Hey Guys

I am typing this one handed & it's very frustrating seeing as I can usually type 100 words a minute but I'm determined to keep up with my blog!

Will explain all about the one hand thing in a mo!!

So, LA! I'd heard mixed things about LA, mostly bad but I have to say I really enjoyed my time there!Vicki & I arrived late on Friday night & got a shuttle bus to the hostel I'd been recommended - Banana Bungallow! Now I may not like bananas but man I loved this place! Free breakie, free internet, free weekend barbeque, lovely staff & a 6 bed dorm (with clean bathroom and kitchen) for just $22 a night! And it's on Hollywood Boulevard!

Once checked in we went to an incredibly cheap & yummy Thai restaurant next door to the hostel! That night we couldn't sleep we were so excited to be in LA & a lovely hostel. Vicki actually said I can't believe everything has worked out so well for us today, surely something has to go wrong! Which brings me onto the next day!

Saturday; we got up early & caught three different buses to Venice Beach where we hired roller skates. We were on them no more than two minutes when I skidded on some sand, fell over & landed on my left wrist...Vicki went down after me & landed on her butt.

We were laughing at fiirst but when I saw the blood coming out the cut on my hand and a massive lump appear on my wrist, not to mention the pain I was in I realised my injury was far worse than I thought. Two old guys & a lady came to our rescue, & they went to get a lifeguard. At this point I was feeling extremely faint so one of the nice men gave me his fold up chair to sit in & I put my head in between my knees!! Then another lifeguard turned up in a flashing lifeguard truck (with siren!!) I was soooooooo embarrased. He was quite cute though and cleared up my cut before putting my arm in a temporary sling (it loooked like I had two giant blue arm bands on!) The tears were already flowing at this point & when they said it was potentially broken & that I would have to go to hospital, the kind old man then gave me a hankie for my uncontrollable sobs!!!!! An ambulance would have cost me $600 so they suggested I got a cab instead for $15! (I will never moan about the NHS again!)

Went to a local hotel & asked reception to call one, when the guy behind the desk asked if I was ok, I started crying again! Hey you girls will know what its like when you're already emotional & someone says are you ok??!! Its the worst thing people can say!Anyway got to the hospital, had to wait for about an hour to see a nurse who took my blood pressure, temperature. During which time some scary guy who was in a wheelchair was claiming he couldn't walk & threatening to kill himself. He was sick on himself, pissed himself & shat himself & then miracuosly got out of the wheelchair & started walking about shouting more abuse at the staff. He came towards Vic & I with a lighter to ask for a fag but I was convinced he was going to set fire to himself & the entire waiting room!! He had also threatened to headbutt the wall so a doctor would have to see him ASAP! Anyway eventually security kicked him out! And another 45 mins or so & I finally saw a doctor. I had to have some x-rays & it was confirmed I had fractured my left wrist. I was put in a sling, given some very strong painkillers & told to see an orthopedic surgeon in the next 7 days. Hopefully though I won't need surgery, fingers crossed!!

As you know I had been planning on going to the Galaxy Game, well I had no intention of letting a fractured wrist stop me from going! Vic & I jumped in a cab & made our way to the Home Depot Centre (of course the Americans prounounce it DE-PO, but I had been calling it DEPOT all day!!) What a wolly!!Anyway I bought a Beckham shirt, we had beers & hotdogs & made our way to our seats, we were just six rows from the front & right next to the rowdy Galaxy fans who sang the whole game! Great fun!

When I saw David I almost cried, he looked as beautiful as ever!!!!!!!! He was doing the warm up exercises right by us and we swear he kept looking over, we thought he might sign an autograph if he saw my arm & knew we were from England but I couldn't pluck up the courage to call out his name...Totally different story after the match after a couple more beers...I was screaming 'David I love you' at the top of my voice!!!!!The match was really really good. Galaxy went 1-0 up, then Chivas equalised. Then we went 2-1 up again & they equalised! Galaxy then got 2 goals in about two minutes followed by another 1 to make the final score 5-2! Brilliant Match!!

I wrote David a note asking for an autograph and gave it to a guy on the front row who had more of a chance of getting one but no such luck!

Getting back to the hostel was a nightmare. We waited for a bus for an hour...try squatting against a van & having a wee with just one hand to pull your pants & shorts back up!! Its bloody difficult I can tell you! Tried hitch hiking too for ages! (Panic not Mum, we only would have got in the car if a woman had pulled over!) Eventually a bus showed up, then we had to transfer to the underground & get a tube, then walk to the hostel, we got back at 12.30am! Bearing in mind the match finished at 9.15pm & the day we'd had we were absolutely exhausted!A nice guy in the room swapped beds with me so I could have the bottom bunk.

My arm has resulted in a lot of male attention! Most people in LA speaks to you anyway (most think we're Australian!) but now its crazy!Everone wants to know what happened! A total random guy last night even came over & kissed it better!

So, Sunday, I woke up in a lot of pain, called home, cried my eyes out! What do I do?! Come home early? Stick with my plan & go to SF & Vagas? The doctor told me I would need help getting showered and dressed & assumed Vicki & I were friends from home so it wouldn't be an issue. Had I not met Vicki I think I'd probably be back home by now but we both want to do the same things in a similar timescale and she has offered to help me out as much as possible therefore after consulting with the rents I decided to stick it out.

I can just about cope with the pain..what breaks my heart is knowing I won't be able to pick my darling nephew up when I'm home & give him the giant cuddle I've been dreaming of for the past 5 & a half months! :-( But, life goes on, I have to stay positive, it could have been a whole lot worse, plus it's my left hand & I'm right handed so I can still take photos etc! Phew!!!!!!!!

Sunday, Vic & I went on a Hollywood City Tour. Our driver Mickey was crazy but very knowledagble about the area! We went to see the school where Grease was filmed, the hotel where Pretty Woman was filmed, sunset strip, Venice beach AGAIN!

And then did a tour of Beverly Hills & saw loads of famous people's homes. Some included were; The Osbornes, The Beckhams, Sinatras, The Playboy Mansion, Simon Cowell ( I couldn't believe the amount of cars on the driveway!) & Madonna! Was a really good day & we made friends with a nice english guy called Joe who accompanied us to dinner at Hooters that evening!!Vic & I thought the girls would be topless & on rollerskates but they were just in tight orange hotpants & little tops! Very disappointing!! The food was okay, I had nachos so Vicki hasn't yet had to chop my food up for me!

We said our goodbyes to Joe & made our way to the underground station where we got a tube to Union Station! I had to drag Vicki's suitcase along (which luckily has wheels) & she had to take my backpack as obviously I can't carry it!! The mega bus picked us up at 11.30pm & we got into San Francisco this morning at 6am!! Very exciting!

Thats all for now guys. Until next time, take care of yourself & each other...Lots of love, Shell xXx

ps. Have a good day!