Had a lovely time this weekend, monday and tuesday in the UK.
Mum's graduation was great, I think not only because she got all her kiddies together again, but also because she was really proud of herself, and rightly so. We are all really proud of her too! She is now the proud holder of a BSC (hons) in Environmental Biology - which is actually enough to start working in the field. Fantastic.
Got into Heathrow late on Friday night after finding it hard to stay motivated all day, and then caught up with Alex and Mum (Alex picked me up, he told me a bit about him and Tor and sounds like he did the right thing there, just fell out of love with her, strange because they always seemed so incredibly in love to me).
Then went to bed fairly early, so we could all be up bright and early the next day (not so bright on my part...), mum left a bit early to get her gown and cap, we arrived later having dropped by Stuarts to see his new dog (jack) and pick him up.
The ceremony once we got there was good, about an hour, the right length and mum was so grinning all day, had a couple of glasses of bubbly and we were all being a bit silly and Threipland-ish, had a fab piece of cake and coffee at the end and then went around to two of mum's friends off the course who were having a 'do' there with nibbles and more bubbly. That was also nice to sit down and chat and hear a bit more about the course and mum on it. It was cool to actually meet some of mum's coursemates and think that to them my mum is all they know, without us at all - unusual feeling.
We went out to dinner that night to an Italian Rest on the parade of shops opposite the library. Was a good choice, good food, family service, family run restaurant and pretty reasonable prices for the amount we ate. Mum had a nice day, she went to bed still smiling, and we all did too.
Sunday morning I got up and sorted out a few bits, and then we went for a quick walk around Boulters Park and by the river, which was nice. It was quite warm and sunny, bit windy the whole weekend though, which kept bringing showers over.
Then i hot-footed it to the train station to meet Anna, dump my stuff, had an amazingly easy journey in, it was sooo fast, every connection right there each time (pretty unheard of to be honest!). Then went to the park where we bumped into Kate sitting in the right spot, wondering where we were meeting (very funny). ~Caught up with her, she also seems happy to be free and single and moving around the world right now. Tim and Matt joined us, then Mara and Mat, Lucy came out with Arthur (cute baby, she has put on some weight though she seems very happy!), and finally Tanya made it out. So it was a pretty good turnout.

We ended up going to a terrace party at Dex after that - was cool because Anna must've been tired after the wireless festival. Even managed to squeeze in a bit of a dance in a place that did have some young-uns there, but also good mixed crowd around, trendy, messy and mixed. In a cool and classy venue with storming tunes - just how I like it, and just how I miss it.

Next day admin stuff at my flat (I got a bit choked up moving stuff out my attic to bring over here, god I miss my flat soooo much, and having all my nice things around me!) The windows guy is mucking me around, seemly because he is being mucked around by his painter that he really vouched for, I guess he's aking a hefty cut of his wage or something...have to sort that out.
Arranged to meet Jules in London, and wanted to go to the Southbank so we met at Westminster, and wandered across the bridge. Her baby also incredibly cute and really took to me, she was very well behaved and let me hold her and everything (without crying) was doing quite well with teeny babies this weekend! We to the Movieum because Paul could get us in for free, and it was close to where we were, and then said our goodbyes in amongst horrendous rain. She seems happy also and is considering a career change as it sounds like TV is pretty tough even when there is money around.
I had a slow leisurely walk through the puddles to the tate Modern, which I really enjoyed and just caught the end of the Futurism Exhibition.
Then to Clapham to meet Anna and Beth etc for dinner, that was nice, again got a bit choked up, we just sat there and laughed and giggled the entire night and ate some good food. I miss sitting and having that sort of a laugh with people, my friends here are great, but we don't silly-giggle so much, it's all a bit more serious. I guess I am realising how much I am missing it all. LONDON-TOWN AND FRIENDS!
Then Tim and Steve joined us, was cool to see them, another couple of drinks, then back to Anna's pretty bloody pooped.
Next morning up and out early to meet mum at the Barbican. Somehow got my exhibitions wrong, it was an evironmental art one, which was good for mum, but we both would rather have seen the other one at the Hayward Gallery.
Then lunch in Farringdon (eventually after I found us somewhere nice!) and on to shopping in Oxford Circus. I was pretty restrained, as was bringing quite a lot of clothes back anyway and of course got some online. Need to chuck some stuff away, fo sure.
Spoke to AsaN standing in Boots with the most amazing thunder and hail storm going on outside, surprisingly it didn't break the tube, so we went to meet Tomash at Tufnell Park, before heading to Upper Street and Wax Jambu to meet the North London lot - Stevie, Katie, Yadutt, Jeanette, Sparky, Jana, Fabi and Chris. Lovely to see all that lot, although really did do the Parrot talk about what I've been up to - How Amsterdam is, how the job has been, how the love-life is, when I'm coming back, pretty much in that order. And Sparky interrogation at the end, after saying he'd ask me something different, then did ask me exactly that.
My throat was really sore by the end, and actually pulled a sickie today because felt ill, and didn't drink much or was out that late even last night. BOO.

Set my alarm two hours early for the cab somehow - whoops, luckily realised before was up and fully awake so did sleep a bit more. Another lush cab ride to airport, have to say worth every penny. I really do like getting cab to airport, it's that shouldn't but will thing.
Now about to go to sleep, Kat's been stomping around in her heels all day here, seriously must be pissing off nathan from downstairs, not sure how to broach the subject with her, really.
Ik ben HEEL MOE!

I'll have to write more about my actuall bittersweet thoughts about London tomorrow when can string a cleverer sentence together than today...really did enjoy myself and really do miss my friends and place a lot, still can't quite see myself back there and in the daily grind though.