Hello One and All,
So after smacking my head heavy off the corner of the ice-rink entrance last week, I was dazed a little to say the least. Whilst Mr Warehouse was pissing himself, literally nearly dying from lack of oxygen due to laughing so hard, I was starting to feel the effects of such a crash landing. I had stopped for a little, more so to give my leggies a rest more than anything, although sitting down Mr Warehouse stopped laughing and made a comment about how I didn't look well. The truth was that I didn't feel well. I felt sick. Like as if I was going to vomit. My skin felt weird, like that kind of flu-ey skin you get when you are ill. I couldn't concentrate, my eyes desperately trying to focus on anything. Something wasn't right. Reaching up to my head I felt searing hot pain spread across my skull accompanying a huge lump. At the size of an orange, I began getting irritable, shaking for no reason.
I decided that after some painkillers, although truth be told I really could have done with going to Accident and Emergency but I didn't want to worry anyone or spoil my Nephew's birthday. Snoozing most of Sunday, I knew that things were not good when on day three you still have symptoms. Returning to work on Monday was like a whole other challenge as for the first time all weekend I had to really focus my attention on something important, like my job. Answering the phone, listening and concentrating on the screens all became harder and nausea didn't help. NHS guidelines state that it's totally normal to have symptoms such as a slight headache, feeling nauseous or dazed and these can last anywhere up to 2 weeks. Where I was normally on the ball I simply couldn't take it in, sometimes taking several attempts to read the simplest of sentences, not good for a busy and fast-paced environment. As the week progressed I felt better but realistically I should have gone to the hospital. The problem is I do not get paid for being off sick, apart from statutory sick pay from the Government (£70 a week - But when I earn more than £70 a day there isn't much point unless I am dying).
I am glad for the feeling of "normal" to return because Friday was Bestie time! Miss Tweedle-Dee and I headed for a day out, checking into a hotel for a cheeky sleepover and hanging out in the City until nightfall! My dinner date was at The Alchemist on Bevis Mark. Describing itself as a new home for The Alchemist’s unique brand of cocktail bars & restaurants in Aldgate, Bevis Marks naturally attracted curiosity and with a unique location, it was a natural choice - Standing out as a glint of pure gold amidst the charcoal & black suits of the London’s business district. Suffice to say that The Alchemist does its business in a decidedly different way. Walking in the impressive golden bar gave way to a quieter restaurant area and a beautiful outdoor terrace, a perfect place for glorious sun and warm summer nights. However, Miss Tweedle-Dee and I had to settle with the fading winter sun to sample a selection of exquisite cocktails and stunning food, all accompanied by a theatrical experience.
Starting our evening early I entered a world of theatre as my "Sailors Punch" Cocktail told its own story. Inspired by the spirits & flavours within, the molecular madness in an augmented reality started when Sailor Jerry Rum, Banana liquor, Pineapple & Coconut Bristol Syrup, and a dash of Citrus all turned up on a weird lined coaster. But using the App I downloaded it turned my drink into a far-flung Desert Islands where Pirates poached and Mermaids Merried. Miss Tweedle-Dee made a great decision - The Banoffee Manhattan! Espresso sloshed with a good helping of Monkey Shoulder Whisky, a few squirts of Monin Banana, tickled with Briottet Banana and brought alive by the dreamy Banoffee Foam!
To. Die. For.
Not feeling hungry I opted for a sharing starter platter consisting of BBQ Wings, Nachos, Pork Bon Bons, Mac ‘N’ Cheese Bites, Halloumi Sticks and Veg Sticks & Houmous. Finishing up before making a dash to our evening entertainment I chose my final cocktail of the night - The Colour Changing One! Grey Goose Vodka twisted with Briottet Apple, splashed with Soda, sparkled with Citrus and a little sprinkle of Magic. had this dry-ice drink changing colours from deep navies into vibrant pinks and mysterious purples. Watching the time we fast-walked to Aldgate Station to meet a man. Sounds creepy by we were actually about to encounter something much, much spookier as we dove into 1888.
A Christmas present to my future Maid Of Honour, the Jack the Ripper walk offered a truly atmospheric route. Miss Tweedle-Dee and I were guided (along with others, that would just be weird) into the old, narrow alleyways where we most certainly felt like we had been transported back to the mean streets of the Victorian East End. Along the tour, our guide, an ex-MI5 police investigator and anti-terror detective accompanied us to the murder sites and locations related to the Jack the Ripper murders. Learning more than just about the murders, I must say after doing so many different versions of the Jack The Ripper tours over my years of fascination, the guide - Who had served not only in the police force but undertaken military exercises including Afghanistan, Belfast and the Falklands - an almost exact background to my father, was incredible. Hosting several investigations into who the Ripper was and having detailed documentaries under his belt diving into the possibilities and struggles the forces had in catching him I was enthralled. By the end of the walk, not only was I exhausted and in need of my bed, but I also wanted to take this guy out for a pint and listen to all his fascinating stories and tales.
By the following morning, I was refreshed after a wonderful sleep in the hotel and after a light breakfast, Miss Tweedle-Dee and I departed, but not before commenting on how we should do something like that again. I mentioned a weekend in Edinburgh - Castles, Instgram-worthy photoshoots and Haunted tours galore. But the long journey and costly expense of it all wasn't something that was within reach at the moment, especially since Miss Tweedle-Dee is only a few months off being a fully-fledged adult like moi and having a mortgage. Maybe we will have to park that on the shelf that requires bigger bank balances along with sleepover's in deranged Liverpool mental asylums and hunting down a UK Horror Convention.
'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx
Showing posts with label Trip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trip. Show all posts
Monday, 16 March 2020
Monday, 3 June 2019
Work Hard, Shop Harder!
Heyy,
"Why am I up so early on a Saturday?!" I thought as I rolled over and tried to turn off my alarms before they woke Mr. Warehouse. Listening to my new addition cry and whine downstairs (and yes the puppy trauma through bedtime routines and trying to keep our little Frankenstein happy in his own company is still an issue) I remembered that today was the day Miss Tweedle-Dee and I visit the worlds biggest Primark in the heart of Birmingham's Bullring shopping centre.
Primark describes itself on its website as coming a long, long way since they opened back in 1969 under the name Penny's in Dublin (of which in southern Ireland it still operates under that name). Today, Primark operates in more than 330 stores in 11 countries across Europe and America. With the biggest share of the fashion market in the UK, Ireland, Spain and Portugal they are able to stand out from the crowd by offering amazing fashion at an amazing price. Being able to buy in volume from over 700 suppliers in 37 countries gives the store an advantage to bring us all quick and speedy trends in double-time and at rock bottom prices! Primark justifies its low prices with claims it spends nothing on advertising and has tight profit margins thus helping it to improve itself and thrive on an already suffering High Street in Britain.
Whilst Primark's reputation has not been glittering in recent years with criticism over staff pay as well as the environmental and social impact of so-called "fast fashion" it has stood the test of time as it opens its 187th store in the UK - The biggest one in the world. Set over five floors, the 160,000sq ft space once occupied the entire site of the former Pavilions shopping centre in Birmingham's New Street. The new store features Disney’s first officially licensed cafe located outside of its resorts and cruise ships, a barber shop called Mills x Primark, a beauty studio chain Duck & Dry Xpress, as well as Primark’s standard range of value clothing and accessories. Truly a one-stop-shop for everything to pamper yo'self!
Store design director Sanjay Dihman had no trouble explaining to retailgazette.co.uk as to why Birmingham was the chosen city for the world’s biggest Primark. With its completion rumouring to have cost around £70 million the store now employs more than 1000 people, 430 of whom were existing employees who have transferred from the former New Street branch. A further 500 brand new jobs were created, plus another 100 for partner-run in-store experiences including chefs, hair stylists and beauticians.
On arrival, Miss Tweedle-Dee and I headed straight to the top and to the new Disney-themed cafe which is strategically situated on the same level as the cute kidswear range I assume to attract families and keep everyone entertained as they wait in line for their Mickey waffles and pancakes. The cafe features a Mickey-Mouse-shaped entrance and digital tables where children are able to play games while dining in, not to mention TV's with Disney cartoons running all the time! Although one disappointment was the fact that the tables were jam-packed so tightly together it was very uncomfortable to be sat so close to one another, not to mention getting in and out. I say that our trip to the Disney inspired Cafe was brief, however, it still took well over twenty minutes to get a simple latte for my bestie. Although this was nothing in comparison to the poor lady sat next to us who had been waiting for her Mickey pancakes and waffles for her and her two children for well over 30 minutes before she asked for them a second and even a third time before finally demanding her money back and walking out!
'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx
Primark describes itself on its website as coming a long, long way since they opened back in 1969 under the name Penny's in Dublin (of which in southern Ireland it still operates under that name). Today, Primark operates in more than 330 stores in 11 countries across Europe and America. With the biggest share of the fashion market in the UK, Ireland, Spain and Portugal they are able to stand out from the crowd by offering amazing fashion at an amazing price. Being able to buy in volume from over 700 suppliers in 37 countries gives the store an advantage to bring us all quick and speedy trends in double-time and at rock bottom prices! Primark justifies its low prices with claims it spends nothing on advertising and has tight profit margins thus helping it to improve itself and thrive on an already suffering High Street in Britain.
Whilst Primark's reputation has not been glittering in recent years with criticism over staff pay as well as the environmental and social impact of so-called "fast fashion" it has stood the test of time as it opens its 187th store in the UK - The biggest one in the world. Set over five floors, the 160,000sq ft space once occupied the entire site of the former Pavilions shopping centre in Birmingham's New Street. The new store features Disney’s first officially licensed cafe located outside of its resorts and cruise ships, a barber shop called Mills x Primark, a beauty studio chain Duck & Dry Xpress, as well as Primark’s standard range of value clothing and accessories. Truly a one-stop-shop for everything to pamper yo'self!
Store design director Sanjay Dihman had no trouble explaining to retailgazette.co.uk as to why Birmingham was the chosen city for the world’s biggest Primark. With its completion rumouring to have cost around £70 million the store now employs more than 1000 people, 430 of whom were existing employees who have transferred from the former New Street branch. A further 500 brand new jobs were created, plus another 100 for partner-run in-store experiences including chefs, hair stylists and beauticians.
On arrival, Miss Tweedle-Dee and I headed straight to the top and to the new Disney-themed cafe which is strategically situated on the same level as the cute kidswear range I assume to attract families and keep everyone entertained as they wait in line for their Mickey waffles and pancakes. The cafe features a Mickey-Mouse-shaped entrance and digital tables where children are able to play games while dining in, not to mention TV's with Disney cartoons running all the time! Although one disappointment was the fact that the tables were jam-packed so tightly together it was very uncomfortable to be sat so close to one another, not to mention getting in and out. I say that our trip to the Disney inspired Cafe was brief, however, it still took well over twenty minutes to get a simple latte for my bestie. Although this was nothing in comparison to the poor lady sat next to us who had been waiting for her Mickey pancakes and waffles for her and her two children for well over 30 minutes before she asked for them a second and even a third time before finally demanding her money back and walking out!
Our experience, as Mr Warehouse put it, was very much like any other Primark shop with all the latest in womenswear, menswear, kidswear, lingerie, beauty and homeware all thrown together with some little added benefits such as free wi-fi and a seating area fitted with phone chargers for men when they get bored! It was massive and after a pit-stop in the Disney cafe to grab some breakfast we headed out to find some bargains. Although the sales and reductions were few and far between it is to be expected when you have just opened a new store with thousands trudging the kiosks and stands each and every day.
One of the things Miss Tweedle-Dee and I did miss out on and something I certainly missed was the Custom Lab – the bespoke print lab for t-shirts and other items – something which seems to be popping up in an increasing number of its stores which has been growing in popularity. And so it appears I may have to return sometime soon ...
'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx
Monday, 17 July 2017
Gutted Just Ain't The Word!
Hiya!
So after topping weekend on the excitement scale I was more than happy to have a relaxing and chilled out weekend at home with nothing more to worry about than when was an appropriate time to get out of my pyjamas and get dressed for the day.
On Saturday it would have appeared to be about ten-minutes before I was due to pick Mr. Warehouse up from work. For one reason or another Mr Warehouse had decided that he would want to work some overtime the last few weekends in a row in order to save up some more spending money for our holiday to Tenerife at the end of August. I have never normally being anxious about going on holiday simply because I have always booked a budget-budget trip with cheap, low-cost flights and a very basic hotel with three-stars being considered 'pushing the boat out'. Well at least when Miss Tweedle-Dee, Miss Tweedle-Dumb and I go on holiday anyway. But we are happy with our stupidly inexpensive budget for a holiday and even pride ourselves on the fact that we are able to bag a holiday in most circumstances for under three-hundred quid. I remember one year I think we even hit under the two-hundred mark, although that was Kavos and it was outside of normal holiday season in mid-October.
With all my work colleagues making plans for luxurious four and five star holidays in gorgeous beach-side resorts in exotic and far off land's, I feel like I should have just booked the time off and bagged myself a cheap last-minute luxury deal. Instead I hold my hands up that Mr. Warehouse and I booked far too much in advance that savings were far and few between. Our flights alone to Tenerife South Airport worth over two-hundred pounds. Our hotel makes up a large majority of our holiday total budget, and although we are spending roughly six-hundred in total together on the getaway alone, not including any spending money, I do wonder that if we had left it last minute and booked something a week or two before we were due to leave if we maybe would have got a better deal, potentially even getting some more bang for our Buck.
Earlier last week there was a sale on at a well-known website called Ryanair. £9.99 for a flight. Did I booked one though. No I didn't. I chickened out at the last minute thinking that they won't go up that much in price after the sale. But oh how horrifyingly wrong I was. The prices for flights not only doubled or tripled in some cases, especially for the dates that we were looking for which was late November and early December, just in time for some Christmas market shopping and hot Gluhwein with a side of Gingerbread. I have been so depressed and upset with myself for not booking somewhere. I new that I should have taken the plunge with a visit to somewhere like Sofia in Bulgaria or somewhere in Poland. Cheap flights at the time and with hotels of four and five star quality for a three-star and less price, I really struggled to see what benefits there are in staying in the UK for a Pre-Christmas break. Granted we wouldn't need to ask anyone to look after our dear pooch, and instead could take her with us wherever we may choose to go. However back to the more crucial point of money - For the same cost as it would be to get a cottage or Airbnb property in the UK that would accommodate dogs and isn't too much of a long drive for me, Mr. Warehouse and I could fly out to Europe somewhere and have a gorgeous little break away without breaking the bank including plush hotel rooms with on-site spas and views to rival that of most cities in England.
Gutted as I may be I am sure that there will be another flight sale from Ryanair or maybe even another airline somewhere in the future between now and when we are looking to go. The hotel is the cheapest and easiest thing to book for us since we already have a vast amount of Clubcard points from Tesco's that we would like to use on a hotel room stay. The more I think about it the more I am surprised that Mr. Warehouse even allowed me to think about booking another holiday before going to Tenerife. I suppose the law of hot chocolate and posh hotel room service may have swayed his mind slightly. Regardless though of where we end up spending our few last annual leave dates before the end of the year, I am sure that we will both make the most of it and enjoy the quality time that we have together, whether it be in a spa in the middle of Budapest, or in a little glamping Lodge down in the Cotswolds.
'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx
So after topping weekend on the excitement scale I was more than happy to have a relaxing and chilled out weekend at home with nothing more to worry about than when was an appropriate time to get out of my pyjamas and get dressed for the day.
On Saturday it would have appeared to be about ten-minutes before I was due to pick Mr. Warehouse up from work. For one reason or another Mr Warehouse had decided that he would want to work some overtime the last few weekends in a row in order to save up some more spending money for our holiday to Tenerife at the end of August. I have never normally being anxious about going on holiday simply because I have always booked a budget-budget trip with cheap, low-cost flights and a very basic hotel with three-stars being considered 'pushing the boat out'. Well at least when Miss Tweedle-Dee, Miss Tweedle-Dumb and I go on holiday anyway. But we are happy with our stupidly inexpensive budget for a holiday and even pride ourselves on the fact that we are able to bag a holiday in most circumstances for under three-hundred quid. I remember one year I think we even hit under the two-hundred mark, although that was Kavos and it was outside of normal holiday season in mid-October.
With all my work colleagues making plans for luxurious four and five star holidays in gorgeous beach-side resorts in exotic and far off land's, I feel like I should have just booked the time off and bagged myself a cheap last-minute luxury deal. Instead I hold my hands up that Mr. Warehouse and I booked far too much in advance that savings were far and few between. Our flights alone to Tenerife South Airport worth over two-hundred pounds. Our hotel makes up a large majority of our holiday total budget, and although we are spending roughly six-hundred in total together on the getaway alone, not including any spending money, I do wonder that if we had left it last minute and booked something a week or two before we were due to leave if we maybe would have got a better deal, potentially even getting some more bang for our Buck.
Earlier last week there was a sale on at a well-known website called Ryanair. £9.99 for a flight. Did I booked one though. No I didn't. I chickened out at the last minute thinking that they won't go up that much in price after the sale. But oh how horrifyingly wrong I was. The prices for flights not only doubled or tripled in some cases, especially for the dates that we were looking for which was late November and early December, just in time for some Christmas market shopping and hot Gluhwein with a side of Gingerbread. I have been so depressed and upset with myself for not booking somewhere. I new that I should have taken the plunge with a visit to somewhere like Sofia in Bulgaria or somewhere in Poland. Cheap flights at the time and with hotels of four and five star quality for a three-star and less price, I really struggled to see what benefits there are in staying in the UK for a Pre-Christmas break. Granted we wouldn't need to ask anyone to look after our dear pooch, and instead could take her with us wherever we may choose to go. However back to the more crucial point of money - For the same cost as it would be to get a cottage or Airbnb property in the UK that would accommodate dogs and isn't too much of a long drive for me, Mr. Warehouse and I could fly out to Europe somewhere and have a gorgeous little break away without breaking the bank including plush hotel rooms with on-site spas and views to rival that of most cities in England.
Gutted as I may be I am sure that there will be another flight sale from Ryanair or maybe even another airline somewhere in the future between now and when we are looking to go. The hotel is the cheapest and easiest thing to book for us since we already have a vast amount of Clubcard points from Tesco's that we would like to use on a hotel room stay. The more I think about it the more I am surprised that Mr. Warehouse even allowed me to think about booking another holiday before going to Tenerife. I suppose the law of hot chocolate and posh hotel room service may have swayed his mind slightly. Regardless though of where we end up spending our few last annual leave dates before the end of the year, I am sure that we will both make the most of it and enjoy the quality time that we have together, whether it be in a spa in the middle of Budapest, or in a little glamping Lodge down in the Cotswolds.
'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx
Monday, 3 July 2017
Frappuchi-NOOO!
Hiya!
Week done I was certainly glad to be out of the office and ready for a night of partying. It had certainly been one of those weeks, you know the ones, they seemed to drag on forever and never ending stream of customers that have multiple first world problems that you are the sole and only the proprietor of. It felt as though at one point that the week would never end. Thank fuck Friday came round quick enough.
One of the girls at work was become pregnant, and being due in a few weeks Friday was her last day at work. So we did what any normal company would do and other than throwing her a lovely baby shower, decided to have a nice meal out together to celebrate her leaving. In some circumstances this may have been at the end of the night out maybe even finishing off with some cocktails or at a nice bar around the corner from the restaurant, however, this was not the case. Now by no stretch is the company that I work for anything in comparison to what a night out on the tiles was where Mr Warehouse and I met was, but this weekend certainly showed me exactly how crazy and mad it can all get when we've all had a few drinks.
Finishing a lovely meal at one of the local restaurants to the town centre, I barely have enough time to swallow the last glass of wine let alone the rest of the bottle that I had left before I was being ushered out of the restaurant ready to hit the town. Enough with the fanciful natures of having a nice dinner between work colleagues it was now time to get shit faced. I shall not go into the details of what happened on Friday night however I think that it is safe to say that we all had a thoroughly good time.
Waking Saturday morning was difficult and I did in all honesty consider just staying up and waiting to get ready to go to Miss Tweedle-Dee's in order to share the journey down to visit Miss Tweedle-Dumb one last time in her Basingstoke flat. I was certainly feeling fragile by the time I woke up at 8am Saturday morning. I suppose on a plus side I had not been sick so I was a winner already however I didn't come home with my Tolkien subway as normal, only to be found hours later by an angry Mr Warehouse waking me from my slumber with explaining why I was on the toilet and cradling a six-inch half-eaten sandwich.
Rushing around to get my bag packed, the dog walked and grab a coffee to sober up I headed out to the car and race to Miss Tweedle-Dee's house by 10am. It what certainly cutting it fine however I did get there just as the clock struck ten. Parking up I prayed to the gods that my friend needed to get some petrol and I could jump out the park to get some car snacks. I was hungry as soon as I woke up although with the copious amounts of alcohol I drank the night before, I wanted to make sure that it was definitely hunger and not just a jelly-belly. The 40-minute journey to my left definitely reassured myself that in actual fact I was just in need of food.
Filling up in more ways than one we were on our way to see our bestie whom I had heard suffered an even worse night than me. Chattering all the way down to Berkshire we had endured the M25 traffic, and now, with less than 10 minutes left in our journey we decided to pull into Fleet Services as we normally do in order to get a Starbucks. Two chocolate-chip cream Frappe's and a coffee caramel Frappuccino later we were on the road again and next stop Miss Tweedle-Dumb.
Parking the car we grabbed what we needed and headed inside. I was carrying Miss Tweedle-Dee's sandwich, my handbag and my coffee caramel Frappuccino when I approached the infamous steps of doom. Uneven and probably the shortest one being at least a foot high I was cautious in my approach. I thought o myself as I took my first tentative steps towards the stone stairs "I have managed this in the dead of winter, cold and wet and icy. I though I would have fallen either up or down them alread... " OH FUCK!
Loosing my step in beloved buckled oxblood ankle boots, I stumbled and thinking that I had found my footing I must have counteracted it, doing so had caused me to stumble even further. Shouting out to my friend letting her know that I had screwed up, Miss Tweedle-Dee turned around at just the right moment in order to see me fly into the air. Knowing in my head but there is nothing I could do to salvage myself or indeed anything I was carrying, I took off from the first of four very steep and Stone steps. Crash landing and skidding to a stop, I heard the awful sound of my cherished ice cold coffee caramel Frappuccino hitting the floor, splashing for at least a meter in front of me.
Although in most circumstances I would have made a full recovery and be back on my feet in seconds, even before someone had asked if I was OK this was not the case. With it all happening so quickly I had not a moment to think or indeed plan my comeback. As such I also had no time, or indeed spare hands to grab onto anything and as such had gone flying. You would have thought that the normal response would be drop everything and check that your best friend is OK and that they haven't broken anything or badly injured themselves. But as the pain set in, I realised that this was not the case and whilst the Two aforementioned chocolate-chip cream Frappe's had been neatly placed on the floor beside myself, it was not to check that I was still alive. Oh no, it was for my friend to reach into her bag and pull out her camera, capturing the embarrassing moment for all to see, forcing me to stay put until the picture has been captured.
Not that of course the neighbours couldn't see that is. As with many parts of the country including my hometown of Houghton Regis, this area of Basingstoke was a council estate. As search the double-storey buildings that overlooked the path leading to Miss Tweedle-Dumb's house. Not being able to see due to the fact that my sunglasses had become entangled in my hair and in front of my face, I could just feel the curtains twitching as people came to see what was happening outside. With a loud thud, the sploshing drink hitting the floor and unrelenting and never-ending fits laughter, I would have come to the window too in order to see what all the commotion was all about, only to realise that it is some silly fuck who has fallen off the ridiculously high steps again. So much were the screams and howls of giggles erupted from Miss Tweedle-Dee that I am surprised Miss Tweedle-Dumb didn't come rushing out to my help.
After picking myself up off the floor and assessing the damage done I was devastated to learn that there had been a worse casualty in all this. My Starbucks coffee caramel Frappuccino was gone and with nothing left in my little plastic cup I was close to tears. Heading in to tell of the hilarious moment I became superman and show Miss Tweedle-Dumb and her boyfriend the snap I sniffed and hobbled my way to the front room and slouched on the sofa in pain, not just of my body but also of the thirst-quenching loss.
With the rest of the weekend passing in a haze of fun, family events and even more laughter I know that in time I will heal the bruises on my pins, but wont pass so easily is the day I flew with my Frappe.
'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx
Week done I was certainly glad to be out of the office and ready for a night of partying. It had certainly been one of those weeks, you know the ones, they seemed to drag on forever and never ending stream of customers that have multiple first world problems that you are the sole and only the proprietor of. It felt as though at one point that the week would never end. Thank fuck Friday came round quick enough.
One of the girls at work was become pregnant, and being due in a few weeks Friday was her last day at work. So we did what any normal company would do and other than throwing her a lovely baby shower, decided to have a nice meal out together to celebrate her leaving. In some circumstances this may have been at the end of the night out maybe even finishing off with some cocktails or at a nice bar around the corner from the restaurant, however, this was not the case. Now by no stretch is the company that I work for anything in comparison to what a night out on the tiles was where Mr Warehouse and I met was, but this weekend certainly showed me exactly how crazy and mad it can all get when we've all had a few drinks.
Finishing a lovely meal at one of the local restaurants to the town centre, I barely have enough time to swallow the last glass of wine let alone the rest of the bottle that I had left before I was being ushered out of the restaurant ready to hit the town. Enough with the fanciful natures of having a nice dinner between work colleagues it was now time to get shit faced. I shall not go into the details of what happened on Friday night however I think that it is safe to say that we all had a thoroughly good time.
Waking Saturday morning was difficult and I did in all honesty consider just staying up and waiting to get ready to go to Miss Tweedle-Dee's in order to share the journey down to visit Miss Tweedle-Dumb one last time in her Basingstoke flat. I was certainly feeling fragile by the time I woke up at 8am Saturday morning. I suppose on a plus side I had not been sick so I was a winner already however I didn't come home with my Tolkien subway as normal, only to be found hours later by an angry Mr Warehouse waking me from my slumber with explaining why I was on the toilet and cradling a six-inch half-eaten sandwich.
Rushing around to get my bag packed, the dog walked and grab a coffee to sober up I headed out to the car and race to Miss Tweedle-Dee's house by 10am. It what certainly cutting it fine however I did get there just as the clock struck ten. Parking up I prayed to the gods that my friend needed to get some petrol and I could jump out the park to get some car snacks. I was hungry as soon as I woke up although with the copious amounts of alcohol I drank the night before, I wanted to make sure that it was definitely hunger and not just a jelly-belly. The 40-minute journey to my left definitely reassured myself that in actual fact I was just in need of food.
Filling up in more ways than one we were on our way to see our bestie whom I had heard suffered an even worse night than me. Chattering all the way down to Berkshire we had endured the M25 traffic, and now, with less than 10 minutes left in our journey we decided to pull into Fleet Services as we normally do in order to get a Starbucks. Two chocolate-chip cream Frappe's and a coffee caramel Frappuccino later we were on the road again and next stop Miss Tweedle-Dumb.
Parking the car we grabbed what we needed and headed inside. I was carrying Miss Tweedle-Dee's sandwich, my handbag and my coffee caramel Frappuccino when I approached the infamous steps of doom. Uneven and probably the shortest one being at least a foot high I was cautious in my approach. I thought o myself as I took my first tentative steps towards the stone stairs "I have managed this in the dead of winter, cold and wet and icy. I though I would have fallen either up or down them alread... " OH FUCK!
Loosing my step in beloved buckled oxblood ankle boots, I stumbled and thinking that I had found my footing I must have counteracted it, doing so had caused me to stumble even further. Shouting out to my friend letting her know that I had screwed up, Miss Tweedle-Dee turned around at just the right moment in order to see me fly into the air. Knowing in my head but there is nothing I could do to salvage myself or indeed anything I was carrying, I took off from the first of four very steep and Stone steps. Crash landing and skidding to a stop, I heard the awful sound of my cherished ice cold coffee caramel Frappuccino hitting the floor, splashing for at least a meter in front of me.
Although in most circumstances I would have made a full recovery and be back on my feet in seconds, even before someone had asked if I was OK this was not the case. With it all happening so quickly I had not a moment to think or indeed plan my comeback. As such I also had no time, or indeed spare hands to grab onto anything and as such had gone flying. You would have thought that the normal response would be drop everything and check that your best friend is OK and that they haven't broken anything or badly injured themselves. But as the pain set in, I realised that this was not the case and whilst the Two aforementioned chocolate-chip cream Frappe's had been neatly placed on the floor beside myself, it was not to check that I was still alive. Oh no, it was for my friend to reach into her bag and pull out her camera, capturing the embarrassing moment for all to see, forcing me to stay put until the picture has been captured.
Not that of course the neighbours couldn't see that is. As with many parts of the country including my hometown of Houghton Regis, this area of Basingstoke was a council estate. As search the double-storey buildings that overlooked the path leading to Miss Tweedle-Dumb's house. Not being able to see due to the fact that my sunglasses had become entangled in my hair and in front of my face, I could just feel the curtains twitching as people came to see what was happening outside. With a loud thud, the sploshing drink hitting the floor and unrelenting and never-ending fits laughter, I would have come to the window too in order to see what all the commotion was all about, only to realise that it is some silly fuck who has fallen off the ridiculously high steps again. So much were the screams and howls of giggles erupted from Miss Tweedle-Dee that I am surprised Miss Tweedle-Dumb didn't come rushing out to my help.
After picking myself up off the floor and assessing the damage done I was devastated to learn that there had been a worse casualty in all this. My Starbucks coffee caramel Frappuccino was gone and with nothing left in my little plastic cup I was close to tears. Heading in to tell of the hilarious moment I became superman and show Miss Tweedle-Dumb and her boyfriend the snap I sniffed and hobbled my way to the front room and slouched on the sofa in pain, not just of my body but also of the thirst-quenching loss.
With the rest of the weekend passing in a haze of fun, family events and even more laughter I know that in time I will heal the bruises on my pins, but wont pass so easily is the day I flew with my Frappe.
'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx
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