"The fairies only left Orkney when folk stopped seekin' them" - Anonymous Orcadian
"Never be afraid to seek" - Ally

Sunday, August 31, 2008

My Weekend...

Has been pretty damn good, thank you very much!

It's amazing the difference just having 2 days off can make!

Yesterday morning I had a nice lie-in... getting up around about 11o'clock... and then kicked about the house for a bit. Blogged, pottered on the computer, listened to music... Bliss!

Then in the afternoon, I had a wander round the shops, not really buying anything. At 5o'clock, I went to get coffee for me and my brother (as I usually do on a Saturday, but it's normally after I've had a shit day at work) - Americano for him, and a nice latte for me. And I got chips for myself, since I hadn't really eaten yet. Stayed with him until he went out about 7pm, and I headed up to Broad Street for an open-air concert by Kirkwall City Pipe Band and Orkney-born musician, Ivan Drever - "Ivan On The Apron" (The Apron is the raised, paved area in front of the Cathedral, from which you go down the steps onto the Kirk Green).

Here is a photo of Ivan with a few members of the pipe band helping him out:

It lasted from 8pm til just after 10, and was fantastic... A lovely evening (with the exception of the midges hanging around), standing outside the majesty of the Cathedral, as the sun went down, with hundreds of people, from toddlers up to grannies and granddads in wheelchairs, and no trouble at all... no pushing, no drunken louts, no swearing or heckling... Just the best way to spend a Saturday evening.

Then home, via my brother's to pick up the bags I had left there, and a nuked chicken korma while I watched a DVD - "Stardust", which was brilliant, even if I'll never be able to take Robert De Niro seriously in a gangster film again (if you've seen "Stardust", you'll know what I'm getting at). Wandered off to bed, not at all shattered like I usually am on a Saturday, at about 2o'clock this morning, after the film was done.

Another nice long lie-in today. Got up, changed the dressing on my leg (which the nurses seem to think is slowly getting a peedie bit better) and did the same as yesterday... listened to music and pottered around on the computer.

But then came my first disappointment of the weekend (unless you count not winning the lottery last night)... I went a wander round the corner to the street, thinking I would get a coffee from Starbucks - only to find that they've decided it's "winter", and they aren't opening on a Sunday any more! Not til next summer! So I had to come home and make my own latte... and - let's face it - a spoon of Nescafé Gold Blend in a mug of milk just isn't the same!

So now, here I am, pottering on the computer again. In a sec I'm going to cook the spring rolls I've got for my tea, and then a bit later I'll have a chat with Viki on MSN, if she's around.

All in all, it's been a good weekend!

3 comments:

Nev said...

OK, I won't be renting STARDUST anytime soon ::-) ...Ally, have you watched the DVD someone kindly gave you for your Birthday? I look forward to that Blog... :-)

AllyBally said...

Not yet, Nev, but I will - promise!

It's next on my list to watch!

AllyBally said...

According to our local paper yesterday, there were about 1000 people at the concert on Broad Street!