Weekly Update!

Shopping, Pizza Hut & Bank Holiday Drinking!

This was my first of two weeks off, beginning with me returning from Paris on Monday, and not doing much all day except unpacking and having Mo round for tea in the evening. On Tuesday I went into Manchester with Abi shopping, and I had the microdermal on my navel redone, which hurt! We went for lunch afterwards at a cute place in the Northern Quarter called Teacup on Thomas Street, although we both just opted for cake in the end. I had a pistachio sponge which had green icing with white polka dots down the side and a cute flower in the top, while Abi chose the multicoloured Battenburg, which was amazing to look at, even if it was far to sickly to finish a whole piece!

Afterwards we wandered around the shops, and I tried on a few potential dresses for Laura's wedding, although I bought nothing except for some makeup sponges - very boring. At least it saves my money though! We had some wine at Selfridges as a bit of a break at 3pm, and came home quite late at 7pm. That evening Mo came round again and we had this nice chicken in cheese and leek sauce for tea and just collapsed in front of the TV, so nice having a free house!

On Wednesday I did my full triathlon cycle in an hour which I was really chuffed with, and then in the evening I went to Pizza Hut for tea with Emily, Smeed, MC and Mo. I shared a bottle of wine and had a barbecue chicken and bacon pizza, and all mains now come with a free salad buffet, so I properly gorged out!

On Thursday a group of us went to Liverpool for a night out (see previous post) and on the Friday Mo brought us home from the station mid afternoon. Jasmine came back from uni for Easter (after a very traumatic experience when the car her and Laura were driving in broke down on the fast lane of the motorway!) and Lydia popped round for a catch up, so it was a sociable day! That evening Mo and I went into town to meet Lydia and her friends Lisa and Connor at Dukes 92. I love the place, and we had a few drinks before moving onto Liars Club, where the night got very hazy!

Saturday was spent in various degrees of hungover, and when I finally got up at 6pm (!) I had some food, got ready and went out for a couple of drinks at Bloom with Tasha, Abi and Lyd. I drove as was not in the mood to drink again, and had a cocktail without the alcohol which was really nice, and made a change from drinking coke. Today Jas and I found our Easter eggs hidden in the garage, so had lots of chocolate and chilled out chatting until 4pm when Mo came round and we went for a walk in Dunham. It was a bit chilly, but nice to get out of the house, and when we got back we made a nice buffet tea for the three of us and watched The Other Guys, which was pretty funny. The week has gone far too quickly, but at least I've packed quite a lot in.

Traveller's Tales

Liverpool

Yesterday, a group of us went to Liverpool for a night out with a bit of a change of scenery. Abi and I got a train from Manchester at 2pm (lucky for us it was delayed, as we'd have missed it otherwise!) and we walked to the hotel we were in to check in and dump our bags. We walked to the wrong Travellodge to begin with, but luckily ours was only around the corner!

We had a quick cup of tea and then went out for a wander around the shops. There wasn't much to see, and we'd only been shopping in Manchester a couple of days before so didn't need anything, so after a while we gave up and headed towards Wagamama for some tea. We had a nice glass of wine and shared some duck gyozas (that were free as they were so late arriving) and then I had the chicken and prawn pad thai, a new addition to the menu that was very much appreciated!

Afterwards we went to an off license to buy some wine, and then went back to the room to start getting ready and crack open the booze! Emily and Natasha didn't arrive until half nine,  so they got ready speedily and we finished our drinks and headed out at just gone eleven. We went out on Seel Street, starting in a bar called Aloha, that was downstairs and Tiki themed. We had as couple of cocktails and a dance before moving on.

Emily and Abi went to another bar called Saltdog Slims whilst Tasha and I went to a cash machine, but by the time we got there the queue was huge, so we moved onto the final place, Heebie Jeebies, and the other two met us in the queue once they had finished their drinks. Drinks weren't that cheap, but it was fun and the music was decent, and two of the boys I went to Benicassim with were out that night, so they came to meet us in there which was cool. Unfortunately we then realised that Abi had had her phone stolen, so her and Tasha went off on a wild goose chase to find it, and we all met up later back at the hotel.

This morning we were all feeling the after-effects, and so once we had checked out we went for breakfast at a place next door to the hotel called New York Diner. I had a bagel with mushrooms, bacon, cheese and scrambled eggs, which went down a treat and sorted me out in time for us to get the train home at 2pm. A fun adventure!

Traveller's Tales...

Paris (part 2)

On Saturday I woke up at half eight as Mo text me, and I didn't feel too bad, though I had a bit of a headache. I eventually got up at half ten and had a shower, and then felt awful! We headed out at around twelve toward Le Marais, which is the vintagey shopping area, which I love, and picked up a sandwich along the way (ham, chicken and creme fraiche - yum!) and a Starbucks. I found a really nice men's checked shirt for 5 euros, but apart from that didn't buy anything, although Claire got a pair of black leather shorts like mine. 

After that we headed towards Notre Dame. Although I have seen it twice before I have never been inside, and Claire said it is amazing so I thought we'd pop in. It was a mistake though, as it was absolutely heaving (we later learned it was the first ringing of the new bell to mark 850 years of it standing) so we didn't make it inside after all! Once we had eventually squeezed our way out we got a Nutella crepe and then went to the shop to get some food and drink for that evening. I bought a bottle of champagne for under two euros to mix with some fruit juice, absolute bargain!

We had little cheese and ham pancakes with quinoa and green beans for tea, and then started getting ready for a night out. Elliot and Gez came round to Claire's for predrinks, and we played drinking games and generally larked around getting drunk. It got to half one and we decided to make a move so ordered a taxi and went to an Irish bar again where we were supposed to meet some more friends. However, we couldn't find them anywhere, so left after twenty minutes, to find that it was impossible for us to flag down a taxi , and it was freezing! We eventually caught a bus, and collapsed into bed at 4am.

Yesterday I actually felt fine, but Claire was pretty hungover. We stayed asleep in bed until gone twelve, and then got up and dressed ready to do something with my last day. We were intending going to L'opera Garnier, a theatre and museum that is supposed to be gorgeous, but they were doing renovation work so we go there after it had shut for the day which was frustrating - we had checked online and everything! Instead we went to Les Invalides, where Napoleon is buried, which was huge and had pretty architecture and statues inside.

On the way back to the metro we noticed that a few stops were closed, and discovered that there was a protest against gay marriage and adoption going on, which was a bit scary, we nearly got trampled on quite a few times! It was quite eerie too, as the Champs Elysée was completely closed off to traffic. As we had to walk all the way back, we stopped and had a quick look in Abercrombie, which was insane, five floors of clothes and lots of half naked men wandering around! 

We then went to an exhibition centre where there was a wine tasting event happening that we had been given free tickets for. We were handed a glass and shown into one of three halls all choc-a-block with stalls each offering four or five types of wine, it was enormous! We tried three red wines and two champagnes before calling it a day, as we were so tired from walking everywhere. On the way back to Claire's flat we stopped and got some sushi for tea - twelve pieces with salad and soup was only 12 euros, incredible! It tasted really good, and we watched a film whilst I finished packing and set my alarm for 6.30am ready to leave the next morning. Paris never disappoints!

Traveller's Tales...

Paris (Part 1)

On Thursday I flew from Manchester to Paris. I got the train then the metro from the airport, and met Claire, my friend from university who I was staying with, just after 7pm. Her flat is on the 8th floor above the apartment of the family that she works for  (she is a nanny too), and used to be the servants quarters, but they have knocked two of the rooms together and converted it into modern living quarters, and it is lovely. The view from Claire's bedroom is amazing, overlooking Le Sacre Coeur, and there is a mini balcony that you can put cushions on when the weather is mild to use as a window seat.

When I arrived it was a bit of a mad rush to get changed and ready to go out, as we had been invited to a photography exhibition that started at 7pm, so we were already pushing it time wise! We eventually made it there for 8.45pm, after getting rather hopelessly lost and parading round in heels in the rain for ages. The photos were really good and the holistic centre it was in had a chilled out atmosphere. We had a couple of glasses of free wine, and then left to go and meet some of Claire's friends for a very late tea.

We went to a restaurant called Chez Janou, and ordered a bottle of red wine to drink whilst we waited for our table. The three people we met were lovely, and extremely interesting to talk to, one girl was quadrilingual which I found fascinating, it made me feel very uncultured! I ordered scallop risotto, which was beautiful, although very creamy, I dread to think how many calories were in it. For dessert we shared the restaurants speciality - a huge bowl of chocolate mousse that even between five of us we could barely make a dent in! Very generously, the two guys we were with split the bill, and we got a lift back to the metro stop and got the metro home. Despite it not being a wild drinking night we still didn't get back until 1am!

The following day we got up and made our way to Le Sacre Coeur to explore a bit, as despite this being my third time in Paris, I had never been there before. We climbed up all the steps and went inside to have a look around. It was nicely bustling but not too busy, and really gorgeous to walk around, I am glad I made the effort to go. I bought a few presents on the way back to Claire's for Mum and Dad, and then we had a simple lunch of bread, ham and cheese before going to a local shopping centre for a wander. I bought some grey leather trousers from H&M which I love, and then Claire left to go and pick up Louise (the girl she looks after) from school whilst I made my way back to her flat.

I spent a bit of time on the internet and doing my diary before Claire called on me to go with her to take Louise to her dance class. Whilst she was there we went into a place called Dome for a glass of wine (which was over 7 euros!) and then we dropped her off at home and started getting ready for a night out. We went to the British Embassy, as Claire's friend Elliot who went to uni with us both now works there. We had to go through some security checks and it felt like James Bond! Once inside it was like a typical English pub, complete with creme eggs, Bombadier ale and Pulp playing on the jukebox, and the drinks were really cheap so we had a few there before moving on.

We went to an Irish bar called O'Sullivans next, and although we had intended it to be the warm up to Friday, we ended up getting quite drunk and dancing until 3am! It was really fun though, and we managed to get a few free shots off the bar man!

Weekly Update (Mon-Thurs)

Waitrose, Country Club & American Bar!

This week's post is a little out of the ordinary, as I am going to the airport to travel to Paris in fifteen minutes, so thought I'd do a weekly update post now, and then I can fill you in on my escapades in France when I return.

On Monday I went to a Body Pump class and then went out for lunch with Mum. We just went to the cafe in Waitrose as I had some shopping to do for Aum, but we had some lovely Moroccan chicken soup with crusty bread and then shared a maple and pecan YumYum (basically a twisted doughtnut). I babysat briefly in the evening, and counted out my tip jar when I got home (desperate times) - there was £41 in there!

On Tuesday I hammered the gym and then in the evening had a swim and ate tea at the Country Club. I had a prawn omelette off the specials menu that was delicious, it had sugarsnap peas and spring onions in it too. After work I went to the American Bar with Natasha and Abi and I had two huge waffles with toffee sauce and ice cream for my dessert and a glass of wine which was bliss. Emily and Smeed joined us afterwards for a quick drink, and then I got a lift home.

On Wednesday I did a really good cycle whilst watching Due Date which was pretty funny, and then I met Mo for lunch in Manchester at The Grill on New York Street (see previous post). I went for a quick mooch around Primark and then in the evening Mo came round for a few hours to see me before I went to Paris.

Today I finished packing and have just been to get my nails done ready for my trip. So excited to get back to Paris and to see Claire who I am staying with!

New Tastes...

The Grill on New York Street, Manchester

As I am going away to Paris tomorrow for a few days, I met Mo for lunch today and we went to The Grill on New York Street in Manchester. He raves about the place as he goes all the time with work with it being nearby, so I was happy to try it when he suggested heading there. It is part of the Blackhouse grill chain, which locally also includes Grill on the Alley in the city centre, Grill on the Edge in Alderley Edge, Hale Bar and Grill in Hale and Grill on Newgate Street in Chester, as well as branches in London, Glasgow and Leeds.

As soon as we walked in I liked the atmosphere. It was all glass and dark wood, with low lighting and a choice of bar type high tables and ground level normal ones. To say it was just a normal Wednesday lunchtime, it was busy enough to feel slightly bustling, but not overcrowded. There was space to hang your coat, and we were greeted at the door and quickly led to our table by a very pleasant waitress.

I had already had a quick look at the menu online, so had spotted that they did a 'Posh Surf and Turf' which was a 230g sirloin steak served with prawns, crayfish and scallops, which I love. I opted for that, and I also ordered some chips as the dish didn't come with any side orders. Mo got a 330g ribeye (which came with chips) with garlic king prawns to start. I tried one when it arrived and they were delicious, though I did think for the £9 price tag, four king prawns and two little crustinis was a little meagre.

Our mains arrived and my steak was amazing, cooked medium exactly how I like it, and had the seafood on the top with some garlic butter, so no sauce was needed. The steak was juicy enough that even without the scallops, prawns and crayfish it would have been sufficient plain. I managed to finish it all despite the huge portion of chips, which arrived in a lovely little metal fryer type basket, (I think a half portion would have sufficed) and was very full afterwards, I didn't have any tea this evening!

The bill would have come to £51 without a tip, but as Mo had managed to borrow a Hi-Life card from a friend at work (another reason why they always go!), we got the main courses BOGOF so it was £34, which was brilliant, and I would definitely go back, perhaps trying the one in Hale or Alderley next time for a change of scene.

Weekly Update!

Salmon Pate, Sticky Beef, Frozen Yoghurt, Fish and Chips, Cocktail Teacups & Pancakes!

This week has been lovely and sociable! On Monday I went for lunch at Gastronomy with Tasha and Abi, I had the special which was salmon pate with crusty white bread and salad; it was delicious. It came served with a mustard mayonnaise dressing for the salad, which added a lovely acidity to the smoothness of the pate. I went for a coffee at Costa afterwards with Abi and her brother whilst I waited for Aum to finish school.

On Tuesday morning I popped round to Abbey's for a cup of tea and a catchup, it's been ages! It was lovely to have a natter, and we started plotting to persuade our parents to organise a skiing trip next year, which would be so much fun! Afterwards I went to the gym and then in the evening I had tea at the Country Club with Aum. I had a beautiful pak choi salad with sticky teriyaki glazed beef - I would definitely have it again as not only was it tasty, but it is pretty healthy and really filled me up. I went round to Rick's after work for a chat and cuppa, and lots of chocolate cookies! It was nice to see his new place (which is really nice) and I got out my iPod and we had a good reminisce with his flatmate about old school music.

On Wednesday I did my Body Pump class, and then in the afternoon met Abi for a Yogberries. It's been ages since I had one, I forgot how good they are. I had raspberries, Oreo cookies and white chocolate buttons on mine, gorge! Mo came to stay in the evening, and we had a really good Moroccan meatball tagine for tea. Thursday was fairly quiet, I did an hour long cycle which I was pretty proud of, met Abi for a coffee whilst Aum was at boxing, and then babysat in the evening.

On Friday I did Body Combat and in the evening I went out for a meal with Mo to Francs in Altrincham (see previous post). We went for a few drinks in Bloom afterwards, and then bought a bottle of wine from Tescos to take home for a drink. On Saturday we had a nice lie in, and then went for lunch at The Moss Trooper with a load of people which was a fun way to spend a Saturday. I had fish and chips which was really nice, and then once I was home I popped to Stockport with Mum.

That night Mo came round to mine for a few predrinks and then we went out in the Northern Quarter in Manchester with Abi, Tasha and Jack her boyfriend. We started in Apotheca where I had a cute cocktail in a tea cup, and then moved on to Hunky Dory and Tusk, which used to be Walrus. We didn't stay out too late as Jack was driving, but we had a fun night, and got to dance which is always a bonus!

I literally did nothing all day today except cook some pancakes for breakfast and then I've just had a Mr Selfridge marathon with Mum, bedtime!

New Tastes...

Francs, Altrincham

Last night my boyfriend and I went to Francs restaurant in Altrincham. I have been a few times before and always enjoyed it, so thought I would suggest it as somewhere to go for a meal.

We booked a table for 7.45pm as there is a Bon Marche menu that runs until 8pm where you can order two courses for £12.95 - bargain! I got a glass of white wine (my first in over a month as I had given it up for Lent, but I couldn't have a gin with nice French food!) and we were brought bread and butter for the table, a little detail that I love about more traditional restaurants. 

For my starter I went for mushrooms in a creamy garlic and Gruyere cheese sauce that was delicious, whilst Mo had deep fried breaded brie with salad and chutney. I had a pork escalope type thing stuffed with cheese and ham for my main course, served with baby new potatoes and salad, that was a bit different to what I have had previously there, and didn't disappoint. Mo went for the steak (which carried a £4 supplement on the menu), but unfortunately it wasn't cooked quite to his taste, and also had peppercorn sauce poured over it rather than served in a jug on the side, so he wasn't as impressed with his! It is a shame as I really rate Francs, and it will no doubt mar his opinion of there slightly, but never mind.

The service was tip top and the atmosphere is always very cosy and welcoming, and for the two of us the bill came to just short of £40, which definitely isn't to be sniffed at!

Weekly Update! (part 2)

Cousins, Chester & Catchups!

Continuing on from my last post, on Saturday my Aunty Sarah came to visit with my cousins. We didn't do anything as they only popped 'round for a couple of hours, but it was lovely to chat and hear what they had been up to. In the evening I went with Mo and Natasha to visit Hannah Gordon and her boyfriend Matt in their new flat in Chester. We got there at about half seven and had some pizzas for tea before starting the drinking! 

We got ready and left the flat at just gone half nine to go to a place called Bar Rum Bar which surprisingly sold rum. I had a Margarita cocktail, then a Long Island Ice Tea and then a double gin. Needless to say coupled with the half bottle of gin I had already consumed prior to leaving the flat, I was rather drunk, and can't actually remember a great deal of the next two bars that we went to! One was called Red Door, and the final was Cruise, a club with different levels with different music.

The following morning I felt very sorry for myself, which worsened as the day continued. We drove back at half twelve, and I had a mad rush once I got home to get ready to set off driving to Lancaster, where I was meeting my university friend Claire. I picked her up from campus where she was staying, and we went for afternoon tea at The Borough. It is the third time I have indulged in one from there, and they never fail to win me over. For only £6 you get three finger sandwiches, (ham, salmon and cucumber) a scone with jam and cream, a piece of chocolate cake, a fruit skewer, a jam finger doughnut, a pot of jelly with fruit and cream and a cup of tea. It was just what the doctor ordered for a bad mood and the hangover munchies!

On the way home I called in to see my friend Luke who I met whilst skiing over Christmas. He has moved back in with his parents in the middle of nowhere near Garstang. We drove to a cool place called Guys Thatched Hamlet, which was like a self built village and had a restaurant, pub, bar and hotel all in one! Because he was suffering too we were both hardcore and had a cup of tea and a hot chocolate, but it was nice to have a chatter and catch up. I drove home at half six, and then Mo came round for the night; it was good to have some company to chill out with whilst I was moping around!

Weekly Update! (part 1)

Summer Days, Patisseries and Primark!

This week has been a busy one, and because of this I've decided to split it up into two parts (also because I am lacking something to write about next week!). Monday was quite quiet, but on Tuesday I went to the gym and then for lunch at Abi's. She made us a lovely salad with avocado, emmental and peppers, and then we had some of her homemade summer berry New York cheesecake for dessert. It was a gorgeous day so we sat outside to eat; it felt like summer! 

In the evening I went to the Country Club for dinner and had the prawn crunch roll, which was incredible, and really filling. It was a bit of a mad rush after work to get ready for the Bastille gig I went to with Lydia and Lizzie, but I managed to sneak a quick meet up with Mo in whilst I was in town so he could have a break from working late. I met the girls afterwards and had a quick drink with them in Font before we headed to the venue, the gig was awesome!

On Wednesday I wrote an article on the gig for Candid, and then went for lunch with Emily in Altrincham and we had a wander around the shops. We ate in a new cafe called The Fab Patisserie that has opened on The Downs, where I had a pesto and mozzerella toastie and we shared a rainbow cupcake and a pot of tea. The food was nice and it was very reasonably priced, but it was a bit thrown together (empty shelves, bad paint jobs, cardboard price labels etc) so I don't think it will be competing with the likes of Hale for a tea room!

That evening Abi and I went to see a band called Tokolosh at Soup Kitchen in the Northern Quarter; I had been given free tickets, and they were really good. We both said we'd be interested in going to Soup Kitchen for a night out after going there for a gig as well. 

On Thursday I did a monster cycle in the morning, then met Mo for lunch in Manchester. We went to a place on Oxford Road called Alibi, where I had a really tasty jacket potato that was filled with chicken and bacon in a creamy barbecue sauce. I went to Primark quickly afterwards to pick up a few bits, including some really nice quilted studded pumps for £10! After I had got Aum from school I went for a coffee with Abi at the Country Club whilst he had his boxing lesson which was nice. On Friday I did my usual Body Combat class and then in the evening I dyed my hair, had a lovely red Thai curry for tea and then Mo came round. (see next post for continuation). 

Spring Sounds...

Tokolosh at Soup Kitchen, Manchester

I got a text a few weeks ago from my dad's friend Phil, saying he had three tickets going begging to Liam Frost's new band Tokolosh playing at the Soup Kitchen. Always being up for hearing some new music (all the more so when it's free!) I asked my friend Abi if she fancied it, and we went along last night.

I'd never been to the venue before, but it was pretty cool, the ground floor is a cafe/ bar, and then when you go downstairs there's a sort of vault where bands play, and another bar. We got a drink and stood towards the back as the support played, who were an 'alternative folk' band called Hawker Reunion. They were nice and easy listening so it gave Abi and I a chance to catch up whilst hearing some pleasant background music.

Tokolosh came on at half nine, and to be honest I didn't really know what to expect. I had attempted to listen to some of their material but couldn't get hold of any online, so gave up in the end! They opened with their most recent single 'Tokohorse' which was bassier and more lively than I expected - I had heard some of Liam Frost's solo stuff and it is pretty chilled and acoustic so thought it would be similar. It had quite an electronic feel, using sound effects on a keyboard, and I enjoyed the sense of futurism it gave the music.

The band continued to play a good set that lasted about forty minutes, including songs that they introduced called 'Bloodlines', 'The Hollow' and my personal favourite 'Your Love' which had high pitched guitar in the background and a vibe that really made me want to dance!

 I'm really glad we chanced it and went along, as both Abi and I commented on how much we had enjoyed ourselves and how impressed we were at the quality of music. I'd also like to go to Soup Kitchen on a normal night to see what it is like when bands aren't playing, as it seemed like a really relaxed, welcoming place, and is open until 3am, a rarity in the Northern Quarter!

Candid Article 26

Bastille at Manchester Academy

See my latest article on the gig I went to last night, here:

http://candidonline.com/live-bastille/

Weekly Update!

Trof, Hale Country Club, Cake Gallery & Gastronomy - a week of eating!

This week has been a really good one, Aum was back at school so I relished having my days free again, and I found plenty to keep myself occupied. On Monday I went into Manchester for lunch with Mo at Trof, which was really nice. I had broccoli and feta soup with sourdough bread which was off the specials menu, and was tasty. It was also good to do something a bit different whilst Aum was at school, and broke the day up by having something to look forward to.

On Tuesday I did a gym workout and swim, and had tea at the country club. I had a sort of deconstructed sushi dish called Kabachi - it was a bowl of diced raw salmon with avocado, sugar snap peas and chilli in a lime and sesame dressing. As it was so low calorie I treated myself to a dessert called Paris Mess, basically a variation on Eton Mess. It had broken macaroons, toasted almonds, caramel, chantilly cream and apricots in it and was amazing!

Wednesday was payday finally, so I filled my car up with petrol, bought my Parklife ticket, and paid to enter the triathlon I am competing in, as well as paying off various debts - it is gradually disappearing already! That evening I went to see Reel Big Fish with Mo, Dom and Kirsty (see previous post). On Thursday I met Hannah and Abi at the Cake Gallery for a catch up, where I had a pecan pie that was delicious, and totally took me back to my childhood when we used to have it all the time. Afterwards I did a 40 minute bike ride in the cinema room at the gym whilst watching Interview with a Vampire, and then had a fairly quiet evening.

On Friday I did a Body Combat class again which was fun, and then was told that I wasn't needed to pick Aum up, so spent the afternoon catching up with some reading and blogging. Mo came round in the evening, and we had pork meatballs with vegetable risotto for tea, and then had a few drinks and chilled out. We went out for lunch at Gastronomy on Saturday, which was really nice, I had a ham and cheese panini with chips, and Mo got a chorizo and cheese omelette. The weather was gorgeous so we sat in the garden for a while when we got back soaking up the rays, and then I got a lift to the airport to catch a train to Northampton to visit Geoff and see Timna.

I started on the gin as soon as I arrived, which coupled with a lack of any tea meant that I got ridiculously drunk and only just made it out of the taxi into town before falling over, so it was decided we would go back home. At least it was a cheap night! Today I journeyed home feeling very tired and sorry for myself, and then Mo came round for a Sunday roast and to officially 'meet the parents' haha. It went well, but I am so tired I will be glad when I can just collapse into bed!