Lori’s Super-Selfish Wishlist

There are so many things I want right now that I simply cannot afford, so what’s more appropriate than whining about it on my blog?

I want (but cannot have)…
1. Rangers season tickets
2. Tickets to the Rangers v Villareal match
3. A house in Kelvingrove/-hall/-bridge/-side
4. Another car (so there’d be one for me and one for Scott)
5. A Thai massage
6. These books
7. A Lumie Bodyclock
8. A new digital camera (mine is literally falling apart)
9. This knife block-->
10. A romantic holiday with my husband
11. An mp3 player for Scott*
12. The O.C. Season One box set
13. More bookshelves

‘I’d have all the money in the world if I was a wealthy gir-r-r-rl….’


And if I can just add what I wish I could have in general, I’d have…
1. A writing or design job
2. Scratch that, no job (or just a part-time job)
3. Scott in a job that doesn’t screw him over all the time
4. A clean house
5. Clean laundry
6. A maid to keep my house and laundry clean
7. A driver’s license
8. More hours in a day (or fewer hours at the office)
9. Clear skin
10. An awesome church
11. A transporter
12. A delicious curry that is actually good for you
13. Fewer bills
14. A personal secretary to handle our fewer bills
15. A direct train line from Greenock to Anniesland and free rail tickets for a year



*I got Scott an mp3 player for Christmas, but when he opened it on Christmas day, we realised the salesperson had put the device in the wrong box so none of the accessories worked with it. We returned it but did not get a new one because they didn’t have any others like it. It took them a week to process the money back into our account and by then we were so Christmas-budgetted out that we never got him another. I regret this so deeply.

'People come into our lives and walk with us a mile...' Ok, not really, none of that rubbish. But we are going to miss Jonathan and Sarah more than I can say. They were the only people I had when I moved here, and they've taught us so much in the time we've known them. They'll still be here until May, but I miss them already.

But on the other hand, God has perfect timing. He's given me, I'd say, at least two really good (local) friends (by the names of Jenny and Jamie) in the time I've lived here, who both mean so much to me in different ways. And I think I'm in the process of making more. So while the Hayses may be off to seek new adventures in the distant land of Utah, I'm grateful to have other friends already lined up. And we'll still have the magnificent Bryce and Ashley for possibly quite a while longer, so it will be no clean break from the Edinburgh crowd, and for this I am also thankful.

I don't know where this is leading so I'll just finish by saying I've had a good weekend, with people from work and with Alasha (who was a team member on my Scotland TMI team) and her sister Mae and especially with my husband who spent the day with me just being my best friend.

Eh, the end.

Scott Rox

Yes, ladies, let me just tell you how I came home to a clean house TWICE this week. Either Scott's been reading the same blogs I have been, or he's just a splendiferous husband. It's likely a combo of both, but at any rate, do you even know how good it feels to come home from what feels like twelve hours of work (when you leave at 6:15 and get home at 6), exhausted, grumpy, on the verge of a mental, emotional and physical breakdown, to a clean kitchen, running dishwasher and tidy living room? Oh my gosh, people, it's a little taste of Heaven.

I was so happy I sang while cooking that dear man his dinner. I wanna take him upstairs.

Odds and sods

(I had to check with Scott to make sure 'sods' wasn't a bad word, after the embarrassing 'bugger' debacle.)

1. I wimped out of running tonight. I think it's only right that I admit that because I know if I had run, I'd have bragged about it. But no, I opted for a night in, wearing pjs, messing about on my laptop. But I'm running tomorrow during lunch - that is, if I can get off my bum and go hang up my clothes that are in the wash so my running gear will be dry for tomorrow. (Blast having no dryer.)

2. Something is wrong with the security on my laptop. It won't let me sign into hotmail, yahoo mail, or msn messenger. I've been through the entire control panel to no avail.

3. I. Am. So. Sick. of. Special. K.

4. I don't know if you're allowed to do this, but here I go. Even though I am so. sick. of Special. K., it's doing the trick. Look at my trousers! Admittedly, they were never TIGHT on me, but look! Look at that extra room! And I've got four more days to go!


5. Hmm, while I'm at it, check out how long my hair is.


6. Ok and since we're looking at pictures, look how cute and emo Scott is.

(Scott's not really emo, and I don't even know if this picture is emo, because the word 'emo' has no real definitive meaning.)

7. Um, my cats just hissed at each other and then bounded off together in search of new adventures. They are so weird.

8. Exactly seven weeks before I'm back in the US of A for a visit.

9. I've been busying myself with creating some designs, just for fun, for the practice, for t-shirts. I'll let you know if I come up with one I'm not uber-embarrassed about. I'm just feeling my way through Macromedia Freehand, so you know, it's a learning process. I'll never be a graphic designer, but on the other hand, it sure is fun to design graphics.

10. I think I just fell asleep from boredom from this post. I'll leave you with two links of blogs I love to read: VeryMom.com and Amalah.com. If you are a woman, mother and/or pregnant, you'll enjoy these. You may enjoy them if you are a man, father and/or not pregnant, this I don't know. But I'm just a woman, and I love these two blogs.

Provisional License Holder, Whoo Whoo!

Yeah, that's me, the holder of a bona fide provisional license - I can drive again! That is, with the company of another driver aged 21 or over with a valid license for over three years, and an L plate stuck to my car.

My theory test is booked for 11 February, and ya'll, I better pass it. Then I can book and take my practical, and watch out! Lori'll be back on the road.

*Mad props (yeah, I just said that, because I'm so freaking chuffed) to Jenny for giving me a lift home from work today! Nothing like friends who go to University just down the street from you.



And in far more important news...

Congratulations to my brother Danny and his fiancee Kristen - they've set the date! Everyone in the whole wide world is getting married. Congratulate the person beside you because chances are, s/he is getting married, too.



(This is in no way meant to ostracise you if you are not getting married. I was just using hyperbole.)

A List

(That would be 'A' in the sense that 'a' is an article, not a descriptive adjective.)

('List' is, of course, used in the noun form as opposed to the verb.)

I wrote a really depressing post today at work, but I decided not to post it, because I'm tired of how depressed I am all the time, and I'm sure you are too.

So, a post in the form of a list.

******Warning: Much Grammar Talk Insuing For Next Four Points******

1. Why is it that in American grammar we always put a comma before the word 'too'? For example: I love cake, and Lucy does, too. I can't come up with a single grammatical rule that would cause that to be the case, and it appears that it is not the case here in Britain.

2. I purchased Fowler's Modern English Usage in order to follow the British rules in grammar. You will inevitably see these new rules pop up even more in my blog writing in order for it to become second nature to me. I am tired of getting marks all over my work newsletters with British grammar corrections. I'm a bloody excellent grammarian, and I refuse to get red-inked all the time. Also, this book will validate any corrections that are incorrect, of which there are many. For instance, I am tired of people telling me there is no comma before 'and' in a complex sentence. Two independent clauses joined by the word 'and' does have a comma before it, and I will listen to no arguments. (For example: I like to walk in the park, and Jim likes to ride his bike. Or in more complex cases which garner the most resistance: Jeremy Aiken and Patty MacArthur have won their sections in the regional swimming competition at Whitehall Pool which took place in March, and they will now go on to the national finals held in Essex in May.)

3. One of the deputy rectors at the school saw my copy of Writing Good Sentences lying on my desk this morning (which has been my back-up prove-all until the Britishness of Britain finally made me fold and purchase Fowler's), and she was elated. She and I talked grammar for a few minutes excitedly. She was very interested in the book, and then claimed to be the founding member of the 'Preservation of the Semi-Colon Foundation'. I am her newest member. 'Mon the semi-colon!

4. By the way, speaking of Claude Faulkner, where on earth did I get the idea that Claude was William Faulkner's brother?

*****Grammar Talk Ends Here*****

5. Remedios peed on our bed. Little bitch.

6. The cats LOVE the hard wood floors. They are now an official nightmare.

7. I picked this rug for our bedroom. How heartbreakingly sweet is that?

8. I have officially stopped driving. My American license has 'expired' (according to British law) which means I am now uninsured and unlicensed. I've actually been this way since October, but I've been blagging it. But after my tire blow-out on the motorway, I've realised just how stupid I've been. So I'm now following the law. All my freedom has been stripped away from me. No quick trips to the store for milk, no picking Scott up from the pub (he's having to get a cab tonight because of this), no visiting friends. Heck, it's not much worse than jail. Maybe I'll keep driving after all.

9. I went running on Thursday during my lunch break with Carol. She's a far better athlete than me (she's actually an 'athlete'; I'm just a person who is running), but it was a good time. We went about two and a half miles. She ran all of it (running away from me then back several times), and I think I ran about two-fifths* of it. I'd like to say it was half, but I wouldn't be fooling anyone. At any rate, two-fifths is a heckuvalot of running when you're talking two and a half miles. My legs are now stiff as rubber tires.

*In the original post, I said 'three-fifths' instead of two-fifths. But um, three-fifths is OVER half. I meant to explain I ran just UNDER half. Dyscalculia, I'm telling you, really, because it took me AGES to decide what was just under half, too, and I still came up with three-fifths.

10. I've been really good with my Special K Drop a Jeans Size challenge, too. I'm halfway through, and I can already tell my trousers are fitting looser. My tummy isn't so impregnated-looking, either. I like Special K. Especially the peach and apricot one.


And there you have it, folks. An UNdepressed post. I'll leave my homesickness out of it. (But please let me just say I miss America oh-so-much right now, and I cannot, simply cannot, wait to see Devon get married in March. I love you, Dev!)

Reader Response

What do guys think about me chucking it all and going back to school to be a midwife?

**Addendum - 21:18**
I think I'll expound on this comment to better help myself work through these thoughts.

I've been interested in midwifery since back in the Kathy Hippietizing days. I considered enrolling in the midwifery school in Fayetteville, but that would've meant quitting university and I wasn't ready to do that. Then came Scott, etc etc and now here we are in Scotland.

But I'm so fed up with my job, it's unreal. SO FED UP. I can't explain why, I just am. So to console myself I started searching job ads but alas found nothing suitable. I began trolling college and university websites to check out their vacancies when the idea hit me to check out Paisley University's midwifery programme. This is where Scott is going to school currently. So I started reading all about it, and it seemed so possible. And what's more, so fun. And what's more, so worthwhile. Scott and I have chatted before about me training to be a midwife or doula later on after the kids have come, but now I just think, why wait? Sure, I'd feel like a more effective midwife had I already had a kid or two, but then, many midwives are just girls coming out of school. At any rate, I mentioned it to Scott and he was quite supportive of me giving it a shot, if it is possible. However, it's most likely NOT possible because I haven't been here 3 years, meaning I wouldn't get it paid for by the government, BUT I noticed a caveat in the elligibility criteria stating EU nationals' husbands or wives with migrant worker status may be elligible. It's a stretch, but that might be me.

So in essence, if I could get financial support, I could do it. It's a three year course, half theory half practical. I'd be in class half the week and in placements the other half. I'd be working in rural maternity wards as well as larger ones.

I think judging by how much I love All Things Pregnancy and how much research I love doing into the topic and how much I care that pregnant women get respectful and proper treatment, I might make an all right midwife.

By the way, I've so turned over to the homebirth-all-the-way side and as an NHS midwife in Britain, I'd love to be one of the few who actually promote it. But I think in the end, I'd have to go into independent practice because I've read far too many stories by now-independent-once-NHS midwives who just seriously couldn't take it.

Down with Pitocin, up with peace (dude)! (A rather pathetic reference to my hippiness. And by peace I mean peaceful births where things go like they should as opposed to how the doctor would like them to according to his holiday schedule.)

Anyway, we'll see what's possible. I kinda think it would be my other Dream Come True. (The other being getting my poetry published, which I am working a little bit harder on.)

**End Addendum**

Cheap Flights, Cheap Service

Gah. My life is about to get even more eventful. At least my trip to America will be.

So I booked my flights for Devon's wedding in March. Found a return ticket for a total of only £367. I had to call up to make the booking because the online service screwed up for some reason. The lady I spoke to (who, by the way, and not in an offensive way, had a foreign accent) was supposedly taking my details from the failed online booking which she had access to. Therefore, I thought she'd get my details right. I explained (apparently not well enough) that my passport was still in my maiden name so I needed my booking to be under my maiden name, but it needed to be billed to my married name. When I got my itinerary through my email, my name was suddenly this:

"MaidenName"mcfarlane, Lorimrs

(i.e., we'll say my maiden name was Duncan - it said "Duncanmcfarlane, Lorimrs")

I don't know who would name their daughter "Lorimrs" or what kind of mixed up ethnicity that surname is, but I sure as hell don't have it on any of my identification documents. I called up immediately to tell them to change it. I got a different person (a man with a clear Scots accent) who told me there was nothing he could do short of cancelling the booking and me losing my money. "I'm sure if you bring your marriage certificate it will be fine." Oh yes, I'm sure in Amsterdam when the security guards are checking my passport, their broken English and my immaculate Dutch will be able to clear up any misunderstanding about this so-called Lorimrs Duncanmcfarlane.

Sheesh. I mean, I know when you buy a cheap ticket you should expect to pay for your peanuts or not get working headphones to watch the crap film shot onto a white plastic bedsheet, but you do at least expect the service provider to know the difference between a title and a forename.

I'll let you know what comes of this debacle from my cell in illegal immigrant prison.

Ha! And I said my life is boring. Ha!

That is, of course, if you consider blowing a tire in the middle of morning rush hour traffic at the speed of 60 mph boring.

Or being asked to be a bridesmaid in ONE OF YOUR BEST FRIENDS' WEDDING!
***That was an incredibly self-centred way of announcing my friend Devon's engagement. Everyone congratulate Devon on her upcoming marriage!***

Or, as the former implies, TAKING A WEEKEND TRIP TO AMERICA!

Yes, my life is so eventful. I'm going to go make chilli.

40 Questions

I stole these questions from Murrye because I thought they were good and fun. By the way Murrye's totally cool and hot.

1. What did you do in 2005 that you’d never done before?
Owned indoor pets, celebrated a wedding anniversary, got to be a bridesmaid.

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions and will you make more for next year?I always make New Year’s resolutions, but I rarely keep them. I resolved to lose weight (diet) but did not. I made a similar resolution for 2006 (get fit) and also plan on getting my house and life back in order.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No one gave birth that I can think of, but everyone and their golden retriever got pregnant. So this time next year, I should have a long list.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, fortunately.

5. What countries did you visit?
Canada and the United States. If you’re willing to differentiate between the British nations, England as well.

6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
Order. Organisation. Punctuality. Cleanliness.

7. What date from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory?
18 September.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Going to a real job interview and getting a real job. Also, not getting pregnant on a NFP method.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not getting my British driver’s license before my one year mark.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got the flu pretty badly just after Christmas.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Plane tickets to go see my little brother get married.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Scott, for being such a good husband and for trying so hard to be even better.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Wow, ouch. I’d rather not say, in case this person reads my blog. But I definitely have someone very particular in mind.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent and train tickets and plane tickets to America.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Having my own Thanksgiving dinner at my house and going back to America to see all my family and friends (and getting to surprise my parents with having Scott show up!)

16. What song/album will always remind you of 2005?
Love Angel Music Baby, Gwen Stefani. Particularly “Hollaback Girl” and “Bubble Pop Electric”.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
happier or sadder? happier
thinner or fatter? fatter
richer or poorer? poorer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Gone out with people, had people over to the house, built stronger friendships with the friends I’d started to make. Specifically, I wish I’d spent more time with Debbie and Niall. I also wish I’d spent more time getting to know Jesus.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Cry, fight with Scott over stupid things, stress out over my job.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Church in the morning, then presents with Scott, then family dinner at Scott’s folks’ house.

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
My mom and my dad.

22. Did you fall in love in 2005?
With a one Gwen Stefani, yes. And deeper in love with a one Scott McFarlane.

23. How many one night stands in this last year?
Heh, none.

24. What was your favorite TV program(s)?
The O.C.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don’t think I hate anyone. I’ve got a few people I like less than I used to but no hatred.

26. What was the best book(s) you read?
Unfortunately The Chrysalids by John Wyndham was read right after New Year so I can’t include that, though it was the best book ever. So best book I read last year? Either Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart or Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) or Anna Karenina (Leo Tolstoy).

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Gwen Stefani and The Postal Service (I’m a late bloomer)

28. What did you want and get?
A laptop and a graphics tablet and an alarm clock that makes tea.

29. What did you want and not get?
Published. (Though that might be because I still haven’t sent off any poems?)

30. What were your favorite films of this year?
I *heart* Huckabees, Series of Unfortunate Events, Finding Neverland (was that 2005?) and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 23 on April 1st, and I had a murder mystery dinner to celebrate. It was awesome (and Emily is such a murderer).

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Visiting Paris again.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
I tried to dispel my hatred of the “now” and just wore things that I liked, even if they were trendy. I’ve never liked being in the trends, but this year I’ve definitely gone from American Mom to EuroTrendy (more like EuroTrash).

34. What kept you sane?
My husband and my kitties and my friend Jamie (where work was involved)

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I think you can guess that one. But in case you can’t, I’ll just say it again – Gwen Stefani.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The British people’s views on Hurricane Katrina. Relying solely on the liberal media, all I heard was how HORRIBLE the American government is. No one had any concept of all the good that WAS done, like stadiums, churches, schools and other organisations taking in thousands upon thousands of refugees and the fact that Reserve troops are STILL going down there to help clean up.

37. Who did you miss?
Amanda and Devon and my family. I miss Lincoln and Chris a lot, too.

38. Who was the best new person (people) you met?
Jamie at work, Jenny and my brother’s fiancee, Kristen. Hmm, and I don’t know for sure, but I think I met Emily in 2005 so her, too.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005.
Fights with your husband aren’t always his fault. And even when they are, you’re rarely innocent, either.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?
From the hymn “O Sacred Head Now Wounded”

What Thou my Lord has suffered was all for sinners’ gain.
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine, the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Saviour, ‘tis I deserve Thy place!
Look on me with Thy favour, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

Because it seems this past year I needed more grace and favour, and I recognised my transgression, more than ever before.

As if the 6°C air and the rain and wind weren't making me cold enough, I'm now sitting in a somewhat empty room with no carpet and a boiler that will never be strong enough to heat up a room floored in concrete. The carpet came up today so we could lay the wooden flooring, but somehow the wooden flooring never got laid. I suppose that'll be tomorrow's job. We also have two burnt out lightbulbs so I'm shivering by the light of a floor lamp and two computers.

While Scott plays World of Warcraft, I am discovering this oh-so-trendy Myspace monomania. Though I am about as interested in it as I was Friendster (i.e., minimal participation expected), I have to say it's darn well cooler. I mean, I found, like, a million people from my past. People I've always wondered whether they still existed and where and how and whatnot. It's pretty remarkable. But it's that whole trend-thing that gets to me... I mean, everyone and their German shepherd has a Myspace. It's pretty dorky, ya'll.

...So, I've noticed from my lack of comments that either
a) no one surfs the net anymore
b) no one comments anymore
or c) we've become freaking boring.

Gosh, somehow I just can't believe it's a or b.

But goodness, how are we supposed to become interesting again? Nothing, I repeat, nothing bloody happens around here. I mean, wanna hear the recent development in the McF household? Here they are, in all their boring glory:
1. My ear has gotten infected.
2. I am driving to work now.
3. We're getting wooden floors.
4. We're officially getting moved to the Greenock church.
5. We clipped the cats' nails tonight.
6. I bought a handbag which was marked down from £30 to £9.
7. Scott has an exam on Saturday.

So, look, cut us some slack. Keep reading. Keep loving. Keep commenting. I know we aren't having a baby or moving to France or even getting a freaking haircut, but what can we say? We love you, our adoring audience, and miss you.

Ok, was that just the most shameful plea for comments ever? Yes, yes it was. So comment, for the love!

We really aren't this pathetic. At least Scott isn't.

Man, Myspace is really making me miss home. People at home, please don't forget me!! Lori. No, Lor-i. Yeah. No, not that one, the other one. Me. ... the bow-legged one. Yeah. What's yo name? Tamden, that sounds sexy. UH, here I go, here I go, here I go again!

Oh geez.

Lori, yes, a Runner.

The first step is doing it, ya'll.

And not giving up when you plan to do it, no matter what, ya'll.

Jenny and I, we persevered. Though it was 7°C (though "feels like 2°C" according to weather.co.uk)*, pitch black, rainy and violently windy (if you've ever lived near a great mass of water, you know what kind of wind I'm talking about), we went running anyway.

It was painful, I'm not gonna lie to you. My face was stinging, my teeth were sore, my eyes were burning, and my clothes were soaked through. My lungs felt like they were inhaling daggers, but we did it anyway. Oh yeah, and my piercing? Holy YEOW.

We didn't run for long, as we were concerned about my recent sickness and fearing a reoccurrence, but the fact that we went out and did it when we said we were going to gave me a huge amount of pride and determination. We are now praying for good weather on Friday, because we darn well deserve it.

Other completely unLori plans - I'm gonna run on my lunch break on Wednesdays. Carol runs on her lunch break, and Wednesdays are the day that Jamie plays football, leaving me without a lunch partner, so I don't have anything to do those days anyway. This will give me something positive and productive to do. Even if I run alone, it will feel good to know that's what I did for lunch instead of sitting alone in a coffee shop with a cafe mocha and a book (though I'll miss the book).

Speaking of lunch, I ate a plate full of steamed vegetables and a bowl of green pea soup today. Oh yeah, I've got the fever. We won't mention the slice of chocolate cake after though - it was a kind guesture of Carol to go steal the last slice before the maths teacher yoinked it. So I had no choice but to eat it. But I think had it been up to me, I actually would've gone with the fruit salad (withOUT the cream) because I was feeling powerful.

'Mon the health!

*That's 45°F and 36°F respectively.

Lori, a Runner?

Yes. You heard it here, folks. I've made a decision.

I am going to run in the women's 10k event in May.

I know, I know, it sounds far-fetched, and it is. But I've got a different approach this time. Usually I have this abstract desire to lose weight or get fit, and only a very haphazard plan for achieving it. Only once in my life has this plan worked, and that was because I had an event worth building up for. My wedding. I decided to lose weight before I got married (so I could look hot on my wedding night), and because I had that even to work towards, I did it. I lost around 15 pounds.

I know very well that if I have nothing to work towards, my plans for weight-loss or fitness will come to nothing. So I'm going to run the 10k. Jenny is running with me, or rather, I am running with her. We start our first run on Monday night after work. We will run up and down the Esplanade (along the river) which is exactly a mile from bottom to top (equally two miles total). Jenny is ahead of me on fitness because she's been doing the dance mat with her PlayStation EyeToy for thirty minutes every night, but I'm gonna do a bit of work myself, perhaps do my 10 Minute Pilates today and tomorrow to get ready for Monday.

Those of you who really know me know how incredibly not-disciplined I am when it comes to working out, so you probably don't believe a word of this. I don't believe a word of it either, but I'm determined. Maybe I'll even convince Scott to get out there with me and run at night. It's just simply something that must be done. My body ain't getting any younger and if I ever hope to retain any semblance of a figure after having children, I ought to be in an established healthy lifestyle routine far prior to childbirth.

So I'm filling out the form, ya'll, and I'm lacing up my running shoes (which I don't own yet), and I'm headed for asphalt bliss. Or agony, whichever way you wanna look at it.


PS. In other simply BRILLIANT news, Scott's loan money came through today and not a moment too soon! Council tax gets direct debited today, and it was gonna be taking out £99 of fundage which simply wasn't there! Praise God, hallelujah!

Pictures and Resolutions

Yes, even though I never follow them through, I've yet again made some New Year's resolutions. I post them here for posterity.

1. Get back to the old anal me.
This means basically, get myself together. For a year and a half I've lived in a pig-sty, and I can't take it any longer. I'm late to everything, and I forget to do things or put them off. What happened to everything being in its place? To doing things as soon as possible? What happened to those essays I wrote three weeks before they were due? (Ok, that only happened like once.) Anyway, the house is undergoing an organisation. I've created four boxes to put crap in, and I'm ready.

2. Get active.
This is a variation on the annual "Go on a diet" resolution. Instead, I plan to get out and get fit in the way God intended - badminton. Scott and I have "decided" to start swimming and playing badminton this year. And since my friend Jenny (pictured below) has decided to run the women's 10k in March or something, I may even go running with her. Heck, who knows, I may run the 10k, too! (Ok, I'm not fooling anyone.)

Now, onwards.

Even though I can't get comments, even through pictures, it doesn't hurt to try. Plus it looks nicer. So here are some pictures, with a bit of commentary.

First of all, here is proof that I am an XBOX Xpert. Ok, not Xpert, but I can play some mean Monkey Billiards.

Oh, and that's me, sick, in my new pj's sent from Amanda for Christmas. Yes, those are sock monkeys, in case you can't tell. Wow.

Also, here's proof that I have some friends. I have others, in fact, we just had Matthew and Cheryl over for dinner last night and had a great time. I just don't have any evidential proof. But anyway, Jenny, the one in the middle, is the coolest ever. She was Scott's first girlfriend, by the way, when they were like 10.


In fact, it was with Jenny that I yesterday got this...

(It's the top one, the tragus one. It's so rad.) She got one there, too.

Anyway, yeah, I just wanted to post some pictures. Moms love that kinda thing.

And yeah, so since I'm doing that, let me just say that MY CATS ARE THE CUTEST EVER. Ahem. Good night.

And we're back.

But not better than ever.

It's day 8 of the sickness and though I no longer have "the flu" per se, I still am very sneezy, coughy, runny-nosey, achey and tired. Scott's still very asthma-y.

But I've been determined to enjoy at least part of my holidays, so I've been getting out here and there. I went bowling with my friend Jenny one night, and we went to a Hogmanay party, which we left at 10:30 because I felt so ill. Tonight we're going out for pizza and beer with Pete and Jamie, and tomorrow, if all goes as planned, Jenny and I will revisit the ear-piercing plan. Wednesday we're having a couple of friends over for dinner, a couple that, well, let's be honest, we have a couple-crush on. So sick or not, I WILL bloody enjoy this stupid break, whether I like it or not.

And last night around 9 I got the urge to rearrange the living room furniture, which lasted until about 3am. I now type to you from the other side of the room, in what feels like a really new, exciting, spacious room. One you can't get out of, by the way, because of the positioning of the loveseat, but nevermind. We'll sort that... somehow.

Anyway, Pete and Scott are playing Super Monkey Ball Deluxe, the best XBOX game EVER, except for Munch's Oddessey, and even I have enjoyed playing it. I beat Scott at Monkey Soccer and Monkey Billiards, and I was even caught playing Monkey Bowling by myself earlier. It's fun.

Ok, so I'm gonna do a wee bit of tidying now. Pete says, "Argle bargle bush".