The Real Life Come-Down

*Clunk*

This is the sound of me, coming back down to earth.

Many things are happening right now. Not all of them are for internet-level sharing. Sorry 'bout that. I'm quite fond of you, but some of you are strangers off t'internet.

I've spent my 2 lunch breaks so far this week outside, and in an against-the-odds bid to re-live some of last week's French sunshine. Trying to remind myself that Aberdeen is not the arse end of the universe after all. I'm struggling with that. It's a very rare, if unknown, thing for me to not enjoy returning to Aberdeen after an adventure of some sort. I've always felt a sort of comforting, coming-home, this-is-my-city feeling after any length of time elsewhere. This time it just felt like a let down.

Here's the contrast:

11 days ago.

 versus...

Today.

Boo Hoo, I'll live. No sympathy required.

We went to France. It was amazing. I'd go back tomorrow and start over again. Well, maybe give me a few days to finish the laundry first.

They'll take a bit of re-whitening after the punishment we've just put them through.

We had a great time. We went to a lovely place, with some of my closest friends, and we were very well looked after by other people who I'm also very fond of. And we spent our time eating, drinking, sightseeing and dancing, although not necessarily in that order. Every meal that wasn't breakfast was accompanied by wine.

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Toulouse is very very nice. You should go if you ever get the chance. Do Carcassonne. Yes it's full of tourists and tourist tat, but they're only there because it's worth seeing. If you go in for bucket lists (I can't handle them, they stress me out) stick one more item on yours.

The only place for miles around where there's actually a breeze. Lovely.

Toulouse is a gem. And being there to do a thing you like doing, with people you like being with, just makes it all the more fun. Thank you all, you Nutters.

Totally unsustainable unbelievably great fun. Hot, stressful, exhausting great fun. Man cannot live on alcohol, adrenaline and 4 hours sleep alone, and neither can I.

Not to say that I didn't give it a darn good shot.

That would be cider, in a teacup.

So it comes as no surprise that what follows is a coming back down to earth with a rather large bump. We lugged our cases home from the bus stop to find that a friendly and interfering neighbour had taken it upon himself to take a strimmer to 2 nice healthy plants in the name of neighbourly grass-cutting. Cutting the grass, yes, helpful. Killing the lavender and the fennel, grr. We went round to the corner shops in search of takeaway food, and changed our minds when faced with a line of dodgy-looking middle aged men stretching out of the door of the chipper.

Then on Friday I rolled down the car window for a few minutes and a seagull crapped right on me. That didn't help either. Stop laughing.

So I've spend that last few days intentionally doing the things that remind me why I chose to live here, and why I keep choosing to keep living here. Here's that story.

We got straight in the car and went to a nicer chipshop, and got nice chips. 

Aberdeen does a good line in fish and chips. Then we went dancing. That helped too. People gave us cards and hugs and congratulations and wanted to know all about our French adventures. I walked through half a dozen dances in a sleep-deprived daze but went home feeling much more loved and appreciated.

We went out to Newton Dee...

...which is a Camphill community not too far from us where we once danced at a charity do. They do good cake. We also came away with a tiny elephant and a tiny boat which we will entrust our shiny new rings to while we sleep/shower. 

We went to Church. 

The hymns weren't terrible and the Minister wasn't on holiday. The Session Clerk was the first to congratulate us and the Minister's Wife was the second. After that I lost track. People who's names I don't yet know came over and hugged us and ooh'd and ahh'd at the rings.
At Church.
We had to stay for tea because they wouldn't let us leave! Well done you lovely people.
Came home with these to boot.

Those two little espresso cups, there's a story in there. Maybe next week.

We visited Friends

And reminded ourselves that this part of the world is populated by people we like, and their amazingly cute children.


I took and deep breath and...

I turned on a computer. 

To be greeted by a few rounds of glorious Toulousian photographs, and, possibly more excitingly, a number of queries from people who might like to hire our tents! There does seem to be a (small and fragile) niche for us. That's got to be a good thing, right.

So What's Next?

I ain't got any leave booked for a while (actually none booked at all but that doesn't bear thinking about). Here on in I will be retreating somewhat in to a work-based Stressbubble. I will try not to be a grumpy grumposaur, but I'm making no promises. All adventures will have to be squeezed in around the edges, which is a terrible plan if ever there was one. I'm going to do it anyway.

It's going to be a potentially demoralising couple of working weeks up here in my corner. Please send wine. And keep reading!

I love my friends, and hope they forgive me for pinching their pictures.