Northern-ness, crushing defeats and whole bundle of randomness.

What a week. Full of high hopes and diappointments and pleasant surprises.

I went back home last weekend to see the parentals and catch up with some friends and actually had a fabulous weekend. Sometimes I'm chomping at the bit to come home, mainly due to my mum pecking my head in, but she was actually on fairly good behaviour this time.

Saturday I met up with two lovely ladies for lunch in the beautiful Standish (posh part of Wigan....or so they would have you believe....ha ha), who were both late, so as I sat waiting, right next to the dessert stand (and they're both on Weight Watchers....ha ha, I'm so cruel.) I couldn't help but jot some things down.

I ordered a Sprite before they arrived, not knowing if we were drinking or not and I had to giggle to myself (yes I realise people probably thought I was a crank). They brought a plastic sprite bottle with a 99p sticker running all around it, and when I checked the menu it was £1.95 for a Sprite. Well, I guess we know how much profit they're making on each one of those. I also had to giggle at the menu, as after years they still spell arribbiata like this: Arabiratta. Part of me wants to tell them, the other part sort of enjoys the fact that I can come back every two years and still find that very cute mistake. Char also pointed out the many apostrophe mistakes throughout the menu and being a adult learner in literarcy and numeracy, you can see why it pulls her chain. Still, in all fairness, it was a lovely meal and a great dessert and Weight Watchers went flying out the window.

Two bottles of wine later and I'm knocking over glasses. Oooops. Not used to that drinking in the afternoon feeling anymore.Great afternoon!!!

It's weird though, everytime I venture into Standish, something's changed or a building's being demolished, or rebuilt or rennovated. Something has moved, changed, upgraded, extended....... It's just odd. Part of me feels that nothing should change. That time should stand still now I'm gone, because all of my memories are there and so once I return I can just pick up from where I left off. (But I do realise how selfish that is and I'm not complaining or anything.) It just feels like the place that held all my childhood memories is gone and my identity there, with it. (Whoa. That's way too deep for 7.30am)

And so, Sunday saw the parentals and I heading off to Liverpool and the new Turner, Monet and Twombly exhibition at the Tate. The exhibtion was great, but even better was my mum and dad in the Tate. Ha ha. The Richards aren't exactly known for their art conosseuir-ism...........

My mum kept getting really close up and almost touching them. I was like, for god's sake it's a Monet. And most of the Twombly ones she just kept saying, "my kids could've drawn one of those". I kept looking around for someone about to lamp her one. There could have been some mega Twombly fans there and she was just dissing him to her heart's content. He he. Was hilarious! Anyhoo, a very random day but good fun and a sunny but blustery Albert Docks. Love the scouse accent!

Fact: It is really difficult to listen to the radio online on a train!
Trust me to be travelling on England's Quarter Final match. Gutted! The only saving grace (or so I thought) was that I had a First Class ticket (darling) and would get free wi-fi. So I figured I could stream it or something. A suggested radio rather than picture as it could screw up, so I went with Radio five live.
Oh my word, it cut out at first, every two or three seconds and sometimes would come back on straight away and other times would cut out for up to ten minutes. ARGH! Bloody Virgin Wi-fi. Surely you should have perfected the idea of seamless wi-fi on journies. It's impossible to do anything if it cuts out every few metres of track. Of the first half I must have managed ten minutes of actual commentary and the rest I had to guess or just make up.

Don't they get it? It was England in a Quarter final. England V's Italy for a chance in the Semi-final of Euro 2012. Surely Virgin Trains should have arranged big screens in each carriage or something. I mean, I was in first class. Now that would be first class service. Something to think about Mr Branson........

Bless the train manager though. At 9.09pm he announced over the tannoy that England were nil nil. I bet he got better reception than I did. Oh, and then there was a tunnel just as England had a free kick, 15 minutes before the end of normal time. And it cuts out......ARGH. It was along tunnel too.

Less than five minutes to go, my stomach's tied in knots and it cuts out again.......

And again with three minutes to go.......

And another tunnel with 2 minutes of stoppage time. And it's a really really long tunnel. And I know it's over and possibly going in to extra time, but I'm oblivious to the facts.

And once we go to extra time, I'm thinking, please don't go to penalties. We are biologically incapable of taking penalties. It must be something in the English blood that makes us cave under the pressure of penalty taking. And we know before we even start that we're going to lose that way........depressing.

And so we arrive at Euston, just as the first period of extra time is coming to a close and I'm running through the station, desperate to get home. I even try to get wi-fi on the platform to figure out what the hell is going on but by the time I register and all that bollocks, my train's already here. Felt like the longest journey ever and once I was out, I ran through Kentish Town, yanking my trolley along with me, praying that someone had scored. Anyone, just to avoid the heartache of penalties.

A texted as I was almost home with the one word I didn't want to see.....penalties xx

Argh! I pegged it and managed to make it home just in time for the first penalty. Man I was stressed and the stress didn't exactly decrease. I really thought after Italy missed their second, that we could have it. But then we missed one and another and.......They think it's all over, it is now!

Ah well. World cup in 2 years??? Euro 2016???? Eeek, that's depressing, I'll be 32 then. Urgh!

I picked up my Olympic tickets on Monday. Yes I managed to get some. It was all very exciting and it sort of seems real now. Hockey tickets on the main Olympic site, so we'll get to wander around and soak up the atmosphere. Whoop!

Keep having random book ideas and I know it's just my head's way of refusing to finish my second novel. It's frustrating but I guess it's good to know there are still an abundance of ideas swirling and forming. I ain't no one trick pony. Oh no.

Some classic kiddy things from yesterday:

One of my kids has recently been circumcised and he'd never said anything afterwards, but yesterday during our work cycle, he flashed me. "Hey Helen. Look at this." And then he said (after I'd told him to put it away), "There's a hole, 'cause I went to the Doctors."  Oh, I did laugh.

And later another kid (whom a lot of these quotes are usually from....He's a ledge!) announced at the lunch table, that he can't touch earrings. "If I touch earrings, my willy hurts."

You really just can't make these things up.

Finally, went out for tea last night before a gig and we ate at Byron burgers. I hadn't been before. Nice burger but way too fake over friendly staff. A said, "Nice waitress." I said, " I have some thoughts about that. I'll tell you when we go outside." And my thoughts basically were, "I don't want to be your friend, I just want my burger." She was sitting on the couch at the side of me, asking me where I was going and telling me about her boyfriend. I realise we live in an age where they are trying to reinvent customer service and probably trying to do it American style, but please, I don't want your life story. I just want to eat and tip and leave. And I did tip. I'm not evil (though others may argue that point). I don't know. Maybe it's because I'd had a shitty day at work. Maybe It was lots of things, but I'm suspicious of strangers asking me for information and trying to talk to me. I guess I'm a closed book. Hardened. Weathered. And used to the London attitude of refusing to talk or even look at people. So now when people do talk to me, it feels wrong and I immediately feel suspicious. Bless her, she was just doing her job, but really I just wanted my god damn burger and chips. Thank you.

Oh and the Saint Saviour Gig was amazing at St Pancras Old Church. We ended up on the front row, not that there were many rows, the church is tiny. But really you should check her out. Absolutely incredible voice. SO so so so so so so so so so jealous!!! There were a few bits too much like Katie Bush that it offended me a little. There's only one Katie and she's my ultimate Goddess, but really you should check her out. She's also completely nuts, so I could defnitely relate to her on that level. Really though, supreme jealousy. I'll never sing like that......sob!

And on that note, it's time to do the washing up and get ready for work...boo! I think I'm going to have a meeting with my manager today....who knows what might happen????????

Have a great Thursday. It's hot out there.