Football and Holiday Homecoming

A leaisurely morning gave way to a slopey afternoon. It's been a nice long week away for me and Rebecca but it's time for us to head back home. There's bills to pay and a cat to feed afterall. So the car was loaded up, I drove and two hours later I was back in Bristol. First thing I did was dismantle my isolation chamber - airing the room and stripping the temporary bed, nuking all memory of that nasty few days locked away from the world. The football was begging to be watched so we tuned in while Rebecca eagerly gripped the edge of her seat. 'Its a proud day to be a woman in the UK' she said, then followed up with 'and you don't get to say that very often.' sadly true.

London Heat

Got tipsy pretty quickly while day drinking with some friends from Uni. We were out celebrating a recent Birthday in London at a very swanky pub. I felt a bit merry after just one beer, likely the heat and the hunger put me quickly over the edge. Fearing I'd look like a wet blanket I ordered another pint which I nursed at a much more modest pace. That didn't spoil my day however, though I worked with this particular friend for the last few months, this would be his send off before he shipped out to Canada for a spell. One last hurrah in London was just what he needed, even if it came at the cost if my sobriety.

Perspiring

 Bid Bournemouth farewell and moved onto Rebecca's neck of the woods in London. A long drive in the sun took us into the heart of the heat where only cool drinks and cat naps got us through the day. When it came time to BBQ in the evening however the clouds appeared to give us a little shade, just enough to cool me off. I began perspiring again once Rebecca and her folks announced they'd be watching out for me in today's episode of Sanditon which features me in the deep background of one of the scenes. My acting has been branded as 'Awkward as all Hell's by my Brother and, while I agree, it's still a proud moment for me. Glad I could make a physical mark on a show that consumed 1/56th of my entire life.

Choppy Waters

With sand between my toes and my skin feeling greasy from lotion, I was beach ready. Been a hot minute since I've been in the sea but all the steps came back to me, except bracing myself for the cold, cold water. That's something I'll never get used to. The water was choppy today which meant the whole time Rebecca and I were bopping up and (sometimes) over waves. Dad quickly lost his prescription glasses in the sea, I tried looking round for them but I think the ocean claimed them. Nothing left to do but read and doze off in the Sun. There's no pressure, no rushing, no stress by the sea, just recentering and learning to vibe with the moment. I've missed that.

Your Local Tip

 There was a lot of talk about hitting the beach today, but the Sun didn't want to come out and play. So instead I headed to the second funnest place in Bournemouth: the dump. Hurling mattresses into a big skip is the definition of male bonding and me and Dad made it look like we were born to hock soft furnishings over chest-high walls.

Beach tomorrow... It's overdue now.

Wimborne Eggs

Mum and Dad took us on a little walk to Wimborne, a town I only visited when I was a toddler to see the model village. I didn't fancy treading down memory lane today. I just wanted baked eggs with Turkish meat paste on sourdough and miraculously there was somewhere in town that could accommodate.

Mum's Wasgij puzzle was finished in under 24 hours - with that rich vein of entertainment well and truly tapped dry my mind wandered to other sources of fun. As is customary everytime I come to Bournemouth I redownloaded Fortnite to see how it's coming along. I garnered an audience while I played and came first on my second rodeo of 2022... Still got it.

Admiring Bournemouth

 It wouldn't be time off in Bournemouth without an Ikea flatpack build! Mum and I constructed a chest of drawers ready for the new students, all the while I was thinking about all the stuff I got to build this time last year as I prepped the Sanditon Production Office. Rebecca and I went for a stroll down to the city centre, popping into our favorite shops and weaving through the crowds at the Lower Gardens as we approached the pier. It was bustling today, even on an overcast day I forgot how busy the beachfront can get. Once it brightens up a bit, I'll be first one down to the seaside.