Chasing (static) cars...

went to see snow Patrol last night at the NIA – who were excellent. A proper concert rather than a “show” where the bad actually plays instruments and everything. In all a fab evening. Sadly we got stuck in the car park and didn’t get out for a good half hour which doesn’t help when you have a long way to drive back, but such is the price you pay for quality musc.

still on the sofa.....

I changed my blog - well a change is as good as a rest eh. also tried out blogging via email which kind of worked although it seemed to wipe away my sidebar so I deleted it. still, all good fun eh.

Went go-karting with work this week, my body is complaining today, the aches and bruises and playing up, still at least I didn't come last place, thanks to my Sagga training I guess.

Went to theatre last night to see a really good production of To Kill a Mockingbird. WE studied it at school but I had forgotten most of it, although it came back to me. all very cultural. tonight is saturday night and I seem unable to lift my lardy arse off the sofa. bummer. But we've had a funfilled evening looking thought the lego website. there are definatge benefits to having a nephew, I had to persuade Paul that it wasn't the ideal option to get all the adults to club together to buy the death star at £250. somehow I don't think he had Adam in mind with that suggestion.

Pauls off canoeing tomorrow. why am I with the only man who sulks when it's not raining....

its been a long week... the first week back after holidays always is. the good bit was finishing early today, but in reality, given the painfully early morning it wasn't that much of a bonus. However it did mean that mr slacker (who gets off at lunchtime) and I walked to Morrisons about half four to buy some tea and got diverted into the Greatfield Pub. Thats the danger of shopping in a supermarket that has a pub located in the car park. Temptation with a capital T. 2 hours later we rolled out somewhat more in the weekend spirit, and had a much more enjoyable shopping experience for it. Normally my blood boils with the stress of shopping in the mis-managed, freaks for employees and basic hell-hole that is Morrisons, but a couple of glasses of wine and the whole experience is much less stressful - a bit like anasthesia for root canal work, its got to be done but much less painful when experience in a haze of consciousness....

So, having chomped out way through a packet of rolos before even entering the fruit and vedge section, we managed to enthusiastically spend far too much money on things we didn't need, and forgot that we had walked so by the time we reached the tills we had a serious imbalance of 'Purchases' to 'Carrying Potential' ratio. Luckily, with the help of an enthusiastic scout master and his troop who were packing for charity, we proportioned the weight equally (at least thats what paul thinks) and valiently struggled home.

the boy is now attempting to recreate the khymer curry that we so enjoyed last week in cambodia and I am about to collapse on the sofa.

I love fridays ;-)

oh boy the week you return to work after a top holiday really does drag doesn't it! It's only wednesday and I really need it to be saturday tomorrow. doesn't help that I've had a bad headache for the past 2 days and spent the whole of yesterday evening crashed out in bed. Work is picking up with some more interesting (yet probably quite stressful and busy) things planned.

still, i'm trying to make the psychological move from sunbathing in 31 degrees to thinking about christmas, not an easy move I have to say. we're looking at a visit to the christmas markets in Munich which may help, lashings of gluvine always puts me in a festive mood. I can't quite bear the thought of buying presents or christmas cards yet but I should probably get a move on. The other challenge is wading through the mountains of episodes of Spooks, Torchwoord, Robinhood and QI which we recorded when we were off.... more lying on the sofa this evening then...

Read 2 fantastic books when I was on holiday, highly recomemnded if you've not already found them yourself- The Observations and The Shadow of the Wind

also started to listen to the audiobook of Bill Bryson's latest book which is excellent entertainment and really enjoyable to listen to him narrate it.

Home safe and sound after a long journey. We had a fab time and there’s just too much to say really so I’ll give it all a miss and just give a one-liner summary to each section so people shall simply have to wait till I see them and subject them to the 300 photo slide show! It doesn’t really do justice to what was such a brilliant holiday but hopefully you’ll get the gist!

Bangkok was amazing, hectic, dirty, noisy, full of amazing sights, sounds and smells. Loved the temples and surprisingly loved Jim Thompson’s house (I hadn’t been that bothered about going) for the beautiful design and the sheer serenity in the middle of such a mad city.

Koh Lanta was out of this world, we went VVVV posh, took a bit of getting used to but we got there in the end. The hotel and room was gorgeous, the pool lived up to expectations, views amazing and the sea… wow. We canoed around islands, Paul did some diving and I snorkelled (as well as throwing up with seasickness but hey ho), we chilled out and drank for England watching the sunset.

Cambodia was exciting and beautiful. Angkor Wat blew our minds, such a massive place, and you get to clamber all over the temples so you really get a chance to see everything – not sure how long that will last. Some of the steps were seriously steep – there’s no way you’d be able to do that at home. The food was fab, the best of the whole holiday. You can’t ignore the problems that are out there but the place has loads going for it and I would recommend anyone to go.

So, home now, cats are happy to see us and we have mountains of washing. Reality hits hard sometimes.