Tour of Ayrshire and yoga by the beach

Had a really good weekend. Friday evening after work we headed to Troon. Weather was fantastic. Had a wander along the beach, did some spontaneous yoga on the sea wall (pic below), had a really nice curry, and finished off with a round of mini golf.

Saturday we headed into town to the GFT to see the new Anne Hathaway movie, Colossal. It’s superb. Really enjoyed it.

Sunday, Karen’s friend Mia came over, and we jumped in the car and headed to the beach again, this time Girvan. After a wander round, which included a visit to the community garden (well worth a visit), where Karen and Mia bought tomato plants, we jumped back in the car, and headed along the coast to Ayr, for another beach, some ice cream, and a look in the shops.

All in all a good (if tiring) weekend.

Wee afternoon off work

Got £20 of Amazon vouchers for doing surveys, so I (finally) picked up Prometheus on blu ray, which arrived the same day, and I’m just waiting for Preacher Vol4 to drop through the door (replacing my comics with graphic novels, purely as a space saver).

Last night we went to see a performance of Paras Over the Barras, as part of the Southside Fringe. It was being held in the function suite of the bar we go to for the weekly quiz night.
Good laugh, some “dead air”, and a couple of fluffed lines, but it’s put on by amateurs, and they did put on a good show. Nice wee night out.

Today we’re off to Stirling this afternoon for lunch, before heading to the Blair Drummond Safari Park. Unfortunately this means I’m going to miss my yoga class tonight, so I’ll have to do some in the house when we get back.

The weather in Glasgow is a really nice 25 today. Hope it holds out for a few days before reverting to the default setting of dreich.

Update and Alien movies.

That was a pretty good weekend. Made some chilli, coconut and lime chicken, did some yoga, went to the garden centre and had hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream, and finslly saw Alien Covenant, which I really liked.
I’d heard mixed opinions of the new Alien movie, but the naysayers were mostly people I know who like hard SF in book form, and hold SF media in disdain, so I’m not listening to their opinion. That aside, if it was a franchise I liked, I’d still go, and make my own mind up about a film. For example, I love the Star Wars movies, BUT can’t stand Jar-Jar Binks. A character so irritating, you were praying for him to be taken out the gene pool. If we could get a special edition of Phantom Menace WITHOUT Jar-Jar, I’d gladly put up with the holes in the story.

This morning before work I met up with a colleague and went for a run. Nothing spectacular as it’s been ages since either of us ran, so just a comfortably paced 3k or so to get the legs and the lungs used to running again. Felt great to be out running. I’d forgotten how much I used to love it.

(Dug out my Nostromo baseball cap since it seemed approptiate considering my viewing at the weekend)

You want me to do what!???! (warning – may contain yoga!)

The universe is conspiring against me. Earlier in the week, I was looking at a yoga website and saw a photo of someone in the tortoise pose, and couldn’t help thinking “How the hell do you even get into that position let alone stay in it???!!”.
Well folks, at last night’s yoga class I found out, and I have to say that once you are there, and relax into it, it’s actually quite a comfortable pose to be in. Who’d have thought?

Anyway, I’m pretty chuffed that at 50 I can get my legs over my shoulders like that. I’m seriously more flexible, and fitter than I was in my 20’s – a misspent youth of gigs, rock pubs, and parties – and that’s a great feeling mentally AND physically.

Kurmasana – tortoise pose

De-stuffyfing

So I’ve decided. I need to be brutal about clearing out. I need to squirrel away as much spare cash as I can. I don’t need stuff, I need to travel. I’m ultimately preparing for when I can stop work and start to travel, and I don’t need stuff holding me back.

Much as I love cd’s, I can listen to mp3’s. Yes, I’ll miss not being able to hold onto something tangible, but I won’t miss the clutter.

To get the ball rolling I’ve got some dvd’s and cd’s to take to the 2nd hand record store later.

It’ll be good to not be mentally bogged down by physical items.

The holiday to Bali seems like it was years ago, when in reality it was only 2 weeks ago I got back. I need to find the calm I had when I was there. I’m back to work and back to reality, and I don’t particularly like it. So I need to plan for my get away, and make that a priority.
I can’t wait until I’m too old and infirm to get away, I need to do it in the next few years.

Ganesha

Thought I’d share this photo of a statue of Ganesha that I came across on my holiday to Bali.

Really cool little film

Nobody´s trip to nowhere from Andy Feldman on Vimeo.

Free your mind……….and your ass will follow.

Last night I went to see the living legend that is George Clinton.  It was the second time I’ve managed to see him, and what a show.
I’m not a fan of funk, but seriously, this was an amazing gig.  If you get a chance to see him, don’t hesitate, just go.  You won’t regret it.
Here’s s few photos.

 

Back on the bike

Decided to get off my arse and start cycling to work again, so after getting back from karate last night, I gave the hybrid a once over, packed the pannier with a change of clothes for work, and this morning cycled in.

Nice wee gentle 40 minute ride – I can hammer it in about 25 mins on the cyclecross, but I was up early and in no rush, as the gym at work doesn’t open till 7.00 so I didn’t want to be waiting about till it opened to get a shower.

By 7.0 I was showered, changed and in the coffee shop reading the paper.
Nice way to start the day.

Home again, home again, jiggedy jig*

(*bonus point if you recognise the quote)

So I’m back from my travels.  3 nights in Bangkok, 11 nights in Bali and 3 nights in Dubai.
I keep a travel journal, so there will be a link to the site I’ll post that on.  Means that this page isn’t clogged with almost 3 weeks worth of drivel that some people won’t be interested in, but anyone that weirdly might want to read about my travels, can nip over to my Blogger page and read the full story.

As a morsel to whet your appetites, here’s a selfie I took of me in a Balinese sarong (required for all for temple visits, so I thought what the hell and bought one.  Also, there’s plenty of people – male and female – both locals and tourists, just wearing them as everyday wear.)