So you know how I said you could all trust me to update LJ more frequently...

Now lets see, I've still not finished off the HongKong trip with Bridget from 18months ago, although you are aware I came home alone and haven't spoken to her since. You're also aware that I've been out in South Africa, but aren't really 100% up to speed on why, who with and what all the firearms training was for although you've got vague ideas due to all my "argghhh poachers are bad people" links on Facebook.

If I just say that in the last 7 days I've finally apologised to Bridget cause lets face it, I was acting like a total cock, and I'm taking my exams to be licensed in whatever it is I do out in South Africa, is that like enough for you guys or do you still want me to actually fill in the gaps?

Also, do I have to mention the filming? There's like a couple of shorts and a music video that I've not really discussed.

hmmmm so last entry I was just boarding a plane to Hong Kong with Bridget.
Since then we've gone our seperate ways, her to Australia, I went to South Africa and ran around the bush with semi-automatic weapons and then moved to Birmingham.
I should probably explain some of that in more depth shouldnt I...

Well, a busy few days doing nothing much interspersed with OHMYGODPANIC.

After having booked my hotel months ago, they suddenly decided that actually it was double booked. Don't worry they say, it's our mistake so we'll upgrade you to our luxery hotel for no extra cost.
Sounds great, except that this hotel is on a different island to the one where Bridget is going to be which would kinda screw up my plans.
Not a problem, there's bound to be plenty of other hotels... nope, nothing.
Go to laterooms and check availability and there isn't a single hotel with anything less than $1000/night.

Begining to panic a bit I remember a passage in one of the tourist guides that says the locals like to haggle and aren't against the odd bit of bribary.
Figuring I'd got nothing to lose, I try a couple of hotels and ask the hotel manager if there's anything I could do for him that would help get a room and was most surprised that it didnt take long before one suggested that I might like to make a bid on something his sister was selling on eBay. The regular price was $10 but he felt sure that a bid of $150 would secure things... I'm not entirely sure what it is I've actually "won" but suddenly they found a room for me and considering what this trip is already costing me, the extra $150 seemed a bargain as I was at the point of saying to hell with the entire trip.

A final phonecall to the airline and still no seats are available but at least it means I get to help Bridget carry her bags to the airport and then I'll do all the housework before flying out the next day myself.

Next stop, HONG KONG !

Current Location: London

She's back which means it's the beginning of the end!

Bridget has finished the last part of her Euro tour and after a couple of days visiting friends was now back in Birmingham. I however, was still working in London so I could only manage a flying visit for the weekend.

After trying out a new restaurant that had opened while I'd been away, we caught the bus home only to have the bus driver get completely lost. Much to the amusement of all the passengers he got even more lost while trying to get back onto the correct route! Eventually I recognised the area and figured it better to get off and walk.

Finally we got home, and after looking thru the photos of the last part of her trip she mentioned how it wouldn't be long till we went to Hong Kong. It was then we discovered that due to a slight oversight on her part, we were flying on different days. We then discovered that the cutoff point for changing my flight was the day before. I love flying, but I'm fed up of always flying out seperately to everyone else due to other commitments. I know B doesnt care if I fly with her or not, but I'd been REALLY looking forward to getting to travel with someone for a change. The airline said the only thing I could do was to phone or visit Heathrow every day in the hope there was a cancellation.

I had to go back to London for work, so I left Bridget at home so she could catch up with her friends while I made the most of being able to eat diary (she's allergic) by going out for fondue with Andrea (Amorphia). I wasn't sure it was possible to eat as many cheese based dishes as we did, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to eat that many again, but it was good and I need to pull my finger out and organise a similar evening with Rachie too (have missed the Ramorphie Construct and Andrea even suggested dragging along Jamie and Tom, both of which I'm not sure really exist)

I was hoping that B would have been able to get down to London sooner, as it would have been nice to have gone to Jamie (Kenix) "gathering" for the new issue of Phonogram, but as it turned out Andrea was broke and I didnt finish work till after Mr McKelvies bedtime so she'll be arriving tonight - best go tidy up, she'll be here any minute.

Tags: bridget
Current Location: Birmingham/London

Am never promising to do a public update again - every time I fall behind with the nonefiltered stuff and say I'll give folks a catch up, my life falls apart.

Huge thanks to everyone for the concern / messages etc. Massive thanks to people who've helped me with lifts to the hospitals for getting there before visiting time is over etc. I promise to let you all know my mom & brothers condition just as soon as I get chance to do a public update.... D'OH

Apologies for my worse than normal response on AIM/MSN/Yahoo lately.

I popped back to Brum today and discovered I'd left my PC turned on the last two weeks and it seems at random points during the conversation your messages would go to Brum so I just assumed you'd gone quiet and then you'd suddenly come back again on my PDA which is what I've been using down in London or when working on the boat.

So yeah, when did MSN start allowing multiple location logins ?

Talking of chat progs, another reminder that I lost my contacts so Mon-Fri I can't start a conversation (looking at Crystal here *g*) so TonyMorel at hotmail dot com (EDIT as I seemed to have typed whoremail.com erm... not sure where that came from!)

Oh, and I've almost finished a proper update, so that should get posted tomorrow. It's gone from five pages down to two paragraphs, so maybe I've over edited it... will work on it on the train tonight

Now I gather that one or two people on my friends list are fans off Joss Whedon
If that includes you, and you like the idea of NASA naming the Space Stations new hub Serenity then you need to head over here and vote!

I've gone and lost all my MSN Messenger contacts. If you think I've been ignoring you on there then can you please re-add me on TonyMorel@hotmail.com

Have I mentioned I'm in London now? Or the kayak accident? Or anything lately? Hmmmmm maybe I need to do an update, but it wont be for a few weeks - I'll explain why in a few weeks *g*

this message has been deleted by "prompt 2.4" a very useful add-on that stops me from making drunken posts

On Sunday I decided to have a few friends over for dinner, so Julia, James and Vivek were invited over for a nice roast chicken.
Saturday saw James asking if he could bring Paolo (a mutual friend) with him as he was staying at his house and it seemed a bit rude for him not to come along - the only problem was a) I didn't have enough matching plates b) he's a vegetarian.

I jump in the car and pop out to buy some more matching plates and the ingredients to make a nice veggie option of Mushroom, Brie & Cranberry Wellington

Unfortunately, the journey killed my cars engine (must have hit a stone or something as there was a nice hole in the sump and no oil).

The time lost coping with this (pushing the car somewhere safe to leave, and taxi's home etc) meant didn't get housework done that I wanted so the place wasn't at it's best.

The next day the problems kept coming...

Veggie-safe cheese when used in cauliflower cheese doesn't really taste very nice

Oven died just as was putting chicken into it requiring use of old clunky tabletop oven that I couldn't judge cooking time on so roast potatoes were overdone

Dropped bowl with batter mix which also tipped veggies over so lost all the yorkshires and most of the peas / carrots / parsnips / broccoli.

The lightbulb in the dining room blew

I forgot to serve the stuffing

Apart from that, it went ok... Oh and Paolo - the reason all the disasters started, he couldn't make it in the end !

To cheer ourselves up we went to the local pub and entered the quiz. We came joint last, the only reason we weren't dead last on our own was because I accidentally listened in on one of the rival teams answer to the final question.

All in all a rubbish day (and no, I don't think the guests really saw the funny side *g*)