A couple of weeks ago, I met a guy online.  I know, I’ve been there before and got my heart broken, then stomped on by size 13, 12-hole Docs.  But since I don’t go out drinking and picking people up, and there seems to be nowhere else to meet people, online is the easiest option. 

But this just feels different to before, and I really believe this could work.  He’s sweet, lovely to look at with enormous brown eyes, and he evokes this stupid grin that no matter what I do I can’t seem to wipe off my face.  We spend a lot of time laughing, chatting and finding similar tastes with so many things that I have to believe that this could turn out to be something serious.  I’ve got no choice, it feels almost fated.  Honestly.

We met in person for the first time last weekend, and needless to say I was nervous as all hell.  But we immediately hit it off.  No uncomfortable silences, no awkward moments at all.  The waitress had to come back twice to take our order because we were chatting too much to conentrate on the menu.  A 12:30 lunch date was still going at 19:30, and finally finished about 2am.  Then continued on Sunday when we lazed about mine watching and bagging out the olympics closing ceremony, and then went to see Hellboy 2 (really cool film, btw, Guillermo del Toro is a fantastical genius).  On Monday we had a wonderful day walking around London chatting and giggling like idiots.  I really like this guy.  I mean, I really like this guy.  And even better, he seems to feel the same way!  :)))

You know how it is when you just click with someone?  When everything seems easy and confortable?  When there’s enormous respect, huge attraction, and you feel that giddiness in your chest?  That’s how I’ve been all week.  I haven’t been able to wipe the smile off my face or stop the butterflies in my chest.  I seem to spend a ridiculous amout of time thinking about him.  And it’s been so long since I felt like this that I have to admit to being a little terrified.  There are moments (usually when he hasn’t been next to me) when I’ve felt utter panic and ‘what the hell am I doing?’. It all seems ridiculously fast, like being on the proverbial roller-coaster.  But something about it just feels right, and good, and all those wonderful things.  Honestly, it’s just like a 50’s romantic movie!  All of which makes me a little more suspicious – like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

But we’re seeing each other again tonight, and I truthfully can’t wait.  I want to see where this goes.  I want to give it every chance – cause I haven’t been this happy in so long that I bloody well deserve it! 

So, just for a bit until I figure out what this is, don’t lob questions at me, don’t tell me to slow the hell down.  Just let me enjoy my secret guy for a bit longer…  And I really am enjoying myself, and whatever the hell this is.

It’s fantastic and wonderful and I’m immensely happy.  Hope you are too.

xx

Saturday night Miguel and Begonia came for dinner. I cooked razor clams with chorizo and wine followed by vegetarian lasagne, both of which were very well received (especially considering Miguel is not a seafood afficionado like me and Bego). A couple of bottles of very nice white later I was feeling no pain at all! Stayed up very late chatting, and Sunday was a bit painful indeed!

Was going to a film on Sunday night, or possibly visiting Sarah and Pim, but I was truthfully in too delicate a state.. It’s been a good while since I was like that! ;)

Monday to Wed 6th I was on holidays – trying to use the last of my paid holiday before I leave for my new job. Monday was recovery day, though I did make a run to tesco for supplies. Tuesday was cleaning day, and I got a haircut. No change, just a bit shorter. Wed 6 August the two people I’ll miss most from this job took the afternoon off and took me to Mersea Island for a seafood lunch at The Company Shed.. (photos now up on Flickr)

Now, we’ve been here before and loved every minute, and we always promised ourselves that we’d go in summer when it was warm, and go in Sarah’s convertible beetle just to make the day complete. Well, the day started muggy and rainy, so there was only a little topless driving, but about 5 mins after we arrived at The Shed the sun came out and stayed for the most glorious afternoon at the seaside!

We had to wait for a table for perhaps 30mins, but we were happy enough with our lovely wine and chatting to fellow ‘waiters’. Once inside and situated on the end of a table of ‘ladies who lunch’, we ordered the seafood platter, tiger prawns in garlic and lemon, scallops with bacon and lemon, green-lipped mussels with herb coating and a salad to share. All of it was fresh off the boat, all of it was fantastic, but the tiger prawns and scallops were so good we got another helping!

A lovely couple of hours spent before buying fishy for home and setting off back to The Beagle (Sarah’s topless beetle) for the 90min drive home. I sat in the back, drunk and a bit giggly by now but incredibly happy, and Sarah & Christine put the top down! YAY! Oh, it was a lovely drive home. I do like topless cars, I have to say.

Got home about 4:45pm, finishing off a bottle from The Shed that Sarah couldn’t finish cause she was driving, and ended up in bed fairly early – as you can imagine.

Work on Thursday was a bit of a trial, but I was more tired than anything else.. Could’ve been a whole lot worse!

So I’ve got fresh scallops for dinner tonight (they’ve been in the freezer for a day and then out last night) which I’m going to do with bacon and lemon, try and get them like we had at The Shed. A bit of fresh bread to soak up the juices, a nice glass of wine.. fantastic!

xxx

So – we’ve got a temp scheduled to come in and take over from me for a 2 week handover in mid August, running up to the time when I leave to start my new job. I’m piling stuff on a corner of my desk for her to get on with, and for me to tell her how to do, when she starts.

I understand the need for handovers, I do believe they are essential, but it doesn’t stop me hating them. See, I’m not patient enough, or dis-conscientious (??) enough, to be able to stop what needs to be done and explain the processes to someone else. When someone asks me how to do something, I always find myself saying ‘give it here and I’ll take care of it’ rather than tellling them how to do it. It’s just a matter of time, 5 mins spent explaining, or the 30seconds it would take to do it myself. So, I do it myself.

But hopefully I’ll get over that and have a nice quiet two weeks whilst the temp gets stressed and tears her hair out at the laxidaisical attitude of my team. Honestly, for people with such big brains, scientist can be the most scatterbrained people. Deadlines, or even scheduled meeting times, don’t seem to mean much to them – hell, contracted working hours don’t seem to mean much to them! Most will work way more than their contracted hours, following experiments, but there are a couple who just take the piss. And that pisses me off. I know I’ve got an overdeveloped conscience, but in my view if you’re being paid to do a job, then you damn well do that job. You don’t lark about, come in whenever you feel like it, drag things out much longer than necessary and make everyone wait for you. Honestly, I feel like kicking them in the pants sometimes!

Anyhoo – it’s Friday, and I shouldn’t get myself stressed on Fridays. :)

Oh – and I saw the chunk taken out of the sun by the solar eclipse today! It looked a little like a distored pac-man.. Apparently you could see the whole thing from somewhere in northern Russia, but we in the UK only got a snippet out of the top left corner (if a ball has corners. You know what I mean!)

Miguel & Begonia over for dinner on Sat nite, perhaps a movie on Sunday (desperately want to see Wall-E!) and that’s about it.

Happy Friday and a very good weekend to all..
xx

OK – so I’ve finally got all the info on my new job.

I’ll be PA to COO & Deputy of a fund management/private equity firm in London, in a lovely building right on the river. They’re a young group, my bosses are in their late 30’s early 40’s, and everyone I’ve met there has been really nice (so far – I know there are always a couple of people that I won’t get along with.)

I’ve got a really good package which includes health insurance, travel insurance, pension, private GP and bonuses, and I’m really excited about starting on 1 September.

Boss isn’t too happy I’m finally going, and we’ve been looking through CV’s this week for a temp to fill in for me for a month after boss is back from his annual hols. We’re interviewing a few temps on Monday. I’m trying to get everything tidied up and ready for a temp to come in, trying to round off the big projects and sort the small & quick stuff, so she’s not instantly drowned in paper or overwhelmed by the job.

All terribly exciting, and I must admit my ego likes the fact that no-one here seems to want me to go -but the cynic in me thinks that’s only because they’ll have to ‘break in’ someone new, which will take time and effort.

So anyway, I’m going to commute to London for (hopefully) about 3 months before finding myself a place and moving down. I want to be in the big smoke by x-moose if possible. I’ve spoken to flatmate about it, don’t know what he’s doing to do yet, but it’s his decision, not mine.

Out on Sunday, taking Begonia to Primark. I need some new work clothes and Begonia’s always up for retail therapy. And that’s about the only plan this weekend.

xxxx

Last night Sarah dragged (well, suggested with some persuasive arguments and then gave me ‘the cow eyes’, which she bloody well knows I can’t refuse!) me to see ‘The Music Of Dirty Dancing’ at Audley End.  Now, I’m an unconfessed fan of that movie – though I usually fast forward the particularly cringe-worthy bits.  And after a few mojitos, some lovely picnic food and good conversation, I actually started to get into it. 

It was nothing special though, ten dancer/singers and an 8 piece band belting out songs from the film and some not from the film.  But there was dancing (I have to admit) and much alcohol – some of it free care of Jacques fruity cider.  Really quite a nice drop and about £4 in the supermarket, I’m told :) (Plug done.)

Anyway, the fireworks at the end were worth the entry fee alone.  What is it about fireworks that turn us all into kids again?  I love the big ‘death star explosion’ ones, the ones that fill the sky.  Then there’s the smell of fireworks, which I also can’t get enough of.  I’m curious about how they make fireworks..  Do you think that’s a fairly high paying job, firework designer?  Can’t be very many of them in the world, so it must be fairly high paying.  And you might not have any eyebrows left, but damn if it wouldn’t be fun! ;)

Today is a gentle day – a bit of cleaning, watching the German F1 Grand Prix (Hamilton on pole, Webber starts 8th – Raikonnen starts 6th!) then perhaps a run to the garden centre to get some grass for the cat-beast so he doesn’t eat his way through my herb  garden.  and that’s about it. 

Haven’t heard anything yet about the job I second interviewed for last week.  Though my agent is trying hard for a resonse, I guess I’m feeling kinds stoic about it – if it’s gonna happen it’ll happen no matterwhat.  No point fretting about it.  But I really want this job, so keep your fingers crossed for me.

Lead a rather exciting life, huh?  yeah – I’m sort of proud of it ;)

xx