And so it begins
Year 37. What will this one bring ??
It certainly started off somewhat strangely, though in a very nice way. Kristina called and we decided that she would come up after all. Just as friends. A chance to start anew.
She brought with her a bottle of champagne - still unopened now - some cakes, and a fabby new t-shirt. A Judge's Choice in the Uniqlo Creative Award 2007, don't you know. It's a football field (I've christened the teams Netherlands and Argentina) with players, officials and even wee dog stealing a corner flag. Class. No prizes for guessing what I'll be wearing in work this Dress Down Friday.
Rather than go out for a meal we stayed in with pizza and a movie. A very pleasant birthday evening was had. Her company made the evening more than worthwhile.
We went for a walk through Bellahouston Park the next afternoon so Kristina could see the walls at the Glasgow Climbing Centre. It was empty. This made us all the more keen to get in a session over the weekend, so as the weather was so clement we decide to walk towards town, though we jumped on the subway at Cessnock. An impromptu decision was made to stop by TK Maxx to see if Kristina could get herself some cheap trousers for climbing in and so I could blow some of my birthday / bonus money on some new threads.
Both missions were successful, myself in particular being laden down with the 170+ of purchases made. And, borrowing from Rob Newman, as I made said purchases in the company of a Female Woman of the Opposite Sex they bear the Stamp of Shaggability(TM). Even if Ray thinks my Ben Sherman polo shirt (yes, you read that correctly) is a "gay sailor's shirt". Or maybe a "gay, sailor's shirt". He didn't specify.
The walking / shopping expedition did leave us rather beat, though, so we decided against a climb that day. Instead we headed home for Kristina to make me my Birthday Dinner - a stir-fry with ingredients I had chosen, and an apple crumble, German-styley. And highly superior it is to the British version, I must add. Think a shortcrust base and lots of cinnamon. Yum.
Sunday was another lovely day, so we decided against an immediate trip to the climbing centre (even though we had by now determined that Kristina could join up as a one-day member and sign me in as a guest, as I haven't done the second stage of my intro) and take advantage of Ray's having Vikki's car to take a wee trip up to Glencoe, although we slung some climbing-friendly clothes in the boot. How I would come to be thankful of that foresight.
The weather on the way up was indeed lovely, but the nip in the air we felt when we stopped briefly at Tarbet was a taste of things to come. We hit the snow not long after, and though it obscured the view when it did get close enough to the mountains to see it was a truly Scottish landscape. We did the same trip with Gita, Alexia and Damien exactly a year ago (which Damien reminded me of in my birthday email) and the peaks then were far less dappled in snow. Weirdly, I started seeing scars in the mountains' sides as routes to be traversed, wondering what it would be like to get to the top. Without a lurching in my stomach while considering it. Strange indeed.
After making it to the Pass itself we decided - well, our stomachs did - to head back the way we came rather than the meandering one Ray and I had travelled a year previous (which, needless to say, put the kaibosh on a trip to the GCC). I rarely travel that road the other way so the views were interesting, and in a sense new. Then again, the views there change with the sun and the seasons, so you could take that road a hundred times and never see the same view twice. Ray recalled one where one side of the sky was pink and the other purple. Beat that, England
The evening was, once again, supposed to be a trip to Freddie's (sorry, old bean, your fortitude is amazing), but after a hearty steak and potato dinner we instead curled up in front of the tv and watched Lives of Others. Not the busiest birthday weekend ever, but certainly a very enjoyable one, thanks to Ray and Butterblume. You guys, I don't know what I do without you. Hopefully I'll never have to find out...
Year 37. What will this one bring ??
It certainly started off somewhat strangely, though in a very nice way. Kristina called and we decided that she would come up after all. Just as friends. A chance to start anew.
She brought with her a bottle of champagne - still unopened now - some cakes, and a fabby new t-shirt. A Judge's Choice in the Uniqlo Creative Award 2007, don't you know. It's a football field (I've christened the teams Netherlands and Argentina) with players, officials and even wee dog stealing a corner flag. Class. No prizes for guessing what I'll be wearing in work this Dress Down Friday.
Rather than go out for a meal we stayed in with pizza and a movie. A very pleasant birthday evening was had. Her company made the evening more than worthwhile.
We went for a walk through Bellahouston Park the next afternoon so Kristina could see the walls at the Glasgow Climbing Centre. It was empty. This made us all the more keen to get in a session over the weekend, so as the weather was so clement we decide to walk towards town, though we jumped on the subway at Cessnock. An impromptu decision was made to stop by TK Maxx to see if Kristina could get herself some cheap trousers for climbing in and so I could blow some of my birthday / bonus money on some new threads.
Both missions were successful, myself in particular being laden down with the 170+ of purchases made. And, borrowing from Rob Newman, as I made said purchases in the company of a Female Woman of the Opposite Sex they bear the Stamp of Shaggability(TM). Even if Ray thinks my Ben Sherman polo shirt (yes, you read that correctly) is a "gay sailor's shirt". Or maybe a "gay, sailor's shirt". He didn't specify.
The walking / shopping expedition did leave us rather beat, though, so we decided against a climb that day. Instead we headed home for Kristina to make me my Birthday Dinner - a stir-fry with ingredients I had chosen, and an apple crumble, German-styley. And highly superior it is to the British version, I must add. Think a shortcrust base and lots of cinnamon. Yum.
Sunday was another lovely day, so we decided against an immediate trip to the climbing centre (even though we had by now determined that Kristina could join up as a one-day member and sign me in as a guest, as I haven't done the second stage of my intro) and take advantage of Ray's having Vikki's car to take a wee trip up to Glencoe, although we slung some climbing-friendly clothes in the boot. How I would come to be thankful of that foresight.
The weather on the way up was indeed lovely, but the nip in the air we felt when we stopped briefly at Tarbet was a taste of things to come. We hit the snow not long after, and though it obscured the view when it did get close enough to the mountains to see it was a truly Scottish landscape. We did the same trip with Gita, Alexia and Damien exactly a year ago (which Damien reminded me of in my birthday email) and the peaks then were far less dappled in snow. Weirdly, I started seeing scars in the mountains' sides as routes to be traversed, wondering what it would be like to get to the top. Without a lurching in my stomach while considering it. Strange indeed.
After making it to the Pass itself we decided - well, our stomachs did - to head back the way we came rather than the meandering one Ray and I had travelled a year previous (which, needless to say, put the kaibosh on a trip to the GCC). I rarely travel that road the other way so the views were interesting, and in a sense new. Then again, the views there change with the sun and the seasons, so you could take that road a hundred times and never see the same view twice. Ray recalled one where one side of the sky was pink and the other purple. Beat that, England
The evening was, once again, supposed to be a trip to Freddie's (sorry, old bean, your fortitude is amazing), but after a hearty steak and potato dinner we instead curled up in front of the tv and watched Lives of Others. Not the busiest birthday weekend ever, but certainly a very enjoyable one, thanks to Ray and Butterblume. You guys, I don't know what I do without you. Hopefully I'll never have to find out...
VIEW 6 of 6 COMMENTS
Hope to God we get the result on Thursday for the best comeback in a very long time....
Be holding my breath Thursday night, though. Here's hoping.
Be sweet revenge for 2003.