black dynashite

Ricky and i had the worst cinematic experience in history yesterday. Ok so this may be a tad exagerated but it was pretty darn bad. There were a number of mitigating circumstances which combined meant for the first time in my life i actually thought about leaving a film half way through!!!!! (the tickets were free so we didnt have anything to lose) however we stuck with it thinking things might improve - we were wrong. Things didnt start off particularly well when we turned up at Cineworld only to be told the film was at the Filmhouse - ooooops my fault for not actually reading the tickets - and we only found this out once we had bought our popcorn and were ready to go through. queue a very quick trip in the newly reinstated best car in the world (the polo that is - so happy to have him back) down the road with a very grumpy ricky cursing under his breath. i couldnt stop laughing, i thought it was really funny and anyway we did have plenty of time. so we arrive, popcorn still in hand (i wasnt giving it up for no-one) and made our way into the cinema to see what was possibly the most painful excuse for a 70s spoof i have ever seen. if you ever get the chance to see Black Dynamite i would insist that you pass. What made it worse though was the freaks that were surrounding us. i felt as though we were trapped in a crowded laughing hyenas den and some idiot had given them all microphones. i have never heard people laugh this hard or as loud at what was basically something which would make a two year old crack up - basic humour for basic people is what the tagline should have been. it was bad but hey at least i still got to eat my popcorn - to think we dragged ourselves away from the Cilic v Querrey game for that.

Anyway enough moaning, the week apart from that has seen us relaxing and enjoying this beautiful sunshine which seems to be gracing us at the moment. I love being in edinburgh when the sun is out as it means the parks are buzzing after work and i get an excuse to eat ice cream. it also means that megane bashing aside there is no excuse for me to not walk to work which although is not particularly good for the hair (i should pitch myself to companies as a tester for anti frizz serums) it is great for the old health. speaking of the megane, its been assessed by the garage so we are eagerly awaiting news from the insurance company to say whether or not they will fix it - the damage seems minimal so fingers crossed.

For those of you who asked, ricky carried out his best man's duties at the weekend with ease. he was a natural at the speech, and proved to be funny and sincere at the same time (this is definetly a personality breakthrough, although i dont think i can forgive him telling people he was thinking of trading in my engagement ring to pay for the repair damage on the car - the cheek) All the speeches were great and Zoe's dads was particularly touching and hilarious and added to what was a fantastic day. The bride looked gorgeous and the groom was so laid back, i thought ricky was going to have kittens when we turned up with an hour to go and ross hadnt showered, ironed his shirt or eaten lunch (you know how organised mr murray is) - but they still made it to the church with plenty of time to spare. Speaking of weddings we go and visit our first and front runner venue on saturday evening so fingers crossed its everything we are looking for. not going to say too much about it at as i want to keep it close to the chest for the time being but will let you know how it goes.

we are also not very excitingly going to be clearing out some stuff this weekend - we have some much junk its ridiculous - i know for example we have wine glasses, a rice cooker, a brand new griddle pan and lots of books as well as other useless items which will be going free to a loving new home called the tip unless anyone wants them - email me your requests and i will see what we can find if you need anything in particular - however i cannot produce antique paintings worth £20k that is just being greedy xxx

Back to earth with a loud bang and a big bump

so its been a while since i last blogged and this will be the first that is not about the holiday which makes it quite a sad day for me. the revelation that i no longer get to tell you what new and exciting things i have been up to in foreign lands is hitting me hard, hence why i have not written. its funny because when we were away all i did was talk about what we did on a daily basis, no matter how mundane it was, and now suddenly being back it doesnt seem that exciting to tell you what i am up to any more. I wonder is this because our daily life is boring and we do nothing fun anymore or is it because when you are somewhere other than scotland you feel that people will be more interested. Thing is when i look back on what we have done in the last couple of weeks, we have done loads of exciting things, in fact we havent stopped. so why should i stop blogging??

the answer is of course that i shouldnt and i should learn to appreciate how lucky we are to live in a city like edinburgh and the opportunities it affords us for some fun chat. For example the film festival is in town and myself and Claire made our way to cineworld on wednesday for the UK premiere of Sam Mendes new film Away we Go. We were promised celebrities ahoy as it was the gala opening, and we arrived early cameras in hand, eagerly awaiting a glimpse of some waif like hollywood starlets - only to find that we had missed the red carpet walk doh!!!!! To be honest i think the only person we missed seeing was sir sean and i dont think that was necessarily a huge dissapointment (ive never really had a thing for bond) We did however get to see the director introduce the film and my night was made when one of the actresses from the film shouted out "anyone from cumnock, i'm from cumnock" (i felt a great urge to scream yes me me me but its blatently honest that you are not otherwise you would have said "anywan fae cumnock, am fae cumnock" - i'm such a stickler for correct pronounciation). Blatantly some distant relative came from the mecca of ayrshire that is the nock and she was trying to ham up her scottish credentials. however she could have chosen a slightly nicer town to place her scottish ancestors and also somewhere on the east coast. Saying you are from the west, and one if its more interesting towns at that, in amongst die hard edinburgh fur coat wearers is never going to endear yourself to their luvvie clubs. Anyway that aside the film was excellent, it was so quirky, funny, heart warming and fresh. I havent laughed so much in ages and i immediately went out and bought the soundtrack which incidentally is mostly made up of tracks from a scottish guy called Alexi Murdoch - if you like nick drake then this guy is one to keep an eye on. And at the end of the day i have to give cumnock lass her dues - she was a really good actress and looked stunning - however i think this again reiterates her non lineage to ayrshire roots as the last famous person to come from cumnock (apart from george burley) was lorraine from deacon blue - enough said

So one day i am attending premiers and schmoozing with some famous cumnock legends and the next i am brought down to earth with a bump. Literally that is - infact it was more of a smash as a guy in a silver rover 400 careered into the side of me whilst i was in the megane. i hold my hands up and say it was my fault however some visually challenged man on the other side of the road had waved me out of the junction cos i couldnt see and then wham. lesson for today is dont trust blind men who wave you out of a blind spot, this can potentially lead to lots of car damage and an increased insurance premium and should be avoided at all cost. Still its not all bad news as it means its likely this will force ricky into buying a new car - i didnt do it on purpose, honest governer. I do feel really bad though, its never good when you crash someone elses car, at least it wasnt a bad crash (for the megane that is the other guys car is a write off) and no one got hurt.

the last few weeks have seen us catch up with lots of friends and family which has been lovely and this weekend sees us head to Dundee for Ross and Zoe's wedding where ricky is doing the honourable duty of being best man. He is pretty nervous about the whole thing but as he says, everyone keeps telling him to make sure he gets as drunk as possible before the speech as that way it will be way more funny (he obviously needs this extra boost of comicalness), so he bought some extra whisky last night to do the job:)

I had to buy a new top as unfortunately as will happen when you are on holiday, i managed to put on a few pounds so didnt quite fit into the outfit i was planning to wear. so i did what was sensible and essential and bought some new shoes and a handbag to go with it. i have literally just raided boots foot department for as many blister plasters and party feet sponge things as possible in preparation for standing all day in heels. Me in stilletos is not a common occurence these days and i have a feeling the tootsies wont like it, Bets have opened already on what time i will decide to stuff it and walk around bare footed for the rest of the day. We havent been to a wedding in ages and Ross has told me that under no circumstances will Abba be played at the wedding - i feel i have to picket the DJ on this - no wedding is complete without a round of dancing queen. But sincerely Ross and Zoe, all the best for tomorrow, we hope you have a wonderful day and we look forward to sharing it with you xx

Next week is looking more relaxing so i am hoping we can actually get on with our own wedding planning. i have emailed a few places for brochures so the next step is to go and visit and convince ricky that they are actually within our price range - everything in edinburgh is so expensive dont you know - its much of a muchness when it comes to price - honestly we wont find anywhere cheaper............. i have my arguments already worked out. For those of you who were asking for pics of the engagement ring i have no idea how to actually take a picture that doesnt lose its focus on the diamond so instead i found a of pic of it online so the photo that you see is of my actual engagement ring. its still very shiny shiny and i actually discovered for the first time the other day whilst doing the washing up that fairy liquid actually gives it an incredible shine. ricky is already trying to use this as an excuse for me to do the dishes more often - nae luck pal this is one argument that wont wash xxx

read all about it

i have tried and tried but in the end i have failed miserably in my attempt to compile a list of the best things we did on holiday (my list mojo is obviosly saving itself for the wedding). People keep on asking me what was the most fun? where was the best place you visited? whats your most memorable moment? and everytime i answer differently. Its so difficult to put it into context. i look at the list i have drafted and most things come from the states. its hard to tell whether or not its because thats where we were most recently and our memories of there are more vivid or because it truly is such an amazing country. however it cant knock everything else out can it??? Anyway because i have been unable to come up with 1 list, i decided to totally chicken out of the whole thing and write 3. that way i can at least accomodate more things :) So are you ready???? if so we shall begin

Top 5 moments (the big one and the one that should come first)

• our engagement in NY. its so fitting that something so surprising and lovely happened on the last few days of our trip - it also served as a great excuse to get drunk for 3 days and have ricky spoil me. (i wonder if that has anything to do with the fact i let him watch the man u vs barcelona champions league final:)
• Seeing our friends in Sydney and Dunedin. its good to know people never change even though places do.
• the Grand canyon - i suppose this is as close as you get to the top actual place we saw - it was amazing in every way. it needs to be seen. full stop.
• Whale watching in cape cod was a magical experience. one would have been enough but so many meant we were just spoiled.
• the ice hockey - violence, alcohol, hot dogs, music, glass throwing and shouting combined to create one of the best atmospheres i have ever witnessed outside of cumnock on a saturday night

However there is more

Top 5 recommended activities for everyone to try (disclaimer -we accept no liability for injuries caused during participation, pregnant women and the infirm should discuss any doubts they may have with a GP first)

• Sea Kayaking in Abel Tasman in NZ (note to anyone who may wish to try this sport, if you are in a double kayak go for the back seat - you get to steer dodgily, splash the person in front and get away without paddling - ricky emerged from a day in the kayak fresh and energetic, i on the other hand was soaked, knackered from doing all the paddling and with shot nerves from thinking we were going to collide with every rock and boat we saw)
• Cycling in Stanley Park, Vancouver - worth it just to see ricky on a bike with a basket and a cycle helmet on
• Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb - outstanding views and feeling of accomplishment -pity about the crappy boiler suits you have to wear.
• Koala cuddling - i so want one - think ronnie might have something to say about it
• sailing in the milford sounds in NZ - awesome - only word for it

other things which came very close to making this list were seeing a bear in Yosemite, hunter valley wine tasting, smelly natural wonder of the world that is rotorua, driving big sur, lying on whitehaven beach in the whitsundays, handline fishing in Fiji and the cricket game in wellington as well as hundreds more activities. Man we did a lot when you think of it.

Lastly i thought i would give you a list of my favourite cities, well, we saw a lot of them, my feet will testify to this. FYI New York is not included on this list as i thought it was a bit unfair - it was and still is our favourite city and therefore have only included cities we hadnt visited before.

• Vancouver - the food, the people, the fact we could afford nice stuff, the ice hockey, our posh digs, the beer, granville island, cycling, bear watching - it was just all good
• Washington - it may have had 95% humidity when we were there but this is still undoubtedly one of the most beautiful, historic, poignant and interesting cities we have ever visited - we have unfinished business there i think
• Sydney - its iconic and its buzzing and the 22 hour flight was worth it just to see the sun rise over the harbour bridge and the opera house as we were landing
• Tokyo - the land of the weird and wonderful and of course the singing toilet and fake plastic food. however it is also the safest, friendliest and cleanest city i have visited. it also has fantastic temples, history and depth and of course neon and vending machines as well as drunken scottish people invading small pubs and being force fed sushi and sake - whats not to like
• Wellington - laid back european city in the southern hemisphere with great food and stunning vistas (a word i picked up in the states) of the marlbourgh straits

so there you have it - 3 months in a nutshell. for those of you who havent seen the latest photos i uploaded please find them here http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2427985&l=9e874167ec&id=732850985

i have started uploading all of our photos (so many) into online albums, so at some point soon i can bore you all with a slide show.

Settling back into life in edinburgh a wee bit too easy i would say. yesterday morning though i woke up and went "what i actually have to go to work today" i think the reality that i am no longer on holiday has well and truly kicked in. its weird as last week felt like a holiday being at work as it was doing something different. i am a bit messed up, but then again i think you knew that anyway :)

we have a busy week ahead as usual - it mostly consists of badminton and drinking

work that one out.

xx

america america

sorry have been a bit lazy in getting these up - its been such a busy week catching up with friends and family - i havent been in a single night (and i thought i was going to take it easy the first week back).

anyway i will blog soon with a more detailed account of how we are doing - but until then please content yourself with some photies from the rest of our trip xxx

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99189&id=732850985&l=d00f2ec7bf

hi ho hi ho

Well we are home and it has to be said loving being back in our own flat. It’s so nice to be surrounded by our own things and have luxuries such as drawers, a cooker with an oven and a proper washing machine which is actually in the kitchen and not in a launderette. It’s also lovely to find a whole new wardrobe (clothes i dissed and didn’t take on holiday with me) to wear as I was getting so sick of seeing me in the same thing all the time and to be honest most of the clothes if not already thrown out are enroute to it as they are falling to pieces. The sunshine has also helped us settle in. I love our flat when its sunny, we get so much light and it is such a nice place to be.

The flight back was tinged with some sadness at the thought that our trip had come to an end, although it was mostly a happy one as we were so excited to be getting to see friends and family again and celebrating our news with them (it was also a very anxious flight for me, I have become a very nervous flyer these days, too many flights and too much turbulence equals emma happy not to be in the air for a while, poor Ricky’s arm is a mound of fingernail marks).

We have spent the weekend mostly doing washing and clearing out the giant pile of mail which had accumulated whilst we were away. In amongst it were some beautiful cards and some long and eagerly awaited wedding invitations, so thanks to all who have been thinking about us and sending their best wishes. Luckily there were no surprise major bills so it’s nice to know the only people we owe money to are the credit card companies. We also paid a visit to Glasgow to pick up Ronnie and had a lovely lunch with Rikke (he is a lot tamer now than when we sent him to Glasgow, Rikke your calming ways have obviously done the trick). And we had a visit from Russell, Sandra and the Kids – man they have grown (the kids, not Russell and Sandra), it was great to see them all and we had a very lovely picnic out in the park.

We both headed back to work this morning (it was really strange to see Ricky in his suit again with his very manly man bag) and I think it’s been nice for both of us to settle into a bit of a routine again. I think it takes going back to normal to fully appreciate just what we have had and what we have done and to remind ourselves just how lucky we actually are. However, if it wasn’t for the wedding, round the world trip mark 2 planning would definitely be in operation right now (you know i cant not have things to look forward to). And before you ask, no we haven’t really had a chance to think about the wedding yet but don’t worry when I have some idea as to what form it will take and when I will be letting you know.

I cant believe we are embarking on another adventure so quickly and I think we will keep the blog open for a while yet so we can keep you up to date with how operation get emma down the aisle is going. That’s if you don’t mind – please feel free to tell me to stop clogging up your inbox if I start becoming bridezilla.

As well as getting all of the exciting tasks of laundry and shopping out of the way we have also been spending a bit of time looking through our photos and thinking about our time away. For those of you who know me, you will know that I love to make lists so I thought I would start pulling together everything we have done and places we have been to, to give you an insight as to our favourite as well as worst moments of the holiday. It is so much harder than I thought as there are so so many amazing things to choose from, so I think I am going to ponder it for a bit longer. It wasn’t so hard to pull together what I thought were the biggest disappointments so I have started list season by putting them underneath. There were a few that made it close to being top 5, such as Ricky’s driving, American drivers, too much rain, too many overnight flights (Fiji to LA deserves a special mention) rubbish washing machines and a lack of clean socks, however these are things which can be overlooked, the items which finally made it are unforgiveable and unforgettable in their own weird unique way.

Top 5 worst holiday moments (in no particular order)

• the big Mac in the US being the exact same size as it is in the UK – poor show


• The ginormous spider which invaded our Burre in Fiji – much bigger than the ones in Oz and hairy – hairy spiders are far more scary


• The smelly van in NZ – when you started the engine it seriously was like having 10 bean eating, lager drinking, methane emitting cows in the back seat (we loved the van just not the reak)


• Seeing Susan Boyle on TV in the US - what a great ambassador for Scotland she was


• Having to leave New York – yes I know its soppy but its my blog and I will write what I want to

Anyway more lists will follow as well as some more pics – promise xxxxx