Not all of them; the eldest is missing, and the one-in-the-middle is an adopted one (she's my nephews girlfriend). It's the outer 2 I started all this for.
As you can see, Number 2 niece is on the left (she's also blogging now - go check her out www.dilbert.me.uk ) Check out the sour look on her face too; this is a normal expression, which we pay no attention too (you should see her "Resting bitch face!!". My only nephew is on right (doesn't he look handsome in his suit?).
This was taken on our way to the wedding reception of their big sister - they don't dress like this every day, that's for sure; normally they are in tracksuits. The wedding itself was as weddings are. A Beautiful bride walked down the aisle on the arm of her father, her bridesmaids preceded her (this seems to be the way in a registry office; in a church they follow the bride down the aisle). The groom stood nervously waiting with his best man. The brides family sat on the left; the grooms on the right, with parents on the front row, siblings on the next. Although, in our case that didn't happen. His family managed to barge their way to where they wanted to sit, her step siblings took the row normally designated for blood siblings, and we found ourselves sitting on the back row of the grooms side as they were the only seats remaining. My nephew may be smiling in this photograph, but I can assure when it came to being inside that registry office he was fuming. He was equally as angry outside when again, both him and his middle sister, got overlooked when it came to the photographs, because his family muscled their way in. I've never experienced a wedding like it. My eldest and her new husband were caught up in their little loved-up bubble, and that's a good thing for they didn't really know what was going on. I, however, was caught up with a very angry brother-of-the-bride who I wasn't sure I would ever be able to calm down again - as you can see from the photo, I found a way :)
He laughed even more once we had made our way across the common we are walking on when I took this photograph.
To enter the pub the reception was being held in, you have to go through a revolving door. I've walked through hundreds of these over the years, and never once had a problem, until this particular Saturday afternoon. To this day, I have no idea what happened, or how it happened, but as I was walking through (my nephew in the section next to me) I suddenly felt an immense pain shoot through my middle finger, at the same time as the door stopped moving. My nephew, thinking I was messing around, shoved from his side, pushing the door moving again at which point my trapped finger was released. Once safely through I looked down and could see I'd peeled the skin back from the base of the nail to my first knuckle - thankfully the blood was pouring downwards at this point. I'm not sure I'd have been so calm had it been pouring over the flap of skin.
My nephew was still laughing at my stupidity when we reached the bar, which is why I think the 2 men working the bar thought we were just messing about when I asked if they had a tissue or plaster (I had to send my nephew to ask another member of the party we were attending for such things as I was getting nowhere with the staff). Eventually, I think the amount of blood running down my arm and dripping onto the bar got them (the bar staff) to realise I was in fact not messing around and I was told "I think we have a first aid kit out back; would you like me to see if it's got a plaster in it?" Umm, Yes, Please!! As it turned out there were a couple of plasters in it (I took one) but no antiseptic (in either liquid or wipe form). I'm not sure how things work on an accident level in a bar, but I'm sure there should have been some kind of antiseptic available, and am almost positive all businesses I've worked in, any injury (whether to staff or the public) has to be noted in an 'Accident book'?? Mine wasn't.
I patched myself up, managed to get the bleeding under control and continued to order a round of drinks. £9.80 for 2 small cokes and a bottle of Kronenburg - talk about 'adding insult to injury'
I patched myself up, managed to get the bleeding under control and continued to order a round of drinks. £9.80 for 2 small cokes and a bottle of Kronenburg - talk about 'adding insult to injury'
It may not look like much in the photo but when I took this I'd had a plaster on for 12 hours and it had been covered in antiseptic cream. Eventually, by last Thursday with the flap of skin still not sealing properly, I had to get a pair of scissors and cut the whole flap off. Jeez, did it sting!! If you look, the crooked piece of skin towards the top of the photo wouldn't line back up or seal without pulling the end that did line up out of place, so I had to take the whole lot off. Damn right I've left an honest review about how lax the staff were at the pub; I've not heard a word from any of them. They need to think themselves lucky I don't live in one-of-those-countries where they sue everyone, for every little thing!
Thankfully, I didn't lose the nail.
I'll be honest, it's not somewhere I would choose for a reception (not just because I got injured). It is the smallest place I've ever tried to stick more than 10 people in and by 9pm most people had left, purely because of the lack-of-space and there being no seating area where friends/family could socialise. When it came to dinner we had 2 choices. Sit down and stay down, or don't. The tables and chairs were so close together there was no way you could get out if the person behind you was sitting in their chair. It's such a shame as I know how much my niece and her (now) husband put into trying to provide the perfect day. I can only assume the reception venue was cheap. They enjoyed the day though and the are the only ones who matter.
As for the younglings; spending that day with them reminded me of how much time I have missed with them and how badly I want to be able to spend more time with them. I love those humans - sometimes!
