Here we go.....

I feel like the White Rabbit out of Alice....no time..no time....

Three days at work plus dogs, housework, meeting workmen to dicuss spalling brickwork and other sundry repairs, putting up guests of a friend who was having such a large -- birthday party that his guests were bivouaced around and about, leaves like 40 seconds to do my adapted screenplay and crit someone else's work. I think I need to mutate into a spider, and then I'd have 4 pairs of legs - which I could use for all these tiresome jobbies wot I'd rather not do.

Oh, but a long time no see friend from France turned up, so that was nice way to lose time. It's comforting to know that folks don't change really. In fact most of my women friends are taking the toll of years exceedingly well. Maybe some middle aged spread, a few tiny wrinkles here and there, but on the whole they don't look at all bad. And they are so lively.

Whereas the men....well...what can I say? They might act like they are still 10, but grey hair, grey facial hair, bushy eyebrows that you need to get a hedge trimmer on, paunches, stoops and generally looking like they are letting themselves go. Tch tch. Or is this a cunning masterplan devised so they can all hang out together reliving their youth without their wives/partners going on at them?

One or two of my friends have toy boys (relatively speaking)...I can see why. So out with the old gits and in with their younger competitors?! I dont see why men should think they have the exclusive on younger models.

My trouble is I dont get out enough in the right sort of places to meet anyone younger. I am caught in a strata of older people. It's hard to cross these age barriers. Personally I dont want to hang out with 20 year old, but a healthy mix would be good. However, one never knows what's around the corner...

Talking of which my son had new horizens ahead of him. He's just landed himself his first proper job. Hurray hurray! In London starting in October. He's now planning a quick interim escape from us old fogies by travelling other parts of the World he hasnt seen yet. Don't know how environmentally friendly this is going to be as I think seeing friends in South America is on his agenda. What do you do though?

In the meantime I am feeling a mix of happiness for him and the start of a new phase in his life and sadness that he will be off again, happiness that I wont have a grumpy young man flopping around, sadness that the interesting, thoughtful laid back young man that he also is will not be around for much longer.

Heigh ho. Think I will go and have a strong cup of caffeine to distract me and get me awake enough to get on with some writting.