War of the Worlds Experience and London

Hi!!

Its Sunday evening and I'm in my PJ's after just getting quite emotional having just watched Junior bake-off final lol.

Its been a busy weekend! and in a couple of hours I'll be watching the Jacksonville Jaguars play the Titans.  The Titans are in our division and we are currently at the bottom of the division! I hope the game is not as depressing as last week...

So...this weekend was a War of the Worlds (WOTW) experience with Helen and Paul.  We all love WOTW - although I think Helen doesn't know it as well as the rest of us.  I was pretty obsessed with it when I was around 14-15 years old, and have listened to it lots since - and watched the film.  So, we read about the experience in London and decided to go for it - despite the fact that's its quite expensive to get there, to stay in London, to eat out in London - and pay for the tickets!  We bought Pauls ticket for his birthday.

So Saturday morning, Helen and Paul got on the train in Paignton, and were trying to save seats for us at the table they had got, so we could sit together and they were getting very stressed as the train filled up before we got on in Taunton.  By the time we got on the other seats were taken and there was only standing room left!  We stood up until we got to Bristol and then we were able to sit with them!  They then got out bread and hummus, olives, sausage rolls and prosecco! lol.  It was pretty awesome - and quite typical of them to be so organised and thoughtful! We had a really good laugh the rest of the way - which was another couple of hours or so! 

When we got to London we made our way to the hotel - all just following Andy as usual! We stayed at the Strand Palace, and we upgraded to a renovated room - not sure why - think they were doing it with everybody.  It was nice enough if not a little small - but it is central London! We just dumped our stuff really and then headed to the WOTW event.  We got there early (as planned) and had a little food and a drinky poos....and the pub was really good! They had moving pictures and WOTW stuff about...

We then went, with 8 other people - into the the event.  We were taken through to a room where we watched a hologram of two ppl explaining about the aliens landing etc. with a bit of the music....  Paul got told off for messing about lol...we were then taken through to another room where telescopes were set up...there was an actor saying...welcome to the observatory...it then became obvious that something had gone wrong and a voice came through asking the actors not to proceed. It was then a little awkward and I was really worried that we wouldn't be able to proceed at all and we'd come so far and spent so much...but a few minutes later things seemed to be back to normal - although there was a scene played through the telescopes but not on mine or Pauls...

We went into another room and it was the Horsell common scene where Professor Ogilvy tries to make friends with the aliens and gets set alight! The special effects for this was quite good.  A soldier then takes us through to an area where we put VR headsets on - and we walk around a room - all the other people with headsets on are represented by a character - Andy was a maid hahah - he told me afterwards that I was a black guy wearing a top hat hehe.  My VR headset wouldn't work properly, so a guy had to take it off me and sort it out - then the sound was really faint so that was a little disappointing.  With the headsets still on we were taken out on a bridge where there was a whole scene of the aliens burning up ships and artillery trying to fight them - eventually fire engulfs us and we all run away! Another soldier then takes us down a spiral staircase and we try and get into a house - they open and window and as the first few ppl start climbing through the open the door lol.  Its a big dining room and we all sat around it.  An actress/maid plays out a scene until it all goes dark and loud - and then we see her grabbed by an alien - and again we all run off!.  We all got into boats and again put headsets on - the boat was moving in time to the scene that we could see - it was really good but this time my headphones wouldn't work properly and it ruined the soundtrack - and my fave song!  We were taken up into the air by the aliens - and eventually let go again....the graphics were pretty good - Helen and Paul were sat in front of me which was really funny as Paul was represented by a woman who was constantly smiling - even though we were being attacked from all side hahah and Helen was a young boy!

After this we had a 20 minute break in a bar!  So we had a drink - and I complained about my equipment constantly letting down - Andy was questioning if I had it on properly - which I did! This was to come back and haunt me as ppl kept trying to wind me up and claim it was my error! lol.

From the bar we went into a room where another actress was in a grave yard - she was touching Andy's face saying she didn't think we were real - that we were ghosts! She said we should pray and confess our sins - we were then all put into a confession box - with the VR headsets again!  We could see a priest who was telling us we were all doomed and the aliens were actually demons! (obviously following the story of WOTW) we could then see a scene where we were in one of the alien ships and there were long arm things - that actually took off the priest - again the visuals were really good and this time my headset and headphones worked really well!  As the arms of this alien were coming close to us we were actually grabbed lol - this made me jump!

We then went into this room (4 at a time so it was us 4) and we sat on a round bench thing - looking upwards at a scene that made us all feel quite queasy!

We then followed an actor again - and he was going through his speel and heading into a room - and Helen pushed me towards him! I was trying not to go into him/the room - and I got told off!! lol.  We all thought that was quite funny!  We had to try and find blueprints for something - and the actor starting talking to Andy (and the whole room - carrying on the story line) - and Helen threw a rag at Andy that hit him in the neck - and Andy just didn't react because the guy was talking to him - again we all found it quite funny!

After this we went into hot air balloons - 2 to each one - so me and Andy were together - we put headsets on again and could see a whole scene around us as we went up in  these hot air balloons - I cant really remember what we were seeing but it was good!!

After this we had to go down a slide thing which was fun! and I think we then saw the last woman actor who kept telling ppl off and it was quite annoying because it was for minor things and she was more like a school teacher rather than somebody who was supposed to be entertaining us!  It was at this point I think that we went through the last door and back out into the bar!

So - all in all I was a little disappointed - at times it was quite amateur and I was let down quite a few times by the technology - but on the other hand we did have a good time and a good laugh!!

We left here and headed back towards our hotel and Leicester square - we had a drink in a packed pub - then left to find a comedy club - which we found straight away and bought tickets and went in - we ended up on the front row but off to the side - much to Pauls disappointment - he didn't want to be at the front at all - but me and Helen did! hahah so he lost!  Andy and Paul went to the bar and got 2 crap warm beers and 2 double vodka and coke in a small plastic glass and it was £38! So were were not impressed with that!!  We saw 3 comedians - a blind guy first - then an Asian guy, then a Nigerian guy - all were really funny - the last two were mainly talking about their heritage or being black in London - we laughed a lot which was awesome!

We were starving afterwards and Paul wanted to see if Burger king had the new vegan burger - they didn't but me and Andy got a burger - only to realise that Helen was quite upset because she thought we were going for a meal.  So I ate my chicken burger - and then went for a meal hahah.  It was Thai food and awesome - didn't have loads tbh - and I got cocktails (buy one get one free) I got Expresso Martini and it was disgusting!  It was all very expensive - wherever we went, but that's London for you!  We headed back to the hotel after this and got to bed - think it must have been about 12.30am....I was knackered and got straight to sleep - had been a busy day - and a very fun one!

The next morning I got up and got a shower and we met H&P in reception at 9.30am and headed back to the train station - we all got some food for the journey and when we got on the train we managed to get a table between us again - so it was a fun journey again! We discussed the WOTW experience and we were also trying to remember the details of when we went on a zombie experience - and discussed xmas etc.  Very chilled and fun...made our way home....

So - a great weekend - great company, all good and happy - but skint lol.

Christmas bake off!

Today I went on a "prepare for Christmas" baking class! I can't bake at all really - not something I've ever taken a huge interest in.  I tend to stick to savory recipes.

I was a little worried about finding the place as it was in the middle of nowhere so I woke up really early!!  I found it no problem but didn't really like the narrow windy lanes I had to drive down!

Fleur and Adam were the bakers - both quite young but very experienced bakers.  The "bakery" was quite small - I expected we'd all have our own full work space - but it was quite small, although to be fair - quite adequate.  The other women - yes very stereo typical - all women...we nice enough - one women really irritated me, I'm not sure why but I just wanted to tell her to shut up and that she was completely boring - and she spoke with an, erm...."I'm very interesting" tone! and yes - I did notice you fall asleep at lunch time....Bitchiness out of the way.....

We started with puff pastry -  I was unaware of complexities of making puff pasty!  She had already made the pastry for us all - but she went through how it was made and that was quite simple.  We had to roll it out to make a rectangle - and then get a whole pack of butter rolled into a square - half the size of the pastry.  The butter went on top of the pastry and the pastry was folded over the butter - you then had to roll it out to make it quite long and thin.  I was then folded it again - and it went back in the fridge for half an hour - you kept doing this until you had done it 4 times - so this took nearly all day - with us doing other things in between.  I did try to hide the fact that I had rolled in a long hair of mine into the pastry...think I got it out without drawing any attention....

We made blini's, which I've never been too impressed with before and she made a horse radish sauce (which I've always hated) and we used a piece of beetroot and a tiny spring of Dill (which I don't think I've used before).  So considering I didn't rate blini's and don't like horse radish I couldn't believe how nice it was!! I really want to make this again!

Most of the teaching was by Fleur - but Adam, using the puff pastry showed us how to do a veggie wellington - which was so awesome I have to try and make it.  We had it for lunch!

Adam showing us how to make the veggie Wellington....

He also made a veggie stuffing with pumpkin, sage, thyme - other stuff I can't remember because we didn't make it - and I forgot my recipe sheet - hopefully I'll get it on email.

(below) The lunch - with the Wellington - and the veggie stuffing....I was the only person that couldn't eat it all - I was stuffed!!  As usual I ate at twice the speed of everybody else so I am glad I couldn't finish it as it would have been very obvious with an empty plate!

We then made xmas cake.  When we first arrived we got a coffee with a piece of xmas cake - same recipe and its got to be the best xmas cake I've ever tried - so hopefully mine will be as good!

We made mincemeat for mince pies - again - probably the best I've ever tasted - so much better than the stuff you buy!! and we made pickled beetroot.

Near the end of the day we finished our puff pastry and I used half of it to make mince pies, but I didn't cook them because it's only me at home atm, so I froze them to cook another time.  I made some cheese sticks with the left overs (from that half of the pastry), and I froze the other half of the pastry to try and make the veggie wellington.  SOOOO much effort for the pastry though, if I don't get high praise from whoever tries it, I'll be most disappointed! lol.  

  

I really want to try and make everything again so I know I am able to recreate it all!!

When I left it was pitch black - back down all those scary country lanes....hated that!  Got home completely knackered...got in PJ's and got fire on as soon as humanly possible!!

Got to be up early again as I have to be in the gym at 9am to run through the program a personal trainer has done for me....

General catch up

Hi!!

So Andy got awesome news - all his hard work and dedication paid off and he got head hunted within HPE for the role of World Wide head of Pre-sales for Composable Fabrics - this is something that sits atop of all the servers, storage etc. and makes it very easy to add things in and reconfigure....that's my best attempt!! hahah

This also means that he could be working away more than he is now - or at least for longer periods, so I started to get a bit down about that.  He said to me - I won't take it if you don't want me to! Like I'm going to say - yeah turn down a job which is everything you've wanted for a long time!!  So, I had to have a think about what I could do to make it easier for myself.

So - I downloaded a free day-pass for a gym.  I went along, got a tour and used the gym and the pool and signed up! I've been again since then and tonight I went to a class.  I am so psyched up to get fit again! and VERY happy that my bad foot must be much better, as I did a step class and last time I tried that I was in a lot of pain!  Me and Andy have also been counting calories and for the first time in a long time I feel properly motivated.  It's exciting and I really hope it lasts - and I get back to like I used to be!  Actually I just stood up and realised that I'm not going to be able to walk tomorrow lol

I also have a day long course/class thing tomorrow - baking for Christmas!  If Andy is going to earn more money then I feel like I can spend more muh hahahaha....what I mean is - I can do things like these one day courses.  I was looking at spa days earlier....lol  I want to do a bread making course! There are other things like upholstery....so I plan on keeping busy!  I also plan on going around to Helen & Pauls for the occasional overnighter....

Anyway - I need to get to bed - have to get up early tomorrow and I'm not used to that!

Night!!

Family visit weekend!

Hi!!

Wow I'm just not getting around to writing this often am I?

Well - The weekend of the....erm...no idea - oh yeah 6th November - all the kids were visiting.

As usual Adam got here first! He always manages lol.  he normally turns up while I'm still cleaning or in the shower - so I preempted this (I'm sure that's a word!) and was ready when he got here!

Adam chilled with us for a while and then Lissa & Antony turned up shortly followed by Connor and Emily.  They seemed to like my newly decorated attic room which I slogged my guts out getting ready in time! Lissa claimed it - Adam could have as he was here first but he was very gracious - as he was on his own - Erika had to work which was a shame. 

We all ended up in the games room as usual and it was really really nice having them all about.  I love it! I miss my babies and I wish they'd all move to Taunton!  Especially now Lissa is having a baby! I really wanna be a part of it all - but we keep in touch a lot on messenger - not the same as face to face!

I was determined not to drink too much - but sort of did! Woke up next day feeling a bit icky - but not too bad!!  Emily wasn't drinking at all - obviously Lissa wasn't either. Andy asked me later if Emily might be pregnant too - haha - I am pretty sure that she isn't! They are not really in a position to have a baby, although ppl make it work!  They admitted that I was right when I said - if you rent in Bristol you'll be skint all the time and won't be able to save for anything.  They have decided to move to Wales. Her family live in Bridge End (not sure if thats how you spell it).  I used to have to go there for work and in my opinion...its an awful place! (sorry Welsh ppl).  Oh that reminds me!!  Lissa thought it would be really really far away compared to Bristol - and I was explaining that on a map its only like an inch away - we both ended up killing ourselves laughing when we were saying how its even closer if you zoom out! hahah

In the morning - as usual it was me and Lissa up first! I'm sure ppl just wait until they think the place has all been cleaned up - and Adam waits until he can smell bacon! 

Me & Andy fancied going into Taunton - and nobody wanted to come with us!  So we left them to it and went off shopping!  I bought a new pair of jeans with diamonte on the bottom and a top.  We got some xmas bits n bobs - an awesome caterpiller - like giant stuffed toy for Eloise - if she doesn't like it - I'll have it back!!

While we were out we went past the Pitcher & Piano and saw two for one cocktails until 8pm and were tempted to go in! lol...instead we ordered a taxi for later on and decided that's where we'd start!  We got back and discovered to our delight that they'd not burnt the house down!  Lissa and Emily were in the gym - made me feel bad about not doing enough exercise.  Emily has been dieting (as had I for about 2 weeks) and we were the same weight - so to give us incentives we are competing to lose the most weight by xmas).  No doubt she'll win as she has cut out alcohol - that's just a step too far for me!!

We all got ready and got a taxi into Taunton - and went for the cocktails!!  I was just SO HAPPY having everybody there - I hadn't felt so happy for a while!!  We all sat ourselves around a big round table - but then right next to us a bunch of very drunk middle aged women starting trying (badly) to play the piano and sing Doe a Deer....thankfully it didn't last too long.  A while later another group came along - and I said - at least they're not singing Doe a Deer - then as the words left my mouth they started again - it was the same group!!  I have a habbit of nearly getting beaten up when I'm out!!  I once (in a rough area of Manchester) said - god look of the state of that women with all the gold necklaces!!  She heard me - and said - What the F*** did you just say!!!??  I said - I said you look really nice!!  She obviously hadn't heard me properly 1st time because this seemed to satisfy her.  Once in Westfields shopping centre in Armani - I said to Andy (about an older couple wearing all sorts of weird designer clothes) You can tell they came into money later in life or they'd have better taste! They heard that too hahaha and the guy just stood with his arms folded and stared me out the whole time!!

ANYWAY I digress.....

We had a really good time having our cocktails!!

Then we realised we needed to get to the restaurant - so off we went!  We went to Guddi & Gikki, the food is AMAZING they cook it all fresh and you just choice spice level.  We've never taken anybody there that hasn't loved it!  Lissa was going to leave loads (even though she can usually eat massive amounts!) so she managed to bring some back - which she had the next day of breakfast! lol.

 There's always one....

We got a taxi back home and went on to have such an amzing night - I laughed sooooo much!!  Connor had me in stitches because we were were talking about giving birth and I was saying that I never knew about giving birth to the placenta and I was describing it as a huge disgusting piece of liver - then Connor said imagine if you thought it WAS your liver!! arrghhh my F***ing liver!!! hahahah I actually wee'd and had to go change my underwear! lol

Antony got quite drunk!  So did I to be fair although I found it easier to stand than he did hahah

All in all the best night I've had in ages!!!!

Sunday - Adam left before I got up because he wanted to get on with DIY! and we just chilled until ppl had to go home... :-(

Next get-together is 20th December for xmas!! 

and now it is November!

Hi,

So, I failed in writing more frequently!!  I've been busy!!

Firstly, Lissa is having a baby!!  I think I knew last time I wrote my blog but couldn't really say on here - but she is now 10 weeks and has had an early scan and everything looks good!!  I am so happy for her - and for me! lol.  I am so excited!!  She has said I can be there at the birth! If that happens I think it will be one of the best things in my whole life!  I think it will be hard to see Lissa go through it - but at the same time - to see her baby being born will be amazing! I expect I'd bond to that baby like a mother!!  Its weird I already feel like a bond is developing - like when it was me that was pregnant!!

The only downside of this amazing news is that Erika is still trying desperately to have a baby and is not getting pregnant.  She has known problems so hopefully she will get there eventually because those problems are treatable.  She is seeing the specialist again this month.  I'm really hoping however, that this month will be the month!! if her and Lissa can go through all this together that would be awesome.  Me and my sister (Bev) went through it together when I was pregnant with the twins - and her with Megan.  My other sisters Helen and Joanne were also pregnant at the same time!

Lissa has started writing her blog again (Lil beetroot) - so it will be awesome to have a running commentary! I think I wrote a diary when I was pregnant with Adam, I'll have to find it and re-write it on here.

so, changing the subject from that amazing exciting news - to my boring life....I have been working in one of the attic bedrooms - I have put the details in a separate post, and it can also be found under 'house renovations'.

We went out for Paul's birthday Friday night - went to the Spinning Wheel as usual in Paignton - was a really good night!!  We have also arranged to go to a War of the Worlds event in London on 23rd November - ending up very expensive but should be worth it!



Was good to see Helen and Paul - I miss them when we don't see them for a while - we can talk about anything - laugh about everything...was awesome.

Yvonne came around last weekend and it ended up very badly!!  Andy and her ended up arguing - and me - siding with Yvonne.  I don't really want to go into details but it was about - Yvonne's opinions about porn - I asked her what she didn't like about it as she is very anti-porn, and her opinions about men and also stuff about Stuart. Yvonne ended up crying and going home the next day rather than Stuart come over with the kids and stay for the football.  Its all now a horrible situation, with Yvonne wanting to sort it out and talk about it and Andy not wanting to talk to her about it!

Anyway - I've just been and got changed into my PJ's because I got up this morning thinking it was Monday - and planning my work day - I was making Andy a brew to take down into the basement where he works - and suddenly realised that it was Sunday! That is the 2nd time I have done that!!  Today is football day!! The Jags are playing the Texans in London - we really need to win this game!!  We did consider going to watch the game and one night when we had too much to drink we almost spent £1400 on special hospitality tickets!! In some ways I wish we had - but we are not that flush for money to spend that much really.  So....we are now sat in the living room, in PJ's and the fire is on - and at 2.30pm my game is being played!!  If only we had yummy food lined up - and some Desperado beers in the fridge it would be the perfect day!

work in the attic!

So...since my interview the thought of going back to work has meant I have been working hard in the house!!  I have started to decorate the attic bedrooms....I say bedrooms - I'm just on the first one atm.   Below is a pic of the room before we moved in!



I can't find any pics of after we moved in - but this is what it is looking like so far...



Changing the lights makes a huge difference!!

It has been hard work - first tons and tons of cables came out - telephone and internet stuff....then lots of holes to fill.  Then the carpet came up - then another carpet which was glued down - that wasn't easy to get up!! Then ply board was screwed down - and all the screws were filled with glue - so now it is just floor boards which I am going to try and get decent! That won't be easy as there are signs of woodworm, holes in some of the boards, big gaps between boards and some have been stained with some kind of waxy varnish paint stuff.  They are original Georgian - so are over 200 years old so I am going to try my best to bring them back to life!  I have until just next weekend to get the room livable, because all the kids are visiting and one of them needs to stay in there!! I am confident it will be done - other than the floor that I am doing last.

I have ordered a huge rug, with matching smaller one for in front of the fire, I have ordered red chairs too.  I am hoping this room has a little designer feel to it - as I've gone for colours a bit different and matching purple and red....we'll have to see how it ends up!!  When all 3 rooms are done - it will be a massive transformation - from the pic you can see at the top of the page! I'm excited - and hope that if I get the job they wont want me to start for ages!!