Oh yes.

Ideas Girl has already leaked the details for the work summer party. It's at the same place as last year. We had a good time last year, with Quiet Girl, Stalky Guy and another couple of people hanging around afterwards and getting a much later train home. The weather was good too if I recall correctly. Fingers crossed for more of the same thing year.

I still have the memory of QG laying her head on my shoulder on the train on the way home. That's not helping the loneliness. I do not have a thing for QG (well, maybe a little crush), but it's not QG that's provoking the loneliness, but the action itself.

Grrr.

I'm tired. It's work-related. I've been trying to solve a problem for about a week now and while I am making progress, it's slow progress. And really, it should have been sorted quite a few days ago. my boss isn't saying anything, which is good, but I'm still pressuring myself to get this sorted ASAP so I can move on to something else.

I would take some time off, but a) I can't really until this issue is sorted, which is probably a day or so away, b) I have a 2 week training course starting next week and c) shortly after that, at the start of July, I have a week booked off for personal time anyway. 

I just need to get this bloody problem solved. 

It's raining, meh.

I'm toying with the idea of going to the local shopping centre. I don't have anything to buy. Actually, that's not strictly true. I don't need anything, but there are a few items that i could pick up, and I would pick up if I were out and about. Whether that justifies me going shopping is another matter.

But it's more a case of me going out to get outside and stretch my legs. I've not really gotten into the exercise plan for my back that I put together a few weeks ago. I have made a point about being a little more active in general, but I do need to target this back issue.

However, the weather's rubbish. If it were nice, I'd walk there. It's just over a mile away, maybe about 20 mins walk. But with the rain, it's a bus journey.

I need a shower anyway, so I'll decide after I get showered and changed. The shops don't open until 1 PM. The weather is sucking my enthusiasm though.

A-ha!

I found myself going through an old MSN conversation with A earlier this afternoon. I remembered us being quite open with each other, but the conversation was quite explicit. A was fresh off her "secret" relationship with the guy who was fucking K on the side. She was on match.com, trying out online dating, before online dating was actually a thing. Plus it was the early stages of her relationship with the guy who would become her husband, and who she couldn't get a read on at all.

It was notable for being around the time of a few interesting social nights that I might have blogged about before - a night out with G where we met some cute women and a night out with my sister and brother-in-law (and Friction Guy) where I met and had really intense chemistry with another cute woman. I'm almost sure I've blogged about the former, maybe not the latter though.

Anyway, A was being very explicit about a lot of things - her failed attempts to fuck the now-husband, her chesty Match.com photos, the now-husband's oral skills, her general horniness levels (the good weather gets her frisky), how great her tits were, and her concern that her holidays, the now-husband's holidays and her imminent period would take sex off the table for at least a month.

I'd completely forgotten that she was that forthright about stuff. But that kind of stuff never fazes me and unlike UHSW who was testing boundaries when we first started talking, I think A just liked that she could talk about whatever she wanted without pushing me away simply because she was talking about, for example, her period.

Woah!

This happens quite often: I posted yesterday about not having spoken to KfW2 in ages and how I'd planned to call her today. Well, guess who called me this morning? Yup. That seems to happen quite a lot, both ways.

We spoke for quite a while, covering topics such as our families, CC, work. KfW2 again suggested that we should meet soon, but she seemed adamant that it would be lunch, not dinner.

Part of me wanted it to be dinner. An evening out with kfW2 would be fun. An afternoon out with KfW2 would be fun, too, but I think I'd prefer an evening. I don't know why. She also suggested a Friday. She's off work on a Friday. I am not. I could take time off, quite easily. I have taken time off for social things in the past.

So, anyway, mild disappointment aside, we could be out before the end of the month. I'd like that. 

Long time, no speak.

It's been ages since i last spoke to KfW2. I know she's off tomorrow, so I might give her a call and catch up on life and see if there's any movement on us getting dinner and drinks.

Guess what?

WhatsApp group update: still no further messages apart from one from AM's husband that mentioned my favourite local band.

I can't say I'm surprised. I'm documenting this more to share with you, dear Reader, about how bad they've been.

More Memories

Facebook reminds me that it was a long time ago where I returned from Chicago on a last-minute work trip. It was where, arguably, my friendship with KfW2 began. We'd met before but never really talked. On this trip, though, we'd spent some time together and actually had conversations.

Our friendship didn't actually take off for at least another six months and it wasn't as smooth sailing as I had thought. Something that KfW2 didn't admit for a couple of years.

But there are photos posted on Facebook from the trip that have appeared on my timeline today. Good memories.

Eureka!

I can't remember the exact details around it, but a memory popped into my head earlier. My sister and mum were in town and I had taken them out to lunch. I think it was at the bar where R2 worked, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

What I am sure about is that they left and I had an afternoon off, and I did find myself in the bar where R2 worked, chatting to R2. It was midweek so the bar was quiet and she had plenty of spare time to chat.

I'm also pretty sure that's the afternoon where I decided to go to university, or it was the catalyst for my decision. R2 was easy to talk to, so an afternoon of chatting about my career plans (or lack thereof) was an easy way to pass the time.

So by the time I'd finished a few pints, a number of hours later, not only was I feeling fairly optimistic about things, but I had a rough idea of what to do, who to talk to and what I'd need.

I'm pretty sure I got a hug, too. 

The day after the day after.

I think spending some time with Quiet Girl on Friday night has sparked a feeling of loneliness. I was off-kilter for a lot of yesterday afternoon which I initially just put down to being drunk the night before and not getting enough sleep.

But as the afternoon wore on, it started feeling like something rather than just a vague apathy/melancholy that I sometimes get after a good night out with people.

And it's not Quiet Girl herself, but rather wanting to meet someone. She was talking about going to gigs with her husband and how the music festival I mentioned in a previous post was her favourite weekend of the year. And I think it was that conversation that kicked off the funk: I want to meet someone where I can do stuff like that. And if that's a romantic partner, then all the better.

The day after.

The work event was good fun. Unsurprisingly, I spent most of my time chatting with Quiet Girl. We also had some chat with a woman who I was convinced was about 25 but she claimed to be "nearly 40". I was also very drunk. To the point where I didn't enjoy it. I like being tipsy. The weight loss over the past year plus not really drinking that often any more has really damaged my tolerance.

Anyway, QG and I made some tentative arrangements for the end of June when there's a music festival across the city. I doubt they'll come to fruition, but they're out there. 

So, a quiet day planned. I see the sofa and football in my future this afternoon.