Fantabulous was yesterday’s word of the day. It might not hold today too. Today is more of an ill day.
So, lots to update. It’s going to be a long one! It might even involved subheadings in bold, if I can work out the technicalities. My brain is actually mush though, so this might be too tricky. I shall make it simpler with day headings.
WednesdayThis is going to be tricky. I can’t remember that long ago…
ThursdayI spent all day at work trying to leave cause I felt Rubbish. The capital letter was supposed to signify how rubbish, kind of officially ill rubbish. But it makes it look like a person called Rubbish. This is not the case.
Anyway, I finally left about 4 after showing someone else how to do my job on Friday and Monday. I don’t really like someone else knowing how to do my job, but hey, they do now. I leave in 2 weeks anyway. So, I went home and promptly got into bed. Planned to have a small nap, do some jobs, and then go to MUGSS. This turned into have small nap, wake up, text Matt and say I’m not going to MUGSS, go back to sleep, drag myself up at 9, eat, go back to bed. Rock and Roll.
FridayThe adventure begins. Got up about 8 and did some packing. This wasn’t very successful due to my being rubbish ness. Then headed into town, failed at getting Helen and Danny any sort of present, but succeeded at finding lots of bottles of coke and a car. Woo! Quick stop at my house to shove the gathered items into my bag, then rushed off to Oxford Road station to pick up Luke. Luke is a friend of the grooms (I technically know the bride, but know them both about as well), so travelled from Blackpool to get a lift down with us. Never met him before, but thankfully he coped well with the randomness* that is me, Charlotte and Dan. He’s 21 and rather cute**.
The journey went rather smoothly (everyone needing the toilet and food at the same time, not much traffic on the motorway, etc.) until we reached our destination. It was very dark, but somehow we did find the random village of Hunsham, near Tiverton, Devon. We did not, however, find Huntsham Court (I wonder if I can put links in here? I might try later) and this resulted in us driving straight past it. We managed to find it again after about 2 ½ hours***. During this time lots of team decisions were made, so it didn’t actually feel like I was the only person doing any work. We were a true team.
Once found, the house turned out to be very impressive. I’m glad we got there. The evening’s entertainment was a ghost tour done by the groom, music done by Slugs Ate My Parents and vodka, supplied by Lolly. I got rather drunk rather quickly, as I needed a drink after that drive. Screw the diet. The drunkenness helped us name the car team “Team Bert” and hence name the car Bert. I want to put pictures in my blog.
Sleep was achieved, apparently. I think around 4.
*The random highlight of the conversation is probably deciding that Charlotte is pregnant with and self-inflating elephant.
**This resulted in snogging.
***During these hours we managed to end up in Somerset twice, got laughed at by a whole pub of locals “You’re never going to find that!” and I did a spectacular**** 7 point turn between a lorry and a sharp drop and some trees near a random gypsy trailer park in the middle of a forest.
****This turn didn’t impress me that much, and I really didn’t like doing it. But the boys seemed very impressed with me.
*****Nothing had 5 stars. But I just wanted to point out that the starring is going to get silly. So each day it’s going to go back to 1. I’m not even sure that I’m going to use them for the other days.
Saturday
Got up about 10, I think, and managed to get into the bathroom second (was sharing with 3 other girls, which could have turned into an issue. I don’t take long, but I know that they all do. I’ve lived with them. Achieved some breakfast and then we (Team Bert plus Kieron) took Bert out to the supermarket (mostly to provide drink for the evening, but also to achieve lunch.). We found food then a National Trust property that provided a car park and picnic bench. Was nice.
We were going to go on a different random adventure, but we realised that we should probably go get changed for The Wedding. Went back to the house, which I can now find very easily as we know all roads in a 5 mile radius. They do look different in the light though. Got ready (which took me 5 mins, but took an hour involving painting other people’s nails and lots and lots of faffing. Bloody girls.
The ceremony was lovely. Helen looked fantastic, and Danny did too. They both looked different enough to have their personalities come through, but not weird enough that they didn’t look like they were getting married. They are fantastic. The ceremony itself was fairly short, but perfectly formed. Vows, a reading from Helen’s dad, one of the Bridesmaids and a token American, and a random old man playing the piano.
This was followed by photos (there wasn’t an official photographer, just lots of people with lots of cameras – some must be good) outside (who would have thought that the weather in October would be so great!) then a meal (inside), which was probably the only thing anyone had to moan about the whole weekend. And it was still good. Just the people serving were a bit grumpy and we didn’t get on with them. It was all ok though. Just a bit silly.
Also, it was about this time that me and Charlotte realised that we don’t like some of our friends. This isn’t strictly as mean as it sounds, but some of them get annoying when put together. And when you’re stuck at a sit down table where your name is, then it was more noticeable. Oh well. Soon there were speeches and then cake* cutting and the first dance and vodka** all interspersed with mingling.
Then it was just general party ness, including stopping 12 and 13 year old boys*** finding the Jack Daniels, playing pianos****, flirting with everything*****. The only bad thing was finding Toby had been sick in my bedroom, so me and Lolly went on a “find somewhere else to sleep” hunt, and I decided that I was sleeping in the other half of Gary’s bed******.
It was really really nice and fun. But nothing to report really, like gossip or stories or anything. Ooh, Lolly caught the bouquet (with a cat fight and everything) and Gary caught the garter, so they had to dance. Bed was found about 1.30 for me. It was a long day!
*Cake spectacularly made by Charlotte. It really was great. I don’t like fruitcake, so was a little worried that I’d have to lie, but I liked it. And it looked ace. There are pictures.
**I wasn’t a fan of the wine with the meal, or the champagne, so had really drank very little by this point. Had even drunk water due to the soreness of my throat.
***These are Danny (groom)’s dad’s boys. They are cool and look like they should be in a band.
****There were pianos everywhere!!
*****There were lots of strangers, but everyone knew that everyone was nice, so it was lovely and free flirting was not in anyway taken in the wrong light.
******He didn’t seem that chuffed, so announced he was sleeping on the sofa, but was there when I woke up, so had given in.
SundaySunday involved me waking up at 8am. I was very awake. This probably annoyed Gary, but he didn’t seem that annoyed and talked back at me for a while. I read a book, practiced piano, had a shower, went for a walk and all sorts before anyone else even got up. They were all hung over. I was not. I got the mission of going to Tiverton and finding charcoal, which me and Bert managed by ourselves. I was very proud of my not getting lost ness and my ease of find of charcoal, where others had failed.
Barbequing and rounders ensued, sometimes at the same time. Dan nearly managed lose his seat in the car and his girlfriend by getting me AND Charlotte out. But he was allowed back in the car as he caught my hit whilst casually sat down. We played with a random dog for a while, before I took it back to where it came from and gave it to s sheepdog. Then it rained a lot, so we* cleared up and went in to find games.
I attempted a nap, but this mostly involved being in Gary’s bed and Luke was reading on the not-big-enough-to-sleep-on sofa, so I just talked at him. Gave up on pretending to try to sleep, so we went on a tour of the house to decide where I should sleep that night, due to my room still smelling too much of sick. I decided where to sleep based on the bath I wanted to use in the morning. On the tour I also found a straw hat and a hula-hoop**.
The evenings entertainment involved vodka***, a werewolf game**** and a midnight walk*****.
This ended up being a far later night than planned due to fun being had – about 3.30. Bad idea considering that we were leaving at 7.30 the next morning. Oops. And I can’t remember what bed I decided I was sleeping in, so went in the nearest room. I made Luke come with me, cause I wasn’t sleeping somewhere odd on my own.
*By this point most people had gone home, so it was team Bert and mainly Manchester people left. Rubbish Southerners can’t hack the pace and all went home. And didn’t say bye, even though we JUST COOKED THEIR LUNCH.
**Of the child’s play variety, not the raw potato snack.
***Are you surprised?!?
****This game will be played at a future party. Possibly the one I apparently decided I was having. See Monday. It involves most people being villagers, with some werewolves that the village need to find and kill.
*****Which involved me getting in a wicker igloo and most people being scared at some point. I made sure I was at the back of the group, with the theory that if anything touched me I could actually scream as it wasn’t anyone I knew. This didn’t happen.
Monday
6.30 is not a nice time to be awake. Grrr.
Hasty packing was done, followed by a trip to Exeter airport*, then we were on the way. Breakfast was found at the first services** which ensured that I was sober and Dan wasn’t going to be sick.
Team Bert kept me company with at least one person being awake most of the time. Well, I was awake for most of it. It wasn’t as much of a team effort, considering I knew where I was going, but Team Bert were still there if I needed them. It just felt like I was the only one working. Oh well.
We got the car back to the place on time (1.30) and weren’t in trouble for anything. The guy then gave us a lift back to our respective houses and Luke to the station. Excellent work!
Nap was attempted and bath was achieved, then I went off to meet Petar. We were both very tired and a bit rubbish, but he did say he had a nice evening. We had some food at the Paramount and then went for a wander. We decided to find pool to play, but didn’t succeed. Gave in to the pub when a toilet was required. Mark*** came to meet us, and as Petar had just said that he was going to stay for the later train and see Mark for a bit, but when Mark arrived Petar said he was going for the train so we made Mark walk all the way across town and back for nothing! Hee hee. But it’s not my fault.
Petar went, so me and Mark went for a drink in the Salisbury where we talked about making people shorter and weekend activities. I made little sense, but I don’t care. I decided to walk home (and nearly got in lots of trouble for it!), but got the bus when I needed a wee. Found my friend Simon in between and it was nice. I resisted the power of Scubar due to feeling like horrible.
When at home I talked to my cousin online, so now have a lift home tonight (Woo!) and removed a spider from the wall. I was really creeped out by it for some reason. I don’t mind them usually, it was just cause it was near where my head should be, and then I lost it in my bed. Grump. But I was triumphant and it went out the bathroom window. Hurrah.
*As we didn’t find the train station in time for Lolly’s train to the airport.
**Screw the diet. Fry up.
***Or Mrak, as he might become known as. Petar spelt it wrong once, but in Serbian that means something between dark and cool (as is good, not temperature), so sounds like a good thing to be.
NowThat brings me to now. And I’ve written a lot. I’m hard at work as you can tell. I am wearing my scarf, as I am officially ill. I will try to leave early. As usual.
