Eek

It's Nathan's birthday today, and the poor bloke was up with the lark in order to do a shift on the box office at the Shaftesbury Theatre. Perhaps more upsetting is that his job in said theatre ends today on account of the show ending its run earlier than expected. Becoming unemployed on your 39th birthday can't be much fun. Still, nothing can really beat what happened on my 30th birthday, when the first show I'd directed in my own right in the West End closed. I subsequently found out that the lead actress in the piece, who was a piece of work and turned up pissed to the first rehearsal, had encouraged the producer to have it pulled because she "didn't like the piece."  I'd arranged for all my friends to come and see it with me on the big day. I think we ended up in a Harvester on the A1 instead and I remember thinking that I was probably as likely to find another job as I had been at the age of 21 when I Ieft drama school. I vowed there and then to do everything in my power to stop such a calamitous event from happening on my 40th birthday. I never actually received payment for that job and the lead actress carved out a rather successful career for herself, proving that being a bitch in this industry often pays! 

I tidied the house a bit whilst listening to ABBA songs and then went for a jog in the baking heat. They were playing cricket in the pitch in the centre of Highgate Woods, a more charming location for a game of cricket it would be hard to find. 

I came into town to meet a bunch of friends at Amalfi on Old Compton Street, and immediately realised I was anything but well. Funny tummy, nausea, a spinning head and every smell in the street suddenly made me want to gag. I ate my food, doing my absolute best to seem perky, but I can categorically state that I've not felt this ill in a long, long time. Maybe it's my body finally saying "enough." I've had to leave every one in the restaurant and now I have to battle my way back home. 

I hate to think I've spoilt Nathan's day. I'm also worried about how I'm going to cope with the week ahead. Shit. I just vomited behind a dustbin. Awful how, when you're really ill, there's no privacy in this town!