My Life's Ingredients

Copy on the web ... Evening news promised us a printed version as well ... if anyone of you got a copy can you please keep it and pass it to me? Same with any newsclippings you find about the Edinburgh Wolves. THANKS!!! :)

I'm tired ... shattered ... and totally drained (physically as well as mentally!). Still running on empty after this MEGA weekend (Cyber Crop Friday night/Saturday morning/afternoon, Wedding Saturday evening and first game - away in Glasgow - on Sunday). Hope I can recharge at some point this week as we have our first home game on Sunday and that will be even more draining ... back to stadium drill and all that. PHEW! :) At least NO Wolves wash this week, so was able to put on a wash for ourselves plus our "prodigal son" aka Allan. :) Yep, our lodger is back, and it's quite nice. :) Fortunately Allan is one of the quiet type, so no problem at all. After a BIG rush to get 3 registration forms done for the league as well as that blimming "living will" equivalent signed and e-mailed to my sis I now have to go to the postbox to send the originals to the League and my sis respectively. Maybe a little fresh air (combined with some rain) will help me wake up a lit...

A sunny day at Lonchinch, Pollock Country Park, a nice gridiron on good grass, 22+ grown men ready to fight on each side - what else do you want? Wolves @ Tigers 2008 - as usual a very good game and aftergame food & chat was great.

Well... not much done this time, specially as I had to get stuff ready for the game on Sunday and we had our friends' wedding Saturday evening, so didn't do much. Got 90 points though. :) Here are my attempts: "Pretty in Pink" class from Chloe - as I am not a "pink" person, I've slightly changed the colour scheme... Then we have a challenge ... "Blank Cheque" - a challenge to do a Layout without any patterned paper. Not a problem for me, as I don't use that much patterned paper anyway. :) I took the opportunity to do my CJ entry for Babs in the 2nd CJ Group on Dani's Forum (German). Journalling Reads: "That's what it looks like in my house nearly every Monday. Edinburgh Wolves kit, i.e. Jerseys and pants. Either from Training or games (10 per year minimum). Juniors and Seniors. Approx. 40-45 sets, each week. That my own washing is not getting done much is understandable. BUT I LOVE DOING IT!" Title "Any Given Monday...

Here you go! :) Official Wolves write up pre game 1!! :)

Not the best day today ... busy with getting things sorted for the Junior Wolves tournament tomorrow and the Senior game on Sunday. Who had the stupid idea to have the tournament the day before our first game - an away game to boot!!! - AND the day we're attending a wedding in the evening???? $)*$£)*)$£(*$%)(*$* !!!! Also - got a phone call from my sis this morning ... saga with my mum is going on. Apparently the OP didn't go as smoothly as we're told, and in Germany the doctors don't HAVE to tell next of kin what's going on unless you have something similar to a "living will" (which neither my Mutsch nor my sis or I have for that matter!). That's something new, think it was put forward in 2005 and got included in the medical law in 2006/2007. Feeling f****** helpless in that situation while I am up here, and then I am getting chased by coaches about players who are not registered ... because I never got the flaming forms in time! ARRRGGHHH!!! Right .....

Nice afternoon out with my sis, nephew and DH. My mum wasn't feeling too well (pre-OP jitters) and decided to stay home. So we went to the "Rhein-Main Therme" which I am growing more and more fond of. Of course it cannot compete with the "Taunus Therme" in Bad Homburg (totally different feel to it), but hey, it is just around the corner from my mum's flat and for young kids it's fab! And the sauna area is not too bad either. I checked with the staff whether I am allowed to take photos of family members whilst swimming, and they said as long as I don't take pictures of anyone else that's fine - HAH! So much better than in the UK!! We had so much fun - and I didn't even have the chance to read my book as we were all busy swimming in the "wild water canal", going down the flumes, watching Ciaran jumping off the 1 meter board, being in the wave pool and enjoying a cuppa and a piece of cake. ;) LOTS of fun - and it was great ...

We've been slightly rushing around packing Doug's bag and the food stuff for Germany this morning, then posting things for Awards for All and BAFA Player & Coaches registrations. But managed to get a taxi and got to the airport in time. Quick check in, getting 2 adapters for mainland Europe (mine have gone missing somehow), one of which we will leave at my Mutsch. After the scanning - I set off the scanning thingy, but was told that's the random check, now done by the machine itself, so you don't get the "s/he's been picking on me due to religion/race etc". Then we went to the Servisair Lounge, nice breakfast and fairly on time boarding. The book vending machine still has me in fits, but now I found a vending machine for Ben & Jerry's Ice cream with a mini-freezer etc. (see below). FUNNY! And very tempting. :D Flight was fine although we were sitting in the last row (and they still say you've got a window seat ... that window is bes...

Have done quite a lot today, considering the headache which is still thumping ... I usually abstain as long as I can from painkillers, but right now I've taken some Co-codamol. Don't fancy a bad headachey night and having more headache tomorrow when boarding the plane!! Anyway ... still got some PC stuff to do which I will do tomorrow morning (with the current head I can only sleep until 9am anyway!) - e-mail player applications to the league (which will be issued by post tomorrow before going to the airport), e-mail latest contact details of our youth/junior players to the people in charge while we're away and getting some more documents onto the laptop. Just copied our cruise photos over so I can show them to family - and really should think about how to scrap them... :D Bag is packed ... I think ... I mean ... what do you need for 1.5 weeks with your family at their place? Pants/socks/bras, T'shirts, 2 jumpers (in case weather is as bad as here), swimming cozzy, nec...

Got headaches again ... woke up with them already, thought they're going away at some point so took the bus to work after the doctors (picking up prescription for Zolly and being told that the heartburn I am suffering from since the week after the laparoscopy is normal and probably still a side effect from the gas they pump into your tummy) but when I got to Roseburn Place and the headache was unbearable, plus I felt nauseous, so took the next bus back home. Not too happy about that, but either the whole news about my mum or the Zolly (or maybe both?) had a negative effect on my today. Have to get some stuff done later the evening before we head off to Germany tomorrow, but right now I am taking some time out again in a dark room... :(

Didn't get enought sleep, today is my day off and I usually catch up on sleep on those ... and should be still asleep for another 15 mins or so. But no, we've got a slot for an uplift for our blinking dishwasher (yes, we FINALLY are getting somewhere with it ... i.e. uplift and refund of money and then we've got to search for a new one) - between 7 and 11!!! Just hate it when they give me that slot! Usually they don't arrive until 10 or 10:30am for that. But bet you that they would stand at the door at 9am if I decide to sleep longer! Currently having my cuppa, then decide on breakfast. With all that heartburn/acid reflux last week I quite fancy a bowl of semolina. Which is quite funny - lots of people don't like either semolina or Farina but I LOVE my "Griessbrei" (Semolina Pudding) - did already as a child. Now I just have to find out if we still have a jar of Morello Cherries in the cupboard ... they go nicely with semolina pud! :) Oh ... and there you ...

DH told me last week about it ... we have a (Drumm roll) QUIZNOS in Edinburgh!!! It's on South Bridge, opposite Pound Stretcher, just 2 doors from Subway !!! And today after work I went in and got my dinner ... went for the Steakhouse Beef Dip. :) Was nice.. yummie! :) I shouldn't have had a look at the menu in the US though ... FAR MORE YUMMIE SELECTION!!! Hope they'll increase their menu over here as well over the months, like Subway did.

This is my CJ entry for Sonja from Dani's Forum. Theme was "What you still have from childhood". Journalling all in German (sorry) for a change. ;) At least I got already some points for April on UKS. As for the goodies ... I got a letter from the US today with my new Cuttlebug dies (through E-bay). LUVVELY!! The Embossing folder "Allegro" And then one of the Disney Combo Dies (Cut & Emboss) "Kick off" Now I am just waiting for the delivery from Ellison. :) Else ... UKS is having another Cyber Crop - this time "The Oscars". I usually miss out the crop in the first 1/2 of the year as it usually is during our holiday in Germany, but this time it's just the weekend of the week we come back, so looking forward to it. :) We've got Steve & Jill's evening reception on the Saturday, and our first game of the season at the Glasgow Tigers that weekend, so won't be able to attend that much, but hey ... at least I can spend so...

..it's a blinking deluge here (pours is not enough!)!!! One of our coaches who was supposed to pick up the kit and a couple of players and then go to Fordell Firs directly fell sick and cannot attend the weekend. DH is one of the few who are insured to drive a van and is now loosing 3 hours he had set aside to pack his stuff and preparing things for camp because he has - AS BLIMMING USUAL - to do the fire fighting!!! Right now he's on the way to pick up the van, go to JKC to get the kit, pick up one of the players and drop off the van at another player who fortunately can drive the van! Then he has to come back (not before 7pm - he had planned to be home at 4pm!) and do all the other stuff so we won't be at Fordell Firs until approx. 9pm. THEN my Mutsch just phoned and told me that the contusion in the lumbar region last July was not a contusion at all but a blinking double break of the L2 (2nd lumbar vertebra). Her Doc got her a quick date for an OP - but of course that no...

This week I got my Easter Mail! :) A nice Easter Card from my friend Doerte in Germany (the card itself is a darker red than the pink from the scan!!) And this morning arrived a nice care parcel from my Mutsch with faaaaar too much chocolate for us! :D ;) It contains the following: 1 x "5 Minuten Terrine" Huehner Nudeltopf (Very nice German Cup A Soup from Maggi , Chicken Noodle flavour) 1 x "5 Minuten Terrine" Kartoffelbrei mit Fruehlingsgemuese (as above, but this time potato mash with spring veggies) 1x "5 Minuten Terrine"Broccoli Nudeltopf (as above, but Broccoli Noodle) 2 " Milka " Chocolate Easter Bunnies 2 " Milka " Funny Egg cups with chocolate bunny 1 x " Milka " Easter Chocolate Mix 1 x " Milka " Cream Chocolate Bar 1 x " Milka" Cow Patch Chocolate Bar 2 x " Milka " Easter Bunny shaped Chocolate Bars 1 x " Ritter Sport " Cappuccino Chocolate Bar 1 x " Ritter Sport "...

Well... with a little luck I will and help from 3-4 other people mainly. :D The Wolves have their first weekend camp this week and we've got approx 35-40 people in total. Now ... that's for breakkie, lunch and dinner Saturday and breakkie & lunch Sunday. I've shopped/cooked for about a 1/3 of that in the past but my brain doesn't even imagine how much cereals and milk I would need for just the breakfasts!!! :o Specially as I've seen what the guys can devour! Currently getting help from the ladies on UKS (Brown Owls/Guides/Scouts) and hopefully will be able to get stuff together... ;) Shopping list has to be ready tonight so our HC and DC can go to Costco tomorrow.

for the post OP pain that is. Just to kick me up the back side my head decided to put in a migraine for good measure. :( Woke up with headache after 6 hours sleep (just couldn't fall asleep last night) and during the day it disappeared and now I have the blurry vision - so "4head" and 2 co-codamol to prevent any further attacks... Tummy is all blue and yellow, nice bruises really. The nurse at my GP has no appointments free until Thursday, so getting the stitches out won't happen until then. Currently not happy with the whole thing - laparoscopy to drain the cyst is fine, then about 6-12 monhts later it's refilled as they don't remove the cyst because they are worried about damaging the ovary. So I am going to have laps again and again, until we may have a positive IVF cycle and then my specialist strongly suggests we go down the road of hysterectomy/removal of the ovaries. I know that I had endo probably since I started to have my period as I always had very...

Hope you all have a nice day with lots of eggs... ;) I am mostly still in bed, although I don't need as many painkillers anymore - just taking them now when the pain gets worse. The OP has been mixing up life a bit here the last week ... didn't do anything for St. Paddy's day (not that I am usually wearing the green, but a guinness or murphy's is usually in it!) and Easter is faaaar too early this year as well. Usually I do paint a couple of eggs and we have "Gruene Sosse" - but I've used the last batch of the herbs from Germany (from the freezer) earlier this year. Not good, but at least I don't have to explain DH how to do the sauce. As for eggs - no coloured ones this year (don't know if they actually sell painted chicken eggs in the shops over here... in Germany they do) but I got a nice Aero Egg and on Thursday morning before the OP I got a parcel ... my best friend Sharon sent me an Easter Egg via Hotel Chocolat. SOOO GREAT, hun!!! Thanks ...

Back home now - arrived at 8:15pm. Was ok to go to "departure" lounge at 6:45pm ... but couldn't do required "No1" before leaving. My anaesthesist was not informed of me being a "difficult intubator" due to my jaw anatomy so we had the possibility of the OP to be pushed back as she wasn't too comfortable. Arrived at 11:30am, got seen first time at 11:50am by the nurse and then nothing until 1:10pm for the anaesthesist. Saw Dr. T immediately afterwards and then had to wait until 2:05pm to get changed. Got into the Anaesthesist's room at around 2:45pm and then they took 15 mins to get me sorted. Fortunately, a specialist doc for difficult throats just finished her patient and was able to help my anaesthesist (Dr Burns - a lovely lady!). Got it done with a monitor - stylish! :D As soon as she injected the cocktail I was gone (no problem to get the canula in the hand this time! HURRAH!!)... Was fairly ok in the recovery area but not 100%, was the...

It's Wednesday evening, and in about 1 hour I am going to switch off the lights ... and then will get up about 6:45am tomorrow to have some toast and then go back to bed until 9am. The cyst is cramping quite a bit today, hurts more than my little toe ... and to top it all up the "witch" arrived .. 3 days early. I don't think it makes a difference to the OP tomorrow, but hope that's correct. Don't want them to push the OP back as I suspect that if we don't do the draining tomorrow I'll be rushed into hospital again with acute infection etc. We've been to the cinema after work - our first film in March we think (after approx. 6 movies in February). As we've got our Cineworld Pass we should watch at least 2 movies each to get a bonus out of the £11.99 per month. Ah well. What did we see? "Be Kind Rewind" . VERY funny movie, and typically Jack Black! :) Had a good time there, glad we decided to watch it, as it helped taking my mind off th...