So - I'm looking after the online sales of my friend's record label, while he's on holiday. It's more fun than it sounds. It involves me checking his email account for orders, then sending CDs/badges off to eager pop fans. It's what I'd like to do for a job. Actually, right now it pretty much is what I do for a job.So far I've sent CDs to Spain, Japan and Troon. It means I'm in the Post Office more than is usual. No problem there - I'm quite the fan of stationery items: envelopes; glue; sticky tape; string.
There's a queue of course. I don't mind queuing. It's one situation where there's an outside chance I'll be standing near a woman. Anyone who queues whilst tutting and sighing - well, my advice is get there earlier. And here's another nugget: audibly hissing 'oh for f**** sake' won't hasten the administration of the man at the counter who, admittedly, must be single-handedly keeping ebay in rude health.
So queues - no bother. I was more concerned with the array of, to be blunt, tat that is bewilderingly sold in Post Offices. Greetings cards (OK - there is some cursory relevance there) - but helium balloons; money boxes (and not even postbox-shaped ones); calendars? In September? And not just regular calendars. I'm talking the 'Hamsters at Play' 2010 calendar, the front of which featured a hamster playing billiards. The thing is - someone must be buying them.Everything should turn black and white when you enter a Post Office; and there should be a queue of Celia Johnsons patiently waiting to buy stamps (remember those?).
I was going to bang on about it, but in summary the way back home featured those perennial favourites of urban obstruction: 1) The two people having a conversation when stood right in the middle of a narrow pavement and 2) The building society A-board placed - and I'm not kidding - directly in the centre of the pavement of one of the busiest streets in the city. It's no wonder I spend so much time indoors.
Listening to:
There's a queue of course. I don't mind queuing. It's one situation where there's an outside chance I'll be standing near a woman. Anyone who queues whilst tutting and sighing - well, my advice is get there earlier. And here's another nugget: audibly hissing 'oh for f**** sake' won't hasten the administration of the man at the counter who, admittedly, must be single-handedly keeping ebay in rude health.
So queues - no bother. I was more concerned with the array of, to be blunt, tat that is bewilderingly sold in Post Offices. Greetings cards (OK - there is some cursory relevance there) - but helium balloons; money boxes (and not even postbox-shaped ones); calendars? In September? And not just regular calendars. I'm talking the 'Hamsters at Play' 2010 calendar, the front of which featured a hamster playing billiards. The thing is - someone must be buying them.Everything should turn black and white when you enter a Post Office; and there should be a queue of Celia Johnsons patiently waiting to buy stamps (remember those?).
I was going to bang on about it, but in summary the way back home featured those perennial favourites of urban obstruction: 1) The two people having a conversation when stood right in the middle of a narrow pavement and 2) The building society A-board placed - and I'm not kidding - directly in the centre of the pavement of one of the busiest streets in the city. It's no wonder I spend so much time indoors.
Listening to:
Good Foundations - LP by Tesco Chainstore Mascara
Years of Refusal - LP by Morrissey
Selected LP tracks by The Cranberries
Pictures of Success - song by Rilo Kiley
All I Wanna Do - song by The School
21 Guns - song by Green Day
Watching/recently watched: Little Manhattan; Shopgirl; (500) Days of Summer; The Godfather (at the cinema!)
Reading: Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse
Playing: Scarface (PS2)
Hacked off by: Didn't food-shop again
Cheered up by: Tea; cherry bakewells; red wine; (500) Days of Summer; not working; Ellen Page
Watching/recently watched: Little Manhattan; Shopgirl; (500) Days of Summer; The Godfather (at the cinema!)
Reading: Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse
Playing: Scarface (PS2)
Hacked off by: Didn't food-shop again
Cheered up by: Tea; cherry bakewells; red wine; (500) Days of Summer; not working; Ellen Page
