OK, today is technically day 101 but I shall report on day 100 and the close of the 100 days… project.

After a brief lunch with Kirby, Emma and I jumped on the train to London to do the most rewarding activity of ‘wandering’ before heading off to the final 100 days… event. We ended up in Covent Garden, sniffing lots of lovely concoctions and ‘Ooooooh’ing at lots of lovely beads, posters, paper and the like and hurrying by all the bookshops, resisting the temptation to buy, buy, buy. I love being with people who work with books all day but never tire of them. A rare breed!

After setting up then going to grab food (the most delicious falafels EVER!), we arrived at a packed out venue and, being shorties, we couldn’t see a thing. But we heard enough to start our first of a million cackling moments. Josie Long was a goddess, as always (she has a boyfriend, get over it!) but it was Isy Suttie who made me laugh the most with her song about the all her friends moving to the countryside (wankeryside). She was in close competition though with Pictish Trail who pledged to write a 30 second song every day for the 100 days. He did confess that he’d had a really shit 100 days and that he’d only written 50 but they were fantastic. Emma and I were on the train today chuckling away like a pair of school girls as we recalled his dancing, pissed up demeanour and the song that represented his lowest point – Bird. There are no words to explain! Other than ‘bird’.

In a near-impossible feat, comedian Alex Horne’s film, which involved filming his baby son for 6 seconds every day for 100 days, made me momentarily broody (Emma too – don’t deny it!). What a clever and touching thing to do. After day 100, the film went back to day 1 and you could see how much baby Thomas had grown. Amazing.

But the most inspiring moment of the evening was comedian Sara Pascoe’s story of writing 100 letters over 100 days. She wrote to MPs, prisoners, ex-boyfriends, friends and complete strangers. I love writing letters and I love receiving them (more!). One a day would be a bit of a chore but I do intend to write one a week, mainly to friends but also for any purpose I see fit too. It also hit home too when she became tearful about her Nan dying and how upset she was that she hadn’t written one of her letters to her. So, from here on in (project or no project!), I will write to people I think are special enough.

And I have momentos – one of Edward Ross’ badges and a dig your fins Lego creation. What a night!!!

So, now it’s all done and dusted, am I better person?

This project came at exactly the right time for me. Last year was possibly the worst year ever and when it was suggested I join in, it worked well with my determination that 2010 was NOT going to be a repeat. To be a better person, I had to be a happier person so seeking moments in every day that have been positive have made me think about the good things in my life (and there are lots of them). I don’t think I was a miserable person to start but I’m definitely happier now so following the logic that to be better, I must be happier – therefore I am a better person!

But I’m not giving up there. I’ll just view today as day 101 (but I’ll stop counting now!).

Today is the penultimate day of the 100 days project. Already!?

So, I must think about where I go from here. I’d always intended to start a blog. Kirby harped on about it and Emma gave me the shove I needed when she’d mentioned this, but that was possibly on Day 1 if not the day before. It has been ill-thought out. And like I said on day 90-something, I wish I’d written a knitting blog, or maybe a book review a day, or I could have tried to discover 100 vegetables to put into cakes to deceive my nutrition-hating son, or noted some bizarre observation at work each day (that would have been the easiest! Actually, that would possibly the most difficult as I try to choose the most bizarre moment from each day?).

While I think about where I go from here I’m getting ever-so-slightly over excited about going to London (again) tomorrow. I will spend the rest of today making more chocolate cakes, watching a programme that My Shitty Twenties recommended on feminism and sit in the sunshine with tea and cakes. Bliss! Do I have to go back to work next week?

What an amazing weekend!

After jumping on a train to London, a spot of ale buying and brownie munching, I settled down to watch Noel Coward’s Still Life and Stoppard’s The Real Inspector Hound. The most delightful old lady sat next to me and discussed the arts, hobbies and Bakelite telephones until everyone else had left. I heart this old lady but suspect if she was on a Trent Barton bus on my way to work, my attitude would be very different. Then the ale drinking began…

As a result, my grand plans of visiting galleries and museums on day 97 went to pot and at some hour after lunchtime, we did make it to Aldgate for a visit to the Chip Shop. The words were made up on screens then printed in paint onto chipboard. Bliss, it was! Then I had to come home. Boooooooooo.

Day 98 marks the start of a whole week off work. It began with a mammoth sleep, more beetroot chocolate cakes and the plotting of the next London visit. Oh yes, and Kirby making me feel very guilty about taking time off work!

OK, this may appear to be a rant and that’s not exactly how to focus on the sunny side of life but, ultimately, the goal of this project is to make me a better person and if letting off steam helps prevent me from seriously injuring someone (a library customer, most likely) then so be it. 

We have an Eastern European lady (eerie likeness to the old lady in Drag Me to Hell) who comes in far too frequently to ask for lottery numbers and astrology enquiries, normally along the lines of ‘when is Capricorn in Jupiter?’. Honestly, what sort of question is that? And why do people think that a librarian is the person to ask? I seem to be the only person who ever has to deal with her and she’s always oblivious to the queue behind her (people who sometimes have proper enquiries) as she tells me how she can’t use a computer and how her daughter has one but her printer doesn’t work so she has to come to the library. What. The. Fuck?! Actually, a real pet hate of mine is people who live in the 21st century but think that using computers isn’t for them. Computers (and the internet) haven’t just arrived in 2010 and everyone suddenly has to get used to them. I am sick of hearing that people are too old and they didn’t use them at school therefore they never have to use them. It’s a fundamental skill. The sheer quantity of library users who think that we can apply for jobs for them because ‘the Jobcentre said you’d help’. Don’t get me started on the Jobcentre! And the shocking number of people at work who say ‘I can’t use them’. Again, it’s a fundamental part of a Library Assistant’s job description to issue books, renew books and book customers onto the internet. Really, you can’t use the internet or you just don’t want to?! 

Scary astrology lady

Thankfully, yesterday’s dealing with the woman from Drag Me to Hell was counter-acted by a lovely man who phoned to ask if we had a particular book called The Derby Philosophers by Paul Elliot. He then started explaining that he’d been given some book tokens and was going to buy the books but at £65, he could think of better things to buy. Actually, he couldn’t think of better things to buy, which resulted in the conversation which made my day. He’d told me was an ex-history teacher so I suggested Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (prize winner, which I have just finished reading, at long last!). This prompted a tirade of abuse against Henry VIII with much colourful language and a full-on rant about what that ‘idiot’ did to Glastonbury and how he is in the top three ‘bastards’ of all time, behind Stalin and Hitler. A serious rant maybe but he did brighten up my day. That kind of rant is so much easier to deal with than one about why I don’t know someone’s password for their email. Ugh. 

But day 95 did end on a lovely note too. After a massive spring clean yesterday, I babysat for a friend. I read my book, I knitted and I drank wine. Bliss! 

Day 96 has been dominated by lecherous library customers, office (or library) politics and coffee. Role on 3pm so I can stroll to the train station, head to London to see the lovely Emerson Povey. And tomorrow… my first London Word Festival event. How exciting! 

And, obviously, on the train, I have time to catch up with one of my seven knitting projects! This is getting out of hand. I’m currently knitting two scarves, a cardigan, a purse, a pair of baby shoes and several corsages to attach to bags and the like. 

Rant over, sunny side seen, better person.

Oooh, it’s the final week of the 100 Days… project and it all started on a very exciting note. After noticing a comment asking Emma Lannie to exhibit her fabulous book works at the Live Show finale, I sent her a message asking if she was going. I have the fortune of being off work all week next week and thought that if she was going then I may tag along. By 2am this morning, tickets were booked and plans were in place. WE ARE GOING! How exciting!

Despite a shocking attempt at sleep (five year old in my bed by 5.30am), I was buzzing all day (helped to a great degree by massive quantities of coffee!). Lots of text messages to make me smile (especially the one about Richardside. Details would get me into trouble), lots of sunshine to make me happy and two little boys who impressed me at parents evening all made today lovely.

Five year old also made me smile when he insisted I bought him a new pair of knitting needles (his previous ones are no longer a pair – one has apparently gone walk about) so he could knit a flower corsage for his jacket, just like mine. So sweet. He’s made a lovely green flower with a football-shaped button in the middle. In the process of buying his needles and button, I saw a zip. This possibly makes me odd but I fell in love with the colour, which is a wine colour, and decided it would be perfect with a yarn I’ve been using to make flowers with. I bought it and have now started knitting a purse to go with it.

My current thoughts about the 100 days… project is that I should have spent it knitting. I think the sunshine would have naturally come. Then all these projects would have had a purpose rather than just an air of madness to them.

I’ve been updating less than intended so this is yet another mammoth catch-up.

We can pretty much write days 89 and 90 off. It’s not that I couldn’t look on the sunny side or they were bad days – they just disappeared. The children played nicely, I knitted and had the longest telephone conversation of my life! That’s about it really (oh, and a visit to the library on my day off!).

Thankfully, this week started on a more noticable footing. Firstly, I received the news that a university friend gave birth to a baby boy within the first half hour of March (day 91), which just happened to be St. Davids Day (her family are Welsh). He wasn’t named David. So, a new pair of baby bootees to be knitted. As if I don’t have enough to knit! This is the friend who got married on day 5 and I’m very happy for her and her husband.

Another friend I’m happy for is the man I went to the cinema and a drink with on day 90. At the age of 42, he’s packing it all in to go work voluntarily as an art therapist in Uganda. How brave is that!? I should also mention that we went to see Micmacs and it was utterly fabulous! Must go see.

Day 92 was spent umming and ahhing over music festivals this summer. Summer! Already!? Actually, the sunshine has been out all week and I’ve even unbuttoned my coat (but I’m nowhere near as brave as some of the people I saw walking around town on days 91 and 92 with t-shirts on. That’s just plainly bonkers). Then a trip to the Guildhall to go see Pride and Prejudice, which was fantastic. We even managed to annoy everyone with our seat-hopping adventures.

The sunny moment of today was a strange one. At work, I’m normally a bit of a wet blanket and try to let everything go over my head. I very rarely get involved in anything that’s going to cause an atmosphere (easily created at work) but today I did. Actually, I’m really glad I told this person I wasn’t doing what she wanted and I think it was good – she even did what I told her to (refer someone to somewhere else – sounds simple but not so for this lady!). Maybe she even took on board what I said and wont repeat the mistake she made today?  Unlikely. Nice thought though.

Back to knitting – but what to crack on with? Baby shoes, clutch bag, scarf, corsage…. I’m forgetting when I should be knitting and when I should be purling! It’s all so very confusing.

I’m being punished for my love for Jagermeister!

Monday morning (day 84) began with gridlocked traffic. My 35 minute bus journey to work took 90 minutes so I was late for work. The experience was repeated on Wednesday morning (day 86). So, the rage was in full swing! And several incidents at work highlighting a serious lack of common sense has made sure that this week has put me on the brink of some nasty fury-induced human combustion. It’s gonna be messy!

But, I promised to look on the sunny side of all the shit life throws at me. Sooooo….

I’ve had a very lovely time with my baby sister, talking about baby Hamish and I felt him kick (but sssssshhh, I’m honoured to be the first person to feel him kick). So, I’m scouring knitting books to find a special little project for him. And in the process of scouring, I’ve come across a fabulous knitting pattern for a record bag. Actually, Katie has been a gem this week and has pointed out an extensive array of amazing knitting patterns. I suspect my quiet week will turn into a quiet year if I’m ever to complete even a fraction of the projects I have planned.

Last night (day 87), I missed an evening with the ladies of Derby and their talk of all things naughty. Richard ruined my plans by being 45 minutes late to pick up the kids, which meant I missed out on a run then instead of running, my running partner came over for a bit to get out the house on what was a very sad day for her. It was lovely to see her though, even with slightly damp eyes and the knowledge of what yesterday meant for her. As much as I hated missing the ladies of Derby and their sordid adventures, I’m glad I was there with tea and ears for another friend. The talk of naughty things can wait.

Cupcakes and multiple caffeine doses greeted today. What better way is there to start the final day of a horrible working week? The plans for the weekend and for next week are good though so I will finish the week with a smile, knowing that it’s all just about to get better. I just need to steer clear of the Jager…

And that is kinda how this weekend has passed. Drowning in Jagermeister.

On day 81, I met up with Godfrey, ex-library employee, and we went for a quiet pint. Four pints later, I received a text mentioning the possibility of an evening of Jager the following day. Godfrey seemed to take this as an invitation to start right there! And he fairly knocked them back. It was nice to see him – we laughed, we drank.

The following day, I worked (which involved talking about Glasgow and Edinburgh and looking at Streetview with my boss for a fair chunk of the day) then jumped on the train to visit Steven. He’d bought a whole bottle of Jagermeister! How dangerous. We laughed, we drank. Ooooh, and we danced.

So, day 83 has been spent suffering. A long, quiet stretch ahead…