Summer's Over

It was a sad weekend, as our daughter headed back to university after the long summer break. Lectures don't start for a couple for weeks yet, but apparently it's essential to be in place for pre-freshers and freshers weeks, as there are good opportunities for snapping up freebies. Who am I to argue with that? Besides, she's been missing her friends (and probably her independence, though she's far too diplomatic to say so) so she was anxious to get back.

I know I will adapt to a tidy house, I know I'll grow to like not having rock samples, computers, maps and weighty geological tomes full of words I can't pronounce spread across the living room floor, but right now it's hard to imagine. And it's altogether too quiet.

That quiet was relieved somewhat last night by the magnificent Coldplay, rounding off the Paralympics with an epic closing ceremony. As Chris Martin charged around the arena, belting out some of the band's most popular numbers, live (no pre-recorded miming cheats are Coldplay!) he who fixes the computer observed that it was no wonder he carries no excess weight. The final count was five changes of sweat-soaked t-shirts. He must have shed at least a stone during a show that saw the band performing alongside the fantastic British Paraorchestra, Rihanna and Jay-Z.

And so now the house is quiet again. I know once I make the mental adjustment I'll enjoy the arrival of autumn, my favourite time of year, and before I know it, we'll be putting up the Christmas Tree and the house will once more be filled with noise, laughter, music and rock samples.