Blarg! Still no decent sleep! Knackered, I went to bed at 11.30 last night, but couldn't sleep for over an hour, and then woke at about 7.

My dream featured Trainspotting action figures and a decision that the best way to untangle some computer cables was to go to a Maths conference and find a lecturer knowledgeable in the knot theory. I could have done without the bit about sharing a bath with a couple of (male, extremely platonically regarded) school friends though.

It being my last full day here, I went to buy my landlady a box of chocolates (imaginative!) and send my postcard to Sophie (yeah, yeah, took me a while). Spent the rest of the day packing and revising. Ok, because I was dead tired and not up to anything too taxing, I actually spent a lot of the day trying to find out the optimal combination of armwear (fishnets? stripey tights? rolled up how far? jelly bangles? on the same hand as my watch?) and skimreading a guide to Feng Shui (out of morbid curiosity; I winced a lot) and a collection of memories of schooldays in Australia (out of morbid boredom, although there was one about GAY SCHOOLBOYS! (an obsession of mine - no, I can't explain why) which made it all worthwhile).

Int evening, I went to see some DEATH METAAAAAAL!!! bands - Alarum, Omnium Gatherum, Abrasion and one whose name I've forgotten - who were mint! A special congratulations are in order for the latter, as it turned out it was their first gig but I'd never have thought. Was happy. The last time I had live death was over a month ago (Atomizer, Accursed and Befallen, who were also good, especially the latter), and although I hadn't been aware I was suffering from a deficiency, fixing it felt goooood. Also I got to see Brian, Jim and Liam from Dark Earth, and Brian v. kindly drove me to DV8, the metal / 80s night, despite him not knowing where he was going, me not knowing where we were going, and Jim and Liam being too drunk to do much beyond shouting at people in other vehicles and talk to someone whose identity they weren't entirely sure about on the phone.

DV8 was also pretty good. I wasn't as drunk as I'd like to have been, because the amount of alcohol my carefully calculated last bastion of Australian currency only served to give me a headache when I headbanged. But that's maybe just as well, because I don't fly especially well sober. I got to see Kiiiiiim (who I met seeing Atomizer and also saw the last two DV8s) who insisted I wrote to her, and PVC trousers bloke (whose name I've forgotten if indeed I ever knew it), which was cool because I haven't seen him for ages. And I chatted to some cool new people and issued many hugs and fond gaaaaahful farewells. I'm really going to miss the people I've met here - I must find a way to return soon. (I'd also like to, you know, see slightly more of Australia than bits of Melbourne and three hours of Sydney.)

The music, too, was in general sweet. The third last song was my second least favourite rock club track ("I Believe In A Thing Called Love" - I just don't think it's very good, and I've heard it far too many times), and the second last song was my least favourite (Marilyn Manson's sinful butchering of the glorious "Tainted Love") but the last track was Blondie, which suited me fine. The rest was excellent though and there was lots of RAMMSTEIN! Yay! I stupidly didn't bring any with me, on the grounds that I know it too well, but I've been having horrible cravings for it lately.

Fit PVC-clad people were also in evidence, and outside the club, Porsche-owning bloke was sitting smugly in said Porsche. It's dark blue and also very sexxay. I couldn't see it properly, because I'd managed to break one of the arms off my glasses (DV8 has not been good to them, has it?), but it looked mighty fine nonetheless.


Sunday 29 August 2004

Due to parting being such sweet sorrow, I got home later than intended at 6. Woke at 11, half an hour before my alarm went off, which was good in that I didn't feel like poo, but bad in that I really really need some sleep, and it's going to hit me HARD soon.

Tried to close my suitcase. Failed miserably and abandoned a load of toiletries (I assume they still sell them in England), a red t-shirt (who needs red clothes?), my anorak (useful but I can't say I'm overly attached, due to my anaraknophobia and anoraksia nervosa), a towel, my x-rays (must not get attached to random bumph!) and a huge book about Rasputin (it was second-hand and I'll probably never get round to reading it), along with the aforementioned lighter, on account of it being completely useless. Which, turned out to be for the best, because for the first time in my flying experience (Spain, Malta, Portugal, Cyprus, Spain again, Austria, Canada, America, Slovenia, Melbourne and Sydney), I got asked whether there were any lighters or matches in my suitcase.