...and a flat-packed New Year

I wasn’t prepared for such a feeling of hole-in-the-heart sadness after mum and Keeley left. The last few days have been like the montage bit in a crappy film where there’s sad music playing as the hero wanders listlessly, watching the clouds and seeing the shape of the British Isles in every one. I don’t want to get melodramatic about it though...ahem.

Most of the other assistants went to Saint Lucia a few days ago for New Year. And so knowing I’d be all alone on that eve of anti-climactic revelling I decided to try and distract myself with a project. So I bought a flat-packed desk, chair and bookshelf to build as a New Year challenge (and to help me feel ‘in the zone’ when I try and get down to my university work). And a New Year challenge it most certainly was.

I had bought a screwdriver which meant I had all the required articles on the instruction diagram (except for the stick man in overalls). But still the task was tough, and despite having been assured by the multilingual (and yet somehow incomprehensible) instructions that it would only take the stick man one hour to construct the desk, after an hour and a half I was still surrounded by wooden shapes trying to decide which bit was piece D. I did it eventually though and now have a very cheap and wobbly desk which may fall over at any moment. The chair was easier to construct although marred by the perils of its own cheapness – the holes drilled in the back were slightly off so I couldn’t fix it together and had to make do with a stool instead. The bookcase was outstanding though. Never have I seen such a marvel of workmanship. So it was a memorable New Year’s Eve. And I got something other than a hangover to show for it too!

I made a curry the other day which was so hot it made me cry. One of the Scotch bonnet peppers burst open infusing everything with its powerful seeds before I had the chance to fish it out. I’ve got a HUGE pan of it as well so I’ll be crying spicy tears for a few days I think. It’s nice though!