friends .....

several people have posted about friends recently

I just want to talk about very concrete experiences

Tuesday
In Cambridge for a week and in a different hotel from colleagues - which is fine - I am close to the river for running and the other peeps are all colleagues rather than friends

So Tuesday evening I went to eat with some long time friends - they supported me when I was in the early years of teaching 30 years ago - I taught one of their boys. It was really good to catch up with them - it didn't feel like 30 years though!

Wednesday
A friend and colleague is in town for a different meeting - and he quite understands when I can't face trekking across town in the evening to meet for a meal with him and his team.

Friday
Home at last! Great to see the family and student beanz, home for a month.
And then a forum night out - collecting PH from the station and on to the pub. There were 17 of us from across the East Midlands - including LMH and mark*w - the first forumites I ever met in the flesh. The forums may have their problems - but I have made some good friends there.
PH came back home with us, met the teenbeanzes en masse and survived - great to have her to stay.

Saturday
Up early for a plod with PH - coach said I should do 11 miles - PH wanted a few more for her weekly total!
Suffice to say we had a compromise on 12.6 - but walking the last mile or so whilst exploring a new bit of route.
It was HOT.
And there was quite a lot of walking to keep the HR under control.
But it was a lovely morning - we nattered and plodded and I barely noticed the toxic two!

Running with friends is just the best :>)