I am planning an overdue visit to my old hometown of Sheffield.
It's been far too long since I touched base with the old steel City and I have missed my old friends...John ( a Zara wearing old Queen) , Jane ( a cheerful earth mother) and mike ( an easy going old fart)...so very much.
Chris is treating me to a nice hotel room and the date has been set for May the first, so all I had to do is to galvanise the groups, so to speak and turn up.
It will be lovely to see them all again.
Texting is an ideal medium to organise a reunion.
A few choice words and " beep beep!" Job's done
Yesterday, I contacted my three main friends and in a fit of excitement made a few more texts to other old Sheffield friends that I have not caught up with for a few years now...... Seeing that I have a whole day to "catch up" with old friends.... I thought that I could stagger a few reunions over a late lunch or an early dinner so to speak.
One old friend I sent the "generic..meet me" text to got back to me almost immediately. The last time I saw her, she was a harassed wife and mother, who lived a quiet surburban life of school runs, part time nursing shifts and occasional depression.
Now things appear somewhat different........
Our Text Conservation went as follows.......
ME: "......so I can't wait to see you......I cannot believe that we last met up five years ago....what's new?"
HER: " Left my husband, living in a rented house.......share the kids, they all have their problems and life is a struggle at times but bugger it.......I've had a gastric bypass, lost 8 stone, dyed my hair purple, had several piercings and now shagging a 22 year old ex cage fighter who has put me in debt.... But hey ho" ( now you know where I got the catchphrase hey ho from!) ...." If you can't have a midlife crisis at my age when can you have it?!...............
I will tell you all the mucky details when I see you. X.......what's your news BTW?"
ME: ( wracking my brain) " I think I have gout in my right big toe"
HEY HO
It's been far too long since I touched base with the old steel City and I have missed my old friends...John ( a Zara wearing old Queen) , Jane ( a cheerful earth mother) and mike ( an easy going old fart)...so very much.
Chris is treating me to a nice hotel room and the date has been set for May the first, so all I had to do is to galvanise the groups, so to speak and turn up.
It will be lovely to see them all again.
Texting is an ideal medium to organise a reunion.
A few choice words and " beep beep!" Job's done
Yesterday, I contacted my three main friends and in a fit of excitement made a few more texts to other old Sheffield friends that I have not caught up with for a few years now...... Seeing that I have a whole day to "catch up" with old friends.... I thought that I could stagger a few reunions over a late lunch or an early dinner so to speak.
One old friend I sent the "generic..meet me" text to got back to me almost immediately. The last time I saw her, she was a harassed wife and mother, who lived a quiet surburban life of school runs, part time nursing shifts and occasional depression.
Now things appear somewhat different........
Our Text Conservation went as follows.......
ME: "......so I can't wait to see you......I cannot believe that we last met up five years ago....what's new?"
HER: " Left my husband, living in a rented house.......share the kids, they all have their problems and life is a struggle at times but bugger it.......I've had a gastric bypass, lost 8 stone, dyed my hair purple, had several piercings and now shagging a 22 year old ex cage fighter who has put me in debt.... But hey ho" ( now you know where I got the catchphrase hey ho from!) ...." If you can't have a midlife crisis at my age when can you have it?!...............
I will tell you all the mucky details when I see you. X.......what's your news BTW?"
ME: ( wracking my brain) " I think I have gout in my right big toe"
HEY HO
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| Sheffield City Centre |
Does she have a blog?
ReplyDeleteIf she did have, the story of how her camper van blew up on snake pass would be a highlight
DeleteHaha Could da
ReplyDeleteA lot can happen in five years. Don't forget to tell her you were attacked by an enraged 6 inch high rooster whilst feeling up a goose. That should stop her cold for a minute or two lol.
ReplyDeleteCompared with a. 22 year old cage fighter
DeleteThat's chicken feed
You're going to have to make stuff up!
ReplyDeleteJane x
can not wait to hear the stories after your trip!
ReplyDeleteStill laughing about the T.P. incident!!!!!! Poor fellow.....
ReplyDeleteI keep telling you to write a small book, leading off with several Scotched eggs stories, for your open !
ReplyDeleteummmmmmmmm hope your big toe gets better soon ?
cheers, parsnip
It's arthritis not. Gout....gout sounded better
DeleteI'd die my hair purple for a 22 yo cage fighter. She sounds like quite a girl and the text made me laugh.
ReplyDelete"hey ho" indeed
ReplyDeletehope you don't really have gout in your big toe...'cause it obviously doesn't stand up to "her" trials and tribulations :)
if you wish I'll text this..."date and time for when I should expect your book in the book shops"
I reconnected with a longtime friend a couple of weeks ago that I had not heard from since she moved to South Africa. She and her husband just climbed Mount Kilimanjaro .... How do I top that with what I've been doing?? Hey ho is right!!!
ReplyDeleteSome people. Always go oone better
DeleteSome peoples priorities are just different, Kim.
DeleteYou may not be able to 'top' their stories, but yours are so much more important.
John, I understand why you reply as you did, but I think your stories are better.
And I look forward to your telling of them when you get back!
Have a great time. ♥
It's obvious why you two are friends - the same insane humor! Wish I could be a little mouse sitting in the pub when you folks meet up.
ReplyDeleteNancy in Iowa
So like the home life of our own dear Queen.....
ReplyDeleteGout can trump purple hair in some situations. A nose ring wins over it all.
ReplyDeleteThe home of the "Full Monty!" Love that.
ReplyDeleteThat's quite a comprehensive upheaval. How could you possibly compete with that? You'd better get moving. You've got a couple of weeks to have a serious midlife crisis and end up living with a 25 year old welder in Doncaster.
ReplyDeleteNever in Doncaster..it's a right hole
DeleteHaha! Thanks for the chortle over my breakfast. You tell a good story, John!
ReplyDeleteI should know better than go take a sip of coffee when I'm reading you blog. John. Oh my I hope the phone in rice works to dry it out.
ReplyDeleteWill one day be enough?
ReplyDeleteI would love to hear the whole story on this one! Good for her for having some fun.
ReplyDeleteI want to be a fly on that wall!
ReplyDeleteTom...I have toned some of this down....this friend once worked as a nurse in HM PRISON and once grabbed a prisoners erection through his pants thinking it was contraband
ReplyDeleteI am planning a reunion with a few companions from 1969...haven;t seen one gal since then!! Could be interesting. Am looking forward to your reunion post! May have to make a few adjustments to mine.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm due a mid life crisis..
ReplyDeleteThe last friend you mention sounds like she is great fun and determined she will be remembered by all who know her.
ReplyDeleteI love the exchange with your divorced friend! Hey ho. I spent a night in Sheffield once while on a tour of England. The "hotel" was actually a bunch of houses connected together to make an inn. I never got to sample the night life however!
ReplyDeleteYou are a male version of me - I have Arthritus in my big toes too. We have all the same ailments. I'm off to Sheff tomorrow - I shall be looking for her!!!! xxxx
ReplyDeleteThat is definitely some life changing choices for your friend. I think I would prefer the gout!
ReplyDeleteLife has some bloody difficult corners; and we never know what's around each one. As long as I don't encounter a 22 year old cage fighter....
ReplyDeleteNow that reunion sounds to have a LOT of promise. And congratulations to your friend. Huge changes, which sound to be for the better (on balance).
ReplyDeleteTom S: "I had my mid-life crisis aged 25, but I was always greedy." I like it!
ReplyDeleteIf she has your sense of humour John then I think you need to reserve judgement on how much of it is true until you meet her - you may indeed find that everything is as it always was! If not then all I can say is that you have some fascinating friends which make mine all seem so ordinary.
ReplyDeletePat, knowing the old friend as I did.... I suspect it is all true... But perhaps like me, she has given the whole story a humorous slant.... X
ReplyDeleteThere's hope for me yet! Have caught up with your posts now. Ignore my last request.x
ReplyDeleteActually, I heard on the radio the other day that it's the 60's and over who are now having mid-life crises as opposed to those in their 40's so there's plenty of time for you yet - as for me, I'd better get cracking!
My mid life crisis is entirely supressed and will not be allowed to come out lest I ruin a lot of lives! Fabulous to hear about other people's though! xx
ReplyDeleteNow thats a good friend - a person who will go to the trouble to have the adventures that you just may not be up to at the moment... but yet will share the details... ;)
ReplyDelete