One year ago today

Guess what?

Entirely by chance, I have found that this diary is precisely one year old today. You can find my first entry all the way back on March 12, 2003. There's some interesting reading in the archives, if you have the patience -- but please be tolderant of the template changes, some of the very oldest entries had a template that has since been deleted.

But yes, there's not much to say other than that really. San's busy working for an essay due in on Monday, and however much I want to see her I know there's little point. She has no tv, and even if she did it would be distracting for her to have it on. She will be using her laptop to work on, and music would be as distracting as a tv. Also, I wouldn't be able to bug her for attention because she has to get this work done, and no ammount of chastising her for not starting it earlier will change that.

However, I am going climbing tomorrow -- finally, and again something that wasn't planned. Because I was flicking through one of my shorthand notebooks looking for someone to chase up for news today, since the stories I had wanted to cover have falled through until at least Monday which is going to be deadline day next week -- a day earlier that normal, and a complete pain in the arse.

As I was looking I found some stuff about climbing that I had drawn a bracket around to tell me it wasn't about work, but stuff I should follow up for myself. I called the first number about an event happening tomorrow, and found that not only was I planning to go but if I brought along my camera and notebook I could make it into a story, too. Which isn't bad. I may not have the build for a climber -- as people have pointed out to me, albeit in a very indirect way -- but I'm looking to get into it just the same. And tomorrow it starts.

And in other news, it bugs me that I am still jumpy about going out since my attack. Twice since the attack, I have been walking past the pub where it happened and have had water balloons thrown at me. I think it happened once before the attack, too, but back then I just found it annoying. Last time it happened I actually called the police to report it when I got in. I only called the local number, rather than dialling for emergency help, but I reported it because it really shook me up and I hadn't known what it was they were throwing. For all I knew, it could have been rocks.

Last night I was walking up the road, and noticed people further up the road, by the pub. I don't know what I saw, or how I could tell, but I got the feeling it wasn't 'normal' behaviour of people walking one place or another, probably because I could see one or more people running into the road. So I just took the early opportunity to cross onto the other side of the street, away from the pub. As I walked past I could see people on the other side of the wall behind the pub -- the same place they had been before. I think they were checking me out, and trying to remain hidden. I laughed to myself as I walked on, saying to myself that I had out-smarted them by spotting them early and there was no way they could reach me from their hiding place.

I quickly found they weren't going to try to, instead they ran into the street to try and hit me with the balloons as I was getting away. Obviously they didn't have the courage to get close to me, which is why they normally hide behind a wall, and even though they ran into the street they didn't get close enough for a good shot. They all missed, and ran away again.

I didn't call the police this time, because I knew it was only balloons and unlike last time didn't think it was a personal attack on me, or that I was going to be followed up the road and assaulted. Just the same, it annoys me that I should have to put up with this -- that I should have to walk a different way home to avoid trouble down my own road. But I expect I will be out of here by the end of the summer.