Day 447

Only 7½ hours' sleep, felt fine: perhaps I've been sleeping too long recently? Got my Giro. Australian woman in the post office reminded me uncannily of Janice, the alcoholic solicitor in Pris last night.

Day 446

Feeling rather weak recently, tired too, which is odd, what with getting 9½ hours' sleep most nights. I expect I need something to do in the day more than ever now.

M came round during Quantum Leap, talked till eleven.

Day 445

Into town to sign on. Every card seemed to have 'fully qualified' or 'experience essential' on it.

Day 444

Livened up Sunday abstinence by listening to Newshour on the World Service at 10pm. The Americans attacked Baghdad with missiles (high explosive only, 'luckily') on the grounds that Iraqis had planned to assassinate George Bush. Considering that G.B. is alive and well it seemed a massive over-reaction. Who's next, eh?

Got to sign on tomorrow: perhaps there'll be some good job cards. Getting up early today was definitely a good idea, think I'll do it again tomorrow.

Day 443

Listened to Knowing Me, Knowing You - lacks the nastiness of On The Hour.

I find these abstinent weekends a bit of a trial, but having gone out yesterday helps. I plan to get up early tomorrow so as to be properly tired tomorrow night. Got to sign on on Monday too.

It really is boring being unemployed, especially for nearly 2 years. Been thinking of writing to Weffolk University about computer courses: but even if I could afford it all / got on, that would still leave me unoccupied till Sep. 94, probably. So still some sort of job now seems to be required (although the consensus down the pub last night seemed to be I should get back into education). Perhaps if unemployment does (ever) go back down there'll be more choice. I wish the the careers books down the library were more helpful - I need a job suited to my experience/qualifications and where how you look isn't very important. What could it be?

Day 442

Did a bit of job-searching in the papers, nothing likely. M came round briefly, on her way to see about that branch manager's job.

Out with her and J later - as none of us were drinking it was rather a subdued evening.

Day 441

Watched Out of This World. Small imaginary betting loss at the races. Scanned free newspaper for jobs - none.

In the evening M came round and we went to the Cricketers for an hour. She depressed me talking about jobs; then I recovered slightly. Watched Prisoner Cell Block H.

Day 440

M came round in the evening, watched Rough Justice (now on C4 and masquerading as Trial & Error).

After nine days, getting used to the GA. But I reckon it'll be quite a bit longer before the solution of getting drunk stops occurring to me every time I'm bored in the evening.

Day 439

Met M outside the library. She had resolved to chuck C. She offered to lend me her Attila the Stockbroker CD which I liked so much, so I went round for it in the evening. We watched 999, of which M is inordinately fond.

Day 438

We lost the 2nd Test by an innings and 65 runs. Scanned diaries again for records. Got interested despite myself in details of uni life (mostly drinking tea in the diner and lager in my room). A few good moments though.

Updated the records list on disc to 2060 songs. Slightly less of a trial today again. About all I expect from Mondays to be honest.

Day 437

Catalogued an extra 11 videos, watched the cricket (some recovery by England). Read my 1990 diary to find when I bought various records with a view to continuing the list I used to keep, and which stopped in June 1990.

After six days' abstinence found today less of a trial than the others, but still rather dull.

Day 436

Finished cataloguing the videos, all 41 of them.

Day 435

Catalogued more videos, went into town in the afternoon to the library and a look in record shops.

Day 434

Went to town in the morning, put £10 out of my Giro in the building society.

In the evening watched The Bill and the Comic Strip - Oxford, just funnier than unfunny.

Day 433

Heavy rain in the afternoon so didn't go out, catalogued video tapes and looked at the jobs on teletext.

M rang at 7pm saying come out: went round, told her about the Great Abstinence. She wants to join the Air Force now. J arrived and we went into town. Her and M had an endless circular conversation about this bloke M works with and is thinking of chucking her boyfriend in favour of. I don't approve but didn't say much as M looked moody.

Odd coming home stone cold sober. M admired my resolve, she seemed impressed.

Day 432

After Out of This World went into town, got that Kingmaker album. Will have £15 extra pw with the Great Abstinence, might try and save some of it. (If they don't end up stopping my income support, that is). 1 day down, 135 to go till October 29th.

Good 'day at the races', made a £16 'profit' from 13 imaginary bets.

So far, so good.

Day 431

Rain had stopped by 10.20 so I foolishly decided not to take an umbrella when I went to sign on. It started again and I got soaked. Added to which the queue-ticket machine had broken down and had to be repaired. I hate that place. Came back, dried off. Tipped successfully, made a £6 'profit' with Southwell rained off.

Good Radio 4 play in the afternoon about (real) woman combatting cholera in Liverpool in the 19th century.

Am taking a break from drinking till October 29th (what a thought!)

Day 430

While listening to the Top 40 (bfp!) heard a triffic song Queen Jane by Kingmaker. Might be worth further investigation.

Got to sign on tomorrow.

Day 429

Worthington's reference in The Palace of Love.

Day 428

Disturbed night - felt better after it started getting light about 3.45 am.

Day 427

Checked stats and found that what I had previously suspected to be acid flashbacks were in truth withdrawal symptoms caused by large drops in alcohol consumption, which explained why they always happened on Sunday and Monday nights. Obvious really.

Bad day's imaginary 'racing' due to Southwell's last 5 races being abandoned.

Day 426

Tories in disarray after Lamont makes vicious resignation speech, also with only 27% in polls cf. Liberal 25%. (But never forget - according to polls Neil Kinnock is Prime Minister). Like Lawson and Howe only more convincing. Are we witnessing the first pale light of dawn after the long night of the Torycaust? J. Smith redeemed himself, too with a triffic sarcastic attack.

Made a £6 'profit' on 24 imaginary bets. Really looks as though I've hit on something here.

Day 425

M came round having been for a teacher assessment discussion at our old school, returning with discouraging tales of consumerism.

Took 7kg of cans to the metal recycling place, got £2.80. Also made a good 'profit' of about £10 on the imaginary betting - doing very well at the moment.

Report from the mental health people included comment 'No evidence of depression or psychosis'. Good-good-good. And two people did that assessment.

Day 424

In the evening watched a prog about computer developments: a bloke with a 'backwards' pedal bike with aerial, satellite link, handlebar keypad, head-up display, cellular phone etc. Amazing.

Day 423

Harvested a radish - quite a good size.

Day 422

Imaginary betting going well - 'lost' only 31p in the last 102 bets and have had 3 'profitable' days in the last four. Let's face it, if I can produce a profitable betting system it'd be a real breakthrough.

Rang M, her brother said she might be back in the evening. (She wasn't).

Day 421

Should I go into horticulture? It would be very unstressful. Nice positive sort of job, and people'll always need vegetables.

While remembering that, according to opinion polls, Neil Kinnock (brave fighter in the Dark Years of the Torycaust) is Prime Minister, we should note that Labour have a 24-point lead over the Tories, who are only 2 pts ahead of the Liberals, that John 'Goon/Buffoon' Major is the least popular prime minister 'in modern times' and that the Tories have only got the approval of 14% of people. (The one in seven dedicated Nazi fanatics).

Ah, but, I hear you cry (who am I talking to?), we've seen all this before in 1989 (1990?) when Lawson was ditched, the poll tax was provoking riots in Tunbridge Wells etc. But Thatcher was more popular then than J.B/G.M. is now, and she was chucked out 7 months later. (Thought: is Thatcher Morgoth and JB/GM Sauron?) But on the whole it's all very encouraging. Don't tell me there's nothing coming...

Day 420

Up early yet again, must be the early dawns. Got the Racing Post to read about the Derby yesterday. Cleaned up the house before my parents got back. Have enjoyed house-sitting - different to when I lived here.

Day 419

D rang up about 4.30, had a long talk about this and that.

Day 418

Yet another dream last night about starting a new year back at uni. Got up and watched Out of This World.