Athens loveliness

It's been less than a week, but I wish I was back there.

Sunny x

A British barbie

Hi,

I wish we had barbecue tonight, instead we had paprika chicken from the slow cooker. 
It was ok, but it didn't look as good as this:

Barbecue a deux:

Its a Noah's ark of barbeuces...and the meats were grilled by two by two by two by two by two by twooooo.

The gorgeous meat was bought at our local butcher. 2 beefburgers, 2 lambburgers, 2 original recipe pork sausages, 2 spanish sausages, 2 brazilian chicken kebabs (marinaded by our amaze butcher) and some veg kebabs. The veg did NOT cook. I ate the onion and pepper raw, and I hate raw onions....>ming alert< Repeats on me like nobody's business.

I had to take the car to the supermarket for a £3 carwash because it had been attacked by seagulls or pigeons while I was away. 
It just about took the muck off, I'll need to to the the manual car wash next week.

The car temperature said 27 degrees. I had to sit in the carwash with the windows up and a/c off for at least 5 mins. I texted my bro to send the ambulance in case he hadn't heard from by the time 8 mins had gone incase I passed out with heatstroke.

But here I am! Made it back to the office. woohoo!

Ciao all,

Sunny L x

back from holiday

Hey!

I've been in Athens getting my fix on sun, culture, history and lush food.
I've actually been back a couple of days but I've spent them sitting in my sun lounger on the balcony.

We've had 2 barbecues and I've read a book, drank a couple of beers.
I am holding on to that holiday feeling with my fingertips, trying to drain the last drop of chilled-out happiness before I re-enter reality tomorrow.

I haven't yet updated you on the play I went to at the Lowry in early June: The Things we do for Love. It's an Alan Ayckbourn play, I've heard of him but I've never watched anything by him.

Those who watched Neighbours back in the day when it was on BBC1, will all know Natalie Imbruglia. Here she is, she was in the play.

Also in the play is Claire Price, who had the main role, Barbara, who I didn't recognise but was in Rebus. Natalie Imbruglia's character was not as likeable to me as Barbara.

The first act was a conversation between the 2 women, they are old school friends and the conversation was very high-pitched, talking without pause and sounded exactly like me and my school friends when we have a catch-up....but it was boring when it was listening to someone else's mates and their history (the boyf has told me this several times and who'd think he was right?).

The play picked up greatly after that, especially as the effects of drink kicked in at a dinner party that the four characters all attended. Acting being drunk was quality.

I think I liked the end of the play although it left one character alone (although perhaps that character needed it); a second character was unable to leave their loneliness and two characters, their lives changed in way that one hopes will bring long-term happiness but we'll never know..

The set of the play was also original. Its a three-storey house and they have built the set so we can see all three flats in the building. Its clever.

Should think about getting my head in the game for the "w" word tomorrow.

Sunny x
 

World Cup + a James Patterson book

Hi!
Happy World Cup all!... but I am already finding it irritating. 
I will, of course, watch England but do I have to watch every match and listen to the frigging cliches from the commentators?

Anyway, I read a book on the weekend: James Patterson The 12th of Never. Its twelfth in the Women's Murder Club series. The main characters are women: copper; journalist; prosecutor; coroner. They were quite likeable.

I hope that a different character in the club would have a lead story in each book to allow the characters to fill out and keep it fresh. Based on the book I've read though, it could be that Detective Lindsay Boxer is the big cheese character and the others are always secondary providing support to her cases

 

I have not read the earlier books so am proof that they can be read stand-alone and enjoyed. There was a twist at the end that I did not see coming and I will not give away here. I am interested enough to add them on to my "to-read"  list...so 7.5 out of 10 from me.

I would give more than 7.5 out of 10 to my strawberry cornetto I had at lunch time. Half strawberry ice/half vanilla ice with some hidden strawberry sauce. Fit. Fit. Fit ice-cream.
9/10.

Enjoy the rest of Friday eve.

Sunny xx

red red wine

Fancied some vino tonight.

I bought an individual bottle of red wine from Asda. I chose it as it was £1. 
It's a new Blossom Hill collection of low calorie and lower alcohol plonk..well I didn't want to get pissed as its only a Wednesday (but it feels like a Thursday) and the calorie damage is only 55 cals per 125ml.

I actually queried whether it was wine or if Black Tower had branched out into Shloer-type fizzy fruit drinks. The pretty pink flowers on the lid confused me.

Anyway, had the first sip and I wasn't sure.
I gave the boyf - the man who doesn't even like red wine - the second sip. It was a gulp in truth followed by a second mouthful. If he likes it, it's not wine enough for me.

It tastes watered down/like a really dark rose wine.
I drank it anyway as I'm tight and didn't want to waste my quid but it was not what I was craving.

Tonight I'm mostly pondering if I could cope with an expat life...how to know without trying (again)?

xx Sunny 

Dolly Parton Blue Smoke Tour

So Dolly in depth....

It was my first time seeing her in concert and I now don't know who could beat her.

Her instruments: Here is the diminutive Dolly playing one of her blinged-up white and rhinestone encrusted instruments: the banjo. She played many instruments throughout the show: banjo; guitar; harmonica; recorder-type-thing; autoharp; piano. Talented lady.

Her clothes: I could not wait to see Dolly's outfits. I have been you tubing her in the days up to the event and she always wears the most borderline cringe outfits ever. The first outfit was the pink dress with silver sequinned waistcoat. It was great except for the fact that it was a nightmare to photograph.

In the second half, she wore a brilliant turquoise culotte and waistcoat outfit. The culottes were covered in loads of silver glitter tassels that shook as she strutted on the stage. She looked like a glittery fairy faun.

Her singing: Dolly sang a good number of the sad songs including Coat of Many Colours and Little Sparrow. When she sang alone with the accompaniment of the 2 backing singers, it is beautiful. Her voice is strong and true at an incredible 68 years young.

Her dancing: Dolly shimmied along to Baby I'm Burning and 2 Doors Down and of course 9 to 5 which we and the rest of the cowboy hat-wearing crowd belted out along with her. Everyone there adores Dolly, she inspires a loyal following. Loads of people interrupted the quiet moment to let her know "I Love you Dolly".

Her cover songs: She sang three awesome cover songs including a Bon Jovi classic. Yes! Hitting 2 birds with 1 song. It was Lay Your Hands On Me gospel style. 
She did a Bob Dylan song and the Fine Young Cannibals She Drives Me Crazy, of all things. A random selection that was all the better for being a surprise. I believe that she does covers all the time on albums and at shows, but I had no idea.

I love Dolly and she is an inspiration to me: the longevity of her career; commitment to her career (her investment in her look and appearance); her charitable work with the Imagination Library; her commitment to her dreams; her work ethic. 

Lucky me to have seen both Julie Andrews and Dolly Parton in the past month. Fingers crossed some crumbs of their talent rub off on me.

Sunny x

 

Yesterday

Hello!
Sorry for not getting on yesterday. Time ran away with me, spent an hour decluttering my jewellery box. Untying necklaces and binning some odd earrings...why do you always lose the ones that you love? So disappointing.

Then I was trying to enhance my amazing girlfriend rating my making a lasagne for the boyfriend as I was out. Made with love and an almost lump-free bechamel sauce.

Yesterday - went to see Dolly Parton in concert! Her first gig in the UK on this tour. What a pocket rocket of energy AND she does sweet and melancholy too.

I will enthuse about this tomorrow.

Some quick piccies of our meal at las iguanas in Liverpool before the concert.

Nachos, self-explanatory

 













Mocktail

It was happy hour - buy 1 get 1 free on cocktails and mocktails. Guess who had the friggin car again?

My citrus cooler. Very refreshing. My fellow Dollette had the Pisco sours. I had a sip and it was goood.

My main was a Brazilian chicken curry. The "roast potatoes" are actually plantains which  I wolfed up for the first time. 

Dessert was a packet of wine gums at the Echo arena.

Ciao - GOT is calling

xx Sunny 

Friday champagne

This week has seen a big work/life imbalance in favour of work that I let happen again.
Prior to this January I had got to the stage where I put work first. 

I'd been doing it for 3 years. It meant I had no hobbies in the week. If I arranged to meet a friend I'd always be 30 minutes late. This was my own doing as I allowed myself to prioritise work and just got stuck in the rut. 

I feel bitter about it now especially as one of those friends is now in Dubai so no mid-week drinkies for us anytime soon.
 
Since Jan, I've got my yoga and zumba. On those days, I have to leave at a certain time to make the classes.
This week I missed both and I'm annoyed with myself about it. Next week I'll get back with the programme.

On Friday, I was planning on meeting a friend at San Carlo Cicchetti, which is their Italian "tapas" branch. I was so looking forward to it - I was going to go for the seafood options and try and resist the melanzana parmigiana.

My girl was at a boozy work lunch that lingered on so I met her on the terrace at Epernay. They'd been enjoying the porn star martinis. I had the car so allowed myself one glass of the house champagne. 

I had a sip of the porn start martini but its passion fruit and I'm not keen on fruit cocktails. The rest of the menu looked immense and I am so going to get a cocktail next time I'm on the razz in town.

I ducked out early as being a sober gatecrasher of someone else's works do is pointless.
Instead of my tapas, I had a mozzarella pizza and a honey yoghurt from tesco. 

Tonight - to the teatro! SOOO pleased all weekend activities involve nocturnal indoor fun - me and Mr Rain think as one. A review for you tomorrow.

Speak then, Sunny x

PS -  The D Day memorials have been tremendous. We continue to remember them.

An evening with Julie Andrews

I met the legendary Julie Andrews at Liverpool Echo last Tuesday.
I loved her in The Sound of Music, which I know word-for-word. I also could sit and watch Mary Poppins happily on any day of the week. Thinking about that film is making my feel happy and upbeat already. I reckon I also know about 90% of the songs in that film too.

The Echo is an arena but I guess at least 2/3 of the arena was blocked off so we were not too far from the stage. The seats were £30 which I think was a fair price. Julie was introduced by Aled Jones, the not-so-cute former choirboy of "The Snowmen" fame.

Julie wore a bling silver sequinned jacket for the first half of the show.
How has she managed to pull off short hair for so long? I think its because she has such a warm, happy face. 

She talked about her rise to professional success. She's a grafter, working since she was 12, showcasing her amazing 4 octave soprano range! 
 
She got offered opportunities and took them. She moved to NYC at 18. She starred in the Broadway and London stage productions of My Fair Lady which is what brought her to the attention of Walt Disney. He cast her as Mary Poppins (she had a baby while the film was in pre-production).

Her second husband was Blake Edwards. He has passed away but it is clear that she does and did absolutely adore and love him with her whole heart. She had her tribute to him included in this show: a selection of photos on the big screen and some clips of his work including the Pink Panther. That was touching.
There was a Q&A session at the end which was a bit lame as they crowbarred in Julie's back-catalogue of clips despite the flow of the questions. I think they should have dispensed with the Q&A but I suppose that is the structure of "an audience with" show.

I left being very impressed and a teeny bit envious of Julie's creative talents and her wonderful life. She was asked if there were any roles that she never got that she wished she had and she answered no, that she was thrilled and lucky to receive what she had. I thought she was genuinely humble about it, especially as she has lost her voice.

The show was ended with Julie and Aled leading us in a sing song of Edelweiss. She never sang it in the film, but I've just the watched the vid back and it was great to have her voice recorded.

What a wonderful night being in the presence of such a talent, I was inspired to have a life less ordinary. 

I have another night coming up with a very talented woman soon...you've have to wait to hear about it soon

love lucky me Sunny x

Domestic tourism in Mid Wales

West (Wales) was not best for the sunshine on Sunday. Boo, hiss. 

We had a lush Sunday lunch at the pier in Aberystwyth, which is behind my back from where I took the photo.
We shared a jerk ham terrine for starter. 
The roast dinner plates were loaded with meat, Mum and I had beef and the boyf and Dad had Welsh lamb. Delicious served with yorkies, carrots, roast pots and parsnips, mashed pots and leeks (we were in Wales after all).

We stopped at the Dyfi Osprey project after lunch. For those of you who watched Springwatch for the past 2 years, this is the home of Monty and Glesni, the newest Osprey lovebirds on the block.

There is the biggest bird hide Wales has seen..A 360 degree observatory with a direct view of the Osprey nest. The provide very strong telescopes so you can see the Ospreys sat on their nest.

On the left, taken with a shoite iphone, is the Osprey nest seen from the observatory.  Its on the tall pole to the right of the telegraph pole. On the right, you can see the Ospreys LIVE taken from the cctv cameras. When you look through the telescope, you can see the CCTV domes too. Big Brother is watching you, Monty and Glesni.

We then have the landscape shot. Hidden in that marsh somewhere are a couple of water buffalo. Was sad not to see them, but can't complain as we saw the Ospreys, a buzzard and a cuckoo. I hate cuckoos. Nest nicking, egg destroying gits. Nature is so cruel it must have inspired Game of Thrones...which is back on tonight after 2 weeks off. 

Go Prince Oberon!

Check out the Ospreys: http://www.dyfiospreyproject.com/, entrance is only £2.50 per adult and its worth it as the volunteers and staff are really knowledgeable and friendly.

Sunny x

Birthday cake

We spent the weekend in Wales with my parents. It was my lovely Mum's birthday.

Made her a cake (one of my day zero project goals is that I a make a cake for each of the 'rents, the boyf and my baby bro). 
Mum loves raspberries + I wanted something that looked festive.

The recipe is from redonline. As mentioned on Friday, it did not seem to be rising in the middle. The boyf, who has never made a cake in his life, said it would be fine...and it was.

The recipe calls for cocoa, I only had drinking chocolate so I used loads less than needed cause it has so much sugar in. The recipe also calls for chocolate swirls. Witness my rubbish attempt. I'm blaming my vegetable peeler not being the right kind. Yeh, a workperson should ALWAYS blame their tools.

As you can see I managed to hack some chips off the white choc block, but as it was Friday night and its not an entry for Great British Bake off, I sacked off the swirls.

How shaming is the melted handle of my potato peeler? I have melted a peeler, a knife and the edges of 2 chopping boards on my gas hob accidentally. So easily done...

Here's the finished article after being transported in the car for over 2 hours around about 76 roundabouts.

The birthday girl loved it. Yay!It was gooood. I was certain I was on to a good thing as it contained cream and white choccie to mask any cake deficiencies. The raspberries seemed to balance the sweetness of the white choc well.

Slice shot. 
More importantly how stunning is Mum's art deco style plate? She was gifted 6 of them from a house clearance and they are a work of art. I'm surprised I was allowed to hold one as I am mildly clumsy.

After burning off the cake calories on a hilly walk in the late afternoon sunshine this raspberry cider went down a treat. This raspberry Stella Artois cidre must be new and is only £1.50 on offer right now. Worth it for the price!

I should have taken the shot at another angle to the right of the empty bottle is a view down the valley. Instead you get the neighbours shed! Photography is an under-rated skill.

Been so busy got loads to catch you up on.

Sunny x