Okay this is it. I have definitely found THE house. I have never been surer of moving into somewhere, not even the lovely house in Norman Street in York which I still think back on quite fondly, or my dinky little studio in Stockwell. I swung by this evening for what was meant to be a brief second viewing and meeting with the other housemate, and we talked for such a long time we all totally lost track of time and the next person came to view the house while I was still there, which made it all quite awkward (and funny, on hindsight). I was then solemnly told that the two of them would confer about who they’d like to offer the room to, and that I would be contacted by tomorrow evening one way or another.
Feeling hopeful, and probably smiling quite stupidly to myself, I made my way back to the tube station, and hadn’t been gone for 5 minutes when I got a call to say that it had taken them all of a few seconds to decide and I would have to get packing because they’d really like me to come stay. It took me, similarly, all of a few seconds to accept. Having been told independently by both people currently living there (while the other wasn’t around) that the other person was lovely, that they’d had no problems at all, and having been there again just to be sure of my first impressions, I felt absolutely certain. Sitting in the kitchen with them over drinks felt like hanging out with old friends. It felt right. And aforementioned stupid-smile-to-myself is still on my face; there’s this deep, satisfying sense of being really, truly happy with this decision. That house felt like a home to me. And I guess at the end of the day, that’s really all there is to it.
ingredients for the best weekend ever in recent memory =
bank holiday monday
postcard-perfect, sunny, breezy weather
coraline in glorious 3D brilliance
(at a discount – thanks rokey!)
bulgogi, nasi lemak, smoked haddock
upside-down jellyfish, pipefish, floaty dancing razorfish
sharks! green turtles, sticky anemones
dusk in leicester square gardens
a stroll in the sunshine down to the riverbank
lunch on the quiet end of vauxhall bridge
frappe lattes in the shadow of the london eye
listening to buskers on the steps of covent garden market
epic chats about love, life, home, family,
childhood, friends, the future,
the smell of rain, bbqs, diving, everything and the kitchen sink
really awesome company (y/y, kevin?)
oodles of gratitude
contentment
♥
Surefire antidote for a mild case of blueness: singing out loud and semi-dancing round the kitchen to the Hairspray soundtrack while mixing mascarpone, cream and Disaronno for tiramisu, and sneakily snacking on a couple of coffee-dipped sponge fingers along the way :)
i see all those party lights shining ahead
so someone invite me before i drop dead!
And the cherry on top: an xkcd book is being published!!! omgomg ♥
New layout! Yay! (Look at it, if you are using Google Reader or somesuch!)
Wow, only redesigning (and Blogathon. and essays, now a thing of the past) can keep me up till… 2:24am? and still leave me unaware of the time. Although now that I realise how late it is my eyelids suddenly feel very heavy.
I’m really, really happy with this layout because with it, I’ve finally managed to implement a lot of things that I’ve been wanting to for ages, but just never got round to doing. Most of the nifty changes are under the hood and you probably won’t notice them, but trust me, they made me a very excitable little puppy. Things I’m particularly proud of are:
By the way, if anyone still has no idea how to get an avatar to show up when you comment, you can do so at Gravatar which is very handy and allows you to use that avatar on a whole bunch of other websites as well.
The flower brush in the header graphic is a Photoshop default. Bet you didn’t know that.
Other highlights of my day include this conversation with my brother, the purchase of a very charming blue dress I’ve had my eye on for ages and ages (on Steffy’s advice – thanks!), snapping up two cropped jackets on sale from New Look, finally getting a bunch of errands done, excellent afternoon weather, and most of all feeling better :) (though a tickly cough which is turning chesty still stubbornly persists)
I’ve consciously taken the four days of Easter holiday off from job applications and the like – so it does feel to me like I’m going back to work tomorrow, though I’m technically going to be lounging around at home same as always. It’s been a really good break. And I’m hopeful, starting anew, when I wake in the morning.