This was the year that was the year that was Part 2

This is the second part of the 'Year that was' posting which, rather predictably, covers July to December.

1. JULY
   1. MOOD: Frustration on the scale of an Icelandic Saga being translated into Japanese by someone who lied on his resume.
   2. MUSIC:
      1. The Neverhood – The Neverhood
      2. Living Doll – Cliff Richard and the Young Ones (note: not the original version)
      3. Jennifer’s Jacket – Presidents of the United States
   3. THOUGHTS:
      I hate dealing with Work and Income, always have and always will. I mean my tax dollars are going towards paying people to run me about and tie me up in knots before giving me the bums rush through the door. At least in Amsterdam they've got the courtesy of wearing shiny leather while they do it.
      
      The big mission this month was to find out if my student allowance was still going to be paid in the break period between the CID course finishing and the CCT course starting up. I was perfectly happy to find work and had put some feelers out but the important thing to remember is that a contingency plan is a necessity in any situation.
      
      In the end the quest for work turned out to be a moot point since the student allowance did indeed kick in but the difficult part was to get any sort of answer that wasn't a vague head shake or a redirection to someone else at another desk..
      
      I literally did not get a letter informing me about what would happen to the payments until the day before everything was due to come out and I was panicking because I didn't have enough money to cover the rent.
2. AUGUST
   1. MOOD: Pessimistically optimistic. As in the course goes well which means that it's only a matter of time before Mr William Rubin strikes the air cooling machine.
   2. MUSIC:
      1. Somebody to love - Queen
      2. Sleep safe and warm – Lullaby from Rosemary's baby
      3. Stairway to Heaven – Rolf Harris
   3. THOUGHTS:Do some Maori art? Seriously? What the hell do I know about Kowhaiwhai or Manutukutuku panels? They were easily the largest projects on the course and here in October I'm currently debating with myself about taking cultural studies for the Bachelor course.
      
      Cops were around a few times this month and Screechy Cat woman and her son were suddenly not here at all. I could say it isn't my place to speculate but then I remember that I'm a writer and also a nosy bastard.
      So anyway. The last time I heard him was when the cops were knocking on the door because he'd missed his court date , He demanded their badge numbers and it got louder and louder because they refused to give them to him right there.
      
      He adamantly refused to go with them and then mum got involved. That was fun to listen to.
3. SEPTEMBER
   1. MOOD: Very Zen. Clearly the big B has noticed and spun the wheel of Karma in my favor (or possibly the big G - As long as it's not him from downstairs I'll be happy)
   2. MUSIC:
      1. Black Magic Woman - Santana
      2. Beelz – Stephen Lynch
      3. PURPLE PEOPLE EATER – Ray Stevens
   3. THOUGHTS:Woke up and realized that I was in something of a rut once again. But the difference between this one and the one from before is that in this one I wake up smiling and in a good mood that lasts all day.
      
      The shell, I'm happy to report is more or less completely gone although I do have to wonder if this is because the size of the classes have been steadily shrinking and thus bringing me to the foreground despite my efforts to remain in the background or if I'm becoming more extroverted. Possibly a mixture of both. (The shrinking classes are something of an enigma. Some people seem to have given up on the whole thing while others are doing their work at home and just not turning up to the classes. Not that we have much in the way of formal classes at this point. We've all got the briefs and know what it is we're supposed to be working on)
      
      Everyone is using everyone else as sounding blocks for their portfolio ideas. Being probed for your opinion is a constant danger for anybody who attempts to use the computer labs
      
      As for myself I've started thinking about the portfolio for this course and have come up with Contradictions which will be written entirely in braille although it will be just my luck to have my work marked by the one person at Weltec who can actually read it
      (Note: It might be the research into amputation and similar talking but braille is actually a fascinating way of writing. If Harts Change ever gets published there will most certainly be a version in braille.)
      
4. OCTOBER:
   1. MOOD: Everything is G for Ga roovy.
   2. MUSIC:
      1. Token Celtic Drinking Song – The Pogues
      2. I'm gonna buy me a dog – The Monkees
      3. Jump in the line – Harry Belafonte
   3. THOUGHTS:
      After all that running round it's good to be able to relax for a little while. Oh wait did I say relax? What a fool am I.
      My room is currently a tip which is a direct result of coming home late and leaving early. Lots of tidying up is going to be required.
      Dealing with Weltec in order to get enrolled in next years course is a bit of a headache but suddenly finding out that I wasn't actually enrolled for the summer school course which I thought I was enrolled for only adds to it. Have signed up for the Typography course instead which works out just fine.
5. NOVEMBER:
   1. MOOD: Heads down, Bums Up (when I was in primary school this was what the teacher said when she wanted people to get on with their work. It's only now that I see the other meaning. There is something to be said for the innocence of youth)
   2. MUSIC:
      1. GhostBusters – Ray Parker Jr
      2. Tokyo Love Song – Arrogant Worms
      3. Knife Fight – Lemon Demon
   3. THOUGHTS:
      The typography course is great. No problems there but the thing is that it screws up the cashflow situation.
      Apparently they can't deal with one course ending and another course beginning and just like before, nobody can give me a straight answer about whether or not anything is being done about anything. This is the reason why I survived on 2 minute noodles and the good graces of my landlord for a week,
      But everything is sorted out now although I've said that before and it's all gone to heck in a heckbasket so for now we'll just knock on wood.
      
      Special mention to mum for this month, she's been ferrying me into Wellington almost every day. (She works in the city so it's not out of her way or anything)
      
6. DECEMBER:
   1. MOOD: Relaxationary
   2. MUSIC:
      1. The sad ballad of Danny Boy – Floater
      2. Lonesome Traveller – The Weavers
      3. Dominion Road – MuttonBirds
   3. THOUGHTS:
      I think that another of the tenants will either be evicted or be given a stern talking to by the landlord.
      You know that thing that happens when your drunk and your brain gets stuck on a loop which forces you to repeat a conversation with yourself over and over? There might be a fancy Latin name for it but over at the house it's just called 'Ohgodnotheragain' syndrome.
      (You'll know that you're doing it right when there is a part of you that is still sober enough to analyze exactly what your saying. But since it's only a few seconds before the drunken loop kicks around it doesn't get much of a look in)
      She had an especially loud bout - and I compare this with the other group in the house who, although they are loud, generally move their drinking sessions outside and/or wind them down around midnight (sometimes they end up shouting at each other ) - the other day, roaring and shouting at herself and anyone walking past the place, which was just as much fun as it sounds.
      
      Been hit with weird spells of insomnia again but to look on the positive side it's allowed me to burn through all of my novels and start up on Harts Change again.