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I don't believe it! in the words of Victor Meldrew - I don't believe it! As I typed in the words above - I realised I had typed them before - on 5th Feb LAST year. This is my anniversary - one year of blogging!

I'm a whole year older and wiser.

Yet I still think i can work all day, go out to a dance which lasts 10 hours, eat drink and dance, and manage to get back to work on Thursday. The festival takes place on a Tuesday, and the Wednesday is a holiday, but we have to be ready to work on Thursday. Unfortunately we all assume the Thursday is a Monday and get very confused.((WHITE SETTLER - ARE YOU FOLLOWING?))

We were at the local ferry terminal as our Hall - and it had been transformed into a dance hall complete with bar and band, and a supper room. A friend said that she spend ages convincing some visiting tourists that it is NOT commonly known as Transvestite Tuesday - but then realised that nearly all the men seemed to have false boobs and fishnet tights. One squad in particular had fishnet tights, pvc macs (short ones) and much make up, wigs etc etc. we all stared at these men who made excellent women - its so not fair when you've spent hours gettin ready....

but then not all men made such good lookin ones. some just don't...

One of the last squads in to our hall were particularly good - I say this because I know them well, but also because they don't come from Lerwick. Most squads are Lerwick men now, because of the rules. I think you have to live in Lerwick for 5 years before you become eligble. but if you live in the country - you're not able to join. Unless you take a place of an existing squad member. Anyway I digress. This squad blew balloons up and let them go. so far so good. then they blew up an enormous balloon, and a man slowly disappeared inside it. after a bit of jostling he burst the balloon and reappeared as Elvis! how magic is that!

we have had a bit of debate about whether this is a sexist festival or not. The men are in the squads. they have to perform their acts - 12 times in the night, and they have the chance to dance or have supper in each hall - again as there are 12 halls, 12 times. there isn't really time to have both supper and dance - as there is a strict timetable to stick to.
If every man has the chance to act and dance/eat in every hall, and is waited on by women to serve his supper (I did my 2 lots of half an hour in the kitchen, and had no problem wi this at all) then yes it does seem a bit subserviant of the women.

BUT if you think about it from the wimmens view - they have 40 squads to be entertained by - so have loads of possible dances/suppers - there's never a dull moment. And we don't have to spend half the night in a bus or truck and queuing outside halls in the cold.

Hmmm. What would you rather choose?

Well - its horrid weather - still not moved house but its imminent - and I'm beginning to feel unwell. still no cooker. phoned shop - at exactly 5 pm - they said we close at 5 (tho they answered phone(?)) and no, they had no idea if cooker had come. (why o why did I not order it from John Lewis) could I phone in the morning. Only after I came off the phone did I remember I could have said - no, you phone me. I did manage a curt and sarcastic - 'well I suppose I'll have to.'

Black pudding - something I have never eaten - we bought some Stornaway black pudding at the local Farmer's market made by Charles McLeod. I fried it and the put it on top of some stew (local beef) - which incidentally had been cooked in Unst Beer - and wow - fantastic. what an Island recipe - bits from all over the Northern and Western Isles. We ate Shetland black tatties too - they're kinda being re marketed - nice.

Can we invent a blog recipe - what wid we use?