Categories: uncategorized
Date: 27 August 2005 15:10:42
...and am taking advantage of my free 1/2 hour in the internet cafe thanks to my being a Greenbelt Angel (*polishes halo*). It feels weird being here - I think because I'm in the middle of so much else, what with moving and whatnot, suddenly being in a tent in the middle of a racecourse feels very surreal! Of course it is the wibsite party later this afternoon, so I'm looking forward to that very much and no doubt reports and photos will follow in due course. No doubt much beer and cake will be consumed, and I promise we shall say a "G'day" to all the Antipodean wibbers (except that'll probably be a bit silly as it'll be the middle of the night for you guys). Anyway - you will be thought of and celebrated and toasted and remembered. As will the others of you closer to home too. Have seen a few wibbers already and was accosted by Tractor Girl (whom I have never met) last night in the bar, it was rather unnerving to have a total stranger call my name and then say "It works! I can tell people from photos from the wibsite!" and all I could think was "Who the heck* are you??????!!!!!" Looking forward to catching up with more people this afternoon.
* or words to that effect.
In a rather substantial news roundup, due to my lack of computer access, there's quite a bit of news. My house sale finally went though just over a week ago, and I was surprised at how unemotional I was about it in the end. I did have a few wobbly moments in the days leading up to it, and it was very stressful due to the buyer's solicitor not returning my solicitor's calls so we didn't exchange contracts till the day before. But when she actually came to pick up the keys she asked me to help her hang some net curtains in the windows so it didn't look empty till she moved in, and because I really don't like net curtains and so never had them, as soon as they went up it just wasn't my house any more, and I was able to totally switch off from the emotion of it. Very strange that something so ordinary would do that, but I was really pleased I didn't cry!
I did cry later that afternoon though, a LOT, as it was my last session with my counsellor. It's been tough, often hard work and very draining, but it has meant a lot to have someone there who I could go through absolutely everything with and not be judged and who helped me make sense of it all (well, of some of it anyway!). I think I may well need a bit more counselling once I get UpNorth, but I'm having a break for now to recharge my batteries, and I think I need to find my feet (and house) once I'm there before I resume. It will be weird trying to find someone new though.
Last weekend I had a series of leaving dos, as although I haven't officially left London yet, last weekend was my last in the city. On Friday night a few friends from my former church had a little get-together for me which was lovely, and then on Saturday we had the London shipmeet which despite the slight handicap of the pub we'd arranged to meet in being closed (on a SATURDAY!) so having to do a quick recce and find a replacement venue, turned out to be a really good evening with over 20 people coming (including a number I'd not met before). On Sunday I had a meal in a local restaurant after church as it was my last service (it was also the last service for one of our readers who has now flown to the Caribbean to work with USPG for a year - I think the straw she drew was slightly longer than mine!) and then in the evening a crowd of my friends from when I first moved to London had a do for me too. That was lovely - despite having everyone recount their most embarrassing reminiscences of me (which had me blushing, and crying with laughter) (and thankfully nobody had been organised enough to dig out their old photo albums!) it also really hit me how well these people know me and how precious they are as friends, and how much I will miss them.
Then on Tuesday I went for a meal with a very old friend, L., who was my childhood penfriend (and who, coincidentally, comes from UpNorth although has ended up 25 years later living round the corner from me, and now I'm moving back to her roots). We continued the tradition started by Saturday's shipmeet when it turned out that the restaurant we had chosen was closed (for holidays, apparently) but managed a great meal in an Italian restaurant instead and caught up on all the news (including her news that she is pregnant - great news as a few years ago she had Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and had to have chemo and radiotherapy so I don't think this was something she thought would ever happen).
Later this week I finally received the list of tutorial topics for when I start the undergrad teaching. Very daunting (I know next to nothing about any of the topics), but the only one that really made my heart sink (but I'm sure will make yay smile if nobody else) was one in February next year which had the ominous title of ...... wait for it ..... "Role play based on lectures". Regular readers will know how much I love role play* so watch out next February for the detailed analysis of my roleplaying prowess**.
* it really is of the devil.
** I'll get them to do it all.
I only have a minute left here so will have to go - will raise a glass to you all this afternoon xx