Another year, another ill-advised passion :)

Whoops ;). Oh well, that's quite enough of that. Hopefully, the less I talk or think about it, the faster I'll get over it.
Yep, really need to fall for someone I actually have a chance of being with ...
Little sleepy so this will probably be a bit incoherent - bathtime tonight was accompanied by Neil Gaiman (got his new one for Christmas) and a concoction of hot ginger and an extremely large slug of Pimm's. As everybody knows - except apparently corone ;) - ginger is in fact the nectar of the gods, and it also has the benefit of effectively hiding the taste of the Pimm's. This is, of course, a Good Thing, as, it turns out, when you're not lying in a field on a scorching July weekend in Dorset listening to an eclectic selection of folk, blues, country and, apparently, everything else under the sun, surrounded by very appealing hippy girls in fairy wings (Google the Larmer Tree - highly recommended :) ), Pimm's really does not taste good. At all. Not even a little bit. Of course, the fact that it describes itself as a 'spirit drink' should ring a few alarm bells. Never trust anything that won't admit to at least some of its ingredients ...

All in all, a very good Christmas. Managing to get through the better part of three days without major confrontation with my brother was a feat (hugs to lareinemisere - family always seems to have that way of getting under your skin and making you feel bad about yourself. I know mine do).
It was good to catch up with Steve, Dan, and Dave (even if the atmosphere was palpable - I really don't know what was wrong with Dan, but it always has a rather dampening effect when there's a little black cloud in the corner glowering at the world, and while the judicious application of alcohol seemed to do the trick it was still a little uncomfortable. Must give him a call and see if he's okay (problem is, he's one of those guys who mainly uses the phone as a way of organising stuff ('wanna go down the pub? 8 o'clock? 'k. See ya'). Doesn't really make it easy when you're almost 300 miles away) ; and Neil and Elisa (but, bless her, she still has that way of talking to people like they're naughty 6 year olds. Comes of being a primary school teacher, I suppose.
Also very pleased that I manage to track down Mary (although you hardly have to be the great white hunter to track someone down in Dagenham. Especially when you have a phone number. But still, twice in a year, not bad going for me.

And then of course, there was New Year's Eve - which was one of the nicest and most stress free I've had in ages - in the company of the very lovely corone and lareinemisere. It was wonderful to finally meet cholten99 and alobear, having heard so much about them. I liked lots, hopefully they won't think I'm too presumptuous if I friend their journals.

The drive back to Liverpool included an extremely picturesque tour of what I can only assume is Golder's Green. Apparently the turn off to the North Circular from Finchley wasn't sufficiently huge for me to catch it the first time round. Or perhaps someone uttered the fateful words "you can't miss it". Always to be avoided when giving directions, at least to me, because I really, really can ...
And so back to the 'pool and my lovely little home (all tidy and exactly how I left now that I don't have to share with anyone anymore :) ).
Work is winding up to stress-ville again, but it's almost the weekend, so that's ok.

lareinemisere (hey, I'm really getting the hang of this lj techie stuff :) ) - thankyou for the link, I was positively drooling over all the ace stuff earlier. I'm sure the woman who sits next to me at work thinks I'm some sort of perve with a footwear fetish or something (and that's not to mention the time I spend in my lunch hour on the piercing notice boards. Ahem. Anyway ...). And on the other points 1) You're welcome :) . 2) I know, but I still appreciate it and I know how neurotic and whiney I can be ;) .
And 4) Yes. See above :)

And now it's well past my my bedtime.