I think life's starting to screw me around again. I went to the Job Centre to find my claim's been closed since I hadn't gone back within five days of my TNG course ending - I only found out it had ended the week after - so I am now living on absolutely nothing. I have to phone the rapid reclaim line now to get it all up and running again, which could set me back a couple hundred quid, at least.

I'll probably have to leave work an hour early today to get it all sorted out as soon as possible, because I can't afford to waste any time. I feel bad asking Steve for time off, though, for what is essentially my own cock-up, even though he said if I ever needed a half-day I need only ask.

( I'm sitting in Victoria Square right now, since there's no point going back to work for another half an hour. )

I've really got to stop neglecting this journal. I'd hate to look back in a few years and find it full of gaps where awesome or important things have happened but not been recorded.

Let me see - what's gone on over the past week? My novels and art remain at a standstill. I went to the pub with Sian and Emma last Saturday, then invited them to the pub quiz on Thursday. Emma dropped out on account of having no money so it was just Sian and myself, along with Jason, Lee, Dave and a few of the people who'd been there on my very first pub quiz night.

On Wednesday night, I stayed over at Jason's yet again after we watched 'The Hangover 2' - not because we watched 'The Hangover 2', just to clarify. Though it was a bloody good film! And that was also the third Wednesday in a week that I didn't go to the Jam Night. So Anna's probably out for my blood now. And possibly my kidneys.

As for work, work has been very busy, which probably accounts for 50% of my neglecting this journal. We're looking after The Leigh Journal while their editor's on holiday and last week, particularly the 26th and 27th, was absolutely manic. The amount of stuff I got done...!

( All that busyness threw the first part of Wednesday into stark contrast... )

The weather's been bi-polar all day. One minute sunny, glorious and warm, the next - piddling it down, thunder and lightning. And yet I don't have a migraine! Nor am I soaked, even though I've been out!

Yeah, I had a lucky escape. I went to TNG today to tie up some loose ends with timesheets and travel refunds; on the way, it started to rain just a bit. While I was in there, chucking it down. I didn't much fancy leaving at that point. When my business was done and I emerged, however... clear skies. Whew!

Then, an hour later, chucking it down once again. This time, it came with a pretty epic thunderstorm to boot. I couldn't believe it was raining so hard!

I got refunded £11.20, which means that I might be able to treat Jason to dinner later today when we hang out after work. It's his 21st birthday today and I owe him so much so why not? I'll make the offer, then when he refuses I'll shove the money into his hand and say 'TAKE IT, BITCH!' - problem solved!

He phoned me just then to confirm that we were still good for today, should he take a coat and so on. Is it just my imagination, or did he say 'I love you' before he hung up? He said something that I found totally incomprehensible... maybe I'm just hearing things. *bafflement*