Love

I was hanging out with a couple of my girl-friends on the on the floor. We were sitting around on cushions at Sandy's place, me, Sandy and Anke. The alarm on my phone went off, it took me by surprise. This stupid tune, but so loud, so loud that I had to turn it off right away.

I pulled the phone out from my pocket. The screen was blank, and the phone was silent, but the alarm carried on. Anke said that it may be her phone, as she also has a Samsung phone. I reached my hand up the back of her shirt, looking for her phone. I stroked my hand up and down the smooth skin on her back, which was nice. Anke took out her phone and checked it, but it was not her phone either, and the ringing, the overpowering, crushing ringing of the alarm, carried on. The noise was coming from my phone, my real phone, calling me out of my dreams and into the real world. It was 6.20 in the morning. I was laying alone in a strange bed. It was raining hard outside, and I had to get up and get dressed to go out and run 8 miles.

22 hours earlier, the very same telephone had called me awake far less dramatically. I hadn't been dreaming, only slumbering, and it wasn't the alarm, it was a call from my mother to let me know that they were on their way over, and they would be about two hours. I pulled myself out of bed, and went through my morning routine.

My parents were picking me up on the way to a family party in the New Forest. It was my aunt and uncle's 50th Wedding Anniversary.

I can't imagine being in love any more, let alone being in love for 50 years.


50 years

But it's always nice to meet up with family. I meet my cousins every two years or so. There is one of my cousins who, despite meeting up with him every two years or so, I've never known what he actually did, in fact I don't think that I've even spoken to him before. I did that. I spoke to him. I got to know him a bit.

He has been with his partner for 18 years.

I can't imagine being in love for 18 years.



Sunday morning, and I was out running across the New Forest with my brother. We left at 6.30 in the morning in light rain which got progressively heavier as we were out. 8 miles later and it was coming down pretty hard.

The New Forest is a nice place, although popular with tourists. There aren't that many trees, apparently that's because the soil isn't very good and they don't grow easy, but there are a lot of ponies. Popular tradition has it that the wild ponies scattered in the desolate parts of Great Britain swam ashore from the wrecked ships of the Spanish Armada, but apparently that's not actually true.


The top which I wear for running in the rain used to be a snug fit, now it's really loose. Where did I go?

The best man from the wedding was also there, and pointed out that the two of them actually picked a terrible date to get married, and that they should have done it a week later. This weekend was the British Grand Prix, The London Pride March, the start of the Tour de France (my uncle and his best man are keen cyclists). Not to mention the Wimbledon finals! Shame about the F1, which I gather was a thrilling race, but the rest was OK: I'm not a big fan of road cycling or tennis, and I'm going to Amsterdam Pride in a month anyway. :D