Back in S10

The Environment Agency set me up in the new offices at the Quadarant on Monday which meant one thing, TOYS. I have a computer with the most environmentally friendly monitor money can buy and a telephone which I actually only press one button on. The switchboard is controlled by computer which I think has something to do with health and safety. The building itself, as the name would suggest, is very corporate with brushed steel and lattes everywhere, situated a little outside of Sheffield but less than half an hour by car (shared of course).

Primarily we are here to take calls from farmers grappling with their exemptions forms but we seem to be a one-stop shop from bizarre environmental maladies. This morning I was sucked in to the gripping case of the river that needed to be rerouted to dredge a duck pond, further complications being added by the desire to use the sediment on the land. Better still was the poor old lady who I was valiantly helping track her grandson's summons for fishing without a license. I was on the verge of tears until she accidently let slip that her grandson was 26 and probably capable of fighting his own battles.

As the week has progressed the keen-ness has subsided and today I slipped in to using msn between calls and researching things to make a summer in sheffield more interesting. I didn't ought to get to cocky because I was caught sitting accidently unavailable for calls, which is a sure fire way to get a university holiday (unpaid). I am not sure when the 'I don't get 3 months off' will hit but it will be a long dark day. Yesterday I occupied myself by writing letters to my great aunt and former-hosuemate, you can just about get away with that since in the right light it looks like work. Added novelty value came from using a pen with "I'm made from an old computer printer" stamped on the side.

Yesterday the buzz word was 'I have a surprise for you'. The first surprise was a job possibility that another former-housemate printed out for me. We happened to bump in to each other walking down crookes high st looking an awful lot smarter than this time last year. Depressing. The second surprise was a show at Sheffield's newish venue 'The Plug' where Good Shoes ( a band promoted by a friend of Jen's) were playing. Also in the building were the Babyshambles so I caught a glimpse of them through a fire exit and thats about it. Sounded alright, not ground breaking. Good Shoes were really tight but the bassist was clearly put out by the small crowd. His witty between song jibes would have resonated more if it didn't look like he had to summon all his energy to concoct them.

I'm not living for the weekend yet but I am living for exercise. This evening is football with Rich Grant and some others from church. He takes his football seriously and I think my being asked to play had something to do with an en masse firing of the team-mates that got beat last week.