Monday 4 January 2010

Dream: I am back working at Texas Homecare in Clacton.  The guy now running the branch is my old boss at Baker Street.  During the dream I notice something that I had written there when I worked at the store back in 1996 and it is almost haunting to see that my mark has remained.  Later in the dream while I try to go to the toilet in the place the new boss storms in vocally and while as a result of this I am no longer able to piss he shouts over to me not to be shy.  Bolshy cunt.

Eventually I emerge from a disturbed nights sleep feeling disgruntled by this dream and apparent lack of slumber.

As I leave this morning my car is heavily frozen off the back of a chilled night.  It takes a while to get it all scraped off but soon I am driving to the station with view to getting the working year started.

Unsurprisingly when I get to the station the trains are fucked due to overrunning engineering works between Stratford and Liverpool Street, presumably the same engineering works that meant trains weren’t going to Liverpool Street last week.  How fucking Mickey Mouse can one organisation be?  I would have put money on the trains not working properly this morning as the Christmas hangover carries through into the beginning of the New Year proper.  Suddenly all the good work of relaxation done over the past few weeks begins to undo.

Eventually a train turns up (the 6.59AM) but as a couple of trains worth of people are now trying to get on it all in all it just serves to make it a crowded, over busy wanker train.  Fortunately somehow I manage to get a decent seat but then a seat cruiser attempts to plop himself next to me despite there being an abundance of spare seats currently on this train.  As I refuse to move, budge and accommodate him he takes the hint and decides to sit elsewhere.  Did the fucking fruit fancy me or something?

Information Jimmy waits until Shenfield to inform us that the train will now be ending at Stratford, which is something by this point I was now suspecting.  Frustratingly however as we near Stratford Information Jimmy then changes his mind and announces now that the train will be going through to Liverpool Street after all.  Is this how National Express wins people over, gains their hearts and minds, by under promising and over delivering?  I refuse to be fooled.

After this unnecessary dog and pony show the train eventually trawls into London at 8.10AM.  Whatever happened to starting as you intend to go on?  If that is the case then 2010 is going to be a shitty year for us commuters.  I pity the extras.

Finally I board a tube and as I sit down I notice a discard banana skin left on the seat which thoroughly fucking disgusts, far beyond the point it should do.  Yikes I am truly OCD boy today.

As the tube passes through Kings Cross I notice just how insane my hair looks this morning.  Jesus, how did I get this far into my journey looking so wild and crazy?  Why hasn’t anybody shouted and hurled abuse at me?  Oh yeah, I remember this is London, haven of the whack job with crazy features including mad hair.  With a red face I attempt to pat it down with licked fingers but it working, this wig is not flattening down.

When I step into work it is to a chorus of “happy new year” from anyone that crosses my path.  Rather than respond “what’s happy about it?”, as much I would like, I reciprocate the gesture with a verbal high five.  Am I happy to be back at work at this time?  Its OK, I don’t mind, this year I at least feel as if I had a decent break and now am rejuvenated to some degree.  Basically today I am in a fairly good mood, confident in and about 2010.

In contrast as I ask around how other people’s holidays were both the IT Guy and The Girl complain about their experiences seemingly suffering from stress at the hands of their families and loved ones.  Perhaps having a small family has its benefits after all.  Ultimately it sounds as if my holiday was the only one without drama.  Oh, the Filipino had a good one also.  High five.

I have come to the conclusion that the key to the start of my year exuberance is the fact that it is beginning without having a female in my life making it a misery.  Last year it was my American Friend, the year before that was Zoë, the year before that it was Catherine and before that it was Sharon.  This year no such problems or issues.  Batter up!

Slowly I get into the rhythm of the day and start working again.  Throughout the day I touch base with various people, wishing them a happy new year in the process.

Today I make tentative plans to meet up at Holland Park but as with the end of the last year, again there seem to be various obstacles and difficulties attached to meeting up.  Is there something up there I wonder.

As lunch arrives I request salmon but get denied on that option so instead I grab sausage and beans instead.  Not very mature and not the best of ideas following a week and a half now of eating unhealthily (even more so than usual).

The Girl announces today how her boyfriend has been getting her to watch The Wire recently.  There was me thinking it was all highbrow and over the heads of such people but now her she is naming characters and their actions at me.  Now I guess the show is officially overground and too popular to be namedropped anymore.  People ruin everything.

I continue through the afternoon at an acceptable pace still reacclimatising to work after the Christmas break before eventually spluttering to a halt.  When 5.30PM eventually comes around it arrives with a sense of relief.

Tonight I board my first 6.20PM Norwich train of the year and head home to happiness.  The train is full of morons this evening, people with luggage which then comes to a head as I nearly trip over some dickhead who has placed his briefcase in the carriage aisle.

On the train tonight I spot Epiphany Girl for the first time in ages.  She looks well, attractive as ever.

As the journey progresses the lights of our carriage flicker disrupting the Rowland Rivron lookalike sat opposite me as he attempts to read his Irvine Welsh book.  In the long run the malfunctioning train is probably doing him a favour from preventing him from reading it.

Upon arrival back into Colchester I find myself met with a frozen car which proves a real ache to sort out in this cold.  When I eventually pull off my view is still somewhat restricted as the windscreen smears up.

Tonight I head to Asda with view to getting a new Freeview box.  In the end I buy a cheap Goodmans one that apparently saves on power.  Its not as if I am exactly spoilt for choice in purchasing this product.

On the way home I stop by the parents at Balkerne Heights where I am greeted by the sight of a clamped car in the visitors spot.  Ironically elsewhere on the complex there are cars spread out everywhere not in marked parking spots/bays.  Regardless the paranoia of getting clamped means that my visit is only a fleeting one as I collect my Christmas booty and head back to Bohemian Grove.

Back home inspiration hits me on the writing front as I quickly nail three Facebook Cull entries in one breath.

At 10PM Nurse Jackie begins on BBC2 and immediately I am a big fan of the show.  After the episode ends Celebrity Big Brother is already through its show on Channel Four and it is boring already.  This is not going to be a vintage year.

I fall asleep.