Its the start of something....

Burr, looks to be the start of something chilly....

Amazing Day Out - Australia wins the Rugby

Me with the very English Teresa and our tickets...

Lunch! Mulled wine and proper steak sandwiches

George Smith getting off the Aussie bus!

Girls going in Sophie and Maddy!

Ready for the game, Sophie, Maddy, Me and Meredith!! Woohoo

A friday night in!

No its not all party, party, party...on a Friday night. This week I am just exhausted from just being me and doing lots of things, working hard...blah blah... We are, after all, here for a short time so damn it better be a good time!

So tonight....I am...

Lazy supermarket shopping at my favourite, alas not so convenient, supermarket Waitrose for exciting things such as bread (Irish soda bread), Organic tomato soup and chocolate - Cadbury chocolate with Cranberry and Granola, stay tuned I have not eaten it yet.

Book shopping at Waterstones on the Kings Road, as I have NOTHING to read, yet again, due to the power of my ability to devour about 3-4 books per month. Visiting Waterstones also means I avoid nasty credit crunch wallet black hole creating shoe shops and clothes shop (with the New York trip just next Wednesday...........woo hoo....I am saving my shopping till then).

Eating yummy soup and soda bread..........mmmmmmmmmmmmm comfort food

Having a lovely relaxing bath with devine smelling Molton Brown bubbles and reading "What would Audrey do?", which is all about the most gorgeous woman on the the planet (aside from my mum) Audrey Hepburn.

Then I am going to paint my nails RED and watch Roman Holiday with said gorgeous lady Audrey Hepburn....

So a night in, its not a bad thing, its LUSH! *insert me humming since I cannot get it out of my head New York...New York...I want to be a part of it...*

Where in the world am I?

I am in Edinburgh that is where! This is the lovely picture that I took from the top of the hill where Edinburgh Castle is over looking the New Town. It was a very chilly morning, with icicle winds, and I didn't wear a jacket out, humm....a bit silly. I had gloves though! More to come, this was just one of my favourite pictures.

The only Sarah Palin, who will ever win!!

Yep folks, that will be little ol' me... I had a funtastic Halloween party on the weekend and decided to be a little be creative this year (with a little help on the idea itself from a friend...). I was trying harder than I though and turned out to be....well, very convincing and ended up winning the Best Female category - Yippee!

Well, shes decent looking (so that bit was easy...*wink wink*...no modesty here), she was a beauty queen, she winks a lot (thus the joke - helping you vote Obama one wink at a time), was Governor of Alaska, like guns, shoots moose before breakfast, was involved in a scandal involving her sisters trooper hubby, has a down syndrome baby boy with a weird name, can see Russia from her house (amazing!!), likes John McCain, does great tongue twisters when cornered by journalists (hence flalin Palin), and debates "saving yourself" but has a pregnant teenage daughter (again the weird name...Bristol).

WINNERS ARE WINKERS!!!

Ok so I was a well versed Sarah Palin, I bet she probably doesn't know she is half those things herself. I found a great website with lots of hysterically funny jokes at her expense - brilliant. Anyway, so here are a couple of pics of me, or Sarah...whatever!

PS more of the actual Halloween party coming soon.............stay tuned!

All change...please....another change please....

As if I don't have enough going on in my life...well its true, but this is a good change. I have moved offices, same job, which is actually getting more and more interesting; that has to be a good thing too!

But it's a new office which is all shiney and new. New PC's, new canteen, new kitchens, new gym (yes I may even join...), and best of all new view...

Its across the road from my old office, so still on Petty France, within a stones through of Victoria, Buckingham Palace and Scotland Yard. I am on the 8th floor (hey, that is high for London....), so a lofty height, that affords me a view of the London Eye from my desk, a view of Big Ben and Parliament from the break out area, a view of St James Park from the kitchen. Nice, if I do say so myself.

See for yourself............

St James Park Tube station entrance...
Park view from my desk...better view from the kitchen

The London Eye as seen from my desk

The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben

My Desk....

If it rains it pours ... or snows if you live in North London...grr

Well the weather is, kinda like winter, which to me is a bit of a concern since it is not actually winter as yet. It bucketed down today, I got drowned after all what is a bit of drizzle. Not drizzle really when it goes on for hours while your hiking up and then down Oxford Street. Yippee for the new Westfield shopping centre in White City (all indoors).

Its been winter coat requiring weather for the last week and a bit. Yes both my winter coats have been hauled out of their plastic safe havens, shook, dusted, de-treasured (several pounds in one of them) and sent into service against the ever changing, but always cold, autumn days.

One good thing, and one slightly annoying thing.

Good - its been very sunny, lots of happy smile inducing sunshine. I could live with a winter with plenty of sunshine.

Annoying - it was bitterly cold on Tuesday yet while bitterly cold makes it snow, it does so only NORTH. Thus, I was well pissed off when several people....damn the Northerners....text me to tell me that it was indeed snowing. Cue; Lisa running for the window....donning face of childlike surprise and delight, followed quickly by face of utmost pitiful sadness upon realising snow in SOUTH London was torrential rain. Doh.

Quote me...

I have been meaning to put this one up for a while....but here 'tis now..

"...love comes in spurts. A little then a lot. It's not a permanent wave of happiness."...."Love is an hors d'oeuvre, a caviar-encrusted canape, not a staple diet."

Care of.........Katy Lette - "How to Kill Your Husband"

Everyday I love them more & more, the Kaiser Chiefs

Last night was my fourth time seeing one of my favourite bands, the Kaiser Chiefs and well they still rock. The first time I saw them was at the Reading Festival in 2006 where they headlined on the friday night of the festival and I was a newbie to English rock bands outside of Oasis. This was followed by seeing them at Rock Werchter 2007 (in Belgium), then at Earls Court in December 2007 (where I was right at the barriers of a very jammed and massive venue) and last night at the tiny venue called the Forum in Kentish Town in North London (almost Camden, so as famous as Koko in Camden).



The Kaiser's have a new album out, in fact it was just released on the day of the concert so perfect timing. It seems most of my favourite bands are bringing out new albums at the moment, Keane, Snow Patrol, Razorlight, the Kings of Leon (a new favourite, I have not been a fan of their music previously) and the Killers (who I love). So my visits HMV may have to increase, whilst my bank balance dwindles just a bit more. That and new albums mean new concerts - poor bank account again - for which most are sold out. Though that doesn't mean I won't go, it just means I get tickets closer to the date when they are cheaper on eBay, either that I score some from the touts on the night. Though experience tells me it won't be necessary to get them from the touts.



Anyway, I went along to the concert with Michael, Kerry and Mark, all seasoned festival/concert goers with a hearty preliminary dinner at both KFC and McDonalds - yes we are that awful to have eaten that rubbish - we were geared to enjoy the show. We had intended to have a couple of drinks at the concert, but with my bladder all but bursting minutes before showtime, only one was the go. I simply could not chance it. Also when your jumping around at the front of the stage you don't get much chance to drink, more like have a bath really. I didn't really care, I was already a drowned rat from the pouring rain that was dumped on London yesterday evening. Michael would be familiar with the warm beer experience as after all, he wore a beer about halfway into the concert.



Well they were just brilliant, Ricky Wilson (lead singer...and a God) kicked off with an oldie (I cannot remember with what he started with exactly....have no idea why), before diving into the new songs including "Never Miss a Beat" which is a great song in general, but one that completely goes off at a concert. "Ruby" got a mention (my favourite) as did "Modern Way". The played a few new ones, we sang Happy Birthday to the drummer and they also played a few others including "Everyday I love you less and less", "Oh my god", "Heat dies down", "The Angry mob", "Thank you very much", "Na Na Na Na Na", and they finished off the encore with "I predict a Riot", which predictable almost caused a riot!



Ricky was totally into the crowd, and being up the front enabled me to get pretty close to him. Firstly he was leaning way over the barriers and I got right in ther for that, right up close. Then a bit later he got all the crowd at the front to part - not unlike the red sea (lets say in this case the "Ruby" sea) - and he ran down through us so he could climb up to the bottom of the balcony.



Of course, the enthusiastic crowd including myself hindered his way within moments (he got there eventually) , BUT ....huge BUT.....before he finished making his way through the crowd, I got to touch him. Touch him.....his neck in fact, i was estatic. It now sounds so silly to re-call, but I have not had a crush on a musician before so to see him AND touch him all in one night was just too exciting. He also did some crowd surfing, for which Michael was over joyed to have him pass over the top of him. I got a couple of great shots of that.



Though in all I did not get too many photos; seriously I was way too busy enjoying being right at the front, in the thick of it. The joys after the show - alas which was too short - of course amounted to mosh pit like queues for coats to sticky wet clothing, which is a mixture of sweat and beer - joy!

I had tickets to the Kaisers for both the Monday and the Tuesday night, but I sold my Tuesday tickets to Jade, so I am hoping she has a good time as I did, which I am sure she will. I was tempted to go twice - almost - but after the experience which shall be now ever known as "touching Ricky....." *sigh*, well I wasn't going to beat that. I will see them again in March next year, when they do their major show at the O2 venue in North Greenwich, so until then....

Lost in Transit

Am wandering around Singapore Airport, its a fabulous aiport, but mainly if you've got lots of money to shop at all the luxurious brand name shops, ie Prada, Bottega Veneta, Tiffany, Coach, Gucci, Hermes....I could go on. Alas that is not the sort of money I have to spend, duty free or no duty free.

My excitement of this visit to the lovely Changi Aiport, Terminal 2...and Terminal 3 (why are they Terminals....I am leaving from here, but I suppose I arrived too..oh well...another question to ponder in perhaps another blog) is a massage and an eyeliner from Chanel. Sigh.

I might...just might have a peek in Tiffany's too, after all I keep promising myself something from there and just never get around to it. I was going to wait for my trip to New York, but the way the money situation is these days (boring.....*snore*), the pound may no longer match off nicely with the US dollar with the benefit that any shopping in the US being like a massive 2 for 1 sale; gone and soon by the seems. Though I am still optimistic...

Anyways...I am counting down the minutes (2 min left) on my alloted 15 minutes here...so I am off.