under another sun

Lorraine up at six to drive Claudia off to the Coach station. I was more than happy to stay in bed but found I was soon up and getting ready. Lorraine made an appointment to go to the registry office next week. Had to find my divorce papers, and found I didn't seem to have a copy of my Decree Absolute. Envisaged a bureaucratic nightmare but in fact all I had to go to the courts armed with £5 and got a certified copy within five minutes. Simple. From there off to the gym, where I had a good sweat there feeling virtuous.  Then home for salad. Loraine trying to get all her work completed before her holiday started. In the evening L and I went to the Shahi with Anton, had plain boiled rice and tandoori chicken. Then to Circus Circus, where everyone seemed to be dressed in white, as if they were part of a cricketing cult. Home and early to bed.

A really good day's writing. On days like this I think that maybe I am onto something. Also been thinking and reading a little about winning. Asking myself what are the consequences of winning? I was reading something that said that if we win, we have to let go of every definition we have had of ourselves. Perhaps people actually cling to the familiar, to the not winning because it is safer. I find it difficult to win things, unless I am working in a team. When the winning is just about me winning, I find it very hard, and I wonder if it this is something I can reverse or at least put into neutral.  In other news, I was not shortlisted for the Brighton blogger project. Why bloody not? was my thought. A book through the post from Richard today: Jeeves and the Impending Doom , one of those slim Penguin 70s. The title made me feel very chipper for some reason. Out to the Duke of York last night with Lorraine, Dawn, Rosie and her new boyfriend Tim, who I rather liked. He has...

Up then with a song on my lips to head off for London again. Actually I was feeling oddly sweaty which, given the robust health I have been in in the last few months, is typical. A busy day at work, mostly trying to figure out what needed doing, and being given lots to do at the end of the day. Had a cheeky drink with First Matie on the way back to the station, for it is her birthday tomorrow and she needed to be bought a cider. Home late and then out immediately to a pub called Circus Circus where Beth's pal Laura was having her 21st birthday party. It was a jungle-themed party so there were people dressed as bananas or lions or in pith helmets and so on. Amy and Beth were dressed as parrots, which explained the tell-tale feathers I discovered on walking through the front door. Lorraine and I went in civvies, so felt badly under-dressed. Glenda and Richard were there too, and we had a few noisy beers with them. Was feeling a bit tired, but managed a protracted cavort. The ba...