Welcome to CATCOUK

Want a free drink? Read on...

Yes, CATCOUK is, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, now being broadcast on Facebook. Don't know what that is? It's an excuse for students to waste their time on the internet, uploading, downloading, viewing, and commenting on photos, and writing childish messages to each other. Yep, that's right, it's Bebo/ MySpace all over again. But that explains the title. And what about that free drink? Read on...

This week, a couple of things have been going on. We kicked off the week, with my brother's 18th Birthday. We celebrated this fact by filling me brother's 05 plate New Vauxhall Astra with... balloons! My brother, Ian, celebrated his 18th by trying to get seriously drunk, and having a bit of a bender. By 1015pm, he'd thrown up and rung home for help. Light weight. I'm not good with my drink, but I've never been home that early!

Ian like's balloons. That's right, he REALLY LIKES balloons...

This week, certain... aspects of my brother have 'come out'. For starters, he drove down to Gun Wharf Quays, and spent £420 on clothes. Just clothes. Obviously this is a little suspect. Many of my friends asked if he was... batting for the other team. Later in the week, I went down stairs to find him watching TV. Watching Project Catwalk, on TV. Make your own decisions about that one...

Later on in the week, another small event happened. On Thursday 22nd February, 100 years of Scouting was celebrated. It was also my 20th Birthday. In recent years, I have begun to hate my birthday. Not because I am getting old, but because it is a reminder that I have spent yet another year alone, and that I am still clinically useless when it comes to women (but I definatly don't watch Project Catwalk if you get my drift). So, as usual, I tried to keep my birthday on the quiet. Unsuccessfully.

Pick a card, any card. Now that is alot of cards.

This year, my wonderful friends reminded that I may not be in a relationship, but I am most definatly not alone. We started off the day at Uni, and we were planting 300 trees to undo the carbon emmissions from our flight to Lanzarote. It was a soaking wet day, yet many of my friends didn't let me forget it was my birthday. I had handfuls of birthday cards, and a balloon! Previously, my friend Michael (who wrote this a blog a few weeks back) had given me a radio controlled Dukes of Hazzard car (with working sound effects).

Go Whistle Dixie - a model of the Dukes' 1969 Dodge Charger - with working light and sound!

Wow! I have never had such a great birthday in all my life. Honestly, I mean that. Thanks mostly to the efforts of my friend Holly (with the helium balloon). Of course (little did I know it), my day didn't end there. I had been invited to an Adventure Ed house party in the evening.

So, after work, at about 1030pm, I turned up to Kerry's house. Expecting a house party, I hadn't bothered changing. The party's theme was 'Stone age', and as Sainsbury's management ethos is from there, I saw no problems. Also, I was prepared for an hour and half's quick in, out, and home by half midnight. And then the door opened...

Happy 20th Andy! How did I not even remotely guess at this...

SUPRISE! How I hadn't even guessed at what I would see I don't know, but Kerry had organised a suprise birthday party in my honour, with many of my Adventure Ed friends there. I simply couldn't believe it. A suprise party for me? Unbelievable. But the most unbelievable chapter of my 20th Birhtday was, amazingly, yet to come.

Earlier on, when Holly had handed me my Birthday card, and balloon (all highly unexpected) she said to wait for the present that she got me. And she had said this with a very wry smile. I was understandably a little concerned. When the hipe of welcoming me to my own suprise party was over, Holly handed me my present. This is what the suspicious pink bag looked like:

The best things come in small packages? What about suspicious pink bags?

I opened the bag carefully, to find my present. Some of my older reader's may recognise the bag, or may even be able to make out the writing on the bag (all of which I had missed - well I'm innocent). Never before had I been completely speechless for so long. In the bag was... a red PVC thong from Ann Summers (an Adult Shop).

TO GO WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE. I saw this and thought of you...

Holly had been at an Ann Summers party on Friday. She said she saw this item, and thought of me. Not many people know, but I am a bit of a fan of Star Trek (well quite a large fan). When Holly saw my bedroom, and my Star Trek books the other week (she was 'round looking at a Kayak), she had cottoned on to my like of Star Trek. Oh dear me...

Well, I don't get emotional very often, but that was truthfully the best birthday that I have ever had. Huge thanks go out to Holly and Kerry who put in alot of effort to make my day as special as it was, as well as to all my friends that helped me realise that I am not alone. Thanks guys, I really did appreciate it. Enough emotional rubbish. Back to normal next week, I promise.

Oh, and about that free drink. I just wanted to give as many people on Facebook a chance to read an edition of CATCOUK. Sorry, there is no free drink. You can see more photos from my birthday, as well as the final chapter in my trip to Lanzarote at CATCOUK2 (catcouk.bebo.com).

If you think I am sad, and really should get a life, why not leave a comment (or write on my Facebook wall) telling me to man up a bit.

If you'd like to see me in my new item of clothing (and it didn't cost me £420), why not leave a message, and say that you have a sick bucket near by. (For your information, I did take a photo, but it really was to bad to put anywhere near the public...)

Quote of the week: "If you havn't won, you've lost... basically." This from Xtreme Paul (XP for short), the man who blurted 'BIRMINGHAM!' when asked about where there might be a place with a 10m tide. Pillock.