FRIDAY: Very interesting telephone call last night, that has, at the moment at least, restored some faith on the bloke front ......... more about that at a later date, maybe. Today I am so excited. I have my second house guest visiting me since I have moved to London. My dear, dear friend Jackie Haughan is escaping her husband, grand-kids and Stoke to come and spend some time with me! She has only been to London as a child and she is so excited and so am I. So I am just off to Euston now to welcome her to my new home; because London really does feel like home, which is strange really as for the 24 years I lived in Stoke, it never really felt like home (and so many of you know that statement will not come as a surprise at all because I used to say it enough). I walk around London like I have been here for years. I really have hit the ground running - yes, London is home!
I saw this post this morning and it made me smile. Sometimes we just don't see the obvious do we? We are so wrapped up in work, family, drama that we just need to look up and appreciate the free things in life.
Caution: the remainder of this blog comes with a health warning ..........
you have be warned
and I make no apologises :)
Mmmmm it is official, I will never be acting my age!
I was so excited by the time I rocked up to Euston. I teased myself by looking at the departure board, looking at trains to Manchester Piccadilly that stop at Stoke on Trent, and I smile, and I am so thankful that I am not on one of them.
Jackie arrived! This was a big, big, thing for her to come to London, to leave her family for a few days. After the initial hugging, kissing, laughing we went on the Tube to London Bridge. I showed her the delights of one of my many favourite haunts, Borough Market. We strolled around and decided to have one of the most wonderful toasted cheese sandwiches I have ever found. I found this stall at Christmas as they had an article about them in the Guardian. Trust me, these sandwiches are just to die for. We stood in the sunshine eating and laughing, then making away back to the flat in the beautiful sunshine.
Strange forces were with me this weekend (again I hear you sign) and just once again, confirmed to me why I do not believe in coincidence. It is funny how you just roll through life, not noticing things. Then all of a sudden, 'things' are just there reminding you of something, normally, you do not want to be reminded of. Do you get what I am getting at? I was explaining to Jackie how I like looking at the planes coming into Heathrow and how I wonder who was on them and why were they coming here. Today, there were no planes. It was a bit strange and obviously, the wind was in a different direction or something like that. But that is how it is. But no, on the way back to the flat we heard this really loud noise and it was a plan and we looked; we then looked at each other and I just rolled my eyes saying 'did you see that? did you see that?' I do not know why I was surprised. Why would I be surprised? She just laughed and laughed. It must be so great to be able to laugh and someone else's life ........ but I guess that is why most of you read this blog each week. So obviously there was only one, very small, insignificant airline flying out of Heathrow on Friday .......... Flying right over my head as low as anything so you can see the tail flag. I will let you think what airline this is and a prize for the winner!
We got back to our flat and I showed her around, which took 2 minutes lol, then we had a glass of wine, and another, and another. Two bottles of Pinot Grigio (and it was only five o'clock by then ........ can you see where this going?) later Andy come home and we started on the cocktails. Cosmopolitans are my new favourite - vodka, Cointreau, lime and cranberry juice. Pauses to sign. Three jugs of this later, yes three jugs as in three cocktails each ....... we go out! I kinda remember getting on the tube and then standing in Trafalgar Square and we have photos to prove this; which I remarkably took quite well. We were going to eat in Soho ..... and then I started.
What is it with me and alcohol and having to speak with people. I remember in my 20's coming home 'happy' on Christmas Eve and ringing my brother and telling him how much I loved him ....... trust me, he does not do love. To say I come from a close family would be a slight understatement! He eventually put my niece, who was then 18 months on the phone and I chatted away to her, quite happy. I have always been like this but now in the age of mobile phones, texts, and email (remember recently ....the you are a dark sheep email lol) I am worse. I heard the word Soho and remembered that I have a 'friend' who is a chef who is opening a restaurant in Soho. So in my drunken state I start texting him. I know, I know. So the texts are something like 'Hey sweetheart how are you? We are looking for some good food in Soho, where do you recommend?' reply 'What sort of food are you looking for?' Me: 'Good food' and this conversation went on for a few texts as it transpires that he was as drunk as me. So you know, with hindsight, it is going to end messy. Eventually, I just texted (and this is so bad because I would not want to hurt anything but remember he is a chef and specialises in Thai, Japanese, Korean, Cambodian food etc) So I text 'Oh just kill me a lobster'. I know. So I invite him to join us lol lol. Because I am like that. Just a friendly kind of girl!
Do you remember last summer, and I know some of you will who read this will. Again out on the gin, it was cheaper well sort of, to have doubles. So as the evening progresses I hear myself say .... 'Oh come to mine we will have a BBQ' I didn't even have a BBQ at that point and I am vegetarian and I hate BBQs. But it happened (of course it did, it's me) and 30 people turn up. But hey the girl survived she sorted it. And a jolly good night was had by all ...... and lots of empty gin bottles in the recycle bin. Anyway, back to Soho. So to save the identity of the not so innocent, how can I put this ........ when you want a good restaurant in Soho, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! Lol, this is so funny the name lol. So, Ghostbuster turns up. Fortunately, in both our drunken states we recognise each other and all four of us end up in a Moroccan restaurant. Which Jackie kept calling Mexican lol.
Ghostbuster and Andy order the food, I had totally lost the plot by then. The food turns up; meze with meat, meze for vegetarians. Then the belly dancer is dancing around doing her stuff. We ordered wine (I know) and we ate and we laughed and I cannot remember much of the conversation lol, I know. However, Andy who loves to cook and we always sit and watch Masterchef together; Andy says to Ghostbuster 'Oh you can really taste the lemon in the vine leaves don't you think?' To which Ghostbuster totally agreed. Andy is feeling great now that even in his drunken state his pallet is working and that a fairly well known in certain circles chef, agrees....... I will not hear the last of that one! I did not remember how we paid for the meal. But Andy and Ghostbuster sorted it out then we go to Lab (a cocktail bar in Soho where I went for my birthday last year) for cocktails ..... all four of us. Two cocktails in there (I know) we decide to go clubbing. Except Ghostbuster who went home. No stamina these young men lol. Oh I did say at one point in the restaurant lol and this is relevant to my travelling blogs lol that he was the only man I had ever met who knew what to do with a papaya and knew what a mangosteen was (it is true he does lol he had his own restaurant in Phnom Penh .... see those six degrees of separation again. I know its bad I know. But it is going to get worse ...........
I don't actually remember this photo being taken lol
So, Ghostbuster goes and we end up going into G.A.Y. which is a club (sigh) and no prizes for what sort of club. I don't know what happened, how it happened, or anything. Next thing I know I am having a wrist band put on my wrist, I am at the bar and being given a bottle of WKD. Big blank bit then where apparently I just wondered off lol, which I do, I have always done. I need to look for fun and adventure. Jackie and Andy find me, eventually and I am snogging some bloke who I thought was French, who it appears now is not. Jackie and Andy just let me get on with it. I mean, only me could end up snogging a bloke in a gay night club. I gave him my number, I did not remember that. I was wandering off, I do that when I am 'merry'. Andy ends up having enough. A few weeks ago someone told me that I was 'a little find a little treasure' how can I go from that to being called 'you are a total nightmare' lol. So, and I do not know how much time has passed by now. Jackie and I are in G.A.Y. alone, I am chatting to the 'boys' because remember I am Princess of the Gays - and we decide to go home.
We get outside and I start doing my wandering bit. Then the heavens open. And I mean open. Storm is not the word. I hate storms, but hey I did not care as I am wondering around Soho all over the place trying to find my way home lol. The rain! We were absolutely drenched through. In fact, I think my shoes are ruined as they are still soggy. I don't know how but I saw a bus with Elephant and Castle on it and just got on it and remarkably we got home. Jackie didn't have a clue where she was going; and I didn't care. And we didn't even know where Andy was. It transpires that he was already at home and missed the majority of the monsoon.
However, half way through the night I wake up and Jackie is not in the bed next to me. I am still 'merry' at this time. I crawl down the end of the bed; she is not there. I look to the right; she is not there. I find her squeezed in the tiniest of gaps between my bed and the window. It was like she was in a coffin. She opened her eyes and said her back ached. We laughed and I thought, great I will have the bed to myself then.
Saturday: So we wake up ................... I think that is a bonus! Amazingly I had even taken my make up off or the rain had washed it off. Jackie crawls in bed and she is asking me how did we do this? And what time did we get in? All I kept saying was 'I don't know, I don't know'. Her hair looks as if some one has dragged her around by it. The fact that we went to bed with sobbing wet hair has not even crossed our minds. There is a pile of wet through clothes on the floor. Then I looked at my phone!!!!!! I had missed calls, text messages, what's app messages ............... I just looked at Jackie and we laughed and laughed like teenagers. We did not have a clue. The 'snogger' had rung, texted .... I did not even know I had given him my number. I would not recognise him in a line up, or his name or absolutely anything about him. Then we could not remember paying for the meal and you know what I am like my friends little Miss Independent. I was convinced that Ghostbuster had paid for me, so I was not having that. Jackie checked her purse and had more money in there than she went out with .................. because we had totally forgotten she had gone to the ATM. Then we looked at the photos on my phone lol lol. So bad lol I can't remember taking them. I am laughing so much as I type this. It was like a slow motion car crash. Just when you think it was over, something else reminded us (we actually it didn't remind us because we could not remember) what had happened. All I kept saying was 'I don't know'. Then I read my text 'Kill me a lobster' lol lol. I texted Ghostbuster asking how we had paid for the food ......... see little Miss Independent. He could not remember he thought it was cash .................. I had two missed calls and countless What's App messages from someone called JF but not the original JF who had been messing me around! And yes, he works for that bloody place in Victoria at we don't mention. Jackie and I just looked at each other and said nothing, but laughed and laughed.
Andy come back from the hairdressers and I swear, it is like living with your parents at time. He said I was a nightmare when I drink. I want to be everyone's friend, obviously .... snogging men in a gay night club then giving them my number. I can't always remember my number when I am sober. I remember years ago I was out with the Girlie Glee Girls in Kent and got chatting to some bloke who wanted to see me again and would not take no for an answer. I am too nice; that is why I get dumped on. So I gave him my number, so I thought. I went back to work on Monday and it turns out that I have given him my friend's house phone number instead and this bloke had been ringing 'me' all weekend. This, my friends, is why I do not do the age thing. It really is just a number. I am no different now than I was in my 20's; if anything I am probably worse! Then I looked in my bag and found a straw in the shape of penis ..... yes I know, well I don't know do I. Because I cannot remember. I mean, it is not like every day you find a penis shape straw in your handbag is it? Apparently, Andy had given it to me in Lab and apparently I put it straight in my mouth .... DO NOT SAY A WORD! ........... I don't remember. So, so bad, such a bad girl. But hey, the girl always finds her way home, regardless of wherever she is in the world and I am so pleased to confirm that no lobsters were killed in the making of this blog. Or friendships ruined even if I am a little treasure that Andy would like to bury at times!
So we get up and showered and off we trot, Jackie and I. We were laughing all day. We walked up to Borough along the river, along the South Bank. We had some lovely Mexican street food and sat in the sunshine by the London Eye eating and laughing.
Then my phone goes. And it was like the Peter Kay sketch we just looked at it thinking who is this. I answered it and it was the snogger from last night!!!! Why is it when you want someone to call and you wait and wait they never do; and when you never want to hear from anyone ever again they just don't go away? So was I rude? Of course I was not lol. So apparently (and I have been told this before lol) I am a good snogger and I have a lovely smile (been told that a great deal lately and it is such a compliment for me because for years I had nothing to smile about and now I am just smiling all the time). I lied, I am sorry, and said that I will ring him next week - I will not!
We crossed over the river up to Covent Garden, down to Trafalgar Square, along the Mall. Then it was like dega vu! Sat in St James' Park (again) and I impressed Jackie with my knowledge of millions of years old trees lol lol then up to Buckingham Palace. We then ended up (of course we did, I mean how big is London grrrrrrrrrrr) in Victoria (I know) but we were still having such a laugh, just like a couple of crazies. I was going to go and deface a certain office nearby because I mean how many people work there and I seem to be meeting them all lol but we decided that if I were to do that my DBS check would be back straight away and I would never work again lol. We got the Victoria Line tube up to Euston and Andy come and joined us with Jackie's case.
Then it was time to say goodbye. As many of you know, I do not do goodbyes, just until I see you next time. I think I have said see you next time to so many people in my life but I truly believe that our paths cross for a reason and we will all meet each other again, one day whilst we are living, if we are truly meant too. Even those we really do not want to meet. We saw her on the train. We had such a great time and she is coming back in a few months time to do it all again! Andy and I grabbed some food at Euston to take back to the flat. Mexican for him; Japanese for me and home we went.
Such a great weekend with happy, happy memories .................... well those things we can actually remember that is. Unfortunately, I never managed to get a ticket to go and see AC/DC at Wembley well I could have done if I wanted to part with £200 ....... needless to say, it did not happen.
Sunday: I slept very, very well ................... So a lazy day I guess today! Shame really as I feel quite energetic. Oh I am bored. Everyday is like a Sunday at the moment. I guess it is because I had the most amazing few days and now ........................... nothing, no one, meh! We are never happy are we, as humans. Here I am in one of the most amazing cities in the world and I still cannot be bothered to move my sad and sorry carcass out of this flat.
I was suppose to be meeting up with Ghostbuster but he was out all day with his mates yesterday and is feeling fragile today. What is it with these younger men. All I ever hear is, does it bother you that I am younger than you? Why would it sunshine, I have more energy and life in me than you have even at your age!!!!! I rest my case.
When I eventually decided that I should really get dressed and go out, it dawned on me that the galleries and museums would now be closed in a couple of hours. I looked at the O2 for the cinema and thought, yes I will go to the cinema ..... I still get so excited going to the 'pictures' I always did as a child. There is something magical about it. Needless to say, nothing! I am sorry, even I (and some of you may not believe me) cannot get excited about Magic Mike! Kill me now. No theatre on a Sunday. I am sick of the bloody park lol. Washing done, ironing done, room tidied up. I am even drying Andy's washing for him now! Bored, bored and bored. I have no new book to read. The one I wanted from the library was not in stock so I have ordered it. New music added to iPod - Rudimental drum and bass what everyone my age is listening too obviously lol. I could do my finances but to be totally honest, I think that would push me over the edge today lol. I guess I need some friends. Yes, I know I have you but cities can be a very lonely place when you are new in town. I know that when I start work I will make new 'friends' and also that will give me some structure to my week as in 'thank goodness it is the weekend'. But every day is like a weekend and I am bored with it now. Oh I am sounding like a right miserable cow now lol.
Oh I forgot to say I emptied the bin today ................. not good. Two empty wine bottles, an empty bottle of vodka and an empty bottle of Cointreau. Andy and I put some money each month in a 'pot' for essentials like toilet rolls and bleach. This month I saw a funky shower curtain and decided that I would buy it and then when we needed a new one we had one in stock. We know how to live life on the edge. Andy loved it so we thought stuff it, put it up now. So I had to take £10 out of the pot for that. Then we needed more vodka, I know! So it was most cost effective to buy a large bottle £19 out of the pot (of which 1/3 has gone!) So there is no money left for Cointreau unless we don't buy toilet rolls? Tempting mind.
Funky shower curtain. It has the whole of the Underground map on it which is brilliant as I don't have to put my glasses on to see where I am going :)
Oh you can see I am 'living' with a bloke again ........
So back to lack of coincidence, I will let you decide. So this morning we are watching TV and Rick Stein is on there, the chef (no that is not the coincidence and there were no lobsters, seafood yes, but lobsters no). And Rick says I was reading Ulysses by Tennyson ............. So was I, the day I had a picnic in the park. You can see the book in the picture. Of course I was, why do I still get surprised by it all. I studied Tennyson's poems for my O level English Language and fell in love with him; but I mean what are the chances? Rick was saying there is a line from that poem that he can relate too; I knew exactly the one:
'I am part of all that I have met'
I don't expect a headstone when I die. I have no family to worry about that when my time comes. But if I were too, if there was someone to sort all that out, I think I would like those words on it.
As always, with my love x
No comments:
Post a Comment