Ms MacPhail, being the lass who loves logic within our little trio, has identified a distinctive pattern in my blog posting, which goes something like this:

Saturday, Sunday & Monday posts: V. upbeat, energetic and full of positive notes about weekend adventures

Tuesday & Wednesday posts: mid-week working blues kick in, all sense of optimism lost. Reflective on occasion, but generally just plain boring

Thursdays & Friday posts: anticipatory, generally more upbeat, with summary of weekend plans

So, based on this analysis it may be wise to skip reading of mid-week posts, or for me to pull up my socks and sing those mid-week blues away!

OK, onwards & upwards the Weekly Weekend Wrap Up.

Oh, right, but a few disclaimers/sidenotes/other news items first:

1. My name, Shannon, in case you didn’t already know, is not quite as uncommon as I’d once believed. I mean I know its no ‘Schemida’, but I’d like to think us ‘Shannons’ are slightly rare breed. Well, any such notions have flown out the window since I moved to Scotland. I have already met two fellow Canadians by the name Shannon (one from PEI the other Vancouver) and am constantly being confused by Jen’s stories about ‘her firend, Shannon’, because she has another friend by the same name. (insert Shannon sigh).Should I change it..or the spelling (like Sahra..my desert-like big sister)

2. Keri & Jen got jobs!!! Woohoo!!

3. If you want the whole story re: weekend events, you will just have to email me..#

OK, so here it goes:

Friday night was completely chillaxed. I needed such an evening in a bad way, having been worn down from constant going-out & activities of previous four weekends and long work days. Jen &b I baked a chocolate chip loaf (the equivalent of 12 smallish muffins) and polished it off within 24 hours. We also whipped up a chocolate cake for the next days’ birthday bash. We managed not to eat any of that, just a wee bit of batter licking ! We also made some progress on the quote wall (sidenote – the weekend also resulted in some new quotable quotes from this Shanadian).

Saturday turned out to be a gorgeous day, so I started it off with a jog around the neighbourhood. I intended to jog in the Botanic Gardens, but was stopped at the front gate by a menacing gardens employee who denied me entry as a jogger (although I was more than welcome ot walk the grounds if I wanted). I could have been put off by the audacity of such a restriction, but it was much too nice out and I was much too stress-free to really care. After going about a few errands, I met up with Keri & Jen in the park near our place. While I was there to enjoy the sunshine, I also wanted to avoid the kitchen in our flat. You see, our celebratory plans included crashing…er..I mean partaking in the community barbeque being held by the local church. To be quite honest I imagined it would be a rather simple affair, with hotdogs and sub-par burgers being served up..maybe some orange drink like the stuff from McDonald’s. I couldn’t have been more wrong and I am soo glad I saved me appetite. It was an absolute feast, a smorgasboard of foods including home-made salads of every imaginable type, bbqd chicken, sausages, veggie dogs, hamburgers and – the topper : A table full of delectable sweets including a Smartie Cake. Seriously, it was like something out of Pleasantville. We’d invited along some gals from PEI who we’d met earlier in the week through Natasha, as well as a couple of gals they’d met at the hostel. So, yeah, it does pay to have friends living in high places (EH3 5HE..our posh postcode has finally paid off!!)

Now, you’d think with all that food stuffed in me, I’d be less than eager to begin drinking the bevies, but nope..remember, I’m a keener! Bring on the Vodka & Diet Vanilla Coke, make it a double.

After a wee bit of house drinking we were ready to rock the town. I won’t ‘bore’ you with all the details of the evening (read: send email if you are curious and a cat), but highlights included:

Visiting Filthy McNasty’s – it will be the last time for a long while I believe. Hee hee hee. Well, at least until Jen’s parents come over…

Being asked if I was blind..not sure whether this was because I wouldn’t look bloke in the eyes or because he thought himself God’s Gift to Women and couldn’t believe I didn’t see that in his beauty. In any case, he repeatedly asked Jen to tell me that he was a ‘good-looking guy’. Yeah. OK, for an off night, but it wasn’t.

Meeting up with my Dublin-dancing friend at the Walk-About and dancing up a storm on the stage.

OK..lunch is over, but I’ll be back with further notes about the weekend. Promise.