Liz Going On

Last night I was curled up in bed about to go to sleep when Andrew came into the room and squealed.  Apparantly there was a massive spider on the pillow near my head and my life was in mortal danger.  I was glad to be protected by such a gallant man so I followed instructions and got up and helped to catch the spider.

I didn’t actually see anything though as I had no glasses on and it was a mighty fast mover.

We didn’t catch it.  Although we did pick up the bed and found something I thought I’d lost months ago.

Spider hid from view and was nowhere to be found after much frantic searching.

I wasn’t that bothered and tried to go back to bed, but Andrew was having none of it. So he decided we should sleep in the spare room. I wasn’t so convinced as its only a single bed and wasn’t made, but before I knew it the sheet was on and bedding was provided too. So my protestations were in vein and I ended up by the wall.

I actually slept really well.  And it felt like I was a student again. 

I post to tell you all that I’m a fool and left my front door to my house wide open when I went to London for the weekend, and it was kept wide open for over 24 hours until my neighbours decided to shut it and nobody has commented to take the piss/say how lucky I am/say how stupid I am.

Is anybody out there?

On another tack, Mad Ada from up the road has just knocked on my door and given me half a cabbage for Beryl.  Bless her. I think she’s lonely. And mad.

I am a very lucky girl.

This weekend A and I have been to Londontown for a wedding.

We somehow managed to leave the front door of my house wide open.  Neighbours closed it and took the keys out (that I’d left in the door) this morning. And phoned me.

Laptop, telly, stereo, car keys were all where I left them.

No one had stolen anything, and the door had been open for over 24 hours.  Wide open.

Still confused as to how it happened, and feel very very silly and exceedingly lucky.

The wedding was good. The bride was beautiful. Andrew looked wonderful in his groomsman kit. The photographer was a total nightmare, who managed to tell everyone off at some point during the day and seemed to have no common curtesey.  I felt a bit of a spare part for a lot of it as Andrew had duties and I didn’t know anyone, it was hard work and not really an experience I’d like to repeat.

Oh yes, my top fell apart! I got changed and was about to leave for the pre wedding drinks and then Andrew noticed that something was strange with my top. It had a 6 inch hole in it!  Thankfully it was fixable with some safety pins.  Phew!

Andrew felt too poorly to drive home today, so I did.  It was a bit scary to drive his car through busy Croyden but it was all ok (I was insured but only third party…). 

Tired now.  Need another weekend to recover from this one.   

I promised to tell you all about the weekend and I’m fed up of revising for the moment. Last week revision was pants and I was really disheartened with it all but this week I’m feeling a bit better about things. Just gotta keep going.

Anyway, back to friday. Friday was a marathon at work 10am till 1am.  Eek! But I survived.  Got home, went to bed, slept for nearly not long enough.

Fat club was good this week. I lost 3lbs (and having had the wedding the previous week means I’m very pleased) and am enjoying the no-count plan far more than counting points.  I won the raffle, so got a box of WW chocolates. Tasted ok. I actually won three things last week. A bag of malteasers for coming bottom in an exam (boo, hiss, and I was trying really hard) then the WW chocolates and some WW sweets in two raffles at fat club. It was nice to win things but would have been even nicer to win something like £30000!

Anyway, after fatclub it was onto Rugby, having stopped at Matt’s flat to borrow his electric piano.  I was going to meet some internet friends, who I play silly word games online (based loosely on the Radio4 show, I’m sorry I haven’t a clue) and once a year we meet up in person to play the games for real.  The evening was much fun, with many gags about suppositories being made amongst other things.  We punned, laughed, drank and sang for many hours.  And we were staying in a lovely hotel too.

Back to Manchester on sunday.  I have the nap-from-hell (see below) and then it was off to the Bridgewater Hall to see the Halle’s opening concert of the season. And it was a cracker. Mozart’s piano concerto in C (number 21). A Berloiz overture (overplayed by classic FM). Swan lake act two and three bonus pieces, including a brass only encore!  I love live music and getting it for free was even better!  I took Mum to the concert and it was wonderful to have some quality Mother and Daughter time, as it feels like we’ve not had any for ages. And the gin fairy came. I got a bottle of Bombay Saphire gin. And other presents from Mom too. Hurrah. I am a lucky daughter.

I took monday off sick as I felt dreadful.  I slept in till 1pm and felt a little better.  Didn’t managed much though.  But managed to make myself pretty (yes it did take a long time) as Andrew was taking me out for an anniversary (well, six month) meal.  And very nice and particularly posh it was too.

And now its Wednesday.  I’ve revised all day. Dyed my hair and most of the bathroom and now I’m off to have a good sing-song in choir.  I need to learn beethoven’s 9th symphony off by heart by 14th October, eek!  Actually, you should come to that concert. Its going to be amazing.  Go on! You know you want to hear me sing! 

I’ve had a fantastic and rather tiring weekend, which I shall be coming out of the closet to tell you all about later.

First I must tell you about the poor quality of the nap I have just had.

I went to sleep at 3.45pm. I intened to get up at 5.20pm.  Just to make things clear, this was a serious nap, in bed in pyjamas.

However it has become the most disturbed nap in history.  My landline rang three times.  My mobile twice.  And I got two text messages.  Finally I was woken up by Clare popping by at 5pm.  

I am more tired now than pre-nap.

And I’m also very disappointed.  As I really needed that nap and it had such potential.

Grump mode evoked. 

I’m super tired and have been super busy this week. Nothing too exciting though.

Monday work by day. Revision at night.

Tuesday, work by day. Revision at night.

Wednesday. Lancaster, for an anaesthetics course all day, choir at night.

Thursday.  Lancaster, for an anaesthetics course all day, choir at night.

Friday. Menatlist insane shift at work 10am till 1am.

Today. Fat club. And now I’m about to go on an adventure to Rubgy, taking Matt’s piano for an outing.  Its very excited.

Beryl is a happy bunny, but I don’t see her that much. She may be moving home soon, but more about that if it happens.

Andrew is a happy boyfriend.  We’ve been together for six months now.  He was a lamb and bought me Champagne to celebrate. And he makes me a happy girl too.

I am getting quite stressed about my exam and the possiblilty of failing. It costs seven hundred quid to take, so I really don’t want to fail.  But I managed to come bottom in a practice exam on Thursday.  Bugger.  I have a lot of work to do so I can learn it all.  There’s more stuff in it than there was in my finals.  And I don’t seem to have enough free time to revise.  And I know I have to make sacrifices but I don’t want to give up choir or friends.  Aargh.   

Now, where was I?…..

Suzanne and I walked through town to church. We got quite a lot of double takes, and people starting but then pretending not to. It was a bizarre and fun experience.  On arrival at church there were many people to hug.  My Brother and sister-in-law, who I’d not seen for ages, Mum who’d just got back from her Canadian adventures, Rachel, Alison, Cass, Joel, Miranda, Steve, Debbie and of course, Andrew.

Just before kick off everybody apart from the important people were hearded into church.  Paula arrived with her Dad, also on foot, much to central Manchester’s confusion!  But disaster! She’d forgotten her bouquet.  This is not that surprising as she was borrowing the veil from Patricks’ sister, who also forgot her bouquet on her wedding day, so the curse of the veil struck again.  But nible footed George, Patrick’s brother, was dispatched to run to the flat to get it. Which he did in record time!

The service was lovely. There were great hyms to sing and the choir sounded ace!  The page boy fell over when Suzanne and I were guiding him to his seat, and I’d like to publically announce that I did not throw him on the ground as some people think!  After the service there was Champagne drinking and nibbles, mmmm.

The reception was in the Art Gallery, what a fantastic place!  We had photos and more perplexed Mancunions and lots of Chinese people with cameras too.  Then there was more Champagne and a jazz band. Then dinner was served.  And very yummy it was too.  Asparagus and parmesan to start.  Followed by lamb or goats cheese tartlet (I had the latter and it was amazing!) Then raspberry creme brulee.  Delicious.  During dinner my brother decided he wanted to swap ties, and managed to propergate this through the whole room!  He even swapped ties with a waitress.  Not sure if everyone got their own ties back at the end!  

By this point I was quite drunk!  But pleasantly so. The speeches were good, and the cake was cut.  Then we danced. And Danced, then danced some more.  My feet really hurt the next day.  We skipped and turned and laughed (and a sly tactical chunder was thrown in by me for good measure!).  

Suzanne, Cass, Joe, Alsion and I sneaked out and ‘did over’ the flat.  I’d been given keys months ago by P and P, so what did they expect!?!?  We put rose petals and silver confetti in the bed with banners everywhere and some cherries and chocolate on the bed too.  We also put quite a lot of shaving foam messages on windows and mirrors.  I was rather impressed with our artwork, althought I’m not quite sure Paula was so taken!!!

All in all a fantastic night.  Weddings are ace!  And I’ve got another one in two weeks.   

I’m still totally knackered after the wonderful wedding and my feet still hurt.  Moral of that story is don’t buy shoes that are half a size too small no matter how pretty they are, cos it will end in tears.  Anyway, more wedding stories later.  Its my bedtime now.

Thankfully most of my activities this weekend have been joyful.  It was Paula and Patrick’s wedding.

I managed to get off work early on Friday.  *big grin* And then I went to keep the bride-to-be company during her last night as a single woman.   We met Patrick’s family for a drink and then headed back to the flat for dinner, wine and telly.

The morning of the wedding Paula was up early, not surprisingly she was quite excited and a little nervous too.  Suzanne, the chief bridesmaid arrived and then we all got even more excited!  We went to fat club (briefly) and then had a manacure.  While Paula was having hers I got on the phone to Cass to get her to buy things to ‘doctor’ p and p’s bedroom for their first night of marriage!

The lady who did my manacure was a bit nuts and scientifically innacurate, but the end result was ok.  I still don’t like wearing nail varnish and having long nails but it did look pretty.  After that we went to suburb for coffee and a sandwich. Paula and I go there every saturday morning after fatclub.  We were merrily eating and chatting when suddenly Patrick came down the stairs!!!  I shouted at him to go away and he did.  He claims not to have seen Paula, but she caught a glimpse of him. Naughty Patrick.  I chased after and castigated him severely.

Then we went to have our hair done. Paula and Suzanne had their’s put up and I had mine made curly. We were beautiful. So we went back to the flat and did make up and drank Champagne and put frocks on.  Paula’s took quite a lot of lacing but looked amazing (thought I’m not sure she could breathe that well!).

And that’s all the preparation.  I will share the rest of the events with you another time.  Tomorrow maybe! 

Two blog posts today. I feel that as they are at totally different ends of the spectrum that its not quite right to have them in one post.  Andrew’s just recieved a phone call from a friend.  His wife has just had a still birth, one week overdue.  I cannot imagine how they must be feeling right now.  Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this very sad time.