I don't need another skinny Latte

Skinnylatte

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

me too. ive been a bit half hearted recently but like, Ali, am well impressed by the pension pot. also, incredibly nosey and want to hear of the new friend. as for the daughter, it truly does get better, then worse, then better.

Thanks INOD, I've realised over the last couple of years, that just as you get lulled into a false sense of security that 'they're OK now' they go and do something really stupid. BUT, at least she copes with it all now, and still no need for a return to the therapist!

Skinnylatte

Ali-OK wrote: »

Ooh how your trip away with your 'new friend' has gone well ...come on spill those beans

Well it goes a little something like this...

She worked for a big corporate, travelled the world and was well remunerated. Testament to this was the large debt, over £20k, that had been cleared over the past 2 years. Being debt free, although not the massive eureka moment, she was expecting at its passing, gave her a sense of security, and a greater sense of self worth.

Travelling to so many exotic countries, she often received comments about how lucky she was, and indeed that was the case. Although, it was not sun, sea and sand. It was airports, hotels and factories, with many late nights, delayed flights, and little time to relax or see any sights.
So when, during a recent trip to Turkey, one of the scheduled factories cancelled at the last moment, she was left with a free day. A rare and precious free day some-where warm and sunny.
The first thought was to spend the day working and catching up, with maybe a couple of hours by the pool later in the afternoon, a bit of a treat. Workload had been heavy recently, and the backlog was building up like a pressure cooker.

Many years ago she had had a brief visit to the ancient city of Ephesus, and had always promised her self to return and see it properly. The concierge at the hotel were able to book her on a tour starting at 10am the next day. The cost was 80 euros, but thanks to her recent frugality and budgeting she easily had spare money to pay for the tour.

Boarding the minibus the next morning she found herself sitting next to a friendly looking guy. They got talking and she learned he was from New Zealand and half way through a tour of Europe, he was a good looking man, and very easy to get on with, the day was looking mighty fine. They spent the 90 minute drive to Ephesus guessing the nationalities of the other tourers on the bus, and listening to the politically swayed information from the tour guide.

If you are ever in the Bodrum, or Western coast of Turkey, you should try and pay a visit to Ephesus. Its excavated remains reflect centuries of history, from classical Greece to the Roman Empire. So much is still standing, and it's a pretty spectacular place to spend the day exploring. The tour took in also the House of the Virgin Mary, and the temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient worlds.

It was a fun day, relaxed and chilled, she felt her self unwinding and enjoying the company of her new friend. They had dinner that evening, on the seafront, overlooking the Aegean sea, watching the sun set and sampling the local raki.

The following day he flew to Istanbul to continue his extended holiday, and she returned to work, the precious free day glowing in her memory.

The journey home from Turkey is a bit of a bore, it requires 2 flights, changing in Istanbul before flying home to the UK, where there's a tiresome drive home. She was used to delays and running through airports trying to make it to the gate on time. However this time the delayed connecting flight bounced on to the runway 20 minutes before the Manchester flight was due to depart, and despite a frantic race through the airport, the door on the bridge was closed as she ran up, with the gentleman shaking his head at her. Despite angry protests to the ground crew that the plane was still on the stand and all they had to do was open the door and let her on, her flight left with out her.

Earlier on the day she had received a travel warning from her head office, there were riots in Istanbul, plastic bullets and tear gas were being deployed. She informed her travel department who instructed her not to leave the airport and asked her to stay in contact, as there were no flights home until the following day, she would need to wait it out.

But of course, he was still in Istanbul and sometimes fate is a strange and wonderful thing. Although there was no public transport running, he was lucky to find a taxi driver to bring him out to the airport.

The airport hotel chosen by the airline, for unfortunate stray passengers, was a typical bland and sterile affair. Going without lunch they were hungry come dinner time, and pleased to use the free voucher provided by the airline, however disgruntled to find that a set menu of soup, kenstucky style chicken and chips (in fact it wasn't even that good) and a blobby antiseptic tasting article was slapped on the table for dessert.
He was amused by her appalled bemusement that an airline she'd flown with over 100 times could subject her to this. When you have to spend an unexpected extra night away from home through no fault of your own you expect to be looked after, right?
Well to be honest she wasn't complaining, in fact she really couldn't believe her luck!

For the second time they parted, and arranged to meet up in Amsterdam at the end of his tour before flying home to Auckland.

The following weeks passed quickly as she fought to keep up with the overwhelming workload, along with a daughter who went missing for 4 days (drinking binge and returned completely fine with her tail between her legs).
She was horrified to find that a new work launch was scheduled to take place right in the middle of the week they had agreed to meet in in Amsterdam. As the launch was her responsibility, there would be no alternative but to attend and forgo her short planned holiday. However a woman on a mission is a woman indeed, and by sweet talking the lead technologist and pulling in every favour she could think of (along with the promise of a few pints) she was able to move the launch to the previous week.

They text frequently during the weeks in between, She liked to hear of where he was and what he'd been up to, and looked forward to seeing him again, and having a break from work.

Typically the flight to Amsterdam had been researched carefully, getting the best deal she could through Skyspanner. Although was able to book it direct with the airline through Topcashback, along with the insurance and car parking, netting a tidy £9.90 in cash back. Once again she was able to easily find the cash to pay for everything upfront, although it did mean there was no savings in to her new kitchen or pension pot that month. The feeling of being able to pay for a short break away with hard earned cash, rather than cold hard credit was a blessing.

The day came, and her work mobile was, unusually, stashed at home in the top drawer, this was going to be a proper holiday. She was nervous, 3 days with some-one you barely knew, what if they couldn't find anything to talk about and it all got a bit awkward, or he turned about to be a weirdo and dragged her into the back streets and harvested her organs....:eek:

Everything was on time, and she landed in the Dam city along with a whole host of butterflies. He met her at the station, and it was lovely to see him, to kiss him hello and hug him, she was smiling inside and out.

The three days passed all too quickly, walking the canal streets, exploring the bars, live music, museums, infamous red light district and even sampling the space cake in one of the special coffee shops. Company was enjoyed, but there was no further plans made, and talk of anything meaningful was skirted around. She wanted to ask how he felt, but was afraid of looking foolish, if he didn't feel the same she'd just look dumb. Both of them were quiet the final day.

They parted in Amsterdam central station with a kiss and a smile, and she returned home to a grey and cold England, the holiday romance ended.

For 2 nights she cried her self to sleep over what would never be, and likely will do the same tonight too. For that, is very probably the end of the story.

in_need_of_direction

But what an ego boost mrs. It sounds great. Btw, if you fancy an additional income, apparently mills and boon are always seeking writers!

headachesrus

You'll always have Amsterdam.

Ali-OK

Aww Skinny, I was like and then :j, some of this :beer: and then for you.

Brilliantly written, there's a book in all of us you know....

Thank you for sharing and hold onto that pillow tight at night

((hugs)) xx

Skinnylatte

Well that's enough of that then, moping around and feeling sorry for myself... in need of direction, headachesrus, Ali-OK thank you for commenting. If I'm going down the Mills & Boon route, I'll need to put some raunchy bits in

I'm just watching a documentary on the Nepal earth quakes, it sort of puts life in perspective doesn't it.

Well a fair bit to report, payday has been and gone and signature has been updated. My savings aren't growing as fast as I'd like, but I keep spending money I hadn't budgeted for!!

I have a fab work trip coming up soon, 10 days in California :j, it'll be hard work as there's a lot of work to do, but I will get a couple of days off, so will try and fit a tour of something in (more cost!). The trip means I can't go to one of the festivals, but that's OK, hopefully I can get my money back as it's sold out.

DS is in the final week of his GCSE's, apart from maths all appears to have gone well (or that's what he's telling me!) and he has an interview at college on 17th June.

DD has booked herself a one way ticket to Zante :eek:. She has, sensibly, booked with a company that specializes in finding young people work abroad. So for £200 she gets 4 weeks shared accommodation, transfer from the airport and help finding work and settling in with like minded people. Scarey stuff, and I'm feeling quite emotional about it, but what a great opportunity for her, living the dream!!

I'm awaiting a topcashback payout of £35 (I think that was the car insurance), and there's some more to come from hotel bookings too. Also sold a couple of bits on Fleabay so made £10 there, and have a couple of other things to list too.

Also I was awarded 'Collegue of the month' at work (well chuffed ) and will get £50 extra in my pay at the end of the month, and I've just finished paying off my bike via the ride to work scheme, so will be another £50 a month better off. (decied that I already [STRIKE]need[/STRIKE] want a new bike!)

Mum's 70th birthday went really well, we arrived to find she'd dyed her hair purple for the occasion, what a legend!! She loved her cake and pressy, and it was great to have the whole family together for the first time in years.

Phew that was a bit of an update, here's hoping for a nice quiet week xx

Skinnylatte

Half way through the week, it seems to have been a long week already!
Hopefully you're all having a frugal debt busting saving week :T

My ebay sales have been posted and I've banked the cash, topcashback has paid out too, plus the Hallyfax £5 reward, so my kitchen fund now stands at £726.37, only now I'm wondering if I should do the patio first, it needs relaying badly and a fence putting round it (8ft drop into the garden!), so maybe I'll get a quote for that first.

I've sold my festival tickets for exactly what I paid for them, and also reclaimed £96 I was owed, so all's good on that front. 17 days til payday and not much in the pot due to last months spends, so essential spends only until the end of this month I might have to raid the piggy bank, which in fairness is nearly full, although it might take some counting!

My sin this week was buying a bottle of gin with my Nectar points

I completed a viewsbanks survey tonight bringing my total to £1.85, so a way to go for my payout threshold of £12.

This Saturday I've said I'd help a friend out, she has a catering van doing Indian street food from a converted ice-cream van, we're doing a local festival, I'm really looking forward to it, it'll be fun, plus I'll have free food all day and a day out

That's all for now xx

Brogden

Thanks for calling over to my place .....and stay away from that 8ft drop if you're on the gin Skinny :eek: !!

I know you are very sensible. I have been following your diary but I thought I had better lurk as your big post was so 'from the heart.' I thought from a girl to other girls and not intended for brogden's so I kept quiet !!

Song for the day........REM.....

'Everybody hurts,
Take comfort in the fact,
Everybody hurts........sometime.....'

Have a lovely weekend my dear.

Broggers x

Skinnylatte

Thanks broggers, your perspective on girly life is always welcome

Feeling a bit sad and lonely today

Ali-OK

:wave: Not alone on here

Festival & catering day tomorrow? Hope it's good fun and cheers you up.