musings from mgb

Another successful trip to Southampton (planes, trains and automobiles all on time(ish)). I really have to stop travelling on the 6.45 Ryanair flight to Stanstead. It might be cheap, but taxis to Shannon are expensive and its no fun getting up at 4:30 in the morning after beer and less than 4 hours sleep. Ryanair were their usual super efficient “we schedule 2 hours for a 1 hr flight” selves and so we go in “early” and I managed made the 8.15 train into London with all the other commuters, I think I was the only person not putting on make-up or eating bananas on the train. Except for that confused woman who was eating mascara and scraping bits of banana out of her eyebrows.

Didn’t do much in London. I had ambitions to go to the British museum that never went anywhere. Walked around Westminister and Oxford Street and surrounds a bit, had breakfast and eventually ended up by the London Eye around lunchtime and the queue only looked a mile or so long, so up I went. The problem with the London Eye is that London wasn’t built to be appreciated from the air, and many of the streets and buildings that are grand and imposing at street level look hollow and tacky from above.

Things picked up when I got to Southampton for the latest return leg of Jamie & Hilary and Mike try to kill each other with overfeeding and beer. On Friday we had Thai food and on Sat we went for an Indian to belatedly celebrate Jamie’s birthday. Sunday was a picninc in the New Forest; rather than having free range venison and pony burgers we settled on picnic pasties and sausage rolls (which Hilary was up FAR too early baking) and strawberries and cream. And then more beer after.

Its all wedding fever in the soon-to-be Lawrence household and I have to remind Jamie that he has a speech to write and wedding vows to memorise. So do I, except for the vows. Hilary needed some assitance with her dress and I learned how to spot-clean satin. I can’t say too much about the dress or I’ll be in trouble. Its ivory. And heavy. Hilary has also made up crochet-baskets for the wedding. Its good to see she’s keeping in practice.

Lots more weddings around at the moment as well. Must be something in the air. Hopefully its not catching – I want my fiver Ronan!