The view from here

Another lesson observation is over, truly there is so much going on in this room it would be quieter to work in the corridor, sorry break out area, because in this business nothing is ever described in plain English when it can be dressed up with a pink bow and presented as something it really is not.

Well that was not what I would call a particularly relaxing weekend, not what I would have prescribed for myself at all. Friday started badly, the intention was to collect a print my mother purchased at the RA Summer Show. The email made it clear that my sister who works 10 minutes from the gallery was far to important and far too busy to be required to go and fetch it. No, I, who works well outside London was expected to fetch it, so I offered to go just before meeting Kitty to see the Degas. To achieve this I had to leave work on the dot to get the 15.38 train home before switching travel cards and bags to get back on the 16.10 train to London.
So I missed the train because a colleague decided that Friday of all days was the time to talk about work. I then managed to get Emin to meet me at the station to do the swap, so I could make the 16.20 train instead, this, was amazingly accomplished only for my best laid plans to die a death half way to London Bridge with the demise of my train, made worse by the driver locking us on the train so we couldn't change onto another train for 20 minutes. I arrived at Green Park just as the gallery closed. Joy. I then became really pissed off that it was I rushing not my effing sister. So I then waited for Kitty who was 20 bloody minutes late because she was trying on clothes after to work! By now I needed a drink so we went to the Kings Head round the corner and despite the hoards outside, inside was relatively calm. I still have to pinch myself how quickly Kitty has gone from a school girl to a working girl, we chatted as workers do and then went to the Degas, which is patchy but thoroughly enjoyable. Kitty in particular loved it and became surprisingly animated at how lovely some of the work is. I am not sure it was worth £14, I don't pay, for that price I would want a few more paintings and less fillers via the work of other artists plus Nijinsky spinning a couple of pirouettes around me.
I asked Kitty what she fancied to eat, bloody Chinese was the answer, I hate eating Chinese in town, unless you get to Hakassan it's laden with monosodium glutamate. I went for a cheap cafe where the lighting would make the most hardened member of the Stassi feel at home, the food was functional and pretty much thrown on to the table, but a dropped chopstick was replaced without asking, I was strangely quite touched by this.
All done until kitty spied M'n'M world. 4, count them 4 floors of M'n'M hell. Still, she was happy.

Saturday was spent decorating a room in a house we have bought to rent out. Sunday was spent helping my sister, (yes the really busy one) to sell her junk at a car boot sale. Why someone who gets a 4 figure bonus needs to stand in a damp field all morning just to sell tat is a mystery to me. One day boot fair next day 5* luxury corporate entertainment overlooking a beach in Monaco! I can see why it is I whole has to be mothers gofer!*
After that I painted some more before walking the dog cooking dinner and then going to the gym after which I sat down and had another pint, thus completing the circle.
Phew!
It is very sobering too see your past wardrobe sat on a table selling for pennies, although much was worn more still had the price tag on, I wondered if she had learnt from this, Yes, it seems she had, hence the recent purchase of a house rather than living like a student at an age when she can afford the the luxury.

* I should point out my sister did collect mother from the airport recently, when mother came out of arrivals she insisted Lucy allow her time to get a coffee, what she failed to understand was every minute spent queueing was another £10 on the car park meter, That would have to be a bloody good coffee.