Friday Frolics

An arrangement  made last minute after a call requesting I keep a friend company whilst her husband took her mother to the opera turned into a fabulous friday night.

I am little bleary eyed this morning but it was worth it.

I've been working from home the back end of this week so other than a trip out to meet a friend Thursday hadn't really got dressed up.  This friend is a glamour puss and I knew would look fabulous so I took some time to get a little glam myself.

There was the inevitable shoe dilemma (I went with the green in the end)

I met her outside the Coliseum and we decided to go an try the bars at the Savoy - neither of us had been before but I'd read good things and we fancied a grown up, easy evening.

When we arrived we were greeted and asked where the American bar was - and then asked about the Beaufort bar.  A little discussion  about the different vibes in each bar and the decision was made - first stop the American Bar - just off the main lobby up the stairs to the left of the entrance.

We were greeted and asked for a name to arrange a table, we were advised there would be a 20 minute wait but there was a small lobby bar we could get a drink and wait it.  Bar number 1 and glass of fizz number 1.  After about 10 minutes we were escorted to a table in the bar.  The bar is low key, relaxed and buzzy but not bustling.  We had a table with a plush banquette and a equally lux bucket seat.  Whoops more champagne as we listened to the piano jazz and our applause was appreciated.  The room is quite well lit (not harsh but light enough that you can actually see each other fully) and we caught up.  After a while we settled the bill and headed to the Beaufort Bar.

The Beaufort Bar is situated just off the tea room further back through the hotel.  It's beautiful and opulent in gold and black.  Again we were seated at a table and had fabulous service.  We decided to have a cocktail (pear and liquorish bellini for CP, old fashioned with makers mark for me).  The vibe in the Beaufort Bar is a little different, the lighting is lower (though still not dark) and the piano player moves away from the standards and instead plays jazzy, piano versions of more modern songs (Happy anyone?).  After the cocktails we went back to Fizz.  It really is a beautiful bar, pricey but grown up and such a lovely place to be in London on a Friday night.  (as an aside JK Rowling was in the bar too - she looked amazing!).

After a few hours of chatting and catching up it was time to meet up with the others so we left the sanctuary of the Savoy and headed to J Sheekey's for a late supper.   J Sheekey's is a bit of an institution and I know that it can be a bit hit and miss but this time it was a hit hit hit.  I like fish but I'm more of a meat gal and even though it's not on their menu they really do the most fabulous steak

 

 

Not the best picture quality but just trust me on this - it was fabulous.  We drank some british fizz to start (wish I knew the name) and then moved on to Malbec (this mixing of drinks may be the cause of the fuzziness).

CP's Ma was full of joy after seeing La Traviata and I am hoping to go next month - she sparkled with pleasure when she talked about how the music was still dancing around inside her head (but also something about how she really could be one of the waitresses - I have to see it now if only to understand what she's talking about).

I headed home with my doggy bag (the bone on that steak wasn't going to waste!) the Piccadilly line back to North London and fell into bed at midnight full of happy and loving London.  Don't you just love it when those unplanned nights turn out to be some of the best?

Where did the time go?

Blimey has it really been two weeks? Work has been very busy and the weekends have passed with a blur.  The TV at home seems to be stuck on either BBC HD or ITV HD and the World Cup - my conversations with The Boy seem to be limited to half time or full time and I am missing him a bit.

However, he loves football and I knew that when I hitched myself to that wagon so no complaints here.

So, what have I been up to.  Well there was another trip to Geneva, then we went to Scarborough for the weekend - the weather wasn't great but The Boy and I had a great night out (here we are before the wine  was consumed):

The next day I indulged my love for Asparagus once more with parma ham, roasted asparagus and poached duck eggs (on nom nom nom):

I made gifts for my friend who's baby girls is due soon:

Inspired by the pretty fabric I finally got around to making myself a dress from some fabric I bought last year.  I am so pleased with the result and wore it to work on Tuesday with a little red cardigan - many compliments were made:

So here I am again, two weeks later.  We've been to the coast again this weekend - making use of the flat we have there as we promised we would this year.  Today is chore day but not too much cooking at The Boy is in London for two days and Glasgow for two days so he only need food one night.  I have a pile of ironing and am back down south this evening but that's okay.  The weather is a little disappointing but the good news is that we are off to see Mum & Dad next weekend and their weather is fab - huzzah time to warm our bones.

Holy Cow I have Cheekbones & Grouting

All is good, working away from home is hard but this week was fabulous - if a little tiring.

As the beautiful CP is moving to Singapore next month I am taking every opportunity I can to see her over the next month - this meant that rather than staying in lovely Wantage with KBW and family I stayed in Clapham with CP.

The journey to Basingstoke very very early Monday morning was tough but Monday night I rolled up to CP, changes into my PJs and promptly got on with helping her get the flat ready to rent out.  Removing masking tape and assistant to the Grouting was about all I could muster but I did bring a bottle of PG and a M&S pic-nic.

In bed by 10 watching the first episode of Sex in The City we turned the lights out by half past and slept for a full 8 hours (huzzah).

Tuesday I decided to support my training by walking the 2.3 miles from CP's to Clapham Junction.  It was a beautiful day so I popped my trainers on Working Girl style and headed off in the bright, crisp morning.  I managed to not get lost, pick up a three shot skinny L at Starbucks and get to the the station in time to catch the earlier train.  Arrived at the station, walked out and there was the free bus to work - perfect.

Tuesday night I went into town and met up with the lovely @InsomniacFrieze for Sushi & Cocktails.  She was looking fabulous, having just come back from holiday with her tan:

We had great service at Yo Sushi on Poland Street, but I am not converted to hot saki....I think I'll stick to wine and.........cocktails.  With this in mind we went a few doors down to the First Tuesday Members event at Milk & Honey - it was Bourbon this month so we both went for a Perfect Manhattan, followed by a Classic/Sweet Manhattan which was tastier but not as pretty:

We took some great pictures, the lighting down there worked really well with the flash, and Lo I HAVE CHEEKBONES - okay so a little gerbil pouchy but look a chin and some bones, huzzah:

Then we nipped upstairs for martini's:

Was in an addison lee just after 11 and in bed by 11.30pm.  Lovely evening only spoilt by the fact that I forgot her birthday gift - here's a picture of it (I'll have to post it at this rate):

Wednesday was another good day, I walked to the station again and whilst I missed the early train got the next one and got the bus nice and easily - I was laughed at a little at work due to my three coke can hangover but overall a good day.

By the end of the day I was exhausted - so headed back to CPs ready to assist her with the prep for her new floor on Thursday but when I got there she had already done most of it (I did manage to do the last bit so can officially say I helped).  She was feeling a bit rough so we did the only thing we could, we got half a meter of pizza delivered:

and went to bed with episode 2 of Sex in The City. 

Work is busy, really busy but great.  The people are lovely and the work is varied - just a shame it's so far away from home.  But, it looks like they are going to extend my initial contract so that's a bonus.  All in all a good week.  Shame I have to go to see the MIL this weekend but won't let that ruin my otherwise chipper mood.

Today was not a bad day (so far)

Today I am working from home, catching up on everything that needs to be done and getting weighed in at Fat Club. So I decided to cycle to Fat Club (burn every last calorie I could) so had the dilemma of a cycling outfit - it is a beautiful autumn day and too wrapped up I would sweat buckets and not wrapped up enough I would be too too cold. So I settled on, M&S Leggings, Ugg shorties, stripy French Connection t-shirt dress, bright green coat (always good to be seen) and a lovely chunky cable knit beret.

I cycled to the squash club and got weighed in and HUZZAH I lost 4lbs (it wavered between 3.5 and 4 but woot woot) which after I have eaten what I've eaten (see here) is bloomin good news.

So to reward myself I stopped in the market on my way home and treated myself to a non-food treat:

They smell fantastic and look so pretty.

So far so good......

I'm a little obsessed by food at the moment

I'm a little bit obsessed with food at the moment, from my fabulous Veg Box that came with my Ocado order this week - Curly Kale, Pumpkin, Parsnips, Carrotts, Cabbage & Pototos

Todays lunch - lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, spring onion, ham and ceasar salad dressing:

The Scotch Eggs I made on Saturday:

And the Cornish Pasties I made on Friday:

And last but by no means least, your friend and mine, Coffee:

I know that the obsession is linked to being back at Fat Club and counting everything that I eat but so far it's been quite healthy and I only had half a pasty and 3/4 of a scotch egg.

All good.

Tomatoes

So my parents came to visit in August and then I started work and my blogging has lapsed - whoops. So I am today planning to bring myself up to date (ish) starting with Tomatoes.

M&D came over and we had a lovely (if a little tense due to my mood swings) time. They brought with the a bottle of the fabulous gold medal winning Netto Corbierre that The Boy loved when we were there (€2, 50) and a few bottles of champagne and these:

The beans and courgettes are from my garden but all the various Toms are from their garden in France. They only arrived there at Easter so these are all new plants and only some of this years crop.

So we had plastic bread, lurpack and tomato sandwiches with a nice cup of tea and then they left and left me with a glut of lovely Toms. So I did what I do best and made a pasta sauce.

Finely chopped shallots fried in olive oil until transluscent; bucket loads of Toms (skins on) chopped, fried off with another glug of oliver oil, fresh basil from the garden and a couple of cloves of crushed garlic. Salt & Pepper and nom nom nom.

So then we had this:

Yummy.

Even better heated up in the microwave the next day (so The Boy) tells me.

I would be so much lighter

If I lived on my own - okay I would probably get through a lot more wine but I have had a salad and need nothing else.

You see The Boy is a runner, he runs or goes to the gym 4 week nights and at least once at the weekends. He's also a proper Yorkshire man so likes Big Food (pasta, mash, big curries etc) - if it hasn't got a sauce then it's not a proper meal. Where as I am not a big sauce fan, I would always rather taste the food (nothing like a good piece of steak with perhaps a pile of greens) as long as it's seasoned and not over cooked I'm happy.

So since meeting and marrying him I have gained 60lbs, I am starting to lose it (after a few false starts) but it just crept up on me. I would plate up the same size meal as his (he doesn't cook and I blame his mother but that's a whole other rant) and tuck in (not much of an off button when I eat). You see I love food, and I love cooking so it's been a pleasure (ahem). When I say pleasure it has been a pleasure sometimes but often a chore.

So when he is away I eat less (drink more usually) and I'm not hungry, I'm satisfied and happy.

Right, while the cats away the mouse will eat less pour herself a glass of Pinot Grigio and have control of the remote - puurrrfect.

How does my Garden Grow?

Well - very nicely actually. I blogged about my Rocket Gardens patio garden when I planted it up and on Friday 3rd I took some photo's of the progress - I am really pleased -

Runner Beans

Strawberries

Spinach & Chard

Courgettes

Salad Leaves

So I am really looking forward to Utterly Butterly coming for supper on Wednesday as we will be having the first salad crop from the garden!

Who stole the sun?

So it's 28th June, slap bang in the middle of summer and it looks more like February! The weather means that the garden is growing and that I may have to move Princess so that she doesn't get tangled in with the climbers but where is the sun?

I was organised, put the washing on overnight so that it would be ready to hang out when I got up. Watched the weather report - sun shine was predicted. So where the bloomin' 'ell is it?

The Boy has called, he is feeling a little worse for wear and they are off to find a good breakfast in Scarborough - unfortunately it looks like Mojo, where I had this, wasn't open then they went past:

But we are off to Scarborough again next weekend so I'll drag him there then. It was recommended to me by lovely chap on twitter and beats the soulless coffee chain in the town centre.

So reflecting on my week what have I done? Well I went to the gym 2x (though that was last Sunday and Wednesday so not great but I did improve my 5k time by over a minute), I applied for 4 jobs, was interviewed for 1, received feedback from an earlier interview that I was not the right 'cultural fit' (which is code for we didn't like you). I tidied up the garden a bit more, cleaned the house and watched some great tennis and found my passport (well the lovely people at Transport for London did and tracked me down). I provided The Boy with a taxi and got some major Daughter in Law/Wife points by going to see my MIL and sorting out her new netbook. I read two books, four newspapers, wrote my blog and watched 1.5 chick flicks (remembered half way through that I had seen Made of Honour before).

I didn't sort out my office, send off that invoice, weigh myself (skipping this week after too much wine), make scones (there was a plan), do my 'banish the bingo wings' exercises, sort out the shoes under the bed, chase the drain people to follow up when they are coming to sort out their mess, meet my personal goal of 4 gym visits and many many more things I can't recall right now.

So next weeks list has actually already been part written. I'm off to see Take That with the lovely Zee and KBW and hope to hit either The East Room or Milk & Honey after the gig if we have time. Also planning next day brunch already - thinking maybe The Diner - I know it won't be as good as The Grey Dog West Village NYC which is my all time favourite (& The Boys) but at least we can pretend.

Hoping to hear back about the job (it's will have been 2 weeks on Monday) that I want and to get a 2nd interview for the one I interviewed for on Friday - fingers crossed. If I hear nothing by Thursday I will go back to the agencies and look at lower (much lower) paid jobs as it will be better to be working than not working and a month off is really enough for me.

Still looking at the business opportunity in Scarborough - need to really get it all on paper and follow up with the current owner. So another reasonably busy week with a high spot in the middle.

Onwards.