Having been gifted a long weekend this past four days, I decided to change things up a little bit. Between career development, the running of a household and life in general, it difficult to introduce some spontaneity. I get so locked into a functional routine, that I forget how much there is to be done, and that FUN should be higher on the list of my priorities.
So this weekend I changed things up a bit and did a few things that I haven’t done for a while!
ThatIsBeyond…80’s Roller Disco!
I have never set foot in a pair of roller skates (roller blades were much more my generation!) but aside from just trying something new, I went OUT on a Saturday night!
I have never been much of a clubber, mainly due to a general disposition against large crowds, but also the drinking culture itself, I just don’t like being around out of control drunk people!
Now don’t get me wrong, I like a fair few beers with my mates at the pub, but crowded clubs full of spilt drinks and the smell of vomit does not appeal to me at all. So it was with some trepidation, that I made my way to Vauxhall in full-on 80’s garb to celebrate a friend’s birthday!
A vintage disco hall, the atmosphere was great and we did not miss a trick, arriving a 8pm when it opened was a very smart move. Using skates for the first time/ remembering how to use them is certainly better done when there is a bit of space to move around in!
As the evening moved on, the more crowded it got, (and as expected) the drunker people got, the more carnage there was and the less space there was to move! We stayed for three hours and had a whale of a time, but that was plenty of time on the skates, the place stayed open until 2pm where I imagine most people resigned themselves to the fact that the floor was probably their best friend!
For me I would definitely go again, it really was fun, you need no experience at all as the marshals spend as much time with you as required to get you whizzing around the dance floor.
If this sounds like your thing, Click Here to head to their website.
ThatIsBeyond… My own personal bake-off.
I really enjoy baking, but rarely get the time to do it. So this weekend I set myself the challenge of re-creating the Macaron (the one that everyone on “bake off” says is difficult but always come out looking perfect!). Difficult they are, too. I have attempted them on a couple of occasions and whilst the results always taste good, they never look like the ones off the telebox!
I came across a slightly different recipe on http://www.cakejournal.com which was not only written really well, but provided pictures of what stiff peaks looks like etc as you go along! A really great recipe (and site, a bit pink for my preference, but each to their own!) so a massive shout out of thanks to the cake journal team!
Here was this weekend’s attempt, which are my best ones yet!
With fresh vanilla macaron shells, I filled each delicious morsel with a chocolate butter cream (which was lactose free!
They take a few hours to make, but I really enjoyed the process and they were a lovely little surprise for my wife when she got home from work!
Click Here for a link to the recipe.
ThatIsBeyond… A change of Scenery.
Sometimes getting out of london is all that is required to shift my perspective. So when the opportunity to visit my best friend in Eastbourne, I thought why not?!
A trip to the seaside never did anyone any harm! I walked along the promenade visited the pier (which you can walk around but is still under re-construction after a fire last year) visited a local inn and had a coca cola and played some cards, and of course devoured some chips on the beach!
Although I didn’t do a huge amount, it helped recalibrate my brain and there is nothing better for the soul than seeing your friends.
I should also give a shout out to the cast of ‘And then there were none’ whom I saw in Windsor and were fantastic! They are currently touring the country and are soon to visit my old home town of Bath… So make sure you get buying those tickets for the rest of the tour, it really is a clever and enthralling show.
Click Here to see where this fantastic show will be visiting a town or city near you!
So that’s how I broke my routine, and I feel so much better for it. Sometimes it’s just nice to forget about the worries and strife of life, eat some chips and not think about the calories!
Now to the gym…
TIB
ThatIsBeyond 