Whatever happened to the...

weekend and the spring like weather? I knew I should have had a longer lie in yesterday but Dusan was up early to go to work and had to work a double. How typical is that? I get a 3 day weekend and he has to work a double Friday, early Saturday, Late Sunday and a double Monday. They really do make them work hard when they are going away. He actually has another double (Standby) on Friday even though we asked for a day shift for him so we can get away.

Struggling to wake up this morning and its a deffinite 2 cup of coffee morning before I can jump in the shower. Have 2 days to prepare for my software launch and am due to have the actual training Database this morning. Well in theory anyway. Things are often delayed and rarely go as you plan.

Was one of those nights where I could lie on top of the duvet all night long. Since it clouded over the humidity has risen. Still it was nice and hot at the weekend. Hopefully will be nice again by the weekend!

Spring Sun and a Fabulous holiday weekend

After XXL on Saturday I perhaps should have stayed home on Sunday and done nothing, but I figured as Dusan was working and as I was sure Richard (Leather Queen) would be going made my way to Vauxhall and the Hoist for SBN. I was thinking that the hot weather would keep people at bay but far from it, instead it was heavingb. Had a good time, leaving around 730PM and then walked over the the grassy knole by the RVT to see if I knew anyone. Ironically the one person I did know was Denis from Cardiff who was down for the day. How crazy is that?

Meanwhile the sun was out and shinning and I think we made around 24 degrees most of the weekend. Its 1141PM now and I have the fan on full due to the heat! Maybe its just the flat thats warm but feels hot. Thank goodness a decent summer. Fingers crossed!

Bear Pride at XXL

As the song says if you go down to the woods today, you'd better not go alone, for every bear that ever there was todays the day the teddybears have their picnic. Well maybe they skipped the picnic but they certainly know how to throw a party. XXL was heaving, we could tell as we walked up and saw the size of the line. Thankfully with our membership cards we didnt have to wait too long. Once inside we soon found Marcus Chops, Neil & Nigel. Our party was set. We took a drink and made our way outside so tha the smokers could smoke. Thankfully it was timed well as not soon after live on stage , stars of Britains got talent, the Dream Bears. One couldnt help but feel they looked a little like dyffed from Little Brittain.

Then came some young gay MC who did some rapping,then someone else belted out a few songs before the Dream Bears finaly.

The show over we made our way inside to have a boogie. Walking under the arches are past so many men it was so touchy feely it felt like a help yourself service buffet and despite it only being a matter of feet it was exhausting work.

The night slowly unfolded until we found ourselves at close to four AM ready for a cab. Shirt sodden wet from perspiration we collected our coats and upon exit were given both a CD & an XXL Cockring as a gift. What a night! Happy Pride to you all.

Order, Order, Mayhem in Parliament

Has the past week or so been the worst in centuries for the British Government and the damage that the current shambles of MPS expenses that has been all over the papers for weeks.

Yesterday the houses speaker, Mr Martin, was forced to resign over the way that he handled everything and for the fact that he spent hundreds of thousands of pounds trying to protect the privacy of MPs prior to the freedom of information act.

Far rather than be happy that he is gone, at least we should be gratefull that his shown us all what greedy money grabbing people the lot of them are. Claims for moats, dog food, £3000 televisions, and its all been going on for years and years. AS the shambles unfolded it was clear that they would demand someones head. What I dont understand is how is what Mr Martin did any worse than Hazel Blears or Jacqui Smith. They all claimed, they all took advantage and all bent the rules. Further more, this is just about money, in my eyes the real criminal is Mr Brown himself. For breach of manifesto promises and for signing power over to Europe with the European Treaty. To me that is the unforgivable act. That and digging us into the biggest hole of debt this country has ever known.

Dont forget that he broke promises, dont forget that unemployment is greater than 3 Million people. Remember the lies and the claims. I ended the era of Boom and Bust. Prime Minister, look outside and smell the coffee, far from ending it you have presided over the worst recession in a century. Remember the lies, the debt, the sins and over claimants and do your bit for Britain. Britain needs YOU! Vote on June 4th in European Elections.

We will all get our day to vote in the next general election soon, but we need to prove our dissaproval in the only right we have left, voting! Dont waste yours.

Launch Day

Had to get up extra early this morning as today is the first day training my new team on the new systems. I have to go in and set the training room up, put all the excercises out, prep the room etc.

Not sure if I was restless or nervous as I was awake by 5AM. It didnt help that Dusan cant lie still for more than 10 seconds. I swear his so hyperactive, more so when his in bed. Lying on the matress it feels more like 10 kids jumping on a bouncy castle than the tranquilty of a bedroom. Its fine for him, he rolls over and is asleep in an instant, the boy who falls asleep in mid conversation. For me, once I am awake I am awake. Thats it. I cant get back to sleep. The only exemption is if I very quickly go to the bathroom and then it has to be kept dark. So 10 minutes of bouncing and I am wide awake which means I will suffer throughout the afternoon. Hey ho, what can you do?

Gibbos Housewarming/ Davids surprise Birthday lunch

Gibbo, my neighbour had invited us some weeks ago to his house warming having moved buildings within the complex. Moving all of 100 feet from one building to another.

His old flat had become a bit of a social haven with a huge roof terrace almost as big as my entire lounge. He also had the benefit of a second bedroom. How much more home you can afford when you are renting and not buying your home.

We made our way over around 730PM and having pressed the buzzer to gain access to the lobby pressed the the elevator button and rode up to the top floor. Arriving at his apparantment the door was ajar and we walked in down a long bright corridoor and into a large square Lounge. To the East there was a Terrace the entire length of the appartment and as we stepped out the view virtually took your breath. From Greenwhich Maritime Museum to Canary Wharf and then west to the Guerkin and the city of London. It was simply an amazing view. An amazing view we never existed in our very own complex. The weather was a little nippy in the wind so we headed home to grab a sweater each and both agreed that we should save more and try and aim to move to 2 bedroom roof terraced appartment. To wake up every morning and sit out in the sunshine and enjoy ones breakfast would make it so worth it. Well you have to dream of your future.

I insisted that Gibbo put Eurovision on. Its law. Sat and watched the performances. I have grown very fond of Eurovision on the years. Christine, my dear Disney friend from Norway and I both agreed that if either our countries won we would get tickets for the other to go to the live show the following year. Many thanks to Gibbo for another great night and to say how nice it was to see all the gaybours again. Not seen half of them since New Years Eve.

Sunday my college friend Tracey had arranged a surprise lunch for David in a pub near Gatwick. David was so surprised to see everyone and said I was the biggest surprise of all. Some things are worth making an effort for. We all enjoyed lunch in the pub and a bit of a catch up before heading back to London. It turned out that it was the London to Brighton Mini ralley and the roads back from Brighton were heaving with Mini's. Took twice as long to get home as it did there.

I should have known better than to watch Texas Chainsaw Masacre on tv in the evening. By the time it finished I was far from tired. Maybe I had slept enough but I was a definite insomniac last night. Today will be a long day. Why can you never find your security pass on a Monday morning?

Canaval at Carnaby Street

I am registered with Carnaby Streets newsletter which means I receive emails whenever there is something going on in one of Londons most fashionable Streets. Carnaby Street has changed rapidly over the years. From being a fashion hot spot in the 1960's to a junk filled mish mash in the 1980's, it seems prosperity and fashion have returned once more with designer labels once more resident up and down the street. Unlike upmarket Bond Street where the shops are Versace, Armani and the like, Carnaby Street is far more for the every day wear with shops including Energie, Merc, Ben Sherman, Relay, Levi as well as dozens of boutique style establishments.

Twice a year they throw a carnival style party in the street with those that receive the newsletter offered a 20% discount on the entire street (subject to ommissions). 20% is huge, especially in this time of economic slowdown. In addition to the discount many stores offered free drinks. So I met Dusan and we kicked off in Relay with a complimentary glass of Champagne while we looked at some fabulous swimwear that potentially was a little pricey but take off the discount and voila, you have yourself a bargin. Don't you just love a bargin? With the first bags on our arms we headed to Energie and enjoyed a Bottle of Budweiser, again complementary. I sometimes wonder why shops dont offer you a drink more often. You spend far longer in the store when you have something to drink and the longer you are in the store, the more you are likely to spend. Eyed up several lovely tops and some potential flip flops.

From here it was over to Gala where their new summer collection of trainers took my eye. We wandered up some of the side streets and then over to Kingley Court to the Made in Brazil Store. A specialist boutique selling clothes with a distint Rio feel. The lovely servers offered us another glass of Champagne while we browsed and tried some things on and then a nice tropical fruit shot. Finally we ended up back in Energie to purchase the items we had been browseing. Leaving shortly before nine laiden with bags, it was one of those evenings where you just leave on a high having purchased loads of lovely things. Well in the words of Patsie Stone, "You can never have too many Hats, Clothes or Handbags". Besides, how many times do you go out shopping but can never find something that either fits or you like?

Looking forward to the next night they hold and wondering what we will do when all of the 2 for 1 vouchers dissapear. Since January it seems ever restaurant you go to has offered for for the price of one. Does anyone still pay retail?

MPs Scandal but what can you do?

The huge sleaze scandal this week of MPs and their second home allowances has proved the one thing we have all suspected forever. That they are all corrupt. How can a system where they themselves vote for their own pay rises. Where they get a say on additional costs or changes to the existing system over their own incomes and expenditures.

Dozens of MPs have been caught with their hand in the till, with claims for everything from clearing a moat to manure. Todays news that an MP had claimed £16,000 in interest payments on a second home mortgage that he had already paid off. Another MP who swapped which of her homes was the second home to avoid thousands of pounds in tax. Its up and down the country in every party. They all contented that they have done nothing wrong and that everything was within the rules. Clearly this is not the case when it comes to claiming for a mortgage that has been paid off. Let alone claiming just two weeks ago. Swapping your stated second home to avoid paying capital gains tax was apparantly within the rules? Surely HM Customs and Revenue should be on all of their backs for avoidance of tax. With the chancellors coffers deeply in the red and these fat cats avoiding taxes while furnishing second homes and living it up in luxury all at the tax payers expense is clearly wrong.

Imagine as I complete my end of year tax return if I fabricated the claims in my favour. Avoiding tax is illegal and I would face prosecution. Meanwhile the fat cats sit in their many homes and continue to milk the system.

What can you do? There are many solutions to this mess but none that will come freely considering that the people who would need to approve it are the accused. It would be like making the criminal the judge. The entire second home system is a complete joke. Why should they have a second home bought by the tax payer? We have thousands of council houses in London, many of which are standing empty. Make them live in a council flat and use the public transport network. Perhaps then the transport system might get improved. They may realise how really vile taking a cramped tube stuffed full of people and germs is instead of being driven by their chauffeur.

Of course they will never put them in a council flat or force them to take the tube. But there is something we can all do. Register, vote and remove them from post. As they take away more and more rights and Liberties its about the only thing we the people have left. Register your right to vote at www.aboutmyvote.co.uk

Polari - The Gay Divorcee, Stag Night

If ever there was a book that was about my life it is Shameless by Paul Burston. Well until I at least finish my own first novel. The story of Martin a young twenty something man who after a break from a long term relationship ends up rediscovering London and the many wonders and shocks that it beholds. We learn about his adventures, experience, sex life and friends. Paul crosses fiction with a place we all know and love and does it with such a flair that you cant help but read page after page. Personally I have bought 16 copies after the lovely Ade and John from Bristol have me my first copy around 2002. I have subsequently bought 16 copies which I keep on my shelf ready to give to a friend who I know will enjoy it. Paul Burston, Shameless. My faveourite book of all time. I wonder if you will be able to tell who I believe I am most like in it?

Paul is not only the gay novelist of the moment but also hosts an event once a month called Polari. Polari is the official name of the gay language. Yes there is a language. I believe it routes back from the days pre legalisation of homosexuality. Polari night is usually held at the Freedom Bar in Soho. A reading is offered by Paul or another author and today was no exception. The event was advertised as the Stag Night. To work with the theme of his latest book out now entitle "The Gay Divorcee". The venue, The Ghetto, Old Street, a kind of metrosexual place on Old Street. Mark (Leather Queen) and I arranged to go and met at Old Street just after 1815 and taking the short stroll there. Up the stairs and into the bar an explosion of decor and so tacktastic that even Hollyoaks would be struggling to keep up. The wallpaper was silver with red and gold Phoenix printed upon it as though they were leaping from the flames. Throne style chairs, 1980s music in keeping with the genre from many of Pauls books.

The several tables scattered with chairs that lay around the bar were covered in Dear Antlers, Devil Horns, face masks and bubbles, helping set the Stag Night theme. Free nibbles and cocktail shots were provided and the Poet Trevor Medicine kicked off the first reading with a very touching personal poem which he read topless. Mmmm. He was a fit sexy young man. Who wouldnt enjoy watching that?

Meanwhile, we were asked to move to a table closer to the microphone to make for more of an intimate occasion. We gracefully collected our drinks and the gentleman who moved us helped carry our jackets. He was a very colourful chap. Dressed in very bright trousers, a tight top and wore both his trousers and underwear approximately 2 inches below the spotanyone would consider decency. So low that you could clearly see the top thatch of his pubic region peering above his trouser waist. Enough however to keep you looking over in a sporadic fashion.

Sat at our new table adjacent to the microphone Mark and I settled in and caught up and decided that the antlers and horns that were on the table were too good to resist. Wearing them as we continued chatting. Meanwhile Paul was standing just a foot away from me and considering that I have been chatting to him for some six months or so on Facebook said hello. This lead to his publisist saying hello and joining us for the evening.

Paul did a 10 minute reading from Gay Divorcee which was enough to capture your inquisitive side. You know what they say, Curiosity killed the Cat. Thankfully I have started the Gay Divorcee already and the reading was a nice treat. To meet your faveourite author doesnt happen every day.

Paul kindly signed my book and we stayed for a final drink before heading home.

Sometimes I amazed how you meet people so randomly and things turn out as though planned. I have friends I have met through online dating, friends I have met on courses, at work, in a line to see a theatre performance and others I have met from writing a simple thank you letter or email. A simple act that was meant to say thank you. Mother always said, be sure of your P's and Q's. But that email, that bumping into someone at the theatre, that occasion where I went out on a school night to see an act I really love and met someone who happened to become a life long friend and a lifechanger. You all know who you are. Thank you, God bless and if you enjoy a great read, go pick up Paul Burston's Gay Divorcee, Star People, Lovers and Losers and of course my most faveourite novel of all time, Shameless. Promise you will love it.

Ascot & Karaokee

Saturday morning I joined Richard (leather queen) to go spend a day at the races in Ascot. Unlike when I had been Horse racing before we were told we had to dress formally. Gentlemen should wear both a Jacket and Tie. The ladies were all dressed in beautifull dresses and either hats or hair pieces.

We arrived at Waterloo at 11:00AM and you could tell that there were either a lot of people off to Ascot or there weree an incredibly large number of Weddnings occuring that day. We grabbed some food, bought our tickets and found our way to the Train. It was heaving. We walked up the platform with litterally hundreds of people. By the time the train pulled out of the station there was not a single seat available. As it pulled into Clapham Junction you could tell it would be a squash by the sheer number of people on the platform waiting to board. We all pushed down and got friendly on the train, but it does proove that the train companies are utterly useless. They know events are occurring on this date and yet they dont even extend the train lengths to accommodate the extra people. Tell me this. How does it make sense to have a single company opporating the service on a certain route. How is that competition? Surely that leaves them as the fat cat with all the power and the people with no choice. They charge the earth, offer poor service and not enough facilities to acccommodate the number of passengers. It kinf of typifies all that is wrong about Britain. Corrupt systems that are innefficient and overly expensive.

As we poured out of the train at Ascot we made our way to the racecourse and started with a picnic and some Champagne that several people had bought with them. I didnt think they would allow you to take food or drink in.

We then moved to the Premier Enclosure where an usher quickly pointed out that while we had Premier enclosure tickets and could put down our blanket on the grass you were not allowed to picnic in the Premier section. Clearly posh people are too upmarket to bring their own food. Instead we went inside and wacthed the races from the raised seating area and our section on the fourth floor with great views of the finish line. All in all, I won 2 races and left even on the day (Lucky Bitches).

Made our way back to the station and stopped for a drink at the Station Tavern. Then took a train back to Waterloo. It was one of those days where the train constantly stopped and just sat on the track without any notification as to why. It seemed to take forever to get back to the city. As the train pulled into Ascot and we all boarded it was clear there were way more poeple than there would be seats. The prospect of standing for an hour not something anyone was relishing. As we boarded the section immediately in front of us was the First Class Carriage. Using the old rule that someone said was legal we followed the fact that you are allowed to sit in First if there are no seats in standard class. We sat the whole way home.

In the evening I met Dusan at Waterloo and made our way to Tooting for dinner at Emily & Colins. The lovely best girl Gill was there too with her friend Sarah and we all enjoyed Champagne and a stew for dinner followed by Karaokee in the lounge. I swear the Karaokee machine made me sound far worse than I usually do.

We took a taxi home to enjoy a pleasant journey rather than face the public transport network at close to midnight.

Sunday lunchtime I made my way to Soho for a drink and catch up with Kenton whom I have not seen in months. We met in the Duke of Welly for a drink then onto Balans for lunch. All in all a friend filled fun weekend and felt like the official kick off event of the summer.

Economic downturn

Will the recession ever end? Is it just me or does it seem to have dragged on and on. It seems forever that they started to talk about the credit crunch and the lack of financing in the economy so it does make me kind of mad when I hear that the Government is saying "We didnt see it coming". How can they have not seen that a mountain of debt would one day need repaying? As my friend called him the other day "Calamity Brown" seems to be a bit like a runaway train, out of control and spending as though there is no tomorrow, even though their coffers are empty. I understand that tax receipts are dropping due to less people working but even the more reason to cut back on borrowing and pay off the existing debt instead of spending like an addict with a problem.

There were more job cuts at work on Tuesday which came out of the blue. Suddenly hearing that a department is no more was a bit of a shock and made us all realise that you just dont know where the next cuts will be. Will they continue to lay off people until there is just a shadow of a former headcount.

Its a shorter week thanks to the Bank Holiday weekend but feels like this week has draged already but with a weekend bonanza of Ascot races and dinner at Miss Mews I have reason to look forward. Good luck with the new job hunt to my dear colleagues.

The Long Weekend

Saturday woke up fairly early considering it was a weekend and after some coffee we got dressed and made our way to the Grand Design Show live at London's Excel. I had plans to do several things this weekend but the fear of Swine Flu made the whole idea of mixing unnecessarily with masses of people a bit daunting and Dusan didnt seem really fussed to go out. I think the fact that we had bought alcohol helped. We both decided that in order to protect against flu, innoculating with shots of tequilla would help. Well it seemed to work for us and the masses of Facebook seemed to like the idea to.

Sunday we started to paint the bathroom. Sick of the dark colour we thought would look nice we went for an eggshell blue which has really bough the room to life and it looks much bigger and fresher.

Yesterday we went to see Mark & Richard (Leather Queens) and went to the Hope & Anchor pub for some luncheon over in Surrey Quays. Had a lovely Lamb Shank which was a nice change as I am not allowed to eat Lamb at home. Dusan doesnt like the smell or taste of it (Mad eh?).

Waking up this morning I cant find half the things I need for work, including my staff pass. Oh well. It will be a long enough week with tons to learn and prepare in materials for the new software I am learning and have to start to teach in just under 2 weeks. Quite an effort no matter how you look at it.

The countdown till our holiday has begun. Oh for 2 weeks away. Bliss.

Finally Saturday the postman bought my copy of Paul Burston's new book, the Gay Divorcee. Its a follow up to the classic shameless. Only just started it but looking forward to a good read.

Linh Tran

Linh Tran was my training manager when I first started at Dendrite. She taught me so much about how to train and its much thank to her that I have the slick product that I do today.

A lovely lady, Linh and I first met when they were casting for trainers for a huge roll out for Astra Zeneca. We all worked together living for a summer at the Marriott Hotel in Waltham Abbey, training all of the sales Reps over a ten week period.


Linh left the UK in 2002 and moved to San Francicso and we lost contact for a while. But then thanks to email and more recently Facebook, we had started to speak once more when Linh announced that as part of her relocation from Singapore back to San Francisco, she was going to be in London for 24 hours.

We met at lunchtime yesterday and went to a restaurant for a catchup. She hasn't aged a bit. He beautiful 4 month old baby, Phoenix was an Angel and it was so lovely to have a few hours to catch up with a friend whom has actually been a mentor. She taught me so much on that contract and kind of ironically, led me to my husband. For after she left we went on to train the representatives in the regions and went down to Brighton for a weeks training where I happened to bump into Dusan. Funny how things turn out isn't it? Travel safe Linh and I hope to see you again soon.