Looking for Heathcliff ...

... and I don't mean the cartoon! Was watching Wuthering Heights (the new production) on the weekend as if you can't tell. And it sort of came to me: We're all looking for a Heathcliff at the end of the day, don't we? And that is not gender specific. It is just somebody who treats us mean but loves us to death. Sad really, because the likelyhood of finding such a phenomenon is probably 1 : 1.000.000. Plus I do have the sneaking suspicion that we wouldn't be happy or even satisfied if we did find him/her, because that type of love is designed to make your life a misery. It spells heartbreak, lies, deceit and death. Either you die or Heathcliff dies, or you both die, but best case scenario is that you don't get it together anyway. My personal Heathcliff has been and gone, he's not dead but he might as well be. But the pining hasn't stopped and I doubt it ever will. So facit to this little analogy: I am better off on my own.

Anyway, I did want to update on the week that has been. Wednesday, my actual birthday, did turn out to be a very non sort of day. Pete the housemate & ex came downstairs in the morning and congratulated me (although there really is nothing to be congratulated to at my age) and gave me a couple of lovely, thoughtful presents: a ticket for the Jello Biafra gig on 7th September and a miniature malachite rabbit. The latter is watching now over my crochet corner. Then I was supposed to meet up with somebody for a 'business' meeting at 11am. When I got there, I was told that he was off sick. No worries, I went and did some wool and second hand clothes shopping ... a special treat on a special day. Then I had intended to go for lunch, but when it came to it, I wasn't in the mood. Bought myself a coffee cream cake instead and went home. The dogs and I enjoyed the cake :) Lavished in a nicely scented bath in the afternoon with a debauched glass of Mavrodaphne. However, drinking during the day is not a very good idea at my age either. In the evening everything was just ordinary. Did dinner, watched a bit of TV and played on the computer with my Runes of Magic mates.

As you all know, the party on the Saturday was cancelled, which was ok. On Friday my lovely girly friend Dawn texted me and asked if I wanted to go and see a puppet theatre on Saturday. The annual festival of puppetry was being held in the http://www.tobaccofactory.com/. The shows had adult content. I said 'yes' and she got me the ticket as my prezzie. So we met up at about 7pm on Saturday night for a drink and a catch up then saw The Seed Carriers (http://theatrebristol.net/whats-on/2009/8/29/stephen-mottram-presents-the-seed-carriers). It was a very dark and macabre little show, much to my liking and certainly thought and emotion provoking. After the actual play and a 15 minute break, the puppeteer got us back to explain the puppets to us. Fascinating stuff. All in all it was a wonderful evening in wonderful company, which I shan't forget. And I didn't wake up with a hangover on Sunday, which I certainly would have done after the BBQ.

Yesterday was a bank holiday in the UK and I managed to meet up with my dear friend Kathia, who has just been back to Germany for 3 weeks as her dad is dying from cancer. We went dog walking and to the pub for a drink afterwards. Good to catch up, even though it was in a rather sad frame of minds. Despite being continuously at political loggerheads with her, we seem to grow ever closer. Unfortunately our general lives do not run in a parallel fashion, so we don't actually see eachother very much. Funny, as we live about 5 walking minutes away from one another. Such is life ...

And now the most important thing: the drugs counselling training! Went there happily on the Thursday after having walked the dogs for an hour in the morning. The day was excellent albeit not very much in a 'training fashion'. Very games-based, but it helped to break the ice and get to know each other. A rather strange but interesting mix of people on that course. No doubt I will have things to say about that at a later stage. Got back from the training at about 5.30pm to find my front room drowning in poo, pee and sick! The dogs had obviously been stressing so much that they couldn't hold on to their body fluids throughout the day. I was in shock! And I missed Friday's training session, because I didn't feel that I could leave them again, nor did I want to get back to the same state of affairs after the day. I phone the co-ordinator, who was very understanding. Now, I am NOT giving up this training for which I have waited so long and wanted to do for years. So this Thursday, Kathia will come in midday-ish to walk the 2 little poppets. Hopefully whe won't have to fight her way through heaps of shit when she gets here. On Friday, Pete has got the day off, so that is going to be ok as well. Oh yes, I forgot! Not only did the dogs create havoc on the Thursday, but on Sunday morning, when I went off shopping and Pete was still blissfully asleep in his room, they run a repeat performance. I left the house at 10am, Pete got up at 10.20am ... to find the front room in a similar state to Thursday. Facit: They are not doing it because they desperately need to go out (I took them out Sunday morning just before I went), but to stage a protest. I love them dearly and usually can accommodate their 'quirky' behaviours easily, but if they do carry on like this, they will find themselves locked in the kitchen (tiled floor you see) whenever I do go out. I am not being dictated what I can and cannot do by a couple of canines!!!

Sorry for the extensive post today, but I wanted to give you, 'my dear readers', the full picture.