A good weekend

Last weekend was very fun.

Friday
We (miss_amaranth and me) went to see the Christmas lights in Oxford with anarchist_nomad, uberredfraggle, pinkoi, amuletts, bunnypip and the 3 smallest Leverets.

Was very fun, even if I did miss the main parade. The castle was all Christmas-y, complete with Edward Snippy-Mitts effect snow machine, ice sculptures and a happy atmosphere. After a wander round (and a sit in the café for warmth and/or food) we went on the the Ashmolean. On the way we ended up all holding hands in one very long line, taking up most of the street, which was very fun to be a part of. Outside the museum, there was a band playing songs. The only one I recognised was YMCA but a couple of the numbers brought out the dancer in anarchist_nomad and uberredfraggle and the Leverets.

Afterwards we went around the museum, but bunnypip, the leverets and uberredfraggle had to leave due to either tiredness, work or horror at how old things in the museum were. The rest of us continued round the museum and got to see a bit of it before the place closed. It has been pencilled in for a future visit sometime in the new year.

After this it was off to the pub for warmth, drinks and conversation. It was nice to get to know pinkoi more.

The group then all went their separate ways, except for miss_amaranth, amuletts and myself who grabbed a taxi (after finding the buses stop before midnight) and spent the night at amuletts.

Saturday
After waking up at 11, me and miss_amaranth set off into Oxford to do some (emergency) dress shopping. miss_amaranth thankfully found a gorgeous little number for the ball so all was right with the world. A quick pub-breakfast at 'spoons and it was on to the station to grab the train to Newport, South Wales (or Gwent, depending on which machine you ask) in the company of uberredfraggle.

There was a brief moment of crappy-ness when I received a message of G that our plans for the 5^th had to be cancelled.

One long-ass train journey later and we were in Newport where the fabulous just_becky collected us and took us to her house for her 35^th. There we met all kinds of new and interesting people, including a long overdue reunion with the wonderful rosemary_sweet. The only LJ name I picked up was sweetcyanide but I'm sure there were more.

Good food, good drinks and excellent company. All you need for a wonderful party. just_becky's lovely speech added to the fabby-ness of the whole event.

Sunday
Another late start (and a breakfast of toffee and pecan ice-cream and Spongebob birthday cake) and it wasn't long until we were back on the train towards Oxford. We joined uberredfraggle at a Random Roast - a gothy get-together at a pub in Didcot for food. It was nice to meet new people and get some proper food down us at last.

We then ended up at someone's house which, although nicer than the train station, was probably not the best idea. Not knowing anyone and being far too late to the party meant that there was little conversation coming our way and not enough energy in either mine or miss_amaranth's reserves to force ourselves into the conversation. A bit like Whitby, I could see there was much enjoyment to be had but then was not the time.

There me and miss_amaranth had to go our own ways, as she had a party to get to in Winchester. Back in Oxford, I went to catch my bus back home only to encounter a new person. A fellow weekend traveller, it turns out he had been the fellow who had commented to me after I had smashed a wine bottle accidentally a few weeks ago. We got chatting and it turns out he lived with one of my work-mates and his landlord works below my flat. Sadly, his placement finishes in 3 weeks then he's leaving Eynsham, but it made nice company on the way home.

Monday
Now I'm at work, after nearly oversleeping and very happy about the weekend. It was very fun, not overly expensive and provided some great opportunities to reconnect with old friends and make some new ones.

bleh

G cancelled and doesn't know when she'll next be free. I am a very meh xmakina.