Well now - that was an exciting few days but back to reality now

So after all the excitement of Wednesday and Thursday, it was quite a struggle to get up and actually go to work on Friday!  And then, of course, in the evening, there was the actual Opening Ceremony.

Lots of people have asked me how it was different, being at the rehearsal and watching the actual event on the television.  It was, of course, much more exiting watching the live event - it always is.  But there were still surprises for the rehearsal audiences too. They hadn't shown any of the films during the rehearsals, although they had played the music.  So I had heard the Bond music and knew that he would be involved, but  I didn't know how.  And, of course, we didn't know how the torch would get to the stadium, nor who would light the flame - nor even where the flame would be located.  Another advantage of the television is that you can record it.  We have been watching it again in short bursts to catch all the bits that we missed on Friday.

On Saturday Facebook and Twitter and email were all abuzz with excitement. Freyja was on SKY news and the clip was available online, so we all watched that.  Her Roller Derby team mates were all fizzing. It remained all very exciting.  Freyja tells me that she got a t-shirt and a certificate, plus a program, and they got to keep their costumes and their skates and their tabards.  Her tabard is signed by participants.  Her skates are signed by Danny Boyle himself!

And so it's back to the real world.  It's raining again (at least it is in Sheffield and Tupton). I'm back at work. Freyja has been in Sheffield for the weekend (it was Simon's 30th birthday party on Saturday evening). I met with her, Tabitha, Ross and a sleeping Cally for lunch in the Kiwi coffee and pie shop today. Then she is back to London this evening to pick up her Olympic souvenir photo job. Tabitha is working extra hours at the moment - mostly 6-2 which is certainly an early start but does give you most of the afternoon off.

The Builder has been picking and podding mountains of peas and broad beans and trying to make sure the pumpkin and squash and melon flowers get pollinated. A day off picking and podding beans today though; not only is it raining but also we are between pickings. We ate and drank well, as you might expect, over the weekend - and are now back on a serious austerity program, otherwise we're going to end up stuck somewhere in South East Asia and not be able to get any further on the Grand World Tour :-D  We might have a bit of a break from austerity over the coming weekend though. It is, would you believe, our third wedding anniversary next Tuesday.  And Austin and Kaori's first the day before. This time last year we were in Tokyo dodging earthquakes and playing in markets and things.

For those of you who haven't seen the photos from the dress rehearsal, you'll get to them if you click on this picture