Friday

It's stunningly hot today - and it's shorts to work and all fans go in the office. It's a shame there's plenty to be getting on with as it's just far too hot to work or begin to concentrate on anything at all. Instead, I decide to be the one to run the office World Cup sweepstake (since I'm getting too excited about the tournament to do much other than think about it) and email the boss to check if that's OK.

Getting ready though, it seems that one of my colleagues has already prepared it - and shows up with 32 folded flags in a pot and a sheet printed out from some website or other. Fair enough; I offer to take over the running of the sweepstake and she seems all too happy for this to be the case.

Everyone seems keen to get involved - maybe they're just glad of the sticky Friday distraction too - and I collect £2 each from everyone in the office to take a random team out of the pot. This is the only sticking point - people want to choose or have second goes, then start moaning when they get a shit team. I explain that it has to be a random team (because no one's going to choose New Zealand or Honduras, are they?) and that the more people have a go the better. It's just a bit of fun people! Christ.

Later this evening K and I eat a far-too-large curry then attempt to walk it off by wandering up to Sainsbury's in Wood Green to get a couple of bottles of cider. We're soon joined by Tim, Ant and Alex and chat away for a bit over a few cans. One far-too-long game of Scrabble follows (possibly the worst, most closed board ever) and by midnight we're sat in the kitchen nostalgically watching music videos from the fruitful 1998-2002 period, including amazing efforts from Slipknot, Papa Roach, Blink 182, New Found Glory and Sum 41. I think it must be heat affecting our brains.