I started blogging in 2002 but not until September, so February went unblogged. Here are some of the things I might have posted about had I started earlier (and had I not been quite so busy going out and enjoying myself).
Fri 1: The boss was surprised I didn't intend to go to the supplier's party after work. This was partly because it sounded dull but mainly because I was going to a pub in the West End instead, where I had six bottles of Becks and had to fend off an unexpected admirer. Sat 2: Bought a green ticket and took my first ride on a London tram (from Wimbledon to West Croydon). Later headed out to a 30th birthday party in a West End pub for cake, good music and more Becks. Sun 3: Contacted all sorts of friends via all sorts of early messenger channels that no longer exist. Mon 4: Had a fire drill at work which involved standing in a damp Royal Park. After work went back to Saturday's pub on a blind date which reached the 'dinner at Garfunkels' stage (but no further). Tue 5: Managed to whip everyone into shape at the important work meeting, despite them all being older and more experienced than I was at this stage. Wed 6: After a long day at work I headed to the West End for a bar crawl with BestMate, which turned out to be the night we met AlmostBestMate'sOtherHalf (but it didn't work out). Thu 7: Went to a work meeting in Milton Keynes, and when they served up an inedible vegetarian lunch I was glad I'd taken advantage of the free bacon roll on the journey up.
Fri 8: Went back to Workplace 2 for the first time since I'd left three years ago. Everyone was really pleased to see me again, apart from the new people who had no idea who I was, and when I went on the 'tour' it was simultaneously very familiar and utterly different. Sat 9: Started the day on a former colleague's sofa, ended it drinking Becks in a club that no longer exists, and somewhere inbetween watched Will beat Gareth in the Pop Idol final. Sun 10: BestMate asked if I fancied a week in New York in April and I absolutely did (although I didn't realise his ulterior motive at the time). Mon 11: Work sent me on a three day PRINCE2course, this being the buzzword project management qualification du jour. It was very dull and hard to take seriously. Tue 12: Day 2 was similarly tedious, although my diary notes this was the day I finally struck up a friendship with BestWorkMate so it wasn't all bad. Wed 13: Day 3 ended with the exam we all had to pass, and everybody smashed it by scoring over 80% whereas the pass mark was only 50% (which made me suspect we could probably have passed without going on the course at all). Thu 14: Valentine's Day seemed more important back then. What I wouldn't give now to go back and remake some of my February 2002 decisions and choose better.
Fri 15: Didn't go to Princess Margaret's funeral because a) I was at work b) I wasn't invited. Did go on another West End bar crawl which involved several more bottles of Becks, only one of which I dropped. Sat 16: Drove down to Brighton, enjoyed a bracing ride on the Crazy Mouse at the end of the pier and ate chips. Then drove back to London, booked a flight to America and went down the pub for more Becks. 2022 looks stunningly dull in comparison. Sun 17: Booked tickets to take my parents on the London Eye on my birthday, and I still cannot believe my Mum agreed to do that. Mon 18: While I was at work some engineers finally fixed my dodgy TV reception, or said they did, but whatever they tweaked it seemed to work. Non-fuzzy BBC1 proved a revelation. Tue 19: Went out after work to a pub quiz, and we'd have been in the tie break if only I'd known that Talking Heads were married. Only three more Becks to add to the monthly total. Wed 20: Off to the pub again, with a different crowd, and I probably shouldn't have stayed out after midnight on a work night. Things perked up when the strippers appeared. Thu 21: Oh look I went out for the evening again, only this time it was dinner (which was salmon and apple tart). I can see why I wasn't blogging back then, I had no time!
Fri 22: Woke up in someone else's bed, then joined the throng on the just-reopened now-unwobbly Millennium Bridge, then went to the Orange shop on Cheapside to replace my trusty Nokia with a Sony Ericsson T68, then went to a 40th birthday party in a West End pub. Decided not to go on to a club afterwards because I didn't want to overdo things. Sat 23: Went out to a club tonight instead, but only until 3am. Sun 24: Went out to a different club tonight, but only until 2am. Spotted a Hollywood star at the bar. Grabbed a Brick Lane beigel afterwards. Mon 25: Had the day off work so went on a date in the West End (over an all day breakfast), then went to Neasden IKEA for a curtain pole (n.b. not part of the date). Tue 26: BestMate came round for dinner and to watch Footballers Wives. Interrupted by AlmostBestMate'sOtherHalf ringing from Sydney Harbour Bridge. Wed 27: Midweek trip to the pub to commiserate BestMate on failing his motorbike test. He'll pass it next time. My Becks tally ticked inexorably upwards. Thu 28: Went out to dinner again, and noted in my diary (with some incredulity) that this was the 10th consecutive night I'd been sociable and consumed alcohol. If I'd been doing The Count in 2002 then Count 5 would have been 19 and Count 6 would have been about 50. Admittedly the Mystery Count was still zero, but life was oh so different then. I do sometimes wonder if my life peaked in 2002, but there's still time to prove myself wrong.
