Fall has arrived to Whitney Houston, complete with dewy mornings and chilly fingers. The skin on my hands is already dry, and my toes are usually chilled. I wore a jacket and a sweater today to ward off the chill, complete with an airing of my favourite knee-high black boots and a woolly pink and purple scarf I bought solely because it feels like I have taken a muppet and hung it around my neck in a comfortable fashion.

Fall is here. Pumpkins, fallen leaves, the smell of fireplaces lit in the evening. Dramas on tv reflect the dark that comes earlier and earlier in the evening. The world is getting ready to sleep, while our household is coming to life.

Yesterday morning Angus and I drove together to Newbury-home of this office, home of our former flat, and home of a convenient train station for me to get to meetings in Maidenhead. We made our way to Costa first for a large Americano (neither of us can function in the morning without some java). He went to a nearby travel agents to grab some brochures-we are going on holiday next week and hadn't been able to narrow the choices down from Miami and the Keys, Malaysia, and Thailand. We sat at the table with glossy brochures offering stunning and loyal views from resorts, brochures that showed the best of the options while making us wonder what they weren't telling us, brochures that held people's dream vacations on each and every page.

As we were sitting there, a voice mail popped into his phone. He listened, his face unreadable, and as he hung up he popped his small phone into his shirt pocket and looked at me.

'That was the estate agents. Our landlord wants to sell the house. We have to move by the first week of December.'

I nod. 'That house at the end of our drive is just now up for let.' I reply. 'And two people in the terrace are moving out in November.'

And we sat there, thinking. We gathered up our brochures and our coffee, and left, heading for the train station. He kissed me goodbye and we went our separate business ways.

On the train my phone vibrates warmly in my pocket and lets me know that Angus has sent me a text. I check it, and there is a lovely message from him that says he liked my post from yesterday and he's strangely upbeat about finding a new place, since he thinks we can find something better.

And I burst out in an enormous smile, as I felt exactly the same way. I wasn't depressed, in fact far from it. My mind was racing about the possibilities we had in a new place, in new walls and new floorboards, in a house with a logical bathroom layout and a larger garden that we could cavort about in naked if we so chose. My fingers were itching to get to the internet and check homes that we could start looking at.

Our house in Whitney Houston has been fantastic. Small, perfectly contained, with lovely neighbors and a large kitchen. It was the first home we've ever had together, the first space that we lived in that was just us, a space that started off with the basic equation of how we are together, leaving us to fill in the details.

He started looking at holidays and homes simultaneously, texting me throughout the day with options. I didn't have an internet connection until lunchtime on someone else's PC, so I punched in the web address of the leading candidate as everyone snacked on sandwiches and salt and vinegar chips. Once the screen came up, there was a beautiful white house with black timbered ceilings and a nice layout, in our village.

'That's a nice place.' I heard behind me, and I turned around to see the entire Gerbil Testing team I am on looking at the screen.

I had forgotten to change the PC to desktop view only, and I was now showing a potential house on the projector screen to the entire conference room.

I figured: Fuck it. Let them give their advice. So we went through the rest of the options, people weighing in on the various features and cheering at the idea of garages, parking, and one poor soul that cheered when he saw a jacuzzi bathtub (proving it's not only girls who like the bubble baths!)

When Angus and I went home we drove through Whitney Houston and reviewed the other homes available. We went to the gym but I was seriously unable to focus, my mind racing of things to do, to read, to review on-line. We aborted our workout and headed home, both of us strangely in very good moods.

Stopping for petrol, Angus stood outside filling the car while I laid about the hood of the car, harassing him.

'Hey! This hose vibrates!' he said, referring to the inky black gas hose that hummed and whirred as it poured motion lotion into our thirsty Alfa.

'Really?' I ask.

'Maybe it's something for you.' He replies. 'Think you can get off in 46 liters?'

'I don't want a dirty hose near me.' I sniff.

He grins.
I realize what I said.
I grin.

'Why not?' he replies. 'Isn't that how it usually works?'

When we get home we warm up some soup and turn on the PCs. Truly a couple of the new century, at one point we were both on the couch, laptops on and wifi igniting the household. We watch our favorite show and continue surfing, my focus divided as I surfed airlines and hotels.

We went to bed late and I walked into the bedroom to see Angus laying in the bed, only his eyes visible and mischief in his eyes. I pull the covers back and take off my clothes, sliding onto the cool sheets. Suddenly, my thigh brushes against something with a pointy edge, and I reach down to find a tube of KY lubricant hidden among the sheets.

I hold it up.

'Hey! How did that get in there?' Angus asks, looking mock confused.

'Is this a hint?' I ask grinning.

'More like a potential guideline, if you're not too tired, of course.'

I pop the cap open.

'I've been craving you all day.' He says warmly.

And I lube up and climb onboard the merry-go-round.

In the end we can't sleep and so both have to resort to melatonin, too much going on in our minds. As I lay there in the bed, with a warm and cozy Angus beside me, I look at the walls of our little bedroom in our little house. I think of the day we moved in, when I dropped everything and planted flowers. I think of looking up at the window at the sounds of Angus singing. I think of the arguments we've had, and I think of the exciting-Venice. Dressing up to go to London for an evening. People coming to visit. Making dinner together.

And I think, as I fall asleep'¦.I wonder if this house will miss us when we're gone?

And I answer myself right away. Of course it will. It must do. In the 140 years this house has been around, no one has ever loved this house as much as I have.

And I fall asleep.

-H.

PS-The good news? We are off next week for one week. The deliberations changed halfway through the evening-for various reasons, things got knocked out of competition, and now we are headed here for a few days, then a few days visit here.

I can hardly wait.

Posted by: Everydaystranger at 11:05 AM | Comments (21) | Add Comment
Post contains 1324 words, total size 7 kb.

1 you get the most awesome sounding holidays!

Posted by: melanie at October 06, 2004 11:29 AM (jDC3U)

2 Come through NY and I'll be happy to take you to dinner! I think you're right about the house missing you. Certainly it'll miss seeing you dance on the tables.

Posted by: RP at October 06, 2004 12:39 PM (LlPKh)

3 Nice holiday...shame you can't come to Hong Kong. Umm, can you ask Angus to send that tube of KY back to me now he's finished with it?

Posted by: Simon at October 06, 2004 12:56 PM (CIW5C)

4 Coming across the pond? Let me know if you have a stop over in NY.

Posted by: Drew at October 06, 2004 01:01 PM (CBlhQ)

5 Drew and RP-I would've loved to see you both, but we only have a short stop-over in D.C.! Simon-I have to buy another tube Need one?

Posted by: Helen at October 06, 2004 01:16 PM (dKPoa)

6 I grew up in Miami and let me tell you, it's a great place to vacation! Everyone is out partying it up in south beach. And dont' forget to try out the local Cuban cuisine!

Posted by: Jadewolff at October 06, 2004 01:32 PM (8MfYL)

7 I see that two other NYers have already begged for time, but I wasn't planning on doing that. I was coming to say that I too have enjoyed the thrill of being forced to look for places. While it's impossible usually to find something that is equal to what you have, often you end up trading one thing for another and it's SO much fun! Enjoy your trip and your house-hunting.

Posted by: martha at October 06, 2004 01:37 PM (5HJ2h)

8 You realize Miami got some of the torment of 3 hurricanes right? Though not the brunt of it - but I mean my buddy at Vero beach sent me pics of Florida.. not a nice place to be right now..

Posted by: pylorns at October 06, 2004 01:48 PM (FTYER)

9 Our loss is Miami's gain. I'm going to D.C. this weekend, actually, for a wedding.

Posted by: RP at October 06, 2004 02:01 PM (LlPKh)

10 Lovely lovely post my dear. sounds like someone might be needing a sweater soon... and going to the states are you? crazy girl on a week notice. Sheesh I want your life. Hell I want to go shoping in the states Couldnt' be happier for you my dear, not even if I tried.

Posted by: stinkerbell at October 06, 2004 02:05 PM (HhU+M)

11 It's so cool to see how well you're adapting to change. With that attitude nothing will ever get the best of you.

Posted by: Paul at October 06, 2004 02:09 PM (xdj7o)

12 Hmmm...vacations, dirty hoses, K-Y, walking round naked in the back yard, and sex. Sounds like all the bases got covered with this post. I'm glad to hear you're looking at the bright side of moving into a new house. We need more space (only one bathroom and 2 girls who will be teenagers soon *shudder*) but I hate the thought of moving so much that I have raised procrastination to new heights (depths?).

Posted by: Easy at October 06, 2004 02:55 PM (U89mk)

13 your post made me smile. :-) so glad things are so happy in your life right now. xoxoxo

Posted by: kat at October 06, 2004 02:59 PM (FhSIP)

14 Miami seems to have missed most of the hurricane torment. I could be wrong, but looking at the storms' tracks, Miami was about the only major city in the state that was spared the blow. Helen, you and Angus have fun in Miami! It's a great place to visit. South Beach is a blast but forget finding parking.

Posted by: Ice Queen at October 06, 2004 03:43 PM (F6gzK)

15 Shouldn't it be "when life hands you lemons, make mai-tais"? ;-)

Posted by: Jim at October 06, 2004 05:44 PM (GCA5m)

16 Darling Helen - Your post made my heart smile. Have a lovely holiday. I only wish you could come visit.

Posted by: Margi at October 06, 2004 09:33 PM (MAdsZ)

17 Went to Miami for vacation this past summer. If you're into the nightclub dance scene, Club Space is the place to go.

Posted by: Brass at October 06, 2004 10:15 PM (6TLEO)

18 Miami and the Bahamas are my old stomping ground, if you have not booked a hotel try to stay away from the large chains in Miami and look at the small ones on South Beach. My favorite is a place simply called The Hotel, small art deco with a great pool on the roof, 801 Collins Avenue, (305) 531-2222. If you are going to Nassau make sure you try and get on one of the speed boats that take you out to the Exumas for a day and then you can see the kind of places to go back to on the next vacation. I am going to NYC next week from HKG if someone wants to buy me dinner, lol.

Posted by: Fred at October 07, 2004 01:14 AM (biKfP)

19 Congratulations, a second home together, a fresh place to choose together... more memories, more history together. "Remember, at our first place...?" and so on... Oh and *Waving hands in the air and dancing around* Helen and Angus will be on this side of the pond! Yay! Elizabeth VP of the M.A.S.

Posted by: Elizabeth at October 07, 2004 06:54 AM (sCupo)

20 Fred-a little independent one on South Beach is indeed where we are headed!

Posted by: Helen at October 07, 2004 07:38 AM (psQcz)

21 Helen, If you are going to Nassau please try a small food shack called Goldies and get the conch salad. Goldie himself will make it for you and that is part of the show, the taste is like nothing you have had before and nothing a regular place can recreate, except my mothers! Located at the base of Arawak Cay, just ask for the local food stalls that used to be under the bridge and a taxi will take you there, and of course you will need a Kalik to wash down the salad. Enjoy! Fred

Posted by: fred at October 08, 2004 03:51 AM (biKfP)

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