...not enough to endure the battering that was day one of the fourth test. instead Woody, Ollie and I sat drinking beers in the sunshine and shooting the shit. We talked about Ben's wedding, about Bettsy's big day, about losing friends over time, about the Butt Slut backstory. We ate spag bol and listened as the Test seemed to end before it had even got started.
For all their machismo, it was very sweet to listen to Ollie and Tom describe the first time that they told their girlfriends, "I love you." Bless em!
After watching the Lions beat the Boks in the thrid test, I walked with Ollie and ZBox to collect Ollie’s car from Chorlton. We went along the river in the drizzle, looping around Mersey Bank park, then up to the lake at the Water Park. We saw a burning bin, and called the fire brigade. It had almost burnt itself out by the time they got there, and I was embarrassed to have troubled them. Safety first, eh? We saw frogs the size of our fingernails. Jackson’s Boat made quite an impression on Ollie. Ollie has a field that we could camp out in, it turns out. I was asked to plan something. It could be very cool – late night games in the woods, beers around the fire – I guess we’ll see what happens.
After chips from the Atlantic Fish Bar back at Rock HQ, Ollie drove me down to Didsbury to see Jim and Sean. Paul’s parents showed up. Steve’s were there too. Guardi said that he has Shed Seven tickets, do I want one? Yes please. I saw Bernie for the first time in ages – since Leo’s birthday, in fact. She was very interested in Lucinda’s handiwork on my teeth.
I met Ollie and Zoe for a few drinks in Chorlton, Electrik and then on to Argyll’s. I put in my PIN and waited at the cash machine. As I was choosing how much money to take out, Olly leapt over my shoulder and pressed £150. Gutted. Still, I took home £145. Not all bad.
I hosted a barbecue for seven this evening, without really meaning to. Woody left his fresh herbs under my care during Glastonbury, and they grew and grew during that time. When I saw Clare for lunch yesterday, I suggested that she should come to my house to collect them.
“Why not come for food too?” “It’s nice out. Why not have a barbecue?” “Why not indeed?”
Zoe, Woody, Durex, Paul and Ollie all came by too. The house and garden went down a storm, and the company was great. I’m still a little nervous that the house is a long way for people to come too, especially from Didsbury, but I hope that tonight lessened that psychological distance for my friends.
I went out on my bike to deliver my Christmas Cards. I used magazines to make the envelopes. I went to Dunk's, Kate's, Pippa's, Clare's, Beaver House, Tall Trees, Old Lansdowne, Cally and Ali's, and Liz's. My bike started to get a flat back tyre as I was nearly home. I rode down Wilbraham Road between Kate's and Pippa's, and down Wilmslow Road between Pippa's and Clare's, and had got pretty close to some rather large vehicles, a skip lorry, a dustbin lorry and several 42 buses. I thought it would be more stressful than it turned out to be. To me as a pedestrian, a cyclist seems tiny next to these behemoths of the road, but as a cyclist I felt bigger and somehow better equipped to handle life as part of the traffic. Must buy a helmet!
Paul was gone when I got home. I boxed a few more things, CDs, extension cables, and built a pile by the door. Paul gave me a guitar and a playstation. He doesn't use them anymore, and I use them all the time. It makes sense I suppose. At around four pm, a massive sense of impending dread and doom swept over me. I'm really leaving Everett court. Fuck me. The evening was one of TV and red wine. Lots of red wine, actually. A half bottle from Thursday night. Another bottle bought with dinner, pizzas from Iffy's. As I watched Mastermind, I noticed that one of the contestants had chosen to specialise in Jonathan Creek, so I texted Rigby. And I got a reply! It said, "Ha ha, who is this?," thought when I identified myself there was nothing else. So it goes. There was and an ill-advised third bottle too, bought at 10.15, in the middle of QI, also from Iffy's. Fifteen regular size glasses of wine. Roughly. A haze. I don't remember how I got into bed.
"Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage."
I recently gave my job twelve days to impress me, to win me back over. It has failed miserably. Unfortunately, I also failed – albeit less miserably – at the interview I had last Thursday, so the question of whether to leave or not has become purely academic. I do want to leave, but I need to find another job first. Paul has been searching for a less shitty job for about nine months now. I hope it doesn’t take me that long to find something else. Last night I was so angry that I had to leave the office so that I didn’t Hulk SMASH! the whole place in. I drank three pints in Sol’s, an inch of vodka at home, and three more pints in the Lion with the football. I didn’t feel much better after it all, and even less so this morning. But the anger has gradually faded.
None of them are suitable. There were quite a lot of jobs working on the railway, so I thought I’d have a look at the Railway People site. Zip. Next step recruitment consultants. I despise recruitment consultants.
Bury St Edmunds
Near to the gardens stands Britain's first internally illuminated street sign, the pillar of salt. When built, it had to be granted special permission because it did not conform to regulations.
Bury St Edmunds is the terminus of the A1101, Britain's lowest road.
Moyse's Hall Museum is one of the oldest (c. 1180) domestic buildings in East Anglia open to the public.
Amongst the other noteworthy buildings is St Mary's Church. Henry VIII’s sister, Mary Tudor, was re-buried this church, after being moved from the Abbey six years after her death.
The town holds an annual festival in May. This includes concerts, plays, dances, and lecturers, culminating in fireworks.
Bury St Edmunds is home to Englands oldest Scout Group, 1st Bury St Edmunds (Mayors Own).
The Town Council election on 3 May 2007 was won by the "Abolish Bury Town Council" party. The party lost its majority following a by-election in June 2007 and, to date, the Town Council is still in existence.
Spurs have won 5-1. I was at Woody's. Life is still good. Work sucks. I love this song.
