You cannot always be torn in two

I would kill for some Diet Coke right now. I blame Abs for this new found craving.

NCIS is on sale at JB Hi Fi for $24 a season. That’s a total bargain. Season 4 of Doctor Who is also on sale, $74. I just need to check if that’s in-store or online, then I shall acquire it with the money I set aside for the acquisition of a pair of Doc Martens. Oh well.

They showed Oxford Street on the news last night, feature on the post-Christmas sales and how British consumers are responding where the US ones are not. I sat there thinking 'Man, I was there not even two days ago, walking down that street, cursing slow walkers and thinking Exterminate! thoughts at young children, and laughing at the Storm trooper helmed, light sabre wielding animated moose in the Debenhams window display.'

Life can be such a bitch sometimes.

I woke up just before twelve today. I had an absolutely awful night. Considering I only went to bed at two the previous evening and was up again by 7, this somewhat surprised me. Still, there I was, still awake at 4am, unable to sleep due to coughing fits which now seem to be leading to extreme nausea as well. Finally, exhausted beyond belief, I just passed out. I do not approve of this kind of bullshit.

Meanwhile, it appears there will only be three Soundwave sideshows this year. Three! How lame is that. One has Anberlin and Chiodos, another Say Anything and Hellogoodbye. I was really hoping there would be a Billy Talent, or The Subways, or a Jack’s Mannequin side. Grumbles. Oh and The All American Rejects are touring with Fall Out Boy. I want to see AAR, but I hate the ACER and it’s so bloody expensive. Bah.

I find it very hard to muster any care factor at the newspaper today. Everything feels trivial somehow.

So, recapping my last few days in old London town. The day after the Stonehenge trip was sadly when I had to take my leave of the Lair and move into the Holiday Inn with the parents. This proved annoying as I had to cram all my stuff back into my backpack and trudge about the tube. When I arrived at hotel lobby far later than I ever intended (I was lazy and spent the morning in the Lair when I should have been getting ready to leave), the concierge laughed and asked “Tired?” Smart arse. Anywho, I left my bag in their care and wandered back out in the madness of Oxford Street, eventually meeting Abs for lunch, which would sadly be followed by our goodbye.

I was then meant to meet the parentals at Earl’s Court as they moved hotels, but as per usual they were unorganised and after sitting there for a while, staring at the Dalek flyers I thought, 'Fuck it, I’m here, I have a few pounds left, they are late, and it’s right there, I’m going to this Doctor Who exhibit'. My lameness factor went up another notch. May I just point out it was creepy as all hell since the place was utterly deserted and to get to the main exhibition area you have to walk through this concrete underground-esque area with the autons (aka crazy store dummies) from the first episode of the first season of the new series. I kept waiting for one to launch at me, which I assume was the point. I had the place pretty much to myself up until the end, when there appeared to be mainly children around. I’ll never understand that, as a child this show would have freaked the fuck out of me. Another especially creepy display was the ‘Blink’ one, as the room was dark with erratic strobe lighting and the psychotic stone angel, fangs bared arms outstretched, looming up as you turn the corner. The Dalek room had a warning for those of “nervous disposition” as well as a sign “Beware! Daleks!” I found this endlessly amusing. It was here that I purchased the Jack figure. Souvenir and all that jazz you know.

Unsurprisingly perhaps, the plans with the parents were now out the window, so ever the impatient child, I jumped on one of those open-top bus tours. I really wanted to do one of those so I was glad for the opportunity. I stayed on it for the entire two and half hour trip around the major tourist sites and realised that despite the non-touristy approach to my trip, I really had managed to see a lot of London anyway. Not only that, but I got to live London, the way Abbi does. And that’s really something irreplaceable and of which I’m truly grateful.

I did finally meet up the parents, and we went to see a musical which is something mum really wanted to do [Joseph, it was very strange and yet still rather boring to be honest - and I missed the season final for this?]. We also had Christmas dinner with my cousins and their girlfriends who happen to be in London at the moment [they are brothers, Francios is my age and is there until February when he goes back to university, while his brother is staying for a year]. I think it’s testament to how small the world has become in a sense when you can have a Christmas dinner with your family in a country miles from where any of you live. It was good though, we exchanged some small gifts, just for the spirit of it [They got me chocolate wafers which I absolutely adore and made good use of last night, good foresight there lol].

So yeah, I guess it all ended nicely in the end. As nicely as anything good that must end can.

In a strange way I feel like I’ve actually grown this trip. I know I can master my social anxiety to some extent; I can be social and am not nearly as awkward as I tend to think I am. There is hope for me yet.

Today, I am clearly useless for any purpose. Oreo has been curled up next to my bed since she was let in this morning, which is quite sweet really. Guess she missed me. She was well looked after, looking really healthy and happy when we picked her up yesterday, and it’s such a relief knowing she had a good “holiday” as well. So much better than the kennel business last time. Not that it’s the kennel’s fault; I think Oreo just needs a little bit more contact. She just likes being with people, lying next to you when you watch tv or whatever. Mum still has to reset all our electronic things like the dvd and the Wii after we had Foxtel IQ installed before we left, so until then I am stuck watching dvds on my laptop again…well as long as the laptop is co-operating which it thankfully is at the moment…it wasn’t that kind yesterday. So yeah, I think I might hole up here and watch…well, I’m sure you could guess.

Further updates as events warrant.

Music: The quiet things that no one ever knows - Brand New
Mood: Some semblance of awake