So we're home for a short break of just shy of a month. We're home to go to our great friends' sons' wedding.  Sam Attwood will made an honest woman of his lovely fiance Natalie on 18th August. As usual our long suffering besties Rob and Lynn allowed us to sofa surf (actually they made up a beautiful room for us) for the first few days home, then we made ouyselves scarce to give them time for all the wedding prep and stayed with my sister Jan and brother in law pete.

The week with Hinge and Bracket didn't get off to the best start.  Kim gave Pete a bottle of Jack Daniels to carry into the house while she set about lugging a 4 tonne rucksack through the door.  Pete looks at it says "Oh, cheers" and takes it in. 

Kim and I discuss long and hard how we break the terrible news to pete that we hadn't meant it as a a prezzie and decide that opening it and drinking some is the best tactic.  Pete, bless him laughs like a drain.

"Here, Jan they've not only bought me something I don't like as a present, but they're drinking the stuff as well!!"

Janet probably saves our marriage by taking Kim shopping for a nail file or some what not which matches an ankle bracelette that she hasn't seen yet but thinks will match that dress we saw in kuala lumpur but didn't buy....

"you know, the one that's the same colour as the hat I wore to lynns wedding in 1986" ....

"oh, that one!" I say as i hurriedly pull on my socks and boots, pete and I are going to a couple of pubs....

Around 5 oclock Jan and Kim find us smiling stupidly around a couple of G&Ts, Janet wears the same look I see on my face as I stare dispairingly into mirrors in the ladies underpants sections of stores while she tries on another 15 outfits. 

Why are the fitting rooms always in the underpants section, having given up trying to peek into the cubicles, I amuse myself by fingering the odd gusset, maybe slip a pair over my head....I see an assistant, chatting to an obvious store detective and nodding in my direction, I take a turn around the bras, the foundation garments, linger in the stocking and suspender aisle, try to spot pubic hairs poking out around panty lines in the knicker advert posters, see how many words I can make in my head from Shaved Mufflers....

Janet has that "kill me now" look.

The Wedding is of course perfect.  We've arrived home and brought an end to the heatwave, but the weather behaves, everyone looks beautiful, the service is wonderful and the reception an utter joy...

Me and the guys from the band manage to grab a couple of days at the cricket and Kim and I re-impose ourselves on Rob and Lynn for the next two weeks while we deal with all the planning necessary for taking another year  away from home.  A year!! how will we do it? We've come to realise how much we miss and love our home and friends here, this is a dream for us but it doesn't come without cost.  It seems we spend the entire time saying goodbye to people.

Before we know it it seems we're on our way to the airport.  My heart sinks a little when I see who's occupying the aisle seat next to us, he's the size of two seperate alps and makes it pretty obvious he doesn't want any interaction.  Well we've spent our last 2 hours in blighty well and I'm pretty full of Abbott and Speckled Hen so he's gonna get clambered on!  See you in New York!