July 19 (Monday): Today is entered into with trepidation. Firstly I’m expecting some fall out with Stevo for not helping him tidy Chernobyl, instead I chose to tidy on my own. However, main thing on today’s agenda is the new girl. I step into Chernobyl and the office looks fantastic, Stevo really did a job on it at some point yesterday. However, it kind of sucks that he has not turned up her first day. Around 9.30 she emerges with Cris who brings her over and introduces her. My initial thoughts are that I really don’t fancy her. I talk to her and try to introduce and welcome her as best I can/do. Sunny isn’t really saying anything to her, so she is coming to me with questions. And she is really posh! At one point I have to pop over the road for something and within minutes Sunny has followed me over, seems he doesn’t want to be stuck with her on his own. When I go back over I catch her checking out the toilet in Chernobyl and pulling a pained expression. I ask her about Baker Tilley in comparison and it sounds like another world, much preferable personally sounding to me.

Disaster ahoy though this morning when I receive an email from Phoebe sounding less than enthusiastic/interested about going to see When Harry Met Sally in the West End even though including the term “I would love to go with you�. She also adds: o(@_@)o , which is apparently how her eyes currently look. I can see a smart response will be required to remedy this one.

At lunchtime I drag Louise out with my as Stevo is remains AWOL. Shocks horror, she actually agrees to come with me to ACE comics. I heard Simon say to Chris Friday that there is a new issue of Eightball out. We head into ACE and the basement with the comics and Colin is still actually working there. It has been forever and a day since I last saw him. He is as per, now showing me his engagement ring and authoratively telling me not to get a mortgage as it is killing him financially (“three years too late mate�). He seems as much out of the old social loop as I am and definitely, dare I say, better for it. I get my Eightball and get out of there, Louise bitching me out for spending £4.50 on a comic accusing me of not growing up. We head to WH Smith for newspapers and I now bump into Ellen, just back from her wedding and honeymoon. She looks good and happy. I tell her about my job exploits with a distinct lack of gusto. Louise hovers round and I point at her “I work with her� and then I bring her into the conversation, talking about AAT and the Colchester Institute (a certain tutor has passed away since we were there). And then finally completing the set, as we walk to McDonalds I bump into Chris Lox. I can never tell if he is trying to avoid me (maybe) but I stop/grab him for a good one. He is now sporting a funny goatee beard and he is starting his first day of his six weeks summer holiday (fucking teachers). We talk bollocks and then I point out to Louise that he now teaches at our old school, she seems less than impressed. Finally we get to McDonalds with time ticking by. She gets her thick shake as originally intended for both of us but I go the whole hog and get a big meal (didn’t have breakfast). As we walk back I purposely piss her off by pointing out that “all my friends probably thought you are my girlfriend� (ho ho). What did freak me out though was seeing three friends: engaged, mortgaged, relationship, mortgaged, married, mortgaged. Everyone around me is getting so old.

Stevo finally makes an appearance in the afternoon, acting a bit silly for Emma’s benefit. When five comes around her boyfriend picks her up and he is sat in his car wearing one of those Bluetooth earpiece phones. Now there is one of my irrational hatreds, I just dislike anybody that uses one of them. How fucking important do they appear to think they are?

In the evening I reply to Phoebe’s email with something touchy feely although I don’t know why I am stepping on egg shells. Sara then texts me, telling how she just stumbled into her “villa� (flat/apartment really) to discover her roommate having sex. How can I possibly express how little I give a fuck?

TV tonight is a right royal shower of shit, it makes it an early night for me.

np: Ladytron - Fire