“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

No pictures, no jokes today. I feel horrible. For whatever reason, one of the few good friends I have is no more, there's nothing funny to be said about that. I feel awful.

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one” - C.S. Lewis

"The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese"

Back pain - gone.
Okay there's a hint of a niggle, but so what!

What an absolutely awful 13 hour shift today! one of those days where the admissions are endless and unrelenting! (actually aren't they the same thing?)

Back held out though - I'm all right - woo hoo!

"It all started with a scowl" - priceless!

Sorry for this stream of consciousness, I am slightly drunk, and strangely happy!

Many people quit looking for work when they find a job. - Steven Wright

“If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten”

Blimey, I suppose I should tell the tale of the assembly shouldn't I? Clean forgot!
No tears, from me or anyone, parent or child. I arrived long before my ex. It over ran, so she sped out back to work (lord of leisure yours truly was on a day off of course!) so confrontation was avoided.
The assembly itself was a bought in jobbie, and was so inconsistent with school life here (I think it was American in origin) that it was jarringly odd. My daughter had a good part as a stressed teacher. To illustrate this stress some brilliant teacher used The Boomtown Rats song "I don't like Mondays" as background music, clearly not aware the lyrics are referring to a school massacre! Luckily I think I was the only one steeped in pop culture enough to realise, but my daughter did ask me later why I had looked so shocked at that scene!

It was her last day in Junior School yesterday and I haven't seen her yet, wonder how it went? Stay tuned.

This post ends with a voice over (read whilst playing above video)

“Growing up is never easy. You hold on to things that were. You wonder what's to come. But that night, I think we knew it was time to let go of what had been, and look ahead to what would be. Other days. New days. Days to come. The thing is, we didn't have to hate each other for getting older. We just had to forgive ourselves... for growing up.”

- The Wonder Years

“Style is a simple way of saying complicated things”

Feeling a lot better today! plus the weather is lovely.
The only problem with that is it shows up the dirt more! Must try and tidy, but not today, I don't want to send myself "back" to square one! (do you see the pun I made? do you see?)

I'm feeling so much better today that I went out and bought a couple of DVDs ( I was getting withdrawal symptoms man!).

It's my daughter's leaving assembly tomorrow (she leaves Junior school on Friday). I know if I don't go I'll regret it, but it means avoiding my ex-wife. If we had an amicable relationship that would be nice, but from day one she made it clear she wanted nothing further to do with me, although she still has a close relationship with my wages. Also I'll no doubt get all emotional!

This is the video I really wanted but you'll have to click on this link to see it - bummer!

That's just as good (if you're as old as me anyway!)

“It is not I who become addicted, it is my body.” - Jean Cocteau

(Director of one of my favourite films "La Belle et la bête")

Serenity now!

I have nothing interesting to say...

(So no change there, you are probably thinking.)

I spent a lot of today dozing. For someone with insomnia I seem to be sleeping an awful lot. When I'm in bed my back pain seems to disappear.
I've watched an incredible number of Seinfeld episodes on DVD today (well I was stuck in me armchair with a lot of cushions!) Love that show!

I love an electrical storm, we had a brief one today, and lots of sunshine. Has the weather become bi-polar?

"I can't go to a bad movie by myself. What, am I gonna make sarcastic remarks to strangers?" - Jerry Seinfeld

“Never give advice in a crowd - Arabian Proverb”

p.s. My computer chair has a built in vibrate/heat thing, which I thought would help when I got in from work this morning. I nearly crippled myself getting down on the floor trying to plug the damn thing in (I never use it - it's too noisy and the neighbours minds probably boggle trying to figure out what I'm doing!), anyway I sit down (kind of) and switch on (you're ahead of me aren't you?) and the damn thing blows up. Needless to say I had no trouble standing up that one time! (no mystery - I'd connected the wrong DC adapter, and the darn thing is only 3 months old!!)

For any Napoleon Dynamite fans

“Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest motives.” - Oscar Wilde

"Jack Bauer got Helen Keller to talk"

I'm afraid any wit I usually have, has left on a short holiday, whilst Mr. Back pain is in town.
However thanks to the wonders of painkillers and some deep heat stylee cream my Dad supplied, I bring you this evenings Magnum Opus.
I only managed an hour! at work today. I was so uncomfortable during the handover, I broke out in a cold sweat (remember that time I burst into tears during the handover? - of course you don't, I've never mentioned it before) and couldn't concentrate on what was being said. Once more I broke my own personal worst time for walking home, what is essentially a ten minute walk took at least twice that. Hey I'm not complaining though, not in the light of last weeks "Sicko" viewing, I just thought the whole escapade was mildy amusing and pathetic in equal parts. Socks and shoes remain a problem though, at least the "getting them bloody on" part.

Men (always men - the idiot of the species) who wander around supermarkets, or queue in the post office (presumably for one first class stamp) whilst wearing bluetooth headsets. Do they think they are a top gun pilot or covert agent? Do they realise they look utterly, irredeemably, and childishly stupid? Is that call from the wife (no doubt driving her 4 litre "ranchero", "samurai", "outlaw" or "Ford macho stereotype" SUV to pick up little Briony from school half a mile away) reminding him to pick up some unsmoked bacon and a pint of milk, such a matter of importance that the two seconds saved not picking up a phone, and the appearances of being a total simpleton are worth it?

Of course they think they're Jack Bauer !

“The only thing that ever consoles man for the stupid things he does is the praise he always gives himself for doing them.” - Oscar Wilde

New Garbage single out today! (although being on the Radio 2 "C" playlist means it won't be troubling the charts anytime soon)