I've missed you old friend, please don't disappoint

I spent just under and hour and a half over the Easter weekend watching the new Red Dwarf mini-series, not unlike many other fans all over the UK. Trying not to expect too much, preparing myself for the worse, but secretly hoping that this was going to be a new begining, a birth of a new era of smegness, flaired nostrals, glossed pvc bell bottomed suits and ironing.

Oh, the pain! It started bad, I wanted it to be building up to something, I needed this to be worth it, I've planned my bank holiday weekend around this (sad I know, but 9 or 10 years waiting to see what happens next seemed to make blanking 3 free days for it worth it) part 2 of 3 seemed to improve but part 3 was going to be pretty special to provide the set up for the new series I not so secretly wanted. It wasn't. It was full of cop outs, bad extended jokes that weren't funny, it didn't even pick up from where the last episode had left off. It changed the past for convinience and its continuity was as nonexsistant as its humour. In short it was all I feared.

We watched number one with friends of Marks, met up for a curry (particularly good, particularly hot!) then watched it at the place he used to live at. I was nice to see them agin, I exorcised a few ghosts and had a laugh and I've been told of a good intellecual Australian musical comedian. We had spent tht day trawling around Camden looking for the earings I spent most o1f last weekend looking for and the preceeding weeks lusting after and found them! I also got some wet look leggings that I wanted and Mark got to spend the best part of an hour mooching around a second hand music shop and bought a bunch of cheap cds. I think that was a win/win situation






Morning of number two I had breakfast at 14:00 which is one of my favourite things in the world, my breakfast was lamb chops which is another of my all time favourites. We meandered around the point of getting ready until we actually had to leave, we were going to my best friends house (he's also a big Red Dwarf fan) to watch it. Enroute we picked up spiced rum (my new addiction) crisps, salsa, sour cream and decorate your own ginger breadmen. I also introduced Mark to another second hand music shop and we spent another hour and about £10 on more cds and a dvd. We spent a few hours in front of Alfies turntable taking turns to pick Beatles songs to get played. Then settled back for the next installation, eating pizza and garlic bread helped to numb the pain, not to mention the excess of rum. The general opinion, was "at least that was better than yesterdays, who's turn is it to pick a song?" We ended up dancing and jiving about in the living room. T'was an interesting and enjoyable evening spent with some of my favourite people. Did I mention He's getting married in a few months time and that his fience is wonderful? I got a bit choked thinking about it part way through the night, I'm sure the rum was helping here. But looking back I meant everything I was thinking. I couldn't be happier for them. I even had a little flash forward, a sort of realistic fantasy for them and I could only see smiles. Thinking that made my night and I wanted to tell him, but I knew it would come out like a drunkard slurring "I love you man, you're my, hic, best friend" so I just let it slide, but it made me happy. We played more silly games and laughed together till the early hours. We stayed over.

Morning of part 3-I'm not really bothered about watching it anymore. Breakie with pals then on to the farmers market-my idea, mostly closed. Danny was going out again my idea. Off to the heath, Marks idea, it was a beautiful day. Not sunny and hot, but warm enough and with a threat of rain that kept it fairly empty. We must have walked for 3 hours or more then stumbled onto a 15th century inn, via a friendly ice cream vendor. It was supposedly the birth place of Dick Turpin the floors were uneven, the beams were exposed and there were alcoves and cubby holes. And a nice selection of beers. We sat and had some food main plus desert (banana bread and cream) and petted the dog at the next table. Did I mention we met a greyhound at the farmers market that made me change my mind about that breed completely-now I do want one, it leant into me while I was stroking it as if it wanted a cuddle. Then went to my Dads to watch part three, by now I was meh with the whole thing and it lived upto it. It's opened it up for a new money making series where they will flog any old merchendise to get a few bob out of the reputaton. Personaly I think long term fans have seen right through it already. It's a flop, I should have been raving about it for days and watching the omnibus tomorrow. I'm not. I've forgotten it already and I hope it stays that way. Red Dwarf was magic just as it was. I want to remember this Easter weekend for enjoting the time I spent with old friends that I haven't seen for a long time without the reason we all got together marring it. I think I'll just let the seris timeslide away.