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May. 14th, 2015 09:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hathycolWell now, THAT was a weekend.
After my Unexpected Company Presentation Thursday, I spent the evening scurrying around the house and trying to get the car ready. David and Fiona turned up quite late on Thursday, and I went to bed just as the exit polls came out.
I woke up at 6.30am. Now, normally this in itself would be traumatic, but discovering about the government was frankly not the news I needed. I decided to ignore matters, turned off my phones, and worked on chivvying everyone out of the door on time. It was a glorious morning, which helped, and we made excellent time when we headed up the A1. We stopped for a big breakfast on the way, and spent a lot of time chatting, gossiping and getting excited for our weekend away. It was a difficult drive towards the end, particularly up the million miles of extremely bumpy track with a car full of four adult humans and requisite baggage. Still, we arrived at our location as the weather turned... grim, for lack of a better description.
That said, the location was lovely. A completely private farm with a field next to a beach full of these beautiful large tents, with chickens and rabbits and lambs in the middle. We were shown to our tent - well, actually, someone else's and then we moved quickly - and it was beautiful. A big scrubbed table, a wood stove, a cupboard with a double bed in it (Richie insisted we take that one), a seperate room with a double bed and one with bunkbeds. Utterly splendid. But, well... chilly. Philip arrived at about the same time and he and Richie went off to commence best man duties with Andrew, and David, Kirsty and I bumbled tried to find a big supermarket so we could get a metric ton of booze, some food and also some extra layers. We couldn't find one in Dunbar, which was concerning. We managed to get the metric ton of booze and the food but not so much the extra layer. Hm. We headed back to the now Quite Cold campsite and unpacked, put on wellies and hoodies, and hoped for the best. Some other people had turned up and we had a bit of a uni catch up and drank cans of cider around a fire. Ann and Alex had turned up by this point too and we grimly drank cider to try and keep warm.
As the sun set, the rain started to fall. We ended up back in our respective tents, and tried to get the stove warmed up, to little avail. In the end we drank copiously and danced to music on phones for some exercise and some warmth. I spent the evening sleeping wearing leggings and my thick tracksuit bottoms I'd bought along as my pajamas. Argh!
We awoke the next morning and finally managed to get the stove going. This meant that after ninety minutes tea became an option, and Kirsty got the gas tank refilled so we had some hot water going in the shower and toilet ensuite. HALLULUJAH. The weather was slowly improving as well, and we found out by midday that the ceremony was going to be on the beach after all. Richie and Philip were looking after Andrew that morning and the rest of us sat around, drank tea, and very slowly got ready for the wedding itself, Kirsty getting Andrew's kilt at the right levels, and we tried to drink prosecco without them noticing. With an hour to go, the sun started to shine. The wedding party went off to do what they needed to do, and us guests trooped to the beach very slowly.
For the ceremony itself, the weather simply couldn't have been more beautiful. Or the whole thing, actually. The beach was a private stretch of the East Scottish coast. They had an archway set up with bunting made from old pages of the Beano, and the music was played by the wedding guests, using kazoos. The Jurassic Park theme tune and the The Final Countdown, to be precise. They had written their own vows, and if you have ever met Ali and Andrew you'll know the surprise with which they made me cry. It was just really lovely. After the ceremony, they served punch and had games to play on the beach while the photos were being taken place; they're really striking, with the endless blue sky and completely abandoned beach, the wedding party getting to pose with the umbrellas that the night before had looked like a real certainty to use.
The evening meal was just simple outdoor tables and chairs with a hog roast, although by the end of it I had accessorised my wedding outfit with two cardigans, leggings and Converse because it was COLD again. As the sun gently sat we danced in the yurt they had set up to music from back in the AltSoc days and got cheerfully trashed. I took lots of pictures, danced like a loon, caught up with old acquaintances and overall had a completely awesome time. I went to bed at 2am, which was super fun when we had some extra people in our tent on the sofabed. I mean, we knew they were coming but yeeaaahhhh.
Sunday was a much quieter day. We had all of the leftover pork in our shower, although we obviously moved that as we got ready and had a very slow, lazy day with the stove on throughout. I went to the shops and bought The Observer ("WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE CONSERVATIVES WON THE ELECTION" etc) and you would be amazed how mad people went for some dead tree news. Our tent was briefly very popular. Later in the afternoon I went out for a walk along the beach and it was like the end of the world; as though I was the only person left in all the world, only the noise of the ocean, the seabirds and the exfoliatingly brisk wind brushing the sand up in my face. It was magnificent, though.
We spent the evening with people dropping in and out of our tent. We spent hours talking about Doctor Who and the odd fandom it has.
(Me: I mean, I love you guys, and without DocSoc most of us wouldn't be here, but... I dunno, it's weird sometimes.
Andrew: Try writing for Den of Geek. Never read the comments.
Me: One time I was accused of being in a secret cabal that controlled fandom. I wouldn't mind but I wasn't even accused of being a ringleader...
Everyone: What.)
It was just such a lovely, chilled out day. Andrew and Ali were happy, we were all reasonably warm and comfy, I drank lots of wine, it was just... a nice time with my friends, with some fresh air and animals and time out of the city. And what else can you ask for, really?
We dashed back to London as quickly as we could, having slept in but we needed to get Fiona back to London by 4pm. Lots of Pro Plus for me and we made it back by 4.10pm. Well done me.
So that was my weekend. My skin looks like hell and I'm still exhausted but eh, that's what you get I suppose?
This week I have been invited on to the core steering committee for my Ladies Yay group. This is... quite a big honour, actually, given that there are about seven women on it and I have been asked personally. There's a COO on it and it runs all of the organisation for all of Hitachi and the EMEA region. Blimey. However I can't think about that right now, and I have to finish my college course first. Mum and Dad are staying this weekend so basically time is running out. For now, though, I think I might just get an early night. At least tomorrow is Friday!
OH YES AND ALSO I bought a HOLIDAY today. It's very much a cheap holiday to Corfu but hell, it's all inclusive and it'll be sunny. Roll on September.
After my Unexpected Company Presentation Thursday, I spent the evening scurrying around the house and trying to get the car ready. David and Fiona turned up quite late on Thursday, and I went to bed just as the exit polls came out.
I woke up at 6.30am. Now, normally this in itself would be traumatic, but discovering about the government was frankly not the news I needed. I decided to ignore matters, turned off my phones, and worked on chivvying everyone out of the door on time. It was a glorious morning, which helped, and we made excellent time when we headed up the A1. We stopped for a big breakfast on the way, and spent a lot of time chatting, gossiping and getting excited for our weekend away. It was a difficult drive towards the end, particularly up the million miles of extremely bumpy track with a car full of four adult humans and requisite baggage. Still, we arrived at our location as the weather turned... grim, for lack of a better description.
That said, the location was lovely. A completely private farm with a field next to a beach full of these beautiful large tents, with chickens and rabbits and lambs in the middle. We were shown to our tent - well, actually, someone else's and then we moved quickly - and it was beautiful. A big scrubbed table, a wood stove, a cupboard with a double bed in it (Richie insisted we take that one), a seperate room with a double bed and one with bunkbeds. Utterly splendid. But, well... chilly. Philip arrived at about the same time and he and Richie went off to commence best man duties with Andrew, and David, Kirsty and I bumbled tried to find a big supermarket so we could get a metric ton of booze, some food and also some extra layers. We couldn't find one in Dunbar, which was concerning. We managed to get the metric ton of booze and the food but not so much the extra layer. Hm. We headed back to the now Quite Cold campsite and unpacked, put on wellies and hoodies, and hoped for the best. Some other people had turned up and we had a bit of a uni catch up and drank cans of cider around a fire. Ann and Alex had turned up by this point too and we grimly drank cider to try and keep warm.
As the sun set, the rain started to fall. We ended up back in our respective tents, and tried to get the stove warmed up, to little avail. In the end we drank copiously and danced to music on phones for some exercise and some warmth. I spent the evening sleeping wearing leggings and my thick tracksuit bottoms I'd bought along as my pajamas. Argh!
We awoke the next morning and finally managed to get the stove going. This meant that after ninety minutes tea became an option, and Kirsty got the gas tank refilled so we had some hot water going in the shower and toilet ensuite. HALLULUJAH. The weather was slowly improving as well, and we found out by midday that the ceremony was going to be on the beach after all. Richie and Philip were looking after Andrew that morning and the rest of us sat around, drank tea, and very slowly got ready for the wedding itself, Kirsty getting Andrew's kilt at the right levels, and we tried to drink prosecco without them noticing. With an hour to go, the sun started to shine. The wedding party went off to do what they needed to do, and us guests trooped to the beach very slowly.
For the ceremony itself, the weather simply couldn't have been more beautiful. Or the whole thing, actually. The beach was a private stretch of the East Scottish coast. They had an archway set up with bunting made from old pages of the Beano, and the music was played by the wedding guests, using kazoos. The Jurassic Park theme tune and the The Final Countdown, to be precise. They had written their own vows, and if you have ever met Ali and Andrew you'll know the surprise with which they made me cry. It was just really lovely. After the ceremony, they served punch and had games to play on the beach while the photos were being taken place; they're really striking, with the endless blue sky and completely abandoned beach, the wedding party getting to pose with the umbrellas that the night before had looked like a real certainty to use.
The evening meal was just simple outdoor tables and chairs with a hog roast, although by the end of it I had accessorised my wedding outfit with two cardigans, leggings and Converse because it was COLD again. As the sun gently sat we danced in the yurt they had set up to music from back in the AltSoc days and got cheerfully trashed. I took lots of pictures, danced like a loon, caught up with old acquaintances and overall had a completely awesome time. I went to bed at 2am, which was super fun when we had some extra people in our tent on the sofabed. I mean, we knew they were coming but yeeaaahhhh.
Sunday was a much quieter day. We had all of the leftover pork in our shower, although we obviously moved that as we got ready and had a very slow, lazy day with the stove on throughout. I went to the shops and bought The Observer ("WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE CONSERVATIVES WON THE ELECTION" etc) and you would be amazed how mad people went for some dead tree news. Our tent was briefly very popular. Later in the afternoon I went out for a walk along the beach and it was like the end of the world; as though I was the only person left in all the world, only the noise of the ocean, the seabirds and the exfoliatingly brisk wind brushing the sand up in my face. It was magnificent, though.
We spent the evening with people dropping in and out of our tent. We spent hours talking about Doctor Who and the odd fandom it has.
(Me: I mean, I love you guys, and without DocSoc most of us wouldn't be here, but... I dunno, it's weird sometimes.
Andrew: Try writing for Den of Geek. Never read the comments.
Me: One time I was accused of being in a secret cabal that controlled fandom. I wouldn't mind but I wasn't even accused of being a ringleader...
Everyone: What.)
It was just such a lovely, chilled out day. Andrew and Ali were happy, we were all reasonably warm and comfy, I drank lots of wine, it was just... a nice time with my friends, with some fresh air and animals and time out of the city. And what else can you ask for, really?
We dashed back to London as quickly as we could, having slept in but we needed to get Fiona back to London by 4pm. Lots of Pro Plus for me and we made it back by 4.10pm. Well done me.
So that was my weekend. My skin looks like hell and I'm still exhausted but eh, that's what you get I suppose?
This week I have been invited on to the core steering committee for my Ladies Yay group. This is... quite a big honour, actually, given that there are about seven women on it and I have been asked personally. There's a COO on it and it runs all of the organisation for all of Hitachi and the EMEA region. Blimey. However I can't think about that right now, and I have to finish my college course first. Mum and Dad are staying this weekend so basically time is running out. For now, though, I think I might just get an early night. At least tomorrow is Friday!
OH YES AND ALSO I bought a HOLIDAY today. It's very much a cheap holiday to Corfu but hell, it's all inclusive and it'll be sunny. Roll on September.
