Bless him

My mate Jason really loves his new toy Cyberman helmet.

Incidentally

Despite surfing the net for info, I'm still not entirely clear whether I can take my contact lens solution with me in my main baggage (ie not hand). And AFAIK the type of solution I'm using now isn't available in Boots. I might just have to pay £10 for a bottle of my old solution that I can't even take back with me.

Why the fuck didn't I just book a train ticket?

In my defence, I did book the flight before all this foiled terrorist plot hoo-ha kicked off.

My mind drifts off to happier thoughts. I had a busy weekend all in all. Thursday night was spent in the Waterhouse pub in Manchester where a couple of my friends from Durham met with us. They were down for some clubbing in the Village and popped in to see us. A nice evening but I felt much more subdued than normal. I think it was the monster headache I'd been nursing for a couple of days. Either that or it was one of my little phases where I do go very quiet indeed. I don't feel depressed or miserable during these times just kind of lethargic and pensive (I think that's the right word to describe it).

Friday night was a works girly night out with my boss, AM, V who'd been with us last time and V's best mate who turned out to be someone who'd worked with my mum many moons ago in the local library. Small world. It wasn't quite as wild and raucous as last time. The food was better (sea bass with garlic potatoes and then chocolate and raspberry tart) but the karaoke had been replaced with an Irish band. Except that they weren't very Irish at all really. Or very good. A bit subdued again but not as bad as Thursday. And none of us drank as much as last time so the evening came to a much earlier end. The main reason being that my boss, AM & I had to be up at a reasonable hour to go to a football match.

Yep, me at a footie match. Everton vs Wigan at Goodison Park. It was a corporate do that they'd had a spare ticket for so they invited me. I had to posh up a little as we weren't allowed to wear jeans or trainers. Or so we'd been told by the organiser. When we got there loads of other people were wearing jeans. So we got a free glass of champagne on arrival, free Everton pen and programme, a four course meal (distinctly average) and all the alcoholic drinks we could get down our necks. The match was fairly entertaining too. Only a little bit of on-pitch aggro and the Everton fans turning the air blue swearing at the ref amused me lots for some strange reason. My, they're a passionate bunch. And talking of passion, my boss and I got rather close during the day. Not in a I'm-going-to-snog-you-right-now kind of way but in a girly snuggly way. She kept leaning close to say stuff during the match, even resting her head on my shoulder a couple of times. Oh boy. And we were packed in a bit tightly during the meal too so that our legs were touching under the table. It was just so comfortable. Neither of us made much of an effort to keep them from touching. I'm not reading too much into it. I think she was just being girly matey.

Bloody hell it made my day though. Suddenly I quite like football.

Oh to be in Thailand

Why can't our military overthrow our PM? Anyone? Anyone? Oh aye, its cause most of them are in the middle east that's why.

Instead, this weekend I shall be in Swansea. If I manage to get there. Actually getting there mightn't be too bad its getting back that's the problem. You see, I'm flying. Work is getting a bit hectic at the min and the woman who is most able to cover for me will be in New York so I can't really take much time off. Not that my boss has said that. I've just taken it upon myself really. So I thought I'd fly to Cardiff and make my way to Swansea from there. Except the pubic transport between the two cities looks to be a bit of a nightmare. Especially on a Sunday when I will be travelling back. We're talking a bus from Swansea to Bridgend, a half hour wait and then a train to Cardiff Airport. Still, the scenery might be fantastic so the bus ride might actually be very pleasant. I'm keeping an open mind. One time when I was making my way back to Uni in Leicester the train from Manchester to Sheffield was replaced by a bus over the pennines. Oh it was lovely. The weather was fine, the late afternoon sun cast a beautiful glow over the hills, the scenery was magnificent and my Sheryl Crow tape was a wonderful soundtrack. Ahhh.

Unfortunately it means that the two and a half days I'd planned to spend at the Dr Who convention are now pared down to one. And I've paid for the whole damn weekend. Bah! And a mate of mine who normally does DJing at these things isn't going so we'll have no funky disco this year. Pooh!

Maybe this is a sign. That I have to mend my geeky ways and get a life? No. That I'll have to book for next February's convention in Los Angeles sharpish while I still have the money and the motivation? Oh yes indeedy.

My day

Here's what the Yahoo horrorscope says my day is going to be like;

Your level of physical and mental energy should be very high today, dear Cancer, and so you might feel restless throughout the morning. As a result, you might spend your afternoon and evening out and about, shopping, paying visits, and attending classes or lectures. Some stimulating discussions could take place. At some point, you might find yourself admiring a park or garden. Don't try to do too much, and enjoy your day.

Here's what it should actually say;

Your level of physical and mental energy should be very low today, dear Cancer. So much so that you feel like resting your head on your desk and sobbing. You'll have a banging headache and feel as rough as a dogs arse, like a hangover without the pleasure of drinking the night before. You'll feel much better by lunchtime though when you'll manage to stuff a sausage and egg barm down your gullet. You'll spend your day sat at the same desk you always do, avoiding work by surfing the internet and listening to the torrential rain on the roof of the portacabin. Some distinctly average conversations will take place including one where your sexy boss laughs and calls you a drama queen for leaving a message on her answering machine saying you'll be late yet again because of the 'bloody traffic'. At some point you may find yourself admiring her arse. On the plus side though, it turns out a couple of your chums are paying a surprise visit to your home city to sink a few beverages. Try to make an effort, eh?

Screws vs Lags

Oh hurrah, hurrah. The world's first ever Bad Girls convention comes to Manchester. I think I'm going to wet myself.

Tomorrow today

If you thought The Tomorrow People was a bit dodgy already, you aint seen nothing yet.

The Tomorrow People as you've never seen it before, probably.

I'm not thick

But I've just attempted the BBC's Test The Nation quiz online. I got as far as question 29, and without answering any single question in the 'which number fits in this box' bit, decided that it was doing my fecking head in and quit. I'm not stupid by any means so why couldn't I cope? Either I just didn't have the patience, or the questions were going by too fast or something but I just wanted to go AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH! I'm sure if they were written down on a nice bit of paper or there wasn't a time limit, I might manage. But then again some of their logic wasn't quite working for me.

Oh lets face it I'm a window licking, drooling vegetable aren't I? I can see Ann Robinson's face now, looking at me sternly, pursing her lips and tutting. Like a bulldog chewing a wasp. Weeell, fuck you Robinson. I know the difference between a Sea Devil and a Silurian. Bet you don't know that you withered old hag do you? Eh? I know the story code for the Face of Evil. Ha. Eat shit Annie. I know how to make vegetable soup. With real vegetables. I know my 4 times table. Mmm hmmm. Take that Vinegar Tits.

*sobs quietly*

Oh and

That pile of ironing is starting to accumulate again. Fecker!

Just for Ben

I made vegetable soup today. Made it. From scratch. With real vegetables & everything. Left a message on my mums answer phone asking her how she makes hers but she didn't reply so I just had a go myself (with a quick glance at Delia). And its not bad at all. Very palatable.

I've also decided to go on a low GI diet. I've bought wholegrain bread, fruit, lean meat and muesli to start me off. I want to shed these spare tyres I've accumulated. It means I'm going to have to start getting up earlier in the mornings so I have time to eat brekkie. I hate getting up in the morning. At least I've got the added incentive of having someone cute to drool over during the day. Oh except I haven't this week as she's on a course. Pooh!