Stroganoff and Greamed Potatoes
Wow, what a weekend. I feel as if it's gone on for ages, not in a bad way, but definately longer than two days!
I worked on Saturday, as usual, which wasn't remarkable. Just one of those days where everyone's tired and nobody can be bothered. Come 3 o'clock I had to rush home, wash my hair, pack, and be ready to leave the house at four :| No mean feat, but somehow I managed it (don't ask how, definately a one-time wonder).
I should probably mention that it's Adam's Nana Dot's 80th birthday today, and that I was included on the invitation to the party last night, hence this whole entry really *g*
So yeah, off we go to Nottingham. I was feeling kind of nervous because, although I've met Dot before, I hadn't met the countless other relatives who were bound to be there. Turned out I was to meet some of them sooner than expected, as we were going straight to the pub to help decorate (not good, hair had not yet been tamed after the shower).
Once there I was introduced to Shiela (Adam's aunt, who I'd met once before), Mick (Shiela's s/o), and Natalie (the older of the two cousins). There was also an oldish woman sitting smoking and drinking, but nobody seemed too sure who she was so we weren't introduced. Some oohing over the cake later we squeezed back into the car and headed off to find the premier travel lodge inn place..
Toppling (literally, damn 3-door cars) out of the car again we headed inside to get keys and find rooms. Turned out Matt, Helen and Dan were downstairs while me and Ads were on the first floor. Much excitement followed as we checked out tea and coffee making facilities, heated towl racks, and jump-upon-able beds :D (as became a sort-of mantra; nothing here is ours, it doesn't matter what we do to it).
While Ads made his way through all the little milk pots I set about straightening my hair and scattering clothes/objects over every available surface. After confering with Helen (yes, I'm that sad), I decided to wear my new b&w stripey top avec black shrug (see previous entry :P). Soon as we were done it was off again, this time in a huge van-type taxi. Apparently the cars gonna be like that in America, how exciting!
Back at the pub we sat around waiting for the party to start. During this time we noticed how much the "80" confetti looked like monkeys faces if you turned them 90 degrees, and how well suited they were to being stuck onto people's faces if a little saliva was added :P
As more people came I sat quietly and became slowly intoxicated (mmm, strongbow). About half the people there were friends, not family, so I wasn't the only person who didn't know everybody.
I spent most of the night talking to Ads and Dan really, which was fun none-the-less. Matt popped over for a while and we talked about something.. I vaguely remember vacuum cleaners cropping up, most strange! A few people came by and tried to get us to dance, foolishly, as we remained firmly seated until the last dance, by which time we were too pished to care.
Highlights of the night included a relative who looked like Larry David, two guys dancing very enthusiastically together much to the amusement of everyone, and a strange little woman who kept getting plates of food and tipping them into her handbag (apparently she also sunbathes naked and raids school bins for leftovers... she was invited why? :P). There was also a "Hal and Ellie" moment when the DJ wished Doris a happy birthday :P He did, however, correct himself to Dorie although nobody was really listening.
Anyway, it was a fun night. There was party poppers and were-monkeys and being kissed by strangers. I was feeling absolutely shattered and a bit sick though by the time we eventually got a taxi-van to the sleeping place again.
*cut for bad language and nudity*
This morning we avoided getting up as long as possible, right up until Adam recieved a text asking if we were ready yet >.< Oops. Thirty minutes later and we were clean, clothed, packed and waiting. First stop of the day was Dot's house, as she'd decided the night before that she'd like to go out for dinner.
I swear I have never seen such a small pink room! We sat on a big, squishy thing while she opened some cards and said goodbye to the loud people from essex, then crammed back into the car once more.
Dinner was at the same pub as the night before, although this time there was a little dog with wonky ears, who made the place a lot nicer ^_^ The veggie option was mushroom and red-pepper stroganoff, which was very exciting because we weren't entirey sure what stroganoff was :P The board also said that it'd come with "roast and greamed potatoes" (hence the entry name), which none of us had heard of before! Turned out it was just mash *sigh* Twas nice all the same, felt like I was gonna burst on the way home!
So yeah, that was my weekend! This has taken me an hour to write, deary me...
I worked on Saturday, as usual, which wasn't remarkable. Just one of those days where everyone's tired and nobody can be bothered. Come 3 o'clock I had to rush home, wash my hair, pack, and be ready to leave the house at four :| No mean feat, but somehow I managed it (don't ask how, definately a one-time wonder).
I should probably mention that it's Adam's Nana Dot's 80th birthday today, and that I was included on the invitation to the party last night, hence this whole entry really *g*
So yeah, off we go to Nottingham. I was feeling kind of nervous because, although I've met Dot before, I hadn't met the countless other relatives who were bound to be there. Turned out I was to meet some of them sooner than expected, as we were going straight to the pub to help decorate (not good, hair had not yet been tamed after the shower).
Once there I was introduced to Shiela (Adam's aunt, who I'd met once before), Mick (Shiela's s/o), and Natalie (the older of the two cousins). There was also an oldish woman sitting smoking and drinking, but nobody seemed too sure who she was so we weren't introduced. Some oohing over the cake later we squeezed back into the car and headed off to find the premier travel lodge inn place..
Toppling (literally, damn 3-door cars) out of the car again we headed inside to get keys and find rooms. Turned out Matt, Helen and Dan were downstairs while me and Ads were on the first floor. Much excitement followed as we checked out tea and coffee making facilities, heated towl racks, and jump-upon-able beds :D (as became a sort-of mantra; nothing here is ours, it doesn't matter what we do to it).
While Ads made his way through all the little milk pots I set about straightening my hair and scattering clothes/objects over every available surface. After confering with Helen (yes, I'm that sad), I decided to wear my new b&w stripey top avec black shrug (see previous entry :P). Soon as we were done it was off again, this time in a huge van-type taxi. Apparently the cars gonna be like that in America, how exciting!
Back at the pub we sat around waiting for the party to start. During this time we noticed how much the "80" confetti looked like monkeys faces if you turned them 90 degrees, and how well suited they were to being stuck onto people's faces if a little saliva was added :P
As more people came I sat quietly and became slowly intoxicated (mmm, strongbow). About half the people there were friends, not family, so I wasn't the only person who didn't know everybody.
I spent most of the night talking to Ads and Dan really, which was fun none-the-less. Matt popped over for a while and we talked about something.. I vaguely remember vacuum cleaners cropping up, most strange! A few people came by and tried to get us to dance, foolishly, as we remained firmly seated until the last dance, by which time we were too pished to care.
Highlights of the night included a relative who looked like Larry David, two guys dancing very enthusiastically together much to the amusement of everyone, and a strange little woman who kept getting plates of food and tipping them into her handbag (apparently she also sunbathes naked and raids school bins for leftovers... she was invited why? :P). There was also a "Hal and Ellie" moment when the DJ wished Doris a happy birthday :P He did, however, correct himself to Dorie although nobody was really listening.
Anyway, it was a fun night. There was party poppers and were-monkeys and being kissed by strangers. I was feeling absolutely shattered and a bit sick though by the time we eventually got a taxi-van to the sleeping place again.
*cut for bad language and nudity*
This morning we avoided getting up as long as possible, right up until Adam recieved a text asking if we were ready yet >.< Oops. Thirty minutes later and we were clean, clothed, packed and waiting. First stop of the day was Dot's house, as she'd decided the night before that she'd like to go out for dinner.
I swear I have never seen such a small pink room! We sat on a big, squishy thing while she opened some cards and said goodbye to the loud people from essex, then crammed back into the car once more.
Dinner was at the same pub as the night before, although this time there was a little dog with wonky ears, who made the place a lot nicer ^_^ The veggie option was mushroom and red-pepper stroganoff, which was very exciting because we weren't entirey sure what stroganoff was :P The board also said that it'd come with "roast and greamed potatoes" (hence the entry name), which none of us had heard of before! Turned out it was just mash *sigh* Twas nice all the same, felt like I was gonna burst on the way home!
So yeah, that was my weekend! This has taken me an hour to write, deary me...