Friday, September 30, 2011

Sunday 25 September - The view from the top of a multistorey car park





Current location: Peckham
11.11pm, Leaving Peckham. We'd been hanging out on top of a multistorey car park all night, but not in a weird drug way. There's a bar called pop-up bar called Frank's, and it basically rocks. Andy and I had been in Greenwich watching our amazing friends Gemma and Jack running a half marathon; then we'd all enjoyed a very late lunch together in The Gipsy Moth.

Then Andy and I hopped on our bikes and pedalled over to Frank's in time to meet Nicky and watch the sun set over London. It's on top of a multistorey car park, and closes on Friday (30th Sept) so we took the opportunity to try it out. Very beautiful, and made even better with cocktails (Frank's is a Campari bar, which we all hate, but we drank some in honour of Nick - Andy's brother - as Campari is his favourite drink). I bloody love London on days like today.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Saturday 24 September - Sun and bikes and laziness. And cheese.


Current location: Lewisham
11.11pm, Watching crappy TV. I was feeling super lazy and a bit blue today (too tired, probably), and Andy and I ended up having a pretty random day. It involved quite a long bike ride to non-existent (and kind of spooky) car boot sale, then a trip to an excellent Italian deli near where we live. Seriously, this deli makes me never want to move away from the south-east. Andy and I each treated ourselves to one cheese each (him: Sheep cheese with black peppercorns; me: Manchego) as well as artichokes, coffee, olive tapenade and cannoli. Then we went home and scoffed the lot in the sunny garden. Excellent stuff.

Friday 23 September - Kubb and picnics


Current location: On a tube
11.11pm, On my home from the pub. Today we had our work picnic and it was ace. We ate, a lot, drank, a lot and played Kubb, a lot. The sun came out and we stayed in the park until about 8.30pm, when it got dark and we hunted for a pub. I like my work friends, they're fun.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Friday 23 September - Australia: One week to go


Current location: Soho
11.11am, Celebrating! I just had my Visa granted – which is a good job as, this time next week, I will be boarding my flight to Perth! I haven't been for SEVEN years and I am so blinking excited! I'm also heading east to the Gold Coast for a few days, to visit amazing Naw and Bree. All that's left to do is pack. And obsessively check the weather (29˚C and sunny!).

(Picture taken from WeHeartIt)

Wednesday 21 September - Book Club continues

Current location: Somewhere in South London
11.11pm, In a CAR on the way home. CAR gets capitals because being driven around in London is not something that happens to me very often. Anyway, that wasn't the most exciting thing that happened this evening. Oh, no.

The exciting bit was Book Club, which we had for the third time. I love our Book Club (yes, that deserves capitals too). Tonight was Abi's turn to host, in her huge flat in Putney, and she was such a good host! Yummy (and lots of) homemade food, great conversation and lots of wine and laughing, as always. We were discussing the last book we read, The Hunger Games. It sounds like the WORST BOOK EVER but, somehow, it's ended up being in my top five BEST books ever! Though the plot sounds like something I would absolutely hate, I really, really enjoyed it and immediately bought and read the next two in the trilogy. My advice is, don't read anything about it (including the blurb), just read the book. It's being made into a film, so I reckon this time next year, everyone will be reading it!

We haven't decided on our next book yet so, any ideas, let me know...

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Saturday 17 September - A weekend of delights




Current location: Shoreditch
11.11pm, Hanging out with the trendies in East London. I was at a bar with two-thirds of my best friends, drinking tequila (my new, weird drink of choice) and shrieking a lot, as tends to happen when we get together.

I have had such a weekend of good people. Last night, I went to my sister's house, where five-sixths of my family were (I'm not sure why I've started doing fractions, but I'm going to run with it). We had dinner, chatted, debated, laughed, drank and played with baby Ella (not in that order). I got to put Ella to bed – I love it; reading to her, giving her milk and singing her little songs. She's so sweet!

On Saturday, Claire and Matt came to visit Lewisham, and we showed them the best the South-East has to offer. As always tends to happen when Claire and I get together, we went shopping (and bought the same top; the tree one, above) and then sat in the lovely pub, Ravensbourne Arms, and played Taboo and drank cider. A perfect Saturday afternoon, which was followed up with Emma arriving, the wine being opened, The X Factor being watched, pizza being eaten, the train being caught, and an an excellent evening in Shoreditch with my girls.

Thursday 15 September - Netball social





Current location: Greenwich
11.11pm, In one of three pubs, I can't remember which. It was my first netball social since I joined a new netball team and it certainly was sociable! A really fun mix of girls, margaritas, Mexican food, wine, games and silliness. And I bought a tent from a man in a pub.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Saturday 10 September - Manchester weekend




Current location: Manchester
11.11pm, Waking up in Ruth's flat, laughing about our escapades from the night before. I've come to visit her for the weekend, and we have been planning the most indulgent weekend ever. Last night started with gin and ended with flavoured vodka and cocktails. Then today, we went for lunch in Zinc, (a lovely restaurant where, coincidentally I had my bag stolen almost exactly a year ago to the day). Next up was an amazing aromatherapy massage where we couldn't stop giggling but came out feeling amazing, then cocktails and a trip to the cinema to see One Day. The best dinner ever (steak), The X Factor and a bottle of wine, and we had had the perfect day.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Thursday 8 September - Netball again


Current location: Soho
11.11am, Stretching at work. As in, actually doing lunges next to my desk. I was aching SO much because, last night, I played netball for the first time in about 18 months. I went with my new friend Kate, and joined a team called Blackheath Wanderers. It was so nice to meet some new people, run around and try and remember how to throw and catch. But now I ache, a lot.

(Picture taken from Pillowtann!)

Monday, September 5, 2011

Sunday 4 September - London Skyride

Current location: Lewisham
11.11am, On our way into Central London to take part in the Skyride. It's a yearly event, where all the roads in Central London are closed to traffic, so cyclists can ride around the city's attractions without having to negotiate the scary traffic. Andy and I took in Buckingham Palace, Pall Mall, Big Ben, Tower Bridge - loads of amazing places in the pouring rain. I felt pretty English and so exhilarated.

Saturday 3 September - Bunting and craft and music and fun






Current location: Lewisham
11.11am, Going for a jog with Andy around Ladywell Fields, a really nice park near where we live. I've been rubbish with going out for runs recently, so it was nice to stretch my legs again. After the run, I went to Tate Britain to meet Sara and Emily, at an awesome event put on by Magpie's Nest. There were stalls upon stalls of crafty things to make, such as bird tables or bag designs and lots of tasty things to try out, such as hot elderberry juice. We dug for potatoes (as shown by sara in the middle three pictures) and then peeled, washed and chopped them to become chip-shaped. Then a sea shanty band played and we sat in the sunshine and listened and clapped and laughed at the amazing lyrics (What shall we do with the drunken banker?", for example).

Saturday 2 September - Chelsea college summer show






Current location: Somewhere between Pimlico and Lewisham
11.11pm, On a bus. Andy and I went to see our friend Tom Huw Griffiths. He has just finished a Master's in Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art & Design and tonight was the summer show, which featured all the graduates final pieces. Tom's was really cool, a beautiful line picture and accompanying video telling the story of people forced to leave their island and start new lives in Croydon. Some of my other favourite pieces are above (the second picture was made of mint and perspex and smelt like a lollipop!).

Then we hit a wall (not literally) and decided the only thing for it was to get a bus home and grab a takeaway on the way. So, at 11.11pm, we were only minutes away from reaching our house with Thai green curry, salt and chilli chips, egg fried rice and prawn crackers.

Wednesday 31 August - Midweek Mexican fiestaaaa!






Current location: Angel, London
11.11pm, Having a Mexican partayyy! What started off as Nicky and I having a quiet fajita dinner ended up being an amazing night with 10 of us enjoying Mexican music, homemade piñatas, tequila, margaritas, nachos, pork enchiladas, guacamole, pico de gallo, sombreros and so much shouting, singing, laughing, dancing and piñata-spinning (like hitting a piñata but with your feet while blindfolded on a spinning chair. Obvs).
Got to love the chance midweek fun.