Gertie

yeegads, I just emailed my intent to vacate notice to my landlord.
I had a long hard think over this and what I decided was it was either shit or get off the pot. Instead of waiting for something to happen, like I’ve been waiting for years, I’ve decided to be a bit more proactive. Guess this means I decided to shit?

I now have 3 weeks to find a place to live.
Otherwise I’m probably donating/selling most of my stuff, putting the remainder of my personal items in storage, and then… well, fuck, don’t know what then but I’m not going to stress over it right now.

Pleasantly surprised to find that now that I’ve actually made the decision and followed through, I feel so much more relaxed…

love this!

2 Monkeys Were Paid Unequally; See What Happens Next
http://www.upworthy.com/2-monkeys-were-paid-unequally-see-what-happens-next

at this point of joblessness I’m obviously gonna be a happier with my cucumber than usual, but damn it would be nice to finally see some grapes!

such a pretty door – on the Buccleuch & Greyfriars Free Church, Edinburgh (Scotland)

When I read today’s article Smart bracelet protects aid workers my first thought was “cool idea”, followed by “until they simply lop off the arm wearing the bracelet”.

Does that make me cynical? Comprehensive? Morbid?

I have been engaged twice, but never married. While I am contemplating the idea of acquiring a cuddly partner, I just don’t see myself ever married. The concept of marriage has no value to me – I don’t subscribe to either the religious or conventional dictates, so the whole process would merely be an exercise in paperwork and obscene money wasting.

However, I’m certainly on board with a gal having a big party with a pretty dress!

I have done two walks for charity: the 3-day walk (60 miles over three days) and the Moonwalk (26.2 miles marathon overnight).

The Edinburgh Moonwalk is the farthest I have ever walked in one day, but the 55/60 miles for the Avon 3-Day Breast Cancer Crusade of 2002 is the most I’ve done consecutively.

It was easier racking up the miles walking to & from work, but now that my contract’s over it will be a new challenge to get myself up every day and continue to exercise.

I’ve been wearing my rainboots every day since December, for both my commute and daily shoe, and they are now about done so I’m researching new walking shoes. Any recommendations?

(from last year, but stuff I still wanted to finish posting up before it vanishes from my memory)

October 2012, I attended a script reading at my former landlord’s flat. She’s now writing scripts and when she came by my market stall at the end of September I told her I’d be happy to read anything she’s working on (I used to be a script editor) and so she invited me for the table read. I took the long way to get there, taking a detour through the botanic gardens, and when I arrived I couldn’t believe the amazing table spread – it was all so beautiful. I ended up reading a wee part, so those acting classes came in handy and it was a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

Season of mists

Autumn Frost

These are some of pieces from a photoshoot I did last Autumn for Little Soap Suds. They look edible, but are truly just delicious smelling soap.

Black Forest Gateau SOAP

Sugar Soap Mice

Oreo Cookie Cupcake Soap

November 11, 2012 my flickr buddy Caroline and I decided to check out Tollcross Park, a 91 acre park located just three miles from Glasgow city centre. I’d stumbled across this when searching for…. well, fuck, I was searching for something, can’t remember what but we’d both been looking for somewhere close for a photo wander and there ya go. The big surprise when we arrived, however, was that this place has a Children’s Farm AND a Secret Garden. Never found the garden, but did find these:

Snuffleupagus

Mansion House

This is a closeup of the house detail. I can’t quite put my finger on the why of it, but looking at this made me think of Hawk and TJ…

Silver Sebright

Pleurotus cornucopiae (Paulet) Rolland – Branched Oyster Mushroom

Zebra Finch

While wandering about by the (internationally famous) rose garden, we came upon Jessie – a super nice lady at the park who comes to feed the birds. While she was posing for Caroline, I snuck a photo. Or two.

After the park, Caroline and I went to the No 1 Chocolate Factory for a late lunch. This was incredibly yummy. And I ate every bit of it.

November 18, 2012 my friend Petra and I went across to Edinburgh to look at some flats (for her) and to have a wander about town.

Sandy Irvine Robertson O.B.E

View of Western Harbour Breakwater from Handmade Burger Co. at the Ocean Terminal mall:
Leith

December 2012 saw me across to Edinburgh for not one, but TWO consecutive trips. The first one, it was too damn cold out so calypte and I abandoned my photo buddies and made a bee-line for the pub. The second trek I met up with an old friend first thing in the morning and then that afternoon caught up to calypte again and we spent a few more hours walking, chatting, eating, and me taking the occasional photo (ya know, the usual):

seen at the German Market – this smelled amazing

Leith Street Footbridge

St Cuthbert’s Church

And finally… on December 7, 2012, while walking home past the Science Centre, I was treated to a surprise fireworks display!

(one more entry for 2012 to come … Christmas in Paris)

good golly Miss Molly, I can’t believe the frustration this involved – and how much fortitude it took to not quit. Yes, I would like to win this contest by my true goal has been accomplished: I said I would make the video & write the travel story and enter the contest and I have done it!

The many mishaps had me thinking maybe I wasn’t supposed to be doing this, then I reasoned it was my self-saboteur at work. Not to mention all the self-esteem poo that arises when viewing oneself on film.

Also, could I have been wearing any more layers?! For fuck sake, I look preggers instead of just fluffy.

Anyhoo, if you fancy giving me a vote, please follow this link. If it doesn’t work, let me know and I’ll post another.

ps.
Gertie is still my nickname, so don’t think you have to address me differently ;-D

Today from The Daily Motivator
You have nothing to prove and everything to be. What matters is the truth of who you are, not the way you appear to others.
http://greatday.com/motivate/130313.html

I got up at 5fucking-am today. With camera & tripod in hand I headed into city centre to catch the sunrise at the Necropolis. I started filming myself talking like an eejit in front of the Cathedral, a bit more up on the hill amongst all the tombstones, in town at George Square, and also along the River Clyde. It is such an amazingly beautiful day, so I wanted to get SOMETHING recorded before the forecast shitestorm arrives tomorrow.

I’m going to (hopefully) start reviewing and editing tonight and (hopefully) finish filming stuff this weekend. I’ve got one of my “blog fans” trying to recall one of my travel experiences worth writing up and so (hopefully) I’ll have that done this weekend too. That gives me one more week to make any tweaks and then it’s submitted.

Once I send it in I will then have to start trying to get everyone I know and their neighbor to go vote for me. Man, I must REALLY want to win this contest to put myself through this.

But ya know, as nauseating as this is… I’m kinda excited too.

When my sisters came to visit in August, they brought some yarn for me. I’d been wanting to make another blanket (I enjoy crocheting, although I only know ONE stitch) but wool is so expensive here. Plus, I like the synthetic stuff that can be thrown in the washing machine.

Anyhoo, when I was cleaning out the flat in preparation for a pickup from the charity shop (woot) I came across the bag of yarn and decided to start on that lap blanket.

Took me a few days, but there ya go. It’s warm, it’s soft, and the colours go with my bedroom beautifully.

I still love this lamp, but my feelings towards the lampshade were significantly cooler. For a couple of years I’d be keeping my eye out for a bargain, knowing that my unemployed ass couldn’t be throwing away food money on something trivial – but damn I was getting really tired of looking at that thing.

My desire for change received a jolt when I accidentally (truly!) broke the shade, somehow pulling it off of the frame. Probably happened on one of the occasions when it had fallen off the mantle because the shade was too fucking big for it to sit on there properly.

I was thrilled! ecstatic! downright gleeful when last month I came across a small brown lampshade marked down to £1. I got home and set about taking the plastic wrap off. Fifteen curse riddled minutes later I removed the old shade and proudly attempted to to install new one. Except it was the wrong fitting.

Bugger.

So it sat there for another couple of weeks until I finally decided to hell with it and dismantled the old shade. I had visions of reworking an old scarf into a new shade but quite quickly realized I did not have the patience to see that project through. I then cut the bottom rim to make it the same size as the top rim, pulled out an old bamboo placemat, attached it to the rims, and then sewed a trim using detail work from the old scarf.

It’s not the perfect shade, but it’s not a broken one and the lamp FINALLY sits safely on the mantle. And that’s enough. For now.

ps.
I kept the new “wrong” shade, putting it on the lamp in my office. And the now not needed but still new lampshade I removed from the office I added to the gigantic pile of stuff that was donated to the charity shop.

there’s gotta be something wrong with me.

I saw this photo and immediately thought “I want those rubber ducks”.

I blame it on the lack of cookies.

I can’t believe I’m actually getting closer to having this goal completed. Exciting stuff maynard!

I was doing some research into teaching English as a second language (in a foreign country) and came across this contest:

How To Get Paid $50,000 To Travel The World For Six Months

Running from January 28 to March 31, the winner of the contest will receive a six-month, all-inclusive, blogging trip around the world, including stops in no less than 25 countries, and a reward of $50,000 upon their return. It’s not all fun and games though. Part of the requirement of the trip is that the winner will need to blog for MyDestination.com as they travel, cataloging the people they meet, the sights they see and the food they eat. Imagine that: getting paid to write a travel blog!

Holy SHIT. Their website is MyDestination. MY blog is Destination Unknown. The contest ends on the 31st of March. My contract is over at the end of March. This requires leaving home… my rent was just increased and I need to move out of my flat. I love to travel. I love to photograph things when I travel. I love to talk about the places I travel. I like to write about it too (or at least I used to… kinda miss my blog & 43T). This would be perfect for me, yes?

Sooo, what the hell is holding me back? Um, frankly, being in front of a camera. I’m not your usual telly host. I don’t have an accent (well, I guess I do here), I’m not young and I don’t have perfect hair, skin, teeth, body (I think that pretty much covers everything, yes?) and don’t like to be on display. But damn – 6 months travel PAID!?

I want to take this chance. I need to take this chance. Even if I don’t “win”, it will be good for me. I don’t have long to prepare and produce, so I’m going to need some serious motivation provided by a worldwide cheering squad. Would you help me?

I just spent two minutes watching a video of a basset hound snoring.

Clearly I need to re-think my priorities.

missed a few days as I was less upright and more prostrate but dudes, wow, I’m 3/4 of the way done.

yay me.

I get these things daily, and I enjoy most (if not all) of them but sometimes one really strikes a chord. This is one.

“You can find plenty of ways to justify your procrastination. Yet even if it’s perfectly reasonable and understandable, it’s still procrastination.” — Ralph Marston
http://greatday.com/motivate/130207.html

at 49 Rue Saint-André des Arts

dang – and here I was thinking MY house was cold!

“The freezing temperatures in Changchun, Jilin Province, China have turned Mr Feng’s house into a huge ice sculpture. After the drain became blocked in his home his property management company broke the water pipe which unfortunately flooded his house.
Picture: China Foto Press / Barcroft Media”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/worldnews/9818890/House-in-Changchun-China-turned-into-an-ice-sculpture-after-drains-are-blocked.html?frame=2458902