Happiness is...

a leisurely lie in on a Saturday but still getting up at a reasonable hour...

getting my passport back after 6 months & having visa SORTED!

a restorative yoga class to lengthen and stretch out all the tired aching muscles from gymming and trampolining...

followed by an aerial yoga class which really worked out all the kinks, and getting to hang upside down!

delicious coffee from a local independent coffee shop..

a great photo viewing session from a fun photoshoot..

fab pub dinner with a delectable craft brewed wheat beer..

finished off with apple and blackberry crumble with custard in pjs on the couch!

I wouldn't complain if Saturdays for the rest of the year went something like today!

Today was absolute BLISS!!

Hope you're having a great weekend!!

Hitting a wall...

I've hit a wall today... I woke up.. I got out of bed to see off a house guest.. I changed the bedding in preparation of another house guest arriving tonight... I did some cleaning and...

I.HIT.A.WALL...

I am now sitting on the couch feeling just rather blah about life... It's a beautiful sun shiney day outside my window and I just can't muster up any energy or enthusiasm about it...

I think I need a holiday... After a super busy July and a busy start of August... I think I am tired and run down and getting far too caught up in things that really don't matter..

I think I need some time alone... Even though I like to think I present a pretty authentic self... it still sometimes feels like an effort to be surrounded by people.. to be engaging... to be social... things which I just can't be bothered with right now...

I either need to go away and think far too much about things and process it all or just go away and not think about things and start with a clean slate... I feel like I'm stuck in this limbo at the moment where I can't do one or the other and it's just the same empty thoughts that have taken up residency in my brain... cluttering my mind with I don't even know what...

It's one of those days where I feel like I might burst into tears for no apparent reason other than 'just because'...

Maybe I just need to umplug... switch off and lose myself in a good book... I don't remember the last time I read a book....

*sigh*

The Day I Ventured to the Dark Side...

Let it be known.. Today is the day I sold the last of my soul...

Sensory Stimulus... Smell..

I arrived in Sydney today and as I was walking to meet my friend for dinner I walked past a bunch of restaurants/bars but it was when I was walking past blocks of houses/flats that I couldn't help but pick up the different smells sneaking out of open windows....

Some were familiar and some not so, but they all stirred a sense of wonder... What are people having for dinner?!

I also LOVE the smell of laundromats.. something about the smell of a hot press seems to make my heart happy.. coming into a room where someone's been ironing invokes kind of the same feeling... I couldn't tell you why I love the smell of laundromats but I have since I was little...

The same with freshly cut grass.. although I think that is because it reminds me of sunny Summer days... growing up... when Dad would be out mowing the lawn, which usually meant I could then go out and play in the yard..

I'm pretty sure I like the smell of laundromats & freshly cut grass more than fresh baking.. Something about those two smells just hark back to my childhood...

And one thing I've noticed is that laundromats the world over.. All pretty much smell the same!

Do you have any smells that make you happy? Anywhere you walk past that make you stop and take a deep breath?? Do you share either of my favourite smells or do you think I'm a total weirdo??!!

Halloween Round Up

Howdie Party Peeps!

Halloween started fairly early for me this year as I was put in charge of decorating my work... It was the perfect excuse to go to Poundland and buy all the fun decorations I usually can't justify buying for myself! Though I somehow didn't get any photos of the front window I decorated or the fun things I got to put up all through the shop... #bloggerfail

Another bonus about working at a super fun shop for a super fun lady - getting paid to play with stamps!! I got to make Halloween themed tent cards to accompany some of our marshmallows to go to a wedding!

BlogOverhaulin~

Hey peeps!

I have been suffering some mad insomnia this past week.. I slipped back into the habit of being up until 3 or 4 am the couple of weeks before... but I have been awake until 7 or 8am the past few nights (mornings).. I made a concious effort to get to bed early... ie. by 2am.. but I just laid in bed with 10 million things going around and around in my head.. until I gave up the idea of sleep and did some writing in my journal and spent the rest of the hours reading... hoping that as my eyes got tired, my body and mind would too.... No such luck!

I let my mind run free and just wrote down each random thought as it came to me and one of the things I wrote was Blog. Blog More. Blog Often. So I shall try to endeavour to get some life back in this blog and catch you up on all the fun things I've been up to!!

I've lost a lot of steam for blogging lately and I can't really tell you why... I have all the time in the world, I've been on some fun adventures.. but I just haven't sat down and blogged about it... I was blogging a lot more when I was working.. probably because my days were more structured and I would work on posts if I had downtime at work. With no access to facebook... and its evil time sucking ways.. I was a lot more productive with my time online!

Another reason is that I've been wanting to make some changes to how the blog looks but hadn't really had  any inspiration about what I actually wanted to do... I didn't really have a vision when I first started this blog about what I wanted it to look like, so I just went through the paces that blogger gives you and chose what vaguely appealed to me at the time... and I haven't really made any changes since then... Although I think at its inception I actually had a black background, but I don't think that lasted very long! I began to really pay more attention to the layout and design of all the blogs I visit and started to take note of the things I liked or disliked about each page..

So, my insomnia fuelled project last night was to overhaul the blog... I made me a new header from some of the feedback I got from my lame attempts last time... I got rid of the leafy backdrop and even threw in a widget to get you connected with my new facebook page!

One more tweak I would like to make is the height of the navbar.. but I can't seem to figure out how to do it.. the only way blogger will let me is if I change the size of the font.. but I don't want the writing any smaller.. I just want the nav bar to be smaller while maintaining the font size! If anyone knows how I can do this.. please please please let me know!!

If you're reading this on google reader, come check out the blog's new look and have your turn on the soapbox! I've love to know what you think!!


Happy Weekending!!

Early Travel Memories #2

Along with my second installment of April photo-a-day's I thought I'd share part two of my early travel memoirs~  I also had a rummage around in the basement and found a very early photo of me to share too...

See the super stylish little person with their hand up?? That's me!! I loved those yellow ski boots... they were second hand, but they are probably (to this day) my favourite out of all the snow gear I've ever owned... mostly because I remember going shopping for them with my Dad... every year there used to be a big jumble sale at a ski store up on K' Rd, where people would come to sell off their second hand gear before the new season started.. it was the perfect place to pick up stuff for kids, who pretty much outgrew everything from one season to the next... I think a lot of my early ski gear came from going to that sale each year with my Pa... 

Aaannnyways... apparently the ladies at the momster's knitting group were talking about me, and said that I seem very independent and would adapt quickly to people and surroundings... that I seem to have no fear... the momster told the story of me losing them at Narita airport... and how I never stayed by their side when we went away with tour groups... that I would always find other people to hang out with.. She said she never felt like she had to look after me when we were on tour because somehow I'd always find other people and they'd just look after me... "Maybe because you were a kid and they thought you were cute, I dunno"... She said maybe they were both a little naive too, but I never seemed to get into trouble or wandered off and got lost so they just let me do whatever I wanted... She said, I probably didn't want to hang out with them because she used to always tell me off... and we'd always fight and argue, so it was more fun for me to go hang out with other people... (it's true!).. I was never one of those kids that hid behind my mum's leg... I was always looking for ways to get as far away from her as possible!! If she couldn't see me, she couldn't tell me off for whatever I was doing that she didn't like!! There would usually be some family with older kids or young couples, maybe on their honeymoon or something... these were normally my targets... :D

Thus concludes memories from kindy and primary school.

When I was in intermediate/middle school, my parents sent me off on a tour group on my own... It was my summer holidays in NZ but they both had to work.. I was bored sitting around so Dad came up with the bright idea to send me to Canada/USA with a tour group... They dropped me off at the airport... much to the surprise of everyone else in the group, they then buggered off.. and off I went!! There was a company on their work holiday, so there were loads of young'uns for me to hang out with... I had a great time... I remember eating lunch at the Grand Canyon... a very very wet day at Disneyworld and Universal Studios... riding at the very front of Jurrasic Park and getting absolutely drenched and it making not a lick of difference as I was already soaked to the bone!

I remember being on safari in Kenya and Zimbabwe... staying in giant tents or tree houses... almost being squashed by an elephant... showering outdoors, the chameleons, the snake in our bedroom.. visiting Victoria Falls and not realising we had wandered into Zambia until we were stopped by armed guards on our way back... oops!! One of my favourite memories - being woken up by a stampede of elephants... A memory that makes me laugh now, tho not so much a the time - a monkey crapping on my head while I was attempting to have lunch...

The icebergs on our way to Antarctica.. on a Russian icebreaker boat... the chocolate mousse fight we had in the kitchen with the staff one day... trying to eat while holding onto plates and cutlery while the boat was pitching at crazy angles... playing silly buggers on the deck while dad took photos on his Hassleblad... I should really dig that camera out.. tho I would need to look up how to load the film!!  Getting to Antarctica and the gentlemen of the group being told not to pee outside as it could result in some rather "uncomfortable situations"...  Visiting the American McMurdo Base and really wanting to bowl on their mini bowling lanes... visiting NZ's Scott Station and thinking how much smaller it was... the penguins.... trying to shower and sleep on the floor of the cabin while the boat pitched madly and threatened to tip over... thinking the floor was maybe safer than being in the bunks as I couldn't get thrown off, onto the floor!

Those are my most vivid memories of travelling with the parentals as a small person.. if I think of anymore.. I'll be sure to share them with you~!!


Do you have early travel memories?? I'd love to hear them if you do!!

Early Travel Memories

With the parentals on one of the islands on the way to Antarctica.. I think Auckland Island...

Age 15, and rocking the meanest wraparound sunnies EV-AH!! & Reebok high tops.. Yup-huh!!

Yes, we all have matching jackets... and even trousers!! Coz we're cool like that... Think I still have that jacket somewhere..

I like to think that one of the reasons I love to travel is because we travelled a lot when I was a kid. My dad was as intrepid as they get and loved going places on and OFF the tourist trail...

My earliest memory is riding on my dad's shoulders while touring ice sculptures in Hokkaido. I must only be 3 or 4, still in kindergarten.. I remember complaining that my feet were cold and I didn't want to walk anymore.. I remember playing in the giant castle carved out of ice and that it had a slide. Apparently having a cold ass didn't bother me as much as having cold feet!

I was featured!

Hi lovelies!!

It's been a while since I've visited my yelp account.. and I logged in today to reply to an event invitation and to check out what the yelpers in Edinburgh have been up to in my absence..

To my surprise, I found a 'compliment' by another user who said he'd spotted my review in the weekly newsletter!! How excitement!! Of course I had to try and find it!!! So after a brief search through the 'past newsletters'...

{click on the picture to be taken to the newsletter}

Teehee!!!

Gymmin' It

So while I was away on holiday I spotted an itison deal for a month's gym membership with 3 personal trainer sessions and decided to buy it... a little motivation to get back into some physical activity after 2 months of vacay style eatin n drinkin n smokin n just being fairly sedentary...

I knew I didn't have a job to come back to, so also thought the gym would be good to get me outta the house..

Well, I had my first session with the PT (one of my friends said, PT = physical torturer! - he wasn't far wrong!) on Monday and I seriously almost died... We did 10 mins on a bike to warm up, then went through some free weight exercises... 3 sets of 12 reps of 5 different exercises including LUNGES... seriously whoever thought up that exercise should have died a slow and painful death... they are E.V.I.L.!.!.!

We did some ab work as well with a swiss ball coz I told him my back isn't the best.. we were supposed to do 3 sets of 10 reps, but something was tweaking in my upper back/shoulders so he let me off with 2 sets of each...

I somehow managed to get my jelly legs back own the spiral staircase, then promptly went to the bathroom and threw up... I have only ever thrown up one time previous due to physical exertion and that was after a championship rowing race back in high school...

I had a quick shower and thought I might sit in the jacuzzi or steam room to try and loosen up my back, but after not even 3 minutes in the sauna I was feeling a bit green around the gills again... I decided that my gym session should probably come to a close at this point!

What is surprising is just how out of shape I am! I mean I know I've been pretty lazy for the past two years since I got to the UK, but I used to walk a lot (mainly out of necessity and cheapness) and living in a hostel that was on the 4th floor of an old building, then living either up or down a floor within the hostel meant I used to do a lot of stair climbing! But I used to walk at least 30-45mins home after work each day even after moving out of the hostel, none of my flats have been on the ground floor and ALL of them have been walk ups...

I attribute the pukeyness to the fact that I didn't get much sleep the night before (oh hello insomnia, my old friend...) and also/therefore waking up feeling not the greatest anyways... so I don't really know if it was good or bad that I forced myself to go even tho I wasn't feeling that well... probably good, coz I think had I not gone.. I would have just kept putting it off...

Tho whatever tweaked in my shoulder/upper back definitely isn't happy about it.. I've had to take a lot of pain meds to even be comfortable and I had a lot of trouble moving around Monday evening... it's feeling a bit better now after yesterday tho I am for sure feeling all the muscle aches (even with the pain meds!)... hopefully after another day of chilling out and resting it, I'll be ready to head back to the gym tomorrow.. at least to hit the bike machine, pool and jacuzzi if I don't get in any weights...

The PT didn't weigh me or take any measurements and I'm not in the habit of weighing myself... tho I did get on the scales at the airport in Calgary while I was repacking my luggage so I have a vague idea of how much I weigh... so I am wondering if I want to weigh myself and take some measurements so I can a) keep track of progress and b) be held accountable or if I should just go with whatever and just do it... and hope that those jeans fitting a little looser is a good enough indication that what I'm doing is working!

I've never been very focused on my weight, I've always "measured" myself with my clothing... and things are definitely fitting pretty snug... I just think weight can be so deceiving... the whole "muscle weighs more than fat" thing... and I think it can be so discouraging when you don't see the numbers dropping as much as you think... and as much as I'd like to lose a bit of weight, I'm hoping to make this more about fitness than weight loss... I want to have a fit and healthy body (as healthy as a junk food addict can be!) and just get some definition back...

I played sport for most of my school career, I fell into hockey a bit by accident in primary school and carried on playing into high school, I made fairly short lived debuts in basketball and cricket before taking up road racing and rowing... then after high school I got into waitressing/serving and bartending so spent lots of hours on my feet running around restaurant floors and lugging ice buckets, kegs and recycling bins...

I've been practicing yoga on and off for the past decade since signing up to a mat pilates/yoga course with Sok, way back in the day... our instructors were hilarious... they made it fun and I was hooked! Then I got into snowboarding and wakeboarding... so I've always led a fairly active lifestyle... I think unbeknownst to some people... (there were a few surprised people on fb when I said I was going to the gym! - most of them runners, because anyone who knows me knows how much I D.E.T.E.S.T. running... I would even go so far as to say I loathe it... "Running is for crazy people who hate their knees" is generally my catchphrase for "those" people!)  I have no problems if you choose to run, and I have a lot of friends who DO run... I just think they're nuts! But all my friends know I'm a few sandwiches short of a picnic so we're pretty much even!! It's not that I don't DO fitness... I just don't DO running.... ok??

Annnnywhos.... well done if you're still reading!

I need your opinion... should I weigh myself and take measurements to track my progress?? Or should I "Just Do It"?? Thoughts on a postcard.. or that comment button works a treat too! ; )

Webify Me...

I'm not sure if this seems trivial or suited after my rather long hiatus away from this blog...

The last few days have been a little bit stressful... involving a fender bender in our hire car and lots of international phone calls to try and sort out insurance... (of course the one time I decide not to pay the extra insurance for a hire car is the one time I get in an accident.... Murphy's Law... damn you!)
Maybe one day I will tell you all about it.... then today we were going to go and investigate Vancouver but we kinda slept in and missed the last TrainBus and it woulda taken us 2.5 hours to take transit to the city and my brain just isn't up to dealing with that right now... my brain currently is just mush if you must know... also the weather was looking like it may just decide to rain and downtown Vancouver is no fun in the rain...

Anywhos... I decided that I would try to get caught up on some blog reading and stumbled across this internet thingee while I was here...

After answering 20 questions... this is apparently what my interwebz looks like...

What do you think?? Have you tried it?? Maybe if they changed the knitting needles into a sewing machine or some bakeware... it would be fairly spot on!?

Thoughts and Thinking...

The Thinker - Auguste Rodin

During the course of conversation lately, I have noticed there are different types of verbal thought...
I am very much a person who has sort of "stream of consciousness" verbal thoughts, in the sense that I talk as I think things over... so sometimes what I say seems to lack coherence and make no sense... (this probably happens more than I'd like to admit! - apparently my mind is a jumbled mess!) and I will often jump from one thought/idea to another as they occur to me...
Some people only verbalise thoughts after they have internally debated and come to a conclusion... and they are just seeking confirmation that they have come to the "right" decision... or they want a "sounding board"... often things only seem "real" after we have verbalised them to someone else...
Other times people verbalise a finalised thought in the hopes that the other person will "talk them out of it", to argue the other side, to "make them see sense"...
And whether we like to admit it or not, we probably have a set friend we go to for each scenario... there are friends who will agree with you no matter what... and there are friends who will tell you not to be so bloody stupid and what the hell were you thinking!?!?  Maybe it's not even a conscious decision who we instinctively go to when we want to hear the things we want to hear... does that even make sense?

Many times I've been told, I definitely fall into the second category... I am the kind of person you go to when you want to hear it like it is... this is not to say that I will always tell you what I think (although more often than not, I do!)... but if you approach me with a thought or idea or ask my opinion.. there will be no sugar coating involved...  mostly because of the aforementioned "stream of consciousness", though due to this, I can and will often talk in circles until I either convince myself of something or convince myself otherwise!

A bit like this post! Are you still with me? Or did I lose you somewhere amongst my jumbled mind??!!

What kind of thinker are you?
What kind of friend are you? Are you one to tell them what they want to hear?
Or are you like me and tell them what you truly think, even if it's not something they want to hear?
Are you one to always put in your two cents worth? Or do you only share your opinion if you're asked for it?
More often than not I can't help but put my two cents in.. and sometimes it gets me in trouble.. but in the words of Dr Seuss "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

Hope you had a great weekend!!

I have been wing eating, beaching, brunching, pitch & putting, dragon boat watching & enjoying the company of great friends! Life doesn't get much better!!

Tell Me More Tuesday

I was relatively new to the Wee Bit Wednesday bandwagon at Leigh Ashley's.. and just as I was getting into the idea, she decided to take a break.. but Crystal over at Crafty Crystal decided to have a go and these are her questions from last week..

1. Can you whistle?

Barely... at one stage I taught myself to wolf whistle using my fingers, but I can't do it anymore.. 

2. Do you sleep with the light on?

Nope, I stopped having a night light pretty early on.. tho I can sleep with a light on if I have to..

3. Can you touch your nose with your tongue.

Nope.. and quite frankly.. ewwwwww...

4. Can you open your eyes under water?

If I absolutely have to.. but I prefer not to.. it hurts my eyes and I always think my contacts will fall out...  I haven't tried since school to be honest.. when they make you do it as part of some swimming test...

5. Do you like thunderstorms?

Only if I'm indoors and not having to drive anywhere!

I love watching & listening to storms from the warmth and comfort of home!

6. Do you shower daily?

Mostly? :D I shower daily for work.. but I'm quite happy to skip a day on weekends or if I'm not working.. especially in winter.. 

7. Do you sing in the shower?

Not often..

8. What kind of car do you drive?

None! I haven't had a car since I left NZ.. :)

9. How many keys are on your key ring?

Three. Outside front door, then deadbolt and lock for the apartment.

10. What do you do for a living?

I am an executive assistant.

Jog Scotland 5k Challenge - Inverleith Park & Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh

The Jog Scotland Mascot!

SUPER cute!! :) 

(whoever was inside must have been melting in the heat tho!)

So as I mentioned in my previous posts we took part in the Jog Scotland 5k last night as part of our work Summer Party... yea.. they really make you work for it at my work eh??!!
It was a sunny and warm evening which was a welcome change from the rain we had over the weekend and on Monday, the course was quite picturesque as it looped through part of the Botanic Gardens then down around the pond at Inverleith Park..

I decided to try and run/jog as much as I comfortably could, I walk about 3k home after work most nights, so the distance seemed a bit daunting.. in so much as it was like a walk home and then almost all the way back to work again.. I wasn't worried about it as I often do full days of walking when I'm travelling, but it's just the thought of it being a "competition".. and not being able to stop and take a break! I took part in the Times Colonist 10k in Victoria, BC - also because of work.. (are you sensing a trend here?) but I walked most of it and it took me I think around about 2 hours to finish it.

One thing you need to understand (so you don't think I'm a big baby/drama queen!) is that I actually physically can't run very well... I have very flat feet, which results in me rolling my ankles and also my knees.. which has altered my gait over the years to the point where my knees don't track properly in the joint.. I have orthotic insoles from podiatrists, exercises from physios and all sorts.. I'm not just making this up! So running is not something I do often, or for enjoyment or even for fitness because it just causes PAIN! And not in the good way like after a hard workout...

Anyways.. here's some photos from the evening..

 

These photos were taken as I approached the finish line..

Team Photo Before

Running under a hedge "doorway".. Not sure if you can tell but after the doorway is like a tunnel made from bamboo plants where it  was nice and shady.. Very pretty!

By this stage of the race I had no idea if that 3k marker meant I had completed 3k or if I still had 3k to go... it really wasn't very reassuring either way!!!

The Scotty Dog greets you at the finish line.. 

I gave him a High 5 (yea, I'm cool like that)

YEAY!! You get a medal for taking part/finishing!!

Team Photo After

Noone looking too much worse for wear! Everyone still smiling! ; )

My time in case you were wondering was 38mins 15sec

Not exactly a world record but I'm pretty chuffed!!

ps. The random pictures on people's shirts are just to cover up numbers & logos.. in case you were thinking I'm a total weirdo that just puts random pictures on my photos!! :D

An ode to my "tree trunks"

{via}

So yesterday as I was going about my normal blog reading business when I came across this fabulous post over at monster cakes... (let it be known that I think she's pretty fantastic AND she loves Gilmore Girls AND she rocks the coolest pixie cut - tho she's growing it out at the mo but still looks fab! - and in my books, you don't really get much more awesome than that!)  Anywhoooos... (I'm going to stop before I sound like a TOTAL stalker.. oh too late?? nevermind... )

Moving right along!

I then left this message for her:

"I love this post! (I love all your posts.. to be fair.. ) but this one rings very true to me!

I've always had ginormous thighs and big calves.. (it's a nightmare trying to buy boots.. coz they just WILL NOT zip up... and ones without zips.. well.. let's just not talk about that ok?) but you are so right that they are such a blessing.. they have taken me on many adventures.. climbed boulders, rocks, Middle Eastern ruins.. they've allowed me to flail around on tree branches in the name of "climbing"... and I am going to follow your lead and cherish my legs for the tree trunks that they are.. keeping me firmly grounded.. (and it hurts more when you kick someone! HA! - HA! to all those with skinny beanpole legs that pack no punch!)"

Sorry if that last bit makes no sense.. the sense I'm trying to convey is people with tree trunks for legs do a lot more damage when they kick someone something than people who have skinny beanpole legs.. and if you are one of those with skinny beanpole legs... - well your consolation is that you can pull of skinny jeans with a lot more finesse and if that's not enough.. well TOUGH titties!! =p

She then left this message for me:

"I just had to tell you that I was cracking up when you said "tree trunks" on my blog, because that is the exact term used to describe them. From now on, I'll just remind myself that they are like that to keep me "grounded" and thankful. Thanks for the idea! And let's change together and be proud of the way we were made. : ) I think we can do it."

I think we can too!

I wanted to share this exchange with you all because I think we all have hang ups about our bodies.. big or small (hang ups.. tho I guess bodies as well)... and I think as long as we are healthy and our weight and size is not impacting on our health then we should feel blessed that we the majority of us are able bodied and our limbs function to the best of their abilities.. sure I'd like my thighs to be a bit smaller and my tummy a bit flatter, and one of my goals is still to exercise more and lose a bit of weight but on the other hand.. I also want to try and remember to be thankful...  

ps. tree pose is one of my favourites in yoga.. maybe it's because I have trunks for legs!! :)

Philosophical monkey, out~

More Than You Need To Know...

To cheer myself up from the wet & rainy day which is our first day of Summer...  and as a little treat for a super busy morning at work.. I thought I would fill out a meme which I saw over at Amyschmamey...

name: Caz
birthday: Jan 11
sign: Capricorn
favorite food: Japanese

{via}

favorite drink: Bubble tea..
favorite color: Teal/Aqua/Turquoise - greeny blue or bluey green..
favorite song this week: Erm.. I heard Airplanes on the radio and it reminded me how much I like that song... otherwise, probably Adele's Someone Like You.. 
favorite outfit: Jeans + t shirt or tank top, tho I'm trying to not wear jeans so much.. 
hobbies: Photography, sewing, fb gaming..  
guilty pleasures: Ninja Warrior - I don't know if that counts.. I'm not ashamed to admit I like it.. maybe Dating in the Dark.. haha.. that show is kinda hilarious...
last dream you remember: I don't really remember my dreams...
what comes to mind when i say cabbage: Sauerkraut
have you ever met a celebrity: Define "met"
favorite (new) blog: I've only recently discovered Keiko Lynn - does that count?
secret celebrity crush: I seriously don't watch enough movies to develop celebrity crushes.. secret or otherwise... 
favorite gadget: My blender, it makes my smoothies in the morning.. YUM!!
three things you can't live without: Fundamentally - food, drink & shelter?? Creature comforts - laptop, camera, Lucas pawpaw Ointment.. 
favorite harry potter character: Pass.. I have never read or watched any Harry Potter, nor do I have any desire to.. 
play any instruments: I've had piano, guitar, viola, flute & drum lessons.. I wouldn't necessarily say I "play" any of them tho... 
best book you've ever read: Time Traveller's Wife - I dunno if it's the BEST book I've EVER read.. but it's definitely one of my favourites... 
favorite quotation: I'm hard at work being idle - Oscar Wilde
favorite rainy day activity: Reading.. watching tv.. baking.. anything that does not involve leaving the house is ok by me.. 
what do you do when you're stressed: I get mad insomnia..
favorite time of the year: Tough call.. I love the heat and sun of Summer (HA! bit of a joke living in Edinburgh).. but I love being able to go play in the snow in Winter (HA! bit of a joke living in Scotland)... I really should rethink this choice of living location...
tattoos: Yes

{via}

favorite animal: Monkeys! or dolphins.. 
crunchy or smooth peanut butter: I used to like smooth, now I like crunchy.. but I'd still eat smooth if there isn't any crunchy.. I love pb... 
foreign countries you've visited: How long have you got? And how do you define "foreign"?
favorite candy: Gummies... I like just about all gummies.. maybe sour coke bottles if I had to pick one...
cake or pie: Depends on what's in them and what my mood is... Key Lime or Apple Pies win over cake.. but molten chocolate cake would win over pumpkin or cherry pie... 
favorite holiday: All of them! Maybe Chinese New Year - but only if I'm in Asia... 
favorite flower: Bird of Paradise. Hands down.

Post #100!! Some General Monkeying Around

Wow! I can't believe this is my 100th post already!! How have I found so much to tell you about in such a short 3 months??!! I suppose doing the 30 Days of Me challenge has greatly contributed to that number..

Well, to celebrate my centenary(??) I thought I would share some general ridiculousness with you.. well.. just because I can!

This weekend we had breakfast tortillas... but a couple of the tortillas were mouldy.. so we kinda ran out... but never fear!! Who needs a tortilla when you have BACON!!

Behold!! Pop all your toppings (in this case, scrambled egg, peppers & onions) in the middle of your bit of bacon... top with a drizzle of sri-racha....

Stuff it in your mouth...

Enjoy!! 

(yes, I am juvenile and gross.. there is a group my wifey started on FB called "Caz eats Things" - no joke) 

This weekend, in the parking lot of IKEA...

 WHY???!!! Aside from to amuse other people on the road!?!?!

Whilst IN Ikea... 

I actually first made the mister sit in the kiddie chair!! HAHAHA

There was a moment when he was getting up when I thought we were going to have a 

{via} 

moment!!

Happy 100th post to me!!

30 Days of me - Day 28

Day 28 - A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?

{Alicante, March 2010}

Jobless

Lived in a hostel

Single

Skinnier! :D

More social

More active - walked a lot more!

{Leith, April 2011}

Gainfully employed

Live in a flat

 Jordan, Syria, Lebanon

Great Summer in Canada

Iceland

Craft

DIY

Sewing machine & sewing

Bake & cook more

More of a NANA!!

Bigger wardrobe!! :)

30 Days of me - Day 19

Day 19 - Nicknames you have; why do you have them

Caz! :)

Monkey - because I love them... and fairly self explanatory if you have read this...

Cazzita, Cazzie, Cazmataz, Cazzamaphone/Cazzomophone, Spaz

(Big) Mama Caz - I am the head of a hillbillie family... I can be bossy and motherly when need-be... I'm also the person who is not afraid to tell you the one thing you don't want to hear (if you need to hear it)... tho I will also encourage and coddle you...

Doodle - Toth calls me Doodle.. from Cazadoodle...

Bitch, The bitch, Queen bitch, Miss bitch - I can be really mean when I want to be.. but seriously, you try going to an all girl private school for 8 years of your schooling career and see if your bitchiness factor doesn't increase exponentially!

The Beer Wench - A title I earned during high school/uni... :D some might find it derogatory or offensive but I accepted it as a term of endearment.. mostly when it was just me and the guys, I would often be the fetchers of beers from the fridge... this usually meant that I got out of cooking and cleaning duties later on, so I was totally ok with it... - don't feel I was bullied into this.. (refer to nickname above).. I really only do things which turn out favourable for me in the end! :D

Fatty/Stinky - My friend Jo and I refer to each other as fatty/stinker in our emails... I'm not sure when it started, how or why.. but... yea... we're pretty special..

Think that's about it!

There's so few people who call me by my proper name that sometimes I don't even answer to it coz I don't register people are talking to me! HA!

An A to Z of Monkey Lady

It's a slow day at work, so you get to find out all about ME!!

Me & Mick (who looks like he has weird mutant hands)

A-Age: 20 something..

B-Bed size: King..

C-Chore you hate: Erm... I used to hate emptying the dishwasher.. but I seem to have got over that.. maybe sweeping.. I hate sweeping... vacuuming I love.. mopping is annoying, but sweeping.. annoys me.. it kicks up dust everywhere, then you have to get it all on a dustpan to get it in the bin.. ARGH.. so much easier to vacuum!! When I used to work in the banquets department of a large hotel, I would always try to get the vacuuming at the end of the night.. I find it therapeutic... weird much??

D-Dogs: No thanks.. I don’t pick up doggy doo.. & I hate people who don’t pick up after their dogs.. so yea.. no thanks..

Tho how would you say no to this face??

{via}

E-Essential start to your day: Caffeine... normally tea unless I have time to stop off and get proper coffee...

F-Favorite Color: Erm... Aqua or Teal or Turquoise... whatever you want to call it... I have a thing for purple right now too... love love love it!

G-Gold or Silver: Silver... white gold is ok.. how ‘bout some platinum! I do have gold jewellery too, but usually bought for me by someone else.. I only tend to buy silver for myself...

H-Height: 5’6” if you get me on a good day, first thing in the morning... but probably 5’5.5” if you want to get scientific about it...

I-Instruments you play: HAHAHA... I have learnt, piano, guitar, viola, flute and had drum lessons.. but I wouldn’t necessarily say I play any of them!

J-Job title: Executive Assistant

K-Kids: Erm... never say never?

L-Live: in Edinburgh.. in a flat.. with the mister...

M-My mom's name: Ma!

N-Nickname: Monkey, Cazzita, Cazzie, Mama Caz, Doodle

O-Overnight hospital stay: Ummm... I don’t remember having to stay overnight for me.. I have stayed overnight for someone else tho...

P-Pet Peeve: Rude people.. People with no manners and no consideration for anyone else..

Q-Quote from a movie: “To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.” – Oscar Wilde, ok, so technically it’s from a play, but they made it into a movie!!

R-Right/Lefty: Righty... but I wakeboard and snowboard goofy and I apparently set myself up to box like a southpaw... so... make of that what you will...

S-Siblings: None, zilch, nada...

T-Time you wake up: the alarm goes off at 6.45am... whether I actually “wake up” then is debatable...

U-Underwear: YES! And bikini bottoms if I run out... which has been known to happen.... *ahem* look, what's that over there? *points*

V-Veggies you dislike: Brussel sprouts, peas, eggplant... the first two, I will eat if they are on my plate.. but I won’t particularly enjoy it... the last.. I might try a bite or two, but I rarely eat much more than that...  for the most part, I love veges.. and fruit.. mmmmmmmm

W-What makes you run late: Fluffing around... and general laziness... it doesn’t take me long to get ready once I get going.. it’s just the getting going that is the hard part...

X-Xrays you've had: Erm... I think mostly on my teeth! I had braces... so I’ve had lots of teeth x rays.. and when I had my wisdoms out, I had lots... don’t think I’ve had anywhere else x rayed.. I’ve only ever broken my little toes (self diagnosed brokenness) and there’s not much that can be done about it, so...

Y-Yummy food you make: LOTS!! Apple & cinnamon chicken anyone?? Mmmmmm J

Chorizo Pizza Puff

Z-Zoo animals: Monkeys! - Really, did you need to ask??