Final note on Stag Do's

As none of my family (or future family) could be present for the "proper" stag do, we're having a secondary, more intimate evening on the ale this September. It'll just be a few (well actually more than a few, but you get my drift) beers around the pubs and drinking dens of Stockport. No pomp or circumstance - just beer.

So if you missed the fun and debauchery on August 5th, or maybe you did come out and just need another excuse for the ale, then why not join us in Stockport on the evening of Thursday 14th September?

If you fancy popping along then drop me a mail.

Karting Video

Now I probably looked a tad nervous when I saw someone had brought a camcorder along to a Stag Night, but fortunately it was only employed to record the Karting Event.

If you want to see the Glorious final featuring Mike Duffy, Phillip Ladanowski and Simon Axon (which, if you think about it, seeing as there were 53 people at the OpenGp event getting three out of our lot (3 out of 11 who turned up) into the final was a hell of an achievement), then click play below.



Thanks again to Sean for this. Nice one, mate...

"Twisted Stock Creator!"*


* - Copyright 2006 in-jokes deparment

Morning

Just a quick post, as I really cannot beleive it is Monday again already - arghh!!!

Just to let you know that the Stag Do Blog will close later this week, as the stag do has been and gone.. (just need to actually get married now!!). But I just wanted to point people (particularly people who would not normally visit it) over there as, if you came along on Saturday, there's a big thank you posted on the blog for you. I'll leave it for a couple of days to give peeps a chance to read it.

Right. Coffee.

Happy Lapping

(...Not actually a reference to Oral Sex...)

The bragging has begun.

As Saturday approaches, those from work who are taking part in the Karting on the Stag Do are beginning to beat their chests and stake their claims to the trophy. Already people are beginning to wonder what they'll do with the trophy to keep it safe when we go out later that evening, I'm sure one or two have even picked out the location on their desks where they plan to exhibit their prize. It's all very amusing..

Although I can imagine that I'll get caught by this competitive bug by the end of the week (not that I can win the trophy, that wouldn't be fair). So come Saturday afternoon the steering wheel will be gripped with a steely determination, the teeth will be gritted, and the accelerator pedal will be slammed permanently down as I try and at least not come last. Actually I don't want to just "not come last", I want to get way up the field. I want a podium finish. Damn it, I want to WIN! All of them can eat my exhaust fumes as I smash yet another Daytona lap record on my way to a glorious victory - Mwaaaaahaaaahaahaahaahahahahahahaaaaa!!!

Blimey. See what I mean? It is infectious.

Ding dong the bells are gonna chime

Well after many, many weeks of baby-oriented weekends, this weekend saw plans for the wedding being brought to the fore once again.

Wedding rings were purchased and the "Law of the Stag OpenGp" trophy arrived on Saturday (the trophy is actually quite impressive, I was genuinely amazed when I clapped eyes on it) and we had a trip to Ruthin Castle on Sunday.  The visit on Sunday saw all the finer details of the ceremony and reception being finalised, timings, numbers attending, menu selection and all that.  We now have to do things like settle on a seating plan (so if anyone strongly objects to being sat by someone else, now is the time to speak up!!), write out place cards and organise getting menu cards printed.  Between this and the fact that the stag 'do is this weekend (http://lawofthestag.blogspot.com if you've not checked it out for a while), it's all feeling a bit like it's getting really close to the big day!!

Am very much looking forward to Saturday, should be a cool 'do.  Sean's done a fabulous job of organising it (whilst trying to sort out his own wedding too) and should be applauded (and bought lots of pints).  Just gotta not stress too much about whether everyone is having the best time.  I always feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility to try and make sure everyone's enjoying themselves at these kind of do's (after all I've invited folks out, and they've all made the effort to show up), but the secret, I think, is to ensure that people are happy without getting neurotic about it.  I'm sure once everyone gets a few lagers inside them they'll be enjoying themselves!

Lordy!

So the tickets to see Lordi in the Academy turned up yesterday (I know it will be pure cheese, but I really don't care. I think it will be very amusing and there may be the odd good riff in there somewhere. Anyway "Hard Rock Hallelujah" is actually quite catchy!  Where's your sense of humour gone?  You've changed, man!). Anyway when I had the tickets in hand, I glanced at the date: Sunday 29th October.  And it hit me. Did you know that I'll be married then!? So I won't be taking my fiancée with me, I'll be taking my wife!??  (Calm down I'm talking about the SAME person here, d'uh!).  This will, though, be my first gig as a married man.  Blimey. 

Now that Kirstyn is here, the wedding seems to be speeding along toward me at a shocking rate.. I mean the stag do is here in less than a month!! (http://lawofthestag.blogspot.com - if you ain't checked out the site recently, why not drop by?).  I'm glad that we got so much organised before the whole birth thing occurred as there isn't a lot to be done now (especially now that everyone has RSVP'd - big thank you for that peeps!) and I can imagine that trying to sort out anything last minute with a baby to look after (even if she is a cutie) could be a bit of a 'mare to be honest.  I'll admit that I was wrong to mock Liz's attention to detail and organisation early on, as we really don't have too much to worry about until September now..

(Touch wood and all that..  no, no, no, no, not "Torchwood" Leon, I was being superstitious).  So I guess it means that the last gig I saw a single man will be the "Foo Fighters" (unless anyone has some spare G n R tix?)..

Daytona Deadline (Cross-posted from the Stag Night Blog)

We will be booking places for the Karting on:

Tuesday 18th April 2006

This is to ensure it isn't booked up, and we can guarantee that everyone who wants to go, can go..

So, if you want to go Karting, but have not let Sean know, please make sure that you drop him a line before then.

Also, we still need numbers for either the meal or the piss-up afterwards (or both), just so that we can think about what sort of venues we can go to etc, etc..

So even if you're thinking of coming along for the curry and/or the piss up in the evening, please email Sean to give him an idea of how many are going to be attending..

Cheers

Sigh..

So, back to work today.. boo! hiss!
Motivation levels are about zero point zero four.

Add to this the fact that I was supposed to be returning to work content with the knowledge that I had a valid MOT certificate for my car (as the brum-brum is coming up to three years old now, so it needs one) and indeed I had said vehicle booked in for a test yesterday.  But when I went to collect it, it seemed that the new central computerised system for recording MOT test results and details had crashed.  Completely.  Nationwide.  No MOTs at all yesterday.  So my test could not be carried out as, apparently, they cannot even start the test now if the computer is down.  Call that progress?  'Cos I don't..  So now I have to drop the car off first thing Saturday morning (8 a.m. on a Saturday?  Oh, the humanity!) in order to attempt to get my test done before the government come running after me..

Then, of course, I have a feeling of dread about going home, as today is the first day of the bathroom renovation so I will get home to a building site.  There will be dust, chaos and dirt everywhere.. Not to mention the fact that we'll probably be back to the brickwork in the bathroom by now as it's looking increasingly likely that we're gonna have to put new plaster board in.  How are you supposed to relax in that environment?  I'll have to piss in the middle of a construction zone - for fuck's sake!  And this could go on for five, yes five, days!  Where can I get some Prozac or Valium without a prescription?  Anyone?

Also it sounds like response to the stag night has been a bit luke warm.. with only a few people saying they're going to come along.  (Thanks to those who've mailed back, though - it will be a cracking night out, you can be sure of that!) 

So all in all today is a bit of a bummer..