Getting serious!

In anticipation of moving to our new flat together, Sue moved into mine on Sunday lock stock and barrel! There's stuff everywhere and the flat resembles Sandford & Son to a certain degree, but it's really happening!

Sleeman-tastic!

I emailed Sleeman's on Saturday to find out if they have any pubs in London apart from the Alwyne Castle in Highbury selling their brew on tap.

Well, I got an email today with a few places in South London that serve it up. One of them is in Wandsworth, which is well close to Streatham. Two guesses where I'm going this weekend!

Bring on the Honey Brown!

Almost there

I know I haven't written for a while, so I just thought I'd drop an update today.

This Saturday marks a special occasion for me. It's mine and Sue's six month anniversary. I've only hit this milestone once before and that was too long ago to remember. The difference between then and now is like night and day.

We've been getting along well and even though I expect the other shoe to drop EVERY day, it hasn't yet. I don't know why she likes me - and that frightens me to a certain degree - but I'm going to cherish the time she does and attempt to not shake up the mix too much ... just in case.

Hot steaming hell

So I made it back to Toronto for my summer holiday.

After a crazy number of queing moments, I finally arrived the day after the "Bombings" and have more than a few well wishers saying they're glad I'm safe. I have to admit, I am too.

Saturday I managed to put in an appearance at my brother's shop. It was the Grand Opening and they needed all the help they could get. Crazy busy doesn't begin to describe it.

So far the weather has been tolerant.

Today, however, has just been nuts. My sweat is sweating, it's so hot. I was out shopping and had to curtail my activities because of the heat... even with an air conditioned car. I have to ask who can handle this weather? Every time I left my air-conned POD (be it house, shopping mall or car) , the oppressive heat smacked me in the face like a comedy wet noodle.

I know that London has the world's worst summer, but I'd take temperatures you can actually live in over this. It's just hella-hot.

Yeck.

Our 9/11?

Well, as reports filter through the news today, it looks like our 9/11 in London has finally come.

My thoughts go out to all those who actually died today, and to the rest of us who are pretty much stranded in a locked-down city.

That's an event then

A day after we get the Olympics, the entire London transport network seems to have gone to hell in a handbag.

The trains have been delayed, as usual and the entire tube system has been shut due to power surges. Wonderful. And we think we can handle the Olympics?

Of course, power surge could be code word for actual bomb, and God knows there's enough terrorist cells in the UK that would love a chance like today to prove their worth.

This city is now in chaos and probably won't be sorted for days.

Thankfully, I'm off to Toronto tomorrow for a well deserved holiday. Granted their tube line consists of two lines as opposed to London ten-odd, but getting out of this bloody town seems like a great idea.

Olympics

Crap. We got the Olympics. After living through the happiness of Toronto's failed bid, I now have to put up with our crumbling infrastructure trying to cope with millions of extra tourists in the summer of 2012.

As much as they want to believe London's transport system WILL be able to handle it, I have my fears. It can't handle the flow now and while everyone complains, nothing is done. Do we really believe that for a fortnight in 2012 we're going to get THAT much added investment? I don't think so. There'll be tailbacks, sweaty delays on the overcrowded tubes and general malais.

I also trust the BNP-factions of Britain to come out and harrass the Olympic athletes in true ASBO/Yob style, proving once again that the "great" in Great Britain is there mainly for historic reasons.

Non believer

So tomorrow is the second month I have not been single... in a row!

I know it's kinda lame to celebrate the shortness of a relationship, sorta like the lameness of celebrating a baby's 3rd week of life, or what have you, but when I can still count the length of the relationship in days, I'm going to hold onto it.

Things have been going well, and I find that when we're apart I miss her terribly. I still kick myself that I'm in a relationship having been the celebate side of single since 1998... and all the happier for it for the most part. I keep telling myself that at the very least I'm not disease-ridden. Glass half full guy here.

At my age, I think you view relationships differently. In high school and uni you were looking for some fun, trying to get with the cheerleaders or whoever your mates deemed worthy or the hotties. Nothing was meant to last, and it hardly ever did. You weren't in it for the long term score.

You get to your 30s and if you can't see potential for a lengthy union, why are you in the relationship? I know I know, there's the serial people who still think they're in high school or don't wanna get close for some reason, but the average person who wants to settle down isn't playing the high school game anymore. I can see myself settling down with this girl for a nice long time, so I guess there's some future there.

I also know that we're still in the honeymoon period and there's a rather sugar-coated reality to the whole thing. I have to say, that not having been in a relationship for a while, I can't attest to the intricacies of the events that should unfold. By month four, am I supposed to wake up discontent? Is the sheen supposed to fade by month five? Six? Ever?

I just live each day as it comes, each week as it comes and keep pinching myself that it is real, that somewhere out there, there's someone who thinks highly enough of me to spend their time with me and thinking about me.

Ouch!

What a weekend

This weekend I did something I haven't done in years - I ordered takeaway pizza.

Hurridly hunting through drawers and paper piles, I found one flyer for some dodgy pizza emporium who, upon calling them, was told we were out of their delivery area. Apparently only for the pizza, as they were happy to deliver the flyers to our door.

We eventually got our Domino's pizza and enjoyed it, watching "Lost In Translation" on DVD and listening to the flat above us play drunken-volume reggae.

This weekend I also progressed my relationship with my new lady friend. Things seem to be going well there. I've really been able to relax and be myself, opening up and sharing things. It's been a long, difficult, single few years, but hopefully it's going to pay off.

I feel like the old casual Rich of old and that can only be a good thing.

Now, my new plan is to make a couple of compilation CDs for my new "friend". Sometimes I actually feel like I'm back in high school. Hippee!