It happens a lot, and it doesn't get any easier with practice.

Since we've moved to Portugal, we've made more than our share of truly good friends. Some of them have already left. Some of them are leaving soon. Popeye, for example, is leaving in less than six weeks. All of us have known that it was coming for quite a while, since he has the kind of job where they send you someplace for a fixed period of time and that is that. It doesn't make it any easier, though.

Maud is leaving this summer-- she got offered a couple of jobs, and decided to take one of them last week. Harold is unsure whether or not he'll go with her, but considering he makes almost no money of his own (ie. he pretty much earns some pocket money here and there), and is therefore almost totally supported by Maud, odds are that he will.

Miss Kitty went on some interviews a while back, and strolled into the pub last night (1) wondering if we'd seen Cute Guy around while she was gone, and (2) brandishing two job offers. The deadline for her decision was today. Today is also her birthday, just in case you're the sort who likes their coincidences with a soup�on of symbolism.

I just talked to her a while ago: she's decided to go to France. She's had her eyes on that job for a while, actually. I remember her talking about the possibility last Autumn. On the other hand, she's been here a long time and wasn't entirely sure she was ready to move on. She is now-- and if she isn't, it's too late to change her mind. She's excited and a little bit scared, which seems perfectly reasonable to me, I suppose. She'll do well-- I have no doubt of that.

France is close enough that we can visit each other, which is good. It could have been worse: the other offer was in the US. She wasn't terribly enthused about that one, though. It's a long way away, and her mother isn't too well. And once she found out about California's famed anti-smoking laws, that was pretty much that.

She doesn't leave until the Summer, or possibly late in Spring. And really, who knows where we'll be when the Summer comes? We don't, although we're thinking it will be here. But we never know for sure, so maybe Miss Kitty will end up saying goodbye to us.

Either way, we'll miss her.

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British Person Oh, the cricket's on! Have you ever watched cricket before?

Elvis Once or twice.

British Person So, do you understand what they're talking about?

Elvis Well, I understand the individual words, because it's in English. But once you string them together....