haonowshaokao

Ok, going to the dentist, if I can find one and borrow money and stuff.
Woke this morning after 10 hours sleep still feeling like shit, then realised it might have something to do with not having eaten for 20 hours or so, so threw on my suit and got to the bus stop before deciding I really was too ill to get into work after all.
So returned to the house to get changed into civilian clothes. Fell asleep again listening to the radio, then spent thirty minutes looking for my passport, which is, as far as I can tell, properly missing, which is stress when I want to leave the country. Meanwhile about ten or so people worked underneath me for ages, and I didn’t like to disturb. Snuck out.
In town now, have been trying to find out about whether I have medical cover vis-a-vis the NHS and the EU. I do, but I have to get the form stamped. In England. Shit. Nothing I can do really, will save it till tomorrow when my dad comes I suppose.

Sick as a dog but still working. What a trooper. Had a restless nights sleep followed by a hard slog to work. Fell asleep on the train in a suit, what a sight. What I’m not sure of is whether this illness is teeth based, can anyone tell me if that is possible? My teeth don’t hurt that much, but a little at least, and other symptoms like a headache, aching limbs, etc have followed, though they may not be connected.
Bah.

It is cold and raining, I am poor and my teeth hurt. Moan moan moan. I am really starting to dislike Mondays, though it’s a bit of a cliché. Today is a little too full of tasks for my liking, a ‘to do’ list now half completed. When I get them all done I can go back to bed. I wish the sun would come back out, my tan needs to develop a bit. Instead we have the first of the spring rainstorms outside, the drama and romance of which has faded considerably this year.
Went for a quick couple of pints at the Clown and Bard last night and found the place host to an immense end-of-the-hockey party. Joined in a little, but couldn’t catch up on the drinking before it was time to go. Did bump into a few Swedish friends (commiserating their loss in the final) and found out that Linn is expecting, which came as quite a shock. That makes 3 with Kveta and Becky, spring is certainly in the air.

Spent another lazy weekend with Jess, doing very little indeed, to the extent of not even bothering to go to the pub. We did watch Donnie Darko, which was good, will have to see it again soon I think, sure I missed quite a bit. Her housemates are cool too, we sat around for a long time with them watching The Office and the ice hockey and eating chocolate chip cookies.
The weekend is over already, and it feels like it only just started. Another five days of work looms threateningly over my head. Bah.
Dad is here next weekend though, so stuff to look forward to.

The working week is over. I am much pleased.
There were two new students this morning – both nice guys who will be fun to teach in the future.
After the lessons I went to Carrefour to look at fish and get free samples of chocolate. I had to wait for the tasting round the corner, pretending to look at oatmeal until they had laid out the chocolatey goodness. One of these days I’m going to see if I can spend a whole day eating free samples from supermarkets, eventually they will realise, but when? A long time if I bring a change of clothes. And a false beard.
At the counter with my three small items I had to wait for ten minutes while a mullet-ponytail guy on rollerblades did a price check on a medium-sized green polythene square, purpose & use unknown. While she waited the checkout woman read carefully the instructions on the back of a packet of condoms.
The weekend starts here.

4pm – update.
Last two hours shopping for, bringing back, cooking and eating a large full English breakfast. Yum. Can hardly move. Jussi did the cooking element, he should have a medal or a statue or something.

A lazy day of cancellations and sitting around, though have managed not to spend too much money on the random shit that you can’t help buying when hanging around in town with money in your pocket. Spent a good few hours in bookshops, reading various biographies (Syd Barrett, Douglas Adams) and looking at Edward Hopper books because there is a retrospective next month in England on the other side of Europe, where I can’t be.
Now to go home, cook, help Marin carry a suitcase or something, do some preparation, listen to Gail’s radio show and go to sleep at the wildly uncool hour of 10pm.

I just bought a carton of “Hey Ho Plum Drink.”
Product of the year?

A fourteen hour waking day yesterday, including five trips across the city, 1/4 of the day in total, due entirely to my leaving my keys behind.
I don’t have much to do today, besides sitting here and typing, plus one lesson at six. There has already been drama though. I was sitting on the metro half an hour ago when an old man ran to catch the doors before they closed. He got his arm in but the face was closer and caught in the door. One of his lenses flew out of his glasses to the floor of the carriage. The door stopped for a second, then reopened. He stepped back, then lunged forwards, but couldn’t quite get the door to stay open and it closed fully in front of him. The twenty people in the carriage watched in silence as the train pulled away, his bewildered one-lensed face watching us disappear into the distance, then one middle-aged woman got up, walked over to the door and picked up the lens. I have no doubt she’ll get it back to the lost property depot.
In other news, interesting to nobody except myself I think, today is the day of the 1st round conference playoff decider, Hereford have to beat Aldershot, should be able to do it, but a little apprehensive. We are 21 points clear of them, previous five games were victories, etc. Starts in 2 hours.

Tired and broke, in a good way, like.
Spent the weekend with Jess, at her house, in U Houdku, in the Blind Eye and at Akropolis, where Spiritualised last night played the best gig I’ve seen in years. It was the (ahem) ultimate expression of passion through music without ego. The audience could not have been there. This is a good thing, though there are many ways to be good. We sat down at the back. At the end a ten minute wall of noise almost knocked us unconscious. Fucking good.
Jess has no keys so last night we were forced to sleep in the stone corridor outside her flat. It was not comfortable, somehow managed to get a little sleep though.
I have spent all my money on beer. The weekend is over.