OK - first of all..what the heck is with Blogger? My blog keeps on coming up in the old orange template?? So confuzzled..hope no one else is!

SO..yesterday, after my bad luck began to turn to good luck (With discovery of free internet) I took a wander into Sainsbury's..which is a slightly overpriced grocery store..but the closest to home and if you get there at precisely the right time you can catch the stockboy marking down yummy foods (like Smarties cookies) and swipe them out from under his nose. Anywho..so there I was in Sainsbury's debating for the umpteenth time whether I should just take a leap of faith and buy the smooth PB...smooth PB with little speckles of dark brown in it. You see..over here..instead of adding loads of things to the P..like icing sugar, they only add a bit of brown sugar cane and oils. Anyway, so dilemna was upon me...because tiny jar of PB cost 1.38 pounds...if I didn't like the PB would be huge waste of money..money that could have been spent on Nutella or chocolate (just kidding..am being quite good most of the time) or Diet Vanilla Coke. Ah..but I just had to try it..would always wonder otherwise. Was going to go for the reg. smooth PB, but then noticed the 'Light' version and, checking ingredient list, was ecstatic to see listed near the beginning 'glucose syrup'. Woohoo!! GOod 'ol 'lower in fat' tricks..they always have to add in sugar to replace fat..so PB ended up tasting quite like N.American style PB..a bit grainy, but tasty enough. So..PB emergency is over and I most certainly will not be blending up my own PB..I only tried that once in my life..with my sister's friend,Cathy, and it was so bad even the dog wouldn't go near it.

But, for my lovely sister, Sahra, who is visiting in October, no worries..I am certain I will find plenty of things for her to lug across to this side of the world :) I'll start a list soon enough, don't you worry :)

Tonite, Keri, Jen & I are going to quiz night..now I'm sure it just won't be the same without Stats and Casey's venue, but we'll try our best..Jen has come up with v. appropriate team name 'Clueless Canadians'..and right so we are. Sorry, I'm just not up on my football and Coronation Street news. We need a few good Scots to join us..not to worry, I'm sure we can scope some out in upcoming weeks..

OK...off to prep for quiz night (prep includes eating, drinking and primping..no sense thrying to pretned we are smart or will have any of the answers...wish us luck anyway!)

OOhh..so maybe my luck is changing (note to reader: read the post below this one first....chronology is sooooo important)

RIght..so its been about half an hour sing I left the 'easy' net cafe, which ate my money..this following on mutliple frustrations of the day..so was kind of in a cloud of blue and ready to just call it a day, but then I said to myself 'Only you (that's me) can cheer yourself up, don't let the frustrations of the day get to you'. SO, with that thought in my mind, I decided to visit Tourist Information centre to check out some brochures and determine whether it is feasible for us gals to rent a car and drive to the country some weekend(Note: Keri & Jen have both assured me that they are willing to risk their lives..i.e.let me drive them around). ANywho..so what do I discover when I get to TOurist INfo Centre?? Free Internet !!!!

So here I am again...with nothing else to do until Keri & Jen get back from their zoo trip (I just couldn't go - something about zoos that makes me a bit queasy..even though I love animals....its the cages and seeing them out of context that gets to me a bit..Penguins in Scotland).

Will use time to plead with readers, poll readers and tell story of harrowing experience in Edinburgh nightscene.

Plead with Readers


Peanut Butter Withdrawal - I am suffering it majorly..have resorted to eating roasted, salted peanuts in absence of PB..but this is most likely to have long term, negative effects on weight. Salted peanuts, as it turns out, are addictive and it is hard to stop eating them once one has started.

Therefore, I plead with you (actually..mostly with MOM) to send me a jar of PB..any ol jar will do..just so long as it is Smooth. I will be forever indebted to anyone that feels my pain and responds with delivery of PB. If you need addy/money, please let me know..am more than willing to pay premium for my PB

Email Withdrawal - I've covered this before, but just a reminder that us bloggers still like to get emails.,.and a big thank you to those that are emailing. IT is nice to get something in the inbox..my only contact with friends/family..due to lack of call shops. Also..apologies if I don't always write back, I am trying!!

Poll of Readers

I have a dilemna..I need opinions. Before I left Canada I was visiting the gym 6 days per week and felt great for exercising and being in shape..my monthly fee was only $30, and there was no contract or joining fee.

NOw that I am here, I want to make sure I don't become a blimp (again), so am keen to keep up the exercise..unfortunately..best gym deal I have found involves paying $130 upfront to join, then about $65 per month to continue, for minimum of 3 months.

taking into account the fact that I have less routine life here (i.e traveling, lots of nights out) I am not even sure I'd get to the gym much. I've been walking lots and lots since I got here and that seems OK, but is it enough?

Want advice - should I join gym??

Harrowing experience of Edinburgh nightlife

OK, actually has nothing to do with clubbing or [pubbing..it has to do with my feet, which were causing me excruciating pain last night. WHy? I don't know, but my baby toe was in soooo much pain. Actually, this same pain hit me twice just before I left Canada..both times after I was at the gym. Of course I ignored it, but now am regretting that I did not visit doctor. So..with toe in such pain, I walked home from the bar last night in my sock feet..not that it helped a whole lot (good ol cobblestone..the support (literally) of Keri & Jen helped much more.

My question is Why? Why the pain? I am not one of those girls that wears stilettos and is begging for foot problems (and believe me, there are an abundance of them here..they often pair up the stilettos with a mini skirt and straight razor-cut hair...look-alikes everywhere) . I have been wearing my sneakers 90% of the time, and practical clog-type shoes the rest of the time..no ballet slippers or flip-fops for me. I've been supporting my feet, so why aren't they supporting me?

OK..that's enough..must get back to the ranch.

Cheerios & Milk

Did you ever have one of those days? Those days when absolutely nothing goes right and you start actually looking forward to the end of the day and bed? Ay..is one of those days....won't go into the boring details of it all, but suffice to say I think it absurd how the banks here demand so much from new customers before a bank account can be opened...and Easy Net Cafe vending machines bite.

OK..enough ranting, has been 4 days since I've been able to get on the Internet and have been experiencing withdrawal symptoms (they have not been eased by checking my hotmail account..ahem..people come on..you all know I am email addict....feed the addcition. Alternatively..you can send me candy/chocolate to feed my other addiction)

Hmm..so what's the news of the week. Well..let's start with the boring - My Job at Scottish Blood Transfusion (Protein Fractionation Centre). After four days fo filing. general admin and trying to look busy while doing absolutely nothing, I've come to conclusion that my brain does not funciton below a minimal demand for thinking. Thus, i am completely spaced out and feel rather stupid/incompetent at teh whole filing/data entry thing. To say I am bored at work would be an understatement, but to say I don't need the money would be an outright lie. And so..real life begins..where one inds one's self in a job that holds no appealk, but succumbs to promise of pay cheque in return for hours of Office Space. ON positive note - only one more week on contract. After that I plan to take a week off, find a decently challenging job, catch up on sleep and do a bit of travelling...that is why temp work is so appealing.

Oooh..so us gals went to see Troy this week. First of all, must say it rocks being a 'student'..$5.00 CAD off admission just for being poor, starving student. ANywho..so with regards to Troy....hahahahaha. That is really all I can say. Brad Pitt just can't be Achilles..he is BRad Pitt...with smouldering good looks and blond highlights. Authenticity was not high on priority list..how many blon haired Greeks were there back then? And then there were the blue-eyed men and the fair-skinned ladies.

Thursday = Ghost & Ghouls tour, where we got to visit the Vaults under Edinburgh..where all the ghosts hang out in hopes of scaring the bejesus out of people like, well, Keri..who Jen & I have discovered is rather morbid (her idea of a good night out involves visitng a local graveyard)Anyway, tour was interesting enough...the Scots sure did enjoy their torture and blood! But did I feel a tug on my coat or a breath down my neck? Nope...just a wee bit poorer ...Followed that up with Karaoke at Belushi's but was disappointed to discover that karaoke lady had her favorites and we were clearly not amongst them..guess she wanted people who could actually carry a note. SO..sadly, no chance to sing Summer of '69.

Friday = another try at the ol Karaoke...return to Filthy McNAsty's..again, we are shafted and only get ot sing one song...which no one can hear because the microphones aren't working. OOh..but highlihgt of night was precursor to McNasty's, when Keri & Jen decided to buy a beer each at the local grocery store and drink in the streets...just because you can here (legally). There were more than a few stares as we walked down Rose St...perhaps b/c it is tourist haven...or, more likely, due to Jen's shortish orange skirt....

Today = blah, blah and more blah. Just one of those days.

So, on that happy note, must ta ta for now..will right again on cheery note when next I get a chance!