Old friends

It's amazing how soon things get back to normal after Christmas isn't it? We were both back at work on Wednesday and by the end of the day it felt like there hadn't been a break at all. It was a somewhat complicated half week at work, with lots of cover needed for members of staff off sick or who had hospital appointments. There was all the end of December accounting to be done very quickly in both branches too, to meet central dealines, so it felt like I didn't have a chance to draw breath properly until the evening shift on Friday night (which was even quieter than usual)... I shouldn't complain though. Being busy is good for the stats and it's only a few weeks until we go away now.

This has been followed by a really busy but thoroughly enjoyable weekend where we've had a chance to catch up with some of our lesser seen friends. Saturday evening, after the car windscreen had been replaced, we drove up to West Hampstead to Phil and Emma's flat (or Steve's old flat) to see them and Steve's old school friends Razza and Muz (and his wife Nicola). It was a great evening. Despite only having met Muz, Nicola and Razza a couple of times, I felt very at ease with them all and it was great to catch up with them all. We really need to make the effort to go up and stay with Muz and Nicola in Bradford (Ok, they're another couple of people on the long list of people we really need to go and see) and I'll try and keep on at Steve to arrange it for later in the year.
So anyway, we went to Nando's for dinner (we had the chicken, surprisingly) which was pretty good, as always and then spent a happy couple of hours chatting away back at the flat (which, incidentally is looking really great now). Steve even managed to get his scarf back, which he;d left behind when he left. That was pleasing, after the effort i went to buy it in the first place!

Today we went back into London to see David "Irishboy" Arnott and his boyfriend Paul. It was really good to ctach with him and to finally meet Paul, who I'd heard lots about. He was lovely, and they seem very happy together, which can't be a bad thing. We don't see him very often (him being in Belfast) and so it's always a delight to have the chance. We don't really keep in touch the way we used to, but it's reassuring to know that he still counts me as a good friend and someone worth meeting up with. I seem to inspire this kind of friendship. It's a bloody good thing.

After we'd said goodbye, we went round the shops for a bit and picked up a few nice things. I'm currently enjoying a bit of Elliott Smith- the album Either/ Or. As I've possibly explained before I'm rationing buying the albums I haven't got by him, because I know there's only a finite amount of material to hear now. It still gives me something to look forward hearing. Sadly there's only two more to buy now, but I shall eek them out for as long as possible.