My university mates being only reliable in their unreliability, a reunion for 12 turned out to be a reunion for 4.

It was however a very, very funny night. We laughed a lot about quite a lot of  the stupid things that we used to do.  Basically we were all cruel to each other all of the time, in a way that modern kids just wouldn’t be imaginative enough to be.

Great to see Adam and Sal Sharp, and the one and only Charlie Perkins. 

Ok , not really, it’s the gorgeous Sally, wife of Adam, back row No 7 who I played with in Cardiff.

They got married in the winter, I remember that bit, and Sally wore the coolest dress, which had fur in it somehow. There’s no point in me pretending to have remembered more, because I don’t.

What I do recall more is  the police being called to arrest me on the Stag  night, for stripping on the table for a Hen Party (that happened to be in the same place ) and the Hen girls whisking me away into the Ladies, and refusing to open the cubicle for the cops….

Just a normal Friday night for me, back then….

Thanks to Perkins for organising the Uni reunion.

We have the funniest stories ever… only some of which can possibly make it into my forthcoming book…

( I’m not actually internet dating, either )

From a river scientist I know…

Monique
Sediment deposition over time is actually quite interesting. You can chemically analyze it and know what they were swimming in 500 years ago ?. I laugh every time I read your blog- which is every few days. I can see you writing it. Sarcastic with a smirk. Xx
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Yes, Monique…. what we actually want to know is how many people get eaten by Nile ? sharks.

And did they find loads of skeletons…

( or is it just me ? )

Sarcastic smirked? Moi?!

Another first yesterday. Last night Pia and I went by London overland train. They’re incredibly helpful at the stations – you have to plan your journey to coincide with accessible stations… but there are a fair few of those.

So from Chiswick to the O2 Forum in Kentish Town meant a bus from Chiswick to Kensington Olympia, a 5 minute wait for a train to Willesden Junction, a change of trains, and then 10 minutes to Gospel Oak, which has a lift to get me back to ground level. And then 0.6 miles to the venue.

Simples, free ( for me ) and about an hour for a 10 mile trip- so much faster than a taxi or car.

We went to see The Fratellis – that’s a band, and they’re really good live.

The accessible section was actually really well positioned , as you definitely don’t feel sidelined in any way.

Getting back was a touch more complicated.

We ended up on the No 27 bus… after about 45 minutes, but then all pretty straightforward!

As my carer ‘ had a hangover ‘ today, I had a message at 7.26am to say that she wouldn’t be coming  this morning.

That does leave me in a fix. She does certain things to me, legitimately, that Jimmy Saville would never have dreamed of.

I was left facing a day where getting into my chair would lead to certain UnderwearCarnage. Many is the time that I’ve worked with a hangover – I mean let’s face it, who hasn’t, barring non drinkers?

I had to ‘ start the process ‘ myself, which is only a one way street in terms of outcome.

Thankfully, a replacement carer was found, and the job was literally done, eventually.  There is a fair bit of emotional expenditure in the journey of  worrying about it, trying desperately to secure a solution, and the actuality of the deed.

And after all that, I obviously must carry on and be cheerful, whereas if something like this had happened to you, just once, 3 years ago, you’d be having nightmares still.

I will be able to attend Lily’s parents evening tonight, without too much fear of having to leave suddenly.

Watch this space though.

Many happy returns to my father for tomorrow. We don’t actually talk at all. It’s hard to imagine a more dysfunctional relationship, but probably not completely atypical in some parts of the world ( just not the civilised parts, perhaps )

I was DESPERATE not to father sons, as I feared a revisitation upon any male progeny of my own, figuring that surely daughters are far harder to fall out with. In the event, chance leant a hand and I didn’t get sons.

Who knows how it’ll work out with me reference my own children, once divorced? Mobility and accessibility are already a barrier, and that’s living in the same dwelling as them….

I’m repeatedly reassured that daughters get friendlier to their Dads once past a certain age.

Roll on that….

I’d like to thank my aunties for keeping in touch. I hear more from them than I do my immediate ‘ birth family ‘ but there you go.

I’ve had worse things happen to me ( always my Get Out Of Jail )

Last night the RGS lecture was beyond dull, the first that I can say that of.  If you want to know how much sediment was deposited in the Nile one week, 546 years ago, and every week since, I’d recommend this particular speaker.

The week can only get better then…

Congrats to Lily – all her teachers said that she was a superstar. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Well if you haven’t heard Morrissey and The Smiths songs sung in Mexican… then you haven’t lived.

?

Before the gig tonight, Pia and I went to watch the new Trainspotting film.

There’s an awful lot about drug taking in the film, as there was in the original.

It made me reflect on my narcotic past. …

Which basically is that…. I haven’t had one.

Nor  cigarettes, either.

Yes, I’ve had enough alcohol to kill people, but drugs…. nothing at all until about 38, and including everything it’s 2 drags of marijuana and  half a hash cake ( obviously not all at the same evening – in fact over 12 years )

I can say with certainty that drug taking is very much alive amongst the outwardly clean and sensible middle classes, but not me.

Perhaps that’s because I’m NOT outwardly clean and sensible?

My weight loss strategy has helped my friend lose 24 pounds in 7 weeks, including a blip at Christmas

I reckon that’s pretty f****** impressive.