Old News - Newsletter July 2004

I’ve had a very busy month. I’ve been away every weekend, and I’ve hooked a new man, so free time is at a premium! You can wade through the rest of this email to get the man details (no cheating now!).

On the first weekend of June I travelled into London and visited J and T. It was a very pleasant day, and we sat in the garden and dented a few bottles of wine before T cooked us an awesome 3-course meal. I love visiting them! After a lazy start the next day we wandered off for dim sum, then watched a movie and I meandered home.

The weekend after that K and I went to the Isle of Wight. It was a glorious hot weekend, and we had a very pleasant couple of days exploring the island. I can strongly recommend it as a destination! There are cliffs, white beaches, lovely pubs and grand houses. We took our bikes too, and I can finally say that I have used my bicycle after a year and a half. So successfully in fact, that the following week I cycled to work along the canal path! It takes an hour and a path at a non-sweaty pace, and it is a lovely ride at that time of the morning. I may do so again sometime soon ;-).

During the next week was a walking club ice-skating social, which was pretty funny as I haven’t been on skates since I was 16, and was pretty bad then! I only fell once, but it was spectacular! Face first, with grazed palms and hurt knees… not very classy. The upside of the night was definitely meeting up with a bloke I hadn’t seen in ages, and who I’d had a crush on for a long while - Zimbo. I’d met him last summer when I was going out with The Dour Scot. By the time I got free he was going out with another club member (very incestuous bunch), so I gave up on the idea. So… it turns out that he’s now single, and I spent the rest of the evening flirting outrageously.

On the Friday a few walking club mates were meeting up for a quick drink after work, and Zimbo just happened to come along after hearing I was going. So several hours and several drinks later four of us went out for Chinese, and then Zimbo took me home, and came in for coffee, and kissed me goodnight… and the rest is history ;-).

Details: He’s Zimbabwean (yeah, I come all this way and end up with an African), a graphic designer, and has been here for 5 years and just qualified for citizenship. He’s 36, a little taller than me, slender, and has dark hair and eyes. I’m completely smitten, and I’ll try not to gush too much as I’m tired of being teased when I prove myself wrong! It’s been 3 weeks anyway, and I still find him fascinating – a very good sign!

The next weekend was J and K’s 30th bash, near Sheffield. I drove up on Saturday feeling a little jaded after a rather late night, and after 3 and half hours drive hit the hair of the dog at 2pm. At 3am we all finally crashed off to bed (I vaguely remember trying to play chess for the first time in many years), and I woke up feeling awful the next day, just in time to drive all the way home again. Zimbo came around to visit me that afternoon, although I wasn’t very good company. I seem to remember snoozing on a picnic blanket in the shade while he tried to make conversation! Can’t have been that bad though, as he came back for more hee hee.

The next weekend I went to visit N and N in Hatfield. They’ve taken a leaf out my book and are trying to be in a new home each time I see them! They’ve just bought a little house in a cute village that I hope to see sometime soon. It was a gloriously laid back weekend, as we were all a bit tired (It was my company summer do the night before). Zimbo came along too on Saturday night after his cricket match, and got on well with them. We all had a late night on Saturday, then a very lazy start on Sunday. Then it was raining, so after a leisurely brunch we watched a couple of movies before heading home.

Then last weekend K and I went to Seville, in Spain, for four days. It was really lovely, although exceedingly hot. I have never experienced temperatures that high – up to 44deg – and it got pretty uncomfortable at times. Nothing a beer or two in an air-conditioned tapas bar couldn’t put right though! Friday afternoon we went exploring, toured a couple of tapas bars, and somehow ended up in a funky bar with live music sometime after midnight. We chatted to a Japanese tourist, a couple of blokes from Mexico, and a local called Jose who’d lived in London! I can’t remember what time we got back to the hotel, but the last jug of sangria was a mistake! The next day we left the hotel at 12, and did a very hung over tour of the sights. We caught a flamenco show that night, then found a fantastic restaurant that finally kicked us out after midnight and a couple of bottles of wine. The next day we gingerly made our way to Cordoba, and did the sights there. It was hotter than ever, and we found a tiny air-conditioned bar for lunch decorated like a cave with stalactites on the ceiling and The Simpsons in Spanish on a TV in the corner! Then back for a late siesta and out for dinner in a glorious old mansion with the best crème brulee on the planet. An early night (12pm) and out the next morning for a last sightsee before heading home. It was so hot we were almost literally melting. Never have ice lollies tasted so good! Then home to the sweet, cool, overcast of England. I have never been so hot, and I have never taken so many cold showers!

I’m now struggling through my 4-day week. Tonight my aunt and uncle are coming for a visit. And this coming weekend I have somehow ended up volunteering to help Zimbo move house. Drat.

The house and garden are neglected, as I’ve not been home much. I dashed out last night after work and mowed the lawn, but the weeds are winning in the flowerbeds. Oh well.

Work is fine. I’m learning a new language and technique, so the days fly by as I try to come to grips with it.