Friends Ahoy!

What a great feeling, knowing my friends were finally coming down to Portsmouth to visit. After 6 months of me driving up and down the country it was nice to know I didn't have to go anywhere but my front door! So on Saturday Helen, Dina, Jamie & Colin all arrived at mine about lunchtime. After a tour of the penthouse! it was down to GunWharf for lunch and a spot of shopping. We were told the Red Arrows were going to be flying overhead in an air display and got back to the roof terrace in time. Unfortunately they weren't doing a show! Misinformed. Oh well, we fired up the BBQ and a few more people dropped round, Lee, Jim, Elenor, Greta & Holly. It was a perfect night to be outside and we had HEAPS of food. After a few hours it was time to hit the night life. Ofcourse I took the guys to Babylon, the nineties club. Lots of fun, dancing and a few old school memories and it was time to head back to the pad for some guitar hero! It was funny watching the boys as it was there first time. Luckily I'd had 6 months of practise so looked like a total pro.

Sunday we got up to a day full of sunshine! Ofcourse as soon as I walked into the lounge the boys had already turned on guitar hero. So a morning of playing guitar hero and eating french toast & bacon began. Mila showed up at about 11ish which was great and we all headed down to the historic dockyard. I hadn't actually realised it was "Meet Your Navy" weekend! What a huge bonus. We all went on the Victory but then most had to head off home. So Colin, Elenor & I head back into the fray. We went aboard the HMS Illustrious, which I think was an aircraft carrier. Also managed to blag our way into a sealed off bit to have our pic taken in front of a rescue helicopter! Very exciting except as we walked away, I flicked the view on the screen back to see how it turned out and it hadn't worked!! Was going to go back and ask him to take another but figured it was a bit cheeky! Oh well we know we were VIP's for a minute or two. After that friggit (and me humming the theme tune to Top Gun for the past 2 hrs) we headed thru the crowds looking at all the displays and people dressed up in character. We made it to the Warrior at about 3ish and had a look around her. A bit boring after the Victory and Illustrious.

After that it was time to go home. I was exhausted from being the hostess with the mostess. The sun had been shining all day and the weekend was perfect! Actually felt like we were on holidays!

Killa Whales

Played softball tonight for the Killa Whales. We kicked butt, 23 to 2. It was an amazing match. And they have great uniforms, they are red!

Book Review

So I'm reading heaps at the moment due to my long commute up to London. I'm going to be up there for another 2 weeks! Mark Billingham is a fantastic author with his main character being DCI Tom Thorne. You have to read Sleepyhead first, then Scaredy Cat. I've checked out his website and it turns out he has about 6 or 7 books with the character of Tom.

Author : Mark Billingham www.markbillingham.com

Title : Sleepyhead

His first three victims ended up dead. His fourth was not so fortunate . . .
Alison Willetts is unlucky to be alive. She has survived a stroke, deliberately induced by a skilful manipulation of pressure points on the head and neck. She can see, hear and feel; she is aware of everything going on around her, but she is completely unable to move or communicate. It’s called Locked-In Syndrome. In leaving Alison Willetts alive, the police believe the killer's made his first mistake.
Then D.I. Tom Thorne discovers the horrifying truth; it isn’t Alison who is the mistake, it’s the three women already dead. ‘An appropriate margin of error’ is how their killer dismisses them, and Thorne knows they are unlikely to be the last. For the killer is smart, and he’s getting his kicks out of toying with Thorne as much as he is pursuing his sick fantasy . . .
Thorne knows immediately he’s not going to catch the killer with procedure. But with little more than gut instinct and circumstantial evidence to damn his chief suspect, anaesthetist Jeremy Bishop, his pursuit of him is soon bordering on the unprofessional. Especially considering his involvement with Anne Coburn, Alison’s doctor and Jeremy’s close friend .
Thorne must find a man whose agenda is terrifyingly unique, and Alison, the one person who holds the key to the killer’s identity, is unable to tell anybody. . .Sleepyhead is the first in a series of novels featuring Detective Inspector Tom Thorne.

Awesome! If your going to read them, then you need to read Sleepyhead first. Very scary and a huge page turner.

Title : Scaredy Cat

Now... killing is a team sport…
It was a vicious, calculated murder. The killer selected his victim at Euston station, followed her home on the tube, strangled her to death in front of her child. At the same time, killed in the same way, a second body is discovered at the back of King’s Cross station. It is a grisly coincidence that eerily echoes the murder of two other women, stabbed to death months before on the same day..
It is DI Tom Thorne who sees the link and comes to the horrifying conclusion. This is not a serial killer the police are up against. This is two of them. Finding the body used to be the worst part of the job. Not any more. Now each time a body is found, Thorne must live with the knowledge that somewhere out there is a second victim, waiting to be discovered.
But whilst the methods might be the same, the manner of the killings is strikingly different and Thorne comes to realise that he is hunting two very different killers. One is ruthless and in control, while his partner in crime is submissive, compliant, terrified.
Thorne must catch a man whose need to manipulate is as great as his need to kill ; a man who will threaten those closest to Thorne himself ; a man, who will show him that the ability to inspire terror, is the deadliest weapon of all…

Baby Shower

What a busy week! Atlast Friday arrived and I did a spot of baking in the evening. I baked a carrot cake, banana cake & lemon cake in preparation for Claire & Annabel's baby shower on Sunday.

Saturday I was up fairly early (10am) and started finishing off the shower preparations. The cupcakes were made, cake's iced, pasta salad made, cheese tarts cooked and chicken bought from Asda's. Then it was off to Cambridge to Mila's. Got up there about 7ish in the evening then it was out to B Bar to catch up with Sabine & Annabel for a quick drink, then Charlie & Ad's came along after. It was nice to catch up. Then off to bed.

Sunday after finally icing the teddy bear cake (very proud) it was off to the girls house to set up for the shower. It went fantastic. We played baby bingo, ate lunch, opened pressies, played pin the bottle of the baby, guess the baby food and ate some more. Everyone had a great time and I'm totally stuffed to the max with sugar! Afterwards it was back to Mila's to help move a book case upstairs for her! OH MY GOD!!!! It was massive, about 3mm under the door frame. Somehow Mila, Helen, Dina & I managed to manouvre it and we got it upstairs with only a tiny little mark on the wall. What a drama, but it looks great where it is staying FOREVER!!!

Also Mila's backyard is finally finished!! WHOOO HOOOO. It looks amazing and once she has the plants it will look even better.

I feel bed calling, off to London for work tomorrow!

Summer lovin...................

Fantastic, Grease is most definetly the word. Annabel, Colin and I met up in London on Wednesday night to see the musical. We had a fantastic dinner at a little Italian place round the corner then it was off to the show. The cast were brilliant (especially Knicky) and it was so much fun. Would see it again it was so good.

Work Update:

On Wednesday I ran our local C.O.P. (Communities of Practice) in London. It was for all Information Managers in the country and basically we get together and discuss whats going on, any new IT developments, and problems with systems....etc etc. I was a bit nervous, as I didn't know everyone and there were some people from our European offices!!! But it went pretty smoothly and I think everyone went away feeling it was productive.

Thursday & Friday I travelled up to London each day by train. Luckily I was able to sleep on the 6.40am train up to London as it takes just over and hour and half to get there. I am covering for another Info Manager who's on leave. It wasn't too bad and there were a few old faces I knew from the old days. It was just great to be working again. I'm going to be there on Monday & Tuesday as well. Hopefully going to catch up with people on Tuesday night at O'Neil's in Leicester Square after work for a few drinks.

Then Wednesday, Thur and maybe Fri I will be back in London on another job (125 Old Broad Street) helping them out. So its great to feel like I'm actually doing something! Also the trips home give me plenty of time to read and have already finished my first book.

Update

Had softball training today and decided to go to try and loosen up my arm. It was a bit stiff but gave it a go. Still pretty sore so had to stop training after a bit.


I've got a meeting tomorrow in London. I'm running a Communities of Practice for Document Controllers. It should be interesting, a bit nervous but sure it will be fine. Then I'm meeting up with Annabel & Colin to see Grease the musical in the westend. Very excited.


Also have organised to cover a doc controller in London for 4 days so have some work to do this week & next! Whoo hooooooo

Euroball & Samantha's 31st Birthday

So this weekend was going to be jam packed. Saturday morning I was up at 7am getting ready for my first day at the Euroball tournament. We had five games lined up and I was playing for the Mariner's again. Supposedly it was going to rain all weekend but Saturday was beautiful and sunny. Out of five games we won 3 which was good. Finished up about 6ish and it was back home to get ready for Sam's 31st Pirate party. Sam had decked out the lounge and hallway in sailing decorations and a great pirate flag. I was pretty tired and sore but and a quick catnap and then got into my pirate wench outfit. It was great fun, heaps of food and fish & chips for dinner. Everyone had a good time but I had to nip off to bed early as had another big day of softball on Sunday.

I was in bed by 11pm but when I got up this morning (Sunday) I found out that everyone had gone to bed about 4ish! And they were playing guitar hero and I didn't even hear it. So Sunday I headed off to the field again for another 3 games. Unfortunately I pulled a tendon in my right arm at the end of the first game. So I was sidelined. BUMMER!! My arm hurt like anything, luckily though the first aider gave me some pain killers and by the third game I was feeling great and ready to play but think it might have been the drugs talking! Unfortunately we only won 1 game so we were 4 / 4 for the tournament. It was a tight tournament and we only placed 7th! Bummer we just lost to the wrong teams. Oh well there's always another game.

Chichester - no go...

Bad news, we didn't make it on the bid for Chichester. Very depressing. SO don't know what I'm going to be doing or where I'm going to be going in the near future. Fingers crossed something comes up close to Portsmouth.

Andrea's Birthday BBQ

Not only was it the men's Wimbeldon final but it's Andrea's birthday! Had a great day at a BBQ for her at their house. Also it was the first time I had met John & Andrea's little one, Julia. Super cute. A lovely day, and the sun came out in the afternoon!

Also to top off the day, Nadal beat Federa in a drawn out 5 set game.

And the party goes on.....

Another party, another Grand Arcade opening. Can you believe we had another one. I think that's the third one. Luckily the client was paying so we had a thing at the Guildhall with the Council. It was pretty nice and there was a lady walking around with mini icecreams! Tasty! Even the Duke of Westminster turned up for a speech, I suppose its understandable as he does own it. After that it was off to Revolution for the real party. It was great to see heaps of people especially ones I hadn't seen since the beginning of the job! A great night dancing and drinking. Naomi came as my date and had a blast as usual. Very tired the next morning though and I still had to drive to work Friday morning. Got to work at about 1ish and can you believe it none of my team were there! They must have all been working from home. So after a quick check of the email it was off home for a snooze!