Beery weekend

Like I just put on someone's facebook wall, I've had a bit of a beery weekend so far. All good.

Friday night was hilarious - we (being a respectable 14 of us) were all holed up in army style tarpaulin tents held up by scaffolding at The Chorlton Beer Festival whilst outside it bucketed down. We had to share a couple of golf brollies to get to buy the beer in a church hall. There was an obligatory covers band - not great but did the job at hand and is always good to have a arms around your mate dance to Oasis (sorry Ruthie). We went on to a party at K's work mates but weren't there long before sharing a taxi ride home....bit of an anti climax really after the beer festival.

I am now the proud owner of a second hand Claud Butler bike! K bought it for me for £20! So, yesterday afternoon we went for a bike ride, just down to Cheadle Village to the bike shop and back so I could buy a helmet. I experienced road rage on this, my first outing. Some boy racer decided to beep at me and shout expletives whilst I was going around a roundabout. K started shouting at him and they both nearly came to a standstill on this busy roundabout! All fun and games. Surprisingly I wasn't really all that fazed - he was just a dick head!

Last night saw more beer at Michaela's 40th party. We had great fun fooling around with lots of circus equipment in the garden. I mastered the stilts, K mastered being a clown for all the kids! and Kol mastered spinning the plates and M juggling! They had bought a birthday keg of beer of which I had a bit and K decided to be the designated driver so just had a taster. Following birthday cake, L decided to have more fun shenanigans with the baby bells, treating them like juggling balls and then we all just descended into lunacy! Teenage M was having a whale of a time!

We've just been watching the Glasto highlights (K bought on ebay) and re-living the moments such as the amazing Killers (we were right down the front!), Arcade Fire and other stuff we didn't catch such as The Automatic and Amy Winehouse.

We're off down to the Guilty Pleasures free festival outside The Lowry with S & R now. The rain seems to have stopped (hurray!) and should be fun. I better go and rescue the golf brolly I left at K's work mates the other night on the way though; just in case!

Lunchtime dilemmas

Am back to asking myself the very familiar question of "what shall I have for lunch?". I always get to the stage where I'm hungry but haven't a clue what to have. I was a bit bloaty last week so cut out bread all week (apart from a tiny bit of naan bread when we went for curry for Michelle at work's birthday). It didn't seem to work so am back on the bread wagon now. Its strange coz now I can have it, I don't want it! I do really wish there was a fast food falafel joint around and about - come on you foodie entreupreneurs, where are you???

Soup's boring, sanis are boring, salads are boring, jacket potatoes are boring, chips are boring, pasties/pies are boring - I'm all out of ideas! I should start bringing my own.....I really should. a) its more economical; b) it cuts down on the what to have dilemma and c) I'd feel very smug.

Lottery dreaming (again)

Oops, I kinda told my boss today that if I ever won the lottery I would be outta there! I'm not sure how that happened. I was chatting with one of the girls who is pregnant and she was telling me what time she was taking off, then somehow it got from her saying she would be bored if she were a stay at home mum to her saying if she said if she ever won the lottery she would still be in work the next day. I said there was no way I would be in work the next day....but then the boss came in and silly me had to go and tell her what we had been talking about. She did not look impressed to say the least! She said I couldn't abandon her. I said I understood that they would have to work as they have clients and people's lives to look after but life would go on without me.

Especially given something that happened at work today I realise that we are just all commodities to them!!!

Questions put to me recently

Currently reading: A Parrot In The Pepper Tree by Chris Stewart and still a few sections of last week's Guardian to go!!!

Fave album: Because of the Times by Kings of Leon. Has been since it came out!

Albums wanted: CSS - went to buy in Fopp but it seems to have shut down! Would rather buy from an independent shop so will have to wait until I'm near Piccadilly Records or something.

Fave drink: make mine a mojito

Fave beer: cusquena

Current perfume: Matthew Williamson and Jean Paul Gaultier (don't usually have two - luxury for me!)

Where in the world do you want to be right now?: chilling with my Aussie mates in Sydney - why are they so far away!

Best live act seen in last 12 months: Arcade Fire at Glastonbury

What course would interest you: maybe something crafty, like making your own cards or glass painting

Cuteness

I just found a card K left for me (he's just gone out) and its the cutest little thing - its a black, white and red cartoon image of Meg White and Jack White and has the caption "fell in love with a girl" - I'm not telling what's written inside. Looks lovely on the mantlepiece in our red and white living room.

LIVERPOOL

Liverpool is a much nicer place in reality than the images in my head. I discovered that on a day trip there yesterday with K. It was a last minute thing - we woke quite early and over eating scambled eggs on toast (my current fave breakie but its gotta have brown sauce!) I mooted the idea of a trip out somewhere.

We don't really know Liverpool at all and having parked up on some random backstreet we happily stumbled immediately upon what we discovered later was the nicest parts, the lanes behind Bold Street and Bold Street itself! We had only gone and parked near Cream nightclub!

We ate at a great little homely Italian cafe, The Italian Job which I would highly recommend! Manchester needs an Italian Job. But then again Manchester also needs a falafel joint, like the ace ones in New York! We did wander down to the main shopping area but didn't last there long - it just felt so souless after the quirkyness of Bold Street and felt like just any other shopping joint in the country.

I was impressed by the FACT centre - a combo of galleries, cafe, cinemas and bar but I did wonder why they weren't showing more art house movies - perhaps down to funding?

Having seen a billboard for a psychedelic rock gig that very evening we did contemplate staying on but by 5pm I was worn out from walking and really didn't think we could hang on til 9 pm so we cut our losses and headed home...maybe if Kev wasn't driving we could have hit the bars but it just wasn't to be and we came home and watched a DVD - Serenity I think it was called.

The practical mother

Every year, my mum puts in her request for some of the most outlandish practical presents. This year was different. She asked if the four of us could chip in and buy a portable DVD as a joint present for her camping trips. I thought what a groovy great present! Kev told me last night about an answermachine message she left whilst we were away. She said her scales have just broken and as my step-dad wants to lose 2 stone before their hols could we buy those for her birthday instead!!!! Back to practicality it is then.....

I should add - her birthday is in September!!!

Since when did camping become so de rigeur? Having phoned about 15 campsites I am most shocked to find they're all fully booked!!!! I'm a bit gutted truth be told. So instead here I am tapping on my keyboard when I could be pitching a tent in the delightful countryside by now.

We hope to camp somewhere Somerset/Devon way from next Sunday before going to Glasto on the Wednesday so I think we better pull our skates on and do the horrible thing of having to be non spontaneous and book......it kinda kills it a bit but needs must.

Have had the father-in-law and his two mates B&Bing with us the past three nights for their annual jolly to the test cricket. Beats me what the attraction is of watching paint dry all day long but they seem to have funny getting merrily pissed on red wine drunk from flasks!!! The f-in-law kept me awake the first night making loud shouty noises (presumably in his sleep) but having bought ear plugs I slept soundly nights 2 and 3.

Bands, bands, bands

Am checking out the Glasto line- up and it looks amazing. K bought Q mag but turns out its being announced elsewhere! So, have printed off 27 PAGES of line-up from the official website.

So far it looks like Friday's gonna have BIG clashes, although I've not taken it all in yet. for example, Friday headliners for the 5 biggest stages are:

Artic Monkeys on Pyramid Stage
Bjork on Other Stage
Hot Chip on John Peel Stage
Damian Marley on Jazzworld Stage
Damien Rice on Acoustic Stage

And that's just the headliners nightmare! There seems to be many more smaller venues this year than before but haven't had chance to digest them all yet.

Our mate's dad's helping out in the circus tent reception this year which is ace! He's a Doctor (although I think hippyish) so will be hilarious to see him.....I hope they put him in circus get-up.

***

We caught the superb White Stripes on Jools Holland last night. Jools did a great interview of Jack White - can't wait to buy their new album next week. It should be a cracker. Silversun Pickups, who I'd not heard before, also performed and I might have to check out some of their stuff.....great energy.

Upsetting the apple cart

Whilst doing a bit of ironing last night (I know....its sad ironing on a Friday night but have you ever tried ironing whilst The Klaxons blast from your stereo?....you should give it a go) I mused upon comments Ben had made in an email about the final results of Kev's Fantasy Football League, originally entitled "Kevsta's League".

He said I had finished up "a bit of Chelsea there", he was West Ham - a blinding finish to the season and will be flying next season" (in his dreams), Mel he said should declare bankruptcy now! Lastly Kev he thinks would get a European place - but only from fairplay! But, at the end of the day I whooped the three of them coming a blinding second, to their positions of 14, 18 and 7 respectively! I'm so proud.

Plus in another league run by Aussie mate Brett, I came a stonking respectable FIRST POSITION! I know I'm blowing my own trumpet here but I don't care. I'm elated to have beaten so many footie nerds - I know more than I think - I've got it all to climb next season though as I've upset the apple cart.

REACHED OUR GOAL

Hey, I just realised last night that we had reached our goal of taking no flights for a year! Yeah baby. The last time we flew was to Granada in Spain last May and following on from that we made the decision to try and do our bit for the environment and holiday in the UK only.

Its interesting as I read an article recently that said Ryanair were offering reduced price flights for summer and tellingly that meant profits were down - the article attributed this to people just like us who were trying to save carbon emissions.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE! It really does work and my little bit really isn't insignificant.

I went for a check-up at the dentists on Thursday and left with an extracted upper right wisdom tooth! I phoned my work in a right panic from the waiting room saying I would be longer than expected, whilst waiting for the anesthetic to take hold. It then took the dentist literally all of 10 seconds to take it out! For me, that was the best way possible way it could have happened as I would definitely have panicked for weeks if I had been given a future appointment so praise the Lord!!!!

I did have the guilts though, as it was K's birthday and I was supposed to be cooking him a gloriously delicious meal topped by a glass of wine but in the event we had a lovely evening, lolled on the sofa, eating take-away curry (me slowly on one side of my mouth) and watching a great movie, Dogtown (about how skateboarding came about). I had been worried it would just consist of loads of skating tricks but there were great storylines behind the characters.

We're out on the town tonight with Matty, his girlfriend, Karl, Pauline and others but no doubt I'll make it up to him tomorrow.

J x

Hot beer twaddle

Whilst K's out in the garden cutting wood to make raised vegetable plots (yes really!) I've come inside from sun fatigue. You may think I'm a lightweight but after a couple of cans of Kronenbourg on an empty stomach I'm feeling very sleepy. We decided that we really couldn't do without beer on the drive home from the garden centre half way between Hazel Grove and Marple. Sun = beer!

K surprised me with Kings of Leon tickets about half an hour ago. We're going to see them in Blackpool tomorrow! Their new album is absolutey fab if you've not heard it. The best bass lines I've heard in ages and K and I are both wondering at what some of the effects peddles are....I think K should buy them for his new band. Apparently K's band, although as yet nameless and drummerless, has a new manager in the form of our mate, Matt which is news to me. Matt already manages a couple of signed bands. He's just toured doing the sound engineering with a well known band in Australia so has masses of expertise and experience. There's possibly an acoustic gig in Glossop on the cards so watch this space....

I'm just surfing, looking at Glastonbury band rumours. I love it every year, all the second guessing, chat sites discussing who they think should/could/is rumoured to play and all the rest. Some bands do leak out by official channels, some by their own websites. I don't really go to Glasto just for the music. Its all about the atmosphere and fringe stuff and after all it is called the Glastonbury Festival of Performance Arts. Its quite amusing all the people who get so freaked out or upset/happy by who is/isn't playing. Gives a great build up to a wonderful weekend.

Our mate, L who ended up buying and wearing a dress for the whole of Glasto 2005 wants us all to dress up this year. We are game, although don't know whether we will be proactive enough to do something about it. K fancies a boating jacket and hat and me a 20s style dress and hat but how does one find something like that? I think L researched getting some kind of Star Wars outfits or something like that but they cost a bomb! I'm not sure I'd go that far anyway.....

Go buy 'Because of the Times' by Kings of Leon.....its an album you won't regret.

Julesy xxx

Is this sad?

We're going away to Wales for a week shortly, and have invited another couple along with us for the Fri/Sat/Sun nights. As its not really near a pub, K & I decided it would be fun to have our own British Beers Festival (although haven't told them that yet & not sure they know about this blog) and have already stocked up 8 beers courtesy of Booths, Sainsburys and the Black Bull in Coniston.

So, is it sad that I spent the whole of my train journey to work this morning trying to come up with a name for said beer festival by trying to make an anagram of our names? I didn't find one by the way.

Easter weekend

Last weekend was so, so good. A much needed outdoorsy, relaxing break visiting the parents and friends back in Cumbria. I really wish I could live in the country now!

Good Friday saw us leave the house early and head for Coniston Village where we walked up the Old Man. Admittedly it like being at a rock show with all the people at the top but we did manage to get away from it all, having walked up the back (longer) route, past Goats Water and then proceeded onto Dow Crag and other peaks. Six hours later and after a swift half in the Black Bull (home of Coniston Brewery), we headed to K's mum and dad's where we had a lovely tea and refreshing shower before heading to meet friends at the pub. There was a so-so covers band on and we spent some time debating the fact that as we wanted to move into the quieter games room, did that mean we were old or just wanted to catch up. We decided the latter of course!

Saturday saw us go out for the day in honour of my nephew, B's birthday. We went to Ullswater with my mum, sister, nephew and his girlfriend. The rest of the family were either working or holidaying in Florida. We had a lovely picnic beside the water and then took out a motor boat and were amazed how still the water was. Usually one can get quite cold in the middle of a water course. We then visited a National Trust waterfalls walk which for me was far too busy. It reminded K of Yosemite National Park in America where most people just drove up, walked for half an hour, then got back in the car to move on to the next attraction.

In the evening my nephew invited us around to his dad's (my ex-brother-in-law) along with some other family peeps for some go-karting - he has just bought six twin engine go karts. We spent some time hurtling around the car park of his animal park (after closing). Brought out the speed demon in me I have to say. I didn't know I had it in me! Whooped my sis out of the water! When finally I had enough I pulled into the side to discover the ex-b-in-law had brought out his Ferrari and had been chasing me around the car park. Now I know this sounds a tall story but its all true....promise! When it got too dark we went indoors for chinese takeout. I was quite glad really as I had begun to panic with some of the risks K was taking. He did manage to burn his fingers on one of the engines on climbing out but its not major damage thankfully.

Sunday we were a bit shattered so we had quite a lazy morning but then because the weather was so good K & I decided we should go for a walk on the beach. We went down to Roanhead, which has gorgeous sand dunes and wildlife and we walked up along the beach as far as some interesting old temporary fishermen's huts (which people actually live in during summer), and then back along the dunes. As we ventured further than most it was actually quite deserted. Very beautiful scenery. I actually got a sunburnt forehead! Ouch. We then popped in on our old youth leader who is planning a bit of missionary work in India.

In the evening we caught up with old friends, J & C for a meal and then onto a beer festival at a local pub which actually really reminded me of Phoenix Nights with the old club singer and all.

Monday we took one of my other nephew's to The Hoad, a hill in Ulverston for the traditional egg rolling. It was quite mad really. We (being me, K, mum, sis and other nephew, A ) had a swim in the morning. K & I knew we were going but had thought A to be too old to be interested but how wrong were we. So with half an hour to go before kick off, my mum quickly boiled some eggs, we piled into the car, and decorated the eggs with felt tips on the way there. Turns out that even though the event is listed for 12 noon, it actually goes on all afternoon!!! Worked out for the best really, as some of my sis's really old friends were in the nearby old hall that provided home-made cakes.....yum and she had a catch up. A won a creme egg as he got one of our eggs into the sawn in half bucket at the bottom of the hill. Yay.

Hope you have enjoyed my "we did this", "we did that", "we did the other" l'il story. I'm rushing, and am not want to edit massively so am sorry if this comes across as the type of story one would do for school when the teacher would ask you to write about what you did at the weekend.