Friends and situations and BLEH

I don't know, the last few days two of my close friends are having a difficult situation, and guess what, its about boys. Why is it that the one thing that fucks things up with friendships is relationships?

The long and the short of it goes like this. My friend had a long term relationship with a guy for 5 years, but they broke up about 18 months ago and now she is living off the island. My other friend recently went to a wedding where this ex happened to be. They got talking and have since been on a few dates. (This girl hardly ever dates, it has to be said. Sorry, but its true.)

The first friend, I think, is quite upset by this. Even though she has no intentions of getting back together they were with each other a long time and she feels that the other girl should not have even thought about going there, it's forbidden territory.

The other girl, she really likes the guy and doesn't know what to do. This is bearing in mind that she has been single for a good few years and lives in a small island where, lets face it, there are quite slim pickings. So does she follow her instincts and try it out with this guy, in which case upsetting a long term friend? Or does she call it off and miss out on what could be something special? Is my first friend over reacting? How would I react? I don't really know.

To be honest I think the entire thing is a grey area and friend no.2 needs to decide how much she likes this guy and if she sees it going long term, because if not, she should call it off. Friends are so important. I just want all my mates to be happy, but not at each others expense. I just hope to God they can sort it out so its not all weird when we meet up and if one of them is there, the other one can't be. Thats the worst case scenario I guess.

Us leaving the Church and having a kiss

Wot an Ignoramus

In my scatty headedness I utterly forgot my username and password and just had a big big panic that I would never be able to post a blog again. Noooooooooooooooooo!

What on earth would I DO with myself??

Luckily my brain clicked back into gear but it took a good few minutes.

I've had a bit of a barney with Nick this morning, all about a washing machine and the price we agreed to sell it for. Personally I just think he was feeling shitty because he is hungover. I am being non confrontational. I don't really want to air my dirty laundry here (excuse the pun) ha ha.

Saw Miami Vice last night, ate too many sweets at the cinema. Not really my sort of film but was OK. It made me want to go back to America badly.

Molly ma Dolly

Molly came back from the cattery all skin and bones. Poor thing, but apart from the weightloss she seems fine. Very happy to be home. Nick picked her up while I was a work and when I arrived she pelted downstairs to meet me and jumped up and down on our bed. She is just so adorable and lovely. I defy anyone who meets her not to instantly fall in love. Oh, apart from Leni who for reason really freaked her out and she jumped out of my arms and ran away when I tried to introduce her.

ooh la la la ooh la lalala I still have so much to recap on!! After the wedding we have the HONEYMOON. Which was all good. 3 weeks of utter bliss, visiting crazy cities, beautiful beaches and misty mountains. Seriously, we did a hell of a lot in the time. It felt like a lot longer because we were moving around and doing so much.

San Fransisco was our first stop. We stayed in Union Square, the main shopping/eating out centre of the city and not far from Chinatown. San Fran is a cool city, it has the hippy district, the gay district, plus the Golden Gate bridge and Alcatraz close by. It felt relatively safe although quite a lot of homeless in some areas.

We saw the house from Mrs Doubtfire!

Alcatraz smells of seagull poo, it is literally covered in birds and shit, but it is definitely a must-see and a very spooky and disturbing place. The gay district, Castro, is better at night and the hippy district, 'Haight St' has lots of kooky little shops and cafes. Fishermans Wharf is really touristy and cheesy but quite good fun if you're in the right mood. We definitely did the right thing hiring a car because we were able to see so much of the place. It's so hilly!! Its really incredible how steep some of the roads are, you really would not want a manual car there. Our car was a Chrysler, a PT Cruiser Convertible in white with a black hood. It was a very cool car indeed.

On the first night we blagged the penthouse suite which had a balcony which was a great honeymoon perk. Everywhere we went we played the honeymoon card which worked a treat I can tell you.

We also visited Sausolito, which is a posh little seaside town just the other side of the Golden Gate and feels a bit like the South of France. We ate clams there and lots of salt water taffy. We also went to a nature reserve called Angel Island which is very peaceful.

After 4 days in San Fran, (which by the way was enough to see all we wanted to of the city) we set off down Pacific Coastal Highway No.1, one of the most beautiful roads in the world. But that is another story which I will save for later.

Les Photos de ma Marriage

My Ladee Friends!

Cake of Goodness
Penny avec 40 flying saucers
Want that one!
Coming out of the Church

Darling Blythe

I have a new best friend.

Her name is Blythe and she can be found here

We met in Japan, although she is American. She can be a but freaky and is very popular with Japanese girls.

The Wedding

I don't know quite where to start. I have had a great Guernsey hen night, which was the Wednesday before. The boys went out as well and we all ended up in Laskas so some hen night!! My Dad saw me really drunk and I fell over in front of him which is a first.

Thursday 13th July,
recovery day. Muchos hangover and mates started to arrive from England. Went out again in the evening to the Boathouse but not a late one.

Friday 14th July
the day before was spent mostly in a state of panic, I had my nails done and we had the Church run through, in which I didn't cry but had a massive old-school style attack of the giggles due to the freakiness of the event. Went for fish and chips at Cobo in the evening with Suzi, Simon, Leni & Dom while Nick went out for a meal with his family. Very relaxing evening and just what I needed to calm myself down. A whisky before bed helped me sleep as well.

Sat 15th
Up obscenely early, to hairdressers for fabulous up do, involving twists and plaits and little daisies. Then back to mon pere's for the getting ready with big sis. A nervous morning indeed, not helped by champagne but defintely helped by some very nice brandy which my father brandished at me just as the two of us were waiting to depart for the Church. At that point I was a little bit of a wreck and I was very calmed down.

The ceremony was fun, the vicar was excellent, just relaxed enough to make us feel relaxed but also formal enough for it to feel like a grand occasion. My two readers, Katy & Fiona read beautifully and Nicks face when he saw me walking down the aisle was a picture. He really didn't have a clue what I would look like. We had had a run through so we knew what we had to say and where we both had to stand which was really helpful.

After the ceremony we could finally relax and enjoy everyones company. It was so amazing to have all our mates and family all together and great fun to introduce them all to each other. We left the Church amidst a fog of bubbles and confetti and left via a beautiful green morris minor, which was a surprise for Nick and I couldn't write about here.

It was a tad windy and we moseyed over to Herm on the ferry and all got windswept cos we wanted to be out on deck. Then we had drink on the lawn, started off by Nick opening the Balthazor of champagne, which is one giant bottle holding 18 regular sized bottles of champagne and very difficult to pour, but we managed it!! The string quarter played beautifully, we all drank champagne and pimms and mingled for a hour or so before all goin into the marquee.

The meal was fabulous, local crab & prawn starter, a BBQ main course and shortbread.summer fruits pudding. My fizzy UFO's went down an absolute storm with a competition ensuing of how many one could stuff into ones mouth. Penny won by somehow managing 40. We all watched and she managed it, her cheeks are like a hamsters apparentely. We had the Paul Tongs duo playing while we were eating some smooth jazzy tunes which really set the scene. I had bay trees adorned with white roses and ribbons and fresh lavender all over the floor of the marquee.

The speeches made me cry, I was suitable embarrased by my Dad and Nick by James the best man. The best mans speech was the best I've ever heard, I could be biased but I was crying with laughter and I wasn't the only one.

Then there was lots of dancing, lots of drinking, we had more photos taken down on the beach and all in all a great day. I will remember it for ever.

The flowers were perfect, bright fuschia pink and baby pink and cream colours which looked stunning with the chocolate brown bridesmaids and grooms outfits. I couldn't have asked for better.

The Chilled Out Sloth is BACK

It's me! All married and stuff! Just forcing myself to stay awake until 10:30 to get my body back into UK time (in my head I'm still in Thailand and it's 3am, sucks) so I'm back in the swing for work tomorrow. WORK tomorrow, God three weeks off really gets you out of the loop, I do not want to go back at all. Nick has another week off to relax, he's so lucky. He's going to collect Molly Dolly tomorrow from the kitty motel, can't wait to see my little lady. I just feel like such a lazy sunburned sloth, hence the title. It's a lovely feeling.

Despite all my fears/nightmares/bitten nails, the wedding was AMAZING, the best day ever!!!!! It really and truly went without a hitch. All my plans and ideas about the colours, flowers, etc etc all WORKED and looked really good, the fizzy UFO's went down a storm, and the feedback has been so incredibly positive I think everybody had an amazing time. I have a hundred million billion photos which are on this website, the username is samnick and the password is wedding. If you make it past the first hundred you're doing OK. The photographer certainly earned his fee!! I probably won't keep that link on for very long, in fear of stalkers and the like. Check out the cake though, it rocked!

Have just returned from the honeymoon this evening. San Francisco, LA, Tokyo, Thailand, I literally don't know where to start. Not now, I'm falling asleep, but I will tell the story soon.

Love and kisses, I'm off to bed.

Pray for me

Please God let THIS weather forecast be right for Saturday!!!

I don't care if you're not religious just please think good thoughts.

Today I am mostly being blogging

But I really don't have anything to say aside from wedding related things and I am not going to bore myself by trawling through my preparations here. It's busytime, suffice to say, and leave it at that.

Tonight, I am back to my old tricks of DIY and I have to paint my old bedroom for my Dad, who wants to put the house on the market while we're away on honeymoon. I did promise to do this for him but time has crept up on me and now with only 5 days to go before W-Day i find I have to get this finished. I was around there all yesterday day and evening, apart from a brief visit to some old rellies to pick up a wedding gift.

All my wedding ebay purchases have arrived and are lovely. And I have been spending all my birthday money on lovely new clothes for the honeymoon. And I have a REALLY clicky shoulder that is aching. Quite badly.

Molly is fine, am not looking forward to putting her in kennels, I will feel very guilty about it but it is the only option unfortunately

And People start arriving tomorrow, with Catherine & Damian, plus Suzi & Simon which is making it all seem quite very real and scary. But at the same time lovely to see them all.

I've been on the sunbed again, but I don't look brown at all. Am going to resort to the Johnsons holiday skin as a back up measure.

5 days and counting, that's right guys.

Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh

So much going on, wedding - flowers - visitors - work - honeymoon - wedding - balloons - place cards - wedding - flowers - work - presents - wedding

I swear I am going around in circles. I've been feeling indigestionie today, didn't eat until 2m then wolfed down a big tuna salad which is now repeating on me terribly. But! Bought v sexy summer dress and shoes, plus denim shorts and a white top in my lunch hour. Serious honeymoon shopping going on you see. Trying to semi starve my body to look unbloated and pretty in the dress but don't seem to be shifting much weight. Bugger.

The confetti arrived today, which I have to put into little paper cones and tie up with ribbons. I had a crack at writing the place cards last night but my handwriting isn't that special, they look like they've been written by a child. Its the silver pen alright!!! Its hard to write with it!!! Probably should have practised a bit first. Maybe.

Had dinner with Shirley & John last night and made a lovely pudding (assembled more like) of meringue nests, then dropped them back at the questionable hotel they're staying at. Its a bit rough bless em.

Went and fried my poor body in the tanning booth yesterday lunchtime in final bid to look tanned and lovely on the wedding day. Have booked another sesh next week but might also go again this weekend. I KNOW its really bad for me but it's only cos I'm getting married. I've also booked to get my nails done the day before and I'm having a hair trial tomorrow afternoon.

Spoke to Leni for ages on the phone last night and am SO SO excited she's coming. Seriously need to get hold of loads of bedding so she has somewhere to sleep while she's over...

Am over the panic stage and into final melt down hilarity where it JUST DOESN'T MATTER if it gets fucked up. The weather looks shitty this weekend I am just praying it cheers up for the next one but even if its torrential rain it will be funny.

And I love him...

I had to copy and paste this story from this weeks b3ta, it had me in tears...

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You either love him or hate him...

Yes, I have been in a band but never really had any truly “Rock and Roll” experiences (apart from a Derek Smalls incident at Nice airport…). However, I will relate the experiences of one of my best mates who for a while was in one of the few rock bands on the small island that we call Jersey.

Now this was back in the 80s and Ade and his band had been booked to play a small pub in one of the numerous fishing villages in the area. They turned up early in the afternoon to perform a sound check then sat down to do what all good rock bands do before performing i.e. get royally ratted.

However, before they could start, the door to the pub banged open and in walked a large, burly man who immediately yelled at the landlord, “Turn that fucking jukebox off! You don’t need that anymore! I’m here! I’m all the entertainment you need!” Yes, it was the man. The legend. It was Oliver Reed.

Ollie, already clearly a little sozzled, found out that there was going to be a rock band playing and insisted on buying them a drink. He’s shown to their table where he proceeds to buy then a round. “So you’re the band are you!? What kind of fucking shit are you going to be playing for us then!?”

After the first round, he gets the second. And the third. And the forth. In fact, he gets every single round of the afternoon. No-one could match him. He would have drunk his pint while the band were barely starting theirs. If anyone dared to get up to get the next round he would shout at them, “Put that fucking wallet away you fucking cock! You’re too fucking slow! I’ll get them in!”And true to his word, he did, every single time.

By the time the band came to play, they were absolutely paralytic. Ollie though, was barely affected, still knocking back the pints without them even touching the sides. Before the band went on though, Ollie had to wave goodbye. “Sorry I can’t stick around to see you play boys, I’ve got to fly to London to be on some fucking talk show!” And with that, he left, leaving Ade and his band to fuddle their way through their set barely able to see straight.

So midnight comes and the band stagger off back to one of their homes where they crash out with more beer and food. As they are popping them open, one of them turns on the telly.“Come here! Now! Come here! It’s him!” he shouts, prompting everyone to crowd around the TV which appears to be showing some late night discussion program. And sure enough, there he is, wearing exactly the same clothes as he had on in the pub. There’s Ollie, late night on Channel 4, clearly pissed out of his gourd. They had turned the telly on just in time to see him turn to the resident po-faced feminist and say, “Frankly dear, what you need is a big hard COCK!” A turn of events that would see him barred from telly for several years. Some of you may even remember it if you’re old enough. So here’s to Oliver Reed, far more Rock and Roll than most of us could ever wish to be. Peace.

My friends Katie's photo...

My little mate Katie is so cool. She went to some sci fi convention and took loads of pictures of Corey Haim (like me, she loves the Lost Boys!) from a distance, you can spot him in the black cut off T short in this picture. By the way he seems to have got a bit fat and spotty since the 80's.

But what is painfully cool is that the poster in this left of this picture shows that Alan Tudyk was also there (see the big queue of people on the left), he's the pilot from Firefly/Serenity. Which I love! I don't Katie would have known who he is though which sucks. What a missed opportunity. See, you have to be a real sci fi nerd like me & Rachel to know these things...

Katie's doing a masters in photo journalism and so far this year has sent me photos of Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock and Cameron Diaz, all close up. And she's really little so I have no idea how she fights through the paps to get up close. She probably runs in between all their legs or something.

PS had a fantastically lazy weekend where I did NO wedding stuff, just had my hair done and relaxed in the garden. Rachel came round last night and I popped round my Dads during the day to use the jacuzzi and eat his food but apart from that just slept, ate and sunbathed. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

Herming and stuff

I have a craftily angled fan pointed at me as I write this within the stuffy confines of my office. The bright sunlight is making me squint slightly as I sit looking out of the window.

Right now under my desk I have 48 small bottles of bubbles for the reception and I keep whipping them out and blowing bubbles across the office. Well, it is Friday after all. My work station has become wedding central.

We went across to Herm last night on Jeannie and dropped off some wedding supplies for the reception. We stayed for a beer at the Ship Inn and it was blooming lovely. Such a still night to go out on, we came back at dusk and the sea was like a mill pond, and anyway we were mosying along quite happily in the fading light when our friend Chris, who was on board, piped up "Nick, are you trying to play chicken with the Condor ferry?" and lo and behold, the massive ferry was coming straight towards us at a great rate of knots. So we had to swing it around and take evasive action!! But once the ferry went past us we all had to hang on for dear life as the wake hit us and for a few terrifying minutes we bobbled up and down like a ping pong ball in a tidal wave. Which actually once the terror had subsided was quite brilliant fun and we were all screeching like loons. Never a dull moment.

But I had another sleepless night of wedding anxiety. My stupid stupid brain just gets full of thoughts last thing every night and I end up churning over everything that oculd go wrong. Silly I know, but try telling my head that.

Emergency! Emergency!

Merde alors. I might be overreacting ever so slightly but I was getting out of the shower this morning and just happened to bruch my naked shoulder past the heated towel rail and the DAMN THING peeled the skin off me!!! It was on far too hot and has singed my back skin. And its clearly going to be visiable in my wedding dress. WHY God why!!?

OK it will most likely be healed in two and a half weeks and there's always concealer but its just a bit annoying.

Not as annoying as the fact that it's past five o'clock and I'm still at work because I agreed to do a late viewing. I then have to go round my Dad's to try on another pair of possibly wedding shoes that arrived in the post today and then I'm out for a meal later which will be lovely actually, I just hope I have time to wash my smelly feet.

Another weekend gone!

And in a flash too it seemed. On Friday night we just relaxed and I had to work on Saturday morning. But in the afternoon we finally went and chose the rings which are LOVELY and we got them from Derek Birch because we know someone who works there so its all good.

Sat night we partied like it was 1999 at our friends flat to celebrate her birthday. There was singing and falling over involved (on Nick's behalf, not mine) and it was probably the last drunken night I'll let myself have before the wedding because I want no baggy eyes or grey skin! I want to look refreshed and beautiful and not smell of fags/beer at all.

Sunday with a hangover of doom we greeted Nick's parents who arrived obscenely early in the morning. Having promised a BBQ I had to down a lot of water and headache tablets and get my cooking shoes on becuase we had 10 people over in the afternoon. I over catered food-wise but it all seemed to go down a treat, especially the mini corn on the cobbies wrapped in foil with butter - mmmm! And luckily the hangover only lasted the morning.

Nick's printed up the Orders of Service now so we have all of those and they look pretty. We designed them ourselves and put pictures of the Church and Herm island on them. I've got some really expensive shoes on approval from Celaro's to try on with the dress tonight and I can take them back tomorrow if they're no good. They are very pretty but they're £70 so.... Hmmm we'll see.

I'm dragging Nick's mum to the plant people before work tomorrow so she can help me chose the plants I'm going to have at the reception. Yays! She's quite good with the whole gardening/plants side of things.

So yep that's the latest wedding run down, I really don't have anything else to tell and I'm sorry if its getting tedious! For anyone that has been through this though I'm sure they can relate. For anyone thinking about getting hitched I would definitely recommend running away to Vegas.

Painty Eyeball

If I just manage to do one thing every day then I should be on track and it shouldn't be too last minute panic - y. Yesterday I spoke to the hotel and emailed people the veggie options. I hope I have thought of all the vegetarians its quite hard to remember who is what.

I am sat at work right now and have white emulsion all over my arms and legs. Basically, last night I started painting our old bedroom (where we just moved from) I promised my Dad I would paint a couple of the rooms before he puts it on the market and I came home pretty late from doing it last night so just had dinner and went to bed. So this morning my alarm didn't go off, we had a big power cut and I woke up with just 10 minutes to get dressed and head into work. So I haven't had breakfast, its one of the hottest days of the year and Ive had to put on long trousers to cover all the paint splotches on my legs.

As I was painting last night a flicked a big glob of paint right into my eyeball. Suddenly all I could see out of my right eye was a white filmy fog, so I dashed into the bathroom and I looked like Marilyn Manson which was a bit freaky. I obviously washed it out thoroughly and it seems fine but thank goodness it wasn't gloss!

Today I have already had to go out and retake the photos for a flat we've taken on, because the guy who takes the photos I hate to say is a bit rubbish at it and the girl who writes the details up still has a lot of improvements to make, so I've sat here, rewritten the whole thing and put new photos on the details. I swear I do everything around here. That's before I start doing the copious amount of work that's sat on my desk right now. In fact I better get on with it. I love the folk I work with really I don't mean to moan.

My life is Wedding Obsessed

No its fine, really. I feel a bit better today because I have ordered my wedding ring and we're nearly there with Nicks. He just needs to go back and try it on again but it only takes 2 weeks maximum for them to arrive so we'll be OK I think. We also spent last night doing the Order of Service and I went and bought some nice card and ribbon samples from town in my lunch hour so we can start printing them up and making them look pretty maybe at the weekend.

Phew.

I've also ordered some real rose petal confetti from Ebay and I have two pairs of shoes on order so hopefully one will do!! And apparentely we're having a BBQ this Sunday with Nick's parents, my cousins and Nick's mum & dad so I have to get ready for that. There's nothing like looking at the calender and realising you're getting married in three weeks time to put the panic on though!!! How can I think of things like coleslaw and burger buns when I have all this boiling up in my head like a big fuggy stew?? I think last night and this morning Nick & I were having some kind of melt down but I think we're through it and out the other side.

Wedding wedding wedding

Did you know that I'm getting married in 3 and a half weeks time? No? Neither did I until I just looked at my diary. Mwahh ha ha HA HA HA HAAAAarrrrrrrrr.

Oh Jesus God I'm so unorganised. We don't even have RINGS yet. For the love of God RINGS!! Nick wants to get them on ebay!! Its just not even funny! I don't have SHOES either!! I'm going to be a bare footed bride tiptoeing down the aisle!

I don't know what I'm doing blogging I have to go now and do wedding stuff. Bye.

Drumming Folk..

I found this picture on their website. Anyway they were called Noise Ensemble and they really really rocked. Anyways, busy day today, got quite a lot to do at work plus if its sunny tonight we're going to meet the photographer down on the beach at sunset to take some pre-wedding photos! How cheesy does that sound, but he wants us to feel comfortable being photographed and its all paid for in the package price so.... I just have to decide what to wear. If its not good weather we're going to do it another day.

Best Weekend in the World.... Ever (Volume 32)

Oh my goodness guys I've got such a lot to recap on here, I've had an amazing birthday weekend. Here's the Day by day run down..

Friday Night:
After work we went out (me, Nick, my Dad & his partner) to Le Petit Bistro for dinner and this is a bit disgusting but I tried steak tartare for the first time. to be honest it didn't taste of much and there was a little raw quails egg in amonst the raw steak. So that was interesting, and then I ate sole for my main course and afterwards we came back to the flat for a bit with everyone but it wasn't a really late night fortunately. It was really nice, I had far too much wine and flet really groggy the next day but it was my birthday so its got to be done!

Sat:
Got up v v early to go to Jersey for the day. Arrived and went to the dress shop straight away and horrors!! The dumb woman hadn't done all of the alterations so they had to call her in and get them done during the day. So I went away slightly concerned and did some shopping, met up with Alex for a smoothie in the afternoon, went back to the dress shop and thank god the dress was OK.

Then I went to the 'Bohemia Bar' at 6pm where some friends from Guernsey were drinking cocktails and about to go off on a hen night. It was my mate SJ's big sister Lisa and they were off to some cabaret night with drag queens and stuff that SJ had organised! Hilarious.

Then back to Gsey on the ferry in the evening, with the dress in tow. I got back and Nick was calling me every 5 minutes to see where I was because he'd told me he was cooking me a special birthday dinner which he wanted to time perfectly for my arrival home. But then I get home and the house is all dark and all the curtains were drawn and he ran outside and met me at the gate. Me being so gullible I wasn't suspicious at all and let him take me inside the house. But then as we were walking up the stairs he started speaking in a strangely LOUD voice and I began to wonder if something was going on. Well, I walked finally into the kitchen to be greeted by a dozen drunk friends and a face full of party poppers!!! Bless them Nick & Rachel had spent the whole day preparing the house and had organised a surprise party in the theme of a childrens party. They even baked me a spaceship cake!!! We played pass the parcel and ate sick amounts of sweets and pizza. And I had a my little pony banner and a flashing pink fluffy crown that said 'birthday girl'!
I loved my party so much, I have never had a surprise party before and it was amazing. And Nick even kept everyone out on the balcony cos he knows how paranoid I am about spills on the new carpets!! What a love. I will try and get some photos on here soon.

Sunday:
Slept in, obviously. Had to go meet the Church Organist at noon to decide what tunes to have at the ceremony. I started crying when I heard the wedding song which doesn't bode well!!! In the afternoon I popped round to give my Dad his fathers day pressies and then in the evening we went to my cousins for a BBQ and ate far too much meat and cheesecake. Later on we came home and watched Spanglish.

And now it's Monday and I've just been into town and ordered a pair of wedding shoes. They're quite expensive and I'm not 100% about them but they're sale or return so I can always change my mind when they arrive. I also spent some of my birthday money on a skirt and green cardie that are quite sweet from Dotty P's.

Ahm gonna Party like its ma burthday...

Ahhh, I love this kitty get up. I will never tire of cats in clothes, I know its probably a bit cruel but its a cat! In Hello Kitty! I just love it.

I'm having a nice bday so far, I managed to sell a house this morning and I kid you not, they had two cats and a dog, and one of the cats was absolutely MASSIVE and ginger and was bigger than the dog! Which was a corgi and fairly large. But although it was massive it was very soft and silly behaving, and it had a very wise face and looked a lot like Aslan.

OK, enough talk of cats.

So, for my bday I have had 3 bags so far!! Hurrahs because one can never have enough handbags. I had a pretty red/green thai silk bag with wooden straps and a green glass bangle from Rachel, a large multi coloured H&M beach bag from Denise & some money to get my nails done, and a GORGEOUS blue Ollie & Nic bag from Nick. Nick also bought me a turquoise sun lounger and some piz buin for the honeymoon. The folk at my work bought me a bottle of Pimms (Pimms O'Clock!!) and a green bracelet and bead/shell necklace from Land of Green Ginger. All in all a good amount of stash. Also, Maggie bought me a white parasol. Golly I realise I've done very well when I list it like that. There were also some Dotty P vouchers from my Dad plus Boots vouchers from Nick's aunt and uncle.

I'm off out tonight for a meal at a French Restaurant and I'm having my Dad round for drinks first. I've also been out for lunch already at the Terrace for Pad Thai noodles with Rachel & my Dad. What a lovely day! And its off to Jersey tomorrow to spend all those vouchers.

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW

I just thought I would subtley mention that.

Oooh, this noise drummy stomp thing was really cool last night. We stayed for the first half then snuck out at half time and came home and watched the Whole Ten Yards, which was quite funny because it has Bruce Willis crying a lot in it. But the drumming thing was AMAZING. We only came home cos we had so much to do last night, I could have happily stayed until the end.

Fiona & Steve's Wedding More Photos

More Photos

Fiona & Steve's Wedding

Shall we Dance?

This is a film to miss, unless like me you are so tired you can't even physically summon the energy to lift the remote control and change channels onto something better. It is such a pointless schmaltz fest it had me gagging by about the first five minutes. I must admit I love dance films, Strictly Ballroom and Dirty Dancing are fantastic, but this was just a vehicle for an ageing Richard Gere and a pouting JLo. Not one I'd recommend. It got me thinking about Strictly Ballroom though and how much I want to watch that again. Such an excellent film!

It's really cold and damp today. I've been stood outside a house for 3/4 of a hour whilst the viewers walked around the garden and I wish I had worn something warmer. I've got a nice hot cup of tea to wrap my hands around in a minute thank god.

Its my bday on Friday and I'm going out for a nice meal with Nick, my Dad & his girlfriend then on Sat I'm off to Jersey to collect THE DRESS and obviously do some shopping as well. Hopefully this week will go quickly because my diary is quite busy with viewings and stuff. I bought some shoes to go with the dress yesterday. I hope they match. And I spoke again to the florist, photographer and the organist. I had a crack at writing the order or service but it needs a lot of tweaking! And I also need to track down some place cards. Am a bit sick of wedding stuff to be honest, I just want to forget about it for a few days. And I have a spot on my cheek which is gross.

Update: Had to go home in between viewings and put on a jacket and some boots (rather than open toe sandals) but the jacket doesn't really go with the trousers I'm wearing, cos they're beige and the jackets dark brown and I feel a bit horse ridery. Like I just need a whip and I could go off for a ride on Willemina. Tonight I am obliged to go to a drumming thing at Beau Sejour because of a free ticket fest which is annoying because I'm very tired and I would have liked to fall asleep but there's no chance of that with all samba crap going on. I might need to retract calling it crap tomorrow if its turns out to be any good. Nick's not going to be there for the first halk either so I won't even be able to nestle up against him, Sigh.

Decision Made

Right then, (and that was brilliant all those comments by the way) I have decided what I'm going to do..........



Stay put.



So there you go. It might be the wimpy option but in my heart I really love my job and I'm not willing to gamble my happiness on something that might not be as fun or rewarding. I thought it over all weekend and I asked everyone at my hen party and I'm happy with the decision. I let everyone know this morning and hey! I'm come out of it pretty well all in all, money wise certainly. And hopefully it was the right decision.

Oh yes! I've had the most marvellous and relaxing and wonderful weekend, I can't think of the right adjectives to describe it. Twas loverly. I had a couple of friends cancel on the Thursday evening which made me feel really friendless and shitty and I had a big cry about that but by Friday I was past all that and ready to party. Well I arrived in Southampton on Friday night and my friend Catherine was already there with Holly and Denise and we drank lots of champagne and ate lasagne. On Saturday my big sister arrived in the morning and off we went to the lakeside spa at the Botleigh Grange hotel which was absolutely GORGEOUS dahhhling. We spent the whole afternoon there before returning home and then Fiona arrived and we all tootled off to an Italian restaurant in the evening. On Sunday we chilled out, went to the Pitcher & Piano at Ocean Village for a coffee in the morning before quickly popping into Primark (or PRIMARNI as it is becoming more widely known and a nice relaxing afternoon in the garden.
OK, my flight was delayed for 2 and a half hours but I made it home in the end and they gave me free food at Southampton airport so no complaints there.

And now I'm back at work and its as muggy as Satans armpit.

Rahhhhhggg, angsty stuff

What do I do what do I do what do I do???? Hmmm??? Basically, I've been offered a job somewhere else which is good money, a flexible office where you can go off and have 2 hour lunch breaks, I will be working with but not in the same department at Nick and I won't have to work weekends anymore. The long term prospects are v good and the boss lady is a honey, although I have heard differing reports about how nice she is but she has always been more than lovely to me. The role is more sales - y and its a fun young office with cool people around. But its also sales targets and cold calling and stuff along those lines...

OR, do I stay where I am, because I have discussed this with my boss and they have matched the salery (but with no commission which the other one does have), BUT i get a company car all paid for which the other job doesn't have (ha, I just typed company cat, that would be even better!) and I get to keep doing the same job I've worked my way up in for the last 3 1/2 years. I know and love it inside out. But the office is small and a bit skanky and the folk aren't the most funky and cool. But I have a lot of leeway to write blogs etc and its all very laidback indeed. But they would NEVER let me take a 2 hour lunch or come out for a drink.

My boss came around my flat last night to talk it over and it is a really really hard decision for me to make. The new job will be more cool and fun BUT I love doing viewings and selling houses and not to be a bighead but I do it really well. I'm scared I won't like the new job so much.

So, let me know what you think, I'll take a poll on it. I'm asking as many people as I can for advice.

BN BN

na nahhh na na na (to the muppets theme song) BN chocolate biscuits, you can get them from Chequers now and they bring them over from France. The taste makes me think of holidays.
BN BN, na nahhh na na na
BNBN na na na naaaaaaa

And so on

I realise this makes sense only to me. And possibly Nick who has been huming it a lot since I bought the biccies.

I got up REALLY REALLY early this morning and went to see a man about some plants for the wedding marquis. We may have some plants taken over to make it look pretty, if it comes in affordable. We are both extremely poor right now so we'll see.

This evening the photofrapher is coming round to chat about the wedding. I don't know its just wedding wedding wedding around here at the moment. My boss was a bit funny today. He said he probably wouldn't come because the only reason I have invited him is because I work for him... I was like, yeah but I wouldn't have known you otherwise? Anyway. No great shakes if he can't come. I can get more drunk and less paranoid with him not around. Funny thing to say though, no? He's not one for great social skills.

I have just eaten 2 BN biscuits, 2 after 8 mints, a lump of chorizo sausage and about 20 pringles. Leftovers from the BBQ - would somebody stop me please.

Fermain & Stuff

Another weekend gone, and lots of fun was had, er, by me. And others too I hope. On Friday night we met up with Sue, Laurie & Kelly (a girl who works with Sue) at the Terrace, got very drunk on beers, ended up going to the Boathouse and listening to some jazzy type music. Lovely! But the saxophonist was rubbish we decided.

I had a nice time at the cricket on Sat pm, laid out in the sun, ate lots of picnic food, played a bit of very bad badminton and frisbee using one of those free kits that you can get from M&S at the moment if you buy lots of food from them. Ummm, then I came home got ready and went out again to a big house party/BBQ that was a housewarming thing for this super lovely couple called John & Sarah who I didn't really know at all and felt a bit bad about turning up without being invited but it was all good. Another big drunken one.

Le Dimanche, slept in then up and pottered around before going out on the boat over to Herm, but then currents were really strong so we zoomed off to Fermain instead and went ashore, me hearties. Had a sandwich and an icecream there then back on the boat and home to our back garden with Chris & Sonia (they were with us in the boat btw) for a lazy afternoon for us girls while the two boys did DIY in the garden! Loving the laziness.

Today, I have worked fairly hard, been shopping and done a load of ironing. I've just eaten my dinner and am now going to watch some telly. Nicks on the phone at the moment to the guy who'll be playing at our wedding reception. We're having a pianist and double bass player to play us some COOL JAZZ! Funkysome. He is da bomb. Or summat. Its about half nine and I have a sheepish cat on my lap. I found her earlier in a kitchen cupboard on top of a pile of clean tea towels. She was quite happy shut away in that dark little space.

This is a Maybug

And it looks fairly innocent, I know. Until that is you look at the scale and realise its the size of a horse.

Oh Mr Wickham!

So, yes well anyway. Nick met this man, who in real life is called Adrian Lukis, on Thursday through his work. As I have forced Nick to sit with me and watch the entire series of Pride & Prejudice he vaguely recognised him but couldn't remember where from. Until afterwards when he was chatting to someone else and they were like yeah, he's quite famous and blah blah. Apparentely he's been in Peak Practise as well but we don't care about THAT. Oh no, he is the dastardly Mr Wickham who so evilly whisked Lydia away to a life of grime and the nemesis of Mr Darcy.... I think I would have gone all stoopid if Nick had introduced me. As it was, when Nick got back to his work and told the girls who he'd met they were all really pissed off! As you can imagine.

I'm still pondering that job thing, I met the girl who is leaving randomly yesterday and took the opportunity to ask why she was going and was the boss nice etc. Anyway, its all quite positive what she said. I ran the idea past my friends last night and they were a bit concerned, mainly about the whole working-with-Nick thing which I must say is quite a factor isn't it.

I am nursing a slight hangover from last night (went to the Terrace - lovely!) and haven't had any breakfast yet. I think I'll wait for lunch now cos I'm meeting Nick and a few others at the cricket match. What ho! Apparentely there is Pimms already on the go, - hurrahs! I have to bring a blanket and sun cream. But there's loads of food cos everybody brought picnic stuff. And there's a special gazebo thing I'm allowed to sit in. Oooh, just one hour and 13 minutes to go til I can leave work....

I just want to say

that my weight this morning, post wee, naked and before eating breakfast (ie at optimum lightness) was 9st 10.5. For me, that's the lightest I've been for years, and the last time I was that light I think I had been sick for a week with the serious poops. Not that its anything to brag about cos if I were to weigh myself tonight apres dinner I would be over 10st again. I fluctuate a lot. My secret seems to be lots of cups of tea and bananas in the morning, which fill me up nicely. Having my wedding in a month and a half has seriously inspired me to diet.

Big Brother, I watched last nights and what a bunch of nasty freaks! I wanted to bitch slap the little blonde one. I shan't bother watching again (she says). Hmmm.

Thunder, Thunder, Thundercats... Hoooooooooooo

Well I still can't decide about the job but I've got an interview lined up for next Wednesday, eep! They're flying some boss man over from Jersey and I have to go meet him. I met the lady who would be my boss in Guernsey, she came around for drinks on Tuesday night. They brought champagne for us which was amazing, it went down a treat. But I'm really undecided, becuase I would really miss this job. For instance, this afternoon I went to see a little old lady whose husband just died last year so she's moving into a smaller house. Anyway I ended up staying about and hour and she gave me some freshly picked raspberries from her garden. I mean, how lovely is that! And then I did a viewing and it was a couple who knew me when I was really little because my parents used to eat in their restaurant and they were super sweet and asking after my sister and getting excited that I'm getting married, and well... you get the picture.

I went to see X Men 3 last night. Cool film! I'm such a geek, on the way home in the car with Rachel we were both all 'well, it wasn't like that in the cartoon series and blah blah blah'. We are such nerds. We had a big discussion also about the new Superman film, which I am wetting my knickers in anticipation to see and she's not interested. But I remember those films from when I was little and they, like, so totally rocked.

I bought some shoes in my lunch hour, just plain black work ones, pretty boring but very comfy for walking around in and only £14 so meh.

My cousing is coming round tonight to see my flat, that's the one who's getting married a couple of weeks after me and is returning to Guernsey from England in the summer so I have to find her a house...

I'm going to see some cricket this weekend! How English is that. I'm going to take strawberries and cream.

Barbecues, Car Boot Sales and Maybugs

Lots went on this weekend. It was all a bit up in the air from the start, but it ended up being fun, and we had a laugh. It was supposed to be the big stag weekend, and it totally didn't happened because of the thick shroud of fog that encircled the island for 3 days solid. We had 9 people flying over and not one made it. So that was a bit pants.

Anyway, poor Nick, we had to make sure he didn't get down and it ended up being a great weekend considering. We had people around for drinks Friday night, and went to the White Hart. Got drunk and came home early though after a greasy Chinese takeaway. On Saturday morning I got up at the butt crack of dawn, yuck. I did the whole carboot thing with my Dad and it was completely manic. I started off feeling so, so tired and awful and people were ripping through my boxes of stuff before I could even unpack them. But I came away with £237 which aint bad. Got rid of a load of stuff.

On Sat night we had booked a restaurant for Nick's UK mates but ended up getting a bunch of local friends to come, girls and all and made up the numbers nicely. Da Nellos, which is super expensive so we all just had one course and lots of wine. Then we went drinking and ended up int Club 54 where folks I pole danced very badly for the first and hopefully last time in my life. I have about as much innate aliblity to poledance as a chicken. Nick was trying to get his legs over his head and has pulled the muscles in his arm.

Sunday, slept in PROPERLY for the first time for months. Got up, Nick hung the curtains, then pottered around the classic car show at Saumarez Park, before going to Isla's for one of her legendary barbecues. It rocked. We invented a new version of giant jenga, which involved making the tower in a wheelbarrow and after you moved the piece you had to either rotate the barrow or move it 2 foot. twas hideous. Bit of a drama on the way home, cos I drove and gave 2 girls a lift home. They were in the back of the car and a giant maybug crawled across the neck of one of them. Cue lots of shreiking, me having to do an emergency stop and everyone piling out onto a dark lane at night, still shreiking. It was horrible! Then I had to put the roof down and we searched for this bloody thing for about 10 minutes before we spotted it and then it was down to me, typically, to actually pick it up and remove it from the car. But we made it home in the end.

Monday, took the boat over to Herm with Isla, Chris & Sonia on board. Met up with Sue, Laurie, Matt & Sarah and had another BBQ on Shell Beach. I cooked the food. And got sunburnt on my face, neck and feet. Typical Herm! Nice though, first time this year we've taken the boat out. It was lovely. I feel so lucky to live here and be able to do that.

All in all, a good weekend. And I've got that lady coming round tonight to tell me about the job thing I was saying about last week. We'll see how that goes. No decision has been made.

Fugging Fog

I have a feeling we are going to have some trouble with Nick's stag weekend seeing as the entire island is enveloped in a thick shroud of fog. Sunny Guernsey indeed. The first person was supposed to arrive this lunch time and all flights are grounded at the moment : (

I have sorted out the balloons and the fishbowls for the wedding, I mean finally with everything done. Dad's picking up the fishbowls today in fact.

I went to Chequers in my lunch hour and bought a load of beers/crisps for the weekend but if no one comes I'll have to end up eating/drinking the lot myself. Oh well that's the good side I guess. I popped home after shopping and Nick seemed a bit overwhelmed what with people arriving and the house still a bit upside down but he's just doing all he can to get it looking OK.

Someone has approached me via Nick to see if I want a job but I'm really undecided about it. Its basically a sales/marketing job that sounds quite exciting and it £2,500 more than I'm currently on, but I don't get a company car, just mileage. But there is commission on top of the salery so it could be good, and also the long term prospects could be quite good. The problem is I really like my current job and I know it inside-out, I've been doing it for years and its basically all I know. So do I risk chucking it in for something different? With my current job I can't see it long term going anywhere much. I always saw it as a stop gap when I first started but I have changed my role a lot and made it my own and I really enjoy it. I'm out on the road dealing with people every day and there is really good job satisfaction. And also it is a bit of a doss to be honest, and its a decent salery. And I get the smart car. But when my boss finally retires which has to be fairly soon I'm not sure where we'll all stand. And there are NO benefits of any kind, its a pretty basic little company. Hmmmmm. I need to think about it some more and maybe go for the interview. Although this woman apparentely wants me I would still have to go through interview and its a panel of 2 who interview. OOh decisions decisions. As is typical it seems with my life this has happened at a really busy time when I'm trying to limber up for the wedding and finish moving in to my new house! I think I may have to toss a coin.

To Do Wedding list, please sympathise with me...

1. Sort Balloons – colours –‘Celebrations’ on the Halfway – Samantha
2. Bridesmaids gifts to buy in Jersey?
3. Disposable cameras - Ebay? Bought 19/5/6
4. Table decorations – Speak to hotel
5. Place cards for tables
6. Bubbles
7. Confetti
8. Champagne – Nick to sort
9. Menus and wine to choose
10. Seating arrangements at the reception
11. Decide seating layout of tables for reception
12. Organise candles for evening reception?
13. Organise the fizzy UFO’s for the tables
14. Wedding favours – those glowing balls on Ebay?
15. The cake – Maggie
16. Ferry times – speak to Dad?
17. Flowers : 4 buttonholes, 3 bouquets, 2 corsages, table decorations, large standing decorations, cake stuff, hair stuff
18. Men’s suits pay and get measured – phone Pronuptia
19. My dress, get fitted and collect - Jersey
20. My shoes & general accessories
21. Wedding hair appointments for me & bridesmaids to book
22. Engagement photo shoot to book
23. Order of service – choose reading and hymns
24. Organist – meet and chose tunes
25. Chose a tune for the signing of the register -
26. Musician and general music CD – Paul Tongs?
27. Chose a song for our first dance
28. Wedding cars – Dad to sort
29. Both get new passports, fill in forms and get the vicar to sign to confirm my surname
30. Wedding rings to buy
31. Thank you notes for the gifts
32. Lose ½ a stone AT LEAST
33. Nails & Fake tan!

Sweet Lords of mercy. Its a few less than this though because this is a list I did a week or so ago, I would say its down to about 25 now. I was reading the blog of someone else who's getting married and she put her list on the web. I think lists are good. I have several on the go, there's also a massive DIY one but I would say 95% of it has been done. It looks scary but I'm on top of it, really there's no need to worry.

Even more DIY

Yawn, don't want to bore you my lovelies but that's really all I've been up to. Last night I finshed the wardrobe and I gave it a coat of clear wax which has made it come out a better colour. Nick continued unpacking, and then this morning I gave another coat of paint to the little 'problem' area in the porch. (ongoing saga) so at least it looks OK for our visitors this weekend.

I've just been into town in my lunch hour. I got clucked at by some guy, he walked past me and made a funny little noise to me, I'm not sure what it meant. So anyway then I got some keys cut, bought some white card to go behind one of the pictures of sock monkeys that I bought, plus some nice Clinique makeup because its bonus time and finally some wedding accessories from Claires. Oops I been spending! Oh, and some bread from M&S.

Our blinds have arrived! And Nick says they look gorgeous, I can't wait to see them! We'll put them up tonight. I wanted a creamy white colour and that's what they look like, apparentely.

Last night we got a chinese from the Good Earth in Vauvert and my lordy it was possibly the best one i've had since I've been on this island so any locals reading this - that is the place to go. We also watched this made-for-TV Kurt Russell film balled Breakdown which was on Sky for some light entertainment before bed, it was exactly what we needed and I quite enjoyed it, even though it was totally predictable. Hey ho. Talking of Sky, Nick called them to cancel our contract from the old house and the woman really didn't want him to cancel and kept on and on and in the end offered us a deal which is 75p a month for the variety pack!! So as well as normal sky (we took up a new contract at the new house to get the 3 month discount) we will have a separate sky box in the bedroom. How cool.

Flowers!

This is where I'm getting my wedding flowers from: www.flowers.org.uk I have chosen what I like, but I'm not saying as we're getting close to the wedding now and its a surprise.

Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Na Na Wa Wa Wa WAAAAAAaaaaaa I'm getting married woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

DIY and lovely fish supper

Sooooo, um, been doing lots of unpacking and DIying. I spent last night ironing strips of oak effect wood stuff to the sides of Nick's homemade wardrobe doors. It took for ever cos the strips are too wide so then you have to get a stanley blade and cut them to size before sanding them down so they match exactly the wood of the doors. Anyway I'm about half way through so hopefully I'll finish tonight.

I went to M&S and bought the most lovely strips of lemon sole with this shallot/parsley butter and it tasted completely divine. We ate it with new potatoes and corn on the cob and peas. Mmmmmmmm! I also bought some M&S eves pudding which were gorgeous but far too small. Literally gone in one bite. I just wanted a nice dinner after a long day of DIY. Nick spent the night still unpacking and setting up the PC under the stairs in the study area.

The carpet man came round at 8:30 this morning so Nick could complain about the job and we could haggle the price. I left for work half way through so I wonder how he got on.

OH MY GOD episode 20 of Lost S2... the one where Michael wakes up and.... WHAT THE FUCKITTY DOO DAH????? That's all the episodes we have at the moment so I am literally stuck now until we can get the final few. I bet S2 ends on some massive cliffhanger. I'm limbering up for it, I know its coming. In fact the end os 20 was a sizeable cliff hanger that made me feel nauseous. I had to watch it twice. Oh, PS I don't get with the whole Hurleys-dreaming-it-all bollocks. Not at all.

Wedding update... I have booked the hairdresser for me & the bridesmaids and I've found some goldfish bowls which are on order and due to arrive shortly.

I'm doing a carboot sale this weekend with my Dad. Nick'll be busy doing stag weekend type monstrosities. I don't even WANT to know. I have to sleep at my Dad's house because I'm not allowed in the vicinity.

That's all for now

Hope you liked the photos. I've been sat here reminiscing about days of yore and now am off to the hairdresser for a cut and highlights. I think I'm going to go a bit lighter for the summer.

We got a load of packing done last night at Chilwell and now although our new place is full of boxes at least most of our possessions are in the one place, so you could say we've moved in. Finally. I can crack open the champagne I got from a customer the other day and didn't tell my colleagues about! Jackpot, as Partridge would say. Jurassic Park!

Exeter Uni days!

Oops I think I'm pretty far from sober in both of these. The first one is me & Kristel, (before she went bald btw), I was really into sticking bindis onto my forehead and my hair was quite red, and the second one is me & Michelle, at one of our house parties on the 2nd year of Exeter, so I've have been, umm about 20 here - look how blonde I went! What a saucepot eh. Bit of a roots issue though.

Chumba Wumba

Porky wants a pie!!

I did promise. There are worse photos, I have been chunkier than this (Monte Carlo with Nick in 1999 - two months of eating French cakes) but I'm not sure where those pics are. I was in Rome in this photo, with various ruins behind me.

The Winchester Days

Ahhh, I loved Winchester! My very bestest friends are in these pics. We've got the naughty Leni (the blondy/pink one) sweet little Tiggy (the dready one) Rachel (hiding her face in the b&w one) and Kristel (hard to miss - the bald one. But I've lost touch with her)
My hair was going through some interesting blond/red phases and I was totally gothed up 95% of the time. I was 18 and full of beans and away from home for the first time! Weeeeeeeeee! Check out my high ponytail on the last one, the girls got style. Not.

The Photo Archive

These two are from I would guess 1997. The girls I went to school with went camping in herm after our A Levels. I'm on the far left. The other one was in the sixth form at my mate Tania's house, me & Rachel are at the back, then Fiona, SJ & Tania are sat at the front.

Big Ruddy Brother

I'm bored of them already. Saying that I will probably watch it at some point over the weekend. The perils of having E4. my favourite from watching them all go in is the big gay cowboy. Definitely.

Have just bought a bunch of disposable cameras on ebay for the wedding, so that's one thing off the list...

I nearly killed myself mowing the lawn around at my Dad's house last night. The grass was practically waist height and I had to hold the mower at an angle and go over each bit about 3 times. And the petrol ran out so I have to finish tonight. I hate doing it cos I'm such a wimp about killing plants and bugs. Stupid I know but I hate upsetting the woodlice and spiders. I managed to get Nick to have a sort out of stuff though. Am so having a car boot sale next bank holiday weekend!

Balloons!

I have a smart car full of very pretty balloons. We went to the balloon people at lunchtime today and they have blown up a few for us and let me keep them. I think we have decided what to have, which is chocolate brown and cream coloured ones with pink ribbons. I was debating having fuschia pink balloons but they haven't got exactly the right colour and it kind of clashes with the brown, so... Anyway.

I picked Nick up from his work and he came out carrying this yellow fluffy duck thing which is basically shaped like a ball and you put your hand up its arse and it squeaks out a song. Truly bizarre but Nick knew that I would like it. It's to cheer me up. Apparentely i've been a bit stressy lately.

I had a viewing earlier today with this couple who were quite into their 'spirituality'. They were telling me all about their Chinese style living room and how they have two gigantic stone dogs which ward off the evil spirits. Oh yeah, they also have 5 parrots and 5 cats. I actually quite warmed to them and their crazy ways. I've just been to a house that is going to be really difficult to write up because there were about 10 outbuildings and vineries along with the main house. Ah well, keeps me busy.

Tonight folks, I'm forcing Nick to have a real sort through of all the crap left at the old house and hopefully I'll be home in time for BB. I'm guessing it starts at 8 but I'm not sure. Wonder what crazy madia whores will be in the house this year! Talking of telly, we had a letter come around the office today which was from the BBC asking for applications for the Weakest Link! They must be doing a local one here. I don't think I could stand up to the Robinson though...

Gratuitous cat pic

You know you love the pineapple.

I spent last night with my Dad around at our old house clearing it room by room. I cleared out the whole loft as well which gave me a really good work out (up and down and up and down the ladder with boxes) and I found one old box full of Uni stuff - many many photos which I had forgotten about. So I might post some on here this weekend cos I'm working on Saturday and I can sneakily use the scanner. There's blonde me, red haired me, scary goth me and fat me, which is my personal favourite. It's a real inspiration to lose more weight before the wedding I can tell you. Also, Ant I found some of our week camping in Herm after A levels!

I did quite a bit of wedding stuff too yesterday so today I'm going to relax a bit. Oh, apart from I have to go to Sails to check out some glass bowls they have which might do for the table decorations. Sigh.

Sinatra and Champagne

Ha, one of those crazy things happened. Providence or good karma, I like to call it. We have a friend who has just left Guernsey for Swindon. This mate left his business card behind the bar in Sinatras cocktail bar a month or so ago in some kind of win-free-drinks-for-the-night competition.

Aaaaanyway, he gets a letter forwarded through to him the other day and he had won it, but DOH, now he's in Swindon so he gave it to us. Big hurrahs all round! On Friday we turned up with our golden ticket and got free drinks to the tune of £150. We drank a couple bottles of Champagne before realising we could easily blow the entire budget that way so then switched to wine and cocktails. Which was nice. The evening ended, I have a feeling we were in Barbados again, hmmm anyway not sure about that but came home eventually and had a midnight pig out of pasta & Processed cheese. Bleugh.

On Saturday night we went to the Doghouse for Rachels birthday meal which was nice but ohmygod I wish I hadn't preordered the pudding. We had to leave early becuase Nick had some serious bout of man-flu and thought he was dying.

Saturday and Sunday daytime were moving house days, lots of mess, boxes and clutter and a cat that kept escaping down the drive. Got her back though and she's fine.

Hmm, yesterday, just spent the evening packing boxes and stuff, and also Nick completely attacked the beautiful fuschia in the garden with a pair of shears and now it looks really miserable. I hope it grows back because I love it's pink flowers. I watched episode 17 of Lost S2 which was SO good on Nick's laptop and the battery ran out in a REALLY good bit and I nearly started gnawing the side of the sofa. Don't worry we plugged it in and watched it to the end so my sofa is safe.

It's Tuesday now and in my lounch hour I just had a brief meeting with my lovely florist and also popped into the hairdresser I would like to use for my wedding hair. And I've set up a second meeting with the balloon people on Thurs. Its ALL STEAM AHEAD gung ho stylee on the wedding front. And! I'm having a hair cut on Sat afternoon.

Molly threw up what was basically an owl-pellet sized hard lump of a fur ball this morning. It was so compressed it must have been in her tum for months. I was fascinated by it.

Ants

Its sunny its sunny a la la la la laaaaaaaaaaa

And I have ants crawling all over my desk

And its the weekend and I don't have to work. OK I have to finish moving house but WHO cares about that when the sun is shining? And I'm going out to see the 'Really' Hot Chilli Peppers, ha ha. That's as opposed to Red but I think they're going to be even better.

Hello Kitty

Molly keeps following me around the new house and miowing. I don't think she likes it very much at the moment. I let her out into the garden very briefly yesterday and she sniffed all around but again kept checking that I was there and came back inside when I went in. Bless her, she is sooo lovely I hope she settles in soon. Its a shame its still all boxes everywhere it can't feel very homely to her.

Nick's back from Jersey tonight and I have to go supermarket shopping. Last night I spent until 9pm unpacking and rearranging my kitchen stuff exactly as I wanted it. Cutlery here, plates there, saucepans blah blah. It's good to have a sort through. I found a pair of gorgeous cocktail glasses that we had kept wrapped up since christmas (thanks Suz!) it was nice to finally unwrap them I'd forgotten what they looked like. I also found a lot of crap that I really need to bin or carboot. Ahh, the clutter of my life.

It's a gorgeously sunny day and I have just spend 15 minutes talking to a man about dining tables, we want a really big solid oak one that is chunky and simple. We're asking for dosh for the wedding so hopefully we'll have enough to buy one afterwards.

Wedding update: I went to Alliance and bought 8 large tubs of flying saucers, oh yes, they have arrived. I also parked the Stupid car in the carpark and left the handbrake off and I heard a message over the tanoi that my car was rolling across the carpark so I had to dash out like a loon and quick stop it. There were people watching I went bright bright red. Luckily it had rolled to a stand still and hadn't hit anything but it was stopping cars from going past. HOW Embarrassing!!! I told one woman that my car was Herbie. I mean, its an automatic but has it got a P setting??? No, as I said its a stupid car.

I went to Rachel's Dads funeral on Wednesday morning. It was very sad. Lots of people showed up, it was standing room only at the back of the Church and it was a nightmare parking. The vicar did a really lovely and apt ceremony which was great, the reasons were twofold because he's the vicar doing our wedding so I was kind of secretly scoping him out. It was awful at the end and the family walked out behind the coffin, I can't bear to see people crying it makes my heart break. Well, Rachel's having a belated bday night out tomorrow night so we have to make it a good one.

I really should be getting on with some work right now

I have a bunch of people to phone plus a house that I went to yesterday that I haven't even started the write up yet. I've just come back from a gorgeous house, just under a million and I had a really good viewing so that was nice. I have no internet at home, (I don't even have a toaster right now) and works really insanely busy so that's why I haven't blogged in ages.

But! In a nutshell, the last few days have been moving house days. On Liberation day we moved all our furniture in this huge crazy trailer that Nick borrowed from a guy at his work and we absolutely could not reverse this thing for love nor money. Basically it was a catalogue of disasters and during the course of the movewe hit several walls/hedges/our garage but luckily its a pretty sturdy trailer and no harm was done. Annnnnyway so the bulk of stuff is moved in and Nick is in Jersey now until Friday doing some sort of important work thing. He phoned me up last night and told me he had had a lesson in putting on makeup! And the woman had told him to buy Touche Eclat! (That's the most amazing concealer that I've just run out of, we'll have to share the next one!) Anyway I found that hilarious. Last night I moved the cat round and she whinged and whinged the entire way in the car and followed me around the new house yowling her little head off. She then threw up twice and did a big poo in her litter tray so all is back to normal!

Amazing wedding!

This weekend I went here and it was amazing, in a Mr Darcy type way. Very P&P, I was humming the theme song from the series under my breath for most of the day. There were deer and pheasants just wandering around and it really was a gathering of the beautiful people. Everyone looked stunning. Photos will apparentely be winging their way onto the web soon so I'll post some. The bride looked like an angel.

Oh shit

I think we might have to buy a wedding present for Fiona & Steve this weekend. Oops, heh heh, but of a last minute thought. I'm not strictly speaking supposed to have a lunch break today but if my boss is out I might nip to Creaseys and have a quick gander at what they've got on offer.

Nick got the home cinema system up and running yesterday, there are 9 speakers hidden around the lounge and kitchen/diner which is so cool, its like ultimate surround sound but I got a bit freaked cos he made me watch the Tyrannosaurus-chases-the-car bit out of Jurrasic Park to test it. Nasty nasty film that. This morning we are having the final bits of carpet fitted plus the TV aeriel and satellite dish. I have taken around some pictures.

Rachel came round last night to see the flat which was cool, I fed her fizzy sweets and she told me about her Dad : ( The poor thing was obviously still reeling and had been crying a lot but hopefully I took her mind off it for a few minutes with my fizzy piglets (M&S, go buy them, they're ace). I think Isla and I managed to tell most of our friends about it yesterday so everyones in the know. The funeral's next Wednesday.

Well, am off to Somerset my luvvers. Have a good weekend y'all.

Sing Hosannas!

We have CARPETS. Yes, that's right, carpets! Carpets galore, in every room, plus vinyl in the bathroom. All they have left to do is the matting around the 2 doors. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I have gone to the passport office and applied for a new one. I was a doofus and signed my normal signature when I was supposed to do it in my new married name so I had to do it again in front of the girl. Doh. I also popped in to see Nick and he is fitting the high tech speaker system that I will never in a million years be able to understand. Also, went to M&S for bread and fizzy sweeties for Rachel. I texted her and I might see her tonight. I realised I'm off tomorrow for a wedding in Somerset so I won't be able to see her over the weekend so tonight is the only time I can really see her before I go. Hopefully that's OK and not too pushy of me. It is a bit soon and all.

Crappy Crappy Crappy News

My friends Dad has died. He was very ill and had been given a year to live but that was only a couple of months ago, I think that is so awful cos if you're told that then you expect at least around about a year, don't you? I mean, 2-3 months is just not even close. So, anyway Rachel called me this morning to tell me, I think it was really nice of her to phone me actually, she's got such a lot to think about hasn't she but she bothered to phone me, that's so nice of her. It makes me realise we have quite a close friendship. We have known each other for years and years but we've never been the sort of soppy I-love-you sort of friends, we have the same sense of humour and went to school together but she is really important to me. Oh God, I just welled up sat at my desk.... must stop. I would really like to go around and give her a big hug and perhaps some Ben & Jerry's but I'm not sure what's appropriate right now. I will call her a bit later on and see if she'll let me come round to her house.

Toast

Nice day

Umm, I don't have much to say then really apart from it is a gorgeous sunny day and I am going to wander into town to check out Guernsey's latest new shop, Miss Selfridge in the arcade. Woooooo. Actually I find on the whole their clothes are designed for minute 14 year olds so I'll be surprised if I like it all that much but we'll see.

I was supposed to go out last night to the White Hart but bailed as I needed some sleep. Nick went and didn't come home, the DIRTY stopout! Ha, no he slept at the flat so that's OK. But he went clubbing and got 4 hours sleep and I just spoke to him, he was all gruffly. I watched an episode of Firefly which was ACE, I love it so much, and I watched about half an hour of Miss Congeniality 2 which was just appauling and an insult to my intelligence.

I was woken up today not by my alarm clock or by the early morning larks and sparrows but by the lovely noise of my cat vomiting outside the bedroom door. I swear its like having a small child around the house sometimes.

Tonight then, will paint the fireplace then home to maybe start packing for the big move. I had a mega tidy up last night which was very satisfying I must say.

A freaky thing

I just have to add this so I don't forget. On Sunday night we were both fast asleep in bed with the window slightly open, it was 1:30am and we were both woken up by a very very strange noise, I can only describe it as a noise of electricity, like a static type lightning noise, lots of crrtzz cthhzz zzzcckkk sounds. Imagine a science experiment where you've got those two metal poles and lightning flashes between them? Well it was like that only loud enough to wake us both up. There was also a smell of burning like bonfires in the air. I leant over and turned on my bedside lamp, at which point it immediately stopped. I have no idea at all what it was. We could vaguely hear the noise of some people across the road and Nick says he heard someone shout "come on!" so I'm wondering if we were having a trick played on us? There was also a faint light flashing outside our window. I mean WHAT the fuck????? We were too scared to go outside but we turned all the outside lights on and peeped through the blinds. Nothing. And the next morning, after a thorough examination inside and out the hose? Nothing. Fricking freaky as I said.

Weekend of Plenty

Bah, I really should update this diary more often cos I leave it for days and days and then I have to wrack my brain trying to recap loads. On Saturday I went to Jersey for the day, primarily for a dress fitting (Woooo) and secondarily to shop and thirdly but by no means lastly to meet Alex whose blog I also read. I've never met anyone over the internet before and actually I was a bit nervous but I'm really glad I did, she's lovely. And the koi are great! I wish I was brave enough to get a funky tattoo but I'm not good with pain or with knowing what I like. Anyway, we went and looked at my dress and she took me to a little smoothie bar where I had a gorgeous pineapple/coconut one, mmmmmmmmmmm. We also spent a lot of time trying on perfumes in various shops, my black jacket absolutely reeks now but its a nice smell, I can't remember which perfume I sprayed on it but nevermind.

Then I came back from Jersey, fed my friends cat and got changed and came out into town. It ended up turning into one of those fantastic crazy nights out where you bump into people you haven't seen for literally years and you're like OHHH MY GAAAAAD when you see them, ha ha and I got a bit pissed and there we go. Walked through a flower bed in my newly purchased suede shoes but they didn't come off too badly. I fell asleep on the sofa and Nick carried me to bed eventually, I think I was a bit away with the fairies.

On Sunday I woke up in satan's pit of hell, downed about 7 litres of water and some paracetamol and went around to my cousins house for lunch. We had tandori chicken and cheesecake for pudding. Then DIY, primarily sanding, filling and paiting skirting boards until about 8:30 then home to bed.

Monday sucked, just did about 12 hours straight of DIY to get it finished for today when the carpets were booked to arrive. But hey, guess what? It's Monday now and the fucking carpets haven't arrived. Nick's taken the week off work to move in and the bloody people only have enough carpet for one room, not the whole 4, and the bathroom flooring hasn't shown up either. Can't believe I worked so hard for NOTHING, they are total bums.

So there we are, exciting life eh! Tonight I'm going to deliver Dad his duty frees, get my marriage licence round to the vicars and go home for a good old tidy up. Rew might possibly be coming round for dinner as well which is cool, he's leaving for Swindon tomorrow.

Scary morning

Nick & I had to go to Ecclesiastical Court this morning! It was all a bit serious. First of all we arrived and had to give over £50, then we were ushered into a waiting room with a bunch of nervous looking young couples and wait for ages. We were the last ones to be called and finally had to go through to this very official looking room with a big wooden desk. Anyway there was this reverend there, a canon or something, plus his assistant. He sat us down and asked us if we had ever been married before (no guvnor), if we were related (no) or if we knew of any reason we could not be married (hmm, no). Then after the probing questions he made us stand up, put our right hands on the bible and swear we were telling the truth. I was grinning like a loon the entire time becuase I found it all a bit surreal and ridiculous, which I don't think he appreciated. So at the end of it all we were issued with a bit of paper that says we are allowed to get married! It's all above board now.

I had a lovely chicken/bacon salad for lunch and now I have a couple of viewings. This evening I can't believe it but we are going out for a curry again, I am going to be sweating spices out of every pore. But I'm not allowed to stay late or get drunk, as I want to be all bright eyed tomorrow. I have to go on a ferry for an hour which I will hate, and the ferry is full which makes it worse. Someone told me a bunch of footballers are going over to Jersey tomorrow which is just marvellous.

Oh Yorkie Bar I love you

Raisin & Biscuit yorkies are better than Mars, but both fall at the knees of cadbury's caramel which is the Queen of all things good and melty.

More wedding stuff, alert! alert! No, its fine. My Dad has magically found some 1930's cars and I'm going round briefly to have a look at them tonight at 7:30 to chose what we want. How cool is that. I really like the idea of turning up in some king of Bugsy Malone-mobile. I could do a drive by shooting at the church of everyone that hasn't bought me presents. Also I have been looking at possible hymns for the Church. Now, I'm not really into hymns so its hard to chose but I have got a short list which goes:

All thing Bright & Beautiful (everyone knows it and it reminds me of school)
Morning has Broken (Was it Cat Stevens that did a really beautiful version of this? Anyway, again its a classic)
Lord of the Dance (becuase its fun and happy clappy and again reminds of primary school)
Give me Joy in my Heart (same reason as above)
One more Step along the world I go (This has a really nice tune and is a definite. The chorus goes: "and its from the old I travel to the new, keep me travelling along with you" if you know it)

I can't think of any more that I know. We have to go with 3 so I'm almost there.

Humping Duckies

I had quite good fun last night after my DIY spatz at the flat. We went round to some friends of Nick's, Sue & Tommy who have this bungalow they've just finished renovating. It's absolutely beautiful and stunning with lots of oak/bamboo flooring, vaulted ceilings and funky ambient lighting. Lovely. Anyway they also have a field with a big quarry with a pond at the bottom that's full of the most massive koi fish (Alex I thought of you!) and we fed them and they went crazy for the fish food. It was a big splashy frenzy and honestly some of them were the length of my arm! I would be scared to swim in that pond, they looked as if they could take a human.

On the way to their house we took a wrong turn and while doing a U turn we spotted some rampant duckies that were having some sort of orgy by the roadside, the poor lady duck was getting humped by a mallard and there was another mallard just standing by perving on them and presumably waiting his turn.

I have a few viewings lined up today with a guy called Ed who is a friend of Tania's from school days. That should be fun. And I still have to get the vicar to sign my passport application and pop round Bob's cos I'm feeding his cat this weekend and I need the keys. And Debbie is coming round ours tonight about the honeymoon (she seems to work crazy hours, she''s coming round at 8) and I have to get the skirting boards ready for Tuesday for the carpets. Rahhhhhhhh too much to do!!

I delegated hen weekend planning to Suzi and she's found a lovely hotel that does a day spa pass for £25, we're going to go for it. It's just outside Southampton near Hedge End.

That is all, I missed the Apprentice last night but I'm betting blondie got the chop. It's on BBC3 next Tuesday so I'll wait and see then.

Curry and emulsion

Went round the flat until half past 7 last night then came home to an empty house and a very hungry cat, as Nick was still out.

Leni phoned and we had a very long chat about things which was interrupted by Nick trying to phone my mobile several times. Sooooooo, I finally called him back and turned out he was in town and did I want to join, so I quick got changed and went out and we ended up having a lovely curry at the Taj Mahal. I'm not sure how authentic my main course was, it was chicken in a tomatoey sauce with cognac involved, but it was very nice indeed. Lou is over for 6 weeks from Devon to cover Rew's job, and Rew is off permanently as of next Wednesday which is poo for Nick, they're really good friends and they were all out last night. I bailed and came home after the meal becuase I do need my sleep, but it was nice to see her again.

I realised I was covered in paint at the dinner table and even had flecks on my nose but I think it wasn't that obvious.

Tonight I think we have to go round to Nick's workmates house, I'm not sure why exactly I think it's just for a drink but I could do without it to be honest becuase I have a load of painting to do round the flat. Ah well I'm sure it will be nice. I'm a bit tired though and feel bad because I snapped at Peter this morning, he was stating the obvious to me though and I was like I KNOW how to do my job thankyou I don't need your assistance. He was only trying to help though so I feel bad for being sarky. I will be nice from now on.

Zim Bah

Well, guess what I spent the weekend doing. I'm not going to tell you because if you can't guess by now then you're very dumb and shouldn't be reading my highly intellectual blog anyway.

Back at work and it's Monday, went to town to Woolworths just now to get my new passport photos done, they came out looking very gormless and spaced. I'm was going for a sort of half smile with a twinkle in my eye and came out looking like I'd eaten some magic shrooms.

Molly got assaulted last night by a big ginger tom cat. There was lots of raucousness and cat shreiks coming from outside so I went to investigate and ended up chasing it across the garden in my socks while clapping my hands and shouting BAH! BAH! at it to scare it off. God only knows what the neighbours thought of me.

Good news, Leni & Dom ARE coming to the wedding! Can't start the day with better news than that really.

We booked the honeymoon yesterday and it is VERY VERY EXCITING INDEED. The final plan is to fly to San Fransisco, stay a few days and hire a convertible which we'll drive down Pacific Ocean Highway (that's OC land, oh yes) to LA. We've got 2 day passes to Universal Studios and are staying v close to Hollywood walk of fame. Then we fly from there to Tokyo, that's right we're going to Japan! We're staying somewhere in the city for a few days, going to hit all the tourist spots and shops etc, get some of the crazy lifestyle. After that we fly to Bangkok and we've got a connection via coach to Hua Hin which is about 3 1/2 hours away and supposed to be beautiful and your typical sandy beach lazy Thailand resort. And that's out last stop then home again. So all in all I have a lot of reading up to do on all these places. It's going to be wonderful. The lady organising it for us has told all the airlines and hotels that we're honeymooners so you never know, we might get upgraded here and there.

Update: It's now the evening, I've had trouble with blogger I meant to post this earlier. I went shopping after work then came home and washed both the Smart(stupid) car and the Punto. Just waiting for Nick to come home, he's gone for a drink with Rew and Lou who's over from the UK for 6 weeks. Have found a repeat of Lost on E4 and have just turned the oven on, having plaice and chips for dinner. Weightwatchers chips actually, which I am convinced are a complete con but there you go. How can chips be diet?? Nick's emailed me another list of stuff to do. This one's the definitive one witrh absolutely everything we can think of.