It was snowing at the Office this morning as we finally made it to the top after a tiresome half hour wait for the bus. Soph was obviously late for her private lesson as she is late for everything. No sense of urgency that child. So 'chillaxed' as she would say I barely recognise her genetic mix. Reassuring though. I could never be an air traffic controller.
Unfortunately I suffered a severe bout of hyperthermia and only managed an hour before calling Group Dad to rescue Soph from me. Retiring to the hotel via the lovely chemist shop with a potion I prayed would help, I spent the day feeling sorry for myself in bed. Too unwell to even read, I had to gaze at the mountains until the medicine kicked in and I started to feel able to move.
Contemplating your inner thoughts is sometimes challenging when in a strange place and without familiar comforts around. Your mind can wander to places that are painful and dark. We all have those places and tend to avoid them. I know I always tend to avoid them anyway.
Something I learned this year is that I need to get some of the stuff out. I find it hard to talk about my feelings and thoughts but I can get it out in writing. Some people go fishing. Some people paint pictures, knit, sew, garden or all the above. Writing always was my refuge before work and children. I'd forgotten that until my counsellor suggested I tried to write out a timeline as a way of opening up my story.
Then of course, the Haven PR lady said I had to the LEJOG blog which I duly did and it seemed to entertain all my supporters. I found it incredibly cathartic at the end of each lonely, tired, struggling day to get out some of the thoughts and feelings I was having as I cycled 1000 miles.
Simon Coach said it was probably the result of going solo. Doing challenges in groups has other difficulties but at least you know that what you are going through is the same for someone else and that is oddly comforting. Plus we all have ups and downs and usually in group challenges you all meet one another's downs with your ups. And vice versa.
By 3pm I felt a lot better and have a short piece of writing called 'Heart Break' to show for it. It is probably my best ever attempt to reconcile a very painful experience. Then I was up, showered, changed and down to the bar where Maria wandered in from time to time to see if anyone wanted a drink. We did, of course, but she doesn't seem all that bothered about taking our money which is odd. But I think I mentioned that before.
A pre-dinner G&T worked it's magic, refreshing all known parts and then the Group all wandered back from painting the town in absynth. Noodle refused a drink with dinner which amused me a lot. We sailed in last to a full dining room having scared our lovely Crystal Rep witless with banter and repartee that could have been rather more choice.
With the benefit of hindsight what happened next should have been predictable. As a Group we are noisy. As in very. There is a lot of micky taking and laughter. I haven't laughed this much in ages. I guess for the people around us, you either like it or you don't.
Right from the off, the group on the table next to us were giving us the evils. I mean serious toe curling evils. Bizarre. Mind you their average age was 60 and more perma-tan and wrinkled than your average ski-instructor. The problem was that Noodle and Billy Boy were copping them with Sal and me having our backs to them.
It started to upset them both and I could see that things could get out of hand very quickly so I decided to take a Group Executive Decision and deal with it head on. Maria found Luigi and I lead him in to the dining room and complained very loudly that their behaviour was unacceptable and upsetting and I was most displeased in that calm english way we have in a crisis that really winds up other nations.
Super-small, over sized, ancient perma tan man motors straight up to weigh in to the discussion which entertained the whole restaurant but I won because he went and sat back down and Luigi gave me a kiss on the hand and agreed with my suggestion that our table is moved tomorrow night.
Unfortunately Group Dad and Tonka Toy decided to retire to the bar citing embarrassment whereas Sal thought I'd done the right thing. I know I did the right thing. A spaghetti fight would have ensued and that would have been amusing but I'd like to come back to this hotel in the future and didn't fancy getting blacklisted by Crystal.
Pumpkin hour hit and I retired to a fabulous night's sleep and looking forward to today. It's not every day you get kissed on the hand by handsome Italian man of about the right age. No doubt he is married with children. They always are. But you can dream....
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