October 27 (Wednesday): Everybody Loves You. Up and out to work, once more I leave cutting things close but fortunately this morning I have the bubble car. Unfortunately, Layer Road is being resurfaced and there seems absolutely no way I’ll be getting to work on time this morning. I was almost later than that as my groundskeeper collared me this morning, seemingly eager for the general bullshit chatter he feeds (the guy runs his own gossip column, the laters entry probably being how I am too ignorant and snobby to speak to him in the mornings).

I come into work to find Stevo and Who at loggerheads over the latest job Stevo claims Who has fucked up. The really is a mini-soap in itself. I know Who is prone to doing peculiar things on accounts but also as the line goes “Steve should have been a chef because he makes a meal out of things”.

However, I have my own little drama going on as the client I have been waiting for bank statements from and is coming in tomorrow for a meeting, still have not come up with the goods and when I speak to the guy he denies existence of said statements. This incident causes me grief and I sense some tension between myself and Barry heading my way but eventually it pans out ok. And all in all it means I struggle to get into work.

(drug reference scene missing)

At lunchtime Ivan asks us what we’re doing but I can’t afford to do lunch and I have swag Ebay CDs to post anyway. I do however turn up and join them at Yates after doing my post, poncing lunch off Stevo in the process (I’m a schnorer again).

Today I am really laid back and mellow and I really don’t know why. Ivan accuses me of there being something up but really I’m just unnervingly mellow, which is a mode of me I don’t think people like. As with a dog swimming, the lead may be still but under the water the motor/legs are running.

The rest of the work day of the passes without and then I get home and my world shatters as I discover my property management, Pier Management of Southend, have issued me with a Forfeit Of Lease on my flat, which is a good step towards one losing their home. These swine, under the name Equity Property Management, tried this on with me at the beginning of 2003 and Pier themselves hit me with fees earlier this year. The reason for my apparent forfeit of lease is an insurance invoice apparently dating back to June that I have never before had any request for. The bill is for £200+ but on top of this Pier have now added £140 plus VAT in apparent legal fees which ruins everything. So, according to this demand I have to pull £370 out of my arse within the next week or face the consequences, all as a result of administration errors at their end. To be continued. This however does wreck me……

It wrecks me for when we play football tonight, a friendly against Birket’s. Tonight’s match really should be a breeze as Birket’s are without their regular goalkeeper, tonight are not fielding this apparent Stanway Rovers superstar they have and we have seven players against their five, although for the entirety of the first half Dick and John sit it out, talking their way through the evening. After a scrappy first half, and me taking a real fucker of a shot in the face, things end at the break officially with us losing 5-6 when in earnest I make the score 6-6. Who’s arguing though? The second half goes a lot better/smoother, John and Stevo score fantastic goals which means they all don’t come from Ivan for a change. Towards the end we do build up a pretty good lead before I let in a number of stupid goals (as per usual), making it a tight end but we eventually officially win 15-13 when I really make the score 16-15. Who’s arguing though?

Post coital, I head to Asda to get my dinner, Asda where things are still really heavy handed on the Fort Knox security there, don’t like it.

When I get home, Acton immediately hits me on MSN and blah blah blah.

Eventually I get around to doing some audit past paper (3.1) and I actually find it really difficult. I can’t decide whether it is down to my memory being wiped, the exam paper in question being hard or my own general lethargy. I suspect it’s a soup of all three ingredients.

At 9PM the Fear: Power Of Nightmares documentary is on BBC2. Here is a program have pops at both the fanatical Muslim of the East and the Neo-conservatism of the West. This is all Michael Moore territory but BBC stylee, meaning a subtle political sway/bias in a very British manner/way. The program however is really interesting and you wind up hating both sides of the fence, not least for each and their delusional claims of being the reason for the Soviet Union collapsing. However, better than a Michael Moore documentary, there is little ego nor agenda which does prompt a person to wonder what is the purpose in telling people these things. Do I feel safer, more confident in the world as a result? Nope. Is this more information to bring Bush into question just prior to the US election (which we have no say in anyways). Maybe.

Beyond this, Arrested Development comes on but I fall asleep and the shine appears to be falling off this show already for me.

I re-awaken around 10.30 and at 11PM Tom hits me on MSN with this and that. I give good head. Around midnight I begin watching High Fidelity which helps to send me to sleep.

np: Ann Peebles – I Can’t Stand The Rain