A break at last!

This past week or so has been wonderfully relaxing. I honestly feel, what with the trip to Africa and then the guide dog training that I haven’t had a proper break since finishing uni, and it’s about to start again in a couple of weeks. But since qualifying with Una last Wednesday, woohoo, I’ve actually had time to relax and potter around a bit.

On Sunday DL returned from a week away in Dorset with her family, for the first half of which Baby G came to stay. It was so lovely spending some quality time with her, it’s something we’ve not done for ages, because when I’m in London I’m usually here there and everywhere and don’t really get time to have a propper catch up without either having to be somewhere or other people being there as well. But from the Friday until last Wednesday it was just the two, or should I say the three of us including Una. We cooked together, chatted for hours, went for a meal with Sarah and Mat on the Saturday night, and spent all of Monday afternoon with them in the pub. On Tuesday my mum arrived with my step sister to stay for the night before we drove back to her house, and we went out for something to eat and then in the morning the three of them stayed here while I went on my qualifying walk with the dog.

I was absolutely over the moon when they told me I’d passed, because I was so nervous I didn’t think I had. Qualifying means that I’m now allowed to work her on my own, I have the harness and a certificate and everything! It’s great! And I can now start to learn new routes with her as well. On Wednesday afternoon I said goodbye to Baby G, and then we all set off in the car for the two hour drive to mum’s. I was a bit concerned about how the dog would react to going somewhere else so soon after getting settled in here, and for the first day or so she was very clingy, but after that she was fine.

On Wendesday night I went out for a meal with Dad, and on Thursday I spent time catching up with family. On Friday morning I met up with Pam for coffee, and then in the afternoon went shopping with Hai Man, to see her for the last time before she goes on her year abroad. I arrived back on Saturday and DL got home late Sunday afternoon. I’d really missed her, and I think the time apart did us the world of good, it’s a joy to be around each other at the moment, especially because she’s started a job at a new school and so is at work all day. We’ve also had both emotionally and physically mind blowing sex since she got back, so I’m smiling! I’ve also thought of the perfect birthday present for her, but I’ll have to reveal all after the event I’m afraid.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon with Kim, and further plans for this week include meeting up with Sarah either this afternoon or in the morning, shopping for shoes, a meal out with a lesbian group we’ve discovered which we’re both quite nervous about, a visit from my dad and Albert, trying to get through as much of Middlemarch as is possible without being bored to death, and meeting up for a drink with Helen.