So my friend Lolly. The one who had a stroke, the one I've visited every Thursday, watched him slowly, slowly learn to walk again and then watched go downhill again.
He went AWOL end of May, got cancer. Since then I've read messages and hoped, and hoped that my instincts were wrong. That it wasn't what I thought. That I was projecting those hateful memories of Dad onto him.
God I wanted so much to be wrong.
I wasn't wrong.
A friend M rang me Thursday. She'd heard stories about him going into a hospice.
We both tried to get hold of him and his brother. Friday night my fears were confirmed.
He has weeks, if not days. He didn't want to see anyone.
Heartbroken. I hated that I couldn't help him, couldn't see him. Needed to do something. As always I couldn't cry, forced myself to go do something.
Saturday afternoon I text his brother just to tell him that although I didn't understand what THEY were going through, I knew to a degree. That I respected their need for privacy but if they needed me, to get in touch.
He told me to visit. He said that Lolly was trying to protect us and would be overjoyed to see us.
So G and I went.
He was thin, painfully thin but I knew to expect that, still some padding about the face. Hard. So hard. So glad G was with me to bounce talk off of him.
He asked at one point if we knew why he was there. I said yes and that I had guessed a long time ago.
He was going to say more but we were disturbed by a nurse. He collected his thoughts and asked what I was saying. I panicked and thought that perhaps he didnt know so made up a story.
He said he was just there until they control the vomiting and diarrhoea.
Protecting us again.

I'm going to see him again on Thursday. No G this time so it will be hellish hard. 

Why am I going through this again? It's not fair and once again all I want to do is crawl under my duvet and cry, but something forces me on.
It's not fair on the most gentle, sweetest man I know. He needs a miracle.

Last day at work confirmed! Scary times - 10th of August. Applied for a few things with long expiry dates as away a fair bit with Mull and dog champs
I get three days to attend interviews etc, so I took advantage of that and had today off.
Went to see E on Saturday - think its the first time I've seen her since last Summer!!!

We took the Dog to Ashridge Forest and had a nice walk and catch up and possibly the biggest scone i've ever eaten

Dog training and riding, and then just chilling out. Been shortlisted apparently for a role in the city so we'll wait and see if that goes anywhere.
Still all a bit surreal that i'm actually going!!

So, here's what's going down.
We were offered redundancy or restructuring. I initially wanted to go down the new job route as very mindful of all that time off of work last time and being away most of August!
There are two roles going. One is for events supervisior - 22k a year, more grief, less support than I get now. No thanks.
Other is events coordinator, less hours, 1k a year less money, but I didnt think I'd be that bad off as I'd be paying less tax, NI, student loan etc.
So in my 2nd meeting, she starts telling me about over 140 candidates and how some of them were really strong, which immediately puts me off but I hand over my CV anyway thinking, well at least I know the place and clients.
I was told I had 24 hours to prepare a 10 minute interview talking about one of three topics, preparing marketing and financials. Well I can do marketing to a degree as I do it as one of my many roles now, but it'd be amateurish compared to someone who does it properly and I have no idea about financials!!

So with that as well as the knowledge that she had candidates that she couldn't wait to interview I decided it was a waste of everyone's time and told her I wanted to go for redundancy as well. She was physically shocked and recoiled when I told her!

So I've mostly spent the week doing my CV and applying for jobs.

Work don't realise all that I do, and will be so buggered when I go, refunds, bookings, alcohol licencing, the office training, the PAT testing and contractors I deal with, no one else even knows the bloody WIFI code!
Every time I think of it, I think its more and more ridiculous how they are really shooting themselves in the foot and I think they are starting to realise that as they have pushed the last meeting back to Tuesday as they feel "they are rushing us and we need more time to think"
I think that its too far down the line to stop - we are going now and good luck to the new person/persons!

Went out with the girls from work - remembered that girls can't drink a lot! Went to bed at 1.30 - woke up at 4.30 and drove to Reading for a dog show where we watched the football!
Is it coming home? I hardly dare to dream.....