Day 1

So, today is my first day off in 24 days and it happens to be my birthday.  I think I'm actually more excited over the day off.  You'll roughly remember how old I am?  Well, if you double that figure and add 10, that was how old I felt last night, still, after a sleeping tablet and 2 glasses of red wine... and 11.5 hours sleep later, I feel quite refreshed and much nearer my actual age.

I woke to 2 texts, one from my sister V and the other from J.  Had a busy couple of hours in which I squeezed in replies to texts, a phone call, breakfast and 10 minutes of jogging.  It's been at least 3 weeks since I jogged and it felt great.

So far, I have a bag, purse, scarf, several bottles of wine, (hmm,) chocolates and 2 "mind, body, spirit," magazines from my friend Debs. 

Just after 9am, I head out to my much missed Starbucks, I sit relaxing, reading and writing to you for an hour.  It's chilled and quiet, with a soft buzz of noise in the background, it's just so lovely to be here.  I eventually pop in my iPod and CBR, and it's like I've never been away, perfect start to the day.

I recycle, buy fuel and head to my eldest sister's for a coffee and a catch up.  I finally get home and do a bit of tidying then 30 minutes later, B arrives and we head off to have a panini for lunch, well, we split one and have half each, B's is rounded off with coffee and walnut cake.

We head home, to mine, and I then tidy and clean for a couple of hours while B reads and chats to me, then at 5.30pm, we head out to Wagamama's.  J & G are taking me to dinner for my birthday and nephew CJ is here too.  B has never been before, and I know she wouldn't have chosen to go but we give her detailed descriptions of meals and she opts for Yaki Soba, the same as me and J, we have variations of gyoza and edamame to start.  CJ opts for "firecracker" for his main dish, we both agree that the next time he goes on a date, he should veto the hot stuff as the sweating situation is not attractive.  G has Prawn Chilli Men and he is another trooper as I know he was probably a bit unsure at the beginning.  Meal and Pinot Grigio Blush are divine, J and I share a carafe of PGB.  Everyone has desert, except me.

We had a lovely night.  J, G and CJ drop me home.  CJ picks me up and swings me like a rag doll, well, I suppose it's kind of nice that he can do that?  I watch TV for an hour then crash into bed, another day, another birthday over, good though.