Depending on how the painting goes this afternoon, the new fitted wardrobe should be completed. I'm surprised at how it's gone, I thought it'd go the same way as everything else i've tried like that: i'd rush it, get frustrated at inanimate objects and end up sulking that the end results aren't perfect. Anyway there should be less clothes lying around the house without a home by tomorrow.
We're off to t'pub tonight for John Hudsons 28th birthday spectacular. I don't know if i'll know many people there, it'll probably be for the better if i don't.
Bar old men Karpofolofolski and Amin, all my non-work based friends are generally either the same age or younger than me, yet all my friends at work are in their thirties or forties. I think it's important to have friends or people who you deal with and talk to frequently from a broad spectrum of age range and life experience. If you just hang out and deal with the same group of people over a series of years, I believe it'll more likely than not stunt your emotional and social growth. I'm probably talking bollocks but i've seen what it can do to people, it becomes harder and harder to relate to new people from different backgrounds to your own the longer you avoid it. You become convinced like the levellers said "There's only one way of life and that's your own".
Did I really just use the lyrics of the levellers to back up my point?
Blimey.

Lets see...
The paint doesn't stick to the new wardrobe very well but is like superglue to my skin. Hmm, that seems like a basic design fault.

Went to see Malkmus for the third time in a week last night. I was surprised how much I enjoyed all three. Hey, I didn't even have to feign interest...
It wasn't what I had expected at all, I always thought pavement were quite ramshackle technically though I mean that in the nicest way. I guess I was just a bit surprised at how well Stevie could play the guitar. Anyway, twas good, only spoilt by the tosser behind me who looked and acted like a fifteen year old, the fact I had to leave before the encore due to imminent car park closure and the fact I couldn't drink as much cheap booze as I wanted due to the fact I was designated driver. It was cool though.
I feel a bit ill today, my legs ache and I think several brain synapses have stopped working. SARS! Jesus, I knew I shouldn't have gone to that chinese restaurant in Toronto. That was just asking for trouble. It's a shame that SARS kills people and doesn't leave them as crazed blood thirsty zombies.

Preston seems to be full of adults acting like children pretending to be adults.

I'm having a disappointed day today. I don't know why I bother, they never do any
good, just tend to leave an unhappy feeling in my head. I just can't help but feel
let down by people sometimes. I'm undoubtedly being harsh, I guess when you're many
miles away from a situation, with your own problems and worries, whats bothering
somebody you've seen twice in two years is obviously of low significance.
I think it's an appropriate moment here for a Tazz style sigh.
Better things...
Well this Saturday marks 1 year! 1 year! In some ways it feels like it's been a
matter of months but in many, many ways it seems like the last year has been ten
years long. In a good way. Anyway thinking of the last twelve months got me to
attempt to work out which gigs i've been to in the past year. I was always too lazy
to go to gigs on my own and with my friends it was always hard to get a group of us
together to actually go to see a band, due to apathy, financial reasons, being
anti-social or whatever.
So including the fact that i'm going to see Malkmus again tomorrow, heres the gigs
i've been to in the last year...

The Flaming Lips X2 (Manchester, Birmingham)
The Bluetones X2 (Blackpool, Manchester)
Stevie Malkmus & The Jicks X3 (Wolverhampton, London, Manchester)
The Coral (Lancaster)
Idlewild X3 (London, Liverpool, Birmingham)
The Hives (London)
The Mull Historical Society (Liverpool)
Cinerama (London)
The Doves (Liverpool)
The Electric Soft Parade (Wolverhampton)
The Music (Manchester)
Easyworld (Birmingham)
The Libertines (Birmingham)
Super Furry Animals (London)
Suede (Manchester)
The White Stripes (Wolverhampton)
1 Reading Festival - The Strokes, The Music, Easyworld, The Hives, The White
Stripes, The Cooper Temple Clause, The Electric Soft Parade, The Vines, Haven, Pulp,
Muse, Foo Fighters, Mercury Rev.

I've included two support bands at them fancy multi-headline gigs like the one in
brixton academy with idlewild supporting the hives. Anyway it seems a lot written
down, we have loads of tickets for things in the future as well. Well a few anyway.
Looking back at Reading, it makes me think what a great band lineup it was. There
were several bands which I didn't see at all which in hindsight I wish I had. Bands
such as the polyphonic spree and longwave. I've started to remember just for the
good points about the festival and forget the nightmare that is camping. Which I
think is a good thing as long as I don't fall into the trap of camping again
because i've forgotten how horrible it is.

So, easter weekend then....

Good Friday was probably the quietest of the lot. I virtually finished the wardrobe I've been building. I'm quite surprised as i've never done anything like this
before and I had visions of it being a disaster. Once it's painted it should look quite nice, then comes the final test of whether it's strong enough to support any
clothes. Thankfully I don't have any metal trousers. Anymore.
Got up at stupid o'clock on Saturday for a six hour coach journey to London. Jesus, Preston Tramp Centre is a sight at 7 in the morning. Anyway it was a long, cramped and boring journey as expected, enlivened by absolutely nothing.
Anyway I like London, always have. As last time I got a few funny looks as to what a ginger gibbon such as myself was doing in such a nice hotel. I didn't know myself,
I think I don't suit poncey splendour, it's a cardboard box under London Bridge next time we go. Went for tea in the restaurant attached to the hotel, mainly because they gave us 20% off. Still, it cost 73 quid. 73 quid! Seventy three pounds! Seventy. Three. Pounds. Pounds! POUNDS! Even though it was nice food, I still left with a slightly sick taste in my mouth.
I found a guys wallet outside the tube station, it had a tenner and the guys cash cards in it. We tried to contact him on a number it had in the wallet but he hasn't responded yet. It had his driving license in it which had his address on, i hope it's his current one as thats where i'll send it if he doesn't get back to us.
The reason we were in London for such a lightning visit was MALKFEST! So we went to the royal festival hall to watch Stevie Malkmus and The Jicks, The Super Furry Animals, a dreary folk singer bird and three roadies playing dog-shit blues-rock.
The super furry animals were great, playing just slow songs as they were a bit freaked that everybody was sat down. Stephen Malkmus was good as well but by the time he was on, I realised i'd had half a bottle of wine, three pints and a singapore sling cocktail. Combined with the coach journey, remnants of travel sickness pills and the fact I was sat down in the dark, meant I battling the onset of sleep.
On Sunday we had a few hours to kill before the horrendous coach journey back so headed to Camden to check out the markets. After the meal debacle of the previous evening, I decided to not spend any money. So three hours later of course I had some shiny doctor m's and a new coat. Own goal! Bah, it's only money.
Return journey was horrible, we had a series of nazi coach drivers. Marie had an argument with one, I wish I had her guts to stand up to people being dicks.
YOU'RE A BALDING FUCKING COACH DRIVER IN SLIP-ON LOAFERS AND HAVE A PERMANENT SMELL OF UNWASHED SOCKS! KNOW YOUR LIMITS!
So.....
Monday we travelled to watch Liverpool play Charlton. I hadn't been this season but managed to persuade Marie into coming along with me. I think she enjoyed it, it helped that we scored twice in the last 4 minutes to win 2-1. Which was nice.
It was quite a packed weekend but i'm tired now and need some days off. I think
i'll sleep at my desk at work.