The Wagon

Dear Diary,

Yesterday was another weird one. I went straight back to find my study-notes and calligraphy signature fountain-pen at the pub. Nige' was there, we shared a little livener or two. My special signature fountain pen was gone. It was a nice one, but I supposed it was karma for keeping the crystal dolphin trinket.

Alas, I bought another pen, plastic, but old-fashioned. You have to dip the nib in ink, it looks crap, and just tears the page whenever I try to use it. Bugger. So now I am writing with the nib of a fountain pen, a spare one from my calligraphy set.

Then, after returning home (having a visit from the ex, the artist, I just hid upstairs. I was not about to let ukele woman back into my life), I went back to the pub to meet Larry. We went for a drink over the road. My nemesis was there. Nothing extra-ordinary happened. Larry is very tall and bears scars over his face. He once had a local racket try to give him a head-butt, he pre-empted the move, simply stepped back and made light of the situation. They all backed down one by one. That was ages ago.

We went to meet another friend of his, had some spicy pizza and more scrumpy in back-room barn bar. They wanted to all go down to the coast. His mate drove us, his bird, and their other mate (all naturalised foreigners) down to the sea. The man drove at a dangerously fast pace whilst blaring out Music for the jilted generation at ridiculous volume. We shared another pint, then went back. Boom box blaring, engine roaring. I felt young again.

The foreigners took off, and we could smell the scent of curry drifted out from the kitchen. The Geordie chef Azeef was making something nice. (Azeef is his neighbour, and those two have had some major barnys, in the past, and I know Azeef was just on the scrounge, as per usual, keeping his own reserves at home while he cained ours. He did cook a meal, but he was doing that anyway.) He'd had a win on the horses and decided to join us for another drink. Azeef plied me with wine, I refused, sticking to scrumpy. Larry plied me with 'the special stuff' (100% proof moon-shine). We listened to a few really great tunes, from the Bonzo Dog DooDah Band to Russian Folk Music. Sea Shanties, the Killers, even some Jive. Azeef didn't enjoy it but I thought it enjoyable. However, the evening soured when Azeef started to slate my University...

I tolerated it for a short time, then began to get most out of joint. He is anti-educationalist, as are a plethora of people nowerdays. The ignorant peon kept getting more and more in my face, on my case. I began to get angry, annoyed, as aggressive as Azeef was. After he was blatantly slating me and my hallowed institution right in front of my mate Larry. We can't be having that, now can we. So. I mounted upon my intellectual high-horse of egocentric arrogance and put the puny-mind in his place, a quick definition of what I do, how much time I invest in it, and my work history from kitchens to labouring, my need to better myself, further my knowledge, that being stuck in a stressy kitchen is not where I see myself ending up. (Azeef hates his job, a chef). I put the ignorant peon firmly in his place. Playing the guitar along to whatever tracks happened to be playing in the background also helped affirm my superiority. I don't like argument, not at all, so began to make light of the ridiculous flak I was taking from this fool. Larry laughed, especially once Azeef had gone on.

I return home, for the first time in ages I can have a bath finally. I am awaking to some harpsichord music in a minor key, a smoke, a drink, also some roobush. Larry gave me a whole pint (near enough) of 'the special stuff' as he drinks it only very occasionally, and prefers the 8% stuff. I mixed the two. What a wonderful combination: nectar of the gods. This be my last tipple for the week ahead, I'm lucky to have come this far. I am nearly out of tobacco and the like. Nevermind. I have this group work to do, and today is election day...

I am talking to myself, and am isolated now, cut-off completely.

Maximus Fleximus.