Eat, Sleep, DBS, Repeat (Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat - Fat Boy Slim)

This is very much my life ........ eat, sleep, check DBS, repeat.  And guess what? No change with the DBS.  I really do have to ask myself how this government expects people to work when they put in place hurdles that just restrict people's income.  Utter madness.

Monday:  Overcast and cloudy day in London this morning.  I can just about see the top of the Shard.  I use this as my weather vain.  I need to go to the gym but I hate walking there when it is raining.  So I have just posted the weekend blog and having a cup of tea then I will give myself a shake and get myself off to the gym.  I know, once I have been there, I will feel better for it. And I worked very hard too.  I was Little Miss Determined and was absolutely knackered when I got back to the flat.

I was thinking yesterday .... yes I know.  In London when you use the escalators you have to stand to the right so people can overtake you on the left.  Why?  Why do we do this?  In this country we drive on the left and overtake on the right, so why is it totally different on the escalators.  If any one knows, I would love to find out.

Beautiful tiles at Piccadilly Circus Tube Station

The Tate Modern London from yesterday's visit

Tuesday:  Beautiful, sunny morning full of opportunities.  I still find it amazing that I wake up every morning in this beautiful city.  Looking at it I guess I am living my life backwards; but hey that is me.  I am having more fun now than I have ever had in my life.  I am meeting so many interesting people from all walks of life.  This would never have happened if I had stayed North.  I have dear, sweet, Andy (he would hate being called that) to keep me company and to walk with me on this journey.  Last night we just sat and giggled for ages.  I was chatting to some bloke on line who said that he was a Sales Director for an Artisan Dessert company! The ironic thing was that prior to this Andy and I were talking about Arctic Rolls after hearing them mentioned on Coronation Street.  We said that if we were in Stoke still an Arctic Roll would be an artisan dessert. In fact we are doing well as I also know the very sweet Ghostbuster who is an extremely experienced and in some circles, well known chef specialising in Japanese and East Asian food (as you know, my favourite).  So we have the main course lined up and now and maybe the dessert.  We just need a guy who sells wine now and we have a free meal! 

I was laughing so much I was crying.  It got very silly.  But that is the joy of living here.  You get to meet so many different people who all bring a little joy, knowledge or frustration to your life.  I have never previously shared a home with anyone unless I was in a 'relationship' with them.  Andy and I are definitely not in a 'relationship'; we are in something lol.   He still does those blokey things: leaves the toilet seat up; I put it down. Crams as much as he possibly can in the bin; I empty it.  But it is different.  I don't get stressed about it.  Just get on with it.  It is just so lovely to have some company.  Don't get me wrong.  We both live our own lives. He is out with his friends tonight; I am out with mine. But we still do things together - sit and watch DVDs (we are currently working our way through the whole box set of Sex and the City at the moment), go out for dinner or the cinema.  It is a good balance and I am so fortunate and thankful for that day he walked into the office three and half years ago and into my life.  He was certainly sent to me.

This evening I was meeting Ian who I know from my time in Stoke.  I met him from the train at Waterloo as he was passing through on his way home.  We had a lovely meal Wahaca at Waterloo.  This is a Mexican restaurant that was founded by Thomasina Meirs who won Masterchef in 2005.  I have had dinner there before and when Jackie was down the other week we had street food from the takeaway van on the South Bank.  It was a really lovely meal (it always is), coupled with gin and good conversation.  So I said goodbye to Ian as he walked up to Waterloo and I walked home very full and content - and still smiling.

Wednesday:  Late last night I received a text message, which, if it happens, will make Friday a truly amazing day.  More to follow in due course.  But needless to say I am very exciting.  Walked to the gym this morning and was, once again, Little Miss Determined.  I did get the fit of the giggles at one point when I saw a guy in an Everton football shirt.  It is funny how you just don't forget things.  Talking of which.  The Toblerone has gone.  I finished it off the other night whilst watching (again but it was on the TV this time) Love Actually which I thought was very apt.  I have kept the box and it is in the Dignitas cabinet.  The world is obviously full of Toblerone so when the time comes, we can just replace it but it will still be symbolic.

Long day on a Wednesday for me.  Andy works late so I rarely see anyone all day. I know that once I start work this will change and I will probably make Wednesday a gym night to break the evening up. I was going to go out this afternoon but the sky has turned and the grey clouds are forming.  I took some pictures on Sunday when I was out and forgot to post them.  So here they are.

Looking down river you can see the City

I still have to pinch myself to believe that this is now home.  My playground.  Life really does take you on an amazing journey ...... if you allow it.

Chatting to an interesting guy today (as you do when you are not at work) and he was telling me that he loved the music of Nick Cave.  Now I have to admit, never really listened to any of it previously.  So open up YouTube and wow!  Where has that music been all my life?  Some of it has the most amazing lyrics. More 'stuff' to buy if I ever earn a wage again.

Thursday:  Lovely day today.  I met with Sarah who attends the Meet Up group I go to.  We arranged to meet at Borough Market and had a lovely afternoon walking along the Thames chatting away.  We ended up at the London Eye and we were both astonished to see how expensive it is to actually go on it!  £24.  Needless to say there were people queuing up to go on it.  I started to chat to Sarah on the last Meet Up at the Theatre and she is a kindred spirit.  She writes the amazing blog which covers all the amazing places in the world she has visited.  And in three weeks time, she is off to the United States, Mexico and finally settling in Argentina.  I asked her why Argentina and she replied 'why not'.  My kind of person.  

Sarah then took me to see some amazing, well I will call it art, you may chose to call it graffiti.  The ironic thing is, I passed this place on Tuesday when I was over at Waterloo and never noticed the footpath to it.  Sarah was telling me that the underpass was never used because it was dark and people would obviously feel quite vulnerable using it.  Now, people are actively encouraged to decorate the walls with their artwork; thus making the underpass a place where people want to be and to use.  Amazing artwork.  We stood for a time watching a guy paint a dog; amazing.  

Once again, and I know I keep saying it, there is just so much to see in London if you keep your eyes open and by meeting other people, you can learn so much.  We ended up having a drink and a good old chat and the time just flew by.  We are intending to meet again prior to Sarah going on her amazing journey, which I must say I am very, very, envious of and she intends to keep her blog going so I will be able to share her journey.  

Now I am going to publish this week's blog a day earlier!  Why I hear you cry? Well, tomorrow the most amazing thing is going to happen.  I am going to meet my dear, dear friend.  We started school together at the age of five and I remember that day well.  We walked into the class room and me, Karen (that is her name too) and a boy called Jonathan Best were playing with the sand tray.

Jonathan then tried to snatch something out of my hand (I cannot remember what it was) and I would not let him have it; so he threw sand at me.  Karen was opposite me and just stood and watched.  So, even at the age of five, I was not prepared to put up with that!  I threw sand at him back and I don't know if it did, or if he was pretending it did, but he said that it had gone in his eye and started to cry!  Guess who got told off on her first day at school?  I should have known then.  We all went through primary and junior school together and he was my first encounter with a ginger haired bloke .................... I am saying no more.

After primary school Karen and I went to secondary school.  I can remember us dancing to Ballroom Blitz by Sweet on my 13 birthday; ABBA wining the Eurovision Song Contest; talking about the boys we fancied lol and our spots.  We were inseparable.  Then in the third year of secondary school I transferred to the Grammar School and Karen remained where she was.  But we were still friends.  We used to spend all the school holidays together, off on our bikes, out for hours.  Going to the Wednesday night disco and lying about our age lol.  We obviously did not see as much as each other during the week, but always together at weekends.  We then both started to date two friends.  We both married these friends.  She is still married to Geoff; mine was a waste of space (no surprise there).

The last time we saw each other was New Year's Eve 1979! Yes, I know dear friends I am only 29 but hey maths has never been my strongest subject.  We have not seen each other since.  I cannot remember why or what happened that we drifted apart, and maybe that gap can be filled as tomorrow morning I am meeting her at London Bridge Station.  We have not seen each other for 35 years!  How amazing is this?  It got me thinking that even though the most awful thing has happened to me, there is still something good coming out of it. Because I changed my name back to my unusual maiden name, she found me.  As simple as that.  Karen said that she cannot believe after all this time it is happening and is nervous about it; I am like a child at Christmas.  I am so excited but she reminded me that I was always the more adventurous one.

So spare us both a thought tomorrow at 11.00am.  You will probably hear the screams, tears, laughter wherever you are in the world.  We have so much catching up to do, but hey, we have plenty of time.

As always, with my love x