The Film Noir Experience

John and I have been together a year. A year and a week, actually. And, last week on our Anniversary, we went out to the recently redecorated The Royal George pub. Of course, that night both John and I were stricken with the flu. We both spent the majority of the next two days in bed. I, however, had to spend the time half in bed and half working on my presentation for my interview on Tuesday.

So, Monday it occurs to me that I have nothing I want to wear. So, I somehow manage to motivate myself to the shops. Every vendor with a little cart or a clipboard manage to block my feverish path. It was incredibly annoying. It took me a good ten minutes to extract myself from a particularly clingy Hare Krishna. I think he was just excited to have met someone who was willing to donate a quid to the meals and wheels he was collecting for and who wasn't rude to him. On the way back to the bus after picking out a new sweater and some other things on sale, one of the local spas had girls out selling discounted spa days. As tempting as it was, did I mention I was feverish? I made my way home. and back to bed.

Tuesday morning, I got up and the new copy of powerpoint I had installed on my computer didn't work. On top of that, it was incredibly slow. Around 11:30, I decided I would just save the handout I had created to my data stick, and go to the internet cafe to print it out. A half hour later, and I'm at the internet cafe. I stick my data stick into the computer...nothing. So, I try the other port. First, it tells me a new USB device has been attached to the machine. Then, it tells me that the device is faulty and that I should unhook it and try it again. So, I do that. I get the same message. Only, the message doesn't just say that I should unhook it and try it again, it also says that if I have already seen this message then I have faulty hardware and I should contact the manufacturer. Panic, absolute panic. The good news is, I have what is more or less an extra hardcopy of my Thesis (which was what I presented at the interview) with me. Good thing I thought to bring that, eh? So, from memory, I recreated the entire handout. This process took about an hour and a half. So, now its 1:30. I have an interview in Swansea which is an hour train ride away with trains that leave in the 20s and the 50s. My interview is at 4:15 I call a taxi, and but it doesn't get me the station until after 2. I buy a return ticket and notice the train that was supposed to leave at 1:56 or 1:47 or whatever is still listed on the board. And, lucky me its still waiting at the platform, too. I hop on the train, and find myself a seat and it leaves around 2:15. We pull into Swansea about an hour before my interview. My glands are still swollen and huge and I've done nothing but swallow saliva all day, you know how when you have swollen glands and a really sore throat all you want to do is swallow? (Sorry for the over-share.) Anyway, My stomach absolutely aches and a manage to force down about a quarter of an egg mayo sandwich before getting into the taxi queue. Swansea is actually a lovely city and the University is across from the sea. I would like to go back and visit, the city at least, as a tourist because it did seem really nice. I got to the University about a half hour early. I simply waited in the main departmental office and looked over my notes. The interview was with someone from personnel, two people from the government bodies that the project would be working with and the academic that would be running the show. I gave my presentation. The academic seemed really interested and excited about it. I answered some questions. I don't think I did very well. They wanted to know if I had access to a car in order to get to the more remote areas that I would be asked to work in. I told them (and this is true) that I'm not legally allowed to drive in this country. I think that was a bit of an unfair question anyway because it wasn't in the job description. I then came home and made some spaghetti and felt like a tool who had failed at a job interview. I went to bed early.

Since then, I've done some reading and some cartoon watching and a whole lot of sleeping. I'm still not better. started coughing two days ago and John's Mom dropped in some cough medicine this morning. Although, my right tonsil has finally stopped swelling my left one is still inflamed. Its annoying. John is better, at least.