The Contingency Plan

It's just starting to rain outside. Hugo is asleep and Luc is working from home today. He's sitting on the couch across from me, typing. The house is silent, except for the tap, tap, tap of keys and patter of the rain outside.

And despite the fact that he's working and I'm not, this very environment makes me feel so productive. And that's all that matters.

In other matters, the offer we made on the most recent house has been accepted so Luc and I are verifying some financial details before going ahead. We told the agents to leave us alone for a week to figure everything out and the break is liberating. These guys are pushy. I left my phone in the car overnight by accident last week and returned to eight voice messages from them wanting to know an update.

And just when I was getting used to the silence, I received a call from the original agent we dealt with today (actually it was his colleague). Funnily enough the deal that the owners dumped us for has fallen through and they'd still like to sell us the house. He started talking about how I can still have my dream home, my "first love" and I found myself wondering whether I've already moved on. To be honest I'm a little confused and a little spiteful and unsure of what we want. So I'm going to take my time to decide (Luc has already decided the house isn't for us and likes the new one better).

There are lots of other bits and bobs taking place. My brother's started work for me, which I'm really enjoying. My sister has left her agency job to work for the church (!!) and Mum's currently in Taiwan as she broke up with her mysterious boyfriend of three years a few weeks ago (after he kicked her during an argument) and needs some time to think about things. She left pretty suddenly, only giving us a few day's notice and will be gone for at least two months.

I wish she went somewhere else as my grandmother is sick and old and there's no health care system in Taiwan so my aunty and grandmother are shamelessly pressuring her to get back together with psycho boyfriend so she can ship them money. They're telling her that all men are selfish and abusive and she should just deal with it.

She's taken their advice.

Penelope, Charlie and I are catching up on Sunday and I really can't wait. Charlie's married and Penelope's moving in with her boyfriend next week and depsite us all being in committed relationships for years, this will be the first get-together with everyone there. We haven't seen each other for months and in that time Penelope's been to Europe, we've initiated steps to buy a house and I think Charlie and her hubby are moving to London. We'll have a lot to talk about, not to mention a little gossip on another friend of ours who's getting married next month. The man she's getting to married to is 20 years older than her, filthy rich and divorced with two teenaged daughters. She hasn't invited anyone to the wedding, which is taking place next month. It's unfortunately a sad topic for Penelope as this girl was one of her closest friends. I don't understand how you can get married and not want your best friend there, even if she does look like a supermodel.

Anyway, probably should try and do some work while Hugo is asleep....

Why is it that every time I teach a unit on battering, I read posts and news similiar to this one? Of course, I'm just more atuned . . .
tell mum to pop him in the knee cap and she shant have such problems again.

otherwise, I've noticed something about the reasons i read your blog: i especially like the intensely private moments between you, the rain, baby hugo, and the keyboard . . . i once loved moments such as those and you articulate them beautifully . . .

Of course you are atuned. It's not surprising.

And thanks for that.