Holiday Round-Up

Being back at work after two weeks off sucks. A lot. I got far too used to waking up a whole 2 and a half hours later than a work day that I managed to sleep really badly on both Sunday and Monday night this week, terrified as I was at sleeping through the alarm (I didn’t, by the way). Consequently I am slightly dazed and confused this week…

Still, it was a great two weeks off, comprising as it did Christmas and New Year. Christmas was spent in a fab country house in Perthshire (http://www.lhhscotland.com/property?id=250) in the company of all my nearest and dearest friends. We had the place for a week and it was great – a little shabby around the edges, but that just made it feel more homely. Loads of bedrooms (with a varying quality of beds by all accounts), room for the dogs, a great big table in the ‘kitchen’ for breakfasts and informal meals and a lovely country setting. I wont bore anyone who might be reading with all the details, but here are my edited highlights:

1. Everyone arriving and taking a tour round the house and squealing with delight at it’s size and perfectness for the occasion (disclaimer – ok, maybe not everyone squealed, but you get the idea)
2. A dinner party every night. Well, that’s what it felt like as every couple took turns to make dinner. It was lovely to sit around a big table and chat. Mostly about boobs it would seem…And that wasn’t the chaps! Anyone who was there who doesn’t now know my bra size can’t have been paying attention!!
3. Getting the chance to speak to most people individually as well – it’s a much better way to really catch up with people.
4. A walk up Ben-y-vrackie outside Pitlochry. Beautiful day, lovely walk, even if I did turn back before most people and therefore not actually walk up Ben-y-vrackie. As usual I was the slow crap person at the back, but luckily there were enough of us walking that the fitter, speedier people could push on ahead, while I was encouraged up the (lets face it, not that steep) hill by the Fiancé and Wastrel. Who were both totally lovely and encouraging when I wanted to turn back after 5 minutes. In my defence the first five minutes was the steepest bit (as I noticed on the way back down), and I’m not that good on hills as rubbish hamstrings and Achilles tendons make it really really bloody hard for me. But they encouraged me up and spurred on also by a pregnant HMcM, who said she was planning on turning back after half and hour and surely I could do that much with her and then we could both head for the pub (she didn’t, by the way, she outdid me!), I pushed on up. But I’m very glad I did go further as the view was lovely and the walk exhilarating. And good for me too, no doubt! So thanks to those who kept me going.
5. A trip to the Damn and Fish-Ladder in Pitlochry with Wastrel, HL, BC and the Fiancé. Ok, so this is slightly strange, particularly as the only real attraction is the salmon moving up the fish ladder, which they weren’t doing in the depths of December, but I had a really nice chat with Watrel in the Drover on the way there and the light was lovely (the promise of snow that never came).
6. Watchnight Service at Kirkmichael Church on Christmas Eve. I probably shouldn’t have gone to this because by Christmas Eve the slightly annoying cough-ette that I had been suffering had turned itself into a full blown nasty cough that had left me croaky and horse. However, Christmas is not Christmas for me without a trip to Church and some carols. So I trooped off with H and CMcM and croaked my way through a great number of carols. It was a slightly odd service as the minister had rushed there from another service in Rattray, there was no organ but a CD player that kept refusing to play the tunes (the minister gamely just started us off without music and as we all know the words and tunes anyway, we survived), and half the congregation seemed to be visitors, but it was friendly and Christmassy and we weren’t told we were going to burn in hell, so it was all good.
7. Christmas Day itself. Which was marvellous. It started with stockings in the McM’s room as they had the biggest bed and chairs, followed by a lovely breakfast of scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and bucks fizz. There were presents throughout the day and black tie for dinner. Which was brilliant! We all love dressing up at the best of times, but it was great to see everyone all poshed up for the Christmas meal – which was goose, quail and ham, with various sides. All delicious! Fabulous presents were given and got, games were played (I highly recommend Sardines in a big house and posh frocks!) and it really was a magical Christmas.

On the down side I spent nearly all of Boxing Day in bed feeling rotten as my cough had stopped me sleeping both on Christmas Eve and Christmas night. I was also turning in to a snot monster and really not looking forward to the drive back on the Saturday. I was so worried I wasn’t going to be well enough. This meant I had to miss the bracing Boxing Day walk, which I would have liked to have done. Thankfully a day in bed was what was needed and I was able to drive back the next day, even if I spent most of the drive trying to hold back the cough, resulting in a massive coughing fit when we stopped the car at any point.

When we got home all tired and coldy, we found our Freeview box was no longer working. As analogue is not worth trying in our flat, this left us in a rather quiet flat (we listen to the radio through the TV). Unable to bear this we just had to buy a new telly (go figure) – sucked in as we were by the offer in Sainsbury of a Sony Bravia 32inch TV for £349.99. We only went in for groceries, but neither of us is very good at being the sensible, can we afford it, one. By the time we used up all our Nectar points it only came to £300, which was a total bargain, even if it was bigger than I wanted to get… But it’s working well and I’ve got used to it in the living room now…

New Year was much quieter, partly down to me getting over my cold and the Fiancé getting it. Thankfully he was never party to the cough, but it hit him hard none the less. Poor thing. He’s still only just getting over it now. Thankfully (again) we had planned on a quiet New Year, just the two of us, so I braved the kitchen and made us lamb shanks with mash potato and asparagus. Washed down with lashings of Prosecco (if you can’t kill a cold with Paracetamol, try alcohol!), it was a lovely evening. We dressed up again too, because, well, why not! And the first thing he said to me after the bells? ‘We’re getting married next year’. Eek! So much to do…

And then it was back to earth with a bump and back to the beginning of this post. Work. Bleugh. On the plus side we’ve been really quiet, so I shouldn’t complain too loudly… On the downside 7am is a real shock if you’ve got used to 9:30…

But I did manage to go swimming on Monday and, miracle or miracles, PUT ON NO WEIGHT over Christmas and New Year (and no, I don’t know how). So to record the swimming:

32 lengths
30 minutes

Not my best effort, but not bad for the first go after the festive period. I’m going to try and up my swimming this year as I would like to lose another stone in the next six months. A tall order that may see me resorting to going running again, when it’s lighter, watch this space!