Happy Birthday to ya!

Sorry guys but I am absolutely useless with remembering birthdays. If you don't tell me when its coming up then there's no chance of me coming through. I even struggle with my own Mom an Dad's! I used to pop all the dates in me mobile phone, but as I upgrade every 9 months it would mean I would not be using the same phone and wouldn't have the information any more come the following year.
'What about using a diary?', I hear you cry.
Well as they found out in my old job, I've never used a diary so have never trained myself to look in a little book for numbers, names, address, places, dates or important events. So I would then need reminding to look in the diary, therefore, I would now need a diary to prompt me to use my diary. And for that I would need a diary......

Last Saturday we went out a meal to celebrate Jason's and Martin's birthday's. It was originally to be a dinner at the dog tracks with a spot of gambling afterward but unfortunately the restaurant needed booking months in advance and Jason could not get us a table. Michelle found the Clockhouse restaurant in Epping, and a good choice it was too. It was some cracking grub, yumtastic. It was also the first time I'd seen Martin in nigh on 6 months as he has been adjusting to being a new father.

Happy Birthday Martin.
Happy Birthday Jason.

Ooh, and a quick Happy Birthday to Sam, friend and new colleague . Love ya! xxx

Birthday, Birthday

As has become standard in the last few years I combined my birthday celebration efforts with my, slightly better looking baby sister, as her birthday falls 2 days before mine. I know I probably said this on my blog last year but its always worth saying; my birthday is part of what is a modern day Holy Trinity. In the Bible you have the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, but now you have Christmas Day (Jesus' birthday (allegedly)), New Years Day (the year's birthday)and capping it all off, my birthday (naturally the most important of the 3!)

Some months ago Sarah had told me that she didn't want to do anything special for her birthday, a quiet drink with a few friend would suit her: and at the time I wanted to go to School Disco which has moved from Hammersmith to Kentish Town (I will still wanna go too!), but after Paris and Christmas wiped out my finances I had to scale my ideas back. At which point Sarah wanted now to make something of her birthday and set about organizing a night out.

In fact Sarah got fed up with the planning, as every planners nightmare kicked in, trying to please everyone, and eventually dumped than plans on my lap the day we were going out! I table an idea which became our night out. Start off in the George in Wanstead then onto O'Neils in Leytonstone. That move also drew Greg (Pimp Daddy Blanc) out for the night whom I hadn't seen in ages and ages.

Squish's Birthday

Happy Birthday to me.
Happy Birthday to me.
Happy Birthday dear Squishman!
Happy Birthday to me!

As usual I took the day off today. I consider it tantamount to blasphemy to toil on the day I began to exist. In fact, I was thinking today, (and 'no' it didn't hurt); technically we existed from the day of conception. So that means we should celebrate our day of inception. Only problem is we then have to ask our parents on which day they did the deed. Ah...... on second thought, lets just stick to the day we sprung forth!

Also, mucho thanks for all the birthday texts and Facebook messages today. Much love back to you all. Mwah!

Lucy's birthday!!!!

First off, sorry to Lucy for this entry being so late and then sorry to Vicky for not uploading the photos sooner. She was expecting them the next day!!

I start this post the way most have stared recently.....
Two Saturdays ago (lol) I joined Lucy for the celebratory night out for the merrimentation of her 22nd since birthitude! Needless to say I was not the only one there that night; her boyfriend Richard, Vicky M and Catherine came too. And later that night, Charlene and Dave as well!

Romford, Brannigans, played host for the night and I hadn't personally been there since its refurbishment, but was disappointed that it was only a 'lick of paint'. It also didn't seem to be as busy as in the 'good ole days'. Lucy has always liked it there, probably due to her 'rock' orientated music tastes not being catered for in most nightspots, where Brannigans has a very broad musical palette, enough for anybody.

I do remember one point during the night where someone in the club must of had really bad guts or some crafty bugger had some stink bombs, but either way, me and Cat had to run from the dance floor to the safety of the r'n'b room while Lucy, Richard and Vicky were outside having a cigarette. We two stayed in the r'n'b room for the remainder of the night. Vicky found us, after Char and Dave had arrived and found us late on.

I hadn't seen Lucy or Char for months beforehand so enjoyed seeing them again, I'd also promised the jump up and down on Char's head for being out of my life for so long be never did. I still will though!




Hope you had a nice night Lucy. Love ya always xxx

Dani's 21st

On Thursday Dani celebrated her 21st year on the planet with gusto. Our ultimate destination was Club one9five in Epping but first we warmed up in 2 bars in Loughton, Nu bar and Minx. It was the first time I had been to either of the bars but I was most impressed with Nu bar. It has just the amount of polish and sheen I like in a venue. Very nice.

Sarah had noticed a football player for West Ham in the bar (her team) and wanted a photo with him, but was too scared to ask. After a half hour build up she had the courage the go over to him. She still froze half way there so I had to ask him for her. His name Roy Carol and he's West Ham's goal keeper. Not being a football lover he was a stranger to me.

Later on we all hit the club, all 10 of us in the group. It seems from the amount of familiar faces about that we weren't the only ones that night who made the journey from bar to club. Quite early on Dani's sister Gemma and friend Jo made in road into talking their way into the VIP section, a task achieved getting all 10 of us in. There was also an actor from Eastenders in there that night, again lost on me because I don't watch the show, but some of the girls bagged a photo of him too.






Happy birthday Dani. Mwah xx

These photos and more can be found here on my Facebook.

Cat's 21st

I know it was supposed to be a big day for Cat, but it was a big day for me too... It was my first ever time in a limo! Yay me! Cat had organised a double header birthday weekend with Tiger Tiger taking place on the Saturday with, the much more local, Faces taking place on Sunday, the actual day of her birth. Though Sunday's arrangement later became a meal in a restaurant.

I only made the Saturday night leg, and only just too. I thought the limo was gonna arrive at 7.30, but it was really coming at 7pm so I had to rush to make it. Cat had ordered a black limo but a white one arrived after the black one had broken down!

We arrived at Tiger Tiger, where Cat at arranged a dinner reservation plus booked a booth in the club itself. I thought the food was nice but the service wasn't even average. The club wasn't what I expected but was still quite good, with mostly commercial tunes keeping the patrons entertained. The six of us; Me, Sarah, birthday girl Cat, Emma, Denita and Vicky all partied the night away. I don't even think Emma sat down once all night, dancing to each and every tune that came on!

By 2.30 the effects of the drink and tiredness took hold and we jumped in the limo for the journey home. Emma was nice enough to drop everyone off home at the end of the night as she didn't drink

Happy birthday Cat! Mwah!




Loads more pics can be found here on my Facebook.

Bank Holiday Monday

I awoke Monday morning with nothing much doing. I knew I had to get the car washed but apart from that I was at a loose end. In my 1st phone call I found something to do though; Gregg's nephew Oliver was having a 1st birthday party in his house up in Bishops Stortford.
- Stepping sideways for a second, the photo call was actually a video call on the 3G network. Gregg had got his new 3G capable phone and wanted to try it out. It was fun but a bit hard to hear outside in the big wide world.-
I popped into Romford and treated myself to the new Calvin Klien fragrance ckin2u, then gave my new car its first motorway run as I headed to Bishops Stortford.

Jason's Birthday Lunch

A week late but just as welcome! Exactly one week ago week all went out for Sunday lunch for Jason's birthday. The restaurant was in Leigh on Sea near Southend, and was the same place we went the year before. As I couldn't remember the way I followed Jason and Michelle down in convoy along with Martin and Ells. Whilst the food was nice I did find a hair in my starter and Anna, a hair in her main course! Toward the end of the meal the restaurant tried to rush us out saying that we had stayed too long at our table, but then they relented and allowed us our coffees in peace.






David and Luan had to make tracks after the meal and the rest of us took a walk up to Southend, although me and Anna drove up to allow rapid transit for the return journey to the cars.





I have to confess that I love seaside rock and drove back to Southend at the end of the day to buy a load; £12 worth! Sadly I 'chain' ate them once back home and they were all gone by Tuesday!!

Happy Birthday Chris

Chris (library photo)

I got told off for not checking my emails by Luan. I had missed the birthday invite out for Chris's birthday; dinner in one of Bluewater's restaurants. The meeting time was 8pm. From a standing start I had an hour to get there. I arrived at 8.15 and the guys had selected 'Tootsies' as the choice. I had never been to Bluewater that late and was more than a little surprised to see the shops still open and the mall bustling with people.

Birthday boy Chris, wife Anna, Dave, wife Luan and daughter Lucy, and Jason were already into their starters. I was able to order my main meal with them: ribs. I loves the ribs, and these were the best ribs I've ever had!

One of the topics of conversation was, 'if you had a free pass to sleep with any celeb/sports personality, who would it be?.
I picked Christina Aguilera.

I'll say this before Jason does on his blog, but I also said that George Clooney could turn me gay. But I'm not for turning! The ladies are far too beautiful.

Happy birthday Chris and God bless Christina.

Christina on Leno

Last (!?) Saturday

I can finally tell you about the exploits of last Saturday. I couldn't find the cable to connect my phone to computer, then (d'oh!) i realised I'd sold it on when I'd bought my silver phone and had yet to break out the new one! Oops!

Now where was I..... oh yes, 3 birthdays, 1 night..

With only 3 hours kip and a skin full of whiskey, I went to work last Saturday. I felt a little rough first thing but as the day wore on I felt a lot more perky. I guess knowing that I had a big night on stopped my from flaking out early.

Mike's Birthday

(library photo)

I had not seen Mike for about a 1 1/2 years, not since our Paris trip, so when I got his birthday invite I didn't want to say 'no'. I didn't say 'yes' either; I wanted to surprise him. Luckily Mike was having a simple birthday bash; all day down his favourite local pub in Chadwell Heath. So straight from work at 5 I headed there. He was surprised, and it was good to see him and all of his mates again. Sadly and hour was all I could spare him as I needed to be in Marble Arch for 8pm....

Dave's Birthday

(library photo)

I quickly headed home, had a quick shower, got changed and jumped on the tube for the West End. David was having a meal for his birthday in a sausage restaurant called 'Bang'. I had been there once before last year. Everyone else was meeting at 7.45 outside the station: I arrived at 8.15 and almost dashed passed the guys as they were still outside the station waiting on Chris! The restaurant was just a short walk away and with a sizable group we spread ourselves across 2 tables. Again there was some folks there that I hadn't seen for a while, and it was nice to do a lil catching up. Again with 1 eye on the clock took my leave as soon as I had swallowed my last mouthful. I had to get back to Essex and Barkingside...

Charlene's 21st



I picked up my car from Gants Hill and drove to Charlene's party. She had hired a hall till midnight so had nicely settled into my final destination. I think I only had an hour and a half there again, but the whole gang was there and it was a great way to end the evening. Disco, bar, cameras! I think everyone must have been tired that night because Me, Sarah and Dom left at midnight, but everyone else had already gone apart from Kara and Chris!







Needless to say I slept like a baby when I got home, and in fact my Sunday didn't start till 4.30pm!