And Into the Fourth Decade We Go ...

Like many before me, and many after me, I have recahed and turned the inevitable corner.  Of course, it pays to remember that turning 30 is by no means an inevitability.  Only if you're very lucky, if you have your health, enough to eat, enough water to drink and enough will to live.  I have all of these things, in spades.  And so on to 30.  It's a weird one, this fourth decade.  Suddenly you want time to start slowing down. 

My childhood was packed with physical injury due to personal clumsiness, and moving states, and sisters, and fighting with sisters, and car trips.  My teens were typically awkward and I would sooner have been out of them than in them.  My twenties started off a little shaky, what with my lacklustre uni performance peppered with a LOT of partying.  I only really started to gather momentum during the second half of my twenties.  Call it 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration, it took me a while, but I discovered the necessary pride in myself to make a few long overdue changes.  Next thing you know, I'd shed some excess baggage, moved to Japan, met some random dude who turned out to be awesome, and uncovered the life I'd never known I wanted, but subconsciously craved.

It's been a seriously good 5 years, and as a consequence, time is flying.  Without becoming anxious about the speed at which life seems to propel me into new adventures and experiences (I'm just about to embark on my third year in the glorious Edinburgh, with all its meteoralogical madness and sparkling inhabitants), I intend to relish every minute.  If life is what you make it, then it's time to get creative.

To celebrate my 30th, the only truly appropriate course of action was to gather the able bodied and willing, and commence a weekend of eating, drinking, merriment and karaoke.  Though the weather wasn't warm, we were blessed with clear(ish) skies, a light breeze and a peek-a-boo sun.

On my way into town with Stu and Martin, an abandoned building captured my imagination.

At the top of Calton Hill.  Stu was peeing his pants in excitement at the arrival of his bestie Martin.

The almost-Parthenon.


Oooh, eye bags betray a late night on Friday.  Didn't really get any photos of the Friday, probably for the best.

The 2 Merediths, dinner at The Cambridge Bar, the best burgers in Edinburgh.  They even have an Aussie burger, but pineapple, beetroot, bacon and egg on a burger's a little overkill for me.  Stu took one for the Aussie side, and he loved every bite.

Really, really good chips.  It's freaking me out a little bit that I no longer think of them as 'hot chips', and that I've started saying crisps.  Brainwashed by the constant ribbing from Stu I guess.

The lovely Lara gets down and dirty with a chicken burger.

Uh oh, drunk eye.

I'm not drunk, just appalled.  I forgot how excruciating karaoke can be.  If I say so myself, Lara and I kicked arse with our duets of 'Fernando' and 'Big Black Horse and a Cherry Tree'.  I think in Lara I've met a soul mate.  The first time I met her, we were chatting about what she wanted to do now she's finished uni, and she told me she wanted to be a copy editor and edit novels.  Now is that just weird or what?  That's the same answer I give people to that question.  She also has awesome taste in music, a great voice and when we're together we natter away like we've known eachother for years.  It might be love.  Kismet.

Martin and Stu didn't feel they needed microphones, shouting was good enough for them.

Abby and Matt came up from Carlisle, and worked those mics HARD for their effort.

Victor (Lara's man) was happy enough to be the audience.

Where DO we go now?  Answer: Random house party my friend from work told us about.  Fun times, Harry's always a cracker.


Ahhh Victor, I knew we'd get you eventually, NOBODY can resist the karaoke.  Lara looks bemused.  So cute.