My Mum's Birthday Weekend

My mum's birthday this year fell on the Bank Holiday weekend, and my aunt and uncle were visiting her house after their holiday near Whitby (and as it turned out after our outing together to see Bruce Springsteen). She decided to hire a hot tub for the weekend which I didn't even know was something you could do! It wasn'tr a 'big' birthday - she was 66 - but it did mark her officially becoming an OAP so she decided to hire the hot tub. It arrived on the Thursday morning after Bruce while I was still at my mother's house, but of course it wouldn't be warm enough for at least 24 hours.

So for most of Friday I just hung out at home. Then Lee finished work and we packed our stuff and headed to my mum's. We took both our cars because my friend Gemma is borrowing mine for a little bit. We got there about 5.30 and my mum and step cousin N were already in the hot tub. My mum told me to get changed immediately, so I did! 

It was lovely and warm and it had different seats and jets so it was really lovely. It was under the car port so not in the rain when it did rain. We had wine in plastic glasses of course. It was so nice! We got out about 6.30 and ordered some pizzas for tea. After we had eaten the three of us and Lee got back in. We stayed there until late and that was Friday!

On Saturday I had some writing to do so we hung about the house for a while. Lee decided he was going to a festival that day, which was fine, so my mum and stepdad picked me up about 2.30 and took me back to theirs. My aunt and uncle arrived about half an hour later. We went in the hot tub! (This is a recurring theme, obviously...) My stepdad was keeping us well hydrated with wine and drinks. We got out for a bit and had pies and dauphinois potatoes for tea. Lee had made the potatoes for us so we made sure to keep some for him for the next day. My mum and I went back into the hot tub and then I had a shower at about 9pm. We went to bed quite early but I read for a bit and messaged Lee, who was still at the gig, before going to sleep.

On Sunday morning my mum, stepdad, aunt and uncle all went to church, so I was by myself in the house. I stayed in the little spare bedroom, which used to be Lee's bedroom when he lived with me and my parents when I was at sixth form! It's a cute cosy bedroom. I had some breakfast and then got ready, just about the time everyone got home and Lee arrived. 

We had some lunch and then my mum, Caroline and I did some crafting. I had recently found some tiny tags and asked Caroline if she would decorate them with me, and she said yes, and we gave some to my mum. It was a nice hour or so of using some of my lovely supplies! 

Then hot tub time! About 4.30 my stepdad started the charcoals for a barbecue so about 5.30 we got out and I got dressed again so I could eat. My mum and I shared some pornstar martini that my step cousin had sent her; it was delicious. The barbecue was lovely too - I had veggie sausages and halloumi kebabs which were both really good. I love barbecues. Plus there was lots of salads and onions and stuff. My mum opened her birthday cards and presents - we had given her cash for a watch she really liked. 

After tea my mum and I got back in the hot tub and Lee, Neil and Caroline went for a quick walk. We got out about 9pm and I got dressed again and then we played a game until late! I was glad to get home but it had been such a lovely time with my family.

Here's my mum and N and me on Friday evening

My mum's birthday cake which she picked up on Saturday morning before fetching me

Here she is cutting it later that evening; you can't exactly see here but she's wearing a cardigan over her swimming costume and nothing else haha

A robin on the grass!

Here I am lying in what used to be Lee's bedroom in my mum's house. It's a cosy bed, it was warm though so I slept with the window open which was lovely because I can't do that at home as it's too loud

Sunday morning being a rebel and eating Shreddies out of a Frosties bowl

Here's some of my craft supplies for us to use

And here's one of the tags I made

My mum and her sister in the hot tub

The four of us - Lee didn't get in fully, he just sat on the side with his feet in as it's too hot for him

My mother and I with our martinis

I got this t shirt at the Bruce gig, I love it!

And here's the two of us about 8pm on Sunday evening when it was just the two of us!

Bruce Springsteen and a Spa Day

On the 22nd of May I went to Sunderland to see Bruce Springsteen again with my mum. We saw him last year in Edinburgh and we also saw him twelve years ago in Manchester. My mum has always been a fan and saw him in Leeds in like 1985 or something! I am somewhat of a fan and live he is really good, so I was happy to go again.

Once my mum bought the tickets my aunt asked if we wanted to go to London to see him with her but of course we already had tickets, so we got another ticket for her. She and my uncle were on holiday close by that week, so my mum and I drove to Darlington and my aunt and uncle met us there and he drove us to Sunderland to get on the Metro. He entertained himself while we were at the gig, which was nice of him!

We got on the Metro to the Stadium of Light and then had to walk quite a long way to the stadium but it was okay, if a little bit damp. We went into the stadium straight away because we thought there would be a few food options inside, we didn't realise that the interesting ones or the official merch stall were outside. I wish this had been clearer! Never mind though. Inside there was a food and drink stall which had pizza twists, or sausage rolls, or vegan sausage rolls. So I just had a vegan sausage roll. Oh and I got some chocolate buttons and some red wine, too. We had to walk up a zillion flights of stairs to the section we were in, and then separated from my aunt, but finally we got into our seats. It was about 6.45 by this point and we were expecting Bruce to come on about 7 as that's what he's done in the past. So we weren't impatient really.

But then he didn't take to the stage until about 7.35. It was raining quite hard so someone had to keep coming to sweep the stage, so we wondered if it was because of the rain. I wouldn't have liked to have been on the floor because it must have been really wet and miserable! But apparently it was because there were travel problems on the way to the stadium so they delayed it.

But then Bruce! It was so good, he and the E Street Band are just so good. My mum enjoyed herself more than last year but I think that's just because he played more songs that she knew. I enjoyed myself the same both times. He played The River which is one of my favourites and a bunch of other great stuff. It was raining the whole time. We were under the overhang so were dry if a bit cold, but Bruce and the band were clearly quite wet! He finally finished at about 10.35. I don't know where he gets the energy from!

My mum and I got separated while leaving the seating area, but we had planned where to meet afterwards because signal was rubbish, so I wasn't worried. I joined the queue for merch and bought a t shirt. The queue wasn't too bad even though it was busy; I think it took me only about ten minutes to get my t shirt.

I caught up with my mum and aunt and we walked back to the Metro station. The queue to go north to Newcastle was absolutely insane, it was so long. Fortunately we were going south so we waited about 20 minutes for a train and then there were only about twenty of us that got on it! We got back to where Neil met us at about 11.30pm.

We set off back to Darlington and it was all fine. My mum and I got into the car about 12.30 and it should only be about 90 minutes from there to my mum's house. I had already planned to stay over at her house and I'm so glad I had. The A1 was closed for two junction so we ended up queuing to get off the motorway at 1.30am which was very surreal, and then we had to follow a diversion. In all I think it took us forty minutes to get through it all. Annoying! Then as soon as we got back on the A1 it started telling us that the M1 was closed for a couple of junctions near Leeds! We were hysterical laughing at this point because we were so tired and just couldn't believe it. We ended up following a diversion around Stourton (where even is that, it's not a place). My stepdad had gone to bed but got back up to make sure we were okay. We finally got to my mum's at about 2.40! My goodness! We were still hyper and hysterical so we had a drink before finally going to bed. I think I fell asleep at about 3.30!

The next day I had plans with my friend Becky. I was picking her up at 11.10 in Barnsley so I could have slept in until about 10. However, I woke up at 8.15. So that was that. I rested a bit but finally got up. 

Becky has started swimming again recently and I get a free monthly pass to my gym so I asked her if she would like to use it. She booked the day off work and we both needed to relax so it was ideal! I picked her up and then we went to the pub near my house for lunch. It is not the fanciest of pubs but it's fine, and it's cheap. I had nachos. We got to the gym about 12.45 and had to faff about to get in. We had also bought a magazine each because you're not allowed to take phones in as we've had a couple of incidents where phones have smashed near the pool and it has to be emptied!

I was already feeling the effects of walking so far on Wednesday so first of all we swam so that I could stretch all my muscles out a bit. I was going slow but I was being careful with all my muscles. Then we went into the Deep Relaxation Room which is all tiled and which is warm, but not hot. We sat in there for half an hour reading our magazines. It was so nice!

Then we went in the jacuzzi for another half hour. That was lovely too. We then swam for a bit longer. We were chatting a lot of course - I don't know Becky super well but it's nice to see her now she's back in Leeds. We finally went into the steam room for about ten minutes and then got out to have a shower and got changed.

I took her back to the train station and then finally got home to Lee and the cats! I was so tired so I laid down and had a nap for a bit. I am glad I spent the day with Becky though! It was lovely. 

Wine in the cutest plastic glass, it was resealable too!

Bruuuuuuuuce! Looking dapper in a waistcoat and shirt. He did get very wet though

I love him a lot

Here he is singing with Steve Van Zandt

Here's Bruce and Steve mugging for the camera

And here's Bruce threatening to do a striptease I think!

But then he sadly didn't

Here he is towards the end when he'd taken off his shirt

Here's me on the Metro on the way back showing my friends just how curly/damp my hair was

Nachos! They were just what I needed

Here's Becky and me post gym, in the changing rooms

And finally, it's a complete mystery where Poppy was... She's taken to hiding herself in the duvet that lives on the couch, and it's very cute!