Freedom, but in moderation.

Stop the clock. I'm not ready. I can't even keep up with an advent calendar. 

So rubbish am I at eating one chocolate per day, that L takes the chocolate out of the little pocket on the little twee snowman thing and puts it in a little bowl. This has come to represent my advent backlog.

My 3/4 cup spilleth over. 23, 24 and 25 are still in the snowman, this is just the backlog.

Not sure how the bourbon biscuit got there. It's gone now any way. A bit soft but still edible.

I finished work today

Two weeks from today I will have just had my first 2016 working day. Ahead of me are 13 days of glorious freedom (I think it's 13, I haven't properly counted) in which many lovely things are planned to happen, and I shall endeavour to make the most of them and not be too much of a grumpy over-socialised pain in the behind. But I'm free. The Out of Office message is turned on, my work mug has come home to go in the dishwasher, I have changed out of office clothes in to jeans and a hoody (both of which should probably be declared "inside clothes" and not allowed out any more), and I have turned off the notifications on my phone from my work email. I am symbolically free.

There shall be much Church-going, many miles, plenty of visiting of relatives and soon-to-be relatives, and much general merrymaking all round. One hopes, that is. Gallons and gallons of tea, that much is for sure.

This time round, I am looking forward to this Christmas in a big way. For it is a First.  

This will be the first year I am taking L home for Christmas. 

My home that is. Where for a number of years I have gone on my own and been a bit sad and woeful and missed her, because I'm a softy really. And for some of those years, I'd been too worried about what reception I would receive to even mention her, for I am a bit of a wimp.

It comes as quite a surprise, to me as much as anyone else, that I am doing my first Christmas with a Fiancee in tow. It's a very nice sort of different. Feels a bit like I'm catching up on missed time. The only downside is that I'll spend Christmas sleeping on my own bedroom floor. I'll cope. This is the year in which I bought 9 air-beds!

Seriously though, people have been pretty well-behaved over the whole engagement announcement thing. I mean, I felt the need to write that post, and I sometimes get a bit frustrated by having to always be nice and patient and wait and hope that people will come round. But then if we'd been born 30 years ago things would have been a whole heap different, so I really shouldn't complain. It's not yet been a whole year that we could have been married (here in Scotland). I have never been a trailblazer before. It's quite exciting.

Next week might be a run-down of the things I have done and not done (getting engaged and tidying my room, respectively) in 2015 so I won't get too deep and thoughtful just yet.

Instead I think I'll just tell you about my weekend 

Because this is my blog and I get to choose, and it was a pretty full on weekend.

This is a blurry picture of me holding a bottle of prosecco and wearing a coat which has a pocket that I can fit that whole bottle of prosecco in to. This picture was not taken this weekend, but I feel is somewhat representative of it, as I will try and explain.

Friday, L's birthday. I go to work at 9, have a meeting at half 9 that lasts until our half past ten visit from a somewhat secretive Santa, which lasts until about 12. At quarter to 1 we all go for a free Christmas lunch, and then I had the afternoon off. Go me! I met L at Ki:lau and drank happy tea while she caught up on lunch-eating. Then we drove out to Tyrebagger forest, where they sell real Christmas trees, with no intention of buying a Christmas tree. I just wanted to look at them all and smell them. They thought I was a bit odd. We went for a walk in the forest in the almost-dark just so we hadn't actually just been there, smelled some dead trees and left again. We went to Inverurie, and bought those last couple of presents that needed buying. We even bought one for someone we'd already bought a gift for, but had forgotten about, so useful we were.

Home, hot chocolate, nap. 

Then... yes, there's more. Then I took L out to the fanciest restaurant I might ever have eaten in. Now I don't do a hell of a lot of eating out, so there are fancier places out there, granted, but this place was fancypants. I even wore heels and got a bit nervous. So I got all the birthday girlfriend points and will keep feeling slightly smug for just a little while longer.

Saturday. We went to the gym, and then to Sainsbury's, which was quite a scary place to go, but we bought my little brother a really huge box of biscuits, so it was probably worth it. Then we went to an awesome little party where I might have had a bit too much to drink, which is really why I'm telling this story.

Totally not worth it.

Sunday was my pre-Christmas warning that my tolerance for alcohol is really not much, and I should remember to go easy on it. Like really easy on it. Sunday was not fun. I was just ill. And had no choice but to get on with it, for Sunday saw Rowan Tree Tents take a little role in the Aboyne Winter Festival festivities.

No-one likes pitching a tent in December with a splitting headache and legs that don't work. Especially when they have no cause to moan about it.

So, here's the thing, you guys. Go easy on your little livers if you can possibly help it. Tea is good. You might be allowed fizzy juice if you've been really good this year. Wine out of a really big glass with some home-made gin thrown in for good measure will get the better of you, if you're anything like me.

Y'know I might just leave it at that. I'm a dufus, but I think I've learned my lesson for a wee while.

I wish you all of the good things. I hope the people you have prepared gifts for think they're awesome and that you are the best present-giver that ever there was. I hope the turkey is not too pink and not too dry. I hope you are warm and happy and healthy. I hope that you are neither lonely nor forced to spend too much time with people. I hope you get a lie-in, and really enjoy it. I hope those of you who I have written cards for but not yet posted forgive me if they arrive somewhat late.

Happy Christmas - Look after your silly selves and look after each other!

And I shall endeavour to look after silly old me.

Have Yourself a Grown-Up Little Christmas

Or, y'know, don't. You choose.

Today I opened a bottle of coke, felt very chuffed that it didn't spill over, had a sip, knocked it off the desk, caught it before too much fell out, mopped the worst off my jumper, face and desk, and got back on with my work. Without anyone in the office noticing. I think.

This week there's a picture.

So I started making two lists. One about being a grown-up, which I seem somewhat obsessed with, which I think means I'm very much still at the "hopelessly-trying-to-pass-as-an-adult" stage of my life, which may continue indefinitely. The other was about Christmassy things. But I only had like 3 ideas for each, so here is the combined version.

I've missed out things like:

• You own a car and can drive it home for Christmas, +1 point
• ... but you're very good at ignoring that weird noise it makes, -1 point
• You bought cute stuffed toys for all the children, +1 point
• ... but you also bought more stuffed toys for yourself, -1 point
• ... and took the Tiny Squirrel to a Christmas market and a Christingle service, -3 points

So I drew you all a happy Christmassy picture. 

*In my quest to encourage you all to not be grown-ups, because I tried once and it's totally overrated, I feel obliged to share this (possibly again - have I ever shared this? I can't remember).

I've never tried this, and my parents' cat would very much not be up for it. Anyone got a cat I can practice on? Please, you could film it and we could become this year's internet sensation. Then me and your cat could split our new-found riches and they could eat that fancy food that doesn't smell so bad for the rest of their days, and everyone would be happy. I'm a genius, right?

Tent News!

In tent-based news, as well as a fine trickle of 2016 queries (eek!), we have a booking this weekend coming. In December! This Sunday we will be at the Aboyne Winter Festival, chillin' with Santa.

You should come and sit in our cosy tent and listen to stories being told. Not by me, don't panic, but a proper storyteller person. There'll be reindeer. Probably not in the tent, although I would totally let that happen just for the photo opportunity.

Today, for the first time in months, I woke up before the alarm went off. It used to always be the way. I'd wake up a few seconds before the beeps. For so long I've been so sleepy the alarm has been pulling me out of proper deep sleep.

So that's my wish for you. May you be sufficiently un-tired that you wake up before your alarm. clocks.

Cheese, dancing and modelling clay

Lunchtime. Go. Sorry-looking sandwich purchased. Laptop on. Ok, you've got 45 minutes to get a head-start on tonight's post. I wonder what's happening on facebook? Ok, make that 25 minutes. Now what am I going to write about? Daydreaming, that's a thing. Make that 10 minutes. And don't forget to actually eat the sandwich. Bugger.

So last night I lit the advent candle, and erm, well, might have forgotten about it.

I think this means it must be Christmas already. So feel free to crack open the mulled wine and take a week off work. 

Yes, I'm a dufus.

Last night I went out for my tea on a school night. Work's Christmas night out Thingimy. Well done to all of you for showing up and being sociable and only teasing me about a little bit about how I have a small stuffed squirrel who gets to come places and do things. And a stuffed cat who has a facebook page. We didn't even mention the other tiny squishy children. Like the wonky dinosaur L made me started making me for one birthday and actually gave me a year and a half later. Well done for also not teasing me too much for being the only one who thinks it's appropriate to finish a meal with a huge plate of cheese.

I even ate the Stilton, for which you should all be very proud of me. Stilton being a major milestone in one's cheese-conquering life. Ok then, at least I am proud of myself.

Sometimes I have to look at this blog to remind myself what I did with my life two weeks ago. Do you think that, in years to come, like many many years to come, when I'm all dead and forgotten about, that a future relative of mine will find this and be amazed at how strange people were back in the 2010s? 26 years old and still getting excited about cheese and stuffed toys.

This week, well the week was just another week, but the weekend featured the actual happening of actual stuff. First weekend in December is SUSCDF. Is whowhat, you ask? SUSCDF. The Scottish Universities Scottish Country Dance Festival. Fits in quite nicely with a presentation L gave on Thursday morning (and wrote on Wednesday night) about acronyms in academia, and how people pay more attention to your study if it has a clever name. It's a dance. With some extra showing off and some extra dressing up. It was very nice to see you all, and well done to all of the brave people (frankly most of the people there) who got up and put on a wee demonstration for us all. Each society true to their own character, Aberdeen as ever trading on minimal experience, even more minimal rehearsal, and just about getting away with it. Can't see why I fit in around here.

For many of the Aberdeen contingent this was their first public dancing performance, so Yay Woop Go You!

Tonight we are messing around with modelling clay. 

This, to be honest with you is a bit more exciting than writing stuff, so I'm off to make stuff! I'll maybe even have some thing to show for it by the time I see you next week.

Many things are better when they are tiny and made from Lego.

Happy Belated St Andrew's Day

Welcome. I hope you all had a happy St Andrew's Day and did something suitably Scottish. I went Scottish Country Dancing, which I do every Monday, but I'm going to count it anyway. I'm having my haggis, neeps and tatties tonight to catch up.

Happy Advent

I hope you have chocolate. If any of you have one of those advent calendars with the little perforated doors and the tiny Christmas-shaped chocolates in, I know someone who could use it for exciting things once you've eaten all of the chocolate. I have now reached the depressing stage of life where I bought my own advent chocolate, and now I feel like I have a chocolate-y daily obligation to keep up with.

This week I am going to essentially ignore those things, and show you some cool things I have found this week, mostly on the internet.

First up. Pick-Of-The-Internet Awards

Da-da-da-da-daaaa! The winner (strangely) is Durham Cathedral.

So this might just be the best thing on the internet. Durham Cathedral are building a scale model entirely out of lego. I gave them a pound and them let me put one of the bricks on (and now I feel guilty that I didn't give them more so I might just have to go back). They have a facebook page, they have a twitter hashtag #DurhamCathedralLEGOBuild, and you should go marvel at all the tiny lego-y goodness.

Pretty epic, yesno?

Outsides.  My brick is going to go somewhere near that little yellow sign.

Insides.

Tiny Lego Bishop.

So here we are left wondering if things aren't actually better when they're in miniature and made from Lego. People make some pretty funky things out of Lego. One particular internet rabbit-hole lead me to this, for which you can thank me later. I guess that the real deal might be better though.

And then I found this.

Some things might still be better not being made out of Lego, like food and cuddles.

This week I had a few days off work, and went for an adventure.

I went to see Bellowhead!

There was a conga. The support, Keston Cobblers Club, were pretty cool too, yet tons of people skipped them and showed up later. I don't get why you'd do that. Go see the support act, people!
We had tickets for a Bellowhead gig in Newcastle, so we did about ten hours of driving for about 2 hours of gig, and it was still worth it.

While we were down there we got to spend a bit of time with my parents. We took L to the only restaurant in Sunderland she's ever been to, again. We went in to Durham and did a little bit of shopping, after the Lego-based excitement, that is.

I am rather enjoying Christmas shopping this year. This year there are children on my people-to-buy-for list at most ages between 1 and 11, which is making this whole present-choosing thing so much more fun. This must be what Santa feels like. Sorry kids, you're getting toys that I really want to play with, so I really hope you (1) have similar tastes to me, and (2) don't mind sharing.
Children are great fun to shop for. The grown-ups might be more complicated.

And I will leave you with this little nugget. QI says that couples whose weddings cost less money were more likely to stay married. And couples who had lots of people at their wedding were more likely to stay married.

What I think this boils down to is this: Stephen Fry says we should have a big, cheap wedding. So there. 

Ok, so I'll actually leave you with this, because it's way cooler.