Bombshells

On Wednesday last, the High Heid Yin, He Who Must Be Obeyed (er, yeah, right) spent the morning at our office. I was trying to get ready to run out to court for the first day of a three-day final hearing in a contested matter, so was stressed anyway.

I was even more stressed when he said there was something he needed to talk to me about but it could wait until lunch time and not to stress about it!

Nothing is more likely to make me stress - even with him bouncing and grinning and holding two thumbs aloft in the corridor outside my room. (Do I work for Paul MacCartney?)

It wasn't bad news, not at all. I mean, it couldn't be, really, could it?

Seems my successor does not want me here next week when she starts work, so I have a week's paid vacation and effectively finish on October 3, not October 10.

Argh! So much to do, so little time, and three hearings this week!

Bombshell number 2 was my dear, darling baby brother telephoning me from Norway, where he and his wife were at a clinic to discuss IVF. They are eligible, they have the cash, and they will be going back. I am going to cover for them in the shop while they are away for a week to ten days. It was supposed to be around 22 October this year.

'Are you free in November? Right at the end, about November 27?'

ARGH!

So, I have already arranged with my landlady to stay on till the end of October. Now I am free to leave as soon as I can be ready to go and the Hippy can get his mitts on a van.

Eek!

So, I have been madly trying to get in touch with him since Friday to no avail. He's had some kind of flu bug and has a sore back from staying in bed for two days, but was going in to work today and will sort things with his boss to come over anywhere between October 10 and 15. I hope to have an exact date tonight - will need to as we need to look at whether to go via tunnel or ferry, and then book the cats on whichever form of transport. Can't just turn up with them, unfortunately!

I am excited and terrified in equal measure, and swinging wildly between the two states. I love him and want to be with him more than anything, but to do that I am giving up something I fought and scrabbled to achieve for years, something on many levels that I adore. Or did adore...this last year has kicked most of the enjoyment out of it for me.

Anyway, Gentle Reader - next stop, Germany!