I am feeling pretty knackered out at the moment after a busy week and an even busier weekend.

Last Monday it was Gordon's birthday, so there was the obligatory birthday night out - drinks in The Reliance, cocktails in Sandinista, an impromptu (and pretty nondescript) curry and... well, I'm not quite sure what happened after that. I can recall that I ended up sleeping on someone's floor and that it was a school night - for a little minute, it was a little like being back at university again (although the morning lecture isn't optional for me these days, as they pay me these days).

If that didn't knacker me and my week up enough, the time came for my last manager to leave on Friday resulting in yet another obligatory night out and further carnage. And another curry.

By the time I'd made it back to my flat around midday on Saturday, it was almost time to jump in my car to cross the M62 again and get back to St. Helens for an evening of pizza, vodka and eighties music. The drive across didn't seem so bad considering Friday night, but the fact that I was going to have drive back again after another night of all that was everpresent in my mind. In the past few months I've had self-induced horrendous early morning drives back from stag and hen nights, wedding receptions (times two), and random nights out all going back to Leeds from my old home in St. Helens. Once you've done it a few times, it's a scary prospect.

A trip to see Beth Orton at the City Varieties on Sunday night was pretty good and a fabulous way to end the week. However, the planned pre/post drinks turned into "do you fancy a lift there?" and "I'll just have a coke thanks".

I've got the second half of this week off work, which is excellent. The weekend is messed up again though as it's Milk at the George on Friday - attendance mandatory - and I'm sure something equally unmissable will come up for Saturday. The weekend afterwards is already fully booked - a housewarming in Oxford followed by the Richard Herring gig on Sunday.

I'm guessing that I need take a bit of a break sometime soon. And probably get down the gym.