4 peaks and a basketball game

The weekend started off fun.

My (probably longest) long term buddy, Paul (salvador) Fellowes, was heading into town on friday night and i offered to drop him in. This is a fairly standard thing. Paul is an art and design student and therefore can be a little short on the old greenbacks, so if i'm heading his way i'll play taxi driver.

Paul is living with good friend Alan Doddridge, a man of exceptional intellect and generosity, the later because he's letting paul stay in his house, rent free, on the condition that he does a bit of painting. Paul being a design student is no stranger to a paint brush, so the arrangement works well.

There i was trying no to be late, as is my trademark. I got into the car with a good 10 minutes to spare before the pickup time, paul lives only a few minutes away so i was suckin' deisel.

I arrived at paul's parents house, greeted by his older brother Steve, a kindly well rounded fella, who beckond me on into the living room, where pauls parents were relaxing.

A quick note about paul's parents: Sally and Ronnie are two of the finest people God has graced this world with. It is impossible to leave their house either hungry or without having chuckled outloud. That evening i found them in fine form and i lost track of time chewing the fat with them.

Pau's brother had been on the phone and it must have been at least 20 minutes till he re-appeared in the room. Upon his arrival i said;

"Is that boy (paul) never ready yet?" Paul's family looked back at me in bemusement. "who?" they asked. "...um, paul, is he not ready?" Paul's mum and dad looked at each other, then at steve and then at me. "Paul hasn't been here for ages, he's at his house!" Just then the penny dropped and one of those trademark crash zoom shots knocked me off my seat in a wayne's world sty-le. I had arrived at the wrong house.

We all laughed out loud, i excused myself and hot footed it down to paul and alan's house..

Paul was remarkably gracious about the fact that i had now made him late. We both laughed our collective legs off, put a rolling stones cd on and drove off in the direction of joanne's house in the now fast fading light to the sound of jumpin' jack flash.

After dropping Pauly off, Joanne and i decided, in a rare spare of the moment type whim to go shoot some hoops. Joanne played in school, so she has lots more experience. Thats my excuse, i'm sticking to it. We headed to the Valley Park near the Valley Leisure Centre in Newtownabbey. When we arrived some kids were playing on the climbing frames and swingy things while two guys were flying an enormous kite. I was a bit taken with the kite, it distracted me from getting the ball in the hoop and helped to drown out the fact that Joanne was slagging me off for not being able to shoot. Should have paid more attention to white men can't jump. I wasn't even wearing Nike Air.

Saturday we went through town got some mounts for pictures joanne is going to exhibit at the Odyssey arena this week. I'm all excited about it, cuse she will no doubt be the bell of the ball.

In the PM i had just enough time to call in to my brother Andy and sis Mee-Lan's house warming party, Brian (Banger) rainey, was there as well as my parents and a very kind lady called Janice Chipendale who recently supplied my brother and I with enough furniture to decorate two houses. (Yes she is THAT nice).

I was only there 15 mins and then headed off to Belfast with Jo to a fundraiser for the four peaks challenge. The idea is some folks we know are climbing 4 mountains in 2 days all over the UK, which is a bit of an achievement, all monies raised go to charity. ( to find out more click here)

The night was held at "The Mad Hatter", an excellent eatery on Eglantine Avenue, Belfast.

The evening was comprised of a pub quiz, some food and a ballet ticket prize draw.... oh and some crazy guys who got their kit off for the girls. Now, before i get complaints, i am posting the below pic cuse the guys were both blurred enough to show no detail but give you a good mental image to play around with!



A fab time was had by all in the company of Nixx Giants supporters and good friends Raj, his dad nigel, sarah, the shiney and of course Jo, my fine lady.