Whaaaaat?

I think I might have had an interesting dream last night. FA2 featured. I think sex with FA2 featured. But CH also featured. A heavily pregnant CH. I don't know what the context is around CH's presence in this dream. But the FA2 aspect was, if my memory isn't playing tricks on me, a semi-memory kinda thing. A recollection of some of the lusty afternoon sex we would typically have at the weekends.

Well, I say "lusty" but that wasn't FA2's thing. "Lustier" is probably more accurate. I'd be a little more energetic in these sessions than I would be first thing in the morning or at night.

but still... pregnant CH? 

Oh la la!

For the first time in a long time, a familiar face* appeared on Tinder today. It was Blonde Emma Willis (have I describe her as that on the blog or is that just what I call her to USHW?) I've swiped right, of course, cos she's pretty and I am a sucker for a pretty face. I don't know that we're suited... a gut feeling... but it's been that long since I've had a date that I kinda feel I almost need to swipe on those that I think are cute regardless.

*Familiar, but cute. There are plenty of women I see on Tinder regularly that are not swipeable. 

Yay!

I'm not gonna lie, I was slightly apprehensive about meeting FBS, D etc. last night. It was the pub thing, more accurately, the alcohol intake. My tolerance is pretty much zero these days, so the thought of six hours of necking pints had me a little worried.

It was all for nothing, though. Seven pints across nearly six hours meant I was drunk but not as bad a I thought I was going to be.

It was great catching up with the guys. The highlights, for want of a better word, was a running gag that lasted all evening about a euphemism for blowjobs, much to our amusement and FBS's puzzlement. And a debate (I hesitate to call it an argument) with Opinionated Guy who insisted he share our taxi, despite him living in the opposite direction to myself and FBS. He's shared before, because FBS is too nice to tell him to fuck off, but it was my taxi last night and I had no hesitation in telling him where to go.

I hope he'll learn this in future. It feels like we do all the work for him - arrange nights out, get him home etc. and he does nothing.

Grande.

When I go into the office, I tend to treat myself to a Starbucks. It's literally on the way from the bus stop to my office. However, I've not been in the office for a few weeks due to people being off on holiday or me deciding not to go in due to a lack of sleep.

Anyway, I rocked up to the counter and ordered my usual.

The girl took my order, I swiped my card, thanked her and trundled off to the collection zone.

A few minutes later the barista called out my name.

I was confused. I hadn't given the cashier my name.

"You're Ruuude, aren't you? That's your name?" she asked, coyly.

"Yeah"

"I thought so. That's your drink."

"Oh..." I was still confused. "Thank you!" I smiled at her.

Cute woman remembers my name despite me only visiting a shop once a week, and I've not been in in weeks. She's just being professional, but it proper made my day. 

Let's see.

I've already asked Quiet Girl if she's going to go to the next work night, which is in two weeks time. She's not said anything yet, which is unusual. I'm torn. I'd like to go out. I've said it before, but she's good company and I don't really go out enough. But I have two gigs on either side of the work night, and it's been a while since I've done two nights in a row, never mind three.

And there's still my ongoing back pain. I should look into that once I get this work project from hell out of the way in a few weeks.

Cheers!

Friction Guy replied, so it looks like we've got a core group and a rough time for meeting and a place to meet.

I'm not interested in the drinking. I hate being drunk and my ability to drink alcohol is now non-existent probably due to the fact that I've lost a fair bit of weight this year and I've done little to no socialising, so I am out of practice.

And the nights out with D, FBS etc. always seem to involved a lot of alcohol. We tend to meet around 6 PM these days and call it a night around midnight. That's six hours of drinking. The night out a few weeks ago with The Crowd was just over three hours and I was extremely tipsy.

Let's see how this turns out. 

Hurrah!

I think the first stage of the work is pretty much done. All the connections have been connected, the holes are not holey and it's just the surface tidy up that needs completed.

Roll on getting a confirmed date for the second part in just overt a week's time and for the work to be done hopefully within 2 weeks.

Let's go.

I hadn't heard from D, FBs etc. about this coming weekend so I sent a WhatsApp message to make sure we were all still coming out. FBS and D were quick to reply, in the positive. I've heard nothing from Friction Guy or Opinionated Guy as yet, but they're secondary. If it just turns out to be me, FBS and D, that'll still be a good night.

Just talk.

KfW2's just off the phone. Another car journey, but not with the kids. This time she's travelling for work - a mere 222 mile journey, roughly. She sounds like she's having a hard time of it. She said as much the last time I saw her in person, but despite her talking to her managers, nothing's improved.

She keeps saying that she's going to look for a new job, but she hasn't as yet. That's not a criticism. I know that I've been guilty of not doing exactly that when things have been bad at work. Imposter syndrome is something that KfW2 and I have in common.

But, given her lengthy car journey, she was in no rush to end the call and neither was I. We chatted for about 45 minutes. No sign of a night out, but she's been busy with family stuff that might ease after this coming weekend.

It's always nice to hear from her. 

It's a gas, gas, gas.

The house work continues. There are guys out the front with a massive sledgehammer and a concrete saw making a hell of a racket. So, despite my pessimism this morning, it looks as if phase 1 of this work will be completed on time - by this Friday.

Phase 2 will begin in a few weeks, but I won't get confirmation of actual dates until 21st November. 

The heat is on.

I have two days booked off work at the end of the month, and two weeks booked off at Xmas. I still have about half a dozen days still to take this calendar year, and I plan to take them all. I've been feeling a little burned out at work over the past month or so.

That's not going to change any time soon. We were just given an urgent project that needs to be completed in just under three weeks and it's going to be a disaster. Add into that my manager being way out of his depth and, I hate to say it, stupid. It may be a language barrier (English is not his first language), it may be cultural, but he has a habit of not listening when he gets stuff explained to him if he already thinks he knows the solution.

That's not just me saying that. I've had at least three other people imply something similar over the past few weeks and frustration is starting to build from all parties. 

Still... once this project is finished, I can take these remaining personal days. 

Party Time.

Tonight was the night that I suggested to KfW2 that we went out for dinner and drinks, which she says she couldn't do for family reasons. so she pondered other dates which we've yet to talk about.

But that reminded me that we're getting into social season. As stated a few days ago, G's home, so there's an outside chance of seeing him tomorrow. I still have to message M, which will probably be a midweek coffee or pint.

I have at least four things to do this month - meeting FBS, D etc. next weekend, a gig to go to on the 27th, a possible work thing on the 28th and another gig on the 29th with my brother-in-law.

There's also the possibility of something with KfW2, but I doubt that'll happen until December, if at all. 

And December will be busy too - another work thing, out with S/The Crowd, the potential KfW2 thing if it doesn't happen in November and another gig. And I'm sure I've forgotten something else. 

I feel tired already. 

Pick me up

So with all the stress from earlier and considering the work's not completed despite what I was told, I need something to cheer me up. Enjoy some pictures of attractive women in suits.

A lot of nerve (con't)

I had assumed that most of the work would be complete by the end of today. And then, over the next few days, they'd tidy up, fill in the holes they've dug etc. and re-surfaced the footpath.

However, it's 2PM. I've not seen a workman since before lunch and there's still a lot of digging and pipe laying to be done. Not that I'm complaining because the work has started at least, but if there's an expectation that I keep space free in front of my house (which there was) then I need better information because I was led to believe it was a one-day installation with tidy up taking up to five days to complete.

A lot of nerve.

The workmen haven't arrived yet, but the guy from across the street has already knocked on the door to say he hasn't forgotten about his second car, but he's lost his keys and there's a tow truck coming. That alleviates some of the anxiety/stress.

I still need to knock on my neighbour's door and ask her to move her car, but I am aware it's still early, so I'll leave it until 9 AM.

I've no idea when the workmen are due to arrive, but hopefully it won't be until after the neighbours have moved their cars.

[Update: 915] She's still not out of bed, which is frustrating because on any other day, she'd be up and about by 8 AM. By my reckoning, I've tried to talk to her half a dozen times since mid-afternoon yesterday. Sigh.

[Update 2: 940] The tow truck has just arrived. At least that's one problem solved, and the workmen haven't shown up yet. 

[Update 3: 1000] The tow truck guy couldn't help - there was no space to hook up the car, so the best he could do was push it back a few metres. And my neighbour still isn't out of bed, otherwise he could have pushed it back quite a bit and made loads of room. However... the workmen have turned up and the lack of space is inconvenient but not a blocker to them doing the work. All that stress and effort for nothing.

Still nervy.

So the guy from across the street only moved one of his cars. I'm hoping he moves the other tonight or before the workmen show up tomorrow. Annoyingly, my direct neighbour (not the one mentioned earlier) decided she wasn't going to park in her driveway, as she ways does, but has parked her car in the space vacated by opposite guy which, to be fair, is right in front of her house.

I've knocked on her door four times this afternoon and evening to no answer and my most recent and last attempt, all the lights were out. So she's either gone to bed or she's gone out.

There's an outside chance that the workmen will refuse to do the work if there are no parking spaces in front of my house tomorrow, which is causing some anxiety, but I can say honestly that I've made the effort to arrange the space and it can't be held against me if my neighbours are uncooperative.

Nervy.

I barely slept last night. I think it was nerves because I had to talk to a few neighbours about work that I'm getting done to my house tomorrow. Now, I have no issues with my direct next door neighbours - they're lovely. 

It's the people who live directly opposite me that were causing anxiety. I've no reason to think badly of them, but I've never actually spoken to them in the ten years I've lived here and the thought of rapping on their door to ask a favour filled me with dread. 

They do, however, own three cars and a motorhome, that takes up more than their fair share of parking space in the street, and that's what I needed to chat to them about. 

Thankfully, while I was talking to my direct neighbour, they came out of the house and I was able to ask them to move their cars for tomorrow. 

So, all sorted. Phew.

Out of the blue.

For some reason, M popped into my head earlier.

"I should see if he's free for a coffee or a beer,"  I pondered.

Then I made a mental leap.

"It's been ages since I heard from G. I should see how he's getting on"

So I sent G a message. Coincidentally, he's home this weekend on a flying visit. He had "stuff" going on (non-serious) that meant he hasn't been back in a while. I had assumed he had been back but family stuff had kept him from being in touch.

He doubts he'll have the time to meet up, but will be in touch if he does. We're still swapping messages though, catching up.

Oh, K.

A bit of a weird dream last night that involved K and KfW2. Specifically, it involved KfW2 heavily suggesting that I sleep with K, off the back of K and KfW2 having a girly chat. 

I suspect that I did, though I don't remember that bit actually being part of the dream. And it ended the same was as it did in real life: K wanted to take it further, I couldn't give that to her and we stopped being friends. 

KfW2 was apologetic and explained that K never suggested that was wanted anything other than just something physical.

And then KfW2 and I went out for dinner and drinks, KfW2's treat to apologise for what happened.

Remember when?

I was bored at work and spent the afternoon re-reading some email conversations with USHW from back in the day. Specifically, the interactions with Ideas Girl when she was drunk and supposedly flirting and the period of time after Sports Girl admitted she "liked" me.

It was kind of bittersweet. I really enjoyed my conversations with USHW for starters.  The Ideas Girl chat was funny, even though she was really quite rude. I recall sharing one such chat with KfW2 who suggested that I "bone her and get it out of your system". When I suggested that I don't something like that before and it didn't work out well (K), I was surprised that she didn't ask follow-up questions.

Oh really?

GM featured in last night's dream. I can't remember the start, but in it, GM broke up with his girlfriend. Or rather, his girlfriend broke up with him. He asked me to collect a gift that he'd made for her where it transpired that he was planning on proposing to her. And at the same time I found out that she had been cheating on him.

GM did break up with his girlfriend in real life about two months ago. I don't know if there was any cheating involved. From the sounds of it, it was just that the relationship had run its course. 

Cuddle up.

Semi-broken sleep last night, but I woke with a sense of something... not intangible, but vague. I know how I felt this morning, so while there was a vague thought (I don't think it was dream-related) of FA2, FBS and a couple of others not named on this blog, it wasn't about them specifically.

The thought I woke to was being under the covers, in bed, cuddling with a woman while the room was cold. Fairly specific, don't you think? Well, that's kinda where I was this morning, sans naked woman for cuddling. The bed was warm, the room was cold. But it was the missing part that provoked the reaction. I miss that. I wanted that this morning.