Well I told you once and I told you twice

[venta]

I've been thinking that I'd quite like to keep some form of a diary of my reactions to the world at the moment, and have belatedly remembered that I have an actual online journal. Which I have been neglecting shamefully.

To ease myself back in, I shall steal a list of questions from strange_complex. Thus far I haven't really been thinking very much about when I last did things, but Strange_Complex described it as 'the meme of the moment', and who am I to disagree :-)


Last time I travelled abroad: October 11th, 2019. ChrisC and I went to Hamburg for the weekend, principally to go and visit Miniatur Wunderland. Which is, on the face of it, a giant railway layout. But it is so much more fun than that makes it sound. By the time I got round to booking tickets (a couple of months in advance) the earliest timed slot we could get was 5pm. We arrived more or less on time and left when they chucked us out... at 1am

Honestly, it's great. Hamburg in October is a bit chilly (and it was rather wet that weekend), but the rest of it was pretty pleasant, too. We went to a museum of illusions, and strolled around canalsides, and visited a Soviet submarine.

Last time I slept in a hotel: Samantha and I went away for the weekend just before Christmas, and stayed in a thoroughly splendid small hotel in Chipping Campden. The goal of the weekend was to be extremely lazy and eat a lot, and we managed that very well. Occasionally we forayed out and did some gentle Christmas shopping, Chipping Campden having the sort of shops that are probably a proper nuisance if you live there and want to buy essentials, but rather fun too mooch around as a tourist.

Last time I flew in a plane: October 13th 2019. I came home from Hamburg.

Last time I took a train: Sometime a few weeks ago on the way to work. I got to my local tube station - I was running rather late - and the Central Line was having one of its moments so I hopped on a train to Paddington instead.

Last time I took public transport: March 17th. On March 16th, Boris Johnson announced that people should "work from home if they could". My employer requested that people come in on the 17th to make any necessary arrangements for home working.

I work from home occasionally anyway, so the sum total of my arrangements was to leave the office with a monitor under my arm. I left it rather late in the day, so the tube would be quieter. When I got on, I sat opposite a lady who was carrying a monitor home with her. We grinned rather ruefully at each other.

Last time I had a house guest: March 7th. Several of them. My rapper team was down in London for a practice, because the national competition was in only a few weeks. We hired a church hall in Ealing, practised during the day, went back to mine to eat pizza and watch the rugby/play Carcassonne (to taste), then went out dancing round the pubs of Hammersmith. Most people stopped over, sleeping neatly tessellated on the living room and spare room floors.

Needless to say, the competition has been cancelled.

Last time I got my hair cut: This is something that had not even crossed my mind as a thing to worry about until I heard others mentioning it. My hair gets trimmed once or twice a year, by ChrisC. I last went to an actual hairdresser for a trim in... err... probably about 2005.

The only time I have ever had something that could be even remotely described as a hair cut was when a trim got rather out of control and my hair only reached my mid-back. I think that was around 1990.

Last time I went to the movies: January 25th. I went to see 1917 (and was, to be honest, a bit underwhelmed by it). Most years I go to the cinema once. I've already been twice this year, so frankly I'm ahead of the game.

Last time I went to the theatre: I grabbed moderately last-minute tickets to say the National Theatre production of Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the matinee showing on New Year's Eve. It's such a thoughtful, magical show and it made a wonderful close to the year, making me determined to try and keep some of that feeling of magic into 2020.

So far, to be honest, that resolution has got a little lost. The production was due to start a West End run soon. If and when it happens, and if you're in London, I'd really urge you to try and find a ticket.

Last time I went to a concert: March 12th. I went to the Lexington and saw Simon Love, UNE (a frankly weird electronic duo which is 50% Mark Radcliffe), and the inimitable Helen Love.

Last time I went to an art museum: I'm genuinely unsure about this. I've ben to lots of interesting things, and various museums (including the Vagina Museum in Camden, which was snow_leopard's fault) but I can't think when I was last in an art museum. I definitely went to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam when we went there on holiday in September 2018, but I'm sure I must have looked at some pictures somewhere since then.

Last time I sat down in a restaurant: March 17th, Beiriso. I was in the office for what I was aware would be the final day in a long time, and I went to visit one of my favourite local cafes. It's a chain, I think, but a very small one and I was wondering how it was going to survive if many of the offices cleared out in the area. Their shelves were empty of pre-made salads, but they were still cooking hot pasta to order. The staff were smiling and chatty, and the place was defiantly playing Taylor Swift at the world.

I was the only customer.

Last time I went to a party: New Year's Eve. Some friends in Ealing have a NYE party every year. This year - it being the end of the "teens" decade - the theme was "Teenage". I dug out a red paisley shirt and my global hypercolour t-shirt, and went as my teenaged self (complete with personal cassette player).

I arrived just as the hosts' 7-year-old was being packed off to bed, and was immediately required to demonstrate to her what a cassette was and how one used it.

Last time I played a board game: March 22nd. My usual Sunday night pub quiz team got together to play Trivial Pursuit - over Skype. ChrisC acted as question master, so the board was in my house, but I was dialled in separately from another room. The last time I physically played a boardgame in the usual manner would have been March 7th, when the non-rugby-watchers passed the time with Carcassonne.

How are you doing? OK?

Comments

[damerell]

Both parents have got it, so could be better, considering. Still, the prognosis is as good as can be expected in people their age.

[vicarage]

Odd, I've not been to the cinema, theatre or a gig for years, but go to art galleries and museums 4-5 times a month, more in summer. Good to hear rappers can sleep on the floor, it must keep you young!