okay hey so guess what everybody. Guess who has managed a second date with the oh-so-delectable Ms Claire for a date to be confirmed sometime in the next 4 to 6 days? Yup - me. That's who. Take that, all ye nay-sayers out there in sitDiary land who've been thinking to yourselves "He'll never get the girl. Not any girl, let alone the woman who just may be the woman of his dreams. Be serious! He couldn't find his arse with both hands. Not even with both hands and a map and the 'Guide to finding your arse with both hands' handbook." Hah! I say it again. Hah! The first date was supposed to be dinner as well but it was postponed and we just ended up going out for drinks and to a club. It was kinda weird. It was one of those clubs which gets far far too full and claustrophobic; one of those places which is so full that the mere act of walking from the dancefloor to the bar means you get to second base with sixteen strangers. Of both sexes, no less; I'm at the stage where I'll regard that as scoring. Sad but true, I'm afraid. Still, a few drinks, some idle chat, some dancing, some black Samhuca shots - all in all, I'll notch it up as a success. But perhaps not as successful as beefcake Justin, who writes the following from Sweden: >>From: Justin >>To: Dale email >>Subjuect: Weekend >>So how was the weekend, slacker? I spent it getting sunburnt while kayaking >>around the Swedish archipeligo, with hot Norwegian chicks who had the usual >>healthy European attitude towards nudity... >>Beat that. >> J Well, I had to concede defeat. Until it turns out that Justin was up for the trip but then balked at the idea of getting naked in front of "several prime examples of Nordic beauty" and made a lot of excuses to hide up on the beach while everyone frolicked in the nick around him. So after hearing that, I told him I would be obliged to recant my concession and claim victory, burning with the fires of eternal righteousness. Justin threatened to send pictures of the alleged kayak trip to back up his claim and, true to his word, shunted them over the ether to me last night. I took a look at them in the privacy of my now-empty office this morning. Now I declare myself the Eternal Champion. Hail to the King, baby. -^D^-