July 25 - 30

Well the work week past cannot be described as anything but mind numbingly boring... I'm still working in Covent Garden but the receptionist decided to take the week off.. that translates to me sitting and answering the phone all day. I'm really not sure how people can sit all day and do this, it was driving me out of my mind by mid day... and people do this as their permanent job??????????

But enough about that, the week was quiet with a couple of house viewings, one in Battersea that is really nice and I think we'll probably take, and then the next day another one in Wandsworth. Picture the scene.... it's a rainy london afternoon, okay, make that pouring down... we get off the train and then realise that we have miles to walk, and after a quick look at the map Kev informs me that the street we were looking for backed onto something called HMP which actually stands for Her Majesties Prison (charming). So we started off, after walking for about 30min we decided that however nice the place was it was just too far...FROM EVERYTHING.... we eventually found the place.. well it has a communal entrance which we would have shared with 3 other places, not really very secure though. Coming in the front door you took one step and you were at the door of the first bedroom, really nice and big, but i'm not entirely sure i'd want to sleep so close. The living area and kitchen are right at the back of the flat along a really narrow corridor. The place said it was partly furnished but i'm not entirely sure that a couple of beds and a couch could even pass as partly furnished. Then came the best part, the garden, tiny, overgrown and backing directly onto the prison... NO THANK YOU, something about watching things like Con Air etc have me a bit wary of living behind a prison.

Friday came and went without much ceremony, we ended up going to Cath's flat warming in Balham which was really nice, she's got a cute place with a garden which she and her housemates have filled with pretty flowers and bushes. The place was overflowing with people by the time we arrived, me having to work till 6 and all that stuff. So Kev and I decided to share a bottle of whisky, him getting the larger share due to the usual friday after work drinks that i had. And time passed and conversations got more animated as the alcohol took effect. Some were more effected than others, one Mr Jak Kosef in particular ;-) And finally headed home, arriving at the tube station just in time to see them putting up a sign saying that the last northbound train had already left. That meant bussing it home... a bus that landed me in Elephant & Castle.... with no idea where to go from there. Eventually saw a N148 which is the night bus that goes about a block from where i live.... eventually got home where i promptly fell asleep on my couch, only to wake up just after 5 absolutely freezing and crawl into bed.

Saturday morning was an early one, accompanied by a distinct whisky headache. Then it was off to meet the gang at the Temple Walkabout, which subsequently I've heard referred to at Tollies on the Thames, so that gives the stellies people an idea of what the place is like. After many cokes and some very good rugby the party started, we ended up leaving at just before 6 having been there since 1 and then running across the Embankment Bridge to the dock where our party boat was leaving from. Imagine, a boat filled with South Africans and beer, it could only spell disater, or probably more accurately H.A.N.G.O.V.E.R. It was a nice party with cool people and much whisky flowing. I eventually left with kev sometime after 12 and headed to subway food being an essential for actually being able to continue walking up straight.

A quiet sunday where I made a sunday roast for Kev and Cath and we all sat and watched the GP... which is becoming a sore point.... then settled down for a cat nap and a good movie.

Now it's back to work, another long week ahead.... and counting down till i get back to SA