Tag: George Square

bookmark_borderGood company

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As Christmas approaches I slowly start to get into the spirit of things, literally and figuratively, with the start of the usual round of nights out, last minute shopping, and the frantic wrapping of that present that I bought back in August but completely forgot about and only discovered when I tried to hide a second present in the same place.

Although I did consider just keeping it for myself.

Last Friday was the team lunch, held as tradition dictates, in the Fox & Hounds in Houston. Thankfully we are a quiet bunch so the other diners wouldn’t have been disturbed that much, well they wouldn’t have been if they hadn’t put those big long tiger balloon things on the tables. You know the ones, you blow them up and the fire them off round the room, hearing their whine sputter and die as they run out of air and fall limp into the only bowl of soup at the table.

It was a good afternoon, a few drinks, some stories and laughter. I work with a good bunch of people (aside from him.. ohh and him… and I won’t even mention her.. ) and before I knew it I was in a pub in Glasgow and I was being asked to finish my drink and make my way outside.

So I stoated outside, pished as a fart, had a couple of fights, pissed in an alleyway and puked in the taxi on the way home. Fuckin’ brilliant night!!

Or perhaps I simply said goodbye, phoned a taxi and wandered to George Square to get picked up, had a nice chat with the taxi driver, tipped him well, wished him a Merry Christmas and went to bed.

And by the time I awoke someone had gone into Glasgow to pick up my kilt for the official company night out on Saturday night, which, to all extents and purposes, was much the same. Good company, good food, great band (same as last year), some dancing, some drinks and another nice friendly taxi driver.

Admittedly, given that both nights ended with me getting to be at 4am and 5am respectively, I was a little tired on Sunday so spent most of the day doing NOT MUCH AT ALL. Which included a nice wee sleep just before dinner (missing the last 30 mins of the Arsenal vs Liverpool game).

Not a bad weekend that, and tomorrow I get to go out with the best company of all. My best friends.

And then, all of a sudden, it’ll be Christmas Eve.

bookmark_borderSense and Sensibility

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I’m getting old. Very old. Not only am I grumpy, I’m old. Shoot me now. Put me out to pasture or just send me to the glue factory. I am old.

The reason I say this is largely the fault of my cousin. We were at her birthday party on Saturday night and as her friends started to drift in, fashionably late of course, it struck me just how old I am. There I was, surrounded by nubile young girls and all I could think was “ohhh, they’ll catch their death..”.

Hmmm, that last sentence makes me sound like a dirty old pervert, sitting in the corner of the hall, my seedy little eyes roving for glimpses of flesh. For the record we were NOT sitting in the corner of the hall.

Where was I? Ohh yes. I can safely say I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many short skirts and platform heels in one place. At least not since, errr… that night in that.. er… club place thingy. I know it’s all the fashion these days and I’m all for people expressing themselves but it was -3C outside! Mind you, I’m sure I was that young and foolish when I was 18.

In saying that, I can’t remember my 18th birthday in particular. Ohhh god, now my memory is failing.

Add that to the dodgy knee (it’s knackered again) and the increasing propensity of my use of the mannerisms of my father – something else that was pointed out to me on Saturday night when my other cousin said “ohh you looked just like your Dad there!” – and I’m as well to call it quits and find a nice quiet retirement home.

Mind you, Friday night saw me on a work night out and again I was one of the last to leave, the younger whippersnappers (ohh god, did I just write “whippersnappers”?? Shoot me now!) all left well before chucking out time. Kids these days, no stamina.

And no, I wasn’t drunk, tipsy a little but quite in control of my senses thank you. In fact, as I wandered to George Square to get a taxi home, I can distinctly remember seeing a group of girls standing around outside a nightclub and thinking “ohhh, they’ll catch their death…”.

bookmark_borderSLR-less shyness

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Late-night shopping last night, so Louise came into Glasgow to meet me after work (she was held up because the police had closed London Road, but NOT because of anything traffic related. So why? Heard nothing else about this but we did spot three police officers stopping random cars near George Square, most odd. I digress).

The Pier had a 20% of night, with wine and nibbles laid on, and as usual we saw three or four things we’d like, mainly Christmas decorations, and as usual we balked at paying £13 for a glittery candle. There is some wonderful stuff in that store but it appears to be hand-made and unique such are the prices. None of the things we saw were anything we needed so it was quite nice NOT to buy anything.

We did manage to get a present for my Mum, which makes it four presents down and.. oodles to go. I also managed to remember to take my camera out with me and got a few shots whilst I wandered around, killing time whilst I waited for Louise. I’ll post them up … later!

We only managed a few shops, but a stroll round George Square, with a bag of chips for dinner, was quite pleasant. It’s the one thing I love about living near and working in a big city. People watching. From the young lovers playfully teasing each other, to the elderly couple strolling silently but contentedly around the square, the young women sitting by herself just watching the Christmas lights and the group of women gossiping loudly, I could stroll around Glasgow all day and night.

As of yet I’ve still not managed to crack the ‘taking photos of people’ thing though. I think that is something easier done if you look like a photographer, have a big SLR camera to hide behind, and a large camera bag over your shoulder (the fact that the big is holding your lunch and a couple of books is neither here nor there). My little compact Canon Powershot doesn’t really make the right impression, I don’t think.

Or maybe it’s a confidence thing which will improve over time.

Anyway, it’s payday, cake day and I’ll be handing in my passport renewal application at lunchtime. Seemingly it should only take two weeks to receive my new passport. We fly to Spain in just over five. Should be plenty of time. Right?

bookmark_borderChampion!

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UEFA Champions League Final

Kicks off in Glasgow tonight, and the city is buzzing. George Square is packed with Spanish and German fans (check the two live webcams) and the atmosphere reminds me of a carnival. This is the side of a sporting event you don’t often get to witness, and I’m loving it. I might even venture back into the city to watch the game from the giant screen they will be erecting. Could be fun.

In reality I’ll be knackered after playing 5-a-side and will prefer to watch the game from the comfort of my own home, Glasgow in mid-May isn’t THAT warm you know…

Meme
I think I’ve started a meme! OK, not quite, but my snake story has prompted another revelation on prolific.org.