A Tax rose is but a rose by any other name

[Sajehar]

SM and me have made up (well a bit more than that

[Pet66]

Hooray!! Been waiting for an update. Guessed all would be ok though. Soulmates you twoxx

[bowlingbun]

Well done. Can't be long now until the cruise? Have a lovely time, you deserve it after the tough times you've had.

[SheWolf]

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[Sajehar]

I’m now back in England, and had an amazing time. My biggest fear was that being stuck with SM 24/7 would be the end of us.

It’s one thing meeting up every now and then…. but in some cabin you can’t escape from?

But then that devil on my shoulder said, “What will be, will be.”

So, I went for it. To my surprise, the opposite happened. We got on really well????

We’re still total opposites: He liked to sunbath by the pool (lazy git.) I can’t stand sunbathing, and preferred actually swimming in the pool…. Well, messing around in it to actually swimming if I’m honest.
I even managed to get him to play ‘Tarzan and Crocodiles’ one day…. Miracle of miracles!

But what I’m really pleased about is my dad. Within hours of turning up (my aunty looked after him) he set me a computer task… despite being a computer numpty.

My dad’s mates are going for a fishing trip in the Isle of Man. My dad has no interest in fishing, but some mate of his, from when he was RM Commando lived there years ago…. Could I track him down?

Me: Dad… Who the hell do you think I am? Colombo?

Dad: Just give it a go.

Me: Oh, what the hell…

So I did. I tried all sorts of permutations on names/towns/initials… nothing.
On the fifth website I came up with the first name initial and second name dad had given me, and gave him a number.

I warned him that it probably meant nothing…. His mate was probably dead, etc, etc, etc.

It turned out it WAS his old mate from the commandos. That really surprised me… I did it?? How???? They wittered away for over half an hour; and are going to meet up.

I’m so pleased for him, but I’m worried too. Who will make sure he takes his meds? My aunty did when I was on my holiday (she’d been a paid care worker for 30 years before she retired.)
Am I worrying needlessly?

[bowlingbun]

I'm so, so glad you enjoyed the cruise. It's lovely that you've managed to find dad's friend, just imagine how much catching up they'll be doing. I expect there is someone else fretting on how the friend will cope! A fishing trip sounds quite adventurous, but I imagine someone else will be in charge of the boat....if they get out of their hotel after all the chatting!!!

[SheWolf]

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[Sajehar]

The Kid done well as he got an A plus, or star, or whatever they call it these days, in maths. Either way, top marks.
English, not so well; but still a respectable pass mark. He’s going to college… YEHHHH!

It’s only part time, the rest of the time he’ll be working as an apprentice for SM’s mate Sam.

I have no idea how these things work, but I had a brilliant day today… better than the cruise.

Much as I enjoyed the cruise (and I did) I enjoyed today better.

It was nothing more than an RNLI day that happens every August Bank holiday. They didn’t even have the Red Arrows to show up, so I didn’t want to go.

I was so wrong.

SM turned up with the Kid and his siblings, wanting to go to this show. I didn’t. I gave in; I’m glad I did.

For about 15 years I’ve wanted to win a stuffed tiger. I’ve never got the ‘21’ you need to win one. This year I did.
But once I won the tiger, I didn’t want it… where would I put it?

I fake wrestled with this tiger, pretended it didn’t like me and gave it to the Kid’s young sister instead.

She hugged and cuddled that fake tiger more than I ever could.

We were sitting on a shelf, eating ice creams, and then this music came on over the intercom.

This bunch of 20 year olds looked at me, I looked elsewhere, and then decided to dance…what the hell!

Me: I LOVE this dance…..

So I did.

I made a total prat of myself by dancing with a bloke of about 20, but I spotted out of the corner of my eye an elderly lady swaying.

She had a walking stick, and was accompanied by a woman in a blue uniform. She was from a care home; she reminded me of my mother.

I danced up to her, wriggling and shimmying away, with people clapping away. They were clapping her, not me…. The look of ecstasy on her face I’ll never forget.

Here’s the song we danced to…..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K3C01fnUCI

That was a damn good dance!

[Sajehar]

SheWolf,

I will spill some beans; I had the time of my life (even though we argued a bit.)

It turned out to be not one, but two, P & Q cruises on some ginormous ship called the Arcadia.

I was gobsmacked when I saw the size of this ship at Southampton docks… “What the f..K!”

SM told me it was a middling ship (he would!)

But I reassured SM, bleak though Southampton was, it was a lot better than that giant cruise ship that had turned up at Liverpool…. Only to be confronted by miles of scrap metal mountains in Bootle.

The ‘Cabin’ was anything but. I’d never been on a cruise before, so I kind of had visions of either hammocks, or bunk beds at best…. Which I wouldn’t have minded.

This effing ‘cabin’ was bigger than my HA flat. It had a bath with those squirty things.

SM: We haven’t even drunk the champagne or eaten the strawberries, and you’re in the bath already?

Me: Too right I am…. Give it a go!

Perhaps I went a little over the top.

I reached the conclusion that we’d never agree, but he told me to not pack my bags as we were going to Iceland.

I nearly decked him (pardon the pun?)

[SheWolf]

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