GADGET WEEKEND

Last Wednesday saw my first NHS salary hit my bank account. That glorious feeling when you see your first pay slip after three years of university and training. It's getting framed alongside my nursing certificates and Manchester United autographs - sad, I know, but momentous occasions need big gestures. Four days off work to follow, catch up with all my buddies and to quote Frank Gallagher from Shameless ' ...the most vital necessity in this life is they know how to throw a PAAARTY! Scatter...'.

My first post-pay acquisition arrived today from Amazon. New Logic3 ipod travel speakers will shortly travel the short distance to my new desk at work but they've been christened in my bedroom, outside my shower and given pride of place on my car's dashboard. They're absolutely fab. Tomorrow sees the big prize in gadget weekend when my contract mobile phone gets upgraded and I can swing my 02 bag around town before I get the box ripped open and get to work on the settings, ringtones, wallpaper etc.

Later in the afternoon, I've promised to take my 10 year old godson to see Alvin and the Chipmunks the Squeakquel. Our day out at the pictures goes something on the lines of.... we go out for lunch and chat about football and relationship stuff concerning his girlfriend. We discuss hair gel, Adidas Predator football boots, music, the new Mini Cooper S 4x4, whether Katie Price and Alex's marriage will run the course... In his mind, I have always been his 10 year old mate that just happens to have boobs and a house on mortgage. We then head off to Vue cinema where the ritual of 'can I have... candy floss? NO... Slush puppy mega brain death? NO... Sweet and salty Popcorn mega bucket.. NO Ben and Jerry's funky fish flavour extra large carton with cherries and sparklers? NO... Bloody Hell, is there any chance I can have some M&M's and a diet coke?' I fell for it once before when I was £30 lighter after going to see some hideous Harry Potter film (which I loathe), fell asleep halfway through and had my godson poking me in the face with his mega brain death drinks straw to try and wake me from coma and asking earnestly whether I think Dumbledore will die and offering me the scrap ends of popcorn from a carton the size of a small family car.

Sunday sees Man Utd v Aston Villa in the League Cup Final and going out afterwards with my best mate A for tea. We've found this really cool place which is like stepping into the twilight zone. It's an ice cream parlour that hasn't changed since 1951 but the food is great. We sit there for hours with our Sunday newspapers, put the world to rights and chat to the 85 year old waitress about when electricity will finally be put into the village. She tells us it's scheduled for autumn 1976 and that she can't stop to chat as she needs to get home to her cousin who doubles up as her husband.

And then there's the lie-ins... oh happy day ...