The Rule of Three

What a strange day. The after-effects of the alcohol I consumed at the weekend caught up with me in one chemical rush of mood swings and mayhem.

"No beers for you tonight, Junior!" The Chief advised cheerfully.

I've never been good at taking advice so I wrinkled my nose in reply.

There's no getting away from the fact that on this issue, however, the Chief does know best, so no more crazy ladette beer drinking sessions for me (there's a very interesting article on ladettes, chavs and modern notions of class in this month's Subtext, btw, and they're new so you should cough up the £3.50 for a new magazine and do your civic duty!)

Today has been a day of friendship in three's (well, technically, 4, but why let reality get in the way of a good life lesson).

This morning, Kit Kat sent a text message with a fabulous quote from Richard Bach:

Can miles truly separate you from friends... If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there?

At around midday I had a phone call from the beautiful and wise Shonagh, one of my oldest and dearest friends, who literally, just called to say 'I love you.' We talked for ten minutes or so, and made plans to go up to an exhibition on prostitution in London in a couple of weeks.

When I got home, a letter arrived for me, hand-written and hand-delivered from Heather, who is my oldest friend from childhood. She had enclosed an article on best friends and a touching, heartfelt letter.

The fourth member of the Coven of my childhood, Pids, called me tonight too and after months of our schedules never tying up we've finally arranged to get together on Friday.

So, today has been a day of friendship and I'm grateful to the crazy spin of life that I have days like this to remind me of what I have. I know tomorrow will be a great day too, because I'm taking part in the final part of a personal development course with Steve Hender, called Symphony. It's impossible (for me at least) to spend time near Steve Hender without feeling an incredible rush of positive energy, and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to count my blessings today, being surrounded by so many good people so that I can go into the course tomorrow already feeling wildly positive.

Quote of the Day

There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it.
Mary Wilson Little

Unsurprisingly my poem of the day is all about friendship. In honour of one of my Anonymous commentors, who may not, I suspect, be a woman, it's by Dante.

Sonnet

Guido, I wish that you and Lapo and I
Were carried off by magic
And put in a boat, which, every time there was a wind,
Would sail on the ocean exactly where we wanted.

In this way storms and other dangerous weather
Wouldn't be able to harm us -
And I wish that, since we all were of one mind,
We would want more and more to be together.

And I wish that Vanna and Lagia too
And the girl whose name on the list is number thirty
Were put in the boat by the magician too

And that we all did nothing but talk about love
And I wish that they were just as glad to be there
As I believe the three of us would be.

Today's Beautiful Things

1. The best ships!

2. Getting caught (three times) by the Truth when I thought I'd been subtle and crafty

3. Remembering