Cooking Up A Storm!

Had to buy a new cooker today, the oven in the old one has been gone for around 3 weeks, and the lack of variety at meal-times was really starting to get to me. There's probably very little wrong with the cooker we have, but the cost of actually having someone just look at it, is more than it's worth probably, so that's why I plumped for a new one. Nothing special, it's a cooker, as long as it cooks, it'll be doing the job for which it's intended. I need lasagane, that's the main issue here, no lasagne for 3 weeks, it's beyond the limits of human endurance!

I'm also looking for a new car. Did I say new car? I meant an old car that's just like new, but at an affordable price, and preferably with low mileage. That's asking a lot isn't it? Well, if you don't ask, you don't get, that's my motto, and it has proven true many a time. When I sort out that problem , I also have a dodgy washing-machine and a knackered hoover needing replacing. Those will have to wait however, as I'm struggling heavily in a financial sense, as I approach the end of 4 years studying, with next to nothing income. Yes, somehow we seem able to save, even when earning nothing. That seems to astound people looking in, who I'm sure suspect that someone must be giving us cash. They're not, we're just good at not being frivolous. What that will mean when I do start making some money, I'm not sure. We'll either be very comfortable, or else won't be able to stop spending insanely.

No hill-walking this weekend bacause blizzard conditions are anticpated, but I do intend to make up for it in a week's time, I have a few expeditions lined up, weather permitting as usual of course. I might have to acquire a few accoutrements first, don't have a compass for starters. I do have maps, and I use streetmap.co.uk quite a lot as well. Anyway, we'll see what happens, the best laid plans of mice and men, and all that...

The Moorhound of Bennachie!

I'm knackered! I've just spent 5 hours this afternoon trekking across the five tops of Bennachie, and it took about 5 hours from start to finish. I'm not going to type much, the only peak of any magnificence was the one seen below, the Mither Tap, the last of the 5 for us. After which the long slog back to the car park was fairly tortuous!

Could this be the hiding place of the mysterious Moorhound of Bennachie. Sorry if you don't get that, you really had to be there (family joke of the day).

First Day At Uni!

Whew, that was a long day, I'm knackered. I was up at 5:45am, which might not seem too early, but I never got home till 6:50pm. I cocked things up a bit going in early anyway, as I thought I had to meet a studies adviser in the morning, although I didn't know what time. Turned out it was only those training to be Primary School teachers that had appoinments, so I was kicking my heels till mid-day.

From noon till 1pm we had to attend a welcome meeting in the Arts Lecture Hall, at which point I realised how many trainee teachers there were in the Uni this year. About 400 it was reckoned, but that's Primary and Secondary combined. After that, it was waiting around again until about 2:45, when I went to complete my registration. That went quicker than expected, so I hopped straight on a bus for the train station about 3:10. Damn bad luck, I missed the train by about 2 minutes, and they only run every two hours. Crap eh? It's like a third world country up here in the North of Scotland.

When the next train finally came, it had some technical problems. Deja-vu! The last time I used the same train, the driver couldn't get it started. Third World efficiency too! The train finally got going, packed to the rafters, and about 10 minutes behind schedule. The guy I managed to find a seat beside had come prepared, he had 6 bottles of Bud with him, nothing else mind, just the beer. I heard him mutter "alcohol" every time he reached for another bottle. His burps were reeking too!

So, I'm back on Wednesday and Thurday for similar punishment. We have to attend a reception from 3:30 till 5pm on Wednesday. I'll be leaving that before it finishes, I'm not going to catch the 7:15 train. That would make it near 9 before I got home, no way!