Work being the final completion of my questionnaires in time for the Eisteddfod Juventud on the weekend.

First of all, though, I had to go and get some more money!

After being diddled on the commission by some of the exchange outlets, Hawys took me to the Banco de la Nacion, but apparently after the economic collapse they no longer change Travellers Checks, so we hunted round the middle of town, asking in the hotels and other banks until we found one that would exchange with a good rate. Excellent!

I felt flush, so after paying my rent for the month, I went to Musimundo where they happily played CD after CD of "rock nacional" until I decided what I wanted to buy.

I ended up with the new album by Attaque 77, a punk band whose current single lulled me into a false sense of ska-punk style but aren�t really, and the more standard indie guitar orientated Turf, who I think I heard and liked on Saturday at the rock club, but don�t quote me on that!

After the early morning e-mail check (how sad that I check umpteen times a day!) and the trip to the gym, I went down to Nort� to do my "big" shop for the week - more pasta and sauce, some milanesas de soya, more junk food and some new deodorant - Axe Marine. I guess I must smell like a dolphin or a fish after spraying it on. Doesn�t sound that good, does it?!

Then off to the cyber cafe to put the finishing touches to the questionnaire in Spanish and Welsh....except that the versions that I had saved to disk on the computer weren�t there. Disaster!

Fortunately, I had Friday�s versions on disk with me, so after a few quick edits, I was back to where I should be...ready to roll.

I printed the qaires out, sat around and chatted to peeps for a while on-line and then went home for yet another edit and to drop them off at people for some more proof-reading.

After collecting the proof-read copies, I was pleasantly surprised to find that one person hadn�t read the note and had actually completed the qaire. I have a completed questionnaire. Can you hear me, world? I have a completed questionnaire! Yes!

Equally good was finding out that my book review had been printed in the new edition of the Journal of Sociolinguistics. You see, I am an academic - I have a completed questionnaire and a published book review (although I did get all sniffy that it didn�t include my name on the online ads, but, hey, beggars cant be and all that).

More edits, more print-outs. aaaagh, another error, another print out. Then it�s ten o�clock and time to head home cos my eyes are going funny reading the same thing over and over again.

Strange sense of satisfaction comes over me - all I have to do now is actually do some real work!