Thursday 3rd December 1998

Well, here I am again, Kahlua and milk in one hand, and keyboard and mouse in the other. Today was relatively boring, had to go over to Laser Physics and run Z-scan. Got a dozen samples out of the way which was good, but still have to do another five tomorrow. Oh well, it'll be good to be productive for a change.
Sarah will be down here on her way through to Adelaide, so it will be very nice to see and chat with her. Apparently Heather is coming down, probably to do more house hunting. We may be going out to dinner or doing something. Spoke to Bridget on the phone this evening, she's selling advertising for her Dad's newspaper. Sounds like she enjoying the holidays and being home.

God, it's Thursday again, the weeks are accelerating again. Only three weeks to Xmas, I have to get my arse into gear real fast, especially with regards to the papers which I'm supposed to be writing up. I was intending to go back to the lab tonight, but now I've kicked back too much. If I'd put a reaction on before I came home for dinner, I'd be obligated to go back. But I didn't, now I've had a shower, a drink and a snooze and hence I've got no reason to go back.

My skin seems to be getting better, I'm not sure whether that's because I'm not eating the John's slop, or because I'm less stressed, or because I haven't been working with very much solvent in the last couple of days. I'm hoping that when I go home, and then work on the posters and then go to New Zealand and take that week off, my shoulders and back should be blemish free. Hope springs eternal…

I don't know how anyone is going to react come Tuesday afternoon. I don't even know how I'm going to react when I suddenly have a full head of long hair. I think it won't be that much of a shock straight off, because I'll see it slowly being put on. I guess the day after, on Wednesday morning when I wake up and look in the mirror it's going to be pretty interesting. Any dreams on Wednesday night should be worth remembering. As for anyone else, well I suppose I really don't care. Cynical as that might sound, and though I admit it's not something that happens everyday, but after the initial shock, it just becomes part of the scenery, and the only excuse I need to brandish is that I wanted to get it done, so I did.

Strangely (?) I'm not nervous or apprehensive, about either getting it done or what people will think. I think that's a good sign. It's seems a bit unusual that I haven't really told anyone what I'm going to get done. It's in my diary for all to read, but I guess the people that might care don't read it, and the people who do read the diary don't really care. I don't know, I keep thinking that this is quite a big step, is it? It's a pretty obvious, radical and semi-permanent change. There's no hiding it from anyone, but it still isn't worrying me. That to me seems slightly unusual. Either a) I should be worried about what people will think, but the end of year exhaustion is making me lower my guard, or b) it doesn't matter what others think, and whether I love it or hate it (having long hair), this will be a learning experience. Hopefully the answer is (b).

Szusza wants to go to Jennifer's dinner, so now I have to decide whether I want to get dressed here or there. I think that I'll shower and get dressed here and go with Szusza to Jennifer's house and put my wig on in the car and make-up on once I get there. I haven't reached any decisions yet.

Oh, and I got my passport today. The picture looks very dodgy, I really should have shaved, but I don't think that would have made all that much difference.