Oh boy please excuse the WHINING in the last journal entry.... jeez I annoy meself sometimes! I'ts kinda meant to sound funny but I think that one missed.

Anyhow as you've gathered from the photos the new narin boy is home and safe, and the usual 'Sues Doll Setbacks' happened over picking him up 'signed for' he was meant to be - left in the neighbours house he actually was - took me five minutes of HAMMERING on the door over the full volume 'hey lets share this with most of Bedfordshire' music, finally get a worried 'aargh k' give me one sec' holler from the depths of 'club-bedfordshire' and someone who is obviously either expecting an irate neighbour or the police regarding the music pokes his head round the door, spies me says 'oh you've come for the box' and thankfully hands it out - obviously dying to ask whats in the thing. No chance laddie! I mentally work out if I have 'wierd doll person' tattood on my forehead but thankfully there was nothing incriminating on there bar the well placed 'fragile' notices. For the uninitiated into UK postal systems 'fragile' generally means they will only drop kick the box the once during the journey as opposed to using the thing for the full 'Mid Nowheresbury All Comers UKparcelservice team five-a-side' ie just the one dent that you could SWEAR is the shape of a boot toe.....

I digress. He's here and he's safe and frankly the neighbour could play gangsta music till dawn if he wants so long as he lets me have that box!

Monday we're off on holiday (me and the partner not me and the narin lol) camping - now this is going to be either fantastic or a disaster. Partners only camping experience was with the old skool guides, their idea of camping was 'wear the little sods out by making them carry their super heavy canvas tent and full <insert name for group of guides here> cooking supplies up a vertical mountain, and then make sure you pick the wettest weekend in UK history so coming down ain't much fun either'

I've spent YEARS trying to persuade her to come camping, I love it, but then I'm a recent convert and we tend to be OTT in enthusiasm' 'but it's FUN' says I 'only if it's not raining' mutters Fran darkly 'but we have AIRBEDS says I 'only if they don't develop a hole in the night' mutters fran darkly... it went on. The thing that swung it was we normally youth hostel it (and don't get me started on Youth Hostel stalwarts - gotta love the whole concept but some of them.....well lets just say that two slightly overweight people arriving - by car - tend to get sideways looks from the super healthy hikin'campin'bikin' types who heat up their meal at warp speed in multi armed 'shivaesque' style, departing the hostel kitchen in five seconds flat and giving the wide eyed new hosteller an encouraging nod as she searches for the tin opener with all the poise of a baby wombat, or something.

Anyway, we're taking the dogs with us, two very large greyhound types, all cold noses and veeeerry long tails, also long legs for tripping over the guy ropes - they'll learn, in fact they'll probably sit and watch me with *that* hound look when I fall over the guy ropes - the one that so obviously says that you would be such a menace to society if they weren't around to watch your back and pull you away from the more dangerous things in life, such as vets. Needless to say my total enthusiasm is only matched by my total klutzness, the lovely lady who took the booking (today - for arrival monday) smiled tolerantly down the phone while I tried to explain to her that our new tent was probably a four man, or even a six...possibly, and that we'd not set the thing up yet but we were sure we'd be fine... and said 'that's fine dear, we're always happy for a bit of free entertainment here'

I suggested she sell tickets.

Anyone reading this in the UK might want to lay in a supply of nice warming drinks and books because I can guarentee you it'll probably rain like billyo and reinforce Fran's long held opinion that camping is for those who haven't learned better yet!