Apprehensive excitement

I'm kinda excited. For some reason, and I'm not one for spontaneousness, I have just signed a lease to rent a flat. With R. This is totally weird! I mean, it feels okay and almost natural, but at the same time, I have a nagging feeling that things are going too fast. I'm not alone in this, however, as R confides that he too feels the same. So we're moving to this really nice 2-bed flat on the new estate in Turnford. We've got a good price and can't wait to do the coupley Ikea thing! The keys get handed over end of July so hopefully we'll be settled in by mid-August.

I'm so excited... but apprehensive... but the excitement thing is definitely stronger!!

Amsterdam v Nottingham

R buggered off to Amsterdam for the weekend on an all-guys holiday mini-break thingy. Kind of like an Only Fools and Horses Jolly Boys Outing. Only in Holland. So I joked about the red light district, told him an amusing story about Omouse's trip there, and went on my own mini-break... to Nottingham. Yeah yeah, not as exciting or cool as Amsterdam, but Nottingham has clubs, pubs, and Andy.

Andy likes my new shorter hairstyle. And the fact that I'm eating properly again (see here). So a good start! He's a little despondent since his working contract ended so my objective is to cheer him up, mainly by doing a pub crawl and then clubbing until the early hours. He was a bit surprised to hear about R (doesn't anyone read my emails or blog?!) but said that it probably explained why I seemed happier and healthier!

The pub crawl went swimmingly! We went to four pubs and graded the sofas out of ten in each. The second pub had the worst sofa but the best ceiling. It was a see-through walkway on the upper floor, and we only noticed it when we left! Andy was a little disappointed at not noticing it earlier, especially since there was some kind of hen night going on and quite a few girls with short skirts on were walking up and down...!! We eventually decided to go in search of a club and passed Flares, which Andy desperately wanted me to go into, as it has a revolving dancefloor and a pole... Yep, the guy wants to have a pole-dance!! I am adamant that we are not going in, though I flirtingly suggest that I'd probably be very good at it... We ended up at Faces, a club with cool music but a few posers. I pulled this guy who said in so many words that I was sexy and could he take me home? I was a little shocked but politely declined. Andy was watching from the side of the dancefloor and thought it was hysterical, though I refused to tell him what the guy had said to me. I sweetly said that it might shock his little cotton socks off(!)

We finally crash at the flat around 3am. After poking him so he wouldn't sleep on the sofa, and Andy badly defending himself with a feather duster (best not to ask!), we retire, only for me to wake later that morning at... 6.30am. Damn east-facing window!!

Parents (Part 2)

R finally got to meet my father today. Dad was polite - shook his hand, offered a drink, didn't ask too many Q's - which I was pleasantly surprised at! I was worried it'd be a '20 questions' situation whereby Daddy's Little Girl needs some Fatherly Protection (patent pending).

Result? Dad's not totally mad and R is still alive. Points all round!

Asi Training

After a surveyor dropped out, my supervisor's manager put me on an asbestos management training course in Basildon. I actually got quite excited about it. I have constantly asked (read 'nagged') for training of some description to help with my job and have always been refused, so this is a big step forwards! The course was spread over two days, the first covering the basics of what asbestos is, how its dangerous to health, and the regulations and laws. The second day dealt with the regs in detail and also covered step-by-step procedures for safe removal and air clearance.

The trainer was brilliant - I couldn't commend him highly enough. He was professional, clear and concise, while at the same time being a bit of a jack-the-lad and joshing with a couple of attendees he'd obviously met before. The industry, it would appear, it pretty small and tight-knit; everyone knows everyone!! One memorable moment was when he paused the DVD as the words 'The Analyst' appeared letter by letter, and it paused on 'The Anal'...

It was all pretty interesting stuff and generated good conversations! It was also a great opportunity to network and gain insight into how other people work and how they are a part of the industry. I was surprised at all the managers there who had no idea what asbestos was and were only on the course because of the new law out last year that says all dutyholders are responsible for any suspected asbestos within the framework of their buildings. The law was out April 2004... and they are attending a course in June 2005. I was shocked! My workplace started carrying out extensive property research back in January 2003 so we were ready when the law came into force. It was nice to broadcast how far ahead we were from other local authorities. It gives us a good name, expecially important since we've had some bad press recently.

Heatwave

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4105484.stm

Just in case anyone was in any doubt that English weather can actually be pretty darn hot and isn't all rain...

Oops...?

I told my dad about R. I didn't even mean to! I stumbled downstairs this morning to make coffee and Dad asked me if I was going to JH's for the annual birthday BBQ. I declined, saying it was too hot this year and Bedfordshire is a long haul in hot weather. He then asked if I was doing anything tonight and I said that no, I wasn't.
"But you usually go out on a Saturday night, don't you?" he asked.
"Well, yeah," I reply, "but R's in Manchester today."
"R? Who's R?"
I suddenly realise what I've said and gulp. "Boyfriend?" I offered.
"Boyfriend?" my dad repeated.
"Yeah."
"I didn't know," he said, a little crestfallen, and then just walked out of the room and back upstairs.

I'm not quite sure what happened. Was he upset he didn't know, or upset I had a boyfriend? Was he even upset at all and just...? I dunno. He hasn't spoken to me again the rest of today... Maybe he needs to think about it...

Parents

For reasons I can't remember, I agreed to meet R's parents. I cannot tell you how nervous I am. Normally when I meet the parents of friends, everything is fine and they think I'm adorable/ look like my mother/ very tall/ etc. But this is a guy's parents we're talking about, specifically his mother. It is a well-known fact that most mothers believe that no woman is good enough for their son. I am therefore understandably nervous.

I arrive incredibly promptly - bang on the dot perfect timing. I politely take my shoes off upon entering and shake the hands of his parents, who are grinning ear to ear. I'm praying its a good sign! I'm offered a drink and I decline, visions of various spillage-related accidents going through my head. I'm pressed further and decide to just go with the flow and, yes, tea would be lovely. Two minutes later, I'm being offered bone china on a tray. My stomach flips. Various swear words fail to pass my lips. I take the cup and saucer, visibly shaking. But no spillages occured and the china stayed intact throughout the sitting.

And apparently it went well. His parents like me. Well, his mother does anyway. My father doesn't even know about us yet...

Receptionist No 7

S starts with us today as the new receptionist. My supervision meeting was cancelled because my line manager had to dedicate another day to training up the new staff, showing her around the depot, talking through all the procedures... Its such a waste of time, really! Instead of paying for new staff and extortionate agency fees, why can't they give a little extra money to us, the admin staff, and we'll cover the reception, just like we've been doing for years before this new-fangled role emerged.

I give her a week.

Yahoo!

Jenny and I had a long chat over Yahoo Messenger today We spoke mainly about the up-and-coming holiday and how I should presuade my b/f to let me borrow his car so all the luggage will fit. It's not so much me borrowing his car, but more him borrowing my car. I love my car very much and have had made a lot of fuss about me being the only one who drives it. But then I figured, the guy who had it before me drove it (as well as goodness knows how many other people) and everytime I take my car in for servicing, a number of people drive it. So why not at least someone I trust and not just another mechanic?

I might have to clean it first though. It's pretty dirty on the outside because I have to park under trees when I go to work. The inside isn't so good either, because our vacuum cleaner doesn't quite reach the entire car, even with the extension cable. But it's the least I could do. R's car is spotless...

Canterbury

R has never been to Canterbury so I offered to take him there sometime. Within days he has a room at the Holiday Inn booked up and we're off for the weekend. I decide that my father would probably hit the roof if he found out that, not only did I have a boyfriend, but I was planning to spend the weekend away with him. So I told a little fib... It wasn't a bad one, and I didn't exactly lie, I just omitted some facts that were the truth! I said I was staying in Canterbury - truth. He just presumed it was with Debbie. At no point did I say that I was or was not staying with Debbie. So I'm in the clear!!

Being my controlling self, I drove us to Canterbury and talked the entire way! I can talk for England, I swear!! I did a little guided tour, driving around the old fortress wall to Northgate, then going straight up St Stephens towards the university. Drove around the university campus, pointing out where we stayed, ate, had lectures, our hangout (bus shelters outside Keynes) and drove back down the 'front entrance' so we could see the magnificent view of Canterbury city centre. After that, I drove down the hill and through the town to the Westgate, finally parking up at Canterbury West station.

We did the usual stuff: watched a double decker bus pass through the Westgate; ambled around the Cathedral; admired the eclectic mix of Tudor, Victorian, Edwardian and modern buildings all built next to eachother in the high street; walked through the Westgate gardens and hung out under the arch; stared at the Beaney Institute; saw the wonky doorway to the art shop round the back streets; browsed through hippy-junk shop Siesta... everything!! And in the evening, we ate at my favourite restaurant, Marlowe's. I was surprised we even managed to get a table at such short notice! It must be because all the students have gone home...

R liked Canterbury a lot and we decided to go back sometime for a long weekend. Just not enough time in one day to do it all!

Name's Bond, Mrs Bond...

We went to see Mr & Mrs Smith at the cinema. It was quite funny and had elements of a Bond film, but it was pretty much a rom-com with a spy-thriller streak in it. A nice way to spend a couple of hours in the cinema!

The cinema itself was packed - nearly every seat was taken. The guy next to me kept repeating all the funny lines in the film and telling his girlfriend how all the stunts were done... and someone further on down the line of seats was playing with his mobile and the blue light was distracting... But otherwise it as plain sailing and everyone was laughing out loud at the funny parts, which added to the atmosphere. I like it when that happens during a film.

Sin City

Oops, didn't realise how long I'd stayed away from my blog!! The problem with these is that sometimes not a great deal happens in your life - you have the odd monotonous week where you just get up, go to work, come home, eat, and go to bed. Nothing abnormally weird happens and its not worth the bother of going on line and writing about nothing.

Anyways, R and I went to the cinema this evening. The intention was to see Mr and Mrs Smith but its not out until tomorrow... So we were faced with Star Wars III (my 2nd time, his 3rd), a plethora of predictable mush (Monster-in-Law, The Wedding Date, etc), or we could see something we've heard nothing about and just go out on a limb.

This is how we ended up seeing Sin City. It was like watching a comic book come to life! The film was shot in black-and-white with the odd brightly coloured object - a woman's hair and lips, a person's eyes - or with a luminous white sillouetted figure against a black background. It was arty and visually stunning!

However, it was also unnecessarily violent and didn't seem to hold much coherency as scenes were slashed together and didn't seem to make a lot of sense. The dialogue was pretentious and generally appalling. Women walked around semi-naked (as in true adult comic-book fashion); people were pumped with bullets left right and centre; Mickey Rourke couldn't kick Elijah Wood's arse (Come on, man! Its freaking Elijah!!); and I still have no idea what Josh Harnett was doing in that film...!