I spent most of Tuesday at my mum's home, though it was anything but boring. For one, I had yet to finish 6 33cl bottles of Leffe Tripel. A very enjoyable beer, but at 8.5% alcohol it's the equivalent of 2.5 bottles of wine. I started drinking early, so I could take a regular dose rather than overdose at any point. Ah sod it, after the first they came thick and fast.. I also cycled to the local Albert Heijn supermarket, to stock up on Valess vegetarian meat and Tivall spreadables - and a cooling bag to take it with. It will probably be alright in the aeroplane. Also of course, I worked on the computer some more to copy my pictures and music, and in the meantime packed my bag and fought with Creon the cat.

When I went to bed at midnight or so I kept the window open a bit, as I could feel a Leffe headache gently getting stronger. It worked, though I hardly slept probably due to the cold draught. Not cold draught Leffe, but still uncomfortable in bed. I pretty much woke up at 3, snoozed until 4 and then got up. While shaving (at 4.30 in the morning for feck's sake), my mum woke up too. Or well, got up at least. The poor woman felt cold and could barely keep her eyes open (she had gone to bed later than me), but as I needed to get to the train station before the buses start.. She wanted to drive me there. At 5.20 or so we got to the trains, leaving 5.35 and getting to Utrecht and on to Schiphol. The only thing that bothered me there was sitting in the waiting lounge quietly reading magazines - only to be joined by two Liverpudlian teenage girls. At first, I couldn't make out a word they said among them - I wondered what language they spoke until they started bitching off every 16-year old or so boy walking past. Oh and being asked to pay 3.50 euro for a Red Bull and 2.50 for a glass of milk, at the bar. Bloody hell, they can shove that. Anyway, I was back at home in Manchester before I knew it, saying goodbye to Lottie's dad as she came in from the stables. The house is as though nothing changed while I was away. Unfortunately in many ways, that's not a good thing really :o)