LAST DIARY ENTRY - 25th
DECEMBER NEXT DIARY ENTRY JANUARY 2007
DIARY
DECEMBER 27th 2006 to DECEMBER 31st 2006
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER
27th
A busy day after the quiet Christmas.
I added a new web page to my site on the subject of tattoos and body art at TATOOS
I have decided that from January 1st, my diary will be in a web page per month format, rather than its current day or few days per web page approach which will swallow up a great deal of web space.
I came up with some New Year resolutions regarding my writing. I am hoping to expand on my Publications output - 2006 saw me get 31 items into print in one form or another, PUBLICATIONS UPDATES making 2006 my most successful year to date. I aim to improve on that yearly. Hopefully my own website sponsorship will also add to my income this year, but I do need a proper job as well. Making a living just as a writer is likely to literally see me starving in the garret.
I also updated my Torchwood TV series review.
I was invited to a birthday meal at an excellent Tapas Bar, El Rincon de Rafa, Longworth St, off St John's St M3 3BQ, which I have reviewed at http/://manchester.restaurants.htm
Followed by drinks in a
familiar bar called Tiger Lounge. (See pubs) I also have
to take library books back, and get some money out with which to settle some looming
bills, and look for work, though at this time of year, virtually no one will be
a hiring employee.
At Tiger Lounge I was asked to help do the dray deliveries on Thursday at FAB Café. I welcomed the rare, unexpected job opportunity. This meant an early night, as I needed to be up for 4.30 AM to get a cab for 5.30 AM. I phoned for the cab and went to bed just before midnight.
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 28th 2006
I got up feeling quite tired but hangover free at 4.30 IS, and prepared for my dray work at FAB Café (See pubs). I phoned to check the taxi firm had my booing – they did, but still arrived twenty minutes late. I still got to the bar in plenty of time to do the work, and met their cleaning lady for the first time. The work was completed by 8 AM. I bought a copy of the BBC History Magazine, which has a major feature on Oliver Cromwell, of some interest to me as a Civil War re-enactor. http://www.thesealedknot.org.uk/ I also got the latest issue of Scarlet, a women’s erotica magazine I have some interest in.
At home, I read the two mags and made more revisions to my website fixing broken links and adding a new page list of my current Internet discussion forum groups at GROUPS AND FORUMS.
After that it was time to head for the meeting of FONT - MANCHESTER SCIENCE FICTION GROUP of which I am a member. I went to FAB café first, and ate at the local Subway, before going on to the Crown & Anchor where FONT gather – Though many were away for Christmas-time seven of us made it, and a good night was had by all.
FRIDAY DECEMBER 29th
2006
A fairly quiet day before a night out at The Fringe Bar.
I watched and reviewed a lousy TV production of Dracula.
The Fringe Bar itself was crowded and very enjoyable. It was nice to see so many people for the last time before 2007.
SATURDAY
DECEMBER 30th 2006
Major news story this morning Saddam Hussein was hanged at 3 AM. Somehow, I find myself unmoved by the momentous event. For myself it’s been another quiet day, with a few errands to run, and I found myself contemplating whether or not to go to the Fringe again. I didn’t in the end.
I cashed in the gift vouchers for HMV that my parents bought me. I treated myself to five DVD’s. 1/. Serenity 2/. Wallace & Gromit & The Curse Of The Were-rabbit 3/. Lord Of War 4/. A History Of Violence 5/. Memento.
I called in a chippy in Manchester for lunch, picked up details of the January 2007 films at the Manchester Cornerhouse Cinema, and came home.
I was sent an e-mail link to a bad erotica awards page. This is hilarious - http://www.literaryreview.co.uk/badsex.html I thought the Will Self extract deserved to win - but they are all quite atrocious - I expect my name to appear there sooner or later - you still can't beat Robert Heinlan's immortal "He kissed me and my nipples went spong."
Late night
web browsing ended the day and I found possibly the funniest web pages I've
seen this year - you almost wish they had written the books - http://www.worldoflongmire.com/features/romance_novels/readers_covers.htm
http://www.worldoflongmire.com/features/romance_novels/
SUNDAY
DECEMBER 31st 2006 NEW YEAR’S EVE
The last day of 2006, and I spent most of it revising my website. I discovered that many pages were not listed properly on my contents pages. They are now.
With hundreds of pages, I have decided to make an A to Z contents listing that should improve site navigation. Again, it is a mammoth undertaking.
The night is of course an excuse for partying, so I was off to FAB Café and Satan’s Hollow for their end of year bash. (See pubs). Public transport for North Manchester was due to die early in the evening, so I set off two hours early for the 8 PM FAB Café opening, and browsed the shops before getting a kebab at Janam’s Kebab House, eating it slowly to make the time pass. Outdoors, howling gales and bitter cold rain fell.
8 PM arrived, and FAB opened up - several friends were there, and the midnight chimes led to a rush of hugs, kisses and handshakes, even with total strangers.
About 1 AM
I headed for FAB’s companion bar, Satan’s Hollow, which I left late, when most
New Year revellers had gone home. I got a Taxi, which charged double fares for
the occasion and got home at 5.45 AM. I
grabbed a quick bite to eat from the buffet items left following my parent’s
house party – they had long since gone to bed, and headed for bed myself. It was the end of a great day, and
overall, a great year.
© Copyright. Arthur
Chappell
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