A week out

Yesterday I determined would be a day of rest and relaxation. I was all ready to spend the whole of it in my pj's, slobbing about and generally just doing what I wanted. I had a phone call from a friend at about midday and she wanted to arrange for us to meet up next week. 'Well,' I said, 'I'm off to London next weekend so that's out, just a mo while I check my diary.' And that's when I realised I was a whole week out and I was due to go to London today!

Panic stations ensued. I'd not read a bit of the paperwork for the meeting I have to attend, nor done any of the things I should have done for it, let alone think about what I was going to pack, so the rest of the day was spent getting myself in order.

Today, I headed off on the train and, because of all kinds of doings on the rail network the journey was scheduled to last 5 hours instead of the usual 3 hours 40 mins. But one of the perks was that I'd managed to bag a cheap 1st Class ticket, so was entertained with free drinks and sandwiches (week days you get cooked food, weekends it's strictly sarnies only) and at least a comfortable seat.

I arrived in London and had no problem getting to my mother's where I stay when in London. She, however, had completely forgotten I was coming down this Sunday (oh well, that makes two of us) and wasn't feeling 100% when I got there, so decided to go to bed at 6.30 pm. She is going to be 93 in March, so I think that kind of thing is perfectly ok, but at least it gave me an excuse to go out to dinner to somewhere I really like to go.

I'm a huge fan of Japanese cuisine, especially when it's really good and I know 2 restaurants not far from my mother's which are round the corner to each other. I started out by seeing if my favourite (Miyama) was open, but it wasn't, so I headed round to Kiku.

I've been going there for literally years, but tonight was the first time there wasn't a table and I was offered a seat at the sushi bar, which I didn't even know they had. It's been like that for years, so I was told. Just goes to show how routined I can get, because I just haven't been upstairs there and so haven't ever seen it. Well am I glad I did.

It was fascinating. I watched the chef and he was a real artist. When I explained that it was lovely to see someone who so obviously loved his work. That went down a treat and so he allowed me to take a pic.

An artist at work

It was a great start to my London few days. Tomorrow I have some time to myself, then meeting up with someone I did the Clinical Doctorate course in Edinburgh with who I haven't seen for 15 or so years, and from there I have some work in the afternoon followed by dinner with one of my best friends. Looking forward to all that.

Tuesday is a different matter... meetings followed by time with my mother, which is always a strain. I'm working on staying calm and centered, and at least I feel suitably mellow tonight after a small carafe of sake, so that's a good start. Now I just have to harness that mellowness and make sure it's in the bag for the next few days.