I suck. Yesterday was the 24th birthday of one of my closest friends and I didn’t send her a birthday card..not even an e-card. Nor did I phone her with Happy Birthday wishes. Or bake her a cake, which is my fav way to say ‘Happy Birthday’! In my defense I did not have her mailing address despite asking several times for it in the past weeks and I didn’t have access to a telephone that I could make international phone calls on. But I still feel terribly bad for my failure to communicate in one way or another that I want her to have a wonderful 24th year.. So I will do so now in attempt to make up for my inexcusable ways…

HAPPY 24TH BIRTHDAY MISS SCHEMIDA BOURGEOIS!!!!!

Here’s hoping your day was filled with copious amounts of sinful food (cause I know how much you enjoy the occasional overindulgence), lots of laughs and v ‘special’ treatment (as everyone deserves it on their b’day).  May the upcoming year bring you continued happiness, new adventures and the chance to visit Scotland!!!!  Please, please send me your address and I will post you yummy Scottish treats (mind out of gutter..men in kilts CAN NOT be sent abroad…food and souvenirs can though!)

OK – as for the rest of the stor (ie..the weekend past)..well am just going to have to give up on writing up the long version….v. short on blogging time this week as am trying to make pans for three trips abroad, plan flat party and keep in correspondence with people who are emailing me…not that there are many of you (hint hint to countless persons who believe one way communication is satisfactory to both parties)

Right.so here is recap of the weekend (apologies for overlap in details with previous blog posts): We did lots of driving, saw many gorgeous sights, ate copious amounts of sinful food, stayed at fab hostel on the Loch Ness, drove thru Glasgow, determined our theme song for all of eternity (thanks to NOW 32 tape Keri picked up at Car Boot sale), spent loads of money , bought bargain tix for Fringe Festival and basically had a ball. OH..and did I mentio the best part (for me anyway)..a SURPRISE visit to my friend Pam in Pitlochry..she’d just arrived home from Oz (via Thailand) the day before..so was looking v. tanned! Had been just about one year ago that I’d visited her in Scotland and we’d toured around Scotland listening to JT and being oh so cool in her dad’s company van!

Phew..there am caught up..if you really want the long version check out Jen’s Blog. If you want complete absence of any version check out Keri’s blog….

So this week has been pretty quiet as we are prepping for a bit of a do on the weekend..our flat warming party. Not sure who is coming, but I really rea,lly think we should invite our next door neighbours ….

Speaking of parties..my birthday is in a mere 12 days…August 10 to be exact. Oh and did I mention my  new address is

4 H Canon Street
Edinburgh, SCOTLANDEH3 5HE

I finally received Peanut Butter from America…some one (bless their soul) is lookingout for me and responding to blog pleas. Uncles from Arizona rule…

 K..best get on with the emailing bit of my lunch…yep, that’s right I spend my entire lunch hour blogging and emailing y’all…am just that committed!

note for occassional blog readers..you will have to scroll down and read first blog entered on Monday in order for it to make any sense whatsoever

Back so soon? yes, yes I am just that dedicated to telling you all about the weekend...although it should be noted that Miss Fabulosuly JEn has trumped me this time..kudos to her for the longest blooody blog post I've ever actually enjoyed reading the entire length of :) You rule JEn.

Right, so if you want you can just pop over and read her rendiditon of the weekend's events..of course it won't be mine and there are bound to be some differences in detail and focus..but..sigh ..if you must desert me..then...sniff sniff..go now and don't worry about me, I'll be ok in Shanlonely Land.

 
OK .enough guilt tripping, for those of you who have loyally stuck by this Shanadian I bring you Part B of THE PAST WEEKEND:

Hmm...so where did I leave off? Ah yes, with my driving debacle, which. incidentlally Jen as kind enough to make minimal mentio of and when she did she always made it seem like all three of us were equally responsible for getting lost, etc. The truth of the matter is it was all ME :)

Anywho, so back to the actual trip itself. Here is how it went down (after we finally got the heck out of Edinburgh):

We drove towards our first destination- Perth..supposedly only 1 hour away. I panicked a wee bit when I coudln't figure out the wipers and it began lashing rain... JEn got v. excited when she saw sign advertising Car Boot Sale in Kinross. Now, despite decieving name, this was not a sale of cars or boots, but a bona fide flea market, complete with other people's junk and our treasures. It was absolutely massive and we basically had to run our way thru it as people were starting to pack things back into their boots (OK, OK..enough of the suspense..a boot in the UK is actually a trunk..so is not like that cars have rubber boots on or anything) . In any case, we scored big time at the car boot sale, picking ourselves up a microwave for the bargain price of £4!!! THis is £21 cheaper than we would have got it from Argos, therefore I deduced that it pretty much made up for the extrea insurance we got dinged by the freaking car rental (excuse me..HIRE)  agency  in Edinburgh.

Argh..again with the time...you'd be surprised how long it takes to write one of these things...promise to continue tomorrow.

Woohoo -  I FINALLY got my tax back from Ireland..only 3 months late!!!

 
In attempt to spice up blog posting format, will provide Review of Weekend events in List format (OK..truth be told I  have an obsession with lists, especially Top 10’s…Jen knows this all too well)  Anywho, read on for details re: long weekend filled with singing (not the karaoke type), driving (around Scotland + Jen & Keri crazy), bargaining (for kitchen appliances), eating copious amounts of food (of the sinfully sweet & fabulously fattening varieties) and spending massive amounts of money (on some of the aforementioned activities)

Top Events of the Past Weekend

Three Canadian Gals Take 2 Day Road Trip Around Scotland

Listened to Tom Jones Sing Live at Edinburgh Castle

Visited Urquart Castle at Night When It Was Lit Up & Free

Purchased Microwave from Car Boot Sale for Bargain Price of 4£

Purchased Fringe Festival Tickets for 1st Weekend at Kind-of-Bargain Prices

Climbed Arthur’s Seat and Started Healthy Living Plan (again)

Right..so am sure you’re all keen to hear details re above list…this is where it gets hard, I actually have to think…
 
OK..so about the Road Trip..it was fabulous. Despite my being beyond petrified of assigned role as driver, all went well enough in this regard, save for a few snags at the beginning of the journey.

For instance, as I was driving out of the Rental Car Park and showing off my skills at the art of standard driving to the gals I came across a ‘No Exit’ situation which required me to back up and turn round the way I came from. All fine and good, except I couldn’t find Reverse anywhere. We sat there for what seemed like an eternity as I went through every gearshift and inched my way forwards as I tested for the right gear. I began to panic, could imagine that in a few minutes the rental guy would come out and politely ask me to get out from behind the wheel. Well, thanks to Jen’s expert knowledge of standard cars, we finally found reverse (you had to push the stick down then way over to the left and up).

So we were on our way, ready to take on the Highlands and north country. Except we weren’t…with great skill I somehow managed to get us on a major highway headed directly opposite, south towards England.    We finally found our way  North..Jen’s navigating skills improved drastically and my comprehension of round-abouts became much, much better.

 
For the most part, the driving experience got way better after these initial difficulties. The only other prob we encountered was long, long stretches of winding roads with lots of blind corners and summits. As if that isn’t every driver’s dream, we found ourselves stuck behind vehivles driving snail slow.  Must say I have a love-hate relatipnship with the road between Inverness & Glasgow, which runs along the Loch Ness and Loch Lomond. It is an absolutely stunning drive through the highlands..I can’t even explain how BEAUTIFUL and WOW it is (I used these two phrases excessively during the trip..sorry about that Jen) and it is kind of fun todrive along roadswhere you have to hug corners and pay attention BUT..by the time we hit Glasgow I was absolutley ecstatic to discover a divided highway where I could cut loose and actually take over other, slower dirivers (yes, confidence in driving skills had increase one hundred fold in 24 hour period)

OH..one other note – For the first day and  a half of driving I kept saying to Jen ‘ I am driving sooo slow….this is so embarrassing’ the speedometer read 30 mph and we were on a 60 mph highway at the time…Anyway, she finally pointed out to me half way thru second day (when I was complaining about how slow driver ahead of me was going) that I had been reading the RPM dial not the speedometer. Whoops. So..suppose I may have been speeding thru a few areas of Scotland, but hey, I’m a tourist ..just be glad I remembered to drive on the left.

This will have to be a TO BE CONTINUED BLOG..my lunch is over.. Sorry got caught up telling driving stories..rest assured weekend was more interesting than that…..

I leave u with a few details regarding road trip stats….

Stops in:  Kinross, Perth, Inverness, Loch Ness, Drumdrochit, Fort William and     other quaint little towns in between (for restroom breaks!)

Vehicle Driven: Volkswagon Polo
Hours of Driving Logged: 17
Hours of Driving Logged by Shannon: 17
Hours Spent Trying to Find Way Out of Edinburgh: 1.5
Cost of Petrol for Journey in £s - 45
Cost of Petrol for Journey in $ - 117 (to fill tank 1.5 times) 
Men in Kilts Sighted – 3

Hey Y'all..well is Thursday evening and I am still at work.,.but not working..and not on the clock. Just waiting to meet up with JEn so we can godo something especially unique to SCotland..shop at the mall!! There is a mall about three mins walk from where I work..I've avoided visiting it during lunch..namely due to my dedication to blog writing and email and lack of funds to spend at any shop.  Yep..but tonite, instead of seeing CATS or going to Glasgow, we've opted to go mall shopping...

BUt can you blame us..we've got a big weekend ahead..Tomorrow nite one of hte girls from work is having her leaving do so drinks are to be had uring the day at local pub and into the night. Tom Jones is also playing just outside the castle so may take a wander over to listen to the SexBomb king do his thing.

Saturday - this Shanadian's first (and last?) driving experience in the UK. It just occurred to me that I will have ot shift with my left hand. Shifting (wink wink to those who know the doublemeaning there) has never been my specialty..lets just jope I catch on quickly....

We're driving around Scotland..up to Iverness and through the Highlands..lots to see, plenty of miles to be clicked. Return to Edinburgh Sunday evening. Me thinks its time to call in a sickie..you know in all time I've worked anywhere..I've only ever called in sick once..and I wasn't sick, but had good reason to miss work.

My exciting news for the week is that my friend Pam, who I met in Dublin, but is Scottish and has spent last year in Australia..is returning to her home country tomorrow!!! Just in time for flat-warming next week..Plan of Action..how to convince her to move to Edinburgh (At moshe lives in Pitlochry..about halfway between here and Inverness)...

I need A Plan..Jen is Plan Queen..we will strategize, but where is Don Wagner when you need him??

K..off I go to shop..wish me luck!

 

 
Today I am sore all over and super tired and yes, I am feeling sorry for myself .Have just opted out of a leaving lunch for one of the girls on the team b/cI feel too ill and achy..plus its Chinese, which is not all that appealing to me even on the best of days. So am all alone and counting the minutes go by.
 
Soreness all over relates to 3 activities/incidents.
 

1. Engagement in Exercise. Reintroducing my body to cardio machines has resulted in  sore limbs. Legs in pain due to StairMaster & TreadMill, arms in pain due to me being pitifully week and convincing myself the rowing machine would improve upper strength
 

2. Data Entry Job. All I can say w/regard to this is..thank goodness I won’t be doing        it for the rest of my life. I sympathise with people who have to sit in front of a computer every day, every hour and I’ve only been here a month and half.  Sore back, pain in hands, eye strain (I have permanent bloodshot eyes here..surprised/disappointed Keri hasn’t hit on me yet considering how much I resemble a vampire)
 

3. Flossing.. or Lack Thereof. Have been having mild tooth pains as of late, so last     night decided it best I get back into regularly flossing…All was going well (and by well I mean bloody & painful..),until a piece of floss got stuck in the bottom part of a back molar..you know..the part you eat with. Well, with a bit of tugging (thank goodness I’d built up my arm strength with that rowing) I was able to get the damn piece of string out, but along with the floss came a piece of my tooth. So..my mouth really hurts and I can’t afford a dentist..I wouldn’t even know where to find one if I .
 
And, of course, to top it all off I am suffering from lack of sleep. Could go into reasons why, but am sure I have before am sure you all know the reg reasons someone can’t get to sleep (i.e. drinking too much, thinking too much, working too much)
 
 
OK ....enough complaining for one blog!

On positive note – us gals are going out on the town tomorrow night ..which town we are unsure of yet. We will either be taking in CATS in Edinburgh or hopping on a train to Glasgow so we can see SAM ROBERTS!! Live & cheap in the Barfly.  I hope you know who Sam Roberts is....especially if you are from Canada.  Yes..its OK,you can be jealous  ..even though he did play at Myron’s in the winter… 
  
  
  
A comment posted on my blog by Sister Sahra last night:

Subtlety does not suit you! I'll let the cat out of the bag instead of suffocating the poor thing. I'm freaking getting married! Still a little shell shocked 'cause marriage was never a goal for me. But there ya go! As dear sister put; leave it to me to do something so traditional in such an unconventional way. As in no one really knows my fiance, we skipped dating completely, we threw caution to the wind to actually follow our hearts(which in todays world is not so common) and I don't believe anyone thought I'd ever get married! -Sahra p.s. quite sure I'm not considered "Good Wife" material;)
 
In response to comment:
 
Sigh..wish I could say I resent first remark re: subtlety..but the  truth is I resemble it. TO be fair however, I think I was doing a pretty good job of being elusive about the whole engagement announcement…
 
Personally think it better that marriage was not a goal…people who have goals about things like love may be less likely to actually come across the real thing.  Some things in life are invented or developed, others are discovered. I believe love is something that is discovered.
 
I wouldn’t say I thought you’d never get married, but was rather surprised (pleasantly so) by announcement..only wish I could have been there to see the shock on everyone’s faces..and for you to see it on mine J
 
I think you are great person material and that is what matters. 

Please avoid the elope option :)

 
Today one of the women at work told me I would make someone a good wife someday.  I have oft been told this, although notably never by a young, single man. In any case, comment usually follows me serving up some sort of home-cooked meal or baked goodies, Today was no exception, as I doled out chocolate chip cookies to workmates (Sidenote: baking was purely of a professional nature…trying to create products to sell during Festival….Keri, Jen & workmates are more-than-willing taste testers).   And how do I react to ‘good wife’ comment? Well ..normally I am flattered….followed by indignant.  Flattered that someone/anyone would suggest possibility of me being good at such a role, indignant that they base suggestion on my abilities to cook/bake (another sidenote..abilities are quite limited over here in Europe and have actually had a few disasters..particularly while in Dublin) . Am quite sure that there are other things I am better at/possess, which would be more important in long-term relationship. For instance..ambition/ability to think, but no one said I’d be a good wife when I completed my Honours degree… 
 
Anywho..why do I bring this whole ‘wife’ comment up now? Because, as of late..in addition to being flattered and indignant, I am also a wee bit freaked out. Freaked out because my mind starts whirring and I start wondering whether comments are indicative of fact that I am at age where marriage is expected thing to do. Well, in any case am quite certain recent events close to home are partly to blame for my paranoia. Rest assured to all..am not considering marriage in near future. I have enough trouble committing to 6-month lease J
 
Oh..but speaking of my Honours paper…have been told by School of Business that they want to do something with it..something other than shredding! I believe there was mention of reworking it (i.e. shortening it and making it way better) and then publishing it! Woohooo..I am excited..is good to be reminded that while my days are now spent doing simple data entry I really am capable of independent thought and challenging tasks.
 
And speaking of six month lease, which will end in mid-January..have decided that I will be booking my ticket home for Christmas soon and it will be  a return ticket. I suppose it’s a teensy bit scary..like Jen says..everything is peachy keen now, but who knows if it will be the same come January or February???  But I guess I see it like this: who’s to say it would be any better back home in January or February? And what does PEI have to offer a wanderlust gal w/university degree? Not a whole lot at the moment, other than familiarity, so I’d just have to pack up my bags and move somewhere else in Canada anyway. Right so..in song lyric conclusion  ‘I’ll be Home for Christmas’  and ‘Whatever Will Be Will Be’.
 
I am back to better eating and more exercise..following on gluttoness weekend of BBQ indulgence and all-you-can eat buffet, I concluded that I was asking for it..weight gain that is. The fact that my pants/trousers are beginning to fit again (after basically hanging off me for past three months) was final straw. Unfortunately, temptations at work are a many..team of 15 females means cakes, cookies, candy, etc. are available every hour of every working day. Sigh. I have not given in to Temptation…yet.
 
Oh..right I almost forgot…So it seems that some people don’t’ realise they can comment on my blog entries (or are simply feigning lack of knowledge to avoid my scathingness  ) Well, if it is the former, then let me instruct ye. See,. At the bottom of each and every post I make there is the word Comment..it is in Orange text and at the bottom right hand corner of the post box. You just have to click on the word, then choose to ‘Post Comment’. Post anonymously as the password and all that is just for people who have blogs already. If you want me to know who posted the comment, just sign off with your name.  There..so now you have no reason not to comment…Andrew :)  and Father :) If you need more instruction than that, well sorry but no can do as am a wee bit too far away!

 This weekend, Keri, Jen & I are thinking about taking a road trip.yes.,.that’s right..I said a road trip….not a bus trip, not a plane trip, not a train trip..an automobile trip. Thanks to this Shanadian having paid the $15 CAD for her International Driver’s Permit back in May.  Apparently the fact that I can legally drive the two-lane highways and backroads of PEI is enough to warrant me permission to drive in the UK..on the other side of the road. Well, at least I can already drive a standard..suppose that’s more than a lot of  North Americans who come over here rent-a-car!! I am grateful that Keri & Jen have expressed their trust in my driving abilities verbally..although real test will come when they must actually get in the vehicle that I am at the wheel of

So today Scott asked me how long I'd been with Scot Eq..and I couldn't recall..which maybe means I've been here too long! It could also mean that I've lost any and all short-term memory ability. This is more likely the case. Mitigating factors related to short-term memory loss are as follows: 1) underutilisationof skills at work 2) Consumption of alcohol on weekends  3)  lack of sleep. Seriously...my mind is such a fog..remniscent of Dublin days.
 
So what did I get up to this weekend? What didn't I get up to this weekend..maybe that is a better question? (The answer i s Arhtur's Seat, which I was planning to climb but didn't..for good reason..see below).
 
OK - so Friday was BBQ on the Beach with work crew. A good time was had by all. Hihghlights included:
Free Drink (and by drink  I mean liquor)
Free Food (and by food I mean burgers, sausages, spuds, salads and no limits)
Sports-like Games that Shannon could actually play (i.e.  drunken football and even drunker Rounders..which is like Softball, but apparently, as I discoverd early on...one is not allowed to steal bases. I am now officially a Canuck Cheater at drunken rounders)
Bonding with Workmates (nothing like liquor and sand to helpo with the bonding experience)
 
Downside was:
 
A slighlty injured ankle as result of tripping over rabbit hole. Have never seen so many rabbit holes..and on the beach??? Go figure..was like Alice in Wonderland.
 
Night continued on in Edinburgh for someof us more energetic (ie younger) persons. KEri, JEn & Natasha jioined but, in my opinion, were way too sober to enjoy the crappy bar we were at.
Which is why we went to the Walkabout, which is great no matter whether alcohol is in the system.
 
Saturday was pretty chillaxed..in preparation for our planned pub/bar crawl on Saturday night. This was the route we ended up going
 
MacLAchlans (local pub on corner w/karaoke and v. v. old men..no hot bartenders. Suffice to say we lasted only a few minutes before movingon to greener pastures)
Walk ABout (greener pastures for sure..good music and a stage for those seeking attention *cough*)
Filthy McNasty's (On JEn's insistence..She sang 'Two PRinces' and we got cheap drinks, but it has lost much of its appeal)
Walk About (yep, we went back..it is rapidly gaining appeal..did I mention it is Aussie bar?)
Joungler's (dance club just yonder the Walk About)
Home (by 2.00 a.m...we are good girls :)
 
Sunday was, again, chillaxing. Gorgeous weather otu, so we eneded up just walking the streets of Edinburgh by day.
 
Of course, this meant we had worked up rather substanital appetites so we treated ourselves to an All-You-CAn-Eat pasta buffet... I def. got my money's worth, but am now cursing myself as belly is stretched to its limit. My gorging days r over. I am retiring.
 
Final NOte - Spiderman 2 rules. Loved it..as good as the first..maybe better.
 
K..lunch is over and effects of drinking copious amounts of Diet Pop are demanding
 
 
 
 

Here are photos of our new abode. For the time being I am in Bedroom 1. Our house-warming party will be July 31 - the theme is funnels & pirates. Now we just need some friends to invite :)

As of late Jen & I have been trying to do a few more good deeds. Last Saturdsay we went to Sainsbury's and bought 5 choclate cupcakes which were on sale. WE decided we would give one of these scrumptious cupcakes, which was adorned witha footbal/soccer ball candy on top, to teh old man just outside asking for money. JEn tried to give him teh said cupcake, but he refused saying ' Oh no I can't eat cakes, I'm a diabetic.' After that fiasco in doing good we were a bit reluctant to try agian, but last night we had chance to redeem ourselves by running (literally) to the aid of a good friend. Chocolate and cookies were chosen gifts this time and were well recieved.

Oh, also in the success department for last night:

I learned how to properly kick and drop-kick a soccer ball.

We (Keri, Jen & I ) also recovered an absolutely lovely white dresser from just down the street, which appeared to be set out in the rubbish. Clearly we haven't lost all of our Island ways...one woman's trash is another's treasure!! I can't imagine how we'll get it to our new place..or up the three flights of stairs..hopefully Keri & JEn wil have figured this out by the time I get home. Keri having called in..ahem.."sick" today and Jen on her last day of unemployment, I am the only working woman of the day..and I use the term working v. loosely..but I am AT work, which counts right?!?


Tomorrow night is big work do..am gettting excited about prospect of eating BBQ food, being near/on a beach and Bonding with the other people on the Bonds team (pun not intended...but it works well doesn't it?) Am only slightly concerned that free drink will result in embarrassing moment(S), but am reassured that while drink may result in me doing outrageous things, it will also eliminate any inhibitions/concerns I might have regarding such outrageousnesss..plus I plan to drag Keri & Jen into the mix once we hit the town, so all is good!

I have opportunity to go see the show 'CATS' for only 10 quid b/c of work special. Should I go? Am not so much a Cat person as I am a Dog person, but they haven't made a 'DOGS' musical yet have they???? Am thinking I should immerse myself in some culture..other than the drinking one..any opinions??

Was going to write something else but has completly slipped my mind at the mo. Oh OH..I took a few secs and now I remember. Right, so I may have second job for the month of August selling tablet, fudge & chocolate on the Royal Mile to suckers who are willing to pay outrageous priec for sweets (i.e. North American tourists). My workmate, Scott, did this two years ago and made about 100 quid a night...plus there are the free samples to be considered. Scott mentioned it may be a wee bit illegal and there's a chance we may have to run from the police..but hey, what's the sense in being fit & going to the gym if you can't use it to your advantage every once in awhile??

Here are photos of our new abode. FOr the time being I am in Bedroom 1:


http://uk.f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/kellyproperty2let


Our house-warming party will be July 31 - the theme is funnels & pirates. Now we just need some friends to invite :)

As of late JEn & I have been trying to do a few more good deeds. LASt Saturdsay we went to Sainsbury's and bought 5 choclate cupcakes which were on sale. WE decided we would give one of these scrumptious cupcakes, which was adorned witha footbal/soccer ball candy on top, to teh old man just outside asking for money. JEn tried to give him teh said cupcake, but he refused saying ' Oh no I can't eat cakes, I'm a diabetic.' After that fiasco in doing good we were a bit reluctant to try agian, but last night we had chance to redeem ourselves by running (literally) to the aid of a good friend. Chocolate and cookies were chosen gifts this time and were well recieved.

Oh, also in the success department for last night:

I learned how to properly kick and drop-kick a soccer ball.

We (Keri, Jen & I ) also recovered an absolutely lovely white dresser from just down the street, which appeared to be set out in the rubbish. Clearly we haven't lost all of our Island ways...one woman's trash is another's treasure!! I can't imagine how we'll get it to our new place..or up the three flights of stairs..hopefully Keri & JEn wil have figured this out by the time I get home. Keri having called in..ahem.."sick" today and Jen on her last day of unemployment, I am the only working woman of the day..and I use the term working v. loosely..but I am AT work, which counts right?!?


Tomorrow night is big work do..am gettting excited about prospect of eating BBQ food, being near/on a beach and Bonding with the other people on the Bonds team (pun not intended...but it works well doesn't it?) Am only slightly concerned that free drink will result in embarrassing moment(S), but am reassured that while drink may result in me doing outrageous things, it will also eliminate any inhibitions/concerns I might have regarding such outrageousnesss..plus I plan to drag Keri & Jen into the mix once we hit the town, so all is good!

I have opportunity to go see the show 'CATS' for only 10 quid b/c of work special. Should I go? Am not so much a Cat person as I am a Dog person, but they haven't made a 'DOGS' musical yet have they???? Am thinking I should immerse myself in some culture..other than the drinking one..any opinions??

Was going to write something else but has completly slipped my mind at the mo. Oh OH..I took a few secs and now I remember. Right, so I may have second job for the month of August selling tablet, fudge & chocolate on the Royal Mile to suckers who are willing to pay outrageous priec for sweets (i.e. North American tourists). My workmate, Scott, did this two years ago and made about 100 quid a night...plus there are the free samples to be considered. Scott mentioned it may be a wee bit illegal and there's a chance we may have to run from the police..but hey, what's the sense in being fit & going to the gym if you can't use it to your advantage every once in awhile??

Mid-Week Report:

We have found ourselves a new home (insert a Woohoo). NO more flat-hunting, no more cold water showers, alas no more Uncle Boris (mental note: MUST get picture with him & Annie before leaving…Jen take note!). The new abode is a four minute walk from present flat, but (according to Jen..who is only one of us to actually view the place) it is a WAY more modern (i.e. no nails sticking out of floorboards and, especially for Keri..a tv that can be hooked to DVD player!!). Technically it is a two bedroom flat, but there is a wee study which we will be converting ot a bedroom (where is trading spaces when you need them..I would take Vern thx). We will rotate on this bedroom – 2 months each. Did I mention the flat is two minutes from the local Tesco..a cheap grocery store with fab discounts at approximately 7.00 every night..discounts on baked goods in particular! Sigh.. I believe I forgot to pack my willpower before I left Canada.
We are moving in today & tomorrow.

New Address is:

4 H Canon Street
Canonmills
Edinburgh
EH3 5HE

In unrelated note..my birthday is August 10th and I will be even older than I am now.

I need a haircut. I have spent half the morning tugging at the hair on the nape of my neck, and am very tempted to take a pair of scissors to the loo and just snip off the piece that is driving me batty. . Argh..short hair = major frustrations. Then again it also appears to = memorable..so must maintain present hairdo in effort to continue being unique & memorable. Anyone who’s seen pics of me with slightly longer hair knows there is no other option anyway.

Last night us gals went to watch a softball game (yes they DO have softball here..hip hip hooray I guess) . Our friend was playing..and he was on the winning (aka Kickass) team. An enjoyable time was had, despite fact that game lasted only 45 mins (mercy ending at 5th inning when score was 18 – 3 for Brandon’s team) Jen is going to join the team. Keri & I are going to practice G-O J-E-N cheers and spectate the game (while keeping one eye on the men’s rugby practice at the other end of the field). .I believe we will also try to partake in the after-game drinking. Its all about priorities!

Reading assignment for the week – 1984 by George Orwell . If you’ve read this, maybe Brave New World by Aldous Huxley or The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe by CS Lewis. Just a suggestion.

I am reading Roald Dahl’s autobiography..absolutely fabulous..if not a bit disturbing.

Jen & I have decided to take mini-break form Filthy McNasty’s. Wonder how long we can hold out..I miss Don the Karaoke guy alreadyJ Anyway, with new abode I have feeling we will seek out new watering hole (S)..the WalkAbout has great potential!

That is all the news that’s fit to print. I am still checking my hotmail so if you want to send me email please do..just not attachments as they are clogging up my account.

Today marks two months since we first arrived in Edinubrgh (Thank you to Ms Shields for that little heads up). So yeah..time flies when you’re having a blast. Although..at the same time, when I consider how much we’ve done and what we’ve been up to over the two months I am kind of astounded. We’ve been filling our weekends up with worthwhile pursuits such as travelling, checking out Edinburgh, singing karaoke, executing sophisticated plans and figuring out how to get more free liquor. Have also landed myself a career-enhancing job doing data-entry. So, in conclusion…am quite pleased with progress so far.

OK – onto the daily (almost) update re: life in Edinburgh.

This weekend was actually quite tame. And by tame I mean no nights ended at Filthy McNasty’s and I did not need anyone to carry me home. So..by Jen & Shan definition it was quite tame. (Sidenote before continuing with narrative. At this point you may be wondering Where in The Wrld is Keri? Because many of my tales seem to start and end with Shannon & Jen…. Well, let’s just say that in some cases Keri’s been up to more worthwhile pursuits such as camping /exploring and in other cases she’s been sucked in by Big Brother or wisely opted out of spending her evenings with us loons)

Saturday day Jen & I ventured out to Leith. Leith is an area in Edinburgh that has, in past, had bad reputation, but is now getting a makeover.it is on the waterfront so has potential to be lovely tourist attraction. Of course, we went there for the attractive shopping option (i.e. a real bona fide mall). Jen & I bonded over purse buying..actually my purchase was more in the ‘bag category’ and I absolutely heart it!! We wandered the streets of Leith a wee bit, but not sure we saw anything worth mentioning.

Saturday night was a club crawl. Not much to report on this occasion as we were much too sober to do anything too outrageous and, as we discovered, there are better venues in which to be scandalous and/or execute sophisticated plans(i.e. pubs or karaoke venues).

Sunday, amongst other things we (Jen & I) did a free personality test..just to confirm that we have them. Well, as it turns out I did the test about 5 years ago when I was in Vancouver. Is test designed by Church of Scientology..so is designed to convince you that you need help to become better person..and signing over cheques to the Church is best way to accomplish this. Anyway, too bad for them..it turns out I am v. stable, happy, active, aggressive (in good way J), etc. On only one out of ten measures was I below what they considered ‘acceptable’..and..get this ..was on Responsibility as it relates to work. Well..I wonder why?????? So they tried to sell me a book..but being the happy, stable person I am I saw no reason to fork money over to the Church so for any self-help… We’re the worst customers for them..if you are happy with yourself aren’t going to buy into their gimmicks...

Oh..we also did quiz night and I surprised myself by knowing that Angela Lansbury played Elvis’ mom in Blue Hawaii..OK was purely a guess, but still. Unfortunately was not in the cards for us to win top prize, although we did decently well..coming in third out of maybe ten teams. It helps when you have locals with you J

Today, while I pound away at the keys for pounds/hour..Jen is pounding the pavement in search of a new home for us waywardly Canucks. She is fab…fabulously Jen (thank you Jen !) So, by Thursday, could be operating from a new base. Sigh..just when you start to get comfortable..ah well..the life of a traveller I suppose. And, truth be told, I love it!

Hey all. K I only have a few mins as I am at the library that is cheap on Internet time (half hour), but seeing as how Jen & Key have both blogged today i feel pressure to do so as well...that way you can read the same thing from three different persepectives. how fun is that?

OK, first of all - Fahrenheit 9/11..good but not brilliant..not up to par with Bowling for COlumbine, but definitely provides insight and a bit of the truth you'd never find by watching Fox NEws :) I think Moore was abit rushed with this film..he had a few deadlines he didn't want to miss..namely the Cannes Film Fesitval and the November election...as a result I think his film was less polished than previous ones..but it is essentially a means to an end (seeing the end of Bush in office), so for that I give Moore kudos.

Last night we ran into an Aussie guy at the movies that we'd met about a month ago at the Beer Festival. Freakishly small town we live in...and he remembered my name..Crazy. Jen says it must be my hair....Maybe..but I don't know how my hair resembles the name 'Shannon'.

Keri & teh gals of Aberdeen are going camping tonight. I have opted not to go tenting on the beach. BAsed on past camping experiences I am quite sure I'd end up sleeping in the car..except there won't be acar, so I'd be shite out of luck. I will miss the smores though. No worries..Jen & I will find something fun to do..we haven't failed yet..generally fun for us = karaoke, dacing, drinking, eating, boys..any or all :)

Jen wants to make friends. I think we already have..we just have to keep them..like Emma, Brandon, Vanessa, Aibhe oh, and Don teh Karaoke guy.

Next Friday I am going to a work-do..it is a free night...a BBQ on teh beach with liquor supplied : Oh dear..I can just see this one going down in the books. Mental note: do NOT drink is excess when with workmates..especially if there are cute male workmates (and oh there ARE).

Did I mentio that my manager at work can read my emails v. easily.

Also - please do not send me large attachments at my hotmail accout....but PLEASE DO send me emails ..lots of them..or I willjust hav to boycott blogging :)

Scooter .... can you send me your email address to shannoncourtney@hotmail.com

K..gotta run to Woolworths (yep, they have them here complete with lots of candy)

Take care,
shanabanana

Friday, glorious Friday. Never have I been so happy to finally see the end of the week. In short this week has been: hectic, crazy, harrowing, fun, cold and madly off in all directions.

To start, we had a visitor from good ol’ UPEI (Jared) with us from Monday until today. He’s just beginning a two month adventure around Europe (yes, I am jealous). WE did our best to show him a good Scottish time here in Edinburgh by attending authentic Scottish events in the evenings such as the movies (Shrek 2..there’s a Scottish accent in there somewhere) our fav. Magician Michael McKinley (of Scottish origin) and quiz night (at a Scottish pub..although was American themed b/c of July 4th/. AM produ to say we weren’t all that great at American President questions, although Keri knew exactly who had a hit with Covergirl in the early 90’s)

Secondly..we’ve been madly searching for a flat ..so we can blow the Popsicle joint we’re presently living in. Honestly have to admit that we’re being a wee bit picky but after living in Newtown is hard not to be. IN any case, we have a bit of leeway as we don’t have to move out of our flat until July 30 at the latest…better option than Keri’s ‘live in a box idea.

Thirdly, have been trying to get my health in order (not that I am sick) by going to Doctor and visiting gym.

So..its been a busy week and I apologise (a little bit) if blog is not up to usual entertainment standards…I am a wee bit stressed out.

Speaking of stressed out. I goofed up big time on the job twice this week! Twice. I really didn’t think there was a way one could screw up at my job, but lo and behold I found two ways in one week. What can I say..I’m an over-achiever. In an ironic twist, I took a health & safety course at work this week and learned that stress can be related to underutilisation of skills & repetitive tasks (Yes & Yes), so have determined that I am majorly stressed as a result of my data entry job and nothing else…Nope..no certain persons are stressing me out..just the job. Yep. If I tell myself that enough times I will believe it J

Tonite we (us gals + fellow Canadian) are going out for sup & then to see Fahrenheit 9/11. THE reviews in the newspaper are pretty discouraging, but one must keep in mind that newspapers are owned by rich people who are probably not sympathetic to Moore’s ideals. Well, will just have to see for myself I suppose.

I wish I had entertaining stories to tell..but, despite business of week, not much in the way of craziness..ha..but the weekend has just begun. Have noticed that my blog entries on Mondays are much more interesting than they are in the rest of the week. For those pressed w/time I recommend reading these entries only.

OK Random Thoughts for a Random Day:

Random is an oft used term by both Canadians & Aussies.

Some news is best recieved by phone or in person. Lack of easy access to incoming phone calls and inability to talk face-to-face with persons from home is a definite disadvantage of living in Scotland...especially when BIG NEWS from home is concerned.

IF I were creating a list of things I wanted someone from Canada to bring over to me in Scotland (like Becky R of NZ is) this list would include, but not be limited to the following items (Mother & Sister take note):

- Got2 B Glued Hair stuff (I say stuff because it ti snot gel..it is thicker and whiter and way better at keeping my fro in place)

Peanut Butter - Smooth Think I've covered this one before

Graham Wafer Crumbs So I can make Chewy Looies and get even bigger

Earplugs - Life Brand..the green ones that cost $4.99 per pack of 10. Yes, I am strange..deal with it

A BritRail Pass - The girls in Aberdeen have made especially good use of these passes to romp (or should I say dodge..) around Scotland

Candy - Don't get me wrong..they have plenty of candy here, but am still sticking to 'no buy candy' rule (most of the time...) so if brought over from Canada it would be considered a gift and therefore devoid of calories & guilt

Lady Speed Stick Invisible Deodorant - Cool & Fresh Scent. I'm sorry the stuff over here is just not the same :(

K that is all I can think of now, and lunch is almost over...sigh.

Happy Belated Canada Day!! I know it’s 5 days later, but its kind of been an extended celebration of Canadianess for our little trio.

So what did I get up to on Canada Day? Hnmm..a bit foggy on the stats, but I do believe I got up to a whole three drinks. I am ashamed. But what can you do? I think I expended all my energies on creating a kick-butt Canadian outfit and then simply forgot to do the Canadian thing and get wasted. Anyway, let’s talk about my outfit. I wore a pair of boxer shorts. They were Molson Canadian boxer shorts (from a 12-pack I believe) And I wore them as a top..a sa tube top. That is just how cool I am. Think I am taking after Sister Sahra in the faShan department. Keri & Jen have pics.next time they upload pics you can check us out in all our Red/White garb..not that there was much to mine ;)

So Keri, Jen & I headed out on July 1 to meet up with some other Canadians including Kathleen, Vanessa & Brandon. Keri had the Kathleen connection from uni days, which rocked because we’ve met some fab people through Kathleen (and she is fab too!). SO, after gorging on crisps, garlic bread & peanuts, sipping a wee bit of wine and singing a rousing rendition of Oh Canada, we headed out to the Globe, a pub just off the Royal Mile that had converted itself into a Canadian Karaoke bar for the efvening. A mass of red & white, bad singing, bottled Labbatt’s and masses of Canadians. Could it get any better? I don’t think so.

On the way home, Keri declared (for the first time in over a week( that she was hungry and wanted chips. Jen & I were a bit concerned about her lack of eating so we willingly agreed to walk the length of Rose St to visit the Chippy. Just as we were approaching the Chippy, which turned out to be closed), a rather inebriated young guy approached us and asked for money so he could get a bus. He offered chips he’d just got at the Chippy (obviously b4 it closed). Keri took the bait and chowed down the chips (w/assistance from Jen& I) . A minute later he approached us again and offered us his chippy burger (a bun with chips inside (go figure..Anit-Atkins reigns over here..woohoo!!) . Keri willingly took it while I handed him over a pound. And, as we were enthusiastically enjoying the Chipy burger, Ms K Shields demonstrated her that she is indeed always fully able to calculate the risks related to taking food from strangers as her comment to us indicated: ‘We should be careful, this burger could be laced with cocaine’. Yes, yes, thank goodness for Keri..her sensibility has saved us a thousand times over. Chippy burgers & cocaine, such a common pairing…how could we have been so careless???

Anywho, I opted to take Friday off (with pay..thanks to flexi-hours) and found myself running errands (literally b/c I got lost on way to see a flat) and registering w/ doctor. I also phoned home to talk shop with Sister Sahra about our October Adventure. As the day went on I realised it could only get better…little did I know HOW much better, until Jen got home and we got dressed to hit the town with her workmates (I love tagging along!). I wore a skirt for the first time in about two years, and if I do say so myself..those past four months at the gym gave me leggy legs. Due to fact that we were getting up early the next day to head for Aberdeen I soberly/sensibly told Jen at the outset of our night that I wouldn’t be drinking much. Hahahahaha. I laugh now b/c I realise the absurdity of that statement. But can I help it when a bunch of construction workers keep putting pints of beer in front of me? Wouldn’t it be rude to refuse? A waste of booze? And so, Jen & I drank, we chugged, we sang the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Theme song and had a ball. The night, as usual, ended at Filthy’s, where the karaoke guy noted that this was first time he’d ever seen me in skirt. So I guess it is true..skirts get more attention. Will have to consider this in future. Oh..added bonus of being smashed was that one of Jen’s workmates carried me half way home. And I ate 3 Hobnobs without feeling guilty.

Satruday & Sunday = Aberdeen with fab gals & guy from PEI. Was actually a pretty chilled out weekend, but thoroughly enjoyable. Aberdeen is gray & granite. It is rich, and it is all about oil. They have a huge beach area w/tonnes of American style restaurants, gambling for the whole family and carnie rides. I got addicted to one of the gambling games…snagged myself a whistle & gun key chain.

This week we have a visitor from PEI (Jared) and are planning to fill each night with truly Scottish outings like quiz night, movies, karaoke and drinking.

Well, must spend last few minutes of lunch calling around about flats. Will write again soon..