And finally....

Thursday 26^th December – Boxing Day

Weight: 13.13 (Huh?!) Calories: 2,600 (chip shop was open today) Fags: 19 (nails looking a little better) Alcohol Units: 0 (well done!) No. Of Boyfriends: 0

6.30am  Am v. sleepy as I wearily walk around flat gathering self together for morning duties.  Maybe I could phone in sick?  Don’t be ridiculous!  It’s only eight hours and it won’t kill you.  Wore my best T-shirt today and made sure that I stank of my most expensive aftershave.  That way will not be mistaken for a guest again.

7.15am  Today Rosie is alone when she picks me up as it turns out that Tim and Claire have phoned in sick.  Suddenly I feel very pleased with myself.  Wish I’d worn a warmer T-shirt though as I am freezing.

7.45am  Bermondsey Christmas Shelter Project.  No stranger now,  I head straight for the coffee before heading off for my first duty - organising the breakfast queue. The main halls were still dark and most of the guests were still asleep.  Sonia, my partner for the shift and myself gaze across a room the size of two football pitches filled with sleeping bodies.  For some reason I felt like crying.

8.30am  The breakfast queue was pretty much the same as lunch yesterday except that not everybody is a morning person.  Still I talked and chatted to people I had met yesterday and to others who looked like they might not shout at me.  One young lad was particularly flirty and looked like he might be a regular at the Ghetto – all dreadlocks and baggy jeans.

11.00am  Am now in charge of stopping people from getting into the medical area without seeing the receptionist.  There are lots of things on offer here including Doctors, Opticians, Massage, Acupuncture, a Pharmacy, Chiropodists and a Dentist.  It is wonderful how all these people have given their time to help others.  I begin to feel a bit useless, not being particularly skilled at anything.  Well, I do mix a bloody good martini but alcohol isn’t allowed in here.

1.00pm  Lunch consisted of a pork pie and a packet of crisps – not my record 12 turkey sandwiches from last year.  Surely this has been one of the healthiest Boxing Day’s of my career. 

2.15pm  Cleaning duties in the shower block.  One of the guests had been very sick in the showers.  Somehow I don’t think I could have coped with this after twelve turkey sandwiches.  My duty partner added to the whole fun and games by throwing up himself which for some reason I found very funny.  Perhaps I am a little more used to such sights after working in the entertainment industry for so long.

5.00pm  Home again with fish and chips and a large mug of tea.  It has been a very odd Christmas one way or another.  I am looking forward to the New Year as one of the guests, who said she had gypsy blood, had read my palm and told me I would be meeting a handsome stranger who would whisk me away from all my problems.  To be quite honest he wouldn’t have to be handsome, just nice, kind and honest.  And as for my problems?  The past couple of days made me realise that quite frankly, I don’t really have any worth moaning about.  Still I gave her all my fags and tried to get the strangers initials.