Monday, March 23

Blackpool and Back

Well, we're back from a very blustery and cold weekend in Blackpool. Who's smart idea was it to spend Mark's Mum's 60th Birthday weekend celebration in one of the coldest seaside towns in the country?

There were about 30 of us altogether in one B&B. The poor landlady, I feel sorry for her LOL.

To be honest, I was dreading going. I have been in attendence of the 'outlaw's' parties before and .. well... how can I put this? I dont' drink and they drink very heavily till 3 or 4am. I really didn't want to seem like a party pooper, but when I have to get up with Isabelle at anywhere between 6.30 and 7am, going to bed at 3 or 4 makes me tired and grumpy the next day. I really didn't want to be antisocial. They are a very rowdy lot, even Mark says so, but bless him, he saved our sanity in the end. The party was going well. Just in the front room of the B&B. The landlady wasn't licenced but was happy for everyone to bring their own drink. My god, the bar was more stocked than it would have been if the landlady did have a licence! Nibbles and munch things were set out and I avoided them completely, apart from a slice of birthday cake (halo now shining). The night went quite well to be honest and about 11.30 Mark asked if I was ready to go, because he was LOL. It's made such a difference since he stopped drinking. 4 years ago, he would have been there with them to the end. It's actually 4 years ago this weekend just gone (Mother's Day) that he stopped drinking. Life has been so much better with very few arguments and no violent tendancies since he stopped. Hats off to him. He just stopped and that was that. I won't go into the problems when he was drinking.. I don't want to go back down that track, it's too painful to think about, lets just say he's a completely different man!

We spent Sunday at the Pleasure Beach. Wow what a rip off! Wristbands that gave access to every ride, were £20. What did shock me was Isabelle's wristband cost £18!! She's only 3 for god's sake! And of course, because she's so small there are a limited amount of rides she could go on. £18!!!!! We spent an absolute fortune!! But we had a good time.

I was a little bit disappointed that I didn't get many photographs 'for me'. I did the general photographs of all the family, the birthday girl, the birthday cake etc and then the kids (including the adult kids) on the rides at the Pleasure Beach, but I only got a couple of shots of the pier for 'my' photographs. Ah well.

So on the whole, the weekend went quite well. We're now skint and have a whole week till pay day... talk about stretch the cash this week. Egg and Chips all week for my lot this week LOL