March 27, 2002

Easter approaches - although when you're out of work, days off mean little! Anyway, I've been keeping busy with some freelance stuff - teaching about the internet, doing some websites and brochures. So at least things are not too grim. I've also been for an interview at the BBC but have yet to hear about it and have some other applications out there.

Hopefully Easter will be busier than normal. Saturday night I shall be down at the folks for a meal with them, nanny, Aunty Jan and co. I have a few other plans as well. Last week I popped down to see Karen, Peter and the nieces Rebecca and Emily. I also got my hair cut so it's now a number four. Gosh.

A fairly hectic weekend just gone. Stuart had a party and I got very peculiar on Absinthe and on Sunday I went round to Jamie and Brian's to film my piece for the Fantasy Eurovision party. Talk about embarrassing - me leaping about in next to nothing. If only you could see it!

I'm also making a determined effort to lose some of the winter podge - cutting down on carbs and going for runs again. Spring must have arrived!

March 15, 2002

Things are looking up finally on the work front. I have been doing some freelance stuff as well as getting the job applications in - and there seems to be more work around now which is good. I went for an interview this week at Westminster Council but didn't get through to the second round. Still, it wasn't a job I particularly wanted so I cannot say I am too depressed about it. I have another interview on Tuesday - at the BBC.

Socially, I've been out with me nan, the lads from schooldays and with Paul, Michael, Stu and co. This week has been a bit quieter so I've been able to ponder my putting on weight! I was going to start jogging again but then the weather turned and it's been thoroughly grim.

Craig got in contact this week after several weeks of silence. It was good to talk again so I hope we can remain in touch.

March 2, 2002

A busy and quite troubling month... me and Craig are no longer seeing each other although I hold out hopes of us being friends and maybe patching things up. We had been together for almost a month when things went wrong and not a day goes by without me thinking of him...

I've managed to get some freelance work to keep me ticking over - working on a personal finance website as well as doing some training/consultancy work. Both came along just in time! I had an awful interview at Sky, though, for an online job and have not been surprised by their failure to offer me the job. A few other applications are out there waiting for a response.

I've been to the cinema a few times with my mate Paul. Gosford Park was Robert Altman at his best - a really great movie - while In The Bedroom was a much more sombre character piece. Otherwise I've been out a few times with the regular crowd.

I also popped back to see the family last week for my niece Catherine's 1st birthday. The house was full of babies so it was all rather chaotic.

February 9, 2002

It's been a grim few weeks with me and Craig not seeing each other right now and me not hearing any good news on the job front. The AOL one fell through cos they head-hunted someone from a rival so it's back to square one and a case of firing off CVs all over the place. I'm resorting to jobs I really don't want so you can guarantee I'll get one of them. So feeling rather down these days...

I cheered myself up by going back to Caterham to see my brother Peter and his wife Karen and their new baby girl Emily (see the pic below). It's the first time I've seen my new niece and she's a real cutie. Her sister Rebecca seems charmed by her too - and is developing a really great personality of her own.

Met up with Monty friend Paul, who is now working in London after coming down from Durham. We went to the movies on Thursday to see The Fluffer - a rather witty inside look at the porn industry. I've also had a few beers with Michael, Stuart, Jamie and Brian.

January 26, 2002

Quite a few developments since my last entry here. First, I've got a new niece - my third! Little Emily was born on January 18 to brother Peter and his wife Karen. The pic shows her with her sister Rebecca - who never smiles for the camera! Awwww...

I also succeeded in getting beyond the rejection stage for a job! I went to see a recruitment agent about working at AOL and I managed to get recommended for the next stage in the selection process. Sounds a fairly tough job but I have my fingers crossed.

Other than that I finally managed to launch a website for my mates that I've been working on here and did a feature on my Monty site here. I've also been working doing DIY at my flatmate's other house. Emotionally, it's been a turbulent few days and I hope that gets resolved soon.

I was also pickpocketed last weekend on the night of Jamie's birthday party in town. The bastards stole my wallet, which contained cash I can't afford to lose as well as all my credit and debit cards. Such a nightmare.

January 13, 2002

Apparently a huge percentage of Brits have been struck down by colds and viruses - and now it looks as if I'm getting one AGAIN. I'm not surprised - Craig has been as sick as a dog and flatmate John and his girlfriend have been almost as bad.

Last night I went to Emma's birthday at a bar in town - and poor Kate was suffering too. Still, it was a nice evening of booze and yakking and the first of several birthday parties this month. Socially it's been a quiet start to the year although I did pop out to see American Michael this week on his return from San Francisco.

Spent a few nights at a quiet and ill Craig's and on Thursday I did some DIY at his place - painting and decorating a room in the house (my flatmate owns it too). There's lots more to do so I may spend a bit more time round there - it keeps me busy and is rewarding stuff. Makes a change from trying to find work (still no luck there) and surfing all day!

January 3, 2002

And so Christmas and new year is over again for another 12 months...

I spent Christmas with the family - and my two young nieces gave it a certain magic that's been missing since we were kids. Still, I would've loved to have been with Craig and next year I hope I will.

Then it was back to London, complete with eye infection, for new year. A few of us ended up in a pub in Balham after the collapse of other plans to go to a party. Not bad but nothing brilliant - but then new year is always an overblown anti-climax. However, it was good to meet up with the Kate, Emma and co. Craig was violently ill so couldn't join in the celebrations.

So 2002 has as a top priority getting a job. But then that will come as no surprise to regular readers of my diary! Hopefully things will pick up in the media business - if they don't I may have to resort to being a rent boy!

December 22, 2001

This time of year is always slightly mad... too much drinking and partying as people prepare for Christmas. Costs a fortune in abuse to the wallet and the liver but it's been good meeting up with the various gangs - Kate and Emma last weekend, the school gang this week, along with Jamie and Stuart et al. It was particularly good to see the Kate and Emma lot last weekend because our group outings are rare these days with Kate and Danny living down in Bath. The pic shows me and Ange at the event!

I went out for lunch with nan and her gay Cuban vicar, which was nice. Had a good chat with her about family and a certain person's inability to deal with me being gay. Things may be said to try and sort that out. Life's too short to bear grudges after all.

Had a vexing cold which rather put me out of action for a week. Still have some of it left but it hasn't been too long and drawn out. It's also been very cold and for a bit I was hoping for a white Christmas but that doesn't look likely now. But I have been busy buying presents for Craig!

Trying to get my housing benefit sorted, which is vital as I am rapidly running out of money. Oh shit... very worrying.

December 7, 2001

Well this is getting terribly predictable! Still no job news so I continue to drift through the days. People keep suggesting I write a novel or something but that's a bit of a tall order... I am working on some web sites for friends and went round to Andy's yesterday to try and get his company's one in order. Hopefully I will get that done in the next few days.

Haven't seen much of Craig cos he's been ill. Bloody nightmare. Haven't seen much of anyone, in fact, cos of the shortage of cash situation.

Went back to the folks again on Sunday to see everyone. Aunty Jan was down from Yorkshire and my two cousins, Nancy and Daniel and their children, were there. Haven't seen them for years, since my Uncle Dave died, so it was good to catch up on everything with them. The pic above shows my nieces Rebecca and Catherine splashing around during my visit!

Christmas is approaching but I won't be doing much for it. Unfortunately, no presents this year cos I cannot afford to buy for anyone. Bah, humbug.

November 26, 2001

Depressingly familiar news - still no job. This unemployment lark is bloody boring and demotivating. There are so few jobs around and those I apply for I seem to get nowhere with - and the money situation is getting ever tighter.

Thus, I am trying to avoid spending money these days. I venture out as little as possible but have been to see The Others with Nicole Kidman - a wonderful Gothic suspense movie with a nice twist at the end. That same day, me and Craig went off to the local pub quiz and won with Emma and Nobby. That earned us a nice crate of free beer!

Met up with Pete yesterday - he's back from his honeymoon in Bali and had a great time. We drank a few too many beers and today my innards are revolting as a result.

I also went back to the folks to help celebrate my niece Rebecca's first birthday...awww! Great to see her and my other niece, Catherine, again. They are both growing up so quickly.

November 8, 2001

Apologies for not updating my site but I've been having terrible problems accessing my host server, thus I have now moved the site lock, stock and wotnot.

Busy times since I last wrote - I celebrated my birthday with Craig on the 30th and he presented me with a fab painting he completed just in time. The day after was drinks in town with friends, an evening which will go down as one in which nearly everyone rowed (including me and Craig). It was awful and something I do not wish to repeat.

Then had to try and sort things with Craig before Pete and Catherine's wedding at Kew Gardens. A great day, marred only by me having to read The Owl and the Pussycat during the ceremony! Food and partying followed and it was great to meet up with so many people I haven't seen in a while, including Kate and Danny. On Sunday we all met up for more drinks and fireworks at Saj's place.

The tedium of job hunting continues. No luck. Even less motivation. It's grim out there...

October 25, 2001

It's been a few weeks... Last weekend I was in Hamburg for a stag weekend, my old flatmate Pete is getting married on November 3 and a small group of us went out there for a few days of drinking and ritual humiliation.

Poor guy was dressed in a frock and made a fool of himself. Some of the things he got up to were too disgraceful to mention here. Anyway, nice city with some torrid nightlife but not nearly as raunchy as Amsterdam.

He returned to England to be made redundant, so he joins a growing club. My unemployment situation is proving stressful and grim. There are no jobs to be had at all, which is worrying - especially as the money starts to run out. Motivation is difficult when you get into this sort of situation as well.

I have to watch my socialising these days but I've had a few nights out here and there - meeting up with mates and such. Next week is my birthday, so I have to plan something for that too. Yuk, another year older.

October 6, 2001

Today I arrived back from my holiday on the northern coast of the Greek island of Crete with Craig - and am I exhausted. We didn't get in until 8.30am because of the night flight so I got virtually no sleep today.

But what a lovely week it was. It was quite a touristy place but we had a spacious apartment right near the sandy beach and the weather was mostly hot and sunny so I was able to enhance my Spanish suntan. Not that we lazed around a lot. We managed to get some trips in, including a visit to the deserted island of Hrissi - Europe's southernmost - where I did of nudey bathing.

We also took in some trips to the historic sites of Minoan civilisation, the palaces of Knossos and Malia, which were quite spectacular.

The evenings were mostly spent eating and drinking and we met up with some lovely people - people in Crete are known for their welcome and it was so clear to us!

Unfortunately it's now back to the real world. And I have to do some job hunting before the redundancy money runs out. I'm looking forward to it like a hole in the head - it always makes me anxious and job interviews make me horribly nervous so think of me!

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