when the alarm went off at 6.30a.m., the first sound seeping into my brain (other than the alarm of course) , was that of rain on the roof. lots of rain. i reset the alarm. half an hour later nothing had changed and i was not in any mood to prove my resilience by challenging  myself to a 45 minute shower in a rain storm. especially not with lasz’s warm body back next to me in bed. oh yes, and that bottle of champagne we shared to celebrate his return from the old country (especially after my long abstinence  – and i’m not just talking about alcohol!)