Not So Secret Journal

 

Would it be a Bank Holiday Monday if it didn’t rain? To be honest the rain is the least of my worries today, in fact the rain is the highlight of my day, and I’m not even being sarcastic (well maybe a little)

I remember when bank holidays involved long lie-ins, lazy lunches and visits to the pub, but those days are long gone. Now bank holidays involve a bit of a lie in, lazy breakfasts and maybe a walk or trip to see the in laws.

So today the littlest prin is off to a dance intensive, call It Easter school but they dance all day in Liverpool. It’s a 3-day thing, but there was a plan, get her over there for 9:45 and get back, make breakfast for the fam and go and see my lovely in laws.

Best laid plans and all that jazz, I should know this is my life and someone up there is messing with everything I do at the minute.

We left the house at 8:50 to get the 9:01 train, this part of the plan actually worked, and we got to town with time to grab some snacks and head to dance.

Heading back to the station and this is where everything started to unravel, it’s like someone hates me doing unsupervised shit.

So, I get back on the train to go home at 9:50 perfect loads of time to do stuff before coming back and grabbing our prin at 3.

On the way back to the station I thought it would be a great idea to calm the hunger pangs by grabbing the healthier option of a Huel vanilla milkshake. I’ve never had one before, but it was the healthiest option, so what could go wrong? (Forgetting that this is me we are talking about)

I sat myself down and started looking for my headphones, these are an absolute must on the train journeys as they keep me from being spoken to by strangers. (Stranger danger and all that). I then could see them sitting on the mantel piece at home, oh well head down and don’t make eye contact with anyone.

Then I figured I’d give my breakfast a go, I was starving and felt fuzzy. Seriously these drinks should come with a warning because it tasted like crap. One mouthful and I could taste that little bit of sick in my mouth, I don’t know if that was from the drink or the fact, I’d paid £3.60 for a mouthful of something that tasted like sick.

That was no 2, I figured these things come in 3’s let’s see what was coming next!

No 3 was definitely a combination of three more things. The guy opposite me had a nervous twitch in his legs and it was making me feel so uncomfortable, then another guy on the train was having a domestic with his missus, because the train was now delayed due to another train being stuck in the tunnel (you could call these 3,4,5).

Then we were asked to get off the train due to it now being cancelled and a rail replacement was being sent if we just got off the train. I felt like this was a bit of a carrot and stick moment, because we were then told that the bus hadn’t even been ordered yet, so there was a wait of about an hour.

Dear god, at this point I was afraid to ask what else could go wrong, because the universe was now taking this as a challenge.

I figured I’d stay the right side of the water; just incase the trains don’t start running again and my baby girl was trapped and alone.

After making a few phone calls because I’m crap at being alone, I went to McDonald to grab some lunch, at this point nothing else could phase me.

I then realised I’ve never actually eaten alone before, 48 years old and I’ve never done this alone. There’s a first time for everything, but was today really the day to try something new?

Well, I made it to my table without falling up the stairs and the food was ok by McDonald’s standards, I figure this was going to be my turning point, so I ripped the sticker off my sip to win cup and guess what? I didn’t win anything.

Oh well, what did I expect, I finished my food and decided to ring my daughter for some moral support as I walked around town getting soaked, only I’d left my shopping bag in McDonald’s, a quick dash back and they hadn’t called for the bomb squad for an unaccompanied bag. Luckily it was only skincare and cotton pads.

I still had two more hours to kill, and I was slowly running out of shops to visit without them thinking I was a shoplifter.

So, I figured kill two birds with one stone and hide in Greggs for a quick wee stop and a cuppa, at this point I feel like the Greggs staff might start charging me rent, I’m not even sure how long you can make a cup of tea last.

At this point I’m still in town, I might have to ditch Primark Greggs for lord street Greggs.

The trains are apparently back on track (excuse the pun) and I’m not even going to say what I’m thinking, just pray that I make it home at 3 and o haven’t joined the wino’s sat outside Primark.  

I suppose the moral of this story is, never make plans, especially when the new Merseyrail trains are involved.

This wasn’t the bank holiday I wanted but celebrating the little wins of eating alone and the most cups of Greggs tea in one day.

Oh, and the pigeons in Liverpool are savage and don’t give a shit roaming around Greggs like it owns the joint.  

I hope your bank holiday was better than mine and here’s hoping tomorrow’s trip to town is more successful.

See you on the other side

 

Xx