Friendship and the Pond.

Well lots happened this week, and life became much clearer, ending up on Saturday with moving my friend 'D' to his new place.  After many years of slumming it as a cosmopolitan wannabee, he's now happily looking forward to life on the edge of town, overlooking a small wood and the golf course; with tongue in cheek I wish him every happiness in his new found quest to becoming even more middle class than he already is; something he strongly protests he's not....Can't help wondering why my leg is acting as though it's being pulled for some reason.  Seriously though, just for a moment, I've watched him these past few months entering another stage in his life, and I've never seen him happier.  I'm equally happy to say that without his support, care and kindness at a particularly bad moment in my life, who know's where I would have ended up.  And whilst it's perhaps not the 'manly' thing to say, my affection for him is without limit, even if I either don't show it enough, or don't say it; one of the joys of writing a blog is you can say it openly,  thanks matey!  But the next time you ask me to help you move, I'll be unavailable due to a forgotten meeting I'm supposed to be attending.

On Friday I had a final interview for a job and was accepted, which in the great scheme of things is nice to know that somebody wants me; especially in these times of economic uncertainty.  I'm scheduled to start at the beginning of February due to my being happily in the USA over Christmas & New Year for a well deserved rest.  Whether I keep the blog updated, whilst I'm away, or to wait until I get back to write it is open to debate, but the feeling at the moment is to escape any form of electronic communication and have a complete rest from it all.  I'm well aware that I spend far too much time piddling about on the Internet and laptop, and it would be very nice to avoid both whilst away; we shall see.  At the moment I'm focused on getting finished what I need to before I go, which means ever longer hours on the keyboard, not that I really mind, at least I'm busy and that's the most important thing.

However, I'm now beginning to feel a little excited with the passing of time, and the holiday ever closer.  It'll be a number of firsts for me, and so a great adventure.  It'll be the first time I've flown from one continent to another, the first time I've flown transatlantic, the first time in the USA, and the first time I've occupied the same seat for around 7 hours.  Then when I get there it'll be the first time I've eaten a real 'dog', hotdog before anyone starts complaining, the first lobster, pastrami on rye, apple pie like mom used to make, and numerous other things along the way. Culturally, there's lots to take in, and despite an often slightly jaundiced view of the US, I'll have an open mind when I get there, and one of the things here is to accept that whatever perception I may have, it is driven by the media, whereas my personal relationships with Americans are completely the opposite.

History has always been of interest, so there will much to cover and see with visits to Boston, New York and Washington.  Of course my time will be fairly limited, so whatever I see will be done with a purpose in mind.  I've no real desire to be wandering down 5th Avenue, Wall Street or hanging around Times Square, but hopefully I can get to visit the Apollo Theatre in New York.  Washington will be taken up with a visit to Capitol Hill, the Smithsonian and other sights.  Boston is likely to be freezing, but unlikely to deter from visiting the Harbour area etc.  Of course on a much lighter note, I'm playing with the idea of popping into the local IRS office and demanding, without menace, the repayment of taxes not paid to the British people since the revolution!

Hopefully, one of the highlights will be time spent on a beach, it'll take me back to those rare happy childhood days of wandering alone along the seafront during the winter months, which I've always said is the best time to visit a beach and see it in all's its glory, and at its supremely natural best.

A final remark about this trip, of a lifetime some might say, it might prove eventful in many, as yet unknown, ways, particularly as I'm no great lover of big bustling cities.  But the one thing it's already shown before I set sail across the pond, is the value of friendship.  And so 'S', from the bottom of my heart, thank you matey for making this possible.