Busy busy busy

Last week a friend from Derby came down to visit. He arrived Sunday night and we found this really cook Japanese restaurant in Crystal Palace*. The restaurant had low tables like (I believe) they have in Japan where you sit on the ground instead of in the chair. But it was cooler because you sat on the floor but there was an inset feet hole so it was like you were sitting on a chair but you were on the ground - hard to explain but really cool. I had some sushi as a starter and didn't like the main course I ordered, so Grant being the great friend he is switched with me. He ordered a cracking meal that was yummy! We came back to the flat around 11 and watched a movie. Grant picked Jurassic Park (a good movie that I haven't seen in years and years, but a very long movie to start at 11). Grant was on holiday this week but I had work Monday morning. Looking back, going to bed at 2:30am not a great idea.
Monday I met Grant after work and we went into London. He was meeting his cousin so we ended up just having a late lunch / light snack at a quaint little wine place in London Bridge. Good atmosphere, wonderful wine selection (if only I liked wine!) comfy seats and good company. As I bought a travel card for the day and had nowhere to be I kept Grant company through to Victoria and then headed back home. I got home around 6 and decided I wanted to do something besides sit in the flat, so I headed back into London to see if I could get a present for my new niece. (My flatmate had suggested a shop to try which was in London.) While I was waiting for the Train back into London, Grant called and said his cousin wasn't very well so he was headed back to my flat. I said I was headed into London, so we met up and he accompanied me for a spot of baby shopping. The shopping trip proved fruitless, but it was a good outing none-the-less. As neither of us had eaten tea** we stopped at Waterloo and went to an Italian place I'd been to before with a girlfriend I meet up with.

This is Grant at the Italian. No clue what he's doing with his face.

It should have been relatively easy to get back to Crystal Palace but we just missed one train and then the next one was cancelled, so we ended up waiting 40 minutes out on a cold platform for the train home. Boo. We got back around 11:30 again and yes, watched another film - after all you only live once and you can sleep when you're dead! Tuesday's film choice was For Love of the Game another movie I hadn't seen in years! I was pleasantly surprised by the movie, cause I thought it had a rubbish ending - but it doesn't, it has a happily ever after ending that makes you go all gooey inside :) Another late night, this time with a 3am bed time.

Grant going through my extensive DVD collection

Tuesday was harder to get out of bed than Monday, but I managed. I was jealous that Grant got to stay in bed and not go to work though. I was even more jealous when I called after 12 and he was still asleep. Grant headed off to see another friend in London on Tuesday so I had a very early night - 9pm bed time for Karen on Tuesday. No idea what I did on Wednesday. Thursday I was meant to meet up with a friend I used to work with, but plans changed and Grant ended up coming back to mine. I cooked tea for him - good old fashion Bangers and Mash. I can't remember the last time I cooked for someone! So it was kinda nice. 2 guesses what we did after tea - yep another movie. I love movies! We watched a dvd that Grant had bought, Remember the Titans. This was a movie I had wanted to see when it came out, but never managed to, and then I forgot about. A very good movie. One that I reckon my dad really liked.

Friday I headed off to the lake district. Every year there's a church fellowship weekend that I go to in Keilder Water. It started as an 18-30s weekend then changed to a Young adults weekend and now I think is just a fellowship weekend. It's always a great weekend, and this year was no exception. Oddly enough it took me less time to get there this year even though I'm 3 hours further away: I ended up getting a high speed train to Newcastle (a big city in North England) and then someone picked me up and took me across to Keilder as they passed through Newcastle. It was a 5 hour journey for me. Nice! Expensive by train, but nice. There was much
good singing...


...very good lessons, and great fellowship:

A good friend of mine, Andrew, and I at the fireworks. It was pitch black and I couldn't seewhere the camera was pointing, so it's a bit off centre

This is Jessica and dad, Simon. The fireworks were past her bed time. How is it she can sleep on her dad's head! Carla taking her chance to cuddle little Georgia Haliday. How cute is this!

...And yes, more fireworks! Richard set a tradition many years ago of bringing fireworks to Kielder Water. It's now something we all look forward to. And those around me enjoy laughing at me for jumping at every big bang - what can I say, I'm easily startled!

(more of richard's fireworks. this one, i didn't jump at, but we were so close it still made me nervous. It's amazing that we've not had any firework injuries at kielder water through the years!)


...plus good ole campfire singing. After fireworks some of us stayed in the cold and rain around the campfire and sang for a bit. My memory card was full, so I didn't get much of it, and the camera was the wrong way round, so you'll have to tilt your head to the left, but you can here the fire crackling and us singing. Best singing is always 'round a campfire.



Now I'm back home and it's time to go to sleep so I can start another week.

*where I live
**super, dinner, or what ever you choose to call the meal you eat in the evening