Long day today.
Nicky up v early to take Jake to airport for his flight to Nice.
I'm just coming home from the Oval where an evening T20 game didn't happen due to the rain.
Friday 24 July 2015
Thursday 23 July 2015
Return
Our wanderer has returned safe and sound, although he's only with us for a very short while, as it's off to the airport he goes at the crack of dawn tomorrow to fly south ...
Sounds like the expedition went well from what we've heard so far, and after a quick power nap he was ready to head out for a burger this evening before facing the packing for holiday.
Work continues to be hectic, and after a long queue down the motorway, I spent a typical office-based day of not getting much done, other than responding to requests from staff and clients. So my plan for tomorrow will be to hide out at home and try to make progress before heading off to our client event for the afternoon/evening (and then to the joy of four whole days off).
One of the fringe benefits of the long journey to work this morning was listening to a particularly good pause for thought on the radio. The speaker was talking about how easy it is to worry about just about anything and everything, from work-based stresses, to financial concerns (what's going to happen when interest rates creep up and mortgages get more expensive) to goodness knows what else, and he pointed us towards the words of St Paul in his letter to the Philippians. In fact I've looked up the key verses, which are in chapter 4:
"Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus."
Sounds like the expedition went well from what we've heard so far, and after a quick power nap he was ready to head out for a burger this evening before facing the packing for holiday.
Work continues to be hectic, and after a long queue down the motorway, I spent a typical office-based day of not getting much done, other than responding to requests from staff and clients. So my plan for tomorrow will be to hide out at home and try to make progress before heading off to our client event for the afternoon/evening (and then to the joy of four whole days off).
One of the fringe benefits of the long journey to work this morning was listening to a particularly good pause for thought on the radio. The speaker was talking about how easy it is to worry about just about anything and everything, from work-based stresses, to financial concerns (what's going to happen when interest rates creep up and mortgages get more expensive) to goodness knows what else, and he pointed us towards the words of St Paul in his letter to the Philippians. In fact I've looked up the key verses, which are in chapter 4:
"Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus."
Tuesday 21 July 2015
Silver
Today Jake has headed off on his silver D of E expedition, so, as has become something of a tradition, Nicky was up early to make him a cooked breakfast prior to setting off to drop him off. The weather forecast looks OK for the next few days, so hopefully they'll stay dry ...
Monday 20 July 2015
Open
It's Monday, but the last day of The Open nonetheless - the first time that this has happened for 27 years. And, back in 1988, when I was the same age that Jake is now, it was won by the legendary Spaniard Seve.
Today's Monday finish was pretty exciting, bringing to a conclusion a memorable major. The BBC summary article can do it better justice than I can, but in particular it was a shame that Spieth missed that putt on the 18th and didn't make it into the four-hole playoff - I suspect that he would have been a hot favourite over four holes against any of the guys who did make it into the shootout.
As always, the BBC shows how golf should be covered on TV (we like the fact that Sky has so much sport coverage, but don't for a minute think that they get anywhere near the quality of the Beeb) and this year's tournament marked a few farewells - the last appearance in The Open for both Tom Watson and Nick Faldo, and if I understood his comments correctly, the last commentary from Peter Alliss (who kept reminding us that he first went to St Andrew's in 1948). If so, we'll miss him very much.
Today's Monday finish was pretty exciting, bringing to a conclusion a memorable major. The BBC summary article can do it better justice than I can, but in particular it was a shame that Spieth missed that putt on the 18th and didn't make it into the four-hole playoff - I suspect that he would have been a hot favourite over four holes against any of the guys who did make it into the shootout.
As always, the BBC shows how golf should be covered on TV (we like the fact that Sky has so much sport coverage, but don't for a minute think that they get anywhere near the quality of the Beeb) and this year's tournament marked a few farewells - the last appearance in The Open for both Tom Watson and Nick Faldo, and if I understood his comments correctly, the last commentary from Peter Alliss (who kept reminding us that he first went to St Andrew's in 1948). If so, we'll miss him very much.
Sunday 19 July 2015
Upload
Inappropriate news, but of much excitement - as of yesterday, we have a new toilet in our downstairs cloakroom, thanks to our friendly local plumber Wayne. He came round and fitted a new of (supply and fit for what I reckon was a bargain price of £100) and we no longer have a loo that constantly refills, including at bizarre moments when you run a tap in the kitchen. Happy days indeed.
Other news from the weekend includes the return of the lodge-dwellers from their round Britain cruise, a meal out with Carolyn and Chris at the Farmhouse in West Malling, and Jake giving a better review of the latest Marvel film (Antman) than the mean critic in the Sunday Times, who didn't think much of it at all.
As for uploading, I have set up a new flickr account and am using the new uploader software to automatically upload photos as I have become woefully behind on my main account due to the time-consuming process of uploading to my main account with labels, tags, albums and so on. So far I have backed up almost 10,000 photos into this new account, using up about 2% of the 1TB they kindly give you for free, and will leave it plugging away overnight uploading more.
Other news from the weekend includes the return of the lodge-dwellers from their round Britain cruise, a meal out with Carolyn and Chris at the Farmhouse in West Malling, and Jake giving a better review of the latest Marvel film (Antman) than the mean critic in the Sunday Times, who didn't think much of it at all.
As for uploading, I have set up a new flickr account and am using the new uploader software to automatically upload photos as I have become woefully behind on my main account due to the time-consuming process of uploading to my main account with labels, tags, albums and so on. So far I have backed up almost 10,000 photos into this new account, using up about 2% of the 1TB they kindly give you for free, and will leave it plugging away overnight uploading more.
Saturday 18 July 2015
100 days
It's actually 99 as I post this on Saturday morning, but that's close enough. I meant to post this yesterday but it was all a bit Friday evening, I got distracted by evening golf in the St Andrew's gloom, and basically completely forgot, but we reached the all important milestone of 100 days until our trip to Florida.
Has felt like a long time coming, and it is nice to at least be onto a two-digit countdown from now on.
Back soon ...
Has felt like a long time coming, and it is nice to at least be onto a two-digit countdown from now on.
Back soon ...
Thursday 16 July 2015
Scarlett
Special trip to Canterbury today for a book reading and signing.
Now proud owner of Scarlett Thomas signed editions.
Now proud owner of Scarlett Thomas signed editions.
Tuesday 14 July 2015
Fyne
An evening in London today. Was a little bit early arriving and so took the opportunity to visit one of my favourite bookshops - Foyles on Charing Cross Road. Had a good look around. Lots of copies of the new Harper Lee (out today) everywhere on display. As always could have bought lots, but did the sensible thing and came out with lots of ideas instead.
As for the rest of the evening, been for an audit meal at Loch Fyne.
Now for a frustrating journey home on the train trying to get a decent score on this 2048 game that Jake has introduced me to.
As for the rest of the evening, been for an audit meal at Loch Fyne.
Now for a frustrating journey home on the train trying to get a decent score on this 2048 game that Jake has introduced me to.
Monday 13 July 2015
30 years
Live Aid was 30 years ago today.
It's entertaining to think back to what my 12 year-old self was like back at this point in 1985. I'd just about survived my first year at the Math. Not entirely sure that I'd enjoyed it. I suppose that by this point I was basking in the glow of my 98% maths result - top in the year by 8% from Crockford in second, and he and I were about to head off to dig holes on beaches in the Isle of Wight. However, I remember some times in that first year when that school seemed alarmingly large (even if it is 50% bigger now) and by then I would have suffered the various delights of getting squashed in the scrum at rugby, embarrassed by my inability to swim a width of the pool, and wheezed my way up Cookham Hill during cross country.
As for the Live Aid concert itself, whilst I love all of that 80s music now, something tells me that slap bang in the middle of the decade I wasn't a very with it 12 year-old at all. Probably a bit too much piano and choir and not enough top 40 - that was still a few years away for me.
I think that I vaguely remember the concert being on the telly, but I don't suppose I was paying much attention. I probably have my much cooler older sister to thank for it being on at all.
It's entertaining to think back to what my 12 year-old self was like back at this point in 1985. I'd just about survived my first year at the Math. Not entirely sure that I'd enjoyed it. I suppose that by this point I was basking in the glow of my 98% maths result - top in the year by 8% from Crockford in second, and he and I were about to head off to dig holes on beaches in the Isle of Wight. However, I remember some times in that first year when that school seemed alarmingly large (even if it is 50% bigger now) and by then I would have suffered the various delights of getting squashed in the scrum at rugby, embarrassed by my inability to swim a width of the pool, and wheezed my way up Cookham Hill during cross country.
As for the Live Aid concert itself, whilst I love all of that 80s music now, something tells me that slap bang in the middle of the decade I wasn't a very with it 12 year-old at all. Probably a bit too much piano and choir and not enough top 40 - that was still a few years away for me.
I think that I vaguely remember the concert being on the telly, but I don't suppose I was paying much attention. I probably have my much cooler older sister to thank for it being on at all.
Saturday 11 July 2015
Show
Two main trips out today - firstly Nicky and I went over to the Kent Show and had an enjoyable stroll around in the sunshine for a while - watched the Spitfire display as we were arriving in the car park, and then meandered our way around the showground. Our only purchase, other than food, drink and ice cream, was a brush for cleaning radiators!
Then this evening we've all (including Jake and Georgie) been over to Bluewater. Nicky and I went to Five Guys - first visit - and had an excellent burger - and then we met up at the cinema to see Ted 2, which was very funny and had a good number of laugh out loud moments.
Then this evening we've all (including Jake and Georgie) been over to Bluewater. Nicky and I went to Five Guys - first visit - and had an excellent burger - and then we met up at the cinema to see Ted 2, which was very funny and had a good number of laugh out loud moments.
Friday 10 July 2015
Arrows
Missed the Red Arrows today. They kindly did a display over our house.
Sadly I was at the office.
Sadly I was at the office.
Two
Interesting trip out at work today. Went to visit a potential new office. Much larger than our current one, and would include space for another office (separate department) to join us. Will have to wait and see how things pan out.
At home, big news of the day is that it is Jessie and Coco's second birthday!
At home, big news of the day is that it is Jessie and Coco's second birthday!
Wednesday 8 July 2015
Grade
Jake's grade 8 piano this morning.
Went well, and early - unofficial - indications are good.
Official news due in a few weeks.
Went well, and early - unofficial - indications are good.
Official news due in a few weeks.
Tuesday 7 July 2015
Cut
Back to the office today, but bragging rights for my seat at Centre Court yesterday! I was most in demand for walking people through my solution to calculating the capacity of a reservoir (oh yes, and a few client calls, meetings, sign offs etc etc ...) but had a good excuse to dash off early - needed to get home in time for a haircut.
Monday 6 July 2015
Sunday 5 July 2015
Saturday 4 July 2015
Founders
First Saturday in July, and so it must be Founder's Day. Jake was off to the cathedral this morning, but no parents got tickets due to works going on inside, so we had the morning off. Nicky did the taxi service, and I finally got around to following Jake's IT advice, and getting Google Chrome installed on the Mac, which is making uploading pictures and posting them onto the blog a little bit easier.
We went down to school in the afternoon, and enjoyed lazing in the sun for a while, listening to the athletics announcing ("will another runner from Pitt please come to the start line as we don't have enough competitors yet") and then watching a little bit of the cricket whilst chatting to Mr Fry, who is now the Chairman of the Old Willies, and will also be around during Jake's silver D of E expedition in a few weeks.
Back at home, Jake managed a quick piano practice before I took him over to Georgie's and then the rest of us enjoyed a barbie here this evening.
Off to bed soon. Early starts tomorrow.
We went down to school in the afternoon, and enjoyed lazing in the sun for a while, listening to the athletics announcing ("will another runner from Pitt please come to the start line as we don't have enough competitors yet") and then watching a little bit of the cricket whilst chatting to Mr Fry, who is now the Chairman of the Old Willies, and will also be around during Jake's silver D of E expedition in a few weeks.
Back at home, Jake managed a quick piano practice before I took him over to Georgie's and then the rest of us enjoyed a barbie here this evening.
Off to bed soon. Early starts tomorrow.
Catch
Just driven home through a pretty impressive storm. Quite hard to see through the rain at times, and judging by the rumbling of thunder it is obviously following me home.
Been at the cricket at Hove this evening - Sussex v Kent T20. Amusingly we spent the first few overs of the match glued to the TV watching the tennis. Someone must have heard about how Heather Watson was getting on, and so got the telly turned on, and when we started watching she was 3-0 up in the 3rd against Serena, but we must have been a bad luck charm for her, because she proceeded to lose 7-5. Mind you, she did still play some pretty impressive tennis, and gave the no.1 seed a real scare. I think some of the cricketers might have wondered what was going on, as the cheering and clapping coming from our hospitality area wouldn't have corresponded at all to what was going on out on the field!
As for the cricket match, Sussex posted a pretty low total of 136 which Kent surpassed with over 5 overs to spare. The highlight of the match was our legendary Indian colleague taking a catch from a Kent six hit into our hospitality area!
Been at the cricket at Hove this evening - Sussex v Kent T20. Amusingly we spent the first few overs of the match glued to the TV watching the tennis. Someone must have heard about how Heather Watson was getting on, and so got the telly turned on, and when we started watching she was 3-0 up in the 3rd against Serena, but we must have been a bad luck charm for her, because she proceeded to lose 7-5. Mind you, she did still play some pretty impressive tennis, and gave the no.1 seed a real scare. I think some of the cricketers might have wondered what was going on, as the cheering and clapping coming from our hospitality area wouldn't have corresponded at all to what was going on out on the field!
As for the cricket match, Sussex posted a pretty low total of 136 which Kent surpassed with over 5 overs to spare. The highlight of the match was our legendary Indian colleague taking a catch from a Kent six hit into our hospitality area!
Thursday 2 July 2015
Rain
A bit of a break in the weather today, and after a late-ish start, listening in to a training call followed by a very pleasant breakfast in the garden with Nicky, there were a few spots of rain on the way to work, and then I got a bit wet on my wander into town at lunchtime. But still quite refreshing compared to the last few days.
I recently read (from the library) the latest Grisham Boone book (The Fugitive), and whilst it was enjoyable, it inevitably wasn't a particularly chunky storyline, what with it being aimed at kids after all, and so I decided to go back to one of the earlier books, and have just read The Rainmaker, which I no doubt read for the first time pretty soon after it came out twenty years ago. Whilst I have the paperback sat on the shelf, I took advantage of the Overdrive app and borrowed the ebook. This meant that I could read it in occasional free moments on both the iPad and even the iPhone, as I have the app on both devices, and the two versions even know where you are in the book - all very clever.
Anyway, the book was excellent - all about a young lawyer in Memphis bringing down a dodgy insurance company, and it comes with lots of the typical Grisham trademarks - the David and Goliath struggle, the subterfuge and suspense, the very clear sense of right and wrong, but above all, the delight in being swept along with a jolly good story.
I recently read (from the library) the latest Grisham Boone book (The Fugitive), and whilst it was enjoyable, it inevitably wasn't a particularly chunky storyline, what with it being aimed at kids after all, and so I decided to go back to one of the earlier books, and have just read The Rainmaker, which I no doubt read for the first time pretty soon after it came out twenty years ago. Whilst I have the paperback sat on the shelf, I took advantage of the Overdrive app and borrowed the ebook. This meant that I could read it in occasional free moments on both the iPad and even the iPhone, as I have the app on both devices, and the two versions even know where you are in the book - all very clever.
Anyway, the book was excellent - all about a young lawyer in Memphis bringing down a dodgy insurance company, and it comes with lots of the typical Grisham trademarks - the David and Goliath struggle, the subterfuge and suspense, the very clear sense of right and wrong, but above all, the delight in being swept along with a jolly good story.
Wednesday 1 July 2015
Hot
Driving home from work today (via the M2 to avoid a closed M26 and operation stack all the way back along the M20 thanks to Calais having been closed for a few days) the car's temperature gauge was still reading at 35 degrees, even at 7pm. According to the news, this was the hottest July day on record.
I figured it was time to get back into the blog a bit from the second half of the year onwards. Frankly the first half of the year was a pretty poor show - only managed one entry to post a picture in June, and so missed reporting on yesterday's trip to Jersey, the day in London at the weekend to the Taylor Swift concert, and no doubt a whole lot more besides.
So, will start to try harder ...
I figured it was time to get back into the blog a bit from the second half of the year onwards. Frankly the first half of the year was a pretty poor show - only managed one entry to post a picture in June, and so missed reporting on yesterday's trip to Jersey, the day in London at the weekend to the Taylor Swift concert, and no doubt a whole lot more besides.
So, will start to try harder ...
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