This Is 44

Strange that it feels like a milestone when it is not really a noted birthday.  It does feel like one part of my life is closing, that where I make a family, raise children - I have my family, not exactly as I imagined being that it's just my boys and me.  The best laid plans and all that.  This must be how it's meant to be and I have to accept (although it's hard) that there will be no more babies.  It's strange that would affect me so much but it does.

So for my birthday off we went to Edinburgh - the school term finished absurdly early, I was expecting them to still be there until at least Wednesday.  Who makes up these holiday schedules?

After a lovely wander around the Portrait Gallery I was really disappointed that all the 'modern' paintings - of Alan Cummings, Ian Rankin etc. were stuck in the cafe so inaccessible.  Unless you want to wander up to the posh mummies and well-to-do pensioners sipping their lattes and stand over them as you try and appreciate the work.  Hmmn, don't know who thought that out but perhaps they were once responsible for the school timetables.

There was a giant painting of Muriel Grey which, as far as I'm concerned, could remain there but I'd have liked to been able to see the other paintings.  The only one we did manage to get a proper look at was the portrait of Alex Salmond, I think I prefer the one of Nicola Sturgeon though - I think that must be in Bute House?  I know the painting of Salmond is second on that link and Sturgeon's is eighth but the other work is so good it's worth a browse to get there.  For the life of me I cannot do portraits at all, to the point I avoid all humans in my artwork! (Also I came across a TV news piece on Nicola Sturgeon's portrait, it was unveiled along with one of Elaine C. Smith - seventh on the link - and Denise Mina - second last - only Elaine and Nicola were interviewed. Having seen Mina interviewed before I can only imagine she was a nippy sweetie over sharing space with two pro-independence women!)

The Portrait Gallery is a beautiful building and I love the gallery of stars although I couldn't get a decent pic of it as it was low lighting and judging by their official photo it's something that needs to be admired in real life.  At the moment there are some really good displays - not only was the 'Women of Nineteenth Century Scotland' inspiring, it was amazing to see how many women were included in 'Remembering the Great War'. I had forgotten my notebook, frustrating as there were so many names I wanted to take note of for further research.

So out of the gallery and off to the Christmas market which gets progressively more expensive every year, £7.50 for a quick birl on the rides is extortionate for most families, the food is over-priced for what it is which makes for a disappointing time if you've not a lot of spare money.

I dragged the boys all the way down to Holyrood looking for a jewellery shop that ended up being right at the top of the street where we began but it was a lovely walk, spending time with my sons, talking about everything.  None of us minded the trek at all and it meant Youngest could go to his favourite shop - Forbidden Planet. I desperately need some stocking fillers, they were ordered to find some things they'd like but couldn't.  Argh!  I'm running out of time!

Home to a Chinese take-away and hired Jurassic World to watch. I actually managed to pace myself so well that today hasn't been too bad on the pain scale and it seems to be mostly in the feet and ankles which is not as awful as the neck pain when it comes. I've not done much at all, a lazy Saturday letting my battery limp back to red (one day it will get to green) and doodling Zentangles. If this is 44 it's off to a mild yet pleasant start!

Edinburgh from the North Bridge

I know many say Sir Walter Scott would have been a unionist but reading this on the side of the Holyrood building yesterday makes me wonder...A quick translation is that while we can hold those in charge accountable when they are here but when they're down in London it's impossible. That's my main reason for supporting independence!

Goodbye Thirties... Hello Forties

I have now entered the age of being an area in the North Sea.  Wouldn't that be something?  I would look forward to then reaching my Viking and Cromarty ages, actually that would be better than reality.  I live in a society where women over forty are...over.


So today (or rather officially in one hour thirty five minutes - I'm writing this at 21:05) I pass the fortieth year marker of being on this planet.


Whoop-doop-de-do.


I have not finished yet.  I have not done as many things as I wished and I most certainly am not living the life I thought I would have had at this stage.  I still have much to accomplish.  Also there is a bigger celebration to be had with my boys reaching double figures in eleven days.


Don't mistake me, to have spent the evening surrounded by a loved one, friends and good company would have been wonderful but life hasn't worked out that way.  Instead it is, as always, just me, my boys and the dog - cats don't celebrate birthdays, or at least human ones.  I have to be content with this and the path I've ended up on as sometimes it happens and there isn't much you can do but walk onwards.


This is panic weekend when people suddenly realise that Christmas is next week and they haven't bought a thing.  Haha.  Spending the day in Edinburgh, the Winter Wonderland, I took my first step in changing things by going on the ferris wheel.


It's 35m high, the little seating circles aren't strapped in, they wobble, especially when you are stuck at the top floating in the breeze.  The views were amazing and, by holding on tight, closing eyes at the particularly worrying bits and saying "I am safe" as many times as need be to become a mantra, it is doable for anyone with not so much a fear of heights as a respect for safety.


I don't have photos as, typically, the camera battery was dead as dead can be.  So I've recycled one from a few years back, same wheel, same height but in the daytime you can see forever.  Well, at least to the Forth on both sides!

Like this ^ but daytime!  Plus everything on the lower part is rearranged and the big bungee thing was down there....oh you get the idea!  Look at the ferris wheel, I am ridiculously proud of myself!

On the way home we decided on Chinese food for din-dins and on the calendar they gave me it said for us Piggies (Year of the Pig - read the description, I'm happy to be a pig!) that next year will be a good one.  Result!

Day 27: Movie with your favourite villain

Ah jeez, there are so many as villains always get the best lines.  Usually they have more to them than the weedy hero.  There are so many children's films that could get this (anyone else have nightmares about the Childcatcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?) 

But this guy, well, he's a flippin' Nazi.  You can't get worse than that.  Oh but you can because, you see, he relishes his job and sees it as being a job - despite the results he gets.  The actor practically eats the screen time so each time you see him you are not sure what he will do next and neither does anyone else.

As a villain he is the perfect epitome of bad, and doesn't even realise it.

First time I've heard of an Oscar going to someone and thinking "yup, well deserved."  Bingo!  Now go watch the film and see if you can watch the first ten minutes or so without getting a little sense of panic over what is about to happen.

Hans Landa - Inglourious Basterds

---

Col. Hans Landa: Now if one were to determine what attribute the German people share with a beast, it would be the cunning and the predatory instinct of a hawk. But if one were to determine what attributes the Jews share with a beast, it would be that of the rat. If a rat were to walk in here right now as I'm talking, would you treat it to a saucer of your delicious milk?
Perrier LaPadite: Probably not.
Col. Hans Landa: I didn't think so. You don't like them. You don't really know why you don't like them. All you know is you find them repulsive. Consequently, a German soldier conducts a search of a house suspected of hiding Jews. Where does the hawk look? He looks in the barn, he looks in the attic, he looks in the cellar, he looks everywhere *he* would hide, but there's so many places it would never occur to a hawk to hide. However, the reason the Führer's brought me off my Alps in Austria and placed me in French cow country today is because it does occur to me. Because I'm aware what tremendous feats human beings are capable of once they abandon dignity. 

Randomness

Squish

Despite an attempt to foil the spirit of Christmas by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (see other blog for lowdown, very low down) I decided to change plans and took the Hobbits into Edinburgh today rather than next weekend.

Good idea, bad idea? Well it isn't going to get any less busy for sure. I've always had a trip to the German Market as a birthday treat but the Hobbits' last swimming lesson is on that evening and I don't want them to miss that. So off we went.

I do like the atmosphere but certain people seem to lack the generosity and kindness of spirit that should go with Christmastime (STOP LAUGHING I'M SERIOUS!)

Anyhoo eldest Hobbit was most unimpressed at the amount of shoving he was experiencing. Only two shots on the Helter Skelter would ease the upset.

It was only after I got home that I realised youngest Hobbit must have brushed against a display in the WHSmith we were in and spent the day with a bright red and yellow "2 for £4" sticker on his bottom. Well at least I got the joke.

Friends

Friends come in the most unexpected guises.

That wasn't too saccharine was it? I was trying to be genuine. I thought the way the rhino looked at the raven was so fascinating I drove the Hobbits mad by watching them interact for ages. At least 5 minutes, that is an age in Hobbit-time.

Is This A Castle I See Before Me?

I shall not concentrate on the fact that the car is making a very funny noise today that may just be the excessive cold and may just be the exhaust giving up, through exhaustion. See, the first signs of madness are found in the hysterical laugh. I'm getting there, slowly but surely.

So if anyone reads this, and one day finds themselves in Edinburgh, at a loss what to do, the Museum of Scotland is free. As it is attached to the Royal Museum, also free, you could kill two birds with one stone. They have stuffed birds as well, might not after the refurbishment so get there quick if that is your thing.

Take the lift (elevator if you are American) to the 5th floor and before having a nose around the very interesting historical nick-knacks go up the swirly stairs to the very top of the museum for a panoramic view of Edinburgh. You can then see this, and take a photo if you wish, or not.

(P.S. no I don't know if that is how you spell nick-knacks, pedants are more than welcome to illustrate the lack of decent education afford at my schools - hey it was the 80s the teachers were out on strike! - and correct me, please.)

G'day

Back to what we did in the October holidays. Well, what is the point of going somewhere and not reminiscing!

The thing about Koalas is that there is an indescribable urge to rip them off their perch and give them great big cuddles. Naturally one doesn't act on such urges but there is the necessity to speak in a babyish, silly voice and say "Oooh wook at da wittle bubby!" Hence the rather surprised look on this little chaps face.

Sense will prevail, perhaps it was the smell of the eucalyptus leaves.

"I'm so cuddly, I like you!"

A Day At The Museum

Forging ahead in my attempt to keep the Hobbits happy with as normal a life as possible under these circumstances I took them on a trip to the Royal Museum in Edinburgh.

A long time favourite there is enough in there, and the attached Museum of Scotland, to keep them busy for hours. Even if they are not yet tall enough for their feet to reach the peddles so they can have a go on the racing car. (Eldest Hobbit: But Mummy *brother* can do the peddles and I'll steer!)

And a good day was had by all without a shadow cast over us by evil-X as he will from now on be known. (Him to me: Technically we are still married. Me to him: Yes, technically, that is all.)

Also planned for this week, the October holidays, are a trip to the zoo (because Mummy wants to see the Koalas dammit!) and a trip to Glasgow to satisfy the Hobbits' desire to go on the underground aka the Clockwork Orange. Normal life is resuming no matter what evil-X tries.

Its beginning to look a lot like Edinburgh

I know, I know, you wait for one post and three come along at once I hear you say, or rather the one voice singing in the darkness who I know does read this (thank you Pewari!) Like I said, it is a busy month, what with helping the Hobbits write a total of 64 Christmas cards, the whole concept of "choose who you want to send a card to" completely bypassing them. Why not send a card to everyone!

And we are still receiving cards from girls unknown, addressed to either hobbit, and always signed off 'Love'. God help us come the teenage years. Worst is I can't write cards back, the conversations go as follows;

"Hobbit, who is Banana?"

"Um, she is my friend."

"She isn't on your class list, what class is she in?"

"Don't know."

"Wouldn't it be nice to send her a card back?"

"She is in Primary 2, or maybe 3."

Lordie!

The nativity went as well as could be expected really. Niall and Adam behaved perfectly, the show was quite entertaining and the competitive mums lined the front row with their cameras and camcorders. You could smell the money from them (sorry, can't help myself, I find them highly amusing!) Then a very odd thing happened.

Once the nativity was over and the school day at an end I was waiting at the infant entrance with the usual crowd of mums and dads. I hear behind me one dad saying how his daughter had refused to be the donkey as she had previously been a sheep, but Primary 2s don't get to participate in the nativity, they form the choir singing all the songs. Then this woman, standing near me, tells one of eldest Hobbits' friend's dad that her child was the donkey! I saw him look a bit confused, I don't know him that well, it is usually his wife who does the school run. But what a bizarre thing to do, claim your child is the donkey when it obviously wasn't (the donkey costume consisted of a mask held perfectly in front of his face until the singing started, then he waggled it about in time to the tunes!) Husband finds this hilarious, that the competitive mums (for she must be one) not only covet Mary and Joseph but also the lone Donkey! It was a weird turn to the day.

The Christmas spirit, though somewhat subdued, has appeared in the form of a visit to the German market (here is the kick, in Edinburgh!) Also the fact I spent the better part of today up to my eyes, quite literally, in wrapping paper.

Photo, Edinburgh Christmas Market 2006. Big Wheel and Hobbits on the Carousel.