Life is just so busy!!

I honestly don't know where the time is going at the moment! I have been chasing around like a mad thing.

I am feeling all smug because I have practically finished my Christmas shopping, only got to get something for my boyfriend - just the important one, eh?!! I have bought him some aftershave and a jumper but not his main present. He keeps saying he doesn't know what he wants which doesn't really help! I am very relieved, particularly that I have got all the presents for my family in Australia because the last posting date will be sometime next week. I love buying presents when I know that what I have found will be exactly what the person wants and some of the things I've bought have made me very excited - I sound soooo sad!!! I confess, I love Christmas - I always have, I turn into a little girl again (except I now have a credit card - yikes!!).

Anyway, I promised to tell you how our weekend went, so here goes.

We got to the hotel by 4.15 which was good going and were in our room by half past. The room was lovely. The bed was HUGE!!!! My boyfriend is 5' 10", he laid across the bed and it was exactly the same size, plus it had a wooden frame around it which added another 8 inches. It had lovely linen and lots of pillows and cushions - it was divine! We had a flat screen telly with DVD player and a CD player as well. The bathroom was massive with a walk through shower across the back wall. The monsoon shower had a massive shower head which totally drenched you as soon as you turned it on. Let's just say we made the most of the facilities!!!

We were ready by 6.30 and our taxi wasn't coming until 7.30 so we went down to the hotel bar for a drink. There was a function on and it was very busy, which was a bit of a shame. I saw a guy who I recognised from the telly but I couldn't place who he was.

We got to the restaurant on time and were shown to a lovely table in a quiet corner. The staff were brilliant and very attentive. I was very apprehensive about eating out (after my experience at TGIs the other week!) but I was fine. I had cheese souffle to start, it was served with sliced pear and crushed walnuts. It is not something I would have ordered pre-band, but WOW I am still dreaming about it, it was gorgeous. I don't normally like sweet with savoury but the pear really brought out the flavour of the souffle (get me, I sound like Lloyd Grossman!). My boyfriend had mussels. For our main course, I had a smoked salmon and haddock fishcake on a bed of spinach in a butter sauce with mashed potato, again it was delicious. My boyfriend had Toulouse sausages with mash potato and onion gravy. To finish we shared a flaming baked Alaska. I didn't manage to finish each course but I thoroughly enjoyed what I had. My boyfriend was a little disappointed but he is a bit of a grumpy b*gger and very hard to please! I think he just made poor menu choices. I found my food to be delicious and it was very reasonably priced, certainly not out of place with other good quality restaurants in Bristol.

We went back to the hotel and had another drink, which we took up to our room and we watched a DVD in bed.

We had breakfast at 10am although I really couldn't stomach it! He had a full English and I had scrambled egg with bacon, which I pushed around the plate! We discovered who the mystery celebrity was, he was having breakfast on the next table. His voice gave him away in the end, it was the comedian Dylan Moran.

It was a shame to have to leave but I think we will be trying some of their other hotels soon - the girl on reception recommended their Brighton and their Henley ones as being particularly nice.

I was pretty tired for the rest of the weekend, I didn't go out on Saturday night. I just didn't have the energy so my boyfriend went out for an hour on his own to have a drink with his mate. Which meant I could watch the X Factor in peace!! We had lunch at his parents on Sunday which was lovely. We had beef, which I have tended to avoid since getting my band. It was fine, although I could only manage one slice. His mum says she can see a difference in me, which is great!

I stood on the scales and no apparent damage - so far!!!!