: 13 March 2003 :

The tape player at work had gone all wobbly today - I think it's finally in its death throes - so I had to do an 8-hour shift listening to Radio 1. There were good moments, and some not-so-good ones. The beauty of it was that some of the records that I like got played about four times each. "Provider" is shit hot, as is "Gossip Folks". Could have done without hearing Avrilanis Lavigne, though.

Doing the morning shift is fucking insane. There's a huge queue of people all wanting their caffeine, and there's just one person in the kiosk making the coffee and taking the cash and sweet-talking all the people further back down the line who've been waiting ages for the bloke at the front to finish getting his order of 8 different drinks. Mind you, it gives you a feeling of immense power to be able to do this kind of thing on your own. Starbucks? I shit 'em.

Still, I don't know quite how Nick manages it every week. I feel pretty damn run down, and I'm only doing it for five days while he's off skiing in Austria. Going back to the afternoon shift will be a welcome return. Although the obvious downside of evening work is the high percentage of drunken bams roaming the streets every weekend - got harassed last Saturday by some girl after I tried to stop her mates nicking my tip cup. She only got a few slaps in before a couple of passing coppers dragged her off. I think she was a bit shocked to find herself being arrested for assault, but then I was pretty shocked too. And her goddamn mates stole my woolly hat, which I have had for ages. Curse the lot of them.

I think the real lesson to be learned from all this is that I should get a job indoors somewhere...