Been a While!

So long in fact, I cant really recall the last tales I told you.
I am fairly sure you haven't heard about the Christmas Party though, so you can have those tales and be happy.
Back to Manchester again and the wonderful Palace Hotel - and this time we had rooms there.
I drove up with Emma, Kat & Daf, since there were more people needing transport than seats available on the coach. It was our mission to ensure we arrived before the coach and snagged decent rooms. Until we had a text from Ceri who had gone up the night before and compared the rooms to Harry Potters cupboard under the stairs..... oh dear ....
She was either fibbing or unlucky as mine & Daf's room was gorgeous! It was at the end of a corridor in an old part of the building, all ceramic tiles and archways.... it reminded me a lot of the corridor to the dept of mysteries in the film of Order of the Phoenix. The room was mahoosive - the ceiling was so high, I swear we had clouds form at one point. It was lavishly decorated, with enormous drapes and beds big enough to house small African tribes. But I had plans!
I was meeting up with my dear friend Robb, my chum Alex and ... another guy called Paul Robinson. We did consider harassing the local police with a superb identity theft joke, but ran out of time.
We went for food and then to a really cool coffee house arty place ... before I had to head back to change for the party. I left myself a good 45 mins or so to prepare.... or so I thought.
Sadly, I'd cocked up my schedule by an hour and was already 5 mins late for the reception. One quick change and a hell of a lot of Diesel Fuel for Life later, I was in my silk jacket, dress shirt, bow tie and platforms and mingling with my colleagues.
As winners of station of the year last year, we had to go in last to applause and cheers and shit, before going to our seats. I was a tad confused as my seat didn't seem to exist any longer and was just a team of small oriental people bleaching things. Apparently, one of my glorious comrades from one of our Scotland stations had vomited over my starter as he stumbled by, so four of us had to stand around rather sheepishly while this was all changed - all though the intros and Scouting For Girls set...... I think it was Smooth Radio London sat behind us scowling, but I cant be sure......
The evening was pleasant enough. We also had performances from Lemar, Sharleen Spiteri, Leon Jackson, James Morrison, Simply Red & The Script. I wasn't really sure who most of them were until they did a song I knew though.
As soon as the awards ceremony was over, I legged it back to my room to shower and change and hit the Village with Robb.
We started by looking for a working cash machine - and then stayed in that pub for a drink first off. It was a really cool venue - all kitted out with old church decor. So little alcoves and pulpits and stuff ... some great potential for Evita balcony moments if ever I saw. Then moved onto Poptastic. Which does what it says on the tin. Lots of amazingly cheesy pop from across many years - they played Your Disco Needs You, which as you all know is all I need to fall in love with a club. Although I will never quite forgive Robb for leaving me to go to the bar, allowing me to carry on dancing un knowingly to a song from High School Musical. But I only hold that grudge because its easier than admitting that I actually was enjoying the song til I realised.
We left there about 2 and had a stroll and a chat to cool off a bit before heading our separate ways to get some sleep!
Manchester rocks and I cant wait to go back!

Yesterday marked two weeks since I last let Smeagol out. I did open the door to mark the occasion, in the vain hope maybe he fell through a 2 week hole in the space time continuum and re-appeared. When he didn't, I just went upstairs and did a small candlelit meditation to make sure he has found his way.
I do still get a bit tearful and I still keep looking hopefully out the back ... just in case.... I wonder at what point that hope goes away and I'll give up?