I might have been drunk when I wrote this

Once upon a time I wrote an essay for an English paper. Part way through printing it my printer failed and I was forced to write the bulk of it in pen. After railing against the printer I wrote out the rest of the essay, which prompted the marker to write at the bottom "You must have been drunk when you wrote this, Mr Body". This remains my favourite piece of feedback about anything, ever.

I was sober at the time

However I might have been just a little bit tipsy when I wrote this. I certainly feel that way. It's the last hot day of the summer, I have spent the best part of the day teaching a (rather lovely, it has to be said) Australian (and that's not an oxymoron) how to use the software that my company panders and then rest of the lovely day driving back from Shrewsbury where the aforementioned Australian works. As a reward for spending the day working I have consumed two large cans of Red Stripe Jamaican lager in quick succession. What problem??

It is good to be back in Oxford, but it was even better to spend time in Edinburgh. Not that I am sad to be home, but on the way to Shrewsbury I went to Edinburgh. Those of you with any knowledge of UK geography are now screaming "what the hell?", but I did also have to go to Glasgow.

I used to live in Edinburgh. I chose to live there because my friends Craig and Sarah lived there. And I wanted to see them again. They have now gone home. Splitters! When I arrived in Edinburgh they had been there about six months and already made friends with a bunch of people, who promptly became my friends. Anyways, Craig and Sarah went home about a year ago and the last time I went to Edinburgh after they had left it felt a bit weird as they had gone, and it felt like Edinburgh held little for me anymore. Last weekend was the first time I had visited Edinburgh since then. What a fool! I should have gone back a lot earlier. I was only there for twenty-four hours, but in that time I had the joy of catching up with three (ohmygod, how high?) quality individuals, by the name of Wendy, Ruth and Rebekah, and meeting another lovely Australian (see my earlier comment about oxymorons). I was reminded about the value of those around me, and the warmth of feeling I felt and dispensed was altogether overwhelming. It's funny, but as much and as desperately as I miss them, it has left me with the rather soothing feeling of knowing just how is out there, and it makes my world a much better place. To have people you love and who love you in New Zealand, Oxford, Edinburgh, London, Dallas... what more could one ask for?

But then, I might have been drunk when I wrote this...