Verandah, 3rd October 2004

Having a fairly quiet weekend – was working overnight on Friday so didn't get back home until about half nine yesterday morning. Time off after nights is always a bit crap as for the first day or two you sleep all the time. I usually try to stay up for the whole day after the last shift but it's only do-able if you've got something to keep you occupied. I was unable to count watching Jen straightening Liz's hair for a wedding as something to keep me occupied so fell asleep immediately.

Jen's sleeping on the sofa just now as she's picked up a bug of some sort and is feeling a bit under the weather. It's grand finals day in the NRL so the Roosters are playing the Bulldogs later on, the under-20s game's just finished a half hour or so ago. Rugby league's pretty big in these parts and it's watchable but I still prefer Union. Am fairly tempted to find a local club for a bit of a run-around and see if I can do my shoulder any more damage, but I suppose that would just be asking for trouble.

No real news of any interest – nights just involved working and sleeping. Still paying back the money I spent last month so will be fairly frugal for at least the next month or so then can get back to blowing all my salary on crap again. Not working until Thursday so will just potter about for a bit and take it easy.

Still not taken any more photos (other than a couple of baby Jack in the kilt Jen brought him back from Scotland, he was at the wedding with his folks yesterday, but not of any interest to anyone back home) so can't even put up any pictures to flesh out this entry. I keep meaning to go out with the camera and get some pictures of something interesting but I can't overcome the inertia and I have no desire to look like a dorky tourist, even if I am one. I suppose I can't do any worse than John, who sent a pic from his and (his) Jen's visit to Ireland, which seems in fact to be a picture of the top of a wall with the pair of them squeezing into the edge of the picture. I presume they've propped the camera on a wall and set the timer, but surely the thing about digital cameras is you can take another picture if you stuff up the first?

Work remains the same. I'm glad in a way to see there are just as many total wasters that come to A&E here as back home, but at the same time I'd rather not have to see them. You really just want to slap some of these idiots and tell them to piss off. Grown adults should not feel it necessary to go a department titled 'Emergency' when they've had a cold for two days and it's not getting better. The fact that they look affronted when told they should have gone to their GP and complain if told they aren't getting any free paracetamol and can just buy it themselves just adds to my desire to give some of them a thorough kicking. Some of them are sort of a charming-village-idiot type and you can't fault them so much as they clearly don't have the mental capacity for anything better, but a lot are just the malingering work-shy skiver types who just want a month's sick note for their runny nose.

Monday morning, having coffee on the patio.

Jen's off to work again. Job number two is working in the local hospital as an AIN, she just started last week and has the usual induction-type stuff today. I think it pays a bit better than the nursing home job and is more of a casual thing for when she has free time from uni, work number one and me being a pain in the arse.

Postman is just driving past on his scooter and the dog across the street is going mental.
It's a bit overcast today (80% blue sky). I only noticed because a cloud has covered the sun for the first time in the last hour or two, and the corrugated metal roof to the bus stop has started creaking while it cools. Pinking I think it's called. Although that might be something to do with leaded petrol.

Steven has given up with his attempts to like his new job and accepted the fact that it blows. Instead he's going to move back to Glasgow and his old job, which is a better idea from the point of view that there's no point sticking with a job he hates if there's a better offer, but a shame as he was wanting to stay in Edinburgh. Which means I have to find a new flatmate for Amy, which is no big deal as since I advertised that the room would be becoming available I've had loads of interest. It does mean, however, that I need to ring Gordon and ask him to do a few things to the flat, namely put the beading (pointless word for edging) round the new(ish) laminate floor, and clear out some bits and pieces like my filing cabinet which has all my bank statements and things. I can't imagine anyone would want to read them but I suppose if I'm getting in someone I don't know then I should move them. The second bedroom could do with a new bed too – the one that was there before was a bit temporary.

On the note of new furniture there are a few other bits and pieces that I might add to the flat over the next few months. The sofas are pretty crap, probably the best idea is to chuck out the crappest one and move the sofa-bed currently in Steven's room into the lounge to take its place, then stick a new bed and bedside table in there. Some sort of coffee table would be a good idea too. It'll depend mostly on what I can afford over the next few months, but it's a bit pointless having a nice poncy flat in a nice poncy area with shitty furniture.