March 2011

I've not written an entry for almost a year. Life has been busy and changed a lot in that time so an update is long overdue.

In June, the wedding of the year took place. Al and Chrissy tied the knot on the most special of days. It really was a fairytale wedding, beautiful in every way. The marriage service took place in a church in a quintessentially English village. As we poured out of the church onto the village green, the road was blocked while A&C boarded their horse-drawn carriage for the brief journey back to the reception. The reception was unlike anything I've ever attended - stylish and classy, yet personal, friendly and intimate all at once.

Kath and I went to Wimbledon and had a great day. (Mum has just drawn tickets for the men's final at this years championship, and will no doubt have a fantastic day).

The most significant change over the last year is that in July 2010, Mr Andrew Smith came into my life (and just in case you're wondering, that's a change for the better, a very positive development!).

In October, I was elected to the leadership team of my church. It's meant I've needed to learn a lot, and fast, but has been a hugely positive experience. It can be hard work but is a privilege to serve in this way.

This winter has been the coldest in a long time, with far more snow than we've seen for years. Because of snow in the village, I wasn't able to get my car home for a week or two. It just became the norm for my commute to begin with a trudge up the hill towards Crawcrook and then dig my car out of a snow drift. I got off lightly with frozen and burst pipes but no major leaks, others were less fortunate.

And now it's Spring. It was exactly this time last year that I got in to writing this blog, and as Spring arrives again, I'm again drawn to writing something. The bulbs are just starting to flower and everything is greening up. The garden is a bit neglected but will hopefully get some attention in the coming weeks.

I was fortunate to finish my work week with a home visit in Amble this week. My favourite beach, Druridge Bay was less than 5 mins drive from where I was working, and it would have been churlish not to stop off for a walk. It was a fantastic way to finish the week - it's always a beautiful beach but was really looking at it's best. Rosie and I both had a lovely walk, and a good blast of fresh air - it's certainly set me up for the weekend.

Sunshine and annual leave ...

... are a great combination. I've had this week off and been blessed with wonderful weather - an ideal opportunity to lessen the winter pallor before Al's wedding.

I've had a great week. It started with a triathlon in Darlington. I was a little apprehensive, particularly about the transitions and the bike ride, but loved it all. The transitions were fine - I didn't dry any of me at all, and putting clothes and shoes on while wet seemed quite normal.

The first couple of photos are of my friend Angela, who did the race with me. She did really well and seems to have enjoyed it too.

These 2 photos are of me finishing my bike ride, before heading out on the run.Angela met me at the finish line. We both had huge grins on our faces and immediately agreed to book another race - we're hooked. I've already booked myself in to an open water event in September and am scouring eBay for a wetsuit.

The rest of my week off was more relaxing. I had an enormous delivery of manure and spent many happy hours scattering it round the garden. It's already had an impressive effect - everything has put on a growth spurt and is looking beautifully lush with vivid colours. I pottered about at home, caught up with friends and generally chilled out. The sunshine definitely contributed to a very successful week off. At the end of the week I set off for Devon to attend Chrissy's hen do. I'll save details of that for another blog entry.

Dismay

I do not pretend to have any great knowledge about politics, but I take my responsibility to vote seriously and have followed the run-up to the election closely. I feel an intense anti-climax and disappointment at the outcome of yesterday's general election. I am horrified that living in a 21st century democratic nation, some were denied their right to vote. The outcome of a hung parliament seems to predict indecision and stale-mate with little chance of productive decisions in the coming months. So all in all, I'm pretty dismayed with the result.

On a more positive note, I had a lovely visit from Al last night. He got home from Mad at the weekend, and called in here on his way south from Mum and Dad's. It was great to see him and catch up. It has felt as though I have to see him and catch up, before he gets married and disappears. The truth is, little will change after marriage. He'll still be the same Al, the same big-little brother, and will have the bonus of a loving, caring, friendly wife. It's maybe that he's heading back to Madagascar after marriage so I have to catch up before he disappears to Africa for another 6 months.

Wimbledon is back on

I have my tickets to Wimbledon - I lost them temporarily, having not paid in time, but have just heard I will receive tickets for mens quarter-finals this summer - yay! That will be just one of 3 little trips down south in the next couple of months. I don't have a big holiday booked but have a number of mini-breaks planned.

In 3 weeks, I'm heading to Devon for Chrissy's hen weekend. Point-to-point and surfing are planned - all new experiences for me, plus lots of new people to meet, and I'm sure it'll be fun. Next trip south is Al & Chrissy's wedding and then Wimbledon .... it's looking like a summer of fun, I'll just hope and pray for sunshine.

Things here are ticking along nicely. I've managed to get a good amount of gardening done recently - it's hugely satisfying to see my seedlings sprouting, the grass seed is finally germinating and each trip down the garden there are new signs of growth. I get excited by all this new growth, especially the lush green springing up everywhere and the trees coming into leaf.

Only two weeks to go til my triathlon. Can't quite believe I was mad enough to book it. I'm not really training for it, but will just give it a go and hope to enjoy it. If it's fun, I'll think about investing in some kit for an open-water event, and then maybe aim for a full tri in the next year or two. Mad fool that I am, I think I thrive on crazy challenges. Running the marathon a couple of years ago was great and I'm ready for my next challenge, a full tri may be it.

Namesake

Well, I really am just pottering along at the moment. Things are fairly steady work, home and church wise at the moment, all good. I've had time to potter in the garden, go running, see friends and to just be. But I'm beginning to think that I actually prefer life when it's a bit busier - I always complain I get tired and stressed but it does have it's advantages.

I left work yesterday feeling mixed up and confused. I'd assessed a patient at home, and needed the Police to gain entry to their home. It was really horrid, lots of Police vans, plus Police dog and they had to batter the door down. It was a sunny day and the school holidays, and it felt as though the whole neighbourhood were gawping.

Being a psychiatrist puts me in a powerful position, and it was all for the best, but felt so cruel at the time. It also gave me a reminder of how tough some folk have it, and how some folk live in sparse, neglected, appauling conditions right on our doorsteps. The outcome was excellent, and the process really went like clock-work, but that didn't make it any less horrid to be involved.

In the last week, I've spent lots of time trying to find C&A a suitable honeymoon. Al's super-stressed, and slow internet in Madagascar has made it frustrating and almost impossible for him to search for accomodation. I've actually enjoyed doing it, and quite fancy a similar trip myself. I'll keep the destination a secret - it's not my decision whether it's to be revealed.

Spring is sprung

Spring has arrived so I've spent the day outside, tidying the garden and running. I'm now settling down with a glass of wine, for a quiet evening (and probably an early night). It's always satisfying to spend time pottering in the garden and today it was much needed, so extra satisfying.

Rosie being a bigger dog than Poppy, produces more wee and is burning up large patches of my lawn. Well, it used to be a lawn, now it could be more accurately described as patches of grass. I've read that tomato juice helps, so Rosie gets a slug of tomato juice on her breakfast and I've liberally scattered grass seed today, hoping that I'll get my lawn back in the next month or two.

My invite to Al's wedding arrived today. Very excited to have received it. He's a special wee bro, and I'm so happy he's found Chrissy. It will be a super-special day and I will cry - no point in even trying not to on this occasion! Will have to remember the waterproof mascara.

Happy memories

I finished work a few days ago and am now in holiday mode, having spent a few days with Mum & Dad. I become remarkably useless here, waited on hand and foot, eating and drinking very well, getting lots of fresh air and totally relaxing. I left home on a high - the boiler may finally be fixed, the carpets are clean and I have found a cleaner - simple pleasures!

I have spent a happy few hours going through old family photos, scanning in a selection of Al for Chrissy to use at their wedding reception. Happy memories of a very happy and loving childhood with my wee bro. I've got used to the idea of him being married, but realised today I hadn't yet considered Chrissy as another Mrs Harris!

Great news from Al & Chrissy - Chrissy has a new 6 month job with UNICEF. It gives some much needed stability for them both, and they can begin to plan their lives beyond the 5th June.

I'm off to Leicester tomorrow for some time with very special friends. It's funny, I always feel better for spending some time with Kath, Han and families - old friends really are the best.

Easter hol's

I've finished work for nearly a week, with a trip to Mum & Dad, plus a visit to friends in Leicester planned for my time off.

But before any of that, I'm having my carpets cleaned. I'm embarrassed to admit I'm actually quite excited about it - the place just feels filthy and I'm hoping this will kick start a cleaner house. I've also signed up with a cleaning agency and they hope to have someone out within a couple of weeks. Spring must be in the air, with all this cleaning!

In my madness, I've booked a sprint triathlon for 16th May. Today I bought some toe clips and a bottle cage for my bike - all feels a bit serious! A friend is keen to go out for a training session next week - she wants to swim in Hexham, cycle back then go for a run ..... I may well regret entering this particular race!

Easter mean it's the end of lent, which means I can return to Facebook. The reason I started this blog was to stave off Facebook-withdrawal symptoms. Whilst I have missed keeping up with friends on Facebook, I haven't really spoken to friends any more than before. But this blog is far more therapeutic than Facebook - maybe I'll do both for a bit.

Bits and Bobs

Another week's gone by, the clocks have gone forwards so it is now officially spring (and snow is forecast for later this week!).

This week was sort of turned upside down by a rough on-call on tuesday night. I was called out at 11.45pm, got home a couple of hours later, but was only back 20mins before getting called back out til 6am. You know it's bad when the dog doesn't even get out of bed to greet you as you come and go in the middle of the night.

I was seeing the chiropracter (highly recommended, not just for people with more money than sense, as I previously believed) on wednesday, and explained I was shattered from working all night. She asked what sort of things I had to do in the middle of the night, and I said, "well, last night I assessed two patients who'd been talked down off bridges by the Police and needed assessing urgently".

Yesterday, I had a lovely day entertaining friend's two little girls. We went to a local farm to feed the lambs, and bounce on a trampoline (lots). They were so well behaved, a pleasure to take out. The only hitch was their fear of Rosie but I'll work on that.

Today I've been cleaning. I REALLY need to find another cleaner, soon. Have written down numbers and hope to make some calls tomorrow.

Mud happy

On Saturday, I ran an 18km race in the lakes. The drive over was grim, with heavy rain, low cloud and no views at all. The rain stopped just in time for the start of the race, the cloud lifted, the views were spectacular and the sun even tried to shine by the end. Never run such a muddy race, but loved it. Nearly lost a shoe in one particularly deep and sticky section, and let out something of a girly scream! The ford shown in the photos washed off some of the mud, wetwipes got rid of a bit more whilst changing in a field, the rest was in the bath when I got home.

My next challenge may be a sprint triathlon. I've thought about doing it for ages, and am now getting very keen. Have found a local one in a couple of months, so will give it a go. The only bit of a tri I'm concerned about is having to get out the pool and put shoes and socks on without being able to dry between my toes properly!

Game, set and match

Oops. Having been successful at my first entry into the public ballot for Wimbledon tickets, I managed to miss the payment deadline and may now have lost them. Many folk would have given their eye teeth for tickets to the mens quarter finals. I too was excited and have booked the annual leave, but payment just somehow escaped my notice.

I have today written an apologetic and beseeching letter to the all england lawn tennis association and will now have to wait and see.

My biggest concern? How to tell Mum I may not be taking her to Wimbledon after all!

Lent

It's lent and I've given up Facebook. It really wouldn't be right to start up a blog as a substitute - a bit like giving up chocolate and eating sweets instead - but I am feeling increasingly led to keep a diary of some sort, and this seems a good way to do it.

I'll just do it on the quiet I think, a personal blog for just me to read.

Last month was busy. Mum's 60th weekend away was a huge success, and then I had my debut performance at the Sage with the Northern Sinfonia Chorus - absolutely brilliant, I was just buzzing at the end and couldn't stop grinning.

March is quiet by comparison, but I made it North to visit relatives last weekend (Mum and Dad, then Granny in Edinburgh, then my cousin and family in Haddington, plus beautiful walk at Cove on the way home) and I'm off to the Lakes for a race at this coming weekend (Cartmel Ultimate trail).

The boiler saga continues. It's now been on the blink for over 3 months. I gave up on British Gas long ago and have a local engineer coming out regularly to try to sort it. The latest update was that he had a couple of final things he could try, and failing that, it's time for a new boiler. Having put up with a dodgy boiler since moving here nearly 8 yrs ago, and now being faced with putting a new one in, I wish I'd done it years ago and saved myself a lot of bother!

It's about time I entered the world of blogging, if only as a diary for myself, so, I have succumbed and set this up.