HYN

Welcome to another decade then. 2010. A very futuristic sounding year. But, where are the flying cars we were promised? Rubbish.

Needless to say it was a very quiet one for me. Home alone with a few DVD's for company. I watched the fireworks on the telly – just so I could laugh at the idiots who stood in the cold for five hours to watch six minutes of entertainment. Next year guys, stay at home, take some mushrooms and enjoy the vastly more impressive firework display on your insides of your eyelids.

Right, I've some moaning to do.

I think I left you on a 'good day', which was perhaps obviously, followed by a bad night. My body has taken its new itching phase to a new level and it was driving me bananas. I called my hospital Key Worker yesterday who said unless there was a rash, it wasn't anything to worry about, apart from the discomfort. That's easy for you to say, I said, I've got through three cheese graters already today.

Yesterday, a friend bought me round some antihistamines which seem to be helping and these now sit amongst the plethora of pharmaceuticals piled up on the floor in living room, like a strange collection of Christmas presents given by parents with Munchausen syndrome.

The nights continue to be a big challenge. I never sleep for more than an hour. I wake in various states. Hot. Cold. Sweating. Shaking. Need drugs. Need toilet. Need water. The dreams are just one big continuous trippy dialogue of commentary about my sleep and by the time I wake up – I'm exhausted.

I got a rather nice half-price ("was £110!") double electric blanket yesterday from Argos. My mate gave me a lift to pick it up. It's very good, as it helps keep the bed warm and dry from all my sweating, which makes the nights better. It's now airing my bed and mattress for me, so hopefully it won't collapse into a pile of damp rotting sponge in the coming months.

Overall, the days are better, although time is sliding past too quick. It's already 14:00 and I'm still here, in my 'lounge wear' having achieved a quick tidy up and a shower today. Thankfully, inbetween the snoozing I've been kept sane by a few things in the last 48 hours

• Das Boot – DVD - finally got around the seeing the 3.5 hour WWII submarine epic last night. Watched with subtitles as it was originally made. Great.
  
• Breaking Bad – DVD – series 1 of a US 'boxset'. Dark comedy drama about a chemistry teacher with Lung Cancer who decides to make crystal meth to make money. Funny, dark and bound to be a cult success. By the way, this was my dad's recommend. Cancer and speed. It's nice to know you're thinking about me.
  
• Worms – PS3 Game – the old classic PC game, available for £6.29 on PSN. Brilliant. Doesn't require ninja reactions and isn't too hectic.
  
• Hustle Kings – PS3 Game – another cheap PSN download. Great game (if you like Pool). Again, chilled. No computer controlled characters shouting at you to 'get down!', whilst bombs fly overhead. Peaceful.
  
• 'My Shit Life So Far' – Frankie Boyle's book – easy to read and a hate filled insult every paragraph. Excellent.
  

There you go then. Not a huge amount to report. As usual I'm grateful to all those that have been around, called, txt'ed or emailed. I guess the next challenge will be 'work'. I'm hoping to get a good few hours in each day from the 4^th to the 7^th. We shall see.

Oh yeah, happy new year then guys ... I don't think I'll be writing again until I go back to work, as I can't see things changing very much now, so until then ... enjoy yourselves.

S.S.x