Entry #29: Enjoy the Silence

I have been silent since August but I've been OK. Why I left this so long I'm not that sure, certainly I've been apathetic about it but I have been getting on with things to some extent. Let's get you updated.

Last time I mentioned I would be cross-dressing for a fancy dress party. The theme was infamous people, I went as Margaret Thatcher. I got funny looks from work experience kids at the counter in Oxfam, I explained to them the skirt and matching jacket was for fancy dress. Is that what it's usually like for regular transvestites? The skirt was a snug fit and a friend lent me a big bag with a pearl necklace inside, which was well received.

I went to Creamfields 2007 where I saw the beautifully wonderful and wonderfully beautiful Kelis for the first time. Really great, although somebody should have told her Daresbury is not in Manchester. Saw Ladytron for the first time who were just as expected really, disinterested with no crowd interaction, but as long as they performed Seventeen that was good enough for me. Groove Armada—also my first time—were absolutely amazing. For a moment I thought they weren't going to play Superstylin', then I heard the opening sounds from the trombone and happy jumping around commenced.

I went to Creamfields with Hannah and Steven, a few weeks later they separated after three and a half years together. People splitting up amongst a group of friends who socialise together was — interesting. I'd become friends with Steven's sister and sent her a text saying it's up to her if she wanted to stay friends, and she never replied. I texted Mark, one of Steven's friends, saying I hoped we could remain friends but would understand if he didn't. He did, which made me smile. I also sent a message to Steven himself. I told him I was sad about it and that it was good to have him in my life for those years, which he reciprocated. Closure eh.

On the second Saturday of September I met up with people from school who I'd not seen for a few years or more. In fact those I saw a few years ago I saw a few months into Hannah and Steven's relationship. I remember him staying up with me when I heard the news that Emma died. The excuse for the meetup was Katy's birthday, which she instigated through Facebook. I was a bit apprehensive about seeing these people from all those years ago, which was unfounded really because these were my good girls in school.

They were shocked when they saw me because I look so different now — good thing. They too are all beautiful, grown up and doing well. Due to my prior apprehensiveness I had drank a lot, was drunk a lot, and vomited a lot later on. I last chundered in October 2006 from a house party of gin and tonic and Pimms and lemonade, so almost once every 12 months is not too bad going. My sister's used to my usual demeanour of lucid inebriation, so she swiftly sought a vomit receptacle which my retching signalled when I got home. Unfortunately her first choice was a plastic bag that turned out to have holes in its bottom.

Another reunion took place on the second Friday of November, another Facebook organised event but this one had no anxiety (or vomit) attached. It was a meetup of some of the call centre team I was part of last year, it was cool seeing them. Samantha was staying over at mine because her home's nowhere near Manchester's city centre. After saying goodbye to the others, us two ended up at Alter Ego. That place is so different from the Mutz Nutz Friday nights of 2003, it wasn't even open in two rooms. Sam and I must have been having fun dancing though, we didn't once go outside for a cigarette and didn't get back to mine til gone 6am.

The day before that I went with a girl from work, another Hannah, to Manchester's Christmas lights switch on. Chesney Hawkes sang 'The One and Only' live really well, then shouted Kaiser Chiefs' 'I Predict A Riot' not so well. Shayne Ward lip-synced a few songs, in between namechecking his new single. I went to the lights switch to get into the spirit of things, the fireworks were really good and I was surprised at how many people attended. This was the second fireworks display in a week as a few of us from work went to Wythenshawe Park's on Guy Fawkes Night.

Straight after the lights were switched on and all fireworks had been lit, Hannah and I went to see a screening of Taking Liberties, a documentary demonstrating the extent to which our civil liberties have been compromised as a result of Tony Blair's government. The screening was hosted by Manchester No2ID, one of several events they organise to get the message out. The fact HMRC has just lost 25 million personal records — including 8 million bank details and National Insurance numbers — is proof enough that collating all sorts of sensitive data about us into a centralised register is a bloody bad idea.

Speaking of sensitive data, last week I got a copy of my credit file. It's not that bad, there's some things on it I need to check but it could be a lot worse. Worse enough for Dell to refuse credit on a new desktop computer, however. Very frustrating, considering I am completely able to satisfy a considerable monthly payment. I'm considering a cheap laptop through eBay as a short-term solution. Or something. In the next entry I'll be telling you about last weekend. About a boy…

entry info

Entry #29, published on Monday, 26^th of November 2007 at 23:55 local time (Swatch Internet Time @023 .beats)

Returning in 2008 ;-)