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I have a new laptop, and I'm back online! Hello Internets!
Ah, it's such a relief to have a working computer again. And James bought himself a new desktop to replace his broken laptop, so we're not sharing computers any more, which is bloomin' marvellous let me tell you. My new laptop is personalised just how I want it - Cath Kidston theme for Google Chrome, all my most-used links on the tool bar, a picture from Reykjavik as my background, and I don't have to keep logging back into Facebook after James has been on! I've re-downloaded Spotify, Last.fm and iTunes, and now everything I listen to is scrobbled, because I'm a geek like that. And we're not sharing an iTunes account any more, which is a relief in so many ways. Better start downloading the second series of Glee now!
In other news, life is busy - and it's December now, how did that happen? I've been away for the last three weekends, which has been great but fairly exhausting. Let's see - the weekend after my birthday I was in York with mum, then I was in London visiting friends in order to watch Bollywood films and eat yummy food. We watched Chak De! India, Kal Ho Naa Ho, and Bride and Prejudice because it's shorter than proper Bollywood films and completely awesome. We also ate pancakes, chocolate covered ginger, home made curries, and drank a heck of a lot of chai, Earl Grey, Darjeeling and green tea, because our lives are exciting like that. It was a lovely weekend though.
Last weekend, I was in Blackpool with my line dancing group for a Christmas jaunt. I got the train down straight after our Christmas Light Switch On event in work (I'm not kidding - we have an event just to switch on the lights on the Christmas tree in the foyer) and was the last to arrive through the freezing cold and icy streets, but the hotel was wonderful and warm and very, very friendly. I was able to meet the others at the start of Funny Girls, so got to experience for the first time the strange amusement of drag cabaret. It's... bizarre. The highlight was the Dolly Parton Christmas montage, but some of it was a bit raunchy for me, and bordering on misogynistic. But I'm probably no fun.
After that eye-opener, we went to a couple of Blackpool's finest gay bars, which were very dodgy indeed. We were entertained by not one but TWO male strippers, and some very cheesy music. Despite being the youngest in the group by several years, I was the first to give up and go back to the hotel because I really can't handle late nights.
On Saturday morning I enjoyed the generous hotel breakfast and then spent several hours wandering the shops in Blackpool town centre while dodging the rain. The pedestrian part of the promenade was closed due to digging, the art gallery was tiny and also half closed due to changing exhibitions, so I was stuck with the shops, which, of course, all seemed tiny compared to the shops in Manchester. Not the best part of the weekend, really. I eventually went back to my room, watched Mrs Doubtfire, and napped for a couple of hours.
That night we had our Christmas party, so I got dressed up in my finest pyjamas and joined the others in the hotel bar for a Christmas quiz, bingo, a buffet and lots of Christmas music on repeat. It was a lot of fun, actually - I think pyjama parties for grown ups are a great idea. Again, I admitted defeat earlier than everyone else - around midnight, and went to sleep in the ridiculously warm room. I've never stayed in a hotel room by myself before, and it was fantastic.
On Sunday I said my goodbyes straight after breakfast and rushed home to play with my new laptop, christened Daffodil for lack of other names. Then on Monday I had a lie in because I had the day booked off work. My mum and two brothers came up for the day and we had a Christmas shopping day in the Trafford Centre, which wasn't as horrific as it could have been. I finally chose a birthday present from my brothers - a new dress for tomorrow's party - and we arranged some Christmas presents for each other. It's the first time we've all been together in months I think. Inevitably, we ended up talking about things that we remember from our younger days - the three CDs we listened to over and over again when mum first got a CD player in her car, the lyrics we got wrong as children, and how my younger brother, who hated the walking and other outdoorsy things we did in the past, will certainly subject his children to exactly the same upbringing because we just can't help ourselves.
Thanks to the EXTREME COLD (what is going on in this country?) I have felt a bit poorly for the last couple of days but am gritting my teeth through the headaches because tomorrow is my work Christmas party, and I'm determined to be there and make the most of the free food and drink. And, y'know, to socialise with my colleagues because they are pretty much my closest friends!
And now that I've briefly updated my life for you all, I'm off to bed.