Becky's Bonny Babble

Fergus...

2011-03-06T23:34:00.008Z

In November I acquired a kitten... (You see how much has changed since I last blogged)

Initially, I named the kitten Fergus, because it is a perfectly respectable name to give to a male kitten who was born in Scotland. Plus the kitten looked like a Fergus. I looked at it, and said - "Fergus"

So, imagine my shock when I took the kitten to the vet to be neutered, and they told me that she was a girl. :-) Haha, the people I got her from thought she was a boy, and I didn't question it, because I am the world's worst at sexing kittens. Ah well. It does look like she has testicles, but apparently - to quote the vet - "it's just a bit of jobbie"

So, yes - that's right - we mistook a bit of poo for testicles. It's all very funny, but it did cost me an extra 14 quid at the vet's... ah well. Fergus however has had to be renamed officially. Unofficially I still call her Fergus at home. I decided to change her name to Fergie - short for "Lady Sarah Ferguson" the long form of her name - which I use when I'm angry at her.

Ferg has been a real comfort to me at times, she's a snuggler - but she's also extremely playful. This is normal for a kitten I suppose. She's growing so fast now though - she's almost an adult. It's nice to have another soul in the house. She's lovely company. I'm glad to have her around.

Some pics...

The Best Thing I've Ever Received In The Post...

2011-03-05T16:20:00.002Z

Hands Down!!

My good friend Kaly posted this sock monster to me because I mentioned how wonderful and adorable they were when she posted a blog about them ages ago. (link) I think it's pretty great that she remembered how much I liked them.

Thanks Kaly!

I do realize that I have not actually blogged since September. Admittedly, I have found balancing my life quite difficult since becoming a part-time (more like every other minute besides work) Open University student. Plus life has it's ups and downs anyway, so when you add the stress of having a million things to do with very little time to do them, it tends to overwhelm...

...still the Primary President too. Love Primary, love the kids, just finding balancing my life quite difficult right now.

However, things are looking up, and I'm grateful to know that there are people in my life who care about me - near and far. :-) xxx's all around....

I Now Live At The Library...

2010-09-29T11:39:00.002+01:00

Remember when I used to blog every time I had a thought in my head? Yeah, those were crazy times...

I was funny, and articulate, and sometimes passionate about things. I still am really... I just feel less like sharing it with the world these days. I'm trying to keep my public profile simple - but honestly - my life is still whacky.

I've been spending my evenings in the library because I can't seem to focus on studies at home. As soon as I get home, all I want to do is vegetate by social networking, and you-tubing, and BBC i-playering, and silly stuff really. Before I know it, it's 9pm, and I haven't done a thing, and I never get around to Yoga like I want to.

So, yeah - the Library and me, we've become good friends. 2 hours after work every day, that's the ticket. I'm enjoying my studies, I must say. I think it's really important this time around to study more regularly so that it's fresh in my head. I'm pretty lucky with this module that there's no tests. There is however - 7 tutor marked assignments. 7!!! The first is due on the 29th of October.

There is a downside to this library haunting mind you... it means I get home at 8:30-ish... then I take my down time, and before I know it, it's 11pm! But, at least I've gotten some good study time in. Still no Yoga mind.

It's terribly rainy today. Really, really rainy. My cold is getting worse AGAIN! My ears are plugged, and all I seem to be able to do today is complain. But, other than that - everything is sunny and bright in my life. :-)

On a Yoga High... finally

2010-09-18T12:37:00.005+01:00

I am writing this post on a high - a Yoga high...

What on earth is wrong with me? WHY have I been putting off doing Yoga for 3 or 4 months?

I compare myself (as a PCOS victim) to someone who has bi-polarity and having been on a medication for some time, feels so good that they think they've been cured and that they don't need the medication any more. Therefore they go off of it, and over time, life becomes miserable again - a series of highs and lows.

Well, as a PCOS victim, and as someone who never has normal hormonal balance in their body, I have to say it is quite a similar situation with me and Yoga. Goodness me, I even feel my deadly cold (+ Asthma) waning as a result of the good hormones coursing through my veins. I read once, that this is the reason Yoga makes us feel so good. The positions we hold have a way of squeezing our glands, and therefore making them release the hormones that make us feel so much better. At the same time, it builds muscle tone, and just overall feels good. I also have noticed that my back pain has vanished. What a moron I have been to put it off for so long, when it makes me so happy.

Well, I hope I can continue to remember how good it makes me feel, and do it every day. (as mentioned in the diet plan - see above) I haven't been stalwart in my dieting as planned, and also I find myself struggling to walk to work every day. (back pain - due to old-agedness) So, if I can commit myself to one hour every day of Yoga, I think I can see some results - in every aspect of my life.

Oh, how silly we are - people...

Check out this fantastic video that my Cousin Claire shared on facebook...

Claire is in fact the owner of Leeds most exclusive Personal Training and Pilates Studio - "Equilibrium Health Personal Training and Pilates" so, if you're in Leeds or the area, do go and check out her studio... http://www.equilibriumhealth.co.uk/

I wish I was half as fit as our Claire. But, I can get there, with persistence.

Gonna Fly Now!

2010-09-04T10:54:00.005+01:00

Well, here we are in September, and an entire month has gone by without my posting much at all. To be honest, there wasn't much worth posting about. I got sick, and I was also a little depressed. Well, ok - more than a little. I've been on a bit of a roller coaster. Long story short, I've decided to completely block out any well-meaning "feel good" advice, and just cling to my faith and personal relationship with God. The thing is - life has never been easy. It's always been an uphill battle for me. (for most of us I wager) No one ever promised that it would be easy though. I'll tell you what, this may seem silly - but a friend of mine posted this video on Facebook this week...

Besides re-instating my childhood love for Rocky movies, this wee speech gave me a bit more strength to carry on. It's very true you know, life is always going to knock us back; but it's up to us to take the knocks and keep moving forward. "That's how winnin' is done", and believe me - Rocky knows! (that is if Rocky were a real live person, but his character is based on many inspirational people who are real) Who doesn't love an underdog? I am a sucker for an underdog. You know why? Because I AM the freakin' underdog. If I can just stop feeling sorry for myself, and move forward despite the hard knocks of life - I can win too. Truth be told, I don't really have it that bad compared to most people; but then our trials are ours for a reason - because they are hard for us. I think that's the whole purpose of life, isn't it? To endure through trial.

Yeah - so - I've become very philosophical over the last week or so. It's about time too, because I was really getting tired of self-pitying. It gets old after a while.

School starts soon. Yay! I'm looking forward to starting my new module and immersing myself in something new. It's time to put the summer behind me.

Dieting again...

2010-08-01T15:19:00.004+01:00

Well, here I am - dieting again.

I know - it seems like I'm always dieting. This time, I've decided to avoid all creativity, and generally stay away from unknown tactics.

I've decided to do what I did before - you know when I lost 110 lbs.

It seems to work for me. I think, in essence - I'm lazy when it comes to dieting. When I get home, I'm tired of work, tired of doing everything really, and therefore, ready-made meals (as unappealing as they are) seem to work for me.

So - yeah, I'm replacing meals with high protein, high fibre shakes again.

In fact, I've worked out a step-by-step programme that's tailored to me and my needs right now. I've listed them at the tab at the top which says "New Diet Plan".

So, you can go there, and see what it is I'm doing.

As I said, it's not ideal - but it seems to be what works for me. The only reason I gained 60 pounds of it back is because I changed my lifestyle again. I ate things that weren't good for me, and became sedentary. That's simple enough, of course I'm going to gain weight with that combination. It didn't help that I completely uprooted myself and moved to another continent.

So - whether or not you approve of meal replacements, it doesn't really matter, because as I said, it works for me.

Will keep you posted about progress. (for good or bad) Watch the tab at the top that says "New Diet Plan" - where I will log my weight over the next 6 months or so.

Not Sure What to Title This One....

2010-07-31T11:41:00.005+01:00

Hi Everyone...

Well, I know it's not Sunday, and yes - I did miss last Sunday's post. My apologies for that. I shall try to do better in the future.

Here's the news for today...

I'm a singleton again. I won't go into too much detail, but long story short, the Barenaked Ladies are right - absence does make the heart grow fungus.

The rest of the song has nothing to do with what happened to Andy & I. The distance was hard though. I think it was really easy for us to forget what it was like when we were together, and therefore it dwindled.

Never mind... as hard as it's been this week - onwards and upwards.

Andy is my friend, and in fact we still keep in touch in some small way every day. So, that's positive. We're just moving on.

Overall, a good learning experience in feelings and relationships.

Moving on from that topic...

I've become slightly idolatrous over this item...

The HTC Desire... An Android operating system smart phone with amazing capabilities. With everyone around me all of a sudden getting i-phones and the like, I find myself coveting this little beauty. The only trouble is, that I'm still very much on a contract until February 1st. If you know anyone who wants a Sony Ericsson K770i for about £108, or wants to take over my contract - let me know. This offer only applies to people who actually live in the UK of course.

Meh, I'll just have to be patient. In every aspect of life. :-/

Hope everyone is well. I'm doing quite well today considering I've had some serious heart-ache this week. Everything happens for a reason, and I'm grateful for the experience.

mormon.org Re-vamp

2010-07-18T15:21:00.008+01:00

So, I don't know if you knew this or not, but; my church website has been re-vamped, and it looks fantastic. Just look at this...

The new website very much focuses on the members of the church now. I think this is a great idea, because the best thing we have to offer really to the world (besides the most important things, such as truth, salvation through Jesus Christ and happiness) is our people. I mean there's still the most important things on the site - such as the doctrines of the church, and what's important to us, and how to get in touch with missionaries, etc. There's also a way to chat online to missionaries and get answers to questions. I think it's brilliant.

There are individual profiles on members of the church throughout the world. Here is my profile...

which can be found here... (link)

Here is Andy's profile...

which can be found here... (link)

I think this is a fantastic tool for getting the message out with regards to what Mormons believe, and what they are like. As many of you know, I'm a pretty average, every day sort of girl who tries to live a clean life, and does my best to help people. I'm not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination, but I do try to be my best. I have incredible flaws, but I suppose that is normal. I think, though - that helps in getting people to see how normal we are. In fact, normal is hard to come by these days. If I'm honest, that's one of the things that attracted me to Andy - his level of normal-ness. I love that. :-)

On an un-related note, I've started another blog. (like I have time to keep this one up, let alone start another one) It's entitled "Hidden Dundee", and can be found here... (link)

I just really felt that I've been learning enough quirky things about the history of Dundee to start a whole new blog. It will give me a chance to do some research as well. There's that many interesting things, that I can actually do a fair number of posts without running out of things to blog about. So - there you have it.

A Bit Distracted...

2010-07-11T18:24:00.004+01:00

You may have noticed that I've been a bit boring lately in my blogging. I think it's because I'm a bit distracted and for the most part my thoughts have been focused on feelings, hearts, and everything sappy one can imagine. I guess it's a sign that I'm pretty happy. I mean, I'm mostly happy. I just think that it's a bit difficult to have a long distance relationship. It would be a lot better if we could see each other every week-end. However, our schedules make that difficult. Andy works a different type of shift every week, and his visits often depend on whether he's on earlies, or lates. He was here this past week, but now I won't see him for a month! The time he was here though, was lovely. We always enjoy our time together. Well, there you have it though - my excuse for being a bad blogger... a bit distracted.

News?

Well, I finished my first University Course last week. That was a relief. I won't receive my result until early September though. I'm sure it will be fine, it's only a 10 credit course. I begin real live University courses in October. That will be great. I really enjoyed the wee course. It was really interesting. It felt a bit like High School Biology, but as I said - it was a 10 credit course; not worth much. It did get me into the right frame of mind though, and helped me to think about what I need to work on for my next course.

Primary is great. We are finally getting callings filled. :-) People keep moving into the ward left and right. I'm loving it. I think it's often about timing with filling callings. Have I told you I love the kids? I love them. They are fantastic.

I finally put curtains up in my flat. People can now no longer see into my flat at night. If they were looking, they wouldn't have seen much anyway because I'm higher up than all the other flats in the area. However, last week, took a quick trip to IKEA (not so quick!) on the bus which included taking the megabus to Edinburgh and then taking a Lothian bus to the outskirts of Edinburgh. Lucky for me there were better quality curtains on sale than the ones I went there for. They were cheaper too! (£2.99) I do like the IKEA sales.

That's about it for news. I don't really lead an exciting life. I mean - it's exciting to me, but I have nothing that I can report. Life is just generally good. Take my word for it.

I do miss my Andy though...

Thoughts

2010-06-27T20:45:00.005+01:00

What to blog about? What to blog about???

Not sure really. I've had a decidedly low-key week-end. I've been finishing up my course on "Introducing Environment". I have one assignment to write up, and then I'm done. I'll be working on it over the next week or so. It won't be that hard; it's only a 10 credit course.

Other than that...

Oh, yeah - Final episode of Doctor Who series 5 was fantastic. I'm really impressed with Matt Smith actually. Some people swear up and down that David Tennant is better, but I think Matt is fantastic. I love the fez in this episode... it's too bad it had to go at the end there.

More people should wear fezes.

I wish I had a pet sometimes. A furry one.

Babies are nice, I held a baby today in church. They're everywhere I turn at church.

Dundee has had ridiculously lovely weather for the last month.

It's amazing what delicious concoctions you can come up with when you have a near-bare cupboard.

There are 9ish sleeps until Andy comes back to Dundee to see me. (he hasn't given me an exact day yet - deciding on transport)

I'm looking forward to reading for fun this summer, and not just reading my course materials. In October, I'll be back at it - for 60 credits this time.

My peace lily has decided to flower in June instead of at Easter.

Yep, that's about everything that's on my mind at the moment. Some of it's boring I know, but there it is...

Have a nice week folks.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T20:31:00.003+01:00

I just spoke to my Dad on the phone... he's sounding ok, just feeling a little bit older overall. I guess the stroke, and surgery has left him feeling a bit more tired, and a little absent minded. I suppose a cerebrovascular accident is bound to slow you down a little bit, his brain is bound to have suffered a little damage... (which accounts for the absent-mindedness) I think though, considering his age (78), he's done very well.

I miss him (and my Mum), especially on days like today when families are meant to be together. At church today for Father's Day, we had the Primary children colour paper ties for their Dads, then put them on ribbons so that the Dads could wear them. They turned out really cute. It made me think that perhaps I wanted one. One little girl (one of my favourite girls) drew ginger-haired sets of toupees and wigs on hers to remind her Dad of his former glory days when he had hair. Heehee. Some of the boys drew weapons on theirs, and flames... I suppose their Dads will see the artistic talent in them anyway. I love opportunities to see the artistic talent of the children in our ward. They're absolutely brilliant in every way. I really think this is my favourite calling I've ever had. I look forward to church every week, even though I know it could turn out chaotic; simply because the kids are sooo great. :-)

We also taught them a song to sing in sacrament meeting to their Dads. We then handed out fairy cakes to all of the men over 19 in the ward. It turned out rather lovely. :-) It looked a bit like this...

That's the song we sung anyway... imagine that x 25. :-) Brilliant.

I've just been thinking that I really miss all of those family dinners we had out in Okotoks at Debbie's house. That's where my family will be just now... sitting around the dinner table, eating more food than necessary, and talking about politics, religion, and gossiping about this and that. One is always guaranteed intense conversation at our family gatherings.

I hope all of the Fathers, and future Fathers out there have a lovely Father's Day. I know I'm really grateful for my Dad, not to mention my Heavenly Father. I'm thankful for his constant guidance in my life. I don't know where I'd be without him, to be honest. It's a good thing he'll always be there. :-)

Happy Father's Day!

Adventures with Andy in Arbroath

2010-06-14T10:00:00.009+01:00

I didn't post yesterday because, frankly I had better things to do. :-) Andy was here in Dundee this week-end. He came up on Friday (really really tired from working earlies all week), and then Saturday morning, we took the bus to Arbroath and I made him walk everywhere (he didn't complain though - bless him) We had an Arbroath Smokie. (I now wish I had taken a picture of it - Andy did though) Arbroath smokies are quite tasty I have to admit. My only problem with eating fish in it's non-battered form is fighting with bones. I hate fish bones, they gross me out a bit. The taste of smoked haddock though, is quite delicious. We then went to the Seaton Cliffs at Arbroath.

The Seaton Cliffs are really quite beautiful. Apparently if we had gone a bit further on the path, we would have seen even more beautiful cliffs, and the Mermaid's Kirk, not to mention the Deil's head. But, I suppose we shall have to save those delights for another day. From the cliffs, we went back into the town, and had lunch, then we toured Arbroath Abbey... which is really quite interesting and Rich with History.

It was founded in 1178 by William "The Lion" I of Scotland who built it in honour of a friend of his who had died a Christian martyr. William I is actually buried in the Abbey. (see picture below) One of the many other things which Arbroath Abbey is famous for is that it is the site where the Declaration of Arbroath was drafted and signed. It's also really very striking because of the red sandstone rocks it is built from. As you see in the Cliff pictures, Sandstone rocks are quite common in the area of Arbroath. So, when the monks built Arbroath Abbey, they did so with the materials available to them in the area. It's really quite a striking building - even just with what's left of it.

So, our time in Arbroath was lovely, and in fact all of the time we spend together is lovely. It all goes by far too quickly though - as I'm painfully aware of this morning. I only just left Andy at the bus station an hour and a half ago. I suppose I can survive the 3 weeks before I see him again.

I never thought I'd be this sappy.

What's On My Mind...

2010-06-06T18:40:00.004+01:00

Friday morning I got up early to catch a train to Chorley. I went to the temple again this week-end with Andy. He could only do one session, because he was on the early shift on Saturday. He has to get up at 3:30 am every morning this coming week and cycle 6 miles to work. :-S He's a hero in my books; among other things. As many of you know, I am far from being a morning person. Neither is he - which makes it so amazing that he manages to do these morning shifts.

What I really am enjoying right now, is who I am when I'm with Andy. He brings out the best in me. :-) He's also just - a really really good person. x

Parental Drama... as per usual

2010-05-30T22:08:00.006+01:00

Hello there... I've just spent most of the afternoon and evening napping I'm afraid. This means that I am now wide awake and ready for action, even though it's 10:00 pm. :-S

Ah well, not to worry. I'll just force myself to sleep at midnight. Hopefully that will all work out...

Anyway, update on Dad... He's doing well. The surgery went really well, and the only trouble he had was a bit of low blood pressure afterwards. This is apparently pretty normal for a stent insertion procedure. The reason being - that with the stent in his artery, the blood is able to flow more freely, so there is less pressure. He's ok now though, just really really tired. He didn't get much sleep in the hospital, and I'm guessing that now he's at home with my Alzheimer's suffering Mother, he's still not getting much sleep.

I just had a chat with my Sister, and it sounds an awful lot like Mum is getting worse and worse with her Alzheimer's... she will hear nothing about talk of living wills, or assisted living. This is a source of great frustration for me and my siblings. She's always been that way though - extremely stubborn, and unwilling to hear what other people have to say. Now that she's not at full capacity, it's even worse. I don't know what to say really, except that I moved at the right time. ;-) Just kidding... well sort of kidding. To be honest, I couldn't handle much more of her behaviour while I was there, it gets to you after a while. Plus, I was the one who was there, actually living with them, and keeping an eye on them. So, I got the brunt of most of her attacks. Now, Dad gets it. Debbie and Rich get it too, but they don't live with her - so it's not every day. You can imagine, that living with that every day, and trying to recover from a stroke, and surgery is pretty difficult. I'm afraid Mum isn't going to be the pleasantly confused type of dementia patient. She'll be the kind that we had at the hospital all the time who yells abuse at you, and tells you you're going to hell, because you're a terrible person. Mark my words Geri-Psych nurses - you're in for it. They're used to it though, I suppose. As for me, I've had my share, and it's enough for anyone. I don't know what to say really, except that if she doesn't want to hear what people are suggesting about assisted living, then I'm afraid that eventually, she'll be committed to a geri-psych facility via sectioning. That won't be a pleasant experience for any involved. Maybe I'll have to have a blunt talk with her. It will be slightly easier with me being a million miles away. The only trouble is, you have a blunt talk, and she forgets the whole thing the next day.

A person could go slightly crazy going around in circles like this. There is no clear answer, except to say that she is going to get worse, and we'll just have to see how it goes day to day.

As for me, in my life - I'm good. Life is good. I'll see my boyfriend on Friday. :-) He's wonderful, and normal, and kind. He's highly refreshing after a lifetime like mine. :-) Andy is going for a walk tomorrow for Haitian Appeal... if you can donate, then please do so here... (link)

Have a lovely evening.

Love,
Becky x

Prayers Please...

2010-05-24T13:56:00.004+01:00

Sorry I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday... it was a busy week-end as it turns out. It was just what I needed though. I had a very good visit with my Andy. It was a short visit, but productive. :-)

Plus, my mind has been on other things...

Thursday morning I logged onto facebook, and read my little brother's status which went like so... "mmm just got home a little while ago and just missed parents. message from mom about hospital and dad, crap." I wrote him a message asking him to expound on that, but with no response. So, all day Thursday I was thinking about this in the back of my mind. Then, when I got home, there was a message on my phone from my Mum.

What happened was that my Dad had a stroke. He's never had a stroke before, but he has eaten a fried English Breakfast almost every day I can remember for his entire life. He would dispute that, but it's true. Any of my siblings would say the same. Fried Bacon, fried eggs, chips, fried mushroom, fried tomato, rashers, sometimes beans. So, I guess it finally caught up with him.

What they found from the tests, is that if he hadn't had this little stroke, he would have had a much bigger stroke in a week's time that could have been much more detrimental, possibly fatal. They found that he has 77% blockage in his carotid artery. Which means - that tomorrow he has to go in and have surgery. What they're going to do is go into his artery from his groin, and pump a balloon up that has a stent around it to open up the artery again. Obviously this is a risky procedure, but leaving it the way it is with no procedure at all is far more risky.

I've spoken to a couple of people since this happened who have had the same procedure, and they say that they are fine, and that it was the best thing they could have done. This brought me some comfort. Also, Andy was a big comfort to me on Friday and Saturday. It has been hard though, being so far away and not knowing exactly what is going on, and not being with him. In the past, whenever something like this has happened, I've been the one to be there with them, and make sure everything is alright. But, my sister is there, and my 2 brothers. Also, the Relief Society at church, and my parents' Bishop have been a support. So, that brings some re-assurance.

So, the reason I am writing all of this, and laying out the personal details about my family drama is because I would like to ask anyone out there who knows us and loves us, (or maybe doesn't know us at all but can relate) to offer up your prayers for my Dad that his surgery will go well tomorrow. Whatever your faith, or even if you have no faith, if you can - please spare a thought or two, or a prayer for my Dad and family. I would very much appreciate that.

I Fell Off The Wagon A Little...

2010-05-16T18:27:00.003+01:00

Apparently I didn't learn my lesson the last time I gave up Caffeine...

Well, last week during all of the election excitement, and staying up late to watch this news or that I got to be pretty tired in the mornings. So what did I do? I turned to my old friend Diet Cherry Coca-Cola. I need to remember though, it is NOT my friend. No - not! I'm sad to say that yet again, today I am suffering from Caffeine Withdrawal. I think I have spent quite a lot of my adult life suffering from Caffeine Withdrawal. The best times I've had in my life, where I've felt the most healthy have been when I've been off the sauce - entirely. I've got to get off the sauce again. Today, it was quite by accident really. It's the week-end is all. No caffeine yesterday, or today. Today I am feeling it by golly.

I'm sure most of this blog makes very little grammatical sense. If so, you can blame it on the caffeine withdrawal. Why is it so painful? I don't know. I'd like it all to stop though. Make it all stop.

I'm thinking of going to Addiction Recovery classes at the church on Thursdays. I have a bit of an addictive personality I'm afraid. If I weren't a Mormon, and I didn't have the "Word of Wisdom" to follow, I would probably be dead in some ditch by now. Yep - dead in a ditch. Thank goodness my parents let the missionaries in. In fact, if they didn't let them in, I probably wouldn't have been born at all because my parents would have never met. So - overall - thank goodness for my parents letting the missionaries in. Way to go Mum & Dad! Way to go missionaries!

Excuse me while I crash on my bed for a while.

Later peeps!

Flat Chloe!!!

2010-05-11T23:01:00.014+01:00

Have you heard of the "Flat Stanley" books? Well, my niece has a project she is doing in school associated with the "Flat Stanley Project". So she sent along "Flat Chloe" to me for a wee adventure... (that's her name - Chloe) I got this letter, and this miniature drawn version of my niece to take around with me...

So, today we had an adventure, and here is my report back to her teacher...

Dear Mrs Coombe,

Flat Chloe mailed herself all the way to Dundee, Scotland. I took her around with me today on a typical "day in the life" of Becky...

I took Flat Chloe to work with me - where I work as a Finance Administrator. The picture shows me in my work setting - with my files behind me. Then, on my lunch break - I took Flat Chloe around to some of the places where I spend my time here in Dundee.

First off, I showed Flat Chloe some of the buildings where I work at the University of Dundee.

Then I showed her the Tay Rail Bridge. This is actually quite a famous bridge, because in 1879 there was a terrible disaster where the bridge gave out. The entire train fell into the Tay with no survivors. The bridge has obviously been rebuilt since then, and we use it all the time with no problems, but the news at the time shocked the world.

After seeing the bridge, I took Flat Chloe further into town, where we came across the famous statue of Desperate Dan here in Dundee. Desperate Dan is quite a famous comic book character in the UK, and he was invented right here in Dundee. In fact, some of the most famous comics were invented here in Dundee, including the characters in the Beano, and the Dandy. Dennis the Menace was born right here in Dundee!

I also showed Flat Chloe some of our local artchitecture, including the Steeple Church of St Mary's on the Nethergate. Another thing we saw was the R.R.S. (Royal Resesarch Ship) Discovery. The Discovery was built right here in Dundee, and it was the ship that Captain Robert Falcon Scott first took to Antartica. It actually got stuck in the ice for 2 years! In fact, another ship that was built in Dundee came out to rescue the Discovery and pull it out of the ice. The Discovery went on several polar expeditions, and now it has a permanent home docked here in Dundee where people can come and see it.

At the end of my work day, we had some visitors at the University, including 2 Jacobite Highlanders and a Piper!!! So, we had our picture taken with them. (broad sword and all) It's a long story as to why the highlanders and piper showed up, so I won't tell it. Needless to say though, it was a pleasant surprise.

After we left the highlanders, we walked through the park to my church. As we walked through Baxter park, we came across Baxter Pavillion. Baxter park and pavillion were named after a wealthy family that owned many Jute mills. For a very long time, Jute was one of the main industries here in Dundee, but eventually, it died out. The owners of the jute discovered that it was cheaper for them to mill jute in India - where it is produced instead of shipping it all the way to Dundee and then distributing it. The last Jute mill died out in the 1970's. This was a heavy blow to Dundonians as Jute mills were a major source of employment for them. So, long story short, I took a picture of Flat Chloe with the Baxter Pavillion.

When we got to the church, Flat Chloe met up with some Scottish kids her own age. We had an activity tonight that included making cookies. The kids had their picture taken with Flat Chloe. On our way home, we came across what looks like a castle. :-) *wink wink, nudge nudge* Actually, it was the Dundee Waterworks station, but it looks just like a castle - doesn't it?

So, that was my day with flat Chloe... it was a good day... pretty typical in my life. I'll send Flat Chloe back in her envelope. But, here are the pictures I took of her. I think Flat Chloe had a pretty fun time with me. :-)

All the best,

Flat Chloe's Aunt
Becky

*I only wish it was real Chloe I was taking around with me instead... :-( *

Politics Can Be Dead Exciting At Times...

2010-05-09T15:07:00.005+01:00

Well, lots of things have happened this week...

As many of you probably know, the UK has had a general election this week. After doing a bit of research and also watching the Prime Ministerial debates; (the first of their kind) I had narrowed down my choice between that of either the Liberal Democrats led by Nick Clegg, or the Scottish Nationalist Party - led by Alex Salmond. Both parties seemed to have pretty solid manifestos for me, and lined up with what I believe personally. Also, I'm not really that bothered about Scotland separating. I think that if Scotland wants to separate, then they can - it's economically viable - I mean - we have all this oil up here and stuff. Plus, Scotland survived for hundreds of years before the Union, so what's the big deal if they separate now? Also, Alex Salmond, the leader of the SNP is dead quirky and funny. Check this out...

My opinion on this matter probably sounds pretty naive to a lot of folks out there, but frankly I don't care. Take it or leave it. In the end though, I wound up voting for the Liberal-Democrats. This was mainly because I didn't feel either choice would have been bad, but I just had a feeling at this time that I should vote for the Lib-Dems. In the end, it didn't make a difference in my constituency anyway, because the Labour candidate nabbed it.

So, the result of the election is what is known in these parts as a "hung parliament". There has been much amusement among my Canadian friends with regards to this term... my facebook status the morning of the election said something along the lines of "Well, hung parliament is a good thing..." I had many comments in my inbox about that particular choice of word. However, what a hung parliament means - is that we - the people of the United Kingdom have elected a more balanced parliament. The Conservatives had the most votes of any party, but all of the other parties combined had WAY more votes than the Conservatives. It's very much like the minority government in Canada at the moment. The situation we have is quite interesting really because there are a number of choices that could be made. In the end the man that seems to have all the power is Nick Clegg - the leader of the Liberal Democrat party. Depending on whom he decides to align himself with, this government could swing either way - Conservative or Labour. Here is a more detailed explanation of this hung parliament...

Nick has started by talking to the Conservatives to see what sort of offer they can make that could entice him to allow his party to form a coalition with them. He has made no official decision at this moment. However, there have also been offers from Labour, and the SNP / Plaid Cymru (in Wales) to form an alliance against the conservatives. Nick has all the power in the end, and it's very interesting to watch. He better not screw it up!!!

One principle of the Liberal-Democrat Manifesto is that of Parliamentary Reform... the idea of Proportional Representation has been kicking around in the UK for more than 20 years. PR has been used in many countries around Europe for years and years... here's a video from the 80's with John Cleese in it to explain how it works...

So - yeah - I'm all for PR. I think it's a brilliant idea. Since the results of the election have come out, more and more people are becoming aware that there is something wrong with the current system of voting. Parliamentary reform at this point is inevitable. This is one of the main points that Nick Clegg will be pushing right now in his negotiations. (or better be!) If you believe that parliamentary reform is important for the future of Britain, then I would recommend that you sign this petition... (link)

I have... I hope that the outcome of this whole thing will be a positive one that will reflects the wishes and desires of the British people, as opposed to the wishes and desires of a few greedy politicians.

So yeah - there's my unfashionable political post. As I said, take it or leave it. I'm not much of a debater, so don't even try to start one up with me... I believe what I believe, and I stand by it.

Other than that, not much has happened this week. I was just really glad to have a reasonably restful week after the events of the past few weeks.

Have a good week peeps, and pray for us Britons. Thanks. x

*post-scrip*

Here's a video of the protests for parliamentary reform from yesterday...

News & Stuff...

2010-05-06T20:22:00.002+01:00

I profusely apologize for not blogging the past 2 Sundays... I've been ridiculously busy lately. I had a very special visitor 2 week-ends ago. ;-) Then, I had another visitor from Canada staying for a couple of weeks, and then this past week-end I had a large group of singles from age 25-45 come up to Dundee for a wee conference I had planned. I also had my first University assignment due in this week - which actually was due last week, but I got an extension...

Anyway - well yes I do have news. If you've been following me on Facebook, then you already know this, but well there's a new man in my life.

By a new man in my life - I actually mean - a man - for real. I'm not being funny, I actually have a boyfriend. Yes, I know, I know - it's about time and all of that.

Brief synopsis... (since everyone asks)

We met online about 3 years ago through a mutual friend on ldslinkup.com and kept in touch rather casually all of that time. Anyway - a couple of months ago, when I went to the temple for the first time in 18 months, we finally met in person. We had lunch in the temple cafeteria - which was our first date... the rest is history. We've had 3 other dates since then - including 2 week-ends back when he came to Dundee to visit me. We seem to hit it off. We have a lot in common, and plenty to talk about when we're together.

His name is Andy, and he works at the temple as an assistant engineer. :-)

He's very kind, thougtful, smart, funny, and witty. Plus, I really really like him.

We're not engaged or anything - so stop jumping to conclusions, and try not to get ahead of yourselves. We're taking it one step at a time. But, umm - watch this space.

Love,
B

p.s. - I'll try to write this Sunday xo

p.p.s. - I voted today in my first UK parliamentary election. I think it's going to be a pretty tight race. I really really hope it doesn't wind up a Tory parliament, but that's me. I had a lot of pressure from all of my friends to vote this way, and vote that way. In the end, I voted according to my conscience - so there you have it. :-) New parliament tomorrow - likely hung.

My Yorkshire Holiday...

2010-04-11T15:00:00.019+01:00

I feel well and truly relaxed today... I guess that's a sign of having had a good holiday. I think I was in need of a good holiday. I was all stressed and grouchy, but no longer. Life is good.

Ok, well from my Twitter updates, I'm sure you've gathered that I didn't entirely stick to the diet while on holiday... in fact - I didn't stick to it at all. I had Fish & Chips 3 times while in Yorkshire! 3 times! Don't ask me why - I have no idea really - but I think that F&C are maybe - better in Yorkshire? I know that all of my Scottish friends are going to protest to that comment, but I don't know what it is - it tastes different down there. Also, the claim seems ludicrous considering that according to some or other chippy experts extraordinaire who have had F&C literally all over the country - the BEST F&C in the entire UK are found in Anstruther which is a mere 30 minute drive from where I live - here in Dundee. I mean - even Prince William gives that one his thumbs up. I think - maybe it was the fact that I was on holiday - and you know - everything you eat on holiday is calorie free... or at least that's what you keep telling yourself - though your body says something else entirely when it's all finished. I had F&C, Chocolate of all manner - egg shaped...

My Aunty bought me some Easter candy... because she loves me. :-) <3

Also, I ate - just about anything that came across my path really. Including this lovely Proper Yorkshire Sunday Dinner...

Just like my Mum used to make. :-) Only this one was made by Gary. Thanks Gary. :-) I mean - just LOOK at these delicious Yorkshire Puddings the man made. I was supposed to say that Sara made them, but I cannot tell a lie - it was all Gary - bless him.

So, yesterday and today, I've been eating according to the diet, and it's amazing really how much better I feel when I eat healthy. However, when you're on holiday you can really only eat what you're given, and enjoy yourself. :-) I certainly did enjoy myself. I had visits with family members, and a special friend who came to Leeds to see me... it was just really enjoyable overall. :-)

One really interesting (historical) thing I was able to see was "Temple Newsam" which is a very old estate in Leeds that was mentioned in the Domesday book... Uncle Arthur, Aunty Rosalie and I toured it - it was fascinating. One of it's many claims to fame is that it was the Birthplace of Lord Darnley - who was the husband of Mary - Queen of Scots, and the Father of King James the VI of Scotland, and I of England. It was also once the home of Lord Darcy - who led the Pilgrimage of Grace against Henry VIII and his dissolution of the Yorkshire Abbeys and Monasteries which made Henry a VERY wealthy King.

(that's my Uncle Arthur in the courtyard of Temple Newsam - I tell you at times it was just like my Dad was right there with me)

I also was able to take a day and visit the ancient city of York - which was absolutely fabulous! Katie and I walked along the walls, and saw a bit of the old city. Including this fabulous little street called "The Shambles" - which Steve had told me about, so I really wanted to see it...

It's like walking into Diagon Alley! It's the cutest little street in the world! All of the shops are really quaint, and the buildings seem to be leaning towards each other. Totally cool place! We went into York Minster, but alas - the religious minds of the day seem to think it's ok to charge people 8.POUNDS. just to take a look at the place - so umm, we gave that a miss. I kid you not - £8!!! ... to tour a religious building. Granted, it is a very famous and interesting religious building - but um - most churches let you tour for free - or at the very most a donation. I would have been happy to pay £3 or £4, but - nope York Minster wants £8!!! Ridiculous. So, we went in, took a few pictures, and turned around again. It really is a beautiful building though...

Here's some of the pics we took whilst in York...

(Katie's chic pose on the wall)

(my attempt at looking Chic on the wall comes out looking rather special...)

I feel very well rested, and very blessed to have been able to spend Easter break with my family here in the UK. I think sometimes I get caught up in life, and forget who I am, and where I came from - so this was an opportunity for me to get in touch with my roots a bit... to close - here's some pics of Otley and surrounding countryside to give you a taste of some of Yorkshire's beauty.

Out Of Office

2010-04-02T10:00:00.007+01:00

This post is in place of the post I will not be writing on Sunday...

I'm going on vacation!!! To this place...

Otley - in Wharfdale - where my Aunt lives. It's lovely out there...

So - I'm afraid all internet activity will be carried out on an "absolutely necessary" basis only. I'm not going to be checking facebook, or my e-mail. The only thing I will commit to doing is Tweeting - from my mobile phone. So, you may see my FB status update - every time I Tweet, and you'll see my wee Twitters from here - on my blog. Yes, me in the Dales for a week. It will be lovely. :-) It should be good times. The only thing I regret is - that I'm going there on the megabus.

I wish I had paid more attention to myself when I complained about megabusing last time... it's rather a sad story how I wound up booking it yet again - this time actually.

I was trying to book a train on the "East Coast" Rail website. (which used to be "National Express East Coast") Well, their website is totally useless, and will not take my debit card details. May I point out that their website is the ONLY site I have ever had this trouble with. So, anyway, I called them up, and they said I could book over the phone... I asked if I could get the online discount - since it was their fault I could not buy tickets on their website. They said no. In my anger, and frustration - I turned to the megabus website... and who did I wind up hurting in this situation? I hurt only myself. Sigh... so anyway - that's why I'm on the megabus tonight. (that's right I said - tonight as in overnight :-( )

The ironic thing is - that a few weeks later, I had the same trouble in trying to book a train - for later on in this month. My friend offered to help me use his card to buy the tickets - yes that's right - the website didn't take his card details either... totally useless! For some reason I was thinking clearer this time around, and looked for a different website / different company that books train tickets... found one, and booked - with no problems. Could have saved myself the grief I will be going through tonight if I had thought with this kind of sensibility before, however what's done is done. We live and learn.

So - yes - I'm off tonight. Will report in a week's time, with pictures and stories. :-)

Laters...

1 Lone Purple Carrot

2010-03-28T19:17:00.007+01:00

I've had a cold since about Wednesday... I'm sure you've seen the Tweets. So, I've been down and out for a few days. I don't know why - but for some reason these Scottish Colds have hit me harder than usual. Before about October - I hadn't had a real cold per se for about a year and a half I think. Since about that time, I've had about 12 I think... I was fine for the last month or so - until Wednesday. :-( However, I'm feeling mostly better now. I forced myself out of the house yesterday morning because we had our Primary Easter Party - which went very well - and with a fair amount of cold medication in me - was enjoyable overall. The kids had fun, and so did I. I admit though, it was quite stressful planning/organizing and anticipating it. It was all worth it in the end - I think everyone had a lot of fun. :-)

That's right - you do see glasses on those chicks... the other ones had head scarves. Oh Lidl - how we love you.

Then, after that, Steve and MBCB convinced me to go and see their new allotment - which I will be helping them with while they are gone for most of the summer...

... now I know what you're thinking. You're thinking - remember what happened last year Becky? The mass garden murder of 2009? Well - this will be quite a bit easier for me to care for - as it's in the same city see? It will only cost me £2.40 round trip on the local bus - and take me 10 minutes of travel time. Also, I'm not going to be spending money on Heritage Variety Seeds, etc... ALTHOUGH, I discovered yesterday amongst the carrots that Steve pulled out of Sue Anne's patch - 1 lone purple carrot. That's right - 1 purple carrot survived...

However, it was in rough shape, and therefore I'm not going to eat it. Also - apparently these purple carrots are orange inside. What's the purpose of having a purple carrot if it's still the same boring orange inside? *snore* Well, I have learned my lesson though - start with the hardy, tried and true varieties. Anyway - this is Steve and MBCB's allotment - so I'll just be maintaining and harvesting whatever they want to plant. It is a lovely little spot though...

It comes with trees (we think Pear, Apple and Cherry), Strawberries, Raspberries, and any number of other lovely things. Also - there's sheds, a patio, and room for Greenhouses. PLENTY of room. Makes me want to have one of my own... sigh. Apparently it's dirt cheap too - £21 a year!!! for land! Quite a large chunk of land! The trouble is getting one. However, it's doable - you just have to put yourself on a list, and be patient. There's some right close to me here... maybe I'll see about getting myself on a list. In the meantime, I'll help my friends with theirs.

So - yeah - I know how most of my summer week-ends will be spent... at the allotment of course.

Back to work tomorrow. Busy times ahead. :-/ I hate being sick... the reason I hate being sick (besides just general sickness) is because there's always so much work to do when I go back to work. I REALLY hope that's the last cold for a while. The next time some random sickie walks past my desk - I'm going to pull out a face mask and tell them to go away - FAR away. People are so very generous with their germs. I do resent that a little.

My Response to Ah In...

2010-03-23T23:38:00.003Z

This is in answer to George Stroumboulopoulos's campaign to answer Canadian children's pressing questions.

Well Ah...

People all over the world believe differently about what happens after we die... some people believe that we go to Heaven, some people believe that there's a Hell - where "bad" people go to. Other people believe that we are re-incarnated... which means basically that our essence or what makes us who we are as individuals gets recycled into another living thing after we die. So, in this philosophy we could come back as a tree, or a bird, or another person, or anything really. Some people believe that nothing at all happens to us after we die. They think that death is the end of our entire existence.

I personally believe that after we die, our spirit separates from our body, and as a spirit, we will face our maker, sit down and have a chat with him, and then he will mercifully give us the blessings which we worked towards in this life - whichever blessings those may be... (It's a bit more detailed than that when you have a big conversation about it, but to simplify it - that's what I believe)

However young Ah In - It's up to each person individually to find their own belief about what they think happens after we die. The best way to go about this is to study all of the different sets of beliefs out there about life after death. The internet may be a good place to start. Then, you can ponder all of the things you've studied, and think about what you think might be right. Then finally - you can pray and ask God which of these sets of beliefs are true. This is a pattern that has helped me to find out what is true, and I think it can help you. Whatever set of beliefs you follow now, start with that, and build on it by seeking more knowledge and light.

I hope that helps you.

Love,
Becky (A Canadian in Scotland)

It's Too Tasty To Be Called A Slimming Diet...

2010-03-21T15:22:00.011Z

Ok, so this diet.... is AMAZING!!!!! Not only am I losing weight and noticing a difference in girth, but I feel great!!! My energy levels are back up, AND I'm never that hungry at all. Plus, the food is tasty... AND!!!!!! I think it's actually saving me money. I make everything from scratch - but it's simple things. Simple, easy things made from - you know - food. I find, that I'm actually enjoying meal planning, and grocery shopping. It also seems that my grocery bags are lighter, because I'm buying quality, not quantity.

Some examples of things I've eaten this week (MUFAs in bold)...

PB&B - 1 whole wheat English muffin, toasted, spread with 2 Tbsp natural peanut butter and topped with 1 small sliced banana.

Raisin Toast - 2 slices raisin bread, toasted, spread with 2 wedges of light laughing cow cheese spread, and topped with 2 Tbsp Sunflower seeds (the book says walnuts, but I don't like walnuts); supplemented with 1 apple.

California Chicken Burger - 1 grilled medium chicken breast, skinless on 1 small seeded wholemeal bap, dressed with 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 3 large lettuce leaves, 1 oz roasted red peppers and 2 oz of sliced Hass Avocado.

Dijon Turkey Wrap - 1 large seeded tortilla wrap, warmed spread with 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, sprinkled with 2 Tbsp pumpkin seeds, and filled with 50 g cooked wafer-thin turkey breast, 1/4 sliced red onion, 1/2 fresh plum tomato, sliced, and 3 large lettuce leaves.

Tuna Pitta - 1/2 a wholemeal pitta filled with 3 1/2 oz water-packed tuna, 2 diced sun-dried tomatoes jarred in extra virgin olive oil, 2 Tbsp chopped sunflower seeds (again, I replaced walnuts), and 1 oz crumbled feta cheese.

Waldorf Pitta - 1 wholemeal pitta spread with 2 wedges of light laughing cow cheese spread and filled with 2 sticks chopped celery, 1 medium apple, sliced, 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds (ditto with walnuts), and 3 large lettuce leaves.

Slaw Dog - 1 small hot dog browned in frying pan in 1 Tbsp peanut oil, on 1 hot dog bun dressed with 1 Tbsp mustard and 1 heaped Tbsp reduced-calorie coleslaw.

Turkey Quesadilla - Spread 1 wedge light laughing cow cheese spread on 1 large seeded tortilla wrap. On half of wrap, place 50 grams cooked turkey breast slices, 1 small handful baby spinach leaves, 30 grams crumbled feta, and 10 sliced large black olives. Fold over and heat in toaster oven or a non-stick pan over medium heat.

Chocolate-Raspberry Oatmeal - 1 packet original Oats-So-Simple, cooked with 6 fl oz semi-skimmed milk topped with 3 Tbsp raspberries and 1 1/2 oz dark chocolate chips.
(I really should have taken a picture of this for you, as it was ABSOLUTELY delicious - and beautiful too - sorry for the google pics - I've been slack on my food photography as late)

Pineapple 'Sundae' - 130 grams pineapple, tinned in pineapple juice, mixed into cottage cheese, low-fat 200 grams sprinkled with 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds. (again, replaced walnuts)

So - as you can see - each meal is fairly well balanced, but the thing that makes a difference in this diet (the scientific thing) is the MUFA rich ingredients (mono-unsaturated fatty acid) Apparently - they're the thing that are targeting my belly fat. Hey man, if it means losing my belly fat, I'll eat more chocolate - that is NOT a problem. (dark chocolate being one of the MUFAs) I feel like I'm not at all missing out on anything. Honestly, I've never been this excited about a diet in my life. I could just eat like this the rest of my life and be happy - even if I never did lose a single pound. I'm down-right impressed with the creativity in the menu.

This week, I get to try this...

Banana Split Oatmeal - 1 packet Oats So Simple original variety made up with 6 fl oz semi-skimmed milk mixed with 3 Tbsp microwaved frozen berries and topped with 1/2 small sliced banana, 1/2 oz dark chocolate chips, and 2 Tbsp peanuts.

Honestly, how much better could it get?

I've also broken down, and decided to weigh myself. I won't be weighing myself often though... maybe once every couple of weeks or so. I weiged myself at the end of the 4 day jump start - and I was at about 207, whereas today I weighed myself, and was at 205.8. Not bad really - for not doing much exercise this week, and just changing my diet - with very little inconvenience at all. I shall make a chart on the side of my blog - listing my current weight and dates weighed so that you can follow along.

You may notice also - that I have changed the layout of my blog. You would not believe how many different templates I went through before finally deciding on this one. It's simple, it's green-ish (my favourite colour), and it says "Becky" to me. It was ridiculous really - I couldn't settle on one. I'd pick one, it would be there a day or two, and then I'd say - nah - I'm looking for something else. So, I'm not going to change this one, even if I do have that thought again... I'll leave it on - at least a few months.

I have also started tweeting. I don't know - thought I'd give it a go. I can send a text on my mobile phone, and it updates my twitter, facebook, and also the wee blurb on the side which you can see says "I Tweet Now". It seems almost like it should simplify my life, but I'm sure it will just complicate it further... :-)

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

Caffeine Withdrawal & Diets

2010-03-14T23:50:00.003Z

For some reason or other - I have been leaving my blogging to the last minute on Sunday nights lately. My apologies for that. I'm about to go to bed, but I will tell you what I've been up to for the last week or so...

So I started my new diet - "The Flat Belly Diet" this week. The diet begins with a 4 day jump start that includes a well balanced, 1200 calorie a day plan... this part I could live with. The part I had trouble with - it seems was the cold turkey restraint from carbonated drinks - which lead me to quite possibly, the worst caffeine withdrawal I have ever suffered. May I advise those of you who are thinking of starting this diet... please give up caffeine before hand - and gradually. Otherwise - you shall hurt - much. There will be much pain. There was much pain, and nausea. Honestly, I felt like a heroin addict trying to go clean... I'm over it now mind you. I feel like a million pounds (that's £££, not lbs). The jump start did the trick. I start the main diet tomorrow. I'm treating it a bit like a science experiment. I want to see if it really will do what it promises to do.... which is - to target belly fat over all other fat in the body. We shall see whether or not these MUFAS will do what they promise to...

I'll keep you posted.

What I Did This Week-end

2010-03-07T22:02:00.006Z

I've left it a bit late in the evening to be blogging, but here goes...

I went to the Preston, England Temple this week-end. (it's actually in Chorley though - not Preston) In our faith - the Temple is the equivalent of God's literal house on earth. It's a sacred place, and one can only enter the temple doors if they are worthy to do so. It's a place where we learn more about Christ and his plan for us. We grow closer to him through the sacred ordinances performed there. For me - it has been about 18 months since I last went to the temple. That was back home in Alberta... Cardston to be exact.

When I walked into the temple doors, it was like I had returned home. It's always nice for me - to step outside of the world and enter the house of the Lord and feel a sort of peace that only comes in that place. So... for me - it was very refreshing. The week-end has left me feeling like a new person somewhat. I won't wait for 18 months to go back again. I'm hoping to go next month. :-) I also had a nice experience in that I finally go to meet a friend of mine - who has been an internet-based online friend for something like 3 years. So - there I was in the temple, getting ready to do my session... I turned around, and there he was. He's an engineer at the temple. Imagine getting to be in the temple every day, and also get paid! That's a great job - if you ask me. It was nice to finally meet him in person and catch up. :-)

If anyone wants to learn more about temples, you can find information about them here... (link)

Also, here's a video about temples...

Have a great week everyone. :-) Next week-end I'm hoping to get my long lie-in. I've been away for 2 week-ends in a row now. But both week-ends have been worth it.

Gangsters, Singles, and Ice Hockey

2010-03-01T18:30:00.006Z

So - this week-end a couple of Dundonian lads and I decided to hit the road and head to Nottingham for an LDS mid-singles dance entitled "Valentine's Massacre" - a Gangsta Valentine's Dance. I'll tell you what drew me in - it was the "Valentine's Massacre" title; because really - that's something a girl can relate to. Haha. Anywho - 7 hours later - we arrived (shattered) but had THE TIME OF OUR LIVES. We came across some fantastic people. I met some men. (a few actually), saw an old friend, had a great time. It was gangster themed - as in dress up as a gangster from the 20's and 30's. I didn't really dress up - but check out how THIS mad mob dressed...

(stolen from facebook) These were the two lads I went down with and some of the fun folks we met down there. p.s. - the cigarette is fake - Julian has NOT taken up smoking

Anyway - fun times. We stayed the night - I stayed at Virginia's BIG house - which was also a fun time. The next day we went to church and then the steak house, (had to eat) had a laugh with some friends, and headed home. 7 hours later, I was yet again shattered - got home, checked my facebook, posted the following status, and then the following thing happened. I will copy and paste it here - so that you can get the full effect...

Becky - just got home from spending a fantastic week-end in Nottingham. It was a great time. Thanks friends - for making it fun. :-) Totally shattered just now, and therefore going to sleep.
Yesterday at 21:56

Karlo - Sleep?...How can you sleep at a time like this??...:)
Yesterday at 22:01 ·

Becky - I KNOW, I KNOW!!!! It's totally unpatriotic of me, and as you know - I've been obsessively following the results. Alright, alright - what period is it? I MIGHT be able to hold out a bit longer...
Yesterday at 22:03 ·

Karlo - lol...Canada up 2-1....Under 15 min. of the 3rd left...:)
Yesterday at 22:05 ·

Becky - alright!!!!! Eeeeeh. You'll have to keep me posted then. I have no tv. Sigh...
Yesterday at 22:06 ·

Karlo - OK....I will look away from the tv once in a while...lol...Under 11 min. left....:)
Yesterday at 22:09 ·

Becky - ok Karlo... what's happening now? Have we won yet???????????????
Yesterday at 22:20 ·

Karlo - 5 min. to go.....You should try to watch it online, just go to ctv.ca
Yesterday at 22:20 ·

Karlo - 2:09 left...:)
Yesterday at 22:23 ·

Karlo - 1:17....The US net is empty...:)
Yesterday at 22:25 ·

Becky - ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!!!!!!!!!!! It won't let me. I would have LOVED to see it live. However, I don't have this silverlight nonsense, and I use Ubuntu anyway - so I never know what to download. Plus - there's no time to download. I'll just wait for your update.
Yesterday at 22:26 ·

Becky - Empty net?!?! We're in.
Yesterday at 22:26 ·

Karlo - About 55 seconds left....US empty net...Canada takes a time out
Yesterday at 22:27 ·

Becky - oh the intensity!!!!!! I'm totally re-watching the end of the game on the BBC iplayer tomorrow...
Yesterday at 22:28 ·

Karlo - Crap....The US scored
Yesterday at 22:28 ·

Becky - NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yesterday at 22:29 ·

Karlo - US tied it with 24 seconds left....Going to overtime
Yesterday at 22:30 ·

Becky - OH MAN!!!! Well, at least I'm now awake....
Yesterday at 22:31 ·

Karlo - Now we have to wait and it's anybody's game now.....crazy
Yesterday at 22:33 ·

Becky - TOTALLY CRAZY!
Yesterday at 22:34 ·

Deborah (my sister) - Crap. What a disappointment - 20 seconds left and they score!
Yesterday at 22:42 ·

Becky - I'm calling you now - you can put the phone to the tv...
Yesterday at 22:47 ·

Becky - Did you change mobile phone numbers? How come you're not answering the landline?
Yesterday at 22:49 ·

Jesse (my nephew) - yes!!!! we just won WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH
Yesterday at 22:54 ·

Jesse (my nephew) - crosby from iginla
Yesterday at 22:54 ·

Becky - Thanks for the details Jesse Bear.
Yesterday at 22:55 ·

Becky - I was listening on Grandma's TV via phone. Haha...
Yesterday at 22:56 ·

Jesse (my nephew) - rofl
Yesterday at 22:56 ·

So - that in a nutshell is how I followed the ending of the GREATEST game of Hockey played in history. I'm only kidding - there's been a lot of great games through the years. I'm guessing though - this one will be right up there on the list. The US did NOT let go of the gold lightly. Good for them for fighting all the way. That's great hockey right there. Sadly - they haven't posted the game on the BBC i-player. :-( I guess I'll have to wait until it comes on You-Tube. I'm guessing it will show up in a day or two - that goal - that MAGICAL goal. Crosby is now a legend. Canada has won 14 Gold medals in these games. That's a record. Not bad at all for a country where we have NEVER BEFORE won a gold medal on home turf. We went in wanting to win - and we won. I think it's about time Canadians started abandoning politeness in sports and cheered on their athletes in reckless abandon - like other countries who will remain nameless. *cough - USA* They certainly showed their disgust for our overt patriotism via their commentators (from what I hear) - I say - it's about time they saw what it was like for the rest of the world - every time they show a disgusting display of patriotism. Get over it. Eat Silver - haha... Right - that's all I'm going to say about that. I have good friends who are Americans, and I admit that there are idiots in all countries of the world - and that we shouldn't judge all people from a certain country by a few people - simply because the few happen to be the loudest, most obnoxious people in the world. I know some great people who are Americans.

Anyway - the Olympics are over - and I can now get back on with my life. No more obsessive score checking. What a great week-end overall. What an amazing way to top it off though - with a Gold Medal in what we as Canadians call "Our Game". It really is our game. We invented it, we love it the most, and we make it a part of who we are. It's part of our national identity.

I could almost kiss Don Cherry right now. :-)

*amendment* - The BBC i-player DID show me highlights. It's at the beginning of the Closing Ceremonies. So - FANTASTIC - to see the winning goal and to see them all receive their medals. To hear the anthem was SO sweet.

Totally shattered......

2010-02-28T22:21:00.002Z

... just now. Just got back from Nottingham after a 7 hour car journey. Will elaborate tomorrow. I'm staying up just long enough (about 5 minutes) to shout hooray for Victory over the Americans - and then that's it - I'm going to crash into my cozy comfortable bed.

Goodnight.

Bad Sportsmanship

2010-02-21T12:48:00.005Z

I have 2 home countries. I was born and grew up in Canada, but all of my ancestors before me were born right here in the UK. That makes me British through and through. I'm very proud to be a Canadian, but I am equally proud to be British. (by British I mean - all of Britain - as my ancestors come from all across this land - and Ireland too incidentally)

However, I have to say that I am ashamed of the Canadian athletes (Americans and Germans too) who have picked on this girl...

Amy Williams - Olympic Gold Medalist for Great Britain. She is the first individual Gold Medallist winner in this country for 30 years.

The argument apparently is that her helmet is slightly more aerodynamic than everybody else's. The fact of the matter is - she slid better than anyone else on that course. Mellisa Hollingsworth had a crap run... let's admit it. We all saw it. That happens sometimes. Get over it. Stop crying about it. It just makes you (and all of us as Canadians) look pathetic and sad when you can't be a good sport and accept that someone raced better than you. The helmet was inspected and passed by a jury for competition. Amy did NOT add a spoiler to her helmet, it was made like that by the manufacturer.

It just makes me sick that you can't let her have her big moment without this nonsense. I'm really ashamed, very very ashamed of you Mellisa Hollingsworth - and all of the athletes making a big deal about this. It's sad. Pathetic and sad.

Sigh... what is the purpose of the Olympics? To bring athletes together from all over the world in a friendly spirit of competition. This is an opportunity for them to show their very best - not their worst. Bad sportsmanship is just that - bad. Instead of being a good sport and congratulating Amy on her excellent run, you've just brought a bad spirit into the games with your ridiculous allegations. Honestly, I'm ashamed, just ashamed of you.

On a positive note - Canada and the US go head to head tonight in Men's Hockey. Let's hope Team Canada do well tonight. I'm certainly routing for them. However if they don't (heaven forbid) then I won't go crying about it and blaming the Americans. Sorry, I have to let this go don't I? Still, it's just annoying. Bad sportsmanship is just sad.

We're very proud of you Amy. :-) You're a hero back here in your home country. You tell them where to shove their helmet controversy.

Things I Miss About Canada (The Calgary Edition)

2010-02-17T16:39:00.019Z

Here's another middle-of-the-week post... isn't it exciting?

Well, the other day when I was feeling all patriotic after watching the opening ceremonies, I decided to write a list of all the things I miss about Canada. Many of them are Calgary-specific - but some of them are things that all Canadians would miss if they were separated from them. I shall add links or pictures to whatever ones I can. *Note* These are not in any particular order, but are listed as they came to me. Some of them should probably be grouped together, but in order to retain the authenticity of original thought - I shall keep to the "as it came to me" list.

With no further ado, here it is...

- George Stroumboulopoulos
- Hockey Night in Canada (and the theme song)
- Coach's Corner
- Moxie's White Chocolate Brownie

- Kraft Dinner (original)
- President's Choice (anything and everything)
- Skor
- Ed Whalen (but obviously I can't bring him back from the dead)

(isn't that the best picture of Ed you've ever seen?)

- My family

- My crazy nephews and my sassy neice

Couldn't find a good photo with ALL of my nephews in it, but here's my wee sassifrass neice.

- My VERY best friends

- Being packed very tightly like a Sardine on the C-Train
- Heated Bus / Train Stations
- Block Heaters
- Wide Open Spaces
- The Rockies
- Fields upon Fields of Wheat
- The Claresholm 7-11 - Chicken and Wedges

- Stuart McLean & the Vinyl Cafe
- McNally Robinson
- Heck even Chapters/Indigo
- Reitmans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Zellers
- Stampede Wrestling

- Stephen Avenue
- The Rockyview Hospital - it feels like home somewhat... (oddly)
- The Drive from Calgary to Cardston
- Banff & Lake Louise
- Tobogganing throughout the winter
- Winners
- The Real Canadian Superstore (or stupidstore as we lovingly call it)
- Famous Players (I guess it's now called Cineplex)
- 17th Avenue
- 4th Street
- Tourette's Girl (don't ask)
- The DHCC!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Unit 71 - Urology
- Urologists
- Alright, SOMEtimes I miss the snow
- Being bundled up like a burrito when it's -40 degrees celsius WITHOUT the wind chill factor... (-70 with WCF)
- My Snow-dogs and igloo (just kidding)

- Boston Pizza at 2 am
- MacLeod Trail
- The Calgary Stampede (how it used to be - with real cowboys and family fun)
- Elbow Falls

- Kananaskis Country - and about a zillion different hiking options (though I have that sort of thing here too)
- Drumheller, the Hoodoos, and the Royal Tyrrell Museum

- Bison and "Head Smashed In" Buffalo jump
- Moose (Meese?)
- Native American Indigenous Peoples

- Multiculturalism (though Dundee does fairly well with that too)
- Royal Canadian Air Farce
- Newfies
- Burger Baron (does it still exist?)
- Fish Creek Park
- The Bow River
- Prince's Island
- The Calgary Tower
- Hot Dog Stands on Corners - ooh, and Tubby Dog

- Giant Poplar Trees
- Perogies

- Poutine

- A&W Root Beer
- The Burger Family
- Peter's Drive In and milkshakes so thick - they remind you of liposuction sucking it through the straw
- A&W Onion Rings

- The Second Cup
- Cinnzeo
- The Hudson's Bay Company
- Devonian Gardens
- The Terry Fox Run
- Roots
- Rick Mercer Report
- Corner Gas
- Little Mosque on the Prairie
- The Calgary Farmer's Market (even though it's insanely expensive - a very cool place to walk around)
- Forced Air Central Heating
- The Calgary Flames
- Mooch

And last, but certainly NOT least...

- Timmie's

That's all I have for now. I'm sure more things will come to me. It's just that sometimes you don't realize what you have until you're removed from it. Then, it's the little things you really miss.

There are about a zillion things I would probably miss about Dundee too if I ever left. It's all about perspective really, but culture runs deep.

VD & The Olympic Spirit...

2010-02-14T22:28:00.004Z

Well, it's Valentine's Day, and I find myself not dwelling on the usual things I think about on Valentine's Day (you know - how I've never had a good one, and how - yet again I'm all alone, etc...) I find myself obsessively watching the Olympic Games on the BBC i-player, and also - not worrying so much that I'm all alone on Valentine's Day - yet again. Besides that, a dear friend (of the male persuasion) sent me a lovely Valentine's message. (that hasn't happened since grade 6) I also enjoyed a nice evening out at a girlfriend's house - where she entertained a house full of people with good food, crafts, and cookies. It was nice. I often refer to VD (pun intended) as Single's Awareness Day - as everywhere you turn in the weeks leading up to it - there's all this ridiculous pink and red everywhere, and lingerie is on sale, and chocolate, and flowers, etc... but - really it's not so bad if you ignore it.

Here's David Mitchell on... "The Act of Giving Flowers" - just to remind us of how foolish we all are...

Whilst I think David's Soapbox rant is quite funny, and highly accurate, I find that I - being a girl - am always happy to receive flowers. I will happily always accept flowers from anyone who chooses to give or even send them to me. However, having said all of that, I have learned that the key to enjoying Valentine's Day is to just ignore it. Enjoy the Winter Olympics, and the company of nice people, and forget all the other crap.

Speaking of Winter Olympics...

Did you see the Opening Ceremonies??? Sheer Canadian awesomeness.... that's the only way to describe it. Everything about it said "Canada" to me. I LOVED it, and I don't usually love those things. Perhaps it's just because I'm so far from home, and I needed a little home to remind me of where I came from.

I'm going to be eyeing the scores of the hockey this year very closely. Go Team Canada! Women's and Men's teams that is... we're going to take them all down - one by one... in a friendly Olympic Spirit kind of way that is.

People say that the Olympics are too expensive, and that Vancouver is going to go Bankrupt hosting them, and yes - they have a point, but that doesn't prevent me from enjoying the Olympics anyway. I do love watching hours of people doing things I would never do in a million years. (Beckys don't respond well to slidey things on their feet)

Sad to hear of the Georgian athlete who died in training. It is tragic, though I suppose that is the risk all Winter athletes take - especially in a sport as dangerous as Luge-ing. I hope his team-mates are able to carry on in his absence and do very well in the games.

The New New Plan...

2010-02-07T18:30:00.005Z

Sigh... I know I change my mind about this every single week, but...

I've decided to make a new overall plan for my health.

The week before last was probably the most stressful one I've had in a while, and my body didn't respond well to it. So, after doing some thinking, and listening to my body, I've decided to take a different overall approach for my health.

I've also decided to give this "Flat Belly Diet" a go. My sister started on it last week, I'm not sure how it's gone for her (need to call her tonight), but overall - how bad could it be? It's like 1600 calories, well balanced, and promises to banish belly fat, whilst eating more - fat. How bad could it be? I'm going to read the book all the way through before I start though. It's best I know what I'm doing if I'm going to apply myself seriously to it.

Anyway, besides that, I've decided that I need more sleep, and a balanced approach to exercise. Therefore, instead of the hardcore 30 minutes of cardio every single day, on top of walking and Yoga...

I shall follow this routine...

Monday - Walk to and from work, do 30 minutes of cardio at lunch.

Tuesday - Walk to and from work, do 60 minutes of Yoga at home.

Wednesday - Walk to and from work, do 30 minutes of cardio at lunch.

Thursday - Walk to and from work, do 60 minutes of Yoga at home.

Friday - Walk to and from work.

Saturday - 60 minutes of Yoga at home, walk to and from the grocery store.

Sunday - Walk to and from church

Simple enough? I think so. How hard could that be? The hard part is going to be sleep... I remember some time ago, my friend Natalie who is a Dietician told me that when you get at least 7 hours of sleep a night, then certain chemicals (leptin and grehlin) are released which help you to lose weight. (in a manner of speaking) Plus, I have found that when I don't get enough sleep, I'm cranky, unhappy, unhealthy, and stressed out. Kalms have been helpful, but nothing replaces sleep. Yoga should help with feeling less stressed too.

Bad stress is bad. Bad. Bad. As time goes on, I think I'm going to face more of this bad stress. Therefore, I better get my routine going now so that I can have the tools to face it.

I need to spend less time at my computer as well, and more time reading. I have a lot of reading to catch up on. When I start school, (hopefully in March - if all works out) then I'll definitely have to spend less time at the computer and more time reading, or perhaps more reading at the computer, and less social networking. Well, regardless - I need more balance. Balance is what I'm going to get.

Blog-Aid (what a brilliant idea)

2010-02-04T23:02:00.005Z

ooh, look - it's a blog in the middle of the week...

Well, I just had a thought, and decided to share it. I've just purchased this cookbook...

It's a collaboration between Julie Van Rosendaal and 26 other food bloggers on the internet. I know that every single recipe I've ever gotten from Julie has been absolutely fabulous, so seriously - it's worth every penny, and the best bit is that every penny spent on these books is going to help the folks in Haiti. I think it's a brilliant project, and I'm happy to support it. I highly recommend others do so as well.

You can buy the book here... (link)

... and you can read Julie's comments here... (link)

Go out and buy this book! (Actually, you don't need to go anywhere to buy it, I certainly didn't. Buy it from the comfort of your home.) Seriously - buy it.

Stress...

2010-01-31T18:56:00.004Z

My friend says I need to try these things...

Kalms... apparently they de-stress you. You know what I'd really like though, is this...

I almost always feel more relaxed, and far less stressed after having one of those... not to mention balanced.

I have had a week packed with commitments and craziness. Apparently my body anticipated this at the beginning of the week and decided to plague me with a short-lived stomach flu. Thankfully it was short lived. Painful, but short lived. Now, unfortunately though - I owe my pal a Coke. We had this disagreement about the flu shot, and I said that I'd be fine without it, and would just continue supplementing with Vitamin D - and that's all I needed. We bet on a Coke. I now owe him a Coke. Small price to pay I suppose. However, being sick wasn't going to stop me from keeping my commitments, so I fulfilled them. Tuesday, we had our first "Faith in God" activity for the year in Primary. This is an activity once a month for Children aged 8-11. Then, Wednesday I was supposed to do something too, but went to bed early instead. Felt 150% better on Thursday. Thursday I spoke at our Relief Society Meeting on my 110 pound weight loss, what got me there, and what happened afterwards. (shared the Ugly Duckling story as told by President Craig) It went really well, but anticipating the presentation, and anticipating doing it 3 times over really kind of stressed me out a little. Then Saturday I had all of these things to do - a quarter of which actually got done - but not well. Long story short, I hate the National Express East Coast people, my neighbours are slobs, and hairdressers in this country are not very accommodating. Then, today I spoke in church after going through all of the regular Primary madness that ensues every week. This also went really well, but as I said - I think just anticipating doing all of these things this week really stressed me out. So, now I've got all of this pent up leftover stress - even though I got through it all ok. Maybe I'll just drink some Horlicks and go to bed. It all starts over again tomorrow, but at least my schedule looks relatively clear-ish this week. Imagine what I'm going to be like when I start my studies... :-/ I may need to invest in these Kalms that my friend was speaking of.

On a totally un-related topic, I think I want a Micropig. They are really quite clean, not to mention cute and snorty. Sigh... I wish I could have a pet. Maybe if I train it to use the toilet, I could. Because then I could still work every day-like. Probably not practical, but still - a girl can dream.

Same Old... New Name?

2010-01-24T22:57:00.005Z

It's 11 pm, and this is the first chance I've had to sit down and write a blog entry today. Life gets continually busier, but you know - it feels fulfilled. I find, that the busier I get, the less chance I have of getting myself into trouble. I just feel better overall when I keep busy. Not over-busy, I mean - too much stuff creates the bad kind of stress. I hope I don't push myself to that point, but good stress is very helpful I find.

My sister called me today, she says I need to look into this "Flat Belly Diet". She's going to give it a go. I'm not one for fad diets, but there are an awful lot of people out there that swear by this one. I don't know, someone needs to tell me what I did before. I seem to have a difficult time finding the right balance between exercise and diet. I may be exercising too much. Perhaps am not doing the right kind of exercise. My diet definitely could be improved, but at the moment is entirely dependent on my budget. Which really isn't an excuse. I eat healthy for the most part, but if someone is going to give me free food, I'm certainly not going to turn it away...

Speaking of this, the ladies at church have asked me to speak to them about how I lost weight before... what I did, and what was the connection I made in my head that finally got me to change my lifestyle. I haven't planned exactly what I'm going to say to them, but I hope to be able to convey to them exactly the sort of motivation that I had in the beginning, and in doing so - re-motivate myself to do something differently. Because whatever I'm doing doesn't seem to help. The more exercise I do, the bigger my thighs seem to get. It is rather defeating...

I will try to muster motivation to motivate others, but it is difficult just now. Ah well, I'm still reasonably healthy at least...

Ah, Friends...

2010-01-17T21:13:00.004Z

Friends like this are hard to come by

It's really nice when people from home come to visit here in Scotland. I just had a really great catch-up with Davin - who is here in the UK on a business trip. He came up to Scotland to visit my friend Steve, so I stole some time with him also. I really miss that, you know? People I've known forever, and just chit chatting about old times, and the people we know. That's why it's so nice to have Steve around as well. It helps me remember that I had a different life before. I miss my people. I miss my girls in particular though - my two closest friends Pat and Tracy. I would say that there is no one in the world who knows me better than they do. They know all of my kinks and flaws, and they love me for them. I hope one day to find another friend like that - whom I can tell anything at all to, and they wouldn't think of me differently. I think I would shock a fair few people out of their skin if I told them half of what I was really thinking - haha. But, I guess that's what makes relationships like that special; you can really tell them anything, and they'll accept you no matter what you say. They'd chastise you, and try to help you back on the right track if necessary, but will still love you and accept you.

Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is - true friends are hard to come by. Don't get me wrong, I've made some really great friends here while living in Scotland. I've really been fortunate that way. But, I guess I'm just not entirely trusting by nature. It takes a really trustworthy soul to get to see the real me. I hope I'll be fortunate enough to find that again.

So, we had a lovely potluck dinner tonight. Lisa and Sandy brought a casserole (delicious), I made Salad (ok), and Steve brought a Rice Pudding (also delicious). I must say - that these friends have proven to be excellent to spend time with, and also to depend on for being there when needing a shoulder to cry on. Not least of all, they make excellent food. I'm grateful to have found good friends here in Scotland. Friends really are what makes life worthwhile - wherever you are.

I feel very fortunate to have had great friends in my life.

Please come and visit me any time, my friends. :-)

Sunday Thoughts...

2010-01-10T16:09:00.003Z

This is for mbfm...

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

My prayers are for your son, for you, and your family. God loves him very much, and he'll take care of him, because he's his son as well... and you are his daughter.

That's all I'm going to say about that.

Today, I'm feeling fairly thoughtful, and contemplative. I have to say, that I'm really enjoying working with the Primary children at church. They're great kids, and each one of them is really special in their own way. It just seems like there is never an end of things to do. I think this is the first time I've had one of these "losing sleep over" callings, and I have to say it's exhausting - because it's full time. But, I think - that may be just what I need right now... a chance to stop worrying about myself and my own needs for a while, and think about others. I think it's just too easy to get into that "poor me" rut when you have nothing to distract you from yourself. It's good to have lots of little distractions in my life. Things are really looking up just now. I think this will be a heck of a year...

I went back to the gym this week. Feeling pretty good. The muscles remember what to do. The Yoga mat is glad to be useful again. Things are in motion to keep me on the right track with all of my resolutions. I'm not saying I've been perfect in keeping them, but I'm doing my very best, and the best thing really is to keep it fairly consistent, and not let yourself have an "all or nothing" attitude about it. If you slip up, just pick yourself and start over again. No big deal. We build things up in our minds far too much. They've asked me to speak to the Relief Society ladies at church about my weight-loss journey. They want to know what it was that motivated me in the first place. The real thing is, that the only thing that can motivate you is your will. You can have one or two of many different reasons for "wanting" to lose weight, but the only thing that actually helps you to succeed is your decision to do so. Once you have decided to do something - you do it. That's really the end of the story. Commitment is the key. Isn't that the case with everything in life? If you want real happiness, you have to commit to a worthy cause. So - there you have it.

I think that's all I have to say today. Will post again next week.

B

A Bit Late Perhaps...

2010-01-04T12:50:00.004Z

Well, perhaps it's still Sunday somewhere in the world... Fiji perhaps?

1st chance to keep that resolution, and I've screwed up already. However, I shall mend my ways next week.

My list of things to do seems to be increasing at an alarming rate! Who knew Primary was so much work? (just kidding, of course it's lots of work - kids take effort) I'm starting to feel like I know what I'm doing though. It's just that there is so much to do. Thankfully I can delegate.

So, other than that, not much has occupied my time or thoughts this week (except the regular boring stuff) New Year's Eve was a bit of a disappointment, as the Ceilidh was cancelled. I guess the icy roads were a bit too much for the Scots out in the country to make it in. So - no Ceilidh. Though, I bought a couple of bottles of Shloer, and a bag of Haggis flavoured crisps, and stayed in watching movies all night.

Then about 10 minutes before midnight, I turned on the radio, and listened to the countdown, drinking my Shloer. There was a surprising amount of Fireworks to watch outside of my window. I really do have a fantastic view. I don't think I'm ever going to want to leave this flat, simply because I'd miss the view. So, I drank BOTH bottles of Shloer, and had the wickedest sugar hangover the next day. (which I deserved for being gluttonous)

Friday the 1st, I went to my friend from work - Susan's place. She had this fantastic Stovie party with her entire family and a vast number of friends as well. This was a proper Scottish party, let me tell you. They were lots of fun, and all of them made me feel right at home. I heard just about every "When I went to the Calgary Stampede" story they had to tell. All involving Cowboys and alcohol. Haha - ah Stampede. Even though it's really only an excuse to get drunk and wear less clothes, I think I'm starting to miss Stampede a little. Who knew that would happen? Oh, also - Hilary (my favourite co-worker) came to that party with her husband Alistair - so it was nice to see them. Then afterwards, I went back to their place to watch Doctor Who (final David Tennant episode) with them and their daughter - which incidentally was a tad bit cheezy in the end there, and a little disappointing to be honest - loved the Timelords return though! I think Matt Smith is going to be brilliant. (though, I will miss David Tennant) Looking forward to the new series.

So, yeah - that was my Hogmanay in a nutshell. Not the wildest time, and not conventional either. Maybe next year will be different. Maybe I'll even get a proper New Year's kiss next year. *fingers crossed*

Hope you all had a great time. I promise I'll do better next week, and try to keep my Sunday Blog commitment.

B

Time Again For Resolutions.....

2009-12-30T22:25:00.006Z

Remember that movie? I guess we're not living in space stations on the moon or any other exotic places in the solar system for that matter. A bit behind in our progression I'd say. Nonetheless, 2010 is now upon us.

I thought that since I've spent most of the week thinking about all that transpired in 2009, and what I'd like to accomplish in 2010, that I'd share my resolutions with you. I write resolutions every year, and even though I often don't accomplish everything on the list, something about writing them down keeps me focused enough to accomplish at least some things. So, I'd call that successful. Remember the other day when I said I'd try to set a resolution to blog every single day? Well, after the last week of planning things for my new calling as Primary President, and anticipating the other things that I'll be busy with in 2010, I don't think that's possible, however - I've kept the blog in mind whilst planning my resolutions. So, without further delay, here they are...

Becky's Resolutions 2010

Health:
I will practice Yoga for an hour – at least 3 days a week
I will do 30 minutes of some sort of Cardio exercise 6 Days a week
I will not eat Candy at all, except for Dark Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger at my discretion
I will eat a Healthy diet full of fruit and vegetables as usual

(these go in line with goals written earlier this month)

Spirituality:
I will study at least 1 chapter of Scriptures every day
I will offer up sincere prayer every night and throughout the day (never could master morning prayers - always fell asleep)
I will attend the temple more often in 2010, aiming for March as the first trip. (travel is expensive)
I will give every bit of attention I can to my calling as Primary President, and give each child individualized attention according to their needs

Education:
I will set aside time (at least a couple of hours) every day except Sunday to study and work on my University Course
I will do everything I can to keep a first class Honours standing

Personal:
I will write a Blog entry once a week (on Sunday)
I will go to all church activities and meet as many people as I can
I will look into the Capoeira class and other classes where I can meet new people.

So, there you have it - Resolutions 2010. I have to say - the health goals are particularly in the fore-front of my mind (as usual) - as people have been posting pictures of me on facebook that I am NOT happy with. I know that the camera adds like 10 pounds, but still - I'm feeling quite uncomfortable with those pictures. So, as soon as I'm back to the office, regular routine ensues.

I hope everyone is as excited as I am to start a new year... when I was young, I used to think that New Year's was a stupid holiday that was over-hyped. Now that I'm older, I get excited about starting fresh every year. I think it's a great holiday.

Tomorrow night, I'm going to the Hogmanay Ceilidh at the church - which should get me into exercise mode - as Ceilidh = workout.

Happy Hogmanay everyone!

More News...

2009-12-20T16:42:00.003Z

I've known for about a month now, but today it was officially announced at church that I will be the new Primary President of the Dundee Bingham Ward. This means that I'll be in charge of the spiritual welfare of about 30? children between the ages of 2 and 12. So, yes - I'll be warping young minds. Just kidding. Anyway, when the Bishop called me in and asked me to do this, I was a little daunted to say the least, but after the last few weeks of thinking about it, I've gotten used to the idea, and I know it's what I'm supposed to do at this point in my life. I love kids. It's quite clear that kids and I get along. In fact, I love anything that needs nurturing. This is why I've been all desperate to have a dog lately. (lately = my entire life) So, I have needs, they have needs - all needs are met by this arrangement. Problem solved. Plus, I always enjoy a challenge and an opportunity to serve. I think it will be good. I always have Faith that God knows what he's doing, but sometimes I wonder. I guess time will tell...

I've decided that in the new year, one of my resolutions will be to write something on my blog every single day. I don't know if I'll really be able to keep it up, as life is going to be considerably busier in the New Year; but I'll certainly try.

New Year includes...

Work Full-time
School Part-time
Primary President Full-time
Commitment to Meena's Tuesday night Yoga class (she is so very persuasive)
Monday night possible commitment to Capoeira class? (not sure, have to look into it)
Regular Exercise at lunch/walk to work/Yoga 3 times a week at home

So, I think it's going to be a hoppin' time. Perhaps this is my year. Everything big always happens when you have absolutely no time for it.

News and General Christmassy Joy...

2009-12-19T12:03:00.005Z

What a week!

Full of news, and exciting things, and just general Christmassy goodness.

1st thing I can report is...

For some time now, as many of you know, I've been thinking about my future, and having grown up in Calgary, Alberta, (where no one really needs a degree to get a good job, and where post-secondary education is ridiculously expensive) I never really pursued a degree. But, that doesn't mean I never saw the value in it. The truth is, for years and years, I never really knew what I wanted to do. I started a brief stint in Horticulture - which unfortunately because I was 19 at the time, and distracted by hormones/emotions/men - didn't work out. I like plants though, don't get me wrong. I also completed a Certificate at BVC for a "Health Care Clerk" career - which led me to my illustrious Hospital Unit Clerk career at the CHR. (love you folks and miss you terribly). However, I always knew that I wanted to do something more. The other factor of course is, through all of those years, I had to support myself, and paying for school would be my responsibility entirely. There's no way Mum and Dad could help me out with that.

Almost a year ago, I decided to apply at Abertay University for their Food, Nutrition, and Health programme - because I really like food, and nutrition (as you know) and I'd like to help other people in their quest to improve overall health. Anyway, I did that, and was accepted. (thanks Kathy for the great reference). I was due to start that - next September with no clear idea how I would be able to afford to live, pay off my loans back home, and go to school Full Time. Obviously I'm going to have to continue to work, so I was not sure how that would all work.

So, a couple of weeks ago, I was having a chat with Hilary (who is always full of excellent advice), and she mentioned that I should do something funded by the University which I currently work for, because there are loads of opportunities for staff members to improve their own personal development. I gave that some thought, and prayer. Then, I wrote an e-mail to the Personal and Professional Development department.

Long story short, it turns out that the PPD department will fund 50% of my education in working towards a degree if the School I work for fronts the other 50%. So, after an interview with my excellent Dean and School Secretary, they were very happy to authorize the 50%.

I will be working towards a BSc in Environmental Studies at the Open University. Which will allow me to continue to work Full-time, and do my studies in my own time. I know it's not nutrition, but it's another subject that interests me equally. Plus, food is related in a VERY big way to the environment. In fact, it's the subject that interests me the most - as you know if you've read my previous posts about local eating. I think, overall - it will be a really great experience for me. I hear no end of good things about the OU. So, that's news number one.

2nd thing to report is...

My best friend in Scotland is getting married!!!! Which for some reason makes me a ridiculous amount happier than usual "friends getting married" news. Perhaps it's because we're a bit in the same boat, and his finding the woman of his dreams gives me a bit of hope - that there's someone equally as exciting out there - somewhere for me. To be honest, it was quite a miraculous thing that they found each other. I'm so happy that it's worked out so well for them. It's funny, but most women my age who are still single get embittered when they hear news of people getting married, and they are yet again left on the shelf. Perhaps I'm still on the shelf, but I find such joy, (and I guess hope) whenever I hear news of people getting married. I guess that's a good sign. So, congratulations Steve and MBC!

3rd thing to report is...

Christmas is coming, and I'm just really excited about it. That's all. My tree is up (and has been since my Birthday - haha), there's snow on the ground, I've got good friends to spend time with, and lots of great parties to go to. I miss my family, but they know I love them, as I sent them a 2.5 kilo package full of chocolate. So, roll on Christmas - but not too quickly as I'm really enjoying it.

Everything just feels really great today.

Love you all! x

p.s. - It's snowing quite heavily just now - so I guess that means we'll have a lovely white Christmas in Dundee!

1 Year as a Dundonian...

2009-12-12T23:52:00.007Z

Well, I've been here a year now... A year ago on Wednesday I got on a plane, Thursday I arrived in the UK, and a year ago yesterday I arrived in Dundee.

(on the plane that brought me here)

It's been an interesting year, I must say. When you think about it, it was quite a gamble moving to an entirely different continent with very little funds saved, and no job lined up - leaving a fairly comfortable job, life, family, friends.

I had Faith though, and the knowledge that if I did everything in my power to make things happen, that God would help me... and he did.

1 year later - I have a permanent job in a place that I enjoy working, a place to live that I love - with an excellent view, fully functional kitchen and plenty of space to myself, fantastic landlords, good friends that I can turn to if I need help with anything, plants, furniture, food in my fridge, a gym membership, the list of blessings goes on really. There's still a few vitally important things missing from my life, but overall - I have it pretty good really...

... and I think the gamble (or leap of Faith as it's more appropriately called) payed off. Things are looking up. There's always something new in my life to keep my interest fresh.

People here still ask me - every time they find out that I've moved here from Canada - "Why did you move here?" (people here think Dundee is the armpit of Scotland) I always answer the same - "I needed a change" or "I like Dundee - it's just the right sized city for me", etc... the truth is, I just felt drawn here, and now that I am here - it's home. For this moment in time for me - Dundee is my home city. Calgary hasn't felt like home for a fair number of years now. My immediate family is there, not to mention a very large portion of my friends - but the city itself is not my home - anymore.

So, I guess that would make the move - a success.

(here in my flat - this minute - happy)

The Cold...

2009-12-02T21:36:00.004Z

It's been well over a year since I last had a cold, so I suppose I'm due one. However, this one seems to be the cold-spawn of the devil. I hate being sick - hate.it. I stayed home from work today and slept most of the morning, but have you noticed that when you have a cold, you only manage to sleep in short spurts? Perhaps it's the whole not being able to breath thing... On a positive note, I received a box from home today. (lucky I was in house) It was full of more of my books. Oh how I miss my books. There's now about 18 boxes left to mail. Can only really afford to send a few at a time, but that's ok - because it's kind of like receiving presents in the mail.

Speaking of receiving presents in the mail, I've started this campaign on FB to get my friends in Canada and the U.S. to mail me a box of Kraft Dinner. The other day I was sitting around, thinking of what simple, easy food I could cook for myself, and like anyone else who was raised on the stuff, I immediately thought of KD. They have Kraft "Cheesy Pasta" here, but it's total crap, and nowhere near worthy of even being compared to KD. The thing is, as an adult, I grew out of the desire to eat KD - because it is rather naff. But, once in a while, you know? The craving just overtakes you. Perhaps it's just comfort food. I really must be well established here in Scotland, because I remember that last year when I arrived, my friend - Steve was having similar cravings, and his parents sent him KD. I was all - why? It's so disgusting... Now - I get it. Comfort food from home.

So, if you want to make my Christmas wish come true, send me a box of KD (address on FB) and I promise that if you do, I'll mail you one authentic Galaxy bar (or whatever chocolate you choose) from right here in the UK. Fair deal? You can thank Jocelyne for that - her idea.

I do wish this cold would go away - though I have to say, I'm well stocked up with cold remedies. This is all down to my dear friend Hilary whom I work with. She really is very thoughtful. As soon as she heard I was sick, she marched me down to the chemists and bought me Lem Sip (Neo Citron), Cough Syrup, Strepsils, and a Hot Water Bottle. Bless her - she takes good care of me. I've started a fan club for her on FB - it's entitled "I Love Hilary" - she really is the best.

So - yeah that's about all I have to report today. December is here, my chocolate parcels are mailed home, Christmas is coming, and I've already got 2 invitations to dinner - which is brilliant. I'll be spending most of the holidays with my friends the Clancys though. Love the Clancys. "Christmas at the Clancys" - sounds like a movie.

Later peeps.

How Becky Got Her Groove Back...

2009-11-22T19:20:00.004Z

Well, it's been a week of being back on the wagon...

I seriously feel like I've got my groove back. I feel amazing. It's all due to exercise and good nutrition. Maybe that's what I've been missing all of these months. I've been slightly... down in the mouth for a while now. I blamed it on being single, and the usual depressing things. Apparently all I needed (not that I don't still need the other things) was good nutrition and exercise.

Life is pretty good this week I have to say. I shall continue my ride on the wagon to wellness and fitness. I have not weighed myself, nor will I. I have no idea what progress I've made this week weight-wise. I have to say though - looking and feeling fairly hot.

Roll on wagon train...

Back On The Wagon

2009-11-15T22:42:00.004Z

I have no idea how much I weigh at this moment, and I'm not going to find out. Sufficeth to say though, I'm not too impressed with my physical situation at the moment, because my clothes are starting to not fit, and I can't afford to buy new clothes. So, the answer is...

BACK ON THE WAGON

However, I've decided to keep the rules simple this time around.

Rule 1: I will not weigh myself at all (for at least a year)

Rule 2: I will eat no candy except dark chocolate and crystallized ginger (and then sparingly)

Rule 3: I will do Yoga at least 3 times a week

Rule 4: I will do 30 minutes of cardio 6 days a week. (Running, Cycling, or Fast Walking)

I think my eating habits are fairly normal other than that, so I'm going to keep everything else the same, and continue to try to eat healthy overall. Christmas is coming, and I've still got the mound of Birthday Candy to conquer, so that may prove difficult, however - I CAN DO IT. As I have proven before. I just need to remember that. Plus, I can't afford new clothes.

Some Nonsense Writing For General Update....

2009-11-04T19:39:00.006Z

Blah!!!!! That's just how I felt like starting this blog. I really have nothing at all in particular to say - I just thought - it's been quite a while since I wrote anything at all here... what have I been up to? Lets see............

Work is going well. I'm settling in at the Graduate School well now, and I like the people I work with. I miss my friends at the other School, but we have lunch now and then, so it's ok. Dundee is nice and small - so no one is really that far away. I have no dating life to speak of - still. I have decided it's not because I'm not a great catch. I am - we all know this. I possibly just need to network more. I need to join a club of some kind or two. The only problem with this is that it always costs money to join things, and I'm totally skint. Life is expensive here as it turns out. Actually, truth be told, it's cheaper to live in Dundee than it does to live in Calgary - but I'm paying more bills since I'm out here on my own, with no room-mate. I'm Mary "freakin'" Tyler Moore. I kind of like that - most of the time. Some of the time it's lonely, but usually at those times, I log on to FB and remember that the world really is a much smaller place than it used to be. Also, I have a few friends that I spend time with, and slowly, my circle of friends is getting larger.

Mum and Dad are doing ok, they stood in line for the flippin' H1N1 shot for six and a half hours though. I guess there's this huge hype over the shot back home. Here we hear nothing of it - it's only for people who are under some danger of dying from the Swine Flu. Can you imagine, my senior citizen parents standing in line for 6.5 hours? They were quite sore the next day as it turns out. Sigh. Alberta. Nuts to Ed Stelmach. On the bright side, they seem to be coping with my absence now. I think they finally believe that I'm not coming back. I really can't go back now - I have furniture and stuff, and an entire life built here. Besides, I like it here. The weather is infinitely better than it is back home. Yes, it's wet, and chilly sometimes, but Dundonians really have no idea what cold is. I'll tell you though, Sunday we had possibly the worst weather I have experienced in a long time (including Calgary weather). It rained from early morning until late night, and it wasn't normal rain. It was the sideways kind of rain, and incredibly windy, cold, etc. Who was wearing a skirt as she walked to church? Me. I had an umbrella, but it didn't help - even a little bit. I got ridiculously soaked - to the bone. Then I had to teach Relief Society - which incidentally - went great. I love our ladies at church - they are the greatest! Sunday also marked the calling of a new Bishop here in Dundee Bingham Ward. A young fella - younger than me - got called, and he seems like a very capable Bishop. It turns out, he's done the job before. We'll all miss Bishop Snee, but life changes and moves all the time. The only thing constant really is change.

I've been reading Barbara Kingsolver's "The Poisonwood Bible" - which I will finish today. The woman - is amazing. I have to say, I can put this book in the same classification as "To Kill A Mockingbird". It's that good. I will write a review after I'm done - maybe tomorrow, maybe not. Remember when I wrote a review of her "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"? I actually met B.K. at a Slow Food event in Calgary when she was promoting that book. It seems kind of ridiculous to me now that I hadn't read this ingenious novel before meeting her. Everyone else at the event was all - "Poisonwood Bible this, Poisonwood Bible that". I had no idea that I was standing in the presence of pure genius. A multi-talented person all around, that is for sure.

Well, that's all I have to say today. It's all nonsense, but it's my nonsense. I'll try to write more nonsense more often. Love you all, and miss you. (you know who you are)

B

Act

2009-10-24T18:06:00.003+01:00

What is it that turns the switch inside the human brain? The switch that goes from being acted upon to acting for one's self? I'm not sure what it was yesterday, perhaps just the last straw really. But, today - I have a new outlook. I won't go into too much detail, but I have felt somewhat - helpless lately. Almost like, nothing I could do would change my circumstances. I had done absolutely everything I thought possible to make the changes in my life that would bring happiness, but nothing seems to be working. As I was communicating this in prayer last night, I fell asleep, and as I awoke, I had a new outlook. It is up to me, to decide - this is what I want. I may not be able to change the external factors in my life that much, but I can change how I react to them, and I can change myself, by deciding now - how I will act and what my response will be to the external factors.

2 Nephi 2:26 comes to mind...

"And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given."

I think that whether or not you believe in the Book of Mormon, as I do - this message is something that all of us regardless of our belief should adopt into our system of beliefs. We are here on this earth - to make choices and learn from them. The more we allow ourselves to be victims of circumstance, the less freedom we will hold. Helplessness is a tool of evil. (regardless of whether or not you believe evil exists as I do) We really are a lot stronger than we realize, because we are children of God. The divinity inside each of us is strong enough to conquer anything - at all. There are forces in this world that would prefer we didn't realize that. Don't be fooled though - you can do anything... and so can I.

Book Review: "The 100-Mile Diet - A Year Of Local Eating" by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon

2009-08-10T21:52:00.009+01:00

I just finished this book that I've owned for about a year. It's called "The 100 Mile Diet" by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon. The book chronicles their attempt to eat locally for an entire year - specifically within 100 miles of their home. They chose 100 miles because they live in Vancouver; the surroundings of which are a cornucopia of amazingly good local food. The suggested local food line is actually 200 miles. This is drawn from Dr. William Rees' Ecological Footprint calculator. However, after analyzing their location, Alisa and James decided that would be FAR too easy for them, and that 100 miles was a bit more of a challenge with them living in the Pacific Northwest. I find it remarkable how they did this - just picked up and took on the challenge from where they were at that moment. The idea was born from a meal which they miraculously prepared while staying at their cabin in Northern British Columbia where they were virtually cut off from the outside world. They had friends visiting, and the only thing they had on hand was a cabbage. So, they and their friends went into the forest to forage, and what they came up with was the most amazing meal they had ever tasted. After the meal, they went home with an idea forming in their minds.

The thing about local eating, is that it really may be one of the most important ways we can make a difference in the world. Not only is it more nutritious to eat locally (nutrients are lost with the amount of time that food is out of the ground and thus - the farther it travels), but the fact of the matter is that we have lost touch with our food chain. Do we know where our meat is coming from? Do we know what is in our meat? (see entry below re: Fast Food Nation) Do we know how our vegetables were grown? Do we know that they were ethically traded? What sorts of things are we taking into our bodies? In my mind, almost no question to do with our physical bodies is more important. What are you putting into your body? I'm not saying I know exactly what I'm putting into my body all the time, but heck - I'd like to, and I do try. Beside the nutritional, and the health factors - eating locally is a VERY effective way to lower your carbon footprint. Do you know how far your food travels to get to your plate? Do you know how many gallons of oil are in your meal? Not only are we talking about travel costs here, but also petroleum products such as pesticides and herbicides used on your food. You wouldn't believe how much energy goes into one single plate of food. That's something to think about.

There are lots of websites with excellent ideas about how to eat locally, not the least of which is Alisa and James' site... (link)

There was also a local experiment which (according to Steve) has some links to the 100 mile diet experiment. The project was called "The Fife Diet" (link) Steve knows the guy who did this one apparently.

This brings me to my sad news about the garden... :-( Well, here it is - Sue Anne went to Germany for a couple of months to do research, and Steve went to Canada for a month, and because I had no money to get on the bus to Dunino (it's £7.05 round trip to St. Andrews alone) - our garden is pretty much dead. There are things alive in it, we just need to salvage them from the weeds. So, yes - we have a garden in Fife - we were part of the Fife Diet - however sadly it turned out. How great would it be though, to grow your own food, and obtain other food locally, and live off of it for a year? Or maybe - forever? (as much as one can) I think - that's pretty much my dream. It's even possible for flat dwellers such as myself to obtain an allotment from the city council, and grow food on it. It really isn't that hard.

I may have been dubbed the "garden murderer" in our recent attempt at this sort of project, but with a reasonable amount of do-ability and elbow grease, it's totally possible to carry this out. Alisa and James are proof. Some of you may remember that I did a book review in May of 2008 about another family who did this project. It was called "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver and her family. They did the same thing, but they took much time to prepare for their year of local eating. What I loved about Alisa and James, is that they just did it - right from where they were at that moment - they decided to just eat local for a year. They're true heroes in my books.

Some links to help you on your way to local eating...

Slow Food International

Slow Food UK

The Fife Diet

100 mile diet

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Scottish Association of Farmers Markets

Books I've Been Reading

2009-07-28T18:06:00.010+01:00

This week is already 10 times better than last week. Most of my team are back from their annual leave time, and I am busy. I feel useful, fulfilled, and overall just - you know - awake. This is a really good thing, as I've always been the kind of person who needs to feel useful. I've been reading a few books lately. I won't do full-on reviews for these ones, as there's a few of them and they weren't moving enough for an entire review. They were entertaining enough for an honourable mention though...

The first one was "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser

I never saw the movie that was based on this book, but I can tell you that the book was certainly eye opening, and taught me a fair bit about the fast food industry that I didn't know before. I've said it before in other book reviews, but the thing about food is that it touches absolutely every aspect of life as we know it. Food is basically what we're made of, food is business, food is political, food is environmental, food influences absolutely everything in the world that lives in many different ways. The thing about fast food is that it's full of crap (quite literally), it holds very little nutritional value (if any), and it is a business that is corrupt right through the entire system, from the earth to the animal, to the slaughterhouse, to the restaurant where we so greedily gobble up those cheap meals that really aren't so cheap when you look at it in it's proper perspective. Though I was averse to fast food before I read the book, I certainly am 150% more averse to it after reading it. Thanks Eric for opening our eyes further. (I know I said that none of the books were moving enough for an entire review, but if any of them really were - it was this one. It was just a while back that I finished it, and therefore is not as fresh in my mind as some of the more recent ones)

The second one was "Elephants On Acid and Other Bizarre Experiments" by Alex Boese

This was a really interesting book. I read almost the entire thing on my bus trip to Leeds which took an entire day. I discovered it when I was at Sue Anne's house. Typical kind of book to find at a Scientist's house I suppose. The title and bright colours attracted me at first, (let's be honest) but then I opened the book and found LOADS of fascinating stories about whacky experiments that have been performed through the years by Scientists with the best of intentions. The one which the author got the title from was quite possibly the saddest thing I have ever read. Some scientists thought it would be a good idea to see what an Elephant would do on LSD. Unfortunately nobody knew how much LSD an Elephant could handle, so they gave poor Tusko a whopping 297 milligrams of LSD. Unfortunately this proved to be a huge mistake. Poor Tusko died quite a painful death all in the name of Science. None of the other stories are quite as sad as that one though. They're fascinating really, and totally worth reading even for the likes of non-scientists such as myself.

The third book I read recently was "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen

You may remember that I mentioned discovering this one a few months back. Well, yes - I finally read it and umm - I have to say it was mildly entertaining. But, for a true Jane fan, it is difficult not to pick out the glaring errors that Mr. Grahame-Smith made when re-writing the classic beloved by so many. You can also tell that he doesn't really have much literary experience. It seems to me that he just had a thought one day along the lines of - "Pride and Prejudice - AND - Zombies" and thought - how brilliant is that. Likely his girlfriend made him watch the BBC P&P and the thought came to him in a blinding flash of sheer brilliance. It is a brilliant idea really, but I feel that if he really knew the characters better, and the general period that the book was written in - he could have taken it and run with it in a really intelligently creative, yet still hilarious manner. However, that being said - it was good. I laughed out loud at some points. Good fun overall. The character Elizabeth Bennet and even Mr. Darcy have totally different personalities altogether in this book. Don't expect gentility and cordiality. These people are true killing machines!!!! I mean, they take out the living (mainly Ninjas) and the un-dead with sheer ruthlessness. Any guy who's girlfriend has made them sit through BBC P&P will probably think it is the MOST brilliant thing they have ever read.

The book I'm currently reading is "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman

I am REALLY enjoying this book. Neil is a genius. How DOES he know the world of Faerie so well? I'm not sure, but I have a theory that he's been there before. I saw the movie for this book when it first came out, and I thought it was brilliant. The book though - is better as I'm discovering at the moment. This man has amazing talent. I think I'll be reading his other works in the future.

That's all I have for book reviews today folks. Happy Reading!!!

This Has Been the Longest Week of my Life!

2009-07-23T18:59:00.006+01:00

I seem to be having a great deal of trouble finding motivation to get up and go to work this week. This is due to a couple of factors, but the main one is that my programme director has been away for a month, and I am TOTALLY caught up as far as I can go without her direction. I've been begging co-workers to share their work-load with me, and they have been very obliging in offering me things to do, but there are many things which they just have to do themselves I guess. So, most of the time, I've been moving my cursor around the screen, and just randomly clicking on things to make sure they're still there. There have been a couple of student enquiries over the last couple of days - which was exciting. But, after quickly addressing their queries, I ran out of things to do again. It's also been really really boring around the office, as EVERYONE with the exception of a skeleton staff is away. I miss the buzz, the excitement, the friendly faces...

Anyway, I only have one more painful day to endure, and then my programme director is back Monday. Unfortunately, I'll have to deliver to her the bad news that I'm leaving and going to another school within the University. I've already e-mailed her about it, but she likely hasn't read it yet. (who reads e-mails on vacation?) She knew I was likely to get the job, so it won't be so much of a surprise to her. I sure have enjoyed working with this group, so it will be hard to leave them behind. Onward and upward to new things though. I'll make new friends, and keep the old ones. That seems to be the story of my life. I get around you know... haha.

One more day of the longest week of my life. Let's hope next week is better. So far, I am expecting it to be so.

The Green Smoothie Experiment

2009-07-16T19:25:00.004+01:00

So, I've been trying this new thing for about a couple of months now. My friend Pam in Australia told me about it, and I thought - you know the idea is sound, it makes sense, so why not give it a go?

Check out this link... (link)

The idea in it's simplicity is to take a cup of fruit of some kind, (I use mixed berries usually because their full of anti-oxidants) 2 or 3 big handfuls of something green and leafy, a cup of water, maybe a banana, maybe some honey, perhaps a bit of spice (I've been experimenting with cinnamon); put it all in a blender and drink it.

I have to say, I'm really impressed overall with how I look, feel, and generally live now that I'm on the green smoothies.

I admit, when I first went to the website, I thought - ok, what's all this? Is this some sort of pyramid scheme or something? Or an opportunity for someone to sell my e-mail address? Truth is, it absolutely isn't. These people just want to give out recipes for green smoothies. I signed up and received loads of recipes for Green smoothies. I didn't follow them though if I'm honest about it. They did give me some interesting ideas for what to put into my smoothies though. I mean, these people live in Australia, and they have every fruit/vegetable known to human kind available to them. I live in Scotland, I've got Spinach, Kale, and dark green lettuce. Plus, it can get expensive to buy all kinds of exotic fruits.

Simply done, I've been using frozen berries bought at Tesco for £1.29, putting them into my 1000 watt blender with 3 big handfuls of spinach or kale, water, banana, honey (just a touch), and cinnamon. I usually save a small container for the morning, but I've been taking the entire thing for supper. (that's me replacing meals again - I can do that since I only answer to myself) You don't have to replace meals though, you can just add it to your normal every day diet, and still reap the benefits. It's amazing.

My skin, hair, and overall energy level, health, cravings, cholesterol, GI tract (loads of fibre) have improved immensely. You should give it a go for a month, and see what happens for you. It's amazing really.

That's what I've been doing lately with my diet. Regular, normal healthy eating for Breakfast, and Lunch, extra healthy Green smoothie for dinner. I've also been trying really hard to keep up the Yoga. I have to say, those two things combined are seriously powerful...

News From My World...

2009-07-14T20:40:00.007+01:00

Wow, I can't believe I skipped an entire month of blogging. Sorry to my fan. Miss you mbfm. I've really not been doing too much exciting stuff for the last little while. For the most part, it's been work. So, really - I couldn't find much inspiration for blog material. Though, before I moved to Scotland, I had even less of a life than I do now, and I found loads of inspiration, so I really have no excuse whatsoever. Perhaps I was driven by the goal? Who knows, lets not psycho-analyze my blog frequencies...

Though, I do have bits of news.

Well, as you know I've been working at the University of Dundee for some time in a temporary position covering a maternity leave. My contract is up September 4th, so recently while out at lunch with my team, and also the girl who I am covering, I realized - yes - indeed she is coming back, and soon. So I was really stressed out. I've been applying for jobs as they come up in the University. I mean, if I'm internal, why wouldn't I take advantage of that and use my position to obtain an internal position within the same organization? Though, I have been applying, and interviewing to no avail. Almost every interviewer (with the exception of 1) said that there was absolutely nothing I could have done differently in my interview, but that they had found someone else with more "relevant" experience. I couldn't wrap my head around what this "relevant" experience was. After all, admin is admin, is admin. You can't get more relevant than that - but that's just my opinion. So, frustrating time.

So there I was, feeling down, and annoyed, and frustrated at my financial stress, and also slightly depressed about other, rather sluggish, immobile portions of my life. (One can guess quite easily which portions) So, what did I do? The same thing I do every time I'm feeling this way. I cried into my pillow, and poured out my heart in sad, but fervent prayer to my God. After I cried myself to sleep, I woke up the next day - and went to work as usual.

What happened?

Well, I had a meeting that morning with some colleagues, and there we all were, sitting around a table, discussing the business at hand, and joking about a bit. They were all talking about the autumn, and what they would be doing (I'm not sure what we were talking about to be honest with you, it's all a blur), but then somehow, I interjected "I don't know if I'll even have a job in the autumn" quite sadly. Then everyone went "awww", haha, and then the convener of the small meeting said "What? What's all this? You won't be working with us?" and then I explained about my contract, etc. He asked me why I hadn't applied for this job that he posted with another school he is involved with (still within the University) I really, honestly have no idea why I hadn't applied for the job, except to say that perhaps I was just a little bit sad, and perhaps at the point where I had lost a bit of hope. (I know how pathetic that sounds, but it's true - haha) Anyway, they arranged with HR to make it all legal, and get my application in, references, etc. So, there was a little hope, I had an interview lined up - that very day. There were other things which happened that day which gave me a bit of hope in the other portions of my life that need attention, so umm, that was really good.

So, long story short - I had the interview - swept them off their feet, and now I am the happy occupier of a permanent, full-time position at the University of Dundee. I'll be working at the Graduate School of Natural Resources Law, Policy and Management. Which incidentally, my good friend is the class president of. I'll be crunching numbers as I have before. (to be honest, many years ago, but those skills don't really go away if you truly love numbers) I also have more hope in general about my life and portions thereof. I'm hopeful things will change for the better - soonish.

There's other news...

At church, in my congregation, I was asked to take a leadership position in the Women's organization. The position is that of 1st Counselor in the Relief Society - for those who know what that means. When my Bishop asked me to take the calling, I was all - ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!! Because after all, I'm me, and with all of my struggles as late, I haven't been at my best, or even my strongest. Here I was thinking, how can I be an example to these ladies, who are likely much better prepared for such a responsibility? I realized of course, that God knows what he's doing, and if I'm going to be here a while, I might as well be doing something useful. So, I took the calling. So far, it's been a prime motivator to do better overall in my life, and to get out and be among people / serve people, not feeling sorry for myself so much.

So, that's news in the world of Becky. I also recently went on a trip to Leeds for a week, and visited a fair number of my extended family. It was lovely, and really really needed. It's nice to know that I have family not too far away. Here's a few pictures of the Yorkshire Dales that I took whilst there...

These pictures were taken at a place called "Blubberhouses". How did such a lovely place receive such a ridiculous name you ask? So did I. So, I looked it up where all of the answers are - wikipedia...

Blubberhouses:-

* From the blueberry: Hargrove's History of Knaresborough.
* From the Blue Boar, a former inn.
* Early spellings include "Bluburgh", "Bluborrow", "Bluburhouse", (1172) "Bluberhusum". These may come from:-
o Anglo-Saxon burh = "fort".[2]
o From "Blueberg" = "blue mountain".[3]
o Anglo-Saxon bluberhūs = "the house(s) which is/are at the bubbling stream"[4], with a later regularized plural; the -um form came from the Anglo-Saxon dative plural case æt bluberhūsum = "at the houses which ...".

So there you have it. No, it has nothing whatsoever to do with whale blubber, or blubbering (as in crying)

p.s. If anyone wants to see all of the pictures from my trip, they can see them here... (link)

Book Review: "He's Just Not That Into You" by Greg Behrendt & Liz Tucillo

2009-05-09T21:51:00.004+01:00

I admit, I've known about this book for years and years; but never thought about reading it until recently. I haven't seen the movie adaptation of this self-help book that has recently been released in theaters, I just thought that perhaps I would give this book a go - as I've been noticing lately that I REALLY have no idea what men want, or what I've been doing wrong all of these years. It's pretty sad that I'm 33 years old, and still haven't ever really had a normal, healthy relationship with a man. I'm a good person, I'm attractive, I'm not crazy, and I actually have a lot to offer; so for years - it has baffled me. My friend - bless him - said to me "well, you've only just recently lost all of that weight - so really it makes sense that you're not married yet". Honestly - he meant well. That really can not be used as an excuse though - because I do know plenty of girls that are quite obese who are very very happily settled down in relationships with men. So - what's been the problem with me?

Apparently I've been laboring under mistaken impressions all these years. I've been chasing the wrong men - the ones who aren't that into me. I've been chasing period - which was my first mistake. Unfortunately, I've missed out on all of the ones that were into me in the process.

Greg (my new best friend) and Liz have laid it all out in simple terms for us (because men really aren't that complicated)

He's just not into you if...

1. He's not asking you out
2. He's not calling you
3. He's not dating you
4. Not having sex with you (or in my case - not sexually attracted to me - as I don't do pre-marital sex)
5. He's having sex with someone else
6. He only wants to see you if he's drunk (here's a big red flag)
7. He doesn't want to marry you
8. He's breaking up with you
9. He's disappeared on you
10. He's married (or other insane variations of being unavailable)
11. He's a selfish jerk, a bully, or a really big freak

Any and all women can present an argument that they think is pretty sound against at least 1 or 2 of these points. Greg has heard every one of these arguments, and he addresses each one - tearing down the wall of excuses that we have made for men all of these years. That's right - we're the one making excuses for them. Apparently in the words of one man - "they just want to be left alone" - this wasn't in the book - it's a direct quote from someone I know.

You know, from the title you might think that this is a book that would make you feel like dirt - thinking of all the stupid things you've done over the years; all because you thought some guy was worth the effort, and even though they didn't put forth any effort to nurture the relationship - you knew they were secretly desperately in love with you - just scared.

Nope, the book doesn't make you feel like crap. Not at all in fact. Greg is right - we are - all of us - superfoxes. Super.Foxes. get it in your head - you are an attractive, sexy woman. Now, stop wasting all that time with some schmuck who isn't into you. Find the great guy who is. That's the basic message of the book, and it's sound. It really is you know.

I stand by what I said before - about the sexual revolution. It's screwed everything up. I really believe that women used to know these things. Somehow - somewhere between Feminist marching and talk shows - we became confused, co-dependent fantasy-laden love junkies. It's ok to want to be in love. We all want to feel like we belong to someone. It's not ok to be a victim of foolish self perpetuated lies and make excuses for men who really aren't worth our attention.

I'm not saying that these guys aren't good people too. (I have many very good friends who are men) I'm just saying that they're not into us. Therefore, they are not worth our efforts.

It's opened up a whole new world of possibility for me. Men - let me say - if you are into me - you better be asking me on dates, because I won't be asking you. I'm an old fashioned girl.

2 Simple Things

2009-04-21T22:38:00.005+01:00

I just finished my Yoga Practice tonight. It's the first time I've done Yoga since April 11th - so that's 10 days without Yoga - even though I keep telling myself that I'll do it every day. Well, today and for the last week really - I haven't felt like myself. Unfortunately, I have not been blessed with normal body chemistry, so when I take something out of the "magical formula" for weight loss I've been doing over the last 3 years - unbeknownst to me (until I REALLY notice it), it seriously affects my overall well being. Weight loss is only a side benefit from practicing Yoga really.

I think it does something with the glands when you do those twists, balances, etc - like squeezes them, or energizes them or something - but somehow - good chemistry comes out of it.

I feel 100 times better now than I did on my walk home today. Clearly - for me that means - walking is not as beneficial for me as Yoga is. Walking for 2 - 40 minute intervals every single day actually may trigger Hyper-Cortisol production. Anyway, I'm seeing the Doctor on Thursday to see if we can change something (medication perhaps) - because I've been gaining weight and suffering other unpleasant symptoms. There is no normal explanation for me doing so (as I really haven't changed that much about my lifestyle with the exception of a few "emotional eating" days - which was likely a product of the disease as well.) So, I've decided that instead of making a grand scheme/plan for weight loss - I shall do two simple things. My lifestyle is fine in every other way (as far as I'm concerned). I shall...

1. Do at least a little Yoga every single day. (7 days a week) I shall perhaps make up a spreadsheet with tick boxes to remind myself that I haven't done it yet for the day - so that it gets done.

2. Cut out refined sugar entirely from my diet. I shall use Honey, and bake good stuff from time to time, but as far as Candy, Juice, Pop, and Cakes go - they are out - in their entirety. They are like poison to my body. We all know this is true. It's as dangerous to me as pouring Battery Acid down my throat. (ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it is very detrimental to my health)

I just have to accept that I'm not like other people, and I can't live the lifestyle other people live. (especially not in this country) Therefore, I have determined to do these two things.

Watch This Space...

2009-04-17T18:46:00.014+01:00

Sue Anne, Steve, and I have been digging a garden in Sue Anne's back yard. It's great to have a friend who rents a cottage - with actual land. I wish I had actual land. I just have a wee flat. Most people here only have a wee flat. Steve also has only a flat, no land. So, the 3 of us are taking advantage of what land we can use, and working towards growing our own food this year. I am super duper excited about it too. We've been tearing up grass and trying to get it all sorted for the last 4 weeks or so. Last week we put our wee greenhouses out and staked them to the ground. In the greenhouses, we are growing tomatoes and peppers. We bought 2 varieties of tomatoes - Money Maker and Shirley. You can see in the picture that we are using a grow-bag - which is really useful if you want to see quick results. Steve bought 4 different varieties of Peppers (which I am unable to name at the moment - but they look good) We put these in our smaller greenhouse.

So, that's one project we have. We've also used grow bags for our Blue and Oca Red Potatoes...

I wish I had taken pictures of the yard the way it looked before so that you can see what we've done to it. Sufficeth to say, we've done a lot of digging with what little time we had.

With this strip of land (which we dug up from sod)...

...we are going to lay down some fabric and plant vegetable seeds tomorrow. Among the vegetable seeds we have, there are Carrots (Purple, White, AND orange), Beets (yellow and maybe purple), peas, beans, bright lights - chard, cabbage, spring onions, yellow zucchini (what Britons call Courgettes), and other things I'm having trouble remembering at the moment. We have to get up super early tomorrow, because we've had a late start for something like 4 weeks in a row, and have tonnes of work to get done. We also have a commitment to climb the Lomond Hills tomorrow afternoon, so that will cut into gardening time substantially.

We've actually planted wee leeks, and purple sprouting Broccoli in this part of the garden already, but have a lot more to plant. Here you can see the Broccoli, but the wee leeks may be harder to spot...

On this side...

You can't see them, but there's DEVIL ROOTS in there. By that I mean - roots of which there seems to be no end of. This has been my bane for a few weeks now. Tomorrow, if I get a chance, I shall finish cleaning it up, and perhaps get it looking presentable enough to plant something. We're thinking though, that because of the devil roots, we'll just plant something that needs a shallow root system - like squash. We've even discussed raised beds a bit, but that always costs so much, so we'll work with what we have.

Some highlights of the garden...

RHUBARB!!!!!!!!!!! I found these 2-year old Rhubarb advertised on the University weekly newsletter. 3 of them for £7. They're "Early Red" variety - good for pies!!!!!!!!!! I'm a wee bit over-excited about that part. Hopefully we'll get an excellent crop from these lovely plants.

Sue Anne unleashed her ample creative skills and organized this lovely rock garden - with adorable moss-covered rocks and wee plants - along the edge of our veggie patch.

The yard in all it's splendor. Note the 3 chairs and BBQ. The BBQ has become our very good friend - as it always is.

The Garden Mascot - Miss Meta.

And here - just for the fun of it is Steve doing his Physio exercises. Heehee.

So - yeah - watch this space. I'll take pictures as we go along and see progression in the exotic vegetable garden. I say exotic, simply because we all seem to agree that vegetables of unconventional colour are far more exciting than plain ones. They probably contain more varieties of phytonutrients as well. The more the better I say. Must get to bed early tonight. Busy day tomorrow.

This Lady Has Seriously Made My Day...

2009-04-16T19:29:00.004+01:00

You have to watch the video all the way through to understand. Unfortunately I can't embed it, so you'll have to go to You Tube and watch it. Here's the link... (link)

You go Susan. You show them girl. She lives not too far away from me you know. In my books she's already as good as Elaine Paige, and hopefully she'll have the chance to prove it now.

xx

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies!?!?!

2009-04-10T18:04:00.002+01:00

What's all this? My favorite novel of all time turned into a zombie parody? I'm sure the author is missing many of the finer character-development points that my dear Jane has put into the beloved novel; however - it looks to make entertaining reading. I think next month, when I have money, I may invest in this book. It's only £6.99, but still, I do have to watch the pennies. Check out the wikipedia article... (link)

I was hopeful the author would make Wickham a zombie who eats Lydia. However, there is no such luck. Only a true P&P fan - who harbors a hatred for those characters would wish for that. I'm kind of intrigued by the ninja fight at the end between Lady Catherine De Bourgh's army of Ninjas and Elizabeth. I've often been able to identify with Elizabeth's character - so to see her in full Ninja action would be great.

I wonder what the movie would be like? It would have to be done in a comedy manner - such as "Shaun of the Dead" and the like.

I'm sure there are people out there who would think that a parody such as this is almost sacrilegious. I can see no harm in it; and I'm Jane's biggest fan...

My Simple Life

2009-04-08T21:14:00.003+01:00

I'm back on board with music. (as you can hear) I decided to pick 12 simple songs that mean something to me instead of every single song that ever meant something to me. I hope you enjoy it.

I've had a pretty simple, average day today. Nothing out of the ordinary, except to say that I had a nice dinner with a very dear friend that I've made here in Dundee. My life is pretty average I would say. I know everybody back home thinks I'm having some sort of grand adventure. Granted, some days are pretty adventurous; but overall - it's just normal, every day life here in Scotland. Except that normal, every day life includes Scots - with accents, and a few cultural differences. I get up in the morning, rush around to get ready to go to work on time (as some of you know - this is not much different at all), get to work on time every single day (you also know that this IS out of the ordinary - as I do have to have chronic tardiness issues), work all day long, with an hour for lunch - where I walk around Dundee's lovely city centre. Then when my working day is done, I walk home, eat a simple dinner, goof off on the Internet with my friends, read a little, do some Yoga, maybe bake something, and go to bed at a ridiculous hour - just to do it all again the next day. That's life every day for me in Scotland.

When I can afford it, and/or when friends are doing something a little adventurous, I go and see cool stuff. Next week-end I'm hiking up in the Lomond hills. It's not much of a hike - just a wee hill really, but it should be scenic. This week-end I'll be working on my garden with Steve, (Sue Anne has other plans Saturday) and on Sunday, we will enjoy a lovely Easter dinner put together by Sue Anne. I mean - really - my life hasn't changed that much. The things that have changed are the people in my life, the weather, the scenery, and well, I now have a view from my window that is insanely incomparable to the non-scene from my basement bedroom in Calgary. I also have ocean instead of prairie. I eat fish now. It is waaaaaaaaaay better fresh than frozen. Who knew? In Alberta we really don't know what Fish is supposed to taste like - as it turns out. Fresh fish is delicious. I still have to struggle a little to eat it at times, but it tastes great.

One big difference in my life when I compare now to when I was in Calgary - is that I live alone. I have to admit, I really, really like living alone. I'm not saying I wouldn't like a man invading my little world. I certainly would enjoy that, but living alone is a really nice change for me. I don't have to answer to anyone, I can eat in my own kitchen, wash my own dishes, clean my own messes, and just generally do whatever I want in my own house. It's really great. This is the very first time I have experienced this phenomenon of living alone. I realize that it isn't for everyone, but I highly recommend it. When I'm lonely, I call a friend, or visit with a friend, or just listen to music or whatever. I have a pretty satisfying life. I'm not saying it's perfect - by any stretch of the imagination, but it is content - for now.

Now and then, I experience these moments of perfection. Have you ever had that sort of experience? Where you're sitting there, and you realize that life can't get much better than that moment - right then. It's very brief, and then life returns to normal. I've had a few of those lately, and I haven't had that feeling in a very long time. So, I must be on the right track. I'm not saying there hasn't been trials. Oh, there's been trials! But, that's nothing new, so I just keep plugging away.

There's this greeting card I have on my wall (I've had it for like - 9 years), and I have (obviously) no idea who wrote it. It is somewhat cheezy, but it's a good reminder to me of how I should view my life...

"As you journey through life, choose your destinations well - but do not hurry there. You will arrive soon enough. Wander the back roads and forgotten paths, keeping your destination in your heart. Like the fixed point of a compass. Seek out new voices, strange sights, and ideas foreign to your own. Such things are riches for the soul. And if, upon arrival, you find that your destination is not exactly as you had dreamed, do not be disappointed. Think of all you would have missed but for the journey there, and know that the true worth of your travels lies not in where you come to be at journey's end, but in who you come to be along the way."

That's pretty much - the story of my life.

Home Grown

2009-04-07T18:58:00.005+01:00

I've been watching this show on the BBC iplayer. I don't own a TV, so all of my entertainment comes from the internet. Thankfully, I live in a country where the greatest TV in the world is produced. It's also free, and you can get it on the internet (for a limited time) if you don't have a TV of your own.

Anyway - "Grow Your Own Drugs" with James Wong - Ethnobotanist extraordinaire is a really exciting show. I saw the title weeks ago and thought - oh yeah - hmm, this is Britain is it? They teach people how to home grow. Then, out of curiosity (such a curious girl), I started watching it, and it turns out to be right up my alley. James uses plants of all kinds - easily available right here in Britain to make home remedies - the way everybody used to. They're useful home remedies as well, and it makes complete sense to me that they would work. Obviously, some remedies worked better for some people on the show than others; and James made disclaimers stating that on each episode. The thing is, that if it might work for you, then why wouldn't you try it. After all, science can back up the chemicals contained in the plants, and where do you think the pharmaceutical companies get those chemicals???? Obviously from the plants. It would be worth it as well - knowing exactly what you're taking, and exactly where it came from. Having said that, you also need to be careful when using these home remedies, because plants can be just as dangerous as modern/traditional medicine if used improperly. You should give plants the same respect you would to drugs bought at the store. James also said that in each episode.

I got so excited about the show - that I found James' book on Amazon for £9.34 including delivery. This is pretty exciting, because the day after I purchased it, I found it at WH Smith for £14.99. I thought to myself - "suckers..."

James taught me how to make mouthwash out of Thyme; sore muscle treatments out of chillies and mustard; constipation remedies out of figs and senna; an Athlete's foot treatment out of garlic (which also makes a nice salad dressing); an insect bite and sting treatment out of plantain leaves; Varicose Vein treatment out of Horse Chestnuts, and Vodka; a PMS treatment (sign me up) out of Chaste Berry Tea; and last but not least (this is what sold me) - he taught me how to make CRYSTALLIZED GINGER out of ginger and umm - sugar for Travel Sickness. Oh James - how I love you.

Apparently you can get a Ginger root (which is really a rhizome) and plant it in a giant pot, put it in your front window, and grow ginger yourself. I'm going to do it - obviously. I'm also going to make my own Crystallized Ginger, of course. When I do, I shall show you how it worked out. I need to buy myself a few tools in order to do so, but when I do - I shall be making the Crystallized Ginger. I shall also try other things over time. It's nice to have the book so that I know how.

If you live in the UK, I think you can still catch it for the next few days on the iplayer. So - you should if you get the chance. If you don't - umm - look for it on amazon? or ebay? Or perhaps Satellite TV?

You can find his recipes here... (link)

James is also adorable - have you noticed? I wonder if he's un-attached...

What I've Been Up To...

2009-04-05T21:44:00.006+01:00

Well, it's been almost a month since I blogged last, so I thought I'd give an update as to what I've been doing, and how I've been going with the goals set in my last blog...

The goals, umm - haven't gone great. It's really hard to keep to conventional diet goals when so much good food is around. I'm not even speaking of the grease-fare that Scottish people call food. I'm speaking of my dear friends and their excellent regular healthy-ish cooking - which I seem to have no will to turn down, and of course I must have seconds. Then there's the chocolate. Gaaaaaarrrrrr, the chocolate. However, I have come to a conclusion that as long as my clothes continue to fit, and as long as I'm comfortable with my body, then the scale can go to hell. That's right - no more weighing. I'm still going to try to eat healthy and do Yoga every day, and obviously will walk to work and all of that (because that's part of my normal every day life), but I'm not going to lose sleep over weight gained - simply because there are so many factors involved in weight gain. There's muscle (which I seem to have a lot of lately), and there's stupid monthly hormone nonsense, and other things. I'm not saying I'm not rolly - I'm definitely a little rolly, so obviously something needs to change. It can all be taken care of, however, by small, consistent changes. So - there is my update on weight loss. (or rather fat maintenance)

Other than that, I've been working away at the University. I'm now on a temporary contract at the School I've been working with until September - so that's a good thing. I've had 3 major interviews for permanent positions over the last 3 weeks - each of which lead to me being unsuccessful in obtaining the positions. However, I'm learning. I will find something permanent soon-ish, and my foot is in the door now (I'm an actual University employee), so hopefully that will work in my favor.

Steve, Sue Anne, and I have been planting a garden!!!! That's the most exciting thing I have to report today. Sue Anne lives in this fantastic little cottage with a tiny bit of land at the back, so we have decided to plant food and reap the benefits. So exciting. I am contributing Purple Carrots, White Carrots, and Yellow Beets; and I found on the University weekly newsletter "2 year old" Rhubarb Plants - which we planted yesterday and hope to get at least a few excellent pies and/or crumbles out of this fall. We have also planted Blue and Red Potatoes, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, and Leeks. I am also using the lovely seeds which mbfm sent me for Christmas. Thanks mbfm. Missing you. So, yes sir - we are going to have a lovely harvest this year. We're also doing Tomatoes, and Peppers (in a wee greenhouse), and other items which we haven't actually entirely decided on yet. It turns out we have loads of room, so we'll make the most of it. I will have to take some pictures. I wish I had taken before pictures because we really had to (and still have to) turn a fair bit of sod. We're sod-turning machines. When I'm at Sue Anne's next weekend I'll take some pictures of our lovely little garden in progress.

Nothing to report in the Social department. Sorry to disappoint. I have lots of lovely friends, though - dating prospects are apparently scarce, or shy, or something. It makes it more difficult apparently because I'm old. Not too worried though, I'm having fun with my friends.

Still haven't made the trip south to visit my family - but in a few months I hope to feel semi-secure enough financially to do so.

That's all I have for now, but thought I should at least write something - as I know people do actually read this from time to time.

I'm Slightly Alarmed!!!

2009-03-10T20:28:00.004Z

Oh my giddy freaking aunt!!!!!!!

I just weighed myself - and I'm going to reveal to you - just what the scale said - brace yourselves!!!!!!!

189 pounds

that's right - 189!!!!

Granted, I'm just coming off of the monthlies, so am probably retaining water (too much information, but you women understand and need to know these things), and am pretty muscular from the hill walking, but I am DEFINITELY feeling slightly more flabby. Ok, a lot more flabby, and also - my trousers are tighter, and my underwear too. What to do? What to do?

Ok, determination time. I am making a determination.

To determine to do something means - to decide. I have determined to...

Eat chocolate - only once a week - on a Friday - set day so that I don't forget whether or not I have had it that week. Also, only a small amount - and dark.

Do Yoga - every single day. That's right - every day. It doesn't have to be the hour long session, but the hour long should be done 3 times a week.

I will find a meal replacement, and replace my evening meal with it. A good quality one with lots of protein, and fibre, and good nutrients. I know meal replacements are not the natural way of doing things, but they can be helpful - especially when the situation is this dire.

No more of the fancy cheeses that I've been eating. Just because cheese is cheap in this country, it doesn't mean I have to eat it every single day. Ok, limiting my cheese intake to like - 3 slices a day.

Sugar - it's the devil. I've been noticing that I've been getting headaches - every time I eat sugar. I'm concerned that I'm sliding along on the border of Diabetes. It's quite possible for someone with my condition. They're connected. I need to lessen my refined sugar intake. Only Honey from here on in, and even then, not that much. Honey is good, and I SWEAR, it is the only thing preventing this cold from really taking a hold over me. No more devil sugar. Though, EVERY SINGLE THING in this country has added sugar in it, and the sweeteners without sugar in them are carcinogenic. They use some which are banned in Canada. Sigh, you really can't win. So, candy (even the ginger - sigh) is out. I'm going to the sink this very minute, and pouring out my remaining Ginger Beer. Gaaaaaaahhh!!!!

Right, that's done - egats that was hard, but I feel better. Yes, sugar is a definite culprit for this weight gain. Oh my?!?! What will I do when Brian gives me candy to eat through church next time? I shall have to hide it, and not eat it, and hand it over to a friend after. Steve, you will now be eating all of my Brian candy. Don't tell Brian.

Still hill walking to and from work - so will have to eat something substantial - like almonds, and something with fibre in it before I begin my trek home. Then when I get home, I shall eat my meal replacement. Hopefully I can find a good one.

That's the initial plan for determinations - that's a lot to begin with, so - we'll start there. Best to start with a few things.

Hold me to it. Check up on me. PLEASE.

Thanks

Ginger Deficiency?

2009-03-05T21:41:00.010Z

I'm not going to begin every single posting with - "Sorry I haven't posted in a while", though, it seems like I feel like I have to say it every time. So, I'm not going to apologize - I live, I get busy, life takes over. I shall post whenever I can, and whenever it strikes my fancy.

I've noticed lately that I have been eating an awful lot of ginger-based foods. I think perhaps my body has a deficiency in ginger. At least, that's what it seems like. I just really like it. I've been ingesting...

Old Jamaica Ginger Beer...

Nairn's Stem Ginger Oat Biscuits...

Duerr's Ginger Chunky Preserve...

Lipton's Warming Lemon and Ginger Tea...

and last but definitely not least,
Crystallized Ginger...

What the heck do you think is going on with me? Do I really like Ginger that much? or is there some crazy psychological, or maybe chemical reason why I am drawn to all foods with ginger in it? It is a very strong taste, that is certain. It's refreshing, and reviving, and it clears out all taste of anything else you ate previously. I have no idea, but I don't see it ending any time soon. I am addicted to the Ginger Preserve on my toast every morning if nothing else. It is soooo good. So so good. I am missing "The Ginger People"'s Candied Baby Ginger. The Candied Ginger at the Tesco is not quite as good. I found "The Ginger People"'s Peanut Ginger Candies, and while they were good, they were not quite Gingery enough. I thoroughly enjoyed the Peanut addition though.

Comments? Thoughts?

On a side note, I haven't been eating any pickled Asparagus. I don't think they believe in pickling Asparagus in this country. Pity.

Sunday Thoughts

2009-02-22T20:39:00.004Z

Sorry I haven't been a very good blogger lately. You know, I usually only write when something inspires me. Haha, evidently something inspired me earlier on in the week. However, I haven't forgotten you my friends. I've been thinking about what to share. I've noticed that I haven't really spent a lot of time on the important things lately. It's so easy to get caught up in time-consuming things like facebook, and you-tubing. I need to read more books (like I used to). I haven't read an entire book since I stepped off the plane into my new country. But, on a positive note, some of that you-tubing lead me to this...

Many of you know that I am a devout follower of my faith - that being The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (or Mormons). I have found that I've been a bit out of touch with my spiritual side as late, and as a loving Heavenly Father does, my God has lead me back to where I ought to be, and where I feel happiest. That's kind of how life goes though, isn't it? You have good moments and bad moments. Well, I suppose you could say that at the moment (this moment) I'm having a good one. I'm grateful to feel the guidance of my God in my life. I suppose it does help as well that it's a Sunday, and I went to church, and renewed myself for another week. However, finding this official channel of the church on You-tube was helpful as well. They are just simple messages, but they are important messages for finding hope and strength to carry on in life, and not allow one's self to be pulled into despair. It's so easy at this point in time to be pulled into despair - what with the state of the world and it's economy, people losing jobs, struggling to make ends meet (that's another thing that's been on my mind). It's just hard times overall. But, if we can look deep inside of ourselves and see our own divinity, and our ability to make something out of nothing, I think we will find the hope to carry on. I know that sounds cheesy, but it's really what makes me who I am, so it's actually quite important.

Here's one message that I found quite touching from my favorite - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. You may have actually seen parts of this talk before on my blog, but this is a short summary of what he said with some touching music and images. It reminds me of who I am...

Hope you enjoy it. Have a great week.

The Sexual Revolution Has Ruined My Life...

2009-02-16T19:05:00.004Z

... and the lives of many others like me. Gloria Steinem, thy name is sabotage. Call me old fashioned, but I'm not a fan of all of the so-called "freedoms" that the feminist movement has brought about. For instance - dating - or relationships...

Who the hell knows what they're even doing anymore? Women apparently have become on a par with men, and they play "the game" now - destroying the self esteem of men who normally are quite good-ish. These men then go out thinking that they have to play some sort of game in order to get women to like them. Apparently there are women out there who do like this game. I on the other hand abhor it - and everything to do with it. Call me old fashioned, but when I like someone romantically, I treat them well, I do nice things for them, I spend time with them, I might even write them lovely messages. Some people consider this behavior - seemingly desperate. I think that is THE MOST PREPOSTEROUS THING I HAVE EVER HEARD. Those who see it that way, are clearly lacking self-esteem in that they think there is something wrong with someone if they like them that much. I mean think of it - if you like someone, should you not be kind to them, and do nice things for them, and spend time with them? Hell, that's what I do. Apparently that's the wrong thing to do. Apparently, I should be cold and cruel, and distant. But, sorry, I'm going to keep on doing it the way I've always done it, because frankly, I don't have it in me to deceive or to play with people's hearts at will. If someone does that with me, I'm just going to walk away and disappear from their lives, because I reaaaallllllly can't take it.

Then there's this matter of defining relationships - who is to be the one to make the first move? Who is going to break the wall of uncertainty? Again, call me old fashioned, but I certainly think it is not up to me. Men - BE MEN - take control of the situation and do what you ought to do. Choose A girl - not 5, and say something like this - "I like you - and I want you to be my girlfriend" preferably with flowers or candy or the like. If you are rejected, then clearly - you chose the wrong girl. If women are turned off by this forward gesture, then there is clearly something wrong with them - mentally. OR - they are just not interested, and cruel enough to not say so, but say something stupid like - "we'll see" Again, mentally challenged woman. If someone is not interested, they should just say - sorry I'm not interested, and not prolong the pain. I hate what women like that have done to men. They have destroyed their self-esteem so badly that women like me - who are sooooooo worth the effort can't get anywhere with them. I HATE YOU - PLAYER WOMEN - thy name is destruction.

You know, for someone who only ever heard what a terrible person they were growing up (actually heard the words "you're a terrible person" and much worse), I've come a long way. It's been an uphill battle all of the way, but here I am, I'm strong, I'm free, and I'm standing on my own two feet - able to say clearly that I am not going to put up with any BS anymore - from anybody. So, men - if you are interested, please do not treat me like dirt - you will get ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE. If you really are interested, then you have to woo me, the old fashioned way - with flowers and time spent, and touching (but I mean, don't touch me if you've just met me - that's just weird). I will reveal to the world - right now - my love language is physical touch. There - it's out there - so because people in the world are so weird about touching, my love language has not been fulfilled properly - not in a very long time.... I know that sounds sad, but it's true. She who has a permanent smile on her face is often very sad indeed. I was in love once. I mean - real in love - not this infatuation that people call "in love". I once gave someone my whole heart. I shouldn't have really, because though it was requited, it was not acknowledged publicly as so, and in the end it burned me badly. So much so, that I cried constantly for a month when it was over. But, I healed from that - with help from my God. I've healed from many things with help from God. People don't believe me that it's possible to heal from something like that, but it is - I'm a witness.

Anyway, long story short - people should be kind to each other if they like each other. They should seek to spend time with each other, and give - in whatever way they can. It makes no sense to hurt someone you love - as often as that does happen. I'm not saying I've never hurt anybody I love, I'm just saying, I have never intentionally done so. Nor will I - ever.

"Fight or Flight", Hills, and My Massive Thunder Thighs...

2009-02-04T19:32:00.008Z

I think this is my problem...

http://www.advance-health.com/cortisol.html

It's either cortisol over-production, due to the "fight or flight" response being overactive; or mass muscle growth, combined with other hormonal imbalances. Freaking Hormones...

Men have it so easy, all they have to do is eat less and exercise. With us, it's some sort of battle, it's like - our bodies want us to retain fat. Likely they do. Something about reproduction or the like. I think all of the mass hill walking I'm doing to and from work every day combined with my slightly increased appetite (normal food, just increased slightly) has made it extra difficult for me to lose weight, and in fact, I am gaining it. Gaaah!!!! I mean, I'm not giving up the hill walking. I love my therapeutic walks to and from work, and being a Dundonian and all of that. I love it. Plus, eventually, it has to work in my favor right? I mean, I feel great otherwise... just heavy. Why does it always have to be an uphill battle for me? Right, just venting, but as you can see, (at the right) I've decided to ignore my scale. I suppose I shall have to live with my thunder thighs for now. My trousers are tighter and everything. I would take a picture, but I'm sure you don't want to see my huge tree-trunk thighs. Remember when I was biking 40 km to and from work? That didn't last long either, mainly because of the same reason - concern that if I continued, I might develop massive thighs. Well, I'm not giving up my hills. It's healthy, it's cheap travel (free travel), and it's therapeutic. So, I suppose I shall have to learn to live with it and stop complaining.

Perhaps I should take the perspective of this Nike ad on...

Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies, ABBA, and Moshpits of One

2009-01-31T22:17:00.007Z

*UNHEALTHY FOOD WARNING*

What do these three things have in common - you're asking yourself? Haha. Tonight I re-enacted a tradition that has been carried on for - oh - about 18 years or so...

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
(MADE FAMOUS BY BECKY AND ANGEL WHILST MOSHING TO ABBA)

Technically, you can't mosh with 2 people, but we tried anyway. Since I did not have my best friend here to mosh with, I tried it out on my own whilst listening to Abba. It pretty much was just me jumping up and down. For those of you who are either too young or too old to know what moshing is, it was something we did in the '90s - where large groups of young people would gather and listen to loud, obnoxious grunge rock music and bash about at random - pretty much beating each other up on the dance floor. I think Angel and I just realy enjoyed the pushing about and bashing bit. (crazy kids) For some reason, we always chose to bake our famous Chocolate Chip Cookies and listen to Abba whilst doing so. As I am typing this, I am still listening to Abba. Ah, good memories; the simplicity of youth. I bet nobody in the entire world has that sort of tradition. That's special - that is. I bet she continues on the tradition - even now - with her kids. I shall have to ask her later. The recipe is simple, and NOT healthy, but the secret is - MILK chocolate chips. You can use whatever chips you want, but tradition calls for Milk. If you have a mother that grew up during World War 2 and rationing, then you may have an entire freezer full of Milk Chocolate Chips - simply because she can. Sometimes we wouldn't even make the cookies, but go to the freezer - where we were absolutely certain to find them and eat whole bags of Chipits Milk Chocolate Chips. (this is likely how I wound up at 270 lbs) The best part was that Mum always thought she was being so sneaky - hiding them in the freezer, when we always knew they were there, and ate them all the time. So fun.

Anyway, here is the sacred recipe. I now share it with the world to enjoy and mosh and listen to Abba at will...

1 Cup Butter
1 Cup Brown Sugar
½ Cup White Sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Salt
2 ¼ Cup Flour
1 Bag of Chipits Milk Chocolate Chips (I obviously couldn't get chipits, so I used Dr. Oetker - :( )

Cream Butter and Sugars together
Add Eggs and Vanilla – mix well
Add Soda and Salt – mix well
Add Flour and thoroughly blend
Fold in Chips

Drop 1 inch bits of batter on an ungreased baking sheet
Bake at 350 ° Fahrenheit (or 175 degrees celsius) for 10 minutes
Let cool on cooling rack. Cookies will settle down as they cool.

Eat and Share :-)
Then Mosh to Abba.

Makes 2 and a half dozen.

Oh don't you worry, I won't be eating them all myself, I'll probably take them to church tomorrow and try to push most of them on my friends. It was just the tradition I was looking for really. Though, the batter was so very very tasty in bits.

*AMENDMENT* - Angel would like me to point out that it was all in the mixing. We often noted that. (it was her job - haha - that's evidently why I forgot)

Other news - I found candied ginger - finally!!!! They hide it in the baked goods section at Tesco's. Imagine, a candy as wonderful as crystallized ginger - hidden away in the corner at baked goods. Oh how happy it made me to find it. Also, after 8 weeks of waiting, 3 of my 6 boxes which I sent arrived today. I still have 24 more to send off to myself, but I'll get them - one at a time.

Happy Robbie Burns Day!!!

2009-01-25T19:13:00.009Z

AE FOND KISS

by: Robert Burns (1759-1796)

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever;
Ae farewell, alas, for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee!

Who shall say that Fortune grieves him
While the star of hope she leaves him?
Me, nae cheerfu' twinkle lights me,
Dark despair around benights me.

I'll ne'er blame my partial fancy;
Naething could resist my Nancy;
But to see her was to love her,
Love but her, and love for ever.

Had we never loved sae kindly,
Had we never loved sae blindly,
Never met--or never parted,
We had ne'er been broken-hearted.

Fare thee weel, thou first and fairest!
Fare thee weel, thou best and dearest!
Thine be ilka joy and treasure,
Peace, enjoyment, love, and pleasure!

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever!
Ae farewell, alas, for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee!

BANNOCKBURN

by: Robert Burns (1759-1796)

At Bannockburn the English lay,--
The Scots they were na far away,
But waited for the break o' day
That glinted in the east.

But soon the sun broke through the heath
And lighted up that field of death,
When Bruce, wi' saul-inspiring breath,
His heralds thus addressed:--

"Scots, wha hae wi' Wallace bled--
Scots, wham Bruce has aften led--
Welcome to your gory bed.
Or to victorie!

"Now's the day, and now's the hour;
See the front o' battle lower;
See approach proud Edward's power--
Chains and slaverie!

"Wha will be a traitor knave?
Wha can fill a coward's grave?
Wha sae base as be a slave?
Let him turn and flee!

"Wha for Scotland's king and law
Freedom's sword will strongly draw,
Freeman stand or freeman fa'--
Let him follow me!

"By Oppression's woes and pains!
By your sons in servile chains!
We will drain our dearest veins,
But they shall be free!

"Lay the proud usurpers low!
Tyrants fall in every foe!
Liberty's in every blow!
Let us do or die!"

And who could forget...

AULD LANG SYNE

by: Robert Burns (1759-1796)

Chorus

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

I

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to min'?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

II

And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp,
And surely I'll be mine,
And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne!

III

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pu'd the gowans fine,
But we've wander'd monie a weary foot
Sin' auld lang syne.

IV

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn
Frae mornin sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne.

V

And here's a hand, my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o' thine,
And we'll take a right quid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne!

Chorus

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne!

On the 250th anniversary of his birth, I celebrate Robbie Burns Day. Ah Robbie Burns, national poet of Scotland. How your words have touched so many through the years. I love Robbie Burns - he is such a romantic really. I mean, the man really loved women - a lot of women, and had oodles of children to prove it. You might call him the romantic, poetry writing, slightly less sexist James Bond. Ah Robbie, a lover, not a fighter - however he was a true Scotsman - which you can see clearly in the above poem - Bannockburn. He has fueled the fire of Scotland in reclaiming it's sense of individuality from years of English oppression. I say that as an English person. However, I am a Scot too, (and Irish) so I feel it. Who wouldn't feel for the plight of Scotland regardless of their lineage.

So, in honor of the romantic Mr. Burns, I ate haggis. That's about the only traditional thing I did today (besides reading poetry). It wasn't even real haggis, but the Vegetarian variety. I had an opportunity to go to a Burns Supper on Friday but missed it - due to mismanagement of time. :-( It's ok though. My makeshift "Becky version" Burns Supper consisted of...

Hall's Vegetarian Haggis. I could have made my own, I found a recipe to do so, but it was just a lot less hassle to use a ready made store bought one. It was dead tasty too.

All cooked up (in the microwave - that's right) and ready to eat. Mmmm.

Dinner also consisted of...

Every type of veggie I had left in my fridge that I was concerned might go bad if I didn't use. I then covered it in the leftover peanut sauce that I mixed up last night for my Peanut Noodles dinner. (another JVR recipe)

The finished meal - leftover veg covered in peanut sauce, vegetarian haggis, and Black Current Squash - makes for a tasty, simple, Beck-ified Burns Supper. Hope you all have a lovely Robbie Burns Day yourselves. :-)

Snippets of My Dundee

2009-01-24T18:06:00.001Z

Desperate Dan in the center of town - keeping an eye on things.

Sorry to all who may have been checking frequently to see if I've updated my blog. I've been busy, and a bit boring to be honest with you. Haha. Anyway, life is pretty good. I'm working now as a temp at the University of Dundee - School of Education, Social Work, and Community Education. It's really great. The people there are super nice, and the work isn't especially difficult (so looking for a tiny challenge), but there's plenty of it to be had. They've been short-handed for a while now. Other than that, I've just been making friends and trying to make Dundee my home. It feels like home to me now if I'm honest about it. I really like Dundee - a lot. My flat is coming together as well, a little at a time. I still don't have couches, but I will - soonish (some time in the next 2 months) I think actually, I'll get one sofa bed, and a couple of comfy chairs which I can curl up and read in. I need a reading chair, I haven't been reading at all lately, and you know how out of character that is for me. I've been walking to work (so no train reading as I did in Calgary). The walking is FANTASTIC!!! It's 40 minutes either way (which is less time than driving to work in Calgary), and it's hills all the way. It's been a great work-out every day - walking to work, walking from work. The from work is the hard part because I kind of live on the upper hillier part of town. I am developing some killer thighs from all this hill walking, and unfortunately, my scale doesn't like it much because I'm getting buff. Buff is good, heavier Becky is discouraging, however my brain says - that's totally illogical, and I really should be happy about the increased physical strength. Oh, and I found a friend who frequently hikes the Munros of Scotland and has promised that I can come along on his hikes. Yay. You know, that's half the reason why I picked Scotland, who doesn't love a good hike? I bought some fantastic hiking boots recently as well. So, yeah, that's what I've been up to. So, here's some pics I took this week of Dundee as I was out and about...

The reason Dundee is called "City of Discovery" - the RRS Discovery which was built in Dundee and Captained by Robert Falcon Scott to go to Antarctica for Antarctic Research.

The Penguins who guard the entrance to the Discovery.

Presbyterian Penguins Piously Parading at the Parrish of St. Mary's.

Thank-you, I do realize that I am an alliteration genius.

More of St. Mary's Parrish in the city centre. Apparently it has quite an elaborate history. It was built in 1190. Can you believe that? 1190!!! Well, originally - however it was burned down, and then rebuilt again in the 1480's, and then consequently was burned and rebuilt a couple more times after that. Though, it is fun to read the history of it. The Penguins are modern. (note that there are many of Pete's kind here - perhaps he could come and visit me? ;-)

A Dragon!!!! Again, in the centre of town, there's this fantastic statue of a Dragon - not far from Desperate Dan. There is an awesome Dundonian story about a Dragon and a well, which can be found here...

It's a story about a poor farmer who had nine daughters which he sent one by one (because the one previous to each took so long) to the well to collect water. So, he went looking for them, and discovered their mangled bodies entwined within the scaly folds of a Dragon - which had murdered each one of them. The farmer was distraught obviously, and Martin - who was a lover of one of the maidens was brave, and slew the dragon in honor of his love that was murdered. This accounts for some of the street names in Dundee - such as Strathmartine which intersects with my street - named after brave Martin. Also Ninewells Hospital is named for the story. It's pure Dundonian folklore. I love it.

One of the two big shopping malls here in Dundee - the Overgate. The other one's the Wellgate. Surprisingly - there's great shopping here in Dundee. Traditionally, people think of Glasgow as the centre of all good shopping, but I think we do pretty well here. Bunny - this one's for you.

This is where I would pick you up if you came to visit me - at the Train Station.

The building I'm working in at present - "The Old Medical School" at the University of Dundee.

More University Buildings of various names, histories, and stories. I'm not sure what any of these are, but they are fantastic buildings. I love the campus - it feels like a University Campus should feel like.

The Tay - isn't she lovely? (on a lovely sunny, green grass day in January)

So there you have it - there's my Dundee. I'm sure as I get to know it even more it will become more interesting to me - however it's pretty fantastic as is at the moment.

I Love This Song...

2009-01-14T22:20:00.005Z

I don't know about the other girls out there, but I've kind of grown attached to this song...

(PAUSE MUSIC BOX AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE)

I think it's the outrageous dance routine that goes with it that draws me to it. I'm not even a real hip hop fan, but darn it, Beyonce strikes a chord with me on this one. It gets stuck in my head first thing in the morning and keeps my pace up on my morning walk to work. Thanks to B, I have discovered this version of the video in which this Shane Mercado does an amazing job of the entire routine. Truly, he is amazing. Even better than Timberlake...

...and that's saying something.

The New "Hill Factored" Plan

2009-01-14T18:57:00.005Z

So, since starting the new job, and realizing that it is really a pretty huge work-out walking to work and back every day - what with all those hills; I have decided to alter the weight-loss plan a little. I have been burning up the calories, let me tell you, and am developing some killer thighs. I got home yesterday - literally with a self-digesting stomach, and decided that I needed to eat something quick. Unfortunately I ate the wrong thing, and too quickly - apparently my stomach had shrunk to nothing - due to increased metabolizing of the contents. My stomach was not happy with what I had done to it, what with filling it so quickly and all, and I had a wicked stomach ache the rest of the night. I'm surprised I actually got to sleep to be honest with you.

So, long story short, I am adjusting the plan. Marsha (and my knees) will be happy to hear that I will no longer be running. Also, I have acquired a video that my best friend suggested called - Turbo Jam which she swears has really tightened up her abs like you wouldn't believe. That seems to be one of my trouble areas for certain, so I'm going to give that a go. I haven't dropped into the library for a class once, and to be honest, it interrupts my walking time, so I probably won't now. New plan, as mentioned before will be...

EXERCISE

- 3 times a week - 1 hour of Yoga
- 2 times a week - Turbo Jam
- Walking/Biking to get everywhere for Transportation (this one's also financial - 2 purposes)

DIET

- Eat 3 meals a day at meal times (this is really important for metabolism) with healthy snacks when hungry.
- Light meal for Dinner (example - toast and eggs, or salad, or cereal)
- Front load calories (Dayna's term) - Have most of my calories during the am - because in reality you need more calories to get through the day, and virtually none to get you through sleep - and you really don't want those extra calories sitting there when you do go to sleep because it just gets stored to fat. Don't be afraid to go to bed hungry - it's actually better in my opinion.
- Get plenty of Fibre and Essential Fatty Acids - Fibre and EFA's carry out excess Hormones and also lowers LDL levels. Excess hormones often are the problem with women trying to lose weight - a lot of women (like me) are Insulin Resistant which makes it harder to metabolize food.
- Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day - flushing toxins and keeping hydrated is really important and also aids in digestion.
- Gum Chewing also can't hurt in aiding digestion in my opinion - I don't know if there's any scientific proof of that, but I find it helps me.
- Get the daily requirement of 5 fruit and veg a day (in fact more is helpful) - this also adds to fibre intake.

The diet, as you can see - remains pretty much the same. However, tonight I strayed from that as well, I must admit - again my stomach was pretty empty, but I was sensible. I went to my local chippy - "Gigi's" FANTASTIC selection, I must say, friendly people, reasonably priced, and overall, a great experience. Tasty food too. Though, that will not be every day, it was a pleasant break from the every day eating experience.

So, yes, this is the plan as adjusted. I found that most of last year, this adjusting occured quite frequently according to my needs. You can do that you know, in fact it's a good idea because it shakes things up, and your body doesn't get into a routine. It's important to be realistic as well, and perhaps I wasn't factoring in the massive hilled streets of Dundee. It takes 40 minutes give or take for me to walk to work - which is infinitely better than an hour of traffic in Calgary. I love my life.

P.S. I promise that I will start taking pictures of my new world. I keep forgetting. It's fun to just live for a bit and not be "obsessive picture taking Becky".

First Day At Work Update...

2009-01-12T19:29:00.003Z

Today I had my first day of work at the temporary position I'm working on at the University of Dundee. I am working at the School of Social Work and Community Education. Which - incidentally - one of my new friends here in Dundee is a student of. I actually saw her name a couple of times today. Anyway, the people there are really really nice, and they didn't really overload me with work or anything, but gave me some lovely simple-like jobs to do - such as entering student applications into a spreadsheet format, and entering the interview details, etc on the spreadsheet. One thing that was kind of cool is that - I had an entire office - all to myself. That's right, my very own - (well, the sick person's) office. It's true. Plus, there was this lovely lush lounge with couches all over it, and computers available for any of the staff to use for their email or whatever. The office is in the "Old Medical School" building - which is pretty cool in itself, because the building is somewhat historic.

Another great thing about working there is that I am a mere 3 minute walk from my friend's office, and I'm sure my other friends who work/study in the area are not far away either. I have an hour lunch break, and am free most days for anybody that may be reading this, and may want to meet for lunch. Haha. And, I LOVE to go out for lunch. (see previous posts with various food pics) How I miss my lunch girls - you know who you are. Anyway, that's the first day news. Not much to tell, but it went pretty smooth overall. I am hopeful to get one of the "Department of Humanities" positions I applied for, because I do enjoy working in that part of the city, and would like to try something a little bit different on a permanent (not just temporary) basis. Well, permanent as in, until one day when I decide to do something else different. Such as, go back to school myself. I was thinking about that today, a lot. I suppose it's bound to happen when you see all of those applications, and the details about whether or not they will achieve their heart's desire and get into the program they want to. I felt a little sad actually for the ones that didn't make it. I really would like to get into the "BSc - Food, Nutrition and Health" program at Abertay University actually. Perhaps that's something I'll have to look into in the near (the next 6 months) future, and figure out what I need to do to get into it. I've put off real post-secondary education for far too long, mostly because of funding or lack thereof. I'm hopeful that life will start to go somewhere for me here in Dundee. Hopefully in all aspects, but we shall see about that.

Tell Me...

2009-01-11T01:53:00.005Z

How could you not love this face?

Or this one?

Or even this little Muffin?

I have a friend who swears that these breeds are not real dogs. We get into a debate about it every single time dogs are mentioned. Though, to me, they are my favorite dogs of all. Look at their sweet little faces, and they're furry fat roll covered bodies. Plus, they are sweet little companions. I love the flat-faced dogs, and I think they are the best. I mean, I'm a fan of all dogs, don't get me wrong. A dog is a man or woman's best friend - no matter what breed, hands down. A girl is entitled to have her favorites though.

I've always wanted dogs. Sigh, I could use a canine companion at the moment. I don't think my landlady would approve though, plus, I'll be at work all the time, since I got a temp job for Monday. (at the University of Dundee department of Social Work and Community Education) Dogs need someone around, they shouldn't be couped up in a flat all day long. So, my dream of canine companionship will have to wait until a future date when I can offer more of my time and attention. (not to mention £££) I'm up awfully late at the moment. I'm baking. Yes, that's right, baking again. I took a nap this evening, and therefore, am not tired, sigh. Am going to bed very soon though. Tomorrow I'll be up early-ish for church, and then, tomorrow night, I'll be in bed early for my start on Monday. Wish me luck. You know I'll need it.

Her Majesty Approves of My Breakfast Cereal

2009-01-08T23:17:00.002Z

By Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen
Becky's Bonny Babble
Blogger and Babbler

Just kidding - gosh I hope I don't get in trouble for using the Royal Warrant like that. It's all in respect Your Majesty - not that she will ever read my blog.

Anyway, I have noticed that an awful lot of things I use are approved of and/or used by the Queen. You know how there's a few things here and there in Canada like that - like Pear's Soap for instance...

Well here - it seems to be on everything I buy. In fact, I hardly buy something now without making sure it has the Royal Warrant on it first. I'm just kidding of course, but here is a list of things in my household at present that have the Royal Warrant on it...

- Hoover Clothes Washer/Dryer Combo
- Fairy Dish Washing Liquid
- Pumpkin Seed Ryvita Crisp Bread
- Schwartz Ground Cinnamon
- Schwartz Curry Powder
- Lyle's Black Treacle (Molasses)
- Lyle's Golden Syrup
- Silver Spoon Caster Sugar
- Silver Spoon Icing Sugar
- Quaker Oatso Simple Apple and Blueberry Oatmeal
- Kellogg's Special K Red Berries Cereal
- Kellogg's All-Bran Cereal
- Robinsons Fruit Squash - Apple & Blackcurrant

That's everything I could find, however there are oodles of things like that here. Tractors for instance, Medicines, Electronics, Horticultural supplies, Pest Control, and just about anything you can think of. How fun is that? I love it personally that the Queen approves of my Breakfast Cereal. It brightens my morning.

More Wonderful Gifts From Julie

2009-01-05T22:31:00.003Z

Tonight, I made this lovely Berry-Lemon Loaf which tastes quite scrumptious I must say. I know the other day I said I was front-loading the calories, and I am, but I couldn't make this beautiful loaf without just trying it a little. Don't worry, I'll eat it in the morning tomorrow, and also Wednesday, and I plan to share some with friends if they come to visit. That way - it gets more wear. It turned out so lovely, that I thought I'd share the recipe with you (plus I promised Michelle I would) The recipe come's out of - my friend - Julie Van Rosendaal's book "Starting Out - The Essential Guide to Cooking on Your Own" on page 242. Here's the recipe...

1/4 Cup Butter or Margarine, softened
1 Cup Sugar
Grated Zest of 1-2 Lemons
2 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Milk
1 1/2 Cups Fresh or Frozen (unthawed) Blackberries, Raspberries, or Blueberries

Glaze:
3 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Confectioners' Sugar

"This is a great way to use berries when they're in season, but the loaf tastes just as good with frozen berries. Make sure you keep the berries frozen right up until you add them to prevent their juice streaking through your batter and turning it blue. Some cooks toss their berries with a bit of flour first (use some from the recipe rather than adding more) to help absorb any excess juice. Leave the berries out completely for a plain lemon loaf." (Julie's words - not mine)

Method:
1 - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Spray an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray.
2 - In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest with an electric mixer for about a minute, until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3 - If you want, toss the berries with about a tablespoon of the flour to prevent them from releasing their juices into the batter and turning it blue. put them back into the freezer until it's time to use them. in a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir by hand just until it's combined. Add half the milk in the same manner. Add another third of the flour mixture, the rest of the milk, and the rest of the flour mixture, along with the berries. Stir by hand just until your batter is blended.
4 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, until it's cracked and golden and the top is springy to the touch. Poke the top of the loaf all over with a bamboo skewer or toothpick. Stir together the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar and brush or drizzle over the loaf while it's still warm. I like to brush half over the top, let it soak in, then brush on the rest. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Makes 1 loaf

And that - my friends - word for word - is Julie's fantastic recipe for Berry-Lemon Loaf. I am dead impressed with how it turned out. I mean - well the berries all sunk to the bottom, but other than that - it turned out perfect. I'm sure Julie has some magical way of keeping them from falling to the bottom, or maybe I didn't stir it quite enough. Meh, it still tastes fantastic. Tomorrow, I may make Choclava. This is the best part about having my own kitchen, and having a lot of time on my hands. Hopefully I won't have a lot of time on my hands for too much longer though. :-/

Things That Make Life Worth Living in Scotland

2009-01-04T18:18:00.021Z

Chocolate - of British origin and also from various European Nations - obviously way better than anything in Canada and we won't even mention the wax they serve in that other country.

Cheese - Cheap and flavorful and of many different varieties - they also seem to be all the same price regardless of the variety as well.

Produce - You would not believe the freshness, the bounty, and the quality of ALL of the produce in this country. We have no idea what produce is in Alberta - seriously.

Haggis and Deep Fried Mars Bars - Self Explanatory

Shopping - There's lots of it, and it's usually quite enjoyable. Every guide book will tell you that walking is the national past time here, but it is only so if it's in a shopping district. Scots are determined to find the best deal on everything they need. There are deals - deals a plenty.

Argos - The greatest thing ever. Remember Consumer's Distributing? Same story here - I can spend hours looking at the stupid catalogue.

Lidl and Aldi - So fun - and fun foods you'll not find anywhere else. Grocery stores with loads of European products.

Water Softness and Humidity - Yes my hair takes a beating - but there's hair product for that, however, the water tastes fantastic, AND my skin has never been happier. No more velcro hands for me.

Weather - Infinitely better than what I left behind. Sorry to gloat my friends, but the temperature here never really goes below 0 much, and it probably will never be 20 below zero. The scots might freak out about that, as they get freaked out about 0.

Scenery - there's no end of scenery in Scotland. Even being in the city is refreshing for someone from Alberta.

Robbie Burns Day - Coming Soon on the 25th of January - don't worry I'll write all about it when it occurs.

Bag Pipes - sometimes when you're walking down a major Scottish street, you hear them at random - just out of nowhere. Something stirs in the soul when you hear the pipes calling.

Lovely Old Folk - Cute little old people with adorable accents. It's true - they're everywhere. They meet you and instantly they love you and hug and kiss you on the cheek. So adorable.

(really I just posted this pic because this is a cute little old scottish man I would LOVE to meet - *wink wink - nudge nudge*)

Travel - You can get to anywhere in Europe for quite cheap via train or plane with no trouble at all.

Proximity - Everything is so close by - you can walk anywhere in this city in less than half an hour it seems - at the very least in less than an hour - which is nothing for us Canadian folk.

Television - Again - 10 times better than anything in North America

Having People Come Visit - Which hasn't happened yet, and likely shouldn't happen until I have somewhere for them to sleep (need sofa beds). But once that occurs - you are very welcome to do so.

The Plan For The Last 20 - Written Out

2009-01-03T21:35:00.004Z

So, yes I have written out my resolutions for 2009. The first one - of course - being on my mind as I rolled away from the Dinner Table has to do with weight loss and general Health, the second one had to do with careers and finances, and the third one was personal - sound familiar? These are likely the same sorts of resolutions that people all over the world have written up for themselves, and write every year. I'm not going to bore you with my financial goals, but here in detail for those of you who are trying to get in shape are my plans to remove the last 20 pounds of excess fat from my body...

As many of you know - I have lost 100 odd pounds over the last 3 years. The truth is - it's a lot easier to lose 100 pounds than it is to lose 20. Your body knows it shouldn't have 100 extra pounds on it, so when you make efforts to lose it, your body complies - in stages of loss and plateau. When I weighed myself last at Junes (after the feasting) I was at about 173. I don't actually own a scale at the moment, but will have to purchase one. My initial goal when I went on this journey of weight loss was 150, and I never did reach it. The best I got to was 160. So, because it's a new year, and a new beginning, I have decided that this is it - I WILL lose 20 pounds, and I will reach my goal of 150 pounds. I have decided it, and therefore it will happen. It will happen because of what I will do to make it happen.

Here in detail is what I will do to make it happen, and if you want to, you can follow my outline with your own variations of what you are comfortable with...

EXERCISE

- 3 times a week - 1 hour of Yoga
- 2 times a week - 30 minutes of Running (don't worry Marsha, I'll do intervals)
- 2 times a week - TKO class/Keep Fit class at local Library
- Walking/Biking to get everywhere for Transportation (this one's also financial - 2 purposes)

DIET

- Eat 3 meals a day at meal times (this is really important for metabolism) with healthy snacks when hungry.
- Light meal for Dinner (example - toast and eggs, or salad, or cereal)
- Front load calories (Dayna's term) - Have most of my calories during the am - because in reality you need more calories to get through the day, and virtually none to get you through sleep - and you really don't want those extra calories sitting there when you do go to sleep because it just gets stored to fat. Don't be afraid to go to bed hungry - it's actually better in my opinion.
- Get plenty of Fibre and Essential Fatty Acids - Fibre and EFA's carry out excess Hormones and also lowers LDL levels. Excess hormones often are the problem with women trying to lose weight - a lot of women (like me) are Insulin Resistant which makes it harder to metabolize food.
- Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day - flushing toxins and keeping hydrated is really important and also aids in digestion.
- Gum Chewing also can't hurt in aiding digestion in my opinion - I don't know if there's any scientific proof of that, but I find it helps me.
- Get the daily requirement of 5 fruit and veg a day (in fact more is helpful) - this also adds to fibre intake.

So that's everything I can think of at the moment to do for accomplishing my goals. Remember when making your own goals to make them realistic. For me - these requirements are not that far off of what I do already so it's not that much of a stretch for me. A week and a half of being idle and eating lots of food that I don't normally has made me a bit rusty, but the body has an excellent memory, and everything should jump back into routine soon-ish. So, good luck friends - let's get at it. Wish me luck. I'm back onto weighing - once I buy a scale.

Happy Hogmanay To All!!

2009-01-02T20:08:00.002Z

Happy New Year!!!

So sorry to all of those who have been checking my blog to see if I have updated it, etc. So - here finally - is a small update of what has been going on in Becky's World. Because my family is thousands of miles away, and because I didn't want to spend Christmas alone in my little flat, I decided to take up the offer from my dear friends in Airdrie (near Glasgow) to stay with them for the holidays. It was quite nice to be amongst them, and to enjoy their company again. They're like my very own version of family - right here in Scotland. Most of what we did during the holidays was watch TV (and let me tell you - TV is waaaaayy better in the UK than anywhere else in the world) and eat amazing food that is really not good for you, but still must be consumed during the holidays because of tradition. As a result, I have gained about 5 pounds I think. I'm feeling uncomfortable with that, which leads me to my resolutions to be blogged about at a future date. (soon that is) Anyway, June and Robert and family were really great, and they made me feel right at home, as they always do. It was also nice to have Cara around to keep me company...

So, yeah - ate amazing food - including Turkey, Swede and Carrots, Steak pie, Trifle, Yorkshire Pudding, Vegetarian Haggis (my new favorite - which incidentally may turn out to be a fantastic stuffing - if anyone is willing to try it), June made THE most amazing Rice Krispie Squares I have ever tasted in my life. It's true - best ever. Also, potatoes (mashed and roasted), and a number of other wonderful things which escape my memory at the moment - oh and Schloer - buckets of Schloer - which is a fancy fizzy grape juice Mormons here use to replace Wine - haha. It was pretty great. So - yes food a plenty. Loved it. Missed my family a little, but enjoyed myself nonetheless.

I also ended up doing a fair bit of bargain shopping for the flat - various things I just need to feel at home. I went to Ikea to find some of these bargain items, and I have to say - the Ikea in Glasgow is almost exactly like the Ikea in Calgary - and apparently - they are exactly the same all over the world (even in Sweden Steve tells me) So, that was nice, I felt right at home in Ikea. I now have curtains up in my bedroom instead of towels covering the windows, and a few rugs in the living room, and one big rug that June gave me in my bedroom where it is most needed - there's this weirdo pumice stone floor in there that make my heels feel like velcro. Also - various household/kitchen items that were necessary. I have all the proper bedding on my new (to me) bed now as well. So, that's nice. Yes, things are coming together here at the flat. I just need bedroom furniture, a couple of sofa beds (picked them out at Ikea), and a coffee table really and I'm set. However, all of that shall have to wait until - I find a job!!! I really really need a job it turns out - at the very least - I need work - temp work - this week. That's the real focus right now - finding work. Everyone is quite nervous here about the "Credit Crunch" they're calling it. The financial situation of the banks here is worse than in Canada, so jobs are scarce at the moment. But, I remain hopeful. I also exercise my Faith as much as I possibly can.

For New Year's Eve or Hogmanay as it is called properly here - June, Robert and I went to a Ceilidh - where we danced some lovely traditional dances. Robert was up dancing almost every dance in his kilt, and let me tell you that man can dance. He's 74?ish and he had way more energy on that dance floor than most of the young fellows. It was a lot of fun, and I ran into a couple of friends from my previous visit to Glasgow and area.

While June and I were out shopping - we stopped for lunch at this place called The King's Cafe near the King's Theatre in Glasgow which was really nice, clean, and reasonably priced. I had a salad, and a Toastie, AND - I tried the Deep Fried Mars Bar (Jodi - this bit is for you) which incidentally wasn't as decadent as I was expecting. Basically it's just like eating a Mars bar, and a bit of batter. It was good though - and added - yet more calories to my Holiday Festivities.

So - yeah - that's the small update of what I've been up to. More to come over the next few days.