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1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Knitted an item of clothing (end of August 2007) - it was a hat. I've not worn it since; instead I've made better ones - using higher quality yarn and in stripes.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Didn't make any. I won't make any more (until November).I'm doing the 101 tasks in 1001 days thing, and my current set expires then.
( snip snip snip snip )

What were you doing when you heard, and what are you doing now?

Today I am at work.

In 2001 I was in bed, dozing when I heard, having just worked the night shift before. I got a text message from my ex saying "Have you heard the news?". I thought nothing of it (assuming it was related to someone in our social circle) and went back to bed, only to receive another text 20 minutes later from someone in another social group. At that point I saw my computer screen and had left it logged in to a talker. The message posting rate had skyrocketed, so I started reading and found out that way.

Got a text message from bethanthepurple earlier today who happened to be visiting London, so we met up wandered the streets for a bit, had a bite to eat and then headined into town.

En route we met alienfox so I prodded him for details of the then-forthcoming gathering chez lui.

In town I we wandered up to cybercandy going via
a junction called Seven Dials. I'd taken a few photos of it before over recent days, but it had been raining and the photos weren't as good as I'd like.

The junction istself is near Leicester Square and consists of 7 one way streets (4 in, 3 out) meeting at a mini roundabout with a tall monument in the centre. This monument has 7 sundials on it (one on each face), hence the name.



Later we wandered to south towards Westminster and wandered through St James Park. We found a guy hand feeding squirrels - it was fantastic - I got loads of photos and a few videos. One of a squirrel running up the guy's leg, taking a nut and scurrying off.


Shortly after 5 we went to head the quarter hour chimes but annoyingly a noisy bus and a police car went past and masked the sound. Such a small thing to do, and still I've not yet heard the bells up front in person. I shall have to stand next to the tower next time I'm in the area :-)

Then we went our separate ways and I headed up to Islington to have dinner with zapruder. Rar. We finally met up after 2 previous failed attempts. We ate at a place called La Porchetta and they served huge portions. So big, in fact, that even I with my huge appetite was unable to finish. Never mind - I took it home with me and finished it off the following day.

I had previously thought about writing up my tumour story in book form, but don't quite know how I'd pad it out into a reasonable length. Conversation over dinner gave me a few ideas, including adding some stories about how Nf affected me as a child, some stories from school and those medics to whom I've been a patient.
So, thanks for re-kindling my interest
I shall start looking for publishers at some stage.

All in all, it was an awesome and yet tiring day.

Yesterday was insane. Started off in town in the afternoon and met up with _phuturatica_, megashrike, luger_ , wintershox, westyburger and some others. Had much fun in the park behind Urbis - I'm sure pictures will appear soon.
Evening was spent at Sin City, and it was my first time and it was fantastic. Music was a bit loud, too loud perhaps as I have tinitis and this is the first time it's lasted until the morning after. Was surprised not to see fruit_boy there, so sent a text message and cajoled him out. Rar. Funky night and so glad I went. Got in at 5am when it was light. Not done that in a while.

It was fab to meet you all, and hopefully we can meet up when I next go to London. (Current plan is next weekend as I'm working in Middlesex on Monday 8th).


HOW CAN THEY DO THIS TO A CLASSIC?. I loved that book as a child.

I woke up to a rather debaucherous dream. RudeDreams++ :-)
(A shame the subseuqent dream featured my wife dying as I sat with her in a hospital)

Plan for the day: go out with softfruit (probably after lunch to a park somewhere), then to fruit_boy's later in the evening.

Inspiring clicky
Try http://1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3146815 instead; that other URL is now dead.

Work has been keeping me exceedingly busy. Tuesday and Wednesday I was in Belfast. It was a lovely city and I wish I had more time to see some of it. One the second day, I had a very chatty taxi driver and asked if he'd take me to the airport and show me some of the city en route, and he was happy to do so. I was shown the shipyard where the Titanic was build and some of the political murals around the city fringes. There was a gate which is now open, but used to block off one of the main arterial routes which seperated the two fractions during the times of greatest violence.

On the flight out, I told one of the stewardesses that I have enrolled for flying lessons and was given a tour of the flightdeck.

Thursday and Friday I was in Sussex. That was a hellish drive. On the way back I decided to call by various people that I'd not seen for a while and also to break the journey up. Managed to see my mum, my dad and stepmum, have dinner with my brother, and also see bethanthepurple and revraven. Annoying some careless van driver dinged the car coming home when the car was parked in the driveway. It's superficial damage, but still a hassle to sort out.
My dad lives in a flat, so space is at a premium, even in the loft. Much of my stuff that I didn't take to uni with me was put into storage there when he moved to the flat from the family house and now that I myself am in a house there's more space here. I had a huge nostalgia trip going through my old things and have brought back about 10 bags of stuff. Mainly old books, but a few I want to keep. The rest I shall take to the charity shop down the road. I keep managing to busy myself on a Saturday and not being able to take the stuff I've already amassed over there. It'll happen soon. It has too. It's taking up needed room :-)

I got back home to Manchester late Saturday evening and headed over to softfruit's place for jezebel_z's birthday. We were going to go to Nando's but Parrs Wood was rammed so we took a look in town and the one there was closed due to some mechanical problem. We went out for a fabulous chinese instead. Rar, it was good.

Woke up about 1130 this morning and haven't even dressed or showered yet. Am just about to head over to fruit_boy's place as I've not seen him or tabatha_yeddap for far too long.

I know that I planned to be visiting London this weekend, but I shall try some other time instead.

clicky. meow.

I dunno why, but I didn't sleep well last night. I vaguely remember waking around 4am, having just had a weird dream which I've now forgotten. The sun is shining now, but the house was very cold when I woke up. I'm looking forward to summer; reminds me of lazy afternoons spent in the park back when I was at college. And now I've given myself a huge nostalgia trip - but work's busy and I've got stuff to do.

I went again*g* I walked with Dave because I'm didn't feel comfortable walking that stretch of road alone.

I went to Russell's room first and he gave me the photo of the six Matts from Hall last year, taken at the cocktail party.

In the bar, I showed it to people who'd lived there lasy year. I presented them with the photo of the pissed-up slems'-men and asked "What do they all have in common?". Everyone assumed it was red-eye, or alcohol, or blue shirts or something, except 3 people ( Ben, Mark W, Jack) who got it within seconds.