My new friend

There were a few mistakes, a few light things to do and a bit of indecision that wasn't all mine for a change.


Phew, what a weekend it was.



Friday I went out with a friend of mine from the pub that I work in, we drunk Ale from Sussex and chatted. It's nice to get to know new people and Jon is one of the people that I'm genuinely interested in, rather than someone that I'm forced into knowing and have to tolerate (certain colleagues, friends of friends or friends of family members). The only real problem here is that the only time I've spent with him has been when I'm serving behind the bar or when we're both on the 'correct' side of the bar and then we get shitfaced. We both seem to enjoy the really strong pale ales so drunkardness sneaks up on us. And Jon does a disappearing act after a left hand milk stout. It's one of the things I like about him as I've been known to just leave once I've had enough-I'm not big on goodbyes when I'm drunk, they usually lead to sloppy kisses and the classic "You know you're my best friend, hic" or " I really love you man!" And it seems that even when I'm beyond remembering my own name I just know that this is not a dignifyed thing to do so I sneak off too. We had another of those nights that ends in me playing pac-man chasing a take away curry around the kitchen floor because Mark's put it on a plate but I'm too drunk to lift my head off of the floor so I push the plate forward with every bite I attempt.



Saturday we went to Ricmond park-WOW it's even prettier than I remembered, we saw the deer, the first time was from a distance, and we tried to get pictures with our phones and although we could see them quite clearly the camera picked them up as about 3 pixels on a screen of green and blue (The Rigante colours). Still it was a magical sight. We walked on through the park and came to a lake with a bench between it and an overgrown meadow so we sat and had lunch. Saw some beautiful blue mayflies and inspected a really ugly insect that landed on my ruck sack. As we got up to leave we saw the deer again, a lot closer this time and they were coming towards us. Some had anklers and they varied from 1 to 7 pointers, there were colour variations some being quite dark fawn and others quite bright whites. They were all beautiful and the anklers looked like they would feel like velvet to touch. I thought it looked sumptuous, Mark said the feel of velvet makes him itch. I shall put the pictures on here at somepoint when I play with this blog at home. They got closer and closer and I started to get a bit nervous-well they are a bit like small horses and one of them did try to eat me when we were in Wales. So we tried to back off but they kept coming, bloody hell we're beng surrounded by carnivorous deer! It all ended well when I hit one on the head with a digestive. Deer seem to like digestives-who knew?

Wales

Is a wonderful place. Obviously the pictures show the highlights of the holiday (at least while we had the camera). Our pictures look better than the post cards we bought while we were there, the sky and the sea seem bluer and the personalised touch of us being in the pictures proves we were there to see the very best that South-West Wales has to offer.



We arrived on Friday at around midday after setting off at the ungodly hour of 6:30. The journey was uneventful, on reflection the route was a little odd, seeming to fork off then go back on itself and the request stops were a new thing to me but we didn't have to do anything special so it didn't effect us. I was far to excited to sleep on the train as had been my plan so I read and looked at the new OS map, planning route that we would later ignore.

We arrived at the station in glorious sunshine and found the campsite (2.7 miles away) with ease. Set up camp and wandered back into town to get supplies, found a farmers market in full swing and tested some locally produced apple brandy-very nice. We made enquiries about the bus to get us to the launch point for Skomer Island and found a 'puffin shuttle' would take us there in time to queue for the boat. All good.

The pictures tell the story better than I ever could.

But I've had to cut them down so much that you'll never get the full story...
...so make of this lot what you will-hey, tell me a story for a change!











It's not surprising, but I feel another move coming on...

Monday, Monday

I didn't get to Super Picnic Sunday, it didn't happen.

Friday was fun, drinks with colleagues then to the Gladstone to see Tom Rodwell again, he never disappoints and this was no different. I stayed in the pub until the bitter end and had a little chat with Tom, he even gave me some careers advice! I wasn't drunk at all, which is surprising because I'd had wine at work then leffe in the pub and either of those on their own usually floors me. I think it might have been the slight intimidation I felt from all the directors that were there, it wouldn't be a good idea to get drunk and start shrieking.

Saturday was shit.
I was left in the cold.
I didn't get the shopping I wanted for Super Picnic Sunday.
The garage next door have a sound system that shakes the foundations of the flat.
I had to go to work.
I was working with my least favourite people.
I was foolish and gave my number to a guy that wants to take me out.
although he left shortly afterwards I know he'll come back, he's asked after me when I've not been working and now I've...

...oh, shit.

I shall send a message declining, I don't know exactly what I'll say, I'll make something up. Don't give me a reason to go, just don't I'll finish us. I know I will.

Sunday was better, I nearly told Mark what's bugging me. But I couldn't formulate the words. However I imagined myself saying it seemed to send the wrong message. I don't want him to hate me but I know from experience that it won't be my defences he jumps to. I'm not the one who started this, and I can see the sneakyness that he can't, the sideways looks checking if I'm around, the guilt that shows a hug means more than it should. It's not for me to point it out again, I'll be left with and "I told you so" and a broken heart. We went over to Mark's brothers for dinner Kelly had made home made quiche and some lovely potatoe salad. We watched too much telly and Justin and I had a sly smoke and because it was both of us Mark didn't judge me as much as he would have at home.

It was a long journey back, quite a long walk to the station at that end (and we got slightly lost which meant my idea that we should aim for the second from last train was a worthy one) then a long walk from London Bridge to home. We didn't want to go straight to sleep and so watched a bit more Red Dwarf-the later series, not my favourites. I fell asleep during the second episode and Mark woke me to ask me if I was asleep.

My favourite date

is today!
I don't need an excuse for a good time, the weekend should be good enough for that!
Next weekend we're going Brighton and this weekend we're going to see Tom Rodwell on Friday, Saturday is not my day but I'm working on Saturday night so I'm trying not to let that bother me too much. So Saturday night's alright for fighting, I mean what ever makes her happy, what ever makes it alright. The evening I don't mind so much, but I'm being shoved around on the Saturday day time too which doesn't sit well. Well I can use the time to prepare to Super Picnic Sunday, it's going to be 16C and my plan is to put together some ummig ethical treats that we can bag up and carry on our backs to the heath-via camden so I can get the hair bows I've lusted after for about a fortnight now.
Fried new potatoes and dips, cartons of juice, crisps, sandwiches, salami and posh cheese and maybe a speciality beer or three. Sunshine and grass underfoot, the wind kissing hair and making it tumble, framing faces. Laughter and love, peace and some fun, maybe I'll take my kite or my hula-hoop so we can behave like children for a while. I want it to be special, I want to simply be in love, just for the day.

A weekend where I want to be

All of my favourite things and a few surprises! Friday, working late, BUT it was fun. I spent the last 40 minutes or so getting ready to go out with Rhiannon-doing the girly chat thing about make up and dresses, I wouldn't usually admit to liking that sort of thing but no-one reads this so I can on here! That and I haven't done it for such a long time. So I'm made up, smell nice and have a new dress on when Mark comes to pick me up. We have an itinary and the first stop is a restaurant that we used to live near, an old favourite you might say. Baby aubergines all round. Yummy.

We feel full and sleepy, but there's no time for that, we're going to the Gladstone to see Tom Rodwell he's a musician that does blues/gospel/slave songs with a funky twist. The bar was heaving, so we got drinks and fought our way through to a corner at the back where we had a bit of room to dance although I didn't quite have enough room to get into it, being laden with winter coats and bags I knocked someones pint all over someone else, oopsie. They were very nice about it, but I felt terrible and bought another drink for the person who'd lost theirs but could only apologise to the person that was now wearing the original pint.

Dancing, chatting and laughter followed and we left there with big happy grins and not enough alcohol in our systems to slow us down the next day, I've got a surprise to go to!

OK so it may not be the most romantic idea for Valentines day but it suited me just fine. I was surprised with two tickets to go and see a division two team play. Leyton Orient vs Crewe Alexandria. Well, what a match!

I love watching anything live, be it music, sport, plays, ANYTHING. The atmosphere is wonderful and the excitement is contagious, especially when you see a lower division side, the supporters are there through geuine love of the game and their team not glory hunters that follow the big clubs. Plus we couldn't afford to go and see any of the big clubs on a regular basis-there may be a hint of bitterness there, but not alot!

We got there, surprisingly it really did only take the 20 or so minutes the TfL website said it would, consequently we had time to cue up twice before the game, once for the tickets we originally bought and once to change them around for the home supporters area-there was a health and safety issue with that part of the stands. Anyway we got it just as the whistle blew. The North and South stands were singing the football chants and after a while we had picked up the words and were singing too. The O's scored 12 minutes in and I got carried away with it all and jumped up whooping and cheering-ohh, the joy! Crewe scored shortly afterwards and I actually felt a pang of disappointment as the ball hit the net, then jubilation as the whistle went a second time to signal it was disallowed for being offside.

The O's won, 1:0 and the Crewe fans went away without a smile as it probably wasn't a pleasent journey from where ever Crewe is and they just saw their team lose and have a goal disallowed. Gutted.

Well, you may think that this is enough excitement and activity for one weekend, but we're still going! It's on to the Mucky pup to meet Raven and play pool and get Native American spiritual names, I'm Princess Red Sky-I think the 'Princess' part is a little pretencious, but I didn't pick it and Red Sky on it's own souns like the begining of a proverb. Marks is Shining Rain, his mum reminds him later that they used to live in a house called rain sparkle?-I'll have to check that. This bit gets a little blurry because, in keeping with the theme of the weekend, I found my absolute favourite spirit of all time-I really cannot emphasise this enough-Frangelico. Ahhh, that hazel nutty goodness with a kick of fresh lime, it makes me drool! Raven says to me, quite out of the blue "he really loves you, you should keep him, he's got a good aura" I smile and say that I think I might just keep him because I love him hopelessly too.

I am not getting soppy here, besides I'm nearly finished this epic blog post. End of the evening comes and we say our goodbyes, take a weird route home-up to Angel then back on ourselves to Old St get some hot food and wait in a Pret-a-mange doorway to eat it and wait for the bus, an hour later still no bus so we walk. I was looking forward to chatting and listening to music in the kitchen when we got back but we gave up waiting for the bus and walked so we fell into bed and slept through till the afternoon.

Epic weekend, epic blog post, epic treat for me to live up to. Bugger, now what do I follow that lot with?

Rainy days in London

Why is it that along with rain comes wind? Is it just me or does this make the umbrella the most impractical invention on the planet? I saw scores of people crossing tower bridge this morning fighting with the damn things, not keeping dry at all and running a high risk of being swept off into the Thames. And for those that don't have a metal pole with sharp spider legs connected with plastic bat wings there is the constant danger of having an eye gouged out by one of the hapless umbrella users!
I don't understand why people don't use water proof coats and hoods, is it because they are geeky in an untrendy way? Is it really that important to look good when all the people around you can't see where they're going because they are blinded by the wind, rain or some idiot with an umbrella? A decent storm in the city is enough to see the effects of the meteor storm in the Day of the Triffids!
I left the house before I saw it was raining, so I tucked my hair in y coat and pulled my hat down over my ears. I got to work a little soggy-I don't think it will kill me AND I had a better chance of dodging the brollys and thus arrived unskewered which I think is a little more important.