Not been well the last couple of days. I blame W from work, who was in the office on Monday, but obviously not well. She phoned in sick Tuesday and Wednesday.

Of course, yesterday I came down with it as well.

I think (hope) it’s just a bad cold, and all will be well by next week, when I head off to the land down under.

I’m having my hair done tomorrow, but the only time they could fit me in was 8.30, which is going to be tough when I can’t sleep for more than 10 minutes at a time before being woken by my running nose. And of course the inability to breathe, leaving me waking up with a mouth like dry sandpaper. Hey ho, I can always go back to bed when it’s done.

Tuesday night I get my bits and pieces waxed. I have also booked a relaxing massage for afterwards, as a treat for all that pain!

SE has actually done a bit of planning this time. Well, more than last time, which was absolutely nothing, so he hasn’t got much to do to better it. But we have 3 events planned already, although one is a ‘plan’ in that we have decided we will do something on a certain day - we are not organised enough to actually book anything.

To be fair, that is an informed choice. We have both decided we prefer the adventure of just turning up, and seeing where we end up to having it all planned.

Apparently it’s warm there (well duh, obviously!). I might even pack this weekend, since most of what I am packing is just stuck in drawers anyway, it’s not like I am going to be wearing any of it before I go.

Need to book transport to the airport.

Traitorous little madam!!!!

Don’t I look mighty fine?

I found the number plate apt.

Well, somebody somewhere has got it in for me.

Supposed to be getting my car for a 24 hour test drive today at noon. They rang about 10.30, to say it would be a bit late, they would get here at 1 o’clock.

Come 2.30, still no sign of the car, so I rang the number I had. They put me on hold, and obviously rang the company in Birmingham who would be delivering the car, and then came back to tell me they were held up in traffic. I asked where, and the muppet on the end of the phone had no clue. They didn’t think to ask when the car might be arriving, they just took the message ‘delayed in traffic’. They said they would get someone to ring me back with an estimate of time.

40 minutes later and I rang them again. This time I got the guy who had arranged the test drive, and he was most apologetic, said he would find out and ring me back. 10 minutes later he rang to say they had just arrived, and were in reception.

So bang goes my trip to Brighton. I have already had to cancel my holiday for Wednesday morning, as I am now in Manchester all day Thursday and have just too much work to do. So I was only planning on being in Brighton for one night anyway. However, by the time the paperwork was done, and I took one of my friends for a quick spin, it was pushing it to get to Brighton in a decent time.

Add to that it has taken me an hour and a half to get home - a journey which at that time of night should have taken 20 minutes - and there is no way I am going to make it to Brighton.

Only trouble is, everyone else I know is now busy tonight.

I suppose I could go home and see my parents.

But, well, grrrrrrr. So much for my grand plans of posing along the seafront. Plus the night me and K had planned to go out looking for boys.

I pulled! Last night I pulled!

Well, maybe a slight exaggeration there. I could have pulled if I’d wanted to. But I chose not to.

But. But. Well. It’s been years since that happened to me. A complete stranger chatting me up.

Mind you, his chat up lines did leave a lot to be desired, but well hell, it shows I can still do it.

And I wasn’t even trying. Not even a little bit.

I went to the middle of nowhere yesterday, for a course today. It was touch and go whether I was going to go, as nobody made it into the office of where the course was held yesterday, but given the weather forecast they said it was definitely going to go ahead.

So off I went yesterday afternoon, in my hire car. The roads were clear of snow completely, the only time I drove over snow was in the carpark at the hotel where I was staying. I have been there before last summer, when I went on a course with ONB, and I remember we had a really good Indian meal in the town centre.

After dropping off my bags, and ringing my mom, I headed into town, to find the restaurant.

On walking in, there were 4 waiters hanging around, plus some bloke sat at the bar, looking like he was waiting for a takeaway with a beer in front of him.

I was taken to a table, and after several minutes of perusing the menu, I had decided upon a starter, but was having trouble choosing a main course. When the waiter came to take my order, I told him I couldn’t decide, and after asking me what sort of thing I liked, he said, “Leave it with me, I’ll get you something nice….”

I got my book out, and began reading, while nibbling on my poppadoms. Suddenly, the bloke who had been at the bar appeared in front of me, carrying his beer, and proceeded to sit at the table next to me.

I say sit. More like fell into the chair - he was, shall we say, a little inebriated.

He started chatting, and despite being very drunk, he was a really nice guy. Reminded me a little of Stoke Boy Timmy, but that’s probably more to do with his drunken state, and the way he was talking than anything else.

Why oh why don’t men ever come right out and ask if you are married? Why do they always have to couch it in a “What does your husband think?” sort of question?

He was trying to flirt, but he was so drunk it was just funny more than anything else. And there was only ever going to be one answer to his, “Are you going back to your hotel now? Can I come?”

He was probably right, I *would* have enjoyed it, but I just wasn’t up for it. In a way I am glad I was driving, because had I had a drink then the answer may have been different….

Anyway, I saw sense, and said goodbye.

But, well, hell. I really can’t remember the last time that happened. And I feel damn good about myself!

I guess it is payback from the very quiet time I had at work the first few weeks in January, because the last 2 weeks have just been manic. And it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better.

Not helped by me heading off to Oxford for a course on Friday, then off Monday afternoon until Wednesday morning, with my super-duper test drive. Still not sure where I am going to go though.

Oh, and now I have been invited to an all day meeting on Thursday next week. In Manchester. I may see if I can get an overnight out of it, but they might force me to fly at stupid o’clock in the morning.

New girl number 2 started today. I felt sorry for her, because I had been invited to two half hour meetings, which I took her along to, but they both turned in to hour long meetings, plus I was just throwing all the new shit which hit our team, since I am still spending forever dealing with the old shit from the last 2 weeks. She seemed happy though - said it already has more structure than her old job! I didn’t have chance to have a lunch break today until 4.30 - I hate days like this, no matter how busy I am I always try to have a proper lunch break, and always do my best to make it an hour. No matter how busy, I am always more productive in the afternoon after a break. But today I just didn’t have chance, with back to back meetings, plus fire fighting.

Been to aerobics and yoga tonight - yay me! Came home to a huge slice of lemon drizzle cake.

It’s been extremely busy at work all week, trying to get everything done that had to be done for month end, plus looking after new gilr. Plus boy number 2 left on Friday, so that was another night out, although I wasn’t drinking.

Friday had a high point though - my boss has nominated me for the company incentive scheme. A lot of people get them - I think there are 3 or 4 per department per month, and it’s been running for 6 months - but even so I am well chuffed. Plus I get £15 of vouchers to go spend. I am also in with the chance to ‘win’ a trip - I am loathe to say holiday, because a friend went on something similar a couple of years ago (same scheme, different name), and it was mostly spent travelling, one night abroad, posh hotel, but with all work people, it’s not as if you are with friends, and can go off and do your own thing. And I think it might be the same time I am off on holiday anyway.

But I am chuffed none the less. I am only sorry I missed the ‘presentation’. I was in a meeting. Apparently the big, big boss gave a nice speech, there was a big round of applause from colleagues, then everyone turned to look at boy number 2, who was say in my desk trying to get done what needed to be done. Oh well, I’d have only got embarrassed.

My week for winning things too. Last week, on paying for my groceries in Sainsburys, I ‘won’ a carton of carrot and coriander soup in their ‘free vegetable’ give-away. Yesterday I went in again, and collected my soup. I was handed another of the peel-off cards, and won a jar of ragu! Yay me! So I went straight back in the shop and picked up the ragu, back to the same shop assistant who laughed at me, and handed me another card.

Well bugger me. 6 kiwi fruit!

I went to a different checkout assistant this time, and she wouldn’t give me another card. Oh well, I can’t complain really.

Parents have been down this weekend. Ages ago my dad bought a rotary line to replace theirs, only the one he bought was too big for their garden. So they brought it down for me, and he has spent the weekend putting it in the garden for me. I love it already - I did some washing this afternoon, and it only went outside for a couple of hours, but it smells so fresh, and feels so much nicer than drying it on the clothes horse. I hope it keeps some of that while it finishes off drying - but next weekend I will be washing overnight, so I can hang it out all day!

Off out with LELI tonight.