Michael's Meanderings

First day unemployed, bought tickets to London for Eastercon, Went to book club (first time in over a year)
D gave me a iPhone 5 as an early birthday present!
Spent a while learning to use it and configure it. (and to upgrade all the apps)

On Thu left for London, visited the Science Museum before going to Heathrow and checking in to the Holiday In.
Good Friday
Breakfast at McD (and for rest of W/E as on way from Holiday Inn to Park Inn (were the convention was held)
Checked in to Eastercon 2015 / Dysprosium got free mug and discworld calendar, got wifi working! on both ipod and iphone
Went to back to back panels, my favourite being the difference engine imaged and imagined by the author of "The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage "
bought food at petrol station / co-op over the road. Spent an hour at filking
Saturday
After McD porridge for breakfast, more panels including GoHs Caroline Mullan & Jim Butcher (in separate program items)
Met a chatted to Listie Katrina & fiancé
Concerts with Playing Rapunzel followed by Talis+2 (Seannan McGuire unable to join in due to lurgy)
Easter Sunday
After McD porridge for breakfast, went to Easter worship then checked out art show for last time
GoH - Herr Döktor interview and GoH - Seanan McGuire (an hour with). In evening was Not the masquerade! an hour of filking
Easter Monday
Last day of con. couple of panels then closing ceremony. Chatted with ED. Read in hotel room (should have left but...)

Tuesday
Left in morning spent hour and a half at the science museum
Got a call from Agency asking if I wanted to renew contract! I said yes. Restarting work in 2 days.
Dancing with J - started learning new quickstep. Later in the month expanded the foxtrot repertoire
Spent day after return from Eastercon replacing upstairs toilet with D! Discovered seat had broken at the hinges so had to order replacement
Bought weekly season tickets until the end of the month, than a monthly one! And back to work!
I celebrated my birthday during April and got cards from family & my dance partner, went for a nice lunch with the latter, followed with hours talking in the sun. Saw ISS pass overhead that night!
The following day celebrated my sister's (and my) birthday with another lunch out, with niece, her intended, my sister and brother-in-law and a nice surprise my aunt and uncle (who I hadn't seen for months - even though they only live a few miles away)
Also celebrated 8 years since I started writing on LiveJournal in 2007
the Brighton SF Reading group met on the second Monday of the month as the previous week was Easter Monday
We discussed Ancillary Justice for most of the 2 hours, usually we only spend the first hour on the book itself, then wander ot ofther genre topics. But this time almost all discussion was on topic. That I had actually finished the book was probably a plus!
Went to World Book Night Quiz at Martlets Cafe - cam 2nd of 7 teams! Go free book.
Finally got a SIM for my iPhone, bit odd to actually have a working Smart Phone!
Last Saturday of the month was social dance, with practice night 8 days prior to this. Spotted a Circus in Goffs Park, decided to go.
Up early sunday morning so I could get train to Crawly for the 11:00 performance by Zyair circus
Had sunday lunch while waiting to go to the cinema then discovered it had sold out! Sky box performed an update which now allows it to remember recored programs and to automatically start recording the new series!
Now separates recorded programs from scheduled programs (different menu entried)
Started watching iZombie via internet as not available via Sky.

And once again I forget to update at the weekend.

At the end of last month I went to The Hawth for the Crawley Folk and Beer Festival on the Friday evening and all of Saturday. Met Keith from juggling, listened to Touchstone and Cajun Dawgs before bein collected by K and left after 6.00 to go Ballroom Dancing at St Wilfrid's Schools. Danced a fair bit and almost got the Foxtrot completly correct.
Finished at 10:15 K gave me a lift to the bus station from whence I got the number 10 bus to Gatwick and then home!

We continue classes every Wednesday, and recntly have had an influx of students as the Tuesday class has stopped for the school holidays (it's held at St Wilfrids). This has meant more of a crush, and the foxtrot teaching has been ongoing. Until last week we didn't learn anything new, but yesterday we started to re-learn the Jive!

Since I wasn't home on Saturday I had to go into town on Sunday to do my shopping. After I started watching the Lizzie Bennet Diaries on YouTube. They are awesome.

I've been going to a chiropractor twice a week, but now have got to the point where once a week is enough. I do have to get into the habit of exercising correctly. Since I have managed to get into the habit of playing ukulele for 5-10 minues a day I SHOULD be able to exercise for a similar time every day but....

Recently my Sky+HD box automatically upgraded it's operationg system, the styling is prettier and it will now conect to the internet (if you plug an ethernet cable in) even if your supplier is not Sky. Now if only it had some browsing capability that would be cool.

On Thursday 12th June I went down to Brighton to see "The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Radio Show: Live" at the Theatre Royal. This was excellent, during the first half I suprised myself in knowing amost all the dialogue dispite not reading the books or listening to the radio for years. The second half however seem to diverge from the narrative I remembered 9though it may have used the books or even the newer audio series). Anyway i had an excellent time and would recommed it to and SF fans.

Last Monday I went to see "The Amazing Spiderman" at the local cinema (Monday is cheap seats day). It was interesting to see another origin story, a bit darker but perhap more rounded.

Nearly up to date, and must mention 1-800-Missing which is being broadcast daily and is based on a series of books by Meg Cabot, though they do seem to have diverged from the novel plot in series two.

Started volunteering at Sussex Oakleaf a small charity based in Haywards Heath. I was involved in designing Excel spreadsheet version of paper forms.

The following Monday I finished the first module of Principles of Business & Administration, the test for which was computer based and I passed. This meant the end of term so the next module started in mid September.

The next day a Sky engineer came to replace my Sky+HD box, as this model was faulty and had to be recalled. So I now have a shiny new box which is smaller and likely to last longer.

Given that I wasn't going to get to London for a Book Club meeting, I decided to see if there was any thing locally, and discovered there was a group that met on the first Wednesday of the month, in the library at 2pm in the after noon. The first book I tried to read was "Birth of Venus, Love and Death in Florence by Sarah Dunant.

I discovered that the Jay Miller's Circus was visiting Burgess Hill in the middle of the month and went to see the matinee, which was a good plan as it was a very small circus.

This month's major movie was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 in 3D which was a very bad idea as the film was dark enough as it was, wearing sunglasses only made it darker. This was followed the following week by Cars 2 which had a wonderfully character voiced by Michael Caine. At the end of the month I also saw Captain America, not being invested in the character I approached it as just another movie and found it surprisingly good.

Next haircut was due at the end of the month, it's quite odd going to the hairdressers (even if I have managed to get a student discount occasionally) since I hadn't had a haircut in months if not years previously.

Out of the house at least twice a week on Wednesday for ITQ training (as I don't have Office 2007 at home) and on Fridays at Sussex Oakleaf.