Serious updating!
Finally, the chance to breathe once again! The last week has been completely manic; it's only now, Thursday, that things have calmed down enough for me to write and post to LJ.
So, boys and girls, settle down and read of my week of joy....
Now where was I when we last spoke? Oh yes, Ben and Sidney were staying over. On Wednesday evening, I finished the mask (which was very sparkly, with gratuitous beads, feathers, beads, sequins and more beads) which involved only a tiny amount of stress, and, er, quite a lot of mess. Good thing I put that HUUUUUGE tarpaulin out ALL OVER THE ROOM.
Ben and I finally finished Alias series 4 late on Wednesday night. It was, as predicted, monumentally shit. Taking shitness to whole new levels. This was helped tenfold by watching several episodes in a row. Ben and I came to the conclusion that by the middle of the series the production crew only had three sets - "HQ", "dodgy German nightclub" and "the carpark". However, as always it was rescued by the sheer hillariousness of the plot, and by the addition of a baddies lair complete with map of the world in the final episode.
(I would have put all that behind a cut, but I don't think I've given away much; everyone knows Alias is rubbish, that's precisely the reason why we watch it.)
So, I seem to have digressed. Oh yes, spent the last half of last week in a state of bouncing excitement about coming back to the UK. Finally did so in a very smooth Eurostar journey on Friday evening. Upon arrival at London, was informed by Kit that I'd have to brave the Northern Line.
Now, I may have expectations what have been unfairly heightened by a stay in Europe, where people do silly things like, um, actually investing in public services, instead of just investing in notices which say how great public services are under Labour. But even I didn't expect it to take me the same amount of time to get from London Waterloo to Angel as it took me to get from Brussels to the Channel Tunnel. Have decided not to live in the UK till the Northern Line gets fixed.
Oh dear, I've digressed again. Um, yes, so went over to the Almeida theatre, which is a gorgeous place inhabited by a very loud drummer. There met up with a post-show MJ and a nearly-dropping-dead-from-teaching Kit. Went back to Kentish Town with some random (but lovely) American girl in tow, and then Kit forced me to eat pork pie and pizza and cheese. I was rather grateful for the food, as I'd spent the last heaven-knows-how-long not eating in order to fit into my fit balldress of fitness. Managed to stay up chatting till silly o'clock and then collapsed.
Saturday dawned excessively bright and crisp. Wombled downstairs and chatted to Kit's parents and their cat and plants, then wombled back upstairs and chatted to Kit and MJ till it became apparent that neither of them were going to be arsed to go to brunch. Then went for excellent brunch at Herne Hill, where I caught up with lovely ex-housemates and their respective other halves, and had the world's best apple pancakes from Rachel.
Rather later than we should have done (so what's new?) we all leaped into Ben's car and drove off to Cambridge. Hurrah! Arrived at Cat's HoLE with plenty of time to spare, so we all faffed about and straightened our hair and made Salut look like a girl (hee hee hee) and put on our fit party frocks and makeup and things (and that was just the boys), and then headed off to the ball.
And what a ball! It was simply fabulous. Saf excelled herself in arranging what was I think the best party I've ever been to; wonderful company, beautiful place, thoughtful seating plans and delicious food (although a rather tight dress resulted in Dom being given about half of what was on my plate for each course), followed by much socialising, a well-stocked bar, and an absolutely tip-top ceidilh. Don't think I've had so much fun for a long time.
Just as pleasing was the chance to catch up with all the light entertainers (with the exception of Elizabeth) who I have been missing so much recently (note - not failing to miss Elizabeth, but failing to see her, as she's buggered off to Sweden). Living abroad is great fun, certainly I like Brussels better than I liked London - but, oh! I miss those gatherings so much. Just bimbling around with friends is something I can't do anymore. Ah well. These reflections have followed the party - at the time, I was just overwhelmed with how wonderful it was to once again see people I love.
Ball finished rather late, and we all returned to the HoLE to get much needed sleep. Woke up with only a slight hangover, and then spent pretty much the entire afternoon in Spoons with the other Light Entertainers who drifted in and out across the hours. Got a bit emotional when I said goodbye to Hannah, Lou and Dom - fortunately the utter joy that is Cat was the person whose shoulder I cried on. As a consequence, we talked nonsense all the way up castle hill, then made about 17 trillion tonnes of curry, and fed it to all the CULES who turned up at the HoLE for the rehearsal of Matrix: The Panto. Which, incidentally, is absolutely demented and is going to be great fun for all you lot in the Swamp.
Sooooo…after curry, there were pirates, yarr! Enjoyed POTC2's camp swashbuckling even more than at the cinema, resolved with Cat to have a Captain Jack party, and fell asleep shortly afterwards.
Woke up at some ungodly hour on Monday, and travelled back with Ben, listening pleasedly to Radio 2 (oh! How I miss you, Radio 2! I miss your sweet witterings and your awful puns in the mornings! I miss your bouncy music in the evenings! I miss your foolishness and your uncoolishness and your slightly-less-annhilistic-than-radio-4 approach to current events), then met up with Noga for a cup of tea, Liam and Donald for lunch, Donald and Fedelma for another cup of tea, Dom for another cup of tea….and then RAN for the Eurostar. Got there with only 10 minutes to spare, or something silly like that, and as we pulled out of W'loo, I think I must have fallen asleep, as I have no memory of the journey until the airbrakes started singing as we pulled into Brussels.
So, here I am, back in Belgium. It's raining, large, heavy plops of rain. The EP is being rubbish, and the Legal Service choir appears to be putting together what sounds like a Christmas version of Eurovision. It's cold and wet and I'm alone in my apartment at nights. And yet - I love it here, and I'm bursting with joy at being back.
Yes, I miss my friends in the UK so badly it actually, physically hurts (not to mention renewed aching for those I didn't manage to see over the w/e - Sammy and the boys among many others). But I know that they'll always be there, and I've had so many visitors over here (and I'm getting a Liam this w/e, to wreck my liver yet further, hee hee), and the Eurostar isn't difficult to take, and Christmas holidays will be here soon. So there's no need for me to be sad - and every reason for me to make the utmost of this amazing time abroad. And I'm having vast amounts of EU based fun at present, so yarr!
So... here's to friendship and love. Here's to silliness and gin. Here's to the memories, and to the next time. Here's to joy.
So, boys and girls, settle down and read of my week of joy....
Now where was I when we last spoke? Oh yes, Ben and Sidney were staying over. On Wednesday evening, I finished the mask (which was very sparkly, with gratuitous beads, feathers, beads, sequins and more beads) which involved only a tiny amount of stress, and, er, quite a lot of mess. Good thing I put that HUUUUUGE tarpaulin out ALL OVER THE ROOM.
Ben and I finally finished Alias series 4 late on Wednesday night. It was, as predicted, monumentally shit. Taking shitness to whole new levels. This was helped tenfold by watching several episodes in a row. Ben and I came to the conclusion that by the middle of the series the production crew only had three sets - "HQ", "dodgy German nightclub" and "the carpark". However, as always it was rescued by the sheer hillariousness of the plot, and by the addition of a baddies lair complete with map of the world in the final episode.
(I would have put all that behind a cut, but I don't think I've given away much; everyone knows Alias is rubbish, that's precisely the reason why we watch it.)
So, I seem to have digressed. Oh yes, spent the last half of last week in a state of bouncing excitement about coming back to the UK. Finally did so in a very smooth Eurostar journey on Friday evening. Upon arrival at London, was informed by Kit that I'd have to brave the Northern Line.
Now, I may have expectations what have been unfairly heightened by a stay in Europe, where people do silly things like, um, actually investing in public services, instead of just investing in notices which say how great public services are under Labour. But even I didn't expect it to take me the same amount of time to get from London Waterloo to Angel as it took me to get from Brussels to the Channel Tunnel. Have decided not to live in the UK till the Northern Line gets fixed.
Oh dear, I've digressed again. Um, yes, so went over to the Almeida theatre, which is a gorgeous place inhabited by a very loud drummer. There met up with a post-show MJ and a nearly-dropping-dead-from-teaching Kit. Went back to Kentish Town with some random (but lovely) American girl in tow, and then Kit forced me to eat pork pie and pizza and cheese. I was rather grateful for the food, as I'd spent the last heaven-knows-how-long not eating in order to fit into my fit balldress of fitness. Managed to stay up chatting till silly o'clock and then collapsed.
Saturday dawned excessively bright and crisp. Wombled downstairs and chatted to Kit's parents and their cat and plants, then wombled back upstairs and chatted to Kit and MJ till it became apparent that neither of them were going to be arsed to go to brunch. Then went for excellent brunch at Herne Hill, where I caught up with lovely ex-housemates and their respective other halves, and had the world's best apple pancakes from Rachel.
Rather later than we should have done (so what's new?) we all leaped into Ben's car and drove off to Cambridge. Hurrah! Arrived at Cat's HoLE with plenty of time to spare, so we all faffed about and straightened our hair and made Salut look like a girl (hee hee hee) and put on our fit party frocks and makeup and things (and that was just the boys), and then headed off to the ball.
And what a ball! It was simply fabulous. Saf excelled herself in arranging what was I think the best party I've ever been to; wonderful company, beautiful place, thoughtful seating plans and delicious food (although a rather tight dress resulted in Dom being given about half of what was on my plate for each course), followed by much socialising, a well-stocked bar, and an absolutely tip-top ceidilh. Don't think I've had so much fun for a long time.
Just as pleasing was the chance to catch up with all the light entertainers (with the exception of Elizabeth) who I have been missing so much recently (note - not failing to miss Elizabeth, but failing to see her, as she's buggered off to Sweden). Living abroad is great fun, certainly I like Brussels better than I liked London - but, oh! I miss those gatherings so much. Just bimbling around with friends is something I can't do anymore. Ah well. These reflections have followed the party - at the time, I was just overwhelmed with how wonderful it was to once again see people I love.
Ball finished rather late, and we all returned to the HoLE to get much needed sleep. Woke up with only a slight hangover, and then spent pretty much the entire afternoon in Spoons with the other Light Entertainers who drifted in and out across the hours. Got a bit emotional when I said goodbye to Hannah, Lou and Dom - fortunately the utter joy that is Cat was the person whose shoulder I cried on. As a consequence, we talked nonsense all the way up castle hill, then made about 17 trillion tonnes of curry, and fed it to all the CULES who turned up at the HoLE for the rehearsal of Matrix: The Panto. Which, incidentally, is absolutely demented and is going to be great fun for all you lot in the Swamp.
Sooooo…after curry, there were pirates, yarr! Enjoyed POTC2's camp swashbuckling even more than at the cinema, resolved with Cat to have a Captain Jack party, and fell asleep shortly afterwards.
Woke up at some ungodly hour on Monday, and travelled back with Ben, listening pleasedly to Radio 2 (oh! How I miss you, Radio 2! I miss your sweet witterings and your awful puns in the mornings! I miss your bouncy music in the evenings! I miss your foolishness and your uncoolishness and your slightly-less-annhilistic-than-radio-4 approach to current events), then met up with Noga for a cup of tea, Liam and Donald for lunch, Donald and Fedelma for another cup of tea, Dom for another cup of tea….and then RAN for the Eurostar. Got there with only 10 minutes to spare, or something silly like that, and as we pulled out of W'loo, I think I must have fallen asleep, as I have no memory of the journey until the airbrakes started singing as we pulled into Brussels.
So, here I am, back in Belgium. It's raining, large, heavy plops of rain. The EP is being rubbish, and the Legal Service choir appears to be putting together what sounds like a Christmas version of Eurovision. It's cold and wet and I'm alone in my apartment at nights. And yet - I love it here, and I'm bursting with joy at being back.
Yes, I miss my friends in the UK so badly it actually, physically hurts (not to mention renewed aching for those I didn't manage to see over the w/e - Sammy and the boys among many others). But I know that they'll always be there, and I've had so many visitors over here (and I'm getting a Liam this w/e, to wreck my liver yet further, hee hee), and the Eurostar isn't difficult to take, and Christmas holidays will be here soon. So there's no need for me to be sad - and every reason for me to make the utmost of this amazing time abroad. And I'm having vast amounts of EU based fun at present, so yarr!
So... here's to friendship and love. Here's to silliness and gin. Here's to the memories, and to the next time. Here's to joy.