Another weekend stuck in the house. Under the weather. Did a fair amount of cleaning today. Whoopee!

Back to work tomorrow, having not seen the place for over a week! Almost feels like a holiday. I may be back long enough to let people know I am sick. Hmm. The problem with a computer network is that ideally there is ALWAYS someone on call to monitor it (and if it busts and they can't fix to at least let the right people know it's down ASAP). With me and the guy I work alongside both using up our leave before April, we will hardly meet, and cover is thin. I mean - which day of the six day opening shall I take off? That day the library has to run itself.

I know this stuff is trivial (Latin roots - trivia - everyday three legged pot) but I also know it is published widely (however dull), and as I am writing for family as well as myself, fans as well as (no doubt) people who don't like me, or people who don't know me, I am inhibited about what I can and can't include. I'd like to do my cynical stuff, (just been watching Mark Thomas on late night TV) but am I a role model for young minds? I'd like to do my cheerful stuff about the future, but does that just make me a naive hippie who never grew up? It's very hard to say, and perhaps I will set up somewhere else to do that stuff - a pseudonymous column.

Just feeling sorry for myself (colds do that, as does knowing other people are somewhere else, having fun!) I mostly cure envy by overload - wanting to be just about anybody else but me -- let's face it, if you did win the lottery you could spend your life in the sun. You could travel in luxury (though I guess you'd still get searched at American airports). You might be able to buy the seasons you live in, and the buildings, and (perhaps) even the company you keep.

Equally, you could be born in Mexico or Thailand and not know anything else. You get the sun and the novel life-style thrown in. But are you happy? Or do you dream of living in England?