Fun fun fun

It's been a busy and very entertaining weekend. Not, I admit right now, a dieting weekend.


I finished early on Friday afternoon and we headed over to the flatlands of Lincolnshire to stay with my Ma and Pa. What a beautiful afternoon and evening it was. It's always great to see them both and Dad was on good form (despite the perennial complaints that we're not staying for longer....I presume everyone gets those off their parents?!). We joined my father at his local pub for his favourite Friday evening session. His pal Robin was out and his daughter (who I have known for years on and off) joined us all later with her husband so we were a chatty bunch. Quite international too - Robin lives part of the year near his son in Valencia, Spain. Another woman who joined us is Dutch and Robin's daughter's husband is currently working out in the Falklands. There was much discussion of Christmas traditions which was fascinating but did rather put the focus on what WE'RE going to be doing at Christmas, which is currently undecided!!



Saturday was a much needed lie-in, a viewing of my brother's new pad a couple of miles from home (they're away but dad showed us around, proud as a mother hen of the place!). I must say, it's very big and swanky - I had a nasty case of property envy. There just seems to be more space in Lincolnshire for nice big houses and gardens. Then a decent pub lunch followed by a good long walk in the sunshine. It's so strange to find yourself wearing cropped trousers and a t-shirt in mid-October. We walked and walked and eventually tired the dogs out. Lovely.



So all that rest and relaxation set us up nicely for a day of debauchery and football yesterday!



In readiness for the big Steel City Derby between my team, Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, we were in our football local before 9 for beer and a cooked breakfast. NOT on the SW list of advisable activities I'm afraid. A few hours of "preparing ourselves" for the game (AKA, drinking and singing Wednesday songs) before a fleet of minibuses took us across the city to our local's rival's shed, otherwise known as Bramall Lane!! The game itself was a really good Derby clash - frenetic, passionate, a packed stadium, good atmosphere and players giving their all. These occasions sometimes fall flat but yesterday's was a great game.



We were, of course, gutted to find our team 2-nil down after 20 minutes and, although they kept on trying and had some great efforts, that's how it stayed until 8 minutes before fulltime. Then we scored!! We didn't celebrate much - it was too tense but our mood lifted and the mood of the home fans dropped through the floor! Then 4 minutes later, after a scramble in the goal mouth, we scored again!!! What a comeback. THEN we went mental. We were jumping about, shouting screaming, singing, hugging, kissing (anyone). My voice totally disappeared for an hour or so. It felt like the greatest victory ever even though we had only levelled the score. We had a chance to pinch a win at the death but it ended up 2-2. Who cares?? The Wednesday fans bounced out of the ground feeling like winners whereas our opponents slunk out, gutted, having been so close to a win! Heavenly stuff.



So, back to the pub and then a bite to eat before a late afternoon bus home. I'd reluctantly agreed to take part in the pub quiz that night as we were short on numbers. I couldn't drive (too much beer) but a team mate picked me up and dropped me home afterwards - I MUST be worth something to merit that kind of treatment!!? As our bus home turned out not to be going all the way to Bradwell but stopped 2 miles short, I ended up going straight to the pub where I was being picked up and from there straight to the quiz. So, all in all, I spent the better part of 14 hours in various hostelries! Not counting the hours watcing the game itself, walking between hostelries and to and from bus stops. A marathon effort. Looking back, I didn't actually drink THAT much - we were sipping quite slowly - so happily I've been fine today.



I was even quite lucid for the quiz. Which was a good thing as oour problem with numbers had led to the captain bringing in a new couple who were a bit older and seemed a little, how shall I put it, straight-laced. I suspect they'll loosen up in time but the reality of a slightly merry football fan bouncing in on a high was probably a bit overwhelming! Anyway, my memory was in good order and the team gelled nicely so we had a good win - we managed to beat one of the better teams in the league for the first time ever!



So, all in all, not a dieting weekend but a cracking one!! For what it's worth, I went to Pump this lunchtime and dancing was very energetic - samba, cha cha, rumba and jive! You never know....