Yesterday I was supposed to go to my little Thai lady for deep tissue massage but I received a message from her at 4am (I didn't see it until I woke up) telling me that she would have to cancel as she had pulled a muscle in her back and it was getting worse. She sent a photo of a massage pillow she was sleeping on which seemed to have some kind of electric current going through it. Sadly for the Thai lady it is difficult for her to get a massage for herself which is exactly what she needed. (She texted me last night to say she has arranged a massage for herself from another Thai lady and hopes to be recovered and able to fit me in on Sunday). Obviously I completely understood so turned to a lunch date that I thought I was going to miss having unusually landed myself with a diary clash and emailed my lunch girls to see if they were still meeting. Fortunately they were so at 12 O Clock I was in the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norwich on the UEA campus looking round the latest exhibition before meeting the girls for lunch in the restaurant.
We hadn't seen each other since early December when we had a short mid-morning snack before three of them went off to see the Castle Museum since the changes. I cried off that because I have yet to feel ready to see what they did to the Castle with all the millions spent. Many of us who are familiar with the Castle Museum since we were small children and school visits starting when we were around 8 years old are reluctant to go to see what they have done to our beloved Castle. My sister-in-law refuses to ever go again! I feel sure that I will visit but in my own time. The girls said they enjoyed their visit and joined one of the tours but found the guide a bit too over-bearing and not wanting to "let go" of anyone.
Yesterday we caught up on all news like films and books seen and read. My friends all go to the cinema like me but we tend to go singly or to different cinemas and we all like it that way. The general consensus on Hamnet was the same, that we were a little disappointed and could not see what all the hype was about. Song Sung Blue was the latest we had all seen and we had all enjoyed - Hugh Jackman and the Neil Diamond experience - and my latest was Rental Family which I was able to recommend in spite of only 1 star from The Guardian - always enough to give a film a thumbs up in itself. Incidentally Rental Family stars Brendan Fraser who reminded me of the "date" guy I went out with for six months last year, both in physical looks and mannerisms. Quite an amusing quirk for me and made me smile. It is a lovely part Fraser plays as star of the film and it is a nice feel-good story and all set in Tokyo.
I have arranged to have the house valued and the valuer is coming on Friday so I have to tidy up a bit. I am a bit in a quandary about what to do but I have decided to set the ball rolling thinking about moving. The house is too big for me now and too isolated in terms of access to town life and always involving driving. I have been looking at apartments around and about, both coastal and inland, and it struck me this week in a light bulb moment that I may as well move to an apartment in Norwich where there are plenty available, an overkill of conversions and building having taken place in the last 10 years and I am always going to Norwich, I may as well live there! But then again .........
Poor massage lady. I hope she feels better soon. Nice you had a catch up with 'the girls'! The move sounds exciting! Another new chapter. No worry about the firewood, getting home after day out etc. I wonder what the cats would make of it? Lots for you to plan Rachel. x
ReplyDeleteI am not really ready to move, I like living here in the peace and surroundings and my neighbours are nice people but they are all my age or older and thinking along the same lines of moving away too. It is not easy for me to think about really and the cats are a problem. xx
DeleteIt could be time to think about moving. Life would be easier in a home with no demands nearer to amenities.
ReplyDeleteThe driving has really been causing me problems this year with the headlights at night and the driving back from the station is unavoidable.
DeleteSeems sensible Rachel. Norwich seems me a nice place to live. Lots of facilities. Airport, railway- and busstation.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with everything.
I don't know that I am ready yet but practicalities tell me that I should be thinking about it.
DeleteDownsizing to a small two bedroom house was a good decision for me… I often feel as though I could go even smaller!
ReplyDeleteI feel that I only did a base, one bedroom tiny place will do me.
DeleteMoving is always a big step, isn't it, but your approach is (as always) very sensible. I wish you all the best!
ReplyDeleteNice to meet your friends for lunch. I have seen my pub quiz team on Tuesday for the first time since before Christmas, and it was good to catch up - and tell them of my engagement :-)
At the Day Spa where I go for my regular massage, the staff book massages and other treatments with each other, but I understand your Thai lady works alone and can't simply book a slot with a colleague at the same place. I hope she is soon well again.
My Thai lady has a problem getting massage for herself as it is something she definitely cannot self-administer! I will contact her later today if I have not heard from her and see how she is.
DeleteI enjoyed the catch-up with my friends, especially as I was not expecting to see them until February at our next meeting. They were also pleased to see me.
I am very much undecided about moving but something will give me a signal no doubt when the time is right.