What am I up to right now!!!?

I am.............. chilling out while listening to Jude Jules on BBC Radio 1....

...writing to Jacqui about her poor puddy tat...

wondering why I have a headache, I only had a couple of glasses of wine and its only just before 1am...and I never left the house....

missing my husband very much (he is with the boys in Portugal on Ahmed's stag do...more worried that Ahmed stays out of trouble than him....) I just hope he puts on sunscreen!

still deciding on what to where tonight for Anais's Hen do.....navy glittery dress or plum grecian goddess dress...oh and then what shoes...decisions decisions....

glad Dad is coming to visit, I have started the plans and the days are booked off work, we are going to Cornwall, Liverpool, Ireland and Paris

really needing to ring my best friend...slack oh slack....on my part for sure

glad that I had a lovely evening with Jadey and Shauna eating cheese, hummos, antipasta, and icecream while drinking wine and listening to the top 50 dance tracks...chilled..

happy for Mel & Mark and Merry & Don for their baby news....

looking forward to the London Marathon on Sunday...go Andy!

thinking the credit crunch sucks, lots of people I know out of work, or potentially out of work and my job is being made permanent...fingers crossed when I apply for my own job I actually get it (permanent contract people - I will be home in Feb-10!!! for sure)

wondering if the Trinny and Susanna type spanx suck it in tights will actually work.....have put on my love fat, which is unflattering in a slinky dress!

Oh the horror, I was deemed not fat enough for the fat destroying drug - Alli - ....damn it, apparently a BMI of 26 is healthy! Doh

thinking RIP for the ANZACS!!

very tired and is off to bed....night all!

An amazing voice!

You have to watch this video...she don't look for much but she has a lovely voice, brought a tear to my eye and Simon Cowells too!! HaHaha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luRmM1J1sfg

Getting a bit puffed out...and the London Marathon

The getting puffed out bit is me, well it was last night on a meagre and well very pathetic attempt to go for a run. I was trying to run home from my Pilate's class with a back pack on an yoga mat under my arms. It seems this is not a mean feat and is very wrong as it goes against the swingy arm nature of natural running. So I got puffed out. After about 5 minutes. Swingy arms seem to help the breathing apparently.

Does that mean I won't run again? Not at all, in fact I have been running (does twice in about 3 weeks count - I was ill last week people) and this weekend it is the London Marathon where i hope to go and be inspired by people who think its completely normal to run 42km without stopping for....well nothing really. Probably be more exhausted than energised after that little lot.

Though once upon a time I did consider doing the marathon, if nothing but to say I had. But whilst I do love running; the freedom, the wind in my hair, the adrenalin high and the exhilaration, especially on a downhill run or getting to the top of a big hill (did Highgate hill last time...whew...but so worth it for the amazing view at the top), a marathon is not my thing and I do believe exhilaration is not something I would feel at the end of it.

Its fair too long and far too damaging on ones body, our legs, feet, knees and shins were not made for such torture. Runners train for months and months (and they should to be prepared), only to potentially be ousted on the day, by most usually dehydration and that other big scary one for runner - the brick wall! I would hate to be running get to the 40km mark and just pass out, its pushing lots of boundaries.

Its a risk they all take and of course if you do finish - what joy, its definitely and achievement. and I have all respect for the runners out there that do the BIG one; the marathon.

So all you marathon runners out there, have a good one, I will be on the sidelines supporting you and next week I hope to have a few snaps of the big day to pop online.

Easter in Pictures

The wonky Church spire of Chesterfield....it will straighten when a virgin gets married there apparently!
Us at Chatsworth House on Easter Sunday in the lovely gardens
The Lion in Chatsworth House, one was awake and one asleep...(this is the asleep one!)
Chatsworth House courtyard

Grandma and Grandad out front of the Oldest pub....no drinks Grandma was on best behaviour
The Easter Monday markets
Mark with his Grandparents at Muriels house where we all stayed

London on the Monday evening when we got back was just beautiful even at 6pm so we had a picnic on Parliament Hill and I took photos of all the kites while the sun set.

Once upon a time...in my childhood

There was an Easter Bunny who came along to provide the good little children of the world ADD inducing chocolate eggs and bunnies on the very day that the Christian (most of us!! - no political correctness on my site) world celebrates the re-birth of Jesus.

The children were very happy. Their parents would trawl through supermarkets to purchase said Easter treats, filled with other irrate parents and their ratty children tearing their hair out of choices between the Humpty Dumpty egg, Smartie egg or an Easter Egg train. The said oblivous children are generally in tow and not quite with the whole marketing ploy and the non-existance (whoops to those under 5 or those who were never told) of the Bunny dude himself.

Ah memories, the blissful time where you really had no idea that the Easter bunny was indeed your parents having spent hard earned cash on mountains of overpriced chocolate shapes (that in a block would cost less than a third of the price) and then spending several hours placing them in and around the garden for you to hunt for on Easter morning at about oh 5-6am...

Where has the wonderment gone, I can barely remember, though I certainly remember that I got more than my fair share and more after visiting various aunts, uncles and grandparents. This Easter, I had 2 cadbury creme eggs of my own purchase, about 4 hot cross buns (in February mind you) and even forgot it was easter to the point where we didn't even say HAPPY EASTER.....BUT....

To everyone out there....I have remembered Easter, its a joyful occassion of child grinning delight, of sparkly coloured tin foil covered eggs on the grass, sparkly eggs filling a wicker basket, school holidays, baby bunny rabbits, Easter bonnet parades and grinning chocolate covered faces.

Happy Easter (belated) everyone!!!

Alas I am unwell again...well...

This weekend was spend trotting around picturesque Derbyshire, the Peaks district with Marks grandparents, his grandma's sister Muriel, her daughter, Maureen (and hubby) and then their daughter Claire - basically I think that makes Maureen and Claire Marks 2nd and 3rd cousins. Not sure how that all works. Lovely, as my blog will soon demonstrate.

BUT I got sick, fit as fiddles the rest of them, especially the oldies, who kicked butt wandering around and flying around the world at ages 80 plus!! (this of course meant lots of pensioner concessions on eating out).

I merely thought about the cold I didn't get (a few weeks ago, I was on the cold precipice, but it passed me by) on Sunday evening and by Monday I was coughing and spluttering like a combie van on its last legs. Ugh. Anyway...sigh sigh poor me....

Sunday Roast Update!!! Newsflash!!

Nope we still have not found the perfect place for a Sunday roast, am afraid the lovely Westbridge over in Battersea wipes the floor with all the pubs around here.

As per my last pub blog we still had a few to try and the latest attempt in the search was to try out the Pinapple, a wee pub tucked away just near Kentish Town tube station. The roast was almost spot on - full 3 slices of beef, roast potatoes & carrots, brocolli, cabbage, a Yorkshire pudding AND most importantly roast parsnip!! Oh if you've not tried roasted parsnips you are missing out, that is all I can say of the fantasticness that is roasted parsnips!

However, it was let down by a venue lacking in a little bit of spirit. It just did not feel quite right. The pub is lovely, high ceilings, glossy red walls, chandellier, gilt mirrors, with art deco gold gilt pinapples in the cornices, fancy caribbean lampshades with pinapples... you get the picture.

As for the atmosphere you just needed to be there, it was an old mans pub, and three of the locals "old men" were there. It wasn't busy the music was lacking, but oh well, I think we have deemed, at this point, that the Dartmouth Arms wins hands down, despite falling over on the offical roast test, well just have to go for their other yummy food instead!

Whether the Weather!

Well I believe we are due another weather update, as discussion of the weather is a very English thing to do. In fact last night they were advertising a TV show that is coming up just about English Weather, a series, the first show to be about rain. Hummm, not sure what they will cover over the rest of the series.

Though I hope they cover clouds, seriously! Over London some days we have what I like to call Simpsons weather. Sounds weird, close your eyes put your mind to visualise the opening credits of the Simpsons episodes, where the clouds part and then there is a clear bright sunny blue sky with fluffy silver and white clouds. That is precisely what it looks like here AND it is really lovely and they are my favourite days, as it adds such character to the day.

As for the show, well am sure there is plenty they can cover, after all we had severe floods a couple of years ago and this year was some serious snow (...never complain about snow....Marks rule).

We have been having lovely weather over the past couple of weeks, ever since daylight savings kicked in and its light till nearly 7pm now. I noticed it the first night back from skiing, it was like London had come to life, restaurants were full, pub beer gardens were pulsing, parks were bustling and tourists were returning (in droves) to London. A switch had been flicked on, bring on London summertime.

So we have ourselves been out and about a bit more. I have walked home across St James Park a couple of times, I have been out running, we went out in Angel for a few drinks in the garden and per my last blog wandered around St James Park in the sunshine.

Alas with Easter approaching, so are rain clouds. The original forecast was to rain all weekend, but yesterday it was due to rain today, and rain it certainly did. So it was not quite as fun roaming around Covent Garden and Camden markets. Though I was planning to do nothing, we ended up having a drink at the Hawley Arms before heading to Cuba bar in Camden markets for a late lunch.

We are in Chesterfield on Saturday and its expected to be sunny - so the camera is coming along too, hopefully we will get some beautiful countryside views.

Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms

Last Saturday Mark and I visited the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms on Horse Guards Parade, sounds exciting! Well actually it was quite interesting. We went that particular weekend, as my lovely friend Natasha works there and gave us a heads up that its the 25 year anniversary of the war rooms being open to the public and you could get in for £2, which was the price it was back in 1984. They had themed the day too with all the staff dressed in 80's outfits blast from the past style. Unfortunately we were not early enough for the free bacon sarnies!!

The rooms themselves are set out just as they were when Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill used them to run the war back in the 40's, complete with wax models, so you get a true feel for what it was like in a step back in time manner. You press the buttons on the audio guide and it leads you through all through the narrow dark corridors full of tiny rooms.

Rooms such as the war room itself, map rooms (a massive map of the world on one wall was covered with pin holes for locations of all the ships), bedrooms, mess rooms, a tiny fully functional kitchen (Winston expected 3 full meals a day!), even with a room called the lavatory where Winston called up the US president, not much bigger than a broom closet. There was even an assortment of green, red and cream phones that they called the "Beauty Chorus" in one of the ancillary rooms.

The museum dedicated to Sir Winston pretty much covered everything anyone could want to know about him and what an interesting bloke. Just a few facts; he was madly in love with his wife Clemmie, his father was the Chancellor of the Exchequer before he was Prime Minister (twice, actually), he was involved in politics right till his 80's and was given right proper State funeral after he died when he was 90.

Mark had been meaning to go for a while, and we were presented with a good opportunity so we went, though the Arsenal game was on at 3pm, so we nearly didn't go. However, we ended up having plenty of time, even for a wander among the flowers in St James park before heading up to Piccadilly Circus to head back up home.

Ps no Arsenal game for me, I left Mark in the pub and went shopping!! woohoo
Pss Just a couple of photos in St James park.

Les Lapins ski dans France (Ski Bunnies in France)

Our 5 day holiday, with four full days of skiing, started with us flying into Lyon, late on Thursday and from there bussing it to Bride des Bains at the base of the Alps . It’s a lovely quaint spa town, about a 20 minute gondola ride to the slopes of Meribel where we skied.
Our lovely hotel in the heart of Brides Les Bains...Brides.

Meribel is in the heart of the three valleys, so between Courcheval and Val Thorens ski resorts. We had really good snow, as it snowed before we arrived and then it snowed more during the trip. Our hotel was ok for European standards (2 star), so single beds pushed together for a double, a bit old (even felt like I should get out the feather duster), but quaint with lots of old fashioned ski decorations.

End of the first day, snow and sun!

Our room itself was quite small, but the bed was comfy (well mine was - note above re-single beds), the food was lovely French family style food, and the shower was decent and hot. The most important things covered so all good there. Oh and it was right near the gondola, about oh a 2 minute walk and the ski hire shop so ... perfect.
Me in Brides near the river, the heated river - people take the waters...mmmm Magnesium yummy! Not!

We were a bit sketchy on the first day; after all I had been over a year ago since I last skied (2 years for Mark) and its hard anyway getting used to wearing the boots, walking in them and getting used to skiing in them. Overall though was good and the runs were quite challenging, on blue. Italy was like that for red runs.
Us up near Val Thorens side...above the clouds....excited...very.

Up the gondola on day 1...sun...snow....

We ended up deciding that blue was easy.....for a seasoned skier, blue did not mean beginner...not at all. We were also lucky because we had fairly much lots of snow and plenty of cloud cover (despite sunscreen my nose still got burnt a tiny bit) it makes for good skiing as the snow stays powdery and doesn't melt with the sun and go all icy by the afternoon. Though I find the late afternoon slush just awful to ski on too. I can but it’s like skiing in jelly and custard, ukkky.
After a night of snow!

On our second day we had a private lesson just to help on technique, the instructor was happy with my skiing and said Mark was improving well. The snow that day was just amazing, seriously snow flakes the size of 20c pieces, and it was getting very heavy. So we stayed on in Meribel the rest of that day and went back to Bride for a couple of après ski drinks before dinner at a cute little pub (which is what we ended up doing every night).
Low clouds, means blind skiing

On the third day we were told the clouds were supposed to be clearing so we skied over to Courcheval for a change, which is a bit higher at 2,700m, which we found a bit easier, but alas less challenging, far to many blue runs that merged into greens and lots of people – very busy and expensive too.
Skiing to Courcheval

The popular Grand Marnier crepe house, well are in France

Courcheval is popular with the Russians, so they make it expensive because apparently they all have lots of money. However, whilst it was clearing up marginally some parts the cloud cover was quite intense and we had to ski blind in some spots (you can only see the poles on the side.....) so not as fun. I nearly found myself on a black run at one point. I could have done it but it would have been a slow ride, that and lonely as noone seemed to go down them from what we could see from the lifts.

Mark on top of the world!!

The last day was nearly foggy/cloudy as well but we got above the clouds on the other side of Meribel to the Val Thorens side, where it was 2,400m at the junction, (though its 2,700m, in the town Val Thorens, so the ski runs are higher again) and the clouds were just in the valley, so we were quite literally on top of the world. Again incredible! We got a couple of snaps up there.
The real professionals - the British Land skiers...

There were some great runs over that side of Meribel and as it was our last day, it was getting to be quite a lot of fun and becoming really easy, well I found it so. I was eyeing off some red runs and given another day I would have been on them. We even skied a bit on the slalom slopes that crossed the normal runs that were set up for the British land titles that had started on the Sunday (its open between practice runs), though I can assure you those professionals get down them damn fast!
Last lunch on day 4 of skiing!

It was a lovely break and I really really love to ski, its hard work the gear the lugging and not to mention expensive, but when you get your body settled, your boots comfy, and get down the runs with ease its just great. I also liked that it was in France, one of my favourite countries and I got a chance to try speak a bit of French.
View from the Val Thorens side of Meribel

I did take a few photos but not lots as its only 4 days of skiing and I did not want to risk taking my expensive gear in a backpack up the mountain in lots of snow (or with risk of landing on it). If we had longer we could have taken a day off skiing for just sight seeing.

Where am I?

Its cold, its snowy, there is plenty of wine...it gets a bit froggy (or foggy rather, the mistake of our French concierge/waiter/host, whose English required some fine tunning)....France; and the French Alps ski resort of Meribel.

More to come soon, have been out and about in sunny London and thus less time tied to my laptop.