d00d liekw0a!

OH NOES!!!1!

I gave a moment's consideration to going through and doing a Great Lockdown, but I can't really be bothered. Everyone else in the world gets the whole truth in all its spectacular and messy glory. (Except the bits I don't tell you either.)

But tell me: how did or would you deal with your journal being discovered?

(I lock entries when I'm whining about w*rk or when I'm involved in putting together a surprise for someone. That's about it. And I must say, having the Church of Scientology reading one's every word online hoping to use it against one when one suffers a fear of not public speaking does produce interestingly defiant results. If I say so myself.)

2005.

In a scene of goths who profess monogamy while frenetically playing musical beds, I conspicuously had the same wife (redcountess) and girlfriend (arkady) for two and a half years. This apparently makes me an expert on polyamory, which is frightening. You would boggle at some of the people who have asked my advice. I certainly don't feel like an expert ... but things are pretty good and better than they ever have been. I haven't slept with anyone in the last couple of years I'm not married to or going out with. This is a terrible state of affairs (fnarr) and UK-based offers to help make 2006 more active are most welcomed. (Not that I don't miss and still lust after my darlings elsewhere.)

Liz is still chronically ill with fibromyalgia, which is the source of just about all things wrong with our lives. And there's not even much treatment for the symptoms, let alone the illness. But her health and attitude have been improving, and she had a fantastic time at Whitby New Year. Arkady, however, has found treatments that actually work and has become remarkably healthier after fifteen years' assorted crap, and the change is utterly wonderful. So hope remains.

The bit from March to August sucked copiously owing to the lack of work. Although it coincided with a very nice summer, and I did greatly enjoy being home with Liz and seeing more of Arkady, I ended up with unemployed depression and went back on Cipramil, which actually worked out really well because I lost five kilos I needed to lose and kept it off. (I'm actually not looking forward to getting off the stuff.) I also stopped eating crap and took up exercise, which meant that after fourteen years my back actually hurts less. I can't overemphasise what a difference this makes.

Contracting appears to agree with my attention span. Most jobs I've ever had had a life sentence feeling to them; this one, I'm working in local government (the ultimate in dead ends) and really enjoying it because I'm explicitly not a lifer. Good one. We're no closer to buying a house, but my bank manager says the mortgage team loves contract renewals.

I secretly enjoy my domestic suburban existence, though working for a living fundamentally sucks and Whitby New Year showed me just how much I really need to get out more.

I have been sucked further into the Wikipedia vortex. "On Wikipedia, the reward for a job well done is another three jobs" — me. 2005 was spent dealing with all the fuckwittery on Wikipedia, and I've had quite enough of that job kthxbye. Although the Nerdy Judge Dredd role appeals. I've volunteered as UK Media Whore and have been doing things like radio interviews at forty minutes' notice. I'm loving it.

I have been showering pretty girls with things like coats and corsets and boots and surplus laptops. Though further applicants will have to wait until I actually get paid for the renewed contract and probably until I've had a chance to speak to a real accountant!

We climbed the gadget chain considerably. My very favourite new toy is my laptop (which I'll be reading the service manual for this evening ... Compaqs are of middling assembly quality but great fixability). I think the house is fully gadgeted out; now we appear to be buying DVDs. However, I think 2006 will be thoroughly 0wnz0r3d, as Liz has just a moment ago bought her first ... 1:3 scale ball-jointed doll head. Aieee!