Lots of things happened. Time for a brief “inventory”. With The Kid gone it was unsettling at first, now slowly getting back into routine. The fact that I can now “talk” to him on MSN almost every day helps to ease the sadness of the parting. He is doing just fine, so very fine, enjoying himself, life is kind to him and I’m one very happy and very proud mum. He is promptly updating his web with the photos as he goes along and it is so good to see him looking good, looking happy. And he is there with a girl! Yey! I don’t care if she is a girlfriend or just a good friend. I’m just happy he is not totally on his own in a foreign land. And well, yeah, I am pleased that his notalone is with a girl too. A mum’s secret wish for her boy to find love and happiness. But even if she is just a friend, it is good still. I’m glad he’s got friends he can share such a fantastic grand adventure of his life. He’s been in Japan for two weeks only, but he already managed to visit seven different places, different cities and villages. I’m following his web narrative and taking this travel with him…I’m risking repeating myself to death saying how happy I am for The Kid. That’s part of the mum’s job though.
On the other end of the news lines…we have now moved offices. I’m not happy. But I did say it already even before the move. The most unlikable change is a change of location. I guess, I was just a bit spoilt for the last 9 years having beautiful spacious open-plan-fresh-airy-office “with a view”, with a riverside picnic area, easy and straight forward drive from my home and plenty of parking space. So now we are in a place, many say “they would kill to work there” it is right in the very middle of a city, tiny off-high-street alleyway, two steps from all the fancy shops and listed buildings. Yeah, it is a somewhat “posh” location. And I’m being too fussy, I guess. There are plenty of things I do not like about it though. It is my personal opinion, of course and it is not shared by the majority of my colleagues. I dislike that now my journey to and from work involves two parts – the pleasant driving in my beloved Magic car part and the annoying ride on a park-and-ride bus into town centre. Because there is no parking in there. At all. So now my route to work takes about half-hour per journey longer and around £40 more monthly. What’s there to be happy about? The city centre location also means more temptations - the shops, the food, all too unhealthy for my wallet. For the last few days I’ve been trying out various ways to get into work, the most unpleasant thing I disliked already are the faces of the fellow public transport riders. Here I was, unhappy as it is, walking to the bus stop for the first time and what I found around me – the masks of misery, dismay, boredom…what a “great way” to start your day, eh?! I’m now researching the current market for the compact mp3 players or a wireless headphones to connect to my little sony gadget, so that I can fill my head with the favourite music on my way to work instead of eavesdropping the unwanted mobile conversations. Just have to adjust to the situation and make it as comfortable as I can.
What else worth mentioning…another disappointment – our tango lessons have been temporary cancelled until at least the end of September. Last lesson we had a tango whiz Leroy for a teacher. He was awesome. I braved a dance with him and it took my breath away. He is so good, he tangoes you into delusion that you can dance so subtly you never remember you only had 6 lessons! I’m a little upset by the unexpected reccess. I do not have a partner to keep in shape practicing for all this time and I’m worried I will forget all the moves by the time we’ll be back on track. Pity really, as I was becoming a real tango junkie. Got to find something else to get obsessed with now.
As it usually happens, I discovered I have 16 days of my annual leave left to be used by the end of September. What on earth am I going to do with all these days?! In contrast to the previous years, when I used to have “seasonal migration flu”, this time I found myself not having any particular aspiration for going anywhere. But, alas, few days have to be taken or will be lost. And I’m lazily paging through travel sites, hoping that something might stroke my fancy eventually. It is strange not to feel that itch of a traveller and urge to “fly away” anymore. Even more strange to be fully aware of what’s missing and have no emotions about it. I don’t even know if I want to take any holidays. I don’t know what to do with my time and I don’t want to stay at home doing nothing either. Waiting for that breeze of inspiration…or for a miracle, perhaps.
So that’s my reality for the past month or so in a nutshell. As for a mindset…well, that has to be a separate musing now, as I’ve exceeded all the scrollability limits here.