Invader.

M and I both had an interrupted (and very short) sleep last night. His alarm went off at 4.15am for his plane to Houston; I had meant to get up with him to make a coffee and say goodbye, but I didn’t quite wake up properly and the next thing I knew it was 5am and he was leaving! I got a big hug and I think I managed to mumble something vaguely friendly, and then he was off. He’ll be back on Friday, but after two weeks’ constant togetherness, I’ll miss him a lot! I slept badly until it was my turn to wake up, cursing the fact that I don’t drink caffeine any more. I got to work earlyish and managed to wade through the emails I’d received while I was away, adjust my CV for a new proposal and catch up with the ladies in my office before lunch. The first day back is always like wading through treacle, but there were a few things that made it easier:

1) Mum and Dad arrived today and are staying until Saturday!
2) I brought mini Bounty bars and Turkish delight into the office as airport swag, so obviously I was allowed to have quite a significant portion of that myself.
3) It was sunny.
4) I got my photos back from my wee waterproof camera, and there are lots of happy photos of M and I in the sea.
5) I had a meeting which lasted an hour and mainly consisted of a chat with a colleague about spray tans, manly-manicures, diamond rings and kids (he is so very, very different to my M).
6) I woke up in our big, comfy bed this morning. And then had a shower with normal water pressure. Bliss.
7) I didn’t have to cover myself top-to-toe in suncream (that gets really boring after two weeks).

Dad picked me up from work, and Mum made us a lovely dinner – Cypus-inspired and just as good as anything we ate while we were away. I worked my way through the 400 photos I’d taken while we were away and ended up with just over 100 that I liked; loads of happy memories. After tea we just chatted over a bottle of red wine and half-watched a documentary on rock pools. I was in my bed quite early – I’m still on a bit of a time delay and 11pm felt like 1am to me. I hate to think what Houston is doing to M’s already battered bodyclock!

Today’s Blip is a snail on one of the gooseberries from my garden. I ventured outside tonight to the bushes just dripping in fruit: strawberries, raspberries and gooseberries, with the beginnings of loganberries ripening, too. I started picking them, but quickly realised that, a) gooseberry bushes have sharp spikes and I don’t have garden gloves, and b) there were far too many to just do a quick harvest – it will literally take hours. How exciting! :o)