London - Wimbledon - Tube Strike (and swans) in All Good Things

That pretty much sums up my week so far....

Annette and I have been having so much fun. I'm actually getting to hang out with her three times this week, which is more times than I'd seen her this entire year! She loves Jon and Simon as much as I do, and all the others as well. We've had such a great time that it's been worth the aggravation of negotiating London under tube strike twice a day. It took me two hours to get home from Wimbledon tonight - and it's in the same city. I used to get home from Birmingham more quickly. Honestly! Can I just say that late-night buses are unpleasant things....

Tomorrow my mom will join Annette and me, so I'm anticipating more wonderful things. Plus, the tube strike will be over so I'll get home in less than 40 minutes afterwards (which for London is excellent).

I had a panic attack last night, not an intense one but one that wouldn't relent until Simon made it go away tonight. It's so strange to be caught in the grip of one, to feel that roiling dread deep in my stomach when there's absolutely nothing causing it, to struggle to breathe for no reason, to feel my heart pound when I'm standing still. All I want to do when it happens is crawl under the covers of my bed and never come out. I really need to spend more time around Simon, because there's something about his energy that counteracts my panic and calms me down. I wish I could bottle it and take it away with me. He could make a fortune marketing himself as an anti-anxiety drug!

Annette and I are planning to go to Singapore for the second week in October to meet up with them. It's so bizarre thinking about being in Singapore on holiday! But she hasn't been back for two years and we haven't been there together for nearly four years, and considering there was a time when we virtually lived there, we both feel a bit homesick. It's also bizarre making definite plans for something five months away. I haven't been able to do that for twelve years.

In the meantime, I'm gonna have to find some way to earn some money to pay for the trip, especially if I want to add Australia on afterwards. I very badly want to meet my new niece (who'll already have turned one by then).

Today was a bad day that turned fantastic. Here's hoping tomorrow will be even better.....