Thoroughly enjoyed this, Rebecca! Brightened a great (unspringlike) morning, thank you. Many moons ago I was Company Secretary for a higher education quango and Wes Streeting was on the board as NUS president. I remember sitting with him at an away day dinner as we were a fair bit younger than everyone else there. And now every time he pops up in the news I have to resist the urge to squeal ‘I know him!’ a la Will Ferrell’s Elf re Santa! 😂🤦🏼♀️
Ok, so meteorological spring is the bookish one, up early each morning to crack on with work after a rousing pilates session and a green smoothie. Astronomical spring: the slightly dappy mate, dancing naked in a meadow at midnight after too many whiskey shots.
Once, when I was on holiday with my family in London, my brother and I were exploring the Tube with no destination in mind. Eventually we got to playing a game where we’d rush out of one car and into the next at each stop. The train conductor caught on to our hijinx and timed it perfectly so that my older brother made it into a car and I was excluded. And then the train rolled out of the station. For maybe the first time in my life I was alone in a strange place and no family context to enfold me. Strangely exciting, as being lost and alone can be. I made it one of my life goals to embrace that feeling as often as possible. You’re lost! You must be doing something right!
"Strangely exciting, as being lost and alone can be. I made it one of my life goals to embrace that feeling as often as possible." As did I, over 24 years of tramping in foreign countries. The very best of travel is being alone in a place where I do not know the language and cannot even guess -- Budapest, Dubrovnik .... Glasgow... ha ha ha
You're so bold, Sharron - that's awesome! Someone told me once - newly landed as a university student in northern Germany and concerned that I'd be getting lost because I didn't know the city - that 'to get to know a new place, you really need to go out and get lost in it'! As soon as I'd heard those words I wanted to crawl into the nearest corner and never leave the flat! 🤣
You've really made me laugh about the language in Glasgow! 😉
Gosh, Peter, although he had left you in a terrifying situation I can kind of see where the conductor was coming from.....! 😮 I think these days there would rightly be some serious safeguarding concerns relating to his behaviour!
"Strangely exciting, as being lost and alone can be." That's brilliant! I'm quite the reverse: even though I'm not a child any more I have always found being lost an alarming experience. I feel cold, fearful, pathetic. I LOVE, though, that you embrace the 'strangely exciting' as often as possible. And I'm going to reframe my refrain of 'I'm lost again, I've failed, I hate it, I'm so rubbish' with 'I MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT!'.
Peter, thank you. You've really REALLY made me think about this in a different way. I truly appreciate your insight!
Thanks Rebecca. Glad I could help you take pride in the NAME OF YOUR NEWSLETTER. Own it! And let me hasten to say that the conductor was right: our little game was dangerous, and he taught us a lesson. At least about train travel!
That Tube map looks confusing. With all those letters and numbers to remember, I'm sure I would definitely get lost. Ahhh!!!!
I chuckled when I read the part about your dentist. For your dentist to say that, it must have been pretty bad. I used to drink iced tea but when I was going to the dentist I hadn't had it in many years.
Glad to say my teeth have improved since I reintroduced my tea habit after my spell of cold tea-key. And my dental hygienist has what I'd call a firm touch!
We don't really drink iced tea over here - mind you, it's not as warm here as Florida, so we like our tea hot! I'm tempted to try the iced stuff in the summer after being encouraged to do so by Holly Rabalais! I'm going to try making an unsweetened version.
Definitely the unsweetened version. One time at a restaurant I asked for unsweetened and they gave me sweetened. It was awful. Once I got their attention, I got it changed.
You had me cracking up! I loved this post Rebecca. You made my day and made me think...I probably should add a splash of milk to my coffee? I too have a teeth darkening problem. LOL! And thank you so much for sharing the write together sessions. It's been so great to connect with other writers. Cheers!
LOL - I'm so pleased, Julie! I'm really not keen on the taste of raw milk (I'm fine with hot milk, or yoghurt or cheese - but MILK milk is ugh!) but I gather it does help against staining. I wonder which is more likely to stain teeth, tea or coffee? Not that I'm going to research it by holding up a shade card to my teeth after every cup of either! 🤣
And it was my absolute pleasure to share a link to the wonderful stuff you do - hope to see you Friday! 🙌
Nice idea with the almond milk! Knowing my 'all or nothing' nature, though, I'd probably like it TOO much and then have half tea, half almond milk!
My old boss in London told me that an acquaintance of his (CEO of a large business in the city) kept a small manilla envelope at the side of his desk to check the colour of his cups of tea against. Every time his secretary brought him a cuppa (there was a schedule!) he would hold the envelope next to the cup to check it. It was just power games - obviously SHE had a matching envelope - but how ridiculous!! 🤣
One of the things that was recommended to me for eating healthy was yogurt. I thought about getting a whole bunch but it was suggested by someone to just get one to try it. it was the most disgusting thing I've ever tried. 🤣
This entire letter was delightful, Rebecca, but the IKEA of it all had me quite literally laughing out loud! It's been many years since I've been inside that chaotic Swedish mess that I hate to love and your description brought back all the reasons why. 😆 Our last venture there was many years ago with our easily overstimulated then four-year-old and after a day spent dealing with rolling meltdowns (mine and hers) I vowed to never return, no matter how many KALLAX storage cubes I think I need. My nervous system is still recovering! Thanks, once again, for brightening my day with your writing! xoxo
LOL - thanks, Kerri! It's been years since I've been, too, actually - pre-Covid by a number of years, now I think about it. "Rolling meltdown" would just about sum up my last experience there, too - and I don't have a four-year-old, overstimulated or otherwise!
I HATE to say this, Kerri, but thanks to you I'm just about to look up KALLAX storage cubes... See? IKEA still has me in its grasp....!
Oh noooooooo.... Rebecca...... don't do it! I'm probably too late. You probably did it and are now on your way to the nearest IKEA to load up on those dreamy KALLAX (formerly EXPEDIT) storage cubes. I apologize for my negative influence, Rebecca. Mentioning the KALLAX was careless and I shall find a way to make it up to you! 😁
Whew! Crisis averted! I have quite a bit of EXPEDIT (no idea why the names have to be in all caps, but it's IKEA law and I won't break it) and let me tell you, the KALLAX does not match, even though it's supposed to. Just another reason IKEA is dead to me. 🤣
Great story Rebecca, I loved the subway map, I am sure I would get lost using it. I also loke how you use footnotes, it is someting I will need to experiment with.
I love using footnotes, especially since Substack introduced 'inline' footnotes, so you can just hover over the number in the post to read the pop-up. Way easier to navigate than they used to be!
Thoroughly enjoyed this, Rebecca! Brightened a great (unspringlike) morning, thank you. Many moons ago I was Company Secretary for a higher education quango and Wes Streeting was on the board as NUS president. I remember sitting with him at an away day dinner as we were a fair bit younger than everyone else there. And now every time he pops up in the news I have to resist the urge to squeal ‘I know him!’ a la Will Ferrell’s Elf re Santa! 😂🤦🏼♀️
Thanks, Claire! Interesting to hear about your connection to Wes Streeting!
I’m out of touch with so many people but I often wonder where old acquaintances are and what they’re up to....! 🤔
And Will Ferrell - 🤣
Wes Streeting is almost my MP
I almost almost know you! 😂
😂 Claire, I meant it: Wes Streeting is MP for the constituency next to mine!
Ok, so meteorological spring is the bookish one, up early each morning to crack on with work after a rousing pilates session and a green smoothie. Astronomical spring: the slightly dappy mate, dancing naked in a meadow at midnight after too many whiskey shots.
🤣 LOVE this, Jill! That’s two ‘nailed it!’ definitions right there!!!
New year's resolution: Be more 'astronomical spring' 🌝💕
🙌
Tea bags? What are they. Being a lord I'm not really familiar with any tea that comes in a bag.
🤣
I chuckled at the tea-making description - I can relate!
😊
Once, when I was on holiday with my family in London, my brother and I were exploring the Tube with no destination in mind. Eventually we got to playing a game where we’d rush out of one car and into the next at each stop. The train conductor caught on to our hijinx and timed it perfectly so that my older brother made it into a car and I was excluded. And then the train rolled out of the station. For maybe the first time in my life I was alone in a strange place and no family context to enfold me. Strangely exciting, as being lost and alone can be. I made it one of my life goals to embrace that feeling as often as possible. You’re lost! You must be doing something right!
"Strangely exciting, as being lost and alone can be. I made it one of my life goals to embrace that feeling as often as possible." As did I, over 24 years of tramping in foreign countries. The very best of travel is being alone in a place where I do not know the language and cannot even guess -- Budapest, Dubrovnik .... Glasgow... ha ha ha
You're so bold, Sharron - that's awesome! Someone told me once - newly landed as a university student in northern Germany and concerned that I'd be getting lost because I didn't know the city - that 'to get to know a new place, you really need to go out and get lost in it'! As soon as I'd heard those words I wanted to crawl into the nearest corner and never leave the flat! 🤣
You've really made me laugh about the language in Glasgow! 😉
Gosh, Peter, although he had left you in a terrifying situation I can kind of see where the conductor was coming from.....! 😮 I think these days there would rightly be some serious safeguarding concerns relating to his behaviour!
"Strangely exciting, as being lost and alone can be." That's brilliant! I'm quite the reverse: even though I'm not a child any more I have always found being lost an alarming experience. I feel cold, fearful, pathetic. I LOVE, though, that you embrace the 'strangely exciting' as often as possible. And I'm going to reframe my refrain of 'I'm lost again, I've failed, I hate it, I'm so rubbish' with 'I MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT!'.
Peter, thank you. You've really REALLY made me think about this in a different way. I truly appreciate your insight!
Thanks Rebecca. Glad I could help you take pride in the NAME OF YOUR NEWSLETTER. Own it! And let me hasten to say that the conductor was right: our little game was dangerous, and he taught us a lesson. At least about train travel!
Great post Rebecca!
That Tube map looks confusing. With all those letters and numbers to remember, I'm sure I would definitely get lost. Ahhh!!!!
I chuckled when I read the part about your dentist. For your dentist to say that, it must have been pretty bad. I used to drink iced tea but when I was going to the dentist I hadn't had it in many years.
Thanks, Matt!
Glad to say my teeth have improved since I reintroduced my tea habit after my spell of cold tea-key. And my dental hygienist has what I'd call a firm touch!
We don't really drink iced tea over here - mind you, it's not as warm here as Florida, so we like our tea hot! I'm tempted to try the iced stuff in the summer after being encouraged to do so by Holly Rabalais! I'm going to try making an unsweetened version.
Definitely the unsweetened version. One time at a restaurant I asked for unsweetened and they gave me sweetened. It was awful. Once I got their attention, I got it changed.
You had me cracking up! I loved this post Rebecca. You made my day and made me think...I probably should add a splash of milk to my coffee? I too have a teeth darkening problem. LOL! And thank you so much for sharing the write together sessions. It's been so great to connect with other writers. Cheers!
LOL - I'm so pleased, Julie! I'm really not keen on the taste of raw milk (I'm fine with hot milk, or yoghurt or cheese - but MILK milk is ugh!) but I gather it does help against staining. I wonder which is more likely to stain teeth, tea or coffee? Not that I'm going to research it by holding up a shade card to my teeth after every cup of either! 🤣
And it was my absolute pleasure to share a link to the wonderful stuff you do - hope to see you Friday! 🙌
LOL! So many great questions. I use almond milk and in regards to tea vs coffee...now I'm curious. :) I wonder...
Nice idea with the almond milk! Knowing my 'all or nothing' nature, though, I'd probably like it TOO much and then have half tea, half almond milk!
My old boss in London told me that an acquaintance of his (CEO of a large business in the city) kept a small manilla envelope at the side of his desk to check the colour of his cups of tea against. Every time his secretary brought him a cuppa (there was a schedule!) he would hold the envelope next to the cup to check it. It was just power games - obviously SHE had a matching envelope - but how ridiculous!! 🤣
Are you serious! I learn something new everyday. That is ridiculous and funny.
One of the things that was recommended to me for eating healthy was yogurt. I thought about getting a whole bunch but it was suggested by someone to just get one to try it. it was the most disgusting thing I've ever tried. 🤣
🤣 Betcha glad you’d only bought the one!
Not you too with the teeth! 🤣
YES! LOL...my special relationship with coffee. I love my dentist now.
This entire letter was delightful, Rebecca, but the IKEA of it all had me quite literally laughing out loud! It's been many years since I've been inside that chaotic Swedish mess that I hate to love and your description brought back all the reasons why. 😆 Our last venture there was many years ago with our easily overstimulated then four-year-old and after a day spent dealing with rolling meltdowns (mine and hers) I vowed to never return, no matter how many KALLAX storage cubes I think I need. My nervous system is still recovering! Thanks, once again, for brightening my day with your writing! xoxo
LOL - thanks, Kerri! It's been years since I've been, too, actually - pre-Covid by a number of years, now I think about it. "Rolling meltdown" would just about sum up my last experience there, too - and I don't have a four-year-old, overstimulated or otherwise!
I HATE to say this, Kerri, but thanks to you I'm just about to look up KALLAX storage cubes... See? IKEA still has me in its grasp....!
Oh noooooooo.... Rebecca...... don't do it! I'm probably too late. You probably did it and are now on your way to the nearest IKEA to load up on those dreamy KALLAX (formerly EXPEDIT) storage cubes. I apologize for my negative influence, Rebecca. Mentioning the KALLAX was careless and I shall find a way to make it up to you! 😁
All is well, Kerri! I just had a look online, but only after I'd hidden my car keys...! 😉
And now you come to mention the old name, I know the units very well - my parents have some EXPEDIT furniture!
Whew! Crisis averted! I have quite a bit of EXPEDIT (no idea why the names have to be in all caps, but it's IKEA law and I won't break it) and let me tell you, the KALLAX does not match, even though it's supposed to. Just another reason IKEA is dead to me. 🤣
🤣
Great story Rebecca, I loved the subway map, I am sure I would get lost using it. I also loke how you use footnotes, it is someting I will need to experiment with.
Thanks, Scott!
I love using footnotes, especially since Substack introduced 'inline' footnotes, so you can just hover over the number in the post to read the pop-up. Way easier to navigate than they used to be!