Back from ... the abyss?

Well, it's been a long time since I posted anything and quite a few people have remarked that they've missed my regular installments of garbage. So to them I can only say that I am really touched and suspect that you must also be if you miss all this gibberish!

So first, an explanation of the title since this is the 'bad' bit of the post: I don't like holidays, I get bored, I get introspective and obessed, depressed, and reclusive if I don't have things to do to keep my mind occupied and not worrying about stuff. And I don't like feeling like that and it can take a bit to get me out of that hole (abyss may be an exaggeration).

Anyway, thankfully, I have some fab friends and had some great times over Christmas and New Year and these helped keep me relatively sane and pulled me through a bit of a low point. Enough of that now, onto the fun stuff:

Well first off Christmas and Boxing day were spent with Lucy and her family which was just fantastic! Her folks were fabulous and I had a great time!Boxing Day included shopping in the sales which was good fun and resulted in a few bargains (which my credit card really couldn't cope with but, well, it was Christmas!)

I saw my son on Boxing Day also which was FAB! He had had a good Christmas Day, Santa had been very nice to him, and we had a nice relaxing day just chilling out and playing with Christmas presents.

The days between my son leaving and New Years I think we'll skip for the reasons already mentioned.

So, New Years Eve. I have to say I had been looking forward to this for a very long time and I was not disappointed in the slightest it was one of the best nights I have ever had ... in fact I guess in some ways I was quite sad when it was over and desperately want to repeat the experience ASAP!

We started by meeting up the the Ibis on Charles Street, affectionately known as Tranny Towers. I'd booked a room ages ago having decided that I should make an effort with New Year and not just moan after the fact that I didn't do anything fun! Anyway, things snow-balled a little and first Lucy said she would come along and then Selena ... "Three in the bed and the little one said ... 'the room is still spinning!' " or something like that.

Started on the Red Wine when we got to the room (my fault!) and then wandered over to meet up with Kate, Jilly and friends who had booked a meal at the Villagio on Canal Street. The food was great, the company was FAB, and there was plenty of drink!
This was me and Kate in Taurus which is where we all staggered to after the meal ... think I was still relatively sober at this point but it went rapidly downhill in terms of sobriety after that! There is a good picture that someone took of me and the others pointing drunkenly at the sky, I think at the little tea-light-powered hot air balloon, which illustrates the state I'd got into towards the end of the night!

Lucy and Selana looked fab and they had a good night and were a great help in getting me into McTuckys for some much needed alcohol-soaking-up food and also then back to the hotel without me falling over!

The morning-after-the-night-before was, as expected somewhat difficult given the excessive drinking but was helped greatly by Lucy cooking tea for the three of us! Sadly Selena and Lucy had to travel back down south after that so I took refuge in the Trafford Centre to have a look for a present for Kim, wander aimlessly around the sales, and also meet up with my friend Rob for a meal and a chat.

Which brings me to the 2nd party in so many days: Kim's birthday party on the Saturday night. Another FAB time! Kim had invited some of her friends out for a quick drink followed by a nice meal in a Thai restaurant just above the pub in which we all met up - very handy staggering distance!

This was me with another, and much better looking, Fiona, one of Kim's friends and then, below, the birthday girl herself with Sarah.

A good night was had by all and copious quantities of alcohol were consumed!

So, that was my Christmas and New Year, there it was gone! I have to say that I did spend the time before going back to work desperately missing my time in Manchester and my friends - really must make an effort to get out as much as is humanly possible! Think I've decided I like city life afterall!

Anyway, to all my friends: Thanks for making Christmas and New Year such a fun time, you are all amazing and a love you to bits!