Working towards the weekend

 

The weekend is in sight and cocktail hour is so close.

I can tell you one thing, the cocktail tonight will be most welcome.

As I am not able to sponsor any Yorkshire players next season, I've been looking at other options.

I'm still hoping that David Wiese might go back to Sussex and I could sponsor him!

TLJL was up for sponsor ship last season but I'm sure that he has been snapped up now.

Any clubs that follow me have a sponsorship scheme?

Having dipped into cricket news over the past couple of days, I see that England are moaning, ( stifles a yawn). Also that Pat Cummins could be captain for Australia, I like that!

The weekend is mega busy as I am catching up with chum Julie on Saturday out in the wilds of  Weardale and then taking my sister out for coffee and shopping on Sunday. In between that I am hoping to get some sewing and knitting and cooking done.

Before I know it Monday will be here and I will be back at the saltmines.

Today is the 16th working day before we finish for Christmas, not that I am counting or anything!

Friday Fun Fact

*The Australia Red Kangaroo  is a herbivore marsupial. 

They are know to be polygamous and very promiscuous, males try to monopolise access to several females, conflicts with other males are settled by boxing fights.

Mating frequency is fairly high

And with that I am off to scrape the car and head to the A167.

Have a great weekend. If you want to check out the cocktails they are on instagram, @cocktailsandchina

* information from The Icelandic Phallological Museum, I did not include all their information

Mid week wondering

 Wednesday and half way through the week. 

I am finding it very difficult to settle back home and have not even glanced at any cricket news. 

I am not burying my head in the sand, I just  am taking a break from the whole thing.

After securing a great job at the beginning of  October ( which I did keep relatively secret),  I was still waiting to hear from them regarding a start date. This was ( is) a multi million pound building project which will befit South Durham, North Yorkshire, sadly though the company really let themselves done. 

My experience with recruiters over the years has been chequered, so with this being the companies inhouse recruitment department I thought things would be different.

Sadly not and after 4 weeks of not hearing a thing, despite emailing and leaving voice messages, I let them know just before my hols that I was not taking the role.

Then yesterday the gentleman who would have been my boss contacted me, he had no idea what had been going on and was horrified that I had not been contacted unless I had instigated it. ( once)

We had a chat, he very kindly tried to persuade me to not give up the role, but I had made up my mind.

I then began wondering if I had done the right thing ( as you do).

So home and tired after trying to catch up last weeks work and do this weeks.

At 7.45pm, my phone rang, I recognised the number as the recruiter from the company., I ignored it, firstly as I did not want to speak to him and secondly it was 7.45pm in the evening ( doesn't bode well for work hours!).

He then text me to say he would catch up with me today as he had an update on the job!

Well there you go, he hasn't even read any of my emails!

Best to find out now.

Finally today is tinged with sadness as it is a year since I  learnt  of the passing of cricket pal Gary. 

I wonder what he would have made of the last few months!

Have a great day.

Back down to earth

 

A new week begins and I am back in the UK and back to work, I am also with out a post box thanks to the 'young men' who roam the town looking to destroy anything that is not theirs.

After coming back from a country where I walked through the city centre in the early hours of the morning alone, without any fear, I realised that here, I didn't feel happy walking out to the corner of the street once it was dark.

It really makes you wonder.

The weekend was a  a whirl of shopping, washing and sorting things out. I made cakes and some more chutney, and slept a lot.

I also looked back on the last week and realised what a lovely country I'd had the pleasure to visit.

On the morning that I was leaving, I woke up to a large amount of snow. This had come down through the night, however even at 6am, the pavements and the roads were completely cleared.

Fresh, clean air and pure clear water were a great refresher and totally what I needed.

Luckily I only have 3 and a bit weeks until I finish for Christmas. I can't wait.

And my beloved cricket, well if it isn't one thing its another. Racism and sex and lies seem to be the order of the game. I am sure that is isn't the only sport.

Well time to head out to work.

Have a great day.

Happy Monday

Touring the 'town'

 

Wednesday was a full on, after breakfast of  sausage, scrambles egg and chips ( yes chips), I was ready to face the day. So I headed off to the harbour and got on the hop on hop off bus,  I did one circuit and then got off and walked to the home of national orchestra, Harpa.

I turned into a proper architecture geek , this stunning modern glass building seemed to change colour as you walked towards it. A tiny stream of geothermal water runs down the side of the path leading to the main entrance.

It overlooks the sea with its lava beach and view across the water of snow covered mountains. Truly stunning.

The bus covered a circle of Reykjavik including the Cathedral which I had already seen. I ended up doing the route twice just to make sure that I didn't miss anything.

I also went to the settlement museum which housed the oldest man made structure in Iceland and  had the ruins of  a Viking Longhouse This was discovered in 2001 when work was being carried out on the house which stood on the site, this was actually craned off the site and excavation and archaeological work commenced.

I also went to National Gallery of Iceland and The  Museum of Photography.

So you may wonder why I wasn't at The Blue lagoon or doing the Golden Circle.

I had planned to go to the Blue Lagoon, but due to having had the cold from hell and chest infection the week before I didn't really fancy splashing around in hot water with other people, and with hindsight having been out in the freezing cold ( even well wrapped up ) for 3 hours the night before I think it was a wise choice.

The Golden circle was also on the radar, but to be honest I wanted to get to know the city and see some of the culture. This has been the greatest pleasure for me.

I also intend to come again and do the two things that I have highlighted above.

So what do I know about this island.

Well I know that the people are very friendly and even acknowledge you in the street.

I know that walking through the city at 1am on your own is very safe. 

I know that regardless of what anyone says salty liquorice is the food of the devil.

I know that they have a rich history and culture which is great to delve into.

I know that it is slightly pricey but petrol is the same price as home in the city and less on the outskirts!

I know that I am going to be very sad to leave.

I know that I would highly recommend my personal tour planner and if you are interested to know more, just check Dale  out here    https://dalesidebottom.notjusttravel.com/

By the time you read this  I will be eating my last breakfast and probably crying into my coffee.

This has been just exactly what I needed and I cannot wait to come back

Aurora Borealis

 

Last night/early this morning was my trip to hopefully see the northern lights., this is not guaranteed and  I was not going to be upset if I didn't see them.

We headed out of the city at what would have been my bed time, driving for an hour inland to a barren and snowy area with mountains and a few trees. Stark but beautiful.

Nobody living there, in fact on the drive apart from other tours, there was not a car on the road.

On arrival we got off the bus and found a place to watch the sky.

The sky was clear with just a few clouds and lots of stars.

This for me was  brilliant I am a proper little star gazer. I did spot Orions Belt and the plough, and was totally fascinated by the big skies.

After about 2.5 hours we were all given hot chocolate which by this point we needed, still no sign of any lights. 

We headed back to the coach, got on and  got set to go home......and then the guide spotted what he knew as a tell tale sign that the lights were coming.

This was a faint arc  of light over the sky like smoke, grey and then slowly changing colour,

Everyone got off the coach and despite the sub zero temperature, we spent half an hour watching the most amazing sight.

My pictures taken on my phone, were not great but to be honest I was so enthralled by the whole phenomenon, I was lucky to remember to take any. 

Its hard to describe, as the seem to dance across the sky and  twist and turn. They disappear and then reappear in a different form. Last night predominantly green, but they can be purple and red.

We eventually headed home and seemed to be followed by the lights, I sat watching a toned down version over the city.

It would not have spoilt my break if I hadn't seen them, but it certainly made it memorable to see this natural lightshow.

Things to do in Reykjavik

 

 So after a good nights sleep, I was up and ready for 7am breakfast. Yep me and all the Americans in the hotel, some serious eating going on there!

I have to say that the rye bread is the best that I have ever had and as such I had 3 slices!

I was out of the hotel at 9am, it was still dark, I had my map, rough idea where I wanted to go and in true Lady Lainey style just wandered off hoping I would get there.

I found my way to 'Rainbow Street' 

and headed up  to Hallgrimskirkja the Lutheran Cathedral.

It was snowing as I wandered up the road, and too early to go into the cathedral as it still wasn't 10am

So I decided to go and have a coffee. in the shadow of the cathedral.

I had a coffee ( which I was told could be refilled as much as I liked) and a 'Bow' which is an Icelandic pastry, well its more of a deep fried, vanilla flavoured doughnut. It was gorgeous.  I went to pay and head to the cathedral, when the lady serving asked me if I didn't want a refill. I said I was going, she said it was OK they would give me my refill 'to go'. Can you see that happening in the UK???

The cost, just over £5.

And the cathedral, well it was breathtaking and I was there for over an hour without even realising. Constructed between 1945 and 1985, it is one of the most truly magnificent modern cathedrals I have been to, ( taking over from Coventry).

I then had a slow wander back through the streets taking in the construction and design  of the buildings ( yes I am a geek).

My next stop was 'The Icelandic Phallological Museum.

I now know quite a lot about the 'equipment' of a lot of animals on the planet as well a fish. and mammals.

I decided to stay at the museum for lunch, which did not disappoint.

I opted for duck confit waffle ( they like waffles both sweet and savoury here) 

It was  really good.

Cost with beer about £25.

I set off down to the harbour to get my wotnots frozen off, sleet and snow whipping round any exposed flesh. ( believe me I had nothing exposed!.)

Then stopped off for icecream ( yes I know its cold but lots of  Icelanders seem to do it) and today it was creme brulee and Tiramisu. Yummy.

 As I came back to the hotel I passed a house with a hydrangea outside...............thats some hardy hydrangea.

Now I am watching TV with a coffee and my feet up as I will be heading out at 8.30pm to go Aurora hunting.

Fingers crossed.

Quick birthday blog

 

After a very early start ( 2.30am wide awake), I made it to the airport ( 3 min walk from hotel) with lots of time to kill, so in true Lady Lainey style I went into the lounge and  had a bloody mary  or two ( 5.10 & 5.45 am).

I watched a bit of TV and caught up on social media, 7.30am saw us north bound, I was able to grab an hours sleep.

Arriving in Keflavik, it was snowing, which quickly turned to sunshine and equally quickly turned to rain, as they say here, if you want to know the weather wait 5 minutes.

The drive from the airport to Reykjavik, was through lava fields and you could see a distinct lack of trees on the landscapes, any hills/mountains are likely to be volcanos, active or otherwise.

As we came into the city we drove along the promenade, with fabulous views of the sea. No buses allowed in certain parts of the city so we were dropped off at a specific spot and dragged our cases through the streets ( yes really!!! and me a Lady!!! on my birthday!). It was actually less than 3 mins to the hotel.

And what a great hotel, central for everything and I have a room with a fabulous view!

And it has a bath, which for me it a massive thumbs up.

I went out for a burger for lunch and then dipped into a real Icelandic tradition, ice cream, apparently they love it and so did I , I had ricotta and fig

I managed to have a quick trip round to the Cathholic cathedral, but tiredness forced me home and  feet up with a bottle of cava. It was also nearly 4pm and getting dark, so I thought a good nights sleep and full day tomorrow ( including out to hopefully see the Northern Lights).

I had heard so many stories of how expensive it is here.

my lunch of Burger fries and chicken wings (it was  a special deal they were on it, I have never eaten a chicken wing in my life, its really not worth it) with a beer and my ice cream came to £16.96. I didn't think that was bad.

I then went to  Vinbudin ( the bottle shop) and checked out the wine.

Red wine that is relatively cheap at home was  around the £15/16 mark, Prosecco ( never touch the stuff!) was around £18 a bottle.

Champers was untouchable starting at £35( it was moet, I don't drink that ) and going up to  £150, however......... a decent bottle of Cava was £9.37, and believe me I do love cava ( at least its made by  a traditional method ), so I will be seeing my birthday out with a couple of glasses.

Oh and I also knew that Icelanders really like liquorice, and so do I .........................or did until I had 'Nellie Dellies salted liquorice'. That is definitely an acquired taste

And so I am signing off for today. 

Happy Birthday to me

 

Its nearly the most wonderful time of the year

 Well I have been a little bit jaded and very quiet for the last few weeks as I have been trying to get myself back to some sort of Laineyness. Its been a bit of a struggle as I am very tired and trying to juggle a million things as usual.

I am now in the run up to the most wonderful time of the year, MY BIRTHDAY WEEK! I am so excited, I am also nursing the worst cold in history thanks to  a colleague kindly sharing it with most of the office, it sounds like a consumption ward!

I have lots planned for birthday week, which hopefully will start with a covert meeting  with James Bond. Detail of location obviously cannot be disclosed. 

I have to say that I have loved watching the T20 World cup especially Afghanistan and Namibia, such passion for the game, and pride in their country too. A joy to watch. 

I really hope that we see much more of them.

I have been doggy sitting for Micky Bell over the weekend, this is never a chore as he is a very lovely little dog. Hopefully he will be back before Christmas.

I have lots to do this week, if I can summon the energy, so I will not be back here until next week earliest.

Wishing you all a very happy Tuesday.

Let the countdown to Birthday week commence 

looking at things from a different view

 

Another month now done, and we are in November.

The year is flying by, however I will take quite a lot from this year.

Firstly, keeping my trap shut and secondly not letting people take advantage of me ( again).

I will also be very grateful for good friends and new friends. I've had some absolutely brilliant times this year thanks to them. I hope that they can say the same about me.

As the year quickly goes by I have already made decisions for next year, and saying 'no' is the main thing.

When I look at the things that have upset and annoyed me this year, I realise that I am a victim of my own stupidity.

And the only cure for that is not to allow myself to be taken for an idiot!

Well now that has been sorted in my head, lets look at the cricket.

Wooooo, South Africa were chasing like 2.5 runs ( exaggeration ), and after losing wickets quite quickly I had to go for a walk around the block, getting back just in time to hear them win yesterday 

Namibia were in action too, it was good to hear an interview with Michael Wiese prior to the game, he has become my (not so ) secret crush. They may not have won their game, but they have highlighted Associate cricket ( along with the others who took part). 

Its a breath of fresh air to see players, who are look genuinely proud to be playing. And seeing them belt out their national anthem was great too. 

 So looking forward, after I had Micky as an unexpected guest at the weekend and he is back again on Friday. That is always the best way to spend the weekend.

I am in full on house tidy/clearance, packing, and getting ready for my holiday break. I can't believe that it  is really near.

And its Wednesday, half way through the week. we are on the downward slope now to the weekend. Something to smile about

Have a great day and always remember your own worth.