Oh. Yes. Right. Blogging. What's That?

Well, blimey. Haven't been much for the blogging of late, have I? I guess it's time to post something when even Larry says "you haven't blogged for awhile, is everything okay?"

Yep, everything's okay. Thanks to everybody who sent kind wishes, either in comments or email or elsewhere, about Grandma. I owe lots of people lots of responses and will endeavor to get back to you all over the course of the week.

I'm back in London. The funeralities are over and done with in Skylineville and I think (at least I hope) everyone is settling back into their day-to-day pre-hospice worlds as best as they can. It's been quite a ride, and I know I had it easy compared to those who are there full-time. Bless y'all. There's still a lot of peace to be found and I hope it comes quickly.

Life does go on though, doesn't it? I'm starting up with a group of five Iraqi policemen this week who have beginner to pre-intermediate language skills. That will be fascinating. Almost as fascinating as the five half-hour 1-2-1 sessions I've booked with Stefano, my new Brazilian swim instructor, who'll be getting wet with me this week in order to improve my stroke and endurance. Two goals in mind here ... 1) to work up to at least a triathlon sprint distance and b) to help lose this flab around my middle. And to maybe learn to re-enjoy swimming as a sort of exercise slash meditation. Oh, that's three goals, innit.

Larry's done with garden leave as of tomorrow morning and I will once again become a banking widow. That went fast, eh? Fortunately, I'll have my new south-of-the-border watersports buddy to keep me company, for a week at least. Btw, Swimming Nature sent me his full name and did Google him, finding someone who could be said person on Facebook. If it's him, he's straight and much cuter (perhaps intimidatingly so) than he needs to be. I guess it goes with the territory. If I were only slightly less secure, I'd have needed to drop a stone over the weekend just to get into the water with him. As it is, I opted for ten pounds.

What else? Oh, yes. Lovely to see Gordon (who is the designer of yonder Bob's Yer Uncle) et al at his wee meet-up on Friday, as well as to catch up with my long-lost traveling companion at my new favorite gentlemen's pub (the refurb and flirty bouncers are most refreshing).

I'm headed to Scotland in a month to take an Arvon course — I'm promised by natives that the weather will be dire at best. No internet access but plenty of rain and fog and time to write.

Saw the droolingly excellent Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood this weekend. Liked him better than the film, which I found to be too long and too slow. Still pregnant with hope that the darkies (TWBB and No Country For Old Men) cancel each other out and the perfectly scripted Junoends up drinking both their milkshakes and draining all the votes for Best Picture. I got to see our little independent gem of film again last week, and Paulie Bleeker is still totally boss.

(those of you who haven't seen the films will have no idea what I'm talking about, but that's okay ... I haven't given anything away)

That's about all for now. Regular blogging should be resuming over the course of the week. I might even get a 200 up this week. Or not. Has anybody really missed them?

Oh, and a big howdy-do to the Cougar fans at CougZone. Not sure how or why I got featured in a college sports site, but thanks for the shout out and welcome to BYU (and don't knock the cheese conies until you've tried them!).

And now, with a proverbial bowling pin in my hand, for the the time being at least, "I'm finished."