After a Thursday night drinking more than would be usual for a few sociable drinks, a more wholesome weekend was called for. I have a healthy Scottish presbyterian guilt that makes me need to pay for enjoying myself too much. This means getting up at 6.15am the morning after a night out and ensuring that wholesome activities follow any sessions. Since I have been married this guilt seems to be amplified somewhat.
On Friday night we went to the Stella Screen showing of Ocean's Eleven at the Waterfront. It was an enjoyable evening, very pleasant watching a film in a concert venue. David Holmes was djing at the after party, it's odd seeing someone with his roots firmly embedded in the grimy Belfast club scene performing at something as commercial as this. I haven't much knowledge of his career, but it seems like a huge jump from playing to a bunch of loons in the Art College to scoring Holywood blockbusters like Ocean's Eleven. Fair play to him, as they say in these parts.
Saturday was spent watching rugby, followed by one of the best fireworks displays I have ever seen. Bangor town hall was the venue, picture it, a cold winters night, below freezing. Fireworks display due to commence at 5.30pm according to the posters, quite a crowd has gathered for the event, 5.40pm arrives and there is still christmas music coming from the PA. The music is broken by a very well spoken North Down woman announcing that the festivities are about to commence.
"There will be 30 minutes of carol singing, and then the fireworks will begin".
Much to her dismay, the booing started from the gaggles of alco pop sodden teenagers, and a mass exodus of the crowd began, back to the comfort of their warm cars. I really wanted to help this dismayed North Down woman with her image of the perfect Christmas event, but I was damned if I was standing in a damp field for another 40 minutes.
I'm glad we came back for the fireworks, it was one of those displays choregraphed to a soundtrack, we had a collection of atmospheric music including the Snowman music, Chris De Burgh's a space man goes travelling and some more raucous Slade and the like. It was a beautifully still night, the fireworks all going exactly where they were supposed to, it was a superb display.
Sunday was wasted by me spending 4 hours trying to put up a light in the hall, the result is a functioning light but with the
'wee block that the wires go in' (technical term) sticking out the side of the fitting. The electrician arrives on Wednesday to finish the job. Why woman can't be happy with shades rather than a new ceiling light in every room. After 4 hours working above my head on a laddder, saturated in sweat, balancing a lantern light weighing about 1.5 kg, Rebecca says, "I suppose this is not a good time to tell you I ordered another light for the living room?"
"No Darling, this is an excellent time to let me know about that, I'm really looking forward to the challenge".
To top my wholesome weekend off, I met some friends in the pub last night and had 4 sparkling mineral waters with lime....rock and roll I tell you, live fast die young!!