Long day

I don't usually work on a Saturday but was up and out by 8.30am today for one of two in-house conferences this year. Though we haven't moved into our new open plan building, the conference was held there to develop business plans and ideas for business development. It was a long day, though not too taxing, with a lot of hot air generated but in places relatively interesting and positive. At lunch, I enjoyed speaking to a colleague (CC) I don't normally get the chance to speak to, which was good.

I got home at 4.30pm to find my guest, B, had just arrived after watching Wales lose on the tv in a nearby pub. As he'd driven 4 hours from Swansea to get to mine, I think he wasn't best pleased! Since we left school in 1987 I have seen him precisely twice, one of those times at his 40th birthday party 4 years ago and the other for Sunday lunch about 3 months ago. What's wonderful is that each time we pick up where we left off all those years ago. There remains a lot of the mutual love developed over two of our shared teenaged years and a complete trust which still endures and is deeper than many other, arguably, stronger relationships in my life. We do tell each other things that we both admit we do not say to others. It is quite unique and I value it greatly. It's very life affirming that such a long term, long distance, purely platonic relationship exists in my life. I am blessed.

We watched three, yes three, rugby matches on telly while enjoying a lovely meal of cured meat and cheese and nearly two bottles of red! So while England won the Calcutta cup, Saints scraped an historic win at Exeter and one of two French teams beat the other, we set the world to rights, caught up on each other's lives and reminisced over our ridiculous teenaged selves. There was a bit of naval gazing I guess but that's ok sometimes.

What a lovely evening after a long day. Oh and the Guinness cake got iced in readiness for the other school guests' arrival tomorrow.