Old Friends...

I was especially fortunate last night to get to visit with my two closest friends at University. It was such a pleasure to see Lisa and Buzzy, it really was.

My evening started out a little disastrously though, I must confess! I thought we had arranged that Lisa would pick me up at Winchester train station but that I would call her with a time, since I didnt know what time fieldwork would end. So I was happily sitting on the train reading my book when I received a text message from Lisa. I picked up my phone to read the text and inadvertently switched it off. When I switched it back on it did the worst possible thing, it black screened! The only time it has done this to me before was when I was trying to meet up with Anais in Paris. I guess my phone just doesnt like me seeing friends. Jealousy is an ugly thing, particularly in a telephone. So my phone rendered totally useless, I was stranded. I got off at Winchester and waited at the entrance to the station. No Lisa. Somehow, goodness knows how, I remembered my parents phone number and called Dave. I asked him to look in the phone as I had dialed her number sunday and there should a number in the phone that he didnt recognise. Alas, it only stores the 10 last dialed numbers and she was number 11. Ok. Ill just wait at Winchester a little longer, ever hopeful. Having collected my mum from the station, lucky her! Dave called me back at the pay phone which I was standing outside like a real dodgy character; he had checked the other phone and her number was there! He had called her and she said to go to Southampton and to call her and let her know what time it got in. So I buy a ticket and was about to call her when the train arrives so I dash to the platform and board the train. Well, there are two Southampton Train Stations. yeay. Im sure Dave told me which one, but in my excitement at no longer being stranded in the middle of no where, I guess I didnt hear it. So I got off at Southampton Central, which inevitably was the wrong train station. I had to throw myself at the mercy of the station staff and ask them to let me board a train back to Southampton Airport Station without buying a new ticket and they said it would be fine. So eventually, about 3 hours after I departed from my B&B, Buzzy and Lisa were there to greet me at the station! I actually cried with relief at seeing them!

We had a lovely evening. Lisa made fajhitas and I drank the new trendy drink for the summer in England, pear cider. Despite being very skeptical, it was really nice. Too nice actually, as I drank too much of it alongside some fizzy wine, yes, we are classy, and dehydration from the day in the field. That with going to bed at about 1am and getting up at 6am meant that this morning was a little bit of a struggle for me! But it was totally totally worth it!

The important friends in life are the ones you can not see for three or four years and jump straight back in to conversation with as if it were yesterday that you were attending 8am monday morning remote sensing classes with. The friends that are important to me are the ones that I dont have to try with, I know that is selfish, but Im lazy and I just want to surround myself with people I feel comfortable with. So thank you, Lisa and Buzzy, for a wonderfully comfortable and effort free night. I did remember how annoying being around two particularly tall women was though! If thats all I have to complain about, then our friendships will last the decades. I hope so at least. Thank you! You are wonderful people.

Here's to great friends, where ever you are in the world.