Making Friends and Wristbands

Hi Everyone ~ unfortunately so far this week is not much better than last week!!  I am feeling very blah at the moment (can't think of a better word to describe it sorry!!) So I'm not gonna say much, (mainly coz I don't feel like it!) just onwards to the travel diary......

Last week's entry brought you over to Dublin and to the B&B.........let's carry on and I hope you enjoy it xx

WEDNESDAY 22nd AUGUST 2007

We woke up just before 9am on the day of the gig and went down to breakfast. It was nice, well you can't go wrong with a fried brekkie can you? We decided to ask the B & B lady how to get to Marlay Park and she booked us a taxi. As we weren't heading off to queue till about 3pm Trina and I agreed that we should just chill for the morning. Wayne wanted to venture into Dublin and have a look around, but we didn't agree with that. (I've done that before walked around all day before a gig and by the end of the night your feet are killing you more than if you just went to the gig!!) So we chilled out in the room and watched some crappy daytime TV, but we did find the most funniest cartoon programme which I can't remember the name of but one of the characters had to keep being called different names, they were like secret service or whatever, so in one episode he wanted to be called Mummy Dearest, it was very funny!!

At 3pm our taxi arrived and took us to the entrance that he thought we needed to get into the park ~ apparently there was a few!! The driver was very nice and told us how to get back if we walked, so we all agreed that was what we should do. He told us that Ireland hadn't seen the sun for ages, that's why they were all making the most of the gorgeous weather. The sun was shining but it was chilly in the breeze. There was a bit of a small queue on the other side of the road, but we had been dropped off at the supermarket on the opposite side so Trina decided we should get some drinks and stuff. After we had got some drinks we went and joined the queue, although it was fairly small when we joined it, it didn't take very long for it to grow. So here we are the three of us in Ireland and who did we end up talking to? A very nice lady by the name of Abby from America. She had come over for this gig and was spending the next week or so at several Nine Inch Nails gigs including the Leeds/Reading festival. She was nice (as I've already said) and was mad about the Foo's as much as us and wasn't really worried about getting to the front like us. She was also aware of queue etiquette as she is a hardened gigger too!!

After a while they moved us up behind the fence but only to another gate. This was a wider area than the path we had been sat on so everyone who had been behind us were forcing themselves in front of us. Not that we cared, but there's a principle!! As we waited there we discussed the idea of writing a book on queueing for the hardened gigger. Such as if you arrive early you get to the front and you should not expect to get to the front if you turn up at 5pm etc...... It was quite funny some of the things we were thinking of adding to it!! Most of the people around us were teenagers and they were all falling over and looked VERY drunk. They moved us on after about an hour or two much to welcome relief, I was bored standing for so long there is just no need for it!! But we were only to moved a bit further along to be greeted by lines all being checked by stewards etc. All four of us got through fine and still not caring about getting to the front and we were all given wristbands. By this point we could see the stage.

The arena was massive, it looked just like a festival site with all the fast food vans, market stalls and drink stalls. Trina went to the loo and then we made her queue up for t-shirts. Wayne, Abby and I sat on the grass waiting for her. After about a minute or two Abby left us and walked down to the barrier. This was the first barrier you could get too, beyond that was a gold circle and I couldn't get over that. We had not been informed there was going to be a gold circle and therefore had no idea how you get in there!! I kept moaning about this to Wayne and at this point Abby returned and explained that some girls she knows have just been off with her. When we asked why, she said it was because she has a wristband. She asked her friend what that meant and apparently it gives us access to the gold circle area!!!!!!! Wayne and I were beside ourselves and immediately agreed that we had to use them!! When Trina returned we informed her of the news and we made our way into the gold circle YAY \o/

Once inside though we were too scared to leave in case they weren't letting you back in!! This was a pain as I was desperate for the loo...........Although Wayne's back was still quite dodgy luckily we managed to find a spot leaning on the back barrier. Nobody would be standing behind him, so he would be fine. We all sat down and couldn't get over how lucky we were and how we hadn't even tried to get to the front yet here we where as close to the stage as we could possibly want!! Eventually Trina needed the loo so she had to leave the area but luckily she got let back in. She kept telling us tales that at other gigs they let people into a gold circle area, then after a while they rotate it or something like so a different crowd are let in. As she was being silly I headed off to the loo a bit wary at first coz I thought they would be just like the festival toilets but they weren't too bad and there wasn't a big queue which was even better. When I came out and headed back to the circle, there was a bloke making his way through the fenced off area that I presumed to be the back stage bit, I looked at him, he looked at me and started laughing. I realised what he was laughing at, I was wearing my 'I'm With the Band' t-shirt.

Eventually the Silversun Pickups came on stage. They were good, don't know anything about them just that they had a girl in their band and she was cool. When the lead singer walked along the front of the audience, Wayne managed to get down to the front and shake his hand!! I was just relieved that I could see fine and that I was close enough for my liking and not behind the other barrier. Between our barrier and the next barrier there was a massive gap for the stewards to walk down through, it was unbelievable. I kept saying to Trina that everytime I looked at the people on the barrier behind us I couldn't help laughing, which was mean, but so cool that we had been given the wristbands!! Next there was a small interlude as they changed the stage around for the Nails. Both Abby and Wayne were really looking forward to this, I had a feelin' it was gonna be good but I wasn't all that bothered!

The first person to come on stage went straight to the front of the stage and the crowd who were already cheering, cheered even louder!! I turned to Trina and asked her if that was Trent Reznor, but apparently it wasn't, this was just the bass player and we soon came to realise he fancied himself!! He pretty much stood like that during the whole gig expecting and waiting for the crowd to go mad, just for him!! Trent did eventually come on stage. Their set was good and would've been a lot better for me personally if I had known more of their songs. I was very relieved when they played Only and Hand That Feeds. They also played Head Like A Hole which made Trina very happy, (turns out it's not that one that she loves most on the album!) Wayne was going mental during the whole set. Being stood where we were there was plenty of room for him to dance around etc. He even made a couple of friends as they too were going mad for the Nails. I kept wondering how he was gonna have enough energy for the Foos.

I shall leave you there for now ~ until next time xx

P.s actually there is slightly good news ~ I've been made member of the week of DSD group :o)  I'm so chuffed!!  I love the group and the games are really good fun..............

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Work, NHS, Bikes, Family and Friends

Hello J-land how are we all??  Hope you've had a good weekend :o)

So that week that has just left us, dragged for me and unfortunately I finished it feeling invisible not just with regards to all this job evaluation stuff but with some of my friends too!!  I'm not going into details here coz they are quite petty and all in my own head of course but it's just not that important.  Of course I told Trina on friday how I was feeling and she said that I was not invisible to her.  Bless her, that was exactly what I thought she was going to say and it wasn't her that I was thinking about anyway!!  I know I couldn't be invisible to her, coz she's my bessie mate lol

This job evaluation crap (excuse my language) is dragging on, but hopefully by Friday we can put it to bed!!  Or at least with regards to my involvement we can ;-)  We've been meeting to discuss what to write for the sections that we want to appeal against and by Friday I just thought what is the point to me being here so I doodled on my pad!!  It turned into a pirate boat :o)  I was very proud of it that I've brought it home.........

Other than that, work has been work and that's all!!

I contacted the NHS helpline the other day and left a message to register with a dentist eeeekkk............I sure hope they will be able to cope with a nervous patient!!  I'm trying to save some money in case it happens soon but it could be several months before i hear anything!!  Still I've set the ball rolling and for that I can be happy about.

Still nothing from the agent about the rent rise..........do they want this money or not?  Very odd!!

Sent an email to the bike repair man, which I am forever naming him and anyone else that has to fix my bike coz it reminds me of the Monty Python sketch LOL.......but i have not heard back from him *fingers crossed* peeps ;-)

I have spent a nice weekend as the weather was lovely with my mum and my sister.  (They are still reading my blog and now mum has broadband so it makes it easier for her :o)  We went shopping and I managed to buy a few things that I needed.  I got some scales for the kitchen, a new mug for work and a spare one (well at 29p you couldn't pass that up!) and some other stuff.   I didn't borrow any books from mum, I have loads to read, so borrowed some DVD's from her instead.  I have now got the 'Cutting It' collection to watch :o)  I watched the first episode today!!  I am thinking that Jason Merrells is a bit of a hunk ~ especially as within the first few scenes there he is with his top off *sigh*

In the evening I watched Casualty and slightly ashamed to admit i shed a few tears!!  Perhaps it was a good release for me at the end of the week as I have been down :(  Watched a film later about some family (I think they were Irish) and Gillian Anderson was in it (Scully from the X-Files or Bleak House) well she was doing an Irish accent and it was very good :o)  It seemed to be about this boy helping this bloke train racing greyhounds.  At the end the one he had been attached to got murdered in front of his eyes!!  It was horrible, but at the end his mum and dad got him a new one.  A puppy ~ it was dead cute :o)

Today I made a pact with myself that I would do stuff.  I had a quick hoover around and chopped the leeks and bacon for my tea.  Today starts the cook from recipe cooking!!  I have written down all the recipes and stuff I need for the ones i want to attempt.  Then I had something to eat and then went round to Sainsbugs by foot to nosey at the clothes recycling bins (very strange girl)!!  I have two bags of clothes that I shall never wear again in the cupboard and I'm thinking bit by bit I shall get rid of them in the recycling bins.  Those at Sainsbugs are the closest!!  So I needed to know if you have to clean them or anything.  Apparently they have to be in sealed bags but that won't be difficult!!

When I came home, I made my way up to my flat and at the bottom of the second flight of stairs I could smell my leeks ~ jeez they ponged but they were in the fridge so I didn't understand how I could smell them from that far away!

Back in the flat I read some journal entries and wrote up some adventures.  Trina has written one for the Linkin Park gig we went to for use on my journal, bless her :o)  I shall pad it up a bit but it's a great start and I shall get round to posting that at some point.

Dancing on Ice ~ Chris to win!!  He looks like a professional skater.  Linda and Steve or Greg to be in the bottom two next week!!  Get rid of Linda I can't stand her!!  If she let go of Daniel it would be a miracle and yes she argued that she did but it weren't for long was it??  I was getting worried that the new girl was doing the same with Fred but she proved me wrong thank god :o)  I'm not getting too involved I promise lol

Missed half of Larkrise to Candleford coz of the skate off!!  Made my tea before that started.  Chicken and Leek bake with pasta :o)  I took a photo of it with my mobile which I shall upload at some point!!

The only other thing I was thinking about this weekend is the book I'm reading it's Emprorer Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden.  It's actually the first one in a series so I am going to have to read the other four.  Possibly not straight after though.  I am going to have to buy the second part soon so I can read it after the next book ~ strange way of doing things I know ~ but that's me all over ;-)

Well I reckon that's all of my news for now.  Have a good week xx

Nice Matters and Dublin

*Warning a fairly long entry following*

Hey everyone ~ so now I've warned you I can feel better about it lol.........There are two reasons for this a) because it's Wednesday and that means travel entry!!  and b) because last night I found out Pammels (link over there ------>) nominated my journal for the nice matters award :)

Yay my journal and big huggles and thanks go to Pam :o)  This means it is now up to me to decide who should get one (such a big responsibility I am not sure if I can cope under the pressure ;-)  I have noticed that most of the journals I wanted to award one with already have one but hey.............I'm gonna mention you anyway!!

Firstly Pam ~ not because she nominated me, but i was actually thinking about who I would put up for the awards if I got nominated at the weekend and she was one of the names i thought off!!  I love her journal, she makes me laugh and i remember the first entry I read was about her journey to work and catching a bus and forgetting stuff and I related so much to it that I loved it!!  She is a lovely person and that's why I think she deserves one :o)

Secondly Indigo - She is a lovely, kind, caring, thoughtful and all those other lovely words that can describe a person.  To be honest I have never met anyone who has been through as much as she has and come out the other side shining as brightly as she does!!  Hmmm.........that sounds wrong but hopefully you know what I mean.  Go read her journal and get inspired ;-)

Thirdly Sara - Her journal is private hence no hyperlink!!  Sara was one of the people whose journal I started reading from the beginning and I love reading about her journey's with Jelly and Spud Bud and now Mr Brainwhispers is keeping us entertained through it all with the hiding of the rat etc.............(don't ask lol)  She is a beautiful person with a lovely humour and kindness.

Fourthly I would like to give one to Jasper :o)  He is the sweetest dog I have ever known and I love reading his tails (ha ha ha.....geddit) and what he gets up to.  How he is keeping the neighbourhood cats at bay......It's a fantastic written journal and very entertaining.  That's why I saved this one lol 

Last but by no means least Ruby - I like reading Ruby's journal obviously lol........She is again a great person with a great sense of humour and she likes her shoes ;-)!!  I'm glad to have met her through J-land.

So here's your award people if you don't already have one ~ congratulations :o)

I would've given more out to you all my dear sweet readers coz I do love each and every one of you coz to take time out in your busy schedule's and read me doings day in and day out (well whenever I write an entry anyway!!) and to leave me a comment to let me know you have well you don't realise how happy that makes me :o)  Thank you xx

Okay so enough soppiness yeah??  Agreed so here's the next instalment of the travel log.......I left you last time at Dan's flat!!  We had finally left the V showground and were starting the next part of our trip :o)  Enjoy xx

TUESDAY 21st AUGUST 2007

I don't remember what time we woke up but he was right, Dan had already gone. We didn't have to leave the flat till about 12.30pm and there was talk about trying to findHalo (a pub type place) for a fried breakfast. I couldn't be bothered to move and was quite happy where I was, only there was nothing decent on TV. So we decided not to go and just lazed around the flat a bit longer. All 3 of us needed showers and felt so much better afterwards. Trina tided up and after we watched the Foo's on the BBCi a few more times we left to find the bus to get us to the station. It wasn't too hard to find and didn't take too long to turn up either. We got off at the right stop for the train station and relations between us started to fray, so much so that when the bus to the airport arrived we all sat seperately!! By the time we got to the airport though apologies were made and we started talking again but it didn't take long for us all to disagree again. This was not a good situation to be in!

Wayne got a Subway sandwich and we went to queue for checking in. There was a big queue for this plane but this started to panic me as it was clearly going to be a bigger plane than I had been on before. After we checked in we went to the cafe for something to eat. Trina and I got fried breakfasts and when we got to the till all the staff seemed like they weren't English and carried on with their personal conversation. Once we finished with our food, it was time to go to the gate but we got caught up in another queue. When we got through security Wayne was asked to remove his shoes and Trina had to remove her belt. I went through fine!! At this point we split up at the shops coz I needed to get something and Trina needed the loo. We met back up after about 10 minutes and sat and waited. Our gate was called so we went to join another queue.

The flight wasn't bad and at least we were all sat together. Trina and Wayne found it very odd though as throughout the flight there was advertising announced through the speakers. I just listened to my MP3 player so I didn't care. It was supposed to take 40 minutes, which I am sure it did, but it didn't feel like it. Once we got off the plane we went to get our luggage and made our way out of the airport to catch a bus. We had no idea which one we were supposed to catch and there was one there already but it was full up, so we waited for the next one. When that turned up the driver shouted out something so we went to get on it and it took us into Dublin city centre. When we got off Trina asked the driverwhere we had to go to catch the next bus that we requried. With her directions we walked down the street towards the canal. In the middle of this road was a massive spire type thing, it was huge, goodness what it was there for. Anyway we managed to find the stop quite easily.

The bus we needed finally arrived and we explained to the driver that we didn't know where we were getting off. He started to shout at us that he was late and that we had to pay 1 euro 60 each, or get off!! That didn't seem like enough to me, but now wasn't the time to mention it. Trina tried to pay with a note and that angered him further. Under pressure now, she managed to find the right money and we went to sit down, but we all felt unsure that we had paid the right amount let alone that we didn't actually have any clue as to where we had to get off! I said that we should ask the fellow passengers, which Wayne being very brave did. Some random woman laughed at us, and was still laughing when she got off but a very nice bloke said he would show us. The bus drove for miles and the old bloke told us were we needed to get off as he was getting off at the next stop. Some drunk bloke heard what he was saying and got involved and promised he would show us where we needed to get off. Eventually we got off at the last stop!!

We still had no idea where we were going but in random desperation we started to walk in the direction we thought we should go. In the end we asked an elderly lady who was going into church, as she had no idea she went inside and got her friend who did! Wayne managed to get us there from the ladies directions and luckily the B & B owner was there, (she'd messed us about something cronic the week before and it turned out to be okay!!). We had a triple room which was cool, as it meant when we came back from our Foo High we'd be able to reminise. In the meantime we hadn't had anything to eat since Bristol so we walked back up to the shops we had passed earlier and got some snacky stuff. We spent the rest of the evening in our room watching some film or another and chillin'. (The film was quite good but I can't remember what it was called!!)

Sorry about the lengthy entry xx

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Work, Life and Niggles ~ just a usual entry

 Everyone :o)  How's you?

Hope you've had a good weekend ~ mine's not been too bad!!

The week had been the usual busy, busy, busy at work.   Unfortunately I have spent most of the week in a bit of state of unease and I thought I would share with you why!!  The gig on Monday, it was good but as we were sat in the upper seats of the O2 arena I didn't feel a) that I could enjoy it as I should or b) felt like I was actually part of the audience.  It was a strange feeling and I spent most of the gig watching their fans going mad and dancing.  I saw a gig on the other side and it was odd.  I expect none of that makes sense but it was strange.

Then there's this rent increase............apart from the email which told me about it I have heard nothing since!!  The agent told me he was writing to confirm ~ well shouldn't I have received this by now?  I can only think that I haven't coz there are other issues that they want to bring up!!  I know I'm an ejit for thinking like this but when it's quiet and i have a few moments to myself it niggles me at the back of my mind!!

On Monday I said something I really shouldn't have to Trina, and that was awful!!  It truely was one of those moments when you say it and realise as the words leave your mouth you shouldn't have done it!!  I have apologised to her and that helped, I had felt guilty about it ever since and that is a nasty feeling!! 

Job evaluation ~ On Wednesday the four of us in the appeal group had a meeting to discuss the sections that we want to appeal against.  Unfortunately I got narky with the other 3 about one point and couldn't shake that narkiness all day!!  I just wish we weren't appealing at all!!  Then on Thursday we met with the big boss to discuss our appeal and which sections he thinks are our strongest cases.  Unfortunately he agreed with them that we should appeal against it, not one of our strongest points but still a point!!  Grrrrrrrrrrr.............at least everything feels a bit calmer about that, well I said a bit!!  He pointed us in the right direction, which is good coz we were going in the opposite lol.........Gotta work hard towards it this week!!

This weekend I have not done a lot.  Couldn't be bothered with cleaning as much, so run the hoover around.  Watched Team America World Police (very funny film) and then went for a walk.  To Curry's to buy new headphones (only £9.99 which is good coz I had budgeted £20!!), then round the long way to Scumerfield.  They really are scumerfield coz they've stopped doing their mild curry savoury rice grrrrrrrr.........I preferred their own brand to the Batchelors stuff!!  Came home, surfed online for a while, watched some TV, had curry for tea :o) and a girlie beer which is out of date how odd!!  Watched a film with Piper Perabo on BBC2, she was doing a british accent and wasn't too bad ~ good film though can't remember the name!!  Watched City of Vice considering I had missed it on Monday.

 I didn't sleep that well last night and today I woke up about 7am ish with horrible tooth ache.  Got up and took some Ibruprofen and got back into bed, but I was worried :(  I am not registered with a dentist and can't afford it eeeek..............what am I going to do if it comes back?  It's been alright most of the day but there's a little niggle there now :(  damn it!!  I tell you if it isn't one thing it's another.............

Otherwise I watched Cars, great film :o)  Cried again when he helps the old time race car across the line instead of winning the Piston Cup!!  I am a sucker for happy endings!!  Then spent the rest of the day surfing again..........but I have been going through the recipes for low fat stuff and writing down ingredients I need and what cooking utensils I need ~ hopefully I shall attempt more!!  Well that's the plan anyway!!

Dancing on Ice was good ~ Aggie deserved to go ~ she is actually worse than Linda and I can't stand Linda lol.............I like Chris though, his routine was fun!!

Just a couple of thank you's...............to the two people who commented last time that I should get published with my writing, that was very kind and meant more to me than you could ever know xx  *big hugs* to you :-)

to joan (jaymact1) ~ thank you for the bike advice  ~ good news is the email group that I'm a member of here at the flats, well we've just received one from a bloke called John and apparently he fixes bikes and only wants a cake in return lol.........Shall email him at some point this week ~ this is an offer I cannot refuse LOL.

One last thing that niggled me this week!!  I brought most of Trina's xmas pressies from Ebay last year and one I ordered never arrived.  I kept getting messages from Ebay about leaving feedback and as I hadn't received the item I didn't want too!!  I am pretty sure I emailed the seller about not receiving it but can you adam and eve it?  I can't find the email and I've left negative feedback ~ for the first time ever!!  She has emailed me about it but i feel like a fraud in a way coz of the 'lost' email!!  I don't even care about the £3 something that she has but ..........................oh I don't know!!  Didn't like leaving negative feedback...............grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

oh and I had mackerel for tea, one of sainsbugs be good to yourself range fishcakes ~ first time ever.............it was quite nice :o)

Ok I think that's everything off my chest..........let's see what next week has to offer!!

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An End to the Mud

Hello peoples :)  Here we are another week, more stuff happening and we are so close to pay day I can almost smell it ~ or is that because my pay slip is sitting in front of me LOL............

So far an okay week!!  Had a good time at the gig on Monday ~ you'll all be glad to know I am not doing a write up for it lol..just cannot be bothered.....will tell you more about it another time though.

Got stressed at work today, probably because I'm tired!!  More about this job evaluation rubbish....and there's more to come tomorrow so I better keep my mouth shout or it could turn ugly lol..............

.............and the rent is going up but not by much and i can afford it so that's okay.

Trina's off sick ~ show her some love in the comments people ;-)  I know she'd appreciate it!! 

Anyway it's Wednesday so I shall transport you through the portal that is my journal back to August last year and a camp site in Stafford.  If you remember from last weeks entry we had seen the Foo Fighters play the main stage (last band of the weekend) and it had been awesome :o)  so let's carry on.....................

We made our way back to the campsite and stopped off as usual at the toilets. I went into one, that didn't smell thank goodness, it was getting to the stage where you could smell them a mile off!! Unfortunately the one I went into the lock didn't work!! So there's me in the middle of doing my business and some random opens the door, I yelled and he went into the one next door. How embarrassing!! He said though, 'Sorry about that'. I replied 'No I'm sorry, it's just the locks not working.' Then he said 'Don't know who was more scared then you or me.' I laughed and said 'me definitely', it was quite funny really!! Back at the tent and we didn't go straight to bed, as Maz and Corina were still up so we talked to them for a bit. At least it had stopped raining!! When I went to bed, Trina very kindly took my trainers and socks off so I could climb into the tent without getting everything muddy, but my pillow was soaking wet!! Lovely!!

MONDAY 20th AUGUST 2007

Yet again I woke up early hoping that Trina was gonna wake me up whilst she was going to the loo or something. Unfortunately she didn't and I had really, really bad stomach cramps. So much so, that yet again I was crying!! I called out for Trina I don't know why, but she came out after Wayne had prodded her no doubt, and told me to go into her tent!! They had more room in their tent then ours did. I did as I was told and took some paracetomol and she tried to take my mind off it. We ended up having a conversation about some comedian who had died whilst on a tread mill!! Sarah came to join us...............

Corina and co woke up too and started making breakfast. They said that we could join them because they had so much food left over, so they kindly made us tea and coffee and we went out to be sociable. Trina and I went to the loo's and because they hadn't been cleaned yet they were the WORST EVER!! I held my breath and just went!! Desperation takes over in these times. When I came out and waited for Trina though, I watched a girl walk over to the one I had been in, she took one look and rejoined the queue!! Trina came out and we made our way back to the tents moaning about our toilet excursion. Wayne was having a bacon sandwich which had been cooked for him and made for him!! There was a plate of bacon and sausages waiting for us when we got back, but then as we were helping ourselves to it, everyone started talking about the toilets and it was really off putting!!

By now a lot of the campers had already packed up and gone but not the annoying boys behind us, who we watched dismantle their tent. We were all under the impression that they had stayed in their tent the whole weekend. I was feeling much better at this point so we agreed it was time to wash, get changed, pack and take the tents down. It didn't take long with everyone helping but we appeared to be waiting for Corina and Co. Trina wanted to take her tent home, Sarah couldn't be bothered so left hers standing, (a lot of people had left their tents, I think they went to charity or something from something notice I had read!), so we helped Corina take theirs down, but in the end we had to leave without them as we had a train to catch. The walk back to the car park didn't seem to take so long as coming up. At last the sun was shining (typical as we were leaving!!) Trina and Sarah were moaning the whole way so Wayne and I walked off in front. However the mud didn't help!! Especially when we reached the little pathway, however it wasn't a pathway anymore it was deep mud and there was no way around it!! I couldn't drag my suitcase through it so I carried it, which wasn't easy and I had to stop every now and then. It turned out that Sarah and Trina weren't that far behind us which surprised me!! The cars were all queueing to get out and it looked like it was a total nightmare.........at least none of them looked stuck!! The last part of the walk was a bit of a nightmare trying to dodge cars and mud, but we got to Sarah's car eventually. We all got in and joined the queue to get out of the first field, I think by this point Sarah and several others were feeling rage towards the steward. A lot of the car drivers were getting so fed up that they would leave the queue and drive across the field. None of us had any idea where they were going and we debated about following them but decided against it.

Corina and Co made their way into the field with their massive wheelie thing piled high. I really wished I had seen them pull that through the mud, but alas that was not to be!! Wayne got out of the car and went to help them push it towards their car. When he got back in Sarah decided to give up and she followed a car across the field, which was fine up to a point!! We drove over a big stone and there was a horrible crunching sound. We were further ahead than before though so that was good. There was no order to the queueing in this part and we started to have a race with another car as to who was going to get out first. Luckily we won.....After about 10/15 minutes we were outand joined another queue. Eventually we were out completely and managed to find the train station without driving down any closed roads. Trina, Wayne and I got out of the car, with our luggage and bid farewell to Sarah. We then went to wait for our train. I decided there was NO WAY I could stay muddy anymore and so I went to get changed and ditched my trainers in a bin outside the train station, they were ruined. They were brown before, but now they were squelching too!! It felt so good to get into clean clothes but it was kind of depressing as it meant the festival was over but we were still on our way to Dublin which was cool.

Our train arrived and after a change at Birmingham, we got to Bristol at about 5ish. We had arranged to stay at Dans and as he hadn't got home from work we decided to go to the Weatherspoons just around the corner and wait. We had a pint and chatted for a while, then went back to the train station, where Wayne and Trina argued on the platform. I told them off asking why they couldn't behave as well as the children who were next to us, that was quite amusing! We managed to catch the 6.30pm train (or something like that) and tried to find Dan's. If I remember rightly as we were coming out of the train station, some random bloke offered to carry my suitcase up the steps!! After a bit of a walk we found Dan's, but this was after we had walked past it and Trina rung him. Rosie was waving out of the window in the end so back up the hill we went!! She met us at the door and upstairs to his flat we went. Becky and Dave were there as well which was nice as we hadn't seen them all in a while. It was decided that we would get pizza and Becky suggested that as we were placing such a large order they should ask for freebies. Trina and Dan went to get the pizza's and came back with 4 chocolate brownie squares. Usually whenever I have a pizza to myself I never ever finish it, but this time I ate all but one slice that night!! It's not like I starved at the festival but clearly I needed substance. The last slice I had for my breakfast the next day.

Becky, Dave and Rosie left not long after food and Dan was very kind and looked things up on the web for us, like transport times and who the Road to V winner was. He also let us watch the Foo's at Brighton recorded for the BBC on the BBCi several times (it was on a continuous loop)!! He pumped up an airbed for Trina and Wayne, so I had Wayne's airbed which they brought back with them. Dan had also agreed to store some of our stuff as we didn't wanna take everything to Dublin. He bid us goodnight and told us to have a good time in Dublin, he wouldn't be there when we woke up. He had been a top host that night!!

So that's it for now..................more to come next week..........

Take care peeps

p.s I'm a day behind in my alerts in case you wonder where I am ;-)

 

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Miles and Miles

Hi J-land peeps :o)  Hope this blog entry finds you well.

Here I am at 10.17pm on a Sunday evening having a bit of a boogy to the tunes on my mp3 player ~ I think I have lost the plot!!  This time of the evening is for winding down not going insane!!  I think it must have something to do with the impending concert I am attending tomorrow woohoo!!  Time off work ~ now there's a reason to rejoice if ever there was one.  LOL... Mind you I have to work in the morning and leave at lunchtimeish and go in Tuesday afternoon booooooooooooooooo.....(short break whilst I make my tea and go mad for the Foo Fighters ~ Aurora - love this track!!)

Back ~ did ya miss me??  Yep, thought so :)  Anyway I have not really done much today ~ needed to rest after yesterday lol.....Now your asking what did I do?  See I know lol.......

As the owner of the flat is due to turn up tomorrow whilst I am at work I have spent a lot of the morning yesterday cleaning and making it look tidy!!  I didn't do too much in the living room or the bedroom or the bathroom but the kitchen is practically sparkling!!  Well it was yesterday, it looks a little less sparkly today having used it to make cheesy bacon jacket spuds in it!!  That can be quite messy.  Still all the washing up is done, which is why I have my mp3 player on...........didn't want to annoy my neighbours with loud music so late at night!!  I've just updated the playlist anyway for the journey tomorrow :o)

Back to topic lol.........So I cleaned, then I had something to eat and a deserved sit down.  I watched a couple of episodes of Bleak House on DVD and then decided as it was such a sunny day I was going for a bike ride!!  Yep that's right my regular readers I do still have my trusty bike ~ you may remember it from the early days of Boredom Eats Away At Me.  However it's in desperate need of a service!!  It makes a clicking noise when I peddle and now it's started...well the best way to describe it is jump!!  The gears don't work and it's just a heap I suppose!!  After all the rain we've had though the clicking sound seemed to have disappeared so I thought I would make the most of this and venture out. (I love to cycle and going out with it clicking is embarrassing as I had little kids saying it was because I am fat!!  Now I know I'm a big girl ~ first to admit it but I have been a big girl since I've had my bike so I don't think that's the reason!!)

So I set off at a steady pace, thinking that with the jumping thing I am gonna have an accident if I'm not careful!!  It only does it when I peddle and start off......So down past the smelly factory, along by the river, across the bridge, along the cycle path and then detour across another bridge and along a path that I had a feeling was there but had no idea where it came out!!  Eventually I came out at Bridge Road which is miles (or felt like it anyway!!)  I had seen a part of Exeter I did not know existed lol...so down Bridge Road and debate whether to go back or carry on!!

Carry on won!!  I was enjoying the freedom and the exercise :o)  Across the road and down the path all along by the river.  I thought I would get to the motorway bridge and think that's enough...I got there but couldn't stop I was enjoying it far too much!!  I carried on to the lock by the ship yard near Topsham!!  I had literally gone miles...the only problem was i had to go back that way too and the bike was clicking again grrrrrrrrrrrr..at least people could hear me coming though LOL ;-) and get out of my way!!

So I sat by the river for a while enjoying the quietness and watching some of the 'nice looking' boys going past in their rowing boats :o)  After about so many minutes (didn't have my watch on me so no idea of the time) made my way back!!  It hurt coming back!!  My knee doesn't like cycling and was hurting :(  Still it must've been doing it some good hence why it was hurting!! 

I came back the long way round....why do i do that to myself?  LOL Made myself a cup of tea, and finished watching Bleak House (about six episodes in one afternoon ~ good televisual viewing me thinks!!)  I was actually out on my bike for 1 hour and 15 minutes :o)  yay me!!

My legs spent the rest of the day moaning about it *rolls eyes*  and they still don't like me today lol......so I have done nothing but sit!  Figured that was the best idea if I have to stand at the concert tomorrow!  So I watched Lilo and Stitch (good film) and spent the rest of the day on the computer!!  Finished one of my write up's so that's good.

I think this is turning into a long entry...but what's new from me huh??  So I shall log off now and look forward to the week :o)

Hope you all have a good one xx

P.s are you watching Dancing on Ice, how do you feel about poor Michael Underwood??  I thought it was really sad, I wanted him to win!! :(

Poncho, Poncho Man, I wanna be a poncho man

Hewoooooooooooooooooooooo......................

I swear if I hear the words Continuing Health Care, Direct Debit, Job Evaluation and Lay Down once more I'm going to scream!!  The first three give you an idea of the kind of week I am having at work.............it's a long one huh?  The fourth word is the title of the song that I'm stuck on, on Guitar Hero III grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.............. I have practised till I'm blue in the face and although I am progressingly getting better I don't seem to be able to get it up to 4 stars grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.............

.............and if that wasn't enough I now appear to have a bruise on my leg!!  God knows where that came from!!  I did knock my knee earlier but it was in a different place...........all I have to say is *ouchies*

So anyway it's Wednesday and Travel Diary is here :o)  To recap last week I left you at V (still!!) on the Sunday morning and we had just seen 606 (secret Foo's gig) on the channel four stage :o)  so let's continue..............Enjoy xx

We wandered over to the JJB tent at 3.30/4pm to see Sinead O'Connor and caught the last of Beverley Knight's set. I had started to wish we had come over earlier as it was sounding very good. Even Wayne was dancing around to it, bless him! Unfortunately for me I was starting to feel crappy and emotional. Trina, bless her cotton socks, went off on a mission. By the time she came back Sinead was on stage, I was by now bored and highly emotional so I started crying ~ very embarrassing!! But hey, I was out of my comfort zone for gods sake!! Apparently whilst she was on her mission these two blokes (she assumed they were gay!!) came up to her and said something about not seeing her for ages, they then spent the next 5 minutes hugging and kissing her!! Very odd but very funny.................By now it was very muddy not just outside but inside the tent too. Sinead was coming to the end of her set and I figured by now that she wasn't going to sing Nothing Compares to You, but just as I said it she sang, 'it's been 7 hours and fifteen days' doh!! After she left the stage we went to find food and use the toilets. They were getting worse by the minute and several people had taken it upon themselves to find alternative methods. For example to the side of where we were queueing there was about 5/6 people. Four were holding large dark coloured ponchos/jackets etc around two people who were.............well I think you can imagine!! We managed to get some chips from one of the many vans and went to stand just a short way away from it, next to it were all these blokes doing their business against the fence and the girls were starting to join them!! Not a pretty sight when we were eating. We were having a laugh and it had stopped raining quite so much by this point which was nice, as we started talking about Pink we realised it was six and she was on stage and we were supposed to be meeting Sarah!! So we made our way back to the main stage and met up with Sarah at the t-shirt stand. We then found somewhere to stand for the rest of the night at the main stage. We wanted to go a bit further in from where we were the previous night as when the Killers had been on stage you could still hear the dance tent. So we got in as far as the sound/mixing desk, as there was a barrier all the way around it, this provided the perfect place for Sarah to lean and us to protect Wayne and his back, but still have enough room for dancing. We didn't have a great view from there but that was a small price to pay!!

Pink was really good, she performed all my favourites and more that I didn't even recognise. The songs I remember are: Who Knew, Dear Mr President, Leave Me Alone, U and Ur Hand, Trouble and even a version of the 4 Non Blondes What's Up. She danced around and her vocals were really good, given the chance I probably would go and see her again!! Next up was Snow Patrol, they were also really good too. The singer seemed to get really choked up when we sang any of the songs, the one I remember in particular was Run. Even after 11/12 years of being together that feeling obviously never dies for a band. He mentioned it was their last gig in England for a while and that it was a great high to go out on!! He dedicated a song to Dave Grohl (can't remember which one) and when they finished playing it, Dave came on stage to give the singer a hug. Couldn't believe it was Dave to begin with, he just appeared!! One of their songs on the last album was a duet and the lady (Martha Wainwright) was there to sing it with them which they were very happy about, apparently that had only happened a couple of times!! He also said they were going to marry, but I think he was joking. The songs I remember were: Run, You're All I Have, Chasing Cars, Open Your Eyes, Set The Fire To The Third Bar and Spitting Games. Trina and I both agree that we should go and see them again, but only if they were playing local. Unfortunately at one point during their set, we were all standing there nicely and 3 blokes had appeared behind us. One tried to start a fight with Wayne, which gave Trina a heart attack practically and so that caused a bit of a bad atmosphere. I had been standing next to Wayne at the time and I didn't see anything untoward the bloke that sparked him off, I think he was just in the mood for a fight and I have a feeling that if Wayne hadn't had a broken back, he could've been provoked to fight back!! Trina and I both stepped in though and Trina moved Wayne to where she had been standing so he was leaning against the barrier. It was quite tense until the blokes walked off!!

There was another break after Snow Patrol and more text messages, they were getting funnier..........some examples..'Don't move I've lost my contact lens' 'Poncho, poncho man, I wanna be a poncho man' 'Just to let you know that your cars are all stuck in the mud' 'Matt Damon' 'Ruby, ruby, ruby' which had the crowd sing 'ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh', but it appeared again 'ruby ruby ruby now sing it.......' and the crowd did it again. Trina sent in two, one to thank the lovely guy in the toilet queue for telling us about 606 and 'everything is average nowadays' which did get displayed. Also at some point a bloke wearing a Mick Jagger mask appeared and was dancing around ~ it looked very funny!!

Eventually Dave walked on stage, just like that!! I didn't even realise he was there, and he started with Everlong!! You have NO idea how wrong that is!! We had only seen them at Mancheter prior to V and they had finished the show with Everlong, yet here he was starting it with Everlong, what was going on? I felt like it was anti-climax, like we had had the gig and that was it, yet we hadn't!! Didn't like that one bit, plus it was accoustic everlong! But when the song kicked in the rest of the band had joined him on stage, so I got the feeling we were in for a good show. They rocked out with classic hits mixed in with a couple from the new album. It was BRILLIANT...........we headbanged, sang along even though the people around us thought we were mad!! Especially during Monkey Wrench when we kept singing and everyone else had stopped. At some point when Dave was saying hello he brought his mum on stage, that was funny, bless her!! The band actually wore me out and when they came out for the encore they played Pretender which we had all been waiting for, that was the killer!! I was out of breath from jumping around etc.......I think you could safely say we created an atmosphere though as everyone around us were jumping and dancing along it was good fun. They played Everlong/Monkey Wrench/Learn To Fly/Cheer Up Boys/Pretender/All My Life/Best of You/Times Like These/Breakout/This is A Call and many more. We were on such a high when they finished and some people covered from head to toe in mud said we looked too clean and offered to get us dirty. My trainers were disgusting by this point coz they were covered in mud and had holes in them so everytime I walked I squelched!! My socks got equally as muddy by this point too!!

I shall leave you there for now...............Hope your all having a good week xx

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