To the Max

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It's Monday night and I've arrived home to a meal and a clean kitchen and a somewhat glum Ross.

The meal and the kitchen were great. It's been longer than I care to remember since I last came home to that sort of service. The cloud is to do with Ross's thwarted attempts to find employment. He's been trying really hard for the last week and has been sending off applications and going for interviews but hasn't had an offer yet and he's beginning to look disillusioned. It's difficult to tell him that it doesn't come that easily even if you're only looking for casual or part-time work. But at least he's doing all the right things.

The week hasn't been all gloom, however. Mostly, we spent the time getting to know each other better, cooking, making plans, talking. We're getting on really well. And it is good having someone else round the house. Cyril, the cat, is enjoying the extra attention. And I'm finding it somewhat fabbity as well.

The weekend, we pushed the boat out a little. We'd been planning to go and see Giovanni's Room at The Drill Hall but it was sold out so we ended up going to see Twister instead. If you want substantial characterisation and meaningful dialogue then this is not the film for you. However, the special effects are just breath-taking - quite literally. As well as the visuals of the tornados, the sound effects are spectacular. And the cow - oh, the poor cow. That cow has haunted me throughout the weekend.

Saturday brought a lazy start which was nice after the exertions of the week. We didn't get out of bed till gone eleven and then I went to have my hair cut. We headed off to Summer Rites (a sort of mini Pride) in Kennington Park and had a stonking day.

We spent most of the afternoon in the Fun Fair - most unusually for me. Anyhow, the MegaSpin was tremendous - a circular platform that revolved on a horizontal axis and also through 360 degrees round a central spindle. The result of this is that you get spun round and about, upside down and every which way. I was thrilled. So much so that I had to go on it again. Though, to be honest, it wasn't the only time over the weekend that Ross was tossed around upside down.

The other rides were fun but not so much fun as that. My worst moment was on the Waltzer but that was because the spinning motion came close to putting my neck out.

Come the early evening Ross and I decamped to the sound stage where we heard some pretty crap acts before the final three. The first was a Shirley Bassey impersonator. When she first came on and was introduced as the great Shirl, I thought "No way" but then by two songs into her set I was convinced. It was only at the end that she was re-introduced by her real name and the compère talked about travelling down from Manchester by train with her that morning that the spell was broken.

One thing I know for certain about Shirley Bassey is that she would not travel from Manchester by train. Rolls Royce Silver Cloud maybe but Brutish Rail, oh, no, no, no, no, no.

Then came Jimmy Sommervile who was great. I've not seen him live since he was in the Communards and his voice is still something amazing even if he's not the most wonderful person on God's earth. And the show was rounded off by a woman doing a Karen Carpenter set which had the whole crowd singing and dancing along - kitsch beyond belief.

Ross met some of his friends whilst we were watching the show and we may be meeting up with Chris and Rick for a meal sometime this week.

Back home it was a late meal and we chilled out watching Disney's Alladin curled up on the sofa before bed.

Sunday was another glorious day. So, after a bit of housework, we headed into town and hit the shops. Most of Oxford Street is filled to capacity with sales. We picked up a few items of clothing each. Ross found a pair of bright orange jeans in his fit that are almost skin tight on him and look very good - actually they border on the obscene.

Back home, it was another chilling out evening marked by some fun with Tesco's Blueberry Cheesecake icecream - and that's the only salacious detail you're getting. I know. After Ross and my first encounter (let alone the second and the third ), you're hoping for more juicy details.

Well, you're not getting any.

Just suffice it to say that the chemistry is still there and I'm walking round with a permanent grin on my face.