That's this year over, next one please

2016, eh? What a year to be alive. I tried to make 2016 a bit less shite by not moaning about it, but I did moan about the moaners which is just as bad. Anyway, as December is nearing its deserved end, it's time for review, reflection and resolutions. How convenient that I keep a blog, so reviewing my plans for this past year is easy.

I made a number of resolutions (*click*), some of which worked out to a degree and some did not.

Overall, I probably didn't laugh more. There was a major increase in the laughing amount during my Ukulele classes but that was offset by the mopey months before, when I contemplated the sadness of being lonely. Anyway, it was a good resolution and I shall hang on to it.

1. Laugh more

No speed dating! Plans were made but then my friend's grandad suddenly died and we all didn't feel like it anymore and then forgot. More boys? Equally, nope. I think 2015 was peak boy for me.

Did I get fit? In a way - I have established a weekly yoga routine, so that's something. Should be good enough for now, together with my cycle commute and the occasional hillwalk. At least I hope that it's good enough, as I gave up swimming before I even started. But I do want to check out the fitness machines in the park behind my house. What a luxury to have them there. I just need to get over the feeling of looking silly on them. Of course I'll look silly on them, so what.

2. Use fitness machines in park

As for new resolutions, there's something about food. Food stopped being the enemy years ago when I decided that life's too short for diets. However, I have treated food poorly, taken it for granted, and not given it the attention it deserves. My pasta and cheese binges surely don't make the pasta feel appreciated. Any successful attempts at cooking I negate by shoveling the food into my mouth while watching a TV show. My mum must have sensed something, because she gave me this book a few weeks ago:

It is inconceivable that picturing myself at dinner with Mr Darcy won't make me be nicer to food.

3. Do food better

And finally, reflection. What else happened in 2016? I went part-time and now work four days a week. This was a great decision and there is no going back. I started to study statistics. I took up the Ukulele and signed up for the fiddle. My Uke teacher said with my mad Uke skills I'm already halfway there - he's a charmer. And finally, in addition to yoga, I've also established a meditation routine and am all zen now.

So, 2017, bring it on.

North Berwick to Dunbar

I did another long walk yesterday. The stretch between North Berwick and Dunbar is the final section of the John Muir Way - and the only one I have walked to far. And conveniently, both towns can be reached by train.

John Muir Way

North Berwick is a seaside town 25 miles northeast of Edinburgh. It sits beneath a hill, North Berwick Law, which was formed by a volcanic plug and then shaped by time and Ice Age. North Berwick Law stands out in the otherwise flat area and can easily be spotted from as far as the Pentlands or Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh. In fact, I climbed it once with my friend Colin. It looks quite tall from afar, but we were up and down in an hour and spent the rest of the day on the beach. 

I left North Berwick at 10.30 am and followed the well-signed route south, past North Berwick Law. The route desription on walkhighlands.co.uk (*click*) said that East Linton would make a good stop for lunch. The walking was flat, I saw few people, most of them with dogs. It was quite a long walk to East Linton, maybe 7 miles (10 km), and by the time I got there I was quite hungry.

The pretty town centre had a couple of delis - both closed - but no cafe or tearoom. I passed a co-op supermarket, but I was really after a hot drink and some soup. I started to wonder if the walk description maybe suggested I should have my packed lunch here rather than talking about dining options in East Linton - when I spotted the pub. I had soup and a coffee by an open fire and was more than happy.

I didn't stay long though, as I wanted to get to Dunbar and the final section on the clifftops before it got too dark for walking on clifftops. Leaving East Linton I walked along a river Tyne (but not the Newcastle one), across field, and when the sun started to set I reached the saltmarshes of the Tyne estuary. Pretty cool, I hadn't expected any saltmarshes.

Walking through John Muir Country Park I then saw something odd. It started with the Lamas. Then ostriches. Sheep, goats and donkeys. And then a huge castle-like structure with slides and ladders, and a little monorail. One moment in the wilderness, and in the next I find myself in a safari park.

The sun properly set when I just spotted the red cliffs of Dunbar. I skirted the golf course (you are never far a way from a golf course in Scotland), and the sky turned pink, and the cliffs turned too dark to see. I arrived in Dunbar at 4 pm.

Dunbar's centre was astonishing. The Christmas lights were wild and colourful, but when I looked more closely I saw that they were in fact sponsored by local businesses: "Season's greetings from all at Torness", or just the name of the firm with a tree or a star. Odd, but cheerful. 

My train home was very busy but warm, so that was nice. I even caught the connecting train to my local station. But when I got off there, Network Rail or Scotrail or whoever I can blame had done quite a blunder: The road that crosses the rails next to the station was closed for roadworks. However, the pavement alongside this road is the only way to get from platform 1 to platform 2 - and this was also closed. So, only one half of the train station was accessible from each side. People living north of it can only take the trains towards Edinburgh, or coming from Glasgow. Unfortunately, coming from Edinburgh, I was on the wrong side. So after walking 15 miles already and being only an 8 minute walk away from home in theory (I could almost see my house) I had to walk another 2 miles to cross the rails in a different place.

The route

North Berwick Law

Dangerous Ford! With a footbridge next to it.

River Tyne

Baby lama

The bridge to nowhere

Pink skies

Local businesses outshining each other

Sponsored Christmas decoration

Stramash

Such a musical week!

I met with my friend Francoise to jam - she on the piano, me on the Uke on Friday. On Sunday, I sang Christmas carols with my choir at the Summerhall christmas market, and today I sang more carols with the annual Christmas pop-up choir in the office. And I don't really know what Stramash means, but I was in one tonight, when my music school had their end-of-term gathering, the Stramash, where all the groups performed a couple of songs to each other.

My Ukulele 101 group was combined with the Ukulele session group, and we performed Patsy Cline's Tennessee Waltz, and then Andrew Lloyd Webber's Christmas Dream, together with the accordion 2 group.

And since making music with other people has been so much fun I signed up for fiddle classes next year. And maybe I'll start a band. Never too early for New Year's resolutions.

I'm back

It's been a bit dead over here, but I'm finally done moping now. I'm back to old form, open to new adventures and fun challenges!

Maybe it was the last weekend that did it - I hung out with my bestie Colin, and made gingerbread cookies with his girlfriend's little boys. They had a Wookie cookie cutter! Colin said choir wasn't the same without me - awww! I hadn't been going since summer as it clashed with my Ukulele group.

Or maybe it's Printer Guy who's back in the game. Remember Printer Guy (*click*)? He ticks all but two boxes: He is no laird and has no castle.

Or maybe it's because I remembered the time when I was newly single and spent my first holiday on my own, went to San Francisco, and kissed three guys in one night. Such fun.

But who can tell why we feel how we feel, all I know is that I'm done being sad, so there we go.

So, for the month of December I'm setting myself this challenge: 30 cards in 30 days. This is inspired by Kat who, last month, sent me the earliest Christmas card (and gift!) ever. Do I actually know the addresses of 30 people? Well, we'll see.