Bull and Boy

Hiya,

Well I think I told you about Sunday....my cousins came and we had a meal at the PG....I had writing to do in the evening, including the 'village news' for the Mercury....but I had trouble staying awake.

Yesterday was an adventure. I picked up a new suit from Burton's in Cannock (oh the shame...the shame!) and then got train into Brum. Met mum, Uncle B and Aunty J (the infamous and cult-esque(ish) figure that is JB!)...

We went to Debenhams to get James and Judy Stimpson's wedding present - but not before mum had fallen over trying to go up a down escalator (lol) and we went to a cafe where nobody spoke English! But the latte was excellent..and its good to hear an Eastern European girl say 'coffee'....(Mark goes into dream mode...which is nothing like Depeche Mode apparently!)

But we had lovely food at The Attic....there is a healthy restaurant there and the variety of salad was awsome! ('Awesome' is a word I don't use enough....whereas 'cool' is a word I over-use and wear out! )

I took a photo of the 'bull' form the Bull Ring (just like a tourist) and will put it on the blog somewhere.

I regret going for a cycle before shopping because I was very tired by the time i got home....the train journey and the general grind of the city may have had something to do with it too!

Why does one always feel dirty after a day in Brum...not in a 'shame' way...but a grubby way?

In the evening I did more work on updaying my portfolio as the docs have given me the all clear to work full-time again...and working for someone else must be better than freelancing!

The air-con in an office atmosphere and the germs circulating were a problem close to my transplant.

I am concentrating my portfolio on not just the stories I have done, but the ones I have got into the paper written by other....the PR part of my work. I think my portfolio was too full of stuff from the Express & Star too.

I have also included magazine and internet stuff for the first time....I think it reflects what I do a lot better now.

Today I had my re-assessment with gym-o-Jodie at the health club. She has given me some uppoer body stuff to do - to stop me being bored (there is only so long one can spend on the cycling machine without insanity kicking in.)

Then I went to Stafford. I met LC (the global Yam Yam) then Dave (who I hadn't seen since before the transplant) and then bumped into another former colleague Victoria (who by chance I am having dinner with tomorrow). She was my last boss at the E&S and we are each other's references too.

Dinner with Victoria and hubbie Colin is always good. I was friends with her when I first worked with her and then both went to another paper and worked together again. AND we still get on!

Well folks I am well and truly booked up for the next few days. I am seeing Nat and Vickie tomorrow and then Victoria and Colin tomorrow night. I am off to Oxford on Thursday, to London for The Wright Stuff (channel5) on Friday, meeting up with Kirsty for lunch, spending the night at Laura's in Battersea, before heading back to Oxford for Frank and I to DO the Times Literary Festival......

I get back for a day then off to see Sarah and Rob (former uni buddies of mine) in Cheshire! I am trying to fit everything in while I am well and not working full-time...:)

Oh yes. The very excellent ERASURE have a new E.P out called 'Boy' ...buy it! Go on..you know you want to! I did! (But I guess you already guessed that, pop-pickers!)

MUSIC: Bronksi Beat, Marc Almond, Editors, The Leaves, Stephen Duffy, Sophie Solomon