I got into Manchester after a really long flight. There was a layover in Newark, NJ of about two hours. I got in around 10 am or so and the Leeds JU was that night. He drove me to Chester and I took a little rest before we drove to Leeds and I made him listen to my JU CD - which I think he kinda hated. I remember going on a motorway and him telling me one section was the highest point in England. It would have barely been a foothill in California.
He had gotten us a room at a hotel near the pub where the JU was going to be. We took another little break and walked to the pub. That's where we saw Anna and other folks walking to the pub and I pushed through them as I've told before.
The JU was in full swing when we got there and I got a beer and listened to Yomp talk about his arthritis and Carol's husband, Matt, talk about the Grateful Dead - there's this thing where folks from elsewhere think because you're from the Bay Area, you love the Dead. I hate the Dead. Los Angeles JUs are much more low-key.
Then, I talked to people I always wanted to talk to - Spence/Molony Joy, and his fiancee, who was hot, and talked to them for a fairly long time, Savoire Faire, kinda hitting on her, but she didn't take the hint, Carol, Anna, and some other folks. And then Bryan led everyone in some Northern sing-along and I knew the night had jumped the shark. Mick was passed out by then, which by looking at JU photos, seemed to be SOP. Graham and I headed back to the hotel and I slept pretty good.
The next day we pub crawled and saw some music after recovering and we went to Blackpool. He had on surf music, which I like and I think he was being kind.Django's father-in-law loves rollercoasters and I wanted to see what an English amusement park was like because we go to Santa Cruz's Beach Boardwalk a lot. Graham's brother-in-law has Down's Syndrome and Graham told me he didn't like getting hit in the bumper cars. I told him if he gets in a bumper car, he's fair game. He was sitting in a corner watching, I saw him, and rammed him full speed. He screamed like a girl as I approached, but laughed after I hit him head on.
A couple days passed and he did a Liverpool JU - Kid P, Jumper K, Packrat, Kev/Dancing with Difficulty and Graham - it was a great time. I liked all those guys and I knew Kid P from his previous trip to SF. I was fucked up on the train ride home. I told Graham that if I order tequila, I'm done and when I ordered a round, I knew he didn't have my back.
Lots of visits to local pubs and playing frisbee - one local pub was owned by a husband and wife who owned a pub in the So. Bay Area when the guy had played for the San Jose Earthquakes pro soccer team and I'd been there a number of times. It was nice talking to him and played pool. Graham's a pretty good pool player.
Frank and John came to Chester one day, drank all day, and we went to see stand up comedy in Chester, emcee'd by Graham's friend - I don't get English comedy. It sucked and they laughed as I sat stone faced during the sets. I got fucked up and could barely walk home. The next day was my next to last day and we went to a country pub for lunch and played frisbee in the field behind.
I went home the last day and United didn't have my reservation because they said I never landed in England which is a whole different story.
