Hitchin

Apparently Hitchin is Bitchin’. I didn’t know.

“You should go into the town centre, it’s absolutely gorgeous!”

I diverted there on my way home. There’s a friend there I haven’t seen for too long. Had another old friend turn out to be dead this morning. I was gonna send her a dumb message for Easter and found a memorial page on her Facebook and it blindsided me.

Last night I went to a Thai restaurant and ordered the hottest thing on the menu. I was up half the night with acid reflux, wishing I had someone willing to belch me like an infant. Still alive in the morning so I thought I’d go and visit an old friend while I had the opportunity of a free afternoon and blood pumping in my veins.

She gave me a Gaviscon. My first ever Gaviscon.

“What Gaviscon, welcome: kiss not my hand,
Embrace me Gaviscon as I do thee:
Why shouldst thou kneele, knowest thou not who I am?
Thy friend, thy selfe, another Gaviscon.”

I might not lose my kingdom over it, but I’m pretty pleased to have found it today. That curry did strange things to me. As Lou was quick to point out, I probably damaged my stomach lining getting smashed the other night on an empty tummy. I was after yoghurt and alkaline foods too, but sometimes a chalky chewy pill is just what you need. I’ll sleep better tonight surely. Couldn’t sleep much worse.

It was lovely to see her, to meet her daughter who is recognisably human now. We would often talk for hours on the phone, over a period of about a decade, looking after each other’s mental health, providing deep and joyful friendship. Distance requires concentration, and kids can be all consuming. I gave the family all Easter eggs and headed back to London. I’ll go into Hitchin town centre next time and experience the Bitchin’ nature of the place. I was on the move, didn’t want to lose momentum as it would involve losing the will, I wanted to be home and ready to run a workshop tomorrow morning pretty early at Danceworks. More Shakespeare.

Once you’ve beaten a path somewhere once it is easier to go back, it gets easier every time you go. The first time is the hardest. Hopefully it won’t be quite so long until I go that way again. I guess that’s down to me though isn’t it.

The cats went into cuteness overdrive when I got home. I cooked a pretty neutral pasta, made enough for two and ate the lot without thinking. Now it’s half nine, I’m washed and warm, blog is done and honestly I don’t see much reason to keep my eyes open tonight. Easter Sunday tomorrow, it’s weird to be working but it’s all money.