July 12 (Monday): I get up early in order to get to the office for 8.00 so that Louise and I can get to Stapleford and Aeromega in good time. I wind up arriving at the office a tad earlier in order to get my shit together. I am surprised at just how many of the partners are already in. This whole trip to the client seems to be being made into such a song and dance.

The trip/drive with Louise is actually really enjoyable, I tell her about Saturday and in the cold light of day, again it doesn’t sound as if it went too well, she thinks Phoebe thinking I was bored with the art might have meant she thought I was bored with her. Needless to say we get lost on the way to Stapleford. On Friday I think I was giving about three sets of directions to the place, which is never helpful. Luckily Louise has a sense of humour and there is also security in the knowledge and FACT that Drew will be late to the client also, regardless. I’m not really sure how or where we go wrong but we somehow about midway into the journey we manage to emerge from the wrong side of the Army and Navy in Chelmsford, somewhere all three sets of directions had been designed to avoid. Eventually we get there though, around 10 AM, about five minutes after Drew, many minutes after Stevo gets in.

The job is actually pretty straightforward for our efforts, just a rehash of last year’s efforts. Louise doesn’t have the familiarity with the job that I do so I am able to help out and make the job easy for her.

Mid morning Hays phone me from London with a job interview. It is the position on Bond Street and I am jonesing. Everything is also now now now with these guys and the Hays guy is pressing me immediately for an interview this week asap. My only open day is Tuesday (tomorrow) and an interview is set for 5.30, which will make things super super tight but for an interview on Bond Street, it is worth the effort it seems.

At lunchtime Stevo drags us to a country pub for lunch which I suspect is the most expensive pub in Stapleford. I was trying to keep to a budget this month. I have some sloppy chicken masala, nowhere justifying its price tag.

All afternoon I am really really nervous. Hays phone to confirm my interview and I feel sick. I make the predictable toilet break and obviously I take too long on my throne as the lights go out and with no light switch in sight I have to wipe in the dark, illuminating my arsehole with the light coming from my mobile phone. Too much information.

Louise and I get our work done while Stevo and Drew appear to be still waiting for information from the financial director (?) guy, an Irish man called Kevin who I have christened Father Kev. Louise does things a little too thoroughly and causes us to be a little late leaving with view to us having to tackle the rush hour A12 the wrong way. She has kind of shot herself in the foot, she has a doctor’s appointment set for around six which we don’t have much chance in arriving back in time for. Silly cow however lets slip that the appointment is for her pill renewal. And you know how mature I am, for the entire drive home I am a funny guy! Thing that pisses her off though is when there is a story on the radio about a man locking himself in a steam room and passing out. I comment “I bet he was fat, only fat people go into steam rooms� to which Louise replies “I go in steam rooms� and I pop “there you go�. Whoops, she takes this to heart and doesn’t talk to me for about fifteen minutes along the A12. By Colchester though she is popping at me, telling me I have a “comedy dick� blah blah blah. We get back to the office around 6pm and it has been a long day. We walk up Butt Road to our respective homes and cars and then the fun ends.

Nothing really happens in the evening, it’s a Monday and Mondays are always a really slow night by nature. I consider going out to buy School Of Rock on DVD a few times but instead I stay in and crash out forgetting that a Father Ted show is on. Motherfuck!

np: Led Zeppelin – Immigrant Song