Confessions of a Struggling Actor

After the stress of january, things calmed down a little in the build up to my big trip.

As it happened, I managed to get my tax in on time and have vastly overpaid - meaning that I will claim a massive sum back in May when I hand in my details from this year for the IR to do.  I knew that I'd got quite a bit covered, but not quite as much as I thought.  that relaxed me and I bought a bottle of MacAllan to celebrate.

My drinking is still a bit higher than last year, but that is also down to me not smoking.  It seems that I need at least one mind altering drug to get me through the week (esp. when there's no acting going on at the time) and I'm swithering between them both.  I like myself less when I'm drunk and can get pretty melancholic when pissed.  Also, some night yuo can't get pissed and some you do after 2 pints.  I'm starting to lean towards herbal relief again and bought a wee dod before India.  I rationed myself and was able to still get some stuff done, but I'm aware that i can't do it all the time.

Anyway, I celebrated the start of February for queueing for around 5 hours to get my visa from the High Commission (7.15am and the queue was already tround the block) and seeing Venus with jane from work at night.  venus was wonderful - O'toole and Phillips especially and the whole thing seemed less 'British' than a lot of our films can be.  It had an almost European art house sensibility and was excellently realised.  not so well realised is where i stand with jane.  i think film buddy is all that I'll be.

The next evening I stayed at work drinks rather late and found myself a bit pissed by the time I went to Nika's party.  I had my first smoking sesh of the year and eneded up giggling like a loon and making very little sense.  I ended up drinking a bottle of wine to myself on top of the booze already consumed at work.  next day I went to watch the rugby at Sue's.  I didn't wake up until 2pm, which didn't hepl and I felt shocking from the night before.  I managed 6 Guinness while watching the second half (i arrived bang on half time) and was so lethargic and fuzzy that i even stayed to watch dancing on ice with Sue and Bex.  i went home around 9ish and got a good night's sleep.

Football the next day and I was made captain for the first time.  We beat a 10 man team 5-3 with me scoring with the last touch of the game.  Pub to watch the Sky game and have a few pints in victory (for a change).  Home to have a toot and rest my weary limbs.  Monday, I packed for my trip and made sure I had eveything in order and relaxed, knowing that the rest of the week would be hectic.  Tuesday night, I met with an acting friend that I hadn't seen for a while.  Angelique did a lot of stuff with API at the L&U, though we were never in the same play as each other.  I'd always had a wee crush on her, so jumped at the chance to meet her again.  We had a drink in Notting Hill and went to see Dreamgirls at the Coronet.  The film was terrible (people were actually laughing and groaning at the pure cheesiness of it all) but it was good to catch up with la belle francaise and she agreed to join me for the ceilidh that Mark was going to for his birthday.  I had to dash off as I was getting picked up at 5.45am to be taken to the airport and I fell asleep dreaming of the land of the Raj...