hey It was a public holiday here yesterday. Cool. Slept late. Relaxed and did sweet FA before heading out to Hell's Video Store for 7 tedious hours of not much. It was quiet - unusual for a holiday in winter in .za; but the sun was a-shining and that's probably why. It was what I was hoping for, really; especially following Tuesday night's piss-down, which popped up out of nowhere while I had my karate class taking a nice brisk run down the main road about 3 quarters of a mile away from the dojo. So there we were, thirteen hot, wet, sweaty, tight, toned, fit, well-muscled young men between the ages of 16 and 33 (come on, girls, I know you're loving the image!), running through the rain like the hounds of Hell were after us. It was my second class of the night, since I had to take our kiddies' class (little demon spawn, they were!!) and after that, then our tough class - running and then some combat and fitness work when we got back to the dojo) I am a little muscle-tired and tender and am undoubtedly not going to enjoy tonight's class that much... or Saturday's, for that matter - we are hosting our major fundraiser for the year - a 12-hour marathon karate session from 6am to 6pm. Our members all take sponsorship forms and harass friends/relatives/neighbours into giving them a donation per hour to complete the marathon, just like we did at school. Brings in a chunk of cash, though; so it's all good. But 6am on Saturday we will be on a 3-mile run, and at that stage, things never look promising. Apart from that, the only news is I am all alone in my office. Justin is in Sweden for a conference for a week before heading back there in 6 weeks to take up a 3 year contract when he submits his PhD; Donelly, my other office-mate, is at home, writing up his PhD; Grant has submitted his and has been in Switzerland on a 2-year deal since mid-May and Chiku graduates with his PhD tomorrow and so has vacated his desk and is heading back home to the Ivory Coast in West Africa tomorrow night. I am very much a social creature and this whole expansive-office-but-no-company is getting to me; and Justin's only been gone for one day!! I might head out with my dodgy mates to Table View tonight after karate to play pool... but you guys all *know* how I feel about Table View. Universities all went on winter vac as of Friday, so the pubs and pool-halls will be full and there will probably be trouble, since the four of us out there will all be boys from the 'mead. Arch-enemies and all... tricky. So if I don't write tomorrow, there is a good chance that we rawled in Table View (rawled means the same as brawled; but for some reason it lacks the b. I don't make up the words, I just use 'em) and if we did rawl, I either ended up in Intensive Care because I couldn't defend myself even with a black belt; or in jail for the night because I could and did and went too far... pray for me, all of you out there in sitDiary land. laters