Lazy, Hazy Sunday

For the first time in ages, I had some definite plans for activity on a Sunday. Yes, real-life plans that didn't include housework or boring errands. Plans that would necessitate me leaving the house and seeing people, real-life people! I clearly need to get out more.

I was meeting the girlfriends I went to uni with (S and N), for lunch. I've got into a very bad pattern of late nights this past week and couldn't quite shake the pattern on Saturday night, so woke up on Sunday feeling groggy and unable to get my act together as quickly as necessary. I was running late and after checking TFL's website, realised that Transport for London was not on my side, either. No overground trains on the route which would make the journey infinitely quicker. No underground line at all, which is my other alternative. I'd have to get the overground train on the less direct route, which was due at 11.30. I got my stuff together and had a quick chat with Big Sis as I located my shoes and got my coat. Checking the clock, I realised it was 11.33. Oops.

I ran to the station, thinking I had completely missed it, but found that the 11.30 was delayed to 11.40. Delays almost never work in my favour, but perhaps things were looking up? After being randomly greeted on the train platform with an excited "Hello!!" by the cutest little blond-haired 4-year old boy, I texted Big Sis, "Yes! 11.30 train delayed till 11.40. Woo hoo!" 20 mins later, after the 'time expected' on the train updates changed from 11.40 to 11.45, to 11.47, before settling on 'delayed,' I was regretting my premature enthusiasm. So was the little boy.

Did I mention I was meant to meet my friends for lunch at 12.00? Somewhere about 45 minutes away? Eek. I texted the girlies and get one back from N: “I must have misread the email because I thought we were meeting at 12.30 – I’m running late too!” Phew, not just me then. I resorted to plan B/C/X and walked to the bus stop. Which is right near my ex's house. Desperately hoping I wouldn't run into him, I reassured myself that he was very unlikely to be awake at that time (I'm so not joking). Relaxing slightly, I looked up who did I see instead? His parents, just about to turn out of the road I was about to cross. It's weird when you think about something happening and then it happens. I had a quick chat to them and we wished each other a pleasant day. They are such lovely people that, as I walked away, I felt a pang of sadness that I can't be in more contact with them.

I get to the bus stop and wait a good 5 or more minutes. There are two buses I can get, that run from different stops not far from each other. One is faster; one takes the back-street route. I see the slow bus coming down the hill and decide it would be better to get that, than potentially wait a while longer. As I get on the slow bus, I see the fast bus pull up to the other bus stop. Today is just not my day.

I finally make it to a tube station and get a train the nine stops to the station I need, arriving at the café 50 minutes late! Feeling drained after my epic journey and embarrassed at my terrible tardiness as I result, I give my apologies, which my lovely friends accept very graciously. We share big hugs and smiles and I have barely sat down before I am quizzed by S, "So, what happened to the guy in New York??!" We launch into a long conversation, lots of laughs and interjections, with very patient waiters appearing now and then to find we still aren’t ready to order. We catch up on each others’ lives and realise that it has been 18 months since we last met up. N has only recently moved back to London after 6 years in Birmingham. We enjoy our meals (various kinds of pasta) and order dessert and tea. We take it in turns to visit the bathroom and laugh when we return to find that S has rather efficiently already split the bill exactly three ways. We commend ourselves for our clever thinking as both S and I brought vouchers with us entitling us to a free main course (unfortunately we could only use one). We end the day with a photo of the three of us to mark the moment, exactly as we did last time. As we leave and walk to the bus stop, laughing that we are each wearing a Mac (albeit in a different colour each), there is talk of birthday plans on the horizon and barbecues over the summer. We hug and promise to meet up again soon, not leave it more than a year like last time!

I get the bus and take in all the sights as if I was a tourist visiting for the first time. I debate going for a wander to take photos, since the sunshine is so glorious, but feeling the onset of a headache, I decide against it. However, I still find time for a quick spot of window-shopping and people-watching. I get to the station and find there are 20 minutes to wait until my train. Luckily, I need to use the bathroom, so don’t mind. I go to the ones in the small shopping centre above the station – they cost 20p to use instead of the 30p downstairs. Yes I am that cheap. Lol! I mainly want to waste a few extra minutes, so I also pop into a few shops when I’m done. I get home and collect a parcel (new shoes!) from my neighbour that was delivered while I was out. As I drop my stuff indoors, I realise I have unknowingly been carrying around a sweaty bit of brie tied in a plastic bag from lunch at work on Friday. Laughing at how incredibly trampish that is and feeling thankful that the bag was tightly sealed and therefore not giving me or my bag an odeur de fromage, I immediately put it in the bin before it morphs into another life form.

Cheese aside, it has been a good day. I feel happy to be alive and optimistic about all that is to come.