HP6

Today I completed Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I wanted to reread it before the movie comes out in July. I decided to listen to it on audio this time around and it was wonderful. It occupied me for about 2 weeks on the bus to work, lunch break and bus ride home. It was a great distraction and has reignited my love for all things Harry Potter. Now I know the movie will not be nearly as good as the book, but I am still excited!!

And on a side note, one of my friends saw J.K Rowling walking around Edinburgh the other day. I forget that I live in the same city as her, I need to keep an eye out!

busy

It's amazing that with the longer days and nicer weather comes a busier schedule. I feel like I have been going nonstop and I am exhausted.

Tonight I am looking forward to spending the evening with my hubby and watching Season 2 of Survivor before another busy day begins in the morning....

Days like this

It's about 68 degrees and Sunny in Edinburgh today. I spent most of the day outside in Princes Street gardens laying in the sun and listening Harry Potter (book 6) on my iPod. Although it's only 68 degrees it may as well be 80 because everyone is wearing shorts and sandals, etc. I had a crappy day at work yesterday so didn't go in to the office today. I am fairly confident I got sunburned and I could not be happier. I am hoping that later hours will bring a nice pint of beer in the sun with DRB.

It's days like this that make it okay to live in the UK after all...

Just thinking out loud....

I have been going back and forth on whether or not to continue this blog.  I recently came accross a blog that one of my friends has going and she updates it every few days with a thought or a quote or whatever. I like this idea of low pressure blogging and really think it gets back to the root of what blogging is about anyway.  I guess I want to know if any0ne still checks this blog? Leave me a quick comment if you actually read this.  I think I may try to get back to this for a little while and see how it goes. 

Senior Year of High School

Shannon posted this on her blog and tagged me to do it, so I figured I would give it a go....

1. What was your school’s full name?

Mountain View High School

2. When did you graduate?

2001

3. What was your school mascot?

Cougars

4. Did you date someone from your school?

Not during my senior year but at other times

5. Did you marry someone from your high school?

No, but someone I went to high school with introduced me to Derek :)

6. Did you carpool to school?

I had my own car. Sometimes I would take my brother along if he was being nice.

7. What kind of car did you have?

1989 Ford Bronco 2....then 1990 Jeep Cherokee limited

8. What kind of car do you have now?

The city bus, it's pretty sweet!

9. It is Friday night…where are you (then)?

In the stands at a football or basketball game, hanging out by Goody's in downtown Bend, or driving around with friends looking for trouble.

10. It is Friday night…where are you (now)?

Home with Derek, at a friends house or out at a pub

11. What kind of job did you have in high school?

I had several. Freshman year I worked in a Law office just doing basic office work and running errands. Sophomore year I worked as a hostess at Applebees. Junior and Senior year I work at the Athletic Club of Bend, first as a Locker Room Attendant then as a Front Desk Receptionist.

12. What kind of job do you have now?

Currently I work at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. I work in the Centre for Sport and Exercise as a Client Services Manager (admin work).

13. Were you a party animal?

Sometimes. My friends could get a bit crazy and I would succumb to the peer pressure (though they didn't really have to twist my arm!).

14. Were you considered a flirt?

I don't think so. I had boyfriends most of the time.

15. Were you in band, orchestra or choir?

I was in choir all 4 years of high school

16. Were you a nerd?

I don’t think so

17. Did you get suspended or expelled?

No but was once asked to leave a class for talking back to the teacher.

18. Can you sing the fight song?

Hmm....wow I really don't think so. I remember we had a song (no lyrics) but I can't remember the tune. Oh no!

19. Who were your favorite teachers?

Mr. Spurgeon - Psychology.

20. Where did you sit during lunch?

Only the nerds sat in the cafeteria. So we would either sit in the commons or we would go out for lunch.

21. If you could go back and do it again, would you?

I think I would. I would probably do a few things differently but I had a great time!

22. Did you have fun at prom?

I did! I went to 4 proms in 2 years. I dated a guy from our rival high school so he came to my Junior & Senior prom and I went to his.

23. Do you still talk to the person you went to prom with?

I keep up with his wife via Facebook :) She's great!

24. Are you planning on going to your next reunion?

We haven't had one yet but I look forward to the 10 year reunion.

Not sure if anyone I went to high school with reads this blog, but if you do, I would LOVE to read your answers :)

Sick day

Do you ever get sick of work and long for a sick day? Just exhausted from the back to back long days? I have been desperate for a day off for a while now and secretly wanting a sick day. Well, this past Saturday night I got really sick and in turn I have had 2 sick days. Turns out...not so enjoyable. Have been down and out on the couch for over 3 days now and antsy to get up and get out of the house. Now all I want to do is get better and get back to work. The stress of unexpectedly missing work is not worth it either. I have even been checking my work email while I have been sick at home. How annoying!

Okay, I truly need a holiday now...

a lack of sun

I know we tend to complain again and again that we don't have a summer and never get any sun, but if you check out this article, then it will prove that we're not lying. Not only do we not have a summer, but we get so little sun that that it actually makes people ill! Scotland everybody...this is where we live!

So depressing...

''Where are you from?''

Working in Scotland, with all Scots, in Scotland's capital, I am bound to be questioned about my accent (or lack there of, as I like to think of it). It was pretty novel at first and I knew that whenever I opened my mouth people would automatically know I was not from around here. At first I was embarrassed of it (especially being American - why can't I just be Canadian?!), but then as time passed I learned to become proud of it and not try to hide my accent but to speak loud and clear! Now...it's annoying. Every time the phone rings or someone new comes into the office they are bound to ask 'Where are you from?' or 'What's that accent?'. I have come to expect it now and it's not quite as fun. I just want to say 'yes, yes I am American...from Oregon, now let's get on with it'. It's funny though how much people love it, they just have a field day over the fact that they are talking to someone who sounds like me (they need to get out more) and occasionally I will even get people saying that they LOVE my accent. I still find it hilarious that I would have an accent. Maybe if I was from the south or the east coast or something. But no, I just have the 'no accent accent', or 'Hollywood accent' if you will.

But I do admit that it is much more fun talking to Scots or Brits or Irish than it is to boring ole Americans (sorry friends). And I am truly enjoying the fact that I am learning more and more to tell them difference between them all. Next step...to talk like them (hmmm...think I am a long way off).

I had to share this because it is only 13.00 here and I have already been asked 3 or 4 times today. Goodness gracious!

I know all I write about lately is books...sorry so boring. But not sure what else to write about here. Hmm....

I finished '19 Minutes' by Jodi Picoult and really really liked it. It intriguing. It's about a school shooting, so if you think you can handle it, I recommend. I would say that 'My Sister's Keeper' and '19 Minutes' are my 2 fave Jodi Picoult books.

I am taking a wee break from Picoult for now. Just to explore some other reads. I am reading a cute book called 'A Place called Here' by Cecelia Ahern who wrote 'P.S. I Love You'. It's a fun, easy read and I imagine I will fly through it.

On a different/random note, I am currently sitting here watching the Olympics and I am SO happy. I love the Olympics! These next 2 weeks are going to be great. BBC provides some great coverage. Although I am not so sure how I feel about the Women's weightlifting that is on right now. Time to switch to rowing or cycling or one of the other many sports that are currently on.

the reading continues

I have recently completed 2 more Jodi Picoult books: Plain Truth and Mercy. They were both good and I enjoyed reading them. I think I am just continually impressed with how Picoult writes and how much work and effort goes into each book, all to create fiction.

Plain Truth is based around an Amish community and I found it quite fascinating to learn a little bit more about the Amish life. Lifetime has made a movie of this book as well, I just downloaded it and was pretty disappointed. The book, obviously, was much more thorough and thoughtful.

Mercy was a decent book but probably my least favourite of the ones I have read to date. I took my time reading it, which proved to me that I wasn't that into it. But the story was interesting and I am glad I read it.

I have now moved onto Picoult's Nineteen Minutes. I am just 2 chapters in and am already quite intrigued. We'll see how it goes.

Any of you read any good books lately? My sister-in-law has recommended the Twilight Series, but I don't know anything about it. Has anyone heard of it? I may have to check it out as my next read.

I've been tagged

So I usually wouldn't do this, but Grace tagged me and I have a few minutes to kill. Here are 10 things you probably don't know about me (but maybe you do!):

1. White chocolate is my favourite kind of chocolate.
2. I was in the school choir from 6th-12th grade (middle and high school) and I had a solo in 8th grade ('I Can Fly' by R. Kelley).
3. All through middle school I wore big, black, baggy clothes with skater shoes. Then promptly went 'preppy' as a freshmen.
4. I have officially lived in 3 different countries.
5. When I was young I wanted to be an actress when I grew up.
6. It only takes me 10 minutes to blow dry my hair.
7. I got a tattoo when I was 16.
8. It's been a life long dream of mine to go work in an orphanage in Africa(or with kids there in some capacity).
9. Derek and I are going on a cruise with my sister and bro-in-law to the Canary Islands in October (4 months!).
10. I predicted (based on nothing) that Spain would win Euro 2008...and they did!

Now I think I am supposed to tag other people, so considered yourself tagged:
Tim and/or Jen
Trudy
Lara

The sun is out!

If you know me, you know that I love the sun and everything that has to do with it. I love the warmth, the chance of getting a tan and the opportunity to wear tank tops, shorts and/or flip flops. A day that I can wear flip flops is a very good day.

This weekend, we actually had 2 of those days. Yesterday we were out all day with some good friends. We went where the sun took us, from the Saturday market to the park to a pub with outdoor seating and eventually back to Dave & Sarah's for a BBQ in their yard. I wore a tank top and flip flops...it was a good day.

Today was not quite as eventful but the sun was certainly shining. I took myself on a long walk along the water of Leith walkway. Just me, my iPod and the sun shining down on me. I wore shorts and flip flops...it was a good day.

I have come to learn that we can't expect a proper summer in Scotland, so these days are like gold. I only hope that they continue and we can continue to soak up the sun!

the good reads continue

Just finished reading Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult. I was gripped the entire time. Not sure if everyone would enjoy this book in particular as it deals with such things as sexual assault and witchcraft, but I was enthralled and it just proved to me that I have found an author I truly enjoy. Her writing amazes me and I can only imagine the research she must have to do in order to write about certain things the way she does.

Next up: Plain Truth

Stay tuned...

New author

On our trip home to Oregon in April, I nabbed a book off my sisters shelf to put in my queue of books to read. I knew nothing about it, but I thought I would give it a try. I just finished reading 'My Sister's Keeper' by Jodi Picoult and I was very impressed. I love her writing and it didn't take me very long to become engrossed in the plot. She has tonnes of other books she has written and I have now begun a new one and hope to eventually get through them all. I am excited to have found a new author!

The blogging continues...and new shoes!

Per Shannon's request, I am going to try and keep Katie's Brown Blog going... Do a little more 'day to day' blogging and such. Hopefully I still have one or two readers out there who will appreciate :) Let me know if you are still on board.

I am very excited about my new shoes. I saw them in store yesterday and could not get them out of my head. I woke up this morning thinking 'I have to have them!' So I went out today and bought them. They are Crocs brand and the style name is 'Alice'. I figure they will be a great 'everyday shoe'.

Here is a picture, except mine are black. I am so excited to take them out!

My family

When we were home in Oregon last month, it was the first time in a while that ALL my family was together. So my dad decided to take advantage of the opportunity and have some family photos done.

Thought some of you out there might enjoy seeing them. If you have any questions of who anyone is, just let me know!

Here is my fam:

FAMILY

Question about grocery shopping

If you read this blog, take a sec to answer this/these questions...

How often do you grocery shop?
And how is your grocery shopping done?
by this I mean...do you go 1 big shop to the next big shop? do you do 1 big shop with a few small shops in between? etc.

When we lived in Vancouver we did all our main grocery shopping at the beloved Real Canadian Superstore (aka Stupidstore). We would shop once a month at Stupidstore and then go weekly to the Dunbar Produce store to get our produce for the week. And occasionally some stops into Stongs to get milk, eggs, etc. But for the most part we would go each month and stock up! We found it was betetr on the budget to do it this way as well.

When we moved here to Edinburgh we assumed we would do something similar but had a couple problems with that. 1)the fridges are smaller here and 2)the freshness doesn't last as long on food here. So we have been doing our big shop (actually we have our groceries delivered) twice a month. Even still we are havung trouble with the freshness on things lasting 2 weeks. Which means more quick stops in at the small grocery store. I mentioned to Derek yesterday about the possibility of getting groceries delivered once a week and while it would be really nice to do this it would also be a hassle, not to mention then having to pay 4 delivery fees each month.

Anyway, there is lots to think about but in the meantime I thought I would ask you, just out of curiosity, what your grocery routine is?

After typing 'grocery' so many times I realize what a strange word it is....

Metro

The Metro is a free newspaper distributed throughout the UK Monday-Friday. Metro offers the most up to date news, sports, gossip and more. It has become my daily routine to read this paper on the bus on my way to work. Every morning I walk from my house about 10-15 minutes to catch the bus. On my walk to the bus I pass by a wee booth that is set up on the corner of Princes Street and Queensferry Road, where a guy sits and hands out the Metro newspaper. In stride I walk past the booth, grab the paper, say 'cheers' or 'thanks' and continue on my way.

Lately I have started to wonder if this guy realizes that I walk by at the same time every single day. Does he anticipate that I will be stopping by or am I a just another passerby? I also can't help but think what a boring job he has. He sits in a rinky dink little booth with no heat, no electricity and his sole purpose is to give this paper to as many people as he can. I wonder for how many hours does he sit there and I really wonder if it is the same guy every day. I think I have deduced that there are 2 guys who do this job 5 days a week, or maybe they work half a day each...hmmm. This week, the city has been doing work on and, I think, replacing the sidewalk where the Metro guy usually sits in his cozy hut. Therefore he has had to stand out on the corner with his big stack of papers and pass them out. I can't help but feel bad for him. Although, for all I know he could be making some £30,000 a year just to hand out free papers.

The Metro has truly become part of my every day life. I start many sentences with 'I read in the Metro...' and feel proud when I know news before Derek has read it online. My friend, Trudy, is an avid reader of Metro and it brings about good conversation. It is interesting to read about the latest trend or the latest statistic on Global Warming, drinking while pregnant, or Harry Potter.

I heart Oregon

My friend, Jess, got me this shirt for Christmas and I absolutely adore it. Now I can represent Oregon in Scotland! The outline of the state is made up of little hearts, and the wee heart in the middle is where my hometown, Bend, is located.

Motivated

Before I begin this blog post I have to tell you that I am currently sitting at work and looking out the window where amazingly beautiful snow is falling from the sky. I just ran outside so I could feel it hit my face. It's gorgeous!

Anyway...

Christmas and New Years has come and gone, my much anticipated 2 week break from work is over and I am now back to normal life. I guess it's good to have routine and to stay motivated in that way, but breaks or vacations never seem long enough and even though I had several days with nothing to do, I didn't seem to accomplish all that I wanted to. Having no plan or no schedule makes me (makes us humans?) lazy.

Last night as I anticipated coming back to work I laid wide awake, for what seemed like hours, unable to fall into a deep slumber. I thought back over the break and my lack of motivation to get anything done and started to think about how on earth people stay disciplined and motivated to do things. Then I wondered how much 'self-motivation' plays into it all or if it more comes from outside pressure/encouragement/obligation. Would I actually be able to get up at 6.30am if I didn't HAVE to go to work? Think of professional athletes, would they be where they are, as fit as they are and as good as they are all alone? Or is it really thanks to their coaches and trainers?

I often think that if I didn't have to work and could spend my days exactly how I wanted to, that I would be happy and in shape and have the time to do everything and anything I wanted. I wonder how true this is. Would I actually get up early and go jogging? eat healthier? volunteer at a children's hospital? make cards? spend time making fancy dinners before Derek gets home? teach myself a foreign language? I would like to think so but the reality of it is that it probably wouldn't happen. Some days, yes, but not every day as I would like it to. That is unless I had someone there with me, pushing me to get up and go running with them, sitting with me and learning that foreign language together. Then, even if I didn't feel like it, I would still do those things. I think that is the key. Though I would love to be more 'self-motivated', I wonder how much it actually plays into my (our?) life.

Something to think about at least. Maybe thinking these thoughts will encourage me to get up off my bum and do more! We'll see...