I must admit to having had a bit of weird week. It all started with Jo's (sister) party last weekend. I had had to get my boss to cover a bit of business for me at work so that I could get ready. Obviously by get ready I don't mean working out what to wear, as a bloke this involves nothing much more than finding something clean and some socks to match it and then possibly some trouser like garb that goes with both, normally referred to as jeans, for once I wore shorts. I digress, I was having a friend over from the States, Carolynne, and so I needed to be home to make sure that she didn't arrive to......well, no me, it's rather difficult to be a host if you aren't there.
The party itself, as usual was great, Carolynne had decided that the best way to enjoy one of Jo's parties was to match the Mayer clan on the drinking pace, this usually makes for a rather grotty Sunday preceded by copious amounts of karaoke and true to form, we did. As we were all a tad too battered to actually operate the machine and hadn't got a torch to help to focus on the buttons Jo announced that we would do karaoke lottery, whatever came on someone had to sing. This made it more fun/difficult/embarressing than usual, we even got Caz to sing and she turned out to be the best of the night, no great surprise really. Jo and I tackled all kinds of crap and I for one slaughtered quite a few favourites, luckily none of mine but I am sure that a few people were annoyed by what I did. As the party was outside we had decided to cut the karaoke by 1am, this was quite a godsend as I departed for home quite early by party standards.
My Sunday started rather earlier than I had intended. My lovely house guest seemed to be suffering from a spot of jet lag and so was up by about 9:30. Somehow through the fog of a highly enjoyable and alcohol fuelled evening I managed to hear her pottering around the flat and so the tea-fest started. We managed about 8 cuppas and a rather large bacon and egg butty each, not the best I had ever cooked but I was rather fuzzy in the old brain box. Jo called and so we went to hers again and we were promptly sent off to Morrisons for food, 2 cooked chickens, 2 French sticks, cheese and strawberries & cream. Jo's idea was a carpet picnic while watching the Wimbledon Men's Final. Brilliant, quite brilliant! Sadly carolynne had to go early to baby sit her nieces and I got a rather decent amount of chicken to take home.
The following day I went to work and rather badly sprained my back folding up a projector screen, How ridiculous is that? I managed another few hours before deciding that the pain was not too pleasant and went home. This was the start of a rather painful week, sitting at home and trying to run the tech side of the conference centre from my living room. I basically managed it too, rather a surprise. It was slightly gratifying to be at least getting some stuff done from home even if I did have poor Matt doing all the physical stuff at work.
By Thursday I was feeling like the Prisoner of Zenda and so with then old back feeling a tad better on Friday, I went in to work. It turned out to be a good idea to begin with. I got quite a bit of stuff achieved and sorted out stuff for the following week, then the day turned out to be a bad idea as my back started killing me; home again, home again, jiggity jig. So a few extra painkillers and lashings of ibuprofen gel later, it was out for Jo's birthday meal. Beautiful food a ta great restaurant out in the countryside called, the Croft. Then back to hers and now it is Saturday and I feel like I did last weekend only now my head is falling off and I have bad back.
The worst/best thing is I have to go and do it all again now. We're doing curry and stuff in the Marquee at Jo's and I suppose I shall be watching tomorrow's Grand Prix with another hangover.
Once to Jo's dear friends, once more to Jo's.