I'm a compulsive gambler...

Hello readers and welcome to another little blog.


I will begin with last Monday, as always. I went over to Solihull to see Adam and Carl in the evening. We spent time watching TV until about midnight and then I left.

Tuesday. Whilst at work I did something rather peculiar... I chipped my tooth on a Twix! Yes. You read that right... Well actually I had chipped my tooth a couple of years before and my dentist put a surface filling over it. But eating a twix dislodged it and so I now have a little bit missing off the edge of one of my front teeth.

I went to see Julie in Sutton. We went for a drink at one of the many locals she has near her and we sat chatting until chucking-out time when we left.

Wednesday. After work I went over to Solihull to pre-order a copy of Fable 2 from HMV for when it is released on Friday 24th of October. I did that and then popped round the shops and bought some new togs before coming home. In the evening I went down to fathers as usual before meeting up with Donna in the Swan.

Thursday. I came home and watched TV before Going over to pick Lank up as he was returning to the Swan after his leave of absence and I wasn't prepared to let him drive. (It didn't seem fair somehow.)

Friday. In the evening I went back over to Sutton to see Julie. We stayed in watching TV before I left at about 12:30am

Saturday. I phoned Adam up to see if he was doing anything (since I was bored) and during the conversation he mentioned that his pre-order of Fable 2 was the Limited Edition disk that came with a bit of extra content... Which I didn't know about. HMV had run out of places for LE-disks so I had the basic one on order... I wanted to sort that out because the LE-disk is only about a fiver more, and I would rather have the "full game"than miss out (purely because I am a big Fable fan) so I headed over to Adams, and we walked in to Solihull. Now adam had pre-ordered his copy of Fable 2 from "GAME not HMV so I went in to GAME and enquired about preordering the LE Fable 2... Which they did for me right there and then... And as a bonus they gave me a redeem code for the Xbox:live Arcade so that I could download the "Fable 2 pub Games" which allow you to start earning money for your charecter before you get the game... If this all sounds rather geeky, well, it is but hey-ho.... Anyway I then went to cancel my pre-order with HMV before walking back to Adams.

In the evening Me, Carl, Adam, and Marcus went for a bite to eat at The Black Boy in Knowle. I had Lamb in Redcherry and Rosemary sauce which was excellent, and Fruits of the Forrest Cheesecake for dessert. Also excellent! We left and went back to Adam and Carls for a bit before I left at about 11:00pm. I got home and downloaded my free Fable 2 Pub games and started betting (not real money, you understand) and betting, and betting... Seriously it's addictive. My favorite game is "Keystone" It's a cross between roulette and what the Americans call "Craps". You basically bet on which of the outer stones will be removed, which you do with the dice. Check it out here... Clicky!

Sunday. Normal one... Except while I was at the Legion I got bored... Maily because there were very few people in. I decided to "decorate" the Calendar on the wall......




Presenting "Kitty La Forge!" Sorry about the quality of the photo.

Anyway, I then Built a little Blu-Tac monster and put him by the sink with a note...

I want to know how long he lasts! (probably not long though)

Anyway. I left at 7:00pm before going down to my nans for tea as normal...

Right. I will leave you there readers. TTFN!

I tried to do handstands for you. Everytime I fell on you...

... I've still got that bloody song stuck in my head... DAMN YOU, iPOD COMMERCIAL!!!

Sorry. I got carried away there.

Anyway, welcome yet again to another blog. Lets begin...

Monday. I finished work at 3:30pm and came home to mess about on the computer for a bit. I discovered a little gaming gem' tucked away on the internet called Fantastic Contraption. The game levels consist of a red object and the goal in which it must be transported to, and you are given wheels and rods to literally build a contraption to do the job. Seriously addictive... Give it a go by clicking the link provided..... Clicky!!!

In the evening I went over to Julies.

Tuesday. Work was again completed by 3:30pm but I was unable to leave because someone had blocked my car in! It turned out to be some random parent of a child that had decided to park her mega-off-road-earth dwelling-land moving-super-thunder-commander 4x4... (because you really need those in moseley!) right behind my car... not in any sort of car parking space, or indeed, in line with any other cars whatsoever. I told the school who checked the visitor register (that notes your vehicle reg') and lo and behold... she hasn't even bothered to sign in! so she was somewhere within the grounds wandering about. Fortunately as I was checking to see if she's moved, after going in to the office, she was walking back to her tank as I was walking away from my car. Now at the very least she could have said sorry, but she glanced at me, shoved her child in to the back and drove off.... Stuck-up bitch. If I ever see it on the carpark again I will deliberately block it in out of sheer spite, with a note on the windshield saying "f***ing annoying, ain't it!"

Anyway... In the evening I went to meet up with Donna, since it seemed like ages since I had seen her. We had a chinwag in the Swan before leaving at 11:00pm

Wednesday. I got out of work to find..... Yes. You guessed it... I was blocked in again! Only this time I was more sympathetic... I discovered that it was the school nurses car and she had to move it out of the way of a school bus. She had then gone in to attend to a child who had broken himself on something and hadn't had chance to move it back. I came home and in the evening went to fathers as usual. We watched a Laurel and Hardy Classic: Block Heads. It was one of the earliest "talkie" feature films and it involves Stan guarding a trench in WW1... and then found still guarding it 20 years later! It is a masterpiece of comedy writing, slapstick gags and visual jokes. After watching it I went to the Swan to help Donna (and Leigh!) and her folks to lose the quiz.

Thursday. I left work with no trouble at all and was in for 4:10pm I lounged about for a few hours before getting ready to go to the Swan with the usual gang. Carl picked me up and we were there by 8:30pm.Everyone had a good-old natter and there was amusing banter when the lads started flicking through the collection of girlie-mags the women had bought along! At 11:30pm we were booted out and set off for home.

Friday. I left work and came home, switched on the computer, logged on to the inter-web and stayed there for most of the evening! I played through Contraption. Checked my emails. Logged on to Facebook. Watched all sorts of funny things on youtube and pottered around on Digg.com before watching some TV and having something to eat.

Saturday. During the day I didn't do anything except go to Solihull and pre-order Fable 2 for the xbox. In the evening I went to Highgate Hall in Moseley with Julie for her friends wedding party. It was also Gemma and Woodys wedding party that evening in the Red Lion so I will say my congrats' here (as I'm pretty sure Gemma reads this occasionally)

CONGRATULATIONS GEMMA AND WOODY!

MAY YOUR FUTURE TOGETHER BE ONE OF HAPPINESS!

phew! It's not often I get all sincere like that. Well I got to the hall by taxi for 7:00pm. Julie and her mum were already there as they had been to the service. There was a disco and a guy singing as well at one point. It was a really good shindig and the food was great. At about 12:30am it was decided that we should all be going. Now I could have ordered a taxi back to Wythall, but Julie and her mum were getting a taxi with another couple back to Sutton and suggested that I get in with them, split the cost, and Julie could bring me back the following day. I agreed and so hopped in to the taxi/minibus... After a 20 minute wait. We got to Sutton for about 1:20am and I almost immediately nodded off.

Sunday. I awoke and was offered breakfast, which I ate and before to long me and Jules were on the M6 heading back towards Wythall. It was the first time she had driven on the motorway but she did fine. After a short stay at my house she was ready to leave before the traffic built up. I lent her my Tomtom so she would get back ok, so after setting it up and saying goodbye I went back in and got ready to go to the Legion. Afterwards I went to my nans before coming home to bed!

Right. I will leave you there readers. TTFN!

Go for it Blackpool, Go for it Blackpool, Go for it!

... Seriously, does anyone remember that advert from the early 90's?

Anyway. Welcome once again dear reader to my little blog. I will begin with last Monday.
The phone rang at about 8:40am and Select Education had a job for me! WOOHOO! I could start earning money again! I was to go to Calthorpe School in Moseley, but obviously I wasn't going to get there for 9:00am. I set off and was at the school for about 9:30am. I was there until about 3:40pm and then came home. During the evening I went out with Julie for a drink.

Tuesday. Back to Calthorpe, and a different class. It was good fun and I left at 3:30pm feeling quite relieved that I was earning some cash again! In the evening I went over to Carl and Adams.

Wednesday. More work at Calthorpe and then down to fathers as usual. I popped in to the quiz to see Donna and her folks before coming home.

Thursday. Work during the day went quickly... I don't know why. In the evening I got a lift down to the Swan where I sat drinking with the usual crowd... Except Lank... there is a lonely space where he should be... Come back Mr. Thomas. We need you.

Friday. After work I came home and started packing for Blackpool, since we were going the following morning. I popped in to tescos to grab some much needed items and went over to Adam and Carls. We sat watching TV and then got an early night. I kipped on the spare bed.

Saturday! I awoke, got showered and dressed and rallied the troops for our trip. We piled in to my car at about 8:00am and set off towards Sutton to pick Julie up. I arrived at about 8:40am. She put her things in the boot and we set off. I stopped at a services at about 10:15am to grab a bite to eat. We then set off on full stomachs and before too long we were cruising around the Northshore end of Blackpool. Jenny, Marcus, Kate, and Ben were a few hours behind us so we decided to check in to the hotel and then go and have a look along the seafront and the pier. The hotel was cheap... And basic... And crap. We set off for the seafront just to get out again! The weather was a bit crap but I took a photo of the Tower anyway.

Check the colour of the sky!

We had a go on the Waltzers (which lasted ages, and did something to my head because I got off and couldn't focus properly for a few seconds) We had a wander through the arcades and ended up in the bar on the pier. By this time the others had arrived and had checked in to the hotel.. And checked out again! They were so put off they had decided to switch. They were going to get some food, but we had eaten so Me, Julie, Adam, and Carl went round the sealife centre... Naturally I have a couple of photos.

A starfish (or a "patrick" as Julie calls them!)

A dogfish doing that thing that stingrays usualy do!

A funky white dogfish! I decided that due to his colours he was the pimp-daddy.

Not that you can see very well but this is actually a photo of Carl! (The strangest deep-sea creature of them all!)

Afterwards we met back up with the others at the hotel where they were just checking in to their new one just round the corner. It looked a bit nicer but I couldn't be bothered to shift all the luggage so Me Adam, Carl and Julie stayed where we were. The staff were friendly and we were only spending one night there anyway. Everyone went into their respective hotels to get changed for dinner as we were booked in to an italian restaurant. We walked round to the nicer hotel and got a taxi as one big group. We got there for 7:30pm and were soon enjoying our starters (I had chicken liver with some fancy sauce!) and then the mains (I had Veal with another fancy sauce!) and then for dessert we had Jenny's Birthday cake! By this time I was quite tired and the heavens had opened and it was pouring down with rain. After the meal we walked to a taxi company and ordered a taxi back. I went straight to bed as I wanted to be as fresh as a daisy for the Sunday as we were heading to the Pleasure Beach!

Sunday! I awoke quite early but didn't actually get up until 9:30am. Me and Julie checked out of the hotel, being beaten by Adam and Carl by a good half-hour, and met up with the others. We walked along the seafront towards the Pleasure Beach in glorious sunshine....

Oh, you want proof do you.... ok...

Mr. Blue Sky! (please tell us why, you had to hide away for so long... )

We joined the short queue for the pleasure beach and got in quite quick. The first thing people had a go on was a big swingy-thing that I bottled. I did get a video of Adam, Carl, Jenny, Marcus, and Ben on it though...

We wandered round and basically did every ride there was. We stopped for a breather around lunchtime and I took a photo of marcus and Jenny...

HEY! Thats not Jenny! Marcus you fool, thats a plastic cowgirl you're groping!

I also wanted to take a photo of me and Julie, but she's a bit camera shy... This is the best I could do...

It looks like we're both amputees...

Anyway we finished off all the rides by going on "The big one" several times before leaving to wander back to the car. By this time it was 7:00pm and I wanted to start the trek back home so I did...! We set off and no sooner had I hit the road my tiredness caught up with me! I drove for an hour before stopping off at a services for a triple esspresso and a can of Relentless: Inferno (it's like Tango mixed with nitroglycerine... it's quite nice!)

While sipping my esspresso, the Fishbourne posse wandered in! Randomly they had decided to stop off at the same services. I continued my quest and dropped Julie off at her house for about 9:40pm. I then continued on to Solihull and dropped Adam and Carl off for 10:10pm and then got home myself for 10:30pm where I went straight to bed!

Right. thats me done for now. TTFN readers!