h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I often use my Journal to complain about things that are annoying me and getting me down. So, by way of balance, I think I should record the story of how October 23, 2006 went for me.

I woke up and got out of bed with no trouble. This in itself was a significant good thing, because less than two days earlier I'd been suffering such severe muscle spasm in my back that I couldn't walk more than a few steps without stabbing pains that made me gasp. Getting up on Saturday had been a matter of leaning very heavily on bedside furniture and wincing a lot. But two days of rest, keeping warm and taking painkillers seemed to have just about fixed things.

Then I checked the post and found an envelope from my University. It was the result of my application for financial help from the Access To Learning Fund, a means-tested hardship fund for poverty-stricken full-time students. I'd found making the application a depressing business - just about every detail of my monetary life had been demanded. 12 months ago I had been awarded £500 from the fund, which I thought was the maximum annual grant. However, to my amazement, the letter said that my award for 2006-7 was £1,190. Which makes all the difference between being able to pay the rent on my flat and having to lie awake at night wondering how on I can do so.

I went to do my part-time job in the Uni art gallery. On the way in I bumped into an old friend who I'd been worried about - he'd been off work following a nervous breakdown. He told me he was on the mend and on his way in to work for the first time in months. I told him it was really great to see him again, because it was.

I got to the gallery. I was surrounded by an exhibition of lovely David Hockney prints and drawings, the sun was shining through the window, and I was in a great mood. I switched on the computer and got to work on an assignment for my creative writing module that had also been worrying me. By the end of the day, I'd written something I really liked, with three days to spare before the deadline. I tried a new place for dinner and had a good meal, then met up with my theatre chums to rehearse the show - 'Grimm's Fairy Tales' - that's on at our beloved Theatre In The Mill this weekend. That, too, went very successfully. I went and had a nice with the gang in the Students' Union bar, then headed for home. Feeling a little tired, I stopped off for another at a favourite pub of mine - and won £24 on the quiz machine.

Life is often very hard; but just once in a blue everything goes right. I just wanted to record this so that the next time I'm feeling despondent, I can see a reminder that good days really do happen sometimes.

a good day indeed! hope your back stays well, back pain is such an crippleing thing, even if it is just for a few days...

Sounds like a very day Ormy, especially the grant Don't go blowing it all on , will you now

Hope your back's well on the mend too. Bad backs are a 'mare - I know all too well of what I speak

Yeah, that *is* a good day

Nice to hear.

Sounds like one for the books, Ormy.

On leaving work this morning i saw the headlines on T&A(local paper)about the 17 lotto winners at the uni when i saw this i had hope it was You but it is nice to know good days can happen.