We're off to Bonza baby!

Whenever I think about Bonanza I just hear this little voice in my head in this Antipodean accent calling it 'Bonza'. Or perhaps it's an Austin Powers voice? Or perhaps I should be more concerned about the little voices in my head...? LOL

Anyway...Susie-Woo (from the Scrappers Unlimited team) and I are heading up to the NEC on Friday morning till Saturday evening, gorging ourselves on classes a-plenty. I taught/class assisted there last year which was great fun in some ways and a complete pain in others (in more ways than one...Amber's and my feet were completely crippled by the end of the two days, I kid you not). So this year I can do what I want - mwaaa mwaaa mwaaaahaaahaaa-haaaaaaaaaaaaa! I'm really looking forward to all the classes we're taking (6, but one is a two hour class) and also seeing lots of lovely people, and poking about the shops.

So. Must. Get. Organised. (cos I know what I'm like and I do NOT want to be stressing over packing stuff at 11.30pm on Thursday night or - heaven forbid - the crack of dawn Friday morning).

My weekend in Reading was fab fun (although tiring). The journey there, however, was not. It consisted of leaving a couple of hours later than I intended (just because) and then, on driving out of my road, suddenly realising that I hadn't taxed the car ("crap, crap, crap"). Turned the car round (Celyn: "Ooooo NOOOO..where are we GOING???? Why are we going HOOOOOOME?? We're going to ZOOOEEEEE's house Mummy!!!" cry cry). Find the registration document, find the insurance certificate, cannot find the MOT. Not for George Clooney nor tuppence ha'penny ("crap, crap, crap"). So drive to the garage, pay for another MOT certificate (£10 rip-off-arama), drive to the Post Office, buy new tax disc, drive Danny home (who'd come with me to keep me company cos I was in a temper!) and leave again, later than ever.

(Please keep in mind that I had now been back to my house twice.)

Drive, drive, drive. 20 minutes down the M4 I glance (as you do) in the rear view mirror and see that there's a BEE in the car. A piggin' bee (or should be "a buzzin' bee"?) Anyway...pull off motorway, find a layby, open boot and doors, free bee (and escape being stung or swerving into something that I should not be swerving into when bee hypothetically flies into my face whilst driving). However, this exit on the motorway is not one you can get back on the motorway at, unless you want to go BACK to Swansea that is. Hence, enjoy scenic (not) route through Port Talbot to the next junction.

Back on motorway, drive, drive, drive. Reach Cardiff and suddenly have a little panic. Well, I say "little" (she says, giggling in a VERY SARCASTIC MANNER), when what I really mean is "a stomach churning, crap-on-a-stick panic". Did I put the 3 scrapbook albums in the car to show people at the crop, one of which has the layout for tonight in it? Ring home. Indeed, they are sat on the coffee table in the living room and I have no class layout with me. CRAP, CRAP, CRAP (please, again, bear in mind that I went BACK to my house TWICE after initially leaving and still did not spot this schoolgirl error!!! RRRRAAAAAH!!!)

Then I nearly (but didn't) go into the back of a load of traffic on the motorway because it suddenly all stopped without warning.

And when I finally arrived in Reading, it was 4.30pm and I had to ignore my friend more or less while I completely remade my layout and Celyn played with her daughter and son.

BUT the crop itself was great...there were loads of people there, and I got to hang out with some people I've known since Noah was a boy but haven't seen for an age. I also popped my head into the Scrap Cafe's crop on Saturday morning which was cool cos I then saw a few people I knew from Scrappers Unlimited's Newbury retreat or the previous seminar we taught there. And best of all Celyn was as happy as a pig in muck, playing with her friends up there, and I got to hang out with my friends too. It's all good.

So...off to the car sales places today to look at part-exchanging our car for a newer one. Retail therapy on a grand scale.

And it's Desperate Housewives Wednesday.

And it's gloriously sunny again (after a few days of cloudy greyness).

It's all good.

By the way, if you're going to Bonza baby, then look out for Sue and me, as anyone who comes up and says hi and introduces themselves, we're giving a little Scrappers Unlimited goodie bag to.

*mental note...make goodie bags!!!*