A day of big contrasts yesterday.

Went to have my eyes tested first thing in the morning in Walsall. Walsall in the summer is so not a good place to be I don't think. There is always too much of a smell of greasy burgers, too many chavvy shops blasting out horrible music and the great unwashed wearing clothes totally inappropriate to body size. I know this makes me sound very snobby, but honestly, it has to be seen to be believed. I'm sure a lot of the people that shop in Walsall are some other species. Not all of them, but I think the normos are outnumbered by this other breed. So, lovely start...

Then I went off to Birmingham to do a bit of shopping, and the Bullring was just mentally mad so I decided to venture out onto New Street for a bit of a wander. Anyway, since I'm going to the Mailbox for my leaving do I thought it'd be a good idea to work out exactly where it was in relation to the city centre so I followed the signs down to it, and actually it's a lot closer than I'd thought. The walk there was quite nice because it wasn't really busy, just a sensible amount of people, and it was lovely and sunny. Walked through the mailbox and up to the restaurants and bars on the canal and that was great, cos it was just about lunchtime so there were lots of people milling about and sitting out, but it still wasn't ridiculously crowded (sensing a theme here?!). Just a really chilled out nice place to be at that time of day I thought. Then I walked over the bridge and down the canal to Gas Street Basin (for those of you that don't live near Birmingham I realise this is all a bit meaningless, so what you'll have to do is come and visit me and I'll take you for a lush day out!) and over the many bridges down there to get across (I know it's always the cliche but it really did remind me of Venice. I've been to all the Venices now, the real one, Bruges "the Venice of the North" and Birmingham "the Venice of *I can't remember what goes here*" - but it does have more miles of canal than Venice). And from Gas Street Basin I went across to Brindley Place which is just one of the best bits of Birmingham I think, similar to the top of the Mailbox, all the people sitting out, can't beat it. Then back through the ICC and into Centenary Square which is brilliant too, just on the side of Broad Street. And then back into the city centre. So it was a lovely little wander, just going where my feet took me, not stressing about where I was going. Just brilliant. You really can't beat that area of Birmingham in the sunshine.

But. Then I had to brave the Bullring again, bits and bobs to get and back through to the train. It was soooo rammed, and so many of the shops seem to have no structure or organisation, just random stuff plonked in random places all squashed in so everyone's smashing into each other. And normally I quite like the Bullring, but I think it was just too hot and too crowded yesterday. I need to go when there are not so many people there, it's just too much otherwise.

So yeah, day of contrasts but my overwhelming feeling about it was pretty good, the walk around really perked me up. I really think I have that Seasonal Affective Disorder thing, everything just seems so much better in the sunshine.

Today I'm just finishing off a bit of planning, trying to get 2 weeks worth done so I've got a bit of time off next weekend and so I've got time in the week to focus on jobs and other bits and bobs.

Had the dream again last night, really frustrating. I'm hoping it's just my brain's way of working through everything and getting it out of my system and that it'll be over soon.

Anyway, ramble ramble ramble, shush Hannah.

Love love love xxx