Emma

On your 18th birthday we were going out in Cockermouth, we were friends but I wasn't one of your group like the rest of you were. Outer circle i'd say. But we all met at your house before hand and you needed a little break from the others so we went upstairs to straighten my hair! i was amazed at the straightness and i asked for some exactly the same for my 18th. a month after yours to the day.

For some reason i decided i really didn't want to go on a sociology trip to some Christian retreat kinda place, I don't remember why but I even spoke to ole Thall' about it. Anyway i was forced to go an was in a foul mood because of it. Until we met Scott and George of course! Oh those accents! I'm sure at some point we swapped as well. I wonder if I ever told you i went to America and surrounded myself with accents as part of my degree. I wonder when the last time we spoke was.

Remembering you with great fondness, these memories are mine and I promise to enjoy them for us both.

Sue-Ellen

i did a good thing. and it was partly selfish.

you know when you have those good ideas that are a little too much work and so you don't do them and feel totally disappointed in yourself for the rest of the day? i actually did it and it still feels so much better.

it was my friend at home's birthday and i'd already said i couldn't go. i had invited her over here, it would have masde a nice change and we could have had a lovely time pottering around doing the better tings in life art, eating and meandering. i was quite diappointed and slightly frustrated with life whan she arranged an outing at home, especially as i was doing my zipslide that morning so i assumed i was pretty much tied to newcastle.

the zipslide didn't have the affect on me i thought it would. it was a lot of waiting around and then a burst of heavy excitement and then it was over. we had a LOVERLY lunch at the cafe next to my house and then i was like now what?!?!

i came back up to my room. i checked train times and the facebook event to see what their plans were and then i rang another friend and we sorted out the surprise. i was so sure my friend would figure out i was coming, and the surprise was delicious. it had been running through my mind, when and how we would meet and whether she would really be surprised. and oh she was. i was waiting at the bus stop when their bus pulled in and i was behind her, SURPRISE! heeheeeee i feel she was delighted! we had a lovely meal, and we didnt quite stand still to watch the fireworks but we saw them through the trees as we marched towards them. we were together and it felt so much better than last year when all the fireworks i saw were from the back entrance at work. standing in a service yard alone feels very lonely in front of a spectacular.

what has made it even better is that and even different friend of mine, on hearing what had transpired has told me he is proud of me and what a lovely thing it was i did.
it felt like a kiss on the forehead, which is sometimes a most perfect thing.

and you don't know this, but she did much the same thing for me a few years ago. i like to think we are there to save each other when needed. and probably when not so needed.