A Slightly More Entertaining Few Days
Created | Updated Jun 22, 2003
Well, the General Election has finally been and gone. And wasn't it
interesting? Well was it, I can't remember?
I had arranged for a few
friends to come around on the Thursday evening, for a bit of a video watch
and then, for those who could secure the following day off of work, a late
night results watch. In the end there was three and a half of us, the half
being my flatmate who didn't have the day off, but sat up anyway.
We put the results service on just after midnight, cheered as Peter Snow
began to show off his funky computer graphics of staircases, and then
started chatting while waiting for a general picture to build up. Next
thing I know, its five in the morning, I have apparently consumed a bottle
of port, my flatmate has finally gone to bed, and the election has long
been won. Hence I did what any sensible person would do, that is suggest a
walk in the park.
We played on the swings, climbed on the climbing frames, shot down the
shutes and even climbed a couple of trees. Returning home for six in the
morning, I made some sausage sandwiches and settled down to watch my Spaced
DVD. At this point one of our number passed out on the floor but, for
reasons I cannot fathom, I stayed awake.
When the DVD finally ran out about ten in the morning, I did a little
tidying, had a quick bath, and then the group went shopping. I got a very
nice cream waistcoat (lacking buttons), and some new DVDs before we had a
pub lunch and then, flagging as we were, we went home. We settled down in
the front room, with the TV on for noise and prepared to doze. Well, I
fully intended to doze, only I was sewing buttons on my new waistcoat and
kind of forgot. Anyhoo, by about five I got rid of all the people in my
flat, had a slow bath, in which I dozed a bit and then I toddled off to my
friends for the main activity of the weekend.
You see, we had arranged a booze cruise to Calais for the Saturday. Seemed
like a good idea at the time. Anyhoo, I hung around their flat for a while,
before crashing out on their sofa at about ten. This was required as, three
hours later I had to get up again, as the boat left Dover just after five
in the morning and we were travelling in a spacious, yet slow, Land Rover.
Have you ever tried to sleep in an ex-Navy Land Rover? Shall we say it is
not the easiest thing in the world. Anyway, To Dover, on a ferry, to Calais
for half eight in the morning, a very welcome chocolat chaud sitting on the
pavement and then off to the supermarket. You'd never know that the English
like to travel to France for cheap wine. If it weren't for the monster
sized shop with veritable miles of wine and signs in English I don't think
I'd have noticed!
Having purchased enough wine and beer to float a small country we retired
to the coast a couple of miles from Calais where we had lunch and lay in
the sun, and then we came home. By the time I finally got myself and my
purchases into the house, it was after nine o'clock on a drizzly Saturday
evening. I went to bed!
Now this all counts as fun stuff, and I really enjoyed myself, but I think
I need a little gap of, ooo, say, a year before I have this much fun again.
Now, for a quiet night in front of the TV.
