Woke up at about 7am and was so glad I had a couple of more hours of sleep before I had to get up. I felt a little bit delicate and what I thought was a bit of back pain yesterday is still there in my lower back on the right. I'm not sure if that's where your kidneys are but if they are there then that's what it feels like are hurting. I just hope it's not kidney stones or anything.
Helen came to mine at 11am to drop her car off and then I drove to mums so I could leave Bella with her as I would be out for most the day. Helen had a lift sorted from her daughter at 5pm so I decided while sober Neil was still in charge to accept the offer of a lift home at 5pm. That's plenty of time to have a good afternoon and still get a good night's sleep.
We got a taxi to The Ivy Asia in Manchester as Elena had booked the private dining for her birthday meal. It's a lovely venue but I don't think they thought through that green glass floor as it felt like a bloody ice rink underfoot, and that's without wearing my tap shoes lol.
It was great catching up with everyone but always a bit difficult when you are on a long table so tend to only get a chance to chat properly with the ones at your end of the table. I hardly got to chat to Louis as he was at the other end of the table but I think he had enough people chatting to him so I'm sure he felt welcome. Elena looked amazing, she had a lovely outfit on and was positively glowing. I don't know if I wasn't drinking as quickly as the other end of the table but some people seemed so much drunker than I was and I felt like I was playing catch up to a hen party lol. I think the pain in my lower back was making me not feel like going into full-on party mode as I was conscious that if it was my kidneys I didn't want to put them under extra pressure, so kept drinking water between glasses of fizz (maybe that's why I wasn't so drunk).
The food was nice although I was a bit disappointed in the wagu steak as when I've had it in the past it's been melting in he mouth tender. This was pretty rare and really tough and chewy and a few people thought so, but nobody wanted to make a fuss. The final dish I thought was strange as they brought out a white chocolate dome that they poured warm sauce over to melt it. But it was one between 2!! I've never heard of anything so bizarre? It's not like it was a plate of small cakes to share it was a messy dessert you had to try and eat between you, licking your spoons and then putting them back in the shared dish! In a time where covid still isn't completely eradicated, I would not have thought that was a good idea. Besides that, it's just odd to share as not everyone was really close friends with the person next to them. I would have rather had a small dessert to myself, I thought they were joking at first.
When Helen's lift arrived I said I was going with her and got the usual "you're not going are you?" I could very easily be tempted but I knew I would regret it later when I had to pay £30 in a taxi and be waiting in the cold for one. I said I would take the birthday cake down with her to the car and come back., It felt easier to exit that way as by the time anyone even noticed I wasn't there I would be halfway home. Elena had enough friends around her plus her US GBFF so probably wouldn't even notice for a few hours.
I got home at about 6pm and was ready for my bed. Mum thinks she is coming down with something as she couldn't seem to get warm and had cold-like symptoms coming on. I think this time of year lots of people start getting colds and flu etc as they don't go out in fresh air as mich as during the milder months. I've got my flu jab next week, which is my first one as I have usually avoided them but thought I might have it this year to hopefully mean it won't be as bad if I do catch it.
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