Michael's Meanderings

So a new year and a resolution to update my LJ more regularly than last year, so here is my first months worth.
I stayed at J's flat (in Crawley) after the New Years Eve dance.
We had full English breakfasts (at her insistence) checked out here genre photo collection, chatted generally, left in mid afternoon. raining and trains not going north of TB so train was waiting for me to board.
The main news of the month is that it has been very wet! I don't think there has been a dry day since Christmas, though we have been luckier than some as we haven't experienced flooding. According to the papers is the wettest since records began in 1910 (in the SE 200% normal levels).
I have been listening to audio books from audible, every day on my train journey. I may even get through my back catalogue of purchases (one a month for the last 2 years) though a have listened to a large number of them. Audio books are slower going than word on a page, though you can listen walking through the rain.
I finally was able to send off my hotel booking for SemiBreve (filkcon) in February, and upgraded Loncon3 (Worldcon) membership to attending
Started watching the last series of Dancing on Ice (with Torvill & Dean)
Lost a button from my overcoat, purchased replacements and re-sew on all the buttons that were loose.
First Monday in the month was the SF reading group meeting in the Earth and Stars Brighton to discuss Altered Carbon, managed to find the next 3 months books at the various libraries I visit.
Still dancing on Tuesday, with C & J learnt Balmoral Blues with J, revised Square Tango with C
Revised my LibraryThing collection in particular group edited the "from where" setting.
SugarSync account closed and synced DW and LJ so have both backed up, updated goodreads.com with books I've actually read.
Re-read The Sharing Knife quartet by LMB
D cooked a splendid xmas/new year feast of "Greek Pastitsio - revised by D" which was a w/e eating, and the left overs lasted most of the following week.
Had a couple of power cut at work, the first was just IT, but the second was the whole building.
Friday before the last Saturday in the month was practice dance night, and was also the day the Balcome Tunnel flooded causing train delays. Got to Crawley just after 7:00 and got lift from J to St W by 7:10. Practiced all te dances we knew.
Leading to Social Dance night on the last Saturday. We danced all the dances at least once. We even did a bit of teaching/learning. Bought ticket for social dance / lecture on May 31
I got my hair cut (clipper No4)
Was unable to renew one of my books in a timely manner, and had to pay 60p fine ;(
Finally upload a FAQ to the dendarii.com website sent to my by NB last year!
Season ticket is now over £200 a month but I also go a minor increase in pay so I'm marginally better off (and I don't have to buy a ticket to Crawley either so....)
Bought train tickets to Grantham (for Filkcon) and London (for Picocon).

The next three weekends I going to be away. Next week at Constitution in Cambridge, then Anticipation in Montreal and then the local juggling festival at The Hawth.

So the last two weeks or so at work have been hectic, working as part of the team working on laptop encryption. Usually I might get one or two voice mail messages a week, over the last two weeks I've had 10+ a day! We've encrypted nearly 600 laptops so far and are nearly done!

I re-read the last 3 Harry Potter books prior to seeing The Half Blood Prince at the Cinema. I think they got the balance right, turning a book that long into a movie requires cuts and modifications, and I think it turned out OK.

A week ago last Thursday I went to City Airport at Docklands, just so I could tell how long it took to get there, and to find it. Since I'm flying from there to Montreal via Amsterdam next Tuesday. I also stopped off to see the Thames Barrier an then stopped at Gatwick for something to eat, as it was getting late.

Last Saturday after getting my back adjusted I walked from Hove to Brighton, since it was sunny. My niece was due to bungee jump on Saturday and when I spotted a crane on the seafront I texted to find out where she was. When I got home I discovered that the crane I'd passed was the one she'd jumped from!

I haven't managed to get many walks around Bedelands recently, due to poor weather at the weekend, and inertia! I have however been walking from Hove to Brighton, when it hasn't been raining, so I think that makes up for it. This Saturday I managed to buy some fresh Tamarinds, which I hadn't tasted since I was living in Barbados 40 years ago. The same shop also had fresh sugar cane but it was expensive, and wasn't my favourite even as a kid.

I've just ordered a new bike from ASDA it was only £75 including delivery, but at least I'll find out if I can still ride, and enjoy the process. I haven't been on a bike in about 30 years so... I didn't want to spend a few hundred pond and then discover I hated it ;-)