VirginiaHey.com

Now THAT was and is a brilliant song! Dexys Midnight Runners..

Where did they get the name of the band I wonder.. Mind you, after finding out what one of my fav 70's band names meant, '10cc', I kinda dont want to know..... Virg cringes...

Well.. Im back from three back to back shows, the third and last one being to the UK... with moments in-between each show.. My stamina is shot, I really do need rest in-between shows, otherwise I get sick..

Alas, Farscape did that to me, my system has not ever fully recovered.. ha ha, I probably need to lie down for a year to nurcher myself back to health properly after 3 years in Farscape!

Well I was sick for the entire UK show, never did get over the jetlag either! THANK GOD FOR THE VAULT!!!

What is the Vault you ask? All will be revealed......

There I was, on my first night in Leicester, UK, it was 11pm and I was SO tired after leaving home in LA at 4.30pm, at the airport 3 hours, then a 10 hour flight followed by a three hour drive to the UK hotel with the show promoter who expected me to be sane and entertaining and sparkly during those three hours... Bllllrrrggghghghgghhhhhhhh

Its cruel, I cant be bright and bubbly when my body clock is upside down and day is night and night is day seconds off the plane from a 13 hour ordeal all 6 foot of me consetina'd in a tiny chair made for a weenie 5ft 4 frame... (take a breath Virg...) bllllrrgrhghghghhhh

Needless to say I pushed and pushed myself to be chipper in the car, which only resulted in making me look like a crazed drugged-out weirdo all bleary-eyed, frantic, smelly, hair like a mat, crumpled clothes, food spilled down my front, and the lady in the plane seat under my left armpit's bloody Mary drink spilt down my leg..

A good look!

What a lovely sight for the organizer.. Ha ha, that'll teach her for personally picking up one of her celebs from the airport instead of sending a cab or a well trained assistant briefed to let the poor guest sod sleep, to scoop them up from the airport and drip them into the hotel till a shower and re-fresh was done and vile scrapings removed and deposited into the laundry-bag..

Oh for a business class seat on a OS trip.... and someone to pick me up who understands international coach travel.. oooh, did I say that or did I think it.. woops, oh well, this is my diary where thoughts are unedited! So Im allowed to be candid..

Anyway, after disappointing the organizer by not being the chatty fun person she had heard about and expected, I poured myself into the shower, then unpacked and ate a meal that wasn't nuked and maneuvered with plastic utensils with elbows stapled to my sides.. Know that feeling? Are you tall? Ever tried to use a knife and fork and reach your mouth with the food with your elbows and wrists jammed to your chest? No wonder the food missed my mouth and fed my tee shirt!

Then to make it worse the lady next to me made her child sleep on the floor while she spread out over the two seats and used our shared armrest as a pillow, thereby hanging her pillow and head into my lap.. Now.. Im a pacifist, but I was considering these dastardly options.. either getting up quickly, which would have deposited her onto the floor ontop of her poor daughter, or.. breaking wind, which probably wouldn't have woken her, but would've made me go 'green' sitting being gased by my own hand, well, er, nether-region, not a good option, .. or.. to accidentally on purpose spill my sprite on the part of her head that was hanging into my lap.. Hm, tempting... Instead I opted for sitting jammed-in unable to move because of the miniature seat, her head, and the man in front's seat reclined so that his hair was under my nose...

Long trips are torture in coach if you are over 5ft 4...

Anyway.. back to the hotel on the first night... After unpacking and eating a real meal and downing a gallon of water and opening the window so I could get some Oxygen for the first time in 20 hours, I flopped into bed with my ears still ringing from the plane noise..

It was 11pm and I feel into a deep sleep..

BING!

W I D E A W A K E at 2am.... Every bloody time I go to England I wake up at 2am... why??????

So there I was, not just a little bit awake and able to just snuggle down and go back to sleep, .. I was absolutely wide awake..

I turned o the telly and channel surfed.. all news, horror, disaster, war.. so I landed on a music channel called The Vault!

Abso-bloody-lutely-fantastic.. All the fabbo English hits from the last 3 decades.. I hadn't heard this stuff for 14 years, since I last lived in the UK...

'Come-on Ilene' banged on the screen and I jumped-up and danced all around the room singing off key...

Then another brill one.. Tears for Fears 'Everybody wants to rule the world'... There I was playing air guitar to the lovely heavenly lilting strummed guitar solo, and the swaying melody..and the singers satin voice.. What a FABULOUS song!!!! Go listen to it RIGHT NOW!!!

They should re-release it..

There I was .. being stupid, doing a Chuck Berry hop and skip across the room, when.. bang bang bang, came from the room next door... woops! I was having my own solo dance party at 4am! ha ha..

More great music, but this time I was confined to my bed waving the sheets about to the music like a lighter to an Elton John song instead of dancing around the room like a pillock...

5am and starving, so I called room service and a sweet old man brought up some carrot and coriander soup and real English soft bread and REAL BUTTER.. and real Typhoo tea in an old lady floral china cup with milk with a shortbread biscuit sitting on the matching floral saucer.. yummy I was in jetlag heaven! I felt like the Queen mum on acid.. All I needed was a green ostridge sitting on my head! LOL

(Translation: The Queen mum always used to wear over the top hats with an explosion of either feathers, or netting, or flowers all over them, or all of the above at once.. God rest her dear soul!.. On acid = Jetlag produces a slight hallucinogenic effect.. The floral tea ceremony = The English love their genteil (sp?) ceremony of tea and biscuits (cookies)in transparent delicate china cups that always have rather daggy (nerdy) florals painted on them. A real tea tradition that I adore so much!)

7am still awake, so I turned off the telly and went to sleep...

2pm and the housekeepers want to come in and make up the room..

I had my do not disturb sign on the door, which apparently upset the convention staff who wanted to hang with me all that day.. woops.. well, sorry, I was in a jetlag land getting rest for the convention duties which were due to start the next evening..

The con was a blur, I was sick and jetlagged but did try with all my might to be fabulous, but the only time I shone was at my meditation class on the Sunday morning.. I do so adore teaching meditation, its so gentle and nurturing..

So, here I am, home again after nearly a week in the UK.. Had to endure another torture on the way back, but it wasn't quite as bad.. This time I begged the check-in lady to give me a bulkhead or exit row seat.. No exits, but I got a bulkhead seat so there wasn't the hair under my nose from a passenger infront, just the arm crushing and back twisting and spilling, but at least I could pop my feet high on the bulkhead wall much to the utter disgust and constant dirty looks from the elderly, grumpy and very straight-laced lady next to me.. I DID wrap my feet with the blanket so my feet were not touching the bulkhead nor were they seen, but she still gave me filthy looks every time I moved... God, that will be me one day horribly soon.. After menopause one becomes gradually more and more bitter and twisted.. LOL, Im only slightly bitter and twisted now, so there is much to look forward to.. GROAN!

Heckle and Pumpkin missed me SO much it brought a tear to my eye seeing their happy little squeaky faces so full of love for me.. I adore our beautiful four legged companions set here on Earth to heal our hearts, souls and bodies..

Home... ahhhhhhh

I missed Andy, Melissa and Jean.. My mad crazy friends I adore so much with all my silly old farty heart!

I missed my wee ickle flat..

I missed my giant bed with soft pillows..

I missed my ickle garden..

And I missed chattering with all of you!