Chilli Cocktails

I've had an interesting weekend - and a pretty busy one for a change. Usually Fridays and Saturdays are most likely to be free evenings for me, but this week I was out both. And at parties both of them too.

The first was a spectacular combination of events. It was a house warming and a birthday party, also combined with the annual chilli challenge. Which is pretty self explanatory, really. I'm not sure whether this is the third or fourth, but I do know I missed the last two, at least. So I wasn't going to miss it this time. Generally, it was, you know, just like any other party, except with the main attraction of the chillis in the middle of the evening:-
                                          

So, there we have the Master of Ceremonies and host letting everyone know what the rules are before the next chilli is consumed, and we had three five six rounds (I think). To be honest, it was all a bit random in my mind; but it finally got down to three of us, and then it was decided by a vote - probably because Dave didn't want to have the Scotch Bonnet. And after having one, I can see why. I did decide right after that I wouldn't - ever - do that again, but I'm not feeling so strongly now, even a couple of days later. By next year..? Probably want to push it as much as possible again.

So, apart from the minor discomfort of a couple of the chillis, it was just generally a really nice and relaxing evening with friends. Lots of friends. And a couple of people I didn't know who were just as friendly. And a very nice evening that was over far too soon. Probably a good thing though, as I had to work the next day. Which was fun. No, really, it was quite a nice day; even if I was a bit tired.
And then off to Gloucester for the second party in as many days. A much more colourful affair, this one, as it was Hawaiian themed.

I got there a bit late, but as I was still there before the birthday girl, I wasn't entirely sure which table was ours. Thankfully someone saw me with a present and asked if I was there for Helen's party, so after that everything worked out well. Bright colours, colourful cocktails (and food), great company, lots of laughter, a parrot and a flamingo. And I got given a very colourful garland (a lei?). What more could you want from a party? Alcohol? Well, we were in a cocktail lounge. Silliness? Well, with a mastering of completely British understatement, I have given very little idea of just how silly the whole evening was; just go with more. I haven't even tried to describe what happened to the parrot and the flamingo during the course of the evening, and I'm not sure I could.

So, after getting to bed at about 4:30, I didn't do much on Sunday except go to church in the evening - wearing my my lei. Because, after all, why not? Church is supposed to be a celebration, and when else would I get the opportunity to wear it. It was interesting to see just how many people didn't pay any attention to the fact I was wearing it, and I gave it to someone who will probably wear it a lot more often than I would. A great weekend, with some strong and colourful memories, and I'm pretty sure I've made some new friends...

Two Birthdays To Baptisms

Two of my friends had their birthday last week - on the same day. But the celebrations weren't, so I got to celebrate two days in a row. Which was nice. And what was better was that both are friends I don't get to spend much time with, so that was a really good start to the week.

On the Sunday, there was an event called a Birthday Tea, which was just what it sounded like. A bunch of us converged on the house, and we had tea. And scones. Which were excellent - apparently James has won prizes for his scones several years in a row. It was a nice relaxed afternoon, with various friends from various places. It was nice to see them - and I'm sure Kirsteen felt the same. And the next day, another friend, who I hadn't seen for weeks at least, had his birthday. I had the day off then, which was unusual, and he had taken the day off, so we decided to go out for the day. We looked at several National Trust places, but decided to go to Slimbridge in the end. Which is a great place; the only drawback being that you pretty much have to drive to get there. But once you get there, it's well worth the drive. We wandered around looking at and feeding the flamingos and ducks and swans and pigeons and...well, you get the idea. And I got a pigeon to sit on my shoulder, which was a bit strange. There were new born flamingos to see, and we watched the otters being fed. All in all, we were there almost until closing time without realising. Definitely to be recommended at any time, though you won't always get to see baby flamingos. And then we went to the cinema to see '3 Days To Kill', which was definitely entertaining. I've been to the cinema more so far this year than I did all last year (as far as I remember), and all of the films have been worth watching.

The next couple of days I was in the Gloucester shop learning the new system, which was interesting, at least. I'm not sure what it will be like when we finally do go over to it, whenever that will be, but at least I know I can work it now. Tuesday evening I stayed in, cos I was exhausted, and Wednesday small group met at my house. And it was a very small group, as only 2 other people turned up. so we chatted for a while, and then spent the rest of the time praying about all the things we knew about that were going on with people we know.
Thursday evening was both happy and sad, as it was the goodbye meal for the Reads, who will be leaving the country probably forever. Which is good for them, and it was definitely a celebration in one sense, as it's been quite a journey for them to get to this point - but they will be missed. We will miss their presence, their smiles and laughter, and their caring natures. And we will miss seeing Adelaide grow up first hand. Still, at least we'll be able to keep in touch online; and we will. But, on the other hand, it was a really good evening all round.

I can't really remember anything much standing out over the next two days, but on the following Sunday there was another baptism service. Which is definitely a highlight of our church calendar; always a real celebration. Tim gave a sort talk about what baptism means, that it's an acknowledgement of grace:- that no-one is good enough, clean enough or British enough to earn His grace, but because God loves us He gives it anyway. This time I knew 5 of the people getting baptised, including someone I didn't know was until she got up to speak. She didn't tell anyone, and her fiance carried her change of clothes, so I didn't realise when I welcomed her at the door. But it was great to see her stand up and talk about what Jesus means to her. That was a great start to the people's stories, and I pretty much didn't stop smiling throughout, even when a couple of the stories brought tears to my eyes. As always, there were some wonderful stories, and the sight of a guy who was tall enough that he had to kneel down in the baptismal tank to fit in. But the best memory for me was the sight of a little girl, about 4-5, at the back wandering around - when each story finished and people clapped, she clapped along with them, even though she clearly didn't know why people were clapping. Another wonderful evening.

Turning Thirty (Oh Alright, Forty)

So, after writing about my birthday party (two posts ago), I figured I should tell you about how I spent the following week-the one just gone. And I hope more people read it than the same post from this time last year, which is still my least viewed post. So far.

The party finished fairly late (or early, depending on how you look at it), but I was still quite awake; so I went online for a bit, and eventually got to bed about 4 in the morning. Thankfully, the next day was the first day of a week off, so I spent the day relaxing. I'm pretty sure I didn't see any more of the morning, and didn't do much in the afternoon. Except work on a blog post about my sponsored child, Benjamin. Which I didn't finish. I could have gone to a party in the evening, but frankly the thought of going somewhere where there were a couple hundred people didn't really appeal. However, relaxing did-so that's what I did.

Sunday was pretty much as normal, because I don't generally do much on Sundays anyway. Except go to church in the evening. It was a bit different, because a friend was celebrating her birthday, which actually was on that day. Not the same birthday either-she has a fair few years to go before getting here. So that meant fun and frolics at the pub, and, well, cake. Another friend had made her a cake, which was very nice. Cake is always nice.

On Monday, I didn't do much. Again. Except finish one blog post, and start another about the party. Oh, and join Twitter. Which is fun. I mean, that was the reason I got a smartphone in the first place-because God wanted me to join it. If anyone wants to follow me, you can find me at @neilfix.
But Tuesday was much more energetic. I actually got up in the morning. Without trying. I wasn't expecting that. I was meeting up with the friend who'd come down from Leeds for the party. He was staying with friends for a few days, and so we got to spend the day together. Well, the afternoon, anyway. Which involved wandering around town, reading books in Waterstones, and praying in a pub. Well, what else would one do in a pub? I was feeling a bit stressed due to a relationship that is not going well at the moment that I can't do anything about, except wait and pray. So we did that. And then in the evening, I went along to help with Alpha again. And got given a card, which I wasn't expecting.

Wednesday, I didn't leave the house all day, which I was glad about, as the weather was horrible-but that didn't mean it wasn't busy. People came to me. First, my mum, at about lunchtime. She stayed for a few hours, and appreciated the cards and presents with me. I got all sorts of things; some of which were sort of expected, like socks-I pretty much always get socks. Usually brightly coloured ones. Or black ones. Or a mix of the two. So that was nice. And then she left, in time for me to get ready for small group, which was happening at my house. I hadn't planned that specifically, but it was nice. I was hoping that some of the alcohol left over from Friday would be consumed; but, because the weather was so bad, everyone drove. So I'll have to come up with something else to get rid of it. I may even have to drink most of it myself. When  we were praying at the end, someone prayed for me; praying that God would bless this year, and bring to fruition all the things I want from the year. I have a suspicion He wants more than that, and I definitely want to pray that what He wants happens, rather than what I want. Which, often, is actually quite limited.

Thursday and Friday, nothing much happened, except emotionally. Thursday, I didn't have any plans until the evening, which was definitely a good thing. I spent most of the afternoon praying about this relationship which has broken down. Which was quite painful. It gets that way at times. I went to Hungry in the evening, and I felt more or less fine when I got there; but at one point, there was a offer for people who felt exhausted for any reason to come up to the front, and I was then being ministered to for the rest of the evening. Friday I had been planning to visit a friend in Gloucester, but that didn't happen; so I got to recover from Thursday. Which I needed, as Saturday was another busy day.

My sister and my niece came over about lunchtime, and handed over my card and presents. Which were books that weren't books. My niece played the piano for a bit, which sounded nice. Which was amazing, when my sister mentioned she'd never played before. But before she complained too much, we went out for lunch. Sort of. We went to Bela Luna, which is an ice cream parlour that also does crepes and waffles. Thumbs up all round-I definitely recommend it. The assistants were all very friendly and happy to offer us free samples of some of their weird ice cream flavours-especially one girl, who was incredibly bubbly, and I had the weird feeling I'd met her before. But, frustratingly, I couldn't place her-if I even was correct in that.
Neil met us there, and then we all went back to my house, where the adults all tried our best to ignore my niece-as much as it's possible to ignore a very loud, incredibly energetic nine year old. Not much, is the answer to that. Then they left, and me and Neil hd some quiet to pray again, as we'd prayed on tuesday. But this time we had more time to listen and wait for God. Neil said he felt that God wanted to do some healing in ih of us separately at the moment, which is entirely possible. I just don't know what God is doing, which makes it difficult to co-operate with Him.

And then I went round out to tea at another friend's. Well, two of them, actually. We had a great conversation that started off talking about vision, and then moved onto watching funny videos on youtube. Just what I needed at that point. And Sunday night was pretty good, too. After church, I met our newest cluster member, Adelaide Read, who was 10 days old at that point. We actually have another new member now; name and weight currently unknown to me. And then I went out to meet up with another friend who I hadn't seen for a while, and it turned out she'd invited a few others. And a great time was had by all. Lots of laughter, and the posssibility of seeing her in a comedy gig in Bristol at the weekend...

Party Time!

A few days ago, I had a party for my 40th birthday. I haven't actually had the birthday yet, that's in a couple of days time, as I write this; but, I was persuaded that I definitely should have a party this year. I don't generally make a big deal of my birthday, cos I'm not hugely keen on celebrating, or on large groups; and I'm really bad at organising. So I don't bother, usually, apart from taking time off work. Because I can.

Back in the summer, a couple of friends said they would organise a party, but that didn't end up happening; so I ended up doing it myself. A conversation with someone at a friend's birthday celebration decided the day, so then I just had to let people know. Which you would think was easy, what with Facebook events and suchlike; but, apart from the fact that hardly anyone actually pays attention to those, I know quite a few others who aren't on Facebook. I know, incredible, isn't it?

But, somehow or other, it all got pulled together, with the help of several friends; and turned out brilliantly. There were quite a few (nice) surprises. Like, for example, I got home from work on the day to discover my housemate had tidied the house and set things out ready-and got balloons and a banner saying 'Happy Birthday'. And things only got better from there on. A whole bunch of friends came, several who weren't sure whether they would be able to make it. Which was nice. And some came from literally hundreds of miles-including my best friend, who lives in Leeds. He didn't think he'd be able to afford it, and, indeed, wouldn't have been able to, if it wasn't for the fact that another couple, mutual friends, offered to pay his coach fare, and put him up for a few days. And none of them told me; so that was a massive surprise when I went to the door.
And the last outstanding moment was when the cake came in. Another friend, who's fond of baking, offered to make me a cake; but I wasn't expecting one like the one that appeared. It was huge; basically a black Forest gateau with raspberries instead of cherries. And she got candles, and brought it in to everyone singing 'Happy Birthday'. I'm not saying I had tears in my eyes, but I wouldn't like to swear definitely that I didn't.

Well, after that, it was always going to be a really great evening; and, as far as I can tell, everyone enjoyed themselves. I certainly did, and I've only had positive comments from people who were there. I was a little concerned about making sure I got to speak with everyone, but I think I managed it. And I've still got my actual birthday to look forward to. Which among other things will be when I get around to opening all my cards. Not so much presents-although they were presented in abundance, most of them seemed to be alcohol-what do my friends think of me? But there will be people round again that evening, as my small group is on that evening, so it's not going to finish until we've made a reasonable dent in the amount of alcohol left. Because I don't really want to drink it all by myself-honest.

So, a lovely evening all over-and at least one person has said I should do it again next year. I'm not convinced, but I've got plenty of time to work on that...

An Unexpected Birthday (And Another One)

And so I went back to work the day after coming back from New Wine, to have a surprise in the afternoon. My mum came into work with her brother, my uncle, who we hadn't seen for 15 years. And still I recognised him. To be fair, he hadn't changed all that much-he had no hair (well, a shaved head), and a white beard; but, other than that, he was pretty much the same as I remembered him.

So, we had a brief chat, and I discovered that it was his birthday a couple of days later; the day before my niece-which is why he'd come down for the week. Anyway, I had the next day off, as usual, so I worked out meeting up with them in Gloucester. I met them in a Costa, which was nice. Those are always nice places to be, and as well as that, I got some points added to my Costa card; which was also nice. We chatted about what they had got up to earlier-they went to the docks, and he went round one of the museums, as he's interested in military history. That was something new I learned. And then we went around town, to go shopping to buy Phoebe's birthday presents (I already had her card). I did try to get something for him as well, but that turned out to be impossible, as he pretty much has everything he wants-but I did get him a badge which proclaimed that it was his birthday. I didn't manage to find anything for her, even though I stayed in town for a while after they went home.

Next day, I was back at work; but, as I had been encouraged to use up my flexi time, I had no problem in getting the Thursday off as well. And so, I went to see my niece on her birthday. My mum had suggested getting clay, so I went to The Entertainer, and bought a bunch of various art things-and a couple of Little Miss books. I managed to get to where she was, somewhere I'd never been before. My sister had put together a 'treasure hunt' starting at her house, and going to another relative, who lived round the corner. I got there VERY late, officially the party had finished, but there were still quite a few people there. and still plenty of noise and chaos was made by the few partygoers who were still there. They even got together and put on a play that they came up with themselves. I'm really not sure what it was about, but it may have been something to do with Monster High. I think. We then went back to my sister's house, where the girls then watched the (a?) Monster High film. Which actually looked quite good. But I couldn't stay too long, as it takes ages to get home from there. But now I know I can get there easily enough, even if it does take so long.

CELEBRATIONS - Farewell and Welcome and Happy Birthday and, finally Goodbye

Well, the title for this post is fairly self explanatory, I think. Lots of celebrations that came in the same week-actually following on from one another. Starting on a Thursday...

A couple of Americans I met in January, Ruth and Rachel had come over to study at the University of Gloucestershire for one semester, and that semester was now over. Which was a shame. I mean, obviously, things change and people move on, and that will be good for them; but they will be missed here. They're lovely people and will definitely be remembered. And so, it was decided to have a proper celebration to see them off. Any excuse for a party, right?
Put together in a bit of a hurry, cos that's the way we roll round here. Starting off with going to the Kashmir (a favourite indian restaurant-I definitely recommend it). Can't remember whose idea that was, but there was no chance of any disagreement, especially as I'd recommended it to them a while back, and they hadn't managed to get there before. And then, following that, we went on to the pub (that would be The Conservatory, a favourite place to go, cos it's right next to church-can't accuse us of trying to be different in any way); where a few others joined us. And at some point, a card and presents were given, so they will never forget us cos we wanted to, you know, say goodbye properly. One of them was an ornament of a squirrel, which will always remind them of us, because they seemed particularly amused impressed by the way we pronounce the word (you know, properly).

And then, on the next day, another excuse for a party; our house-warming party. It was originally going to be the next day on the Saturday (which would have been the first Saturday we were both free); but when I started inviting people, I was reminded of another party going on that night that I'd been invited to. Always the same-nothing to do most of the time, and then two things on the same night. Steve was away for most of the week, but thankfully I had been asked to open up the shop, so I finished early; which meant we had plenty of time to sort everything out for the party. About the only thing we weren't sure of was who was coming, as almost no-one had given definite replies. Though, as that's pretty much usual, we weren't worried. I was a bit amused that the first person to arrive was the one who'd travelled the furthest (i.e. another county). Anyway, quite a few people turned up; and a good time was had by all. I even got a present, though it wasn't, technically, a housewarming gift. When Ruth and Rachel went to Edinburgh, I recommended they try Edinburgh rock, which they did-and, very generously, bought me some too. Very nice of them. They also brought their parents-or, at least, one of each.General merriment continued until the eary hours, finishing with Steve playing worship songs on the piano for the few who were left. I have no idea how that happened.

So, on Saturday, I was very tired, and just wanted to relax when I got home. But I had said I was going to the birthday party of a couple of friends; one of whom doesn't live locally, so I definitely wanted to go. Which meant that I got there later than I could have done, but the party was still in full swing. I got to see some friends I hadn't seen for ages, and watch some of them do karaoke. Some of them even did it well; and, again, a good time was had by all. There were even quite a few who were going off clubbing after that-I was invited, but I figured it wouldn't be a great idea-if nothing else, I had to be at church at 11 the next morning cos I was on duty. Which I did manage.

And, after church in the evening, there was another, more informal celebration. It was the last day that Ruth and Rachel were actually in Cheltenham; and, therefore, possibly the last time we'll ever see them. So, going to the pub after church was a little different. For one thing, there were a lot more photos taken. Though not by me, or I'd be adding them. A lot of chatting and laughter went on; happiness was the order of the day, it seemed. Which you might have thought was surprising, but then, there's a lot of happiness around Ruth and Rachel. They're both very positive people, and they seem to bring that out in others. Pretty much any others, it seems like. And so, I say again, they will be missed.

My Birthday (Week)

So, after a rather hectic weekend, I looked forward to what would hopefully be a nice relaxing week off, starting with my actual birthday on the 12th. I'd sort of arranged for my sister to come over, and my mum got in touch to tell me she would be coming round as well. She got here first, we had a cuppa, and together we wondered where my sister was. She got here after a bit, and gave me a card, but told me I wasn't allowed to open my presents until my niece got here, as she would want to give them to me herself. She was at the Cheltenham animal shelter-apparently they do days out for children to get them used to animals and looking after them, and she goes there quite a bit. So after a bit, we went to pick her up (she had very much enjoyed herself), and came home. And then presents were presented, and cards, and a bit later, cake was shared. Which was nice. Cake is pretty much always nice. And a very nice time was had by all of us. And in the evening I went to help with serving food at ALPHA, and got pancakes, because it was Shrove Tuesday. Nice.

The rest of the week was actually pretty quiet. Which was nice, but a little boring in places. For instance, I almost went to a pub quiz on the Thurs evening. I had discovered the theme was all things American, so I thought I would bring some Americans with me. But unfortunately, the only Americans I know who were somewhat local were busy, which was a shame. I didn't really want to go without them, as I figured I probably wouldn't know that much about America.
However, I did have a good time online. It toook me a couple of hours to reply to all the good wishes on Facebook, and, in the process, having several conversations with friends I hadn't spoken to for a while. Which was brilliant. And I also discovered that I share my birthday with a certain Nicola Elizabeth (Nicky) Day, who is one of the guitarists in Hearts Under Fire, a band I was introduced to a couple of years ago. Who are great, so check them out.

I did, however, have a very good Saturday. I had that day off as well, so a friend took the opportunity to go to Good News Centre, a local(ish) Christian book shop with cafe, in Newent. It's a lovely place to go (Newent or GNC), but if you don't drive, as I don't, it's difficult to get there. So I don't go there much, but I always enjoy it when I do. And in the evening, we did something which I don't get to do very often, and that's play 'Risk'. I really love that game, but as a short game can take in excess of 3 hours, I don't get the chance to get enough people together to give it a go. So that was the way I ended my week off, more or less. A few friends round, snacks in, and a game of Risk. And, to top it all off, another birthday cake. Anyone would think I liked birthday cakes or something. Well, I definitely do, so more of them please.

Folk, Folk Music

This weekend was notable for two reasons-first, that it was the weekend of Cheltenham Folk Festival, and, second (more importantly to me), it was the first day of my week off-I usually work Saturdays. I had a few days holiday left before the end of the financial year, and as my manager is on holiday abroad for most of March, February is better for me. Plus my birthday is in half term, so if I take it off then, it means I should be able to see my sister and niece and several friends who are teachers. It is also quite convenient, because my best friend ususally comes down for the Folk Festival, so it meant I would be free all weekend. So that all worked out well then.

I left work on Friday with the knowledge that I wouldn't have to go back for another 10 days, and went to meet a couple of friends. Neil, who was staying with me (yes, we have the same first name; it's not deliberate, honest), and Alli-someone who, although local, I still don't see that often. Which is a shame. She was attending a conference that evening by Freedom In Christ to help her help others. As she's a social worker, I'm sure she'll find plenty of opportunity to use what she learned. Anyway, it was good to catch up with both of them, and we had a meal together before going our separate ways. I then relaxed a bit at home beforee Neil got back at about midnight, and we chatted for a couple of hours, as well as me doing my last blog post.
And then the weekend started properly. Unfortunately, it started with me being ill, so it was particularly good that Neil was here, as I'd arranged for someone to bring me round a new washing machine. Not just on a whim-the old one had stopped working, and he figured it wasn't worth repairing. If I'd been on my own, it would have been that much more difficult to get up in time for him. But it was managed-unfortunately, however, I missed meeting Alli for lunch. I was kind of feeling like I really didn't want to leave the house at all that day, but another friend who I haven't seen for months got in touch to say he could get over to Cheltenham today, but probably couldn't during the week. So I decided to make the effort to wander down to town and see him. It was good to see him, and I got to see something of the Folk Festival as there were some free gigs in various locations around town. I saw a duo in Rise, and Sam Holmes in Costa, where we went for drinks a bit later-and where I managed to drop my drink. However, the staff were very lovely and made me a new one free of charge and brought it to the table. Nice of them. And on realising there were so many free gigs, I did wonder whether people I knew could get in next year.
Sunday was similar, in that I again had to get up early ish to get to church (and avoid my landlord), but I wouldn't have managed it anywhere near so well if Neil hadn't been there. I left later than I intended, but I got there-just in time for communion. I was feeling almost well again by the end of church, and then when I got home, I fell asleep on the sofa. I was supposed to meet Neil in town to catch a bus to Alli's (and Darren- and family), but in the end, I had to get a taxi. Which was probably for the best, as I really wasn't sure I would be able to walk that far, feeling like I did. So that was managed, and then a good evening was had by all, despite the fact that Darren wasn't feeling much better than I was. So he spent most of his time upstairs with their oldest boy, building a Lego tank. Which was pretty impressive, when we saw the finished article. Alli gave me a card and present (pear cider, very nice)-and also sent me a text actually on my birthday, which was a couple of days later.
And then on Monday, Neil left in the morning, to go and spend time with his family, and I didn't get up. Well, I did in the end, but it was a lot later than I had hoped. Didn't do much that day, apart from arrange with my mum and sis them coming round the next day-my actual birthday.

Visitin' Leeds

Well, after one birthday celebration on Friday, I had another one on Sunday-in Leeds, as you may have gathered. It's my best friend's birthday, and though he's now another year older, he's still younger than me (never mind, eh!).

The plan was that I went up Sunday and stayed til Tuesday, and any other details would be worked out when I got there. Which is what happened, and seemed to work quite well. Apart from almost missing the coach-I got to the station with literally a couple of minutes to spare, but I got there, and once I was on the coach, it was plain sailing (or rather driving). I got there a little late, which was hardly a surprise, and phoned to find out where to go-which turned out to be a bar quite close to where he lives. A nice place with an interesting range of fruity beers. One of which I liked enough to have a whole half of, which, you know, is quite something, as I don't like beer. Well, to be absolutely clear, I can't stand it. Except, apparently, this one. Which I  can't remember the name of, and am never likely to see again anyway. When I got there, I was immediately despatched to buy a round, and then the presents were presented. I then joined in one of the strangest conversations I can remember for a long time. It was clear that the others had been at the bar for quite a while before I got there, as the topics of conversation ranged from soap to the dog's handwriting to food porn. Suffice it to say that some people have unusual suggestions as to what you can do with mushrooms.
After much laughter and a few more rounds, we left his friends and went to his house where we chatted long enough for me to stop feeling tipsy and start feeling a bit ill. Not drink related, but rather annoyingly, a bit of a head cold type thing. Still I didn't have to get up early the next day, so I rested. He was at work, not being able to get time off, so I gradually drifted awake, actually earlier that I would have done on a normal day off, and went into Leeds city centre. By myself. Which was alright, but for the slight problem I had in that my phone battery was almost dead. So I went around a bit-the German market was pretty good, and ended up in Waterstones. Where I texted him to say to meet me there. Which he did, a couple of hours later. So I was left to amuse myself among a host of books for a while-not the most difficult task in the world I've ever had. And then we went back for tea and chat and cards, and more tea-and doughnuts. And again were up until the early hours of the morning. It was a bit more important that I get up at a reasonable sort of time this time, as I had to catch my coach, so we arranged to meet for lunch. Which was nice. However, as far as catching the coach went, I didn't really need to be worried, as it was delayed by almost an hour, due to problems on the motorway. Which was annoying, and a little concerning, as I had to catch another coach at Brum. We actually ended up being even later getting there than when we had left, which I was puzzled by, as we cut one stop from the route; but, thankfully for those of us who did have to catch it, that coach was also delayed, due to problems on another motorway. And so I got home okay, just a little bit delayed in the end, as I didn't spend much time waiting at Brum. All in all, a great, relaxing few days. Nice. And the few things, which at the time, I thought were going to be real problems, turned out not to be really, after all-just minor inconveniences. And so there was no reason to worry. Maybe next time I'll remember, and not worry-and maybe even the time after that.