bookmark_borderI shopped

Having managed to drag myself out of bed on Saturday morning, I found myself walking across the footbridge into Glasgow at some ungodly hour (anything before 10am on a Saturday is illegal, in my world).

My plan of action was to head up to Buchanan Galleries and work my way back down to the train station. However before any shopping could be had there was a first stop required, caffeine!

As I mentioned I was also planning on visiting the Apple Store so I headed up Buchanan Street, ordered my Tall Skinny Latte (which is a small milky coffee made with skimmed milk), and indulged in a breakfast panini of sausage, egg and bean. Yum. I took my food and drink over to the a seat at the window and spent a little time people watching.

It is a great hobby. The best entertainment was to be had watching the scruffy Big Issue seller try to chat up passersby, he obviously had a good line in compliments with many a woman turning their head to smile him a thank you. He cheered me up so much I actually gave bought a copy from him later on.

Appropriately caffeinated I headed across the street to the Apple Store. It is rather bright and shiny with ohh so many lovely toys and gadgets on show. I had a little play with some iPod speakers, marvelled at just how gorgeous the screen on the iMac looks and then I left. Without purchasing a thing.

I wasn’t that surprised to be honest. Whilst I could’ve bought a cover for my iPhone, or a cable, or a… well a myriad of cheap items were on offer but I truly didn’t need any of them, and the one thing I desired I couldn’t afford. Yes, I did surprise myself a little.

Which left the only mission of the day. To buy some shirts. God I hate shopping for clothes. I tried a few shops as I wandered past, several of which I knew were out of my price range as soon as I entered – “Ohh, 3 shirts for only £120.. that’s… yeah… thanks.. bye!” – and several of which had nothing that caught my eye.

I’m the first to admit I’m fussy, and that I know what I like but what is with the shirt manufacturers today? You can have either a plain solid colour shirt, a shirt that looks like it was designed by a someone after a HEAVY night out, or something that I could happily picture my father in but.. hey I’m only 34.

I did manage to get a nice shirt in Next, although I had to try on two sizes and ended up with an XXL (that’s another thing, slim fit shirts are great for the slim, but why make them in larger sizes?). So, feeling like a complete fat bastard I finally ended up, by way of another three shops which all illicited HOW MUCH? moments (is £95 too much for 1 shirt? hahahaha), in my preferred cheap shirt emporium, Primark. That’s “prymark” not “premark”.

Now a quick question for those still reading. When is 17″ not 17″? When it’s 17.5″!! Grrrrr.

I know my weight fluctuates but all my other shirts are either 17″ or 16.5″ collar size, so as I stood there in the changing room, pondering how I’d managed to put on half a stone in a morning (damn you, breakfast panini!!), I tried to figure out how two shirts, each by the same manufacturer and with the same sizing label stuck on them, could be different sizes! Yes I know the cut of the cloth makes a difference but these are even labelled as the same style of shirt. GAHH!!!!!

I gave up at that point, throwing a few shirts into my basket and spent the rest of my journey home chilling out. Still, I won’t have to go through that for another few months. Ohhh wait… Christmas… Balls.

bookmark_borderOn baking and Harry Potter

A nothing weekend started with a wonderful meal on Friday night, courtesy of my parents. Well they didn’t cook it, but they did pay. If you are ever near Bothwell, I thoroughly and highly recommend The Grapevine. Has yet to fail us.

Saturday morning started early, with plans of heading into Glasgow to see just how big a fuss the Apple Store was making, before heading off to wander, camera in hand, round the People’s Palace. Dreich is the best way to describe the weather, a thin pall of grey lightly drenching us as we wandered up Buchanan Street.

Arriving outside said store at around 9.15am, the queues were already snaking up and down a few times, neatly contained by temporary barriers, and only the whooping and cheering of the staff broke the drizzle. We headed for the nearby Starbucks to ponder our next move. Standing around in the rain isn’t my idea of fun, and I was wary that Louise wasn’t feeling 100%.. and so it transpired that, without even finishing my coffee, we were heading home again.

Once there, Louise changed into ‘comfy house clothes’ and managed to stop shivering. An afternoon spent pottering around the house and garden followed, making sure my knee remained lightly throbbing for most of the evening. We made the tough call and decided not to attend a friends wedding. I don’t think I could’ve driven, and Louise was still a little pale around the gills.

All change come Sunday morning, and I was told I was resting my leg as my wife headed into the kitchen and started baking. Always a good sign. Soon the warm sweet smell of cake wafted through to me, prone on the couch, and soon it was followed with a large mug of coffee and a still warm cupcake. The rest of the day followed a similar pattern, and after despatching the last Harry Potter book, watching Brokeback Mountain for the first time, and yawning my way through most of the Grand Prix, it was time for bed.

The Harry Potter (& the Deathly Hallows) book was as good as the others. Which means that it was OK, badly paced as usual, but ultimately a fun diversion. Don’t ask me about it next week though, I’ll have forgotten what happens.

How was your weekend? Do anything fun?

Ohh yeah, should really mention this, I guess.