Tuesday, June 28, 2005

I was invited to a posh home for breakfast and a spot of Lions watching on Saturday morning. I overslept so missed bacon butties in the salon of an erstwhile well-known golfers former lounge. Turns out I didn't miss much fine rugby. Come on boys! What's the matter with you?

I then mooched about avoiding any attempt at packing boxes or making any preparations whatsoever for my imminent flit. I did manage to get myself ready in time for Sophie and Captain Condom ( he's got the same sort of time-keeping abilities as me so I was rather surprised when they showed up more or less on time - Sophie's undoubted good influence and the fact that we'd built 30 minutes into the schedule to allow for the Martin factor). We'd all been invited to Ruth's birthday party.

Everyone looked lovely and there was lots of chatting, drinking and quite a bit of emotion. I think Ruth would have loved it, God rest her. I felt a bit of an infiltrator. I'd only got to know Ruth well latterly, in her final year in fact, just when things were looking great for her, Richard and their beautiful children. The house was all finished, the new business was flourishing, the kids were just gorgeous and they were so much in love, more than any other couple I have ever met, and not in a nauseating way.

Richard, who I have known well since I was 12 and nick-named "E.T" ( Extra Tits, I was an early developer) is making a gargantuan effort of making sense of the madness that causes an utterly vivacious, loving and loved, beautiful girl like Ruth to be snatched away so quickly and cruelly. He's trying to be as positive as he can, which includes training for a marathon in aid of Leukaemia Research and shaving all his hair off.

I'm supposed to be a trained bereavement counsellor but I can't make any sense of it, in fact it's caused me to question my entire role. He's truly inspirational, far more so than he ever promised to be when he took the lead of Sweeney Todd in a school play.

So I've decided to take a very small leaf out of Richard's book and face things head on - tonight has seen me fill 2 (borrowed) archive boxes with CD's and clear my bathroom cabinet - why does one person need 12 bottles of shampoo? Just my bedroom, the kitchen, Jack's room and the junk room to go. Thank goodness Rachel is coming over to instill some discipline in me on Thursday night - but then I've just realised that coincides with the last episode of Murphy's Law - bugger! Why didn't I leave the lounge til last?
I was invited to a posh home for breakfast and a spot of Lions watching on Saturday morning. I overslept so missed bacon butties in the salon of an erstwhile well-known golfers former lounge. Turns out I didn't miss much fine rugby. Come on boys! What's the matter with you?

I then mooched about avoiding any attempt at packing boxes or making any preparations whatsoever for my imminent flit. I did manage to get myself ready in time for Sophie and Captain Condom ( he's got the same sort of time-keeping abilities as me so I was rather surprised when they showed up more or less on time - Sophie's undoubted good influence and the fact that we'd built 30 minutes into the schedule to allow for the Martin factor). We'd all been invited to Ruth's birthday party.

Everyone looked lovely and there was lots of chatting, drinking and quite a bit of emotion. I think Ruth would have loved it, God rest her. I felt a bit of an infiltrator. I'd only got to know Ruth well latterly, in her final year in fact, just when things were looking great for her, Richard and their beautiful children. The house was all finished, the new business was flourishing, the kids were just gorgeous and they were so much in love, more than any other couple I have ever met, and not in a nauseating way.

Richard, who I have known well since I was 12 and nick-named "E.T" ( Extra Tits, I was an early developer) is making a gargantuan effort of making sense of the madness that causes an utterly vivacious, loving and loved, beautiful girl like Ruth to be snatched away so quickly and cruelly. He's trying to be as positive as he can, which includes training for a marathon in aid of Leukaemia Research and shaving all his hair off.

I'm supposed to be a trained bereavement counsellor but I can't make any sense of it, in fact it's caused me to question my entire role. He's truly inspirational, far more so than he ever promised to be when he took the lead of Sweeney Todd in a school play.

So I've decided to take a very small leaf out of Richard's book and face things head on - tonight has seen me fill 2 (borrowed) archive boxes with CD's and clear my bathroom cabinet - why does one person need 12 bottles of shampoo? Just my bedroom, the kitchen, Jack's room and the junk room to go. Thank goodness Rachel is coming over to instill some discipline in me on Thursday night - but then I've just realised that coincides with the last episode of Murphy's Law - bugger! Why didn't I leave the lounge til last?

Friday, June 24, 2005

Just when I thought life was good, it got better - Throbbie's Back!

Yippee! Cartwheel! Cartwheel! Shimmy! Quiver!

I have been sporting a ridiculous grin and singing all day. Jacquie thinks I have quite lost my mind. I even sent her home early witha smile.

I didn't even flinch when I learned that Angel Features is moving and may not be able to "do" for me anymore. I was actually secretly relieved - quite how I am going to manage petrol, food, clothing, heating, holidays with strangers and expensive teenagers on £2.50 a month after mortgage payments is worry enough but how I'm going to cope when faced with my own ironing is all most too much to bear. I shall delegate that job to Jack, I think - good military practice. My future daughter-in-law will thank me.

Right! Bring on the weekend - eventful as it promises to be.

Sunday, June 19, 2005

Whoosh! Was that the weekend? It flashed by and I hardly missed any of it through sleep.

I picked up the minibus after work on Friday. I was a little bit nervous as I manouevred it out onto a very busy rush-hour Spring Bank and was quite thankful that the traffic was moving at a fairly sedate place as I struggled with the controls ( seems the last hirer had a liking for Galaxy - I found Radio 2 after a couple of traffic lights and 3 major roundabouts).

The Lyke Wake Walkers arrived by 9pm, most of them having sloped off home at noon apparently to get some shut-eye - nobody had told me! but I had wondered why I was seeing all their clients on a Friday afternoon! My minibus was soon loaded up and I reversed it between Neil's imposing and incredibly narrow for such a big property's gates and we were headed north, Neil navigating. We got news half-way up the A19 that Sam had been evicted - jubilation turned to regret as we heard that we were missing Davina in a black bikini.

After an unplanned detour around York ( I think Neil was thinking of his drunken meanderings after a night pre-finals) we landed on a dark hillside and waved off our intrepid band. The next 15 hours passed in a whirlwind of twisty country lanes, 3:1 gradients, boiling kettles, a deer, numerous rabbits, the odd hedgehog and randy frog, and a delifightful family of stoats. We picked up a handful of weary walkers along the way and I managed to suffer third degree burns to my shoulders. The 5 that finished the gruelling 40 mile challenge were euphoric, especially when presented with chilled beer and fiery chilli. It had been a marathon for all of us and I longed for my bed.

So you'll understand that the first thing I did as I arrived home was jump under the shower, slap on some lipstick and sequins and head back out in less than 45 minutes to a Grand Ball. I'd learned only the day before that I was to be seated next to a poor man who was either going to be bored with tales of mammoth blisters or watch my head loll ever closer to my soup.

I managed to control my neck muscles sufficiently to keep the Minestrone out of my hair and even had a bit of a jig about the dancefloor. Conversation flowed and I stayed the course, equal to walking 40 miles in 15 hours in my book - I finally collapsed into my neglected bed at 3.30am, some 44 hours after vacating it. I can only think that all these hours spent apparently unproductively staring at a monitor have been great training.

I've spent most of today rubbing chilled aftersun cream into my glowing shoulders, dodging the rays as I hung out the washing and only ventured out to take my Dad his cards and presents when the sun was well and truly obscured by menacing thunder clouds. I turned down 2 offers of drinks and one chance to whizz around on the back of a motorbike - there's only so much excitement a girl can take in one weekend.

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

I've long known that I have special powers when it comes to special friends. My perceptions are not always appreciated initially but they are usually recognized in the end. But even I did not see this one coming.........

First I cajole Dawn, a beautiful, lively, credible Estate Agent into trying out internet dating. Then she mentions a guy that she's noticed and asks for my opinion. It's only Grim Jim!! My Roman no-roaming-my-way-or-else travel companion!!!!

Well I know how nervous she is, and how tame he is, so I give her the thumbs up( with a caveat that he's very boring and slouches) - expecting all the time they'll both kill me for very different reasons - but hey! match made in heaven. They've had a great night and can't wait to do it again. Cherry Cupid strikes again! I'm wasted as a lawyer.

So I know I can get some things right, just happens that it's only for other people. What I really need is a friend that can introduce me to a bright, fun-loving, poetic, rugby-playing, go-getting, DIY-enrolled, dancing chef (or else a friend that can see other qualities that I might not already have realised are essential to fulfil my needs - multi-personalities need not be considered, yet - or should they? I like to be kept on my toes)

Other things of remark today were Judy ( Neil's secretary) chopped the end of her finger off in a door, Neil ( Judy's heroic Boss) salvaged said finger-end in a tissue without vomitting once, Nick, fellow fee-earner who lives in the room next-door to Brave Neil swooned instantly, the longest he has ever been seen at his desk in months ( or at least since City ended their promotion challenge) , Kathryn headed back to London having colour-coded the entire family possessions, and I made it only 20 minutes late to an appointment and declined a pot of tea!

An eventful day.

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! I chortled in my joy
I've secured the House
With a bit of legal nouse
And I'm the mother of the new Head Boy!!!!

Saturday, June 04, 2005

Nora the Nissan passed her MOT but has only been given a 6 month prognosis.

I'll ride her hard and let her enjoy her final months.

Friday, June 03, 2005

Mortgage approved! tra-la-la tra-la-le

I'm moving on 1 July. I have exactly 4 weeks to find myself a DISH ( Dual Income Sex Helper) or I shall be a SIGH ( Single Income Girl-Headed Household).

A contented Sigh it shall be!