~ ANNE! ~

I think the new Britney Spears perfume should be called "Witless", judging by the adverts. I don't know what the Canadian ones look like, but the ones here have a picture of Britney looking overly-made-up and really, really dim. I suppose you would be curious, if you didn't know anything at all. And I find it extremely curious that anyone would want a Britney Spears brand perfume. "I want to look and smell like trailer trash, just like Britney!"

Okay, rant over. I know I've been a very sporadic poster lately - I've barely had any internet access lately (or time to while away in an internet cafe) and while I can go online at work, now that I have an actual full-time job I sure as heck don't have time to mess around on the internet.

Speaking of which, I hate this internet cafe. It is pop-up city. So many ads everywhere. It's also cheaper than my usual one, but minus the nice old owner (and plus a sullen teenager working the desk).

The weather, though kind of crap today, has been gorgeous for the last while. I made full use of it by going out hiking with Aussie Brad to the Pentland Hills, just outside of Edinburgh. We climbed the same one as Steph, Remkes and I did the Sunday before - but about three times as fast! We scaled the same peak in about half an hour, then went up the next three and down by way of a hillside full of very deep snow. Then we walked along the reservoir that supplies drinking water to Edinburgh. It was pretty - an amazing shade of blue. I have made a vow to go walking more often. It's a huge pastime here.

Anyway, rewinding to last Sunday, that is what Steph, Rem and I did - climbed the first peak of one of the Pentlands. While Brad has a car (a company car, the lucky rat!) we were stuck taking the bus. The bus drops off at Milton Bridge, so it was actually a couple of miles to walk even before getting to the actual hills. Well worth it, though. Muddy as heck, but there's nothing like hiking up an 85-degree angle, in a field full of sheep (one of them sneezed at me!), being passed by fit-looking hippies carrying their two-year-olds on their backs. And the views were awesome. I hope Remkes got some good pictures, because my camera does not like taking nice landscapes for some reason.

We were exhausted after that little effort, so Sunday was another early night. And Monday was Feist! We headed to Glasgow on the bus and hit the Peoples' Palace, which is well worth seeing. Well, Steph and I did and Rem met us later, because he had to go to a museum of religious iconography or something. Trust Rem!

The concert, of course, was amazing. I wormed my way mostly to the front (though Steph and Rem may have had the better view, standing on a bench at the back) and was almost next to the stage. Feist is great live and her band was excellent as well. (highlights included a rendition of a Cure song by the French drummer!) Okay, I could go on forever about the gig, but will leave it at that. Suffice it to say I lucked out big time getting free tickets. Didn't get to meet Feist, sadly, as the last bus back to Edinburgh left at midnight. I was seriously considering sleeping at the bus station and catching the early bus the next morning, but there's no guarantee I would have got to meet her anyway. C'est la vie, as they say. Maybe someday.

Other than that, I have been very tired lately and can't seem to shake it. I thought I was recovering from the mad Steph-and-Rem weekend, but it's dragging on. I have also been shamed/inspired by Brad into actually trying to make some plans to get outside (whether this will actually occur is up in the air: more likely I will just continue to tag along with anyone more organized who has already decided to do something. I hate missing stuff!)

Speaking of which, sounds like Craig and Pia went to Dublin this weekend. Not that they told me about it. Found out from Pia's mom when she called. sigh. I think I do remember her saying something a few weeks ago, but she hasn't mentioned it since and I feel seriously out of the loop. Nice to have the house to myself, though.