normal angsting will resume shortly

'back from whitby and, while I sadly missed a few people, frankly, in two short days, I think I had the most wonderful time I have had in years.

I have to say that I have the absolutely best, fantastic, nicest, most wonderful friends in the entire world.

Every time I turned round this weekend, there was a smiling face on someone who I was delighted to see and appeared to feel the same way. I got maudlin, EdwardS cheered me up. I lost my coat and bags, Clive magically appeared and found them. I got maudlin again and Dan, Zo, Needles (and, well, most of their clan) looked after me, cheered me up, put me to bed. Every time something conspired to piss me off, some absolutely wonderful bastard would swoop in and rescue the day.

I am amazed and humbled by how much youz lot seem to care about me. It was only really on the way home that I realised how I'd not had anything like enough time. I'd only just got started enjoying everyone's company.

The journey back was rather excruciating as I swear that I didn't so much have a hangover as a comedown (and not from anything ingested, either, I've been off that kind of thing for some time now)... I'm fairly sure nobody would be so mean as to drop me a spike, so maybe I just don't mix my drinks as well as I used to. Folks said I looked quite a magical and unhuman shade of green by the end of the night and I all but thought my heart would stop on the train home. A quiet week to recover for me, I think.

But that aside (and I did anticipate a hangover), I'm still just thinking back over the last couple of days with disbelief at the random acts of kindness and honest-to-god niceness of everyone. The only thing better than seeing everyone was finally getting back to my own bed and liz.

I am a terribly, terribly lucky man. And it's starting to sink in. I have a lump in my throat. Thankyou, everyone.