Friday 18th of February 2005 – Valentine’s, new bathroom, my first squat party
You made a ‘Valentimes Card’ for Valentine’s day. ‘Valentime’s’… LOL This week has been ½ term so you’re staying at Latchkey during the day, apart from yesterday. We stayed at home as the bathroom suite was being delivered! Work on new bathroom starts next Thursday. Exciting or what? After much drama, it’s finally going to happen. Originally Mark (your dad’s friend) was going to fit it for us, over a weekend (we were away in France at the time), but when he got down to London he realized it’d take a lot longer than a weekend, and he didn’t have the time (as he was going to Australia). So, instead of spending £1,000, I’m now spending £3,800 (and possibly more, depending in how it goes). Prior to that, last year (2003) I got a quote from a place called BBC (British Bathroom Centre) and they wanted me to pay about £6,000 for the whole thing! I got an interest free credit card (no interest on new purchases for 1 year) and I have a year to pay for it, which makes things a bit easier. I could have taken finance with B&Q but that would have taken me about 5 years to pay off with all the interest they charge! At least this way I’ll be free after only one year.
When I was little and lived in Mexico, one of my fondest memories were of Mafalda. I think I was 7 or 8 when I first started reading her comic strip. A couple of weeks ago, there was a thread on Urban75 (the online community my social life now revolves around) about the best comic books ever, and I said she was my favourite. This prompted a visit to Amazon and I bought the hardback edition containing all her strips ever. It was written by an Argentinian, Quino, during the late 60s to early 70s, but even today it’s still a relevant social commentary. Unfortunately it doesn’t translate so well to English, but my version is in Spanish anyway. I tried reading a couple to you but you didn’t think it was funny at all, apart from the silliest, less political ones. The book is very heavy and it cost me $60, delivery included, i.e. £36.00, which is a bargain for the treasure that is. I’ve been reading a bit of it every night.
We stayed at home yesterday and after the bathroom was delivered and we had lunch, we went to watch SpongeBob SquarePants at the cinema. It had some very funny moments, but I think SpongeBob works better in 20 mins slots (or however long the normal format takes). A couple of weekends ago your dad took the stabilizers off your bike and I spent the weekend teaching you how to ride it. You managed to balance yourself pretty quickly but they you’d get really excited and start laughing and then fall off. So, on the first day I was just teaching you how to stay up, after I’d let go off the bike. Then on Sunday I taught you how to get the bike moving on your own, you picked that up pretty much straight away. I was so proud!!!!! A woman (who must have been a mum) smiled at me and said ‘I know what that feels like’. That was a great weekend. Apart from when you hit the lamppost with your bike, but you weren’t going too fast, luckily.
Later on Hackan showed up (we were at Highbury playground on Sunday) and the two of you played for a couple of hours while I spoke to Claude… I also bought you a skateboard but after our first failed attempt at learning how to use it you were just sulking and being argumentative, we haven’t tried again. We will do soon, maybe you’re still too young for it. This weekend I have to fill up the tyres on your bike, they are flat and the pumps at home don’t work.
I’m still not smoking, now with the added advantage that I have been out quite a few times and only smoked on one occasion, the first one. Since that I’ve been out 3 times and haven’t smoked at all, apart from the passive smoking. Still going to the Urban75 events and now we’re getting to know people a bit better. In June I’ll be going to Metaponto, Italy with a bunch of urbanites for a week, you can’t come because you won’t be on holidays, so you’re staying with R. It’s a very cheap holiday organized by one of the club nights we go to (Unsound) and it should be good, haven’t been near a beach for a long time, since Spain in 2000! I’m going to do some serious reading, don’t get much of a chance to do it normally.
I taught you how to play chess a couple of weeks ago and we’ve been having games ever since. You haven’t quite grasped the objective of the game yet, but I remember when I learned, to me the most important thing was to take pieces, no strategy involved… So when we play I actually take it seriously and you just keep hurrying me up, because I like to think about my moves! We’re having a game tonight and I’m going to kick your arse! We also developed this new walking technique on the way home from work/school: we lean against each other, you trying to push me in one direction, and me pushing you on the opposite direction. It’s really good fun and it makes you laugh your contagious, happy laugh that I love so much!
Went to my first Squat Party ever last weekend (with J), it was at the Bricklayers Arms in West Norwood (somewhere in South London) and it was really nice. A few people took over this pub and there’s a group of people who organize squat parties called OCB (One Cell Brain), so this was their event. There were lots of people we knew there, and the music was excellent. As for drugs, yes, lots of people on Ecstasy and MDMA and what have you. I had a few tokes on spliffs, a few drinks and ½ an e – and managed to last the whole night (even though I was quite tired from the night before, when I’d gone out too). I’m not too keen on E anymore, don’t like the comedowns to be honest, I don’t like the chemical feel of it either, I took half just to keep me awake… So, been there, done it, not sure if I will be doing it again. Everything in moderation, I say! One of our acquaintances took an Opium pill (never heard of it, didn’t know they existed) and she was in a bad way for most of the night, she finally recovered at around 4 in the morning! Eeeek!