I skived off work this afternoon. I had a prison visit (where, for a change, when asked why he acted in a certain way, the chap said "I was a prat." which, you know, refreshing.) But it finished earlier than expected, so I called in and said I was leaving off and I went for a meander instead. So a circuitous drive through the countryside (where I saw my first real life owl), eventually led me to the seaside, where I treated myself to a 99 on the clifftop.

Whilst there a group of teenagers walked by, one of whom sat next to me as his chums peeled off elsewhere. Then, at the top of his voice, he sang out "I've just had sex.... I put my penis inside her....it was good."

He then got up to walk away, stopped in front of me and said "I'm doing that on X_Factor. I'm making myself look like a douche, and my friends will pay me." before scootling off.

!

After that, I went to the cliff hotel (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g1066785-d192778-Reviews-Cliff_Hotel-Gorleston_on_Sea_Great_Yarmouth_Norfolk_East_Anglia_England.html), where I sat on the terrace with a long cold drink and actually did a little writing. (wearing my sun hat in public, deciding that I didn't care if it looked silly, I didn't want sunstroke.) It was lovely.

The evening was supposed to end with a crazy gold tournament, but there was some road accident which completely screwed the traffic (it took me an hour to travel less than 3 miles), so it was too late by the time we all got there, so we went and had a meal instead.

And now I'm home with a long tall glass of (retro) Archers (the menu at the restaurant we went to included Rum Baba, trifle and coke float - it felt very vintage (and being on the seaside Rubbish Row, could very possibly be unchanged since the 70s!)

mellow.

I've got to go back to work tomorrow. Which is depressing and distressing in equal measures. I am trying to not think about it, which isn't the best of ploys. I shall be going to bed imminently not sure whether that's a preparatory or an avoidance technique.

But! I've had a week off and it has been good and I have been busy -I have sewn (although not finished anything yet, as I got distracted), I have painted my bathroom, I have eaten out almost every day. I have seen friends and I have taken Mother shopping, I have seen friends, I have read fic, I have revamped my garden. (My garden is tiny, and "revamping" was really only removing a winter's worth of cat poo, stripping the bark away, replacing it with compost, weeding, pruning and planting out 72 Lobelia (I bought trays of plants, they were on offer, 3 for 2, I never looked at how many were in the trays, and now I have 72 Lobelia) I also have 3 periwinkle in pots. All of that took just long enough for me to have aching limbs and one shoulder and half my back burnt to buggery, whilst the rest remains resolutely lily white.) I lost track of my brackets there.

I also cleared out my clothes - wardrobes and chest of drawers, after opening a drawer I rarely use and finding a stack full of clothes I didn't remember owning. It sounds as if I have oodles of gear, but I'm just a rut dresser, wearing the same 7/8 outfits on a cycle. So, today I tried on, rejected unworn clobber (and found some stuff that I didn't know I liked - it's almost like shopping!

And I've been watching season 1 H50 and remembering when it was all good and every episode didn't make me cross.

The highlight for me has been the last two days though, I put my foot down (with myself as much as anyone else) and vowed that I wasn't going to leave the house. I can't remember the last time I did that (I can, it was before we lost Dad), since then I've been to Mum everyday, or on the days I haven't, it's been because I've been somewhere else and couldn't make it. These past two days are I think the first where I've just been here, doing what I want, with no time table. I haven't been idle, it's these two days that have seen me gardening and wardrobe sorting, but I've done it at my own pace. I haven't even gotten dressed today (or I've gotten dressed a hundred times, if you count trying on all my clothes!) and it's just been mellow. (Even if I've eaten cream crackers for all three meals, because I have no other food in the house!)

Anyway.

Work tomorrow. Bed now.

I have been incredibly lazy today, a tiny flurry of washing up and another of doing, then hanging a load of washing - but the day has been spent, in the main on the sofa internetting or in bed, sleeping.

Which has been lovely, but it makes me feel old!

Yesterday, I was up at 6am (which is normal for a lot of you strange morning people out there, but is practically obscene for a born night owl) - I was up because the high winds were attempting to steal the rain cover on my garden table (that I have used once, the morning after I bought it btw, bloody British weather.) - so I was in the yard, in my pjs, (loose pjs which the wind also tried to steal, so I apologise to the neighbours who may have been mentally scarred by my bare boobies), battling the tarpaulin and trying to find things of heaviness with which to anchor it.

After 20 minutes of that I was somehow, too awake to go back to bed.

Which meant I was ready bright and early for a work sponsored Road Trip. I had to go to Eastchurch (Kent) for a prison visit. A 3.5hour journey for a one hour interview. Such a waste of time, money and effort...

Or it would have been, had the journey not taken me directly past the Front Doors of IKEA! (Well, 5 minutes away from the FDoI, but I'm fudging it a little.) So, P came along for the ride, and we had a work sponsored trip to the time sucking, money gobbling halls of IKEA.

We were there for 4.5hours. Walking around looking at soft furnishings and kitchen utensils for 4.5hours. Marvellous.

I was quite restrained, buying only a few knick knacks (omg some gorgeous fabric) and a couple of filing cabinets for when I sort out my upstairs room) but P spent around £250 (it's just as much fun encouraging someone else to spend their money.)

We had a really good day, Elvis and Steps on the cd player, catching up on all the chat, lots of laughs. And, I know I'm odd, but I really love the sense of sharing a car journey. The synchronisation of passing sweets, water etc, having someone in tune to hand you your drink when you need it, getting money for the tolls, turning the air con on/off/down etc.

That said, I hate driving on big roads, 4 lane motorways freak me out, and 4 lane roundabouts are absolute hell. The Dartford crossings are evil things and I hate driving in the dark. So I find I can hardly move today because I spent 7hours in high tension with my muscles clenched while driving, and 4.5hours walking and carrying flat pack furniture!

Worth it though.