"And how does it feel, to be the one whose always in the way; to be the words that never made the page; be the one that's always left out in the rain." - Shinedown
It's funny isn't it, always been the one that shall miss out, always been the one that's thought of last. Been the one that cares so much, but doesn't matter in the end. What are you meant to do when you want to be involved but constantly feel like no-one wants you involved? When you're someone's back up plan. Only there when people need something from you rather than want you there. My heart aches and there's not a great deal I can do about it other than watch these precious moments fly past me without my presence.
123 days. That is how many I have to wait until I will finally get to go back to New York. After the week I've had at work I wish it wasn't so long. It's been absolutely horrendous, to the point where I even had to go to the MD because it had all got too much. Sometimes I just wish that I could do something to make it all better and so I enjoyed going to work again, but the atmosphere is so uncomfortable in my office now (it has even been described as like a morgue) that there's nothing I can think of to change it. I don't know how things will be when I go in on Monday morning - I'm nervous to see.
Anyway, back to my holiday. 123 days. It may be excessive to count down so far in advance, but I can't help it, I'm that excited. I am starting off with 5 nights/6 days in New York with a couple of friends, doing the "tourist" thing as neither of them has been before. It will be nice to take people and show them New York, but I'm hoping being able to do that means that it won't feel repetitive as the majority of it I will have done before. We shall be staying at the Affinia Manhattan during our time there, which should be a good base to do everything we want.
When my friends leave I will be heading down to Nashville, although I won't actually be spending that much time there - I have one full day (no travelling) and I'm spending it going to Lynchburg, TN to visit the Jack Daniels Distillery - I have wanted to go for the longest time, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity when it came about. That only leaves me the evening of the 25th and the morning/early afternoon of the 26th before I have to get the Greyhound to Memphis, where I will be spending four nights at the Hampton Inn & Suites Memphis - Beale Street, leaving in the evening of the 30th to go to New Orleans. When in New Orleans I will be staying at the Chateau Bourbon Wyndham Hotel, which is on the corner of Bourbon Street and I can't wait to explore. New Orleans has been one of the places I've always wanted to visit in the US, and now I'm ecstatic that I finally get to do it, plus, it means I get to spend Halloween there, so that should be a lot of messy fun! From New Orleans I'm going to Atlanta for three nights, staying at the Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Downtown before heading back to New York on the 5th for a further three nights at the Ravel Hotel in Long Island City (which for those of you who don't know is actually in Queens, not on Long Island), right over the Queensboro Bridge from Manhattan, before I head home, although whilst I'm in New York for the last three days I'm thinking of flying up to Vermont for the day to visit the Ben & Jerry's Factory. It all just depends on what I end up doing on the days I'm there.
I have had a bit of a nightmare with flights on this trip. I thought I'd done really well, getting all my transportation and accommodation booked well in advance, only to have two of my flights change on me. The first was my flight from LGA to BNA which was originally scheduled for 7pm, only to be changed to a 10pm flight. When I looked after the change the 7pm flight was still showing as available, so I phoned up American Airlines who promptly moved me back to the 7pm flight. This gets me in to Nashville at 8:35pm, which is a whole lot better than 11:20pm, which is the time I would have arrived had my flights remained the same. The other flight was my big flight from MAN to JFK, which I originally booked with Delta - a direct flight, which was then cancelled and they put me on a flight that would take me through Paris, involve a change of planes, and add an extra 3 hours+ on each leg of my journey. In the end, I had to cancel that flight and book on the American Airlines flight (direct and gets in to JFK a couple of hours earlier than the Delta one did and also earns me frequent flyer miles) which has cost me slightly over £100 more, but is the flight I wanted to go on originally anyway, and at least it's direct!
So that's my travel plans I have to look forward to. It's what keeps me going and gets me through the week when I'm having a hard time of it at work. I would be nothing without music and travel to keep me sane. I'm always planning and thinking about where I am going next, and my aim for the year is to have at least 10,000 songs on my iTunes (only 492 to go - I think it's doable). Just got to keep positive and aiming for that next thing =c)
Anyway, back to my holiday. 123 days. It may be excessive to count down so far in advance, but I can't help it, I'm that excited. I am starting off with 5 nights/6 days in New York with a couple of friends, doing the "tourist" thing as neither of them has been before. It will be nice to take people and show them New York, but I'm hoping being able to do that means that it won't feel repetitive as the majority of it I will have done before. We shall be staying at the Affinia Manhattan during our time there, which should be a good base to do everything we want.
When my friends leave I will be heading down to Nashville, although I won't actually be spending that much time there - I have one full day (no travelling) and I'm spending it going to Lynchburg, TN to visit the Jack Daniels Distillery - I have wanted to go for the longest time, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity when it came about. That only leaves me the evening of the 25th and the morning/early afternoon of the 26th before I have to get the Greyhound to Memphis, where I will be spending four nights at the Hampton Inn & Suites Memphis - Beale Street, leaving in the evening of the 30th to go to New Orleans. When in New Orleans I will be staying at the Chateau Bourbon Wyndham Hotel, which is on the corner of Bourbon Street and I can't wait to explore. New Orleans has been one of the places I've always wanted to visit in the US, and now I'm ecstatic that I finally get to do it, plus, it means I get to spend Halloween there, so that should be a lot of messy fun! From New Orleans I'm going to Atlanta for three nights, staying at the Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Downtown before heading back to New York on the 5th for a further three nights at the Ravel Hotel in Long Island City (which for those of you who don't know is actually in Queens, not on Long Island), right over the Queensboro Bridge from Manhattan, before I head home, although whilst I'm in New York for the last three days I'm thinking of flying up to Vermont for the day to visit the Ben & Jerry's Factory. It all just depends on what I end up doing on the days I'm there.
I have had a bit of a nightmare with flights on this trip. I thought I'd done really well, getting all my transportation and accommodation booked well in advance, only to have two of my flights change on me. The first was my flight from LGA to BNA which was originally scheduled for 7pm, only to be changed to a 10pm flight. When I looked after the change the 7pm flight was still showing as available, so I phoned up American Airlines who promptly moved me back to the 7pm flight. This gets me in to Nashville at 8:35pm, which is a whole lot better than 11:20pm, which is the time I would have arrived had my flights remained the same. The other flight was my big flight from MAN to JFK, which I originally booked with Delta - a direct flight, which was then cancelled and they put me on a flight that would take me through Paris, involve a change of planes, and add an extra 3 hours+ on each leg of my journey. In the end, I had to cancel that flight and book on the American Airlines flight (direct and gets in to JFK a couple of hours earlier than the Delta one did and also earns me frequent flyer miles) which has cost me slightly over £100 more, but is the flight I wanted to go on originally anyway, and at least it's direct!
So that's my travel plans I have to look forward to. It's what keeps me going and gets me through the week when I'm having a hard time of it at work. I would be nothing without music and travel to keep me sane. I'm always planning and thinking about where I am going next, and my aim for the year is to have at least 10,000 songs on my iTunes (only 492 to go - I think it's doable). Just got to keep positive and aiming for that next thing =c)
I felt I had to write about all the negative comments aimed at the Leeds Rhinos fans for booing Sam Tomkins on Friday night at the England/Exiles game. It has really annoyed me how it can be called "disgraceful" by Jamie Peacock or "out-of-line" by Luke Robinson, amongst other things.
As fans, we are all entitled to our own opinion, and it just happens to be that we dislike Tomkins, and the way we express that is through booing. Now it's fair enough to say that as England fans we should support England (I think the fact we paid decent money to what can only be described as a 'friendly' can be considered support enough) but this game wasn't even a 'proper' international. If the game had been against the Australian or New Zealand (or any full international squad) side then perhaps the booing wouldn't have occurred, but as fans of clubs with players in both teams, we cheered on both sides.
There has been mention that it is because he plays for Wigan. If that was the case, then why weren't Sean O'Loughlin, Michael McIlorum, Pat Richards, George Carmont or Thomas Leuluai booed? They were all playing on Friday and all play for Wigan normally. The team he plays for has nothing to do with it. If there's going to be criticism of the fans booing him for playing for another team, surely there should be criticism for us cheering for a member of our own squad? It can surely be considered the same thing, singling out a player based on the club he plays for? Yet there were chants for 'Sir Kevin Sinfield' and nothing has been noted about that, but in my opinion you can't have it both ways.
Because of the nature of the game, the fans were cheering members from each side (both England and the Exiles) and as a Leeds fan, I cheered if Danny Buderus made a good play or Kylie Leuluai had a big hit. But I also cheered when the Exiles scored or made an impressive tackle or there was fancy footwork involved, whether it was a Leeds player involved or not. I did the same for the England squad (minus Sam Tomkins) because I was there to watch a good game of rugby and cheer/boo accordingly. And I wasn't the only one.
Now, I have a lot of time and respect for Jamie Peacock - he is one of England's true greats, and a deserved England captain - but what he said bothered me. "When you come to support England, you should support England no matter who is playing for them," said Peacock. "I'm England first and Leeds Rhinos second and some other people should get that mentality." (Quote from the link above). Now, before I start my little critique of this, let me say that I respect his opinion and the pride he has in his country, and I don't deny anyone their entitlement to it, but, it's alright saying that he is England first and Leeds second - who is there paying good money to support him week in and week out? Who was there willing him to come back from his knee injury because they wanted to see him back playing? Who is there paying his wages by buying tickets/merchandise/travel/etc through the Rhinos? It's certainly not the England fans, it's the Rhinos ones! Who is going to be there when he hangs up his international boots? The Leeds fans, that's who. And which club team is it that the majority of the fans who were there on Friday support? It's Leeds, that's who. Now granted, the game was at Headingley, making it easier for Leeds supporters to get to, but it's not like the other clubs are that far away - Wakefield and Castleford close by, and the remaining Yorkshire teams and the Lancashire ones are all basically just down the motorway, and I did notice some fans from other clubs there, yet no criticism is aimed at them, despite the fact that they too could have been booing.
In summary, leave the supporters alone. We have every right to show our dislike for a player, whether the organisers consider it an international game or not, and at the end of the day we have paid the money to go to the game and that entitles us to cheer or to boo. Nothing would have been said had it been an Exiles player we were booing, even though they too shouldn't be singled out on the basis of the comments made since. We went and we supported a game that has no real merit on the international scene. Now, perhaps it wasn't the right platform on which to do it, but I vehemently stand by my right to do so.
One last thing, Sam Tomkins tweeted this about the game - I do hope he's including himself as one of those idiots, especially the way he spells disappointing!
Rant over =c)
It's funny how a day goes by and you think nothing of it, but then another goes by and that thing you keep putting off gets a day further away from being done. Then two, three, four days go by, and eventually it turns in to weeks that have gone by since you decided you want to do something. That's how it is with blogging. I've been meaning to update for a while now, but just kept putting it off for another day! Anyway, here we are, and here we go…!
Jamie's
I went to Jamie's Italian in Leeds last Saturday (the 26th) with Clare. She wanted to meet up for lunch and had never been there before so we decided to go. Have to say, I love the place, but I wasn't that impressed this time. My food was nice, don't get me wrong, but nothing that made me go "wow!" and my main course was served to me cold (it wasn't meant to be). I sent it back, but by the time I got a replacement Clare had finished her food - quite annoying as the replacement wasn't that much warmer, but I had waited so long that I thought it best just to eat it anyway! They did give me a free dessert, which was nice, and they couldn't apologise enough, but it taints the meal slightly! Anyway, as always, some pics:
Jamie's
I went to Jamie's Italian in Leeds last Saturday (the 26th) with Clare. She wanted to meet up for lunch and had never been there before so we decided to go. Have to say, I love the place, but I wasn't that impressed this time. My food was nice, don't get me wrong, but nothing that made me go "wow!" and my main course was served to me cold (it wasn't meant to be). I sent it back, but by the time I got a replacement Clare had finished her food - quite annoying as the replacement wasn't that much warmer, but I had waited so long that I thought it best just to eat it anyway! They did give me a free dessert, which was nice, and they couldn't apologise enough, but it taints the meal slightly! Anyway, as always, some pics:
Now granted, it may seem strange to have pictures of the toilets, but they were breathtaking, like the rest of the building. It has been so well done out, it's hard to believe that it used to be a bank!
Music Blues
When I feel a bit down I tend to like to buy things. On this particular Saturday we decided to go to HMV to see what they had on offer. Well, talk about not being able to resist! I think this is one of the reasons that I attempt to stay away from HMV when I go in to town - I can't really control myself!!! Of course, I can justify every single purchase, but I shouldn't really splurge like this:
I decided I could justify all the DVD's because I bought "Life" and I can consider that educational! I wish I could give some stupid reason for all the music, but the only one I have is that my life is nothing without music! Everything just seems so much better with a soundtrack.
Random Photos
I love taking photos, and I've recently downloaded a whole bunch of apps to my iPhone in order to edit and create effects on photos, so here are a couple of them:
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| Fish and chips - yum! |
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| Flat mushrooms stuffed with couscous, roast vegetables and parma ham, topped with cheese and grilled - so good! |
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| A shot of the sky in the side mirror heading home one night. |
Illness
Just recently (this past week) I have felt so ill. I can't remember the last time I felt so physically ill. I have been so lethargic, with a throbbing migraine, fever, a throat so sore it felt like swallowing razorblades, and I recently developed a nasty cough too, although that only seems to strike at night when I'm trying to sleep. I don't think I have ever needed to sleep more than I have recently, and the majority of my shopping has looked like this:
- full of migraine strength painkillers, cold & flu tablets, menthol lozenges, cough medicine, tissues and Ribena. I have not really wanted to drink anything other than Ribena (not even cups of tea) so it's been a God send this week. On a night my throat seems to get really dry, so it's been great to keep some cartons by my bed so help lubricate it.
I managed to get in to see the doctor on Friday (on Thursday I was told there were no appointments for Friday, then miraculously they had a choice of appointments when I phoned up in the morning) and was told I had a throat infection, so have been given a course of penicillin to take. God bless Sir Alexander Fleming for discovering it! Today is the first day I'm feeling much better although I'm still very lethargic - all I want to do is sleep! Trying to force myself to stay awake so that I am well refreshed for the morning!
Booked
On Monday we booked our hotel for whilst we're in New York! We're staying at the Affinia Manhattan - on 7th between 30th and 31st for five nights. We arrive on the 19th of October and leave on the 24th. Clare will be heading back to England and me and Catherine will be heading out on a bit of a road trip, the exact details of which have to be determined. Whatever the exact date for finishing the road trip is, I am hoping to be able to head back to New York for a few days at the end of it. I have booked time off work to arrive back in England on the morning of the 9th of November, although it does mean going more-or-less straight to work that afternoon. It will be more than worth it though. It's all so real now that we've started to book things, although it's so far away still that it doesn't quite feel like we are actually going. I'm sure that will all change as time gets closer. SO FRIGGIN' EXCITED!!!
More ramblings:
Cemeteries/Graves
So, when I walk Treacle, we usually go through the cemetery - I love cemeteries. There's something so peaceful and serene about them. In a way, something so reassuring - I don't know why. However, I was walking through one night when something caught my eye, and I just had to go over and investigate. This picture is of the grave that I had seen. Now, it was for a stillborn child, and I can't possibly imagine the pain of losing a child in such a way, but I just thought this was a little excessive (apologies if it's your child's grave) and not something that I would expect to find in a cemetery. I think it would be okay perhaps without all the lights, but that's just my opinion. I find the solace of cemeteries perfect for thinking and just being. I used to go and sit in there on a night just to think and sort things out in my mind. A little weird maybe, but it helped.
Food
Last week I went to two different places for dinner - on Tuesday I went to Little Tokyo, which is a Japanese (shock!) restaurant, and quite possibly my favourite in Leeds. I always have the same thing - a mango duck bento box followed by lychee ice cream - and it was delicious, although trying to eat the last few grains of rice with chopsticks when it's designed like this is hard. So, for those of you in Leeds, even if you don't think you like Japanese food, I recommend checking it out. It's behind House of Fraser on Central Road and does takeaway - here is a menu (although it could be slightly out of date now, but the majority of the items are still available) - http://www.take-a-way.co.uk/menu/693/Little+Tokyo/
On Wednesday I went to Brio's in Colton. I've been to both the one in The Light and this one a couple of times before, and have always enjoyed it. This time I went with my auntie. There were meant to be three of us going for a late Christmas dinner thing, but the other person from our office couldn't make it, so the two of us decided to go, and the three of us would have a Christmas dinner at a later date.
I had bruschetta with parma ham and parmesan on it to start - it was delicious, although perhaps too much parmesan (the parma ham rolls were filled with it) as it is quite an overpowering cheese in the quantity that it was served in comparison with the quantity of the other ingredients on the plate. For my main I had a chicken and beetroot salad thing, which it turned out I had actually had before and not realised - I enjoyed it the second time around too, and it was very filling. There wasn't enough room for desert!
On Sunday I went to Frankie and Benny's and had a Manhattan double stack burger - it was sooooo nice, I really enjoyed it, and I had the best banoffee sundae. I love anything banoffee, and it was the perfect ending to the meal. Slightly sickly, but I would have eaten it again!
Steelers game
After Frankie and Benny's we went to the Sheffield Arena to watch the Sheffield Steelers beat the Cardiff Devils and it was so good to see them play again. It makes me miss the days when we used to go to every single home game and quite a few away games. It's a shame it's so far away really, because if I lived closer, I would certainly go more often.
In the programme for the game was a page talking about a "legends" game that is going to happen in August, where they've been trying to get old players back for a game against the Cardiff Devils "legends" to celebrate our 20th anniversary and Cardiff's 25th anniversary. Me and Christine decided that we were going to go, even if Brian couldn't. It will be great if they can get some of the old players back and be able to see them play again!
Cemeteries/Graves
Food
I had bruschetta with parma ham and parmesan on it to start - it was delicious, although perhaps too much parmesan (the parma ham rolls were filled with it) as it is quite an overpowering cheese in the quantity that it was served in comparison with the quantity of the other ingredients on the plate. For my main I had a chicken and beetroot salad thing, which it turned out I had actually had before and not realised - I enjoyed it the second time around too, and it was very filling. There wasn't enough room for desert!On Sunday I went to Frankie and Benny's and had a Manhattan double stack burger - it was sooooo nice, I really enjoyed it, and I had the best banoffee sundae. I love anything banoffee, and it was the perfect ending to the meal. Slightly sickly, but I would have eaten it again!
Steelers game
After Frankie and Benny's we went to the Sheffield Arena to watch the Sheffield Steelers beat the Cardiff Devils and it was so good to see them play again. It makes me miss the days when we used to go to every single home game and quite a few away games. It's a shame it's so far away really, because if I lived closer, I would certainly go more often.
So, I don't understand the need for Valentine's Day. It's just some bullshit holiday that is an excuse for card manufacturers to make more money, and shops to sell red, heart themed crap in the hopes that some sucker will buy it so they can make a profit. I realise all you skeptics out there will think I'm only saying this because I'm single, but I honestly think if you need a day of the year to remind you that you need to tell your loved one that you love them and think they're special, then there's something wrong with your relationship. You should love and cherish them every single day of the year. What would happen if on February 13th your loved one died and you never got to Valentine's Day? Wouldn't you rather have told them how much you cared and loved them instead of waiting? Just saying.
So, as usual, it's been a while since I last blogged, but hey, that's life. Not necessarily too busy to blog, just can't be arsed sometimes! So, think I'll do a couple of blogs on a couple of things!
Russell Howard
I went to see him perform last Friday (the 4th) at the MEN in Manchester on his "Right Here, Right Now" tour. I had seen him previously on his "Big Room and Belly Laughs" tour in December '09, when I thought he was absolutely hilarious. This time round he was very funny, and I spent the entire 2 and a quarter hours laughing, but I couldn't help but think that it wasn't quite as funny as his previous show. Whether it was just me or not, I don't know, but I couldn't help but think that there was something missing, some spark maybe, that would have just given it that extra pow! Then again, pretty much all the material was fresh to me this time around, where as his previous show I had a lot of the jokes on Mock The Week or other shows he'd done, which kind of spoilt how much I enjoyed it. Overall, it was a good show, and I would definitely go and see him again, and maybe next time I'll think he's even funnier.
Sports
There's only a couple of sports I really, truly love. Those are rugby league and ice hockey. Yesterday marked the day that the Leeds Rhinos 2011 started. It was a shaky game, and a terrible first 55 minutes in terms of productivity. We were throwing wild passes, the play wasn't flowing, and we weren't making any yards. Combine that with getting NO calls from the referee, Steve Ganson, and that includes any potential 50/50 calls. Now, we've never had much luck with the referees, because for some reason, none of them seem to like us. Now probably every fan says that about the referees attitude towards their team, but for Leeds it really is true. I have overhead people who aren't even big rugby fans say that certain referees will never give anything our way and that we are not liked. Now, it doesn't bother me that we are not liked, I just wish that we got the same treatment as every other team in the league. In yesterday's game, Brett Delaney got sin-binned for holding down after only ten minutes of play, yet not one of the Bradford team did, despite repeated warnings from Ganson, and then Patrick Ah Van nearly took Rob Burrow's head off with what can pretty much be summed up as a clothesline to the neck, and I couldn't even tell you if he was placed on report (I have since discovered it hasn't!), let alone sin-binned or sent off. He then went on to score a try and a couple of conversions, despite the fact he should have gone for an early shower. I just hope something is done, disciplinary wise, despite the fact he wasn't placed on report. Despite the issues with performance and the officiating, we still went on to win the game 32-28 thanks to a penalty try in the dying minutes of the game after a strong fight back in the final 15-20 minutes. I am so happy to have rugby back, it's just a shame that I have to wait until the 25th of this month until they're at home!
The New York Rangers played a depleted Pittsburgh Penguins team last night and they won, at last. It seems like so long ago that they won a game, but hopefully this is the start of something good! They're maybe starting next season in Europe, and I hope they do, just so I can see them over here (I will be going to see them when I'm in New York as well). I love this sport and I love this team! Some may think that it's crazy staying up until all hours to watch a team who play at least 3000+ miles away, but I think it's worth it. I could watch the games at a later, more convenient, time, but I find that it's not quite the same as watching it live, even if it does mean I get more sleep! Luckily last night's game was an afternoon one, meaning that it was on at 8pm here - perfect!
Leeds Town Hall/Aqua Preena
I went to a vintage fashion fair at Leeds Town Hall with Emma yesterday, and I had forgotten how beautiful it was inside. Naturally, I took a few pictures to demonstrate!
Russell Howard
I went to see him perform last Friday (the 4th) at the MEN in Manchester on his "Right Here, Right Now" tour. I had seen him previously on his "Big Room and Belly Laughs" tour in December '09, when I thought he was absolutely hilarious. This time round he was very funny, and I spent the entire 2 and a quarter hours laughing, but I couldn't help but think that it wasn't quite as funny as his previous show. Whether it was just me or not, I don't know, but I couldn't help but think that there was something missing, some spark maybe, that would have just given it that extra pow! Then again, pretty much all the material was fresh to me this time around, where as his previous show I had a lot of the jokes on Mock The Week or other shows he'd done, which kind of spoilt how much I enjoyed it. Overall, it was a good show, and I would definitely go and see him again, and maybe next time I'll think he's even funnier.
Sports
There's only a couple of sports I really, truly love. Those are rugby league and ice hockey. Yesterday marked the day that the Leeds Rhinos 2011 started. It was a shaky game, and a terrible first 55 minutes in terms of productivity. We were throwing wild passes, the play wasn't flowing, and we weren't making any yards. Combine that with getting NO calls from the referee, Steve Ganson, and that includes any potential 50/50 calls. Now, we've never had much luck with the referees, because for some reason, none of them seem to like us. Now probably every fan says that about the referees attitude towards their team, but for Leeds it really is true. I have overhead people who aren't even big rugby fans say that certain referees will never give anything our way and that we are not liked. Now, it doesn't bother me that we are not liked, I just wish that we got the same treatment as every other team in the league. In yesterday's game, Brett Delaney got sin-binned for holding down after only ten minutes of play, yet not one of the Bradford team did, despite repeated warnings from Ganson, and then Patrick Ah Van nearly took Rob Burrow's head off with what can pretty much be summed up as a clothesline to the neck, and I couldn't even tell you if he was placed on report (I have since discovered it hasn't!), let alone sin-binned or sent off. He then went on to score a try and a couple of conversions, despite the fact he should have gone for an early shower. I just hope something is done, disciplinary wise, despite the fact he wasn't placed on report. Despite the issues with performance and the officiating, we still went on to win the game 32-28 thanks to a penalty try in the dying minutes of the game after a strong fight back in the final 15-20 minutes. I am so happy to have rugby back, it's just a shame that I have to wait until the 25th of this month until they're at home!
The New York Rangers played a depleted Pittsburgh Penguins team last night and they won, at last. It seems like so long ago that they won a game, but hopefully this is the start of something good! They're maybe starting next season in Europe, and I hope they do, just so I can see them over here (I will be going to see them when I'm in New York as well). I love this sport and I love this team! Some may think that it's crazy staying up until all hours to watch a team who play at least 3000+ miles away, but I think it's worth it. I could watch the games at a later, more convenient, time, but I find that it's not quite the same as watching it live, even if it does mean I get more sleep! Luckily last night's game was an afternoon one, meaning that it was on at 8pm here - perfect!
Leeds Town Hall/Aqua Preena
I went to a vintage fashion fair at Leeds Town Hall with Emma yesterday, and I had forgotten how beautiful it was inside. Naturally, I took a few pictures to demonstrate!
After we'd been around the vintage fashion fair (I didn't buy anything, Emma got a gorgeous compact mirror), we had brunch and then made our way towards Aqua Preena for a 'fish foot massage'. The sensation when you first put your feet in the water is ridiculous. As soon as your feet are in, the fish swarm them and they tickle! After you get used to the sensation, it becomes relaxing and enjoyable, and after 15 minutes, when you take your feet out of the water and dry them, they're soft and smooth! I hate my feet (all feet, I just don't get the fascination with them), but I would definitely do this again!
I can't believe how long it has been since I last updated my blog - I guess I didn't really have a lot to say over the festive period or for January either!
Let's see, what has happened? We have a new person joining us for part of our road trip - Clare is going to be coming just to New York with us. I guess it will be fun doing all the "touristy" things again - both Clare and Catherine are New York virgins, so we're trying to fit as much in to the 6 or 7 days we are there as possible for them without taking anything away from the trip and feeling like we're rushing around constantly. Since my last update the holiday seems to have changed completely. We're now thinking about going on the Sunday instead of the Monday (flights are about an extra £15), and Catherine has to come home a day earlier than originally planned (she has to leave the US on the 17th of October) which kind of messes with the entire structure of the road trip, as it was all planned out just so! Not to worry, when I meet Catherine we can discuss exactly what dates we can do and how we can overcome having a day less. I think I am also going to stay the remainder of the third week and head back to New York for a few days before I come home so I can spend time with friends and just generally "hang out" in the city, cos that's what I love to do when I'm there. I may even spend a couple of days elsewhere before heading back to the city, if I can get cheap enough flights out of NOLA that have cheap connections to New York.
I spent a couple of hours discussing the New York aspect of our trip with Clare on Saturday, but unfortunately we can't decide anything until I can speak to Catherine and can decide exactly when we're going. For me, the longer the better! I've booked the full three weeks off of work, so if I can manage to go from the Sunday right through to the weekend three weeks later that would be amazing! I can't wait to sit down with Catherine and sort it out now!
Let's see, what has happened? We have a new person joining us for part of our road trip - Clare is going to be coming just to New York with us. I guess it will be fun doing all the "touristy" things again - both Clare and Catherine are New York virgins, so we're trying to fit as much in to the 6 or 7 days we are there as possible for them without taking anything away from the trip and feeling like we're rushing around constantly. Since my last update the holiday seems to have changed completely. We're now thinking about going on the Sunday instead of the Monday (flights are about an extra £15), and Catherine has to come home a day earlier than originally planned (she has to leave the US on the 17th of October) which kind of messes with the entire structure of the road trip, as it was all planned out just so! Not to worry, when I meet Catherine we can discuss exactly what dates we can do and how we can overcome having a day less. I think I am also going to stay the remainder of the third week and head back to New York for a few days before I come home so I can spend time with friends and just generally "hang out" in the city, cos that's what I love to do when I'm there. I may even spend a couple of days elsewhere before heading back to the city, if I can get cheap enough flights out of NOLA that have cheap connections to New York.
I spent a couple of hours discussing the New York aspect of our trip with Clare on Saturday, but unfortunately we can't decide anything until I can speak to Catherine and can decide exactly when we're going. For me, the longer the better! I've booked the full three weeks off of work, so if I can manage to go from the Sunday right through to the weekend three weeks later that would be amazing! I can't wait to sit down with Catherine and sort it out now!
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