Michael's Meanderings

In my last post I stated I intended to go dancing and to see The Avengers Assemble movie. I did both.

It was raining on Saturday evening and I forgot to print out a map so I got slightly miss directed. I did manage to arrive at the dance hall only 15 or so minutes after the start time.

K had already arrived, but once out of my wet coat we had a great time, dancing to all the dances we knew, most of the time. Only missing out on the Foxtrot and Tango (which we really need to relearn) and some sequence dances.

We even managed to cobble together some basic jive from memory! Finishing around 10:00 K gave me a lift to the bus station and I was then able to get a bus / train home.

The following day I went to the Orion Cinema to see the Avengers movie. More has been said elsewhere, but I did enjoy it, especially the Hulk! Last Monday I went to the early evening showing of Dark Shadows. Not a particularly great move, but more a homage to a loved TV show of times gone by.

Renewed my season ticket, and started using my new Metro Key card on the buses. It even tracks which buses you use, and this can be viewed on the website.

I bought two new pairs of trousers and had to turn up the hems, as they were a little long. There isn't much in the way of choice of clothing stores locally so whenever I find something that fits....

I took the test for the next module towards my ITQ Diploma "Communication and the Internet" and got 100%! Then I bought the next two modules (which should be even easier, they are at least shorter, and were a bit cheaper).

Dancing on Wednesday continues, and we have a fairly complex Rhumba and Cha Cha, with more basic Waltz, Quickstep and Jive. Last week we were given posture / leading advice (no one else was good enough to need correction!)

Last Thursday I went to Circusworks (Crawley juggling club that runs the Juggling Festival at the Hawth) They seem a friendly lot, I got tea and cake, and I'll probably go back with my own gear.

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So on the Friday evening I got back from Canada, I got a phone call from Ian asking if I wanted a lift to the Hawth the following day. Despite the jet-lag I thanked him and agreed a pickup time.

The following morning (Saturday 15th) I picked out my juggling bag and got picked up. We were very lucky with the weather as it was sunny all weekend, I think I got more tanned during the weekend, than when I was in Montreal (even though it was sunny there too).

Workshops didn't start until 10:30 though the Beard juggling booth was setup but not open. I discovered I'd left my ticket behind (jet-lag) so had to wait for the box office to open at 10:00 so they could provide a replacement (which they did at no charge).

I really wanted to buy at set of juggling knives this year, as they were available for only £10 each, a saving of up to £10, but I didn't have enough cash on me, so I bought a set of Tubular Poi for £8 instead. I actually used the new purchases a lot over the weekend in workshops and in self help groups.

Since I needed to buy some fruit for lunch, for next week, and there weren't any workshops I particularly wanted to join, I decided to walk into Crawley town centre. On the way I discovered a new library building, opened last December. Bought some fruit and went looking for a cash machine, so I could get funds to buy juggling knives only to find that I'd gone over drawn while in Canada and no funds were available. So I'll have to wait until next year to buy some.

Almost all the current members of my juggling evening class were at the Hawth, and a number from previous years also turned up.

After dinner in the Hawth cafe, of a nice chicken with potato wedges, it was time for the Kettle of Fish show in the main theatre. This started with the traditional pre-show balloon blowup. This was made up of long balloons being released like rockets (as they were designed to) and a very long chain of modeling balloons being passed around the audience. (I don't know what the mundanes thought of this!)

The show itself was excellent as always, though having two dance related (Tango and Swing) acrobatic acts was probably not ideal. The show started at 19:00 an with interval ended just before 21:30. I should have written this up last week when it was fresh in my mind, by now can't remember names or specific events!

This was followed by a fire show outside, I did take photos but mostly this just gives circles of light (to be posted?)

Sunday
Ian and Lindsey picked me up later (9:55) and I went to a magic trick workshop, then stayed to chat with the owner of multiple cycles (mini bikes and penny farthing!)

I went on to practice more Poi Tricks before the kids show in the marquee tent. This was followed by a number of games, none of which I joined in but which were fun to watch! We left at 15:45 and I then had to catch up on sleep.

I really need to update more regularly ;-) As a completist, when GURPS Vorkosigan was finally published on 11 June, after a nine year wait, even if only in PDF format so far I had to get a copy. But now I'm finding my laptop screen too small to view it properly.

The last few weekends I've been having deep tissue massage, to help with my back and right heel tendons, this last week I've had to use a hot pack on my right thigh, it does seem to have helped. Last Saturday since it was such a nice day I decided to walk from Hove to Brighton, this took over an hour, but then I did stop to check out various shops. Later that evening I saw Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds at the Brighton Centre. Which was most excellent. If it had just been a live performance of the album it would have been great, but there was a wide screen on which live action and animation were used to illustrate the story, that's not to mention the holographic Richard Burton. To cap it of an animatronics Tripod war machine descended from the rafters to the stage. One other impressing item was that for £20 go could get a copy of that night's live performance, so I ordered a 3 CD set and was able to collect it and leave half an hour after the performance had ended!

On Sunday three weeks back I had my last walk around Bedelands Farm and saw rabbits, ducks, geese and butterflies. The Windows operating system on my laptop failed and I finally decided to install Ubuntu 9.04. Everything works (though the laptop screen doesn't quite fit, though when plugged into the TV it's fine. Most things I can do without any problems, but I'm finding it difficult to find all the tools that I've picked up in Windows over the last ten+ years in Linux versions. But it's certainly interesting, looking for the tools, and learning how Linux differs from Windows (and is the same).

My kitchen has finished being built, there are new floor tiles, the walls and ceiling have been repainted and new gas cooker and cupboards have been installed, with a work bench over the disk washer and the washing machine.

On Thursday 18 June I was supposed to have the afternoon off, but instead I got a call at 6:00am asking me to get to the office ASAP as we had a virus outbreak! The whole organisation was affected by the Conficker virus. Getting rid of it and making sure it couldn't return took all our efforts.

I did take Friday off though (as tickets had been bought) and I went to the British Science Museum to see the Wallace and Gromit display, urging attendee to get inventing. I also discovered that becoming a member of the Pulse scheme got me in to all special exhibitions and IMAX showings for free so I signed up. I only need to go to 4 more events over the next year to break even!

That evening I went to the Peacock Theatre in Holborn to see Latin Fever with Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova, a dance spectacular which was excellent

On Tuesday afternoon of last week I went to the dentist for a check up, all was well, and then last Tuesday I when for my annual Asthma Review, and this was also OK so medically I mostly fit!

Juggling has now finished until next term, I I've been working on my club passing. I've managed to keep the patterns going for a while (over ten passes) with only one partner. I've been less successful when we tried with multiple partners, but then we aren't all to the same standard yet. That fact that four of us managed to get 4 cross passes is very pleasing.

Haven't posted recently as I've been a bit under the weather. I've had a cough, which is only just going away. And I twisted my right ankle / pulled a tendon and that's been painful.

Just after my last post, a signed first edition copy of P N Elrod's

Today is day two of a 2 day tube strike, and as a result I've had a half hour walk to the office, (rather than 10min Tube) and my right heel is feeling the pain!

Two weeks ago we had summer, and the juggling class was able to juggle out side. I tried some passing, but even a light breeze caused club drift and I was coughing too much to keep going long. Last Tuesday is was too unsettled so we were back inside, and as I was feeling better I was able to to get into passing.

I've been trying the web connection of my phone (50p a day) and have now downloaded Opera Mini, which is a lot easier to use than the built in one, it even allows bookmark syncronisation with my desktop browser.

The kitchen is now finished, except for the two wall cupboards, which are due to arrive this week. I've also had a new dual eco electric meter so I get lower cost energy in the evenings and weekends.

Last Saturday, due in part to my ankle issue I got a half hour deep tissue massage, and I've another one next Saturday. It does seem to have helped

The last two weeks manages to include 3 juggling classes. And things have been getting good!

The first class of the term we got 2 new people and one not so new person joining, which kept the numbers up and meant the class could continue.

The day was nice and sunny so I walked to the school (new location meant that I can actually get there, if a lift isn't available. Managed some work on club passing with P. Self Pass pattern is now getting solid.

Week 2 weather was less nice so got on the train for the short hop to town. Did some more jugging with P and worked on the 3,3,10 pattern (this follows the pattern, self, self, pass x 3 then self, pass x 3 then pass, pass, pass x3+1 (ie pass 3 times in one pattern, 3 times in the second pattern and 10 times in the third pattern) The best we managed was 3,3,8 ;-( We did however manage to throw 10 passes on their own (so I knew I could do it) We also tried triangle passing with three of us, catching from one person and passing to the other, not too successfully (but that we tried....) We did manage self, pass, with 16 passes though.

The previous week end I decided to try my hand at fire club juggling again (ie I tried but got nowhere last year, I wasn't really a good enough club juggler then). Unfortunately the flames were rather excessive when I started, and by the time the flames had died a bit when I did juggle most of the flame died out. I'll have to try again later (possibly with better clubs!)

Week three P and I managed 10 passes and stop a number of times, though we kept failing on the elusive 3,3,10 until finally success was achieved! I did the happy dance I was so pleased.

This was one of my goals from the start of term, the first to improve my club passing had already been achieved. Getting past twenty passes with self, pass is another (that's in my grasp). Passing in groups of three or more, while not lasting very long is improving and then there is success at the 3,3,10 pattern. Now I have to be able to do it with other partners!

K and I did some self, pass passing. We aren't as well synced as P and I but D joined us as we managed some fairly consistant four person + passing.

On to other topics, this last 3 weeks I've been on the backup rotation at work, which isn't the most interesting, logging success or failure of backup jobs and changing tapes is fine one week in four or six but palls after two plus weeks!

I'm in the process of upgrading my kitchen, and I've also ordered a new 32" flat screen TV (my current one I got second hand nearly 20 years ago!) Sky+HD have just updated their program interface, and you can now see you currently selected channel while looking through the program guide (I believe TiVo has had this for years). It also stacks series so material you record doesn't take as much screen space. You can choose to record a single program or the whole series. But you still can't select anything that is more than 7 days in advance.

Last Saturday I saw Coraline in 3D in Brighton (after visiting my chiropractor). After my Imax experience in Bradford it was a bit of a disappointment, the glasses didn't work as well over my glasses and there was less use of 3D WOW! factor. Later in the Bank Holiday week end I watched The Hunt for Gollum which shows what amateurs can achieve when they sets their minds to it.

I've finally caught up with Dexter series 2. It's been resident on my Sky+HD box for months and since they started showing series 3 last mont... It's one of those show that once you start watching you wonder why you didn't catch it when it was broadcast. Ive got the fist few of S3 to look forward too!

I almost forgot, with the good weather, I've managed to get in a walk around the Bedelands farm area both week ends. Last Sunday I saw half a dozen rabbits, a magpie and a number of black birds though if they were crows, ravens or blackbirds I couldn't tell. I took some photos which may appear at some future time. The change from leafless winter to current spring time leafy greenness has been wonderful to see.

The last two weeks manages to include 3 juggling classes. And things have been getting good!

The first class of the term we got 2 new people and one not so new person joining, which kept the numbers up and meant the class could continue.

The day was nice and sunny so I walked to the school (new location meant that I can actually get there, if a lift isn't available. Managed some work on club passing with P. Self Pass pattern is now getting solid.

Week 2 weather was less nice so got on the train for the short hop to town. Did some more jugging with P and worked on the 3,3,10 pattern (this follows the pattern, self, self, pass x 3 then self, pass x 3 then pass, pass, pass x3+1 (ie pass 3 times in one pattern, 3 times in the second pattern and 10 times in the third pattern) The best we managed was 3,3,8 ;-( We did however manage to throw 10 passes on their own (so I knew I could do it) We also tried triangle passing with three of us, catching from one person and passing to the other, not too successfully (but that we tried....) We did manage self, pass, with 16 passes though.

The previous week end I decided to try my hand at fire club juggling again (ie I tried but got nowhere last year, I wasn't really a good enough club juggler then). Unfortunately the flames were rather excessive when I started, and by the time the flames had died a bit when I did juggle most of the flame died out. I'll have to try again later (possibly with better clubs!)

Week three P and I managed 10 passes and stop a number of times, though we kept failing on the elusive 3,3,10 until finally success was achieved! I did the happy dance I was so pleased.

This was one of my goals from the start of term, the first to improve my club passing had already been achieved. Getting past twenty passes with self, pass is another (that's in my grasp). Passing in groups of three or more, while not lasting very long is improving and then there is success at the 3,3,10 pattern. Now I have to be able to do it with other partners!

K and I did some self, pass passing. We aren't as well synced as P and I but D joined us as we managed some fairly consistant four person + passing.

On to other topics, this last 3 weeks I've been on the backup rotation at work, which isn't the most interesting, logging success or failure of backup jobs and changing tapes is fine one week in four or six but palls after two plus weeks!

I'm in the process of upgrading my kitchen, and I've also ordered a new 32" flat screen TV (my current one I got second hand nearly 20 years ago!) Sky+HD have just updated their program interface, and you can now see you currently selected channel while looking through the program guide (I believe TiVo has had this for years). It also stacks series so material you record doesn't take as much screen space. You can choose to record a single program or the whole series. But you still can't select anything that is more than 7 days in advance.

Last Saturday I saw Coraline in 3D in Brighton (after visiting my chiropractor). After my Imax experience in Bradford it was a bit of a disappointment, the glasses didn't work as well over my glasses and there was less use of 3D WOW! factor. Later in the Bank Holiday week end I watched The Hunt for Gollum which shows what amateurs can achieve when they sets their minds to it.

I've finally caught up with Dexter series 2. It's been resident on my Sky+HD box for months and since they started showing series 3 last mont... It's one of those show that once you start watching you wonder why you didn't catch it when it was broadcast. Ive got the fist few of S3 to look forward too!

I almost forgot, with the good weather, I've managed to get in a walk around the Bedelands farm area both week ends. Last Sunday I saw half a dozen rabbits, a magpie and a number of black birds though if they were crows, ravens or blackbirds I couldn't tell. I took some photos which may appear at some future time. The change from leafless winter to current spring time leafy greenness has been wonderful to see.

I thought I'd finish off the financial year, and my March posting in one go.

This last weekend the weather wasn't as accommodating as previously so I messed out on my walk around Bedelands Farm, hopefully next weekend will be better.

Pat Wrede has recently had a new website at www.pcwrede.com and I've now added a link there from my minimal Read Wrede pages. I'm really looking forward to her new book The Thirteenth Child which is due out later this month.

Yesterday was quite hectic, the PTB decided that we (Charityshare) didn't need to provide IT Training any more and after 2 months notice the team was made redundant. With over 40 years of training experience it was a very strong group and is no no more. There was a farewell lunch for for them and a few of our colleagues, at the tapas bar just over the road. I had a nice chicken Fajitas for a very reasonable price, but had to leave before most of the rest as I had to get back to work!

In the evening was the last juggling class of this term and I managed a number of firsts. First due to BST I was able to juggle outside in daylight, and I was able to borrow some knives and managed over 50 throws in one go.

We then did some collaboration and Pete and I managed well over 10 x self pass with clubs, we got so zen we weren't counting! We also manged 9 x pass, pass twice. Then the five of us that have been passing clubs tried a self pass pentagram! Everything fell apart quite quickly, but even the little we did manage, did get better.

This morning I had training on a new web service that is due to be made available from the NSPCC in the next few months and the Charityshare is providing the back-end support for.

I've been using my new camera to video the Tuesday juggling class, it's interesting to see the improvements over the weeks. I must try to upload the material somewhere.

I've been practicing club passing for the last few weeks and I seem to be getting better. There are two places where everything usually falls apart. Not throwing the club to your partner in a consistent manner, and managing to fail the basic pass to yourself throw. The latter is more common and more embarrassing!

Yesterday's juggling was the last but one of the term (and since a number weren't going to make the last week) we went for our traditional drink after. This time we just went around the corner to the Potters, where I had a half of Guinness and we had about half an hour before we had to leave.

Last Saturday after my Chiropractor appointment I went to the Cinema in Brighton to see "Watchmen", there was over an hour to wait for the film to start, after i got my ticket, so I sat on the beach for a bit then laid down to have a bit of a rest.

Any way the film was excellent, I haven't read the original book since first publication, even though I did recently get a copy of the Graphic novel reprint.

On Sunday since I wasn't around the previous day I did my shopping and decided, as the weather was still nice to take another walk around Bedelands. This time I took the public footpath across the tran track and home via the roadway.

And finally I just realised that it's been nearly 2 years since I joined Librarything.com, my first book No Quarter by Tanya Huff, was entered on 28 Mar 07

D has been doing some electrical upgrades for me in lieu of rent, so far he's replaced most of the light switches for something more modern, and replaced the original wire-fused main fuse box (which had been really badly installed) the new one has circuit breakers and separate "fuses" for power rings for ground floor, first floor and kitchen, and the garage and shower (also new) on a separate circuit. He's also just replaced one of the kitchen lights. It previously had 4 mini bulbs of 40+watts each and the replacement strip light is brighter and uses less total power.

First weekend in March, on Saturday my Dad drove to collect me so I could visit for the weekend. After arriving he decided that he wasn't feeling up to driving back so I had to!!! I had driven in years (decades) so it was good that I was familiar with the route. Though it's interesting how much more you concentrate on how you get from A to B when you are behind the wheel! The car was very nice to drive, an automatic and with very responsive accelerator and brake. We did get home safely (though one of the wheel trims did come off! And was recovered the following day!)

Went to church with my parents on Sunday, my Mum drove this time. and after lunch my sister took me home.

Tuesday nights juggling have been progressing nicely. I've used use my new camera to video some of the juggling, and the improvement over the weeks is noticeable (I must upload some) It the moment I'm trying to keep the patterns going for a bit longer (i.e. 10 clubs being passed/thrown). We have also been doing patterns with 4 people, the best have been in a cross (+) but also -> with the teacher passing to three of us.

I managed to loose my new Palm TX it was when there was a break in the train lines and I had to get a replacement service bus. Despite contacting lost property I got no result ;-(

Last weekend I spent finally getting around to watching hours of TV I'd recorded over the last 3 month! But mid afternoon it was so nice weather wise that I decided to go for a walk, and tramped through Bedelands Farm, not much growth current but hopefully I'll return and see some transformations. I did take one or two pictures.

I don't normally make New Year resolutions, but I feel that I really ought to be able to post at least once a month!

I finally realised I hadn't posted in over two months and if I don't do so today, I won't have my diary to refer to!

So back at the end of October....

I took some training in Powerpoint, which allowed me to take the final module of the ECDL, which I passed! It's not too technical a qualification, but it's the only the second IT related one I've got (3rd if you count an "OA" level taken in 1978!)

In mid November I went to the Hawth theatre twice. First to see Cirque du Glace - circus on ice. The whole stage was iced over, and most of the performers were on skates. There was ice dancing as well as the usual circus performances. The second was to see Shades of Brown, a one woman show, high lighting issues of skin colour. A tour du force, the writer / performer (Rani Moorthy) was on stage all the time (even when costume changing).

I started watching "Sanctuary" on ITV4 using ITVPlayer as my sky+ box had finally died! Last in the series is going to be on TV this Monday (sky+ box replaced over Christmas). Also have been watching "Merlin" and "Strictly Come Dancing" on BBC1, both now finished and "Fringe" on Sky1 also on my PC with SkyPlayer, but when I tried to view the last episode (ep10) it wouldn't work, so I'll have to find it elsewhere.

Finally booked my flight to Atlanta and hotel for Gafilk, though with the exchange rates and petrol prices it was a bit higher than in previous years. I look forward to seeing friends again, and hearing good music.

I've bought a new camera, as the old one fell apart when I was in Denver last year. It uses an SD card and can record video (but the sound isn't so good). It's smaller and made of metal, rather than plastic, so I hope it lasts better.

Jugging class finished a few weeks back, for this term. It will restart in the New Year, but due to Gafilk I'll miss the first 2 weeks. (previously it was on Monday so with the plane schedules I only missed one week, now it's later so I miss two!) We have been doing quite a lot of passing, with both balls and clubs. I used the new camera to take some video I may post them some time.

December 12th was our staff Christmas party / dinner. It was in the evening and I though the meal was quite good, some how I managed to have two christmas pudding, though I decided not to drink, so that may have balanced out.

I've finally managed to get Ubuntu to run on my eeepc from an SD card, as if it were a writable Live CD and with the wireless function working! I'm using the Eeebuntu Netbook Remix which works like a charm. But it still takes twice as long to boot as Puppy Linux which is also now working from SD Card.

And so I'm nearly up to date. Two weeks ago I saw a double bill of "The Tale of Despereaux" and "The Day the Earth Stood Still" at the local cinema. Then we get to Christmas which I spent with my parents, and sister and her family. Oh yes my niece has just past her driving test, only three month after her 17th birthday, when she first started driving.

On Christmas day we watched the traditional "Doctor Who Christmas Special", followed by "the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special", back home on Sunday afternoon, when I had to go out in the freezing cold to buy my Annual Season Ticket (so I can travel in 2009 at 2008 prices) then back to work on Monday. We did get New Years day off work, and I spent it, as expected reading.

The book list meme has been going around at this time, so I extracted the data from LibraryThing and determined that I read 343 books during 2008. I'm not going to post them all due to space considerations, but it would be really cool if there were a widget which could be set to show the books you'd read over a certain period. A week, a month or even a year.