Reliving

It's Little Ro's birthday today, she's 25. And not terribly happy about it either!  I can remember the year I was 25. I was renting an apartment with my boyfriend at the time, and it was a very unhappy year. Looking back, it was one of the most miserable times of my life (or so I thought then), and a part I try not to ever think about, as it makes me uncomfortable. A likes to bring it up from time to time in our sessions, and I just never want to go there. 

That year my other sister must have been 23, and we always joked about the parallels between our lives during the Autumn of that year. For me, I realised the relationship was over, and I had made my decision. I then ended up with appendicitis- a burst one in fact, which resulted in six weeks off work and moving back in with my parents, to my relief I think. My sister ended up buying her first (and brand new) house with her now-husband, and then went on a three week trip to Australia to visit her sister-in-law! I wonder how Little Ro will remember her 25th year. I suspect it may be less eventful than ours. 

We did birthday presents, and Nick and Shelle came over. She made a nice cake, and I had time to have a piece before I headed out. They are decorating this weekend, and Mum and Dad and Little B went to the pub with Ro to have a little celebration with her friends. I don't think they were that keen to go by all accounts, but I think they managed to enjoy it ;-)

I had my nails done, and then went into London. I planned to do a bit of shopping, including shopping for a birthday gift for Little Ro before meeting up with some people tonight. It was grey and overcast all day, and threatening to rain, but it held off. It wasn't nearly as nice as last weekend, but I made the best of it.

Around 7pm, the gloom lifted and the sun came out. I went to a bar called Cartizze just off of New Bond Street. It was my first event using a kind of 'make new friends in the city' app. I actually joined before Christmas, and had yet to attend any events. I keep looking at them and then losing my courage, preferring to do my own thing or with people I already know, but I figured it was a case of use it or lose it, as I am paying for it. 

It turned out to be fine. There were a group of ten of us, and the girls seemed quite friendly. I'm very sociable and I'll talk to anyone, so that part was easy. I'm not sure I can see any of them becoming actual friends, but they were just one group and one event. It definitely wasn't a bad experience. I shall probably give it another go. I did get a nice G and T out of it. Actually, this one was with peach and lavender, neither of which you could taste, and a snip at £14....

I wandered back to the station and took myself home. Sometimes I just prefer walking, looking at the faces, listening to the languages. I'm such a people watcher.

Home by 11:30pm so an early night, but everyone was in bed so it meant creeping around in the dark. I don't really mind though. I did poke Little B in the eye though when I went in to say goodnight in the pitch dark... ;-)