Brrr!
The boyfriend and I just got back from town after a day of Christmas shopping and present hiding (his is under the bed in the spare room with a dressing gown chucked over it, and apparently I am banned from the bedside table on his side of the bed).
We hit the German Market for some tasty Grilled pork steaks, krautsalat and fried potatoes. Every winter I crave the German Market's fried potatoes, and they have never disappointed. We managed to do a little shopping but it was far too cold for too much browsing. We had a few glasses or mulled wine - or "Fire wine" as they call it.
We'd planned to go to Tiso to buy a pressie for his brother-in-law, but got a little distracted so never made it before closing. We'd bought some inexpensive gloves, socks, hats and blankets from Mountain Warehouse yesterday, and we'd planned to hand them out to homeless people - we tried last night but it was midnight by the time we got out and by then the streets were deserted. Found out today the soup van comes along at 9:00 pm and collects anyone found on the streets to take them to church shelters.
We spoke to a guy named Darren, who was chittering with cold and sitting under a plastic sheet - he's been sleeping in the cemetary at the West End and some guys had started on him, kicking him in and running off with his case. He was sitting with wrecked shoes that were soaked through, and his gloves were soaked as well. We gave him a new scarf, blanket, socks and hat, and I bought him a couple staek pies, a coffee and a slice of chocolate cake.
I don't think I will ever feel right complaining about my cold feet ever again.
Wednesday 22 December 2010
Friday 10 December 2010
Last day
It’s my very last day here, today is my last day at work. I’ve had a great time here…it’s been hectic at times, slightly stressful, and I certainly have not had enough sleep since starting back at uni. I’ve loved working here though, and I hope one day when I graduate, I might come back.
One girl, who I’ve worked with on a few occasions but who is not a regular in our office (she always stops to say hi to me however busy she may be) made a point of saying bye and good luck yesterday…and she emailed my team leader to contribute to my leaving present.
Another girl who I’ve worked with regularly over the past year (I even spoke to her a couple times on the phone in my previous incarnation as the Director’s PA) was stuck because of the snow and couldn’t make it into our office, but she phoned me yesterday to tell me how much she’s appreciated my help, and to tell me they couldn’t have done it without me. And how she’d wanted to say goodbye in person, but she hadn’t been able to get across town since the snow started.
My team leader yesterday said she’d give me a glowing reference for anything, and they’d love to have me back if I ever decided to. And she told me it would have all fallen apart without my organisational skills. I’ve enjoyed working for her, she doesn’t tolerate slacking and I’ve worked hard.
I’ve loved working here, and I’m really going to miss it. Next Monday I may even wake up at 6:00 am though I won’t have to.
One girl, who I’ve worked with on a few occasions but who is not a regular in our office (she always stops to say hi to me however busy she may be) made a point of saying bye and good luck yesterday…and she emailed my team leader to contribute to my leaving present.
Another girl who I’ve worked with regularly over the past year (I even spoke to her a couple times on the phone in my previous incarnation as the Director’s PA) was stuck because of the snow and couldn’t make it into our office, but she phoned me yesterday to tell me how much she’s appreciated my help, and to tell me they couldn’t have done it without me. And how she’d wanted to say goodbye in person, but she hadn’t been able to get across town since the snow started.
My team leader yesterday said she’d give me a glowing reference for anything, and they’d love to have me back if I ever decided to. And she told me it would have all fallen apart without my organisational skills. I’ve enjoyed working for her, she doesn’t tolerate slacking and I’ve worked hard.
I’ve loved working here, and I’m really going to miss it. Next Monday I may even wake up at 6:00 am though I won’t have to.
Monday 6 December 2010
Mini rage
ALL Lothian buses are cancelled. No way to get home, no news except a stupid message on their site. It would take me at least an hour and a half to walk home in optimal conditions, so probably around 3 hours in the snow. This was supposed to be my last week at work, I was meaning to get so much done and leave a good impression of how efficient I can be. Now I’ll probably need to go home in the next hour and abandon everything, just so I can get home.
I still love snow, but I hate how unprepared we are in Scotland for it. I love this country, I moved here from the other side of the world and decided to stay, and it isn’t often I whinge and moan about it. But this is taking the biscuit. We have had extreme snow for the past few years, and still no one will admit it’s coming…and actually prepare for it. What’s wrong with sticking snow tyres on buses and providing adequate snowplough services? We used to get far more snow than this in Toronto when I was a wee kid, and the city never ground to a complete halt like this.
One year at Hogmanay, there was a blizzard – this was a white-out, the kind never seen in Scotland. I was in Toronto; me and my friend Pete had gone to a warehouse party downtown and we were pretty much stuck – you couldn’t see a foot in front of your face it was that bad. We still managed tog et a taxi, and there were night buses running (though not to where we wanted to go).
Why the hell is it so difficult to make provisions for snow in this country???
I still love snow, but I hate how unprepared we are in Scotland for it. I love this country, I moved here from the other side of the world and decided to stay, and it isn’t often I whinge and moan about it. But this is taking the biscuit. We have had extreme snow for the past few years, and still no one will admit it’s coming…and actually prepare for it. What’s wrong with sticking snow tyres on buses and providing adequate snowplough services? We used to get far more snow than this in Toronto when I was a wee kid, and the city never ground to a complete halt like this.
One year at Hogmanay, there was a blizzard – this was a white-out, the kind never seen in Scotland. I was in Toronto; me and my friend Pete had gone to a warehouse party downtown and we were pretty much stuck – you couldn’t see a foot in front of your face it was that bad. We still managed tog et a taxi, and there were night buses running (though not to where we wanted to go).
Why the hell is it so difficult to make provisions for snow in this country???
Review: Yaktrax Ice Grips (for shoes)
I love snow. I love playing in the snow, although sometimes my idea of “play” is an 8 hour ski day, finishing with me crawling knackered out of my ski boots and into a pair of fluffy sheepskin boots. I do love my outdoor sports in the winter; ice skating on a real frozen pond, long walks on crunchy fresh snow, barrelling down a hillside on an old wooden toboggan (my early Christmas present from my boyfriend).
What I don’t love is trying to walk on ice, which is what we have now. My street is just covered in sheet ice, and it’s a nightmare to walk on it. That is, until I found these. I’d heard about them before as it was mentioned in the latest e-newsletter from Energia Athletics in Toronto (164 Danforth Ave, Toronto M4K 1N1). Energia is one of my favourite gyms in the world, and I wish it were here. They do my favourite classes – kettlebell and yoga – and the teachers are great.
As much as folk try to deny it in this country, snow has been coming in thick and fast the past couple winters, and we are repeatedly unprepared for it. I remember about 9 or 10 years ago, a good friend of mine from uni was planning to come visit me in Toronto over the Christmas holidays. He nearly didn’t make it over as Glasgow was experiencing 2 inches of snow, and Glasgow airport had lent their only snowplough to Aberdeen. Only snowplough? That’s madness!
Yaktrax are designed for the kind of conditions expected in Canada and the Eastern US states (NYC and Boston are pretty snow-covered this time of year, if I remember correctly). They are like snow tyres for your feet; they look like something a Spiderman impersonator may wear (complete with rubber webbing) to try to scale tall buildings. My boyfriend says they are slip-on crampons, which climbers use. These can be used everyday in the snow, and they’re reasonably affordable in comparison to the technical gear ice climbers use. You can slip them over any footwear, although I think a sturdier shoe is probably best and would be comfier to wear. I haven’t tried them on my Celtic Uggs yet, but once I do I think I may just be unstoppable – sheepskin goodness with a non-slip, failsafe sole? Oh yes!
It was snowing when I left for work this morning, as it has done for the past week. I’m pretty used to it now, and I’ve been one of the sensible folk trekking through town in a pair of hiking boots or wellies rather than more “traditional” work shoes. Now I know many people do not have the luxury I do of being able to wear whatever I damn well please to work, but still there is no excuse for the wee high heeled footprints I’ve seen more than once on my travels!
I don’t have a problem walking in snow, as I am Canadian and spent my winters buried in the stuff as a child. However ice is still a hazard for me, and as I am a person who has enough problems walking on dry ground in the summer without tripping over my own feet, ice is a particular problem. I am spectacularly uncoordinated, and even in hiking boots I skid a little with every step.
Aha, well not with these! I almost didn’t believe my boyfriend last night when he waxed lyrical about their amazingness after taking the dog for a walk at midnight. We’d both bought a pair at Tiso, but it was late when we got home so I never tried mine out until today. Now I can safely say these are the best things for winter since they invented the woolly socks and Gore-tex. I was already out the door this morning when I remembered we’d bought these, so I ran back in to put them on. I was wearing wellies with a pair of skinnies, so there was no problem getting them over my shoes. I stepped out onto the pavement outside my flat and didn’t skid at all, not even a millimetre. It was like walking on fresh snow, only with snow tyres on. I knew there was sheet ice under the layer of snow, as I could feel the crunch – didn’t slide or slip, and if I hadn’t known it was slippy by the people skidding around all over the place walking their dogs and crossing the street, I would have been blissfully oblivious.
It felt a little weird once I got in to work, as the chains made a clinking noise reminiscent of Jacob Marley’s ghost in A Christmas Carol. On bare pavement where there is no snow, the Yaktrax felt a little strange as well, but it’s a small price to pay for not falling on one’s bum on black ice.
I have had at least 3 comments since I got in today, all from people impressed with this ingenious invention.
I love these, and I shall be wearing them every day until the snow melts.
What I don’t love is trying to walk on ice, which is what we have now. My street is just covered in sheet ice, and it’s a nightmare to walk on it. That is, until I found these. I’d heard about them before as it was mentioned in the latest e-newsletter from Energia Athletics in Toronto (164 Danforth Ave, Toronto M4K 1N1). Energia is one of my favourite gyms in the world, and I wish it were here. They do my favourite classes – kettlebell and yoga – and the teachers are great.
As much as folk try to deny it in this country, snow has been coming in thick and fast the past couple winters, and we are repeatedly unprepared for it. I remember about 9 or 10 years ago, a good friend of mine from uni was planning to come visit me in Toronto over the Christmas holidays. He nearly didn’t make it over as Glasgow was experiencing 2 inches of snow, and Glasgow airport had lent their only snowplough to Aberdeen. Only snowplough? That’s madness!
Yaktrax are designed for the kind of conditions expected in Canada and the Eastern US states (NYC and Boston are pretty snow-covered this time of year, if I remember correctly). They are like snow tyres for your feet; they look like something a Spiderman impersonator may wear (complete with rubber webbing) to try to scale tall buildings. My boyfriend says they are slip-on crampons, which climbers use. These can be used everyday in the snow, and they’re reasonably affordable in comparison to the technical gear ice climbers use. You can slip them over any footwear, although I think a sturdier shoe is probably best and would be comfier to wear. I haven’t tried them on my Celtic Uggs yet, but once I do I think I may just be unstoppable – sheepskin goodness with a non-slip, failsafe sole? Oh yes!
It was snowing when I left for work this morning, as it has done for the past week. I’m pretty used to it now, and I’ve been one of the sensible folk trekking through town in a pair of hiking boots or wellies rather than more “traditional” work shoes. Now I know many people do not have the luxury I do of being able to wear whatever I damn well please to work, but still there is no excuse for the wee high heeled footprints I’ve seen more than once on my travels!
I don’t have a problem walking in snow, as I am Canadian and spent my winters buried in the stuff as a child. However ice is still a hazard for me, and as I am a person who has enough problems walking on dry ground in the summer without tripping over my own feet, ice is a particular problem. I am spectacularly uncoordinated, and even in hiking boots I skid a little with every step.
Aha, well not with these! I almost didn’t believe my boyfriend last night when he waxed lyrical about their amazingness after taking the dog for a walk at midnight. We’d both bought a pair at Tiso, but it was late when we got home so I never tried mine out until today. Now I can safely say these are the best things for winter since they invented the woolly socks and Gore-tex. I was already out the door this morning when I remembered we’d bought these, so I ran back in to put them on. I was wearing wellies with a pair of skinnies, so there was no problem getting them over my shoes. I stepped out onto the pavement outside my flat and didn’t skid at all, not even a millimetre. It was like walking on fresh snow, only with snow tyres on. I knew there was sheet ice under the layer of snow, as I could feel the crunch – didn’t slide or slip, and if I hadn’t known it was slippy by the people skidding around all over the place walking their dogs and crossing the street, I would have been blissfully oblivious.
It felt a little weird once I got in to work, as the chains made a clinking noise reminiscent of Jacob Marley’s ghost in A Christmas Carol. On bare pavement where there is no snow, the Yaktrax felt a little strange as well, but it’s a small price to pay for not falling on one’s bum on black ice.
I have had at least 3 comments since I got in today, all from people impressed with this ingenious invention.
I love these, and I shall be wearing them every day until the snow melts.
Thursday 2 December 2010
Motivation low, fading fast...
Winter is a terrible time for me as far as motivation goes. All summer I was going to the gym 3 days a week, and even when I was on holiday I was at the gym doing kettlebell classes 6 days a week and yoga straight afterwards as well. I really worked my butt off in Toronto this summer; shame it was only for a couple weeks!
Well, now winter has well and truly arrived I haven’t done one tiny smidgen of exercise. I definitely feel unfit, and I’m quite tired – I’ve found it harder and harder to wake up at 6:00 am for work now. Especially since we got our new curtains which block out the outside world brilliantly. Can’t blame the curtains though, as even when they’re open at that time in the morning it is totally dark outside. This morning, it was still dark when I got off the bus at work.
Depressing.
I can’t be bothered to go to the gym, as it would involve traipsing through the snow to get there from the bus stop, and then back up the hill again to get the bus home. It’s already pitch black by the time I leave work anyways.
I need some bloody motivation!!
I think now uni has finished for the term, I’ll start going back to yoga. I need to do something or I’ll go stir crazy, and it’s not helping that my boyfriend wakes up waaay later than I do (yes I know 6:00 am is antisocial) and is perky at midnight, when I’m barely able to prop my eyelids open.
I need to do something soon.
I’ve ordered Insanity from Amazon, so am hoping it will arrive over the weekend. I’ve heard good things about it, and I think it will definitely help being able to do a workout at home that will kick my butt. That was what I loved about kettlebells – totally takes it out of you and you definitely feel like you’ve done a hard workout. My trainer at my gym always makes sure I don’t go away feeling I’ve had an easy time!
I want to get more days in skiing this winter as well. Last year I wasn’t even working or going to uni, but I only managed to go twice (thrice if you count the dry slope, which I don’t). I miss getting in a full 2 weeks of skiing in Whistler every winter, plus whatever random ski days I could muster up. I think if I had to live in Canada again, Whistler would be the place. I would be happy being a ski bum!
I’d probably also be skinny. The last time I can remember being able to eat anything I wanted and still fit into a size small trouser was when I was doing 8 hours on the slopes every day and stuffing my face every night. I could eat anything I wanted and just burned it off the next day.
I miss those days…
Well, now winter has well and truly arrived I haven’t done one tiny smidgen of exercise. I definitely feel unfit, and I’m quite tired – I’ve found it harder and harder to wake up at 6:00 am for work now. Especially since we got our new curtains which block out the outside world brilliantly. Can’t blame the curtains though, as even when they’re open at that time in the morning it is totally dark outside. This morning, it was still dark when I got off the bus at work.
Depressing.
I can’t be bothered to go to the gym, as it would involve traipsing through the snow to get there from the bus stop, and then back up the hill again to get the bus home. It’s already pitch black by the time I leave work anyways.
I need some bloody motivation!!
I think now uni has finished for the term, I’ll start going back to yoga. I need to do something or I’ll go stir crazy, and it’s not helping that my boyfriend wakes up waaay later than I do (yes I know 6:00 am is antisocial) and is perky at midnight, when I’m barely able to prop my eyelids open.
I need to do something soon.
I’ve ordered Insanity from Amazon, so am hoping it will arrive over the weekend. I’ve heard good things about it, and I think it will definitely help being able to do a workout at home that will kick my butt. That was what I loved about kettlebells – totally takes it out of you and you definitely feel like you’ve done a hard workout. My trainer at my gym always makes sure I don’t go away feeling I’ve had an easy time!
I want to get more days in skiing this winter as well. Last year I wasn’t even working or going to uni, but I only managed to go twice (thrice if you count the dry slope, which I don’t). I miss getting in a full 2 weeks of skiing in Whistler every winter, plus whatever random ski days I could muster up. I think if I had to live in Canada again, Whistler would be the place. I would be happy being a ski bum!
I’d probably also be skinny. The last time I can remember being able to eat anything I wanted and still fit into a size small trouser was when I was doing 8 hours on the slopes every day and stuffing my face every night. I could eat anything I wanted and just burned it off the next day.
I miss those days…
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