Scotland: Edinburgh

I was able to make it over to Edinburgh twice during my visit and I had a great time. I really enjoyed the city and was able to do a little bit of everything. I did the tourist thing for sure. I purchased a jump on and off bus tour pass and would highly recommend to anyone going to do the same. I purchased the pass for 4 of the big tour companies as each had a slightly different route which was great to ensure I maximized by tourist time there.

Below are pictures from in and around Edinburgh...

Edinburgh Castle












Sir Walter Scott Monument (265+ steps to the top)




















Looking up the Royal Mile (a name not found on a tourist map of Edinburgh until the 1920s) You can see St Giles Church on the left hand side

Scotland: in random order

So... I'm working on the photos and I realize that the blog is going to be in a bit out of order. And as I'm having tech issues I'm going to be breaking the posts of pictures up...

Random weekend pictures (continued)...
Madderty









More random locations...

Scotland: the first weekend

So I originally was going to be incredibly dedicated and blog every night about what adventures I had during that day... well, as you can guess, that hasn't happened. I was not as dedicated about blogging as I expected. I did however download and label my pictures most nights.
So below are the pictures from the first weekend of driving about. The pictures below may not have happened in the order that they are shown. So please ignore my geography inaccuracies and possibly any mislabeling.

No trip to Scotland is complete without a visit to a distillery... here I am at the Grouse - which used to be Glen Turret which is the oldest distillery in Scotland.









while Mum and I were at the distillery there was a wedding party with the men dressed in kilts...















Many fabulous views...
Here is Loch Earn

















Ok... now here are some random pictures from the rest of the day...

Greetings from Scotland

So two weeks ago I wasn't planning on visiting Scotland. But I was able to use 80,000 miles from US Airways and get a first class roundtrip ticket from San Francisco to Glasgow. I mean, I'm not working at the moment and the ticket would only cost me the price of the taxes and fees for travel... and I can job hunt from anywhere. Plus I'm making international connections while I'm here. :) It is a win all around!

Well, my first day here is a bit of a blur as I was functioning on very little sleep. But Mum and I did head south and hit the shops for a few errands, etc. No pictures of that...

My second day... I slept a million hours, got up late and took a bit of a walk. I walked along the beach path and took a few photos...




The Rail Bridge across the Firth of Forth
















This beach has quite a lot of sea glass... Though not pictured here, I did find a lovely bit of glass with chicken wire running through it.

There are a lot of signs and bike paths and I really liked this suggestion...



I've uploaded my photos from today - but I'll blog about it tomorrow.... it is getting late and if I want to get up tomorrow and actually see more tourist stuff I'd better get to bed sooner rather than later...

long-time no talk & 2nd hand optimism

i know... i've been woefully silent on my blog as of late... sorry. you'd think that as i'm not getting up and going to work every morning that i'd be a more prolific blogger, but alas, i'm not.

The last few weeks have continued to be a roller-coaster of emotions. I'm upbeat and optimistic one day, then ready to crawl under a rock until they are giving jobs away again. I am keeping busy I have approximately 5 job websites that I check every day or so for jobs. I workout every day. I've been working on my bicycle. I now just need to get air in the tires, very important for it to move smoothly down the road. And for all the jobs I apply for, for all the companies that I post my resume to their website - I definitely hit the bottom of the optimism well, and I just felt that I'd never find another job again. Admittedly I'd rather be an optimist and a fool, than a pessimist and right. But even the lack of progress was daunting to me. I have an amazing support system of friends who were always quick to say - you are wonderful and fabulous and you'll be find a company and a job you look forward to going to everyday. And they will want you as much as you want them. Oh that is a lovely thought.

And this week, I made progress on a rather large personal challenge, and I got an email from a consulting firm I'd LOVE to work for and on Friday I got a call back from a software retailer wanting to set up an interview! And I randomly ended up talking to a woman at the bus stop (shock & amazement I know) who is a recruiter! And she understands what I do! It was a trifecta of fabulous progress this week!

YES!

Finally! Progress! 2 interviews in the next few weeks. Oh I know that nothing may come of them, but still - to toil away in the dark - not knowing if you are truly making progress, is hard.

Thank you friends for your 2nd hand optimism! I reserve the right to look to you again for that optimistic boost!

And keep your fingers-crossed for the job interviews to go well!

a few of my fave things...

so today I found a $3.99 used copy of one of my favorite movies... Big Trouble. Not Big Trouble in Little China... but just Big Trouble starring Tim Allen, Rene Russo, Stanley Tucci, and a host of other fabulous actors and actresses! It was unfortunately not a very popular film - but it is so well done and it is quite entertaining. Well, it keeps me laughing no matter how many times I watch it!

I highly recommend it!

the OG's new anthem...

I came across the new OG anthem yesterday. It is a song called "Merry Happy" by Kate Nash. It is a positively up-beat piece of music with some great lyrics... I have included the lyrics below. Check out the song if you have a chance.

Merry Happy...

Watching me like you never watch no one
Don't tell me that you didn't try and check out my bum
Cause I know that you did
Cause your friend told me that you liked it

Gave me those pearls and I thought they were ugly
Though you try to tell me that you never loved me
I know that you did
'Cause you said it and you wrote it down

Dancing at discos
Eating cheese on toast
Yeah you make me merry make me very very happy
But you obviously, you didn't want to stick around

Dancing at discos
Eating cheese on toast
Yeah you make me merry make me very very happy
But you obviously, you didn't want to stick around

So I learnt from you
Do do do da do do do do do da do do do do do da do
So I learnt form you
Do do do da do do do do do da do do do do do da do

I can be alone, yeah
I can watch a sunset on my own
I can be alone, yeah
I can watch a sunset on my own
I can be alone
I can watch a sunset on my own

I can be alone, yeah
I can watch a sunset on my own
I can be alone, yeah
I can watch a sunset on my own
I can be alone
I can watch a sunset on my own

Sitting in restaurants
Thought we were so grown up
But I know now that we were not the people
That we turned out to be

Chatting on the phone
Can't take back those hours
But I won't regret
'Cause you can grow flowers
From where dirt used to be

Dancing at discos
Eating cheese on toast
Yeah you make me merry make me very very happy
But you obviously, you didn't want to stick around

Dancing at discos
Eating cheese on toast
Yeah you make me merry make me very very happy
But you obviously, you didn't want to stick around

So I learnt from you
Do do do da do do do do do da do do do do do da do
So I learnt from you
Do do do da do do do do do da do do do do do da do

I can be alone, yeah
I can watch a sunset on my own
I can be alone, yeah
I can watch a sunset on my own
I can be alone
I can watch a sunset on my own
(do do do da do do do do do da do do do do do da do)

I can be alone, yeah
I can watch a sunset on my own
I can be alone, yeah
I can watch a sunset on my own
I can be alone
I can watch a sunset on my own
(do do do da do do do do do da do do do do do da do