K's 23rd birthday was yesterday and he got this, and this, and this, and this, and these, and many other things for which I cannot find images on the internet. We ate here, a superb little Mexican restaurant on this street. Go there and eat heartily! YUM YUM CRUNCH SLURP etc.

neuronews?

Hard to say. I've spent this evening preparing for a presentation on Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee that I'll be giving tomorrow. It's a compelling book, go read it. I'll be one of four people giving presentations on this very book, so I'm both a little nervous and anticipatory of what they will say. These Coetzee tutorials are without doubt, the highlight of my college week. If I could bring you all along so that your life could be enriched too, I would. Sadly the class has a mere eighteen members so your presence would be alarming, to say the least.

My quest for an image overhaul hit a milestone today. I have gone two weeks without biting my fingernails and the scales say that I have lost a whopping stone. As my housemate Captain Democracy would say, Caloo Callay! This is "a good step in the right direction", "one step at a time". After all "you only get out what you put in". It seems that "there is light at the end of the tunnel" after all. "Better late than never!" AND THAT'S NO WORD OF A LIE. Thanks be to God.

We did an experiment at church this Sunday. We had the service sitting around round tables and ate communion together, and afterwards had soup and bread and cheese and so on. The atmosphere was very warm, although a little unusual...I think it worked well. I dragged some friends to it, among them Anonymous, and you can read his brief account of the experience here. Always interesting to have the opinion of a FILTHY HEATHEN on board.

While I'm discussing church, which really has been a thoroughly revitalising and life-altering experience for me, if any of my regular readers would ever like to come with me, pop me a mail to neuropraxis @ gmail.com and I shall arrange it gladly. If you are a weird stranger though, I shall run a police report on you and possibly send you a nasty note, made from letters I cut out of Woman's Way magazines.

I have drank so many cups of coffee today that if you were to cut open my bladder you could serve a veritable army of thirsty young soldiers from its contents. On the topic of foodstuffs: I require a tried and tested leek and potato soup recipe. Don't give me one just off the internet - I could do that myself. I want one that has been made and MIGHTILY ENJOYED. Please help me. I have a bag of leeks in the kitchen and not a bare notion what to do with them.

--Your Correspondent, Dreaming of Being Nellie McKay.