Month: August 2018

20th century globes

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For Christmas 1989, I got my first globe as a present.  Super educational!

Christmas 1989
The other presents in the picture are a jigsaw and two sets of hair accessories, all of which I also still have.

However, you don’t have to be a specialist historian to be aware that 1989 was a bit of a transitional year in world politics, to put it mildly, and so unfortunately my poor little globe was already out of date by the time I got it!

Here it is today (yes, obviously I still have it), complete with its depiction of the USSR and two separate Germanies:

1980s globe
1980s Eurasia, immortalised in a childhood Christmas present.

Perhaps so that I would have an up-to-date globe (that is not at all true – it was so that I would have a desk lamp for my homework), Mum and Dad then bought me this light-up globe lamp (labelled 1992) in the early ’90s:

1990s globe lamp
It’s also dotted with pictures of historical explorers and the dates they were active, which as a kid I found much more interesting than the actual map.

Obviously the 1992 globe is now itself slightly outdated (as you can see, it’s only got one Sudan – see this Wikipedia list for more examples), but for grown-up me as a 20th century throwback, that’s part of its charm.

I’ve occasionally considered starting a collection of even earlier 20th century globes, but given current constraints on house space, that’s probably not a good idea.

Maybe when I’m a very old lady, I’ll get an up-to-date one just to see how much has changed over the course of my lifetime!

Back to dashing about

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A day of getting out and about and getting stuff done!

I went for a long run this morning – it’s less than five weeks till the Great North Run now, so I have to get those in every week – and then Geth came home with a bottle of cava to celebrate some financial news.  We had a glass and listened to the DJ set he’d mixed yesterday, and then headed off into town.

After picking up a few necessary bits and pieces in the shops, we went to the tailor to collect the smart clothes we’d put in on Friday.  Geth’s suit needed a lot of taking in, and my bridesmaid dress needed the shoulders raised in order to sort the length out.  They both look a lot better now!

A quick trip to the pub, and then home to listen to some more of the DJ set.  I think we’ll both know it off by heart in a few days’ time.

OOTD 7th August 2018
OOTD: running about town outfit. Blouse H&M (2018), skirt Gap (2007), trainers Reebok (2013).

It makes for interesting reading

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Um, well, this blog post probably won’t, to be fair, as today was just another nice quiet day that I was able to spend working and listening to Geth DJing.  What I mean is that, on days like today, my job makes for interesting reading.  I’ve been working for four different clients today and so I’ve been reading about lots of varied things.  I’ve got lots of big projects on the go at the moment, and it’s a bit nicer doing it that way!

A slightly more hectic day tomorrow, but hopefully I will still have time to get lots of work done.

OOTD 6th August 2018
OOTD: another comfy working-from-home outfit. Vest top Batman (2018), leggings Primark (2018), shoes Zara (2018).

Bizarro world Fake That lineup

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Those of you keeping score during my interminable Now! marathon will remember that when Take That reformed in the mid-’00s, I dubbed them ‘Fake That’ in a fit of pique because they’d had the temerity to reform without my childhood favourite, Robbie Williams.

Fake That became Take That again in 2010 when Robbie Williams rejoined them for an anniversary album, and then became ‘Fake That version II’ in 2015 when they relaunched as a three-piece with just Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, and Howard Donald, though I didn’t mind that lineup as much as the first Fake That lineup.

In Edinburgh last week, I saw this advert on the side of a bus:

Take That: The Band advert
Well, not this exact advert – it was the same advert except it was side-of-a-bus shaped, and the picture of the group was full-length. You know what I mean.

…and now I’m a bit confused and unnerved.  It’s Take That with original members missing (in this case Jason Orange), but Robbie Williams is not one of them.  Is it still Fake That, given that I started using that term to express my annoyance at the lack of Robbie?  I am not sure I will ever be able to answer this question.

A working Sunday

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I’d normally get a bit grumpy about working on a Sunday, but it’s been really nice to have a day with absolutely nothing else going on so that I can just get on with things and get loads of it done.  Some really interesting stuff from my various clients at the moment as well!

It’s also been nicely soundtracked by Geth continuing to work on the wedding disco playlist for Lisa and Kieran’s wedding.  I’ve only been distracted from work by needing to get up and dance…three or four times.  I’m doing well.

Looking forward to an early night tonight so that I can get up and start work early again tomorrow.  I’m so exciting these days.

OOTD 5th August 2018
OOTD: still in the house, still comfy. Jacket unknown brand (bought at vintage shop 2003, estimated 1990s – also mentioned here), dress Oodji (2018), shoes BHS (2016).

Book Review: Rod: The Autobiography

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As I’ve mentioned before, It’s only really been the last few weeks – mainly due to my holiday in Canada – that I’ve finally picked up the Kindle I was given for Christmas and loaded it up with ebooks.  Last autumn, I decided I needed to read a few rock star autobiographies, largely because one of the novel series I’m writing – the first of which I did for last year’s NaNoWriMo – involves the world of 20th century rock stars, and I needed to do some research into it.  Also, I thought they’d be pretty fun to read.

The first one I read, while on holiday in Canada, was Rod Stewart’s autobiography from 2012, and on the latter point it did not disappoint.

Rod: The Autobiography on Kindle
Modelled by my Kindle.

Stewart tells his story very engagingly and comes across as very likeable, even at the points when you want to shake him and scream ‘you’re married to yet another beautiful woman – WHY CAN’T YOU STOP WOMANISING, YOU MUPPET???’  I found his justification for why he has always felt Scottish from a football fan perspective really interesting, even if I still don’t really understand it.  The book also provided a really interesting look into all my favourite eras of British pop and rock music, as he’s been involved in the industry for a long time now.

Also, Mum’s read this one as well, because of course she has – she’s read everyone’s autobiography.  As such, we were able to have a good discussion of it while we were in Canada.  We’re distantly related to one of Stewart’s ex-wives, model Rachel Hunter, through the Shetland connection (she’s my fourth cousin!  See the Wikipedia entry if you’re not sure how cousins work.  Suffice to say it’s pretty distant).  Because of this, Mum was pretty pleased that she was the only ex-wife he never cheated on.  You gotta take those victories somewhere!

Overall, it’s a nice optimistic, fun read and I really enjoyed it.

Top fact that I gleaned from this non-fiction work: while everyone knows that it was John Peel who mimed the mandolin playing during the Top of the Pops performance of Maggie May in 1971, it was Ray Jackson from Lindisfarne who played the part on the actual recording!

I spoke too soon

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After bombing it round Edinburgh parkrun last week for a PB, I was sure it would be months before I managed another one.

I got another one this morning.  Whoops.

Today’s parkrun didn’t feel anywhere near as fast as last week – there were many stretches where I felt I was taking it easy.  I still somehow managed a 30:38, a fourteen-second improvement on last week.  Very happy!

I really feel like sub-30 might be on this year now.  If I’ve not managed it by the second week of November, I will be making use of the Newcastle parkrun pacer week and attempting to keep up with the 30-minute pacer.  The pacers at Newcastle tend to be a bit too fast so I’m not sure how I’d get on, but we’ll see!  Sadly I’m doing races and/or otherwise engaged on all the intervening pacer weeks (Newcastle does one the second week of every month), so I will have to be patient.

Another quiet afternoon and evening working (and listening to Geth working out DJ stuff for a wedding disco playlist!).

OOTD 4th August 2018
OOTD: super comfy hanging-around-the-house outfit that could have been easily dressed up if we’d decided to go out tonight (we didn’t). Bonus mirror selfie as Geth was busy DJing. Glasses Emporio Armani (2017), t-shirt modified Deviant/Fruit of the Loom (thrifted from Geth 2014, originally from the early 2000s), leggings Primark (2018), shoes La Redoute (2018).

Leaving Toronto

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Canada part ten…

 

I had ALL THE FOOD at hotel breakfast on my last morning in Toronto, because I knew I wouldn’t get another chance!  The French toast was amazing and I’ve missed it since I left, although obviously there’s no way I would be staying at target if I were eating that every morning.

Geth went off for a meeting with a contact he’d made at the conference while I packed.  Mum and Dad arrived at our hotel shortly afterwards, and we caught up with the Tour de France on the TV – then once Geth had returned and Malcolm had arrived, we went down to the hotel bar for a couple of drinks.  It was nice to have one last drink together before we had to head off.

We collected my bags and walked over to the Holiday Inn, from which Mum and Dad had booked a taxi to the airport.  It was sad to say goodbye to Malcolm, but everyone’s already looking forward to meeting up again on this side of the pond next summer.  Geth had another day to spend in Toronto, but for now I had to leave it behind – I’m sure I will be back again before long.

In Toronto