Tuesday, October 5
Monday was a mixture of a day. The photography tutor told me he wanted my still life project in next week despite all my protestations and objections and pleas. The film I processed didn't develop properly due to my own misuse of some of the equipment. I tried to do some prints but they just went wrong and all the pictures looked slightly blurry. Even worse the developing fluid was particularly strong and the fumes were getting on my chest and I could taste it in my mouth. I gave up and left early. I went shopping with my mum. I was in House of Fraser when somebody I haven't seen in four years came up to me. It was Robert Dane. I was quite shocked and spent a little while talking to him and his boyfriend, Chris. We agreed to get together in the evening to catch up on all that's happened.
Came back home with mum and she set to work on my bathroom. The bath is now white and not grey. The floor no longer has stains from the soil the plants sit in on it. It's strange. I think those stains were my friends. She also hoovered my hallway and bedroom. The carpet is now green again. It's very disconcerting. I got her to give me a lift to SHIP for the women's group and we made a right mess of the one way system. It was like something from a comedy movie. When I finally got there I actually had a good time. I had my first rant in ages and Fiona had even brought cake, though it wasn't vegan.
Afterwards I met Robert and we sat down and talked for a couple of hours. Told him what had been happening in my life and he did the same for me. It seems half way through his third year in a Music and Theatre Studies degree, he decided that everyone else on his course was a pretentious knobhead and he'd be ashamed to get a degree with them. So he deliberately failed. In retrospect this was a bad idea, he admits, but there's not much he can do about it now. He worked in an arcade and in an old people's home then moved to Leeds six weeks ago to be nearer to Chris. He lives on the same road as Simon and is working as a chef in another old people's home in Adel. He also wants to start playing music again and seeing bands and going out with friends so I finally have someone I can persuade to come to gigs and films and so on with me! This is Very Good News Indeed.
Today at college we learnt about watercolours. I didn't get as depressed or upset as last week and actually managed to produce a thing or two I thought alright. Of course everyone else's was far superior, but I'm used to that. Later I had my last appointment with Dr Hume. We talked about how things were going, as usual, and then said goodbye. I gave him the card I bought for him to say thank you for all his effort over these past three years which he seemed very pleased at. I still think he's mad for moving to Switzerland though.
Simon cancelled on me again this evening but he did ring for a short chat. He was glad to hear Robert Dane is still alive and well and said he'd like to meet him again. Which is probably inevitable, seeing as they live on the same street.
21:35
