesting props and a really wonderful “half time” show that reminded me of home. I wasn’t overly loving Graham Norton’s commentary this year, who seemed a bit flabbergasted that Europe wasn’t just going to vote for the British entry just because it was Bonnie Tyler. I love Bonnie Tyler, but I just didn’t think the song was that good, sorry! That can be said about any of the other 25 (or whatever) countries that I didn’t vote for, it’s nothing personal! :P 

Of course I am super excited that the Contest will be making its way across the bridge to Denmark next year, and I can tell you right now I will be making every conceivable effort to make it over there for the show. You can just book me in for annual leave right now, ta! Hehe!

But enough about that, and let’s give a nice welcome back to what appears to be Summer Weather. This particular member of the Weather family was a sight for sore eyes pretty much all of last year, so I’m glad that it’s come back, and seemingly in the right month, too! Last year we had beautiful sunshine in May and then never saw it again. And here I thought that I’d have to go away to get my Vitamin D fix, so I booked myself on a flight to Denmark in the first week of July. Wooooo! I plan to wander familiar streets, see friends and family and maybe, just maybe, hear some Jazz.  Copenhagen Jazz Festival starts up near the end of my trip, but I’m hoping to get in a listen or two. Well.. Blues for preference, but I’m not picky!

Following that I have a festival to go to in August called Bloodstock, and I’m excited because a band called Sabaton are playing, and the vendors make excellent bacon rolls. Seriously, the bacon rolls of the normal outside world are nothing compared to ones made at festivals. It’s like there’s a rule about how challenging hygiene settings make for superbly tasty grub. And don’t be put off by the skulls and the red background and some of the unseemly band names, this is seriously one of the nicest festivals I’ve ever been to (except for that guy who jumped out of a portaloo cabin to deliberately scare me, he’s getting his shin kicked if I see him again! :P).

Other than that, we’ll see where the holiday bug takes me! I am genuinely pining to go back to Amsterdam for 1) The company, 2) The little tapas restaurant with the tortilla, and 3) The beer from the Brouwerij ‘t IJ pub. Seriously. I don’t normally like beers, these were amazing.  

But, this blog is called the Education of Miss Sophie, so... what have I learned?

Well! Following a recommendation from friends of ours, MotH and I decided to bulk order meat from a distributor. And we bought a lot, two freezer drawers full to be exact. And we have not been disappointed yet! There was an offer on porterhouse steaks, so I decided “Go on, take the plunge, Miss Sophie!” You see, it has been my poor family’s burden that I have throughout my life been incredibly picky with food. It wasn’t until I was... 20 or 21 that I decided to even try beef mince in anything. I didn’t try steak until... a year, maybe a year and a half ago? I’ve gotten to a level where medium-medium rare is yum, and I think this is where I’ll stay, but who knows! So I tried making it myself, and crikey, it doesn’t take long! I overcooked them slightly, because in my head I was going “No way does it only take X amount of minutes on each side!”. But it was still delish, I didn’t burn anything and I’ll know better for next time! I should have taken a picture of them, but I was a bit overwhelmed by steaming veg, making a peppercorn sauce, and getting the potatoes out of the oven on top of the steak-factor, so here’s just a picture of different shades of steak and, the "finger method" :P

Basically the premise is that if you aren't sure where a steak is at temperature-wise, and you don't have a thermometer, you can use the finger method. When your thumb touches other fingers, the squishy pad under it will change in firmness. If you touch your thumb to your little-finger, the pad will be at its firmest and if your thumb isn't touching any other fingers at all it's incredibly soft and cushion-y. It's certainly not a fool proof method, but beggars can't be choosers! :P

But that was very much learning by checking a “recipe” online and then doing it. And jeeeeez-o, everyone and their mother had an opinion on salting before, during or after the cooking process! For the record, I went with the idea of salting the steaks about 40 minutes before frying them in a pan (since I can’t work the grill :P). I also did not pepper until during the cooking process, as apparently charred pepper is a friend to exactly ZERO tastebuds, hehe. 

In addition to steak-based knowledge, I am now also a qualified First Aider, thanks to my workplace who kindly agreed to send me on a course. About halfway through the first day it dawned on me: Hang on, this isn’t just a “handy skill to have”, this is a responsibility too! I know that seems entirely obvious, but if someone passes out in the street I will now feel obligated to use my acquired knowledge. I would probably try to help anyway, but now there’s the added “It’s okay, I know First Aid” responsibility attached to me, which is cool and terrifying all at once. That being sad, I am a bad-ass at rolling people in to the recovery position. Need someone to help with a log-roll? I’m your girl. That’s rolling someone LIKE a log, not actually rolling logs, but I bet ya I’d be good at that too, hehe! Oh, and I was super disappointed that even though we learned how to do the "heimlich" that we all know from the TV, they didn't call it that! They called it "abdominal thrusts". It took all the fun out of it!

Incidentally, completing a First Aid course was number 30 on my 101 Things to do in 1001 Days list, woo! Also, to complete number 91 on the same list, I have now registered with a GP here in Glasgow (finally, I’ve only lived here a year!) and am back on my blood pressure medication, because the heart shouldn’t be messed with! 
Goal 25 is to read 101 books and I’ve read 6 so far, not a bad track record by I need to pick up the pace! I think my next blog will be a recommendation/mini review for two of them that have really left an impression on me. 

Until then, enjoy the sunshine if you have it! Have a continued nice weekend!

Just a Little Update!

08/02/2013

Evening!

So, on the 10th of January I attended my very first Burlesque class (see previous post for my initial reactions to it!). The class was called Burlesque Combo and featured styles from classic old school burlesque and the more modern styles. It was so much fun! Throughout January I’ve gone to a couple of more classes, Burlesque Bombshell and Glamourcise. The second is less about burlesque performance and more about exercise with a dance theme. Trust me, I built up a sweat! You know when you’re doing a gym class, and the music is thumping and you have that feeling, that urge to flick your wrist or wriggle a bit more, or just.. you know, dance a little? Well, in Glamourcise it’s okay to do that, in fact it rather seemed encouraged!  It’s fun and makes me feel good, nothing else matters! :) Although I have no intentions of performing, ever, I like to pretend in my head that I’m glamourous. In my glamourous state I have a song and dance act, a bit more cabaret than burlesque I guess, but you know, it’s my imaginary show, so anything goes. In my imagination I croon like Eartha Kitt and all is well. It’s good to have dreams! Heehee. 

I won’t be attending any classes in February due to finances, but I hope to be back again for some more classes in March though, woo!

Also, I can strike another goal off my list, number 48 - “Buy a replacement iPod”. I finally took my iPod to be looked at the Apple Store on Buchanan Street, just in case it was just something silly preventing me from using it. The problem had been that I could plug it in to the computer, but it wouldn’t sync anything. They had a look, cleaned it out and said that the connection was a little loose but they had fixed it for now. I would still like a new one eventually, as this one will stop working eventually, but it’s not as “urgent” as I had deemed it before. It’s a want rather than a need. 

I am also trying to work my way through number 10 - “Go 30 days without candy & crisps”. I’m interpreting candy as in things like gummy bears and dolly mixtures, that kinda stuff. Biscuits don’t count and neither does popcorn, hehe. Nachos count as crisps, but the jury is still out about Bugles, though I think I’m leaning more towards that they do count as a crisp, so much sadness! I am 8 days in, and currently jonesing for Salt & Vinegar Pringles. So far my substitutions have included rice cakes, biscuits and slices of apples and/or carrots. It’s the crunch factor, it’s oh so good! Even if I make it on just the crisps side of things, I’ll be quite pleased. I'm trying not to substitute too much, and just wean myself off the idea of having to eat something just because I'm bored, but I think this is a good start. 

February already feels like a long month (which is strange, as it's the shortest...), but I’m really looking forward to my wee holiday in just over a weeks time. Going down to Wigtown for a few days, and then on to some friends in Dumfries who I haven’t seen in an age! Going on holiday doesn’t always have to be far away, there is something nice about domestic travel too! :)

I’ve also started following a blog about a family trying to buy only British products for the next year. It’s quite an interesting read, and I would recommend everyone to have a wee look at their page! Their website is: http://britishfamily.co.uk. I don't think I can go all the way and buy ONLY British, but it does make me think. Cheaper and easier isn't always better. My life is (comparatively speaking) easy enough without me always having to do my shopping from Giant Corporation X, Y or Z from in front of my computer. I will try and buy more from within my local area, or find alternatives to mass produced flatpack stuff, etc. You get the idea! I don't think there are any rice paddies in the UK, so I'll have to get my rice fix from elsewhere, and there's not necessarily anything wrong in importing things that aren't found in a country (like cinnamon, for example), and that's part of every country's history too. But if there's a local alternative, there's no harm in giving that a shot either, at least I don't think so :) This paragraph isn't meant to be me wagging my finger at anyone, or telling anyone what they should do, simply me trying to explain the things I think about sometimes! :) 

Anyway, I best be off. I hope everyone has a lovely weekend! Cheerio!

One Down, One Hundred to Go

So, my hawks and doves, I have completed one of the many items on my List.

Attending a burlesque class was number 80 on my list, and it was achieved, finally, today!

MotH is the source behind my wanting to try it. Until he brought me along to a show at La Cheetah, I had never seen it before. People can debate back and forth about burlesque vs stripping, and does it matter, really? No. I think there's a different mood with burlesque. It's cheeky, teasing, makes me want to giggle. There's a light-heartedness about it, even though it is an exacting dance form :)

Ash McTease runs Show Girl Sessions in Glasgow, and I was fortunate enough to find a voucher from one of the many voucher/discount sites available for 8 classes here. I tried my first one today, Burlesque Combo.

I had misgivings to start with. Primarily because I've developed a nasty chesty cough which is causing me to wheeze rather un-gracefully and un-sexily every so often. Is it really sensible to be doing a dance class when one is unwell? But I got there eventually and donned my heels and gloves and off we went! Exercising in heels is murder on the thighs, by the way, just sayin'! :P

There was a warm up (chairs were involved) and we worked through a dance routine. I felt awesome. Tired and sweaty, but awesome! I wanted to use my voucher on different classes as well, so I'm trying a Bollywood class next week, along with Burlesque Bombshell and Glamourcise. I think by this time next week I may be very, very sore :P But I will have had a lot of fun! Honestly, it's one of the best things I've done for myself in a long time. I didn't even really feel self-conscious. There were women of various ages and bodyshapes there, I didn't feel threatened or insecure, and it was nice, and it was FUN!

As I left the venue I overheard a couple of the other girls say they were going to cancel their gym memberships. On the subway back I saw a poster for a gym here in Glasgow, with a typical January promotion blaring across it. “Why tread-the-mill when you can dance?” My inner voice (one of a few, I admit) said to me. I'm inclined to agree with this particular voice. It usually errs on the side of delightfulness. This may explain my addiction to choux pastry as well, hehe.

I will end this blog with a note of thanks to MotH. I am never really that awake in the mornings, but this morning I had forgotten that my keys may had slid OUT of their usual spot in my bag and ended up on the floor when I came home from work yesterday. Meaning that when I came home this evening, I was utterly without keys. Unfortunately for me MotH was ALSO out today, to a sort of “battle of the bands” event in the city centre. This he very obligingly left (temporarily) to come and let me in to my house (so I could eat my pastry, mmmm). He didn't have to, I left my keys so really I should have gone back in to town to meet him, but he came to my aid without batting an eyelid. Chivalry is not dead, not by a long shot!

New Year - New Epic To-Do List

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope whoever reads this had an excellent New Years Eve in to 2013. 

My only true New Years Resolution is to be just as vocal about lovely and positive things as I can be about negative and not-so-awesome things. I have some other fun things in store as well, however we will get to that later. 

Two thousand and twelve was actually a huge year, and I don’t think I’ve given it, or myself, enough credit for being so awesome for me. 

I moved to a new city to be with the man I love (Man of the House, or MotH as I like to call him here). Glasgow is turning out to be a very lovely place indeed. I will always love Edinburgh, but there’s room in my heart for more than one city! :)
I got a new job and lo and behold it’s a permanent one at that!
I have been out to dinners and parties much more often in 2012 than 2011. 
I visited my first music festival since 2007, and found it was just as fun as I remembered it, even though I’m a wee bit older now. 
MotH and I went to Norway and he met my family for the first time. 

Needless to say I got sunburnt on this day :P 

I visited Amsterdam for the first time, and finally got to see one of my dearest friends again after ages apart!
My dad came to visit from Norway. 
I learned to like steak! 
Moth and I hosted a Halloween Party!

Boo!

And many other things! There have been some downs too, and some illness and not-so-wellness in the family, but we’re all still going strong and that is a blessing in itself. 

I think I will add one more Resolution: I want to take better care of my friends. I know I can be a bit negligent with saying hi, writing cards and coming to visit. I hope that those who I do consider my friends know that I do love them and think about them often! So I think I will try to be a bit more pro-active and do my bit in maintaining the garden that is friendship! ^.^

Speaking of gardens, some flowers I photographed in June 2012

You know the other fun things I mentioned earlier? Well. There’s been a small internet fad crusing around for a good few years. It’s called 101 Things to Do in 1001 Days. I’ve made a list countless times, but I think this one is actually.. doable. Maybe. Hopefully! The task is pretty much the title, 101 activities to complete during 1001 days, which is about 2 years and 7-8 months. I think to complete it I should try to keep a pace of 3 items a month, so they can’t all be life-changing, jaw-dropping things. Some are silly and fun, others require some planning (and money :P). The tasks should also be as specific as possible, so not things like “get out in the fresh air more”, because what constitutes as “more”? Anyway, the list is below. It is censured somewhat, because some things are a bit personal, but I’m sure you’ll live, hehe. 

1. -Personal-
2. -Personal-
3. -Personal-
4. Have my posture assessed by a chiropractor. 
5. Have a reflexology session.
6. Get a full manicure/pedicure.
7. Meditate at least once a month (0/33).
8. Go 30 days without carbonated soft drinks (must not coincide with tasks 9 and 10).
9. Go 30 days without chocolate (must not coincide with tasks 8 and 10).
10. Go 30 days without candy & crisps (must not coincide with tasks 8 and 9).
11. Visit a counsellor about anger issues and periodic malaise. 
12. Complete at least 5 session of horseback riding (0/5).
13. Invest in a good pair of exercise shoes.
14. Create a papier mache mask.
15. Make a patchwork quilt.
16. Be photographed naked.
17. Finish my novel.
18. Make a passion poster.
19. Make a dress for myself.
20. Take 5 singing lessons. 
21. Take 5 piano lessons.
22. Take 5 cello lessons.
23. Create my own reference book for various historical periods (specifics on my own list).
24. Create a reference book about religions.
25. Read 101 books, 25 of which must be non-fiction (0/76) + (0/25).
26. Go to a museum/gallery/art exhibit at least once a month (0/33).
27. Get a driver’s license.
28. Complete an ECDL course.
29. Complete a Japenese Level 1 course.
30. Take a First Aid course. 
31. Learn how to swim.
32. Try Kendo for 3 months.
33. Find a cause to volunteer for and do so.
34. Take a dressmaking course (because that would help completing number 19! :P).
35. Have a proper toolbox and a basic set of tools & home fix-it solutions (current system is to chuck various items in to a bag). 
36. Apply for the Access Course at The University of Glasgow.
37. Put the pictures I want framed in to frames and hang them up. 
38. Buy a House. 
39. Get the winged heart tattoo.
40. Get the Kitsune tattoo.
41. Save an emergency fund of £1000.
42. Arrange an Anne Clan gathering.
43. Visit 5 cities I have never been to before. 
44. See at least 1 UN Heritage site. 
45. Climb the Eiffel Tower. 
46. Have a photo shoot once I reach my goal weight.
47. Invest in a proper corset.
48. Buy a replacement iPod.
49. Buy a banker’s lamp. 
50. Buy a Chesterton office chair or armchair. 
51. Have cognac glasses shipped/brought over from Norway.
52. Stop buying poor-quality underwear.
53. Buy 25 items from an Antique store for home decoration (0/25).
54. Get a new sofa.
55. Go on a road trip holiday.
56. -Personal- 
57. Visit Stonehenge & one other stone circle in the UK. 
58. Have my horoscope done by a professional astrologer. 
59. -Personal-
60. -Personal-
61. -Personal-
62. -Personal-
63. -Personal-
64. -Personal-
65. -Personal-
66.  Host a dinner party.
67.  Grow at least 1 proper carrot.
68. Write a letter to myself to open in 10 years. 
69. Attend a spa day - should include a mani/pedi + a massage + facial.
70. Commit to a face cleansing routine for one month.
71. Host a masked party (calling it a masquerade makes me feel pretentious).
72. Watch a meteor shower.
73. See the Aurora Borealis.
74. Cook a Danish Christmas Dinner.
75. Go on a distillery tour.
76. Re-camp the trunk in to a coffee table. 
77. Personalise the wardrobe.
78. Organise all my paperwork in to a filing system. 
79. Plant the roses my grandma has (Bering Renaissance, or “Eleanor”). 
80. Take a burlesque class. 
81. Go on the Glasgow Bus Tour. 
82. Visit the Transport Museum. 
83. Join a choir. 
84. Have dinner at an expensive restaurant in fine attire. 
85. Read all the books I own but haven’t read yet (this could take a while).
86. Take out a subscription to Cross Stitcher Magazine. 
87. Get my eyes tested (again) and actually buy glasses this time!
88. Research herbology and compile a catalogue of useful recipes and remedies. 
89. Keep an inventory of all the books in my flat. 
90. Make cider at least once.
91. Register with a GP and get back on blood pressure medication. 
92. Write a fan letter to Neil Gaiman. 
93. Grow my hair to waist length. 
94. Colour every picture in a colouring book. 
95. Write the Cuddle Fish story. 
96. Try a new food (either specific dish or type of cuisine) once a month for 6 months (0/6). 
97. Go to a Rugby match.
98. Visit my gran and ask her to tell her life story so I can write it down. 
99. Reach highest level of WoW with Tenshei. 
100. Read Les Miserables. 
101. Read The Path of the Eldar trilogy. 

So that's the list. I'll try to remember to write and let people know if and when they have been completed, at least if there's a story to tell! :) If anyone feels like making their own list, or a similar challenge, please feel free to let me know and we can compare notes on the joys of enormous to-do lists, hehe! 

I will leave you with two more photos. The first is from Glasgow, taken in the late evening some time in November, next to the GoMA (Gallery of Modern Art). I love the winter night backdrop against the pretty lights, it always feels magical. The next picture is the view of the river, quite easily visible from my parents house in Norway. Summer or Winter, it is a beautiful sight that never ceases to amaze me.