13.12.98 - A time of 'alternatives'

I am really tired and I can't seem to fit in all the things I want to do as well as all the things I have to do (or feel obliged to out of routine). I have not done ANY christmas shopping and I have only bought two cards which I have yet to give to anyone. I went to one of those cheap junk type shops and bought a tiny little christmas tree with fibreoptic cables that light up and flash red and white and I also bought one string of blue and white tinsel. I figured I would contribute something, no matter how small to the office decorations but I think one string of tinsel will look a bit out of place. Ah hell... I hope Pauline brings something in but I doubt she will.

I think I am rambling, probably because I am tired. I was going to go down to London on friday night and come back Sunday but having been in to London on Thursday night I just felt I could not handle it all and postponed going back until Saturday afternoon. I am glad I did that because I needed the sleep and I managed to get a couple of things done that I had wanted to. I braved Regent Street in London to look for something for my Mum (which the shop didn't have). I was already developing yet another cold and as it was raining I thought it wasn't such a good idea but... well... I did it anyway and now I have a chest cold which feels all rough and gravelly and I am sure it won't be long before I sound like Katherine Hepburn.

Oh yes, that's right... it's been a while since my last entry hasn't it? I'm still not going to give you details about my date but I will say that it went quite well and that is partly the reason I went back into London this weekend :) Thursday was good fun and even though I got soaking wet in the rain I had a nice meal and some drinks and enjoyed chatting and chatting and laughing and chatting some more. I love it when I can talk to someone easily because an evening of strained conversation has to be one of the worst things ever. I was half an hour late for work on Friday but luckily no-one noticed and Pauline didn't seem bothered by it, in fact she said she was not expecting me in! I worked through my lunch hour out of guilt and because I had walked in to work (well my blood alcohol level was still over the legal limit for driving... I assumed).

Saturday was a rainy day again and I got wet going into London... again (really not good for this cold, I know!). Went to look at some stuff in the sale at "Gap" and then mooched around the alternative music section and the classical music section in Tower Records. After that I had a pasta meal cooked for me and ate loads which was not a good idea as I was going clubbing that night. Went to this really cool alternative club in north London that played some quite heavy music. There were a lot of "goths" there and a lot of people with piercings and the odd tattoo but everyone was really nice. It's not usually my sort of place but my friend Peter persuaded me to go and I ended up really enjoying myself. The club was not really busy enough for a decent "mosh" but the odd track played by the DJ got the place jumping, like Nirvana's "Smells like teen spirit" and "Timebomb" by Rancid. I've never danced like that before and it was quite a rush but the pasta came back to haunt me and I couldn't keep going for long. I didn't drink that much but I still had a good time and was totally exhausted and bruised! I think someone must have knocked into me on the dance floor because I have this bug bluey green bruise on my right upper arm and I don't remember it happening.

Peter showed me this tattoo he had got done on the side of his left leg. It looks really good although he had a bad reaction to the Savlon cream he was putting on it which he is trying to get rid of now. I often wondered about getting a small tattoo or some kind of piercing done. I don't know why on earth I would want to do something like that, it's not something I can explain but I just feel this need to do something a bit different. I guess in a way I am sort of rebelling from the old, boring, quiet 'me' and reaching out for a new louder, more assertive, more fun 'me'. I'm sure a piercing anywhere on me would both hurt and look ridiculous but I am still wondering about a small tattoo somewhere inconspicuous... maybe just behind my shoulder or on my leg somewhere. I guess that hurts too (although surely not as much as a pirecing). Oh I don't know... I probably won't get it done but I have often thought about it. Do you think I should do something like this? Answers on a postcard please.

Oh I've been fiddling with the design of this site and while you may not have noticed any major changes (and may not do for ages yet) I may surprise you with a redesign in the new year. I keep trying to simplify some things, get rid of sections that are redundant or almost useless and make room for anything new I want to add. Redesigning can be a major pain in the arse so I am taking my time and experimenting with different things. That is partly the reason for my lack of journal entries the past week although that is also partly due to my being in London for a substantial chunk of the time and being busy the rest of the time. I must go make a phone call now because I have to wish a friend Happy Birthday!

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Website created by Rich Hull,1998.