My last night in Amsterdam was spent watching family arguments and watching gay cruising - although it was dull as fuck and we were knackered. Got lovely gnatbites as souvenirs as well. Suspected we should have brought popcorn for the show in the rose garden *smirk* Sooo sleepy. Oops. We slept on the floor of the livingroom one last time then got up as early as we could manage and left. Had breakfast at an incredibly rude restaurant and got the ticket for David’s train journey to Hoek - we hung around the platform as we were bored and then got on the train (after some abuse from a very impolite employee). We spent a stressful half hour or so unsure if we were on the right bit of train until we got to the hook. After a long but amusing wait at customs (we were stood there as someone leapt over the barriers and tried to leg it out of the station - the customs officers staring on in disbelief until one of them woke up enough to shout and chase him) we installed ourselves on the boat. Discovered they have free wifi onboard. Bah. Just as I discovered I only had a few minutes left of battery life in ref:libby as well. Cockjockeys. Waved at IRC from the middle of the channel and then we chatted about stuff, which made me feel a bit better. Watched a bunch of pissed English people on the dancefloor and decided the journey was much nicer when in company. The english people were immensely funny. David was convinced that one or two were gay but I think they were just pissed and doing the usual “straight bloke love in thing” that straight blokes do when pissed, kissing and cuddling each other. As they danced with their litre bottles of foul looking coloured liquids...*cackle* They played “Hey Jude”. Bad move, we were accompanied through UK customs by “Nah nah nah nanana naaaaaaah, nanana naaaaaaaaah, Hey Jood...” as we got back into Britain. We made sure we were way in front of them, thankfully they didn’t get on the train as well. Back to the (by now pretty full) flat. Both David and myself feeling pretty fucking asleep - surrounded by loud drinking homosexualists... Eleven of us managed XXL - David, myself, Adam, TJ, Sunin, Matt, Lloyd, Dave, Warren, James and Ollie. Met Warren at Tower Gateway and Ollie was already in there. Was a great atmosphere and had a really good time. James was a bit the worse for wear (it being his birthday an all) and Adam was too (it also being his birthday an all) - David managed to scrounge us a lift home then we sat up, watched the dawn rise and I chatted lots to Warren about stuff to do with everything going on in my life as well as to Lloyd about stuff too. The barbecue was interesting as I was knackered and not in the best of moods. It was so fucking hot too. Everyone was inside the flat melting because it was cooler than being outside in the sun. So I sat outside on my own with my guitar and played “Don’t Fear the Reaper” a few hundred times to myself in the shade of the building next door. David came back with Steve and random person (who is apparently called Mark and an older gay - probably one of Adam’s) wandered around tidying my kitchen. So I left them to it. Barbecued stuff...ate stuff. Watched everyone else drinking. Found out some things I really didn’t want to know about a couple of friends. Quietly took it all on board for later analysis. I need sleep, much more than I’ve been getting I think. I was a bit teary on David (ironic as if he hadn’t been there I’d not have been teary ). Went to bed at about 10:30, David came in and we chatted about an hour later. More glasses were broken and my flat looks like something exploded in it. Plus some fucker the night before pissed on my spare duvet, which was a tad gross. Up this morning, doing KHRP stuff, then into work for the first time in a week. I so really really really don’t want to be here right now, I just need time to myself and to sort myself out. Time I can’t have because I’m not able to book any more hol