The Dress - Definately, Definately That One.. Or Maybe...

I know the exact dress that I want. I have seen it in the catalogues and it is just what I want! It is elegant and has plenty WOW factor without being too over the top. It is by the designer Alfred Angelo and nothing has competed with it in all the books so I was off to try it on today...

She only had it in blue and white whereas I want it in Ivory and Burgandy, however the style is what is important. I can honestly say that it is gorgeous!! I loved it and I was told I looked great, even a bit of flattery from the woman that usually girls find it too 'exposed' at the front as it has no boning around the stomach so there's nothing to hold you in, but that I 'obviously didn't need it'! Probably a bit of sales patter but its good too hear!! Maybe the sit-ups are worth it....

Then I made the dreaded mistake of thinking, I have only tried on one dress maybe I should try on others 'just in case'! Bad move!! There are now two dresses that I love, buy two different designers. Its awful, when I tried on the second dress (after a few okay ones and a few 'umm no way' ones) it loked amazing, it was so different but gave a totally different feel to the whole thing. One is elegant, the other kind of Medieval.

Oh dear....

Handed In My Notice!

Well, this is a new one on me. Handing in my notice. I just did it, well, I just did it two days ago! What a liberating feeling! But at the same time it is most scary! I have been applying for jobs since and have had two calls already! Nothing to write home about, no multi-million pound deals but they have potential to be interesting if nothing else! Its hard to know what to choose, David and I have decided that after the wedding next year, and during his time at college we are going to be looking for a house up North so what to choose until then?

Looking at one, for example, 12.30 - 9pm but guaranteed Sundays off and only have to work one Saturday out of three, so no evenings together but pretty much every weekend!

Or do I go looking for another? I was hoping that the job offers would be more grouped but that's wishful thinking me-thinks!

Changing jobs is a tough old business but its also pretty exciting!!!

Sterling Mills Awards!

Weeeelll... If you are looking for the most bizzare and, quite frankly, biggest dud night of the year then you should have been at our centre's award ceremony. There was maybe 30 people there and we had a DJ that thought he was in Ibiza! No one would dance and the awards where all mainly won by the centre managers favourite shops or his own shops! We however, intended to make it a fun night! There may only have been four of us and we may have taken a huge quantity of staring from the boob tubed, knee high booted, hot pant wearing queens of sulk but we rocked! Hats off to Gemma, by the way, without whom our sides would not have split! Her dance moves know no bounds!

There may have been no more than 8 people on the dance floor at any time but we had fun! Unfortunately, Gail was unable to join us, she is still very unwell, so much so that she has been signed off sick for the next 4 weeks!

Day's Seven & Eight - August 19th & 20th

DAY SEVEN

Well, its the day I have been looking forward to the whole trip, so, of course, I am ill! The moment I step off the bus at the foot of the Valley of The Kings I feel dizzy and sick and feel like I am going to pass out! Our fabulous guide leapt into action with some strange jungle pills, and after half an hour I am able to carry on, unheeded.

The Valley was great but not at all like we expected!

Day's Five & Six - August 17th & 18th

Well, aren't you a lucky bunch! A second dose of holiday fever!

DAY FIVE

Today was a seriously early start 3.45am!! We were off to Abu Simbel, you won't know the name but would probably recognise the place, it's those 5 huge dudes sitting outside the entrance to a tomb! But why the early start? Well, it gets so hot at Abu Simbel during the day that you want to get there as early as possible, and its a 3 hour journey, by bus, accross the Sahara. We had to go in a convoy aswell, and have an armed guard on board the bus with us.

When we got there however, it was well worth the trip! The place was huge, and I mean huge!! What was equally impressive was the fact that the whole thing had been moved up and accross to rescue it from the rising water after the building of the High Dam.

It was incredibly hot there and we were definately glad we had come in the morning!! Our encounter with the vendors at this particular site was the only time on the trip where I felt apprehensive about them. They were very pushy and would not take no for an answer.

The rest of the day was spent travelling back to the cruise ship, and the cruising back to Esna. In the evening we had a scavenger hunt which ended with us being dressed ridiculously, me as a belly-dancer and Dave as a woman! Don't ask!

DAY SIX

Another action packed today when we finally made it back through the Esna lock and got back to Luxor. We saw Karnak Temple as soon as we docked at Luxor. It is the biggest man-made monument in the world and is very derelict. Because of problems getting through the lock we didn't have much time at the temple before it was time to move on. We then saw Luxor Temple itself and it was a lot smaller but very beautiful. Our final stop was to a Papyrus Museum where we were taught how papyrus was made and used. We also bought some papyrus to take home as souveniers.

The evening saw a performance by a belly dancer and another by some nubian dancers.