I love my job!
Unless you’re a movie star or Paris Hilton, where else can you get so much time
off from work other than working in education; six weeks off now and hopefully
the sun will join us. But I am sad. The first few days of the holiday always
make me sad. It may be the calming down after so much fun; it may be the end of
an era what with people/children moving on. It could be that I have nothing to
look forward to as no holiday booked this summer. (Well I do have plans but the
no holiday thing depresses me if I think about it too much especially when everyone
else is buggering off). But the real reason is that my lovely friend- The Mad
American- is off home for the summer.
I will miss her! But
she never fails to keep me informed of what is going on . . . .
1. I always get a text about her ‘companion’
on the plane. I can just imagine her sitting there with that empty seat next to
her, watching as people get on and walk towards her, then heaving a huge sigh
of relief as they walk on by. I can also imagine her screaming silently inside
as the seat is filled, wishing that person had walked on by! And she has eight
hours to go! She doesn’t sit with her Hubby for that long at home! This time,
however, she is sitting with her kids but I’m sure there will be someone that
catches her eye and I will get a text despite the fact her mobile should be
switched off at that time!
2. With
Facebook, The Mad American can keep in touch! Yay! But it is not as easy as
that. Her parents do not have access to the internet. So as she takes her
bright pink laptop with her, she stands on her parents drive, waving her laptop
around until she gets the signal. There is someone out there who has not
secured their signal! And it would be rude not to take advantage of that. I
wonder what the neighbours think that this strange woman is sitting on the
drive rather than in the house or the garden by the pool! Obviously, The Mad American
visits plenty of family and friends with internet so she gets to use it in the comfort
of their home and rarely needs to stand on the drive and then it’s only in an
emergency. . . . Is that ok honey? Don’t want to get you in trouble!
3. The internet (whose ever it is) has meant
that The Mad American has been able to get in touch when she needs. And the
distance between us is nothing as I’ve been there for her when needed over the
years and hopefully been a huge help in her hour of need. xxxx
4. There is never a simple journey for The Mad
American. There have been delays. There has been lost luggage! There has been
surprise ‘lets-keep-this-trip-secret-so-I-can-surprise’ despite her advertising
the fact on Facebook and telling the whole world. And there is always the
luggage weigh in which is always way over what it should be and that’s just
going out! Never mind coming back with cases full of goodies for people. Which
brings me on to . . .
5. She is the most generous person I know. She
goes around asking everyone and anyone ‘would you like me to bring you
something back?’ She is a shopaholic. She loves to spend! Her cases on the
return home are full of purple skittles, Peanut Butter M&Ms, Twinkies, T
shirts, jewellery, watches, cereals and other bits that you can only get in America!
Obama should give her recognition for her single handed efforts in restoring
the economy with her spending!
6. And finally, today is the last day I will
get to see her for six weeks. We are meeting for a last gossip, giggle and hugs.
It has become a bit of a ritual now; the goodbye/happy holiday drinkies after
work are not enough and we need our little time.
In the mean time,
I have Hubby’s birthday, a wedding anniversary to remind my Hubby of, lay ins,
books to read, flash fiction to write, a sun lounger needing my attention, days
out, a trip to Suffolk and catching up with friends. I do love the summer
holidays really but just wish for once I could spend it with the Mad American .
. . Maybe next year I’ll be the one sitting next to her on the plane and her squeals
of delight will break the sound barrier.
Safe journey!
Love, Me. xx
