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Friday was the work Christmas party. People were getting very drunk; I left the time that people started doing lapdances for each other! I didn't take any photos, but I know there are some somewhere. (None of me, I'm glad to say). I went to Aldgate to go bellringing to hide from the debauchery.

Saturday:
Afternoon I went ringing at Westminster. I don't often get nervous when ringing, but the prestige of them is enough to unsettle me a little.
Last in the evening I went round to see snork_maiden who I'd not seen for far too long and we headed out to spiral scratch. A great little place, in a pub just off Charing Cross road. I keep forgetting when it's on, but have enjoyed it each time I've gone.

Sunday:
A day I'll not forget for a long time. It was the first Sunday service ringing at Edgware since I started training the band. Such a proud moment, and it went really well.

In the afternoon there was more bellringing at Hackney and Islington, and then I went back to Hackney for drinks in the Pembury Tavern. A fantastic evening, and was great to catch up with people (especially those like missyk8 who I'd not seen for ages). Got the bus to KX with S. and even arrived in time for the last tube home \o/

Ugh. So this going-to-bed-earlier lark didn't work out well. Not that I haven't enjoyed myself - far from it - just that I'm struggling with the lack of sleep. It doesn't seem all that long ago when I use to regularly get by on 4-5 hours a night with the occasional 6-7 catchup. Now it seems to be a 7-8 with a slightly less common 9-10 catchup.
Anyway, so what've I been up to this week? (I've been asked about my mini hiatus from writing in my journal by more than one person. It's hugely flattering to know you're that interested in my blatherings. I've made notes of what i've been up to but am waiting for when I have time compose a worthwhile entry.)

Tuesday night I went to
Marine Ices
And then to a bar with
Bluehelen.
Was great to catch up without having to fight the bustle that is typical of our usual mutual haunts such as
Bmovie.

Wednesday wasn't awful, it just didn't turn out the way I had intended. By way of preamble, a friend has done a load of resoration work on a church in the city of london. It's not as well known as one might thought, considering how well-known is a song in which it appears. These bells haven't been in a functional condititon for over 100 years. They now are, and I've rung at a couple of services there during the week when I worked next to
The gherkin
This friday is a fundraising launch party and publicity event, and I was going to help set up equipment there. The spanner in the works (pun not intended, but left in for good measure) was that the trailer which was going to be used to transport things over was blocked in by an unknown vehicle. I had reached the church and was waiting for a while so again it was very late when I got home.

Last night I went out with colleagues from work. There were 2 departments (loosely speakingcustomer servies and tech), and it was good to finally meet some of the people I'd seen on the internal ticketing system. (the two depts are at different offices)
Ended up staying out very late, but still managed to get the last tube home. Once again it was a noisy bar and I was struggling to hear at times, particularly toward the end of the night when I was tiring so coping even less well.

Given loud enough background noise am sure even fully hearing people would struggle to hear, but though my hearing (as far as I know) is normal, based upon the facility with which most of my peers conduct conversation in noisy atmospheres I seem to struggle more than most. Having spoken to deaf people about it, I've heard occasional mention of cognitive deafness.

I don't know if any such tests exist, but that's pretty much what it feels like. I find it so tiring as I concentrate so hard and people sometimes mistake the resulting facial expression for aggression.

Towards the end of the night I spent it talking to one person who pointed out that I was "on edge". His english was easily converasational, but I think I would have struggled to explain the above. There's a story i've started using because it's easier to explain in noisy circumstances, that I fell asleep next to a bass canon in a club a few years ago. After that he took much more care to speak clearly. I know it's perhaps missing the hugedifferences between the two types (well, ok there are many more) of deafness, but in loud situations I rarely have the ability to explain.

I was intending this post to be a short one. Oops.

Back to the grindstone for today, carter usm gig this evening (and having heard through the grapevine, I know loads of the people going), then to katie and Zeke's housewarming.

Now that I've got your attention, this was the shout which emanated from behind us as xugglybug and I walked arm-in-arm out of Kings Cross station on our way to bmovie last night. It was only after we'd taken half a dozen steps that I worked out not only what had been said, but also that it was directed at us.

That's right, folks. Someone thought I was a lesbian.

It's perhaps a little understandable because I was in my long black coat which looks a little like a corset from the back due to the lacing.

bmovie itself was its usual vibrant self and it was great to catch up with the many people that I'd not seen for far too long.

* * *

Today was polyday and though we didn't make it there until midday it was a fab day. In the afternoon we played a few games of Fluxx and wandered off with flirtydaz to the south bank to go on the London eye. We'd been queueing for something in the order of 20 minutes and were about half way round when the bulding was evacuated. I suspect this was due to a bomb scare, but due to apathy we didn't hang around long enough to ascertain exactly why.

Whilst on this train of thought, I came up with the perhaps Draconian idea that leaving one's bags unattended should be a criminal offence. I hesitate because I don't quite agree with punishing forgetfulness, but I think that people would take more care if it were a crime. At the very least it might help recoup some of the losses. What do people think?

We wandered back via a cafe type place and got a bite to eat, but left due to fatigue around 1930-2000.

Sorry to those of you with whom I didn't get much of a chance to speak. I count myself lucky that I have such a large and friendly community in which there isn't the time to catch up with everyone.

Friday:
Went out drinking in Printworks with some non-LJers Russ and Matt (who stayed in the same halls as me at uni) and other fellow Linux geeks. It started off quiet, but by 8 or 9 it was actually had music bleating out at a stupid volume. Depsite this place being chosen because it was a Wetherspoons, we since discovered that it is part of the Lloyd's chain. I'm wondering how long after the smoking ban comes into effect that bar workers will start asking for music to be lowered, lest their hearing be damaged. It's not the fact that it was music I didn't like (I'd object if it was music that I did at such a volume, because it makes group conversation impossible, and one-on-one conversation almost impossible), but also that it was needlessly loud, and too loud for the equipment - I could hear the sound distorting.

We sought refuge down the road to the nearby Sir John Oldcastle and had a fab night. I might even have found a place to live as one of the people present is selling their place in Burnt Oak in order to move to Japan. It's a little further out than I'd like, but not a complete deal breaker.

Saturday:
Went ringing for a wedding at St. Bartholemew the Great in Smithfields. I since learned that this is the oldest Anglican church in the country not to have had strucural work done on it. The bells are also the oldest peal in the country, offically dating from 1510. On top of that, it is the fourth church to appear in the film Four Weddings and A Funeral :-)

Evening was a fabulous meal in Mildred's in Soho. FOr such an avid carnivore, I really enjoyed the meals put on by a vegetarian restaurant. We were in the function room upstairs as there were a large number of us. Best thing was the "interesting" artwork on the walls. I wonder if anyone got any photos. I forgot, annoyingly. Pondered going to a house party afterwards, but decided against it due to having a headache.

I got home and worked out the probable cause - I'd not had any caffeine that day. Oops. Maybe I should take this as a hint to cut down.

Sunday:
No morning ringing, so I had a well needed lie-in. Instead we rang a quarter peal for evensong, thus completing 79. Ring a quarter peal on my 101 in 1001 list. 3 parts of Parker's 12-part Grandsire Triples, for those who care, of which I suspect there'll be 3.

Today:
Stupidly busy at work - it's not suprising I feel I'm nearing burnout at times. This evening I'm viewing the house in Burnt Oak. *fingers crossed* Well, later, otherwise I won't be able to type very well:-)