Best Unexpected News of the Week - "I'm coming to London! Tomorrow!"
BFTP decided to come down to London from the East Midlands where he lives. He has been toying with the idea of moving here and so decided to come down to stay with his friend for a week, to suss out accommodation and work prospects, as well as see if he actually liked it, before making any firm decisions.
Most Unrealistic Decision of the Week - "Let's not see each other."
We decided that although he was going to be here, we wouldn't see each other. We had not yet made anything official, both have a few things we are working on emotionally and really didn't want to rush things. In any case, he would be staying on the completely opposite side of London and I also felt that I wanted any decision he made to move here to not be unduly influenced by me.
Quickest Change of Plans of the Week - "Actually, let's."
He arrived on Tuesday afternoon and chilled that evening with his friend. We were full of resolve that even though it felt nice knowing we were closer together in distance, we would just keep things as they were for now. Fast forward to Wednesday evening: we were talking on Skype and laughed at the fact that we could just be talking in person. A couple of hours later, we were. We were the next evening, too.
Most Touristy Evening of the Week - London By Night
Talking into the early hours with my BFTP, sat on a bench in Trafalgar Square.
Most Stupid Mistake of the Week - Missing a Deadline
I handed in my application for yet another internal position at work a little too late due to a combination of my own disorganisation, lack of foresight and being out of the office the next morning for a work event. The Office Manager had a chat to me in person to explain that he couldn't consider it because the other applications had already been forwarded to the short-listers. He wanted to say sorry in person and wished that I'd been able to submit it earlier, and expressed that he knows I am working above the level I am being paid for and that I am wasted in my current job. It was nice to know that someone who doesn't even work directly with me felt that way, but it still didn't stop me from kicking myself for being ill-prepared. He reassured me that the positions may be advertised externally if they can't fill them, so there may be a subsequent opportunity to apply. I am an idiot, but I have realised that I am really losing the motivation for anything where I currently am.
Most Comfortable and Successful 'Meet the Parents' Episode of the Week (and my life) - Sabbath With My Family
My BFTP arranged to come to church with me and the fam, so I gave him the directions and said I'd meet him at the station nearby the church when he got there. I asked my Mum if he could stay for lunch, even though we hadn't planned that in advance and everything was in place. I hadn't explained that the situation was anything more than our friend coming for lunch; I actually met him through my sister because she went to uni in his home town and met him when she attended church there. He came to visit me once and stayed with us, so my Mum remembered him. True to form, part of the tube wasn't running, so he had to get a replacement bus and we thought he might miss the service. But when I met him at the station and we walked back, we got there just as the sermon had started. Church was lovely, and lunch was really relaxing. He talked to my Dad for quite a while, Mum cooked and then we ate lunch together, exchanging stories and laughing heartily at similar experiences. I was amazed at just how relaxed my Mum was. She can sometimes be more reserved when around people she doesn't know so well, but she was exactly the same as she is when it's just us.
We had a long, relaxed lunch and talked and laughed some more. Then we decided to drive up to our old church on the other side of London and attend the final evening of a week-long evangelistic program they had been presenting, with a well-known American speaker. The drive was long but fun and we managed to stay in good spirits, despite taking a few wrong turns and getting there slightly later than intended. The church was packed, but we managed to get seats outside, watching the program on a screen. We saw loads of old friends and had mini catch-ups throughout the evening, had plenty of hugs and lots of comments that I had lost weight (as expected). The program was really good, the speaker gave his personal testimony about his background and family and interspersed this with singing. To finish off, we had a good ol' plate of food and had a good chat with lots of people we haven't seen for a long time. BFTP really enjoyed himself and commented on how warm the church felt because of how welcoming and friendly everyone was. I realised that sometimes it's easier to appreciate something when you've been away from it for a while.
It was 11pm by the time we left and there were still so many people still eating and talking and enjoying each other's company. BFTP was actually within walking distance of his friend's house, so decided to walk home. We parted with him thanking my Mum for her hospitality, hugging my sister and saying just how nice it was to see her again and hugging me for no more than 3 seconds even though we could have done for more, lol. The drive home flew by, as we exchanged news on the friends we had caught up on and Mum commented on how much she liked BFTP and how genuine he was. He's in there with the Mama. Result. :o)
Most Unexpectedly Good Weather of the Week - Sunday Sunshine
Sunday turned out to be perfect weather-wise: really sunny, a tiny bit of breeze and 25 degrees. Me and BFTP decided to spend the day together and go to the British Museum and the park. We decided to meet and laughed that we were both running late. We made up for the lack of physical contact the day before by greeting with the biggest hug and he surprised me with gorgeous orangey-red roses. We walked to the museum, entered the fabulously light reading room and wandered around the Egyptian and Assyrian exhibits before checking out the Rosetta stone and then heading out to get a drink. We sat on the steps outside and talked while sipping our drinks, and then decided that the weather was so nice we should just head to the park. A bus ride later, we were picking up fruit and yummy treats and sandwiches from M&S and then found a nice spot in Hyde Park with just the right combination of sun and shade. We laid out the picnic blanket I had brought along and tucked into our goodies. We talked, we cuddled, we laughed out loud so much that passers-by started to chuckle just by listening to us. It was a perfect afternoon.
When the sun got lower, it got a little cold and we decided to make moves. Parting at the tube station I tried not to think about the fact that we didn't really know when we'd next get to see each other in person. We stole a last kiss and it wasn't until I was on the bus and he was on his train that he realised he had walked off with my picnic blanket. My journey home took ages thanks to a combination of lack of trains and excess of engineering works, but even that couldn't spoil the day. I got home, put my roses in a water-filled vase and kept one at his request to dry, so that we could remember that day. Big Sis commented that I had caught the sun. I had, in more ways than one. I felt exhausted but extremely happy.
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Other than the fact that he goes home tomorrow, for the first time in a while I am actually looking forward to the week, for a change. It will probably be hard and there will no doubt be a challenge to meet here and there, but I am feeling much more positive about meeting them head-on. I hope your week was suitably productive, enjoyable, or at the very least quick! Can't wait for next weekend. Hopefully the journey towards it will be a good one.
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