Coventry Unusual Suspects Reunion - 2006

So I'm actually on holiday in the UK right now. Last weekend, went up to the midlands, Coventry to be precise, to catch up with old friends. Little did I know, I was in for a bit of a surprise. Old housemate Fluffy came all the way from Kent to come visit, and it all turned into a bit of a reunion...

DAY ONE: Friday at the Whitefriars

When asked about what it was like living in our old house, Fluffy denies everything...


Dudge spins Broomie a yarn, while Fergie and Copie look on. And, yes, it appears Copie has stolen both mine and Fluffy's hair.



Ben reacts appropriately to the situation.

Me and Paul catch up with Mark 'Khorne' Buttree, who I haven't seen in about 10 years.

DAY TWO: Watching Rugby at the Aardvark, and then, heck why not, back to the Whitefriars...

Fluffy has been stung by a wasp. On the ring finger. He has a very big (wedding) ring and can't get the damned thing off. At this point, the hospital has given him drugs to reduce the swelling, which means he can't drink, but the drugs aren't working, so he's wrapped the thing in ice in case that works instead. Here he is resting his head on the thing, desperately hoping that holding his hand up will help some.

Fluffy anoints my head with melting wasp-sting ice. I feel positively saved from the threat of wasp-stings.

Broomie and Marty-T commiserate after watching England lose again.

After finally giving up and heading to the hospital to get his ring cut off, Fluffy joins us back at the Whitefriars later in the evening decrying 'I don't care if the drugs make me fall asleep in five minutes, I'm having a bloody beer.'

Not content with just being old housemates, me and Fluffy discover we were separated at birth.

Seriously. It's quite scary.

Hankering for a little slice of home, I decided to buy two bags of Roast Chicken crisps. Half way through the first one, everyone complains that 'it really smells', so I have to wait until Sunday morning before I'm allowed to eat the second one.

And so the reunion went. Day Three was spent at Broomie's writing a new song for Earth Calling Angela, but like an idiot, I forgot to take pictures of this momentous occasion. So I'd like to thank everyone who came out for our two days of catching up, debaucherous nostalgia trips, and general silliness. Meant a lot to me, it did.

Tailgating at the Eagles

Okay, so I'm a Giants fan. But I'm not so crazy as to turn down the chance to tailgate at the Eagles if a friend from LA flies over for his birthday. Here's some piccies for those interested.

Drunken Trivial Pursuit the night before.

Too much DDR!

KPK waits impatiently for her 9.30 mimosa.


Mini barbecue put together, not with tools, but by HUMAN HANDS...

The crew finally gets the mimosas in. Paca, KPK, Buni & Dyl.

Paca throws a perfect ball...


Dyl catches like a typical Seahawks fan...

And, yes, I was actually there.

Wicked day all round, apart from me still being a little weak from 2 weeks of allergy recovery. Cheers everyone!

I didn't get a Pahrump outta you!

Something tells me this is going to repealed before St. Paddy's Day...

Squersheys - Not Just For Dogs Anymore

And I thought Hershey's chocolate just tasted like shit...

Salmonella fears prompt Hershey recall

Associated Press

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario - A variety of Hershey chocolate products and candies in Canada were voluntarily recalled Sunday because of fears of salmonella contamination at a factory.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the products, Hershey said in a statement.

Hershey brand chocolate bars, chocolate chips, Oh Henry! bars, Reese's peanut butter cups, and Cherry Blossom sweets were among the affected products.

None of the recalled products were produced for Halloween or Christmas.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials said they were told by Hershey that it doesn't appear there was a widespread delivery of the affected products to stores.

It was unclear where in Canada the affected products may have ended up and it was not immediately known how long that will take to find out, said Marie-Andree Lefebvre, a CFIA spokeswoman. The recall did not affect Hershey products sold in the United States, the CFIA said.

The recall involves chocolate produced at the Smiths Falls, Ontario, factory between Oct. 15 and Nov. 10, Lefebvre said.

The recalled chocolate and candy can be identified by date codes found on the back of each package - the affected date codes range from 6417 to 6455.

Consumers should check codes on chocolate bars they purchase as not every product on store shelves are affected.

"For example it's not all the Oh Henry! bars that are affected by this recall," Lefebvre said.

Hershey officials did not immediately return telephone calls Sunday.

Production at the plant in Smiths Falls was shut down last week, and the company did not say when it will resume.

The Hershey Co., based in Hershey, Pa., is the largest candy maker in the U.S.

Salmonella generally cause a nonfatal, diarrhea-causing illness. Other symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, fever and headache. There are about 2,500 types of salmonella.