The sunshine fills my hair, and dreams hang in the air (Wonderful Life - Black)

Well I survived the soggy Bank Holiday weekend and now look it is September. What happened there? Where did May, June, July and August go?  I like

September, apart from the fact it is my birthday month.  But every year means I am still 29, it is OK. Bank Holiday Monday was a mix of Netflix, Pizza, Lego Batman on the Xbox, Netflix and continual rain. But at least I was not on my own as Andy was home all day.  I don't know what I would do without my friend sometimes.

Tuesday:  Aren't dreams funny!  I had, yet again, a restless nights sleep from 4:00am but when I did finally nod off I had the most weird dream. But when I was slowly waking up I did not want to leave it as I wanted to find out the ending.  Don't you just hate that.  Now I will never know.  Ironically, I could relate to most of it: travelling, Thailand, sunshine, beach and a few other things that I will not mention to protect those it related to.  Bonkers. I woke up cold and confused.  I say cold as Autumn has arrived.  I know this because I was a tad cold and also Andy had closed the bathroom window to have his shower.

London is grey (again) today.  The rain has started again and looks as if it is here to stay all day.  I will not bother to go out now until I really have to.

Words totally fail me today.  I take myself off to New Scotland Yard to hand deliver a letter re my DBS. They won't take it because of security measures.  I have to post it.  The Post Office is directly opposite the building.  It will cost me more money to post it and send it recorded delivery.  I do not post it.

Then I get a call from the guy who is going to be my manager saying he has now spoken to HR and they cannot do a thing until the DBS is cleared.  So there was no point going to Clapham today to meet him or the team.  
I go to Pret a Manger buy a coffee and sit and cry.  Even Angus Young could not cheer me up.  I was stuck in Victoria, of all places for so many reasons, listening to AC/DC and crying.  It didn't matter, no one cares in London.  I still haven't posted the letter.  I will go and buy stamps tomorrow and post two letters.  I have had an email from the DBS and they are investigating it now and will get back to me, if they can (I know) by 11 September.  

I don't even want the job now.  I want to pack a suitcase and just run away. Childish I know, but I am so tired of doing things the difficult way.  And still in the back of my mind is that little voice saying she wouldn't would she? Emotional torture still.  So I don't even what the job now.  But what can I do?

Got the bus up to Covent Garden to meet Andy.  His sister and her partner are staying for a few days, so put on a face (as you do) and went for some food.     Before I met up with them I went to look at the new art display at Covent Garden.  There are thousands of balloons of all sizes hanging from the ceiling. It really is an amazing sight and these photos do not really do it much justice if I am honest.  But truly a sight to behold.  

Then Andy and I went back to the flat, while his sister and partner went to the theatre and I have come to my room as I am not much company tonight.

  

I really could do with one of Steve's wonderful hugs right now ..... I do miss him. We once completed one of those silly things on Facebook and I think the question was what would we do if we had an evening to spend how would we spend it and he wrote:

'Drink gin based Martini, languish on the patio, hug and laugh until we have a Tenna 'opps' moment and then dance under the sunset :) xx'

Oh what I would give to do that right now my dear friend. 

All my live and hogs.I miss you my dear friend x

Wednesday:  God loves a trier.  I don't believe in God. New dawn; new day. Email to my MP, email to the Jeremy Vine show, email under the Freedom of Information to the  London Mayor's Office.  Trying to restore balance.  Lovely day today so I had more balance to restore.  Took myself, with Morrissey, for an adventure to make good some harm and then back to the flat with George Michael.  The Dalai Lama, I guess my kinda God, says:

I hope my actions today have restored peace, balance and Karma. 

Three years ago I treated myself to some Converse All Stars because I had a pair years ago and wanted another pair. I wore them in Stoke once, to work and Steve, bless him took the piss something chronic.  I never went anywhere to wear them again.

Today, it seemed kind of fitting to wear them and I did.  As usual, no one cared.  I love them and will be wearing them at every opportunity.  I have had many people telling me I am 'so cool' since I arrived in London lol I love it! And why shouldn't I be? I am cool! Sometimes you know I surprise/frighten myself. I am so spontaneous at times.  I never used to be. But now I think 'what's the worse that can happen?' the worse has already happen so I just go for it then think 'oh ...... now what?' But I always figure it out ........... eventually.

We all went to our lovely local theatre this evening to see a production of The Grand Hotel.  Oh it was so wonderful.  We all loved it, mind I got a fit of the giggles half way through it, which is not a good look when you are on the front row!  All I will say, and to quote U2, one particular scene mirrored my life, well apart from the death of the bloke, at least that has not happened yet but to quote U2 'where fact is fiction and TV is reality' but in this case the play was reality.  I could feel Andy giggling next to me and seriously we were like a couple of naughty children.  How old am I?  Anyway, my new age is 29 years and 29 months! But I  tell you, you could not make it up.  Sex and the City is like watching my new life and now at the theatre.  

Back to the flat. Too many Cosmopolitans for a school night and we now need more Vodka and we played Cards against Humanity. Which as usual, the more alcohol consumed the more disturbing it got.  A good night!

Thursday:  Some times you just have to spell it out how it is. That's all.  So busy but exciting day today.  We left the flat together and Andy & Co went to lock themselves in a room somewhere and played a game to get out in an hour .... Escape Rooms or something.  Personally, I could not be arsed with all that drama.  I met Ann.  Ann comes from where I used to live and was one of my wonderful volunteers.  We have known each other for years.  We met at Borough Market and went for coffee and I swear that hour went in a few seconds.  It was so, so lovely to see her again and we both never thought that we would actually see each other in London.  Ann's daughter lives just up the road from me.  It really was so wonderful to see her and we will meet up again when she visits her daughter.

Hooked up with Andy & Co and got an amazing vegetarian burger for lunch at Borough Market.  I love London because it really does not matter if you are vegetarian; in fact, I eat mainly vegan half the week.  We walked along the South Bank, pointing out to Jo and Gould (his sister and fiancé) such delights and gems as the Globe and the amazing gates, the Tate modern, the South Bank itself and my favourite bench where I like to sit and read.  We crossed over the bridge, up through Trafalgar Square and those three went to a comic book shop oh sorry  serious graphic novel provider sigh ........... I went for a coffee. I left them at this point as my left foot is still not right and was really aching.  I did a great deal of walking yesterday.  They went up to Camden Market, I come home.

And my new baby had arrived.  I guess the one good thing, and let's face it, there aren't many, of being totally on your own is that you have to celebrate things like Christmas and your birthday in different ways.  I decided to treat myself, for my forthcoming birthday, to a camera. And she arrived today.

Me being me have gendered her and called her Beatrice.  Why? I hear you cry. 

Well Beatrice was the one and only true love of Dante (as in the inferno guy). Unfortunately, Beatrice met with a sticky end.  Whilst she waited and 'saved herself' as Dante rocked off to the crusades, Dante being a bloke, had sex with another guy's wife (yes same old same old).  So the husband of Dante's conquest, out of revenge, killed Beatrice.  Seemed somewhat apt.  So my new camera is called Beatrice.  So me, Beatrice, Sam (as in Smith) George (as in Michael) and Morrissey (as in Morrissey) are going to be having all sorts of adventures rocking around London .................. when I have learnt how to use it!  

Told you it was a busy day today.  In the evening I went to my International Meet Up.  I love this one as there are always so many interesting people there from all around the world.  I met a guy from France there who goes to one of my other groups, he is called Arno so I sat with him all night chatting. However, at one point me met a guy from Uganda who was telling us that they don't tell the time like we do in Uganda.  Because Uganda is on the equator the sun rises every day at 7:00am and sets at 7:00pm (I had to think about that) so their day starts at 7:00am so 8:00am is known as one, 9:00am as two and so on. Oh I would get in a right pickle with that.  Also, he was saying that they do not have many words for colour and they use words that are coloured.  Like yellow is banana lol.  Then another woman who was sitting with us from Japan said in Japanese that have thousands and thousands of colours.  How mad is that.  So there will be so many names for yellow.  I just love this Meet Up as I feel like I have travelled and not even left London.

We went off to the Pub and Arno and I just sat chatting away. He has very good English (he does not think he does) but wants to use it more. We talked about everything and using my little book I carry with me to make notes to jot down things we did not understand.  But it is so funny when you start to look at your own language.  He had a pint of Guinness but wanted to try a different stout. He

then asked me what that word meant ................ just take a second to think about that.  How do you describe the word stout.  I come up with 'thick and heavy' lol so said people could be stout as well as beer.  He then said and I had to chuckle so could you have a stout house! Bless.  I did say to him that my French is terrible and he would laugh at my pronunciation.

Then another guy joined us and Arno knew him. He was a British guy and runs free English pronunciation classes in London.  He, like many before him, thought I was a teacher.  So I told him about teaching English in Thailand thing and he has invited me to go and look at his classes and see if I want to volunteer.  How great is that!  Arno says that this guy is totally bonkers, so it sounds ideal.  I will drop him an email later today.  However, I did hand him one of my cards lol!  Said my goodbye or bonsoir to Arno and off I trotted home.

A really busy but wonderful day.  It is all good.

Friday: Spent the morning tidying up the flat and writing this blog.  I could have gone up to my little community garden as Sky News were there and they wanted people to film.  It was so strange how all my insecurities about being noticed come rushing back.  Living in a city means you can just immerse yourself in it.  You are just another person. No one notices. Unlike living in Stoke where everyone knew everyone else and in my case, certain people.  So to publicise myself on Sky News for all (well certain people in Stoke) to see, did not seem like a good idea.  But it made me think that the scars I carry will never really heal.

Decided to go out to the Southbank and take Beatrice.  Ironically, spent most

of the time taking photographs of skateboarders.  No wonder Bart had terrible knees.  It is lethal.  My poor feet were twitching every time one of them fell off. But I found it rather memorising.  It was so cold down by the river; autumn has well and truly arrived.  But I had a wonderful few hours just wandering around, taking photos.  I think once I get the hang of it, Beatrice and I will be just fine.

 

I had to take a photo of the deckchairs.  These have been here all summer and they are by a frozen yoghurt outlet. Up until recently, you could never find a spare deckchair to sit in to eat your yoghurt; but today it was a completely different story.  Oh summer, I am going to miss you.

So I was lazy as I caught the bus back to the flat as my left foot was starting to ache (it really is not right).  A lazy evening spent downloading my photos and trying to get to grip with editing them.  

I realise that I have so much to learn and Beatrice is more than capable of doing a great deal more than I will ever need; but there is no rush, I am not in any hurry.  I will just have some fun and let's face it, it will give you some different photos to look at  when you read my blog.

As always, with my love x