Jo-in-Jupiter

I bloody did it!

I played a guitar!

*tear in eye*

More inneffectual than a perfume shop built from actual turds. Not the old, dry, been baking in the sun turds either. Fresh turds.

There must be a thousand different documents the average person has to go through, each with authority, each constructed by anal civil servants who are more concerned about avoiding accountibility than of actually being any use, and all just to install a cat flap.

Well that's a slight exaggeration but jeez, only slight. You have national frameworks, regional frameworks, local frameworks, community statements (slightly more flexible than frameworks), policy planning statements (slightly more large scale), policy planning guidance (slightly more weighty than statements) and all this for each bloody department: transport, environment, planning, the list goes on.

And now the EU wants to join in! The supranational government establishment, in charge (so they like to think) of the second most affluent and culturally diverse continent in the world. Yes them, the ones who introduced legislation regarding the PRECISE angle the curves in our bananas should be.

Why did I think that planning was the right career for me? I'm quite normal some of the time. I don't wander around with my head up my bum, and I wouldn't even if I were that bendy. Why did I do it?

I'm sorry, but some classical/trained musicians have got some attitude about them. My message to them:

I know that you have worked hard and for many years on perfecting you embouchure and bow action but music is a universal arena that should be accessible to everyone, not just the middle classes who could afford instruments and lessons when they were five years old. Open your minds and enrich the musical community! Or just shut up and wax your corks in silence.

Had an absolute bloody nightmare of a day if i'm being honest, thanks mainly to the witterings of various lecturers on planning, design quality...I have that sinking feeling like when you know you've made a big mistake, by tying yourself financially to expensive vocational courses that you don't feel so vocated towards anymore for example, and that you're going to let a lot of people down. I feel like kicking myself.

It got better though, my new guitar arrived today, I have called it Ludwig and he hums like a bumblebee. I am so determined to learn to play guitar, I don't care how much it hurts or how long it takes I will know the relaxing sensation of relentless strumming! That isn't meant to be as dirty as it sounds (sorry, been spending way too much time with the lads).

Things that I am looking forward to:

Going up the pub tonight- funny little pub quiz with an atmosphere that will wash away everything that I almost learnt today about planning.

England Vs Argentina (in Switzerland!)- despite the opportunistic FA attempting to displace the inevitable violence onto our poor European friends whilst milking the cash cow all the way home this will always be a good match. That is unless Sven decides to recall Tim Flowers or something.

By next week I will:

Be able to play Cum By Ya on Ludwig

Have applied for at least four jobs that bear no relation to planning.

Oh, I'm also looking forward to the huge bubble bath I'm about to take.