Bloody hell. Never thought I'd be the restraining influence on here!
What are you lot on? It's my birthday. HAPPY FACE!!!
My lovely boss ... because I am lovely (despite what some of you miserable f**kers think) and bloody good at what I do (and even better at managing boss than the other way round) ... let me take the afternoon off thus absconding from the 'performance agreement' meeting. I whiled the afternoon away in the Royal Academy (last time I was there, they had Rodin's
The Gates of Hell which would have been pretty apt the way I was feeling this afternoon) ... great exhibition that I would recommend by Hammershoi - beautiful interiors of stillness with hermit like quality ... something austere and dispassionate in his stylisation, the women at the window looking out (a nod to Vemeer?_
... an incredible translucency of northern chilled light.
Trouble was I'd left me glasses at home so had to get up to within a foot of each painting to be able to see anything.
Anyhow, afternoon improved considerably starting with work-pal whisking me off to Selfridges and buying me fabulous pressies ... and then we hit the champagne bar before multiple texts reminded me I was supposed to be elsewhere. Friends, food, wine, laughs, compassion, warmth, shared delights ... brilliant night, loved every minute of it .... until the bleedin' 00:07 train out of Kings Cross and iphone battery conking out.
So now I'm at home and the kitten-formerly-known-as-Hawleyboard aka Pedro is dive bombing my peace lily ... whilst I'm contemplating whether another drink is a sensible idea if I have to be up in four and a half hours ... and I haven't packed for trip north yet???
.... I think we all know that I'm off to find a drink and will sleep on the train in to work instead