Monday 22 November 2010

Things I have learned over the past five days...

  • I miss going to gigs and watching live music. When I lived in Manchester I went all the time and now I’m in Hull there’s nothing doing. Mostly because no bugger ever comes to Hull.

  • I also miss going to smaller gigs. I’d never been to big full-on stadium or arena tours until a couple of years ago and I miss just bobbing along to the Academy to watch someone. The atmosphere is a thousand times better and the tickets are about half the price.
  • I love Goldfrapp. I saw her a few a years ago and loved her then and I still love her now. I’ve never been to a gig where the lead singer is so note perfect – her voice is haunting. (It would be nice to have a bit more crowd interaction though.)
  • I should not watch The Office Christmas Specials before I’m about to meet my boyfriend’s friends for the first time. I will cry all over the place when Tim and Dawn get together, my eye make-up will be ruined and I’ll look like I’ve just had a massive argument. Alternatively, I should wait to do my make-up until after I’ve watched The Office Christmas Specials.
  • When feeling nervous about meeting people for the first time I will turn to drink. I’ve tried to avoid it and I will continue to try to avoid it but for the moment I have accepted that it’s just inevitable. As long as I don’t drink too much it shouldn’t be a problem. Instead it masks my insecurities very well and allows me to actually converse with people instead of sitting in a corner and smiling inanely.
  • Do not attempt to do Christmas shopping when you’re slightly hungover and incredibly tired from the night before. If you do you will balls up in Vom Fass and discover once you’re at the till that the nice £20 bottle of whiskey you wanted to get your Dad is actually £45 and you will have to go through the embarrassment of saying “Sorry. I can’t afford that, can we start again please?” (I’m still blushing whenever I think about it.)
  • A Marmite pop-up shop has opened in Selfridges in Manchester and I want everything they sell. Like all of it.
  • The Singapore chow mein from the Chinese takeaway at the end of my street is my new favourite thing and I want to eat it every day. Scrub that. ALL day, every day.
  • That boy I’m seeing may just be more of a cat whisperer than I am. He walked in the house and within 5 minutes Maggie was sat against his leg, purring away. She hadn’t even come to say hello to me. And Fred – the little ginger whinger who hides from all who enter Mum’s house, walked right on over to him. My mouth still hasn’t closed from the shock of it.
  • Lily will object to you putting elasticated Christmas -themed jester collars adorned with bells on her neck. But it will be hilarious. (There is photographic evidence but I’d need to steal my Mum’s camera first.)
  • Rooms at the Premier Inn have the worst lighting known to man. I nearly killed myself when I first looked in the mirror upon getting ready for my friend’s wedding. And yes I looked that bad.
  • Lovely, pretty (and expensive) dresses from Coast that fit you perfectly 2 weeks ago can suddenly be too big for you (I’ve only lost about 6lbs since I last tried it on) and this can induce major panic. Thankfully I have a wonderwoman for a housemate who advised I buy Velcro “just in case” it got too big. And didn’t just advise me, actually went out and bought it for me. Thanks to her the dress was velcroed to my bra and stayed up all night.
  • Watching one of your best friends get married will be more emotional than you can imagine. So emotional that for about the first hour you won’t even be able to look at her without crying. Seriously. In fact even thinking about her started me crying.
  • I’m still the best minesweeper in town. I didn’t pay for a drink all night. It’s not my fault people don’t like their champagne and don’t drink all the bottles of wine that are on their tables.
  • Every time I see him, I leave, loving him a little bit more.
  • Coming back to work on Monday when you’ve been off since Wednesday, sucks.

13 comments:

  1. Blimey. I'm lucky if I learn one thing a day.

    And I'm lucky if that thing isn't about Debian drivers for obscure network cards.

    I must learn more stuff. Better stuff. Maybe not the crying bit though.

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  2. Oh wow, that is a list and a half isn't it!. Sounds like your falling for this new beau in your life BIG TIME! lol s x

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  3. Fabby post! I didn't know you used to live in Manchester! Glad u enjoyed the wedding and your dress was OK, that's a handy tip about the velcro! And £45 for a bottle of whiskey ouch. We did a similar thing yest, a new Waitrose had opnened near us and we saw what we thought were lvoely big pizzas 2 for £5. At the till they turned out to be ridiculously expensive, but we just said "Oh, we'll just leave it then" & left the girl with the pizzas lol... I wouldn't have done it if I was by myself it's only cos Gary was there too!!

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  4. Sounds like you had a good weekend then, Mrs Too Skinny For My Dress! ;¬)

    ps. I'm allowed to say that coz with the bump that's currently stuck on the front of me, I go up a dress size every week.

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  5. What a list!
    I especially liked the second to last: 'Every time I see him, I leave, loving him a little bit more' - very poetic :0) Ahhhhh, love's grand, especially when it's all new and you feel like you've got butterflies in your tummy every time you see them. x

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  6. Sounds like you've had an educational week!

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  7. Oh the Velcro thing did make me chuckle. When I was on bridesmaid duty earlier in the year I ended up with the dress safety pinned to my bra as the weight I'd lost between the last fitting and the wedding had clearly all come off my top half!

    It's lovely to hear you talking about the new man. So glad you're happy with him.

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  8. Wow wow and Wow again, sounds like life is treating you brilliantly at the mo!!
    Long may it continue.

    On a slightly different note..I've seen Goldfrapp a couple of times too and yes She is an absolutely amazing vocalist, but like yourself I haven't managed to get to a gig since I saw the Manic Street Preachers at Leeds fest in '08.

    Em xxx

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  9. Ahh, I love Goldfrapp too!

    As for your penultimate point - same here, only it's less every time - I guess that's a good thing? :S

    Aww, sounds good though - "Real Men Love Cats".

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  10. I know what you mean about gigs, bands have just started to realise that Scotland goes on a bit furter than the Edinburgh/Glasgow area.

    You're sounding suitable cosy and loved up, nice to hear :)

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  11. You are lucky - I didnt start learning anything about myself until I was 43! One of the best things about Sheffield is the live music. From small intimate gigs to great whopping Arena ones - and everything in between. Last year. Reverend and the makers had played at the acedemy, then afterwards just set up their instruments in Tudor Square and continued playing!. And the best bit about any break up - is falling in love again afterwards - sweet. xxxxx

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  12. Well, someone's been busy!! Very sweet that you've found someone nice!!
    And I'm afraid I've never known what it feels like to buy a dress and for it to be too big a few weeks later. You're getting no sympathy from me young lady.

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