"I Can't believe......"

What a day! Started with a headache having my hair cut - nice and short as befits the chilly weather! The elderly woman who left as I arrived had been talking to Raj about the joys of spending Christmas alone. Her son from Canada had emailed her to say their flights were booked and she had sent an email back saying she didn't want him to come! Apparently his children are vegans and she simply couldn't face feeding them!  Having got puddings galore at the Co-Op and straw for the coop I headed to the allotment.As I only intended to line the coop with the straw I was in all my finery - well the morning opener had not cleaned the coop so I had to! Grrr! Found out later in the day Colourful Mai had done the open for another member so had not had the time to clean - just my luck! As soon as I had finished the girls were up the ladder and in the coop to see what I had done! 
Home to take more headache tablets and eat. Before I knew it, time to pick up Party Girl and Homeopathic Girl. As I turned up party Girls drive I was hit by lights - her dad loves Christmas and had put lights in the trees and all over the house - future blip sorted!  Once over the bridge and into Devon we hit major traffic and the girls encouraged me to do an illegal turn back onto the A38! Homeopath Girl directed me through unfamiliar roads to our destination - headache was beginning to return! 
So - the meal- OMG!!!! The place looked like a greek tavern and  all the paintings on the walls were of naked figures/trees/ animal totems and it was so stereotypical of the view of Vegetarians/Vegans as New Age hippies! Me and Carpenter ( husband of Caring Girl!) did like the old record player and stack of albums for you to make your own choice - he took a photo to send to his son asking him if he knew what it was!   I tried the vegetarian cheese Vegan Jo had told me about - OMG it tasted like dairylea triangles! Processed to the n'th degree! Party Girl was gutted as no alcohol for sale! 
So - the meal. Mine was 3 brown, flat,  round, dry circles of squash - oh joy with chilli in! It said nothing of chilli on the menu which was why I chose them over the cauliflower that did! The chips, beans and coleslaw were fine. The fake meat meals of the others? Totally disgusting! The steaks looked like chocolate cake and tasted of rubber covered in MSG sauce! Jo's chicken drumsticks had woody parsnip strips masquerading  as bone! Carpenter Man pointed to the print on the menu which announced the restaurant was themed on "Vegan Junk Food" - well that explained it then! I had to take a photo of Homeopathic girl's food with their business card saying " I can't believe it's all vegan!"  - well I blooming well could! When it came to giving a tip I said my tip would be "change your theme! "
Next part of the evening - the film. We had to walk through the shopping centre which was exquisite torment for me - buildings, christmas lights, cityscape! Not a field, flower, cow or chicken in sight! I trailed behind the others taking as many photos as I could. I tried to convince Carpenter man to abscond with me - he could sit in a pub and I could take photos! After all the film was just going to tell us what we already knew and felt strongly about - preaching to the converted - which was why it was at The Arts centre and not The Vue Cinema Multiplex! 
Well the film was superb - a searing indictment of the benefits system. The two main characters engulfment in the system and eventual slide into prostitution and poverty were excruciating to watch. The correct terminology and insane practises of the benefits system and the inhumanity of the "service providers" were frustrating to the point of screaming. Kafka's world brought to life. Everyone of us shed a tear and felt emotionally drained by the end. I did not at one point even think of walking away to take photos. The film should be mandatory viewing for the government and anyone working within the benefits system. The Angel is faced with refugees being caught up in this and I have friends who have faced the same - Friend being one continuing victim. 
On the way back to the carpark I took photos and got sofar behind the others they kept disappearing from view, and at one point when turning the corner they had taken I found they had disappeared! I had no idea where I or the carpark was and had a brief moment of panic! Why they were striding on without a glance backward to see where I was quite piqued me - my satisfaction was knowing they would have to wait in the cold next to my car until I arrived! 
Having dropped them all off home I finally got back, took more headache tablets and fell into bed! I intend to have a quiet day tomorrow! 
All the fun of the eve can be seen here!