: 25 September 2002 :

Having got out of bed inexplicably early, I find myself with enough free time to write a new entry. So here it is; I hope I've not lost the knack.

La. Well. The job in the coffee kiosk is going pretty well, and the annoyance of having paperwork and cleaning to do is offset by the human interaction. There are nice people, there are (a few) un-nice people, there are people who are funny ha-ha, there are people who are funny peculiar, there are people who may well be from another planet.

It's nice to build up a relationship with the regulars, too. I get a lot of taxi drivers in the evenings, who are usually good for an interesting conversation. Talked to one of them last night about literature. Another bloke gave me advice about a job at a community paper I was thinking of applying for.

The downside is that, since I work from mid-afternoon until 9.00pm, I get harassed by pesky kids in the evenings. Because the kiosk's on the street, they take liberties that they wouldn't in a shop, and it's harder to keep control of the stuff that's on the counter. They see the muffins and the bottles of drink and think it'll be a laugh to steal something. It's pretty frustrating.

Strange chance meeting the other day, too: a girl came by the kiosk that I'd been at Cirencester College with a few years ago. She's at drama school up here now - I'm meeting her for a drink after work tomorrow night to catch up with her, which I'm quite looking forward to. So many people I've not been in touch with.