P J Day

From last Thursday it's all been a bit busy. My son and his girlfriend arrived late afternoon. My son had just got back after a two week holiday from the States that morning. The industry they both work in they have a two week shut down at this time of the year. Indian ordered we could eat and have a catch up. My sister called would I take her up to mum's. Mum had rang her as she wasn't feeling very well after having five teeth out that day, which would knock the stuffing out of anyone. Unusually my sister had gone out for an early evening drink with her hubby so couldn't drive. Mum wasn't too bad but my sister decided to stay with her. Getting home a couple of hours later on seeing the airbed up in the lounge I decided we really need to replace the sofa bed the dog annihilated, the air bed looks so uncomfortable.

As I was going to the airport Friday morning to collect my sister in laws relatives who were coming over from Barcelona, I was very grateful that K had agreed to look after the girls and bake buns with them for her sister who's having a family get together before she goes off to Oz for three years. On greeting relatives in Spanish at the airport they continued gabbling on "whoa" I said, I had just used up the whole sum of my Spanish right there. Thankfully the rest of the conversation over a coffee was translated by J. In the afternoon J and K took the girls swimming which freed me up to get washing, ironing and packing done ready for the road trip to Somerset.

The girls and I set off around lunchtime, my car's petrol tank full to the brim, an unusual state of affairs. A made me laugh ten minutes in to the journey saying "It's really sunny here" we had another four and a half hours to go! The journey went as they do with two kids," I need a wee" "Are we nearly there yet" and lots of squabbling. How more mothers don't crash whilst driving I will never know. One pit stop along the way we arrived around tea-time. Considering it was three women with three kids we managed to successfully barbecue, not a man in sight. A lovely weekend was had, in no time at all it was time to pack up the car for the road trip home. After a five hour drive I decided to cancel my client that evening, counselling needs you to be focused on the client, they wouldn't have got me at my best.

Early the next morning I received a text from my friend, her daughter is over from Australia, there was this evening available to see her. This may sound a little regimented  but I totally understand as when she is back for a few weeks they have so many people to get to see it has to be done almost on an appointment system. My dilemma was I had planned weeks ago for another friend and her daughter to come up from the Midlands today, take the kids to Forbidden Corner stay the night going back the day after. Really not wanting to miss the opportunity of seeing S and her new baby whilst over from Oz I was grateful my stay over friend was happy to go off and catch up for a couple of hours with another mutual friend. Forbidden Corner is all outdoors and quite physical all the climbing and stairs, the weather was not on our side, it was pissing down. We had a break in the weather for a good few hours, the kids had so much fun, they loved it. The heavens opened as we were about to leave. I decided to go get the car, no point in us all getting piss wet through. I drove home in a towel. Home and mad dash to get changed. I managed to get a few hours with S and a bottle of wine and catch up with stay over friend.

My guests left mid afternoon. Hubby walked through the door after work and I walked out as I had my client to see. Today is most definitely going to be a P J day. I'm not sure which is more depleted me or my bank account. One thing that is full to the brim though is my gratefulness for family, friends, laughter and love.


Sha X

Meeting Miss Soho

We happened upon one another about a year and half ago, well actually he came in from left side somewhere. I wrote about how we connected here. he just seemed to bound in to my timeline, a mini explosion of humour and acerbic wit. I do remember thinking who the bloody hell is this!

Over time we chatted frequently on twitter, it became obvious to me he often frequented Soho quite a bit (hence the nickname) living in London and all that. His tweets about his nights out, his next day walks of shame always had me in giggles. The B&S group had arranged to meet up last summer but it didn't come off, all being in different parts of the country. A late night phone call from Miss Soho #teamsulphates had played there part. This "in" joke was from me tweeting I had bought a bottle of organic wine causing Miss Soho to spit his out laughing, his theory is wine has to have sulphates to be worth drinking oh and it must be white, "think of the teeth darling". His voice was like chocolate, he was Scottish, I never knew! That phone call had me on the floor in hysterical laughter, hubby asking the next morning who the hell was I talking to that made me laugh so much.

So a few months ago we arranged to meet up in Leeds, hoping that J and S might be able to make it too. I decided to get the train in. T (his real initial) had booked himself in to the Hilton near the station. In this hotel is a bar on the 13th floor named the Sky Bar, all cool and trendy with the most amazing views of the city, except it was raining and dull. I spotted a guy on his own with a glass of red and a glass of white, it was T. We hugged excited to finally meet. Unfortunately the others hadn't made it so it was just T and I. After a couple of drinks we headed out for dinner, both being easy as to where we ate. T will claim being easier. Finding some pub we ordered a bottle of white a bottle of red and food. The weather may have been dull the conversation certainly wasn't. After dinner I thought we would wander to a pub I have been in a few times that I hoped T would like The Viaduct. Quite buzzing for a Tuesday night, our drinks then were G&T for T, vodka for me.

It was lovely to meet up in "real life", twitter doesn't quite flesh a person out, you get an insight as to things you may have in common. I was presented with a warm, very funny, intelligent conversationalist and I must mention, refreshingly, the most impeccable manners that some seem to have forgotten these days. Like Cinderella I was placed in to a taxi after midnight, promising to text that I was home safe and sound.

I had a lovely evening and hope to meet up again. Everyone should have a Miss Soho in their life.

Sha X