Barmy Blue's Bland Blog

Okay. So maybe I was worried about nothing. Everything was actually pretty good, despite the fact that I was almost deafened, we turned up an hour late, a guy collapsed and an ambulance had to be called, which took an hour to arrive and I lost a pen, found it again and decided best to leave it behind.

So. I overslept of course. When I got up I put the plant on my windowsill again. We had wrapping to do but I went around with my knife and carefully cut the prices off of the tags first (it just seems kind of rude to leave the price on). Unfortunately the white shirt with an already irremovable stain on the sleeve was on my desk at the time and got lightly stained further, it should wash off well though.

I wrapped the smaller presents while mum took Yuki for a super long walk to tire her out, since I wouldn't be back in time to do my usual walk. I wasted quite a bit of time with tissue paper. You see mum thought we should put the little things together in a box. A small dog food box was the perfect fit (it'll also serve as a little joke since my cousin has 7 small dogs) but there was extra space and she wanted to pad it out. Now I thought this was perfect because I have off cuts from my tissue paper flowers to use up and there are 10 different colours; red, orange, yellow, light green, dark green, light blue, dark blue, purple, black and pink. Unfortunately I'd only made five the night before and had five more to do and I couldn't use the off cuts until I'd cut them out. Also mum couldn't find out what I was doing.

I did them during Yuki's walk. It would've taken too much time to fully make the flowers so I put them to one side once I'd got the off cuts. I filled out the box and it looked like a lucky dip so I wrote a little note saying this started looking like a lucky dip so it's now a birthday treasure hunt/lucky dip with 4 items to find. I put that in just because I was worried that, as he doesn't know what's in there he might overlook one of the smaller things. If he knows there's 4 then he won't miss one.

So I took longer to wrap everything up than I should have but mum was still walking the dog so it was fine. I started getting ready when she came back.

Now, no dress code was listed but we assumed people would be dressed up but I was very uncomfortable with that. Unless it's clearly stated that I have to do it I'd rather not. You know how I was going on about being uncomfortable in a room of strangers yesterday? Well I figured I'd be more relaxed if I was wearing comfortable clothing. I decided to fully make up my eyes though. Big mistake.

It takes me forever to put my eyeliner on because it goes on too thickly (it's a liquid one) and smears so I spend a lot of time trying to neaten it up. And it goes in my eyes sometimes which really worries me. I think it'll get round the back of my eye and damage the optic nerve. For once both eyes looked good when I put on my mascara (usually one side will come out perfect and the other will look a little messed up, it's just because eyelashes are hairs and are forever growing and shedding in different places at different times). Then I put on my eye shadow. I must admit, the whole package makes for some quite striking eyes. My glasses detract from that a little but it's fine. Of course because I spent so much time on it all we were later still.

I curled my hair last night because at Christmas I thought it looked better the day after I'd curled it. Probably not a wise thing to do before going to bed though, they flattened out quite a bit and just left a couple of waves at the ends. Would've been easier if I'd just left it straight.

I wore my black jeans, braces (they make for a neater waist since my belt bulges in the middle and makes me look lumpy) a white long sleeved t-shirt and my new Tokyo Toys t-shirt of Coco cosplaying as Ichigo from Bleach. In hindsight not the best choice for a party. Unless you get what it's supposed to be it kind of looks like a psychotic little monkey with a sword. I thought of wearing my waistcoat from graduation with it to try and look more formal but it looked pretty stupid.

I wore my ear cuffs (I put stars on my nails yesterday to match the star cuff, nobody noticed but I don't blame them). I took my One Piece messenger bag that I always take to the family gatherings. It was good for holding the presents and a few supplies I thought I'd need; blank notebook and pen, bottle of water, small snack of pocky, phone, family notebook and pen (In case I found the right time to interview the family members I didn't get at Christmas. There wasn't a right time but that's okay) and some other things I usually carry.

So. We left at about the time that the party was supposed to start and the sat nav didn't like the postcode we tried to use so we had to find a way of putting in the address. I'm thinking that postcode didn't exist when the sat nav was programmed and we can't seem to update it. Mum wanted me to call someone but I refused. I wasn't going to be the one to tell them we'd only just left. She actually wanted to call to check the postcode or the address but I put my faith in the way I'd programmed the sat nav. I thought it wouldn't be wise to disturb anyone unless we were actually lost.

So. We were late. Unsure we were going in the right direction. I was starting to get hungry because I hadn't eaten since breakfast, what with getting everything ready and all and I also felt the need to pee again (you know how you feel you need to pee more if you sit down for too long, especially in a car, I was fine once I got out though). I spent the time eyeing up passing fast food outlets to drop into along the way in case we didn't make it to our destination.

Mercifully, I'd programmed the directions right and we found the venue with little fuss, once we'd actually got up there. Mum seemed to take forever to park and I was anxious not to be any later. It was quite chilly and I'd only brought my thin hoodie and scarf because they'd easily fit in my bag when we were inside.

We shuffled inside and were a little confused. Should we ask where to go at reception to our right? But sounds of a party were coming from our left. But how could we be sure it was the right party? We started to follow the sign for the room listed on the invitation and saw one of my second cousins at the door. That was the place then.

The music was so loud no one could hear themselves talking and it was quite dark, something of a club styled thing. We were offered shots at the door. I declined because, as you know, I hate alcohol. We found a few more famliy members and were shown over to the corner where the family were. The room was packed with strangers and most of the family were in the corner.

We said our hellos. I greeted my cousin who was pleased to see us. He also thanked me for the card I'd made him, seems he really liked it. To make things even better my other uncle was there (the husband of my dead aunt) I was so pleased to see him. I haven't seen him since the funeral. His girls and their family's hadn't come and the children weren't there (we thought they might have been until we actually got there, there's no way the children could handle that noise and the place was pretty packed). However, he'd made the 3 hour journey to be there and I was just so pleased, even though I could barely hear a word he said and we had to shout in each other's ears. If I'd known it would be so loud I'd have worn earplugs.

No seriously I would. I've been getting worried about my ears ringing when I go to bed normally and it was so loud I worried they'd really be suffering.

Mum got me to show my uncle some of the pictures of the dog on my phone, he showed us his dog on his phone and while we did that my other uncle (the one I usually see who annoys me on the phone) got out his phone to show us a picture of his cat. I guess he didn't want to be left out of the phone pet sharing.

I thought of writing things in a notebook so I didn't have to shout but I thought it would seem rude. I tried it with mum and she couldn't read it so I made the writing bigger and started writing responses. Then I wrote some standard responses such as Hello, No Thanks (they were offering to get me a drink at the bar, I didn't want one), good and I know. Those were all on one page and O covered whatever ones I didn't want to say with my hands. I also did a happy and sad face and an explanation of why I was standing right at the very back, I don't do well in crowds. I also did How's things and when my cousin came over to chat (since it was his party he had to work the room) I did a full page happy birthday (even though his birthday was on Tuesday). People seemed amused by my means of communication and I couldn't write every response so I had to shout some responses but it did make communication easier. I really didn't like the shouting because some people inadvertently spray spit when they shout and they had to do it right in your ear, quite uncomfortable.

We met my other cousin's boyfriend. He's a fireman she met through online dating. He seemed like a pretty good guy. At one point she was taking requests for drinks (it was a free bar but it was a small one in the room and there was quite a queue for it, glad I stuck with my bottle of water all night) and she couldn't communicate what drinks she wanted him to go and get so I gave her my notepad and pen to write it down.

About an hour after we arrived (which was already an hour late) the buffet arrived. It seemed a little late since people had been drinking for 2 hours it seemed. Initially I refused to leave my safe spot at the back but when mum headed to the buffet I followed her. It was quite a squeeze and I think it was during that time that I lost my pen. I kept the pen and pad in my pocket for quick responses.

The buffet was quite nice and I scurried back to my spot with some food. It was during that time that I started dancing like I do at home and got mum to join me against the wall (I just keep my feet planted and sort of sway my hips from side to side. If I start feeling brave I add in an arm movement or two but the feet stay in place. It's pretty basic but works with pretty much any music).

After that my cousin got up to make a speech. I was quite annoyed because they called for silence, turned off the music but some people wouldn't stop talking. It was so rude. He thanked his family for coming from North London (that's us) and gave a shout out for my dead aunt and thanked my widowed uncle for coming from Gloucestershire and another shout out to a dead friend. It was very nice. I couldn't actually see him because there were balloons in the way but it was okay.

Then people started talking again even though silence was called for again because his daughter (Chi and Usa's mother) was going to sing Happy Birthday for him as he blew out the candles on the cake (I could barely see this but I know what the scenes usually look like) but people still wouldn't shut up so I could only hear half of her singing, sounded nice though, what I heard of it.

Oh, I forgot to mention that my other cousin and her boyfriend are back from Australia now and were also there. Also we put the gifts on a table with some others. I shot a little video on my phone of my cousin's dancing and showed it to them later. A tsome point, I forget quite when, my cousin's wife came around with party favours. It's a mini bottle of cranberry vodka, a 1963 sixpence (I thought it was a novelty 5p until I was able to properly read the date. They didn't have a 5p in 1963) and a little chocolate with my cousin's picture on the wrapper, all in a cute little bag.

Shortly after the speech my other uncle left to make the 3 hour drive back to Gloucestershire and sometime after that we were all ushered out of the room because someone had collapsed. Turns out it was the uncle of my cousin's wife. Now the staff cut the music, turned on the lights and were asking people to calmly and quietly leave the room and people just would not budge. The guy who'd collapsed was surrounded by people who thought they were helping. He was an older guy and they were most likely close family or friends but still, when someone collapses every idiot knows to give them space to breathe. I guess you just react differently when it's someone you care about.

We all stood around outside. My uncle had grabbed a buffet sausage and my other cousin had grabbed himself a sandwich on the way out. It was at that time that my cousin's daughter noticed me and greeted me with warm surprise. She'd been at the front of the room mostly while I'd huddled up at the back so it's no surprise she hadn't seen me. She introduced us to her boyfriend. I must admit he wasn't what I'd expected, but then again how can you build an image of someone based on little snippets of conversation?

Paramedics when in and the outside bar was now open to the guests. We were ushered further down to make room. I later concluded it was for the gurney. My mum, myself, my aunt, my other cousin and my other cousin's boyfriend's mother ended up sat around a table and my other cousin and her boyfriend later joined us with espressos because they were losing the party energy. Out of boredom I opened up my box of pocky and at first no one accepted my offer of having some until my cousin had joined us, I knew he'd eat some, we're usually the ones who pick at the leftover food when everyone else is done with it.

I got the chance to ask him how his hospital was doing (he's a porter) with the NHS cuts and hospital closures. I meant to ask him that at Christmas but forgot. He said his hospital was fine for now. I asked if anyone wanted to play old maid since I always keep a small deck of cards in that bag for just such an occasion, no one was interested. Well it was getting on for midnight after all.
My uncle and his wife left around this point, they are quite old now after all.
We also discussed meeting up for Easter again this year and my cousin asked if I'd make anything for Easter, since they liked the Christmas cookies. I said we'd have to see but that I had bought an Easter egg mould on a whim. They're thinking of Easter Monday but I don't think that'll work because according to my diary it's on April 1st and that's my cousin's wife's birthday. We'll see how it goes.

Over an hour after we'd been ushered out of the room and ambulance finally arrived to take the old fellow to hospital. He had revived but they were taking him in for observation just to be safe. The paramedics who'd attended him came by car ambulance but the actual ambulance to take him to hospital was what took so long.

The guy was wheeled out and met with cheers, from the people who know him I guess. Then we were allowed back inside. It was quite nice by that time because some people had gone home and others were finishing up at the other bar so the room was surprisingly emptier than before. I had a look for my pen on the floor but couldn't find it. I decided that I didn't really want it back if it had been on the floor with all those people's feet around it and possibly picked up and handled by various hands. It was an old pen anyway. It's been buried in that bag for a couple of years.

I took the same spot at the back and enjoyed the atmosphere. I started filming any impromptu dancing I could get on my phone. No real reason but I'd like to cut and paste the good bits. It's quite bad quality though and it is mostly from a distance so you can't really tell who anyone is unless you know that they were wearing. I can't actually transfer video from my phone to my computer anyway so it more of a memento really, I was trying to capture the atmosphere.

I collected up some of the cute table decorations as further mementos. There were irregularly cut blue plastic gems and here and there another 1963 sixpence. i respectfully didn't take the coin, leaving it for anyone who didn't get a party favour, but collected up a pocket full of the plastic gems.

I shot quite a few videos of my cousin's (and partners where applicable) dancing, and a bit of mum too and to show that it wasn't all one sided I got mum to video me doing my dance too. It's looks kind of childish but somehow kind of cool too, at least I think so. I let slip to my cousin that I have a blog when I was talking about her travel blog from Australia. However I didn't tell her where it was because with the things I write and the stuff I complain about it's best that I remain anonymous.

Eventually we left at gone 1am. We said bye to everyone and came home. Yuki was so happy to see us she was whining like crazy. Once I was home and it was quiet my ears were ringing quite badly.

Now. I've finished making the flowers after mum went to bed but I've been typing this up for about an hour or so and it's about 7:40am right now so I'll have to wrap it up fast and sort out the rest of my Mother's Day things.

All in all. Was it a good day? Yes. Very. Was it fun? Surprisingly yes. Am I glad I went? Certainly. Do I feel silly for all that whining yesterday? You bet.

So. That's all for now. I've probably forgotten some things but if so I'll put them in later.

Sleepy Bluebiird out.