So the UK got their long awaited white Christmas. People imagine white fluffy snow, sleigh rides, mulled wine and chestnuts roasting on an open fire. When in reality you get slush, digging the car out of the drive, black ice, road accidents and burst pipes!

I’ll say again…BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!

Anyway, back to Christmas for the Reids…

Much of December was spent was in the UK with the kids, renewing our visas and celebrating my mum’s 60th birthday. It was 3 weeks of chaos, Christmas shopping with every member of my family, trying to visit everyone in the short time I had and somehow trying to fit all my Christmas shopping into our suitcases!

We returned to Libya on the 19th December after a stopover in Amsterdam. It was great to be back home with Alan again, it’s not good spending so much time apart.

On the 21st it was my birthday (25 again). I was spoiled by Alan and the kids all day. They also bought me some lovely gifts – Wii Fit and a diamond and amethyst white gold ring – I actually bought it myself in the UK but on Alan’s instructions! We went out for lunch to a posh hotel in Tripoli and then home for cake that Alan had baked.

Christmas Eve was our usually quiet affair. Kids were bathed and into their new pyjamas then we all settled down to watch our annual Christmas Eve movie. This year it was Fred Claus. Pretty good actually, we’re running out of Christmas movies to watch that we haven’t seen before! Then it was off to bed to wait for Santa.

“He’s been he’s been” shouted Hamish at 8.30 on Christmas morning!

Christmas Day was spent opening presents, playing games and eating our enormous 6.5Kg turkey with all (well most of) the trimmings. Just as a change, this year we had Italian pandoro for dessert as the kids don’t like Christmas pudding. It was really good actually, much better than I expected. We had it with cold thick custard and whipped cream. I urge you to try it – we’ll be doing it again next year. I would prefer the panettone version but the kids don’t like the fruit!

In the evening, we headed over to friends. As the weather was so warm (unseasonable even for Libya), we all sat outside by their pool chatting while the kids ran around until they ran out of steam.

Santa was good to us all this year, here’s a highlighted list…

Hamish
Xbox 360
Games for the Xbox
Motorcycle helmet
Gormitis
Batman costume
Lego

Heather
PSP Go
Mobile phone
Clothes
Perfume
Board Games
Art Stuff

Alan
Oakley Sunglasses
Hamilton Watch
Books
Xbox 360 game
DVDs

Me
Diamond necklace
Pandora bracelet with charm
Silk top
Jimmy Choo Sunglasses
Arty jewellery

So, as you can see we all did well this year. Tonight is Hogmanay and we’re not planning much, just a quiet night in with the kids. It’ll be very odd calling home at midnight when it’ll only be 10pm their time! I Suppose there won’t be any network problems then!!! So that’s it for 2009, see you again next year…

Ok I won’t go into detail but I got a bit freaked out there for a while as it seemed my blog was being read and digested by ‘uninvited guests’ so I panicked and stopped posting. However, after much deliberation I decided to post again but being ‘very’ careful about what I write.

And for anyone of those ‘uninvited guests’ reading this, my blog is for friends and family only as a means of keeping in touch. It is not intended for any other purpose and probably holds no interest to you anyway!

This week has been half term for the kids. As Alan has been working, we haven’t really done much. They’ve been playing with their friends downstairs but as they’re at the International School, they don’t have holidays this week and they’ve had to wait until after 3 when they get home.

At the start of the week, we finally went out to get a viewing card for the satellite TV. After a few tweaks and trips to the guy, we now have all the channels. It’s broadcast from Dubai so we had to wait a while for the signal to reach us, but it’s working now and the kids are already fighting over Disney Channel and Cartoon Network!!! The good news though is that I get Coronation Street and Eastenders and they’re only a couple of weeks behind!!!

This is Hamish’s favourite spot for watching TV. Yes the floor is marble and yes the table has a glass top!

This is Heather’s favourite spot for watching TV (preferably with her pyjamas on).

Towards the middle of the week, the weather turned hot which is unusal for this time of year. I know it’s hot in Libya but it’s still October. It has been around the mid/upper twenties of late but on Wednesday it soared to 45 degrees!!! It was very hot and muggy so it was a relief to have some rain this morning (albeit only for 30 minutes).

The view from the front balcony. Seriously hot that day!

Hamish logged onto Club Penguin. He’s been addicted for a while now.

Heather writing her memoirs in bed.

Yesterday I bought myself a new mobile phone as the one I wa using since returning my BlackBerry went out with the Ark! I bought a lovely white Samsung Jet. The mobiles here are much cheaper than in the UK and they’re all SIM-free so no rip-off contracts to get sucked into. Only downside is that email doesn’t work on mobiles here yet, but its coming soon. It’s got quite a good camera so I plan to take more ‘spontaeous’ photos when we’re out and about. Here’s one I did today and had me in stitches all afternoon. Hamish was playing around with Alan’s glasses and I thought he looked like Chris Evans!

Today we went out to collect Alan from work then go to the barbers for Hamish’s first Libyan haircut. While the boys were being scalped, Heather and me had a wander round the shops next door. I bought a little cornish pastie cutter thing that I’ve been wanting for a while. The instructions on the back were hillarious, no-one can understand what they’re supposed to say!

Then we went to look at the butchers. All the butchers here display the head of the animal outside the shop to show what meat they sell. They all seem to specialise in one type of meat only. Guess what this one sold?

So it’s been a fun week in all. It’s the weekend tomorrow and we’ve got a few things planned then Alan is off to Tunisia on Sunday on a course for a few days.

All too much for Hamish!

Since we arrived in Libya, Hamish has been going to football training. Although he likes the idea of football, he’s never really shown much interest in actually playing it, so it did come as quite a shock to discover he wanted to join the club.

He’s been going for a few weeks now and is improving each week. The hour is spent doing mostly training exercises then the last 15 minutes is spent playing a short game. I’ve noticed that Hamish doesn’t really get in about when they’re playing – he’s always kind of circling around the edge of the action. So, the coach has been putting him in goals which seems to suit him better – his saves are excellent.

Although he enjoys playing; David Beckham he is not.

Ok so it’s been March since my last post. To be honest, at that point, I was kinda toying with the idea of scrapping the blog – I was busy working full time and just couldn’t find the time to keep it going. Facebook was a good and quick alternative. However…things have changed.

Rather than bore you with the past 7 months events, I thought I would write a shortened version by month, just to update everyone. So here goes…

March

• The lovely Jamie and two thirds of her brood came to visit (I forgot to mention this in my last post – sorry Jamie).

April

• Alan gets offered a new position in the company and given 24 hours to make a decision. He accepts but we’re sworn to secrecy until an official announcement.
• Amidst secrets and lies, Alan travels to Dubai to meet with his new boss. I join him for a short break as I’ve never been there and always wanted to go.

May

• Announcement goes out about Alan’s new job – Operations Director based in Libya!
• Planning the move begins.
• Me and kids travel to London to apply for our Libyan visas.
• Secure a school place for the kids at The British School of Tripoli.

June

• We all travel to Libya for a visit to check the place out. Arrived in a 50 degree sandstorm!
• Kids finish school for the summer.

July

• Kids travel to Glasgow to spend the summer while Alan and I are working.
• Alan moves to Libya.
• I travel to Libya to work for a couple of weeks (coincidence actually).

August

• The packers come.
• Last minute tasks before we move.
• Alan travels to London to apply for residents visa then returns to Aberdeen.
• We collect kids from grandparents then fly to Libya.
• We move into our new apartment in Palm City.
• Kids start their new school.

September

• I return to UK for scheduled surgery.
• Have my pelvic floor repair done and emergency hysterectomy at the same time 😦
• Alan turns 37
• Hamish turns 6

October

• I return to Libya recovered from the surgery.
• Back to normality…………………………….

This is a test post.

Forgive me Father for I have sinned, it’s been over a month since my last post…(lucky I’m not religious)

Yes it’s been a while since my last post. The simple answer is that I’ve been uber busy the last few weeks. I also changed jobs and it’s not so easy to blog when it’s quiet cos it’s NEVER quiet!!! Also, we’ve finally started decorating the house so all my free time has been spent on that.

Rather than give you a blow by blow account of the last few weeks, I thought I would give you the edited highlights…

• Decorated the living room.
• Started my new job – all is going well. I’m very busy which is good
• Work is a very sombre place at the moment as there are redundancies looming (I’m unaffected for now…phew)
• Started decorating the dining room to convert it into a sitting room. We’ve painted it and are collecting a new sofa this weekend.
• Alan is in Dubai on business
• Heather had her 9th birthday sleepover a couple of weeks ago
• Hamish jammed his finger in the door and had to go to A&E (nothing broken)
• Looking forward to our holiday in Menorca in June
• Hamish has been off school all week with chicken pox!

So that’s about it. We have some other BIG news but I can’t say what it is for another couple of weeks (and no, I’m not pregnant). So stay tuned for that.

It’s been a while since my last post, I’ve had a real whirlwind couple of weeks. To cut a very long story short, I was summoned by the Vice President of our Division to meet with him in his office a couple of weeks ago. I was informed that Marketing had to ‘get me off their books’ for a while so I was being re-homed in another department until things pick up when I’ll be moved back into Marketing.

So from Monday last week, I’m working in the Tender Team, putting together commercial tenders for the region. It’s not a million miles away from marketing actually so I’m finding it ok so far. There’s a lot of legal stuff I need to get my head round but otherwise it’s going ok and the girl I work with is really nice. Only downside is that I’ve had to move to our main building in Dyce and am working along the hall from Alan’s office!!!

But then again, I dread to think about the alternative!

Fortunately, nothing has changed in terms of job title and salary as I’m only seconded to a different department. Phew. It’s definitely a sign of the times, I was very nearly out of a job, like the 50,000 others in the UK last year. I feel incredibly lucky that I was spared but the reality is that no-one knows what’s round the corner.

So another year, another party.

Although it was a far less drunken affair than last year when I had to be escorted home by my husband on one arm and 4 year old son on the other! I made a complete fool of myself last year so decided not to do a repeat performance.

Like last year, Wendy had a party at her gaff. As my family is spread all over the place, Hogmanay is a time to get together. I had family come from Aberdeen, Kirkcaldy, Glasgow and Manchester. The Darlington contingent couldn’t make it this year unfortunately. I didn’t drink too much on the whole but that didn’t stop me from doing the Sally Maclennan dance with paper plates and having a few rounds on the karaoke (well it is Hogmanay after all).

My mother, it has to be said, did not fare so well. Her trademark phrase “I just can’t get drunk on Morgans” has been proven wrong, completly and utterly!!! Let’s just say (as I know she reads this), she wasn’t seen or heard from until the 2nd of January. Say no more.

Hamish was over tired following a late night the night before so we headed off just after 1am leaving Heather to continue partying in my absence (that’s my girl).

Gary, my cousin Sharon and my Dad

 

Libby sings another tune

 

Aunt Mina and Gary

 

Oliver and my cousin Yvonne

I make it look so easy don't I

I mentioned in a previous post that Alan got me a fast track ski lesson for Christmas…let me expand.

I had skied a bit as a teenager then had a refresher lesson a couple of years ago whilst living in Norway. I did better than I thought I would but make no mistake, I was happy just to get to the bottom of the slope without major injury. The problem I had was that I lacked the confidence to go back to the top on my own. Alan has never skied and he had to look after the kids anyway. So that’s about the sum total of my ability to ski. (Don’t be fooled by the photo!!!).

When we moved back to Aberdeen, we enrolled the kids into ski lessons on a local dry ski slope and have got quite good now. Alan has still never skied but likes the idea of a ski holiday to the Alps, so he decided that if I was better then I could supervise the kids on the piste while he learns. A good theory I grant you, it’s just the way he went about it…

Alan does not wait for anything, he has the concentration of a goldfish…he has the concentration of goldfish…he has the concentration of a goldfish…ok so get the idea. He decided to book me a 3 hour fast track adult ski lesson at Xscape in Glasgow which is basically a real snow slope, indoors (it’s refrigerated). Also he decided to do this on the 30th December, yes that’s right, the day before Hogmanay!

And to make matters worse, he was in Aberdeen so I had to go along myself as the lesson was from 7 til 10pm. So I donned my salopettes and hat and slung my skis over my shoulder like a professional and headed for my lesson.

There were 5 of us – 2 quite good and 3 pretty bad (I was one of the 3). He took us to the top of the slope and said, quite nonchalantly “down you go”. I tried, I fell. Shit totally shit. Not even slightly good.

So, skip 3 hours later and I’m actually pretty good apart from having no feeling in my arms on account of me using the rope tow* for 3 hours solid. By the end, I was parallel skiing and doing 5 turns on the slope. I hate to say it, I actually quite enjoyed it although 3 hours is too long by anyone’s standards, even the instructor called it a ‘tough shift’.

It’s a week later and my shins are still bruised! Looking forward to going again though, outside next time!

*The rope tow should not be confused with the poma tow that you stick through your legs – it’s just a moving rope which you hold onto to pull you up. So you have to hold your own weight each time you go up. 3 hours of this was torture but excellent for my bingo wings!