This is going to be a very short and concise trip report. I would (and could) go on for pages, but I won't, because I am too lazy know your time is precious.

The graduation ceremony was all one could expect from a graduation ceremony, except this one was mine. I got quite emotional in the middle of it, with all the lovely organ music and everything, but quickly snapped out of it as I started to ponder what I will look like on the pictures. As expected, I look - shall we say - interesting.

After the ceremony I searched for my two guests for about half an hour in pouring rain. Needless to say, they were sitting inside, waiting for me.  As I finally located them, I tried to be mad at them, but failed miserably, as they have prepared two packets of Maltesers for their newly graduated wife/mother. Oooooooh.... can't help but love them. Mr. B and Master J that is, not Maltesers. Even though I love those, too.. 

I digress. Back to the trip report: onwards to Manchester.

Loved the place. Master J was taken to both football stadiums. The United one was more impressive, but I liked the City one more, as the staff was just wonderful. Chris, if you are reading this: you are ace!

What is more, I have been in Manchester at about the same time as Soy was visiting Row. So with a bit of luck we were sitting next to each other on some train or at least waiting in the same line somewhere, never realising it. Ah, the world is very small.

Had a nice drink with Deana in her home town. The barman was a bit confused (did not realize that Martini is NOT a liqueur and it is also NOT a brand of wine), but we managed to brush it off with good spirits (notice the subtle double meaning?) and had a great chat nevertheless.

London was our next stop and it proved even more crowded than a year ago, when I was there last. It made me want to scream at people to go away! Make room! Get lost and let me walk on this pavement without bumping into me all the time. Also, if I may add, GET OUT OF ALL THE LOVELY SHOPS with sale signs on them and let me shop in peace! I didn't, though - shout, that is - and it never got any less crowded. Did not do much shopping. Sigh.

Spurs stadium was next on the list, but unfortunately we only got as far as the shop, since the stadium itself was being renovated. There's nothing like a spot of shopping to cure a young boy's disappointment, I find.

We got back to our lovely home town to find the flat in shambles. The painting job is not done yet and there are no lights. We wonder around the place with torches at night. All our stuff is in boxes. I don't know where anything is. The fact that I manage to get dressed in the morning is a miracle in itself.

There. That's the shortest I could do. As I said, I could go on forever, so be aware of that when/if you ask for additional details.

To Leicester, to find out if Deana and I look good in black with a bit of red. Deana will share pictorial documentation of this experiment upon our return.

I'll be stopping in Manchester and London too, to check out the local football stadiums. Ay, the pains and aches of a mother to a football-obsessed 10-year old.

Not that I'm complaining! Looking forward to this trip very much.

And, also, the painters/electricians asked us to "vacate the premises" for the week, so they can do their job. Hopefully the place will not be in too much of a mess when we return. *deep sigh* Something tells me this wish will not come true...

Closing remark:
You are kindly requested to miss me to your fullest potential. I will certainly miss you!

I'm having a major case of post-holiday downers. Which should not be the case as I'm leaving for UK next week. To attend the graduation ceremony and to visit a few football stadiums with my two men (to make up for the Barcelona debacle).

But before I go, I have to empty all my closets. I'm not moving out, it just feels like it. I'm having some new furniture brought in and before that the place needs a good paint job.

I DO NOT WANT to put all my stuff in little boxes. I DO NOT want to spend the afternoon doing that when I could just as well be spending it doing absolutely nothing.

I want holidays. Now.

No, I am not behaving like a little child. At all.

A full report from our short, girls-only holiday will be submitted by Deana24 (pictures included, I was told).

Nevertheless, I feel compelled to report on the following:

- Nothing makes your holiday more memorable than finding out you (and two of your best mates) have successfully passed your MA.

- Contrary to my expectations, MA status does not interfere with getting seriously drunk. Repeatedly.

This concludes today’s report. Stay with us as Deana24 discovers all there is to know about disembowelling fish.

Yours sincerely,

Blayka, MA

It was a 5k run. A few thousand women ran.

I came 1203rd. I struggle to understand why I was not awarded a medal.

They made us wear identical T-shirts. I was told men liked the vast fields of orange, wobbling in synchronicity. So, in retrospect, the identical T-shirts were clearly designed to indulge men.

The runners, on the other hand, were faced with an indulgeance of the uphill variety, which I was not aware of before we started. It was not pleasant finding out that we are expected to do a 100m of altitude difference, when the distance itself was challenging enough for a lot of us.

In other news: I really enjoyed the tailored orange T-shirts that won 3-0 yesterday! Who says women don't enjoy football?

Oh, I will now pretend to be annoyed for about ten seconds.

Ok, done. Now the rules:
Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What I was doing 10 years ago:
At about this time ten years ago I was giving birth to my son. I will not go into details for reasons of general health and wellbeing. The experience has changed my life in a good way and I will also not go into details here for fear of boring the readers to death. In short: whatever you have ever read about the miracle of birth and how wonderful it is: it’s all true.

2. What 5 things are on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):
- Go to the bank and tell them my not-so-humble opinion on the way they conduct their business. It was not pretty. (done that first thing: the experience was positively CLEANSING)
- Meet two friends I love for lunch. As I am a very busy woman *ahem* and I don’t have the time to do things for work that should have been done a week ago, I will be pretending it is a very important business lunch.
- apply for a 5k run (the run is tomorrow and I have to apply at the starting line today – it’s in the middle of the park and it is raining. I had to bring an extra pair of shoes that will survive the gravel. Ay, the pains and aches of a modern woman)
- attend a wedding (it’s in the evening and on a Friday – I’m not sure this will bring luck)
- brush teeth, shower, get into jammies... all that

3. Snacks I enjoy:
M A L T E S E R S M A L T E S E R S M A L T E S E R S M A L T E S E R S
(I do hope Deana is reading this, because we don’t have them here and as she is coming over soon maybe she could perhaps remember to bring a ... well.... a bucket or two...?)

4. Things I would do if I was a billionaire:
I would have “jobs” done all over my body. Everything that ever existed. I would look like a freak as a result, but at least I would be able to say I tried my best at looking gorgeous.
Lack of any other ideas clearly shows I am not billionaire material.

5. Places I have lived:
Oh, that one’s easy: Ljubljana (moved houses only three times). I’ve spent a month here and there in Newcastle and Perugia, and I spend most of my summers in Croatia.

Who to tag....Deana24 (she NEEDS to see my answer to the question no. 3 ) and Bunnybunbunbun

Just ate almost an entire melon for lunch.

I think I will burst.

That is a known fact.

If you don't believe it, you should go on a diet for a month or two and see what happens.

Nasty, ugly people have been known to turn into beauties after merely a week of eating sensibly.

As I'm not feeling particularly beautiful today, I'm going on a diet until further notice.

It better work: it's my last resort.

This week has been utterly stressful and I am more than a bit glad it is over.

But the bad news stops here: I'm just about to leave for a work-related lunch and then it's all over until Monday!

If you are already feeling a bit envious, I should also add that we are having very nice and warm weather with a bit of a breeze, so I'll be having said lunch outside, enjoying myself to the fullest.

And, and, don't go away yet: I'm also going to the seaside tomorrow. Sun, sea, books, peace!

Ok, now I'm done. You can now go and cry in the corner. Mwaahahahaha

The weekend was spent doing one of the following:
- walking the dog
- glancing through the new stash of books, which arrived on Saturday. Cold Comfort Farm is first on the list. Read about 20 pages before I was dragged away. Love it so far! (thanks, Deana!)
- socialising with the in-laws. Lots of yummy food was involved... I did not have the courage to step on the scales this morning, for obvious reasons.
- practicing piano and performing in a little piano concert in a village near my home town (ok, my son J did both of those, but it felt like I was doing it: I was so nervous)
- making J study for his English and Social sciences tests. Oooohhh, very stressful.
- going to the cinema: the new Indiana Jones. Loved it: laughed out loud, screamed with joy, and shuddered with fear...
- watched Boston Legal on TV and enjoyed that one too.

Did no:
- housework
- exercise
- work
- writing.

No need to stress all of the above were very much overdue and I should have found the time for it. Not my fault, though. Someone stole the weekend from under my feet!