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Ramblings on Lent

February 23rd, 2012 | Posted by admin in David Tennant | deep thoughts | food | food choices | Glasgow | life | UK - (7 Comments)

So the Lenten season is upon us once again. This means many people are giving up things including food, internet, telly, etc. It also seems to mean that if you do choose to give up one or more of these things, that you can get called out spoken to rather harshly if you are doing so for good or not so good reasons, or bashed because you are practicing your faith.

I saw many instances of this online yesterday, and then again this morning. I was reading one of my favorite blog’s Theodora’s Losing Weight in the City, where 2 commenters made comments that I personally didn’t care for. It bugged me she was getting judged on her choice. If she wants to give up fries, or I want to give up meat, or someone else wants to give up soda, then they should be able to do so, without it being a federal case.

While I am Catholic (and not a particularly good one as of late, I 10000% admit) I think however you choose to practice the season is fine with me (not that it’s about me of course). I wouldn’t have remembered myself had I not seen all the pancake day ads in the shops here in Glasgow.

Giving up something you enjoy is hard. Not Jesus Christ getting flogged hard, but I don’t think any of us are in danger of having that happen to us. So we have to choose something that is hard for us, and it isn’t for anyone else to say that it is a good or bad choice, or anything.

Let me tell you a story. Picture it Sicily….. oh wait wrong story. :) (I figured humour would be good about now.)

2001 was my first year as a practicing Catholic. ( I went through RCIA as an adult- long story tl:dr) While I was going through the very end of the process during Lent, I gave up chocolate, one of my very favourite things. And it was hard. It’s in cookies, and cake, and snacks, and ice cream. I was in the process of losing a lot of weight at the time, and sometimes, I would treat myself to a very small handful of snowcaps at work, especially if I was having a bad day or I knew I had a long workout ahead. So choosing to give up chocolate was HARD. It sucked and I hated every minute of it. But it gave me an appreciation of what it is like to make sacrifices.

Then, on Holy Thursday, I was on an outing with the committee to pick a new venue for the holiday party (which didn’t happen, as it was 2001), and one of the gifts we were given was a box of chocolate covered strawberries. I think I probably cried when I got home and looked at them, and thought about what to do. I really, really wanted them. But I also really wanted to finish what I started. And if I do say so myself, they were damned good at midnight Easter Sunday morning.

I’ve digressed, I know. Anyways, I wasn’t even going to give up anything this year. I have issues, issues with religion and life and love and death that I really don’t care to share at this point, nor do I want to talk about. Anyone who knows me in real life right now, probably has a very good idea of what I am talking about, but for right now, in this moment, I would rather keep it to myself.

At any rate, I decided to give up meat. I gave up diet soda last year, and didn’t feel like repeating it, given my diet soda consumption has decreased 50000% since getting back to Glasgow b/c I am too lazy to carry it home from the shops. I enjoy a small/bottle every now and again, but not to the extent I was drinking it at home. (Yes, I know all soda is bad for you and whatnot, but it hasn’t killed me yet.)

So I hope all my readers here will respect my decicion. I hope people in general can respect other’s decisions on what to give up/not give up/add in/pray more for Lent. It is a personal choice and we have no idea what is in another’s intentions or heart, or what people plan to do with their extra time.

I can tell you this. All the money I would have spent on eating chicken wraps out at lunch will be going to the 3rd annual David Tennant birthday drive to support Headway Essex.

If you practice, are you giving up something/adding something in for Lent?

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What a day

February 21st, 2012 | Posted by admin in deep thoughts | exercise | fitness | food | Glasgow | health | Scotland | shopping | spinning | stress | UK | walk | workout - (5 Comments)

I am sure all of you had normal mornings. I am sure none of you had to jump out a WINDOW to get out of your living accommodation. I did. See, my key doesn’t work well and I have a hard time unlocking it from the inside. I tried and kicked at it and swore for a good 20 minutes before I gave up, climbed up on to the window sill, and jumped. I then went in the front of the building and unlocked the door easily from the outside. Seriously, this is my life.

When I got to the office, I found it open and some random guy at my computer. He didn’t know it was my desk- granted I haven’t really personalized it….

I then proceeded to leave my umbrella at the coffee shop (I later retrieved it). And then I managed to snap off the wrappy bit of the umbrella and now it is closed by a hair elastic.

My gym workout was less than stellar. I didn’t even want to BE there, but I did 10 on the spin bike (I need a spin cushion seat!) and 10 on the elliptical, and then a bit of weights, and then I walked home via Tesco- all in all the workout was 1.5 hours and burned 560 calories. I counted the walk home as part of it, it being partially uphill and me carrying a ton of crap in my backpack.

Now, today being pancake Tuesday I decided to make pancakes. I should have realized that given the fact I can’t cook at all (other than pasta and simple things) that even a pre-made pancake mix would be a disaster. Which it was. The first one had powder in it, and the second was burned and runny. Steph, come back! I then tried to make tea (with tea leaves) and managed to mess that up as well. So I am very glad I had a backup dinner plan (pasta, faux mince and roasted veggies) which is almost done. (Jen, help! I need a big canister of parmesan, the ones here are so tiny!!!)

The rest of the night’s plan is to watch last night’s House, and perhaps more Sherlock. (Of course I will watch more Sherlock, I can’t help myself! I am such a Cumberbitch!) I also want to get through some more of the Cyber bullying book I am reading that is due in a few days.

Tomorrow I need to run errands, get my ashes, and read more.

I also need to figure out what I am giving up for Lent. I was thinking about shopping but I mean, really. Then I thought about giving up swearing, and I was like yeah, that isn’t frigging happening. Last year I gave up diet Coke. I should give up eating brownies at the library. Hrm.

If so inclined, what are you giving up for Lent?

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Update on all the things

January 25th, 2012 | Posted by cindy in exercise | Glasgow | grad school | health | life | running | Scotland | shopping | UK | update - (1 Comments)

Flat: We have put the deposit down on the flat, and hopefully should be moving 1st February if not sooner, which is what I wish. My back is not a big fan of the crappy mattress at the hostel.

Illness: I guess I am back to about 95%. My throat hurts sometimes when I wake up but I think that has to do with the ridic heat/dryness at said hostel.

Working out: Well, suffice to say I haven’t done anything other than walking about since the 10K. Now that I don’t feel like utter crap, I plan to either start running again (weather permitting) or hitting the gym. While I am still not within walking distance of uni, I have a 5 day pass to a gym close to the hostel I will be using ASAP.

Uni: I met with my professor. I have to rework my proposal and whatnot and we are meeting again next week. Unfortunately I cannot locate my proposal AT ALL. I don’t even have a hard copy; I looked through all the paperwork I had here. Unless it is hidden away somewhere and I have no idea where that would be, I am kind of screwed. I can rewrite it, but I preferred not to reinvent the wheel and just wanted to edit the old one. So I have started over. I have 71 words written. Great start, right?

Still looking into getting a new computer. My old Dell laptop is slow and the cable doesn’t stay plugged in. I will get one with my office, but it won’t be “mine,” nor will it be a laptop. Also I don’t know when space will be allocated for me.

Fandom: Still a Cumberbitch. I can’t help it. I clearly need help, stat.

And I am off to get some errands done.

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My life as a fangirl

January 22nd, 2012 | Posted by cindy in David Tennant | deep thoughts | Doctor Who | London | MAAN | Red Sox | Scotland | Southern Sounds | timelord | UK - (0 Comments)

(Apologies to everyone who thinks I am a nutter and the fact that I have a new addiction which doesn’t please everyone.) TL:DR, unless you want to see how I’ve become a crazy DT obsessed PhD candidate who’s also a Cumberbitch, as well as who the fuck else knows what else!

When I like things, I go all in. Always have, always will. As I was walking to campus I was thinking about how this long, strange journey began, and figured since I can’t find my frigging research proposal I should use my time wisely here.

It started early, in 3rd/4th grade with a show that probably wasn’t age appropriate, but when have I ever done anything normal. Normal is SO boring. (OMG Dallas is coming back! Eeeee!) (Yes, Dad they got Larry Hagman out of his wheelchair, just like Paul- oh wait not like Servalan is a spring chicken any more!)

 

I wrote fanfic for Dallas in elementary school, so much to the point that I was asked to find an outlet for my creativity in a different way.

So I moved on to . . . . .

Ok, so it was more . . . .
to the point that as an 11 year old I got to meet Paul Darrow, and my fangirling knew no bounds since that day. My dad got us tickets to a convention and I almost got to meet Jon Pertwee that day as well, but he was ill and not in attendance. A long time passed until I had another chance to meet anyone, but that day stands out in my memory very clearly.

I was pretty much a Blake’s 7 fangirl up until middle school, when I discovered something new.

I was INXS mad in the 7th grade. For Christmas that year I got all their cassettes and an INXS tshirt. (I may talk trash about my dad, but he’s always enabled me in my fangirling LOL.) I need to find that polaroid of me in the tshirt! :)

The fangirling pretty much was dormant in high school and college. I liked things, but I had discovered real life boys at that point and managed to take my crazy behaviours to new levels I can say I’m fairly ashamed of, hindsight being what it is and all.

Until I watched House, I was a pretty normal person. Since, I have to say that I do get a bit mad crazy over things. Just a bit. :) I was completely mental over Dr. House and began to try out my creativity in the realm of fanfiction again. Yes, it was House/Wilson 99% of the time, and no you can’t read any of it, unless you know where to look and no, I am not going to tell you b/c it’s rubbish.

 

I can’t say it was any good, but what I can say is that my fanmix, Afterglow, a Amber/Wilson (a bit of House), was downloaded like crazy and people really liked it. The music featured songs from House’s Head/Wilson’s Heart, along with other songs I found appropriate for the ending of season 4, an ending I can’t bring myself to watch.

 

About the same time, I had a chance opportunity to see INXS perform an acoustic set and from the day I laid eyes on JD Fortune, I went a bit crazy (again). This brought about a resurgence of my love for INXS, as well as crazy road trips to CT, NYC (I WAS ON THE TODAY SHOW!) (For 5 seconds!) (for a second, do shut up Cindy) and up to Canada for crazy drunk fun, tattoos, and booze all over the carpark. As well as zany things that happened, like this.

Fuck off, eh!

Also, at the same time, I realized that I could bitch about sports, or I could STFU and join in. Hence my love of all things Red Sox.

 

I’ve had a chance to see amazing things. Crazy blowout wins, long 14 inning games in the rain, Curt Schilling’s 200th win, ALDS game 1 in 2007, and opening day 2008. 2 World Series wins and 2 parades. Not to mention concerts with Bronson! And no, I never followed Curt Schilling around the Natick Mall. Nope. Not me. Never.

 

Over the past few years, I’ve tried to rein in my crazy fangirl tendencies. However, that didn’t work. It all started with . . . a skinny Scottish bloke with REALLY great hair.

 

Oh David Tennant, you sexy man you. (I can hear my sister rolling her eyes.)

And before you all ask, no I didn’t come to Scotland b/c of DT. Seriously.

Anyways, it’s been DT for a while now, but then I watched Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes and Mad Dogs and went a bit cray cray for John Simm and Philip Glenister. (It’s nice to know that I always seem to fall for older, although only slightly now, British men)

 

I’ve been watching everything I could get my hands on featuring the 2 of them. And then watching it some more. If Mad Dogs had been on VHS there’d be a tear in the tape by now.

However, my most recent obsesion (much to the chagrin of some of my friends) has been another British bloke with great hair- and cheekbones to die for.

 

Yes, I’ve become a Cumberbitch. (And hey, he’s single now, so . . . .) I’ve watched Sherlock more times than is probably healthy, and I’ve become addicted to tumblring his image all over the internets. (Oh honey, you should see ME in a crown.) (Yes, I know he didn’t say that line) (I have an unhealthy obsession with parentheses.)

Anyways, if you got this far, you are probably as bored as I am or procrastinating or think I’m mental. Probably. But I’ve met David Tennant. Hugh Laurie stood next to me. In fact, I’ve met 2 Doctors, 2 companions, saw INXS in London – all in the last year. So pretty ace, I’d say. It’s been a long crazy ride. I wonder where it will take me next?

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Busy day

January 19th, 2012 | Posted by cindy in Glasgow | life | Scotland | UK - (0 Comments)

Today was busy, for me at least recently. Despite still feeling like crap and pouring rain and sleet, I knew we had to go out for a number of reasons. Coffee, getting to uni and getting Steph a letter proving she completed her M.Litt, meeting with my advisor, picking up dinner food. So all of that was done, along with trying to get the flat reserved, which won’t be 100% resolved until tomorrow.

Since I’ve been back in the UK, I’ve been using my UK debit card. Well, the bank noticed this and put a hold on my account, so that when we tried to reserve the flat, it kept getting declined despite the fact I had 3x the amount available in my account. I got it resolved on the bank side, but it still wouldn’t go through. So tomorrow we have to go and give it to them in cash.

The meeting with my advisor was fine. I get a {shared} office where I can work in the education building! That’s pretty exciting. I have work I have to do now, so I will be trying to get to campus a few times next week.

Hopefully the flat thing works out and then we can start to plan the move. I cannot wait to get out of the hostel. The bed is doing my back in, and they don’t get Sky, so I can’t watch Mad Dogs. Clearly this is a HUGE issue. I need my Simm and Glenister fix!

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Catch up

January 18th, 2012 | Posted by cindy in Glasgow | grad school | health | UK - (0 Comments)

I’ve neglected my poor blog for a variety of reasons. 1. I have had limited internet. 2. I’ve been sooo sick. I thought it was nothing, that I was just being all dizzy and feeling crappy for no reason, but then I realized that duh, my ear is killing and is blocked, no wonder I have no equilibrium and feel like the room is spinning. I ended up figuring this out on a Friday, after the GP was closed. So Saturday am I called NHS 24 and I was told to go to Western General emergency GP clinic and there I was evaluated and assessed and told I had an ear infection {really, I had no idea.}. Unfortunately, I have really not felt much better and I have felt like crap for a week now. I do feel a little better, but my right ear is still blocked and I have trouble hearing out of it and my general energy and enthusiasm levels are less than stellar.

Then, there was yesterday’s freak out about my student loan deposit and subsequent nervous breakdown. In the end, it was fine and all has been sorted and whatnot.

The past 2 days I have been able to get out and run errands and things that I’ve needed to do which is good. Tomorrow I am meeting with my advisor to start discussing what it is I am actually doing.

So that’s about it.

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In Glasgow!

January 12th, 2012 | Posted by cindy in exercise | Glasgow | grad school | life | money woes | running | Scotland | travel | UK | winter - (0 Comments)

I’m in Glasgow! Horray!

Ok I have been here for a week, and I have been pretty busy looking for flats, trying to get things for school set up, going to Boots and Tesco, and having some sort of weird vertigo thing for the past 2 days, which hasn’t helped matters. It has been rather nice; sunny and cold which works fine for me. I need to get a picture of the sunrise or sunset over the River Clyde. Being on the 8th floor gives us great views, but the windows are dirty which is why I haven’t taken any as of yet. I’ve done a fair amount of walking, but I haven’t run since the 10K. Eep! I do have a pass for 5 free days at LA Fitness in Glasgow, so as soon as this dizziness thing sorts it self out, I can get my running on! {Or at the very least run along the river while it’s nice and sunny!}

So far I am waiting on my loans, so we can get a flat, and I can get some more clothing! I didn’t bring a lot of my stuff and I would like to get some basics of long sleeved tops and a pair of jeans and some wellies before I get too caught up in school.

I’ve been reading a lot as well, as I am not sure how much time I will have for it. If anyone has any recommendations about schooling and education in the UK, I would love to read them. Most of my knowledge is fiction based from Waterloo Road and an old copy of Scottish Education I had rattling around the old flat. I’d like something a bit more contemporary and not too dry. {I’m not asking much!}

I hope everyone is having a great week!

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Allons-y!

January 4th, 2012 | Posted by cindy in Glasgow | Scotland - (1 Comments)

The next time I post, it will be from Scotland. I am not sure when it will be, but I will try to make it soon.

See you on the other side of the pond!

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Christmas wishlist

December 13th, 2011 | Posted by cindy in David Tennant | deep thoughts | Doctor Who | exercise | fitness | Glasgow | goals | grad school | health | life | motivation | nsv | Scotland | shopping | workout - (1 Comments)

Wow 2 posts in one day? Who am I?

In my new {almost} running shoes I banged out nearly a 6k in under an hour. AND despite not thinking I would have a new PR, I DO! Thanks to my clever oldest niece who had showed me how to take screencaps on my iphone you can see it. Go me!

The sky was very, very blue today. It was such a great day out for a run!

Now, to the actual point of this post. This Christmas isn’t going to be great. In fact, in some ways it’s going to suck, and there isn’t anything I can do about it. I miss my mum, end of. So I decided to try to make myself feel better by coming up with the most crazy Christmas wishlist, a top ten you may say. Please do not think that I actually believe I will get any of these things. Especially #1. I wish!

10. All this retail work has made my nails a mess. I’d love a shellac manicure and a pedicure {I don’t even need toe polish I would just kill for the foot rub!} to start off the New Year right!

9. I could sure use this for my iphone.

8. Since I am being totally frivolous here, I can see myself in Buchanan Square with this bag.

7. While I am waiting for the coffee {see below} I should stretch.

6. I will need plenty of coffee to keep me going, so those Starbucks gift cards are always welcome. :)

5.Since I am going to be working hard on my thesis for my PhD, a new computer would be a huge asset! In my dreams, I know! I can be reasonable, even if it is still a stretch.

4. I guess new super cool running shoes would be great to get as well! The New Balance 993′s would be perfect. Grey/pink is fine. Size 7. :)

3. Now that I am running I really need a Road Id. I’d like the wrist id slim, in black. But I think I need to wait until I move until I get it.

2. While I’d love to have this at my door as well I will probably have to settle for this.

Or this, even.

1. What I would really love most of all would be to open the door on Christmas and have this waiting for me.

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Sunday catchup

December 4th, 2011 | Posted by cindy in exercise | fitness | Glasgow | goals | health | life | motivation | running | Scotland - (0 Comments)

Thank everyone for all the kind words. I am so excited about going back to Scotland!

Since I last posted I had a work shift at work, which I thought was going to be me actually working. But it was an orientation that ended early. I work for real tomorrow- not in the department I am supposed to be in, but in mens. Nine hours. Should be fun. My feet are already dreading it.

This week I work Monday and Saturday. Wednesday I go to Boston to do biometric data for my visa, and Thursday I have a family obligation. The following week I have more shifts, including 2 days working at the Coach counter!

Today I have been for a run and am going out soon to do some errands. I did 3.1 miles in 47 minutes, which is 3 minutes shaved off my previous PR. I am getting faster! I I wish all this running and activity would show up as a result on the scale or at least in my jeans! Of course it doesn’t help that I dry them in the dryer, or at least that is what I tell myself.

Overall I got an hour in, which I am happy with. I technically didn’t work out yesterday. It was freezing out and by the time I got home from work it was getting dark. I cleaned my room and moved things around instead. I *should* have gotten up early yesterday, but I didn’t sleep well the night before and decided that sleep was more important, since I thought I was actually working yesterday. Whether or not I manage to get up early tomorrow and walk or run is another story b/c I know after nine hours on my feet I will not want to come home at 6:45ish and do anything but crash. {I haven’t worked on my feet like that in years, and teaching certainly doesn’t count since I could sit whenever I felt like it, so yeah I am being a wuss about it LOL.}

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