The salt of joy.

I so badly wanted to write this blog this morning, I wanted to do it so badly that I even contemplated doing a sickie, work won out, my conscience wouldn’t allow me to stay off for something so trivial, (the blog trivial hang on a second) so I went to work did my bit and mulled over this!

So ,early Sunday I blogged and I was in a happier frame of mind, because I simply didn’t think I was going to be able to, the rest of the morning drifted and then I felt like hammered crap, my body still getting used to the waves of nausea that the new stuff is causing, I’m a big boy I will suck it up and get better, hopefully! I didn’t have a huge amount of stuff to do, well I did but nothing that I had an inclination to start on, I discovered that I had left my work mobile on, so like a fool I started going through the email I accumulated in 48 hours (67 and counting) once I had sorted stuff I decided I needed to have a lie down, we were invited to another birthday party and I was determined not to spoil it for the wife, I said I was determined I didn’t say that I was successful!

I didn’t sleep or even snooze but I did feel a lot better after my resting period (honest I didn’t blink once) I sat bolt upright as the house phone rang, for some reason I felt guilty, it was my brother wishing to complain about his ongoing nightshift, I was grateful for the interaction, as I knew we would soon be talking about…….music, forty five minutes later and I felt like I had saved the world, I carried out some of the smaller tasks I had intended (I no longer felt guilty)  and the wife escaped from the asylum a lot quicker than expected , I made food and we enjoyed our own company, its strange not having the kids in the house, I had a quick bath and the wife got her blacksmith kit out to sort out my hooves!

We set out in plenty of time, the wife had a slight rage attack as she couldn’t get the sat nav to stick to the window, why we needed the sat nav I  have no idea, thankfully after the 52nd attempt she gave up, I even let her play (gulp) dance music all the way to the town, we got there early, I know the wife with her reputation, we nearly had a world war as the wife nipped into a parking bay and the wife is simply so aggressive, the big ugly lump who was scowling at the wife had no idea who he was scowling at! I tied her to the bumper of the car to let some steam off, I did suspect we were going to come back to 4 very flat tyres (only at the bottom) thankfully we didn’t.

The wife thought that she had seen the special guest music star outside the venue, thankfully it was a Muslim gentleman trying to get his wife in her burka into his car, I could see it was going to be one of those nights, we got there and said hello to the birthday girl, and the wife was happy as she saw so many of her friends, now I now these people and they are indeed nice but I’m sure they simply put up with me as they have only known me about 26 years, very nice people and they are all so nice to me, my spirits were indeed in the ascendance (you know it won’t last) we grabbed a table off to one side but was soon dragged to the centre of the room to witness the gathering of the tables.

My only issue up to this point the shutters on the bar was still down and I was feeling damn thirsty, once the shutters went up it was like a charge of wildebeests as they rush to a watering hole, I should have known that this was going to set the tone of the night, then it was the turn of the special guest Mr Dan Reed  who had flown in to do a special show for the birthday girl, he should move to the UK I’m sure that he is Newcastle more than me! We have seen him do a similar thing for another friend and he was good then, but last night was simply awesome some old songs and some newer material, some of which I intend to go back through my collection as I really do think I have to listen to some of his solo songs, on last night’s showing they were simply stunning,  it was at this point the evening started to take a down ward turn as there was a loud person down the front, this I could have handled but make your point and then shut the fuck up! It’s not your party, even Dan said as much but in so much of a nicer way, the crowd were forgiving, I imagine if it had been held else wear in different circumstances she may have got a pint glass to the back of the head! Her friend who sat next to her was wearing what could only be described as a downed hot air balloon, you would have though the fashion police would have locked her up but no they didn’t!

I have the distinct impression that this coven of witches (yes there were three of them) didn’t normally to gigs and didn’t know the normal etiquette, it was only going to get worse! judging by what I wanted to write last night I simply may have to ensure that “The whalers dues” is my next published blog. Publish and be damned I think is the order of the day, then there were even more nice people and my vibe was still on the mellow side, then we had the best raffle I have ever seen, this lady sure knows how to  throw a party, there was also collections for a well known cancer charity, which we were than happy to contribute as this fine charity has helped family members while coping with this horrible disease (Macmillan’s )just about everybody got at least one gift to take home the wife got one and the chance to take me home (maybe that second one is not as good as advertised LOL) Raffle complete it was time for the food, this where the night was slightly soured for me, I have seen food give a ways in refugee camps done in a more sensitive way, now can I say at this point this is my view nobody else was / is as sensitive as me and my little ego, I know people who served in several conflicts who wouldn’t have gone near the scrum, I shuffled up to join the queue, I couldn’t get anywhere near the cold buffet , it was busy that’s all, it happens so I thought I would try the hot buffet this is where I nearly lost my mind because the lady with the big mouth was trying to collect 3 lots of food at the same time while being unbalanced, I believe she was trying to use a crutch at the same time and she was hovering above all of the food until she got what she wanted, at this point I walked away in a strop simply because I didn’t want to spoil anybody’s night!

The wife wondered what had happened and started searching for me, she soon found me back at our long line of tables sat with a face like a slapped arse arms folded, simply so I didn’t throw a table in the direction of the woman who was oblivious to me and my ire! The wife had a familiar look on her face, I was determined not to spoil her evening, but I was struggling to keep the lid on my strop, and it was mine, nobody else seemed  to care, I had known it was too good to last, the wife didn’t poke the bear too often and thankfully the mood slid away, I refused to go anywhere near the food even after everybody had been up for seconds and thirds, there was still enough food left at the end of the evening to feed a small army, a damn fine spread , but as the wife said I was perfectly happy to cut my nose off  to spite my face, she knows me so damn well, hopefully I genuinely didn’t spoil anybody’s evening, the wife seemed happy enough with me, then the next musical guest a local band who my wife thought were The pretty weeds, it turns out that they weren’t, but they were damn good, a little investigation so we can catch them, not on a school night! but it was soon time to head for the hills and head back to Gimpsville (after all it was a school night) as much as we wanted to stay until the end it would not have been fair on the pooch as he was in the house in his cage.

We said our goodbyes, thankfully I was able to get away with the minimal amount of hugs, I still got caught, I was able to say thank you to Mr Reed for an excellent set, if you ever get the chance to see him in an intimate acoustic setting, go you will not see a better gig, I love Dan Reed Network and all their funky stuff but acoustically he is sublime, hang on I need a tissue I have something brown on the end of my nose, the end to a great night and a fab party, the wife had her joy levels topped up and that in itself is something to behold!

We returned to find the car intact and we enjoyed a quiet drive home (24 minutes later and 16 miles) we were soon having a nice cup of tea, it doesn’t take much too make us happy and we snatched it with hands tonight even me and my small strop didn’t spoil it and it really did make me want to blog there and then, now that’s the sign of a good night! so I have to say thank you for the invitation, thank you to all of the great company who welcomed me into their bosom (in a nice friendly way) for a fab evening,  hopefully there will be many more to come, so there you go a proper blog, with a story to  it rather than me going “oh woe is me”, the numbers for yesterday were good this one is going be damn good just like the party we were at (LOL) until the next time……….Toodles!

And yes the name game is in play……..it shouldn’t be too hard!