Elle, AFK

I spend too much time at this computer, I know I do. My writing is online, most of my friends are online, the games I play are online. It's easy to break up the day with cyberspace.

But today I've been out most of the day. Being social. And none of it was planned.

This morning I waited for my SIL (Sister-In-Law) at the school gates to walk back down the street. She wasn't going home, but asked me to buy a pint of milk for her other half who was waiting at home for a new fridge to be delivered. No problems. I bought the pint and dropped it in... and stayed for two hours. And not for the first time.

It's been a while since I made a new real-life friend. Most of the mums at the school gate are simply not on my wavelength and my social life rarely strays beyond that. I don't go to pubs and clubs (too noisy), I don't have a job and my hobbies are solitary.

But SIL's partner is a real gem, we get on really well. He laughs at my jokes and in turn makes me laugh. We can talk about intellectual stuff, but also inane drivel. I had worried - a little - that he put up with my company, after all, family is family and sometimes it's best to grin and bear the annoying relations. But no, today he actually said that we were friends.

After school I picked up a gaggle of small girls and went back to their house to drop three of them off - the fridge was still on its way - and stayed another two hours. SIL, A and I had a blast. It's been more than a while since I felt I could just drop in somewhere and feel welcome. And that's as much a problem in my head than an actual fact, but today I was happy, laughing and social.

And you can't ask for more than that.