Valentines Day.

I got up, started mucking around with the laptop and my free ADSL connection.

My ear is annoying me, it's all blocked up.

I got it all working, ate breakfast, got ready, and went to leave. I grabbed my phone "no space for new messages" as usual. Deleted one.

I was just down getting on my bike when the message came through, can I bring the laptop and stuff to the Cafe when I come in for the meeting this morning. Argh. Nope, I don't have time to go back and pack it up, and load my bike, I'm already late.

I left, rode to the Cafe, went in a bit late.

had a meeting to discuss all the meetings we had last week, and the changes we need to make to sort things out.

While I was in the meeting, a woman who's network/computers I look after called me, complaining about the email again.

I told her I would ring her back.

The Solicitor asked about his computer he had brought in, with a stuffed powersupply. Someone had got a new one, and found that it didn't fit.

He could get a replacement from Compaq for $130. For a $30 powersupply?

I put the unit in, it didn't fit, the cutout on the back was too small. I made a couple of adjustments with a hacksaw, and then I took ages to drill a little hole for a screw using a knife and a screwdriver.

I put the unit in again, screwed it in, and went to connect it.

WTF? this stupid Compaq piece of poo. They've used some sort of proprietry power connector on the motherboard. It looks like ATX, but it's got 4 extra pins, and the colours are totally different.

WhyTF would they do that, other than so they can charge people up the arse when the original unit fails? This is the dumbest thing I have come across for a long time.

So I pulled it out again. luckily my modifications are too noticable, and it's on the back anyway.

I borrowed an ADSL router from the Cafe, for my mate that called me yesterday. This was used in Newcastle for the pop we shut down.

Dad called me, where was I, what was I doing etc. I am busy, I'll call you later.

We finished up the meeting a short time later. I called Dad back, he asked me to go to a shop in Gosford, I don't know why.

I called back the woman that called me, and explained about the spam/worms that are overloading our mail servers.

I went to Gosford, I'm not sure why I had been asked to come here. I thought I was going to be looking for a unit to put my tv/speakers/junk etc on.

I mentioned yesterday that I wanted a guitar, and so the reason I was here is because there's a music shop here.

Looked in there, the guy showed me some guitars and amps. $400 for a cheap beginners guitar, and a 15watt amp.

Went to another music shop, $600 for a kit, a really nice Yamaha guitar, and a big 30 watt amp. This was really nice. I sat and had a play with the giutar, not much I could do having never played before.

Dad bought himself a clarinet.

We travelled back, went to another music shop, it was really seedy, and they weren't very helpful. an "ESP" guitar for $550, and a rough looking (probably second hand) 30 watt amp for $275. Pff.

Went to lunch, my ear was now really pissing me off.

Went and looked at tv units, nothing really useful. Looked for some brackets to mount my speakers, probably use ceiling mount tv brackets. Not at $150 each.

I think I'll go to the hardware and buy some basic galvanised brackets (L brackets etc) and just bend them and bolt them together to come up with something I can use to mount the speakers.

I went to my mates place, as I turned up my ADSL mate turned up too. He was there to pinch my other mate's number plate, since his bike is unregistered for not paying his fines.

They had both forgotten my birthday.

I put the ADSL router in, mucked around for ages trying to get it to connect.

My mate called BigPong, "oh, there's no account created yet" so they've just DSLAMed the line, but not created a radius account, so you can't logon. That's terrifically useful, but what do you expect from a completely useless organisation.

Started watching a movie my mate had copied, some war thing with Bruce Willis in it. I didn't pay much attention.

Popped down to the shops and got some junk food, came back, sat outside and chatted for a while.

The guy that lives in the place with my mate (another mate), and yet another mate turned up. Neither of them knew it was my birthday.

We chatted for a couple of hours, then we decided to go down the club. We went to the servo and got some food first, then we got a taxi, at about 10.30.

We got into the Leagues Club, wandered around for a bit. We sat down and chatted for a while. I played Keno and picked 13 and 2, that should be a hint. (Didn't win). I didn't buy I drink, someone asked me why I wasn't drinking "I'm expecting someone to shout me a drink". "Who would that be?" "Any of you can" which was ignored. I was now getting a bit depressed. Sitting at a table with 4 of my "mates" and no one remembered my birthday.

I wonder how long it will take them to remember this year. It was about a week last year.

Went and played the pokies a bit. Didn't win. Played a pinball machine. Lost all my mates when I went back to the pokies.

Bumped into another mate I haven't seen for ages.

I finally managed to get a hold of one of my other mates, they had gone up into the nightclub I said I wasn't going to.

Now I'm faced with either paying $11 to get into the crappy club, or paying $15 to get a taxi back to my bike to get home. (Or paying $10 to get a taxi to home, and have to muck around getting my bike tomorrow).

It was now just after midnight.

I asked if you get in cheap on your birthday "Is it your birthday today?" "No, yesterday" "Yesterday, Saturday?", "No, Friday", "No then". Great. Thanks. Wasted $11 and went in.

Found my mates. I was now really annoyed. We were in the "rewind room" at this point, it's ok, but I've got all the songs at home, so I might as well just be listening to them there.

We were in there for a while, and then we moved back to the main club area, with all the doof doof music. We ended up sitting in the corner (what it the point of this) I was just waiting for someone to decide to leave.

I could hardly stay awake at this point. A bouncer noticed my nodding off, and tapped me. I thought I was getting thrown out (no great loss), but then he just made a motion like drinking, and kept going.

I sat and tried to stay awake again. I went and bought a Coke, I should have got Red Bull or something. A couple of minutes later one of my mates (the others had disappeared) said he was leaving.

Fine, we left. Got a taxi back, I paid $10 of the taxi fair (which I would have had to have paid one way or the other anyway). Sat and had a chat for a few minutes, and then I came home.

My ear is really annoying me now. I think I need to go to the doctor. No amount of poking around in there is doing anything. I tried running water in there, no good.

I eventually found, that if I took a deep breath, held my nose, and forced the air out of my lungs, that it made my ears pop. I had to do this a few times, I could feel (and hear) the water moving around. Eventually it popped open. Hooray.

I mucked around on the computer for a bit, and went to bed about 5am.