It was the best of times .....

It was my birthday last weekend and I had a really great day. My presents included The Flaming Lips' version of "Dark Side of the Moon" and I have a question - why? Not "why did they buy me that?" but "why do it?". I mean, I love Dark Side, and I love the Lips (and seeing them at the Albert Hall in 2006 was one of the highlights of my concert going life) and I actually quite like some of it, but why just copy someone else's album when you're so good at producing your own stuff? Weird.

Anyway, back to the theme. Diane and the kids (Kids! They're 18 and 21 for goodness sake!) took me to see Toy Story 3. Well, really, we all wanted to see it and my birthday was just a convenient excuse. I hadn't been to the cinema for years (don't like the way it's all about food and drink and cranking up the volume now) but quite enjoyed the 3D experience, especially when Woody flew from the roof of the day care centre. However, I wasn't sure which bit I was supposed to cry at so didn't, but it was very moving and poignant all the same, particularly the scene in the furnace. For us it was made even more moving by the fact that Laura goes off to uni in September, so the plot being based on Andy doing the same had great resonance. Also, of course, Laura was four when the first Toy Story came out so the films have been part of the fabric of her life, and she'd waited a long time to see this.

Afterwards, we went to our local Zizzi's for dinner - beautiful grilled prawns as a starter followed by penne della casa and panacotta for me. Simple and basic but I love the atmosphere and the service is always good.

So, that's dealt with the best of times bit. Now, the worst of times. It's been a horrible week for work related things because I lost two contracts on succeeding days. One, which would have given me a few days' work a year for four years, was cancelled altogether and the second was deferred from October to February (I hope!). Actually, it's a bit worse than that, because I'm expected to shadow part of the second programme for several days without pay - it's a hard life being self employed at present. Additionally, I tried to apply for a consultancy post through Reed and, having spent a couple of hours honing my covering letter went to submit and found the post had been withdrawn as I was writing. Marvellous!

However, it's not all doom and gloom as I had an interview with a major player on Tuesday and, on the way there, bumped into a former colleague in Victoria who now works for a larger multi-national and he was happy to add my name to their database and pass on my details to a couple of his colleagues. Mind you, I'm on the books of lots of training companies - nine or 10 at the last count - but if they're not getting contracts then I'm not getting work. Still, all one can do is keep plugging away.

And, so as not to end on a glum note, the garden is progressing nicely and I've just spent a couple of days planting 30 or so shrubs and installing garden furniture and things are beginning to look pretty good. Oh yes, and a couple of frogs seem to have moved into the pond so, on balance, I guess I shouldn't complain. Onward and upward. Or should that be "to infinity and beyond"!?