Three Weeks Today

Blimey - just three weeks - it feels longer and so much has happened in such a short space of time.  I like the idea that neither of us were actually looking for too much to happen other than getting to know each other a bit more.  Well we have certainly done that!  I'm now having to work out what will happen in the next few weeks.  

Not Even Three Weeks Yet

It seems to me that I've entered some sort of time warp as it isn't three weeks yet since I picked up P from the Hospital and now we are as they say "an item".  It's all very strange indeed :-) It is all quite a shock as we keep saying to each other "How did we get here?"  It feels a lot longer than 20 days and I have to say that it's neither one thing or the other at the moment it's as if we are in a "no man's land." We are really compatible but my INTJ nature is making me ever so cautious.  P understands (thank goodness).

We are making a lot of progress on her issues and it's a step at a time existence moving a milestone at a time and getting over some pretty sticky situations.  

My main concern is that I am having to dynamically move things around to suit her schedule especially as she isn't allowed to drive for quite a while (another 3 weeks roughly).  So I'm doing a lot of driving and also making sure she is eating properly.  I think that's OK and I feel I've managed to sort most of the basics out especially eating and drinking and medication is being taken etc.

I'm cautiously optimistic that we will become very good friends indeed after all the grief of her operation and personal circumstances are resolved satisfactorily.  

That's Why Life IS Great

Two weeks ago, I wouldn't have known even then what was about to happen.  From absolutely nowhere (even though we slightly knew each other beforehand) two people's life paths touched and for a while have run parallel to each other.  It's all very close and it is all very strange and not at all what I was expecting or quite like it was last year - thank goodness :-) I don't think I'll say much more than last year I could hardly breathe and was wound up like a top.  This time around I think I'm being cautious - I got hurt quite badly and crashed and burnt last year.  I don't intend for that to happen again (although it easily could).

I spoke to P last night and she received my card in the post thanking her for a lovely weekend and I think she really appreciated it and that's exactly what I did it for.  I firmly believe we were destined to meet like this although I'd have preferred it if she hadn't needed eye surgery - poor thing :-(  But things like she's going through the same rubbish I went through and doing that almost on her own are key things.  I can fully empathise with her on the ups and downs of dealing with things that look insurmountable.  

I met lots of people yesterday they were telling me that I looked great and that I was on top form and so I was even though two incidents that actually made me angry - that's so rare!  But one bloke was really rude to me so I gave him two barrels and sent him on his way with a flea in his ear.  The other was just some guy being "Thick" and holding up proceedings - he wasn't best pleased when I gave him the hurry up.  I had to collect things from around 100 people and he was holding proceedings up so he also got a very rough tongue lashing.   Some people really don't get it.

I have NO idea what is going on

It is a funny old thing when you are dancing around and getting to know each other. I'm not heart eruptively entering into this as I "allegedly" did last year.  I am so much more stand offish - perhaps to my detriment.

All I can say is that I'm having a great time at the moment albeit there are some communication issues for us both - we are quite (but not exactly) similar and are both organised and a little headstrong so it is making for interesting dynamics. :-)

Anyway - I'm delighted that P is going to come with me to the church service at Rochester Cathedral on Sunday - it will be so nice to finally get to go to this event without all the whinging and hullabaloo that went before it.

P is off to Hospital in the morning - 2 weeks after her Retina Detachment corrective surgery.   Let's hope for good news.  It marks 14 days since I picked her up at the Hospital and dare I say it this rather extraordinary journey.

Geeeeeez - Karma? Serendipity?

Well hello there.  I've just surfaced after what feels like a month but had probably been less.  P has stayed with me over the weekend and I've just taken her home to her pokey old flat.  We've been getting on fine but are both still shell shocked that we are going out or whatever you may call it.  It's a big surprise to both of us :-)

I'm getting complaints over lacks of blogs and FaceBook activity.  I haven't had time and this week is bad too.  I feel absolutely knackered having driven P around for a couple of weeks, cooked, washed and all sorts of other things for her as her eye (we hope) starts to mend.  It's a tiny bit better but she can't drive for at least another 4 weeks.  She can just begin to see shapes and her fingers in blurred outline held to the sky or a light.

I wonder about these "chance" meetings.  Neither of us would have met unless the string of events that had happened to each of us had happened that way and that her friends were unable to collect her from the Hospital and the subsequent appointment - I can't actually do this Thursday but a friend of hers is.

Let's see how it goes....

Later and Later

Well that was a significantly better day than yesterday and each day is an improvement.  P looked great when I turned up but was slightly back in the doldrums.  However we knuckled down and sorted out her finances or most of them and her friend came around and helped her wash her hair and she was in great spirit.  S is a tiny tornado of a lass and was a great tonic for P.  Once her hair was done it just looked great - I have a thing about long blonde hair and it was so nice to see her happy and almost back to her old self.

I made dinner and seem to be making some great meals with just a load of bits from the fridge.  
It's not been a week since I picked her up from the Hospital and we are "pretty close" I did say to her that I was only meant to pick her up from the Hospital not "pick her up".  

I see in her situation how I was this time last year unable to tackle the day to day things that life was throwing at me and unable to really get a handle on things, tackle tasks and so on.  Here's a thought for you and for me.  Maybe I was destined to meet her and destined to help her through this rough patch in her life?  I have no idea if I am just meant to touch her life or be part of it.  That is part of the journey too.  What is good is that I understand what she is going through and how she is procrastinating at the hard decisions that have to be made.

Some questions for generally throwing out there for discussion:

1. She has lots of friends but none could pick her up that day or stay with her overnight as required
2. The same for the next day and the return to the Hospital (although that was a last minute curve ball)
3. I just happen to have had similar experiences as P and can help her through it
4. We actually get on great with each other

It's all slightly surreal but I like the fact that she sees me at my calm best and also where I don't worry about things anymore.  She couldn't understand how I'd happily walk away from the "money" in my house.  When I told her that I just wanted to be happy and enjoy my life no matter what that may be she started to "get it".

Sheesh - it's 5 days and it feels like 5 weeks.  I am though very mentally drained as it takes a lot of will power, persuasion and so on to keep overcoming objections, helping get past panic attacks and trying to keep the calm middle of the road logic and non emotional attachments to her particular problems.

I don't know where this is going but as long as she comes out of this with a successful operation and her eyes as good as they can be and that she can overcome her problems and her attachment to the past I think I will be very pleased.  

Just Home

Left a much better person when I left than when I arrived.  Lovely lady, beating herself up about some of her past (nothing she could do about it) and the added problem of having to not drive for 6 weeks after her operation is also giving her some issues. 

I've left her with a promise that I can return tomorrow if needed and probably do some shopping but I've virtually lived around there for the past 4 days!   She's not normally like this she told me and many of her friends agree on that too.  It's been a recent trauma that's done this and she's ended up in a tiny flat that really is small and very claustrophobic which also doesn't help her I think.  I've offered for her to come and use the guest room here for a few days, at least I can keep my eye on her, make sure she gets fed and watered properly etc.  She doesn't want to do that - fair enough.

It's been a lovely evening though and I've cooked for her again and given her some good hearty food.  We just sat and watched a bit of TV listened to some great sounds and lightly chatted but mainly I just encouraged her to think of nothing about the past.  Some deep breathing exercises and a lot of concentrating on her.  So it seems we may be there for tonight at least.

There's a load more rubbish to come I can see that and maybe I can help and maybe I can't.  It will be what it will be.   

And Again

I've just received a nice call.  It's interesting - I sent off a phrase I like to use  a lot.  It is by Anais Nin.

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

I've been trying to help P out of her current predicament, it is so like myself just a year ago.  So I sent this to start her day and she loves it.  So the call?  She'd like me to come over later this afternoon.  That will be nice - I like meeting her, she's funny when she wants to be, I just need to get her being funny again and to stop beating herself up for her past actions - it was circumstance, not bad planning or decisions that put her where she is. 

Bam - Take That - What a difference a week makes

So - I don't know if I should be telling you this... :-)

But I will.  Last weekend I went out with S & P and asked P out for Lunch which went OK after the puncture and stuff!  We met up that night at my place with S & P and spoke about all things and P was having trouble with her eye that turned out to be a tear and a rip on her retina (A detached Retina).  Not good at all.  She went into Hospital on Tuesday and Wednesday she had to rest up and Thursday have the operation.  I was in touch with her but found she didn't have a lift home on the Thursday afternoon.  SO Now pay attention.

I got a call from her saying that she was waiting to go in for the operation but was having tests and it would be great if I could pick her up from the Hospital and she'd call me as she got out of the operation so I could make my way to Maidstone to pick her up.  She then told me that she'd just been informed that someone should have been with her all day and also someone needed to be with her overnight.  I know what you are thinking but stop that for a moment.

So I suggested that I could do that, I was available over the next few days for a friend.  

It's Saturday evening and I've just had the strangest few days!

I was called in the late afternoon to go to collect her and duly went - it was tortuous as it was rush hour but I got some fuel, some flowers, a get well card and our two roses from St. George's Day and an overnight bag.  I duly arrived and found the ward.  She was on her own lying on her side and had to remain like that for 2 hours.  On the way home I asked if she had any food in?  No she hadn't had time to think let alone do so I puled into Sainsburys and got salad, fruit, cream, antipasto and a selection of cheeses.  This worked great as I was able to pull together a nice salad for the two of us.  

I ended up sleeping on the couch - a more uncomfortable thing I couldn't imagine - it was pretty bad.  In the morning the poor girl was visibly upset and just not with it at all and we finally managed to get organised to go back to the Hospital in Maidstone.  I needed to be back in Tonbridge for my Optician's appointment but more than that I had an appointment in Rochester at 5:30.  I got her to her appointment and she really wasn't feeling at all well by this time (not my driving I hasten to add).  The Nurse took note and I left to drive back to where I'd come from.  I arrived with 5 minutes to spare.  

The optician delivered the message I expected - I need glasses for near, intermediate and long vision.  I knew that I needed something.  So I've also got a big bill coming for a second set of glasses.  They also did a hearing test which also came out that I'm pretty bad in my hearing.  I'd better get that sorted out too in the near future.

So After that I called P and she was going for one more test and check.  I came back to the Hospital and parked up and after 5 minutes she emerged, got her next appointment and I took her towards home.  SHe was hungry so we stopped off at a nice pub in the country called The Chaser.  Returning home we realised that time had run away with us and P needed to see her friend and time was short so I drove here to her friends around teh corner from us.  I then drove her back to her home and after making sure she was alright headed home.

I missed my appointment in Rochester altogether but so did half the others due to a major traffic accident.  

This morning I got a text saying all was great, how much she liked the flowers and everything else which was nice.  I then rang her and all hell had broken loose and some appointment she had had been missed and she was quite distraught about it so I grabbed some food and headed over to her.  I've spent a lovely day in the country with her trying to cheer her up and get her out of a little rut she is in.  I managed to cook a BLT for her to start and then a nice steak with a pudding following that.

So what's the score?  I'm not sure - I think it's all very nice at the moment.  She has a number of issues she needs to overcome and we've worked through them a lot in the past few days and she has ups and downs but that's good as before it was all downs.  She really started to come out of her shell later on in the day and after the meal I'd realised I'd done my job and I made sure she was OK and took my leave of her.  

I really like her, she's intelligent and very funny.  It's not going to be obvious where it is all going we are both a little hesitant at the moment I think but what the hell do I know about these things.  I did try and explain the INTJ predicament to her.  She laughed.  She has my Eckhart Tolle book by her bedside, if she had both eyes it might be OK to read it but the operation has slower her down a bit. 

St. George's Day

It was a difficult start to the morning as we arrived at our station to change to trains to find nothing going on, trains delayed etc.  Someone had been hit or taken their life at a station up the way and so we were delayed.  The great British public can be insensitive at these sorts of times one chap complaining about the lack of correlation between what the driver was saying and what was on the notice boards.  Somewhere some family were just finding out that someone was dead.  

So we were a bit late but that didn't stop us enjoying our day out at The George, Southwark and Langan's Brasserie.

We were home by 9 p.m. we are probably getting too old for the 2 a.m. return from these sorts of things.

I spoke to P yesterday to see how she was.  She is in today to have her detached retina fixed so I imagine she won't be allowed to drive or do many other things for a while.  I've offered her my services if she needs them.  I do feel sorry for her, she hardly needs another problem in her life.

As for me - I'm OK, almost there now, almost have the website built too so I'm happy about that.  Hopefully I can set to work in the next few days.

Oh Dear - Poor P!

I'm cr@p at knowing what goes on in male female encounters by that I mean small talk and flirting.  Not that I can't flirt but I can't actually pick up anything aimed at me.  I have no idea what the lady may be saying to me as I can't interpret it.  It is an age old problem which I'm fully aware of which makes it worse (in some ways) and easier in others.  It means I probably don't react properly or remain quite neutral.  There are many explanations about this but read any classical portfolio of an INTJ personality type and they'll back up what I'm saying.  I just don't get girls.

So here is an interesting conundrum for you.  If I've met one girl 5 times in 4 days and another twice in 3 days then does that make any sums add up?  However yesterday it was a beautiful day for a walk but I didn't get a text back from P who I thought would like a long walk (that's what she said on Sunday).  I'm going down near to her house on Friday to get my eyes checked out.  So I kind of hinted we could meet then.  I've just got a text back saying the poor girl (who was having eye difficulties) is in hospital with a suspected detached retina.  Poor thing. 

Hopefully they can fix her up - I don't know much about these things.  I've offered my assistance if needed.  So I saw P twice over the weekend and S turned up again yesterday when my friend was over to see me and the house.  I think he got quite a shock, she is a tour de force is S.  She reminds me of Queenie (Elizabeth I) in Black Adder or perhaps Patsie in Absolutely Fabulous.  She always looks a million dollars - even if she threw a sack on it would look great - she's always absolutely full of beans and energy too.  I really like her she's great company.  So if I've met her that many times over a single bank holiday weekend - what goes on? :-)

I haven't a bloody clue - it's so very funny I think as I just flounder around trying to work out the dynamics.  I imagine that I read too much in to some things and not enough into others - how very strange but at least I know I have that problem. 

A shaky start but then OK after that

Well, it poured with rain and I grabbed my umbrella and headed off to the pub/restaurant and waited.... and waited and eventually wondered what had happened and I didn't have her phone number so was ringing around for it when... I got a call that I missed but eventually we spoke.  Poor P had a puncture on the way to me.  So she was waiting to get that fixed, didn't have my number and so on.... she was mortified but it was just one of those things.  So I by now had three pints and a fourth had not long been ordered when she arrived.

It was lashing down, it was around 2 pm but I had spoken to the waiter and got a very nice romantic spot in the corner near the Wishing Chair. So we both had a wish :-) we had a nice meal and a long chat, at last.  We then had a walk as it cheered up and then came back to the house and met up with S who didn't fancy and evening in the pub...  So we had a long chat, some coffees some Lemon Drizzle Cake (Mmmmmm) and a few drinks.

I lent P my Eckhart Tolle book so she might be able to focus on some issues she was having.  It was like one long therapy session :-) Quite funny really. I think she left around midnight or thereabouts. So there we go.  Let's see what happens from here on in.

Just Ask ...

I'm terribly bad at asking a straightforward question.  Last night, I finally asked P, as she was in the village visiting her friend in the morning, if she would like it if I bought her lunch.  And she said that would be great and so in a few minutes time I'll head off there and meet her.  I wasn't expecting her to be there last night at all but her friend S who I happened to arrange to meet at the Beer Festival texted her and she was nearby and called in.   Hopefully I read THAT right but I'll find out later in less than 25 minutes in fact :-)

It will be the first time I will get to actually talk to P without shouting at her or her shouting at me across band amplified noise.  I need to get my best listening ears on too.  I always seem to be apologising to her for not hearing her.  

Most people who know me would be surprised that I'm actually pretty quiet normally - unless I know you - then you can't shut me up :-) I'm happy to be getting out and meeting someone new even though it's chucking it down with rain today.  I shall though enjoy my walk to the village and I hope a nice lunch with P to find out more about her.    

Thursday - Feels Like Friday

It's one of our Lodge meetings this evening and I'm Treasurer and have prepared my report for that.  All is in order, audited and I realised that I've been doing the job for about 10 years now!  So I'm going to suggest that I get someone to take over from me so I can do something else. I'd like to give up all my Treasurer jobs but I'm not sure that is going to happen any time soon.

My website proof just came through and I'm excited by the front page already.  It sure is nice.  It is simple and easy to understand and it works nicely on tablets and smartphones too.  Excellent, delighted but I knew I would be with J doing the work.

I have my business partner coming over tomorrow and also an ex business partner too for lunch so I am looking forward to that and taking them to the Beer Festival in the village.  I've also had one of those surreal conversations with a friend who's wife wants me to meet some of her friends.  Now interestingly you may recall they started introducing me to people last August or September.  I've met both of the ladies in question and they are very nice - it is amusing to me that they are like this but I know what it is.  She knows I'm very similar to her now husband (No. 2) and she's impressed at how nice we are, our impeccable manners (someone noticed) and she thinks her friends ought to meet me.  I do so with some trepidation :-) 

Other than that, health remains good, blood pressure normal, still alive living on my own, organised and happy.  Yes above all I'm happy and that's really great :-) 

How annoying

Better find it now than later I suppose.  I have been transferring video from DV 8mm tape onto my PC and found a program that does this for me.  It worked fine until I used the Digital Films which are great as they stamp date and time on but they also load up as separate video clips at each cut in the tape.  Again, no problem as it helps to find places for chapters etc.  What it does though is truncates the audio file on the first clip which means the first clip on the film has video only and no sound.  I wouldn't mind but I'm some 20 hours in advance loading films to producing them and to have found out this glitch is a real pain in the arse.

I am now trying to capture directly into the production software to see if this will work.  It means an even more convoluted routine otherwise to capture video and then edit it!  It's a real nuisance as it means I am limited to the way I work to produce DVDs.

I suppose it is lucky that I found it out now. I've just finished sorting out my mum's negatives they came to over 2,500!  

I've been a busy boy today, shopping early, three loads of washing and now re-doing the videos.  

I've ordered plenty of meat from my supplier for next week and will get that and freeze it all ready for summer - I've got a number of half price steaks and loads of cheap chicken breasts, cheaper to buy in bulk of 5kg a time and I have bought 40 steaks of between 6 and 7 oz each, 2.5 kg of bacon etc.  It makes sense to buy in bulk and freeze so I can just pull it out when I need it.

I'm still having the odd wobbly time doing these DVDs because they are of the kids when they were younger and the nostalgia trip they invoke.  Of course most of the videos are going to be of good times, on a canal boat, on a cruise, by the seaside and so on.  I have to say that the sadness really is about how it could possibly have got from those happy days to where it ended up.  

I'm not unhappy at the moment at all, in fact I'm pretty happy but I do miss being in the same house with Mrs. F. and the girls.  Here isn't the same and I'm on my own a fair bit.  So perhaps I miss the company although, I know people locally and I can get out of here whenever I want to, if I want to.  

Mrs. F. wondered what "I" might want to do next and I really hadn't thought that through.  I said I'd think and get back to her after Easter.  It would be about 3 months then and so perhaps we could agree something to move forward?  I hadn't really given it any thought as I'm too busy being single!

New Film Coming Soon about US Obesity

My only reservation about this film is that the Producer is Laurie David who produced An Inconvenient Truth which is utter bollocks and based on fear mongering and no real substantiated science - even though they said it was.   So in some ways I bet this gets the same treatment but let's see.  At least it is saying something that can be clinically and scientifically proven and that an Occam's Razor test would substantiate.  I find the other bullshit that is based on computer projections and cherry picked data to be an offensive PR exercise that has wasted billions and wants to subject us all to go back to the dark ages without actually having any thought through joined up argument.  But then that's me.

Sugar, man made foods that don't exist in nature and processed foods.  I actually had a small chocolate egg the other day as a treat - it near on flipped me out the sheer amount of sugar in it.  As I don't touch the stuff and eat very little carbohydrates the shock that tiny chocolate gave my body is enough to tell me how dangerous this stuff really is.  

Back to the old house

I had to pick up some stuff for the Easter Egg hunt on Saturday and so had to contact Mrs. F. to go around and collect some bits plus my nice patent leather shoes (for my black tie outfit).  We were civilised and spoke business like about things.  She asked me whether I'd made up my mind what I'd decided to do?  I haven't really but said I'd contact her after Easter and perhaps we could chat it over then.

I still feel quite stirred up about meeting her.  It's terrible really we did have some good times but it is such a shame that we are where we are.  It is disappointing really but there isn't much I can do about it .  Whenever I feel bad I just have to cast my mind back and ask myself what it was like the past 10 years or so and then know that I've made the right decision.  Of course there's always a seed of doubt.  I cannot see that changing for a while because deep down inside I'd love for it to all be fixed and back to normal but it isn't going to happen.  I hate the idea that she's hurting as much as I am but I think we are both in the acceptance stage at the moment.  

Anyway - it's certainly shaken my day around a bit. 

Blood Pressure Back Down To Reasonable

So I thought I'd at least check it out after my little walk to the Post Office and I'm rather pleased that it is back to reasonable at 114 over 89 which is pretty good for me.  Last week it was off the scale for a couple of days and it was a bit of a worry but this is more like it.  I really want it to be around 110 over 80 which would be great.  I'm working at it. 

I've lost some weight around my middle despite my trip to the pub on Friday night and Sunday.  But all work and no play makes Jack a very boring chap.  Both my new pair of trousers and now loose on me and my belt - only three weeks old needs another notch in it!  Doh!  :-) 

Anyway that isn't a problem is it?  Another inch off my waist in a couple of weeks.  I actually feel a little lighter.  I just need to keep this going and see if I can lose some more as we head towards summer.  Flocky's just booked himself a holiday and I suppose I ought to try and work out some time off - I need to get up and see my mum at some time to get some paperwork sorted so maybe I can do that and then see what I can do.

The business is now really becoming real and the web site is being built and I'm hanging out for that before I get trading properly.  I think once that is there I actually have something for people to see.  That's my plan anyway. 

A few more shots of the area

This is on the walk to the Post Office and Shops.  What a lovely sight and what lovely smells along the paths and hedgerows.  This looked particularly nice walking down the street.  The houses are lovely too, 1920 and 1930 style.  It's near the station hence the yellow no parking strips but they are only for one hour a day on either side - it's just to stop the commuters parking there.

That WAS fun

S is a very funny lady, very pretty a real head turner and very funny indeed.  She was on good form and cracks jokes and really enjoys herself whooping and yelling at her band :-)  P is a little more reserved but even so the girls enjoy a bit of a party.

It was funny because S was dressed to kill and as we parked up and walked up to the pub to see the band we ran in to a friend of mine.  His expression was absolutely priceless when he saw the two of us.  He knows my situation and then later on I came out of the pub with S & P together and ran into him again.  I expect that the floor of his car has a large dent where his jaw impacted it :-) 

The whole evening was great and I just love the way people were trying to work out how I could possibly be with two lovely ladies for the evening :-) 

On Sunday the sun shone brightly and I took myself down to the village to have a few beers.  the blossom is out, the birds were singing and it was just a lovely day out.  The pub wasn't busy and the beer was very nice.  They are preparing for the Beer Festival over the Easter weekend - Nice :-) 

This is the lane away from the Station towards the Village

 A Look back up the lane from where I'd come - the Blossom has gone over on these bushes

 Heading towards the Cemetery 

  The Cemetery

 The Cemetery

 The Cemetery

 The Pub Fireplace Circa 1560 which puts this around the time of the Tudors - if these walls could talk?

 The Tiny Bar Area - Mind your head "Duck or Grouse!"

Daisy the Pub Dog - A Zen Master - She Owns the Pub - or thinks she does