UK Trip! Fri Sept 1/06

Goodbye London! *sob*

I'd already told J* I'd take the train to Gatwick with her in the morning. I didn't want her to have to go all the way there by herself, but she kept telling me that it'd be too expensive for me to go out there only to come all the way back downtown, so she finally convinced me to just say goodbye at the station - which I did when the three of us left DK's in the morning. This left DK and I to go downtown together, and we parted ways rather swiftly when we got to Waterloo station, so I was then on my own.

L had told me that I should bring my luggage to her offices near Moorgate, so I hopped the Tube over there - and dragged my suitcase up fifty million steps until I thought I was going to pass out - and gave her a call, she came to meet me and walk me to her office, and I was off for my last day in London!

I went down to Soho and found an internet café to see if anyone was available to meet up, and I ended up with plans to meet EC for lunch, which was cool - we actually went to Fopp (where I bought a CD and a couple of books, gah) and then to a pub for a drink (where I had to settle two bets for a couple of guys, fun!) and we talked about his upcoming visit - that's right, he's coming to visit, he'll stay at the Bowlie Hotel (i.e., my house) for the week after Thanksgiving, how fun! Anyway, we had our hugs and then I wandered some more.

I ended up buying some touristy stuff and a DVD at Forbidden Planet before MMM called me and said he'd meet with me to wait for L to be done work, yay! I was, of course, about 15 minutes late to meet him (sorry!) which I HATE to do, but he was understanding. We got a couple of drinks and sat in a park chatting - and avoiding the eyes of a local freak of nature who was amusing himself fondling the local flora - before meeting L when she came out of her office with my suitcase. He came to the rail station with us too, and dragged my case up and down all those stairs, what a sweetheart (he's my new hero by the way, he should have a fluttery cape magic boots or something). We were a bit early for the train, so the three of us sat in a pub and had a drink, and talked about movies, and then L and I had to get on the train, so I hugged MMM and we boarded.

It was a long but scenic ride up to Leeds. L and I hadn't really had a chance to put our heads together and seriously talk for almost a year, so we spent the whole trip catching up, it was really nice. In Leeds we changed for Halifax (to a cruddier train, but oh well), and O met us at the station and drove us straight to a great restaurant so we could eat and relax. He's just as funny and sweet as I remembered him to be, and I relaxed around him quickly (good thing, as they had me for five days!) and we had a lovely time.

Then we went home, which is in Sowerby Bridge, just outside of Halifax proper. Tiny place from the outside, but very well planned inside - and their master bedroom, really, has to be seen to be believed, they've done fantastic things with that place!

I got settled in, checked messages and went to bed - long day!

There aren't too many photos from this day, but there are a few on my Flickr page...